Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 24th March 2023...and lighter evening are just around the corner; remember to put your clocks forward for Sunday. What's caught RPMer's ears this week...? Over to....
"Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle played in York last week, so here's a couple of their's to start with."
The Asturian Set performed by McGoldrick, McCusker + Doyle -
Wee Michael's March / Jig / Jig / Frank's Reel performed by McGoldrick, McCusker + Doyle -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oinBBGMqzPE&list=OLAK5uy_nWaT0cuD9NHwiqQNP3JCtzPmPtcUWuXSY
"And then later in the week I saw Turandot, live streamed to the Palace Cinema, Malton, from the Royal Opera House."
Nessun Dorma performed by Marco Berti -
"Here's my 3 for the week. Best wishes to everybody as always."
The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades Timbuk 3 - "I spotted this single under a pile of other stuff in my study this week. I've had this track in mind for some time after buying it with a batch of others all at 50p each so time to give it a spin. I thought I'd already suggested it but can't find any trace of me having sent it in so apologies if I already have."
All The Young Dudes Mott The Hoople - "Going to see a Bowie Tribute tomorrow evening at Epic Studios so here's a Bowie track that he gifted the band to do first after they passed on his previous offer of Suffragette City. The audience is being encouraged to dress up for the occasion so hopefully there'll be lots of Ziggys and the odd Thin White Duke to admire although none of them will be me!"
All The Girls Love Alice Elton John - "A song taken from Elton's Yellow Brick Road album. The graphic on Youtube shows the cover of a 4 CD box set called "To Be Continued...." which I bought at a "VIP" record fair in Norwich a long way back for £7 and which subsequently turned out to be a bargain - currently listed in the collectors guide at £100. It comprises a selection of songs taken from Elton's releases up to 1990 plus a selection of edits and mixes with an excellent booklet. I also found a souvenir ticket and EDP picture special of Elton's 2005 Carrow Road gig which I'd saved inside and had forgotten about."
"I’ve enjoyed Sky Arts lately as they have had so many concerts and documentaries. I especially liked the Old Grey Whistle Test. Back in the day I could never watch this programme unless my parents had gone to bed. Why was it on so late? Answers on a postcard please. Alan will know."
Angel Dance by Robert Plant and Band of Joy (Live From The Artists Den) -
"Fantastic Band. Whole concert was great."
Still Within the Sound of My Voice by Linda Ronstadt - "Very detailed documentary. Tragic that she had to stop concerts/ recordings because of Parkinson’s Disease."
Time Is on My Side by Rolling Stones (Arizona '81) - "Watched a programme about The Stones tour in Ireland 1965. It was fraught with the audience jumping up on stage and causing mayhem. This video shows footage from different years and stages in the evolution of the group. Had forgotten that Brian Jones was the pin-up of the group – like many of that era died too young."
"Have a good week everyone. Cheers."
"There seems to have been quite a bit of Dylan on SDS recently so here's three hopefully unfamiliar recordings from the vinyl vaults to add to the collection."
The Masterminds- 'She belongs to me' (from 'The Immediate Alternative' LP released 1990. Sequel label. Single released March 1965. Immediate label single. )
"One of the earliest UK cover versions of a Dylan song by a Liverpool group whose line up had several attempts at stardom in the sixties. They were formed in 1964 by the sixteen year old Joey Molland who was already the veteran of two other Merseybeat groups. In late 1964 the Rolling Stones played a gig at Liverpool's Empire Theatre and, later that evening, retired to the well known watering hole The Blue Angel accompanied by manager Andrew Loog Oldham. On stage were the Masterminds whose set already included several Bob Dylan songs, including 'She Belongs To Me', and Oldham immediately (sic) saw the potential of a UK group singing Dylan songs, as opposed to the Animals slightly earlier renditions of the folk-blues standards Dylan had covered on his early LP's. Perhaps this was too much too soon for the record buying public as it would be another six months before the Byrds would achieve worldwide fame with their 'folk rock' treatment of Dylan songs. Signed to Oldhams new label, Immediate, the Masterminds released this lone single, accompanied by an appearance on Ready Steady Go, but, despite some fine guitar work from James Page esq, the disc sank without trace. Molland then joined the splendidly named Fruit Eating Bears, the backing group for charters The Merseys and then Gary Walker's outfit The Rain, before moving on to the Iveys who, after a name change to Badfinger, went on to a couple of years of limited success."
