For no particular reason, here is a little tribute to Iggy Pop: a song he covered, two covers of his songs, and an excellent collaboration.
"Real Wild Child" - Ivan
"The Passenger" - The Jolly Boys
"I Wanna Be Your Dog" - Big Snow Big Thaw
"Punkrocker" - Teddybears (with Iggy Pop)
Rather more successful than this collaboration, in my humble opinion.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Monday, 29 July 2013
Blue Baião
I picked up a job lot of Brazilian CDs in Brick Lane yesterday - 7 for £5. If the first one is anything to go by I have got a real bargain.
The album in question is "Baião de Viramundo", and it is a tribute to Luiz Gonzaga, the "king of baião" whose recording career lasted nearly 40 years up to his death in 1989. The album itself came out in 2000.
"Baião", as all of you familiar with Wikipedia will know, is a rhythm from North East Brazil usually played on a zabumba, a flat, double-headed bass drum played with a mallet in one hand and stick in the other. "Viramundo" translates literally as something like "turning world". By coincidence it is also the title of a new documentary about another baião master, Gilberto Gil.
We will start you off with Luiz himself, so you can see how it is meant to be done, followed by a couple of tracks from the compilation. I think it is fair to say they did not feel too constrained in how they interpreted the brief.
"Danado de Bom" - Luiz Gonzaga
"Vozes Da Seca" - Black Alien, Speed Freaks & Rica Amabis
"A Fole Roncou" - Nação Zumbi
From Gonzaga to Gonzalez. My friend Winston's sister used to go out with the lead singer, so they are virtually family.
The album in question is "Baião de Viramundo", and it is a tribute to Luiz Gonzaga, the "king of baião" whose recording career lasted nearly 40 years up to his death in 1989. The album itself came out in 2000.
"Baião", as all of you familiar with Wikipedia will know, is a rhythm from North East Brazil usually played on a zabumba, a flat, double-headed bass drum played with a mallet in one hand and stick in the other. "Viramundo" translates literally as something like "turning world". By coincidence it is also the title of a new documentary about another baião master, Gilberto Gil.
We will start you off with Luiz himself, so you can see how it is meant to be done, followed by a couple of tracks from the compilation. I think it is fair to say they did not feel too constrained in how they interpreted the brief.
"Danado de Bom" - Luiz Gonzaga
"Vozes Da Seca" - Black Alien, Speed Freaks & Rica Amabis
"A Fole Roncou" - Nação Zumbi
From Gonzaga to Gonzalez. My friend Winston's sister used to go out with the lead singer, so they are virtually family.
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Nickin' Chic's Shtick
I was passing through Tavistock earlier in the week, and had time to kill while Old Daddy Goggins was getting his hair cut - it is a long and not very interesting story - so I did a quick tour of the charity shops.
Guided by the spirit of recent birthday boy, Charity Chic, I picked up a couple of CDs to share with you. I have not had a chance to listen to them myself yet, so I am relying on you to tell me whether these tracks - selected at random - are any good.
The first album was "Beyond The Sun" by Billy Mackenzie, the record he was working on at the time of his suicide in January 1997 which was tidied up and released later that year. The second was Rod Stern's "Give It Up For Rod Stern" from 2006. Apparently Rod is/was the alter ego of the former bass player with the Sultans of Ping. At that level of fame, you can understand why he felt the need for a nom de plume.
"Blue It Is" - Billy Mackenzie
"If I Don't Got You" - Rod Stern
Here is Yvonne Elliman, expressing a similar sentiment to Rod but in a more grammatically correct way.
Guided by the spirit of recent birthday boy, Charity Chic, I picked up a couple of CDs to share with you. I have not had a chance to listen to them myself yet, so I am relying on you to tell me whether these tracks - selected at random - are any good.
The first album was "Beyond The Sun" by Billy Mackenzie, the record he was working on at the time of his suicide in January 1997 which was tidied up and released later that year. The second was Rod Stern's "Give It Up For Rod Stern" from 2006. Apparently Rod is/was the alter ego of the former bass player with the Sultans of Ping. At that level of fame, you can understand why he felt the need for a nom de plume.
"Blue It Is" - Billy Mackenzie
"If I Don't Got You" - Rod Stern
Here is Yvonne Elliman, expressing a similar sentiment to Rod but in a more grammatically correct way.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Oldies But Goodies
I'm off on my hols tomorrow, back in ten days or so. I'll leave with you a selection of songs I featured in the first few months of 27 Leggies' existence that are worth another listen.
There is all sorts in here: Singapore 1960s beat, African reggae, Trini soca, Spanish rumba, British samba, Welsh folkies and some old hippy nonsense. One of these tracks has a particular significance for this blog. The first person to work out which one it is and why will get a prize of some sort.
"Hanky Panky" - Rita Chao & The Quests
"Breakin' Down" - Julia & Co
"Wine And Bend Over" - Ghetto Flex & Denise Belfon
"Dame De Beber" - Los Chunquitos
"Angus Of Aberdeen" - Beacon Street Union
"They'm" - Rainbow Ffolly
"N'sselibessè" - Fatan Kwass
"Y Brawd Houdini" - Meic Stevens
I'm off to tropical Devon. They have tors rather than volcanoes, but when the fracking starts, who knows?
There is all sorts in here: Singapore 1960s beat, African reggae, Trini soca, Spanish rumba, British samba, Welsh folkies and some old hippy nonsense. One of these tracks has a particular significance for this blog. The first person to work out which one it is and why will get a prize of some sort.
