Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 24th February 2023. Published slightly later than normal this week....but here it is, another week of good vibrations; over to....
"OK, hold back the tears (well, maybe!!)
Sue's just had a knee op and I've got to buckle down and be a 'proper' carer (been an easy 50 and a half years so far thanks to my lovely (VERY patient) wife. Dunno how and why she puts up with me really?)
Anyways, for the next few weeks it may be hit and miss, and more than likely no potted (yeah, I know they're pretty big pots) histories.... just the music. So enjoy!!!
This week I was seeking out 'Delta Lady' by Joe Cocker and three singles adjacent to it came off the pretty tightly packed shelf at the same time. Strangely, all three are from the late fifties/early 1960 time period so here they are. All nice original UK pressings in their proper sleeves by the way!"
Dee Clark- 'At my front door' (7" single released February 1960. Top Rank label)
Info on Dee on Week 45/22
The Coasters- 'Three cool cats' (7" single b-side to 'Charlie Brown' released March 17th 1958. London American label)
(Apologies to any purists out there: could only find this 'remastered' version or an 'extended stereo remix')
Eddie Cochran- 'Cherished Memories' (7" single b-side to 'Weekend', released 2nd June 1961. London American label) - "Couldn't resist this video with lots of pics of his girlfriend Sharon Sheeley who Eddie introduced to Jackie De Shannon and with whom she formed a successful songwriting partnership. Sheeley wrote this for Eddie just prior to his death and, with Ricky Nelsons 'Poor Little Fool', became the youngest female songwriter to top the US charts. See Tony's notes Week 2/22."
Mingulay Boat Song by Richard Thompson - "I have had this as an ear worm for a fortnight. It has been performed at a couple of sessions. When I looked it up, I found that the tune is a variation of the traditional dance tune ‘Lochaber’ and the song was written to it by (Sir) Hugh S. Roberton whom, using the same process also wrote the lyrics for ‘Maries Wedding’ and ‘Westering Home’. You can’t really hold his knighthood against him. (Jimmy Shand got one too!) Though he spent 50 years as a formal choir master and might be considered a bit of ‘a folk colonist’, he did do his bit for keeping the tradition alive."
And just because I have been listening to Tom Paxton….
Rambling Boy by The Carter Family -
"Tonight (Friday) I am meeting a couple of old friends for a curry and a natter. They lived in the States for a long long time but I have known them since before this was released… (I first heard a pre-release promo copy of ‘LA Woman’ in their flat)."
The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat) by The Doors
"I’ve decided to feature just one performer. She certainly has a strong voice and I am becoming a fan of her shows too. Saw this performance last week – amazing song and what a gymnast!"
Get the Party Started by P!nk (from Live from Wembley Arena, London, England) ft. Redman - "What a performer – certainly loves dangerous stunts in her shows."
"Tim bought The Jam Singles 1977-79 CD box set at a jumble sale last weekend for 50p!! So, later on that evening, each disc was played to check they were Ok before it's sold on again, hopefully for a bit more than the original outlay. Firstly, here's a couple of B side cover versions...."
Sweet Soul Music / Back In My Arms Again performed by The Jam -
...and here's the song which our Morra performs live, and tbh, I prefer his version to the original."
Down In The Tube Station At Midnight -
"I see that a biography has just been published of the great Sonny Rollins, entitled (of course) "Saxophone Colossus." This is not an idle boast, merely a statement of fact, so here's one of the two most celebrated tracks from his 1956 album of the same title (the other being "Blue Seven")."
St. Thomas by Sonny Rollins (from "Saxophone Colossus") - "Based, apparently, on "The Lincolnshire Poacher" by way of The Virgin Islands, where Mr. Rollins' mother was born. He's now 92 and has been unable to play since 2014. (BTW, I saw Max Roach at St. Andrews Hall at some point in the last century- it was amazing that he could be so entertaining and musical and keep an audience hooked with just a simple drum kit)."
Put It Where You Want It by The Crusaders - "I didn't generally have much time for "jazz-funk," considering it to be mostly muzak with pretensions, but this group were special, and of course Wilton Felder and Larry Carlton, made significant contributions to Steely Dan albums."
Birdland by Weather Report - "I didn't generally have much time for "jazz-rock fusion," believing it to mostly add up to less than the sum of its' parts. However, these guys had their moments- especially this, their best-known number.
"Best wishes to everyone."
"Hi RPMers, I hope you've all had a good week listening to lots of good music. This week I've been listening to albums from many different genres, styles and eras. Having said that, in the case of my first two choices, they were released just one year apart; Misty in 1981 and Maiden in 1982... and a great number of people still insist that the eighties was a bad decade for music!"
Hallowed Be Thy Name by Iron Maiden -
Jah Bless Africa by Misty In Roots -
Fox On The Run by Manfred Mann -
"Peace and love dear RPMers."
Brother Bill by T Bone Walker -
Bylur by Eydís Evensen -
Tryin' Times by Roberta Flack -
"Hi folks. Hugely enjoyed last week's musical selections & all the interesting info too - I always do. No groans here, Alan. Here's 3 from this week's listening. Included my fave Television track as a belated tribute to Tom Verlaine's passing."
Take care, all. Cheers!"
Cowboys and Angels by George Michael -
Bonus Track - "...please, Tim, as I didn't chip in to the Jan end bonus bonanza."
The Natural Urge by Unthank:Smith -
"The album is awesome + described by 1 critic as 'jazzy Pentangle'. Dunno about that, luv the spring-y intricacy of this track, though."
"Here's my 3 with the minimum of fuss - harking back to my youth with some country
memories - best wishes to my other tune pickin pals in RPMland."
Settin' The Woods On Fire Hank Williams -
Walkin; After Midnight Patsy Cline
Sea Of Heartbreak Don Gibson -
"Hi RPMers, here’s my 3."
Vanity Fair by World Party -
First Day on a New Planet by Urusei Yatsura -
Sixtyten by Boads of Canada -
"Earlier this week I finished off the newest Bob Dylan book by Greil Marcus; Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs. It's the usual expansive writing you'd expect from this author, although it's not quite a proper biography, rather Marcus's musings which relate to each song title he uses as his chapter headings. Anyway, recommended and pretty interesting, even if on occasion, slightly bewildering in the length of some sentences into which the author inserts very long asides! Each song/chapter title obviously had to be played....so here's part one....which includes a bonus track to complete it all in two weeks."
Chapter 1/ Blowin' In The Wind -
Chapter 2/ The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll -
Chapter 3/ Ain't Talkin -
Chapter 4/ The Times They Are A-Changin -
'Til Next Time...