Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 16th June 2023. It's too hot to do anything other than listen to the new edition of the 7DS....over to...
"Hi everyone, what glorious week. Here’s my 3 for this week."
Better Days by Anna St. Louis -
Teenage FBI by Guided By Voices -
True Romance by dBridge -
"Hi folks. Hope you're all keeping well + not melting in the heat. My choices this week are a few more from the Great Estate festival.
Falmouth sea shanty festival is on this weekend & I'm off to the Scillies, home of fab shanty band Bone Idol (spoiler alert for next week..)."
Get Down by The Big Sets -
40 Up 40 Down by Velvet Hands -
Lose Myself by Pattern Pusher -
"Have a great weekend everyone, cheers!"
"A couple of my choices this week have links to other RPMers' submissions last week. Firstly, Alan tentatively suggested "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" as a candidate for the title of "Greatest Pop Song Ever." I'd like to suggest my favourite for that accolade, which again comes from that Brill Building era."
Stand By Me sung by Ben E. King - "The song-writing credit is "King, Leiber, Stoller," where the King in question is of course Carole, not Ben E."
"My second choice has a connection with Piers' selection last week of a Rodney Crowell song. Until this week I would have said that "The Houston Kid" from 2001 was an all-time career peak for Mr. Crowell (apart from having songs covered by Emmylou Harris, obviously), but I think his new "Chicago Sessions" produced by Jeff Tweedy is as fine a collection of songs as he has ever put out."
Loving You Is The Only Way To Fly by Rodney Crowell - "...with a harmony vocal that I assume is by the song's co-writer Sarah Buxton (it's her on the record anyway)."
Cast Iron Skillet by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - "...from new album "Weathervanes," which some are saying is his best to date, or at least his best since "Southeastern" ten years ago."
"Best wiishes to all."
"I’m going for one artist this week; Bowie."
Starman by David Bowie -
Lets Dance by David Bowie -
Under Pressure by David Bowie ans Queen -
"Here's my 3 for the week inspired by me hearing the first track on the radio and then rummaging around for an old cassette tape of one of my favourite local bands recorded playing at the Village Inn, Little Melton when it was a raucous pub who covered these tracks and many other (mainly soft rock) bands. I may pick some other tracks covered on the cassette in future weeks."
Here I Go Again by Whitesnake -
What About Love by Heart -
Pink Cadillac performed by Natalie Cole - "This is a great song from the Boss (B side to Dancing in the Dark, Tim) but my fave version is by Natalie and the vid is good to watch."
"Whilst away in Penzance, I missed Spiers and Boden play in York...so this is to compensate."
Bailey Hill / Wittenham Clumps performed by Spiers and Boden -
Reynardine performed by Spiers and Boden -
Rochdale Coconut Dance performed by Spiers and Boden -
"Kind thoughts from home to the RPM faithful."
My Rifle, My Pony And Me by King Krule -
Aeolian Harp by Henry Cowell performed by Fausto Bongelli -
Swansong/Starfall by Slow Moving Clouds -
"Greetings RPM'ers. This weeks goodies could be classified as 'Too soon and/or too late' featuring three fine groups three bands stradling the lines between mod, psychedelia and 'heavy rock' who coulda, shoulda made it....... but didn't."
