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Sunday, 31 May 2015

Some Sunday Indie Soul


A musical marriage made in heaven. Former member of Suede, serial producer and cardigan wearer Bernard Butler teams up with David McAlmont  a soul singer with a three octave voice to come up with 1995's The Sound of McAlmont & Butler.
Yes, described in the British Hit Singles and Albums as a conceptual masterpiece, superbly arranged and thrillingly executed reached the dizzy heights of number 8 in the UK singles charts.
The second song I have selected and indeed the second song on the album What's the Excuse This Time? has an air of His Purpleness about it - no bad thing, I'm sure you'll agree.

They went their separate ways thereafter to carry out their own individual projects re-uniting briefly in 2002 with Bring it Back. A single Speed briefly appeared in 2006 but a third album has yet to appear

McAlmont & Butler - Yes ( Full Version)

McAlmont & Butler - What's The Excuse This Time?

Saturday, 30 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip


This week's selection Long May You Run a Mojo compilation from March 2009 does not feature the great man himself but rather 15 Tracks in the Key of Neil
Pretty much all the songs as the picture above may suggest are on the acoustic side  featuring Americana artists which suits me just fine.

First up is Todd Snider with his version of John Fogerty's Fortunate Son
He also does this song which is one of Mrs CC and I's favourites  whenever we go for a B, double E, double R, U, N Beer Run.





Todd is followed by Damien Jurado with Best Dress. I saw him many years ago and have his excellent album Rehearsals for Departure which will feature in the future,

Finally we have Alela Diane Menig with Every Path. I bought an Alana Davis album in Dingwall thinking she was Alela Diane but it worked out alright in the end

More random nonsense next Saturday.

Todd Snider - Fortunate Son

Damien Jurado - Best Dress

Alela Diane - Every Path

Friday, 29 May 2015

The Dive Bar Stalkers


Are you up for some Friday rockabilly? Yup, thought so.
As I have previously mentioned my brother is a massive rockabilly and psychobilly fan.
I've previously purloined his Stray Cats singles leading to my dear friend George suggesting that I should concentrate on his record collection rather than mine.
I was babysitting at his the other day and came away with Rock the House  a 2008 album by The Dive Bar Stalkers.

They appear to be a vehicle for main man Jeff Vitolo - lead vocalists and guitarist, producer and chief song writer.
They do a couple of slower songs which don't quite work. Their rockier numbers, on the other hand, hit you like a sledgehammer

The Dive Bar Stalkers - You Got What it Takes to Make me Go

The Dive Bar Stalkers - Ready For Another Round

Thursday, 28 May 2015

The Blues Collection - Blind Willie McTell


I bought Statesboro Blues, Blind Willie McTell's contribution to The Blues Collection for 49p at the weekend.
I was reasonably convinced that I already had it and so it turned out.It was however worth a punt because if I hadn't bought it and subsequently discovered I hadn't got it and went back and it wasn't there I would be somewhat peeved.
Anyway an omen that Blind Willie should feature this week.
The two songs featured are from 1927 and 1928 so hardly surprising that they come accompanied by a degree of hiss. However the purity of his voice and his guitar playing skills shine through.

Mrs CC came in with a job lot of sausages and I had the lovely task of separating them into twos and threes for freezing purposes. Let me tell you that Blind Willie is just the man to make this arduous task more easy.

As per a previous post I got round to acquiring some Allman Brothers stuff and here they are from 1971's At Fillmore East with their cover of Willie's Statesboro Blues

Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues

Blind Willie McTell - Mr McTell Got The Blues

The Allman Brothers Band - Statesboro Blues

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

FIFA? Corrupt?


FIFA, corrupt?
You'll be telling me that the moon is made of green cheese next.
Now what's  the time on that shiny new watch Mr Dyke?

The Penultimate Emmylou and Friends



Nearly there now - only two weeks to go
This week we feature two songs from film soundtracks
From 1980 Emmylou appears with another musical giant in the shape of the Big O himself Mr Roy Orbison with That Lovin' You Feelin' Again taken from the soundtrack of a film called Roadie.
I'm not familiar with it but  research tells me it was directed by Alan Rudolph and is about a truck driver who becomes a roadie for a travelling rock and roll show.
It gets between one and three stars from various reviewers so no classic I suspect.

