A Hold On Me

After the big storms, the clear air of a perfect June morning somewhere in England.

Dot sounded lovely last night at sundown, so I asked her to pop back today.

Dot Allison - 'Mo' Pop' (1999)

Friday Reggae # 27

I cannot get enough of this lovely version of a lovely song by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and neither can the eldest daughter who's been walking to school with it on her iPo these past weeks. She is an eleven and three quarter year old with taste, innit.

Sharon Forrester - 'Silly Wasn't I?' (1973)

Tell you what, I'll throw in the original too.

Heavens, look at the time! It's gin o'clock!

Juvenile Impulses Sway

The Queen Is Dead was released 25 years ago last week. Such statements are sure to make a person feel old.

For me, back then, our Finals were just done and an early summer not unlike this one was underway. I was looking for a job but couldn't find a job and I even think I asked in Walthamstow McDonalds at one point.

I know.

In the end I couldn't hold on in London, and fell back to Devon. It was a strange, sad time in limbo.

This isn't even from that album. And not from that year, but the one before.

Its insouciance suits my mood today, and the weather.

For me it's forever Sue Gilchrist ironing in the front room in Brixton, at the time of the later riots, and singing along.

The Smiths - 'Stretch Out And Wait' (1985)

(I've posted it before of course. Old people repeat themselves, you'll find)

Get The Funky Drummer In Here

Clyde Stubblefield

At 5'35 the most sampled break in musical history.

Don't turn it loose cos it's a Mother. 

Gin!

James Brown - 'Funky Drummer' (1969)

Bon

For once a 'promotional film' as beautiful/strange as the record it is made for.

She'll catch her death in that nightie.

Drop

I think it was the first time I realized that I can change the world, or at least change the way that my sister hit the clock on every tick just to see what happened. The time has really flown by I guess and it's hard to think of the way it might've been, or remember very specifically the words and all the rest of it. I was down, more than I'll ever be probably. That has more to do with it all together, like the orange trees in the backyard and it's Easter and it just won't end. Fucking Phil, he's off on his board somewhere and I'm just sitting here getting more and more lost with everything. And that was the thing about it, it's not as if a cousin had promised something and taken it away; it was like nobody could share my so-called dreams, which really meant none of it was happening. And that reach around midnight left with just about that - nothing. There's not anything particular about it either and I think that the whole thing gets vaguer every second, but I am too, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's even funny when you stop to realize, I'm just nineteen, and how serious can anything be anyway? Not very.

Blog tennis? Drew.

Drop Nineteens - 'Kick The Tragedy' (1992)

Blue Juice

Some music for the new colour scheme.

Jimmy McGriff - 'Blue Juice' (1968)

Italian Blog

"Just remember this - in this country they drive on the wrong side of the road".

Salute!

Matt Monro - 'On Days Like These' (1969)

Blog

Then came the rain, falling steady and soft - and after so long away that the kittens are staring at it baffled, or bursting in through the catflap, grumpy and damp.

The girls are back at school, the house is quiet - it's just me, this keyboard, Astrud....and the rain, falling steady and soft.

*makes tea*

Astrud Gilberto - 'The Gentle Rain' (1965)

Friday Reggae # 26

Hot, hot, hot here tonight - will be cracking open the rosados for sure.

And Roberta Flack? We'll accept your resignation now.

Marcia Griffiths - 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' (1974)

June Groove

Is the sun back then? I hope the sun's back. Because then I can post this summery thang and we can all groove along nicely, I expect.

And it's Thursday already and where's half term holiday going, eh?

Donald Byrd - 'Think Twice' (1974)

Gil Scott-Heron (1st April 1949 - 27th May 2011)

I have made a cup of tea and put on the computer and heard the news.

He was just 62 and, what makes it even sadder, had reached a new creative peak after spending most of the new century in and out of jail.

He was a towering figure in African-American music and it's impossible to overestimate his influence.

I'm New Here is a terrific record, a fine epitaph.

Peace Go With You Brother.

Gil Scott-Heron - 'On Coming From A Broken Home (Pt.1)' (2010)
Gil Scott-Heron - 'On Coming From A Broken Home (Pt.2)' (2010)

Davy H Is A-Wey

I'm taking a day off today to walk the Wey Navigations in Deepest Surrey. I've strolled little stretches of this before, but this time my mate Robbie and I are looking to do the whole twenty miles in one go, from Godalming to where the river joins the Thames at Weybridge.

I mention this because it's planned that we celebrate with a few pints at the Finish, quite rightly; and this will mean I'm not back at my Blog Station tonight till a tad later than usual.

I'll endeavour to Tweet any significant developments through the day (that box on the right'll have what we should laughingly refer to as 'all the latest').

And I hope my very old and not at all state of the art walking boots hold out (as well as my knees, which could be described similarly).

Laters!

