Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 8th April 2022. Hoping this ray of musical sunshine will brighten up your week, over to....

Dave -

"Hi RPMers, hope you all are well. Here’s my picks this week."

Jackie -

"The Rolling Stones announced their 60th anniversary tour dates a few weeks ago and the BBC have just announced a four part documentary "My Life As A Rolling Stone" will be broadcast to celebrate this anniversary. So, here's a few songs to start getting you in the mood. I'm sure other RPMers will have some choices to share in future Seven Day Soundtracks..."

Alan -

"Yet another fine selection last week............ Philip Glass and Loren Connors were particularly good and, in the spirit of those two pioneers, I played all three Connors tracks at the same time (longest first) but 'offset' them by around 30 seconds, thus duplicating Connors 'layering' techniques of the mid to late 80's.

So, expanding the theme of guitar experimentalists, here's three from my collection (although one of the guitarists is also a Sarod player!!)."

I Am The Resurrection by John Fahey - (from 'The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death' album, US release 1965. Riverboat label. This from UK 1968 release. Transatlantic label) "Anyone expecting the Stone Roses 'baggy' classic should tune out here...............because here is, quite possibly, the finest steel guitar player ever with a track from his most well known album. Born to musically talented parents in 1939, Fahay's interest in music was piqued when he attended several bluegrass concerts. He met and befriended the blues guitarist 'Guitar' Frank Hovington in 1952 which not only spurred him on to purchase his first guitar ($17 from Sears and Roebuck) but also to begin collecting blues records. Influenced by the gospel recording of 'Praise God I'm Satisfied' by Blind Willie Johnson he developed a style crossing over between bluegrass and blues and, in the late 50's he also incorporated the dissonance of 20th-century classical composers such as Charles Ives and Béla Bartók. He recorded over a hundred tracks for his friend Joe Bussard's Fonotone label which were initially only issued in small quantities but these were later rereleased as the box set ' Your Past Comes Back To Haunt You: The Fonotone Years 1958–1965'. In 1959 he recorded his debut album proper, 'Blind Joe Death', which was released on his own Takoma label, funded via his day job as a gas pump attendant and with the assistance of the Pastor at the St. Michaels and All Angels Church in Adelphi, Maryland where he had actually recorded the album. Just 100 copies were pressed and, in order to get them sold, Fahey would sneak into local record stores and surreptitiously deposit copies of his album into the racks.There followed a period where Fahey attended Washington's American University (gaining a degree in philosophy and religion) and, later, Berkeley UCLA where, much to his disgust, he was lumped in with the post beat-era folkies such as Pete Seeger. Moving from philosophy to a masters course on the music of Charlie Patton, he completed his degree thesis with the assistance of future Canned Heat guitarist Al (Blind Owl) Wilson. Re-establishing the Takoma label, Fahey recorded Bukka White and released a further two albums of his own before recording 'The Transfiguration.... 'album which saw him gain wider public recognition. The album continues his exploration into the blues (many critics who had received review copies of his debut had assumed 'Blind Joe Death' was an actual blues musician such was the authenticity of his playing) and also incorporates his love of religious music ('St Patrick's Hymn'), early twenties century American music ('A bicycle built for two') and 'traditional' American music ('Old Southern Melody'). The late sixties found Fahey signed to the Vanguard label where he further developed his interest in Indian music alongside his new labelmate Peter Walker, and it's here where we'll leave Fahey for the moment."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hH7oF-Tffw

I & Thou by Peter Walker - (from "Second Poem to Karmela" or Gypsies are Important LP released 1968. Vanguard label. This from 'Light in the Attic' label CD reissue 2013) "Now here's a guy whose life would make a fine film. Briefly, began playing his Dad's guitar when aged 3, transferred to harmonica in his early teens and, aged 14, bunked off school and hitchhiked to California and then Florida via the Grand Ole Opry. The late fifties found him in North Beach Calif (via Cincinnati, Boston and Detroit) , where he gave guitar lessons to Jim Gurley and befriended Jose Feliciano, Josh White (Snr and Jnr), Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Tim Hardin and Lightning Hopkins. He then went to Mexico and, having taken some lessons about Flamenco playing, he relocated to the mountains outside Valencia where he studied with the local gypsy flamenco players. He returned to the USA after a long hike around Europe and North Africa, bought a 100 string sarangi and befriended John Barrymore and together they began to listen to Ravi Shankar records. He relocated to NYC and began gigging at the Cafe Au Go Go where he was spotted by Vanguard Records. His interest in Indian raga's led him to study initially with Ravi Shankar and, later, Ali Akbar Khan. As one of the earliest US sitar players, it was unsurprising when his old University tutor Timothy Leary called and asked him to contribute music to his film 'The Psychedelic Experience'...................... that's quite a journey in less than 10 years so I think I'll call it a day just here!!!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1Yxw7B61Uk

"Stay well, seems like there's this virus going around (again!!!)."

