Welcome to week 13 of the Isolation Room Listening Booth, songs as chosen by RPM club members week ending Friday 19th June. This time, in order of who theoretically will see the sun rise first at the Summer Solstice (assuming they themselves have risen that early!), it’s over to……………
Tony – “Best wishes to you all - stay safe and keep the great music coming. Hopefully we will all be allowed to be a metre nearer one another by next time…… Here's my 3.”
Kiss and Say Goodbye by The Manhattans - “It's been a while since I last chose an American Soul group. I love the cheesy moves and outrageous outfits and you can't deny the perfection of successive leads and the harmonies……….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtjro7_R3-4
Won’t Get Fooled Again by The Who – “Some people may prefer the armchair and sofa delivery of a song by bands like Supertramp but I think you definitely get your moneys' worth when you see and hear The Who in all their pomp. This gig was sadly the last time the perfect 4 performed together but what a way for Moon the Loon to bow out. Instrument lovers should look away at around 8.30…………"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDfAdHBtK_Q
Not Dark Yet performed by Shelby Lynn and Alison Moorer – “……..Phew. Time to calm down again I think, so here's something to hopefully soothe you as you step into a warm bath of the words of Bob Dylan beautifully delivered by sisters Shelby Lynn and Allison Moorer with the assistance of Teddy Thompson, Richard and Linda's little boy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ixkCXSI7M
Jean – “Here’s my picks……………”
Starwood in Aspen by John Denver from Live in London at the Palladium 1976- “His songs were always related to his life. This one is about the home he built in 1972 in a district of Aspen in Colorado. It was his family retreat until his death in 1997 when the plane he was piloting crashed into the sea near Monterey, California. He always had a happy disposition and gave 100% in his concerts. ‘Annie’s Song’ (about his wife) was one of his most famous tunes.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJfSL8jA1Ws
My Dear Companion performed by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt from Trio 1987 – “They met up on one of Dolly’s TV shows and realised that they had a great blend of voices, even though they had completely different music backgrounds. It took nearly 10 years to come to release and was not appreciated by the critics. They thought mountain music was old hat. The Album went to Gold and then Platinum to prove that the public thought differently. Another compilation ‘Trio 2’ was issued in 1999. Fans wanted ‘Trio 3’ but, cruelly, Linda developed Parkinson’s and felt she could not continue. That must have been devastating.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyPaspA66AA
Blue Highway by Neil Diamond from Tennessee Moon 1996 – “This was his 23rd Studio Album and he travelled to Nashville to write and produce it. He had collaborations with some of the most famous country music songwriters and performers along the way. Chet Atkins plays guitar on this track. The album became a bit of a revival for Neil and earned him a Gold Disc.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sb_iRBxBDE
Bonus Track - I’d like you all to hear a friend of mine as a bonus. Her name is Lorie McCloud and she comes from Joliet, Illinois originally but now lives in Texas. She has always written and sung with acoustic guitar and I met her through the England Dan/John Ford Coley Fan Club back in 1976. We lost touch in the 80s and after several attempts since then I eventually tracked her down a year ago. She still does local concerts but is registered blind now. Her voice is just as pure as when I first heard it. Hope you like it too.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87CsoiMMTao
Piers – “After a month or more with only an ipad, (and Jayne), for company, I am pleased to have a new desktop computer. So, I have been loading tracks onto it, and trying to put them in some sort of order…But as a result I have been discovering loads of things that I had forgotten, and some favourites. I was shocked to see that I already have 19 versions of
‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’! So this week it’s hard!”
Don’t Want to Die in the Storm by Anna & Elizabeth – “I will start out with a track by Anna & Elizabeth, from their debut album Free Dirt. (An album that has had repeated plays, since Jayne andI saw them at a festival two or three years ago)….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9gVVT7F6e0
Dingle Regatta performed by Toucan Pirates -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITMeGqLQaHo
Phillip Glass’s Mishma Quartet performed by The Modern Mandolin Quartet – “…….something calming from the vaults, a band I came across on the Windham Hill label long ago in the last century.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4O1rXuAWY0
“…………Whilst writing this, I just found a Michael Hedges track that I love too…. Next week perhaps!”
Jayne – “As it is a turning point of the year on Sunday I have been thinking of those endless summer days in the north……….and so have selected musicians from Norway and Iceland.”
Myggsommer by Todd Terje -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJxBkROrUxo
Blue Skies by Jimi Somewhere -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grGOMfzr8WA
Where We Wanna Be by Daði Freyr -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtr3zRDNoXU
Nina – “Hey RPM'ers, happy Summer Solstice everyone. Cracking online festival options, not the same as being at Stonehenge, but today I've been singing, song bathing, shamanic ritualling and all sorts…………..Have a happy, hippie weekend everyone”
Brainstorm by Hawkwind – “Speaking of Stonehenge, my wacky auntie Maisie used to take me there on my birthday when I was a kid, before there were barriers etc. I didn't see any of the free festivals but I do have Hawkwind on vinyl, so here's Brainstorm live from 1984…..”
