Harp Tunes

A rare burst of newness for you today, folks.

I was recently contacted by a Glasgow-based Danish songwriter and composer known as Asthmatic Harp. She thought I might like her new single, "Bird of Paradise", which comes out officially on 18 March.

She was right. I like it very much, and I think many of you will too. There is a very nice arrangement which enhances both her voice and the song, and I particularly like the clarinet parts by Heather Ryall - worthy of Mr Acker Bilk himself.

I strongly encourage you to have a listen now, and then go straight over to her website to place your orders and to check out her earlier releases.



Asthmatic (we are now on first name terms) tells me she is a big fan of This is The Kit, as are all right-minded people, and you can hear certain similarities in their styles. Apparently the reason she got in touch was because she had come across a video that I had posted on YouTube eight years ago of Kate Stables and friend performing in a tiny and nearly empty venue near me.

Here is that video, and as a bonus one of Asthmatic Harp's as well.

Killy Billy

A somewhat belated tribute to the late Henry McCarty AKA William H Bonney AKA Billy The Kid. He's even more late than I am, and I'm 139 years late. RIP Mr The Kid.

"Every Woman I Know" - Billy 'The Kid' Emerson

"Billy The Kid" - Bobbie Gentry

"Zombie Phatha Phatha" - Billy The Kid & His Zombies

The Long Goodbye: Part 5

We arrive at Part 5 in our musical tour of the European Union, and I should start with an apology to the good people of Cyprus. I am fully aware that I have failed dismally to do justice to the musical vitality and diversity of your country. I'm sorry.

In my defence, there doesn't seem to be that much of it available in online music stores, and I spent a fair old time looking. Here's what I found. I hope you like it.

"Antics" - Monsieur Doumani

"Canima Degsin" - Nil Burak

"Kipriaki Pragmatikotita" - DNA - Dimiourgoi Neas Antilipsis

Jam Jahs

Five men called Jah. Three from Jamaica, one from Ethiopia and one allegedly from the West Country (although I have my doubts).

"Lama" - Jah Lloyd

"Uncle Lester" - Jah Thomas

"Yergeb Amora" - Jah Lude

"A Way You Come From" - Jah Woosh

"Wuthering Heights" - Jah Wurzel

Other Jahs are available.

Emperor Roscoe

We're overdue some Southern soul on here, so let's put it right with the mighty Mr Roscoe Robinson, 92 years old and still going strong.

So strong that he made a new record to mark his 90th birthday in 2018 which you can listen to at this link while reading his biography. On "We Got A Good Thing Going" he sounds like a man half his age.

But before you go and do that, here are a couple of oldies from 1969 and 1971 respectively.

"I'm Burning And Yearning (For You)" - Roscoe Robinson

"Let Me Be Myself" - Roscoe Robinson 

And here he is as a mere stripling of 84.

The Long Goodbye: Part 4

Before we get to Part 4 in our series featuring the music of all 27 EU Member States, a quick appeal. Part 5 is going to be Cyprus, and I'm really struggling for material. I have found a couple of decent current bands, but apart from that just some identikit Eurovision numbers. If any of you lovely people out there can help, please get in touch.

On with Part 4: Croatia. A top notch country and one I have been lucky enough to visit regularly over the last few years for work, which has enabled me to acquire a reasonable sized collection of local music.

By contrast, my only live music experience in Croatia was many years ago while holidaying in Rovinj, where I somehow got entangled with a Bavarian oompah band consisting of a rhythm section and six tubas. It was something to behold.

If you manage to visit Rovinj without the oompah band, though, it's great. As are Dubrovnik, Zagreb and many other places. On behalf of the Croatian Tourist Board, this is 27 Leggies saying: Posjetite danas prekrasnu Hrvatsku!

"Chase" - The Bambi Molesters

"Po Prvi Put" - Josipa Lisac

"Apokalipso" - Darko Rundek

"Legenda" - Dorian Gray

"Pjesma #3" - Time

Texas Trilogy

In my previous post I mentioned Marty Robbins, which prompted me to think that it was about time I shared his magnificent Texan trilogy.

I am sure you are all familiar with his 1959 super smasheroonie "El Paso" - in my personal opinion, one of the greatest records ever made. But you may not be aware that he recorded two follow up songs.

The first came out in 1966 and tells the story of Feleena the femme fatale. It clocks in at well over eight minutes, making it one of the few country songs eligible for The Swede's "Monday Long Song" series. The third was released ten years after that, and is essentially a song about the song.

Here they are in all their glory.

"El Paso" - Marty Robbins

"Feleena (From El Paso)" - Marty Robbins

"El Paso City" - Marty Robbins