worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:
Caught Alan Price on a TOTP2 re-run and it prompted me to post this, which is a memorable interpretation of a great, and relatively accessible, song.
Alan Price - ToRamona (not on iTunes so here's an Amazon link to an anthology that includes it)
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Friday, 19 September 2008
One of my favourite 'Motown' tracks
worldgreatestmusicdad writes:
If Grapevine is the greatest Motown track, Your Love Keeps Lifting Me is not far behind - though it may not strictly qualify as a Motown track even though the backing band were the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band. I first heard Jackie Wilson's unique vocals emanating from a jukebox in a transport cafe in the late fifties. I'm not certain now which tracks I first heard, but Lonely Teardrops would certainly have been one of them. Levi Stubbs is not the only distinctive artist to have inspired a song by another.
Jackie Wilson - Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher (iTunes)
Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops (iTunes)
Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) (iTunes)
If Grapevine is the greatest Motown track, Your Love Keeps Lifting Me is not far behind - though it may not strictly qualify as a Motown track even though the backing band were the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band. I first heard Jackie Wilson's unique vocals emanating from a jukebox in a transport cafe in the late fifties. I'm not certain now which tracks I first heard, but Lonely Teardrops would certainly have been one of them. Levi Stubbs is not the only distinctive artist to have inspired a song by another.
Jackie Wilson - Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher (iTunes)
Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops (iTunes)
Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) (iTunes)
Thursday, 18 September 2008
new-ish bands I've been meaning to post for a while
World's Greatest Music writes...
Your Twenties are a kind of English art rock take on early Hall & Oates or Steely Dan, with surprisingly melodic songs. I stole the link from the excellent Pinglewood blog.
Barefoot Confessor's Camden Road is somewhere in the middle ground between The Libertines and McFly, and I think either band would be proud of it.
Music Go Music sing out of tune, but what good songs. They're very LA as someone pointed out to me. And they have some amazing illustrations on their MySpace site.
I saw Billy The Kid at Latitude Festival and they were really good, if tired and hungover. If I Was is neat.
Music Week's Playlist is a good place to discover new music including Middle Class Rut, who really remind me of Harvey Danger. Flobots have a hit sounding like Cake, so maybe MC Rut can have one sounding like another second division nineties US rock band.
Your Twenties - Caught Wheel (Amazon)
Barefoot Confessor - Camden Road (not on iTunes yet)
Music Go Music - I Walk Alone (iTunes)
Billy The Kid & The Brothers Barbaylios - If I Was (not on iTunes yet)
Middle Class Rut - New Low (iTunes)
Your Twenties are a kind of English art rock take on early Hall & Oates or Steely Dan, with surprisingly melodic songs. I stole the link from the excellent Pinglewood blog.
Barefoot Confessor's Camden Road is somewhere in the middle ground between The Libertines and McFly, and I think either band would be proud of it.
Music Go Music sing out of tune, but what good songs. They're very LA as someone pointed out to me. And they have some amazing illustrations on their MySpace site.
I saw Billy The Kid at Latitude Festival and they were really good, if tired and hungover. If I Was is neat.
Music Week's Playlist is a good place to discover new music including Middle Class Rut, who really remind me of Harvey Danger. Flobots have a hit sounding like Cake, so maybe MC Rut can have one sounding like another second division nineties US rock band.
Your Twenties - Caught Wheel (Amazon)
Barefoot Confessor - Camden Road (not on iTunes yet)
Music Go Music - I Walk Alone (iTunes)
Billy The Kid & The Brothers Barbaylios - If I Was (not on iTunes yet)
Middle Class Rut - New Low (iTunes)
Bad Boy Productions (BBP) - Candy Floss
Joe writes: Bad Boy Productions are the team behind Put A Donk On It
They don't take themselves too seriously but maybe they should with this track Candy Floss and its wonderful chords
They don't take themselves too seriously but maybe they should with this track Candy Floss and its wonderful chords
Norman Whitfield is no longer here to make everything right that's wrong
World's Greatest Music writes...
Amongst many other hits, Norman wrote (with Barrett Strong) and produced probably the greatest ever Motown single, I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye.
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (iTunes)
Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears (iTunes)
Amongst many other hits, Norman wrote (with Barrett Strong) and produced probably the greatest ever Motown single, I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye.
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (iTunes)
Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears (iTunes)
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
I'm happy that Elbow won the Mercury Music Prize
World's Greatest Music writes...
Guy Garvey is a nice guy and a good songwriter. Here's one of my favourite Elbow tracks from their catalogue. I always thought Coldplay took inspiration from this for Fix You.
Elbow - Grace Under Pressure (iTunes)
Guy Garvey is a nice guy and a good songwriter. Here's one of my favourite Elbow tracks from their catalogue. I always thought Coldplay took inspiration from this for Fix You.
Elbow - Grace Under Pressure (iTunes)
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Joan Baez covers English songwriter
worldsgreatestmusicdad writes...
I notice that Joan Baez has included a song by Thea Gilmore on her upcoming album. Haven't heard it yet but it's not such a surprise as Baez guests on Gilmore's latest album 'Liejacker'. I don't know a lot of her stuff but I heard her guesting with Martha Wainwright when they sang her excellent song 'This Girl Is Taking Bets' with its Dylanesque succession of striking images.
Thea Gilmore - This Girl Is Taking Bets (not on iTunes so here's an Amazon link for the album Rules for Jokers)
Thea Gilmore has also done some fine covers herself, including this which is somehow unexpected:
Thea Gilmore - Warm And Tender Love (iTunes)
I notice that Joan Baez has included a song by Thea Gilmore on her upcoming album. Haven't heard it yet but it's not such a surprise as Baez guests on Gilmore's latest album 'Liejacker'. I don't know a lot of her stuff but I heard her guesting with Martha Wainwright when they sang her excellent song 'This Girl Is Taking Bets' with its Dylanesque succession of striking images.
Thea Gilmore - This Girl Is Taking Bets (not on iTunes so here's an Amazon link for the album Rules for Jokers)
Thea Gilmore has also done some fine covers herself, including this which is somehow unexpected:
Thea Gilmore - Warm And Tender Love (iTunes)
Monday, 1 September 2008
inspiration for the two biggest hits of recent times
The World's Greatest Music writes...
Most people recognise the references to Sweet Home Alabama in the current Kid Rock hit, but not everyone spots the musically more significant sample from Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London. Sweet Home Alabama is great but I think Werewolves Of London is even better.
Katy Perry's hit shares a title and a concept with I Kissed A Girl by Jill Sobule. Jill's song is rather more subtle and personal. Indeed it's curious that it took three of the world's most successful pop songwriters and the artist (Cathy Dennis, Dr Luke, Max Martin and Katy) to come up with I Kissed A Girl, considering the groundwork that had already been laid by Jill.
Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London (iTunes)
Jill Sobule - I Kissed A Girl (iTunes)
Most people recognise the references to Sweet Home Alabama in the current Kid Rock hit, but not everyone spots the musically more significant sample from Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London. Sweet Home Alabama is great but I think Werewolves Of London is even better.
Katy Perry's hit shares a title and a concept with I Kissed A Girl by Jill Sobule. Jill's song is rather more subtle and personal. Indeed it's curious that it took three of the world's most successful pop songwriters and the artist (Cathy Dennis, Dr Luke, Max Martin and Katy) to come up with I Kissed A Girl, considering the groundwork that had already been laid by Jill.
Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London (iTunes)
Jill Sobule - I Kissed A Girl (iTunes)
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