- Howard Marks
- Graham Greene
- Joseph McCarthy
- -
- Billie Holliday
- Michael Caine
- Hernan Cortes
- Bela Lugosi
- Wolfman Jack
- Andy Warhol
- Jack Kerouac
- Leila Khaled
- Tom Courtnay
- Johnny Thunders
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Robert Mitchum
- John Cassavetes
- Levis Stubbs
- Frans Hals
- Seymour Stein
- Shadrach, Meshach & Abednigo
- Frankie Lymon
- Jim Morrison
- Vasco De Gama
- Faron Young
- Jackie Wilson
- Max Ernst
- Mose Allison
- Madonna & Sean Penn
- Kevin Carter
- Moe Tucker
- Neal Cassady
- John Coltrane & Billie Holliday
- Bob Dylan
- Genghis Khan
- Gene Clark
- Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow
- Morrissey
- Damo Suzuki
- Alex Chilton
- Lewis & Clark
- Jacques Derrida
- Nelson Mandela
- Huey Newton
- Jesse James
- Roy Harper
- Adolf Hitler
- Gene Vincent
- The Shah of Iran
- John Cage
Monday, August 18, 2014
Songs About People 1-50
A chart that will no doubt slow with the passing of time, but still has some legs. See if you can guess the artists who recorded songs with these names in the song titles. I've realised during the totting up of this that I'm short of a # 4 which I'll make up shortly.
Song of the Day #212 SBTRKT
On the radio fairly constantly. I think it has some Vampire Weekend connection.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Things I Found on My Local's Jukebox # 29 The Miracles
Haven been to Rosie's for a while as I've been poorly but had a short session there yesterday and unearthed this. One of my favourite Miracles singles.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
16th August 1962 - Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder's first single released. Marvin Gaye played the drums. What more do you want?
Animals # 3 Hyena
Hyena was on R.E.M's set list for a long time before it appeared on the end of Side 1 of Life's Rich Pageant. I always thought it slightly identikit R.E.M. Typical, evocative title, entirely unclear what the lyric is about, possibly about general American political hypocrisy, impassioned chorus. Still, identikit R.E.M. of the time was still a cut above almost everybody else around them. Also, this clip, from the Rockpalast concert filmed in Bochum in 1985 show what a trailblazing, extraordinary band they were at this point. I'm delighted that I saw them live a few times round about this point. They were immense.
Songs About People # 50 Richard III - Supergrass
Supergrass were a wonderful band. Very English, but never shoving that fact in your face the way the more opportunistic Oasis and Blur tended to.They remind me for some reason of some of the great rootsy, left-field English bands of the late sixties, Traffic, The Incredible String Band and Family. This came from their second album, may have nothing whatsoever to do with the perhaps unfairly derided English King, features a great theremin solo and is generally a fairly wonderful three minutes.
It also brings this, one of my favourite, spurious series on this blog, to its half century.
Song of the Day # 210 - Led Zeppelin
There hasn't been much Led Zep on here so here's a wonderful song from Houses of the Holy to make some ammends.
Friday, August 15, 2014
15th August 1896 - Leon Theremin
The man who invented one of the most esoteric instruments of all was born this day. Said instrument features on this.
Animals # 2 Rhinoceros
I see no reason why this should be called Rhinoceros. Except that it's a song title that requires a home. The Smashing Pumpkins were some band when they first came through. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Song of the Day # 209 - King Creosote
Sometimes you get the feeling that certain artists or records arrive in a place or time that's their moment. Such seems to be the case with King Creosote and their new album From Scotland With Love. With independence in the air this seems to soundtrack the time. Infused with Scottish culture, history and consciousness. Also great pop music. I think I'll need a vinyl copy.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Songs About People # 49 John Cage - Stereolab
Stereolab did any number of utterly wonderful records. Here's just one of them . Put on a pair of headphones and listen loud.
14th August 1970 - Elvis Presley
When I'm not on the jukebox at my local it's a reasonable bet this song or something like it will be. The record was certified Gold this day in 1970.
Animals # 1 Orangutan
Overdue another utterly spurious series. Here's Clinic. One of the better bands of the last fifteen years.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
13th August 1958 - Feargal Sharkey
One of the most beautifully poignant songs about how time seems so long and important when you're a teenager and loss so painful. And it's a Wednesday. Happy Birthday Feargal! One of the truly great voices. Incomparable!
Song of the Day # 207 - Billy Swan
Following yesterday's list of covers, here's another great example of doing something totally new with the original. Taken from the Country Funk Volume II compilation just out. This and the Bobby Darin song I posted yesterday are tracks 1 and 2.
Songs About People # 48 The Shah of Iran - The Stranglers
It's difficult to remember how dark these times were though nothing particularly changes. Still The Stranglers made a pop song out of it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Great Cover Versions
A friend of mine provoked this with a Facebook post yesterday and I tried to come up with a Top 30 of great cover versions. All of these worth investigating. In no particular order.
