Blog Country 150 - North Macedonia

 

It's been a wee while since we went for a wander. Last up was Mali which was relatively easy. We have moved North West to the Balkans and North Macedonia, or the Republic of North Macedonia to be precise, which has proven to be considerably harder.

It was previously ruled by Bulgaria and Serbia and was part of Yugoslavia prior to its secession in 1991 and United Nations recognition in 1993. Scotland have played them 4 times at football, with 2 wins for Scotland, a win for North Macedonia and a draw. We are scheduled to play them away on 3rd October with the return leg at Hampden on 13th November.

To the music!  We start with Zarina Prasevda  a Macedonian singer, composer, and cultural educator dedicated to preserving and reimagining the musical traditions of the Balkans. Here she is with Blaze tebe fidan Velo.

Next up is Leb i Sol which translates as Bread and Salt They are a Macedonian and Yugoslav rock group founded in the 1970s.They split in 1995 with the inevitable reunion in 2008.Today's offering is Cuvam Noc Od Budnih

Kaliopi Bukle, known professionally as Kaliopi, is a Macedonian singer-songwriter. In her career, Kaliopi has progressed from singing lead vocal with her eponymous band in 1980s Yugoslavia to being an established vocalist and composer working in North Macedonia and across former Yugoslavia. She is 59.Her song today is Zasto.

Esma Redžepova-Teodosievska was a Macedonian Romani vocalist, songwriter and humanitarian. She was nicknamed "the Queen of the Gypsies" per her contribution to Romani culture and music. She started to sing while she was a teenager in the 1950s, and her career spans over five decades. Sadly she died in December 2016 aged 73.The selected song is Te Khelav But Mangav.

We conclude with Elena Risteka .Sometimes known as simply Elena, is a Macedonian singer. She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens with the song "Ninanajna", and finished in 12th place; this was the highest ever finish for the country until Risteska's record was beaten in 2019. It's the European song today!

The next Country will be a doddle as I have a good few songs from there

Zarina Prvasevda - Blaze Tebe Fidan Velo

Leb I Sol - Cuvam Noc Od Budnih

Kaliopi - Zasto

Esme Redzepova - Te Khelav But Mangav

Elena Risteka - Ninanajna

Shelby

 

Do you ever pull a record or a CD from the shelves, put it on and have absolutely no recollection of ever having heard it before?

I know I do. For example I randomly picked out Restless a 1995 album by Shelby Lynn to play on Sunday morning while reading the papers.

I hit the search button and found out that it had been purchased in the excellent charity shop in Broadford, Skye in 2018 and has previously featured here on the 21st of October on that year. I may well not have played it again until yesterday.

There is no point in repeating anything that I wrote before. All that remains is to select a couple of songs that have not featured here before. Two beginning with S the last time so two R's today. 

Stay tuned for the next posting in 2032.

Shelby Lynne - Restless

Shelby Lynn - Reach For The Rhythm

Del Boy

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #32 - Delbert McClinton - The Jealous Kind (LP)

During the week we visited a Cancer Research Superstore in the Glasgow Gorbals Retail Park.

i somewhat naively assumed that there would be a lot of CDs to choose from. There weren't, just a handful of utter dross. I was reminded of a comment from Alyson, who volunteers in a similar store, that anything half decent goes straight to E-Bay to be sold there. Not only is that an inconvenience but you also have to fork out for postage.

There was a selection of LPs which had significantly more records that the CD collection. I had a cursory flick through of what was also largely dross.

Then this album The Jealous Kind  by Delbert McClinton caught my eye and I bought it for a pound.

I was only vaguely aware of the name having a song called When Rita Leaves from some compilation or another.

The Jealous Kind is his 8th studio album released in 1980 on the Capitol label. And do you know what, it's pretty good!

I though he was a country singer but it seems his range varies. This album was recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sounds Studio here and features and is produced by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section here. It gets a solid 4/5 from Discogs

I'm putting it down as a find!

Delbert McClinton - The Jealous Kind

Delbert McClinton -Shaky Ground

Saturday Shuffle 163

 

Welcome to Saturday Shuffle 163 on the day that Scotland play an away game in Slovenia which will be the debut game for new manager Sebastein Pocognoli. Strap Yourselves in.

Today's first track is All the Young Dudes a song written by David Bowie but sung by Mott the Hoople .Keiran Bowie (no relation) who plays his football for Italian team Sassuolo is in the squad.

The next track is Flying to Morning by Rosebud from a Cherry Red compilation I See You Live On Love Street -Music from Laurel Canyon 1967 -1975 (here) Love Street was the name of the former park of St Mirren who are from Paisley. They now less romantically play at the SMiSA stadium or The Marbil Coaches Stadium for sponsorship reasons. I've never been to the new ground.

The final song on today's shuffle is by The Zombies. There  is no link to the Scotland squad although Beechwood Park is also the home of Ayrshire Lowland League team Auchenleck Talbot

More shuffling and perhaps more Scottish Football nonsense next Saturday.

Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes

Rosebud - Flying to Morning

The Zombies - Beechwood Park

Johnny Burnette & the Rock'n'Roll Trio

 

On Monday I featured a charity shop purchase of ballads by Johnny Burnette.

I expressed my doubts about this one and whether it was likely to be a keeper.

I said that I would compare and contrast it later in the week with the twofer Rock'n'Roll Trio/ Tear It Up. (1956/57) of which I have a copy courtesy of my brother.

For me there is clearly no contest - this one is far superior and definitely a keeper. This view was supported by Ernie who wrote Everything changed when he dropped the trio and Swiss Adam. He definitely needed the Trio. Indeed Adam was so convinced that he wrote it twice!

No contest then and I think this justifies two posts from the same artist in the same week.

Johnny Burnette & the Rock' n' Roll Trio -Lonesome Train (on a Lonesome Track)

Johnny Burnette & the Rock' n' Roll Trio - The Train Kept a Rollin' n'Roll Trio

Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio - Tear It Up

Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions

 

Every three or four years whether I need to or not I find myself pulling out The Trinity Sessions by the Cowboy Junkies from 1993 from the shelves ( the blue Americana shelves since you ask) although I'm conscious that it is difficult to categorise.

I  sincerely hope that I didn't pay the £10.99 HMV sticker on the jewel case.

It is one of the great enigmas. Depending on how the mood takes you it is either one of the all time classics or just alright. This time round I find myself pretty much bang in the  middle.

I'm going for Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis) and the  Hank Williams standard I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry this time round.

I'll pop back around 2029/2030 and we'll see how we are getting along.

Cowboy Junkies - Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)

Cowboy Junkies - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Bill Callahan

 

We were watching TV the other night when a trailer popped up during the adverts.

I've no idea what was being trailed but the accompanying music was by Bill Callahan.

Who's he ? Asked Mrs CC. I told her who he is and said I would play some of his songs for her.

I'm not sure if she'll like them but I know I  will!

Bill Callahan - The Sing

Bill Callahan - Drover

Bill Callahan - Ry Cooder