Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, weekending Friday 10th June 2022. As we're quickly heading towards midsummer, here's some hot tunes for you....over to...
"Hi RPMers...can’t believe how quick the year is flying by! Here’s my 3 this week."
Do You Remember the First Time by Plup -
Live Forever by Oais -
"Guess where we are! Will we be able to afford to drive home?"
The Trip To Orkney by The Wrigley Sisters -
Norwegian Waltz performed by Graham Townsend - "I was very touched when I found out that ’Norwegian Waltz’ that I’d like to learn to play on the mandolin, was learned by accordionist Iris Nicholson from a member of the crew of a motor torpedo boat which was highjacked by a Norwegian captain and his men and liberated from Nazi-occupied Norway and taken to Shetland where it served as a protection vessel during WWII. It has become a very popular session tune in Orkney and Shetland."
"There are only two tunes this week. But you should be thankful as had I chosen to post the tune that we heard at a Scottish wedding reception; you might be all reaching for the paracetamol....it was ‘Hey Jude’ performed by a military bagpipe band."
"Here's my 3 for this week before I jet off to La Belle France for a 10 day walking holiday on Wednesday (well, only 4 days when we are on walks but that's enough).
Best wishes to all as usual."
Soldier Of Fortune by The Drifters - "Prompted by rediscovering a paperback all about the group, I was reminded of a mid-50's 78 on the London/American label which I have. At the time the lead singer was the long-serving Johnny Moore. Hope you like it."
The Storm by Tedeschi Trucks Band - "This has been on my stand-by list for a while. The band are led by married couple Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi."
I'll Make Love To You Anytime Eric Clapton - "Sorting through my box sets, I came across a de-luxe set comprising 3 solo studio albums - 461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand and Backless which spanned 1974 to 1978. During this period I had the misfortune to buy There's One In Every Crowd which bombed for me but these were good albums. I thought I'd share this JJ Cale penned track from Backless with you this week."
"Greetings........So, 148 Tory MPs tried to do the right thing (not necessarily for the right reasons), but the "Greased Piglet" squirms away and limps on. Not that any replacement would necessarily be an improvement: apparently Liz "Photo-Op" Truss is very popular with the Party membership. Not sure what this says about the Party membership given that as Foreign Secretary she has displayed extraordinary ignorance and stupidity (rather like the previous two incumbents of that position). Bloody hell, I knew that Rostov was in Russia- why didn't she?
There's only one way to start this week...Best wishes to everybody."
Cult of Personality by Living Colour - "Need I say more?"
Nibbadip by Fantastic Negrito - "...from his superb new album, "White Jesus, Black Problems." This is one of three songs on the album based on his research into his family history. The video tells the story.
Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones - "I think someone might have chosen this before. It is of course one of their most visceral rockers, and is perhaps as transgressive as they have ever been. On the surface one might think that it is the most appallingly racist lyric ever committed to wax, but anyone who thinks The Stones are/were racist is an eejit. I believe it is a disturbingly honest statement about exploitation of people of black African descent by white Europeans through the ages- and if it is honest, how can it be anything other than disturbing? Perhaps it is even an admission of complicity - after all, some might say it's the story of rock 'n' roll (Elvis - king of rock 'n' roll?), and for that matter of swing (Goodman - king of swing?) and jazz (Whiteman - king of jazz?) before it."
"Hi there RPMers. Hopefully everyone is keeping well. My choices this week are...."
If You Want to Get to Heaven by Ozarks Mountain Daredevils -
Pablo Picasso by The Modern Lovers - "This song featured on the film Repoman although I don’t think by the Modern Lovers. Later covered by Mr. Bowie but I resisted the temptation to make it my cover of the week."
Blitzkrieg Bop performed by The Beautiful South - "Speaking of my cover of the week, this one speaks for itself..."
"Hi Folks. Hope you're all well. Belated welcome to James, that's me behind the curve...again! Great to have more musical choices each week.
Work's busy and 3 days of wind this week. Torn between obligation & desire...
My 3 are tunes I've heard on radio 6 a few times lately & enjoyed. Take care all
Cheers!"
Blue Bones by Billy Nomates -
One and Only by Gabriels - "Amazing beat & lyrics."
Free in the Knowledge by The Smile - "Generally I'm not the biggest fan of Thom York/Radiohead, really like this."
"It's been a bluesy kinda week and I've had discs by these three early soulsters on the old turntable during the last few days. All three are the title tracks to the follow up albums."
