CCM is 12 today

 

I interrupt my holiday to inform you that Charity Chic Music is 12 today.

I thought I would share a picture of the Twelve Angry Men who form the Editorial Committee and who meet to discuss what they deem is worthy of posting. It can sometimes take a while.

They do, however, occasionally moonlight as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

You will be relieved to know that they couldn't  agree on a dozen songs to be posted today.

I briefly thought of posting 12 12 Bar Blues Songs or  the 12th track from 12 albums or even Patti Smith's album 12 but that all seemed to be too much like hard work.

I did find four songs in my music library with 12 in the title so they along with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band will have to do

Not long until those moody teenage years

Roy Harper - Twelve Hours of Sunset

Eleanor McEvoy - The Weatherman (12 Days)

The Sheep - Twelve Months Later

Rickie Lee Jones - After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Goodnight)

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - It's All Over Now

Saturday Shuffle 77

 

We are getting to the stage where I need to double check whether songs have appeared on the shuffle before posting

This week I was forced to rule out Beast of Burden by the Stones and Burn it Down by Dexys. Fortunately there are plenty more to choose  from.

The only one of the first three on the shuffle still standing is Sealed With a Glasgow Kiss by Carter USM.

Off the subs bench come Something Stupid by Nancy and Frank Sinatra and Give Him a Great Big Kiss by The Shangri - Las. Two worthy substitutes as I'm sure you will agree.

Nothing to see here for the next two weeks as we are off to deepest darkest Dumfriesshire.

Carter USM - Sealed With a Glasgow Kiss

Nancy and Frank Sinatra - Something Stupid

The Shangri- Las - Give Him a Great Big Kiss

The Birds Have Flown South

 

The birds have flown South for the winter so I think it is probably time to bring this series to a conclusion. It may well be revisited when they fly North again.

Half a dozen random  generic bird picks for you this week starting with my new favourite band The Hanging Stars with Happiness is a Bird which is a rather nice sentiment.

Next we have Jesca Hoop with City Bird which has me thinking of the gallus Pigeons who seem to populate most town centres.

Truckstop Honeymoon express a preference for a Little Red Bird whereas Mercury Rev are happy to settle with The Funny Bird.

Isobel Campbell sings of The National Bird of India. Obviously I looked it up and the picture above gives a clue as to what bird it is.

We conclude with Lucette and Crazy Bird.

One day I'll fly away.

The Hanging Stars - Happiness is a Bird

Jesca Hoop - City Bird

Truckstop Honeymoon - Little Red Bird

Mercury Rev - The Funny Bird

Isobel Campbell - The National Bird of India

Lucette - Crazy Bird

Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea

 

I must confess that PJ Harvey is an artist who has fallen off my radar over the years. 

I  have a few of her earlier albums but with the exception of 2011's Let England Shake I have nothing else by her after 2000' s Stories From the City, Stories from the Sea.

I stuck the latter, her 5th album, on the other day for the first time in forever and thoroughly enjoyed it. I reckon it is my favourite album of those of hers that I have heard. I found myself struck with comparisons to Patti Smith.

It was a worthy winner of 2001's Mercury Prize from a time when this was still relevant to me. The Metacritic Aggregator gives a score of 88/100 which seems reasonable to me.

Some boy called Thom Yorke appears on the middle song. I know the name, but I can't quite place him.

PJ Harvey - The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore

PJ Harvey - The Mess We're In

PJ Harvey - This is Love

Spiders and Flies Again

 

Somewhat belatedly and as things stand the third and final selection of Spiders and Flies songs for you today.

Last time round the order was Fly/Spider/Fly/Spider so it is only fair that this time we go with Spider/Fly/Spider/Fly

Andy Fairweather Low songs are like Corporation buses- none for ages and then two come along at once, Here is the former Amen Corner frontman with some Spider Jiving.

Next up is Squirrel Flower with Hurt a Fly.I'm not sure if I have enough material for a subsequent series of comparing and contrasting Squirrel and Flower Songs.

Kenickie  have a confession to make.They are Scared of Spiders,

Finally a Peel Session for you courtesy of Wire and I Am the Fly.

If a Spider invites you into their parlour politely decline.

Andy Fairweather Low - Spider Jiving

Squirrel Flower -Hurt a Fly

Kenickie - Scared of Spiders

Wire -I Am the Fly (Peel Session)

Runaway Soul

 

Late Sunday morning saw me listening to Runaway Soul a 2002 album by US Roots artist Ruthie Foster on Blue Corn Music. Given that she is relatively obscure I found myself wondering if I was the only person in the UK listening to it at that particular time. That's how I rock.

I say Roots music as her songs cover Blues, Country, Soul, Folk and Gospel.

She first crossed my radar when I saw her at SXSW in Austin around then and picked up this album. I subsequently followed that up with 2007's The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster.I'm happy to report that she is still going strong with a dozen or so albums under her belt the majority of which are on Blue Corn.

Here are a couple from the album - the title track written by her and her interpretation at a traditional song.

