A Man Of England

Whilst great chunks of Britain are getting apocalyptic rain, in London this week we've had showers and then bursts of stinky hot sunshine. A bit tropical. It's confusing, musically. The weather always influences what I want to hear and by now it should be unbroken Balearica and things from Brazil, but those pesky clouds and dark spells keep knocking me back to winter. Am I coming or am I going? I really don't know.

We're off to see that nice Mr Albarn's Dr Dee show tonight at the English National Opera, no less. I don't imagine there'll be any stagediving but apparently there are live crows.

We'll walk there from Waterloo: rain or shine.

Chin chin.

Damon Albarn & Ray Davies - 'Waterloo Sunset (live on The White Room)' (1995)

Traditional

Yeah Baby

It's been a bonkers breathless week - but Friday come baby, Friday come.

Best intro bassline evah?

*boogaloos to bar (fridge)*

Lonnie Liston Smith - 'Expansions' (1974)

FFS

When I volunteered to be a parent governor at the eldest's school eighteen months ago, I couldn't have imagined that some bright spark would one day arrange a 'leadership strategy session' from 3-8pm on a Friday night. I'm sure you'll all agree that in terms of intelligent meeting scheduling, that sure bites the big one.

So....tragically I'll be late for cocktails tonight.

*sigh*

Do start without me, there's some booze in the fridge.

Larry Williams & Johnny Watson - 'Too Late' (1969)

Burnin'

 
Been playing this over and over since Saturday too.

Gonna have to nip into Soul Brother Records Putney to pick up the 12" single, cos I wants that mother so bad.

Gregory Porter - '1960 What? (Opolopo Kick & Bass Rerub)' (2011)

Quality Sounds For Under A Pound

Poor quality snap by refreshed me of Mr Rob's actual 45 at actual event

Well the joint sure was jumping in EC1 on Saturday and I am so, so glad I went: very spontaneously and already a tad refreshed from the cooking tea at home and all, I do apologise Ms A.

This was the song that sent us home elated at the end of the night, played by Mr Rob Ryan who has, I will say, a few quite nice records I expect set him back a bit: standing ovation, cries for more, but it was 1am in the basement and the pub had to close and there were Night Buses to catch - thank you 99p Soul regular Sally for helping me head West on the right one(s); thank you everyone for being so lovely x

Frank Hutson - 'Old Man Me' (196-)

It's Friday...Let's Break Dance

Only kidding.

I might have a Goan fish curry though.

West Street Mob - 'Break Dancin' - Electric Boogie' (1983)

The Life Of Brian

I've been listening to a lot of old Beach Boys stuff this week, I suppose for two main reasons (besides that I love it): 1) that new album, which I don't yet have, but have been streaming off the internets...the last three songs a beautiful mini-suite I hope in a way is the last thing Brian Wilson ever writes for them, it's so perfect 2) reading Fuel-Injected Dreams, a gift from Drew, which references that era, the pre-Beatles US pop period of surf songs and Spector and Brian.

Digging out an old/not-so-old Wilson solo album from the late 90s I hardly ever play and listening to it again, one song especially leapt out at me.

I looked the record up. And should have know this was an old song, one he'd noodled about with many times over the years but never officially released (massive shout out/acknowledgements here to Wanarkey's Beach Boys Blog whence the older tracks are sourced).

Here it is at an early stage - mostly the instrumental track but a work in progress with vocal parts being overdubbed...

The Beach Boys - 'Sandy (2nd vocal overdub)' (1965)

Here it is in 1976, the 15 Big Ones period, raggedy but kind of complete, with new lyrics and the girl's name changed, again not released...

The Beach Boys - 'Sherry She Needs Me' (1976)

And here from Imagination, with another new title and some big production that has just enough of the classic era sound to cut it...

Brian Wilson - 'She Says That She Needs Me' (1998)

There are lots of Brian Wilson songs like this...worked on, abandoned, revisited, worked on again through the years.

It tells us a lot, I think: that he comes back to things because he still hears them in his head and wants to get them 'out there'; that almost back on the sort of treadmill in the late 80s/90s that proved so disastrous to his mental health in the mid 60s, there was pressure like the old pressure to come up with material, but with the creative juices not flowing as easily, it proved pragmatic to dig out old stuff; but mostly that back then so much was flowing that even songs other people would sweat blood to create were left lying around - with always another elusive tune to chase, always another musical wave crashing on the shore.

Thunderclap Old Man

I know the Laird Of Lanark and I once famously opined otherwise, but today this is my Best Pop Record Ever Made.

*pours very large gin & tonic with big slice of lime*

The Ronettes - 'Walking In The Rain' (1964)

The Smiling Hour

Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa

A tad louche too, these legendary Tropicalians lolling about in early 70s Brazil...what music, what music: from that olde compilation that goes on giving, and tracks that rip from vinyl sounding still so good.

Sonho meu, sonho meu
Vai buscar que mora longe, sonho meu

I've already cracked a cold San Miguel from the fridge.

