Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 3rd September 2021. For everything an "eclectic mix" should be, over to...
"It has been a good week for music in our happy household. I was very tempted to post 'Lady by Regina Spektor' as I was introduced to it this week by Linds Bestwicke, my source for much fabulous music, it is wonderful. But more importantly There has been a sudden rush of Blue grass clips on You tube previously unseen by me. More enough to get my head spinning. Hours and hours of it, including a clip of 8year old Chris Thile playing in a Bluegrass competition, (musical competitions seem a very strange concept to me), but well worth looking out for, classic Jim and Jesse in Pink and pastel Nudie Suits! (gasp) A search for some more Sierra Hull, who's playing I can never hear too much of lead me eventually to a new release by Bela Fleck."
Wheels Up by Béla Fleck -
Rolling Through California by Fantastic Negrito - "And when I posted the Fantastic Negrito premier on my Faceache page it resulted in a friend contacting me to find out whether I had been hacked! Nah, I love it!"
The Sky is Crying performed by Gary BB Coleman - "So, knowing my mate Dan's conservative attitude to the blues, I just had to post something else to annoy him! A version of Elmore Jame's classy, glassy, slide masterpiece, by someone other than Elmo' his very self! It is rather lovely..."
"Surprisingly, not amongst the dozens of other pieces of music, from several genres, that I have been listening to whilst reading the most recent 'Rebus', (which has caused me to turn to Youtube on several occasions, to check out some of the inclusions on the CD 'mix tape.' that D.I. Siobhan Clarke compiled for John Rebus, and which accompanied his journey to the far North of Scotland....) there has been one, which appeared in my head, from nowhere. This week's continual earworm has been a song that has been around for ages but suddenly started running around my brain a week ago and still hasn't stopped. One of those numbers that I find myself singing in the bath, as I drive through the village, while I cook dinner, as I wait outside the surgery in Swanton Morely, as I.... type in my request for a..."
...Bonus Track, this week!"
Old Number 7 performed by The Devil Makes Three -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkLhJsHxYxM
Are you brave enough to listen to it?
"Here's my 3."
Young at Heart performed by Frank Sinatra -
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee performed by "Stick" McGhee -
Brother Can You Spare a Dime performed by Bing Crosby -
"Hi RPMers, Hope you're keeping safe and well. Here are three songs that have been on either the CD player, turntable or car stereo in the past seven days...."
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me by The Jayhawks - "No, not the one by Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations although that is a superb song.... maybe a choice for another time."
Duppy Conqueror by The Wailers - "So chilled...."
Nothing I Can Do About It by Idlewild - "This album spends a lot of time on my car CD player - every track is a gem."
"Selecting the big-band jazz last week whetted my appetite for some of the cowboy variety. Best wishes to everybody."
That's Right You're Not From Texas by Lyle Lovett and His Large Band - "Lyle expounds on the subject of "The Wonderful Country," (I'm currently reading a book of that title by the way- a terrific novel by the celebrated war artist Tom Lea, filmed in 1959 starring and produced by Robert Mitchum... the film, like the book, deserves to be better known)."
Exactly Like You performed by Hot Club of Cowtown - "Hugely enjoyable at The Apex three or four years ago."
San Antonio Rose by Asleep At The Wheel - "A band I'd love to see live on stage."
"I felt very old last week being the only one who thought that Don Everly's passing was worth a mention ("Hold on, more coming on that one", Tim.), but I guess Charlie's demise deserved a good wave off after Rolling all those years. Here's my 3 for this week."
"We had an enjoyable time at the Red Rooster festival last weekend (but I don't think I'm cut out for festivals - too many kids, dogs and beer at highly inflated prices) and for me this was the outstanding act on offer. They are great admirers of all that emanates from New Orleans especially Allen Toussaint and Professor Longhair. Luckily these tracks exist on Youtube to provide a flavour of how good the band are - good enough to get a gig at Ronnie Scotts. The lead singer sings very much in the style of Chris Stapleton."
Sweet Touch Of Love by The Coalminers -
Mardi Gras In New Orleans by The Coalminers -
Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further by Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint - "Speaking of New Orleans......This song is on a collaborative album called The River In Reverse which was made to raise funds to help when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in the noughties. Recently Hurricane Ida has not had the same devastating effect in terms of flooding but that's not to say that those folks that live there have had an easy time of it this time round. I liked this album when it came out and I'm pleased I managed to get a copy on vinyl while it was available at the start of the so-called vinyl comeback (it never went away for many of us)."
