On Tuesday we took the ferry from Largs to Cumbrae to visit Mrs CC's sister and her family who were holidaying in Millport.
On the way back when we got off the ferry at Largs and were driving out of town the song Largs by King Creosote off his From Scotland With Love album popped up on the USB player.
A coincidence like that surely deserves recognition on these pages.
Argentina is obviously a big enough country to stretch to a Radio 10.
This is the final three of the thirty songs selected for this series. I could probably conjure up some more but I don't want to be accused of barrel scraping. Alternatively you can have too much of a good thing.
We start with the Clash and Radio One .They are, I think, the only act to have more than one song in this series. Indeed they have three and I could of/should of included them all in one post had This is Radio Clash not quite rightly graced the first post in the series.
I've reached the stage that I'm even groping for songs with Radio in parenthesis. Here is Tom Robinson with his Atmospherics (Listen to the Radio)
We conclude with Eric Church and Hippie Radio one that Rol kindly brought to my attention.
Although there will be no more radio songs there will be a couple of further posts that are radio related either by dint of the act's name or album titles.
Just when you thought you had escaped!
Seemingly there was an American band called Attack Attack! They never crossed my radar probably because they were a metalcore band. From that description I'm not tempted to track them down,.
However it got me thinking of Attack Songs as you do.
The first one that popped into my head was Attack of the Glam Soul Cheerleaders (Parts 1&2) by Carla J Easton when she was using the pseudonym Ette.
The Raveonettes on the other hand were more concerned with an Attack of the Ghost Riders whereas The Fiery Furnaces sadly appear to be suffering from an Asthma Attack.
Finally it would be illegal to have an Attack Post and not feature Teardrop by Massive Attack
Ette -Attack of the Glam Soul Cheerleaders (Parts 1& 2)
The Raveonettes -Attack of the Ghost Riders
I turn 64 today.I've no idea how that happened.
When Paul McCartney wrote When I'm Sixty Four in 1967 he pictured himself being old and decrepit. I wonder how he feels now that he's 83.
Me? Sure sometimes the bones ache but I feel that there is life in the old dog yet. He's got the losing the hair bit right enough though!
I also still enjoy discovering new music and going to concerts if they are affordable and of course writing nonsense and subjecting you to my tastes in music here.
I've never really been that much of a fan of the Beatles. Mrs CC likes them though and I picked up a bundle of their albums in a charity shop in Broadford, Skye a few years ago. Sgt Peppers wasn't one of then though so I had to source this one from elsewhere.
I'm off to listen to Big Star.
The Shuffle will be back next Saturday
Some Soul, Garage and Power Pop eyes for you this week as we crawl blinking towards the end of the series.
Soul to start with courtesy of Yvonne Baker with the simply titled Eyes. Previously known as Yvonne Mills prior to her marriage she was the lead singer of the Sensations.
Next up is a song from one of the better Mojo Compilations. From June 2003 here are The Nazz with Open My Eyes track 21 out of 28 on the brilliant Instant Garage compilation .Well worth a couple of quid of anyone's money.
We conclude with some Powerpop courtesy of Matthew Sweet and a little bit of alliteration with the track Sunrise Eyes from the 2008 album Sunshine Lies .Sadly in October 2024 Matthew suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour and is currently unable to sing or play guitar.
Three more pairs of peepers for the penultimate post in this series next week.
What a splendid flag.
Apologies for the delay in this series, the last post being Costa Rica as far back as 4th June . This is not because I have run out of countries (although this is getting close) but was mostly due to other commitments impinging on my time.
Well here we are in Angola - Wiki has it in Central Africa but it looks more South to me.Whatever, it is the second largest Portuguese-speaking country in both total area and population and is the seventh largest country in Africa
When it comes to African Countries I feel it is always best to defer to Ernie and his odyssey. Lets face it he has lived in or visited three quarters of them and has music from the rest.
The best I can come up with is an Internet search .It seems that Bonga (José Adelino Barceló de Carvalho to his mum and dad) is somewhat of a bigshot on the Angolan music scene as opposed to a cartoon character.. Here he is with Bernard Lavilliers and the appropriately named song Angola.