It seemed rude not to, Ma'am.

Maria Bethânia & Gal Costa - 'Sonhu Meu' (1978)

The Smiling Hour

Hot sun, cold drinks and some louche Mancini?

I don't mind if I do.

From my Cafe Mambo Ibiza 2005...ah, thems was the times.

Henry Mancini - 'Lujon' (1959)

The Flat Horizon

I have struggled a bit to get going today, despite all the tea.

That Lightships record is lovely, though.

And it's made me want to hear this again.

Teenage Fanclub - 'The World'll Be OK' (2002)

Englishman In New York

Twenty five years after my last visit I am headed to New York this week, for work.

Back then I was a cash-strapped recent graduate with a Greyhound bus 'Ameripass' off on a coast-to-coast ramble, all desert boots and Dylan tapes; this time it'll be new suit and shiny shoes and doing my best to sound sensible.

New York playlist? Check (even contains Sting!).

And all being well I'll be back Friday night, though a bit too late for the usual around here, I expect.

'Follow me on Twitter'.

Deep breath - long flight coming x

Lloyd Cole - 'New York City Sunshine' (2006)

"What Would Jimmy Buffett Do?"

He'd say...

Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere

x

Friday Reggae # 34

Marguerite Lewars was the reigning Miss Jamaica when she appeared in Dr No.

And Jimmy was just 14.

Jimmy Cliff - 'Miss Jamaica' (1962)

[Yesh, it's Ska really Moneypenny, I know]

Sunday At The Village Vanguard (1961)

Bliss

Bill Evans Trio - 'Porgy (I Loves You Porgy)' (1961)

Yeah Baby

I like Twitter.

And I wish some of you who aren't on it, were - we'd have such fun. I look there before I look here most days now - says something, right?

After a few vins blancs on Saturday I blethered on a bit there about playing Mrs H's LP of Intuition by early 80s Brit pop-funkers Linx - had a chat about it with some peops, in fact.

I wrote that Side 1 struck me all these years on as almost synthy proggy - oh my; Side 2, more soully pop like you'd expect if you knew the singles, and bought the album because.

I dropped the stylus on it again last night, and enjoyment once more ensued.

Thought I'd post this.

For Rupert and James.

Linx - 'You're Lying' (1980)

[With thanks to Anthony @735songs]

Friday Reggae # 33

Nickel In The Machine Rob tweeted this week that he was working on a Marley comp for his 14 year old nephew - I hope this is on it.

Late early Wailers: old time vocal group harmonies and Lee Perry producing, irie.

Shall I go t'bar?

Bob Marley & The Wailers - 'Put It On' (1971)

Love Her So

I first heard an Arthur Alexander record thanks to John Peel - it was the original of  'Anna (Go To Him)' which The Beatles covered on Please Please Me. 

Yesterday I was playing Peel's (birthday) Party 40 shows whilst roasting potatoes, and this one just leapt out at me - what a song. Recorded in 1961 and a big US soul/R&B hit, it pretty much kickstarted things at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

There's a re-recording on the LP of the same name which is all slowed-up and icky strings, but this is the cracking single version.

Arthur Alexander - 'You Better Move On' (1961)

Friday Reggae # 32

A week off...

Queuing crazy early on a blustery Bank Holiday Monday to get in to the last day of Hockney at the RA.

Sating the curiosity of Mrs H and the girlies re. auctions in West London - a house clearance; diamonds and tut, a little bird singing on a gold music box.

A pub lunch by the squally river.

IKEA (!)

Finding the house in West Ealing where Mrs H was born.

Charity shop noodling (no purchase).

Driving about and listening to Robert Elms - thinking today, as listeners nominated favourite Gregory Isaacs tunes, why is there no reggae on mainstream radio, still?

Posting some from halcyon days - Top Ten singles and the cover of the NME.

Dennis Brown - 'Money In My Pocket' (1979)

Get The Funk 'n' Easter Weekend In Here

Thursday is the new Friday!

Enjoy the "break" - geddit??

Oh, please yourselves.

Mine's a large one, if you're going.

Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - 'Superman Lover' (1976)

Blog

I hate to play the clichéd Brit and blether on about the weather but really - our climate is bonkers. Last week it was 23C in Aberdeen and today most of the North is being scythed by sleet and snow - spare a thought for a brave fellow blogger who even now is holed up in a caravan somewhere on an inclement coast and down to his last beefy Bovril, probably.  Eee.

Meanwhile, I have been distressingly busy with work - in the run up to Easter! It's an outrage!

It'll be rosados all the way come tomorrow night though, and blow winds, I dinnae care.

Jim Noir - 'Turbulent Weather' (2005)

The Smiling Hour

Went westlondoning again today - sporting shorts, shades on, dubby stuff on the iPo; lovely.

It felt like July.

It still does.

Alors will be quaffing discounted rosé and tucking into supermarket curry tonight.

Chin chin.