1. John Cale - Hallelujah
2. Jerry Lee Lewis - Me & Bobby McGee
3. Fats Domino - Lovely Rita
4. Peggy Lee - Spinning Wheel
5. Bobby Womack - California Dreaming
6. Johnny Jones & the King Casuals - Purple Haze
7. Aztec Camera - Jump
8. Jackie Wilson - Light My Fire
9. Johnny Cash - Rusty Cage
10. Patti Smith - Gloria
11. The Associates - Boys Keep Swinging
12. David Bowie - Wild is the Wind
13. Merry Clayton - Gimme Shelter
14. Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of your Love
15. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Carnival is Over
16. Astrud Gilberto - Misty Roses
17. The Clash - Police & Thieves
18. Grace Jones - Private Life (or lots of hers the best cover star of all)
19. Jimmy Little - Cattle & Cane (see clip above)
20. My Bloody Valentine - We Have All the Time in the World
21. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower
22. Tricky - Black Steel
23.Cowboy Junkies - Blue Moon Revisited
24.St. Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
25.Mark Ronson Featuring Alex Grunwald - Just
26. Bryan Ferry - A Hard Rain's Going to Fall-
27. Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
28. Magazine - thank you falettinme be mice elf
29. Robert Wyatt - I'm a Believer
30. The Beat - Tears of a Clown
Songs Heard on the Radio # 6 PJ Harvey
The most Patti Smith influenced of all her songs. Something of Dancing Barefoot about it.
12th August 1945 - Ron Mael
There would be a moment for anyone growing up in the seventies when any youngster with even a passing interest in Pop Music would have encountered Ron Mael for the first time. Russell was distracting enough but he didn't have a Hitler moustache or a decidedly disquieting expression on his face at all points. Queen owe them a debt they cannot pay.
Line of the Day # 2 Martha & the Muffins
'From 9 to 5 I have to spend my time at work. My job is very boring, I'm an office clerk.'
How much they knew. Unbeatable one hit wonders though I had a good friend back then who rated the album.
Pictures on My Wall - Echo & the Bunnymen
Bunnymen's debut single. As reviewed in British Music Weekly Sounds in 1979.
Song of the Day # 206 - Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin's Hippie phase. As with all of these things, a very good idea!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Songs About People # 47 Gene Vincent - Ian Dury
Finally. One of the obvious ones. Quite peerless. If only Robbie Williams had had the sense to leave very well alone!
Singles Runs # 4 - The Yardbirds
Never quite a singles band, more of a live one, and a vehicle for extraordinary guitarists. Nevertheless, this isn't a bad run of UK singles.
1. For Your Love
Their best known and their big hit. Written by Graham Goulding, later of 10CC. Clapton left in pique when this was released claiming they were selling out their roots. If so, not a bad way to do so.
2. Heart Full of Soul
Dark and steely. Igg favourite which apparently led to the lyric of Search & Destroy
3. Evil Hearted You
b/w Still I'm Sad
4. Shapes of Things
5. Over Under Sideways Down
To my mind a genius single. Their last Top 10 hit. Reached # 10. However, this was a drop from their previous four which were all top three.
6. Happenings Ten Years Ago
Ok this doesn't date well lyrically and fell just short of the Top 40. Still, an incredible document of British Psychedelia.
11th August 1966 - John Lennon
John Lennon has to eat humble pie after 'Bigger than Jesus' comments in press conference in Chicago.
Song of the Day # 205 - Toots & the Maytals
Toots & the Maytals is an almost bottomless pit in terms of great songs. I could have picked twenty just off the top of my head and get the impression there are countless more I'm not even aware of. Here's one of their better know songs, opening track of the landmark Funky Kingston album.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Song of the Day # 204 - Tim Rose
'They done chased away all our morning dew...'
From the mid-sixties singer songwriter Tim who wasn't Buckley or Hardin. Post apocalyptic lament. Fabulous rolling guitar and tumbling drumming.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Song of the Day # 203 - The Boomtown Rats
'The girl in the cake, jumped out too soon by mistake.'
Never thought this would happen. Boomtown Rats as Song of the Day. They're not for me really. I was slightly interested as a youth but as soon as really began forming opinions I wrote them off as mannered, opportunist and really quite dated once those New Wave mannerisms had gone out of vogue. She's so Modern. Like Clockwork. Really. But a colleague sent a few tracks to me following a discussion about those times yesterday. Amongst them this. It was probably the first time I'd heard it since about 1979. You generally get I Don't Like Monday, Rat Trap and possibly a couple of early singles if anything nowadays. I thought it worked and have barely been able to get it out of my head since. Whatever you say about that band and a lot of rude things have been said they certainly went for it. Each of them dram it up to the max here whenever the camera is pointed at them Whenever the Rats come up in my life from now on I'll be able to say at least I like that one.It's also strangely a song that has a new gloss of poignancy given what happened to that poor man's daughter recently.
Friday, August 8, 2014
8th August 1975 - Cannonball Adderley
If you're going to go through life attached to a nickname it might as well be 'Cannonball'.Compadre of Miles Dais and John Coltrane and blinding musician in his own right.
Songs Heard on the Radio # 5 -The Cure
Closing in on five o'clock on a Friday afternoon. Sat at my desk. Having this come in over my headphones is pretty, damned perfect. Amongst the absolute top fistful of existential singles ever made. If not the best. The Cure never got any better than this for me and the wonderful album 17 Seconds that it hails from. When it finishes on the radio, still playing now, I might have to listen to it all over again!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
7th August 1974 - J.Geils Band
Peter Wolf from The J Geils Band married actress Faye Dunaway in Beverly Hills the marriage ended in divorce in 1979. One of the great, sad close misses in search for love in recent, human memory.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Songs About People # 46 - Adolf Hitler - Bud Flanagan
Not a genuine Second World War song but a pastiche of the kind that Flanagan did record back then with Chesney Allen. Great tune! Probably only makes complete sense if you were brought up British in the incredible nostalgia for this most fragile of historical moments. Theme tune for probably the most popular British comedy of all time Dad's Army.
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