Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Munsters Koach v Drag-u-la

Bea mentioned the Drag-u-la so I thought I'd post this clip. Music Rob Zombie.

'You don't care' Junior Wells

Junior Wells recorded some amazing sides through his career. This is a good 'un with a double tracked vocal with fun lyrics like 'I asked you for a cigarette, you bought a pack today, and you gave me a butt from the old ashtray'.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Ray Harryhausen 90th

Thanks for Bea for telling me it's genius Ray Harryhausen's 90th birthday today.

Monday, June 28, 2010

John Mitchard 1930-2010

Renegades 'Geronimo'

Just heard on Ichiban - this song is from the movie "The Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow" 1959 - I think more instumentals should have gunfire in them - maybe I should write a song 'Tachanka' with the sound of a machine gun punctuating it.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Radstock Museum Football Exhibition

Definitely worth a visit if you have an interest in the local teams from the age before tvs when local footballers could be huge stars in their home town. Fascinating insight into the teams and some of the managers. The area produced quite a few famous players and coaches - one Midsomer Norton born man Bert Head had his own stars which he brought on to play for Swindon Town. We took our Dad and he enjoyed it immensely chatting to the volunteers about some of the local legends and some of the local players. Definitely worth a trip if you think museums are stuffy places full of irrelevant things - this is the story of a community at play - and play they did!

Bad Detectives pilgrimage to Canvey Island



Frome rock and roll and r'n'b band the Bad Detectives are playing Canvey Island - home of their heroes Dr Feelgood on the 4th July. Should be great in a 'coals to Newcastle' sort of way. Good luck boys!
Image from this Feelgood site
The Bad Detectives
When:
04 July 2010 20:00 - 22:00 BST (End Time Estimated)
Where: The Lobster Smack

Canvey Island

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Howlin' Wolf - Sitting on Top of the World

Lovely colour film of the man towards the end of his life - note the bandage from kidney dialysis - but still performing at his best.

Michael Eavis - Somerset coal miner

It's not a well-known fact but everbody's favourite festival organiser was working in the Somerset coalfields and it saved Worthy Farm from being sold. Michael Eavis turned up at the Radstock Museum recently for a miner's reunion and tells the tale here. He worked at New Rock Pit Stratton-on-the-Fosse. Respect.

Howlin' Wolf - Back Door Man

Been reading the biography of Wolf 'Moaning at Midnight' which my brother bought me for my birthday and so I am having a real Wolf revival with me digging out old records and finding new clips. This is one I hadn't seen before. Hope you like it.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Savages - The World Ain't Round It's Square

Just heard this on Ichiban - haven't heard it before - it's a great garage anthem. And so true...

Rufus Thomas 'Jump Back'

From 1965 on Ready Steady Go. Sax player with a shaved head looks like a time traveller from the future.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Elvis 'Tiger Man'

Joe Hill Louis (below) co-wrote this - good performance Elvis - almost as good as the original.

Joe Hill Louis 'Boogie in the Park'


Really like this man's music. You know its gonna rock if its got him playing on it. His voice is deadpan and kindof agreeably flat. He might have invented rock and roll. Here's a myspace - remember Myspace?
Innovative and rocking.Wiki

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Nancy and Lee 'Arkansas Coal'

I have to thank Red for introducing this to me. I love it - it's like a rock opera about coal mining - I'd love to do a cover - call it 'Radstock coal' though. Here's the lyrics and chords. 'This is how it feels to be dead'. Studio version here

Friday, June 11, 2010

Apple Tree Inn at Shoscombe



It is Sue's birthday today so we went for a pub lunch with her folks to the Apple Tree at Shoscombe which is about a mile walk along the Collier's Way cycle route. It's the building with the brown roof on the photo. It's off the beaten track but that only adds to the old world charm and tranquility of the place. The food and choice of ciders is excellent and the bar prices are very reasonable. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the Bath area.

Howlin' Wolf 'Poor Boy'

If you think I wouldn't want to hear any more Wolf after gorging on his classic tracks yesterday you'd be wrong. This is a great song composed by Wolf but based on a traditional blues. 'And the world can't do me no harm'.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Celebrating 100 years of the Wolf

Me and Big Rich playing earlier today.

The Fall '50 Year Old Man'

Howlin' Wolf centenary

100 years ago this man was born - someone destined to light many musical fires and inspire countless generations of record buyers, singers and songwriters. May his legend live on and continue to give pleasure to the world.

Monday, June 07, 2010

WFMU - where records go to live

Film about our favourite radio station.

When Foxes attack

News story here

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Cardigans 'I need some fine wine'

I still like this song. I posted about it when I first started blogging and I still admire the skill in writing this song.

Bo Diddley tells the story of Bo Diddley

Germinal

One of the greatest French period films based on the novel by Emile Zola. I drop into mining movie themes at the drop of a hat as you know and this ranks as perhaps the best. One day someone like Ken Loach will make a movie about the strikes in and around Radstock - in the meantime this will have to do. Talking of owing your soul to the company store in 16 tons made me think of this film - the shopkeeper allows the women to have 'tick' in return for sex - you'll be glad to hear he gets castrated by an angry mob if my memory serves me well. During strikes Radstock Co-op set the price of items like bread and kept the prices the same throughout the strikes.

Bo Diddley '16 tons'

A great version of a classic song about mining. Of course in Radstock our miners didn't owe their soul to the company store as we had the Co-op where you could have a divvy card and a share in the profits. On his first day at work at the age of 12 my Grandfather was taken to the co-op and made a member and bought his pit boots. I was reading in the Five Arches magazine that miners all had unique nicknames - they were all Jacks and Freds so it was important to be able to have a unique moniker and your son would aslo be in time given the same name but known as 'young whatever'.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Coy "Hot Shot" Love - Wolf Call Boogie

Some Memphis harp blowing continuing the theme of the Wolf Call.

Elvis 'Wolf Call'

No howlin' on this song from the Girl Happy soundtrack.

Lord Dent and his Invaders 'Wolf Call'

Heard this on Wfmu's Rock and Soul stream- It's great the howls remind Susan of Scooby Doo for some reason.