You Better Move On by Arthur Alexander- ' (taken from 'You'd better move on' LP released mid 1962. London label) - "A familiar track by the Rolling Stones which they memorably covered on their self titled 1964 EP, this was the sole Alexander composition on his album. The rest were covers of recent US (and UK) hits such as' The Wanderer', 'Young World', 'Love Letters' and even Bruce Channels 'Hey! Baby!'. However, on the plus side there are extremely early covers of Willie Nelson's classic 'Funny how time slips away' and Billy Swan's 'Lover please' which charted in the US with Clyde McPhatter and, in the UK, it was, unbelievably, the original Liverpool group the Vernons Girls who hit a respectable No 16 on our charts. Quite a collectable LP but I picked my copy up a few years ago for just £1."
For Your Precious Love by Jerry Butler and the Impressions - (from 'For your precious love' LP released late 1963. Vee Jay label. This from 1968 Joy Records re-issue) - "As if co-writing this classic early soul/doo wop classic wasn't enough, Jerry went on the co-comp quite possibly the finest ever soul ballad, 'I've been loving you too long', with Otis Redding in 1965. The release of the 'For your.....' single caused some internal friction within the Impressions and Butler was tempted away for a solo career which, for a time, included the Imps' main man Curtis Mayfield as his lead guitarist. (For more info on Jerry, check out my earlier 'Original versions of well known songs' article.)"
You'll Lose a Good Thing by Barbara Lynn (from 'You'll lose a good thing' LP released September 1962. Jamie label. This from 2015 re-issue on Not Now Music label) - "54 years after she knocked Ray Charles off the top of the US R&B charts, the (later) video shows one party I would have loved to have been at. A ground breaker on so many levels..... a left handed black female lead guitarist who not only ran her own band but also composed every track on her debut album. Up to this point there had only been Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie and the extremely attractive Peggy Jones and Norma Jean Wofford (both of the Bo Diddley band) who had made any kind of musical impression on the recording front, but Barbara took their (sometimes limited) successes to new levels."
"This week's choices..."
Soft Lowland Tongue by John St. Field - "After John's Doll by Doll choice last week, here's more Jackie Leven. I'm a huge fan of Jackie's and listen to his music probably more than anyone's. I saw him 8 or 9 times when he made his return to performing in the 90s, including the gig at the 12 Bar, which was released as 'For Peace Comes Dropping Slow' and remains the best gig I have seen by anyone. This is the first track from the 1971 album ' Control', which was released under the name John St Field and remains my favourite of all Jackie's recorded work."
Victoria Sage by Jack Bruce - "Another of the greatest Scottish voices here and another musician I adore. From what I think is his best album ' Harmony Row', Jack Bruce."
Here's a Health to the Sauters performed by Ceolbeg - "And a third great Scottish voice, that of Davy Steele, here with Ceolbeg from the album 'Seeds To The Wind'."
"Hi RPMers, Hope you're all well. No time for any philosophical gems this week, just three cracking tracks I've heard in the past seven days..."
There, There My Dear by Dexy's Midnight Runners -
Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones -
Crystal Ball by Peter Tosh -
"I've not played a huge quantity of different bands this week....just a select few which I'll share with you now...."
Sleep of a King Dream 3 by Richard Durrant - "Richard Durrant has just released a new album, and this time he's gone back to his guitar playing roots, as it were, so no prog folk classical workouts on this release, but instead, all self composed pieces for solo guitar. Recorded on location in St Botolph’s Church, a tiny, Saxon church on the South Downs Way, this is possibly the most sublime album you'll hear this year, in my view. The way the album has been recorded is so atmospheric and it's as if you were sitting in the pews of the church listening to Richard playing live....there's even the sound of the birds (house sparrows?) cheeping in the background. Wonderful.
At the moment Richard is doing another of his cycling tours. Starting off in Orkney, he will cycle south stopping off at venues to perform concerts, York being Sunday. We have our tickets. Can't wait."
Ain't No Grave performed by Crooked Still - "Another case of RPM synchronicity happened a few weeks ago. We were playing through potential songs to put into the LongShoreDrift set at the Folk in a Field festival next month, and this was one we had a few goes at, trying to remember how we used to play it....and then the day following, Nina chooses the reworking by Anna Calvi...which then caused me to dig out the Crooked Still album Shaken by a Low Sound which contains their version. You can't beat the mix of cello and banjo."
Happy Sevens / Monster Rabbit by Damien O'Kane and Ron Block - "...and talking of banjo....A preview of the 2nd album these two banjo maestros are about to release popped into my inbox from Deering Banjos on Wednesday...and pretty exciting stuff it is as well....could this be the banjo album of the year? We'll find out on July 1st. In the mean time, I'll keep playing the three preview tracks found on Soundcloud....and here's one of them."
'Til Next Time...