"Hanky Panky" - Rita Chao & The Quests
"Breakin' Down" - Julia & Co
"Wine And Bend Over" - Ghetto Flex & Denise Belfon
"Dame De Beber" - Los Chunquitos
"Angus Of Aberdeen" - Beacon Street Union
"They'm" - Rainbow Ffolly
"N'sselibessè" - Fatan Kwass
"Y Brawd Houdini" - Meic Stevens
I'm off to tropical Devon. They have tors rather than volcanoes, but when the fracking starts, who knows?
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Rink & Pete
Do you think this lot had been listening to George Harrison when they recorded this back?
"Don't Turn Me Loose" - Greenfield & Cook
Eagle-eared listeners may have spotted that, despite their very English surnames, Greenfield and Cook sing with heavy Dutch accents. That is because they were heavy Dutch dudes, real names Rink Groeneveld and Peter Kok.
"Don't Turn Me Loose" was deservedly a big hit in the Netherlands in 1972. Nearly fifteen years later another Dutch duo, Lucien Witteveen and Sven Van Veen, had an even bigger smash.
Regular readers will know that is a sign I am off on my summer hols. I don't actually go until Friday and I will try and squeeze another post in before then, but I thought I should bank Mike G and Sven now just in case I run out of time.
"Don't Turn Me Loose" - Greenfield & Cook
Eagle-eared listeners may have spotted that, despite their very English surnames, Greenfield and Cook sing with heavy Dutch accents. That is because they were heavy Dutch dudes, real names Rink Groeneveld and Peter Kok.
"Don't Turn Me Loose" was deservedly a big hit in the Netherlands in 1972. Nearly fifteen years later another Dutch duo, Lucien Witteveen and Sven Van Veen, had an even bigger smash.
Regular readers will know that is a sign I am off on my summer hols. I don't actually go until Friday and I will try and squeeze another post in before then, but I thought I should bank Mike G and Sven now just in case I run out of time.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Starcrossed, Misbegotten Love
New record alert!!! The ever-groovy Sonny & The Sunsets have recently released "Antenna to the Afterworld", an album that was apparently inspired by Sonny Smith's visit to a medium who put him in contact with a dead friend. It is a good listen all the way through, but probably the stand-out track is the closer, "Green Blood", which tells the tale of Sonny's affair with a space lady.
"Green Blood" - Sonny & The Sunsets
Of course, Sonny is not the first earthling to have fallen in love with someone from another planet. Rock and roll is littered with the victims of doomed inter-planetary love.
"Beautiful Zelda" - The Bonzo Dog Band
"Little Space Girl" - Jesse Lee Turner
"Girl From Mars" - Ash
And if you are wondering how I came up with the particularly poetic title for this post, truth be told I nicked it from the poetic Mr Prophet.
"Starcrossed Misbegotten Love" - Chuck Prophet
"Green Blood" - Sonny & The Sunsets
Of course, Sonny is not the first earthling to have fallen in love with someone from another planet. Rock and roll is littered with the victims of doomed inter-planetary love.
"Beautiful Zelda" - The Bonzo Dog Band
"Little Space Girl" - Jesse Lee Turner
"Girl From Mars" - Ash
And if you are wondering how I came up with the particularly poetic title for this post, truth be told I nicked it from the poetic Mr Prophet.
"Starcrossed Misbegotten Love" - Chuck Prophet
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Tsonga Disco: Machonisi
I have been sorely neglecting the Tsonga Disco of late. I justify it to myself on the grounds that I have to ration my collection of 45-50 Tsonga CDs, but this has been starvation not rationing. I will start putting that right tonight. But I will also pledge that August is going to be Tsonga month.
We will warm you up with a couple of tracks from an excellent CD from 2008 by Machonisi called "Bohani Tinjovo Mincina". It is co-produced by Patson Chauke - whose work we have featured here before - and Nelson de Klerk. Not perhaps the most traditional of Tsonga names, de Klerk, but it's a broad church.
I have no idea whether Machonisi is a "he", "she" or a "they". In fact, I rather suspect they do not exist independently of the fevered imaginations of Patson and Nelson. What I can tell you, though, is that the music is as funky as the cover.
"Makolota" - Machonisi
"Somlandela" - Machonisi
Since I started this blog four years or so back with the aim of promoting Tsonga (also known as Shangaan) music, it has gained a much higher profile. Nothing to do with me I hasten to add. It is all down to the likes of my hipster pal Wills Glasspiegel and the good folks at Honest Jon's Records for licensing and putting out a compilation of Nozinja's electro sounds.
Now, while anything that brings Tsonga sounds to a wider public is good with me, I have to confess electro isn't my preferred variety. It is probably my age but, to paraphrase Chuck Berry's views on modern jazz, I find they play it too darn fast and change the beauty of the melody. Here's Chuck to elaborate.
We will warm you up with a couple of tracks from an excellent CD from 2008 by Machonisi called "Bohani Tinjovo Mincina". It is co-produced by Patson Chauke - whose work we have featured here before - and Nelson de Klerk. Not perhaps the most traditional of Tsonga names, de Klerk, but it's a broad church.
I have no idea whether Machonisi is a "he", "she" or a "they". In fact, I rather suspect they do not exist independently of the fevered imaginations of Patson and Nelson. What I can tell you, though, is that the music is as funky as the cover.
"Makolota" - Machonisi
"Somlandela" - Machonisi
Since I started this blog four years or so back with the aim of promoting Tsonga (also known as Shangaan) music, it has gained a much higher profile. Nothing to do with me I hasten to add. It is all down to the likes of my hipster pal Wills Glasspiegel and the good folks at Honest Jon's Records for licensing and putting out a compilation of Nozinja's electro sounds.
Now, while anything that brings Tsonga sounds to a wider public is good with me, I have to confess electro isn't my preferred variety. It is probably my age but, to paraphrase Chuck Berry's views on modern jazz, I find they play it too darn fast and change the beauty of the melody. Here's Chuck to elaborate.
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