Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 22nd December 2023, the Winter Solstice & Yuletide edition. Top up your glass, put another log on the fire, turn up the volume and it's over to...
"Yuletide greetings dear RPMers, in the form of two solstice carols and an Icelandic myth — the terrifying Yule Cat who stalks homes on Christmas Eve looking to eat small children who have not received new socks, a scarf or clothes for Christmas."
The Halsway Carol performed by Jackie Oates -
Solstice Carol by Wyrd Sisters -
Jólakötturin (Christmas Cat) by Björk -
"Here's my Christmas three, one from the encore of a recent gig , one from a local village cinema film night and one from the seasonal recordings played at home."
Fairy Tale of New York performed by Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden -
White Christmas performed by Bing Crosby -
Blue Christmas performed by Elvis Presley -
"Hi RPMers and thanks for your music education every week!! Have a great Xmas. Here's my 3 this week."
Tom The Model by Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man -
GMO by JJ Doom -
Web In Front by Archers Of Loaf -
"Here's my Christmas 3, with seasonal wishes to everybody."
Rolling and Tumbling by Canned Heat -
The Dark End Of The Street by James Carr -
Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull -
"I recently received a message from Luke that 'The Elsing Wassail' will be happening on the 6th of January. He didn't include any promo material with it but I thought that I should alert my fellow RPMers to the event with a suitably traditional video.
Luckily for me, during my academic (?) career at art school in Norwich and for a few years after it, for some reason, I chose to spend a lot of time in The Plough on St. Benedict’s Street. Tony Hall made that same lifestyle choice. As I recall he usually had an instrument with him (even for the Sunday afternoon Darts matches). There were usually various other musicians who accompanied Tony. I know that the guitarist John James was one of them as I knew his cousin, Brian. I also know that Nic Jones was in the city at that time, playing with Tony, but I don’t know if I caught them together or not. It is more than likely as there were lots of impromptu parties and sessions. One of my fondest memories of that time was the day that for the first time I acted as best man. After I had officiated at the mid morning ceremony at the registry office, with four dubious parents, and about forty friends and relations we retired to the upstairs room of The Plough where a barrel of ‘Real Ale’ awaited. Tony and his friends supplied the music, anyone who could play or sing, including the parents, joined in. People danced. Some, perhaps exhausted from their exertions, or overcome with emotion, lay down. I know that we emptied the barrel. I have no memory of how I got home that night but that epic extended afternoon session spent with Tony lives on in my memory.
Last Sunday Tony was a featured artist at the Weybourne Folk Club and although older and even balder he played as wonderfully as ever. Jayne and I were also at this reunion a while back…" (So was I...it was quite an emotional gig, Tim)
Barrack Street performed by Nic Jones, Joe Jones and Tony Hall -
"Bowing to seasonal pressure I was thinking of including a Christmassy number - something like Black Ace’s glorious slide masterpiece ‘Beggin’ Santa Claus (If you don’t know it check it out!) But decided instead to go for something more modern as there is a whole new crop of wonderful Blues players coming along nicely…"
Take Me To The Country by Jontavious Willis -
"This isn’t Christmassy at all but it sort of fits… if you don’t listen too carefully, so it will have to do. Both of my parents were huge fans of Ellington. As a result this is a piece of music that I grew up with. I probably appreciate the significance of it more now. From Ellington’s Black Brown and Beige Suite."
Come Sunday performed by Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cInnyr5hlhE
"Have a good one, all!"
"Season's greetings, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderfully relaxed time with family and friends. So many good tunes last week - thanks!"
Jesus etc. by Wilco -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SZWblaEnUo&ab_channel=steelygray
Jesus on the Mainline by Ry Cooder -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InQMhyDHhJ8&ab_channel=HoneyboyWalter
Jesus is a dying bedmaker by John Fahey -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSiH885H84s&ab_channel=Awkadan
"I could have chosen Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia or Nirvana's Jesus Doesn't Want me for a Sunbeam, but I prefer these three items."
Bonus Track -
"As a probationer, I probably haven't yet earned the right to suggest a bonus track..."
