Just hear this on the radio and thought 'this would be a good one to do' like I do. From New Zealand.
Ralphadeus. Music movies comics feature in this look at life from Somerset.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Harold Burrage - I Cry For You 1958
You might not know this but it is very good. Harold Burrage wiki. Anything on Cobra is good. It only lasted a couple of years but what a legacy.
The Wailers - Hang Up 1966
Very wild garage rock. Often referred to as the Fabulous Wailers the band came from Tacoma Washington.
AREA CODE 615 - Stone Fox Chase (1970)
Otherwise known as the Old Grey Whistle Test theme. When I used to carry harmonicas around with me as a teen I used to play this as a party piece.
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Vive le Rock Adam Ant 1985
Saturday night selection. I liked this song - it didn't do very well despite it being played at Live Aid. One of the few songs inspired by a t-shirt (Seditionaries Vive le rock).
Remember gigs? Fun weren't they?
This is a blog post I did in 2007
Polysics at the Croft 'Best gig ever'
Last night was an outing to the Croft in Bristol to see my eldest daughter's favourite band the Polysics. They hail from Tokyo Japan and last time in Bristol she was away so she was very keen to enjoy it this time. She got herself up a replica red jumpsuit as worn by the band and fought her way to the front. Her devotion to the band was rewarded when the singer/guitarist during a particularly manic solo handed her the pick and let her do some twanging. Talk about thrilled. 'Best gig ever' she declared - it was certainly brilliant and energetic. I got drenched in sweat and loved it like the old days of punk. Why aren't they bigger in this country? Anyway if you get the chance I recommend you check them out, but beware - it's a lively and manic set! Photo by Susan
The Red Crayola - Hurricane Fighter Plane [1978]
I first encountered this on this flexidisc in 1978. Good song. Wiki on the band
The Yardbirds - Still I'm Sad 1965
This song is considered by some to be the first psychedelic record.
Friday, February 26, 2021
THE CRAMPS-BIKINI GIRLS/MULE SKINNER BLUES-THE LATE SHOW-BBC 2- 26.FEB.1990.
Kirsty Wark introduces The Cramps who perform 'Bikini Girls With Machine Guns' + Mule Skinner Blues.
I remember this. I taped it. Showed it to the girls (daughters) and they loved it.
Red Army Commanders
painting by Viktor Psarev, RSFSR, 1920. A hundred years ago the Red Army was fighting in Georgia.
The Red Army invasion of Georgia (15 February – 17 March 1921), also known as the Soviet–Georgian War or the Soviet invasion of Georgia, was a military campaign by the Russian Red Army aimed at overthrowing the Social-Democratic (Menshevik) government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG) and installing a Bolshevik regime in the country.
Fats Domino Be My Guest
Happy birthday Fats!
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017) was an American pianist and singer-songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Between 1955 and 1960, he had eleven Top 10 hits.
Thursday, February 25, 2021
ESG - You're No Good (live@The Haçienda opening night, 21 May 1982)
You probably have seen this before but it was new to me. I like ESG. Never saw them live but I remember enjoying them.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Like Wolf - Sonny Boy Williamson
40 years ago I was so in love with this song. The riff, the harmonica, the singing.
Collecting Sonny Boy Williamson (2)
When I was a young adult I decided to try and get all of Sonny Boy's records. Not the original 45s or 78s but the songs on compilations and
reissues or LP. If a double l.p. 'Best of' came out that had a few songs on there I didn't have I would get it. In my world I would go through my copy of the book Blues records 1943-1966 and see what ones I needed. Quite mad really when I think about it now but it was driven to hear the songs, to fill in the blanks. I still have them and about 6 or so seven inches that I bought. I would buy mail order - there were a few specialist blues places that did catalogues of their stock and I would pore over the contents choosing my next batch. I used to say to Susan that I only needed a few more and my collection would be complete but of course that didn't happen. More sessions would become available under the title Previously unissued.
I don't spend much on records these days. In my youth the only way to hear stuff was to buy it - there were few blues radio shows and I didn't know any other collectors. Now we don't need to buy records. A sad truth.