Ruthie Foster - Runaway Soul

Ruthie Foster -Death Came A-Knocking (Travelin' Shoes)

Amen Corner

 

I took this photo on the Blogger's trip to Newcastle with a view to featuring it on a future Blog post. Then I forgot all about it until the band popped up on the latest Saturday Snapshots over at Rol's place

Active between 1966 -1969 The Amen Corner were a Welsh rock band led by Andy Fairweather Low. They first crossed my radar when a re-release of If Paradise Was Half as Nice charted in 1976.

This was shortly after their frontman charted as a solo artist with Wide Eyed and Legless in 1975.

Two from the band followed by two from AFL I think.

Amen Corner - Bend Me, Shape Me

Amen Corner - If Paradise is Half as Nice

Andy Fairweather Low - Drowning on Dry Land

Andy Fairweather Low - Wide Eyed and Legless

Ball and Chain

 

On Friday at the gym the song Ball and Chain popped up on the MP3 player. Not  by XTC as you and I would  have expected but by British rock band Broken English who were active between 1987 to 1991.

This led me to wondering whether there were any other Ball and Chains in the Music folder. There were two. One by Sam Brown from her 1988 debut album Stop  and one by London folk rock duo The Rails.

On checking Google the first one that popped up was by Janis Joplin so here is a You Tube clip of her performing it with Big Brother & the Holding Company

Apologies for the lack of a Mandatory Reggae Version © Ernie Goggins

Broken English - Ball and Chain.

XTC - Ball and Chain

Sam Brown - Ball and Chain

The Rails - Ball and Chain

Saturday Shuffle 76

 

We start this week's shuffle with our cover star pictured above Franz Ferdinand. From their 2004 (20 years ago ffs!) eponymous debut album on the Domino label here is Jacqueline. An album I played to death at the time. I revisited it around this time last year and really enjoyed it. This revisit lead to them being stuck on the mp3 player and then the shuffle.

Heroes to Zeros  by The Beta Band was one of the  first Charity Shop purchase of the year and my first from Stirling and is one of the better ones in the 64 to date. Certainly in the top 10 and possibly in the top 5. Here is the opening track Assessment.

This week's shuffle concludes with some Tamla Motown Soul courtesy of David Ruffin. Walk Away from Love is taken from the compilation Tamla Motown Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics Volume 1 another excellent charity find

Saturday Shuffle 77 next week

Franz Ferdinand - Jacqueline

The Beta Band - Assessment

David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love

I Like Birds 17 - The Lark

 

It's Friday so time for larking about.

 Larks as I'm sure you are aware  are passerine birds  of the family Alaudidae. You will also be aware that when the word "lark" is used without specification it often refers to the European Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis).

Right, now that the boring bits are out of the way it is time for the music. It may not come as a total surprise but the bulk of the Lark related songs that I have come from the Folk genre.

You don't get much more Folky than Fairport Convention . From The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood album and from the Cropredy Festival of August 1987 here is the traditional instrumental song The Lark in the Morning. 

Sticking with Folk it is followed by  Kate Rusby (with Nic Jones) and The Lark

Yet more Folk but this time crossed with Americana. From 2012 Voice of Ages is an album where the Chieftains collaborate with mainly Americana artists on mostly traditional folk songs. The Lark in the Clear Air/Olan Punch is a collaboration with the Punch Brothers.

Moving on from Folk here is the American born Canadian Soul and Gospel Singer Bessie Grace Gupton. Why is she appearing on this post? Because she is better know as Tobi Lark that's why. Here she is Talking 'Bout Love.

I think that's more than enough larking about for one week.

Fairport Convention - The Lark in the Morning

Kate Rusby - The Lark

The Chieftains (with Punch Brothers) - The Lark in the Clear Air/Olam Punch

Tobi Lark - Talking 'Bout Love

Something Fishy

 

We have done Birds and Spiders & Flies recently so howzabout our Piscine Pals?

Yes I'm talking fish and it's not even Friday!

It's not Saturday either but I think we can squeeze in Louis Jordan and his Saturday Night Fish Fry.

 Lone Ranger is also partial to a Fish Tea , or a Fish Supper as we call it round these parts.Just to be clear it is Salt & Vinegar with your fish and not Salt & Sauce like those strange folk in Edinburgh.

John Prine is another strange one as he seems partial to Fish & Whistle.

Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby are even more adventurous though as they have a penchant for Tropical Fish. Do they keep them in their underpants though??

Louis Jordan - Saturday Night Fish Fry

Lone Ranger - Fish Tea

John Prine - Fish and Whistle

Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby - Tropical Fish

First and Last Bands

 

Hot on the heels of last week's First and Last Songs this week I give you First and Last Bands

The first First is appropriately enough First Choice. They were a Philly vocal group who were active from 1971 to 1984 who released a number of dance floor classics including  Armed and Extremely Dangerous.

The first Last are The Last Internationale a New York band consisting of Edgey Pirez and Delila Paz. Delila is this week's cover star above. They were introduced to me by my late dear friend Harry who had seen them support Robert Plant.

The last First are the great Country Rock Band Kenny Rogers & the First Edition with the classic anti war song Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town.

