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Monday 31 August 2015

Sunday Songs on Monday


Just teasing.
You are not getting Pleasant Valley Sunday be The Monkees as this has previously featured. No rather you are getting the cover version by the boy Gedge.
Now I'm not really a betting man but I am willing to wager a small sum that The Wedding Present and Daniel Boone have rarely, if ever, featured together on the same post.
For  reasons that I have never been able to fathom Beautiful Sunday by Daniel Boone is a particular favourite of Dundee United fans. So this is for the Shed Boys.
I think I may be able to stretch this out for one more week. You have been warned

The Wedding Present - Pleasant Valley Sunday

Daniel Boone - Beautiful Sunday


Sunday 30 August 2015

Some Sunday Soul Stirrers

The Sam Cook Era



As you may be aware George formerly of Jim McLean's Rabbit is now far too busy lounging about the beach to bother posting.
His Gospel Sunday series is sadly missed so for those of you in withdrawal here are two songs from a Soul Stirrers Compilation - This is My Prayer 1946 -1954 that I recently picked up in Oxfam on Glasgow's Byres Road
You will not be surprised to note that each of the 20 songs is of a very high standard
Amazingly The Soul Stirrers in various incarnations have been on the go since 1926 and are still going strong.
The two songs today will feature probably their most famous lead singers.
The version of I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord was recorded in Chicago in 1947 and has R.H. Harris doing the lead vocal honours.
RH is followed by the most famous Soul Stirrer of them all a very young Sam Cooke with Peace in the Valley recorded in Los Angeles in March 1951.
Terrific stuff
More soul related stuff next Sunday

The Soul Stirrers -I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord

The Soul Stirrers - Peace in the Valley

Saturday 29 August 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip



Last week music inspired by The Byrds. This week music inspired by The Band. So not so totally random then.
These songs are taken from Across the Great Divide -an Uncut compilation from April 2005.

First up is Danko/ Manuel a Jason Isbell song - a tribute song "for and about a couple members of The Band who are no longer with us." and one which features on the Drive-By Truckers 2004 album The Dirty South.
Jason explains further When I started writing this one, I wanted to capture some of Levon Helm's feelings about the deaths (and lives) of Richard Manuel and Rick Danko. The longer I worked on the song, the more impossible that became. I felt like the best I could do was to explain my own attitude toward being a working and traveling musician.

The DBT's are followed by Little Feat with a terrific live version of The Band's Rag Mama Rag taken from Little Feat Live at the Rams Head,
Finally we have The Band themselves with the mighty King Harvest (Has Surely Come).

So no tenuousconnections this week
More random nonsense next Saturday

Drive- By Truckers - Danko/Manuel

Little Feat - Rag Mama Rag

The Band - King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Friday 28 August 2015

Some Derailed Honky Tonk



It's Honky Tonk Friday courtesy of The Derailers and their album Full Western Dress my latest charity shop acquisition (Oxfam, Clarkston Toll, South Glasgow since you ask)
Who could fail to by tempted by such an album cover and an album which is produced by the mighty Dave Alvin to boot
Described by a popular search engine as Ameripolitan -  a genre of contemporary original music encompassing four prominent roots influenced subcategories: Western swing,Honky-tonk, Rockabilly and Outlaw. A new one on me.
It puts me in mind of The Mavericks and a slightly more cheerful Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys.
I would describe this record as good rather than excellent.
Some ok songs, one or two fillers (Then She Kissed Me anyone?) and one or two crackers such as those below
Buck Owens also makes a brief appearance.

The Derailers - The Lost and Found

The Derailers - My, Myself and I


Thursday 27 August 2015

Pavement Stories


I suspect that I may well be taken to task in certain quarters but the only album I own by indie favourites Pavement is Terror Twilight their fifth and final album from 1999 on Domino Records.
I have nothing by Stephen Malkmus either nor have I knowingly heard any of his stuff.
I have given Slanted and Enchanted a cursory listen but whereas it features in numerous best of lists it didn't do much for me I'm afraid.
Perhaps it is due another listen given that Terror Twilight is somewhat better that I remembered.
Feel free to enlighten me.

