Welcome to week 12 of the Isolation Room Listening Booth, songs as chosen by RPM club members week ending Friday 12th June. This time, in an order that just kind of organically evolved, it’s over to……………
Jayne “Good wishes………….the votes are in from the Bawdeswell judges…………”
Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide) by Marcia Griffiths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jBkoEM0SSE
Cupid Shuffle by Cupid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h24_zoqu4_Q
Cha-Cha Slide by Mr C The Slide Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZv62ShoStY
“Who knew dance moves could be revolutionary………?”
Piers –“Whilst Jayne has been taking line-dancing to the streets my listening has been a bit laid back this week - sums up how I’m feeling. We all need a bit of soothing sometimes…….”
By Your Grace by Beaver and Krause with Gerry Mulligan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAuTQFJAAf0
Harlem Nocturne by Illinois Jacquet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1hlTGdTTas
Is It Real? By Bert Jansch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtSGZlMYQf4
Sal –“My three tracks for this week are.......”
You Tear the World in Two by Pale Saints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liiw_1F7C8U
Can't Believe You're Gone by The Webb Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ9bXd4NAHg
Familiar Faces by Joss Cope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnED9xGrZXg
Morra –“I’ve been listing to my ‘89/‘90 mixtapes this week…………”
If Only I Could by Sidney Young Blood –
Earth to Doris by Was Not Was -
Glamour Boys by Living Colour -
Dave – “Hi all, great selection last week. Here’s my 3 of the week…………”
Cellphone’s Dead by Beck -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGCwUoKWcxs
Pink Dust by Magoo –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm4yi_uJRwc
Dirty Boots by Sonic Youth -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XdYnh729IQ
John –“All the best to all RPMers - I always look forward to your selections; some amazing stuff! Here are a few things I've been listening to in week twelve......”
Things May Come And Things May Go But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever by Pete Brown & Piblokto! – “In the late Sixties our local Art School Dance was, for me, a somewhat solitary experience.....my mates gave their reason for not coming with me as 'Too many weirdos!' They will never know what they missed; apart from a wonderful array of Biba-attired young ladies with Julie Driscoll eyes wandering through a stroboscopic haze there was the music..... over the space of a few years I witnessed Tuesday's Children, The Mooch, Circus, Gnidrolog and The Spirit of John Morgan. All these audio and visual experiences made a great impression on the young me. The Art School Dance was not the same phenomenon in later decades as it was in the Sixties although Pete Brown may disagree!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGhBeHLQkU
Blue Train by John Coltrane – “A bit of jazz for a change....but not just any old jazz; this is supreme!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT_Zs5FKDZE
Hazey Jane I by Nick Drake - “I first became aware of Nick Drake via the Island sampler double LP 'Bumpers'. The track in question was 'Hazey Jane' which was subsequently featured on Nick Drake's 'Bryter Layter' LP which was released quite a few months after 'Bumpers' (by this time the track was called 'Hazey Jane I' as there was also another song on 'Bryter Layter' called 'Hazey Jane II'). It's still one of my favourite Nick Drake songs.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfYnXGV8PfM
Tony –“Here's my submission for this week. I'm afraid that I haven't managed to solve Philip's connection poser and am looking forward to finding out what the answer is…(It’s coming later – Tim)…Best wishes to all RPMers, with thanks for yet another great mix last time…..Nobody was hurt or came within two metres as I was typing this.”
Grits Ain't Groceries (All Around the World) performed by Little Milton - "This was written by Titus Turner and originally recorded under the bracketed title by Little Willie John but Milton scored a hit with it much later as "Grits..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vel5wqOURMo
Eat at Joe’s by Suzy Bogguss – “This track is about an all-night American diner - I wonder if the USA will agonise about how they are going to apply an arbitrary distancing rule in order to keep such establishments going? I've seen Suzy Bogguss 3 times and she is a fine songstress who is easy on the ear and eye. I've chosen the studio version of "Eat At Joe's" as it's a favourite with her fans and she encourages them to join in on the chorus so live footage gets tedious while she's priming the audience……”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt_Y-CThgNs
My Love (Burning Love) by Robin Trower - “Back in the day a band named after their lead guitarist often played the UEA LCR and I always enjoyed their playing. Robin Trower was previously with The Paramounts who became Procol Harum but eventually left to form his own group with Bassist/vocalist James Dewar (previously of Stone The Crows) and drummer Reg Isidore. This track comes from a later album of theirs, Caravan To Midnight."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j25cF-VliEc
Jean -“I don’t think there are many artists left in my collection that I haven’t played at RPM but these are some of them…….”
