Tattoo You

Has Wanda Jackson finally relinquished her Queen of Rockabilly crown to the young Irish pretender?

My brother, who is a big rockabilly fan, gave me a copy of Love Tattoo when it first came out and I subsequently bought the follow up Mayhem. Two absolute stonkers.

On Monday in Cancer Research in a rainy windy Oban I stumbled across a copy of Love Tattoo and thought (and more than likely said out loud) I'll have that!

Here is the title track which puts me in mind of the Detroit Cobras - which is no bad thing:

Imelda May - Love Tattoo

Oh Lucinda

Somehow when the Only Ones penned  the song of the same name I suspect it was not about Ms Williams who apparently turned 60 at the weekend

Never the most prolific artiste she has probably only about a dozen albums to her name.

Prior to her American career kicking off in the early 80's she had two bluesy albums on Smithsonian Folkways re-released when she finally got the recognition she deserved.

Happy Woman Blues was first released in 1980 with all the tracks written by her.

He first album however was Ramblin' released in 1978 and was a series of covers of Blues standards.

For a while this was the only Lucinda album I didn't have and I finally tracked in down in the Oxfam Music Shop in Byres Road, Glasgow (which I suppose constitutes a Charity shop of sorts).

Here is her cover of the Memphis Minnie classic;

Lucinda Williams - Me and My Chauffeur

Pills and Thrills and Nashville Radio

The narrator of the Joe Strummer Radio Show is Jon Langford,  fellow ex-Newport resident and another one of my all -time heros.

An ex- Mekon Jon left Leeds many moons ago for Chicago where he became a key player at Bloodshot Records my all -time favourite record label.
I can feel a regular Bloodshot feature coming on (although their discs unfortunately do not feature in Scottish charity shops!).

He has featured on a shed load of records as a solo artist, with fellow ex-Mekon Sally Timms and the Sadies.

He is head honcho for the Pine Valley Cosmonauts who did the magnificent Executioner's Last Songs anti death penalty serious and a splendid CD of Barn Dance Favourites.

He is a terrific artist  -check out his work  on line or get Nashville Radio- Art, Words and Music
One of the things on my wishlist is to purchase some of his original artwork should funds ever allow.

He is also the main man with the Waco Brothers who are a tremendous live act. I suspect that they may not be the most technically gifted  outfit but what they lack in technique they make up for in terms of enthusiasm and energy.
Here they are covering Neil Young's Crazy Horse, another band that I suspect come under this category:

Waco Brothers - Revolution Blues

The Bardess of Barnsley

Am off to see Kate Rusby tomorrow at Celtic Connections

I'm really looking forward to it - particularly as I have never seen her before.

I had a ticket once before to see her but couldn't go as I was ill.
Second time lucky!

Kate Rusby - Game of All Fours

Aspecially for You

I'm posting this for no other reason than it is jolly good and there may be some of you lovely people out there who haven't heard it:

Al Wilson - The Snake

Radio Radio

Swiss Adam's recent post on Bagging Area on the Joe Strummer  Radio Show put me in mind of
Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour

Coincidentally whilst browsing yesterday I came across Uncut's Radio Bob Volume 2 compilation.

I couldn't remember whether I had Volume 1 or Volume 2 so I purchased.

Of course when I got home I found I already had Volume 2. It was, however, worth a punt for 99p!

I couldn't decide between these two tracks so I thought I would share them both with you lovely people.

Johnny Burnette - Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track)

George Jones - Just One More

Saturday Night at the Movies

Mrs CC came in the other week with Chick Flicks -The Sequel

As Posh Boy would say it is a Ronson CD - it does what it says on the tin.

A selection of pretty mediocre songs from pretty mediocre films.

Out of the 40 songs (for a quid!) I probably like around a quarter of them.

These two in particular which feature in the film posted above them are almost enough to make me watch the films - almost but not quite!

T-Rex - Children of the Revolution

Blondie - One Way or Another

Whatever Happened to ....

Whatever happened to Beth Rowley?

Little Dreamer came out in 2007 and as I recall she was touted as the Next Big Thing - all over Radio 2 and probably on Jools Holland.

One problem may be how to categorize it. It is probably in that peculiar jazz/pop sector with the likes of Melody Gardot and Rem Harvieu

I catalogue using genres (sad I know) and I've plumped for soul as I don't do jazz.

