Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 4th October 2024. Another mystery meander through the collective's multifarious musical minds...over to...

Jayne -

"Thank you RPMers for the weekly music fix. Here’s one I was reminded of by a duo at a session this week, one I’ve had on the back burner (no pun intended) for a while, and an example of the other side of Radiohead."

John -

"Hello Everyone, as I mentioned last week, I was at Deepdale Festival last weekend. Consequently, because of such an abundance of wonderful music, my three tracks this week are from acts that I particularly enjoyed over the four days. In addition to these three and the two I picked from the festival last week (Man The Lifeboats and Evangeline Gentle), I could have chosen Eliza Delph & The Wilderness and The Henry Girls, both acts unafraid of pushing the boundaries of whatever 'box' people might want to put them in. Ultimately, as I'm sure most of you will agree, there are no boxes.... only music." (But isn't that a musical box...?😉 Tim)

Dave -

"Hi RPMers. Here’s my 3 this week."

Kevin -

"Hi guys. Just back from a jaunt around the west coast of Ireland (the Wild Atlantic Way), which was blessed by atypically beautiful clear skies and sunshine, contrary to the forecast. The lure was our favourite folk band of all time - Lunasa - playing at Monroe's in Galway. It was a home-coming gig for the demonically gifted fiddler, Sean Smyth, (who takes breaks from the touring to practise as a GP). They were phenomenally good and the scenery in Connemara and the Keem Bay (location shoot for the Banshees of Inisherin) beach were outstanding. If it was allowed, I'd attach a photo or two."

("Go on then, I love holiday snaps....no, really I do!" Tim)

"Just a couple then: both of Keem Bay on Achill Island. The cottage is the one used on location by Brendan Gleeson's character in the Banshees of Inisherin movie.

Anyway, this week I've been delving into the stuff I was listening to about ten years ago, starting with..."

Piers -

"I do try not to do RIPs on RPM, however, there are occasional exceptions. This week I have been to three acoustic sessions and 'Me & Bobbie McGhee' was sung at all three. At only one was it introduced as ‘Me & Debbie McGhee’ (by our host Ken at Elmham) but although other KK songs were performed nobody covered my favourite…"

Alan -

"I was interested to see Philip's comments last week about 'Sherwood' and the 1984/85 miners strike. Forty years ago the strike was around half way through and the striking miners were really beginning to feel the pinch, domestically and financially. However, we lived in Harworth which, since the very outset, had become somewhat of a 'battleground' thanks to Harworth Colliery being part of the non-striking mines but, thanks to its proximity to Rossington, Maltby and the Doncaster pits in general, saw a regular 'invasion' of flying pickets by the South Yorkshire miners. 

Here's (ahem!!) a few thoughts from that period for those who weren't in the privileged position of a front row seat:

1)  At that time I was in charge of the Wages Dept at Glass Bulbs Ltd (around 1200 employees and situated directly behind the pit). We still had a lot of people paid in cash and, when their last rota shift was nights on Wednesday, two of the Wages staff would go in to pay their wages out  at 6am Thursday so they didn't have to come in at 1.30pm. As luck would have it, on the first Thursday of the strike, yours truly had drawn the short straw and set off around 5.30am in thick fog to open the Department. I lived around  two miles from the factory but, no sooner had I gone around half a mile, than a host of our famous boys in blue stepped out of the fog and almost under the wheels. ''Ello, ello' an officious looking plod said, ' where do yer think you're goin' sonny?' 'Work' I replied. 'Oh no you're not' came the response, 'we're not letting any pickets through here!'. 'Great', I said, 'I'll phone in to our factory Manager, let him know and I'm sure the 150 guys on nights expecting to be paid won't mind having a couple of hours kip and coming back later!'. And cue that look of puzzlement akin to Stan Laurel when he's unknowingly made a mistake. 'Wait here', he ordered, before asking which factory I was talking about. I  advised him that there had been Western Europe's largest bulb manufacturer located behind the pit for over 30 years. Away he went and some time later the human chain was withdrawn and we were allowed to go through. However, later that day, around a thousand pickets came in over the fields and there were running fights up and down Bircotes main street for a few hours until the plod restored some kind of order.

