Being Joe Strummer

There are many things you could try if you wanted to experience what it was like to be Joe Strummer, who died ten years ago next month. You could be a gravedigger, or live in a squat, or play minor film roles in Nicaragua, or front one of the greatest bands ever.

Or you do it the easy way by listening to Dillinger, Leroy Smart and Delroy Wilson (a cool operator). Then finish it off with some UK pop-reggae courtesy of Ken Boothe and - hey presto - it is just like being a white man in the Hammersmith Palais.

This is the easy way.

"Natty Dread A De Ruler" - Dillinger

"Ballistic Affair" - Leroy Smart

"Show Me The Way" - Delroy Wilson

"A Man Is A Man" - Ken Boothe

Here's the real thing. And if you've ever wondered what it would be like in French, you're in for a treat.

Womagic!

On Sunday night we went up to the Forum in Kentish Town - somewhere I haven't been for at least twenty years, in the days when it was still the Town and Country Club - to see a man who has been a hero of mine for a lot longer even than that: Mr Bobby Womack.

The gig was originally meant to be back in June, but it was postponed when Bobby was hospitalised with colon cancer and pneumonia. Having successfully fought that, most 68 year olds might prefer to take some time to recover before even thinking about doing anything as gruelling as touring. Not our Bobby.

He was looking good - not that you can tell from this photo, which is the least bad of the ones my cheapo camera took - and sounding absolutely fantastic.

We were treated to two sets. The first featured songs from his new album, the aptly titled "Bravest Man in the Universe", for which he was backed by Damon Albarn and his chums. Very good it was too, but the second set was what I, and I suspect at least 90 per cent of the audience, was really there for.

After the break we got the full soul revue experience - a seven piece band, three backing singers and Bobby in a different leather suit to the natty red one he wore in the first half. Over the next hour we got a whistle-stop tour of some of the highlights of his wonderful back catalogue. There aren't many people who could give you songs of the calibre of "Harry Hippie", "Daylight" and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much", and then carry on without any drop in quality.

Bobby is playing the Forum again tonight. It may well be sold out, but if not you should really try to get along. And if you can't, you'll have to settle for this selection of my personal favourites that he did not have time for on Sunday.

"You're Welcome, Stop On By" - Bobby Womack (from "Looking For A Love Again", 1974)

"Just My Imagination" - Bobby Womack (from "The Poet", 1981)

"Surprise, Surprise" - Bobby Womack (from "The Poet II", 1984)

"Only Survivor" - Bobby Womack (from "So Many Rivers", 1985)

I don't normally approve of modern music, as you know, particularly when they mess with a classic. But this isn't a bad attempt at Bobby's standard, perhaps because - apart the irritating man with the ear flaps nattering away - they pretty much stick to the original.

Alright, Me Old China?

Here at 27 Leggies we love the nightlife and we love to boogie on the disco 'round - oh yeah! - but we also love to keep up to speed with important political developments. So, in a slightly belated nod to the changes in the Chinese leadership that took place last week, here are three songs by Chinese artists followed by three tributes to members of the Chinese diaspora.

Two of the songs involve laundry. Not speaking Mandarin, I don't understand "Song Of Doing Laundry", but I like to think that Caidanzhuoma is making a spirited response to George Formby's accusations of shoddy workmanship. In my version the first verse starts "Stop trying it on, Mister Formby, you know perfectly well your shirt had a perforated rudder when you brought it in to be cleaned".

"Xia Chong (Summer Insects)" - Xiang Xiang

"Eagle" - Zhang Limin

"Song Of Doing Laundry" - Caidanzhuoma

"Chinese Love Affair" - Mighty Sparrow

"Mr. Chin" - Yellowman

"Chinese Laundry Blues" - George Formby

As a bonus, here is a brief tribute to Larry Hagman, who died yesterday. We're a long way from Dallas, but you're still on our mind.

"Dallas" - Billie Jo Spears

More Songs About Lakes

Here are some songs about lakes. I had completely forgotten until I had loaded them up that I did a post on a lake theme a couple of years ago. So I changed the title from "Songs about lakes" to "More songs about lakes".

That's about it, really.