Yardbirds- 'Most likely you'll go your way (and I'll go mine)' (from 'Yardbirds On Air' double LP. released May 1991. Band of Joy label)
"Here's the 'Birds stretching out on BBC's essential Saturday morning listen, 'Saturday Club' on a show recorded on 17th March 1967. The programme had started (despite reluctance in the BBC upper echelons) on the 1st June 1957 as 'Saturday Skiffle Club' with a budget of £55 per week and, yes, it was even hosted by Brian Matthews back then!! The Vipers, Chas McDevitt, George Melly and Johnny Duncan were all early guests and, whilst the budget was increased when Lonnie Donegan appeared, surprisingly Cliff Richard failed an early audition. There was a panel of 'experts' who 'judged' prospective acts and here's the panels thoughts on several of the skiffle artists :
Dickie Bishop – quite good, two part singing and well organised
Cy Laurie – harmony singing way off, but otherwise not bad
Chas McDevitt – much better organised, more in time and a better beat
Johnny Duncan – hillbilly, yodelling blues. Too polite to use: could he be jogged up?
In October 1958 the 'Skiffle' prefix was dropped and the programme was extended to two hours with a wider range of artists appearing, especially from the UK's growing roster of rock and rollers. Cliff finally managed to appear along with Johnny Kidd, Vince Taylor, Adam Faith and Marty Wlde with Humphrey Littleton and Chris Barber representing the late fifties jazz boom. The Musicians Unions ban on US artists appearing live on radio was overturned in late 1959 and teens were treated to the Everly Brothers, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Bo Diddley on the show. And then came the Beatles and the programme became the go-to for every beat and r&b group wanting to publicise not only their latest release but, as is the case with this Dylan cover by the 'Birds, it also gave them a chance to stretch their wings (sorry!!) and play something that would not normally appear either in concert or record. Matthews left the show in 1965 and Ray Orchard took over but, with the advent of Radio One in 1967, the programme's days were numbered and, after another change of 'announcer' (to Keith Skues)', the programme bowed out on the 18th January 1969 after over 500 shows. There are quite a few artist compilations from the show with Hendrix, the Who, Small Faces, Manfred Mann, the Beatles and the Stones all being virtually essential for lovers of sixties pop."
Joan Baez- 'Love is just a four letter word' (from 'Any day now' double LP released December 1968. Vanguard label)
"Both 'ADN' and its follow up 'David's Album' were recorded in one marathon Nashville session in September 1968. 'ADN' is a compendium of Dylan songs, six of which, at that time, had never featured on any official Dylan release, and also included 'Love is.....', a track Dylan had not even recorded himself! Joni placed the sheet music on the floor of the studio and, closing her eyes, picked which songs would be recorded at random. Joni also designed the sleeve which included an illustration of her interpretation of each song. The album, Joan's ninth, featured an all star lineup of musicians including Steve Stills, Pete Drake, Jerry Reed and Grady Martin, and would go on to reach the Billboard Top 30 and sell over 500,000 copies."
"Hi Folks, thanks for brightening my life with all of your choices. They have been a god send this week as I have been stuck at home with a head cold, and not having to do more than scroll back through the months to hear something interesting has been particularly welcome. There is always something interesting.
My musical collaborator John Fincher and I have been asked whether we would be willing to play a set at a three day Folk/Roots Music Festival in Blakeney later in the year. It is far enough in the future that we can work up some new numbers for it. John has spent the winter frailing on his banjo whilst I have been concentrating on improviing my abilities on Concertiina by learning harmonium like chords whilst playing lyrical numbers. Things like ‘The Breamish Waltz’ (Starry Night For A Ramble), and ‘The Mingulay Boat Song’. The instruments seem to go together well. The last time that John and I got together to rehearse, as usual, while we were sipping tea, dunking biscuits we were chatting between songs. (Could this be why we get so little accomplished?) A pair of old pedants, we soon fell to discussing the relative meanings of the term ‘Roots’ when it comes to music.
I told him that I was brought up in a home where my aunts, uncles and their friends would regularly gather around the piano, and that once the atmosphere in our front room was sufficiently blue with Woodbine smoke, late into the nights they would ‘bash out’ songs on the upright piano. There was always a point when we kids were sent to bed, (actually to sit on the stairs and listen from outside) because uncle Charlie’s songs were often rather risqué, and not fit for children’s ears (One about a French Poodle, to this day I don’t understand!) Every week or two I would find myself sitting on different stairs as the same scenario was re-enacted around yet another piano, until it was our turn again. Those songs have lingered in my memory.
