So we're back into lockdown again but that doesn't stop the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, does it? What music has kept RPMers going this week? Well, let's see......it's over to........
"Hi RPMers.....hope you are well . Here’s my 3 favs. . . Keep safe in these strange times and let’s hope Trump don’t get back in !!!! "
Don't Ever Give Up On Love by Tim Koh -
I'm Sorry by The Hot House Flowers -
Argent by Jane Weaver -
"Wotcha Folks….........."
Guitar Heroes by Richard Thompson - "Harlan Howard originally made the statement, often attributed to Woody Guthrie, ’Three Chords and The Truth’. It doesn’t quite cover this track, though those of us that play an instrument will recognise the fundamental truth that Richard Thompson states in this track from his album ‘Still’!……If Tim disallows this track due to it containing so many ‘bonus tracks’, (I guess it is a bit like a Stratocaster fuelled ‘Jive Bunny Hits on 45’), I hope that he will find a way to ‘snip out’ and allow just the final solo with it’s touches of Jerry Reed, amongst all the rest! The entire album, (Still) drips with Jerry Reed’s influence. (No editing happening here Piers......saw RT play this live on the Still tour....excellent homage to his heroes...Tim)
The Hellecasters Orange Blossom Special- "The first guitarist (other than Jerry Reed) that I heard that had actually mastered those weird techniques that Jerry Reed initiated was a guy called Jerry Donahue who had been one of Richard Thompsons replacements in Fairport….. Jerry Donahue played in his own Fender based band….. "
Skip James - Hard Time Killing Floor - "As it all seems to have become a bit overheated - just to prevent heart attacks amongst our older guitar playing brethren, I will save Jerry Reed’s ‘The Claw’ until another time. Let’s all cool down with another guitar master….
"Oh well.... it looks like we're back in the Isolation Room!
(...nope....that's the beauty of the Seven Day Soundtrack idea; it will happen irrespective of what's happening in the outside world. Even when we eventually get to have a proper meeting, the 7DS will still keep going....Tim)
Here's a sample of what I've been listening to this week. Stay safe."
Lil' Devil by The Cult - "Mentioned last week when I was chuntering on about CD Singles so here it is in all its glory!"
Plastic Hamburgers by Fantastic Negrito - "I was introduced to Fantastic Negrito by Philip a couple of months ago via the RPM Isolation Room and, more recently, the Seven Day Soundtrack. This is the opening track from the 2018 album 'Please Don't Be Dead'. Thanks Philip."
Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) by Kim Weston - "Among the dozen or so CDs I have in my car at the moment on continuous rotation is a 3 CD set of classic Motown. This is one of the many highlights."
"I'm turning into Boris Johnson; always ******* late!" ( Morra's arrived 5.20am Sat morning.........Tim)
As You Are by Travis - "I’m not a fan of "plank spanking" guitar solos but when I heard this and saw how it was achieved at Glastonbury 2000 I was in awe."
Love Removal Machine by The Cult - "Another great live moment I witnessed was this in 1987 at Brixton Academy, one of the most violent horrid audiences I’ve experienced, too. I escaped by climbing onto the stage and hiding in the speakers. How I’m not deaf is anyone’s guess" 😂
Suspect Device / Alternative Ulster by Stiff Little Fingers - "Two songs here from another gig I was at. Sadly the only time I got to see SLF as a youngster. The sound ain't great but the footage is. A few health and Safety issues here...........see if you can spot them😂 stick with it..........pure 2nd wave of Punk Chaos!!!!"
"Best wishes to all as always........and a few observations re. last week's selections. I loved the Stones' instrumental, which I had never heard before, and I don't think I'd heard "Spiders and Snakes" since the '70s... great to hear it again.
I too have received Bruce's new album and agree with everything (Tim) said, but I think it's a pity Bruce feels obliged to be so oblique in his criticism of his country's leadership. I get who he has in mind in the song "Rainmaker" but this could easily be missed by many listeners, and I note in "House of a Thousand Guitars" his mention of "The criminal clown has stolen the crown, He steals what he can never own," but ironically of course he didn't steal the 2016 election (though he's trying to steal the 2020 one), he was simply the beneficiary of a structurally deficient electoral system. Perhaps Bruce doesn't want to lose Republican record buyers?
Anyhow, let's lighten up with this week's selections. I've been listening to Ace Records' anthologies of tunes played on the radio by Charlie Gillett, and to Dan Penn's wonderful album of his own songs, "Do Right Man," issued in 1994." Keep safe and well everybody."
Morning Glory by Mac Gayden (On the first Gillett album) - "Perfect pop... and yet not a hit. Where's the justice?"
Dark End of the Street by Dan Penn - "A live version performed with his regular writing partner, Spooner Oldham. Recorded many times, the most celebrated version is probably that by James Carr, but listening to this makes you wonder why Mr. Penn has not recorded more himself."