The Attack- 'Magic in the air' (Unreleased. from 'Final Daze' semi-legit compilation released 2001. Italian Get Back label)
"Things could have worked out so differently if........... Richard Shirman was lead vocalist in the jobbing Soul System as a teenager and, one Saturday whilst helping his mum with the shopping (!!) he bumped into trumpeter and guitarist Davy O'List in Sainsbury and they decided there and then to form a group playing a different kind of music to the Soul System, but first O'List joined forces with the group whilst recruitments were sought. Sainsbury's supplied Gerry Henderson, who was brought in on bass (and occasional clarinet), Bob Hodges was installed on Hammond and Alan Whitehead came in on drums and, after just a few gigs in London's clubs the group were signed by Decca in late 1966. Their manager, the more than shifty Don Arden, instructed the group to record a cover of the Standells/Ohio Express garage goodie 'Try It' which, due to its suggestive lyrics, had caused a stir in the US but, as usual with Decca, there was minimal promotion and hence little sales action. The group were hauled back into the studio in March 1967 to record an acetate which Arden had been given of a new song by Scott English called 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' which was laid down in double quick time which allowed the group a whole half hour of remaining studio time to come up with a b-side, the excellent 'Anymore than I do' featuring a fine guitar solo from O'List. Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Whitehead jumped ship and joined Marmalade and Barney Barnfield joined the group, but things soon began to go awry. Arden had 'arranged' for the disc to receive maximum 'promotion' on the pirate radio stations but, unknown to Arden and the group, Mickie Most at RAK had been passed a copy of the acetate too and he rushed the newly formed Jeff Beck group into the studio to record their version which would be released as that groups debut offering. Also hampering the Attack disc was the fact that Decca had just released singles by the Rolling Stones, Tom Jones and Englebret Hummpydonk which thereby reduced the pressing capacity for all other Decca releases and left Most and Becks version almost unchallenged. Further line up changes followed with Brain 'Blinky' Davidson joining on drums for just a few weeks before he and O'List jumped ship to join Nice, a move which saw Chris Allen and John DuCann joining on drums and guitar. As the 'summer of love' broke, the group returned to the studio, strengthened by DuCann's excellent guitar work to lay down the Kinksy, feel good 'Created by Clive' which was released on Decca, but the label (as happened on many occasions) then released another version by The Syn on the newer, hipper Deram label and, inevitably, this resulted in misses for both groups. Returning to the studio the group recorded today's choice, 'Magic in the air' but this was promptly rejected by Decca as being 'too heavy' thanks to DuCann's style of playing. They responded by laying down the equally excellent and catchy 'Neville Thumbcatch' which, despite capturing the mood of '67, failed to attract airplay. Returning to the studio again the group laid down a substantial number of demos, many featuring on the 'Final Daze' album, and an unreleased single, 'Feel like flying', before splitting in early 1968. DuCann then recorded a budget label album entitled 'Five Day Week Straw People' before forming the psychedelic/proto heavy rock group Andromeda but he split that group in 1970 to join Atomic Rooster. Shirman soldiered on, refusing the lead vocal role in Andromeda before reforming The Attack in 1979 and, some years later, forming the quaintly named Hershey and the Twelve Bars.
Nul points, by the way, for spotting the intro music."
"Jeez........ pressed for time again!! Brief details on these two but I think there are group bio's posted earlier."
Wimple Winch- 'Rumble on Mersey Square South' (7", ahem!, semi legit reissue single. Originally released 20th January 1967. Fontana label)
"From the very cusp of late mod and early UK psychedelia, here's Winch's third monster single which, along with Creation, defines the term 'freakbeat'. Whilst the Who were beginning their 'po-faced' period which would lead to the overblown pretensions of 'Tummy' and Modrophreniac' this is how they should have sounded. Power Chords? You got 'em! Monster bass? Present and correct! Thundering drums? Hell, yeah!!! Plus a story in song to equal the Who's concurrent 'I'm a boy', 'Happy Jack' and 'Pictures of Lily'..... what more could you want. Fontana seemed to lose interest just as the groups fortunes took a downturn (see earlier posts) and, although they re-entered the studio, presumably whilst under the influence of certain illicit substances, none of the songs were released until 1986's 'Rubble Volume 2' compilation. We were then treated to songs entitled 'Marmalade Hair', 'Lollipop Minds' and 'Bluebell Woods' with more (presumably of the same ilk) being released on 1991's 'The Psychedelic Years' LP on the Bam Caruso label."
