The Fox's Progress

You're an intelligent bunch, so I'm sure you don't need me to point out the connection. 

"Imagine Me, Imagine You" - Fox

"(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days" - Inez & Charlie Foxx

"Fast Car" - Foxy Brown

"Oh Yeah" - Foxygen

More Mariem

Last time out I posted a video featuring the great Mariem Hassan, which led me to dig out her albums for the first time in ages. I haven't listened to anything else since. So here's some more Mariem, starting with the song from the video.

"Haiyu" - Mariem Hassan

"Hinwani" - Mariem Hassan

"Gdeim Izik" - Mariem Hassan

The People of El Aaiún

We're off on one of our regular visits to North Africa courtesy of the always excellent Sahel Sounds label. Today it is Western Sahara or, to be entirely accurate, the Sahrawi refugee camps just over the border in Algeria where the supporters of Polisario are exiled. The band is El Wali, the album is "Tiris", and you really ought to buy it.

"Youth Of The Nation" - El Wali

"Brave People" - El Wali

A lot of fantastic music has come out of the Sahrawi camps over the years, the most notable being that made by the late, great Mariem Hassan. Here she is. 

Single Song Sunday

It is the first Single Song Sunday of the year, and the choice is such an obvious one I was under the impression I had done it before. But it seems I was wrong so here, for the first time, is Bordleaux Bryant's classic "Love Hurts". 

We start with what are probably my three favourite versions - the Everly Brothers original from 1960, Roy Orbison's version from the year after and Gram and Emmylou's great duet from "Grievous Angel". Following them we have the two hit versions from the 1970s courtesy of Nazareth and Jim Capaldi. Fife's finest were the most successful everywhere but the UK, where Jim inexplicably made it to the Top 5.    

Next we have what might seem an unlikely duet between Little Milton and Lucinda Williams. I'm a fan of both of them, but to be honest I'm not sure this arrangement really plays to Big Lucy's strengths. It's still pretty good though.

After that we are off all over the place. The cotton-picking Osborne Brothers don't appear remotely hurt, scarred, wounded or even marred; James Last smothers the pain with cheese; and then there is... erm... a Spanish rap version. Thank goodness for the always reliable J.C. Lodge, whose Mandatory Reggae Version sounds exactly like you would expect. 

"Love Hurts" - The Everly Brothers

"Love Hurts" - Roy Orbison

"Love Hurts" - Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris

"Love Hurts" - Nazareth

"Love Hurts" - Jim Capaldi

"Love Hurts" - Lucinda Williams & Little Milton

"Love Hurts" - The Osborne Brothers

"Love Hurts" - James Last

"Herida De Amor Rap" - Xhuzer (feat. Song Kill & Grupo Yndio)

"Love Hurts" - J.C. Lodge

U-Roy RIP

Very saddened to learn that the great U-Roy passed away a couple of days ago. He may have left us but he shall never be removed. RIP Mr Beckford.

"I Shall Not Remove" - U-Roy

"Gorgon Wise" - U-Roy

Pea Souper

Last time out I made mention of the appalling food pun based cover of the old Island Records sampler "El Pea". Gasp at the full horror.

"El Pea" was a formative album for me. It came out in 1971 but towards the end of the decade, when I first started getting seriously into music, it could be found in charity shops almost as regularly as the works of James Hadley Chase. It is through "El Pea" and "Bumpers", another Island sampler of similar vintage, that I first discovered Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, Fairport and many more artists who became life-long favourites.

There are all sorts of big names on there - Traffic, Jethro Tull, Mott, Cat Stevens etc - but we are going to feature some of the lesser lights.

"Tomorrow's People - Children Of Today (Excerpt)" - McDonald & Giles

"Sudden Street" - Bronco

"Song for Suzie" - Heads, Hands & Feet

While Head, Hands & Feet had only limited success as a band, they had a pretty luminous line-up. Members included Albert Lee (of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band fame), Chas (of & Dave fame), and Tony Colton who wrote and recorded the original version of this cracking tune.

Big In Blaenau Ffestiniog

I have noticed over the years that many album compilers find it hard to resist bad puns when choosing titles. Some even extend the pun to the album cover, like the old Island Records sampler "El Pea", the cover of which comprised a photo of a giant pea. Another example is the one we are featuring today, "Welsh Rare Beat".

For our non-British readers, Welsh Rarebit is basically cheese on toast. It is considered to be the high point of Cambrian cuisine. 

As naff as the title is, the album itself is excellent. It is a compilation of mostly 1970s Welsh language psych, folk-rock and the like that had been originally released on the Sain record label. The compilation and the follow up ("Welsh Rare Beat 2" - why change a winning formula?) are available on Bandcamp, and I would heartily recommend them both.

"Y Penderfyniad" - Edward H Dafis

"Cynnwrf Yn Ein Gwlad" - Yr Atgyfodiad

"Penhryn Gwyn" - Heather Jones

The original plan was to have some videos featuring some of the other acts featured on the album like Elleri Llwyd and the great Meic Stevens. But then I discovered Brodyr Gregory.