Saturday Shuffle 57

 

Given that the Euros are in full flow it was good to see the shuffle throw up a song with Europe in the title. However Radio Free Europe by R.E.M. appeared here just a few days ago. Excellent though it is it didn't feel right to feature it twice in a week.

Zombies however have not appeared here for a while. Here is Time of the Season from the 50th Anniversary of the album Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies. The shuffle came up with the remix of this song but I've opted for the original version. I'm playing fast and loose with the rules this week aren't I?

Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) is a protest song written by the great Woodie Guthrie and is based on a true story. It has been covered a number of times including this version by Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore from their album Downey to Lubbock

We conclude with some fairly obscure Motown namely Does Your Mama Know About Me by Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers from the CD Tamla Motown Big Hits and Hard to Find Classics 1.

More big hits and hard to find classics next Saturday

The Zombies - Time of the Season

Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers - Does Your Mama Know About Me

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore -Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)

Home Again

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 41 - Michael  Kiwanuka - Home Again

There is a second Energy Orchard album from the Newton Stewart haul which chronologically should have appeared here today. However. I feel it is too close to the previous one so it has been put on hold meantime.

That means a move from Newton Stewart to Stranraer and some more Soul courtesy of Home Again the 2012 debut album of London based singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka on Polydor/Communion.

His is a name I was familiar with but the same could not be said of his music. There has been a fair bit of hype and I know some folk whose opinions I respect like his work particularly his third and latest album Kiwanuka.

For 75p I felt that it merited a purchase and a listen. As of now the jury is still out. His music is described as folk rock and soul. It is definitely soul-lite. It is all a bit confusing. On the first listen I was thinking Jack Johnston this time round a little bit of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson is sneaking it. It is definitely Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday night music

Gareth James of Clash makes comparisons with Bill Withers and calls the album an absolute treat for fans of rootsy vintage soul

Thom Jurek of AllMusic notes that Paul Butler's vintage sounding production felt paint-by-numbers at times and Kiwanuka's lyrical content needed fine- tuning but concludes that it is a promising debut by an artist who will no doubt deliver big if developed properly

After the first listen it was going back. After a second listen I feel it has potential and that it will probably be a keeper.

Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me a Tale

Michael Kiwanuka - Always Waiting

Just Joan

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 40 -Joan Armatrading - The Very Best Of

I've had the Joan Armatrading compilation Track Record on vinyl for years and it is probably all that you would ever need.

I then picked up the CD compilation The Collection on CD as it is an easier format to use on occasions.

Not content with two compilations by her I then picked up The Very Best Of as part of the Dead Dog haul. I justified it at the time as it only cost pennies. A quick comparison with The Collection showed that there were enough different tracks to justify keeping it. My only quibble is that the version of Love and Affection is a remix as opposed to the original. Rest assured that you wont be getting that given there are plenty more great tracks to choose from.

Shamefully this is only her second appearance on these pages.

Joan Armatrading - Willow

Joan Armatrading - Me, Myself, I

 Joan Armatrading - All the Way From America

Global-a-Go-Go

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 39 - Various Artists - Global -A-Go- Go

Space has dictated that I am cutting back on Compilations and for the majority of those still in boxes digitising them and packing them off to charity.

However I couldn't resist picking this one up particularly as it only cost me pennies as part of the Newton Stewart Dead Dog haul

From Uncut in October 2007 it is a CD celebrating 20 years of World Music. As you can see from the tracklist Global-A-Go-Go  includes many of whom you would describe as the usual suspects - Robert Plant, Ry Cooder and Damon Albarn. Only Peter Gabriel is missing. I suppose they should be thanked for helping to bring "World" music to a wider audience.

There is a concentration on African music (from Mali in particular) which suits me just fine and is pretty much the reason I picked it up.

The Tinariwen and Rachid Taha tracks have appeared here before so here are Mahmoud Ahmed from Ethiopia and a couple from Mali.