Piers -

"I used to like to listen to the pirate radio stations. Caroline, City, Such, and London all had strong signals where I lived. But the BBC never seemed to get things right. The home service wasn’t worth listening to, and if anything the light programme was worse, a choice of Billy Cotton or Benjamin Britten! The policy was carried on on the telly!

Juke box Jury was usually painfully awful presented by David Jacobs, and included as many TV personalities of the wrong generation as they could fit into the show, but over ‘on the other side’ on commercial telly, where there was a brief concession to the disposable income of the youth market, the producers of ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ at least had the wits to include Janice Nicholls - cos she was ‘With it!’ ."

"This week my musical listening has been dominated by Hildegard Von Bingen’s big hit from the 12th century, O Vos Imitatores Excelse.

I heard the Christian Forshaw cover version played on the radio. It is due to be released in a couple of weeks time. I then had to listen to the versions without him!"

"Although it probably slipped past ‘Juke Box Jury’, I think that time has proved that one to be a big hit. But flipping to the other Channel, would Janice have given it ‘A Foive’?"

"Cheers Pop Pickers.

Hildegard and her Tablet!"

Nina -

"Hope you're all well. Underworld, The Levs, Pixies, Fairport Convention & Velvet Underground albums provided the soundtrack for packing, loading up, cleaning & finally moving out of Dereham on Monday.

Loving the sea view & new horizons in Kernow. Hoping for plenty of aqua adventures & salty fun with pirates, shanties & local beer. 1st pint as a Cornish resident was Sharps Sea Fury, "substantial & satisfying" it certainly was.

Special thanks to Jayne & Wendy (non RPM pal), for their help during my move. Couldn't have done it without you ladies.

Take care, all. Cheers!"

Tony -

"Just back from the sea and now need to find the time to wade through 2 weeks of picks plus this weeks selections. Here are mine for this week (a Knuckle Duster wrapped between two velvet gloves) with best wishes to everybody at RPM as always."

Philip -

"First of all may I send best wishes to John in the hope that he is recovering well from his encounter with the dread virus, and to all RPMers- hoping that they remain safe and well.

Then may I note that it seems the originator of the "Eat out to spread it about" scheme seems to have destroyed his hopes of becoming the next Tory leader. Surprisingly, I think I have seen signs of competence and knowing what he's talking about from Mr. Wallace, a novelty on that front bench, but what counts most against him IMHO is that he's a staunch supporter of our P.M.

New album received this week by Ian Noe, who is a fine storyteller in song, and who is most often compared to John Prine. He readily admits that the late Mr. Prine is his primary song-writing inspiration. Also got the irresistible new Molly Tuttle album, which is utterly superb and is the bluegrass album her admirers have been wanting her to make. One from Mr. Noe then, and two from Ms. Tuttle."

John -

"Hi RPMers, Hope you're all keeping safe and well. Just about back in the swing of things although still self-isolating.... therefore plenty of time to listen to music. Here are my choices.

P.S. Thanks to Philip for The Coral info. "

Jayne -

"Thank you RPM colleagues for your submissions to date and wishing you all the best.

Here are my three for this week —all seen performed at sessions this week."

Tim -

"This week's selection was initiated by Piers asking last week if we remembered the Progressive Blues Experiment, by which I assumed he meant Johnny Winter's first album...

If it is indeed this recording, then yes I remember it, but not from 1968!!! I was about three and a half then....nope, I found it in the early 80s in Bury St Edmunds library and was immediately hooked by Winter's fiery slide guitar playing and raw vocal style. It's a great electric blues album.

So we're going to start with something from this LP and then two further tracks, all of which have a common connection. If you know what it is, say so next week....and no cheating by Googling. I'm trusting ya'll, as Johnny would most likely have said..."

'Til Next Time...