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Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 20th January 2023...
...and it's got a bit wintery in the North, so time to load up the wood burner, make a brew of Yorkshire tea and have a cozy few hours listening to your choices this week. Over to...
Tony -
"Here's my 3 for the week with best wishes to everybody as we (hopefully) emerge from the big chill of the last week or so."
Rolling Stone Blues by Muddy Waters - "This week I finally got my hands on a copy of this recording released as a Vogue 78 in 1953. This track famously gave The Rolling Stones the idea for their name. I have several USA Chess recordings by Muddy but very pleased to have all 3 of his offerings on the UK Vogue label now."
Rolling Stone performed by Paul Rodgers feat. Jeff Beck - "And as a tribute to the late Jeff Beck here's the same song reworked by Paul Rodgers on his album "Muddy Waters Blues" - one of three tracks featuring Jeff where a host of other famous leads only managed one track apiece on the same album."
Who Will The Next Fool Be by Charlie Rich - "During my wander through my singles this week I re-discovered lots of recordings on the Philips |nternational Label which was a subsidiary label to Sam Philip's Sun Label on which one notable artist was Charlie Rich who had a hit with the great "Lonely Weekend". Charlie was a session musician at Sun and wrote and recorded for many of the big names there. Charlie had a couple of big hits in the 70's with "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl" Here's another of his which is slow but good and was covered by Bobby 'Blue' Bland."
Piers -
"It has been one of those weeks when there has been a huge variety of new music which I have heard and could dip into. These are a favourites…"
Polska from Delsbo by The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrfLuUqUOho
Blue Mountain by Mountain Man -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4hoiXpYLPo
"This week I also heard that amongst other more famous performers, Seamus Begley has died. He was a master. He lived without the wide acclaim that was achieved by David Crosby or Jeff Beck but his music is as immortal. To my mind this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard! Please try to Ignore the image on the album cover and give this a listen…"
Eibhlín a Rún performed by Seamus Begley -
"Luckily Seamus Begley has a family to carry on his tradition please may I have this as a bonus track…"
Dawning of the Day performed by Meabh Begley -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJzozA60k5U
John -
"Hi Everyone, I hope you're all keeping safe and well. Like Tim, I listen to a lot of music while I'm driving. This week I'm selecting tracks from some of the CDs that have been on rotation on my car stereo in the past seven days."
Elephant by Croft No.5 - "I saw this band at The Cambridge Folk Festival many years ago - a brilliant live act."
Radiate by The Barlights - "This is from their album 'If It Wasn't For The Light, The Dark Would Have Killed Us' which was released in 2009. It was around this time that they appeared at Norwich Arts Centre (with other bands) as part of a 'showcase' for acts on the wonderful Norwich record label NRONERECORDS. It was a great evening of local talent."
Legalize It by Peter Tosh - "Title track of his first solo album after leaving The Wailers. I think I may have picked this as one of my RPM selections before...."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cIePqdz03A&list=OLAK5uy_mvro94MHWKW833YE4av9FBACrpUegwbSQ
Dave -
"Hi ya all, it’s all ways a pleasure on a Friday evening to sit down and pick 3 tunes for the playlist. A good excuse to dig through the record collection!!!! Here’s my 3 guilty pleasures this week."
Out On The Side by Dillard and Clark -
Summertime by Big Brother and the Holding Company -
Jean -
The Kiss by Judee Sill (Live 1973) - "This week I have been inspired by Bob Harris sitting in on Sounds of the Seventies last Sunday. He played a singer that I didn’t know but she had a wonderful pure voice like Karen Carpenter. Wonderful lyrics."
Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder - "Songs in the key of life’ album by Stevie Wonder in 1976 won a Grammy Award. This is a favourite track and was quite different from hits of that time."
Superstition performed by Beck, Bogert & Appice - "Finally, a bit later than most of you, a tribute to Jeff Beck R.I.P. This is a very different version of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ and I love it. Keep warm everyone and happy listening. "
Also chosen by Alan as a bonus track...
Alan - "And so, on to Jeff Beck whose death was announced after my submission last week: most radio tributes seem to favour 'You shook me' from the 'Truth' album and, indeed, that would have been my choice but, on today's 'Sounds of the Seventies', stand in DJ 'Whispering' Bob Harris played a version of 'Superstition' by Becks dalliance in true 'heavydom', the Beck, Bogert and Appice line up which seems to have only existed for around a year. I've said before I'm not a big fan of 'heavy rock' but, Jeez!!!!!, this is bluddy excellent. Enjoy."
Jackie -
"Driving to Farndale, I listened to Acoustic Classics by Richard Thompson, so I'm focusing on that album this week. The first two choices are my favourites....the third Jayne chose a few weeks ago, but it bears repeating, and I'm claiming a bonus track as it's my birthday on Sunday....
1952 Vincent Black Lightning by Richard Thompson -
Beeswing by Richard Thompson -
From Galway to Graceland by Richard Thompson -
Bonus Track - Wall of Death by Richard Thompson -
Alan -
"Some songs to test the patience perhaps this week."
