Tonight we bring you Michael Shelley, a man I know next to nothing about but somehow ended up with two of his albums - 1997's "Half Empty" and 1998's "Too Many Movies". Both feature some great pop songs for grown-ups.
He's backed on these and later albums by Laura Cantrell and assorted members of Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian and They Might Be Giants, and when you know that you can hear them all in there.
If you go to Michael's Bandcamp page you can download all his albums for less than $25, which sounds like a bargain to me.
"Tonight Could Be The Night" - Michael Shelley
"Baby's In A Bad Mood" - Michael Shelley
He's no relation to this fellow, as far as I know.
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Sunday, 20 May 2018
Irie Stew
At a loose end last night following the cancellation of The Last Poets' album launch - see the previous post - Mr F and I wandered off in search of an evening's entertainment.
We eventually ended up in the Misty Moon in Bethnal Green Road, which used to be a Wetherspoons until they offloaded it as it was damaging the brand. There we were treated to an enjoyable set by Irie White, who had a No. 16 hit in Germany back in the mid 1990s and is still going strong.
Mr White isn't a direct substitute for The Last Poets. Those people who admire them for their savage attacks on political and social injustice may perhaps not feel the same about someone whose repertoire includes such tunes as "Rumpy Pumpy", "Double D" and "Bum Like A Plum" (I didn't make that one up). But he went down a storm in the Misty Moon.
Here is Irie with one of the undoubted highlights of his set, and I've bunged a few more Iries in for ballast.
"Rumpy Pumpy" - Irie White
"General A General" - Tonto Irie
"It's Good To Have The Feeling You're The Best" - Tippa Irie
"Obeah Man" - Welton Irie
"Hot Bubblers" - Sweetie Irie
We eventually ended up in the Misty Moon in Bethnal Green Road, which used to be a Wetherspoons until they offloaded it as it was damaging the brand. There we were treated to an enjoyable set by Irie White, who had a No. 16 hit in Germany back in the mid 1990s and is still going strong.
Mr White isn't a direct substitute for The Last Poets. Those people who admire them for their savage attacks on political and social injustice may perhaps not feel the same about someone whose repertoire includes such tunes as "Rumpy Pumpy", "Double D" and "Bum Like A Plum" (I didn't make that one up). But he went down a storm in the Misty Moon.
Here is Irie with one of the undoubted highlights of his set, and I've bunged a few more Iries in for ballast.
"Rumpy Pumpy" - Irie White
"General A General" - Tonto Irie
"It's Good To Have The Feeling You're The Best" - Tippa Irie
"Obeah Man" - Welton Irie
"Hot Bubblers" - Sweetie Irie
Friday, 18 May 2018
Last And Lost
Great disappointment in the Goggins household at the moment. I was meant to be going to some hipster hangout tomorrow night to see the legendary Last Poets launch their excellent new album, "Understand What Black Is" (which regular readers may remember me raving about recently).
Then yesterday we heard that the gig was cancelled. We haven't been told why, and it seems their show tonight at the British Library is still on, so hopefully it is nothing serious. And while it is no substitute for the real thing, I'll try to console myself with the records. Here is one from the new album and a couple of old favourites.
"Mean Machine" - The Last Poets
"Tough Enough" - The Last Poets
"How Many Bullets" - The Last Poets
Then yesterday we heard that the gig was cancelled. We haven't been told why, and it seems their show tonight at the British Library is still on, so hopefully it is nothing serious. And while it is no substitute for the real thing, I'll try to console myself with the records. Here is one from the new album and a couple of old favourites.
"Mean Machine" - The Last Poets
"Tough Enough" - The Last Poets
"How Many Bullets" - The Last Poets
Monday, 14 May 2018
The Thin Man
Apparently there were at least four different musicians who called themselves Guitar Slim at various points, roughly one for every touring version of The Drifters. But this is the "real" one.
Born Eddie Jones in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1926, he was noted for his wild performances - according to Wikipedia, "he had an assistant who followed him around the audience with up to 350 feet of cord between his guitar and amplifier, and occasionally took his guitar outside the club, bringing traffic to a stop". He was also one of the pioneers of what would become the rock 'n roll guitar style.
Sadly the demon drink got to him and he died aged only 32, but not before he made some cracking records.
"Guitar Slim" - Guitar Slim
"It Hurts To Love Someone" - Guitar Slim
Also hailing from Greenwood, Mississippi - Ms. Betty Everett.
