Welcome to your weekly hit of musical eclecticism; the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending 27th November 2020. So what have RPMers been listening to this week? It's over to.....
"Here's my 3 for the week with a tier in my eye........"
Poor Man's Moody Blues by Barclay James Harvest - "I saw this band a good few times and always good value. I got to meet them backstage after the show at a UEA gig when I won second prize in a ticket prize draw. They signed about 9 or 10 of their cd's for me (must dig them out sometime). First prize would have been an expenses paid trip to see the band play a gig in Berlin. Donner und Blitzen!"
Tuesday Afternoon by Moody Blues - "Now for the real thing........From their album "Days of Future Past". Consistently great band and after missing out many times trying to see them, got a couple of tickets for a gig in Ipswich. Their albums went with me everywhere while I was in the navy."
634-5789 by Wilson Pickett - "Heard this on the radio this week and was reminded how good Wilson Pickett was at delivering a song. He was the unseen focus of "The Commitments" movie."
"This week , for a complete change, I am promoting my name in song. Please note I resisted my favourite one – Gene genie. Keep listening RPMers and escape to a better place in the music. Best wishes to all."
Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie by Jonny and the Roccos –
Blue Jean by David Bowie –
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson –
"Hi Everyone, Hope you're all keeping safe and well. Here are three tracks from albums I've been listening to this week."
(For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People by The Chi-lites - "It's almost fifty years since this song was first released....."
I've Got Those Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can't Fail Blues by The Liverpool Scene - "The Liverpool Scene came to my attention initially as a result of being given a book in 1971 entitled 'The Mersey Sound' (Penguin Modern Poets Volume 10). This was an anthology of poems by Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri, the latter being the composer of this particular song and, along with Patten, a founding member of The Liverpool Scene. Another connection was Andy Roberts whose LP 'Nina And The Dream Tree' was permanently on my Dansette Senator as I absorbed the gems in the pages of 'The Mersey Sound'. I later discovered that he was also a member of The Liverpool Scene and this set me off on my quest to track down their LPs. They were not that easy to find but over the years I've managed to acquire the first three (the fourth, not so highly rated, has evaded my clutches)."
Raymond's Road by Beggars Opera - "Just goes to show that Prog bands don't always take themselves too seriously...."
"Hi RPMers hope you are well and enjoying your tunes . Here’s my 3 . Stay safe in these strange times."
Caravan by Van Morrison - "From live album It's Too Late Too Stop Now. Epic!"
All Night Long by Rainbow - "Memories of stealing the single from my big sister, which I still have."
Stockholm City Blues by Mark Lanegan -
"Blimey, Friday already. Best wishes to RPMers and thank you for the musical journeys you have triggered so far. This week’s three from me come via Radio 3 - heard, linked to ,and recommended, respectively."
Powerless by Hannah Holland -
Haven by Bryce Dessner -
Earthship by Luke Abbott -
"I was thinking that I haven’t actually been listening to very much this week but looking at the music player on my desktop computer I realise that that isn’t true….
I explained a couple of weeks ago, I was listening to Tom Paxton. His song ‘Bottle of Wine’ first entered my consciousness back when when I was still at school and I was first learning to play guitar chords. ’The Three Chord Trick’! I worked out a harmony, and sang it with a couple of friends who lived just around the corner.
I am still listening to Tom Paxton, on repeat (and, because it is very similar in structure, Bob Dylan’s Buckets of Rain) but I somehow don’t consider that the music that I am listening to, to learn from, or for that matter quite a lot of other things that I listen to, as ‘Listening To’ them; they are just part of my environment. Truly ambient music?
Along with ‘ambient’ Tom Paxton on the playlist this week, there have also been tracks by these three pioneers…"
Darkest Before Dawn by Steve Roach -
Islas Resonantes by Eliane Radigue -
Doctor Who by Delia Derbyshire -
"Great stuff last week, thanks especially to Piers for the wonderful 'bonus' epic and the Moondog track (just why I didn't buy Moondogs self titled album when it was in the window of Chas J's I can't imagine?). Like Phil, there are several songs where I have multiple versions, a 'theme' I had thought of doing a couple of times. For this week I'm proffering some classic 'garage rock', with a pretty obvious theme.... errrr, 'wild'. All majorly obscure, but all from the classic 'Back from the grave' series of albums.