Toty Sa'med is a Lisbon based singer, composer and multi- instrumentalist from Luanda and apparently his unique brand of Afro-Jazz and neo- Soul is bringing traditional African music to the forefront of today's culture.
Irina Vasconcelos is a singer, songwriter and Angolan Rock Diva and a synonym of free expression.
Titica is an Angolan kuduro musician and dancer. She was named "the new face" of kuduro by the BBC.The song Rabonethe is an absolute blast
.We are off to Asia next and it promises to be a bit of a challenge
* Just to confirm that I am not responsible for the bits in italics!
Bernard Devilliers (ft Bonga) - Angola
2025 Charity Shop Purchases #24 - Orange Juice - The Orange Juice (The Third Album)
I realise that this may get me drummed out of the Brownies but up until now I have not owned anything physical by Orange Juice. The only physical artefact on the shelves until now was a battered 12 inch copy of Rip it Up belonging to Mrs CC.
In my defence I own a number of albums and CDs by both Edwyn Collins and Zeke Manyika who are the two main protagonists on this album which was produced primarily by Dennis Bovell and originally released in 1984. The CD version I picked up is from 2013 on the Domino label which has a median price of £6.82 on Discogs. It was their third and final album.
Despite not owning this album I recognised the majority of the songs which is probably down to coming from Glasgow and from following JC over at the The New Vinyl Villain over the years!
2025 Charity Shop Purchases #23 - The Walkmen - The Rat - CD Single
After a long fallow period I managed a visit to the Charity Shops at Clarkston Toll and I'm pleased to say I came away with some purchases.
First up is The Rat a CD single by The Walkmen from 2004 which is attributed to Record Collection Music.
The Walkmen are a band who somewhat belatedly came to my attention off the back of the brilliant Lost in Boston song. This led to me subsequently purchasing their album A Hundred Miles Off.
I thought that The Rat may have been on the album but it turns out that it wasn't Even if it had been it would still have been worth forking out 50p for what is a splendid racket.
Consider yourselves grateful as this post very nearly did not appear as I was within an inch of throwing the laptop out of the window as it played silly buggers yet again.
Fortunately I am a patient man although it was severley tested particularly as I was pushed for time.
These are the three that just scrapped under the wire.
We kick off with Big Thief a band that I discovered relatively late but when I did I fell for them in a big way. Here they are with Change.
St Etienne are another band that I missed at the time apart from the odd tune.. I wouldn't say that I am a huge fan and I can take or leave them. It is unlikely that I will take up their offer to Join Our Club.
Canned Heat are offering up the World in a Jug. I think I'll have some of that.
Join me next week unless I have taken a sledgehammer to the lap top by then.
Yup - I'm afraid we are back to the three songs themes series'
As with Radio Radio my plan is to get to 10 posts for The Eyes Have It and then withdraw gracefully to save any further barrel scrapping.
I'm sure you will agree that Kate Bush has a fine pair of peepers and here she is with The Man With The Child in His Eyes which she wrote at the ridiculously young age of four and a half (or something like that)
Kate is followed by two lesser known artists both of whom are well worth exploring. We start with Michael Shelly with a somewhat similar title The Girl with Light in Her Eyes.
We conclude with James Edwyn and the Borrowed Band with Never in Her Eyes.
More songs guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes soon.
Kate Bush - The Man With The Child in His Eyes
On the back of Rol's most recent Saturday Snapshots and subsequent Suuperman related posts I found myself reaching for Tell It Like It Isn't a mini- album by Chris Mills from 2002 on Powerless Pop Records here
This is primarily because one of the covers tracklist here is Waiting for a Superman by The Flaming Lips which was the number 1 Snapshot.
My other selections from the album today are his versions of She's Got a Problem originally from The Fountains of Wayne and Louisville Lip by Freakwater a song about Mohammed Ali when he was known as Cassius Clay
I recall buying the CD from him at a concert on the old Stereo in Kelvinhaugh St and moaning at the cost. I'm pretty sure that up until a couple of days ago I hadn't played it in the last ten years and maybe even in the last twenty. For what it's worth I quite enjoyed most of it.
