63

 

It's my birthday today .Can anyone guess what age I am?

When looking for songs relevant to your birthday year the first port of call should always be Rol's Hot 100

A few songs were identified with the number 63 in the lyrics  but the most popular suggestion was not surprisingly Late December Back in 63 by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

December? That's no use to me!

Therefore I will go with international birthday greetings. Thank you to Sugarcubes for birthday greetings from Iceland, Pom Poko from Norway and the Wedding Present from Leeds.

Next year should be easier!

See you on the other side.

Sugarcubes - Birthday

Pom Poko - Birthday

The Wedding Present -Happy Birthday (Peel Sessions)

I Like Birds 3 - The Cuckoo

 

This week's ornithological offering is a day earlier than usual for reasons which will become clear tomorrow.

I've decided to focus on one particular bird namely the Cuckoo , The RSPB (who may become handy for this series)  tell us that the Cuckoo is a dove-sized bird with a blue-grey back, head and chest, and stripey black and white belly. Its sleek body, long tail and pointed wings gives it an appearance not unlike Kestrels or Sparrowhawks.

Then it gets a bit more nasty  - Cuckoos are summer visitors and known for being brood parasites. This means that, instead of building their own nest, the females lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, especially Meadow Pipits, Dunnocks and Reed Warblers.  Bastards!

You should all be familiar with The Cuckoo performed here by Kristen Hersh and I suspect that a good few of you will recognise  the Belle and Sebastian number.

We conclude with Lissie followed by The Cardigans

Kristin Hersh - The Cuckoo

Belle and Sebastian - I'm a Cuckoo

Lissie - Cuckoo

The Cardigans -Your New Cuckoo

I  thought that I would include this video given that the scene was replicated by my normally quiet nephew when his teacher told him of for talking!

Snap, Crackle and Pop

 

This one is for C who had a notion for some Rice Krispies.

The Jam had an album called Snap but I couldn't  find that many songs with Snap in the title. Thankfully Joe Henderson came to the rescue with Snap Your Fingers.

Crackle proved even harder and I had to settle for Cracklin' Rose by Neil Diamond.

You would think the Pop would be easier. After all it describes an entire genre of music and there is also a band called The Pop Group as well as Pop Will Eat Itself and of course Iggy Pop . 

When I typed pop into the search engine it threw up all the songs listed under the pop genre. There were not that many with pop in the title but I finally went for This is Pop by XTC.

Sorry C I couldn't find any with Rice Krispies in the title. Enjoy your cereal.

Joe Henderson - Snap Your Fingers

Neil Diamond - Cracklin' Rose

XTC - This is Pop

CC Revs the CC's - Lap 3

 

I am delighted to say that a couple of  guest posts have been dropped off by a motor cycle courier over the last week or so.

First up is our dear friend Walter from the brilliant A Few Good Times in My Life

Walter writes:

Now that I am close to my retirement I find more time to answer some posts. I like your new series about moving and like to add some songs. 

First one is Harley David (Son of a Bitch) by Bollock Brothers, a musical project Jock McDonald, a football madman, part-time hooligan and promoter, formed in the late 70's alongside with the early British punk movement.

The Bollock Brothers - Harley David (Son of a Bitch)

Harley Davidson Blues is a more or less unknown number by Los Angeles blues-rock band Canned Heat from 1973 from a time they were able to write songs.

Canned Heat - Harley Davidson Blues

Chris Spedding, one of the mostly hired session guitarist wrote Motor Bikin' in 1975 and it was his only successful single. Sadly the rest of his albums are forgotten.

Chris Spedding - Motor Bikin'

An lastly a short song about riding a motorbike at the Westcoast. The Beach Boys made Little Honda in their very early days and a trademark of their sound.

The Beach Boys - Little Honda

CC writes:

Many thanks for this Walter. The only one I am familiar with is Motor Bikin' . C will be pleased.

I can just visualize you cruising down the Autobahn on a Harley Davidson when you finally get your well earned retirement!

Stay tuned for another excellent Guest Post next Transport Tuesday

Squirrel Flower at the Glad Cafe

 

On Friday night I went to see Chicago based Indie Folk  act Squirrel Flower (Ella Williams plus band)  at a very hot Glad Cafe  

Squirrel Flower was a name I was not familiar with until a recent post at Ernie's place Following my complimentary comment he advised me that she was playing at the Glad Cafe and a ticket was duly purchased. Spence did similar going to see her in Manchester proving something that we already knew - Ernie is an Influencer.

The support band were Maripool, a London based band, who I'm afraid did not make much of an impression on me.

The same could not be said of Squirrel Flower  who by and large were promoting their most recent album  2023's Tomorrow's Fire on Polyvinyl. As the Glad Cafe blurb says before her new album Tomorrow’s Fire, Squirrel Flower might’ve been labelled something like “indie folk,” but this is a rock record, made to be played loud. 

Where these tracks met with my approval I was more taken with some of the older Indie Folk numbers particularly those which Ella sang solo.

Ernie has kindly shared 2020's I Was Born Swimming and 2021's Planet(i)  from which the songs below are taken.

A solid 8/10 evening. I'll certainly be keeping a keen eye on her/their future career

Thanks for the heads up.

Squirrel Flower - Roadkill

Squirrel Flower - Belly of the City

Get Brexit Done

 

Get Brexit Done

An even more nonsensical phrase than Ernie's suggestion of Bish Bash Bosh.

Unfortunately for us they did and boy are we reaping the "benefits" Hopefully now that we have some grown ups in the room there can be a degree of damage limitation.

Given the subject matter it is probably a good idea to start with someone completely bonkers. Here is Maria McKie with You Got to Sin to Get Saved although I suspect that Johnson is  completely beyond redemption.

Billy Bragg pitches in with the brilliant Full English Brexit . It's worth noting that 60% of those who voted in Scotland voted Remain.

Finally Weyes Blood sums things up neatly with The Worst is Done. 

In years to come historians will shake their heads

More three word phrases dissected soon

Maria McKee - You Got to Sin to Get Saved

Billy Bragg - Full English Brexit

Weyes Blood - The Worst is Done

Saturday Shuffle 61

 

Midnight to Six Man - the Shuffle has only gone and thrown up one of the best singles of all time this week.

I'm talking of course the majestic (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais by The Only Band that Matters Name me a better song ... I'll wait.

Even Shakin' Stevens couldn't come up with anything as good as that but he did do a great cover version of Marie Marie. Written by the great Dave Alvin here is the original version by The Blasters.

You Woke Up My Neighbourhood complains Billy Bragg. I don't think I would be too bothered if it was with any one of these three songs

White Youth, Black Youth tune in next Saturday for more shuffling

The Clash - (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais

The Blasters - Marie Marie

Billy Bragg - You Woke Up My Neighbourhood