What could represent roots music better, than something that I had heard communally performed by my family? Anyway - I happened to mention to John that as a result of all those get togethers, I still have a lingering fondness for lots of old musichall numbers. Immediately John agreed and admitted that he has long loved the same material and suggested that we should look at one of his favourites for ‘a roots music festival’. His choice is ‘Tommy Make Room For Your Uncle!’ Which I only vaguely remember hearing before… I have managed to find the sheet music for it but it is obscure enough that there is no Youtube video of it… How sad you might think… well if you want to hear it, you’ll have to come and see what we make of it…
One that I thought that I might like a crack at is ‘The Snowflake’ by Steve Kaufman… but what are the chances??? As if running an accumulator, that one came in against the odds too! I had picked another winner… ‘The Snowflake’ is not on Youtube either!! If it had been a horse that I had had a punt on I would have been worried about choosing the next one…
I have been performing Lal Waterson’s ‘Some Old Salty’ on and off for years, and I thought that we could include something of the sort into our set as there are always ‘Shantymen’ around at such events, and it might be nice to slip this one in too..."
Haul Away For Rosie by The Salts -
"This plays well on the concertina too…"
Fhear A Bhata (The Boatman) by Silly Wizard -
"And while I m at it this is in keeping..."
Jolly Roger by Roger McGuinn -
"Have a very fine week."
"What was it about BoJo's "childish stupidity" defence that the committee didn't like? Could it have been his attempt to argue two mutually contradictory positions at once? Interesting that some of the most forensic questioning came from the Tory members, not to mention some of the most exasperated reactions to his responses.
Surely even the Telegraph and Mail can't continue to support him now... can they? Never mind BJ, you've still got little Nades and big Jakey in your corner of the playground.
On the music front, just when you think Willie Nelson has issued his valedictory statement, along comes yet another Willie Nelson album, the new one being a collection of Harlan Howard songs. I think the standard of quality control on his recent releases has been excellent, and this is another fine album.
I've chosen a song that I suspect most of us will know from another version."
Busted performed by Willie Nelson -
Busted performed by Ray Charles - "Here's that other version I think you might know."
Nightmare by Daddy Long Legs - "...from their new record."
"Best wishes to one and all."
"Hi RPMers, I hope you're all safe and well. Here are my three tracks for this week..."
Light At The Edge Of The World by The Vryll Society - "I saw this band a few years ago supporting The Coral and was very impressed. Last weekend at a Record Fair in Peterborough I bought a copy of their debut LP 'Course Of The Satellite'. Very good it is too. If you need to know the meaning of their name, I suggest you Google it.... it will take a lot less time than if I tried to explain it!!"
Mary by Marketa Irglova - "From her second solo album 'Muna' (which means 'to remember' in Icelandic)."
Wooly Bully by John O'Hara And His Playboys - "I came across this by chance on a TV station called 'That's 60's'. It made me smile."
"Hi folks. Here's my 3."
E-Boogie/Second Solution by The Living End -
Riot by UK Subs -
Running Out of Time by Paramore -
"Hi my fellow music lovers, here’s my 3...".
The Remote Viewer by Ocs -
Down About It by The Lemon Heads -
Glad Tidings by Van Morrison -
"With all good wishes to the RPM faithful."
Love Song by The Damned -
Up Song by Black Country, New Road -
Daring Highwayman by Hack-Poets Guild -
"Live music has been back on the menu this week; McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle at the Crescent in York, as Jackie has already said, and the Answer back on the road after a 7 year break, caught at The Key Club in Leeds. But first, a little something from an album I've listened to a number of times over the past few days..."
Still Raining, Still Dreaming by Jimi Hendrix -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNDhBPP6o0&list=OLAK5uy_mYWPkHE6zV6px1NrufGZgni8KPoqsvC34&index=13
Taimse Im Chodladh / Hardiman the Fiddler / Helvic Head performed by McGoldrick, McCusker, Doyle -
Blood Brother by The Answer - "...chosen because Paul Mahon is playing such a cool Telecaster in this vid...."
'Til Next Time...