Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 6th January 2023, and I'm really looking forward to hearing another year's worth of RPMer's musical choices.
But firstly...
Thank You, everyone, for keeping the musical journey going. Your support throughout the past twelve months has continued to make RPM feel like a community and, speaking personally, makes me feel connected to you all where ever you live. I love the wide-ranging mix of musical styles and eras, 1920s to 2020s, of which each edition regularly comprises, and I’d say it gives BBC 6Music a real run for it’s money in playlist diversity.
I'm more than happy to continue as RPM Curator for as long as you all wish to support it and contribute each week......soooo, let's see what's been catching your ears.
Tim
"Hi folks. Here's my 3 and some blurb.
Thanks all for the musical delights each week; always enjoyable + interesting and of course big thanks to Tim for taking the time to put it all together, even including rogue, repeatedly offending last minute submitters like me..
Looking forward to perusing the top 5's in due course, reviewing last year's choices for inspiration was enlightening.
(Yep, head on over to the new 2022 Top 5s page. Nina's lists have just been added...any other lists can still be submitted for inclusion...Tim.)
Jean - thanks for your cracking, upbeat tunes, I danced round my house + thought of you.
Alan - luv your "groan-athons", keep 'em coming.
Philip, Tony, John, Piers and Tim - similarly enjoy your informative snippets, thanks!
Jackie, Dave and Jayne - always enjoy your selections; new discoveries and familiar tracks.
This week my 3 have a folk-y flavour, in honour of Wassailing - I'll be in Elsing in spirit on Saturday. (So will I, Tim.) There's a longstanding Wassail in Bodmin that originated in 1624 the same day (thanks for the heads up, Piers), but I may wait + attend St Ives community orchard Wassail on 11th February."
Daring Highwayman by Hack Poets Guild - "Great rhythm."
Roisin Dubh performed by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh & Irish Chamber Orchestra - "Spellbinding."
An Culyek Hos (The Mallard Duck - Cornish Music) - "Haunting, had a lovely wander round several ancient sites in a few miles' radius of where I live on Monday, including Men An Tol pictured in the clip."
Bonus Track - "...please Tim - it's appropriate.. and brief!" (Oh...alright, then, Tim.)
Cornish Wassail Ceremony at Tremough Orchard, January 2021 -
"It might interest RPM members to know that The Mermaid in Elsing, Norfolk has now re-opened as The Lemon & Rosemary Yard Restaurant and Deli, run by the people who used to have the restaurant at Creake Abbey. It's nicely refurbished and has very pleasant friendly staff. Jac and I nipped in this afternoon for coffee and cake- both excellent- and intend to go back soon for lunch." (And I understand from Luke (FIAF) that they are involved in the Elsing Apple Tree Wassailing, as well, Saturday 7th, 6.30pm at the Church gates. Tim.)
"This week's selections follow from my having just listened to Donald Fagen's 1982 album "The Nightfly," in which he waxed nostalgic for the fantasies of a young man coming of age in the late '50s/early '60s. I regarded this album (and still do) as a return to form after the slightly disappointing "Gaucho" in 1980, having loved all the earlier Steely Dan records."
New Frontier by Donald Fagen - "JFK knew the power of this expression as a "signature" for his new administration, tapping into American (white, male) ideas about who they were as Americans. This from a New England liberal progressive who refused to wear a cowboy hat. Nowadays of course we're equally likely to see this symbolism being invoked by extremist "MAGA" types who have recently (in justifying attempts to block people's voting rights) claimed that "America is not a Democracy, it's a Republic," as if these two ideas are mutually exclusive."
Theme from "Star Trek TNG" - "Speaking of "frontiers." Apparently William Shatner, following his recent excursion into space, has recently expressed regret over the part he played in propagating the notion that space is "the final frontier," pointing out that Earth is our only home and must be looked after."
Theme from "The Big Country" by Jerome Moross - "A slightly over-long movie but still one of the great Westerns, with one of the most celebrated soundtracks."
"Best wishes to all."
"I watched the concert with the 2022 Inductions to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many Brits gaining the accolade. Therefore, a number from three of them. Have a good week everyone. Best wishes for 2023."
"Hi Everyone, hope you're keeping safe and well. Here are my three for this week...."
White Riot by The Clash -
Stay With The Reggae by Bunny Wailer -
Midnight Mushrumps by Gryphon -
"A cynical, nay...... depressing 2023 beckons and this week's choices reflect the current outlook. Sorry to start the year being despondent but that's how we feel at the moment!"
Donovan- 'And the war drags on' (from 'Universal Soldier' EP released August 15th 1965. Pye label)
"Only the 'location' has changed..... originally by Mick Softley. Released just two weeks after my 17th birthday, I purchased the EP on the day of release."
Buffy St Marie- 'Universal Soldier' (originally released on 'It's my way' LP 1964. Vanguard label. This from 'A Golden Hour of......' released 1976. Golden Hour/Pye label)
"The original version and, again, only some of the locations need to change."