(Oh, go on...it's Christmas after all, Tim)
"if I could, I would recommend this sublime rendition of The Lamb by John Tavener. We saw the Sixteen perform a concert of medieval and contemporary carols at St John's Smith Square one magical December."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQiuq9wK-Gg&ab_channel=TheSixteen-Topic
"Best wishes."
"My selections for this week comprise an artist whose name I must admit is new to me, a superb cover version of a very well-known song, and a piece of rather Springsteenian blue-collar rock."
Way Down in Mississippi by Jason Eady - "Comparable perhaps to the late great Tony Joe White?"
Help Me Make It Through The Night performed by Tyler Childers - "One of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Country music (and proof ,if any were needed, that there are still some very fine guitar pickers in Nashville... I should check this guy's name).
Can't Stop by Israel Nash - "... from his "Ozarker" album."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLEcFqMj4m8
"Best wishes and Merry Christmas to one and all."
"Hi Everyone, best wishes to all RPMers for Christmas and the New Year. May I say what a joy it has been over the past year being part of the wonderful community that is RPM Record Club; your wide ranging and diverse choices (although not always to my taste) have been keenly anticipated every Saturday morning. Likewise, your comments have been equally enlightening, amusing and, in some cases, slightly provocative! There have been many artists and musical genres that have been introduced to me via RPM so thanks to you all and thanks especially to Tim for keeping the RPM flame burning brightly.
Here are three tracks I've enjoyed this week..."
The Last Judgement by The Enid - "It ends a bit abruptly on this clip due to the fact that it segues into the next track on the LP (which is the title track on 'In The Region Of Summer Stars')."
I'm Still Waiting by Rita Marley - "Not the song of that title that was a hit for Diana Ross back in 1971 but one written by Rita Marley for her 1981 LP 'Who Feels It Knows It'."
Enough Time by The Stranglers - "Final track on their third studio LP 'Black & White' from 1978. If, like me, you're not fluent in Morse Code, the comments accompanying this clip on YOUTUBE will give you some answers..."
"Festive greetings to all of you in RPM land. Have a wonderful, magical, musical Yuletide."
"First up it's Chuck Berry with his reindeer call..."
Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry -
"Next, from Uncle Phil's Xmas party masterpiece..."
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) performed by Darlene Love -
"...and finally some seasonal blues."
Merry Christmas, Baby performed by Bonnie Raitt and Charles Brown -
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZzkOTRjjTrc&si=0BOXBUeIDSJjC0va
"That's All Folks."
"Hi RPMers...Happy Solstice to you all. Here's my 3."
Christmas Lullaby by Shane MacGowan and the Popes -
(Sorry folks....go to Youtube for this one...Tim.)
Thinking of You by the Colourfield -
https://youtu.be/178ojX0Q4QA?feature=shared
"1 year this week since Terry Hall passed away."
Winter Solstice poem -
https://youtu.be/kJLGNCq1LE4?feature=shared
"Wishing you all an enjoyable festive period + all good things for 2024.
Cheers!"
"My three Christmas sound-gifts for you this week, taken from my week's listening."
An Acoustic Winter Solstice by Richard Durrant - " 'Concert guitarist' Richard Durrant, possibly tapping into his prog-rock side here, with this track from his 2013 Christmas Guitars album. Do I sense the spirit of Tubular Bells past...? Anyway, a very nice way to mark the Winter Solstice."
3 Kings by Smoke Fairies - "Here's one from Smoke Fairies Wild Winter album (a regular in this house's Christmas playlist) and their left-field take on a Christmas song...here also with amusing animation, to boot. I love the idea of the 3 kings meeting penguins and that the angels have Catherine and Jessica's faces. Hilarious."
Christmas Swing by Django Reinhardt - " Unknowingly, I was listening to this in the summer...it's on disc 2 of my 10 disc Django box set...I'm still on disc 4. Just seen the title whilst perusing tune names. Recorded in December 1937, apparently on the 27th...so I reckon the Hot Club boys must've been a bit bored with nothing to do in that limbo bit between Christmas and New Year 😉."
'Til Next Time...see you at the end of the year.