The Last Post (Part 2)

Welcome to the new week and welcome to Part 2 of our exercise in citizen blogging. As explained in Part 1, we asked readers to pick a number between 1 and 26,500. The artists featured below are those that appear in that position in the Last.fm list of my listening habits.

Part 1 featured the first five numbers requested in the order received and we have another five for you today picking up where we left off. Many thanks to all our contributors.

While neither our contributors nor I knew who the acts would be when they submitted their requests there are some similarities between the two parts, notably that the opening three selections for each part are artists from New Zealand, Brazil and Louisiana. Spooky! 

First up is the Queen of Colours herself, C from Sun Dried Sparrows. She chose #4260 which means we are hearing from the NZ singer-songwriter Aldous Harding. I was slightly surprised when Aldous's name popped up as I didn't have any idea who she was. 

A dig around in the files reveals I was sent a promo copy of Aldous's "Warm Chris" LP when it came out in 2022, which I must have listened to once then promptly forgotten. I did her a disservice as it is a decent record. Many thanks to C for prompting me to give it another listen.

Next to appear in the comment section was the intriguingly named Trail of Bread. According to his profile he is "fat, gray and 60", runs his own business and is a big Microdisney fan. Based on that description he could actually be me using an online alter ego to contact myself. Or he could be a real person. Your guess is as good as mine.

Whatever the truth he (or I) has chosen well. At #183 in the charts we find the king of Brazilian soul, the great Tim Maia, who has featured on these pages regularly over the years. Tim and Trail are both welcome back any time.

Definitely real is Rol, the go to man for quizzes, namesakes and much more. Rol requested #1267 and is rewarded with Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown. Gatemouth could play pretty much any style and any instrument with great distinction, When I saw him in Knoxville many years ago he played "Never On A Sunday" on the fiddle, speeding up every verse until the last dancing audience member collapsed with exhaustion. You had to be there, but I'm glad I was.

Next up is my dear old pal Mister F who took a brief break from his life of incessant partying to ask for #1999. I am not sure he will be thrilled by Swedish folk-proggers Kebnekasje - I'm not sure anyone will except possibly George - but he has only himself to blame.

Rounding things off we have our German correspondent Walter, a man who is always having the time of his life. His request for #2205 means that you have the chance to hear from the late reggae polymath Lloyd Charmers. 

As a producer Mr Charmers worked with the likes of Gregory Isaacs and The Abyssinians. As the leader of a session band he backed Ken Boothe and others. As a songwriter he is maybe best known for "Birth Control" which became "Too Much Too Young" at the hands of The Specials.  And he was a fine performer in his right, as this magnificent Curtis Mayfield cover shows. 

That's it folks. Many thanks to everyone who joined in. We must do this again some time. It was fun.

"Tick Tock" - Aldous Harding (C)

"Hadock Lobo Esquina Com Matoso" - Tim Maia (Trail of Bread)

"Louisiana Zydeco" - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (Rol)

 "Brudmarsch till Per & Anna" - Kebnekasje (Mr F)

"Darker Than Blue" - Lloyd Charmers (Walter)

I mentioned in Part 1 that according to Last.fm there are only four acts that have clocked up more than 1000 listens. We treated you to videos of numbers 3 and 4 then, now here are the top two.