Walk On By, by Leroy Van Dyke - "A country music cross-over hit, available on the second Ace Charlie Gillett album- and it's also on their "Chartbusters USA Special Country Edition."
"Set guitars to stun".......... here's three from more recent times (for me anyway!!) featuring bands not afraid to 'solo', or 'slap that plank' as some may call it. Looking at my choices I notice the 'newest' is sixteen years old and it's an unbelievable 34 years since the earliest was released over here. Who, indeed, knows where the time goes?
As I type, we're re-entering a 'lock down' promised to give us some kind of freedom in time for Christmas (yeah, right!!) so, as usual, take care of yourselves, those you love and those who you chance to meet."
Freakin' Out by Graham Coxon (Single March 2004. Parlophone label) - "Probably best described (I'm told) as a polymath, Coxon was a Goldsmiths College buddy to such luminaries as Sam Taylor Wood and Damien Hirst whilst also forming Seymour with Damon Albarn and Alex Jones. As their career burgeoned, so his involvement with the educational establishment declined and he left College in 1988 to begin a full time career in the newly named Blur. 1998 saw him branch out into a solo career which has produced ten albums, including two film scores, as Blur's recordings became more sporadic thanks to various members' side projects. 'Freakin' out' is perhaps his finest single, taken from the 'Happiness in Magazines' album which resulted in Coxon being voted the NME's 'Best Solo Artist' in 2005. Since then, besides his solo work, he has had an exhibition of his artwork at the ICA, produced and appeared on albums for other artists, created a 'musical soundscape' for an art exhibition by Julie Verhoeven, realised and recorded a re-recording of the Beatles 'Please Please Me' album for a BBC Radio 2 special as well as run his own record label. Oh, and in his spare time he wrote a forward for a new publication of Herman Hesse's 'Narcissus and Goldmund' novel....... as I said, something of a polymath."
Moonlight Medicine by Ride (Taken from 'Carnival of light' double album. Released June 1994 Creation label) - "An Oxford band who, coincidentally, formed just as Seymour was morphing into Blur in 1988. However, unlike Blur, this band were lumbered with being members of the short lived, and much criticized 'Shoegazing' scene of the early 1990's. This appeared to be a catch all phrase for bands with floppy fringes whose instruments were fed through a multiplicity of effects foot pedals resulting in the guitarists constantly looking down at their pedal boards whilst producing a squall of often dreamy soundscapes. However, when we saw Ride at Doncasters' less than salubrious Toby Jug (perfectly positioned midway across the noisy super highway that was the 'old' North Bridge') on the 25th July 1990, they were anything but 'dreamy'. Here was a band, almost fresh from the 6th Form, determined to create a racket and nothing was held back. Guitars were super loud and their set consisted almost entirely of self composed songs. Amongst them were three from their debut EP and two which appeared on their debut album 'Nowhere', released a few months later, plus a majestic encore with the Beatles 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a brave choice for any band, never mind one so young. By the time of their third album (COL), the band were determined to break from the lazy 'shoegazing' tag but the results were, at the time, met with disappointment by the bands fans. This was exacerbated by a dispute between main men Andy Bell and Mark Gardener which saw the first half of the double album by Gardener and the second by Bell which, despite the excellence of many of the individual songs, resulted in a much less diverse running order. The poorly received 'Tarantula' followed and, immediately, the band split with both Gardener and Bell forming new outfits with little commercial rewards, before Bell was signed up, initially, to Oasis and then, following their acrimonious split, Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye. Following their disbanding, Ride reformed and, to date, have released two well received albums and toured successfully in Europe, the USA and Britain. As an additional delight, 'Moonlight Medicine' features none other than the Purp's Jon Lord on organ!"
Flame Thrower by Chills (Taken from 'Kaleidoscope World' compilation album. Released 1986 Flying Nun label) - "Here's a 'Wire'ish sounding track from New Zealand's finest, and most long lived band. Formed in 1980 by Martin Phillipps, they were proponents of the 'Dunedin Sound', a scene of post punk/sixties influenced bands who were signed to the local Flying Nun label for the 'Dunedin Double' EP in 1982. Following local hits with the excellent 'Kaleidoscope World' and this live favourite, the band experienced a series of misfortunes and defecting members which resulted with each new line up being formed by and around Phillipps. A re-recording of the mighty 'Pink Frost'* was followed by their debut album and first tour of Europe and the USA in 1987. Signed worldwide by WB/Slash, their 'Submarine Bells' album garnered their only international hit single, the ironically titled 'Heavenly Pop Hit', before there were even more splits, new line ups and albums recorded under difficult circumstances (1995's 'Sunburnt' album gave rise to the 'curse of the Chills' tag when two members were declined entry into the UK to take part in the recording leading to XTC's Dave Gregory and Fairports Dave Mattacks late enrolment). The band are still recording and touring despite all this but seem unlikely to gain their just rewards for a wealth of fine material at this late stage.............."