Van Der Graaf- 'Pioneers over C' (from 'Vital; Live at the Marquee Club. London 16th January 1978' double album released July 1978. Charisma label)
"A curiosity here in several ways; firstly the band name was truncated (no longer were they a 'Generator'!), secondly, for a band whose reputation had long been almost legendary in a 'live' setting this was their debut live outing after almost a decade in existence and thirdly, the 'regular' line up was, for most of the numbers, minus saxophonist David Jackson but plus Grahame Smith (ex Charisma label mates String Driven Thing) on violin and Charles Dickie on cello and synths. And what an unholy row they kicked up, which owed as much to the then popular 'punk' scene (possibly influencing Hammill fan John Lydon's new band Public Image Ltd methinks?) as it did progressive rock thanks to the energetic and uncompromising playing of what was mostly a trawl through the bands back catalogue refreshed by the expanded line up. I was present for the recording of this album (Sue was awaiting the arrival of our second child, JonPaul, who duly arrived a month later) and sort of got to meet the band prior to the gig..... the Marquee dressing room fitted the oft used description of 'a toilet' as the entrance door was actually inside the Gents and, inadvertently, I opened the door and was confronted by the band sitting around awaiting the start; there were confused looks from Hammill and Co, followed by profuse apologies from yours truly whilst retreating in reverse through the door!!! The album itself, like many others from the band, divides both fans and the 'casual' listener (if there is such an animal for Hammill/VDGG records) but it was a novel way in which to sign off the band in its Mark One format, for a while at least, as Smith and original bassist Nic Potter had already replaced organist Hugh Banton and Dave Jackson on the previous years excellent release 'The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome'. It would be 27 years and 23 solo albums from Hammill before the band returned (generally as a three piece) to recommence their unique existence. An acquired taste to say the least and, as Morra once said when I played the 'Time and a Word' album by Yes at an RPM meeting many moons ago, "there's a lot of music in there"..... and I don't think he meant it as a compliment!!!!! The song itself first appeared on the coruscating 'H to HE, who am the only one' album and refers to " a group of astronauts who travel faster than the speed of light (hence the "c" in the title) on a relativistic one-way journey that takes them beyond the physical universe." and contains this memorable Hammill couplet as its finale regarding the astronauts plight:
"I am the lost one, I am the one you fear,
I am the lost one,
I am the one who went up into space, or stayed where I was,
Or didn't exist in the first place"
Parental Guidance Warning: This song, like many other VDGG outings, is not for the faint of heart!!!"
"And speaking of Public Image Ltd..."
Public Image Ltd- 'Poptones' (from 'Second Edition' double LP released February 22nd 1980. Virgin label)
"OK, credibility is often challenged by John Lydon but, when Sue and I spent around 30 minutes talking to him before the Pistols first gig at the Outlook in Doncaster there was none of the sneering 'punk rocker' which was being touted in the daily/music press at the time. His knowledge of sixties music was apparent and, although I don't remember him mentioning Peter Hammill at the time, I little expected him to delve into the dub crazy experiments apparent on 'Second Edition/Metal Box', become an advertising tool for butter, take part in a 'reality show' (surely a misnomer if ever there was one?) and put his name forward to represent Ireland at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest! As the Grateful Dead once said....' What a long, strange trip it's been'!!! 'Second Image' was the slightly later rerelease of the 'Metal Box' set of three 12" discs from November 1979 which was deleted and replaced after the initial 60,000 run and had seen the band 'progress' from the Malcolm McLaren/Catholic faith baiting of the 'First Edition' debut to expand on that albums closing track, "Fodderstompf", a dub fest which highlighted Jah Wobbles natural talent on bass guitar, an instrument he had only recently begun playing at Lydons insistence when he requested longtime friend John Wardle/Jah Wobble to join the new outfit. Keith Levine from the Clash was soon incorporated into the line up which was completed when newly arrived Canadian student Jim Walker answered the time honoured ad in the Melody Maker 'Drummers wanted' column!! 'Poptones' is, allegedly, based on a true story. Apparently a woman was abducted by several men who put her in the boot of what she remembers as a Japanese make of car. They drove her out to a forest where she was beaten and violated. She is reported to have said that, on the drive to the forest and during the assault, they were playing "pop tunes" on the radio. Luckily she survived to tell her story.
Another album to challenge both fans and new recruits alike and, as such, one to 'dip into' on a fairly irregular basis methinks. Lydons vocals are strident, to say the least, but the ensemble playing is exceptional and bears favourable comparison to any of the concurrent Jamaican dub releases of that era."