An Innocent Man by Billy Joel from 1983 Album of same name – “Born in the Bronx, New York he has been a very successful singer/songwriter since the 1970s.He has sold 150 million records worldwide and still does concerts. I think the first lines of the lyric are great and true to life. ‘Some people stay far away from the door if there’s a chance of it opening up’…….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQCWY5ynBaw
First Come, First Serve by Rose Royce from 1978 Greatest Hits - “They were a US soul and R+B group and sung anything from ballads to disco. While being managed by Whitfield (who wrote a lot of their material) they supplied the soundtrack to the comedy film Carwash’. The album was awarded a Grammy and also Best Music at Cannes Festival. Three of the tracks were also top singles. This is a ‘get on down’ tune.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BisLD22XyfY
You’ve got a friend by Carole King from ‘Tapestry’ 1971 - “One of the most successful and prolific singer/songwriters since 1958.She has had 118 hits on Billboard 100 and 61 in UK charts. This album topped the charts in the US for 15 weeks and stayed in the top 100 for 6 years. This song has great sentiments and is apt for these unusual times. This is for all the RPM gang.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR_Ff5A8Rk
Alan –“Back when the sun was shining, all of two weeks ago, I was playing some of the more 'esoteric' discs in my collection and I noticed that quite a few of the songs had rather odd titles. Here's just three of them……….”
A R Kane: 'Spermwhale Trip Over' – Taken from debut album '69' released 1st July 1988. “This is how the critics tried to describe the album '69': " Matthew Losi of Onda Rock noted that the British music press had difficulties describing A.R. Kane and '69' in genres, terming '69' as "proto-shoegaze / late wave", and the group's description in the press as the "black Jesus and Mary Chain" became reinforced. One reviewer also created his own genres to describe the album: "dream-dub," "narc-psych" and "trip-wave." Martin C. Strong, writing in The Great Rock Bible, said '69' was "avant-rock-styled" and "hard to pigeonhole yet seminal nevertheless." Besides the Cocteau Twins and the Jesus and Mary Chain, critics drew comparisons between parts of the album and Lee Perry, Gong, early Pink Floyd, the "experimental end" of Jimi Hendrix, John Martyn, Arthur Russell, Public Image Ltd, The Durutti Column, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, and Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom. Reynolds would later describe the album as "an idyll midway" between Miles Davis' 'Bitches Brew' and Cocteau Twins' aforementioned 'Head Over Heels'............ If that ain't enough to whet your appetite....”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt5hwb10N8o
Eno: 'The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch'. Taken from 'Here come the warm jets' album released January 1974.
“Whilst playing Eno's albums, I was re-reading the rather excellent biography 'On some faraway beach' by David Shepardd and, from Eno's debut album, here's a track which probably divides many of his fans and detractors. Eno has famously championed 50's 'doo-wop' and it does form a (sort of) basis for this almost Bowie-esque/Newley vocal song which features some fine squiggly synth from Brian, guitars courtesy of Phil Manzanera and Chris Spedding and on bass, Busta Jones. Overlooking the (now) politically incorrect title, the song is based on the late 19th century black historical figure A.W. Underwood of Paw Paw, Michigan who had the supposed ability to set items ablaze with his breath. However, Eno has also postulated that the song "celebrates the possibility of a love affair with the man." Whatever, it's from an album that all fan's of Roxy Music and seventies alt-rock in general should have in their collection.”
Studio version: (N.B. This 'cuts' where the track merges into 'Baby's on fire')
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfqDXGCYPiI
Bonus track: A radical/simplified Stones-ey live version:
The 26th February 1974 Peel session featuring The Winkies on back-up (who we saw with Eno at Sheffield's City Hall February 14th 1974... chaotic!!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4E5NDWy3rU
The League of Gentlemen:'Heptaparaparshinokh'(1). 7" single released 5th December 1980 (also on 'The League of Gentlemen' album released February 1981).
“Strange on so many levels. This was a short-lived venture for Robert Fripp, just eight months and 77 gigs before Fripp formed another unit to move into his 'Discipline' phase. Amongst those gigs was Futurama 2 at Leeds cavernous Queens Hall where the band played alongside Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, U2 and Altered Images amongst other 'goth' icons. Musically, this could almost be a return to the late 50's/early 60's instrumental singles that peppered the US charts (in particular) and features Fripp on an almost effects free guitar, Barry Andrews (ex XTC) on 'garage' organ, Sarah Lee on bass and Johnny Elichaoff on drums. It's cyclical and, other than minor key changes, really doesn't go anywhere soon. Fripp had said during L.o.G's short existence that they were a 'dance band' and that space was to be allocated at the front of stage to allow people to dance to the band. The single's non album b-side ('Marriagemuzik'), credited to Robert Fripp, is an 11 minute 45 second piece of Frippertronics, more in the style of his earlier ambient work with Eno, and bears a closer relationship to his solo works 'Let the power fall' and 'God save the Queen/Under heavy manners'. 'Heptaparaparshinokh', meanwhile, points towards his later instrumental albums with Andy Summers (of Zoot Money/Police fame).”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPoAC2zIsnc
“(1). What does 'Heptaparaparshinokh' mean I hear you ask? Well, Fripp is a follower of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (through his 'disciple' John G Bennett), an Armenian born mystic, philosopher and musician during the early/mid 20th century. As part of his methods to attain the required discipline, based mainly on Central Aisian and Tibetan 'consciousness awakening' teachings, Gurdjieff postulated 'The law of seven', that is Heptaparaparshinokh (e.g. the number seven is considered a lucky number by many people, seven days in a week, seven holy sacraments, seven days of Creation, seven virtues, seven deadly sins, seven levels to the Periodic Table and, especially for John... 'When the two sevens clash' etc), as a path to achieving the required levels of spirituality.