I have seen the other one which is O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Coen Brothers rarely make a bad film but in this case they clearly were prepared to make an exception.
The soundtrack,on the other hand, thanks to the production of T Bone Burnett is absolutely terrific.
Emmylou makes a very brief appearance in the company of Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss.

The final selection next week.

Emmylou Harris with Roy Orbison - That Lovin' You Feelin'Again

Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris - Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

You Can't Fool The Children of the Revolution



Another recent purchase is Electric Landlady the third studio album from the late great Kirsty MacColl from 1991.
Produced by her then husband Steve Lillywhite the two songs I have featured were co-written by Kirsty and a certain Johnny Marr. I wonder what became of him.
Walking Down Madison was apparently written with Alison Moyet in mind. Maybe it is just me but I remember the song but can't for the life of me remember it featuring the rap by Aniff Cousins.

I read that the album name originated from Kirsty's discovery that it was the name that was accidentally written on some early pressings of Jimi Hendrick's Electric Ladyland.

Kirsty MacColl - Walking Down Madison

Kirsty MacColl - Children of the Revolution

Monday, 25 May 2015

Valerie


I purchased Tired of Hanging Around the second album by The Zutons the other day replacing my previous burn.
Splendid stuff and probably most well known for Valerie a song that was subsequently hi-jacked by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson  resulting in a tidy little nest egg for the Scousers.

I was thinking of famous Valeries and the only one I could come up with was Valerie Singleton of Blue Peter fame.
I suspect that the Zutons and Amy are ( or sadly were in Amy's case) far too young to remember those halcyon days.
However, I'm sure that Steve Winwood is of an age that he remembers them well.

The Zutons - Valerie

Amy Winehouse - Valerie

Steve Winwood - Valerie

Sunday, 24 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip Meets Soul Sunday


Saturday Lucky Dip on a Sunday? Has the world gone totally mad? Has CC completely lost it? Yes on both counts.
Red Hot Summer from Red Magazine August 2003 purchased for 99p primarily because up to now I did not own physical copies of Love Train or Summer Breeze - something which obviously required to be rectified.
A bit of a mixed bag this one - the Premier League of the two tracks above, Championship material in Lovely Day by Bill Withers and I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash with some utter tosh Sunday League drivel courtesy of the likes of Lisa Phuture and Danny J Lewis featuring Sara Farina (no, me neither).
One new to me which caught my attention was Finest Day by Guest who may or may not be siblings Brittany and Brandon Hargest formerly of Jump 5.
It has had 42 listens on Last FM compared to 203,995 for The O'Jays and 125,589 for the Isley Brothers.
Poor old Danny J has only amassed two listens which is two too many.

The O'Jays - Love Train

The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze

Guest - Finest Day

Saturday, 23 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip

A Dancehall Toaster


We are off to Jamaica this week for the Saturday Lucky Dip courtesy of the Mojo March 2015 compilation Studio One Selector - 15 Classic Tracks from the Legendary Studio One Records, the most important Record label in the history of reggae.
I am sure that there are others out there keen to claim that particular crown.
Founded in 1963 by Clement "Sir Coxsone " Dodd, who had been recording home-grown Jamaican talent since 1954, Studio One was a studio, publishing house and a label with the music being sold through Dodd's Muzik City record shops
We start with the rather splendidly named Gaylads with Africa complete with some unauthentic jungle sounding percussion.
Then we have The Lone Ranger  not the boy who hung out with Silver and Tonto but rather one of the first and finest Dancehall toasters who recorded nine albums between the late 1970's and mid 1980's.

More random nonsense next Saturday - if not before!

The Gaylads - Africa

Lone Ranger - The Answer

Friday, 22 May 2015

Make Me a Pallet on Your/The Floor


A few weeks ago I featured Motherless Children from Lucinda Williams' album of Blues and Country covers Ramblin' I also posted a version by Rosanne Cash.
Another Blues standard which features on Lucinda's album is Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor which is also sometimes referred to as Make Me a Pallet on The Floor or Make Me Down a Pallet on Your Floor.
This song dates back to 1911 with  the modern score attributed to W.C. Handy
It has been covered many  times by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt, Big Bill Broonzy and Jelly Roll Morton to name but three. Here is Mississippi John:



Another excellent cover can be found on Gillian Welch's excellent 2003 album Soul Journey.


