Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 29th April 2022; putting reality on hold for a few musical hours. This is the May Day edition....so, hope you're up nice and early to welcome in the summer, then have a brew and catch some tunes. Over to...
"Another 60th anniversary; this time the University of East Anglia with whom I have been involved either as a student or an employee for half of that time. It's also the location of the LCR, venue of many great nights listening to bands. So here are songs from three bands I've seen there over the years."
Marshall Riley's Army by Lindisfarne - "I was asked by someone if I'd like to go to see a band at the UEA...so, it turned out to be Lindisfarne who were the first band I saw at the LCR. I was reminded of this when we saw Megson a few weeks ago; they played this song from their new "covers" album featuring songs from North East song writers."
Blackbird by Alter Bridge - "....also for the family of Blackbirds living in our back yard."
Black Shuck by The Darkness - "Local legend becomes a rock song.....with possibly the most obvious and also humorous rhyming couplet found in a rock song......"
May Day Bonus -
Summer's Come by LongShoreDrift - "Happy May Day."
"Hi Everyone, Yet another superb set of selections from the RPM community last week. Highlights for me were Rage Against The Machine covering Dylan and the wonderful track from Richard Durrant (by the way Tim, I'd go with 'prog in a folky classical way'!). Anyway, here are three tracks that I've listened to this week." (Cheers, John for sorting that out....and yes, that has got to be one of the best Dylan covers ever! Tim)
False Babylon by Israel Vibration -
Someone's Coming by The Who - "The only John Entwistle song on which Roger Daltrey sings lead vocals. From the expanded CD edition of 'The Who Sell Out'."
New Church by The Adverts - "From the LP 'Crossing the Red Sea With The Adverts'."
"Three recent arrivals for your delectation this week."
Refugees by Van Der Graaf Generator (7" single initially released 24th April 1970. Charisma label. - "This from 'The least we can do....' re-issue LP as bonus single).
One of Hammill's finest ballads, and he's recorded quite a few in the last 52 years!!! Although I bought 'The least we can do....' within weeks of its release in February 1970, having seen the band a year earlier, I missed out on two things. Firstly, the initial pressing of the album featured an alternative mix which the band were unhappy with. The album was withdrawn after just a few hundred copies, remixed (twice) and then re-released reaching a lofty number 47 in the NME LP charts. Secondly, 'Refugees' was remixed, edited, a new vocal track added, along with additional orchestration, and released with the non album 'The boat of a million years' b-side and the band were rewarded with.......... nothing really. Fast forward to 8th April this year and Charisma/ UMC re-released the album (complete with the original poster) and, as a bonus, included this superb single. My much played original pressing of the album can now rest peacefully alongside this essential re-release."
Walk away Renee by The Truth (7" single released 10th March 1967. Decca label) - "Whilst Steve Jameson was cutting Francis Aiello's hair in a trendy London hairdressing salon in early 1966, conversation somehow turned to forming a Sam and Dave/ Righteous Brothers style duo and becoming millionaire pop stars. Taking their name from Ray Charles' 'Tell the truth' single, they hit immediately by being the first act to cover the Fabs 'Rubber Soul' track 'Girl', one of a dozen covers of the song released in 1966. Despite their desire to be recognised as a 'soul' duo, the pair were certainly more comfortable on material such as their later singles, all covers, including 'I go to sleep' (the Kinks), 'Sueno' (Young Rascals), 'Jingle Jangle' (the Troggs) and 'I can't make it alone' (originally P J Proby but later, unbelievably, by Vanilla Fudge). On the fashion front the duo certainly couldn't be faulted (suede trucker jackets, dog tooth check trousers etc), and Decca certainly gave them a longer than usual time to break through (seven singles between 1965 and 1969) and, on this track, called in James Page Esq to add a wonderfully brief passage of psychedelic guitar in the 'middle eight'. All in all, this is a cracking little single and, as with the original Left Banke version, I'm perplexed that this didn't make any impression on the charts. The Truth were actually the first act (of many) to cover 'Walk Away Renee' and this track, plus all their other singles and b-sides (plus two unreleased and two from a later session released under the Shere Khan identity) were released on the 'Who's wrong? Mod Bedlam 1965-69' CD in 2015."
