Some soothing sounds for you this morning.
Will Beeley is a Texan singer-songwriter who made a couple of albums in the 1970s and then had to focus on making a living and raising a family. He was rediscovered a few years back by the good folks at the Tompkins Square label, who reissued his old albums and got him back in the studio for first time in forty years.
The new album, "Highways And Heart Attacks", came out last year and is well worth checking out. But my favourite is 1979's "Passing Dream", which both of today's selections come from. I have been listening to "Sailin' With You" a lot recently. I think its better for me than watching the news too much.
"Sailin' With You" - Will Beeley
"Rainy Sundays" - Will Beeley
There's obviously something in the water in Texas that produces that sort of sound.
Monday, 30 March 2020
Saturday, 28 March 2020
Tuareg Tuesday
I have mentioned here before the excellent Sahel Sounds label, whose mission to promote the music of the Sahel region (obviously).
For those of you who don't know where that is, Wikipedia describes it snappily as "the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south".
Anyway, earlier this week Sahel Sounds had a one day sale over on Bandcamp, and I took advantage of it to grab a couple of excellent albums. We're featuring the first one today, the second will follow soon.
The first album is "Anou Malane" by the extravagantly named Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou from Niger. Made in 1995, it is apparently one of the first studio recordings of Tuareg guitar music. And, I would venture to say, still one of the best.
"Ifitalane" - Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou
"Anou Malane" - Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou
Turning to sadder news, the great Bob Andy died yesterday aged 75. I was lucky enough to see him perform a few years back. Probably best known in the UK as one half of Bob & Marcia, he was also a founder member of The Paragons and wrote many hits like "Too Experienced" and "Feel Like Jumping" as well as having a solo career. RIP Mr Andy.
For those of you who don't know where that is, Wikipedia describes it snappily as "the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south".
Anyway, earlier this week Sahel Sounds had a one day sale over on Bandcamp, and I took advantage of it to grab a couple of excellent albums. We're featuring the first one today, the second will follow soon.
The first album is "Anou Malane" by the extravagantly named Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou from Niger. Made in 1995, it is apparently one of the first studio recordings of Tuareg guitar music. And, I would venture to say, still one of the best.
"Ifitalane" - Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou
"Anou Malane" - Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou
Turning to sadder news, the great Bob Andy died yesterday aged 75. I was lucky enough to see him perform a few years back. Probably best known in the UK as one half of Bob & Marcia, he was also a founder member of The Paragons and wrote many hits like "Too Experienced" and "Feel Like Jumping" as well as having a solo career. RIP Mr Andy.
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Home Entertainment
It sounds like most of us are in some form of lockdown. I hope you and yours are all staying safe and well. Try to stay positive and remember - being at home doesn't have to be boring. Just ask Eddie, Floyd, Good Time Charlie and Nick.
"We're Staying Home Tonight" - Eddie Cantor
"Rockin' At Home" - Floyd Dixon
"I Do My Swingin' At Home" - Charlie Rich
"Let's Stay In And Make Love" - Nick Lowe
It's not all positive though. I was very saddened to hear of the death yesterday of the great Manu Dibango, who we featured here just a few weeks back. RIP Mr Dibango.
"We're Staying Home Tonight" - Eddie Cantor
"Rockin' At Home" - Floyd Dixon
"I Do My Swingin' At Home" - Charlie Rich
"Let's Stay In And Make Love" - Nick Lowe
It's not all positive though. I was very saddened to hear of the death yesterday of the great Manu Dibango, who we featured here just a few weeks back. RIP Mr Dibango.
Monday, 23 March 2020
Gettin' Diggy Liggy Wit It
Before we get to today's post, a request for assistance. We will be resuming our tour of Europe next week with a visit to Denmark, and I have high hopes that it will be a special one. After that we will be going to Estonia, and I'm struggling a bit to compile a decent playlist. If anyone out there has any suggestions they would be very gratefully received.
But for now, some Cajun fiddling for you.
"Diggy Liggy Lo" - Doug & Rusty Kershaw
"Cajun Joe" - Doug & Rusty Kershaw
But for now, some Cajun fiddling for you.
"Diggy Liggy Lo" - Doug & Rusty Kershaw
"Cajun Joe" - Doug & Rusty Kershaw
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Nearly Brilliant
I wasn't expecting to talk to you today. I was meant to be off on my travels for the next couple of weeks but, you know, stuff. However, any disappointment is tempered by the knowledge that I can spend more time with you lovely, lovely people.
Speaking of lovely people, I have a mate whose surname is Perfect. It creates a certain level of expectation when he is being introduced to someone for the first time that may not always be met (as groovy as he is). If he changed it Nearly-Perfect that might reduce the pressure to perform, as well as being 100% factually accurate.
Which brings us to today's guest artist, someone who is very nearly brilliant - just an "I" away in fact. It's Ekambi Brillant from Cameroon, with a couple of fantastic tracks from a compilation album of his work called "African Funk Experimentals 1975-82".