Lucinda Williams - Make Me Down a Pallet on Your Floor

Gillian Welch - Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor




Thursday, 21 May 2015

The Missing Link


My trip to Elvis Shakespeare's Records and Books also yielded Columbia Rockabilly Volumes 1 and 2 previously marketed as Ain't I'm a Dog and Whistle Bait.
An artist who features on both of the albums is the King of the Surf Guitar Mr Link Wray
Born in Dunn, North Carolina in 1929 he was christened Fred Lincoln Wray Jr. His success in Europe saw him relocating to Denmark where he died in 2005 at the age of 76
Rolling Stone magazine has him at number 45 in the greatest 100 guitarists of all time and he certainly was a huge influence on those who followed with his distorted sound and the invention of the power chord.
A man well ahead of his times.
New Studio Blues dates from 1959 but was first released in 1992.
Raw-hide  also from 1959 is one of the songs which first brought him to prominence.

Link Wray - New Studio Blues

Link Wray & the Wraymen - Raw-hide


Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Emmylou, Dolly and Linda


After a few weeks of Emmylou duets we go ne better this week with Trio an album she recorded with fellow Country superstars Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.
it was released in 1987 as you can probably tell from the hairstyles and was eventually followed up by the imaginatively title Trio II in 1999.
It was massive selling over 4 million copies and picking up two Grammy's the the process.
It is relatively easy to pick out Dolly's contributions but the vocals of Emmylou and Linda are much more similar.As a threesome they also harmonise wonderfully
One that everyone knows followed by a perhaps less familiar one where Emmylou get her acoustic guitar out.
Still a couple more Emmylou and friends to go!

Emmylou, Dolly & Linda - To Know Him is to Love Him

Emmylou, Dolly & Linda - My Dear Companion

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

The Vodka Talking and the Gin Listening


Life is Still Sweet a 2000 EP from New York band White Hassle has long been a favourite of mine and has previously featured on CCM to considerable indifference.
Therefore I couldn't resist the opportunity , in the splendid Elvis Shakespeare shop on Edinburgh's Leith Walk, to pick up their 2005 album Your Language from our friends at Fargo Records. 
I would put this one down as average , certainly not in the same league as Life is Still Sweet. These two songs are not too bad though.

Described in the Houston Chronicle as stripped down  noisy blues-soaked rock.
To me it can come across a wee bit quirky in places and puts me in mind of the likes of They Might be Giants and Jonathan Richman

White Hassle - Star Position

White Hassle - Vodka Talking

Monday, 18 May 2015

What Was The Name of that Album Again?



I have been finding it increasingly difficult to remember the names of some albums that I have  fairly recently bought.
This is either because they are relatively new, they are the only album I own by the artist or else I am slowly losing it. I suspect the latter.
If you were to put a gun to my head I suspect that I would be unable to tell you that my albums by Slowclub, War on Drugs and Withered Hand are respectively titled Complete Surrender,Lost in the Dream and New Gods
Another example is The Bones of What You Believe by Glasgow electronica trio and spellchecker's least favourite band Chvrches.
It has to be said that all these albums are very good indeed
In a sign of the times I note that in addition to films Chvrches music also features on a number of computer games.
I see they have started recording a new album. If and when I get it I will need to start remembering the names or else take to referring to them as Chvrches 1 and 2

Chvrches - The Mother We Share

Chvrches - Gun

Sunday, 17 May 2015

Some Sunday Soul (and Country!)




One of country music’s most soulful female vocalists in the past decade – Rissi Palmer – is making her return to the spotlight with a brand new 5-song EP on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, with pre-sales available now on iTunes. Rissi describes the new collection as "Southern Soul" and blends together all her musical influences -- from country to soul and R&B.

I downloaded this recently via Noisetrade and will certainly be checking out the EP.
I had never heard of her before and from this would not have put her down as a country singer.
My research tells me that in 2007 with her single Country Girl she was the first African- American woman to chart with a country song since Donna Mason in 1987.
Her 2007 self titled album was followed up in 2013 with Best Day Ever an album of "sophisticated" children's songs.
Looks like she has taken yet another change of direction.


Rissi Palmer - Sweet Sweet Lovin' (The Back Porch Mix)



Saturday, 16 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip



We are popping over the Irish Sea for this week's Lucky Dip with a Commemorative CD courtesy of Murphy's Irish Stout.
One of three CDs for a pound from the previously featured Ballantrae Thrift shop.
I'll spare you Chris De Burgh (sorry George), The Commitments and Parisienne Walkways.
That Petrol Emotion, Hothouse Flowers and the Pogues and the Dubliners have all previously featured.