Fats Domino - 'I'm Walkin' ' (1957)

Some Thoughts On Dylan At 70

Given that this blog got its very name from a Bob Dylan lyric there hasn't been much of him here over the years. This is partly because I figure that like a strong single malt whisky (probably an Islay one) you either love him, in which case you will have a cupboard full of his stuff already - and maybe even a few bootleg distillations besides - or you can't abide him, in which case all the proselytising in the world isn't going to change your mind; it's also partly because Dylan is signed to Sony (once Columbia) and they seem to stamp on any 'unauthorised' use of his music (even things on YouTube) pretty sharply, in what I would argue is a thoroughly unenlighted Old Testament sort of a way, but hey, that's up to them.

The first Bob LP I bought was the old Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, when I was 17 (and he was 42); it was the 'protest' stuff and obvious hits that drew me in. Then I heard Highway 61 Revisited and 'Desolation Row', a whole strange, brilliant Beats world of surrealism opening up, Bringing It All Back Home and a new album Shot Of Love (6th Form), Blood On The Tracks and an even better new one Infidels (University), The Freewheelin', At Budokan, Desire, Street Legal and then the vast back catalogue of unreleased stuff courtesy my small Welsh friend Stevie, who really is a Dylan obsessive.

Now, with me in my mid-late 40s and His Bobness at 70, his 21st century material sounds as good to me, better even, than anything he's done. A grizzled old ex-gunfighter with a burdensome past, 'living on rice and beans', Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven (Western analogies always work with Bob, and for him) looking wrly out (and in) on human fallibility, his recent songs are shot through with heart and warmth and gallows humour and as packed as ever with quotable lines from the best screenplay that never existed, as well as a few that did.

He's the best writer rock's ever produced; he's just 'a song and dance man'.

Bless him.

Happy Birthday Mr Zimmerman.

[No music, for the reasons given. I'm happy to make recommendations if you think you can handle yer liquor x]

Friday Reggae # 25

 To be honest, the Romanian Orphans Charity Shop record bin is not my usual place to uncover rare reggae 45s; it really has rather more to offer the serious Ray Conniff collector.

Imagine my surprise and delight, then, at finding this there today - for 50p.

Produced by the legendary Joe Gibbs, with a riddim not unlike the one on Willie Williams' 'Armagideon Time'.

The 'B' side is a 'Version' of the 'A' - and, hey, we like it that way.

I've had some sort of tummy bug all day but given that the world is ending tomorrow, I might still rally for a drink if someone's going to the bar.

Dennis Brown - 'Stop Your Fussing & Fighting' (1977)
Dennis Brown - 'Together Brothers' (1977)

In Order To Dance

I could have sworn blind I posted this a few years back but, honestly, it appears not.

What an oversight, since it is bloody marvellous (as I was reminded when it popped up on Shuffle tonight).

They're from Paris you know.

Mais oui.

Tom & Joyce - 'Para Bailar' (2002)

Can't Hide Love

This weather's confusing me - I'm all black jeans and boots one minute and shorts and sandals the next. Even the reggae's not the same when the temperature drops. I continue to be, nonetheless, in a funky-vibey-jazzy-dubby mood; no not those guitars, they're too noisy and crude.

I've discovered Putney Library, and it's coming up with the goods.

Carmen McRae - 'Can't Hide Love' (1974)

Friday Reggae # 24

Flippin' 'eck this is a sexy record.

I need a man
You need a woman
Come on get yourself some
Don't refrain

Sorry I'm late. Blogger #fail !

Barbara Jones - 'Come And Get Some' (1975)

Liberdade

From this compilation, which I bought half my lifetime ago.

A piece of music I've liked so much for so long I can't believe I haven't posted it before.

Existiu
Um el dorado negro no Brasil

Gilberto Gil - 'Quilombo' (1984)

[Based on a true story]

Friday Reggae # 23

It's much compiled and very pop-famous, so I'm sure you've already got it, but I'm proudly computerising the original 45 here, snapped up just this afternoon from my currently high-yielding local charity shop for 50p.

Mainstream UK radio largely refused to play reggae records in the early 70s, so desperate-for-airplay labels (in)famously put strings on them. These get pretty close to being a bit much for me on the 'B' side, but on the 'A' the strength of the arrangement and loveliness of Mr Holt's vocal more than neutralise their effect, in my humble.

I've started drinking early tonight because of the stress of having two young male pussycats in the house who lost their cojones today.

Hold on in there boys.

John Holt - 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' (1974)
John Holt - 'Tell Me Why' (1974)

Sock It To Me, Baby

How many times could I listen to this in a single day? Hundreds. Especially for that bit at 1:33.

And Ms Ally'll have it on 45, I shouldn't wonder.

Phyllis Dillon - 'Perfidia' (1967)

Jùjú For Your May

This was a fun, unusual, thing to find in my local charity shop on Saturday, still in the cellophane, just a quid. It's the US edition (the UK cover, which I well remember from that heady time when all the hipsters were digging African music, looked like this); it has a little red $7.49 price tag from Strawberries Records on it. I wonder how it wound up in SW14?