Despite the inclusion of Rock el Casbah it is not to be confused with the album of the same name by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

Mahmoud Ahmed - Atawurulegn Lela

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (ft Lobi Traore) - Banani

Ali Farka Toure - Penda Yoro

Apologies to the relevant artists but I haven't yet mastered the art of typing e-acutes, etc. I'll book myself in with Ernie for a lesson!

On Your Bike -Martin

 

We are fast approaching the  Champs-Élysées stage of this series and who better, with champagne flute in hand, to bring us close to the finishing line than Martin

Yes I'm talking about the man who  fairly recently cycled from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for Alzheimers.

Joining him on this leisurely lap are three debutants for these pages and an old favourite.

We shall start with Nine  Million Bicycles  by Katie Melua from her album Piece By Piece .It is on the shelves but I don't think I have ever listed to it unless you count osmosis. I'm pretty sure that I used to have a cover of this which may or may not have involved Aidan Moffat. It was written by Mike Batt apparently.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers are not on the shelves and that is something that I intend to continue. Having said that I have no issue in including Martin's suggestion of Bicycle Song.

Now for something which is much better altogether. From as far back as 1970 here are Australian band The Mixtures with the great The Pushbike Song from their In the Summer Time album.

On the subject of greatness I give you Pete Shelley with the Tour de France Theme from Channel 4's coverage  of the event from the late 80's to the mid 90's. The race has previously also been highlighted by Krafwerk  on a previous lap.

Unless someone makes a late break from the peloton I will bring the race to a conclusion next week.

Katie Melua - Nine Million Bicycles

Red Hot Chilli Peppers -Bicycle Song

The Mixtures -The Push Bike Song

Pete Shelley - Tour de France (Channel 4 theme)

Lafayette

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 38 - Erin McKeown - Lafayette

We are getting a bit of a geography lesson - Alexandria last week and Lafayette this week. Well not quite as in this case Lafayette does not refer to the city in Louisiana but to the address of Joe's Pub, Lafayette Street, New Your City where Erin McKeown and band recorded a live show on 23rd and 24th January 2007

I was vaguely familiar with the name Erin McKeown and on checking the hard drive I have three tracks from the album Distillation. I had them (pronoun of choice)  down as an Americana artist but their web page is keen to point out that the  have a prolific disregard of stylistic boundaries.

Wiki say that their music encompasses pop, swing, rock, folk ,and electronic music as well as several other genres. I would say that this one firmly comes down in the swing and big band camp. I have an album by k.d lang that goes down a similar path.

They are not genres that I am particularly a fan of and also I am not a huge fan of live albums. It was part of the Newton Stewart haul so probably cost me less that 50p.It was worth a listen but  I don't see me playing it very often so it will go back to charity

Erin McKeown - You Were Right About Everything

Erin McKeown - Melody

Sunday Highway Songs 11

 

We are beginning to reach the end of the highway but there are still a few miles to negotiate.

Let's commence then with one of our favourite Psychedelic Americana bands Rose City Band and Moonlight Highway. It is taken from their 4th album 2023's Garden Party. It is the only one that I don't have as I think that it is not as good as its predecessors.

I do however have Honest Life the 2016 5th album by country singer Courtney Marie Andrews on which Highway Lines is the 11th track.

Strolling Down the Highway might have been possible in th 60's when Bert Jansch was in his prime but it wouldn't be advisable now particularly if you were stupid enough to do so with a baby in a pushchair

Rose City Band - Moonlight Highway

Courtney Marie Andrews - 15 Highway Lines

Bert Jansch - Strolling Down the Highway

Newxt Sunday sees what may well be our penultimate Highway adventure 

Saturday Shuffle 56

 

Another week gone, another Shuffle beckons.

Today's picture is of a Beast of Burden renowned for heavy lifting. The Rolling Stones have done a bit of heavy lifting over the years none more so than their 1978 album Some Girls from which this song is lifted. Their last great album..