That just leaves John Peel's favourite song which I will post if only to annoy Mr Sharkey.
I thought for a wee bit about purchasing this as I have most of the good tracks and no interest in the others. I did not have Rat Trap however so I suppose in retrospect that it was 33p well spend.

More random nonsense next Saturday.

John Peel's Favourite Song

The Boomtown Rats -Rat Trap

Friday, 15 May 2015

The Blues Collection - Snooks Eaglin


The splendidly named New Orleans guitarist Snooks Eaglin is another new name on me.
He was not christened Snooks as that would have just been plain silly. No, he was born in New Orleans in 1936 and christened Fird Eaglin Jr.
He was also known in his early years as Blind Snooks Eaglin for reasons that I'm sure you can work out.
He is I am told widely regarded as a legend of New Orleans playing a wide range of music within the same concert or indeed song covering blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz,R&B, country and Latin.

There are indeed a variety of styles on Heavy Juice.
As this is the Blues Collection I've gone for a couple of the more bluesy numbers.
I Went to the Mardi Gras  was recorded in New Orleans in November 1994 and Pretty Girls Everywhere in Metairie, Louisiana in October 1986.

Snooks died in 2009 following a heart attack at the age of 73, a pretty good innings for a Bluesman

Snooks Eaglin -I Went to the Mardi Gras

Snooks Eaglin - Pretty Girls Everywhere

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Emmylou and Flaco and George


There is a time in many artists careers when they find themselves reasonably well established that they consider it would be a good idea and good fun to do an album involving a number of chums and to call to Friends or some such thing.
Needless to say that Emmylou features on many such albums because let's face it she is everyone's friend.

The world's greatest living accordionist (now that Sir Jimmy Shand has moved on) Flaco Jimenez has one such album entitled Partners.
He is joined by the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Linda Rondstadt and of course Emmylou who provides lead vocals on the Butch Hancock song West Texas Waltz.

George Jones' album of a similar ilk is billed My Very Special Guests and features amongst other Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and Linda Rondstadt (again). Emmylou duets with George on the Rodney Crowell song Here We Are (although from the above photo I suspect George has absolutely no idea where he is).
More Emmylou and friends next week

Flaco Jimenez (with Emmylou Harris) -West Texas Waltz

George Jones (with Emmylou Harris) - Here We Are

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Know Your Rights



One week on and our new progressive Government is not content with attempting to leave the European Union.

No, they have decided in their infinite wisdom to remove Britain as a signatory to The Human Rights Act putting us on a par with the likes of North Korea and China.
Heaven offend that we may have the temerity to aspire to any of the basic human rights listed above.

As Drew succinctly put it the other day - God Help us All

The Clash - Know Your Rights

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

FFS It's Sparks


I've been reading that Franz Ferdinand have been collaborating with the Mael brothers with a view to touring and releasing a record under the superbly titled name of FFS.
A few years ago I realized that there were no Sparks records on the shelves.It was a straight choice between Kimono My House and a Best of. I chose the Best of. Wrong move.Their later stuff is not in the same league as the stuff from the Kimono era.
Also, I consider much of it to be pretty sleazy no doubt trading on their slightly creepy image.One song in particular Young Girls I find particularly disturbing and offensive.
Perhaps Franz Ferdinand should think on.
Here is some of their brilliant early non-sleazy stuff

Sparks -This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us

Sparks - Amateur Hour

Monday, 11 May 2015

An Allman Dilemma


I am currently reading My Cross to Bear the autobiography of Gregg Allman written in conjunction with music journalist Alan Light
It's not exactly taxing stuff. It is written in a chatty and colloquial way almost as if he is sitting having a beer with you and shooting the breeze and is full of the usual sex and drugs and rock'n'roll cliches.
It also covers the death of Duane Allman at only 24 following a motorcycle accident and  Gregg's marriage to Cher.
And now to the dilemma. It has got me wondering as to whether I should have any Allman Brothers records on the shelves and if so which ones. I would imagine that there are one or two good ones out there and some real duds but I don't really know enough about them. Any advice?
I suppose the logical place to start would be the much lauded 1971 live album At Fillmore East the last one featuring Duane.

