The Story of Bitori

If you want the full story of Bitori you will need to go to elsewhere - I'll give you a clue, it's here. In brief, Bitori is an accordion player from the Cape Verde islands. He is a master of "funana", a musical style which has been around forever but was frowned on by polite society in Praia as being a bit common. The upshot was that, despite being a popular live act for decades, he didn't have a chance to record until the late 1990s by which time he was nearly 60.

Him and his band are still going strong - in fact, I'm hoping to see them at a festival in July - and those 1990s recordings were re-released on a CD called "Legend of Funana". Here are a couple of samples.

"Munana" - Bitori

"Natalia" - Bitori

Here's another Natalia for you. At least I assume it isn't the same Natalia.
 

Anti War Songs

A couple of heartfelt pacifist cries for you today. It's perhaps a little hard to believe that the first was a number one hit in the US in 1960. But it's even harder to believe that it made the top ten in the R&B charts. R&B? Really? Anyway, personally I prefer the off-beat charm of the unholy mess that is the "cover version" by John Lennon's favourite doper, David Peel.

"Mr Custer" - Larry Verne

"Hey Mr Draftboard" - David Peel & The Lower East Side

I am no stranger to the pacifist cause myself. Back in my student days in the early 1980s - the last time that nuclear armageddon seemed like a realistic possibility - some friends and I went up to London to join a CND march. We were encouraged to sing anti-war songs, but then severely reprimanded by one of the more po-faced organisers when we started belting out the chorus to this one.

Maggie Roche RIP

I found out today that Maggie Roche sadly died last month. As a belated tribute, here are a few of her finest moments.

"Hammond Song" - The Roches

"Losing True" - The Roches

"You're The One" - The Roches

Chucky P

Mister F and I were back at The Garage last night, a couple of weeks after the James McMurtry show. No free beer from the support act this time, but that is only a minor quibble when you have the ever excellent Chuck Prophet headlining.

Chuck and The Mission Express played a lot of stuff from their new album "Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins". I have not had a chance to listen to it yet, but judging by last night's performance it is well up to their recent high standards, and sounds decidedly rocking. Here, by contrast, are a couple of mellower numbers from much earlier in Chuck's career.

"Longshot Lullaby" - Chuck Prophet (from "Feast of Hearts", 1995)

"110º In The Shade" - Chuck Prophet (from "Balinese Dancer", 1992)

And, of course, they did this one, as they always do. Fortunately.

Fabulous Friday

It's Friday. It's Fabulous. Who beter to take us in the weekend than the Fabulous McClevertys?

"Landlady Want De Rent" - The Fabulous McClevertys

"Don't Blame It On Elvis" - The Fabulous McClevertys

And here is Elvis, behaving blamelessly.

Single Song Sunday

It has been a while since we've done a Single Song Sunday, and I thought we should put that right. I also thought we should spread a bit of soppiness to soften you lot up in time for Valentine's Day.

So we have gone for "Let It Be Me", or "Je t'appartiens" as it was called when Gilbert Becaud wrote and recorded in back in 1955. The first English version was recorded in 1957, but it took the Everly Brothers in 1960 to popularise the song in the US and the rest of the English speaking world. Four years later, Jerry Butler and Betty Everett had an even bigger hit with it, at least in the US.

Since then the world and his wife have had a go. Versions that did not make the cut include Elvis, Willie Nelson and Nina Simone, among many many others. But we do have Bob Dylan, from his experimental "let's try to sing properly" period. We also have the marginally less well known Doreen Shaffer, helping out on the Mandatory Reggae Version. And we have possibly the finest Czech version you will ever hear.

"Je t'appartiens" - Gilbert Becaud

"Let It Be Me" - The Everly Brothers

"Let It Be Me" - Betty Everett & Jerry Butler

"Let It Be Me" - Bob Dylan

"Let It Be Me" - Percy Sledge

"Let It Be Me" - Rosie Thomas & Ed Harcourt

"Let It Be Me" - Johnny Clarke & Doreen Shaffer

"Kéž Jsem To Já" - Karel Gott & Jitka Zelenkova

For such a frequently recorded song, there are remarkably few live performances on YouTube. But I did come across this little treat.

The Mighty McMurtry

On Wednesday, Mister F and I greatly enjoyed seeing the mighty James McMurtry, who is in the UK for the first time in quite a few years. I think the last time he was over may have been the tour that got captured on his "Live in Europe" album - listen carefully, and you can hear the two of us screaming girlishly in excitement on some of the tracks.

Mr McMurtry is at his best when singing his first person short stories about everyday life and losers in the middle of America. Here are three of my favourites. He played the first two the other night, but not "We Can't Make It Here" - maybe he feels the narrator of that particular song sounds a little too Trumpian these days.

"Choctaw Bingo" - James McMurtry

"Just Us Kids" - James McMurtry

"We Can't Make It Here" - James McMurtry

While we are here, I should pay due tribute to the support band, Alice Drinks The Kool Aid. Musically they were perfectly fine, if not really my cup of tea. I mention them because the singer runs the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Chicago, and he brought along a consignment of beer for us to sample. Very nice it was too - it certainly showed the local hipster effort to be the pale ale imitation that it is - but best of all it was free. So for that reason, I am voting them the best support band ever!


Get well soon, Chas.