"...and, on a slightly more optimistic note, sort of...."
West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band- 'Suppose they gave a war and nobody comes' (from ' Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil' released May 1968. Reprise label)
"Possibly inspired by a Charlotte E. Keyes 1966 article for McCall's magazine entitled "Suppose They Gave a War and No One Came" which was later turned into a 1970 movie of the same name directed by Hy Averback."
"And that's without even thinking about XBB.1.5, inflation, politics etc!!!!
Keep well and heres hoping I'm being overly pessimistic...."
"Happy New Year to everybody!
What to pick for the first week of 2023???
When I reviewed the Top 5 End of Year Lists for 2021 to remind myself of the format I noticed Alan's record collection statistics and that prompted me to resolve to do something about reviewing my own collection which is filed randomly to my shame. The first box of singles turned up many interesting reminders and for the first week of 2023 I've selected a set of 3 45's on the UK Sue label which caught my eye.
A very interesting collection of Top 5's this year and I may well refer back to them as I pick my way through further stuff. I've already found another single (by The Ramrods) which might float Philip's Cowboys and Injuns boat which I'll do as part of my offering next week. I was also surprised to see that I'd managed to acquire two copies of Slim Harpo's \"I'm Your Breadmaker, Baby" on $tateside."
Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand by Professor Longhair - "This song is b/w "Looka No Hair"
Recorded in 1957 his style is very reminiscent of Fats Domino (my copy is a lot cleaner label-wise than the example displayed with this clip!)."
A Little Piece Of Leather by Donnie Elbert - "Released in 1965 b/w "Do Watcha Wanna" it didn't do much here until 1972 when released on the London label and Donnie became a Northern Soul favourite. I'm pretty sure there aren't many females out there nowadays who'd take too kindly to being referred to in this way though."
Jaybirds by Charlie and Inez Foxx - "When originally released, was paired with "Mockingbird" but c/w "Broken Hearted Fool" when released on Sue in the UK. The song has similarities in the pair's vocal interaction with "Mockingbird". Inez passed away last year."
"This week I am celebrating the first 250 years of John Newton’s Amazing Grace, first sung on the 1st of January 1773."
"The First Version I remember hearing…. Was probably Judy Collins but this was a favourite…"
Great Awakening - Amazing Grace
Aretha Franklin - Amazing Grace
"But the tune ‘New Britain’ was used for many hymns and is a relatively recent addition to the words which have been sung to many tunes…. Including this which you may recognise!"
Blind Boys of Alabama - Amazing Grace
"The Observer's regular January cultural diet this year is classical music under the banner, "Feed your soul: the 31-day classical music diet...." My 3 choices this week are from this list."
Holberg Suite Opus 40; Prelude by Edvard Grieg -
"Hi RPMers, hope you have all started 2023 well !!! I have a question. I have no mono recordings; what would you recommend to listen to in mono?
Here’s my 3."
Taking Control by Aphex Twin -
Run For Your Life by The Beatles -
Slow Dancing by Willy Nelson and U2 -
"Happy New Year RPMers."
Amelia by Joni Mitchell -
Bunga Bule by Rian Treanor and Ocen James -
I’m Gonna Gicha by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five -
"Here we are at the start of another year and I'm taking a more optimistic view than Alan; possibly/hopefull/surely the last full year of a totally discredited Tory government giving them a bit more time to hammer the final nails into their own coffin, then heading for an election in summer / autumn 2024 (there has to be one by Jan 2025) when surely the electorate which voted for Brexit and then put Johnson in power will see the error of it's ways....? And Putin, entrenched in a war he can't win, is removed from power from within...? Well, fingers crossed, anyway....and if it does all go horribly wrong, my first choice may prove a suitable soundtrack."
The Four Horsemen by Metallica - "From Metallica's debut album which found it's way into the car CD player this week....still their best work in my view."
Jackie Colman's / Pigtown performed by various at Matt Molloy's - "A new year and a first new tune learnt on tenor banjo being the first in this set. I've always liked the tune; it's the first on the Music from Matt Molloy's recording and also found on the 1995 debut album by master guitarist, Tony McManus, which is the recording which made me sit up and take note of it. A fellow musician at the Maltings Session in York has asked me on a number of occasions if I knew Jackie Colman's to play, which I didn't. Until this week; after being asked again, I decided to get it sorted."
Working Them Angels by Rush - "I've just finished reading Neil Peart's book Travelling Music. Written around 2003 by the Rush drummer and lyricist, it's a mix of travelogue, autobiography and thoughts upon creativity and it's philosophy. The ideas behind this Rush song are mentioned a few times in the book and come across as Neil's ethos for living, but didn't appear as a finished song until 2007s Snakes and Arrows album. And now I can't get it out of my head."
'Til Next Time...