It's Dark Outside by Betty Harris (b-side to 'His kiss' 7" single released in the US 4th January 1964. Jubilee label. No UK release) - " 'Deep soul', 'slow burner' 'beach music', whatever label you want to attach, this is a fine piece of classic soul and it's only the b-side too! The top side, 'His kiss', followed Betty's cover of Solomon Burke's 'Cry to me' into the US Billboard charts and it was followed by another cover ('Mojo Hannah'), all on the Jubilee label, produced by Bert Berns and featuring the wonderful backing of the girls who would later become better known as the Sweet Inspirations. Soon after the 'Mojo Hannah' single Harris moved to the Sansu label in New Orleans where she was produced by Allen Toussaint which saw the release of a further ten singles, of which only the even deeper soul of 'Nearer to you' broached the US charts (number 85 May 1967). Her time with Toussaint saw Harris record a cover version of Lee Dorsey's 'Ride your pony' and duet with Dorsey on the excellent 'Love lots of lovin'' in 1968 before closing out her career with a lone single ('There's a break in the road') for the SSS label in 1969. Harris retired from music altogether (well almost) to raise a family in 1970 but the continuing popularity of her recordings on the various soul scenes led to a comeback in 2005 which culminated in tours of the US, Australia, UK and Europe, an appearance at the Porretta Soul Festival in Italy in 2007 and the recording of the 'Intuition' album the same year. All of her Sansu recordings were compiled for a UK only album in 1969 entitled 'Soul Perfection'. This was re-released by Charly in 1980 (as 'In the saddle') and has recently been re-released by the Soulgramma label."
Bonus Track -
"Just when you think the Tories and the MoS (with their 'Sharon Stone' allegations) and Putin ('praying' in church, pass the sickbag!!!) can't get any lower in the gutter....... here's a view of politicians (and the press) from Van Der Graaf Generator:
To whit:
"Yes and every bloody emperor's got his hands up history's skirt
As he poses for posterity over the fresh dug dirt.
Yes and every bloody emperor with his sickly rictus grin
Talks his way out of nearly everything but the lie within
Because every bloody emperor thinks his right to rule divine
So he'll go spinning and spinning and spinning into his own decline"
Stay safe, keep the great music flowing."
Every Bloody Emperor by Van Der Graff Generator -
Western Union Man by Jerry Butler - " "Grandad, what's a telegram?" If Randolph Scott is the Western Union man, who is Jones, and who is the Ramrod?"
Along Came Jones by The Coasters - "I've no doubt that Lieber and Stoller had the film in mind when they wrote this song."
Ramrod by Bruce Springsteen - "Re-listening to my OCMS selections of last week, I thought the E-Street Band could make a good job of "Paint This Town," and furthermore I could imagine Creedence doing "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" (obviously this one will have to remain a figment of my imagination)."
"Hi folks. Hope all's good wherever you are. Brief blurb, in a rush! 3 tracks I've heard a lot & really liked this week...Take care & have a great weekend all."
Unnecessary Drama by Belle and Sebastian -
Ghoster by Johnny Marr -
No Prizes by Kae Tempest & Lianne la Havas -
"...just in the door, back from sunny Devon and hopefully just enough time to include a few tracks from the Stones for this week. Best wishes to everybody as always."
The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man by The Rolling Stones -
Love Is Strong by The Rolling Stones -
The Spider and The Fly by The Rolling Stones -
"Hi RPMers, enjoyed your picks last week. Here’s my 3."
Where Do You Go When You Sleep by Woods -
Soon by My Bloody Valentine -
Australia by The Men They Could Not Hang -
"...choices inspired by the end of chitting!"
Potato Head Blues by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven -
The Adventures of Kaptain Kopter & Commander Cassidy in Potato Land - Potatoland Theme by Spirit -
"Greetings RPM colleagues and thanks for your tracks..."
A Different Bob by The Colorblind James Experience - "A persistent ear worm this week following an online discussion earlier with a friend who reminded me about this track."
John The Revelator performed by Larkin Poe - "I heard this during the week and thought it worth a share…"
Tess of the Dormobiles by Half Man Half Biscuit - ".…and just because."
"It's been a bit of a folky ol' week this week...."
Dominic's Farewell Set by Cillian Vallely and Kevin Crawford - "Sorting through a pile of CDs, I came across a copy of On Common Ground, a gem of a trad Irish recording by the piper and flute player from Lunasa. It's been played a lot this week and is currently residing within the car CD player."
Reel For Rubrik / Towards The Sun by Flook - " Flook stopped off in York midweek to play the National Centre for Early Music....and very good too. Catch them at Folk in a Field, 2nd July."
Hal An Tow reinterpreted by The Oyster Band - " Happy May Day...I've had this before, but I think it was the rerecorded version for the Trawler "Best Of.." album. Here's the original from Step Outside."
Til Next Time...