I'm not sure that Easter by Patti Smith (or the Patti Smith Group to be precise) could be described as great. Maybe just very good. It does contain her most famous and probably best song Because The Night written, as you all know, by Bruce Springsteen . He probably wished that he had kept it for himself but it worked out alright in the end

Chinese Rocks was written by Dee Dee Ramone and Richard Hell. Dee Dee wanted the Ramones to record It but that was vetoed by Johnny due to it being drug related. This left the door open for Hell's then band Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers to release it. It was subsequently included on the Ramones album End of the Century with the title Chinese Rock. Every day's a school day.

More pointless shuffled trivia next Saturday.

Rolling Stones -Beast of Burden

Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers -Chinese Rocks

Patti Smith - Because the Night

Eurodisco 2024

 

The Euros start tonight!

And what a start - the hosts Germany v Scotland.

I suspect that at 8 o'clock tonight you would be able to sit down in the middle of the Kingston Bridge or Princess Street and have a picnic  such is the level of interest in Scotland.

The whole nation will be watching it and collectively holding their breath and peering through their fingers from behind the couch. Our warm up games have been less that impressive but hopefully that has just been tactics on behalf of Steve Clarke to lull the hosts into a false sense of security.

Knowing Scotland I suspect that we will thrash Germany then blow it against Switzerland and/or Hungary.

Maybe not. Hopefully we will get beyond the Group stages of a major tournament for the first time and then have a Eurodisco.

No Scotland, no party! 

GET INTAE THEM

bis - Eurodisco

Euros Childs - Tete-a- tete

Allo Darlin' - Europe

Kraftwerk - Trans Euro Express

R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe

Europe - The Final Countdown

Alexandria

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 37 - Chris Mills and the Distant Stars - Alexandria

In the late 90's/early 00's when I was pretty much totally immersed in Americana I saw Chris Mills play on two or three occasions and I have three of his early albums ranging from 1998 to 2003. The only time he has appeared here before  was over 10 years ago with a cover of The Flaming Lips song Waitin' For a Superman from his 2003 Covers EP Tell It Like It Isn't.

After that he fairly quickly disappeared of my radar until unexpectantly I stumbled across Alexandria in the "Dead Dog" shop in Newton Stewart. From 2014 and on Loud Romantic Records it is billed as Chris Mills and the Distant Stars and appears to be his 11th and final studio album.

Bandcamp tells us that it was born out of a chance encounter in the Scandinavian wilderness and that it  raves distance and dark seas and a haunted tape machine to deliver nine emotionally stark and romantic tales, where echoes of the past become a map to the wild, unknown future.

I'm not sure whether Alexandria refers to the city in Egypt or the city in Virginia, USA or even the town in Scotland near Dumbarton .It may even refer to a woman or the Royal Alexandria Hospital Hospital in Paisley where Mrs CC and I both worked before we met.

Whatever, it is one that I enjoyed and it is most definitely a keeper. It has also put me in mind to dig out some of his earlier stuff for the first time in forever.

It also has a rather splendid cover.

Chris Mills and the Distant Stars - Wild Places

Chris Mills and the Distant Stars -Rubicorn

Homeland

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 36 - Tish Hinajosa - Homeland

I have long been an admirer of San Antonio's Tex-Mex country folk singer Tish Hinojosa  who sings in both Spanish and English

I have had 1992 album Culture Swing  for years and was fortunate enough to see her play at Glasgow's Cottiers Theatre.

I have written about her here before from as far back as my 2013 in my Mexican Monday series

Therefore I was pretty chuffed to pick up Homeland her 2nd album from 1989 on A&M for pennies in the Canine Rescue (aka Dead Dog) charity shop in Newton Stewart. I struck lucky in that there were a few Americana type CDs up for grabs

She sings in both Spanish and English and as an added bonus she is joined by the great Flaco Jiminez on accordion.

