Joe writes: Sad news that Chas & Dave have split, but at least they had their career renaissance while they were still together - I tried to see them at Glastonbury a couple of years back but couldn't get near the tent for the crowds of people.
Given the tragic circumstances, the most appropriate song to post would be In Sickness And In Health, but their classic hit was of course Ain't No Pleasing You (I say that as if I have a comprehensive knowledge of their catalogue - I don't, sadly).
buy the mp3 from Amazon
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Many Rivers To Cross
Joe writes: A while back, I happened to record Jimmy Cliff performing Many Rivers To Cross on TV. It's a great rendition of one of my all-time favourites so I posted it to YouTube.
When I was a teenager, some people came round to my mum's house one Saturday night and I played them Many Rivers To Cross on the gramophone, with that very quiet organ intro then Jimmy's piercing vocal at top volume. My guests back then were not an appreciative audience, but YouTube users are. They seem to find the performance inspirational and I'm inspired by their comments. One day I hope to be involved in a piece of music as good as Many Rivers To Cross.
Buy the mp3 from Amazon
Friday, 28 August 2009
worldsgreatestmusic writes: Ellie Greenwich RIP
amazing playlist from an amazing songwriter: http://open.spotify.com/user/jamesfoley/playlist/1NfHMaBXzgHGNYWHn5sejF
Saturday, 22 August 2009
a folk music funeral
Joe writes: I went to a funeral recently where four wonderful pieces of folk music were played.
Ride On by Christy Moore is a tearjerker in any context, let alone at a funeral.
Safe In The Harbour was written about the folk singer Stan Rogers. It's part of the canon of beautiful songs about people who died too young, my favourite of which is Boulder To Birmingham by Emmylou Harris.
The Last Trip Home is another folk song that lends itself perfectly to a funeral, and like many folk songs, it doubles up as a history lesson.
Finally, Ewan MacColl's song Manchester Rambler was written for the mass trespass on Kinder Scout which helped win the right to ramble. What a great chorus , although the best bit of it ("I may be a wage slave come Monday, but I am a free man on Sunday") isn't included in the Amazon excerpt. Ewan's other classic songs included Dirty Old Town and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Amazon links:
Christy Moore - Ride On
Eric Bogle - Safe In The Harbour
The Battlefield Band - The Last Trip Home
Ewan MacColl - The Manchester Rambler
Ride On by Christy Moore is a tearjerker in any context, let alone at a funeral.
Safe In The Harbour was written about the folk singer Stan Rogers. It's part of the canon of beautiful songs about people who died too young, my favourite of which is Boulder To Birmingham by Emmylou Harris.
The Last Trip Home is another folk song that lends itself perfectly to a funeral, and like many folk songs, it doubles up as a history lesson.
Finally, Ewan MacColl's song Manchester Rambler was written for the mass trespass on Kinder Scout which helped win the right to ramble. What a great chorus , although the best bit of it ("I may be a wage slave come Monday, but I am a free man on Sunday") isn't included in the Amazon excerpt. Ewan's other classic songs included Dirty Old Town and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Amazon links:
Christy Moore - Ride On
Eric Bogle - Safe In The Harbour
The Battlefield Band - The Last Trip Home
Ewan MacColl - The Manchester Rambler
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
Joe writes: Another Mazzy Star track was featured on a TV advert recently but this is their classic track.
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (Amazon)
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (Amazon)
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Blue Eyes by Mika
Joe writes: When I heard this on Radio 2, I rushed over to the (digital) radio to find out what it was. I was convinced it must be an oldie - they don't make pop records as good as this anymore. But no - it's from Mika's new acoustic EP.
Friday, 3 July 2009
Another song I'd forgotten
worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:
Buffy Saint Marie wrote and recorded this song. There are several well-known covers, Elvis and Neil Diamond for example, but she does a good job with it. She's touring here very soon. She may be best known for 'Universal Soldier' which I always thought a bit earnest and unsubtle but this is a gem.
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Until It's Time For You To Go (Amazon)
Buffy Saint Marie wrote and recorded this song. There are several well-known covers, Elvis and Neil Diamond for example, but she does a good job with it. She's touring here very soon. She may be best known for 'Universal Soldier' which I always thought a bit earnest and unsubtle but this is a gem.
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Until It's Time For You To Go (Amazon)
Friday, 26 June 2009
Michael Jackson
The World's Greatest Music writes...
I Want You Back is a contender for the greatest pop record of all time.
Billie Jean is the greatest dance record of all time.
This is the greatest dance move of all time:
Off The Wall and Thriller are the albums it's OK to like but Bad was brilliant too, as was Black And White.
He was still making great music in the mid '90s - Earth Song may be schmaltzy but it's also a fantastic song.
I wonder if there will ever again be multi-talented, mass appeal, worldwide music megastars like Michael?
I Want You Back is a contender for the greatest pop record of all time.
Billie Jean is the greatest dance record of all time.
This is the greatest dance move of all time:
Off The Wall and Thriller are the albums it's OK to like but Bad was brilliant too, as was Black And White.
He was still making great music in the mid '90s - Earth Song may be schmaltzy but it's also a fantastic song.
I wonder if there will ever again be multi-talented, mass appeal, worldwide music megastars like Michael?
Almost There
World's Greatest Music writes...
I'm hearing rumours that Shirley Bassey has covered my favourite song from Tom Baxter's debut album, Almost There. Hopefully Shirley's version will be more inspired than Boyzone's cover of Better.