“Couple of other solstice-y tracks……”
Octagon by Tangerine Dream (Live 1977) -
Ridgeway Downs Summer Solstice by Jay Terrestrial -
Philip – “Greetings to all RPMers. Following last week's choice of 21st century blues, here are three feminine perspectives, all from albums issued last year. Not really all blues, but all with things to say about the state of the world. I'm already thinking about next week's choices, but meanwhile I hope everyone enjoys these. Best wishes and I hope all are keeping well.”
Change by Mavis Staples – “The ever-wonderful Sister Mavis with the opening track from her "We Get By" album produced by Ben Harper. Even the cover photo is pertinent- it is entitled "Outside Looking In”…….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZHJRMOPJHk
Moon Meets The Sun by Our Native Daughters – “……who comprise Rhiannon Giddens, Amethyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell. Dance while you weep. Weep while you dance.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0FfAagEkH8
Good Old American Values, by Lula Wiles – “Lula Wiles are a folk-singing trio from New England one of whom, Mali Obomsawin (the lead vocalist on this number), is Abenaki. She wrote this song in the wake of demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline and the election of Donald Trump.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Af3pHi6mWY
Morra –
Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding by Dropkick Murphys – “I never thought much of these until I found this video the other day………….”
Dogs on a Leash by The O’Reillys &The Paddyhats – “Just released the title track of their best record yet. I had the pleasure of reviewing it.”
Sitting in Limbo by Jimmy Cliff – “Watched a very moving drama about the Windrush scandal, the title of which was taken from this.”
Dave – “Hi RPMers, hope all good in your lives……..crazy weather for crazy times !! It’s going to be 28 next week !!! Here’s my 3……..”
Dirty Epic by Underworld –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWYWpu5KUQ
Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvjRlYpXS5U
Church Without a Name by The First Edition -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFO1QYmhfr4
Aiden –
5/4 by Gorillaz -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93jsY-YdZ1s
All Along The Watctower by Jimi Hendrix –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLV4_xaYynY
Main Title Theme by Unkle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nELibmD6R0g
Alan – “Hope everyone is keeping OK out there? We're still not venturing out anywhere other than for country walks and I can't see that changing for a while. I've been trawling through singles and albums that don't hit the deck too often and these are three from the last week or so which have proved a real bonus…………….”
Can't You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones (From 'Sticky Fingers' album, released 23rd April 1971) – “This one had me reaching for the additional inner sleeve just to make sure Carlos Santana hadn't suddenly made a guest appearance! Nowadays, I don't think that Keef would grant another guitarist the chance to shine as he does here with Mick Taylor, who is on record saying this track " is one of my favourites ... The jam... just happened by accident; that was never planned. Towards the end of the song I just felt like carrying on playing. Everybody was putting their instruments down, but the tape was still rolling and it sounded good, so everybody quickly picked up their instruments again and carried on playing. It just happened, and it was a one-take thing. A lot of people seem to really like that part." It's a pity the Stone's don't take a similar route nowadays instead of the more 'formulaic' chug-a-long rhythm that seems to have become their usual trademark. Also firing on all cylinders here, and playing more than back up on this occasion, are Bobby Keys on sax, Rocky Dijon on congas and, especially, Billy Preston on Hammond. Reviews of the album were, strangely, mixed, especially bearing in mind the inclusion of (the now overly familiar) 'Brown Sugar', 'Sister Morphine' (part composed by an uncredited Marianne Faithfull), 'Wild Horses' and my particular favourite, a fine but short version of Fred McDowell's 'You gotta move' (but unfortunately they, cough, 'forgot' to give him a composer credit).”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fa4HUiFJ6c
Within A Month by John Parish and P J Harvey (b-side to 'Black Hearted Love' 7" single, released 13th April 2009. Non album track) – “Top side is taken from their second collaboration 'A woman a man walked by', although Parish is also a long time member of Polly's bands. He had formed Automatic Dlamini in 1982 with Rob Ellis and, eventually, Polly drifted into the line-up as lead vocalist. They made three albums before Polly set out with Parish and Ellis under the combined name P. J. Harvey. Parish has been her regular drummer, guitarist, co-composer, keyboard player and producer since their formation in 1991. Here, the pair seem to be paying their debt to Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and Polly's experiments with Josh Hommes Desert Sessions and, presumably, featuring Polly on 'scratchy' rhythm guitar with Parish providing everything else (although Eric Drew Feldman or Giovanni Ferrario may be in there too).”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV4K8Cjy_-0
Room Full of Mirrors by Jimi Hendrix Experience (Royal Albert Hall concert 24th February 1969. 'Experience' soundtrack, this from US issue Bulldog Records 1972) – “Well ................ that was my third selection until the Hendrix estate caught up with the Youtuber who posted the excerpt from the much missed film and took down the video, so instead here's......”
