CAVALRY STOPPED

This week, before I go away, I have been playing the much underestimated Jona Lewie.  Not much on YouTube either, apart of course from the unexpected Christmas song, Stop the Cavalry (which isn't included here!).  But here are three for you to share:

With a mad Zydeco band in ‘Laughing Tonight’

And then the Beatlesque ‘I Think I’ll Get My Haircut’

And finally of course, the Ikea theme song, ‘You Will Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties’

See you in a couple of weeks.

FROM AD TO HRVATSKA

I've been a bit quiet this week.  I'm off to Dubrovnik at the crack of dawn tomorrow to take a group walking in the hills above the city and I had to research quite a lot about the place before I go.

So how have I been relaxing?  This week I've been listening to Arrested Development.  Here's some for you:

This is almost a psalm or maybe a hymn.

And this is so relaxing . . . even if you don't listen to the words.

And of course - still one of favourite songs of all time . . .

 

That's Dionne Farris with the female vocals.  Mmmm.

FRIDAY FOUR

Oh, it's Friday.  This is not just for you, Ian (at least it's not intended just for you) - anyone can have a go . . .  I've decided to make this one a bit of a world music selection; shouldn't be harder than some of the more obscure British songs . . .

This was Ian's last song.

So, what's the link between that and this:

Then find the link between that song and this one:

Now how does that song link with this one:

and, finally, how on earth does that link with this?

  

Send me a PM in Facebook if you think you have any of the links.  Enjoy!

ARMATRADING POST

This week I am listening to Joan Armatrading.  I have admired her since I first heard her nearly 40 years ago.  Now she probably ranks as Britain's best female singer/songwriter.

Her deeply personal, enigmatic songs are hard to categorise (not that I want to categorise her), so here are a few songs to show her range.

From 1980, this is All The Way From America.  She sings this brilliantly live, but this is the best version I can find on YouTube.

And, from 1985, this is Temptation.

 

It was difficult to decide on a third, but her brave singing, alone on the stage, with the audience in complete silence, swings it I think.  This is her in 2012 with The Weakness In Me.

 

And I'm sorry, that was supposed to be it, but I I've decided I have to add the song that first caught my attention in 1975 - Cool Blue Stole My Heart.  I've posted this before, so you can skip it if you like.

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 7 CHRISTMAS DAY

Happy Christmas everyone!   

For Christmas Day, I offer you one of my favourite festive songs which I'm pleased to have heard many times on the radio this year for some reason - it's Chrissie Hynde!

 

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 6

Just finished mopping up after the first round of storms.  Now enjoying deceptively and ominously beautiful sunshine, as we await the next onslaught.  So, for Christmas Eve, and for all those who are fed up with Christmas already!  Here is Blink 182.

CRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 5

For today an alternative, but lovely, Christmas song  from Isobel Cambell and Mark Lanegan (with thanks to Jo Wiley for finding this for me). 

  

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 4

Today it’s time for some cool with Eels.

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 3

OK, today we slow it down a touch with some funk – Santa Wants Some Lovin’.  Get down, Albert King.

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST Day 2

Today, in preparation for the last shopping weekend before Christmas, this high speed version of the 1961 hit by the 5, 6, 7, 8s.  Yeah, go Lockn Lol Santa.

CHRISTMAS WEEK MUSIC

Here’s my run up to Christmas playlist.  Nothing beats the wall of sound when it comes to Christmas songs.  So, first, Bob B Sox and the Blue Jeans with  Bells of St Marys

Just the way a carol should be – full of happiness, just urging you to dance around the tree, and a drummer who’s really enjoyed the  mulled wine.

FRIDAY FOUR

Here's a more complicated quiz especially for Christmas week.  Although only the first song could be said to be a Christmas song.  I thought I would offer a range of different music this time too for your edification.

So my last song was here.  Now, to get you started, what is the (maybe rather obvious) link between that song and this:

But then what do you think is the link between that song and this?

And, if you worked out that link, can you find the link between Sophie Tucker and Jelly Roll Morton from the same era?

But what on earth can link that song with this?

Have fun Ian.

LOYO OR BFF

I have been listening to Hot Chocolate this week.  Here's a nice one of theirs for you.

 

And it made me think - there are quite a few songs about accepting friendship when what is really desired is something more. But they all seem to be great songs.  Maybe they are written with poignant significance?  Or just sung with real feeling?

I immediately thought of course of Carole King.  Here's her take.

But there is another nice song on the same lines, not sure who wrote or sung the original, but I like this version by Mavis John.

 

And, finally, I have always thought of this song by Abba as having the same meaning. 

 

Any songs of this ilk that please you?

Anyway, some nice songs to listen to while I'm away.

A BIT OFF

I seem to have played bridge almost every day this week.  Has made it difficult to get out into the garden and do some work (I haven't been very upset about not getting out there though and I don't think the jobs will go away, so I can do them later).

Yesterday though we also went to a talk about Japanese gardens.  It was a little disappointing.  He hadn't been to many interesting gardens (he didn't even cover the main gardens of Japan) and didn't have anything much to say about them anyway. 