I got this recently in Ullapool. It's a pretty good album - mostly covers

Here is her version of Almost Persuaded. It's not in Ella's league but then again nobody is.


Beth Rowley - Almost Persuaded

Natasha or Elsie?

On a related theme - can you spot the difference between these two covers?

Somebody couldn't as I  got the Blood and Chocolate cover on my copy of This Years Model

A bit like confusing Natasha and Elsie?

Elvis Costello - (I Dont Want to go to) Chelsea

Dylan Uncovered

I purchased Shot of Love in Pitlochry last year en route to the Black Isle.

It had no front cover  but I still had to pay top dollar  (or £1.50 to  be exact!)

This picture, therefore, is for my benefit as much as yours:

It's from his Happy Clappy period but there are still one or two belters including this absolute gem:

Bob Dylan - Every Grain of Sand

Show Me Heaven

Apologies to those who thought they were going to get some Maria McKee!

Takes me back to when I saw the Jayhawks and Maria McKee on the same night in Dublin - but that's another story

No, I'm taking you back 30 years to when Sheffield ruled the air waves

Here are Glenn, Ian and Martyn bemoaning the death of British industry

Liberation for the Nation now!

Heaven 17 - Crushed by the Wheels of Industry

Comments from Captains of Industry (you know who you are!) welcome

8.54

I have a preference for Country tinged Southern Soul such as James Carr, O.V.Wright and the songs of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham as opposed to its Northern counterpart.

For those interested in the Southern genre check out the two excellent 3 CD Box sets from the mighty Kent Records:
Take me to the River - A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977 and
The Fame Studios Story 1961-1973 Home of the Muscle Shoals Sound (which features the Osmonds and Bobbie Gentry as well as some stonkin' soul!)

Whilst I could not be described as a Northern Soul aficionado I do have a reasonable number of compilations including the excellent This is Northern Soul on the Crimson label

Purchased for a quid from Debras in Clarkston Toll, Glasgow which is now a bathroom emporium.

The very brave choice for first track (as it is almost impossible to follow) is this 8 minutes and 54 seconds of unadulterated genius

Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

DeMented

Many moons ago my boss at the time mentioned that he quite liked Iris DeMent

I was quite impressed that an old fogey, as I considered him, would like that sort of stuff.

He was probably about the same age then as I am now.

Here's Iris doing Lefty

Iris DeMent - Mom & Dad's Waltz

The Orange Spot

You know how it is when you are out record shopping (as I still insist on calling it) you see a CD or record and you are not sure whether you already have it or not.

This has been happening to me with REM records lately.
Bought Up not knowing whether I had it or not - but didn't
Didn't buy New Adventures in Hi Fi thinking I had it - but didn't
Bought Reveal not knowing whether I had it or not - but didn't

I suppose the advantage of Charity Shops is you can take a punt for a couple of quid and pass it on or donate back if you already have it

True confession time - I spent a wee while trying to peel off the orange spot as this is not an uncommon thing to be stuck on the box in certain shops!

REM - Imitation of Life

The Three Judges and the Jury

Sitting in the splended The Three Judges pub in Dumbarton Road, Glasgow
after a top curry in Balbirs
 a vote was taken as to whether Capercaillie or REM would be the next to feature on this blog.

Capercaillie won the day with Donno insisting on a name check.

Donald Shaw from the band is the Artistic Director of Celtic Connections of which more later.

I also have a couple of excellent  solo Karen Matheson CDs which will feature in due course.

Capercaillie - To the Moon (Nighean Donn-Ghealich)

Typically Tropical

Kirsty MacColl's last album before her untimely passing , Tropical Brainstorm, showed that her career was moving in an interesting direction with a distinct Latin influence


Here is the first track:

Kirsty MacColl -Mambo dela Luna

Apologies, I am having problems posting images so here is her dad as a wee bonus:

Ewan MacColl - Ballad of Accounting

Hah -sorted!

Poetry in Motion

Happy New Year!

It has come to my attention that I have not posted any Soul tracks recently.

This must stop so here is The Poet himself to blow away those cobwebs.

The picture is the fromt cover of the Trikont CD - Dirty Laundry - the Soul of Black Country
Buy together with the sister album Cheatin' Soul and the Southern Dream of Freedom.

Bobby Womack - Games