Homeland is a mix of  her love for her parent's humble Mexican heritage and language mixed with idealistic American images of a musical future. It works for me. She has a wonderful voice in both languages.

Tish Hinojosa - Joaquin

Tish Hinojosa - Donde Voy (Where I Go)

My spreadsheet tells me that this is the 100th CD I have by an artist beginning with H!

On Your Bike - Rol

 

Rol writes:

Never one to resist a challenge, etc. etc., here are some more songs with bikes in them, starting with

a band I normally have very little time for.

Pink Floyd - Bike

The closing track from their 1967 debut LP, Piper At The Gates of Dawn, this is really more of a Syd

Barrett solo song, and I think it’s wonderful. It all went downhill (without brakes) after Syd left…

( C will be happy! - Ed)

I can hardly post that without also posting a song by another band who are largely (and most

unfairly) reviled in many quarters of the blogosphere. It’s an obvious choice, but – I’m sorry – it

always makes me smile…

Queen - Bicycle Race

After those, how can I redeem myself in the ears of the cognoscenti? How about some Peel

favourites from Sheffield, circa 1986…

One Thousand Violins - I Remember When Everybody Rode Bikes - Now We All Drive Cars

Here’s another Peel favourite, and a keen cyclist too – Nigel Blackwell. There is surely nothing worse

than washing sieves.

Half Man Half Biscuit - Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes

And we’ll close with the Wild Thing himself… because I figure I have to include at least one song that

CC will approve of.

Chip Taylor - Broken Down Bicycles

CC writes - thanks Rol. I approve of all of them with the exception of number 2! And many thanks for the Chip Taylor album. It's a belter

I have some songs from Martin which I will feature in due course and am happy if others choose to get on their bikes and ping some suggestions and/or words over.

Trace

 

To show that I am not bitter about discovering there was no CD in the box when I bought Trace by Son Volt in the BHF shop in St Andrews here here is a post about it.

From September 1995 on Warner Brothers  it was the debut album by the band led by Jay Farrar following the break up of Uncle Tupelo . As Wilco also rose from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo there was some discussion about the  respective merits of both debut albums - A.M. in Wilco's case. It seems that Trace by and large got the nod.

As I mentioned the other day I have a digital copy of the extended and remastered 20th Anniversary Remastered edition, But now I'm going to have to get a physical copy aren't I? I think that I will probably settle for the CD version given that the two LPs listed on E-Bay come in at £72.00  and £156.07. The CDs are much more reasonable but I may have to pay a little bit more than the £1 that I paid for an empty box.

Did I say I was not bitter?!

Kids - always check the boxes!

Son Volt -Windfall

Son Volt - Drown

Son Volt - Ten Second News

Sunday Highway Songs 10

 

Last week's comments from our American friends were very informative in terms of the respective lengths of highways and the numbering systems. And you thought that you just came here for the music.

This week I have decided to focus on Highway 30. The reason? This week's post takes us up to 30 Highway songs with still a few to go. I now know that the 0 at the end means that it is a coast to coast highway and a major east - west route.

It is 3702 miles (4,994km) in length and goes from Astoria, Oregon to Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is fascinating stuff and I could go on and on but I suspect that most of you are here for the music.

Let's start with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Who knew that they had any songs other than You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet? Here they advocate that we continue to Roll On Down The Highway something we propose to do for a couple more weeks. If only Bike songs were this prolific

I'm not sure whether Charley Pride had Highway 30 in mind when he sang This Highway Leads to Glory. Given that it ends at Atlantic City probably not.

Finally Steve Earle makes his second appearance in this series starting further South as he sings of the Hillbilly Highway heading towards Detroit .

We begin to near the end of the Highway next Sunday.