Tom Baxter - Almost There (Amazon)
I'm hearing rumours that Shirley Bassey has covered my favourite song from Tom Baxter's debut album, Almost There. Hopefully Shirley's version will be more inspired than Boyzone's cover of Better.
Tom Baxter - Almost There (Amazon)
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Torn Between Two Lovers
Joe writes: I'm a big fan of obituaries - I find them very inspiring. When I read in Barry Beckett's obituary that his first no. 1 as a producer was a record called Torn Between Two Lovers, I knew it was going to be good. Why don't they make records like this anymore?
I must admit I hadn't heard of Barry Beckett or Mary MacGregor until a week ago, then Barry passed away and his career was extensively discussed by Bob Lefsetz and his readers.
It's rather difficult to buy Mary's hit version of this song, but of course it's easy to find on YouTube and Rapidshare. The YouTube comments are fabulous, particularly this one that says it all: "Perfect voice and delivery... This song has one of the most beautiful melodies with a wonderful chord progression. Too bad the concept is from the pits of Hell. The opposite of Love is not Hate; the opposite of love is Selfishness."
Mary MacGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers (link to buy an mp3 album on Amazon including this track)
I must admit I hadn't heard of Barry Beckett or Mary MacGregor until a week ago, then Barry passed away and his career was extensively discussed by Bob Lefsetz and his readers.
It's rather difficult to buy Mary's hit version of this song, but of course it's easy to find on YouTube and Rapidshare. The YouTube comments are fabulous, particularly this one that says it all: "Perfect voice and delivery... This song has one of the most beautiful melodies with a wonderful chord progression. Too bad the concept is from the pits of Hell. The opposite of Love is not Hate; the opposite of love is Selfishness."
Mary MacGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers (link to buy an mp3 album on Amazon including this track)
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Joe writes: When Clap Your Hands Say Yeah first came to prominence, I wasn't interested. I think it was the name and the buzz that put me off, or maybe I just listened to the wrong tracks.
Then a few months back I heard a track I loved playing in a vintage clothes store, Shazamed it, and discovered it was their The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth.
And last week my wife opened a blog about fashion and its music player started playing another great track. This time Shazam didn't recognise it but Download Helper revealed it to be Telling The Truth (And Going Away), written for the film The Great Buck Howard.
So I'm now officially a fan of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. What do you mean they've split up?
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Telling The Truth (And Going Away)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth (seemingly not available to buy digitally but here's a link to the album on Amazon)
Then a few months back I heard a track I loved playing in a vintage clothes store, Shazamed it, and discovered it was their The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth.
And last week my wife opened a blog about fashion and its music player started playing another great track. This time Shazam didn't recognise it but Download Helper revealed it to be Telling The Truth (And Going Away), written for the film The Great Buck Howard.
So I'm now officially a fan of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. What do you mean they've split up?
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Telling The Truth (And Going Away)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth (seemingly not available to buy digitally but here's a link to the album on Amazon)
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Father and son
worldsgreatestmusicdad writes...
It's good to hear that Yusuf Islam is returning to music. I always thought that this was a truly excellent song. His original version was so much better than the cover by some boy band who I can't even be bothered to look up. Apart from the total blandness, they failed to notice the 'two voices', a simple enough device that turns this good song into a great one, an archetypal 'generation gap' song. And what about this: 'You will still be here tomorrow/But your dreams may not.' The father gets a fair crack of the whip.
Cat Stevens - Father and Son (Amazon)
It's good to hear that Yusuf Islam is returning to music. I always thought that this was a truly excellent song. His original version was so much better than the cover by some boy band who I can't even be bothered to look up. Apart from the total blandness, they failed to notice the 'two voices', a simple enough device that turns this good song into a great one, an archetypal 'generation gap' song. And what about this: 'You will still be here tomorrow/But your dreams may not.' The father gets a fair crack of the whip.
Cat Stevens - Father and Son (Amazon)
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Leave Right Now
World's Greatest Music writes...
continuing a theme of songwriters singing classic songs made famous by others, here's Eg White singing Leave Right Now, which was a huge hit for Will Young. I heard a demo of this before Will's version was released and it sounded wonderful, even though Will himself didn't want to record the song and delivered a very half-hearted vocal at the first attempt. I wonder whether he likes it now.
continuing a theme of songwriters singing classic songs made famous by others, here's Eg White singing Leave Right Now, which was a huge hit for Will Young. I heard a demo of this before Will's version was released and it sounded wonderful, even though Will himself didn't want to record the song and delivered a very half-hearted vocal at the first attempt. I wonder whether he likes it now.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
A haunting track by k.d. lang
worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:
This Jane Siberry song from k.d. lang's excellent album 'Songs of the 49th Parallel' is truly amazing - one of those songs you can't hear too often.
k.d. lang - Love is Everything (iTunes)
This Jane Siberry song from k.d. lang's excellent album 'Songs of the 49th Parallel' is truly amazing - one of those songs you can't hear too often.
k.d. lang - Love is Everything (iTunes)
Monday, 20 April 2009
Chet Baker again
worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:
BBC 4's screening of 'Lets Gets Lost' provides me with an excuse to post this exquisite Chet track:
Chet Baker - Time After Time (Amazon)
BBC 4's screening of 'Lets Gets Lost' provides me with an excuse to post this exquisite Chet track:
Chet Baker - Time After Time (Amazon)
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