Ernie's El Dorado Pt 17 - Panama 29 April

So we've made it down to Panama. At first I thought about recreating the playlist the US used to get General Noreiga to leave the sanctity of the Vatican Embassy and surrender back in 1989 but having now read it I think that might be classified as a war crime (if only because it includes Lee Greenwood).

We'll get to the actual music shortly but first a few quick random facts. Panama's border with Colombia is where the two American continents meet. Scotland briefly had a colony there that proved so financially ruinous it is considered to have contributed to the Act of Union. The hats don't come from there. Their football team will be playing England in the World Cup in June. And I believe there is some sort of canal.

When it comes to Panamanian music there is really nowhere you can start except with Rubén Blades. He made his first album in 1970 and apart from a five year stint as the Minister of Tourism in the 2000s has been recording and performing regularly ever since. In that time he has won 12 Grammys and a further 12 Latin Grammys. He also had a pretty successful acting career in parallel.

The song that I've chosen is from his 1977 album "Metiendo Mano" and it addresses the treatment of the native population in Latin America's colonial times. The album is a collaboration with Willie Colon and their follow-up "Siembra" is apparently still the biggest selling salsa album of all time.

The next biggest name on the Panamanian salsa scene was Francisco Buckley, known as Bush for reasons unclear. He was most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s when he fronted groups known variously as Su Nuevo Sonido, Sus Magnificos or simply Su Orquesta. It was under the latter name that he released this track in 1989 and it was a smash hit despite its lyrical complexity. You can find it on the album "¡Ahora O Nunca!".

The global centre for salsa music is New York City, and that was where Ralph Weeks found himself back in the late 1960s. Ralph was more of a Latin soul man and while in NYC gigged regularly with his band as Ralph & The Telecasters. Their most popular number was "Something Deep Inside". Back in Panama in 1972 he cut a Spanish version, which is the one I have gone with. 

The Names You Can Trust label reissued both of them a few years back, and also teamed Ralph up with Combo Lulo in 2019 to make new reggae-tinged versions of both songs. Ralph's voice sounds as good on them as it does on the originals nearly 50 years before.

We will get to the actual Mandatory American Reggae in due course but first we have some calypso and soca for you. Sir Jablonski provides the former; this track is one of the highlights of the fine Soundway Records compilation "Panama! 2 (Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical & Calypso Funk On The Isthmus 1967-77)". 

The soca comes from The Beachers who are celebrating 50 years in the business this year. Their 2019 album "Cincuenta" is packed with fun soca and calypso tunes.

Los Timidos were a pioneering Panamanian punk band formed in 1987. In 1995 they recorded an album called "Crónicas de Lujurias" (Chronicles of Lust), some tracks of which are randomly available as free downloads on Bandcamp. This tribute to salted cod is one of them. Other than that I know nothing about them.

I know a good deal more about Yejo Cedeño and his (literally) banging tunes thanks to a highly informative article in El Ciglo Panama, the title of which Google rashly claims can be translated as "the man who sings and performs traditional songs under the awnings". 

Yejo is a traditional musician who is following in the footsteps of his late father. He performs in the saloma style, described as "characterized by high-pitched, melodic shouts", as you shortly be able to confirm. Today's track is from his 2017 album "Ya Amaneció".

Finally we come to the MAR slot. Pureza Natural are doing the honours this time out. They've been putting the R in Panama-r since 2005 and appear as guests on one track on The Beachers album that I was raving about earlier. Today's pick comes from their own album "Larga Distancia" that came out in 2015.

"Plantación Adentro" - Rubén Blades

"Bum, Bum, Bum" - Bush y Su Orquesta

"Algo Muy Profundo" - Ralph Weeks

"Juck Juck Pt. 1" - Sir Jablonski

"Mama Lele" - The Beachers

"Bacalao" - Los Timidos

"Delen Gusto A La Cantina" - Yejo Cedeño 

"Ramón Miseria" - Pureza Natural 

Single Song Sunday 26 April

Our extremely irregular series returns for the first time this year. Unlike your Rols and Charity Chics I am constitutionally incapable of keeping several series running in parallel. With Ernie's El Dorado - returning next post - and now Pun Fun on the go Single Song Sunday has rather fallen by the wayside.

But we are belatedly back with a song that became an instant standard when the first version to be released came out in late 1967. Second Hand Songs lists over 40 cover versions during 1968 and 1969 alone and there are now nearly 2000 known recordings. We're talking about Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now".