"Lambo Lena" - Ekambi Brillant
"Massoma (Remerciements)" - Ekambi Brillant
And while we are on the subject of brilliant, we should pay our respects to the late, great Kenny Rogers who sadly left us yesterday. RIP Kenny.
Speaking of lovely people, I have a mate whose surname is Perfect. It creates a certain level of expectation when he is being introduced to someone for the first time that may not always be met (as groovy as he is). If he changed it Nearly-Perfect that might reduce the pressure to perform, as well as being 100% factually accurate.
Which brings us to today's guest artist, someone who is very nearly brilliant - just an "I" away in fact. It's Ekambi Brillant from Cameroon, with a couple of fantastic tracks from a compilation album of his work called "African Funk Experimentals 1975-82".
"Lambo Lena" - Ekambi Brillant
"Massoma (Remerciements)" - Ekambi Brillant
And while we are on the subject of brilliant, we should pay our respects to the late, great Kenny Rogers who sadly left us yesterday. RIP Kenny.
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Happy Days
Well its worth a try, isn't it?
"Happy Day From Me To You" - Sir Victor Uwaifo
"Happy Beat" - Joe Mensah
"The Happy Song" - The Twinkle Brothers
If that doesn't do the trick, something else you could do to try to cheer yourself up is to tune in to some of the live streamed online concerts that musicians are putting on to compensate for cancelled live gigs. It doesn't match the real live experience - you will actually be able to see and hear them properly, and where's the fun in that? - but on the other hand its a chance to see some acts that might not otherwise have been round your way any time soon.
There are a couple of online gigs this weekend that I will be watching by folks we've featured here before: Dori Freeman on Saturday and Asthmatic Harp on Sunday. Click on their names to get the details, and remember to pay an entrance fee.
And if even that doesn't cheer you up, there is always Gilbert.
"Happy Day From Me To You" - Sir Victor Uwaifo
"Happy Beat" - Joe Mensah
"The Happy Song" - The Twinkle Brothers
If that doesn't do the trick, something else you could do to try to cheer yourself up is to tune in to some of the live streamed online concerts that musicians are putting on to compensate for cancelled live gigs. It doesn't match the real live experience - you will actually be able to see and hear them properly, and where's the fun in that? - but on the other hand its a chance to see some acts that might not otherwise have been round your way any time soon.
There are a couple of online gigs this weekend that I will be watching by folks we've featured here before: Dori Freeman on Saturday and Asthmatic Harp on Sunday. Click on their names to get the details, and remember to pay an entrance fee.
And if even that doesn't cheer you up, there is always Gilbert.
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
The Long Goodbye: Part 6
Welcome to Part 6 of our European tour. This time we are taking you to the Czech Republic. You may as well come along because its the only way you are going to get there now they have closed the borders. Also, you can enjoy the glittering array of talent we have put together for you.
We kick things off with solo singles from two of the three members of Golden Kids, the leading lights of the 1960s Czech pop scene who were pretty marvellous by anyone's standards. We've featured "Papagallo Baby" before. It's here again because its one of my favourite records ever.
Vaclav and Helena Vondrackova, the third member, went on to have great solo success. Not so Marta Kubisova, who was targeted by the authorities for her political views and effectively banned, but who was to become one of the symbols of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. I think all you Josipa Losic fans out there might like her.
Next we've got some seventies folk-rock courtesy of Marsyas, featuring the fantastic voice of Zuzana Michnova, who I think could fairly be described as the Czech Sandy Denny. After that, well, you can find out for yourselves.
"Papagallo Baby" - Václav Neckář
"Nejsi Sám, Kdo Doufá" - Marta Kubisova
"Barvám" - Marsyas
"Žal Se Odkládá" - Jiri Korn
"Mosty" - Lenka Filipova & Karel Zich
We'll kick off the extra length video section with the Golden Kids. Has there ever been a better pop video that this one?
We kick things off with solo singles from two of the three members of Golden Kids, the leading lights of the 1960s Czech pop scene who were pretty marvellous by anyone's standards. We've featured "Papagallo Baby" before. It's here again because its one of my favourite records ever.
Vaclav and Helena Vondrackova, the third member, went on to have great solo success. Not so Marta Kubisova, who was targeted by the authorities for her political views and effectively banned, but who was to become one of the symbols of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. I think all you Josipa Losic fans out there might like her.
Next we've got some seventies folk-rock courtesy of Marsyas, featuring the fantastic voice of Zuzana Michnova, who I think could fairly be described as the Czech Sandy Denny. After that, well, you can find out for yourselves.
"Papagallo Baby" - Václav Neckář
"Nejsi Sám, Kdo Doufá" - Marta Kubisova
"Barvám" - Marsyas
"Žal Se Odkládá" - Jiri Korn
"Mosty" - Lenka Filipova & Karel Zich
We'll kick off the extra length video section with the Golden Kids. Has there ever been a better pop video that this one?
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