Pavement - Spit on a Stranger

Pavement - Major Leagues

Wednesday 26 August 2015

Smithereens Smashes


Round about 1996 or 1997 I travelled to Boston for a couple of weeks to visit a pal who had got a job there.
I had an interesting time wandering about whilst he was working and drinking far too much beer when he wasn't.
My wanderings took me to several second hand record shops and I know for a fact that I came away with a good few CDs. However for the life of me I cannot say with absolute certainty which of my many CDs came from this trip.With one exception.
I am 100% sure that my copy of 11 the 1989 album  by The Smithereens was purchased there.
I'm not at all sure how they crossed my radar but I'm pretty certain that it wasn't a totally random choice.I think I may have been familiar with A Girl Like You
It has been a while since I've played this until now and there are some good power pop songs on the album.These two in particular
Having said that I have never really felt the urge to explore them further.

The Smithereens - A Girl Like You

The Smithereens - Blues Before and After

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Anytime Tommorrow


It's Americana time again folks with the great Neal Casal and a couple of tracks from Anytime Tomorrow his 2000 album on Germany's Glitterhouse Records.
He has featured before as a member of Hazy Malaze.
He was also one of Ryan Adam's Cardinals, a member of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and also Hard Working Americans.
I've also seen him playing guitar as part of Lucinda Williams band.
So he has been a busy boy over the years
I would recommend Anytime Tomorrow but alternatively Leaving Traces: Songs 1994-2004 is perhaps a better place to start
He is also a talented photographer contributing pictures for a number of records but not, I suspect, all those featured above.

Neal Casal -Willow Jane

Neal Casal -Eddy and Diamonds

Monday 24 August 2015

Sunday Songs on Monday


Another couple of Sunday songs to brighten up your Monday and two which I suspect you will all be familiar with.
From the 1968 concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake here are Messrs Marriott, Lane, Jones and McLagan with Lazy Sunday. 

Then we have Blondie with Sunday Girl a number one from 1979 and the fourth single to be taken from Parallel Lines. This version is from the Best of Blondie with an alternative mix by Mike Chapman which contains one verse in French.  Tres Continental

Possibly more Sunday songs next Monday. But if not as the Small Faces would say mustn't grumble

Small Faces - Lazy Sunday

Blondie - Sunday Girl

Sunday 23 August 2015

Some Sunday Soul


I've finally got round to purchasing Stuart Cosgrove's Detroit 67 and have reached the end of March.
It is an interesting read.
The main focus so far has been on the trials and tribulations of The Supremes and the departure of Florence Ballard.
I've never been a huge fan mainly because I cannae go Diana Ross who always strikes me as being a bit too full of herself.
The did have some good tunes though. Here is Baby Love.On my Soul Decade:The Sixties this is credited to Diana Ross and the Supremes but that is wrong as it is from 1964 and they did not change their name until 1967





The Supremes - Baby Love

The Supremes were the biggest girl group on the planet never mind Detroit. However girl bands in Detroit and on the Motown label were 10 a penny and here are one of their rivals The Marvelettes who appear to be in their night attire in part of this clip.







The Marvelettes - When You're Young and in Love

Saturday 22 August 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip


We are off to New York, Toronto and Hoylake today with three acts who have previously featured on CCM and who appear on Younger Than Yesterday - 16 tracks inspired by the genius of The Byrds an Uncut compilation from November 2012
We start in New York with indie favourites Nada Surf and Jules and Jim taken from their 2012 album The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy.
We then hop across the border to Toronto where the Good brothers Dallas and Travis with their Americana surf band The Sadies give us their version of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King composition Wasn't Born to  Follow a big hit for The Byrds back in 1967.
Finally we cross the Atlantic to the Wirral and those lovable Scousers The Coral with 1000 Years  a single from their 2010 album Butterfly House.

