Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, weekending Friday 17th June 2022. Just when you thought it couldn't get any hotter, it's over to...
"Here's my 3 before I clear off on holiday. Hopefully will be back in time to submit for next week. Best to all as ever."
Girlfriend Is Better by Talking Heads - "I keep revisiting this great film for yet more tracks from Talking Heads; "Stop Making Sense" which has got to be one of the best movies of a gig ever. Love the big suit!"
Girlfriend by Christine and The Queens - "The first track suggested a theme to me so here's the follow-on....
I liked this band's breakthrough single - the dance routine for "Tilted" was as catchy as the song itself. Yes, I know the lyrics make less sense than the policeman in' 'Allo Allo' but it's not the first song to be essentially gibberish. I'm hoping that my schoolboy french gets me by in France but no doubt I'll lapse into franglais just as I step down from the plane."
"To complete my choices, I can't choose between two tracks, so perhaps I can beg my first bonus for a while Tim??" (Go on then, Tim)
My Best Friends Girl by Cars -
Girl Of My Best Friend The King Of Rock'n'Roll - "I got what Philip was driving at regarding Kings of this 'n;' that.
This song is definitely far removed from Rock 'n' Roll, but Elvis's impact on the AGE of R'n'R was, imho, as big as it gets. Maybe e.g. Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry have a claim to be King of the genre but Elvis can't just be dismissed.
"Well, losing one ethics advisor might be careless, but two? Anyone would think BoJo had done something wrong!
Leaving all that aside, my first two choices this week are "Golden Oldies" heard as Jacquie and I played a little weekend Scrabble. I find that having something of this nature on the stereogram reduces the complaints from the other side of the table about the unfairness of the tile fairies. With best wishes to all RPMers."
Rubber Biscuit by The Chips - "On a rather good 10-year old Rhino compilation called "Blue Moon." I believe Dan Akroyd made a valiant attempt to sing this in The Blues Brothers."
Almost Grown by Chuck Berry - "From the "American Graffiti" OST. Also the title of a very readable book by James Miller, who was editor of the original edition of The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll."
On A Winter's Morning by Lyle Lovett - "And now for something completely different... Lyle Lovett has a terrific new album out, his first in several years. Once again, he's occupying that intersection between jazz and country. The song that immediately resonated with me is the last track on the album."
"Yet another 'ethix' resignation from Boris's team! To lose one is careless... (I sense a theme emerging here...Tim)
This weeks choices were inspired by an enjoyable 35 or so minutes with John Mayall's first album, 'John Mayall plays John Mayall: Live at Klooks Kleek'..."
R&B Time by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (from 'John Mayall plays John Mayall: Live at Klooks Kleek' LP released 26th March 1965. Decca label) -
"Closing out side one of this atmospheric live recording from the famous Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead on 7th December 1964 is this medley featuring James Brown's 'Night Train' and Little Richards 'Lucille'. Mayall has regularly had to recruit new band members, generally thanks to his dictatorial manner, which meant that in the early years of their careers Clapton, Green and, to an extent, MickTaylor would hone their talents in other outfits. Featured on this album is Roger Dean (not to be confused with the 'prog' sleeve artist of the same name) who, on this showing, was a guitarist of some promise. Dean decided to enroll in college and play guitar semi pro, returning to his previous band, the Nu Notes, before joining several unsuccessful outfits such as the Bluejays and the Bad Boys. There followed session work for P P Arnold, Jonathan King and Andrew Sachs (!!) amongst others and stints on the QE2 with the Joe Loss Orchestra before his career finished teaching music at various schools. He died after being injured in a serious car accident in 2004. On this particular album bass and drums were supplied by John McVie and Hughie Flint with Nigel Stanger weighing in on tenor and slide saxophone."
James Brown Medley by Zoot Money's Big Roll Band (from 'Zoot: Live at Klooks Kleek' album released October 1966. Columbia label. This from Repertoire label rerelease 2017) - "Featured on this album is future 'Police-man' Andy Summers** who plays some really good breaks when the occasion arises. Of course it's Zoot who dominates the performance, just as he did when we saw him as part of Dick and the Firemen, a (reconstituted) band who played a benefit gig for Mike Patto's widow at the Black Swan Sheffield in 1979 following his untimely death of throat and chest cancer. Also on stage that night were, amongst others, Boz, Paul Carrack, Tim Hinkley, Neil Hubbard, Henry McCulloch and Mel Collins. Mike Patto had first formed the band in 1976 when Patto (the band) broke up with several contracted dates outstanding and had fairly regularly returned to the nebulous line up with, perhaps, the highlight being 1976's Crystal Palace Garden Party alongside Freddie King, the Chieftains, Jess Roden and Eric Clapton. , 'Zoot'....' followed Eric Burdon's request for Money to replace Alan Price in the Animals, a gig he would eventually accept (along with Summers) in 1969 after the short lived (ahem) experimental Dantalian's Chariot."