Weekend - 'Weekend Stroll' (1982)

[a davyh vinyl rip].

[westlondoning is an allyism (c) 2012 all rights reserved, terms & conditions apply]

Blog

No I will not sleepwalk into a pattern of only posting on Fridays.

Although this is hard when I have not much to say.

Still, turned out nice again hasn't it?

Have you ever been to electric ladyland?

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 'Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)' (1968)

Yeah Baby (BST)

So, British Summer Time eh? Always the way that winter seems darkly unending and then when spring comes it rolls out in a rush and everything goes suddenly bonkers, the cherry blossom, the buds, the honeysuckle, the hedge, and it's headlong to Easter and here we go. They're forecasting 20 degrees for London today.

Might have a rummage; feel like a rummage. Take a day; pop up the market and stock up with veggies for the weekend; all that.

Here's a classic groove/choon/break! I've almost posted on many a Friday, finally posted now.

Keni Burke - 'Risin' To The Top' (1982)

The Smiling Hour

Ladies and gentlemen, the bar is now open.

John Lee Hooker - 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' (1966)

Now The Light Nights Are Here

It's been a Weller week. He's all over the meeja like a rash. He must have a very good PR company, is all.

As I was saying over at Simon's, all this attention, especially the very fine piece on him by Pete Paphides in Mojo, has encouraged me to dig into the recent solo stuff I'd ignored - 22 Dreams and Wake Up The Nation, specifically (thanks library). There are some very good things, as well as some silliness, on both....but I have become obsessed with this, playing it over and over...that Indian vibe (is it a sitar, or a guitar that sounds like a sitar?) and the co-vocal from the shockingly young then-future mother of his (latest) kinder which gives the whole thing an air of this, too.

I've just played it twice on the iPo walking to Sainsbury's and back (London Pride, two for £3.50, and some ginger for a daal).

Come out and play, come out and play....

Paul Weller - 'Light Nights' (2008)

The Smiling Hour

Was that a whiff of spring in the air today, or just my wishful thinking?

There really are tiny buds forming on the magnolia tree along the road.

Well here's something smooth and lovely from a record I've plundered before (it brought us The Smiling Hour, in fact).

Um pouco de Brasil on your March Friday evening.

A drink you say? Oh how kind.

Sarah Vaughan - 'Copacabana' (1979)

"Have You Bought A Porsche Yet?"

'Ere! You kids! Geddahtovit!'

I was amused by this list of 'tell-tale signs of middle age' in Sunday's paper.

Having checked myself against the criteria I can exclusively reveal my responses, viz....

You think it's about time you bought a nasal hair trimmer.
Sweetheart, I've had one for years
You can't sit down or stand up without making an "effort" noise.
Of course not
You write a letter to your council about rubbish collection.
I've written two!
All your friends start buying dogs.
(Thankfully not living in Yorkshire this doesn't apply)
You become a bystander to the latest trends in denim.
I have always been a bystander to the latest trends in denim
You notice your legs are going bald (men).
Wha?
You have a colourist (women).
Wha?
You listen to Radio 1 and don't understand any of it.
I haven't listened to Radio 1 since 1989!
You rely on the kids for IT advice.
Not really, but the eldest is good at PowerPoint
You start flossing.
Naaaah
You wonder if there are cruise holidays not full of senior citizens.
That's a point....
Tanktops, gilets, bodywarmers – sleeveless items of clothing begin to appeal.
No, although I have considered buying a waistcoat. Mind, I was wearing waistcoats at 25.
You know when the Chelsea Flower Show is.
Of course - Mrs H is very keen
You worry about your knees
Constantly.
You don't wear heels in daylight.
Never
The first thing you read in the obituaries column is age of death.
Yep
You start getting your wine delivered.
I would, but I'm too poor
You no longer scan the room for beautiful people at a party. You're looking for a seat.
True
You start each day thinking you should live it like your last. But you don't.
Yep
Your ears get bigger.
Weird that
You know you haven't got a novel in you.
Check
All your favourite TV is on Sunday night.
Is Call The Midwife back soon?

How about you?

What other 'sure-signs' are they missing?

I offer no prize for the best one, but maybe you can reward yourself with a nice hot bath and an early night.

Paul Weller - 'That Dangerous Age' (2012) [sounds like Blur]

Too Busy Singing To Put Anybody Down

I couldn't let the passing of Manchester's Davy Jones - jockey, Monkee and Ena Sharples' grandson - go unnoted here. All of us 60s and 70s kids grew up chortling at The Monkees TV series - they were part of the fabric of our childhoods.

And Davy was Mrs H's favourite (how fitting).

I'm really glad that whole Evil Fake Group thing has been consigned to the dustbin of lazy music crit history and we can just enjoy The Pop.

With Goffin, King, Diamond, Boyce and Hart penning it, what Pop it was.

We'll miss you Mr Jones.

The Monkees - 'Hard To Believe' (1967)

[a davyh vinyl rip - in Mono]