More random nonsense next Saturday

Nada Surf - Jules and Jim

The Sadies -Wasn't Born to Follow

The Corals - 1000 Years

Friday 21 August 2015

A Hitchcock Thriller


Music is the antidote
To the world of pain and sorrow

In this small corner of the blogosphere there is a lot of love for former Soft Boy and national treasure Robyn Hitchcock..
I do not have nearly enough of his material.
However I recently picked up a second hand copy of  Olé! Tarantula his 16th album from 2006 from Missing Records  -a fine companion to the  live EP Sex, Food, Death ... and Tarantulas.
It is his first with the Venus 3 - Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin and as per usual it is of an impressively high standard full of great songs with surreal lyrics. Belltown Ramble in particular is absolutely majestic.
His music should be taught in schools.

Oops have to go now - someone has activated The Cheese Alarm.



Thursday 20 August 2015

A Desert Reservation


Jacques the Kipper's recent Desert Island Discesque post at JC's place had me reaching to the shelves for some Beth Orton and in particular Central Reservation.
 It is a fairly recent acquisition and one which I have to confess that I have only given a cursory listen up until now.
Needless to say that after a listen in the car the other day I am now pretty much hooked.
A couple of songs for your listening pleasure.

One thing bugging me is that I'm sure I've heard Pass in Time recently but not by Beth. I see it was written by Dr Robert of The Blow Monkeys but it was not by them either. Can anyone out there shed any light on this?

Beth Orton - Sweetest Decline

Beth Orton - Pass in Time

Wednesday 19 August 2015

The Return of The Primitives


In 2012 The Primitives returned with Echoes and Rhymes their first full length album in 21 years
This album features 14 recordings of lesser known female fronted songs and follows on from their 4 track Never Keep a Secret from 2011 which covered Breakaway by Toni Basil  and Need All the Help I Can Get  a Lee Hazlewood song recorded by Suzi Jane Hokom.

All 14 songs are pretty good but the pick of  the bunch for me is track 2 Turn Off the Moon  a b-side to a single called Lolita Ya Ya from the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's Lolita originally recorded by 14 year old Sue Lyon.
This is followed by The Witch a track from Paradise of Sounds an LP by Germany's Adam and Eve.

Terrific stuff - pop music at it's best

The Primitives - Turn Off The Moon

The Primitives - The Witch

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Certains Nouvelle Musique Française


The debut EP from French band Nevski on a new indie pop label Out of Map popped into my in-box the other day. And it is rather lovely.
Nevski are Rodolphe , Quentin, Simon et Leonard and the EP is available for a very reasonable price on bandcamp

Here's a wee preview




Staying on the French theme I'll leave you with someone more familiar the formidable mademoiselle Francoise Hardy

Francoise Hardy - Tous les Garcons et les Filles

Francoise Hardy - Le Temps de L'amour


Monday 17 August 2015

Sunday Songs on Monday



This mini series of Sunday songs on a Monday has not proved as easy as I first thought it would be.
I don't have as many Sunday songs as I originally thought I had.
Still there are enough to keep it going for a couple of weeks.
Two absolute crackers today.
The great Etta James is up for A Sunday Kind of Love.
Not so Kris Kristofferson I suspect. After a hard Saturday night he is spending Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down.
More Sunday songs next Monday.

Etta James - A Sunday Kind of Love

Kris Kristofferson - Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

Sunday 16 August 2015

Some Sunday Soul

Sugar Pie






For today's Some Sunday Soul selection we are revisiting the first record ever to feature on Charity Chic Music way back on the 25th of November 2012.
No Angels is a compilation of soul songs taken from the Channel 4 TV series of the same name about a group of hard living and hard drinking nurses.
I Had a Talk with my Man by Mitty Collier was the song that featured way back then.