2) Two weeks after the strike started (Friday 19th March) we went to the salubriously named Caesars Palace in Manningham, right in the centre of Bradfords infamous red light district to see New Order. On our way we noticed columns of police vans on every crossroads and slip road leading towards Harworth and Bircotes. Suitably forewarned, we ensured that, on our return journey, we all had our proofs of identity and address handy and, sure enough, on the first slip road heading south, a police car pulled in behind with its headlights on full beam. I carried on, increasing speed a little until, eventually, the blue light was activated. After pulling over and opening the window to  a fresh faced young copper, I was asked why I didn't pull over immediately. 'Just thought it was some f***ing idiot tailgating on full beam' was my response, which brought forth a sort of apology. 'And just where do you think you're going at this time of night?' quoth he. 'Ah well'. I responded, 'if I told you, you'd say we can't go'. 'OK, tell me' he asked, 'Harworth' I said'...... 'Oh no you're not' he replied, and the trap was sprung!  'Here's our driving licences, so we'd like to be on our way seeing as it's now around two o'clock!' 'A lengthy check ensued before the licences were unceremoniously thrown back through the window. 'Oh, and by the way, can you give our reg to all the other plods between here and Harworth, including those hiding behind Barclays, so that we're not stopped again' iI said. A final grunt and we were on our way, delighted to see headlights going on, and then off, at every junction on our way home.

3) On several occasions, police went berserk in Rossington, kicking down doors without cause and frightening all the occupants whilst claiming they had seen pickets running into the house. Several people were struck with police batons. 

4) On a visit to Bawtry petrol station, several large white vans pulled on to the forecourt driven by policemen in uniform. However, in the back were many fresh faced youths in boiler suits with NO police numbers visible. Many suspected that the army, particularly recruits, were being utilised to bolster police lines. Susan was also privy to drunken Essex policemen waving wads of cash in a Bawtry wine bar on several occasions. 

5) Within Susan's family, two brothers and a brother in law worked at the pit. Two worked, one struck and, despite regular overtures from the Pit Manager continued to strike until the very end.  Result, two brothers who didn't speak for many years and a brother in law who was never spoken to again!  

So, 'Sherwood'? I quite enjoyed the premise of the first series but, without spoiling it for Philip, found the second series totally unrealistic and unnecessarily gratuitous. But, hey,  that's just my opinion Philip!! 

So, on to this week's choices: Here's three from albums released at the end of March, beginning of April which found their way into the Watson vinyl vault."

Jean -

"Hope all is well. Here's my choices this week."

Philip -

"Greetings and best wishes from Swanton Morley. Had to start this week with Mr. Kristofferson..."

Jackie -

David -

"Thanks All for another great listening session last week. It sure made my drive down to London in a rain storm so much more fun. I was lucky enough to see Bill Callahan with Jim White on the last night of their residency at the ICA and here are a couple of the songs from that set.

Mickey Newbury passed away 22 years ago this week and whilst listening to some of his albums the news came through about Kris Kristofferson. I often wondered how 2 such amazing songs as Sunday Mornin'  Comin' Down and San Francisco Mabel Joy  came out so close together. I am sure there will be some K K tributes this week so without wishing to add to any overlaps for Tim to sort out, here is Mickey Newbury."

Tony -

"Here's my 3 for this week.

I have enough tracks for a further 3 weeks while I'm away, if Tim wouldn't mind saving them to feed in...? Better not overplay the requests for a bonus track... (...so the last 2 weeks of Bonus Tracks have been secured via false pretenses? I'm shocked! Tim) 

Will try and tune in while away but suspect we'll be too busy cramming in as many memories as possible, so will have a binge listen when I get back."

Tim -

"Here's my trilateral music week..."

'Til Next Time...