"Cranberry Lake" - Ari Hest

"Fire Lake" - Bob Seger

"La Levenda Del Lago" - Gerardo Manuel & El Humo

"Lake Marie" - John Prine

"The Lakes Of Ponchartrain" (live version) - Paul Brady

"The Lakes We Skate On" - Säkert!

Here is Gordon Lightfoot with his song about the tragic events that occured 37 years ago last week on the Great Lake they call Gitchigoomee



I was going to follow that up with a clip of Neil Diamond doing "Gitchy Goomy", partly for the strained link but mainly because it includes the phrase "Goggin Noggin", which I have always taken to be a tribute to my mighty brain. I couldn't find Neil, but I did find this gentleman called Nissar from Kashmir.

He appears to be miming to his own recording, but don't let that detract from your pleasure. And if you like this, you should check out his versions of "Red River Valley" and "Beautiful Sunday".

Bare Necessities

I had an excellent day yesterday. The afternoon was spent at the Emirates watching Arsenal thrash Them 5-2, and the evening at the Royal Festival Hall listening to Rodriguez. I have been a fan of his since I was growing up in South Africa in the 1970s, and it was great to get to see him play live at last - something that for many years I never thought would happen.

Rodriguez was in excellent voice for a man of 70, but he is a mere stripling compared to the mighty Bobby Bare, who at 77 has just released a fine new album called "Darker Than Light". There was a tendency to dismiss him as a Nashville factory product but there has always been a lot more to him than that, and the passing of time has emphasised the grit and gravel that was always there in his voice.

"Darker Than Light" mostly comprises covers of old folk and country standards plus a few relatively contemporary songs, including an excellent version of this Alejandro Escovedo number.

"I Was Drunk" - Alejandro Escovedo

The stand-out track, however, is one of only two originals on the album. Here it is, with a couple of old favourites.

"I Was A Young Man Once" - Bobby Bare (2012)

"500 Miles Away From Home" - Bobby Bare (1963)

"New Cut Road" - Bobby Bare (1981)

Here are some clips of the great man in action way back when.

Nearly Egyptian Reggae

You will all no doubt be familiar with Jonathan Richman and his Egyptian reggae. Well I can't help thinking Jonathan missed a trick by only visiting Egypt. If he had hopped on a boat and kept going down the Nile he would have ended up in Ethiopia, which is not only the Holy Land of Zion for the Rastafarians but home to some fine reggae performers of its own.

Probably the biggest name in Ethiopian reggae at the moment is Jah Lude. Here are a couple of tracks from his current album, "Yachine Neger".

"Asha Bel Yaho" - Jah Lude

"Guro Wesheba" - Jah Lude

Now we've had absolutely no requests for me to tell you how we got on at Brendan Shine gig earlier in the week but I'm going to tell you anyway. I thought it was great and even the miserable Mr F - who went along in the mistaken belief that he is still young enough to be attending "ironically" - was clapping and singing along by the end. But then who could resist an ending like "Catch Me If You Can", "Clock On The Wall" and "Pub Crawl".

While I could maybe have done without a couple of the more sentimental ballads, it was great to hear Brendan belting out old favourites like "Rose of Castlerea", "Bold O'Donoghue" and "Three Pubs In Bohola". And he did a nifty line in cover versions as well, including Steve Earle's "Galway Girl", Sharon Shannon's "Munster Hop", George Jones' "There's The Door" and this little number.

Shining A Light On The Workings Of Power

I am inordinately excited about going to see the mighty Brendan Shine in the Fairfield Halls tonight. No doubt he'll be saving his biggest ever hit for one of the inevitable encores.

"Do You Want Your Old Lobby Washed Down" - Brendan Shine

Brendan's jovial manner and apparently nonsensical lyrics have led many listeners to miss the fact that this song is a trenchant call to clean up politics and reduce the shadowy lobbying that influences the way decisions are made - something as relevant now as it was when he first recorded it over 25 years ago. Here are a couple of other elder statesman on a similar theme.

"Politician" - Hugh Masekela

"Political Lies" - Robin Williamson

To get home from the gig I have to get the train from West Croydon. I was a little worried that it might run late and I would miss the last train, but then I thought: "Well, if I don't make it home, I'll be there in the morning..."