It is a pretty good album featuring some big names such as Aretha, Etta, Gladys,Nina and Marvin & Tammi together with some reasonable cover versions of a number of soul standards.
Today we will focus on two of the lesser known acts.
We start with the wonderfully named Sugar Pie De Santo or Umpeylia Marsema Balinton to give her real name.She is 4ft 11 inches tall and I'm happy to report that she is still with us at the ripe old age of 79.
Sugar Pie is followed by The Flirtations with Nothing But a Heartache. It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway, a song vastly superior to the one of the same name from Bonnie Tyler.

More Soul next Sunday

Sugar Pie DeSanto - Can't Let You Go

The Flirtations - Nothing but a Heartache

Saturday 15 August 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip



It's Sounds of the Suburbs time this week on Saturday Lucky Dip.
Not the previously featured album jammed pack with a plethora of new Wave hits.
Rather it is another New Wave compilation but this one is from Vive le Rock! magazine and features a host of lesser known artists.
Not a magazine I'm familiar with. This one came to me via my brother.
Thirteen artists with only The Ruts and The Members being names that I recognise.
I shall resist the temptation to feature The Media Whores, Prole Position and Cretin 77 all of whom, as you would expect, are nice and noisy.
No today you are getting Bishops Street who it would appear are a Vancouver street punk band formed in 2011.But then again you knew that.
They are followed by Chris Wilson who was a member of The Flamin' Groovies (who I have heard off) with an excellent Graham Parkeresque number.

More random nonsense next Saturday

Bishops Green - Pressure

Chris Wilson - All The Action



Friday 14 August 2015

Romney



Some non Blues Collection Blues today courtesy of Romney Getty.

She is an artist that I know next to nothing about .After hearing her on Paul Jones BBC Radio 2 Rhythm and Blues programme I purchased her 2005 album Fill in Your Gray on Augustus Records.
As far as I can ascertain she has only one other album out there and that is Ramblin' Girl on Busted Flat Records from 2011.
I think that she is Canadian.
And er that's about it.
Happy for folk to fill in the blanks if they have any further information

Romney Getty - Waiting on the Day

Romney Getty - Cryin' The Blues

Thursday 13 August 2015

Blind Man's Zoo


Mrs CC and I are both Natalie Merchant fans and have much of her solo material.
Somewhat strangely, however,there is currently only one 10,000 Maniacs album gracing the CCM shelves and that is their fourth studio album from 1989 Blind Man's Zoo.
I was minded to play this as my room mate at work was playing them and asked me if I had ever heard of them. He was unaware who their lead singer was or that they came from Boston so I enjoyed a bit of oneupmanship.

My copy contains lyrics in German, French, Spanish and Italian as well as English.
So I give you Eat For Two/Essen Fur Zwei/Mange Pour Deux/ComePor Dos/Mangiare Per Due and
Trouble Me/Lad Mir Kummer Auf/Derange-Moi/Preocupame/Tormentami

No Portuguese George sorry

10,000 Maniacs - Eat For Two

10,000 Maniacs - Trouble Me

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Prima Ballerinas on a Spring Afternoon


Who could fail to be impressed with a band whose members had such names as Johnny Thunders and Sylvian Sylvian. Add David Johansen, Arthur Kane Jr and Jerry Nolan to the mix and you have the classic New York Doll's early 70's line up.
A band who were glam rock in their clothes and hair but who produced a somewhat heavier sound with their music and attitude very much precursors to the burgeoning punk movement. Especially once Malcolm McLaren got involved as Svengali and manager.
 It is easy to imagine members of Blondie, Talking Heads, the Ramones, B52s and countless other American bands listening to the Dolls in their bedrooms and this influencing their rehearsals in the garage the next day.
Hedonism has never sounded better.

New York Dolls - Personality Crisis

New York Dolls - Babylon

Tuesday 11 August 2015

The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnston




Anyone who has seen Julian Temple's 2009 documentary Oil City Confidential charting the life and times of Dr Feelgood will surely be looking forward to his forthcoming  The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson.

Wilko has miraculously recovered from seemingly inoperable and terminal pancreatic cancer.He opted to live out what he thought were his final days playing music and appreciating beauty wherever he can find it.
His positivity is surely a contributing factor to his recovery
During this period he released an album with a hairy fish farmer and actor on American Express adverts.

Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey - Going Back Home

Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey - I Keep it to Myself


Better still  let me take you back 40 years to the Feelgoods featuring on the Old Grey Whistle Test with Roxette.
 Not only does this feature Wilco's classic guitar style and duckwalk it gives some snippets of info which saves me doing it.
A living legend.



Monday 10 August 2015

The Sundays on a Monday



Up until fairly recently I was blissfully unaware of The Sundays
However my eyes have since been opened thanks to Scott and The Robster both of whom have featured them recently.
Harriet Wheeler and the lads released three albums in the 90's with the bloggers waxing lyrical about their 1990 debut Reading, Writing and Arithmetic  in particular.
I chanced upon their 1993 single Summertime in my local charity shop the other week and felt obliged to purchase and then subsequently feature it.
It was their biggest hit peaking at number 15 and it rings a vague bell in the far reaches of my mind suggesting that I have probably heard it before.
Pretty topical too if it ever stops raining!

The Sundays - Summertime

The Sundays - Nothing Sweet

The Sundays - Gone

Sunday 9 August 2015

Some Sunday Soul


It is a pretty close call but my favourite Stevie Wonder album has to be Innervisions from 1973.
Part of his classic triumvirate along with Talking Book and Songs in the Key of Life when he was at his creative peak in the early 70's

I got my copy courtesy of the Guardian - you collected tokens and then sent off for four classic albums: Innervisions, Velvet Underground & Nico, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and Reckoning by REM

I was totally blown away the first time I heard it and playing it in the car the other day had the same affect.
All nine songs would be worthy of featuring but I have gone for Higher Ground and the piece of sheer unadulterated genius that is Living For The City.

More Soul next Sunday

Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground

Stevie Wonder - Living For The City

Saturday 8 August 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip



I featured Uncut's After Midnight from August 2014 when it first came out by posting Rabbit by Amy LaVere.
As these things go it is a  pretty good compilation with well over half a dozen of the songs worth an airing.
So here it is again with three of the others featured.
As you would expect we have a bit of Americana starting with Sam Doores from Hurray for the Riff Raff. Here he is on a solo mission with Drifters Wife a JJ Cale song which features on his True to my Luck - The Early Years album.
Then we have William Clark Green from Flint in Texas with a song from his 2013 Blue Rose album  Rose Queen.
We conclude with the pictured artist Polly Perry lead singer of the Winchester band Polly & the Billets Doux who release their music independently via Genepool/Universal this song coming from their album Money Tree.

More random nonsense next Saturday

Sam Doores - Drifters Wife

William Clark Green - Dead or in Jail

Polly & the Billets Doux - Calico Blankets


Friday 7 August 2015

Trailer Class



Kacey Musgraves has just released a new album Pageant Material.
I figure that allows me to feature her previous album the great Same Trailer Different Park from way back in 2013 winner of a Grammy Award and an ACM Award for album of the year.
She appeared on an American singing competition  Nashville Star in 2007 finishing seventh.
However she is no manufactured pop star or CMTV bimbo.
She writes all her own songs and plays acoustic guitar,mandolin, harmonica and banjo
Her lyrics also challenge the traditional redneck conservative Nashville country industry.
In short a breath of fresh air.

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow

Thursday 6 August 2015

The Big O Sings the Blues


We went to see the Robert Carlyle film The Legend of Barney Thomson last week.
A highly enjoyable black comedy (particularly if you come from Glasgow) based on the novel The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson by Robert Lindsay. His books are well worth checking out.Very funny indeed.
The soundtrack to the film features a version of Blue Bayou but regrettably not by Roy Orbison.