(*see September 2018 meeting for that goodie)
Burnin' Train by Bruce Springsteen - "I really like this one from the new Bruce Springsteen album....."
"IB2 or 7DS? Here we go again and here's my 3 for this week...Really enjoying my fellow fugitives selections still. Stay safe everybody."
Rock and Roll (I gave you the best years of my life) by Kevin Johnson - "An old favourite of mine ever since I first heard this underrated Aussie singer/composer."
A Fool Such As I performed by Elvis Presley - "I caught the documentary on Elvis this week - I am still a big fan and have been since I was 10. My extensive collection bears this out and I managed to add a very nice second copy of "Loving You" on HMV Purple and Gold label last week which cost me the princely sum of 50p as did 11 Roy Orbison 45's (all minty). The first LP I ever bought was "Elvis Golden Records" - I couldn't afford to buy it outright so had to get it on the never never from a school friend's mum's mail order catalog. I'm still enjoying looking for 60's 78's of his which continued to be pressed in South Africa by RCAlong after they were out of circulation over here - still one or two to go but hoping to get them before I peg it. I could have picked anything he did from the 50's or 60's and this will do nicely."
Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton - "No particular reason for offering this except I've always liked her stuff and this one bops along nicely."
"Best wishes to the providers of the best weekly music fix around. Thank you dear RPM collaborators. And especial thanks to Tim for facilitating. Here are my 3 this week - old, not so old, new."
Alibaba by John Holt - "I had this on a reggae compilation tape in my car in the distant past and every time this track came around I couldn’t believe how seductive John Holt’s voice was."
Be Nice To People by Alabaster dePlume (aka Gus Fairbairn)- "A genuine proposition…"
Hell For Certain by Gwenifer Raymond - "From her forthcoming album Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain."
"Well, it’s definite now; we won’t be having another meeting this year. Here’s hoping that this 4 week lockdown makes a vast improvement in the infection rate. It won’t make my life
vastly different from the last 7 months. Music has been a boost to my morale most of my life but has certainly been needed this year. Thank you , Tim, for all the new website sections you have created and organized to keep the gang amused and entertained.
My choices are songs that have always touched my heart. I’m such a softie."
It’s Over by Roy Orbison -
Unchained Melody by Righteous Brothers - "Takes me back to a lovely carefree time of my life....."
Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues - "I was at this concert – what an evening!"
"Oh Man! Was it really 40 years ago that I first heard the perfectly glorious noise of Ace of Spades? Well, apparently so, as it is indeed that said numerical anniversary; the 7” single came out on 27th October 1980 followed by the album on the 8th November 1980……40 years tomorrow if you are reading this on Saturday. It was certainly a musical “road to Damascus” moment for me, Motorhead instantly becoming my second favourite band…..the first being Hawkwind, obs, who Lemmy had played bass for anyway. Live highlights; West Runton Pavillion on the Another Perfect Tour, 1983, when my mate drank too much and fell down the cliff.....he was OK as the cliffs are sandy and not overly steep.....and the 10th birthday gig at Hammersmith Odeon in 1985 with Motorhead’s (then) new 4 piece line-up…..but every gig was pretty much an event not to be missed. So, come on and let’s make some noise……….a couple of covers first."
Overkill performed by Metallica - "Metallica readily admit Motorhead are a heavy influence. In 1995 they recorded 4 Motorhead songs as a 50th birthday present for Lemmy, Overkill being one of them, later released on their Garage Inc, NWOBHM covers album. They also played a set of Motorhead songs at his birthday party in LA at the Whisky A Go Go club, calling their band The Lemmys (of course)."
Bomber performed by Girlschool - "Good the hear Girlschool last week, courtesy of Dave……and here’s some more. Girlschool were closely linked to Motorhead in the early 80s. They supported Lemmy, Eddie and Phil on the Ace Up Your Sleeve tour at the end of 1980 and then went on to combine forces on the St Valentine’s Day Massacre EP which catapulted them to number 5 in the UK charts. Please Don’t Touch was the A side, but on the B side Motorhead covered Girlschool’s song Emergency and…..you guessed it……Girlschool took on the Motorhead song, Bomber.
Ace of Spades by Motorhead – "So, now on to the main event. Here’s the classic Motorhead “three amigos” line up taking Top of the Pops by the scruff off the neck and giving it a good shaking. Oh, and look what t-shirt Lemmy is sporting...it's a Girlschool one. Winter is just not the same anymore without a Motorhead gig to go to."
"Thanks for your kind words and continued participation....."see" you next week........" Tim.