Bachman Turner Overdrive - Roll On Down The Highway

Charley Pride - This Highway Leads to Glory

Steve Earle - Hillbilly Highway

Saturday Shuffle 55

 

Let's kick off the Shuffle with a relatively obscure Scottish power pop and New Wave band who somehow found their way onto one of the best compilation albums of all time. I refer of course to That Summer! (tracklist here) the soundtrack from a distinctly average film of the same name.  Zones are that band and they  pitch in with their song New Life. I know that Brian will have enjoyed that.

I don't think that the mighty Link Wray was ever described as distinctly average especially when he applies his surf guitar technique to the old Country classic Rawhide.

Finally we have the Pipettes who are  cleverly turning the tables on pervy men with their song I Like a Boy In Uniform (School Uniform)

More distinctly above average shuffling next Saturday

Zones - New Life

Link Wray - Rawhide

The Pipettes - I Like a Boy in Uniform (School Uniform)

Jingle Jangle Mornings

 

Regular readers will know that I am gradually culling Compilation CDs which are stored in boxes in a corner of the Music Room to free up space.

As such I am avoiding purchasing Mojo or Uncut magazines where possible  even although the CD's now come in thin sleeves. The cost of the magazines is probably now the primary reason for resisting temptation.

However Jingle Jangle Mornings - A Byrds Companion was one I could not  possibly ignore. The front cover  and the name of the CD would have been enough but a quick look at the tracklist quickly sealed the deal. The associated article within the magazine also turned out to be an interesting read as well.

Which songs to share with you proved to be a bit of a challenge as most of them would have been worthy of inclusion. In the end I took a relatively easy approach and plumped for solo numbers by three former Byrds members.

Jingle and indeed Jangle.

Gene Clark - Past Tense

Chris Hillman - Bells of Rhymney

Roger McGuinn - So You Want to be a Rock'n'Roll Star

Pain Killer

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 35 - Energy Orchard - Pain Killer

On a recent jaunt we visited the Canine Rescue charity shop in Newton Stewart or as we like to call it, on account of the smell, The Dead Dog Shop.

The smell not withstanding the staff are very friendly and the CDs are really cheap. I came away with eight which I paid £2 for in total which was well over the odds. What can I say, I'm the generous sort! 

One was Pain Killer the 1995 fourth album by Northern Irish band Energy Orchard on the Castle label. They released one more before they called it a day. Had I had it earlier it may have been under consideration for  my Home Nations series.

 I was familiar with the band's name due to previously purchasing an album by their lead singer Bap Kennedy who apparently I once saw at King Tuts but I wasn't familiar with their music.

It started off fairly promisingly but soon morphed into what I would describe as Celtic Rock. In small doses this can be as a good thing but not in this instance. Hotpress write that Pain Killer is primarily big music with a heavy emphasis on 1980s’ production values – fat drum sounds, layered guitar textures with Hammond organ fills and rousing epic vocals. As I said - alright in small doses but not necessarily a good thing. It is of its time although it seems that it took the 80's a wee while to reach Belfast!

I don't think it is a keeper. I also picked up another one of theirs but I haven't plucked up the courage to listen to it yet!

Energy Orchard -Wasted

Energy Orchard - Remember My Name

Chemicrazy

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 34 - That Petrol Emotion - Chemicrazy

You will probably not be surprised to hear that while we were in St Andrews to see Karine Polwart  I took the opportunity to have a quick trawl of the town's Charity Shops.

Slim pickings I'm afraid but I did come away with Chemicrazy the 4th album by That Petrol Emotion from April 1990 and on the Virgin label. I have their first three on vinyl but this is my first on CD.

After an initial listen I would say that it is a bit more laid back than some of its predecessors and for what it's worth I quite like it .Produced by Scott Litt of R.E.M. fame it is their first since the departure of main songwriter John O'Neill.

The reviews on rateyourmusic.com are fairly positive with one contributor describing it as a melting pot of what was great about indie music in the late 80's /early 90's.

I also picked up Traces by Son Volt but when I got back to the hotel I found that there was no CD in the box. Yes, I had committed the school boy error of not checking before purchasing. All is not lost, however, as I have the extended 20th Anniversary release digitally although it would have been nice to have it in a physical format.

