Some Sunday Scottish Soul

Some serious funk for you today from deepest darkest Dundee courtesy of The Average White Band.
Looking at the picture above you would have them down as a heavy metal combo as opposed to the most successful British soul act of all  time

Two members were employed as session musicians on Chuck Berry's My Ding-a- Ling so arguably the only way was up.
After supporting Eric Clapton in 1973 they were signed by Atlantic records for goodness sake and enjoyed a Billboard number 1 in 1975 with Pick Up The Pieces leading to James Brown's backing band the JB's recording Pick Up The Pieces, One by One as AABB - Above Average Black Band

I don't own any AWB records. These two tracks are from Volumes 1 and 3 of The Greatest Scottish Album Ever which came free with the Daily Record. Surely somewhat of a misnomer given that Darius and Jim Diamond feature on Volume 3

More Soul of sorts next Sunday

The Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces

The Average White Band - Let's Go Round Again

Celtic Connections 2009

Three years into the Celtic Connections through the years series and still relatively little interest out there if statistics are to be believed. However track 3 may change all that.

Cara Dillon is the first Irish artist to feature in this series with The Parting Glass from her album Hill of Thieves.
Richard Thompson obviously has a rich folk music heritage given his involvement with Fairport Convention.
1000 Years of Popular Music was a live album from 2003 featuring songs from the period 1068 -2001
Blackleg Miner is a 19th Century Northumberland folk song. I was put in mind of JC's recent post featuring the Council Collective whilst listening to this.

I have been trying to end these posts with something more traditional. I'm not sure that this particular track ticks that box but it begins with the dulcet tones of Robbie Shepherd and that's good enough for me.

2010 to follow shortly.

Cara Dillon - The Parting Glass

Richard Thompson - Blackleg Miner

Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson - Break (Fairly Funky Mix)

Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant

If you are going out for a Chinese meal tonight please exercise some caution.
Some more Americana for you today but Stranraer does not feature. Purchased in Glasgow and more than likely in the sadly missed Salvation Sounds in Shawlands Arcade.

Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Chinese Restaurant is the 2000 debut album by Ramsay Midwood. Available on the Vanguard label in the States but my copy is on the mighty Glitterhouse label from Germany.
I've not got much gen on him. He is from Texas I believe and clearly had some Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie records kicking about in his youth.
I think that he has subsequently released another two or three albums.
I have never felt the urge to track them down as I would describe him as a bit one-dimensional - but in a good way.
I think I may have seen him play at Blackfriairs along with Randy Weeks

Ramsay Midwood - Chicago

Ramsay Midwood - Spinnin' On This Rock

Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Enfant terrible Ryan Adams and I have a bit of a chequered history.
I followed him from his Whiskeytown years through to the time he hooked up with The Cardinals.
From King Tuts to a sold out Barrowlands.
Then we parted company. As he became more prolific (three albums in 2005) the quality began to suffer. An ego the size of Texas combined with industrial quantities of drugs is probably a bad combination and he gradually disappeard up his own backside.
I walked out a concert at the Carling Academy as he spent more time wittering inanely rather than singing.

Recently, however, he has shown signs of growing up with his last two albums being somewhat of a return to form.
Whereas I got his first three solo albums upon release Rock'n'Roll was a charity shop acquisition picked up by Mrs CC much further down the line.
It's not bad at all.

Ryan Adams - 1974

Ryan Adams - Note to Self: Don't Die

K.T.

Can it really be 12 years since K.T.Tunstall  released her debut album Eye to the Telescope and subsequently shot to fame with her performance of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree on Later.. with Jools Holland?
Apparently so.
She has subsequently released a further 3 albums one of which 2007's Drastic Fantastic has previously featured on CCM.
She is from St Andrews and is a contemporary of Fence Collective artists such as King Creosote and James Yorkston.
She did a radio show on Christmas Night on Radio Scotland which confirmed that she has great musical taste.
She has moved to Los Angeles to pursue a soundtrack musical career and prepare a fifth stdio album - as you do.

K.T. Tunstall - Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

K.T. Tunstall - Suddenly I See

Land Ahoy

Another female singer today but a totally different can of worms from yesterday's offerings.
I have finally gotten round to listening to Disc 2 of the Patti Smith anthology Land (1975 -2002) which features demos, live tracks and the occasional final track.

Let's start with one which was mentioned in dispatches by commentators when I featured Disc one. Here is a demo from 1975 of  Redondo Beach the final version of which graces Horses.There is a lovely reggae feel to this one.
The live version of 25th Floor which features on Easter has more of a rock'n'roll feel about it Recorded in Eugene, Oregon in 1978.
Wonderful

Patti Smith - Redondo Beach (Demo)

Patti Smith -25th Floor (Live)

Let's Here It For The Girls

Pottering about at my mother's the other day I came across a CD Let's Hear It For The Girls.
A compilation of girl groups and female singers on the Crimson label which I suspect was advertised on the telly with most of the sales being through supermarkets.
It was one that I thought I should "borrow"
Classic girl groups such as The Shirelles ,The Shiffons and The Shangri- Las feature but that's for another day as I have decided to concentrate on UK 60's singers today.
From 1964 we have Downtown the classic song by Petula Clark written by Tony Hatch a number one in the States and a number 2 in the UK.
Sandie Shaw has appeared before on CCM with a truly awful version of Sympathy For the Devil. Today she makes amends.
Dusty is no stranger to CCM or to others in this corner of the blogosphere. Indeed recently as someone wrote (it may even have been me) You can never have enough Dusty

Petula Clark - Downtown

Sandie Shaw - (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me

Dusty Springfield - I Only Want to Be With You