Finally the last Last are a band I know next to nothing about called Last Train Home who get the nod as the song is called Last Good Kiss. Two for the price of one.

More Firsts and Lasts next week

First Choice - Armed and Extremely Dangerous

The Last Internationale - We Will Reign

Kenny Rogers & the First Edition - Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town

Last Train Home - Last Good Kiss

MAGA - Vote Harris

 

It's Election Day in the USA today and Bonfire Night in the UK - two incendiary events.

To most of us in the UK it is inconceivable that anyone would vote for Trump (but then again some folk vote Tory here). As things stand the polls seem neck and neck.

If Trump wins he will be even more unbearable than usual. If he looses it will be 6th January all over again with bells on. He will claim that he has been robbed and cheated. Democracy is a alien concept to him

Here are some Make - America - Great  - Again  songs with my take on things.

Low - Just Make it Stop

Billy Bragg - Help Save the Youth of America

Janis Ian - The Great Divide

Curtis Mayfield - Back to Living Again

Spiders and Flies

 

Some more spiders and flies for you today. Sourcing the Spiders was relatively straightforward but when it comes to Flies you have to differentiate between the insects and people travelling in the sky

Last week it was three songs featuring both spiders and flies. This week we have two individual fly and spider tracks.

For the first fly who else would you go for other than The Cramps with Human Fly?

How do you follow the Cramps? You don't of course. Pylon, however, make a brave attempt with Spider from their Chomp album. That album also has a song called Reptiles which might come in useful later on.

Tim Buckley provides the second fly number with Buzzin' Fly. Why is it flies can get into your kitchen with all doors or windows closed but won't leave if every window is open?

The more clever among you will have worked out that today's final track is the title one from the fifteenth studio album by Robyn Hitchcock (in this case with the Venus 3) from 2006.

More beasties next Monday.

The Cramps - Human Fly

Pylon - Spider

Tim Buckley - Buzzin' Fly

Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 - Olé Tarantula

100 Not Out ......

 

A little bit of history has just occurred here at Charity Chic Music.

I have always been interested to check my stats to see where the viewers and bots come from.

I tried to install a Flag Counter onto the Blog but was unable to do so. Therefore I resorted to a manual spreadsheet which is updated whenever a new Country pops up on the stats.

As you would expect the views are dominated by the big hitters - UK,USA, Germany, France etc, Portugal for some strange reason, and the Bots from Singapore and Hong Kong.

The number of countries has been gradually increasing including such exotic places as Curacoa, Mayotte and both the UK and US Virgin Islands.

As you can probably also imagine it becomes increasingly more unusual for a new Country to pop up and I was stuck on 98 for a while. And then in the last few days Nepal popped up as number 99 with Morocco swiftly on it's heels to make up the century.

The United Nations recognizes 193 member countries and a further 2 independent nations so I'm now over half way there.

To celebrate this milestone here is one song from Nepal and two from Morocco. For Morocco it was tempting to pinch a couple from Ernie's African Odyssey but I've sourced another two albeit one of the acts appeared at Ernie's place.

Here's hoping that Country 101 pops up soon

Astha Raut - Nakaimi Fuli

Bab L'Bluz - AmmA

Cheb Mimoun El Oujdi - Sawlouh

Saturday Shuffle 75

 

Three legendary artists/bands for you on the shuffle this week.

We kick off with She Does it Right a song written by the late great Wilko Johnson and taken from Dr Feelgood's 1974 debut album Down by the Jetty.

Neil Young wrote Ohio in response to the Kent School shootings of 1970 here. I'm sure that we are all fervently hoping that something similar does not occur when Donald Trump is hopefully defeated on Tuesday. This version is taken from Bootleg 1971.

We conclude R.E.M, with Perfect Circle from their 1983 debut album Murmur.

More shuffling next Saturday if we survive Tuesday.

Dr Feelgood - She Does it Right

Neil Young - Ohio

R.E.M. - Perfect Circle

I Like Birds 16 - Assorted Sea Birds

 

An assorted selection of seabirds  for you this week

If I was to mention the largest seabird, the Albatross, you would immediately think of the instrumental song by Fleetwood Mac. You would be wrong  there as that has already featured in the second post in this series.

Instead you are getting The Asp and the Albatross by Americana band Freakwater. The Asp could just as easily have featured in my current Spiders and Flies mini series.

Again for the Seagull many of you might be thinking of Song to a Seagull by Joni Mitchell. It was in contention but has been usurped by Be-Bop Deluxe and their song Sister Seagull.

I think from the picture above that you will agree that the Shag is totally cool. Billy Graves certainly thinks so.

For this week's band name we are off to London to meet the Guillemots who, quite rightly giving the price of electricity ar  asking Who Left the Lights off Baby? and therefore saving some hard earned  cash

More feathered friends next Friday hopefully.

Freakwater - The Asp and the Albatross

Be-Bop Deluxe - Sister Seagull

Billy Graves - The Shag is (Totally Cool)

The Guillemots - Who Left The Lights Off Baby