Creation- 'Uncle Bert' (Initially Germany only b-side to 'For all that I am' 7" single released September 1968. Hit-Ton label. This b-side to ltd edition 7" 'Making Time' released 1984. Edsel label)
"Having defined 'mod' with 'Painter Man', 'Making Time', 'Nightmares' and a slew of other fine singles, the band's ultra fractious membership finally blew up in mid 1968. However, there were several tracks recorded by a late line up, which included future 'Face, Strolling Bone and artist Ronnie Wood, which strayed over into psychedelia and here's one of 'em. As the group were incredibly popular on the Continent the German outlet re-released their first single (by the 'pre-Creation' Mark Four) and two unreleased in the UK tracks as singles. Imagine a late era Small Faces (circa 'Lazy Sunday', 'Ogdens...' LP) singing a totally nonsense lyric about a man whose trousers were always falling down whilst out on Hampstead Heath whilst carrying a hammer, biting dogs and other crazy things, coupled with clinking cups and saucers or, better still, just play this crackers Shel Talmy production whilst settling down to watch 'Gallows Pole'!!!! Equally crazy stuff!!!"
"Enjoy and keep well."
"In the week that I heard that Pete Brown had died it would be a shame for me not to acknowledge his influence on British Rock. I am sure that at least one fondly remembered track from ‘The Art School Dance Goes on Forever’ by ‘The Battered Ornaments’ will feature in somebody else's playlist this week, but this track which was written by him, was always a favourite ‘Cream’ track…"
Politician performed by Cream -
"Since I saw them live in their early years, and over the years, through many of the various changing line-ups, I have listened to a lot of Fairport Convention. Undoubtedly the recordings which I play most are from the era which included Sandy Denny. I am sure that it isn’t just nostalgia, surely she had one of the loveliest voices of her generation? I have always loved Sandy’s voice and since a chance comment by a friend that nobody should be allowed to sing her song ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes?’ (as by comparison nobody could compare) my listening has been ramped up again in the last few weeks."
Who Knows Where the Time Goes? performed by Sandy Denny -
"And finally - perfect for a hot sunny day…. from the new Marquis Hill album 'Rituals and Routines'..."
Stretch by Marquis Hill -
"Greetings to you all. I hope you're enjoying this wonderful weather. Here are three tracks I've listened to this week....."
Leave This City by The Sundays - "From their third album Static & Silence (1979)."
Beauty On The Beach by Hugh Cornwell - "From his sixth solo studio album Beyond Elysian Fields released in 2004."
Ghetto In The Sky by Aswad - "From the album A New Chapter Of Dub released in April 1982. This LP is a dub version of Aswad's previous album New Chapter (1981), and was produced by the group with Michael (Reuben) Campbell. Having felt New Chapter under-performed commercially because it was too intricate for mainstream reggae fans, the group conceived the dub remix album as a way of appealing to core reggae audiences. It's one of my favourite dub reggae records and quite possibly has the best sleeve design of any reggae LP in my collection. By the way, I haven't yet managed to track down the 'normal' original version although I have an Aswad CD compilation containing many of it's tracks."
"Here's three from this week's listening that I kept coming back to..."
Light Enough To Travel by The Be Good Tanyas - "Thanks to Dave last week for reminding me to check out the Be Good Tanyas who have been on my "to be checked out" list since....well, ages ago, when I think Jayne included them in her selection one week.....so thanks both for flagging up something great; it's what's so good about RPM. I've listened to Blue Horse and Chinatown so far.....here's the closing track from 1st album Blue Horse, a song which proves that 2 chords are pretty much all you need."
Sandy Boys performed by Jeff Norman - "Well, Jeff's Stripey Cat album is proving to be a rich seam of tunes to learn....here's another, one which Jeff has slowed down from the usual manic speed it's normally played at to really bring out the melody."
Gypsy Biker by Bruce Springsteen - "Here's a raging song of loss and grief from the Magic album... but is also paradoxically anthemic."
'Til Next Time...