Peel Sessions - The Specials

I only own a couple of The Peel Session EPs on Strange Fruit Records.
One that I do have  is SFPS018  the Artist being The Specials recorded on 23rd May 1979 and first broadcast on 29th May  1979 with production by John Sparrow.

The band as listed as Terry Hall, Jerry Dammers, Roddy Radiation, Sir Horace Gentleman and Neville Staples.
This is side 1.I suspect that I will be forced to feature side 2 shortly.

They recorded a furter two sessions on 12th January and 23rd October 1980 and one as The Special AKA on 12th September 1983.

The Specials were pretty special.

The Specials - Gangsters (Peel Session)

The Specials - Too Much Too Young (Peel Session)

100,000 Books and 3 Records - part 2

Another slightly more glaikit picture of your humble author showing off his booty acquired recently in The Bookshop in Wigtown
If you blow up the picture (which may not be a bad idea) the more observant will note that the album nearest my chin is by the Violent Femmes.
It is in fact Hallowed Ground their second album from 1984.
A band I am not hugely familiar with. I know that their self titled debut album, and in particular the song Blister in the Sun, is very highly regarded round these parts.
The only other song I knew was the first song on the album Country Death Song which has previously featured here as it was included on the Rough.Trade Country 1 compilation

I like this album but first time out it only lasted a couple of songs before Mrs CC demanded that I turned it off. No such problems with the third album which will appear sometime next week

Violent Femmes - Jesus Walking on the Water

Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground

Industrial Sounds and Magic

Ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding for the Reverend.

Industrial Sounds and Magic is the 1991 debut solo album on the Cooking Vinyl label  by English folk rock artist Stephen Ryan better known as Rev Hammer.
According to his website the album was recorded in a cow shed in Essex on a  budget of nothing with a little help from his friends. The friends in question being The Levellers who provide the backing duties.
As well as a  chum of the Levellers he was a founder member of The Red Sky Coven with poet Joolz and Justin Sullivan of New Model Army fame.
He also subsequently performed with members of the Levellers as Drunk in Public.

Round these parts we know a thing or two about Caledonia Rain

Rev Hammer - Down by the River "O"

Rev Hammer - Caledonia Rain

Sweet Thorns

Brian's  recent Matthew Sweet related posts had me scouring the shelves for my copy of The Thorns.
From 2003 it is the debut album, and indeed the only album, from a supergroup consisting of Mr Sweet, Pete Drodge and Shawn Mullins and legendary drummer Jim Keitner.

They toured in the US and Europe supporting The Dixie Chicks and The Jayhawks. This may explan why there is a faithful cover of the Jayhawks' Blue on the album.
Some wonderful harmonies .Like a Crosby, Stills and Nash for the millennium.Only better.

It is an album that I hadn't played for ages but one that has been on heavy rotation in recent days.

The Thorns - Think it Over

The Thorns - No Blue Sky

Covered by Cash - The Mercy Seat

Another extremely close contest last week. A last minute intervention by Spence in favour of The Man in Black led to a 7-6 victory (if my arithmetic is correct) over Laughing Len with their versions of Bird on A/The Wire
So afte a shaky start Johnny is on a roll with the score now being Cash 4 The Rest 2.

Another tricky one today and one which  I suspect could go either way. Johnny is up against Nick Cave with his interpretation of The Mercy Seat taken from American III:Solitary Man.
I know that there is a lot of love out there for Mr Cave and the original is pretty stunning.
However as you may have come to expect I am going for Johnny again this week as there is just something about him singing songs which have religious references that gives him a slight edge.

Others, I'm sure, will choose to disagree. This one will go to the edge.
Back to Saturdays next week

Johnny Cash - The Mercy Seat

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat

Five Years

Would you believe it - Charity Chic Music is five years old today
Unlike last year I've actually remembered to mark the anniversary on the actual date.

If anyone has read any of the previous anniversary posts you will have had to put up with me gushing about how great a stress buster the blog is, how it has made me listen to old records again and buy new ones, how I have met many new virtual friends and even some in the flesh (or thankfully fully clothed) and how grateful I am to Mrs CC for all her support.

No point in my writing any of that then given you have heard it  all before.
Rather let's concentrate on the music. Five songs today for you with a five theme. And yes I have been eagerly waiting for the last five years to post the first one!

David Bowie - Five Years

The Jam - Just Who is the 5 o'clock Hero

Carl Perkins - Jive After Five

Shaver - Old Five and Dimers

Louis Jordan - Five Guys Named Moe


Johnny's back tomorrow

Another Era Another Elvis

Another era today and indeed another Elvis.

As opposed to yesterday's  Declan Patrick MacManus today we give you Elvis Aaron Presley.

From 1999 on the RCA label Sunrise is a two disc compilation of Elvis Presley's Sun Studio recordings from 1953 to 1955 prior to his move to RCA.

The first disc has all the 18 professionally recorded songs from his stint at Sun with the second disc featuring alternate takes and some acetate recordings.

This should set me up nicely for Peter Guralnick's  Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley which kicks off in 1958.

I'm considering a move to Memphis ....

Elvis Presley - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone

Elvis Presley - Mystery Train