Keep well, don't be tempted to do anything silly for Christmas, we've already told our brood that it'll be 'long distance' this year. "
Wild by The Gentrys (Originally Kado label single, released May 1965. This from BFTG Vol 7) - "Currently fetching over $1200 dollars in the States, thanks entirely to this great beeside. The Gentrys were a Memphis seven piece band formed in May 1965 to play the ubiquitous 'sock hops' and High School dances. Appearances on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour on local TV saw them enter, and win, the Memphis Battle of the Bands in 1964 and sign to the Youngstown label for their debut single 'Sometimes' in early 1965. This 'bubbled under' the national charts and, a few months later, their cover of the Avanti's 'Keep on dancing' raced up the charts to number 4! The Gentrys took the very short original version, added a drum fill mid-way and then repeated the first half again in order to take it to 2mimutes 30 plus. That song, of course, became a huge debut hit here for the Bay City Rollers, hitting number 9 in late 1971. The band staggered on 'til 1967, split and then reformed in 1969 for a couple of minor hit singles on the Sun label (including a cover of Neil Youngs 'Cinnamon Girl') before fading into the nostalgia circuit."
(They call me) Willie the Wild One by William the Wild One (Originally Festival label single, released 1966. This from BFTG Vol 3) - "A real, obscure, lone release for its composer and producer Bill Barry, this one can generally be picked up for around £75............ if you can find a copy that is!!! Bill was a gen-u-wine LA biker, complete with purple dyed hair and a Harley, with the obligatory 'chick' on the pillion...... well, that's what BFTG sleevenotes sez!!! .Of course, you can't believe everything you see and hear, can you? as Jimi once said."
Wild Man by Tamrons (Originally Pyramid single, released January1967. From BFTG Vol 4) - "How can you resist any track that starts with the intro to 'The Twilight Zone', and then gets better? A tale of 'teenage terror gone berserk' according to the sleeve notes with the singers desire for a girl meeting the disapproval of not only her Pa, but also most of the towns populace too. Formed in Concord, North Carolina, the band never progressed much further than gigs at the Green Dragon, Brass Bottle and Jack's Dairy Bar and Grill, with their career high being a televised appearance on a Wilmington TV charity marathon. One of my favourite garage rockers!!!"
My friend Bo Jo the Clown keeps complaining that he is "as fit as a butcher's dog." I fear this means he is overfed, overweight, and out of condition. Can you make any recommendations in respect of a dietary and exercise regime that might help him?
I Walk on Guilded Splinters by Dr. John - "Hmm... not sure that would help, but I'd like to see him try it.
I'll seek a second opinion."
Down At The Doctors, by Dr. Feelgood - "Okay, not sure I want to take medical advice from a man who hears imaginary pianos.
I'll see if a lay person has any ideas. Over to you Mr. Lennon..."
Dr. Robert by The Beatles - "Oh dear, I hope you're not suggesting the ingestion of chemical substances of dubious legality."
Best regards to all RPMers,
"Killer Bass is my link this week........"
Dead Los Angeles by The Stranglers -
Width of a Circle by David Bowie -
"Hi folks......Well, what a glorious aural experience I had listening to everyone's choices whilst doing my accounts and other mindless drudgery, thanks so much.
So, um, apologies, I didn't realise until listening that I had duplicated 1 of Jean's selections from the previous week. Hey ho, I'm blaming lockdown early senility.
This week I'm shamelessly emulating Phil's idea of different versions of the same song - genius!
Here's Running Up That Hill 3 ways, including by Kate Bush herself. Absolutely love watching live performances online, nearest we can get to a gig at the mo, although I did hear about a Scottish band that performed to a crowd of 100 socially distanced fortunate sods, who knows? With Dominic & Don on their way out, I feel there could be positive times ahead.. Take care all, cheers!"
Jennie Abrahamson & Gothenburg Symphony - "I used to play marimba in a youth marching band. This lass has proper talent, but I did enjoy banging out March of the Mods as we entered the showground."
Kate Bush, David Gilmour - "..and a bassist with a mahoosive mullet! The 80's had a lot to answer for."
Placebo (live at Reading 2006) - "I went to the Reading Festival when I came back to the UK from a few years overseas in 2000 and was really taken with Brian Molko's ability as a live performer."
"Here's my three picked from the week's listening............"
Summon The Fire by The Comet Is Coming - " "Have played a lot of TCIC at work this week....the ideal soundtrack to soldering about a million LEDs to battery snaps. This one stands out due to the saxophone earworm.........you have been warned"
Molly Varne performed by Kieron Means - "A traditional song which has many versions.......as is the wont of trad songs. Anne Briggs sang it under the title Polly Vaughan, The Oyster Band include it on their first proper LP under the title of Molly Bond, Irish trad band Dervish have also done their...well, Irish version of it, etc, etc. But here is the American (?) variant performed by Kieron Means, a singer I was made aware of a few years ago during a chat at a local folk club with Big Alan. I was reminded of it when it popped up in a youtube random playlist of bluegrass tunes!"
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix - "Typing this on what would have been Hendrix's 78th birthday...........so gotta give this a blast."