I'll let the musicians in RPM work out if Fripps guitar runs are made up of seven notes?”
Nina –“Hi RPM'ers………..Here we are again. Big thanks to all of you this week, work's been a real slog & on Wednesday, when I bashed my laptop for 14 hours, listening to your choices helped ease the pain.
Phil - luv your idea, but no clue what the link is. (see below and all is revealed –Tim.)
Jayne, I've heard First Aid Kit play Emmylou at festivals and it made me blart too, their voices are so beautiful.
Right, enough waffle. It's nearly the solstice & time to funk it up. Diversity in music, as in life. Mind the dishes when you get your wiggle on to these, Tim…… Looking forward to more quality listening. Cheers!”
Opposite People by Newen Afrobeat feat. Seun Kuti & Cheick Tidiane Seck – “Joyous! And before you question a video with a topless black dude in, scroll along to 9 minutes…….”
Mona Ki Ngi Xica by Bonga -
Colonial Mentality by Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective -
Philip – “I trust everyone is keeping well and fully understands the latest lockdown rules. If so, can they explain them to me?
I suspect most RPMers will have sussed that the connection I was looking for in respect of last week's songs was American Presidents. Two for the price of one of course in "Abraham, Martin and John" plus MLK, and an Attorney General in the extra verse.
In "The Battle of New Orleans" the Colonel Jackson mentioned in the lyric is Andrew Jackson ("Old Hickory" to his men), later to become General and then President Jackson. He was the 7th President and is generally ranked quite high by historians in lists of "Good Presidents." His reputation is somewhat sullied to a 21st century mindset by the fact that he signed The Indian Removal Act, resulting in what the Cherokee called "The Trail of Tears."
"It Came Out Of The Sky" refers to "Ronnie the Popular" who "said it was a communist plot." This is Ronald Reagan, who in 1969 was Governor of California. The song also mentions "Spiro" (Agnew) who was Nixon's VP, The Pope, and a couple of famous TV news anchors.
As to this week's choices, I'm going for 3 examples of 21st century blues, all released in the last couple of years, for each of which official video is available. Best regards to all…..”
The Duffler by Fantastic Negrito - “Let's face it, he'd better be good if he's going to call himself that. Then again, his real name is Xavier Dphrepaulezz (allegedly). Try pronouncing that after a couple of drinks. Hell, try pronouncing that before a couple of drinks.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkdieF0iYfo
Up and Rolling by The North Mississippi Allstars – “Is there currently any better American band?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHt29ZnW5lA
Colors by Black Pumas – “I heard this on Radio Two and it stood out a mile among all the dross.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EntxPIULUI
Tim – “This week, there was a lot of Hawkwind played whilst in the workshop, and a diverse mix of LPs played evening times in the house…….here are my 3 faves of the week (no Hawkwind, as they featured last week………did someone say “shame”?......there’s always next time……)”
Hounds of Love performed by John Boden and the Remnant Kings – “ Jackie and I went to see Spiers and Boden at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich (remember going to theatres….?) a few years ago and they performed this, one of my favourite Kate Bush songs. It was brilliant…….and at last John Boden has recorded it for his most recent album Rose In June……which of course, is brilliant as well. This one’s also for Piers as it features the concertina…….hope you enjoy it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKDXSuN4d1Y
Cooley’s / The Cup of Tea / The Wise Maid performed by The Tulla Ceili Band– “A few weeks ago, I resolved to get back into playing tunes again on the tenor banjo (tenor guitar / mandola) and the practice regime is at last starting to pay off……I can actually remember most on my list which numbers about 45 at the moment, and the carpal tunnel isn’t playing up too much either! Bonus. The first tune in this set, Cooley’s, is one of my all-time favourite Irish tunes and a great one, I find as a musician, for getting the old brainbox sparking properly……as is The Wise Maid which I think I’ll have got in a few more weeks…..if I get dementia after learning this one, there’s no justice!!! Here we have the mighty Tulla Ceili Band in full flow from there 50th anniversary CD. While I’m on the subject of Irish trad music, and with all that gained time on your hands, can I just point you in the direction of the late Ciaran Carson’s book Last Night’s Fun? If you haven’t read this book, please go and buy a copy (online) now……………..done that? Good. It’s one of the best music books ever written in my view……because it’s not just about music but about time and place, memory, nostalgia….beer and fried breakfasts. A totally winning combination.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNPI53O5sC4
Woody Guthrie by Alabama 3 – “I was considering picking music this week to reflect how F***** Up the world is at the moment……but that would have been too depressing, I reflected, after a session of banjo tune playing……..you can’t be unhappy with a banjo, U C! So, I’m going to leave it to the fantastic Alabama 3......(with much thanks to Jayne for bringing this lot to my attention early on in the life of RPM....and also for a much more upbeat way of commenting on happenings at the moment with her song choices this week) to sum it all up. This is from the Power in the Blood album (red vinyl LP, no less) which has had a few spins this week.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz4D5JlHoQQ