Joni wrote "Both Sides Now" in 1966 but she was not the first person to record the song. That was Judy Collins, who included it on her 1967 "Wildflowers". It was released as a single the following year and was a top ten hit in the US and Canada. 

It was the Judy Collins version that prompted the early rush of cover versions. Joni herself did not get around to releasing it until her second album "Clouds" in mid 1969 by which time the bandwagon was well and truly rolling. I'm sure you are all familiar with that version so instead you're getting a 1972 live recording that can be found on "Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3".

Many of the cover versions are dreadful - take a bow Carly Rae Jepsen, Mel C, John Barrowman, Paul Young and Clannad (together), Leonard Nimoy and an endless stream of TV talent show wannabes - and many others are nice enough but are straight takes that don't add anything to the song. But there are some decent and/or interesting versions hidden in the haystack.

This post was prompted by hearing a very early unreleased demo by Fairport Convention on an album of Joni covers that comes with the current edition of Mojo, so they make the cut. After them we have: their fellow 1960s folk moderniser Davy Graham, Dion in his "Abraham, Martin & John" period...  

(deep breath)

...The Tokens in 1971 keen to remind listeners of their big hit of 1961, some smooth South African jazz, a rather good French version, a grungy pop take from the 1990s and finally an MRV from the early 1970s.

"Both Sides Now" - Judy Collins

"Both Sides Now (Live 1972)" - Joni Mitchell

"Both Sides Now" - Fairport Convention

"Both Sides Now" - Davy Graham

"From Both Sides Now" - Dion

"Both Sides Now" - The Tokens

"Both Sides Now" - Hugh Masekela

"Je N'ai Rien Appris" - Marie Laforêt

"Both Sides Now" - Parasites

"From Both Sides" - Pat Kelly

As for the videos I particularly enjoy the one by Dexys as it was shot in my manor and all the locations are very familiar to me. I lived a few hundred yards from Blackman's shoes on Cheshire St for about 15 years and I know at least one reader will recognise the interior of Pellicci's cafe and the ever cheerful Nev behind the counter. 

Rush Hour

According to my spreadsheet Tom Rush has never featured here in all the long years we've been going, which is a good enough reason to have him now (that and the fact that I really like his voice which has a touch of the Gordon Lightfoots about it). Tom is 85 now and I'm pleased to say is still going strong. His first record was released in 1962 and his most recent in 2024. 

Way back in the late 1960s Tom developed a reputation for helping to raise the profile of emerging singer-songwriters by covering their songs on his albums. The prime example is his "The Circle Game" album from 1968 which included songs by Joni Mitchell (including the title track), James Taylor and Jackson Browne (see below) before any of them had released an album themselves.

Tom only wrote two songs on that album himself but one of them is not just the best song on the record but one of the best songs ever. You will probably know it from the Walker Brothers version, or maybe Midge Ure.

"Shadow Dream Song" - Tom Rush

"No Regrets" - Tom Rush

Gigs-A-Go-Go

Last week was a busy week for gigs - three in five days.

It started on the Sunday with a visit to Theatreship, an excellent little bar and venue on a converted small cargo ship in Canary Wharf. I first went there last year to see Angeline Morrison and was very taken with the place. 

The line-up on Sunday was Beth Jones (below), Binti Red and Albertine. They were all perfectly pleasant but I don't think any of them will live long in the memory.

The same can't be said for the artist we went to see on Wednesday, the mighty Ms Suzi Quatro at the London Palladium. 

As a close personal friend of Suzi I had been expecting an invitation to the VIP area but it must have got lost in the post so we were way up in the Grand Circle. Or at least I was for the first set. In contrast to the comfy former cinema seats at the Theatreship there is no legroom at all for anyone above about 5 foot 8, and by the interval I was in physical pain. So for the second set I stood at the back of the Royal Circle, one level down, where I could leap around to my heart's (and legs') content. 

As for the show itself, Suzi was magnificent. Two sets of over an hour each, her voice was sounding as good as ever at 75 and she had loads of chunky basslines and a fine band behind her. We got treated to all the hits and more including an unexpected (and unexpectedly good) cover of Neil's "Rockin' In The Free World". All in all a great night.

After a brief trip home to change my socks it was off to the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston - a venue that gets mentioned here on as regular basis -to see Umut Adan & Zebânis on Thursday night.

Umut is a Turkish singer-songwriter who was heavily influenced by the psychedelic Anatolian rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s (the likes of Erkin Koray and Cem Karaca). Now based in Italy he teamed up with the Turin trio Zebânis to record the "Başka Bahar" album which came out in March. Overall I enjoyed the gig but it was a bit of an odd one. 