Born Eddie Jones in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1926, he was noted for his wild performances - according to Wikipedia, "he had an assistant who followed him around the audience with up to 350 feet of cord between his guitar and amplifier, and occasionally took his guitar outside the club, bringing traffic to a stop". He was also one of the pioneers of what would become the rock 'n roll guitar style.
Sadly the demon drink got to him and he died aged only 32, but not before he made some cracking records.
"Guitar Slim" - Guitar Slim
"It Hurts To Love Someone" - Guitar Slim
Also hailing from Greenwood, Mississippi - Ms. Betty Everett.
Friday, 11 May 2018
Every Night's A Friday Night
It's that time again. Tomorrow night, live from Lisbon - Eurovision!!! I imagine George will be making his way up there as we speak to join in the fun.
Our old pal Mister F has been warming us up with a fine selection of vintage Eurovision highlights (and a few lowlights too). This is my own humble contribution.
We start with what is probably my favourite Eurovision performance of all time, and one that was directly responsible for one of the best holidays I have ever had. Having been blown away by Zdob Si Zdub in 2005, I went to Moldova the next year and got blown away over and over again.
I made it home in time for the 2007 Eurovision, which featured this unjustly forgotten piece of glam stomp from Sweden. We then fast forward to 2011 to join Anastasiya Vinnikova. I can't unfortunately remember where she is from, but you can probably Google it.
"Boonika Bate Doba" - Zdob Si Zdub
"The Worrying Kind" - The Ark
"I Love Belarus" - Anastasiya Vinnikova
Come on, everybody, and sing along. Feel the power of a song.
Our old pal Mister F has been warming us up with a fine selection of vintage Eurovision highlights (and a few lowlights too). This is my own humble contribution.
We start with what is probably my favourite Eurovision performance of all time, and one that was directly responsible for one of the best holidays I have ever had. Having been blown away by Zdob Si Zdub in 2005, I went to Moldova the next year and got blown away over and over again.
I made it home in time for the 2007 Eurovision, which featured this unjustly forgotten piece of glam stomp from Sweden. We then fast forward to 2011 to join Anastasiya Vinnikova. I can't unfortunately remember where she is from, but you can probably Google it.
"Boonika Bate Doba" - Zdob Si Zdub
"The Worrying Kind" - The Ark
"I Love Belarus" - Anastasiya Vinnikova
Come on, everybody, and sing along. Feel the power of a song.
Wednesday, 9 May 2018
Quackers
A special treat for you today - Donald Duck. No, not that one, but Eugene 'Donald Duck' Mthethwa (unless he was the one you were thinking of in which case yes, that one).
Eugene is a member of the pioneering kwaito group Trompies, occasional solo artist and - slightly awkwardly in the circumstances - Anti-Piracy Chairman of the Association of Independent Record Companies of South Africa. Both tracks come from his 2006 album, "The 4th Man: Who's Wrong? Who's Right?".
"Ibambe Ekasi (Feat. Ihashi Elimhlophe & Makhosonke Zuma)" - Donald Duck
"Isencane Lengane" - Donald Duck
So we come to the YouTube clip. Dance music? Comedy duck? He can't, can he? I'm afraid he can.
Eugene is a member of the pioneering kwaito group Trompies, occasional solo artist and - slightly awkwardly in the circumstances - Anti-Piracy Chairman of the Association of Independent Record Companies of South Africa. Both tracks come from his 2006 album, "The 4th Man: Who's Wrong? Who's Right?".
"Ibambe Ekasi (Feat. Ihashi Elimhlophe & Makhosonke Zuma)" - Donald Duck
"Isencane Lengane" - Donald Duck
So we come to the YouTube clip. Dance music? Comedy duck? He can't, can he? I'm afraid he can.
Sunday, 6 May 2018
The Time Has Come
Some soulful seventies Croatian prog rock for you today. Look out for the powerful vocals of Dado Topic and - on the second track - some cracking prog flute worthy of Ian Anderson himself.
"Da Li Znas Da Te Volim" - Time
"Za Koji Zivot Treba Da Se Rodim" - Time
And the time has indeed come for me to head off to north London to say goodbye to someone who has been a big part of my life for over 20 years now and has brought me a huge amount of pleasure in that time. Thanks for everything, Mr Wenger, and all the best.
"Da Li Znas Da Te Volim" - Time
"Za Koji Zivot Treba Da Se Rodim" - Time
And the time has indeed come for me to head off to north London to say goodbye to someone who has been a big part of my life for over 20 years now and has brought me a huge amount of pleasure in that time. Thanks for everything, Mr Wenger, and all the best.
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