On the basis that you can't improve on perfection here is the man himself on a blues mission.
Pure class

Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou

Roy Orbison - Blue Angel

Wednesday 5 August 2015

Baby Cobras


An enjoyable debate is how best to categorise The Detroit Cobras.
A popular search engine describes them as garage rock.
There is a touch of rockabilly there with Rachel Nagy's voice not dissimilar to Imelda May's.
Throw in a touch of soul and/or indie for good measure and you could keep the debate going for a long time.
Alternatively why not just listen to the music.
Two tracks from their third album Baby on Rough Trade from 2004.There is also a Bloodshot version from 2005 which also includes their excellent EP Seven Easy Pieces
A particular favourite of our good friend Dirk I believe.
They come from Detroit.

The Detroit Cobras -I Wanna Holler (But the Town's too Small

The Detroit Cobras - It's Raining

Tuesday 4 August 2015

When Steve McQueen Met Faron Young at Four in the Morning


Can it really be 30 years ago that Kitchenware records released Steve McQueen the second album by Prefab Sprout?
Produced by Thomas Dolby it is perhaps Paddy McAloon's finest three quarters of an hour.
Although it didn't enjoy the same UK chart success as it's four successors it is certainly their most critically acclaimed record and is much loved by many of my esteemed colleagues on the right hand sidebar.
It reached number 4 on the NME's best albums list for 1985 and ever since has featured regularly on all time best of lists
Released in America as Two Wheel's Good as McQueen's estate took issue with the title.
On the other hand I'm sure that country crooner Faron Young was grateful to Paddy for introducing him to a whole new audience,

Prefab Sprout - Faron Young

Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down


Monday 3 August 2015

Sunday Music on Monday





This mini -series was originally going to replace Some Soul Sunday but I have decided to persevere meantime.
So some songs referencing Sunday on a Monday.
You will not be surprised to note that I'm starting with two slices of Americana
Tift Merritt from her 2002 album Bramble Rose advises us that Sunday is nobody's business.
Meanwhile chief Jayhawk the Professor of Music himself Gary Louris bemoans the fact that She Only Calls Me on Sundays from his 2008 solo album Vagabonds.

Not only is Box not wiping bandwidth used at the end of the the month it is also no longer telling you how much bandwidth you have left so  I have decided to give  Zippy Share a go.

Tift Merritt - Sunday

Gary Louris - She Only Calls Me on Sundays

Sunday 2 August 2015

Some Sunday Soul


You very nearly never got Some Sunday Soul this week as I am somewhat short in both material and inspiration.
I'll persevere for a wee while but a short break from this series may be in order.
Today's songs come from a somewhat unusual source a CD called Forever Mod which contains 48 tunes of smokin' jazz,sensual soul, stormin' ska and classic blues which apparetly influenced the Mod movement.

The sensual soul tracks include the likes of Irma Thomas, Bobby Bland,Arthur Alexander and Ester Phillips.
I have opted for a couple of crackers courtesy of Ike and Tina and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
I don't own any albums by Gladys& the Pips and would be grateful for some suggestions as I suspect that there may well be more chaff than wheat out there

More soul next Sunday (maybe!)

Ike and Tina Turner - A Fool in Love

Gladys Knight & the Pips - Every Beat of my Heart

Saturday 1 August 2015

Saturday Lucky Dip


This week's Saturday Lucky Dip is a slice of New York Punk from a Mojo compilation from November 2005 which hijacks the world's most famous logo with   NY Punk!
It contains a good few songs which haven't stood the test of time and some live songs which probably sounded great if you were in the audience in the late 70's but which sound pretty ropey now
There are a couple that stand outs -  the previously featured Rip Her to Shreds by Blondie and the still to feature New York Dolls.
I wasn't aware that Mink DeVille were considered punk given that my only exposure to them up to now was Spanish Stroll.However it appears that they were one of the original house bands at CBGBs from 1975 to 1977 so a punk pedigree then. She's So Tough is rather good. I should check out more by them.
There is no disputing that Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers were punk. Here is their extremely faithful cover of the Ramones classic Chinese Rocks (just realised I've posted this one before but well worth another listen)

More random nonsense next Saturday

Mink DeVille - She's So Tough

Johnny Thunder & the Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks