I Lykke

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #15 - Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

When I picked up Monday's Music From The Chocolate Lands this album was sitting directly underneath it as the CDs were stored vertically as opposed to horizontally.

The name Lykke Li rang the vaguest of vague bells and on the basis that it only cost 50p I though I may as well take a punt.

From 2011 on the LL/Atlantic label Wounded Rhymes is the second album by Swedish singer songwriter, actress and model Li LykkeTimotej Zachrisson who is thankfully known as Lykke Li for short

My vague recollection was confirmed when I got home as I had a couple of songs by her on compilations.

Her music blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronica. I find myself much more drawn to it than Anna Calvi

Further proof that it is a keeper is that I have played it the whole way through twice already and was not tempted to turn it off or skip a track. This came as a pleasant surprise.

Chapeau to Spence who mentioned her a a candidate for LL in my Double Initials series even although she did not make the final cut

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers

Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessingg

I-Pod Playlist - Devil Gate Drive

 

This week's Playlist is Devil Gate Drive.

There are plenty to choose from but it's only fair to kick off with the song and person who inspired the Playlist name

From Suzi to Suzanne and we have Dandy Livingstone with the great song Suzanne Beware of the Devil.

Talking of great songs here is the only great song that Sir Cliff ever released!

I know it's hard to follow that but here is Beck with Devil's Haircut something that even Sir Cliff is sometimes guilty of.

I thought I had a Devils and Angels compare and contrast series somewhere but apparently not. Something for the future perhaps.

The next Playlist subject is Drink so again plenty to choose from.

Cheers!

Suzi Quatro - Devil Gate Drive

Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil

Cliff Richard - Devil Woman

Beck - Devil's Haircut

Music From The Chocolate Lands

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #14 - Various Artists -Music From The Chocolate Lands

Mrs CC is going through a decluttering phase at the moment. This involves me handing in bags of stuff to various charity shops. On one such visit I noticed the above CD in Barnardos on Victoria Road but did not pick it up. I returned a couple of days later with another load and pulled the trigger.

I was a wee bit apprehensive as to the title and a bit concerned that it may be  bland and one -dimensional like my Music of the Twana People here

I needn't have worried as  the music is varied, covers a good few countries and by and large is pretty good.

From 2004 it is on the Putumayo World Music label which travels the world  in search of exceptional songs from Congo to Cuba, Rome to Rio,New Orleans to Nova Scotia.

Today's offerings are  from in order Haiti, Hawaii and  Peru.

Well worth 50p of anyone's money as opposed to the £52.99 that some chancer os looking for on E-Bay. The median price on Discogs is £3.45

Beethova Obas - Rasanble

Teresa Bright - Tihore Mai Te Rangi

Susana Baca - Valentin

Making Singles Drinking Doubles

 

Here is yet another Compilation courtesy of Chicago's Bloodshot Records.

The title is a clever play on words from the classic Gary Stewart number She's Acting Singles (I'm Drinking Doubles).

As the blurb says Singles -they are the perfect medium for delivering a concentrated shot of musical delight-no time for filler or painfully long bass solos- just time to get in and out before anyone gets hurt.

On the negative side it is a bit of a pain in the backside to get up every 3 minutes to change the record.

From 2002 it has the honour of being the 100th release on the label.

Here's the tracklist. I've picked three - pretty much at random.

Oh, and Gary Stewart for good measure

Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys - Every Rose Has It's Thorn

Kelly Hogan & John Wesley Harding - It's Only Make Believe

Jon Langford - Nashville Radio

Gary Stewart - She's Acting Single (I'm Drinking Doubles)

Saturday Shuffle 138

 

Welcome to Saturday Shuffle 138 - my old Boys Brigade battalion number.

We kick off  with Linda Rondstadt who let's face it could stop a BB Battalion in their stride. Here she is with Birds a song written by Neil Young and is taken from her eponymous third studio album from 1972. She is still with us at the age of 79 but sadly has Progressive Supranuclear Palsy which sounds very unpleasant indeed.

Next up are Forest Hills, Queens finest The Ramones. 

Daytime Dilema (Dangers of Love) from their 1984 album Too Tough to Die is today's offering .Sadly that was not the case as all four original members Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy are no longer with us. Later members Marky, Richie and CJ who featured in later versions of the band are still alive.

From Westwood (East Kilbride's equivalent of Queens) we conclude with Aztec Camera and Walk Out to Winter from their masterpiece debut album 1983's High Land, Hard Rain. You will not hear anything finer today.

We will be back for another Shuffle next Saturday

Linda Rondstadt - Birds

Ramones - Daytime Dilema (Dangers of Love)

Aztec Camera - Walk Out To Winter

A Stay of Execution

 

The King is Dead the sixth studio album by The Decemberists from January 2011 was under serious consideration to be downgraded from a Burn to a Download to free up space.

However, after a listen it has been given a reprieve. Whether this is temporary or otherwise remains to be seen. As things stand it's a keeper.

It is significantly better than the only other thing I have by the band namely the CD version of The Crane Wife their 4th album from 2006. Had this been a burn it would certainly have been downgraded by now.

Apparently The King is Dead is the most pastoral, rustic record they've ever made. I must be a sucker for that sort of thing.

The Decemberists - Down By The Water

The Decemberists -This Is Why We Fight

Year of Meteors

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #13 - Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors

The Kinder Handl charity shop on Glasgow's Battlefield Road has literally hundreds of CDs for sale. The problem is that they are pretty much all terrible. Nevertheless I sifted through then and just when I was about to give up I came away with Year of Meteors the 5th studio album by Portland, Oregon singer/songwriter Laura Veirs on the Nonesuch label.

I was very nearly put off as she has a more than passing resemblance to the Greens MSP Lorna Slater

It joins her third album 2003's Troubled by the Fire which is somewhat inexplicably housed in the Americana section when it is obviously Singer/Songwriter. You just can't get the staff.

She was previously married to the go to producer Tucker Martine.

It scores 80/100 on the Metacritic Aggregator. A pound well spent.

Laura Veirs - Galaxies

Laura Veirs - Spelunking

Blog Country 137 - Madagascar

 

It's Madagascar this time round - the world's fourth largest island, the second largest island country (after Indonesia) and the 46th largest country overall and quite possibly the only one to have a film named after it.

As it is an African country I'm contractually obliged to share Ernie's African Odyssey post.I've tried to select some acts that he hasn't previously covered.

The wonderfully named Eusebe Jayojoby has appeared at his place but not as part of the Odyssey. He is a singer of salegy, a musical style of north west Madagascar. Here he is with Manantany.

Rabaza are a group from Taolagnoro (Fort Dauphin) on the southern cost of Madagascar who perform a blend of traditional musical styles.Today's offering is Pelamainty.

Paul Bert Rahasimanana  thankfully is better known as Rossy. He  performs a fusion of hira gasy instrumentation and vocal style with contemporary rock, funk and folk sounds to create a Malagasy genre of contemporary popular music. Unfortunately he also has a Gasy Car.

It's time for the ladies Vaivay Chila  is a vocalist and composer of salegy music from the northern coastal region of the country and is the most popular female salegy artist of the last decade.. Here she is with Tsisy Prestige.

We conclude with Wendy Cathalina who apparently has emerged as one of country's promising young musical talents. See what you think with Tsôtsôro.

We are off to the Caribbean next time round

Eusebe Juojoby - Manantany

Rabaza - Pelamainty

Rossy - Gasy Car

Vaiavy Chila - Tsisy Prestige

Wendy Cathalina - Tsotsoro

The Roots of Psychobilly

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #12 - Various Artists -The Roots of Psychobilly

It's time to give your Tuesday a much needed kick up the backside with the 50 track double CD  The Roots of Psychobilly from 2012 on the Not Now Music label.

Like me I'm sure you will recognise some of the names - Link Wray, Dick Dale, Johnny Burnette etc but that many will be new to you

According to a post on E-Bay Psychobilly is generally thought of as being a blend of '70s punk with '50s rockabilly. It first surfaced in the 1970s with bands like The Cramps, then expanded into the '80s with a whole wave of bands led by The Meteors and King Kurt, and went one step further in the '90s with Tiger Army and all the bands that followed in their wake. However, it s only the roots of Psychobilly that concern us here, in this collection of wild vinyl oddities from the '50s and early '60s: a curious mix of rockabilly, surf instrumentals and overall beatnik weirdness, often thrashed out by genuine wildmen in the middle of nowhere.

Three songs for you today taken pretty much at random.

I may well revisit this one in due course for a Psychobilly Friday or two, or three

Dwight Pullens - Sunglasses After Dark

Freddie & the Hitch Hikers - Sinners

Gene Summers and his Rebels - School of Rock' n' Rolll

I-Pod Playlist - Cowboy Copas

 

Cowboy Copas is probably the shortest playlist on the I-pod with only 26 songs.

However here at CCM we are more concerned with quality as opposed to quantity so it shouldn't be an issue.

We start with the great Ray Davies, the frontman of The Kinks, and the song Vietnam Cowboys from his 2007 album Working Man's Cafe. My copy came free with the Sunday Times via my mother-in-law.

Next up we have a cover with Laura Cantrell 's version of the Lambchop song Cowboy on the Moon.

We then go a bit psychedelic with Jonathan Edwards and Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy.  A wee change of scene from his triple jumping and church going!

Finally, it would be churlish not to feature something by our title star.

It's Devil Gate Drive next. Will Suzi get a mention?

Ray Davies - Vietnam Cowboys

Laura Cantrell - Cowboy On The Moon

Jonathan Edwards - Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy

Cowboy Copas - Tennessee Waltz

More Sounds of the New West - The Best of Americana 2000

 

I've selected  an Uncut compilation More Sounds of the New West - The Best of Americana 2000 to feature as the 26th entry in this series.

Coincidentally I featured this CD at almost the same time last year. This is not a significant problem as it is a compilation which merits more than one post. It did mean that I had to alter my tracks selection somewhat.

That wasn't an issue as there were plenty more excellent tunes to choice from.. We start with The Flying Burrito Brothers surely one of the Godfathers of the genre. Here they are with their version of Dan Penn's  classic Dark Side of the Street a song that featured on Ernie's occasional Single Song Sunday Series.

Calexico are a band who are no stranger to CCM and several other Blogs. Their song The Ballad of Cable Hogue from their album Hot Rail is a big favourite here.

We conclude with Giant Sand and their song Raw.

Rest assured that should this CD ever feature again there are still plenty more great songs to choose from.

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Dark End of the Street

Calexico - The Ballad of Cable Hogue

Giant Sand - Raw

Saturday Shuffle 137

 

The Rockingbirds are no strangers to the Blog or indeed the Shuffle. When they are not Gradually Learning or singing the praises of Jonathan Richman they can be found In Tall Buildings.

Quiz time. How many of you can name an Edwin Starr song which is not War? I'll wait.

I'm sure you will have come up with something and Chapeau to any of you who came up with the title track of his 1965 album Twenty Five Miles

I woiuld like to dedicate the song War to Messrs Trump and Netanyahu

I'm sure that many of you are wondering what the heck the picture above is all about and its relevance to the Shuffle 

Well I'll put you out of your misery by posting the third and final song on the shuffle namely a Bobby Rush song from 1972 called Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man.

More Bowlegged Women and Knock- Kneed men next Saturday but hopefully no warmongers.

The Rockingbirds - In Tall Buildings

Edwin Starr - Twenty Five Miles

Bobby Rush - Bowlegged Woman, Knock- Kneed Man

Relegation Material

 

Once again I have reached the stage that many Bloggers will be familiar with namely the Space Conundrum.

It is getting close to a one in, one out policy and drastic action is required.

The somewhat ad hoc blues/ rockabilly/ rock'n' roll section is full to bursting with no space to expand or to allow for newer CDs

It is time then to be ruthless and to downgrade some physical Burns to digital Downloads.

The first burn to receive this measure is the album Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats from 2015  on Stax by the band of the same name. It was released to a fair degree of hype but it is one that I've never really taken to.

The second album subjected to the same fate is Fish Ain't Bitin' by Bluesman Corey Harris from 1997 on the Alligator label. It probably came to my attention via The Blues Show with Paul Jones which used to be on Radio 2. 

I gave it its first listen in an age and felt fully justified with the downgrade. It's one I can't see myself listening to any time soon.

I suspect that there will be a few posts along these lines in due course.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - S.O.B.

Cory Harris - Fish Aint Bitin'

i-Pod Playlist - Countrywise

 

This week's I-Pod playlist is Countrywise i.e. songs that reference Country names in their title.

There are plenty to choose from and hopefully I have gone for three which you  wouldn't necessarily think of immediately.

Having said that I may well have failed on the first hurdle as I give you Big in Japan by Alphaville. Back in the day when Mrs CC noticed that I was looking at my Blog stats she would ask " Are you big in Japan?" Our Japanese friends are reasonably frequent visitors but I haven't seen any recently. Should any visit this post I hope that they don't find it too patronising.

It is unusual but not unknown for cover versions to be better than the original songs. I'm sure that you all can come up with some examples. For me a prime example is Sinead O'Connor's version of the John Grant song Queen of Denmark.

We are heading back to the Orient for today's final offering. Indeed we are going Somewhere In China in the company of the Shop Assistants.

Next weeks Playlist theme is Cowboy Copas and you will be relieved to know that we are now over halfway through this series.

Alphaville - Big in Japan

Sinead O'Connor - Queen of Denmark

Shop Assistants - Somewhere in China

The Life of Brian

 

A couple of weeks ago Ernie very kindly brought the eponymous album Railcard here on Slumberland Records to my attention.

It is a very pleasant listen with plenty of jingle jangle included. About 30 seconds in I thought that this one would interest Brian.  I sent a message to him saying that this would be right up his street if he did not already have it.

It was no great surprise when he replied that he did indeed have it. I would have been more surprised if he hadn't.

He also gave me a rundown on some of the music that he was currently enjoying. One such band was  Pugwash a power pop act from Dublin who have been going strong since 1999. The track below is taken from their 2015 album Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends). A band I would definitely go and see.

Another band that he namechecked was Would- Be- Goods a UK band fronted by Jessica Griffen. They have recently released an album on Skep Wax called Tears Before Bedtime. If you like your music slightly twee this is the one for you.

Thanks for widening my horizons  Ernie and Brian 

So much music so little time, money and space!

Railcard - Railcard

Pugwash - Kicking and Screaming

Would - Be - Goods - Tears for Leda

Mr Tambourine Man

 

My quest to obtain all 8 of the 1960s albums by The Byrds has taken another step forward with the acquisition of their 1965 debut Mr Tambourine Man.

Sadly it is not the original vinyl copy that I pickued up but rather the 1989 European CD release by CBS.

The band at this time  consisted of  Jim (Roger) McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby,Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke

12 tracks (including 3 Bob Dylan songs) and 31.35 minutes long. Ir would be remiss not to include the title track, penned by Dylan, particularly as it is quite probably the original reference to jingle jangle.

I Feel a Whole Lot Better was written by Gene Clark with  The Bells of Rhymney being penned by Idris Davies and Pete Seger.

Only Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde (March 1969 US  and April in the UK ) and Ballad of Easy Rider released in the US in November 69 and the UK in January 1970 to get.

The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man

The Byrds - I Feel a Whole Lot Better

The Byrds - The Bells of Rhymney

Blog Country 136 - Fiji

 

A wee change this week from yet another African country as we head to Melanesia  in the South Pacific to visit the Republic of Fiji. As you can see from the flag it is part of the British Commonwealth (although it gained independence in 1970) so will be visiting Glasgow soon for the mini Commonwealth Games.

Back to stamps I had a reasonable number from Fiji as my friend had relatives there.

I thought it may be near Palau but it is actually 5492km away so the music is not necessarily similar.

Lets start with the late George Brooks Veikoso  a Fijian singer-songwriter, musician, producer and occasional actor. Here he gives us the Chant of the Islands.

Vaqaqa Voli is next up. The only information I can find is in  Fijian so I have no information on the band or the song Nuku Vula Serau other than it is a reggae number.Reggae seems to be a popular genre in Fiji

Makare give us the song Na Gauna. They could well be named after a beach on Naviti Island

Cakau Ni Mana Kei Uluinaviriviri have one of the longest names I've ever had to type. Thankfully the song title Ni Dau Tukini is considerably shorter. They hail from Tawake.

As you can probably guess Jamaica, Jamaica is another reggae number. This time Xenon Beats do the honours.

We briefly head back to Africa next time round.

George Brooks Veikoso - Chant of the Islands

Vaqaqa Voli - Nuku Vula Serau

Makare - Na Guana

Cakau Ni Mana Kei Ulinavirivire - Ni Dau Tukinii

Xenon Beats - Jamaica, Jamaica (Remix)

Return of the Grievous Angel

 

This week's Americana compilation features many of the royalty of the genre.

From 1999  on the Almo Sounds label Return of the Grievous Angel album is a tribute to the late great Gram Parsons a man who practically invented Americana

Thirteen cover versions that reads like a who's who  of the great and the good. It is fitting that Gram's musical partner on his two solo albums Emmylou Harris features on  three of the thirteen songs. They are all excellent versions but nobody will ever come close to the harmonies between Emmylou and Gram.

The one I've gone for today is Juanita,a Flying Buritto Brothers number, where Emmylou is joined by Sheryl Crow.

There are some solo artists and bands of the album but I find myself drawn to the duets.

Return of the Grievous Angel is such a great song and Lucinda Williams and David Crosby certainly do it justice.

I couldn't ignore the solo version of Hickory Wind by Gillian Welsh.

The other ten are none too shabby giving us a wonderful tribute album. It's not that often you can say that.You really should have it in your life or better still the originals.Or both.

Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow - Juanita

Lucinda Williams & David Crosby -Return of the Grievous Angel

Gillian Welsh - Hickory Wind

Saturday Shuffle 136

 

It's Shuffle time again and we are heading off to the Badlands in the company of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. A song guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs.

If you were given the choice between the Badlands and Goa I'm pretty sure that most of you would opt for Goa. Not so the Alabama 3 who are adamant that they Ain't Going to Goa

Nothing to do with Geography on the final random offering,Rather Big Thief are offering up the wise words that Love is Mine

Some more Shuffling next Saturday.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Badlands

Alabama 3 - Ain't Going to Goa

Big Thief - Love is Mine

One Breath

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #11 - Anna Calvi - One Breath

A couple of weeks ago I found myself back at Clarkston Toll the scene of the Americana Haul.

I didn't have much time as Mrs CC was waiting in the car. I started in Cancer Research where I had stumbled across the half a dozen Americana CDs but hardly surprisingly there were none left. A quick trawl  in the other shops left me empty handed. I quickly double backed to Cancer Reseach as I had seen the above CD by Anna Calvi for 50p and didn't want to leave empty handed.

From 2013 on the Domino label One Breath was Anna's second album. It is described on Bandcamp as  a bold and confident record that begins an exciting new chapter in this uniquely talented artist’s career.

After the first listen I thought that this is not for me and that it is definitely going back. After a second listen I'm not as sure. There are clear comparisons with P.J, Harvey and I found myself enjoying a few of the songs.

However, it is not one I'm likely to listen to often if at all so I will content myself with downloading it and returning it to charity given space remains as a premium

Anna Calvi - Eliza

Anna Calvi -Suddenly

News of the World -8

 

It's the late, late addition before the last remaining papers are pulped and on-line and TV become the only ways to access the news. I reckon that there will be no newspapers left by about 2030.

Today's headliner is The National the Scottish Independence daily newspaper. Although I support the sentiment I can't say that I've ever read the paper. The National probably have although today they seem more content with the Tropic Morning News. Let's face it the weather is  surely more promising.

Blind John Davis has requested No Mail Today. Given that the Daily Mail is a Tory/Reform fascist rag that's surely no bad thing. Indeed as 10cc would have it boycotting it is clearly Good News

You would be better off with the Mirror or like Whiskeytown even better with the Mirror Mirror.

I must admit I found this particular series to be a particular chore and a struggle and I'm not unhappy to see the end of it 

Just an afterthought - the internet is not very good for wrapping china or drying your wet shoes

The National - Tropic Morning News

10cc - Good News

Blind John Davis -No Mail Today

Whiskeytown - Mirror Mirror

The Blues Collection -Wynonie Harris

 

From the same visit to Missing Records which gave us Reconsider Baby by Lonnie Brooks I give you number 90 in the series Around the Clock Blues by Wynonie Harris.

Number 90 was officially the last CD in the series but I think that there was at least one compilation subsequently added on at the end,

The tracks on Reconsider Baby were recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville between1944 and 1946 when he was in his early 30's.

Wynonie was a Blues shouter and best remembered for  his upbeat songs.He is attributed as one of the founding fathers of rock'n' roll with his song Good Rocking Tonight.

He also had a reputation for humour and often ribald lyrics but that probably came later.

 He performed up until 1969 when he sadly died from esophageal cancer at the ridiculously young age of 53

This takes my total for the series up to 66.Only 24 to go!

Wynonie Harris - Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well

Wynomie Harris - I've Gotta Lyin' Woman

I-Pod Playlist -Rockabilly Rebels

 

This week's I-Pod playlist is slightly different as it does not concentrate on a theme but rather on a musical genre.

From the title and the picture above the more astute among you will have worked out that the genre is Rockabilly.

I've tried to avoid some of the usual newer acts like the Stray Cats, the Polecats and the Shakin' Pyramids but have gone back to the original stuff from the late 50s/early 60s

Lets begin with the Queen of Rockabilly herself the great Wanda Jackson. Here she is with the equally great Fujiyama Mama.

Wanda is followed by another legend namely Carl Perkins who urges you to Put Your Cat Clothes on.

They might look dapper with a Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache as advocated by Warren Smith.

Next week's playlist theme is  Countrywise 

Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama

Carl Perkins - Put Your Cat Clothes On

Warren Smith - Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache

The Idea of You

 

When my Internet was down for a few days I had to adopt some fairly radical practices which included actually listening to some albums.

I was listening to some  of the vinyl in the A-D section and a theme quickly began to develop in that I found myself listening exclusively to Scottish albums.

From memory the artists selected were Admiral Fallow, the Bathers, Broken Chanter, Butler Blake & Grant, Edwyn Collins, Constant Follower and Dropkick.

There's a potential series there.

The Idea of You was the 4th album by Admiral Fallow released in 2021 on  Chemikal Underground. I bought it when band members Louis Abbot and Sarah Hayes did an in house acoustic set at Some Great Reward's former premises on Glasgow's Victoria Road.

It was the first time I'd played it in ages and its fair to say that I was pretty much blown away.

When doing some "research" I found out that they released an album called First Of The Birds last year something I was blissfully unaware of. One to explore further.

Admiral Fallow -Sleepwalking

Admiral Fallow -Tuesday Grey

Song Circle 2002

 

I'm going back to a post from 27th July 2015 for this week's Americana Compilation and hope that you will allow me the liberty of a bit of cut and paste:

Sometime during 2002 I attended a concert at King Tuts billed as Song Circle 2002
It was essentially three Americana luminaries performing acoustic versions of some of their greatest songs
The three men in question were
Robert Fisher of Willard Grant Conspiracy
Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate and The Miracle 3 fame and
Walter Salas -Humara the main man from The Silos.
There was a limited edition of 1000 CDs to accompany the tour - mine is number 332
Deanna Varagona also features on the album but as she did not appear to King Tuts (and as her songs are the weakest on the album) she is not featuring today.

Updates:

Sadly Robert Fisher died in 2017 here

My copy is signed by the three artists in attendance

A copy is up for sale on Discogs for £13.59 plus p&p

I've chosen different songs from the three artists previously featured and one by Deanna Varagona. I've forgiven her - life's too short.

Robert Fisher - Closing Time

Steve Wynn - What We Call Love

Deanna Varagona - Forgot to Breathe

Walter Salas - Humara - Dumbest On Parade

Saturday Shuffle 135

 

Today's picture is from a  1965 TV drama written by Neil Dunn and directed by Ken Loach which featured on the BBC with nearly 10 million viewers and 400 complaints. Squeeze came up with another Kitchen Drama  on the classic record of the same name released in 1979 - and so it's my assumption I'm really up the junction.

Gene Clark is probably best known for his fourth solo studio album 1974's No Other. Some Misunderstanding, the longest song on the album, is probably not the first song you would think of but there isn't a duff track on the album. Every home should have it.

From mellow to bouncy we conclude with The Hit Girl from the 1999 album Social Dancing by Thornliebank'( or is it Orchard Park?)'s finest band Bis.

Squeeze - Up The Junction

Gene Clark - Misunderstanding

Bis - The Hit Girl

More Shuffling and Social Dancing next Saturday

The Coal Porters - Find The One

 

I am vaguely familiar with the London based American singer song writer  Sid Griffin with the occasional solo song or ones with his band The Long Ryders popping up in my music folder from time to time.

I was also aware that he had another band called The Coal Porters but was blissfully unaware that this was a Bluegrass band. It was only after picking up their 2012 album Find The One on Prima Records that I discovered that this was in fact the case.

At first I was a little bit unsure but it has fairly rapidly grown on me after a few more plays. I mean what's not to love about Bluegrass covers of iconic songs by David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, and an instrumental named after the famous London Pub The Betsey Trotwood  which I'm sure Ernie is familiar with?

My version has the first 12 tracks from those featured on Bandcamp who also kindly list the band members and guests which saves me a bit of work. Sadly my version does not include Richard Thomson's guitar solo on Hush U Babe/ Burnham Thorpe live from Shetland.

Very much a grower and a find

The Coal Porters - Heroes

The Coal Porters - Gospel Shore

News of the World - 7

 

It's the penulimate day of scanning the newspapers today.

This series started off fairly promising but is gradually petering out. It seems that most folk are getting their news on line these days.

The Daily Mirror is one of the many papers which has taken a hit over the last decade or so with its circulation, like all the other papers, plummeting. Weyes Blood however is still championing the Mirror Forever

The Independent only lasted from 1986 to 2016 and is now only available online. Gretchen Peters is rueing Independence Day

Lampchop have opted for the telly and the Six O'Clock news which as Julie Durocher has suggested is likely to be full of  Bad News

As a former paper boy I find the demise of newspapers pretty sad although I don't miss getting up at the crack of dawn to deliver them in all weathers

I'll be rattling your letterboxes with your final papers next week

Weyes Blood - Mirror Forever

Gretchen Peters - Independence Day

Lambchop - 6 o'Clock News

Julie Durocher - Bad News

The Blues Collection - Lonnie Brooks

 

The post from August 2025 featuring Fats Domino gives some history as to my Blues Collection quest

This outlined how the flood has become a trickle with new acquisitions rarer than hens teeth.

A few weeks ago I was in Missing Records and lo and behold there were a couple from the Blues Collection that I didn't have.

One was number 40 featuring Lonnie Brooks with Reconsider Baby .His was a new name to me.  A quick Google search reads Lonnie Brooks was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work.