Jùjú for your May, baby.

King Sunny Adé & His African Beats - 'Tolongo' (1983)

Soul Thursday

Sometimes, when there is much malarkey abroad and blether in the air, a person needs some old soul in their ears to drown the nonsense out.

Roscoe Robinson - 'That's Enough' (1966)

[One of Paul Weller's Desert Island Discs, as it goes].

Good Funkin' Friday

The Menahan Street Band are some Dap Kings with assorted groovy Daptone label mates - they're on, amongst other things, those records by Lee Fields, one of which you may have heard here before. I was going to post their single 'The Wolf', a slinky groover that was in the lovely batch of freebies that came to me straight outta Brooklyn this time last year courtesy Jon @ The Vinyl District, but I think this is even better.

If I was so-minded I'd say it was a 'sultry funk-soul workout perfectly pitched for a hot night in the city, with a boss break at 2:08'.

Some hip-hopper should sample it! Oh wait, some hip-hopper has.

Sweet.

Have a funky pagan festival of fertility.

The Menahan Street Band - 'Make The Road By Walking' (2008)

Blog

25C forecast for London today but we're day tripping to the coast for some fresh sea air. It felt like the Mediterranean in June in Kew Gardens yesterday with only the bluebells, the many many bluebells, blowing April's cover.

On Monday I saw a Millennium Falcon in a skip in Chiswick and clearly if I was a half-decent blogger or tweeter I'd have taken a pic. I thought of fishing it out, but it had taken a direct hit to the left wing, so I let it be.

And I think we'll be seeing just how many Miyazaki films we can watch this week.

California Wives - 'Tokyo' (2011)

Friday Reggae # 22

It's been a hard day's week.

But now I and I's on Easter Hols.

I want the finest wines available to humanity, and I want them here, and I want them now.

Big Youth - 'Cool Breeze' (1972)

A Polyphonic Spree

The story goes that the London musical crowd of 1567 was in a spin over Ecce beatam lucem, a choral work for 40 individual voices by Allessandro Striggio. At the time there was competition between English and Continental music publishers. The Duke of Norfolk issued a challenge to English musicians to better the Italian effort and the result was Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis.

Another version says that Tallis wrote the 40 part motet for the 40th birthday of Queen Elizabeth I in 1573. The choice of text, from the Book of Judith, may have been to flatter the Queen, comparing her to the heroic Judith.

But even that may not be the truth. The strictly Catholic Tallis may have written Spem to honour the Catholic Queen Mary, in defiance of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth.

Whatever the truth, Spem is Alium is one of the treasures of Elizabethan English music. It is scored for 40 individual voices, divided into eight choirs of five voices each. The opening theme weaves its way through the eight choirs one by one, until all 40 voices come together in a climax at the 40th bar.

[Good Music Guide]

It is blow-your-socks-off good. 

[davy h]

The Choir Of King's College, Cambridge (conductor: David Willcocks) - Tallis: 'Spem In Alium' (1965)

Friday (Kinda) Nugget

This sunny Dawning Of The Age Of Aquarius pop beauty isn't, as far as I know, on any of the Nuggets records - but could be, easily.

It niftily completes our week of similar things (did it reach 22C in London today?) and is further notable for at least two reasons...

1. It culminates in an absolutely shameless rip-off of the 'God Only Knows' outro harmonies

2. Its composer went on to be rather Important and Marvellous.

*nips to fridge for cold one as narrative tension builds*

Strawberry Children - 'Love Years Coming' (1967)

Midweek Nugget

21 degrees in London today, who'da thunk it. Here's another Nugget, then...

'Mind Excursion' by New York's Tradewinds shows how even (presumably) straight groups co-opted the trend by utilizing a suggestive title that, in actuality, encouraged a positive physical adventure rather than a headtrip.

(sleeve notes)

Unable to fund a Grand Tour at present, I'm going to see if I can get any kind of 'head trip' going on some cheap Pinot from the supermarket.

The Tradewinds - 'Mind Excursion' (1966)

Monday Nugget

Seems at this time of year (in fact, to the day) I feel the urge to dig out the Nuggets comps.

I don't do this consciously.

There's just a Spring in the air and West Coast garage pop on the turntable connection.

'Girl I've Got News For You' easily sounds like it could have been a Top Ten smash by the Grassroots (and was in fact produced by Grassroots producer Steve Barri), but the performance is by Cherokee, aka The Robbs. The Robbs are best known for their 1966 regional hit 'Race With The Wind' and for being regulars on the 'Where The Action Is' TV show. As the 60s spilled into the 70s the group's name was changed to Cherokee. These days the Robb Brothers can be found operating Cherokee Studios, one of Hollywood's top recording complexes.

(from the original 1985 sleeve notes)

I love this!

Cherokee - 'Girl, I've Got News For You' (1971)