The first half of the set was fairly straightforward heads down Anatolian boogie. Umut then left the stage for a bit while the Italian lads indulged in overlong glitchy noise experiments I could have managed without.

When he returned Umut told us that "danceable dissent" was his thing and then proceeded to play a series of numbers that were pretty much impossible to dance to, starting with one that sounded like a highlife guitarist attempting to escape from a cement mixer.

That was followed by one that had five distinct parts. According to the note I scribbled on the bus home they were: "Back Of My Hand" by The Jags; Husker Du play "La Bamba"; Steve Hillage on mogadon; feedback; and a lively Turkish jig. Even the woman next to me who until then had been frugging like a frantic ostrich struggled with that lot.

On Friday I went for a lie down.

For the music we have what appears to be Beth Jones' only recording to date, on a compilation from the Slow Dance label that just came out in March, another unexpected cover from Suzi and two tracks from Umut - one from the new album and one from "Bahar" from 2019.

"Clara" - Beth Jones

"Warm Leatherette" - Suzi Quatro

"Kaptan" - Umut Adan & Zebânis

"Dünyalardan Şen Bahar" - Umut Adan

Pun Fun 5: The Results

Ladies and gentlemen, we have another winner! Topping the 'Down On The Farm' chart is...

The Swede with "Manure In Love With A Beautiful Woman".

It was a very close run thing with just a couple of points between the top three. Here is the Top 5 in full:

1.      Manure in Love With a Beautiful Woman - Dr Hook (The Swede)

2.      Grow Your Own Whey - Fleetwood Mac (Dave)

3.      There's A Goat In My House - R Dean Taylor (George)

4.      You Can't Slurry Love - The Supremes (Steve)

5.      Love Is A Cattlefield - (Cow) Pat Benatar (Rol)

Many congratulations to The Swede, whose punning power has clearly been improved by the apparent recent removal of his beard. Well done also to Dave (a.k.a. Chuck) and Steve who make their first appearances in the Top 5. And to Rol, Parsley and Anita of course.

You may have noticed that three of the top five puns contain references to excrement. After the prodigious penis voting in Pun Fun 4 I'm starting to worry about what sort of crowd I attract here.

As for my own entry, I still maintain that "like a battery hen I'll be gone when the morning comes" is a great line when sung out loud. Sadly very few of you agreed with me. With hindsight maybe I should have gone for my second choice, "Cropduster" by Sweet. Or something with poo in it.

Thanks to all of you who submitted a pun and/or voted, your enthusiasm is much appreciated. We will be back with Pun Fun 6 at some point in the second half of May. Until then, we will hand over to Dr. Hook to see us out.

Kickass Kikagaku

Swiss Adam and I are currently engaged in a sort of  'duelling banjos' exercise but substituting Japanese psych bands for banjos, the main purpose of which seems to be to help George refine his list of favourite Japanese bands.

Last time out Adam went big on every respect, treating us all to a 15 minute slab of the mighty Bo Ningen. At the time it felt like a knockout blow but I managed to stagger to my feet on a count of eight. Having taken some time to unscramble my brain I am fit to fight my corner.

After some thought I narrowed my options down to two bands, both of which have been featured here before (although not recently) and both beginning with K. The other one might appear next if we continue with this thing, but for now I've gone for Kikagaku Moyo.

Originally from Tokyo but latterly based in Amsterdam, Kikagaku Moyo released five albums and assorted odds and sods over the course of a decade before going their separate ways in 2022. Three of the members - Go Kurosawa, Tomo Katsurada and Popal Daoud Akira - have since gone on to release solo albums.

Today's selections come from "Masana Temples" (2018) and their self-titled album from 2017. In an attempt to compete with Adam on both quantity and quality I have added an 18-minute long collaboration with Ryley Walker from 2021. All these and much more can be found on their Bandcamp page. 

The blurb for their final album "Kumoyo Island" says that "while their decade-long career can be summarized as a series of kaleidoscopic explorations through lands and dimensions far and near, there’s a strong intention in each of their works to take the listener to a particular place, however real or abstract they may be". Have a listen, let me know where you end up. 

"Majupose" - Kikagaku Moyo

"Zo No Senaka" - Kikagaku Moyo

"Shrinks The Day" - Ryley Walker & Kikagaku Moyo

25 Years Late

Stephen Malkmus released his self-titled debut solo album a quarter of a century ago. I finally got around to listening to it on Sunday. 

I should have done so sooner, it's very good. 

"Phantasies" - Stephen Malkmus

"Trojan Curfew" - Stephen Malkmus