That Petrol Emotion - Sensitize

That Petrol Emotion - Tingle

On Your Bike - CC

 

I am clearly going to need some help if this series is to continue for any length of time. Following some great contributions from Brian and Ernie it is down to me and boy am I struggling.

So much so that I have resorted to a song which also appeared in my Keep On Trucking series. Here are Kissinger with Truck v Bike.

Next up are Auchermuchty's finest now that Sir Jimmy Shand is no longer with us. Here are the original and best Reid Brothers with Angry Cyclist. There is no doubt that cyclists divide opinion.

Further South in the Kingdom of Fife (just a short cycle in fact) finds us in Dunfermline the home of Dan McCafferty and Nazareth who is proudly boasting about his White Bicycle.

We hop from Fife to France where our German friends Kraftwerk are off to the Tour de France.

More next week if I get some suggestions or Guest Posts. 

Kissinger - Truck vs Bike

The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist

Nazareth - My White Bicycle

Kraftwerk - Tour de France

Karine Polwart at the Byre Theatre

 

Last year Mrs CC and I started a tradition whereby we would get a sneaky overnight in and take in a gig. We started with Heidi Talbot and Boo Hewerdine in Birnam.

This time around, on Sunday 26th May, it was the turn of Karine Polwart at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews. We have previously seen her on a number of occasions in Glasgow and once in Paisley so this was the third city/town where our paths crossed. The Byre is part of the University of St Andrews and is a lovely venue with  a capacity of 220 although it looked more that that. We were in a back row but still had a great view.

In the previous times we have seen her she has usually been accompanied by a band or other musicians. This time it was just her on the stage with two guitars and a box of pedals. These were abandoned on a couple of occasions when she sang a capella.

Her set was very much nature oriented with songs about birds, plants and talking trees with a number of stories thrown in. As always she carried it off effortlessly and brilliantly.

Here are some songs which featured.

Looking forward to the next one.

Karine Polwart - Salters Road

Karine Polwart - Daisy

Karine Polwart - Follow the Heron

Sunday Highway Songs -9

 

Let's start our 9th week of the road with some Rockabilly courtesy of the splendidly named Dive Bar Stalkers. Here they are ready to Hit it On the Highway.

Poor old Jerry Reed is much less positive. Here he is bemoaning about the Endless Miles of Highway.

Perhaps he is referring to Highway 70 (Interstate seems to be a newer name for those that cross state lines) Highway 70 has existed since 1956 and is now 2171.71 miles or 3495.03 KM in length and covering 10 states. For context the UK mainland is 683.5 miles North to South. Perhaps it is the very length of it which is giving The Bottle Rockets the Highway 70's Blues

More Highway Blues to cheer you up next week and to cheer you up still further I have dug up some more songs. There are plenty miles/km on this road yet.

Dive Bar Stalkers - Hit It On The Highway

Jerry Reed - Endless Miles of Highway

The Bottle Rockets - Highway 70 Blues

Saturday Shuffle 54

 

The Shuffle has not come up with any big hitters this week so we have three relatively obscure songs for your listening pleasure.

Given the picture above let's start with Black Doves from Amelia White .I have this on a compilation The Other Side - Music from East Nashville. For those of you who liked this (and who wouldn't ) here is an update on her career

Following on from Amelia we have Too Much For You from Bobby Angelle which appears as the opening track on the Mojo Music Guide Vol 3 - Raw Soul Compilation 

Here is a brief biography from Last:FM

We conclude with John Cameron from 1973 with Liquid Sunshine. He is a well known British composed, arranger, conductor and musician. I have it in my head that this is from a Jon Savage compilation but I could well be wrong there.

More shuffling, obscure or otherwise, next Saturday.

Amelia White -Black Doves

Bobby Angele - Too Much For You

John Cameron - Liquid Sunshine