The final week and the final disc from this series on the Cherry Red Boxset Big Gold Dreams -A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989 which is probably just as well given the fact that the numbers and comments reduced week on week.
Most of you seem to prefer the music of the late 70s to that of the late 80's.
I must admit that I found the last few tracks on disc 5 very disappointing but still plenty to choose from..
I'm starting with the only selection who already have a presence on the shelves namely Ken and David McCluskey who as well as being members of the Bluebells released three albums as the imaginatively titled The McCluskey Brothers. I have their album Wonderful Affair but She Said to the Driver appeared on an earlier EP on the Edinbugh label DDT
Teenage Superstars by The Vaselines is easily the pick of the bunch this week.Pictured above the Vaselines are primarily Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly.Kurt Cobain was a big fan with Nirvana recording two of their songs Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam and Molly's Lips The Orchids are/were (not sure which) a band from Penilee in Glasgow who went onto record on Sarah Records. Therefore they have popped up on more than one occassion at Brian's place. Tiny Words comes from the Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink EP.
As it is the last week you are getting a bonus band. The Clouds were a Glasgow band not to be confused with the 60's prog band from Edinburgh or the Australian indie rock band of the same name. Jenny Nowhere appeared on the Bring Back Throwaway Popflexidisc along with the Birmingham band Mighty Mighty.
The 3rd disc but the 2nd instalment from He's a Rebel - The Girl Groups of the 60's (given that disc 1 is missing).
The most famous of the three acts featuring today is Martha Reeves and the Vandellas pictured above. I'll Have to Let Him Go is probably not one of their most well known songs. There have been at least seven different line ups of the band over the years with Martha the only constant.
From 1962 the line up for this one is Martha with back up from Rosalind Ashford,Gloria Williams and Annette Beard.
Stranger in My Arms is from The Cookies who were active between 1954 and 1967 with some of the original members going on to become The Raelettes, the backing vocalists for Ray Charles. A Little Tear (Was Falling From My Eyes) was a song by Linda Martell and the Anglos (and not the Angelos as Wiki would have you believe). In 1969 Linda was the first Afro-American woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas -I'll Have to Let Him Go
Sorry to diappoint any Beatles fans out there but it has come to my attention that I have never posted Come Together by Primal Scream (until now).
From 1990 on the Sire Label the US version of the single is available as both a 12 inch single and CD and comes with a whopping 7 songs and at 37.07 in length it is longer than many an album.
I can't remember where but I picked up the CD version on my travels afew months ago for 50p.
I've posted the single version of Loaded before so at the risk of sounding like Swiss Adam here is the Weatherall mix.
This week, the rainy state of Washington, whose official insect you can see above.. And be prepared for some astounding facts about this state.
For example, did you know that this state was named after General George Washington? Not that he would have known, it only became part of the USA in 1846.
And that it is the biggest producer of red raspberries (aren’t all raspberries red?) in the USA.
That does sound suspiciously like one of The Ten Best Songs Ever Recorded, though.
Yes, that is the Grand Coulee Damn.
The state mammal is the Olympic marmot (only found in Washington state).
Now, I’ve inflicted some songs you might not have liked over the past 48 weeks, but I still can’t bring myself to load My Washington Woman by Kenny Rogers.
And here’s a song by Robyn Hitchccck, whose work is shockingly scarce in my collection. I believe Belltown is a district in Seattle,
Belltown was the best place to retire to in Seattle, in 2007, but judging by Brian’s ranty comment a few weeks here, he and Mrs Brian will not be doing so.
There are plenty of songs that have been omitted, the one by Nirvana about the tragic actress, for example, and the going-through-the-motions Public Image Limited song. But there is this song which had to be included, it features the name of our second favourite blogger from Germany:
A website suggested 11 songs for sunny days in Seattle, none of which featured the word Seattle or any district therein. Although I like the implication that there are eleven sunny days in Seattle.
There is no official state motto for Washington but it does have an official oyster, an official insect (pictured at the top, the green darner dragonfly, and man alive, it’s a beauty!) and an official amphibian, that is shown below, the Pacific Chorus Frog.