Gregg Allman - Midnight Rider

Cher - For What It's Worth

Sunday, 10 May 2015

Some Sunday Soul


Today's artists Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens would not be out of place at George's place on his Gospel Sunday slot
From Midway, Alabama Naomi Davis Shelton began singing in the Baptist Church prior to moving to New York, Florida and then back to New York where she sang in the clubs as Naomi Davis.
In the early sixties she got in tow with pianist Clifford Driver and the collaborated on and off
Fast forward to 1999 when Clifford gets in touch and asks Naomi to become the vocalist in a new band he was working with.
They came to the attention of Gabriel Roth who subsequently set up the fantastic Daptone label resulting in her full length album What Have You Done My Brother? in 2009 when she was in her late 60s/early 70s.
This was followed up with their second album Cold World in 2014.
They still regularly play life in the new York area and occasionally further afield.

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens -What Have You Done

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What is This

Saturday, 9 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip


Get it On an Uncut compilation from October 2011 has the sub title The Music that made Bolan boogie.
It is however highly unlikely that he was involved in choosing the tracks given that he died in 1977.

Rather it is a collection of 15 Rock'n' Roll and Rockabilly tracks featuring the likes of Dale Hawkins, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins all of which were recorded between 1956 and 1959 meaning that they are in the public domain and therefore Uncut is not required to pay for featuring them.
You will get no arguments from this quarter as to this canny piece of business particularly when the music is this good.
We start with all 1 minute 36 seconds of Big Bop Boom by Micky Hawks - tremendous stuff.
This is followed by two much more famous artists in Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Burnette

I'm sure that on some celestial star somewhere that Marcy boy will be boogieing along to these cracking songs
More random nonsense next Saturday

Mickey Hawks - Bip Bop Boom

Jerry Lee Lewis - Mean Woman Blues

Johnny Burnette - Rock Billy Boogie

Friday, 8 May 2015

No Depression



This post was written before the Election results were known. By the time you read it the outcome should be clear.
One thing is for sure and that is whatever the result  a significant percentage of the electorate will be disappointed and depressed.
A few years ago I took Mrs CC to The Arches to see Mary Gauthier in concert.
We had to leave early as she found it too depressing!
I tried unsuccessfully  to explain that where Country music is concerned the more depressing the better but she was not convinced.
Here is what she is missing!
Oh, and in case you are wondering how to pronounce Ms Gauthier's name she helpfully advises say "go-shay" y'all!

Mary Gauthier - Drag Queens in Limousines

Mary Gauthier - Camelot Motel

Thursday, 7 May 2015

The Genie is Out The Bottle


It is General Election Day here in Britain today.

For the first time in my life I will not be voting Labour at a General Election
The reason? They have done nothing to earn my vote. They have offered little resistance to such things as NHS privatisation, the bedroom tax and other austerity measures, and are in favour of spending billions to replace Trident.
They have totally patronised the Scottish people with the sole argument of vote Labour or the Tories will get in without promising any significant changes. The same scare tactics as the referendum.
The only argument Millo came up with the other day is vote Labour because it is the party of Keir Hardie. Donald Dewar and John Smith ie vote Labour because your parents and grandparents voted Labour.

They have become lazy and arrogant -witness the long serving dinosaur MPs who do hee haw and the morally bankrupt Councillors who look out for their friends and families.
Getting into bed with the Tories in Better Together wasn't the cleverest idea either.
The world has moved on, it is a pity they haven't.

Here are two songs from the days when there was actually a difference between Labour and the Tories. Nowadays you would be hard pushed to get a fag paper between them.

Billy Bragg -Which Side Are You On

Tom Robinson Band -Better Decide Which Side You're On

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Emmylou and Ryan and Buddy


Emmylou has never been afraid to try new things.
When I saw her on the Wrecking Ball tour her work with Daniel Lanois clearly alienated a significant minority of the more traditional country fans in the audience.
No surprise then that she enthusiastically embraced the whole new Americana/alternative country/call it what you will movement.
She appears on Ryan Adams  classic 2000 solo debut album Heartbreaker on the track Oh My Sweet Carolina.
Whereas her role is more as a backing singer rather than providing harmony vocals I feel that her contribution helps to make an excellent song even better.
I would also like to think that if the boy wonder started any of his brattish behaviour that she would politely but firmly put him in his place.
Buddy Miller is no stranger to Emmylou having toured as lead guitarist  and vocalist in her Spyboy Band..
They have also toured together with Patty Griffin, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch as the Sweet Harmony Traveling Review and with Patty Griffin and Shawn Calvin as Three Girls and their Buddy.
Here Emmylou returns the favour by providing the vocals on Why I'm Walkin' from Buddy's 2011 album Buddy Miller's Majestic Silver Strings.