Chris Mills - Waiting For a Superman
Chris Mills -She's Got a Problem
Three absolute old school belters for you this Saturday.
We start with Mott the Hoople who are phoning in All the Way From Memphis.
A few hundred miles North and East our cover stars The Sensational Alex Harvey Band are throwing a Boston Tea Party.
Finally, and especially for Khayem , I give you The Teardrop Explodes as a Reward for sticking with the Shuffle
Bless my cotton socks.
Mott the Hoople - All The Way From Memphis
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Boston Tea Party
The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
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| M. John Henry |
After my last pity party post I’m pleased to report that I’ve actually been to a gig. Only my third one this year which is nothing short of ridiculous.
Saturday night saw me at the Old Hairdressers in Glasgow’s Renfield Lane along with 30 or so others for two album launches.
The artists and albums in question were M.John Henry with Strange is the Way (available on Bandcamp from the splendidly named Gargleblast Records) and Robert Dallas Gray with The Vallum ( Bandcamp)
I have long been an admirer of Martin John Henry as a solo artist, as part of De Rosa, Henry & Fleetwood and Jewel Scheme but probably less so in Whin. He was on first and his set was mesmerising.
Robert Dallas Grey was what I would describe as more experimental . It is largely solo improvised guitar music with a fair amount of feedback. Really not my thing at all but he seems to be a lovely person.
David McGregor aka Broken Chanter was sitting behind me so I introduced myself on the way out and we had a brief chat. He told me that he is doing a live recording at the Glad Cafe on 22nd November.
My ticket has been ordered!
I have a lot of family stuff going on at the moment which is taking up most, if not all, of my time and energy.
Whenever possible I am trying to keep the Blog going as it is a good stress buster for me.
In the meantime apologies for all the lazy, short and somewhat similar three song posts. It is just about all I can muster at the moment.
The Velvet Underground -Venus in Furs
The Harmonizing Four of Richmond, VA - I'm Tired
The Louvin Brothers -Weary Lonesome Blues
105 weeks into the Shuffle and it looks like the legend that is Iggy Pop is finally making his debut with The Passenger from his Lust For Life album which was later immortalised in the film Trainspotting. A long time coming but well worth the wait.
Another band making their debut on the Shuffle with a song from the same period as Lust for Life .I say the same period but the original version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Gladys Knight and the Pips was from as far back as 1967. Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Creedance Clearwater Revival and Michael McDonald have also recorded this classic by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Today you are being treated to the version by The Slits
Brian Setzer is no stranger to the Shuffle either as part of the Stray Cats or as a solo artist. Let's Shake is taken from his 2014 studio album Rockabilly Riot! All Originals
Stay tuned to shake with another riot next Saturday
As far as I am aware the BBC doesn't have a Radio 8 channel but no doubt somebody will tell me differently
A quick Google searh tells me that there are Radio 8 or 8 Radio stations in Bosnia, the Ardennes, Frosinone (near Rome), Ireland and todays featured picture Uganda. No doubt there are many more.
All of which is merely an excuse to feature a further three radio related songs. The plan is to get to ten and then call it a day.
We start this week with Paisley's finest Paolo Nutini, or as we like to call him Wee Paulo, with Radio from his dark album Last Night in the Bittersweet.
Jackpot are (or more probably were) an Americana band who were signed to the Dutch label Munich Records. They have appeared here a couple of times before but not with the song Radio Robots.
Last, but certainly not least we have the Edinburgh band Josef K with Radio Drill Time from the legendary NME cassette compilation Indie City 1
Please come back to twiddle your dials next Friday.
Three more eye related songs for you today slightly later than usual .I'm blaming it on my Tired Eyes something that the Cowboy Junkies can relate to.
There is no obvious connection between the three songs today other than eyes in general and the fact that they were bunched together when I put eyes into the Music file search box. I suppose they can also be described as Country songs in the broadest sense
Mark Olson & Gary Louris weigh in with yet more Black Eyes whereas Waylon Jennings is more content to sing about the Grey Eyes You Know.
Unless in the very unlikely event that I come up with something more inspired there will be more eyes next week
Marc Olson & Gary Louris - Black Eyes
Waylon Jennings -Grey Eyes You Know