Robert Fripp- '1983' ( from 'God save the Queen/Under heavy manners' LP released January 1980. Polydor label)
"Fripp's second solo album, with each side bearing a different title and being identified as Side A and Side 1. 'God save the Queen', as a track, is Fripps somewhat humorous response to an audience member who called out that, as the concert was taking place on the tenth anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, Fripp should reprise Hendrix's 'The Star Spangled Banner'. Fripp proceeded to play an extrapolation of 'GstQ' with the opening three notes forming the basis for an extended piece of 'Frippertronics' which he was touring around various cafes, bars and small concert halls in North America. The King Crimson format had been mercilessly finished at short notice in September 1974 when Fripp foresaw portents of 'drastic changes in the world' in the upcoming years and that "the phenomenon of supergroups and stadium rock which the band had become part of, was severing all meaningful contact between musicians and their audience". He then retired from the music business, other than the occasional guitar solo on recordings by Blondie, Daryll Hall and Peter Gabriel amongst others, and sought spiritual guidance at various monasteries and religious centres including one dedicated to Fripps new 'gurus', Russian mystic George Gurdjieff and J.G Bennett, where Fripp had a spiritual experience in which "the top of my head blew off". Fripp had, by this time, already recorded and toured with Brian Eno (including a 'memorable concert at the London Palladium which Sue and I attended alongside around 2,284 Roxy Music wannabe's!!) where Fripp improvised over various 'prepared' electronic tapes from Eno's vast library and this served as an apprenticeship for these later 'Frippertronics' outings. When Eno phoned Fripp to invite him to add guitar to Bowie's latest recordings (the 'Heroes' sessions in July 1977) the scene was set for Fripp to return to a more familiar group format, initially with the 'new wave dance group' The League of Gentlemen' and then, after a tour billed as Discipline, the renamed King Crimson (at his managements insistence) which included, for the first time, a second guitarist (Adrian Belew), the reinstatement of Bill Bruford on drums and, after a brief rehearsal (one chorus of the mega heavy 'Red') the recruitment of Gabriel's bassist Tony Levin. Since that time Fripp has reconstituted the band on many occasions and currently tours as a 'seven headed beast' with three drummers and occasionally (or so I'm led to believe) appears on YouTube alongside his frequently underdressed spouse Toyah Wilcox and, apparently, special guest star Chesney Hawkes !!!"
Philip -
"Last weekend I used some book tokens to buy Bob Dylan's "The Philosophy of Modern Song," and I am very pleased with the purchase. It is eccentric (no Lennon and McCartney but you do get Bing's version of "The Whiffenpoof Song"), as erudite as you would expect from a man with Dylan's way with words, and highly entertaining. It is sometimes very amusing, and a notable feature of the book is the choice of illustrations, which are often selected to elicit a chuckle.
There are only 4 out of 66 songs of British origin, and in one of those cases he chooses Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman" over the original.
My first selection this week is one of the other 62, "Saturday Night At The Movies," in the essay for which he doesn't even discuss the song, but rather uses it to express his view that the art of cinema peaked in the mid-20th century with films (many of them in black and white) that combined popularity and entertainment value with something worth saying about the human condition). I tend to agree with this assessment."
Saturday Night At The Movies by The Drifters -
Hanging on to You by Melissa Carper - "This is the final song on her recent "Ramblin' Soul" album, which might have made my Top 5 of 2022 if I had received it in time. The song was written by her friend Brennen Leigh, and is on the subject of how "they don't make 'em like that any more," so it seemed an appropriate follow-up to choice No.1 and the accompanying note."
Where or When by Dion and The Belmonts - "A cover of an old Rodgers and Hart song. This is the final song dealt with in Mr. Dylan's book."
"Best wishes and good health as always. (P.S. I bet that Burt Baccarat was a bit of a gambler)."
Tim -
"Here's three from my week's musical mix."
No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed by Yes - "After Philip's western themed outing the other week, I went and put on Time and a Word by Yes, the bands second album from 1970, as this the opening track, a cover of a Richie Havens number, incorporates the main theme from The Big Country. (Total coincidence that Alan mentions Time and a Word above...) When I first heard this track (prob around age 18), there was a spark of recognition, not because I'd ever seen the movie prior to then as I hadn't, but because the film music was on one of the first "albums" I ever had. It was a cassette tape of western movie themes given to me as a Christmas present when I was about 10! I supose because I loved westerns as a boy, my parents thought this a good present, which it was, as I played it to death. It also had the themes to Magnificent Seven, my fave western at the time, and still is today, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Pretty cool."
Shoot Out The Lights by Richard Thompson - "I've got RTs 3 acoustic albums in the car at the moment....as you'll now know. This is from the first, Acoustic Classics.
Be prepared for more over the next few weeks..."
Kings of Kerry Set performed by Seamus Begley with Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle) & Donogh Hennessy (guitar) - "I went to Ireland in 1994 and one of the cassettes I bought for the car, and which became part of my touring soundtrack, was Meitheal by Séamus Begley & Stephen Cooney. So I was sad to hear that Seamus has recently died, as he was THE man for me when it came to the Irish button accordion. I played that cassette a lot and eventually replaced it with a copy on CD. Piers has chosen the softer side of the man's music with a vocal piece, but here's how I will always remember him, playing those Kerry polkas and slides with such joyous abandon. The Kings of Kerry Set comprises An Choisir, The Lisheen Slide, Eibhlin Ni Riordain's and Kings of Kerry and appeared on that cassette nearly 30 years ago. Here's a live performance from a few years back."
'Til Next Time...
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