Ryan Adams - Oh My Sweet Carolina

Buddy Miller with Emmylou Harris -Why I'm Walkin'

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

The Blues Collection - J.B. Hutto


When I acquired the 40 or so CDs that I have in The Blues Collection from a charity shop a couple of years ago one of the many artists I was totally unfamiliar with was J.B. Hutto.
Joseph Benjamin Hutto was born in Blackville,  South Carolina in 1926 , dying from cancer in Harvey, Illinois in 1983 at the age of 57.
He was a slide guitarists influenced by the great Elmore James
These songs are from an album called Pet Cream Man recorded in Carlisle , Massachusetts on 1st April 1982 by which time the cancer that was to end his life had already taken a grip of his body. When you consider this it makes these powerful and energetic songs all the more remarkable.
An intriguing album title and one which sadly I have not got to the bottom of other than to note that it appears to be the name of one of his songs albeit one which does not feature on this album.

The first song is the traditional number Lone Wolf which is followed by his own composition Combination Boogie one you could easily do some dislocated dancing to

J.B. Hutto - Lone Wolf

J.B. Hutto - Combination Boogie

Monday, 4 May 2015

A Wee Bit of Rosie


I'm not quite sure how Rosie Thomas came to my attention - via  the blogosphere I suspect.
Up until this post I knew relatively little about her other than I have her 2003 album on Sub Pop Only With Laughter Can You Win
It seems that this is the second of seven albums that she has released mostly on Sub Pop.
She also apparently performs as a stand up comedian as a character called Sheila Saputo an accident prone pizza delivery person
I'm afraid that's pretty much all I know other than that these two songs are pretty good

A Wee Bit of Rosie then as opposed to A Whole Lot ...

Rosie Thomas - Let Myself Fall

Rosie Thomas - Gradually

Sunday, 3 May 2015

Some Sunday Hi-NRG Soul


No Talcum Soul this week.
I have next to no vinyl singles in my collection. However a couple of months ago I picked up a handful from a bargain bin with a view to them possibly featuring on the blog.
Obvious proof then that blogging is killing music.
One of the purchases was a total shot in the dark - On a Crowded Street by Barbara Pennigton. I'd never heard of it or her.
It was a bit of a result to find out that it was actually pretty good.
Subsequent research tells me that she was an American Hi-NRG and Soul singer from the 70's and 80's.
Hi-NRG is a new one on me but apparently is   a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music that originated in the United States and United Kingdom during the late 1970s. 
It also turns out that I also have another one of hers 24 Hours a Day on the Crimson This is Northern Soul compilation

Barbara Pennington - On a Crowded Street

Barbara Pennington - On a Crowded Street (Dub)

Barbara Pennington - 24 Hours a Day

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip


It's back  to Americana for this Saturday's Lucky Dip with Songs of the South - 15 Tracks of the Best New Southern Rock and Country  a Mojo compilation from November 2011.
To be quite honest there are no tracks on this compilation which really  jumped out at me.
Nevertheless I have selected three for your listening pleasure.
First up, and probably the pick of the bunch, are The Secret Sisters who give Johnny Cash's Big River the White Stripes treatment.
I've never really got into Lampchop. I have tried on a number of occasions but never really got them. However this song by their main man Kurt Wagner with Cortney Tidwell is quite pleasant. Brian is currently trying to convert me to Lambchop. This song certainly helps.
Finally we have Reckless Kelly who put me in mind of the Drive-By Truckers which lets face it is no bad thing.
More random nonsense nest Saturday

The Secret Sisters - Big River

Kurt Wagner & Cortney Tidwell - Eyes Look Away

Reckless Kelly - Little Blossom

Friday, 1 May 2015

May Day


As has now become traditional at CCM (ie. second year running), and indeed at several other blogs, we celebrate May Day by paying homage to the new Queen of Rockabilly Ms Imelda May.
Today we are going back to her 2008 album Love Tattoo with the fabulous Johnny Got a Boom Boom.

As well as the Irish this year we also involve some Canadians as Arcade Fire bid us a somewhat noisy welcome to the Month of May.
Who knows, the thermals could even get put away shortly.
Off to wash my face in the morning dew assuming  I can chip of the ice

Imelda May - Johnny Got a Boom Boom

Arcade Fire - Month of May