Eddie Cochran just asked to me by friend on MySpace

No offence to Jennifer Grayson or Destroy Cowboy, but Eddie is the kind of friend request you really want.

The first music I owned was three cassettes that my parents bought me for my birthday, called Rock 'n' Roll Greats Volume 1 and 2, and something like The Best of 1964. They were an important part of my musical education and Eddie was on there several times.

Georgie Fame wasn't on any of these compilations, but Steve Wright played Yeh Yeh today on Radio 2. What a great track. It really reminds me of something - perhaps In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry, or perhaps something more recent.

Eddie Cochran - She's Something Else (iTunes)

Georgie Fame - Yeh Yeh (iTunes)

Longpigs in the top ten at last

Crispin Hunt and Richard Hawley both used to be in the Longpigs.

Crispin co-wrote Dream Catch Me, the hit from the UK no. 1 Newton Faulkner album.

Richard's latest solo album is also in the UK top 10

So here are the three classic Longpigs singles, all from their first album The Sun Is Often Out.

Longpigs - She Said (iTunes)

Longpigs - On And On (iTunes)

Longpigs - Lost Myself (iTunes)

Richard & Linda Thompson

I read on another blog Music Slut that M Ward has covered When I Get To The Border, by Richard and Linda Thompson. An excellent excuse to post my favourite Richard Thompson tracks:

Richard & Linda Thompson - When I Get To The Border (iTunes)

Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (iTunes)



Richard Thompson - Dry My Tears And Move On (iTunes)



Richard & Linda Thompson - Dimming Of The Day (iTunes)



Richard Thompson - Tear Stained Letter (Amazon), and read the wonderful lyrics where it also lists nine albums it appears on

Here's a live version from the Old Grey Whistle test:



I really don't have an exhaustive knowledge of Richard's catalogue so if anyone else can suggest any other great ones, please do (yes I am really excited that I've already had three comments on my blog without telling anyone about it, and would like more).

(post updated 19/12/2011)

Rooney

Interscope are trying to break Rooney again. I always thought Stay Away was the track to break them. Great lyric, great record.

Stay Away - Rooney - iTunes US (it's not on the UK store)

this song is great

I thought I'd written about it before but it seems not.

Total smash. Almost perfect.

Better by Tom Baxter - iTunes

I liked some stuff on his first album too - Almost There particularly (iTunes) - but Better is a cut above.

Tony Wilson

Joe writes: Some people are only fully appreciated after their death. Everyone realised how great Tony Wilson was while he was still alive, and this is some consolation to me.

Here are tracks from three of the different incarnations of Factory.

Decades by Joy Division (iTunes)




Hymn From A Village by James (Amazon)




Wasted by Hopper (not on iTunes although another album by them is there)




Having A Party (Live in London) by The Young Offenders Institute (not on itunes although another single by them is)

Tony was a visionary not only about music but also about technology - eight years ago, he set up a company called music33 to sell mp3s at 33p each which was probably about the right price. But his approach to business was erratic to say the least, which might explain why only one of my four Factory choices was actually available on iTunes at the time of writing.

Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke mix of Mr Brightside by The Killers

I heard this at someone's house the other day on an iPod. It's not new. In fact it's everything current club music isn't - melodic, accessible, musical.

mp3 and iTunes

His mix of Four To The Floor by Starsailor was very good too.