Cherry Red by The Groundhogs ( From 'Split' released March 1971) – “So, if I can't have Hendrix I'm gonna have another 'plank spanker' and here's a plank being well and truly, errrr, spanked!!! When I'm feeling in the mood for some 'heavy rawk' this is my go-to album and 'Cherry Red' is probably my favourite track on it. T S McPhee is one of the best blues singers (and guitarist too) that we produced in the mid to late sixties, way up there with Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, showing the ability on this album to move from the 'down home' 'Groundhog (Blues)' to the experimental 'Split' tracks (sounding rather like Roger Chapman/Family at times!) which details his then recent drug induced mental problems. I was lucky enough to see the Groundhogs supporting Canned Heat at Sheff's City Hall as this album came out and they blew the Heat away that night. Fast forward over thirty years to the Grapes in Bury St Edmunds and in the back room (concert room??) there was the band physically blowing the roof off with as much equipment as they had at the City Hall. My then 14 year old son's ears are still ringing (probably!!). A great night........”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpDAYpG600A
Sal –“My three choices this week are all taken from the 4AD compilation album 'Lonely Is An Eyesore'.......”
Cut The Tree by The Wolfgang Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNMOmz1VSKY
Fish by Throwing Muses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vngY0-8b_Ng
Crushed by Cocteau Twins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgv08gsexfc
John –“Here are my 3 tracks for week 13…………”
Teenage Kicks by The Undertones – “I watched the film 'Good Vibrations' on Tuesday; it's about Terri Hooley and the record shop he opened in Belfast at the height of 'The Troubles' (check out https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1920945/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 for further details). It's currently on the BBC iPlayer - well worth a look. The part of the film where you get to hear Teenage Kicks for the first time is magical.....”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PinCg7IGqHg
Jah Pretty Face by Culture – “Prompted by Alan's mention of Two Sevens Clash last week, I thought I'd give it a spin. This track, from the album, was released on a 7" single in 1978 which I bought from Backs Records in Norwich, one of a small number of cool independent record shops in the city at that time. Thanks are due (again) to John Peel for making me aware of Culture.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bue3iTRFpY
She Knows by Balaam And The Angel – “Gigs at Wembley Stadium and O2 Arena are great but a Friday night at The Tropicana in Peterborough would take some beating....... especially if Balaam And The Angel were playing!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsM1t9c4To
Tim – “Today, if you’re listening to the playlist on Sat 20th, is of course the Summer Solstice, so therefore a fine excuse to celebrate with a theme………..”
Brave New World by Solstice - “ Hippy-ish Prog anyone? And why not……? Solstice seemed to get themselves grouped together with the neo-prog bands of the early 80s like Marillion, Pendragon, Pallas and Twelfth Night to name but a few….probably more through lazy journalism and the liking for the easy tags that the music press seems to love. Although exhibiting certain proggy characteristics, primarily a liking for unusual time signatures, I always thought they had their feet in other camps as well, embracing folk and jazz elements as well to give them their own floaty, hippy / festival like identity. From memory, they were also about the only new “prog” outfit at the time who avoided being compared to Gabriel era Genesis!!....so well done them. Here’s a favourite track from 1984 debut LP Silent Dance. By 1985, however, the band had split and were inactive until the mid-90s. Shame.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heC5G5WL6u0
Midsummer’s Night performed by Dervish – “The title set of tunes from the County Sligo trad ambassador’s Midsummer’s Night album of 1999. Irish music doesn’t get any better than this. Cracking.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5ZrClwmWA
Stonehenge Decoded by Hawkwind – “You see? I said last week when everyone was so disappointed about the lack of a Hawkwind track that there was always next time…….in fact double helpings, as you’ll have already seen that Nina has seen the HW light as well; a total coincidence, as I’d already made my selections before Nina sent hers in. Hawkwind became synonymous with the 1980s free festival circuit, until Thatcher and her thugs put an end to it all at the Battle of the Beanfield in 1985, and this experimental electronic psychedelic jam complimented with tasty evocative soaring guitar lines from the late and great Huw Lloyd Langton comes live from the Stonehenge Festival, 19th/20th June 1984. Imagine the sun rising above a field of spaced out crustys, the Stones and some clapped out busses as the backdrop, combined with some interesting smelling smoke wafting around, with this as the sound track, and you’ll pretty much be there! I’d just like to point out, I never saw the point of, or felt the need for any mind expanding stimulants when listening to bands like Hawkwind (or ever, actually)……and I still think this track is way cool……….not quite sure what that says about my brain, though……….always on a natural high or just weird? By the way, there is actual Youtube footage of Hawkwind playing this festival as you will have already seen (thanks Nina) but (in my view) the performance degenerates into the Nik Turner (sax and vocals) solstice pantomime show…..not good……and this tendency for Turner to monopolise attention upon himself ensured that by 1985 he’d been booted out of the band for good……plus the accompanying psychedelic video here is way better.”