The 10 tracks on the CD are from live performances in France from December 1975 when he was blazing a trail across Europe and leaving rapturous reviews in his wake .Indeed they are none too shabby.

I ended up picking this up again in a subsequent visit to Missing. I had updated my spreadsheet after the first purchase but had forgotten to update to Google Drive from where I can access it via my phone. A schoolboy error..

Lonnie Brooks - Reconsider Baby

Lonnie Brooks - Crazy 'Bout You Baby

I- Pod Playlist - Rivers

 

This week' I-Pod Playlist is Rivers

Many on the tracks on the  I-Pod playlist have not made it to the Music folder but a good few have. There have also been many river related tracks on here including the River Deep or Mountain High compare and contrast series.

Drank Like a River by Whiskeytown has made it to these pages several times before and rightly so.

Somewhere Down the Crazy River by Robbie Robertson has appeared here only once before just over ten years ago. Time then for a second appearance.

Up on Cripple Creek by The Band has also appeared here once before in 2023 as part of the Debra Haul

The next I-Pod Playlistt will be Rockabilly Rebel featuring songs from that genre.

Whiskeytown - Drank Like A River

Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

The Band - Up On Cripple Creek

Neil Sedaka - A Guest Post

 

George writes:

I saw via 2 reliable media sources (The Guardian and here) that Neil Sedaka had died.  He was one of those people responsible for a huge number of insanely catchy pop songs,  especially in the late 50s  through the 1960s, sometimes with his friend Howard Greenfield, at times on his own. I had no idea he wrote Is This The Way to Amarillo? until I started this piece, but it comes as no surprise, it somehow has that Neil Sedaka feel to it.  I think he came to my musical attention when I started buying singles in the early 70s, when his career revived.  Like all good pop songs, this one comes in at about three m

inutes:

Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain

I suggested a stroll around the country lanes by the farm on Saturday with my baby, and there was no sign of rain, but I was told No! 

Neil Sedaka had the huge talent to compose a simple, melodic and memorable tune, something we could all easily sing along to.  I think the second tune here is simply a genius pop song:

Neil Sedaka -Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Pop perfection that tune. I’m not alone in having a soft spot for the music of the great man, I’ve just seen Alyson’s glowing (and much better than this load of bobbins) tribute here. 

Good god, he wrote this too, again I had no idea until Saturday.

Enjoy the music.

CC writes:

Thanks George .

There is a lot of love for Mr Sedaka out there and rightly so

Bob Harris Presents - Volume 4

 

"Whispering" Bob Harris is probably best known for hosting The Old Grey Whistle Test  on BBC2 in the 1970s

From the turn of  the century he presented a Country show on BBC Radio 2 on a Thurday evening  with a focus on Americana.

I think that there were 5 CDs in this series on Assembly Records. The only one I have is Volume 4 from 2005  - tracklist here which was a charity acquisition.

This one is right up my street given that I have albums  and / or have seen live more than half of the 15 acts who appear on the CD.

I've gone for Rosie Thomas, Rod Picott and Jon Dee Graham although there were a good few others on the long list.

Rosie Thomas - Wedding Day

Rod Picott - Torn in Two

John Dee Graham - One Moment.

Saturday Shuffle 134

 

Yeah, the Shuffle is back after having enjoyed a well deserved weeks rest.

We start with a man who never seemed to rest. I am of course revering to this week's cover star the legendary Pop Stables a pivotal figure in gospel and soul music and the leader of the incredible Stable Singers. He was born in 1914  the youngest of 14 children Down in Mississippi

Syl Johnson was another Mississippi man turning his hand to both Blues and Soul which clearly was just his luck. 

It's wall to wall legends this week as we conclude with Fairport Convention. Throwaway Street was the 1968 b-side to Meet On The Ledge and was also to be found on bonus editions of What We Did On Our Holidays.

Meet me on the Ledge next Saturday for some more shuffling.

Pops Stables -Down In Mississippi

Syl Johnson - That's Just My Luck

Fairport Convention - Throwaway Street