** Spot Summers outside the Flamingo with a young, smoking Rod the Mod on the video still.
It's a Man's World by James Brown (1964 demo version from 'The LP of JB' compilation released April 1986. Polydor label) - "And here's the man himself with an unreleased (at the time) demo version of the (extraneously) entitled 1966 hit ''It's a man's man's man's world'. At the time the song was originally recorded it was probably much too 'musically progressive' to have been released and, certainly, in these politically correct (or 'woke') times it would now probably be deemed contentious thanks to Brown's insistence that all of the domestic benefits we enjoy can be attributed to 'man'. However, these sentiments are later somewhat lyrically counterbalanced with "it means nothing without a woman or a girl" and that he's lost 'in his bitterness' and is 'in the wilderness'. The surprising thing is............... the song's observational lyrics were actually written by Brown's then girlfriend Betty Jean Newsome!!"
"Hopeful bonus from a 1966 'live at Klooks Kleek' album not currently available (unless you know different??!!)"
Stepping Out by Cream -
"Hi Everyone, I hope you're all managing to cope with the heat.... Here are a few tracks I've played this week."
Blue Dress by Jon Boden - "Jon Boden Is obviously an old romantic; his lyrical imagery creates scenarios that are both contemporary and traditional in their portrayal of love, loss, yearning and desire. Very refreshing."
Don't Look Back by The Temptations - "I think I may have played Peter Tosh's version of this song as one of my RPM choices in the past. (I haven't checked the RPM Archives so I may be wrong!)."
You're Either On Something by Temples - "Cool psych...."
"Hi RPMers, hope you all had your sun cream out today. Here’s my 3 this week."
Herr Ole performed by Songleikr -
Son of a Gun by The Vaselines -
Emma Blowgun's Last Stand by Beulah -
"This week Sir Elton John was entertaining folk at Carrow Road and he was on the Zumba playlist too. Here’s a great sing a long."
I'm Still Standing by Elton John -
"Alicia Keys was also a new song on the Zumba class and this was very popular on the Queens Platinum Concert."
Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys -
"The best thing after Queen on the Jubilee concert was Andrea Bocelli. I hope they put that version on YouTube soon."
Euro 2020 Opening Ceremony by Andrea Bocelli -
"Keep cool everyone and enjoy the Summer."
Rainy Dues by Marc Jonson - "A few years ago I started buying vinyl again after a very long gap. I bought the 2018 re-issue of the 1972 record ' Years' by Marc Johnson in a sale at JG Windows in Newcastle and it quickly became one of my favourite records. The first track is the one I like best."
What's It In For by Avi Buffalo - "A Song I come back to again and again. I adore the harmonies at the end."
Eight Miles High performed by The Golden Earring - "I love the music of Golden Earring and have done since I was a teenager, when I bought the album 'Eight Miles High', one of their very best. For many years the opening of this song has been the ringtone I use on my mobile phone."
"My 3 are inspired by 2 gigs I've been to this week. Honey & the Bear at the Acorn theatre, Penzance - thanks for the tip off, Jayne. Sumptuous performance.
Also, Sarah McQuaid at Penlee park open air theatre, Penzance. Sparsely attended, very lovely nonetheless.
Take care all. Cheers!"
Sweet Honey by Honey & the Bear -
Sweetness & Pain by Sarah McQuaid -
Aqui Me Pinte Yo by Sarah McQuaid -
"Been doing a lot of swimming spots this month; a cool green pool in Somerset, sea in Scillies, geothermal Jubilee pool in Penzance and the heavenly lido in Helmsley. Music playing as the backdrop was..."
Sloop John B by The Beach Boys - "...in Penzance..."
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon - "...playing at the beach café on St Martin's island..."
The Swimming Song by Louden Wainwright III - "...playing in my head at Helmsley."
"Here's three taken from this week's listening."
Book of Spells by Richard Durrant - "Richard's gig in York last week was musically captivating and technically amazing...and he's such a nice bloke. Here's some more proper guitar music from The Sleep of a King."
Follow Me Down / Game of Love performed by Jackie Daly and Seamus Creagh - "This album was recommended to me as a Irish music classic at the Three Legged Mare session in York last Friday.....and I'd have to agree; superb playing from two trad music maestros. Why had I never found this album before now...?"
Somewhere by Jimi Hendrix - "Gave 2013's People, Hell and Angels a spin during the week and it's actually a pretty good collection of recordings which were at the time of release, unheard by the public at large. It's Jimi and the Band of Gypsys line up mostly, although on this track, Stephen Stills is playing the bass. Earth Blues seems unavailable on Youtube (shame)....not a major problem, as this outing has some pretty cool wah wah action and lyrics which are still relevant today, i.e. mankind's unending capacity violence towards each other and for f***ing up the planet."
'Til Next Time...