Television Man

 

We got a new Television installed in our kitchen after the old one gave up the ghost. I'm glad to say it's working well after the half an hour inputing names, e-mail details, wi-fi code etc, ets. I miss the old days when you could simply just plug it in and turn it on.

Did any of you ever rent a telly? I did in the couple of years when I worked in Campbeltown.I think I paid something like £4 a week.

All the above had me flicking channels and tuning in for the following songs:

Robyn Hitchcock -Television

Talking Heads - Television Man

Gil Scott- Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Television - Marquee Moon

Blog Country 131 - Ethiopia

 

We are off to Ethiopia this week and what a splendid flag. It reminds me of that kid's game when you had to pick up sticks without disturbing the others.

We are near the beginning of a run of African countries and where possible I will try to avoid standing on Ernie's toes. Here's his Ethiopia entry on the Odyssey. Thanks are due to my new friends Nahom Records which apparently is  the ultimate next generation Ethiopian Music, Video, CD, Producer and the Largest Distributor; a Global Leader in the Ethiopian Film and Music industry.

I'm going with the order that I downloaded the You Tube entries and converted them to MP3s. First up is Ephrem Tamiru with Metadel New. All that I can find out about him is that he was born in 1960 and is one of the best Ethiopian musician since the 70s. In-fact he is still successful Artist, He is a living legend that has no one to compare with when it come to Ethiopian love songs

Next up is Hanan Abdu whose music reflects the spirit of Ethiopean traditions while blending it with modern sounds thanks to a special fusion of ethnic elements.Her contribution is called Shadey

The one in the middle is Maritu Legesse with the song Ayamaru (does he not play for Arsenal?) . Here is a detailed pen pic of Ethiopia's Queen of Ambessi

In trap 4 we have Sarah T with Gora Bel her first song in four years apparently.

We conclude with Tadesse Alimu with the song Erekum. He died in 2007 He was a singer from Wollega who sang traditional Ethiopian songs, sometimes Christian-based, in an upbeat pop-music style with the modern-day electronic instrumentation that is characteristic of today's Ethiopian popular music.

Next up we have another African Country, one that Ernie struggled with so what chance do I have?

Epherim Tamiru - Metadel New

Hanan Abdu - Shadey

Maritu Legesse - Ayamaru

Sara T - Gora Bel

Tadesse Alimu - Erekum

Some West Coast Jingle Jangle

 

Before Brian gets too excited I should perhaps point out that we are not talking about California . No, we are talking about Greenock a town on the West Coast of Scotland even although the album in question was released on Slumberland Records out of Oakland, California.

The Cords consist of two ridiculously young sisters Eve and Grace Tedeschi who according to Bandcamp are a Scottish jangle , indie pop sister duo who channel classic C86 straight from the heart. Or, as a contributor Kieran would have it, a group who have a clear endearment to their influences, but aren’t just a nostalgia act. 

Ernie very kindly forwarded my a copy of the album which was already on my radar given the level of publicity they have received up here.

The best band to come out of Greenock since Whiteout.

The Cords - Fabulist

The Cords - October

Whiteout - Jackie's Racing

Hightone Records Anthology - Rockin' From The Roots

 

HighTone Records was an American  independent record label  based in Oakland, California.. They  specialized in American Roots Music including, country, rockabilly, Western Swing, Blues and Gospel from 1983 up until 2008 .Up until I wrote this I did not realise that they were now defunct

As you can see from the tracklist and my blurb above their focus was not exclusively on Americana but there are enough Americana artists on this album to justify a place in this series.

Dave Alvin is no stranger to these pages and indeed to this series. Here he is singing the virtues of Abeline.

The late great Chris Gaffney weighs in with a song about the great Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore is more concerned about That Hardwood Floor something which Duran put a lot of fighters on.

Finally we have Tom Russell telling us of the time When Sinatra Played Jaurez.

I have had the immense fortune of seeing all four of these great artists perform live in Glasgow.

Dave Alvin - Abeline

Chris Gaffney - The Eyes of Roberto Duran

Jimmie Dale Gilmore - That Hardwood Floor

Tom Russell -When Sinatra Played Jaurez

The 2 x CD is well worth a couple of quid of anyone's money.

Saturday Shuffle 127

 

Welcome to the first Saturday Shuffle of 2026.

Over the Festive period I began the process of putting some more songs in the MP3 player to spice up the Shuffle. I'm not sure if any of these three are from the new lot or not.

After all the recent festivities is it too early to contemplate a Punky Reggae Party? Clearly Bob Marley and the Wailers don't think so

Next up are Curse of Lono. I am customarily obliged when ever they appear to tip my hat to John Medd for bringing them to my attention.

The Rockingbirds are no strangers to the Shuffle and today they acknowledge a significant percentage of the Shuffle viewers/listeners with Older Guys

All ages and sexes welcome for the next edition of the Shuffle

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Punky Reggae Party

Curse of Lono - Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride

The Rockingbirds -Older Guys

iPod Playlists - Stormy Weather

 

New Year , New Series

For my 40th birthday I bought myself an i-Pod and a docking station with Dab Radio.

Unfortunately when  I changed my computer I lost all 19703 songs from i-Tunes although I can still play them on the i- Pod

There are at least 17  themed playlists on the i-pod and I am going to feature songs from them that I also have in the current 14691 files in the music folder.

The first playlist to feature is called Stormy Weather.

First up is Carmel with Storm follewed by a fairly obvious one namely Riders on the Storm by The Doors. We conclude with Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen.

Next time round it will be three from the playlist Weekly, Monthly, Yearly

Carmel - Storm

The Doors - Riders On The Storm

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road

New Years Day Homage

 

Happy New Year to you and yours and a particular welcome to any new readers who may not by familiar with the CCM New Years Day tradition dating back to 2014 when we acknowledge two of the greats who died on this day some 44 years apart.

Hank Williams, the Hillbilly Shakespeare, died on this day in 1953 aged just 29 whereas Townes Van Zandt was 52 when he died on New Year's Day 1997. Two troubled souls which perhaps contributed to the  melancholy and honesty of their music.

Here are a couple of songs from both of them. I make no apologies if they have appeared here before.

Finally and again in keeping with  tradition I'll get in first and note that it will,  obviously,  be downhill now on these pages for the rest of the year before anyone else does.

Hank Williams - You Win Again

Townes Van Zandt - I'll be Here in the Morning

Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Townes Van Zandt - Loretta