A few weeks ago I mistakenly wrote of a frog growing from 25 to 75 cm. In the same article I also idiotically claimed that the Orville Brothers made the first aeroplane flight. Anyway, today’s frog grows up to 5cm from snout to urostyle. If you know what urostyle is without looking it up, well, hats off to you, but I had to look it up and it’s the long bone at the end of it’s spine. As it’s a nice sunny day here as I write this, and I’m lazing about at the farm, with the dogs barking at nothing, I discovered that the largest frog on the planet is called, rather disappointingly and unimaginatively, the goliath frog. It can grow to about 30cm long (or as we experts say, from snout to urostyle)
Anyway, one website claims that the following law is classed as weird and unusual:
It is illegal to entice girls away from the Maple Lane School for girls. I have just deleted a sentence that blethered on about what might be legal vis a vis the above law. And I have no idea at all why the fact that you are not allowed to spit on a bus is deemed to strange and unusual.
There are one or two famous musicians from Washington. And also Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s female friend Willow. She married the Buffy character Wesley. In real life that is, not in Buffy (see what a fan I am, I call it Buffy). Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington. What’s the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney? Bing sings, and Walt doesnae…..Linda Lee Cadwell was born in Everett, Washington She’s better known as Mrs Bruce Lee (when it to martial arts-related things I’m more of Hong Kong Phooey fan that Bruce Lee or that ilk). Anthony L. Ray was born in this state in 1963. You might know his quite famous song, Baby Got Back, which I have just watched on YouTube, causing me to laugh out loud. It’s a response, believe it or not, to the prevalence of unhealthily skinny models, and it’s a great song. And finally, Chester Carlson, best friend to all teachers, was born in Seattle. He invented the photocopier. Well done, sir, well done indeed.
Enough of this nonsense. Two more to go.
CC writes:
Struggling a bit this week. It would be much easier if it was Washington DC (The Clash,Steve Earle, etc)
So clutching at straws here is the one George mentioned but forgot to post and the song featured in the video
We went to see Yola in Glasgow's Oran Mor on Saturday night and she was fantastic.
I wasn't really that familiar with her music but was aware of the hype. She was put on by the Fallen Angels Club which is usually a good guarantee of quality.
With a personality the size of her fabulous hair she can effortlessly sing country, blues and soul and often all within the same song
She has received four Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best American Roots performance with Faraway Look, Best American Roots song (Faraway Look as well ) and Best Americana Album with her 2019 debut Walk Through Fire co-written with and produced by Dan Auerbach on his Easy Eye Sound label. That's Dan's second appearance in a row here.
She seems to be taking America by storm forging links with Sheryl Crowe, Brandi Carlisle and the Highwomen. Not bad for a girl from Bristol.
When she is playing the O2 and the Hydro I'll be able to look back and say I was there when she played in front of a couple of hundred folk in Oran Mor.
Support was from Winnipeg based William Prince who quickly won over the crowd with songs from his debut album Earthly Days.
The third and final CD in my recent three for a pound selection at my local charity shop was El Camino by The Black Keys.
I was a bit unclear as to whether I had it or not.Turns out I didn't but nearly did at one stage. This post makes things clearer. Hence the Mark II in the title
Their seventh album from 2001 on the Nonesuch label it joins their second Thickfreakness on the shelves.It is much more polished and accessable than the scuzzy blues of their earlier offerings.It looks as though they had one eye on stadium tours and one foot in Kings of Leon territory.
The tunes have good riffs and are pretty catchy but to me they are all much of a muchness.
It's ok but it's no Kasabian!
It must be said that I still break into a cold sweat every time the words El Camino are mentioned
For the second Sunday in a row you are getting some Gladys Knight & the Pips. Don't say I'm not good to you.
I bought All the Greatest Hits in my three for a pound deal along with Clem Snide and another which has still to feature.
I was aware that I had most of the tracks on The Motown Years but for that price I thought what the hell.
It turns out that there were only four that I didn't already have.
One of which was the wonderful Friendship Train which gives me an opportunity to feature this video which as the person with the naughty name who posted it states is performed for the whitest audience of all time.