"As I concentrated on Charlie Watts last week, I now need to pay my tribute to Don Everly and how I remember his music. Although I’ve picked tracks with his brother, I admired Don’s decision to go on alone and he was just as successful. I think he had the better voice anyway. Enjoy the autumn, folks, and take care of yourselves. Cheers."
Bye, Bye Love by The Everly Brothers (live 1983) - "Whenever I hear this song, I’m taken back to my childhood when my cousin Yvonne went to a dance school. They did tap dancing to it! Even today at 82 she can still do the routine. Bob and I were at this concert. I think the brothers had only just made up their differences after quite a number of years. "
Cathy's Clown by The Everly Brothers (1960) - "This was one of my first 45s. I heard it on the radio and loved the rhythm and harmony. It was a cut above the usual U.S. rock music."
The Price of Love by The Everly Brothers - "Again I just loved the drive in the music and of course, the harmonies are great."
"Hi ya all, hope you are keeping well . Here’s my favs this week."
Love Cry by Four Tet -
Gun by John Cale -
Love and Understanding by The Alarm -
"Dear RPM-ers, hope everyone is well. Here's my 3."
Atom Dance by Bjork (featuring Anohni) -
Take Up Space by Dream Nails -
Rocking the Cradle (Slow air) by Derek McGinley & Tara Connaghan -
"This week it's a kornukopia of kovers of Kinks klassics from the dusty korners of my kollection."
You Really Got Me performed by Rico - (b-side to 'Children of Sanchez' 12" Ltd Ed single, released mid 1979. Island label)
I Gotta Move performed by Makin' Time - (from 'Rhythm and Soul' LP, released June 1985. Countdown label)
I'm Not Like Everybody Else performed by The Chocolate Watch Band- '' (from 'The Inner Mystique' US only LP, released February 1968. Tower label. This from 'Forty Four' compilation, released 1985. Big Beat label). And from the sixties, perhaps the fiercest kover of a Kinks song."
"When I was 7 years old we were going to emigrate to Australia as '£10 Poms' (the fare was £120 with the Australian Government contributing £110.... hence the terminology). One of my close school friends' family had sailed just as we received our tickets for the maiden voyage of the SS 'Arcadia' of the P&O Line. We had recently moved into a brand new 'prefab' (built in cooker, fridge and a separate bathroom with a heated towel rail ... luxury!!) and, as this was our first house, we had only recently finished furnishing it. Our information from the Oz government advised that we would be allocated half a Nissan hut, share a kitchen with four other families and a toilet with eight others. As the day approached we began packing for our new life down under and, much to my Mum's chagrin, selling all our new furniture. Eventually, almost on the eve of leaving, my Mum's foot came down heavily and Dad calmly reached across to the tickets, opened the fire door and threw them in!!! Meanwhile, in Adelaide, Mike Morris and his family were ensconced in their hut whilst his Dad set about building their new home (it was expected that, as you journeyed over, you would befriend others and agree to help each other build their homes!) thinking that we would soon be joining them. They made a 'happy life' (pun intended) for themselves in Adelaide, but Mike always wondered what had happened to us. Fast forward over forty years, our phone rang and an Oz voice rang out... 'Hello mate, do you know who this is??' Of course I did...... just how many people would ring me from Australia? Anywayze, during our subsequent conversations, it turned out that Mike had been in a band called The Limit from the mid-sixties to the early seventies and, among the singles they released on Australian RCA, was this collectable little b-side goodie (especially for Piers)."
"Yet another RIP!!!! One of the greatest producers ever..... farewell to Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Stay safe."
"I actually haven't played a lot of music this week, having discovered Simon Armitage's Radio 4 programme, The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed, and have been binge listening to this on BBC Sounds whilst fixing the top covers to the chairs mentioned a few weeks ago. Of interest to RPMers / music fans may be the Johnny Marr edition found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xmrq (listening for later).
The whole series, though, is rather good in an unassuming, gently humorous yet thoughtful way.
So, onto the music front, we've a new oldie and a couple of old oldies..."
Tell Me, Momma by Bob Dylan - "Bought the new live album, The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert this week and rather top notch it is, too. When I say "new" this recording came out in 2016 as part of a huge live 1966 box set, so as far as I can tell, this is the first time it's been available as a stand alone release...confusing, isn't it?"
The Box by Johnny Flynn - "Favourite track from Johnny's first album."
Couldn't Stand The Weather by Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Yep, SRV still in the car CD player...and this is one killer blues funk track and one I especially enjoyed playing bass on when in a blues band about a hundred years ago with a SRV obsessed guitarist...the timing at the beginning was always particularly interesting."
'Til Next Time...