The trouble with visiting places like Japan is that you end end up being side-tracked and fascinated by irrelevant things.  So we had a 10 minute explanation about the bullet train (with pics) and how lovely it was to travel on it, followed by another 10 min section about the ferry to Miyajima, with pics of that too!  Then some pics of meals and shop windows, several pics of Mount Fuji, umpteen pics of a temple gate ('this is a very famous gate and I expect you've all seen pics of it before'.  'Yes!!  So why are you showing us more??').  He even gave us a guided tour of the temples at Nikko.

One lady complained that the talk was all statistics.  Actually it sounded a bit like a Japan Travel Bureau guided tour for foreigners (they don't like you to leave without seeing all the 'sights' whatever you're supposed to be there for, and they always tell you about areas and heights, etc, so maybe that's what he was given and that's where he got his speech from).  So I don't know any more about the whys and wherefores of Japanese gardens.  But I can tell you that they are nice.

Tomorrow we are off to Teignmouth again for the annual Jazz Festival.  I'll no doubt have some pics and videos for you when I return.  Til then, be good.

OLD MANS SHOES

I went to see Ben E King in concert last night.  I was surprised both that he seems so frail (he's only just 75 - in a week's time) and also that his voice is almost unchanged.  He still has that magic in his vocal chords that made him the star he is.  And, with a good backing band, he still manages to convey that slightly Latin swinging rhythm that used to get us all going.  Needless to say, we had a great time.

My one regret though was that he seemed to forget the words of Spanish Harlem.  There I was singing along to the second verse, while he resang the first.  Hmm.  I felt like shouting out that we weren't just there to SEE him; we wanted to hear the songs too.

Anyway, talking about singing along - here's the embarrassing bit.  As he broke into Under The Boardwalk, the whole audience leapt to its feet and waved its arms in the air and sang along with him.  And I suddenly remembered my parents, probably returning from the same theatre, waving their arms about and singing Roll Out The Barrel with their friends.  And I thought, Oh God (we didn't say OMG in those days), I do hope I never get like that.  And yet there I was . . . metaphorically singing Roll Out The Barrel with my friends!  Ugh, I hope my children never get like that.

COUP SEVILLE

I am off tomorrow for a couple of weeks in Andalusia. I shall be taking a group on a walking tour of Moorish and Mujedar architecture in Seville, Cordoba and Granada. I walked in Cordoba and Granada last year, but never made it to Seville. I shall also try to get the group out into the mountains a couple of times. So I'm fluctuating between pleasant excitement and abject terror at the moment.

I'll try to stay in touch, but may have to catch up when I return. There will no doubt be a pic or three to post too. Take care. Meanwhile, here's my current earworm for you to keep dancing to while I'm away. Some of you may recognise this as the Bose ad music. Well done Bose for promoting it! I just think it sounds so South African.   How do they do that?!

OFF

So I've managed an almost daily account of my doings.  Now you will probably hear nothing for a while.  Time we had a holiday I think, so we're off again tomorrow morning for a a few days.

I've just heard this for the first time, so I'll leave it with you while I'm away.  Isn't it great!

NAVAL GAZING

Teignmouth in Devon is famous for its local music festivals.  We always go down for the Jazz Festival in September and usually for the Folk Festival of Morris dancing and music.  But we were also there for the Classical Music and Folk Song Festivals earlier this year.

One reason we visited Teignmouth this month was for the Sea Shanty Festival.  Sadly, our friends were unable to take part this year, so here's one excerpt of the Tavy Tars set at the Oystercatcher in which they would have featured.

FRIDAY FOUR

The idea is to unravel the links between the individual songs.  Or it might be between the artists.  Or it might be something even more obscure.  Band members?  Anyway, although Ian and I seem to be the only ones playing, I hope you will at least enjoy the music, linked or not. 

The final song on Ian’s last Friday Four is here.

So, an easy one to start with, although avoiding all the more obvious possibilities – Ian knows who the singer is, but what’s the link between Ian’s final song and this one?

Hello, I’m Your Heart    Bette Bright

Then the link between that one and this next one is not so obscure either.

The Truth About Love    Pink

But can you find the link from that to this?

Star Trekkin’   The Firm

And then, maybe slightly more tricky, find the link from that song to this.

I am the Walrus   Bono

THEMED THURSDAY

I thought it might be interesting to offer from time to time a selection of matched tunes.

Today’s theme is London railway stations.  Since Ian posted both Abba’s Waterloo and The Kinks’ song Victoria the other Friday, I offer you this instead – Waterloo Station by Jane Birkin.  It’s a thoughtful song about coming back to UK on the Eurostar after an absence in France.  Of course these days it would have to be St Pancras . . .

And Victoria?  Oh, OK, I give you The Fall version:

Then here are the Pet Shop Boys with Kings Cross,:

Euston Station has to be from Barbara Ruskin, one of the few 60s female song-writers.

Of course, when London was known as Swingin’ London, everybody was recording songs about the city.  Here’s Bread with London Bridge:

 Liverpool Street is the name of a round (there is also one about London Bridge).  Here’s one version of the former (by I don’t know who).

And, finally, this is Vauxhall to Lambeth Bridge by Brian Auger, Shirley Driscoll and Trinity

Maybe you know some others?