Ralph Mitchard as a young teenager
Susan playing pinball a few years ago
Went on a pinball safari to Brean Leisure Park as we heard there were vintage machines there. There were but a lot of them were not working but it was OK
Animals & Men "No Faces" live Los Angeles 2011
Footage shot live at The Smell, Thursday June 30th, 2011. The Smell was quite a strange experience. They had a stage but they didn't want the bands to use it but set up in front of the stage so there was no barrier. All ages so no alcohol. We went down well and sold a lot of merch if I remember correctly.
Howlin' Wolf - "Do The Do" (the original version of 1962)
This is wonderful. Ace Hubert Sumlin guitar solo.
pigbag - papa's got a brand new pigbag - totp Apr 22nd 1982
We saw them live about this time in Bristol.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Susan Wells when she was a Roxy Music fan
Found the poster in the background of this portrait. I didn't really know Susan then - I had seen her about and passed her in the streets but hadn't spoken to her at this time,
Roxy Music Street Life 1973
Susan was a Roxy Fan. This was their first post-Eno release. Info. I didn't really like it but I kind of liked it. Heard it on Mickey Bradley's radio show the other day.
Lulu and the Luvvers I'll Come Running Over 1965
I know we have had this before but it's a different video. Apparently Jimmy Page on guitar.
John Peel plays the terraplanes 1981
The only time to my knowledge that he played our Evil Going On 45. Also played the Silent Guests a Warminster band as well as Animals & Men. 30 June 1981
You can listen to this show - you need to sign in but they give you a password and username. It's in the first half hour. Mentions Frome.
Adam and the Ants - Live Cineteatro X, Milan, Italy 1978
Great audience recording. Excellent set. 'Nietzsche baby' is one of my favourites from that era. I think it is Matthew Ashman on guitar. It's a kind of mix of new songs like Zerox and also old songs like Plastic Surgery.
Nietzsche Baby Deutscher Girls Whip in my Valise B-Side Baby Friends Juanito the Bandito Zerox It Doesn't Matter Song for Ruth Ellis Catholic Day/Lady Puerto Rican Red Scab Beat my Guest Fall In Plastic Surgery Hampstead Fat Fun Send a Letter to Jordan
´"Scipione l'Africano" (1937) Battle of Zama
Thanks to Dave W for finding this. It's an epic movie made during the Mussolini regime depicting the battle of Zama. Worth watching for the large number of elephants. This is number 2 of four clips.
Carmel - You Can Have Him 1989
Originally a Dionne Warwick song - I don't remember this from at the time.
Monday, February 22, 2021
Sophia George - Girlie Girlie 1986
Don't post much reggae but thought why not? I can't remember where I first heard this.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Animals & Men at Amsterdam
In 2010 we played the OCCII in Amsterdam. There wasn't many there but those that came chatted and so forth. Our host who was a specialist in band hospitality and he said 'what do you want to do in Amsterdam?' Sue said pinball
 |
| Photo Caryne Pearce |
Gently Johnny - The Wicker Man 1973
This is a scene from the movie which wasn't in the theatrical release. Such a good soundtrack. Do you remember pubs? Will things ever be normal again? I hope so.
Baby Boy Warren - Chicken 1954
J-V-B Records 1954 B/W Baby Boys Blues.
Baby Boy Warren (Guitar), Sonny Boy Willliamson (Hca), Washboard WilliePassion Armée @ ground zero gerland 19.09.09
One of the bands that supported us - not the ones that broke the bass string. These were really good and we have a lot of their records. They split up sadly.
Animals & men at Grrrnd zero Lyon France 2009
This was an amazing place. On an industrial estate it was originally selling bathrooms and had multiple rooms and floors. It was squatted. There was a charity shop there, a recording studio, which we recorded at, plus of course the venue and rooms to sleep in. On the night there were many stalls selling books and pamphlets. The gig was great but one of the support bands broke a bass string and took about 40 minutes to replace it throwing all the running order off so by the time we played a lot of people had left to get the tube.
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Eddie and the Hot Rods Writing on the Wall 1976
I think the Hot Rods when they had Lew Lewis on harp were one of the best bands around at that time.
Françoise Hardy - Catch A Falling Star 1969
I love this. Picked it up in a junk shop - on an ep Francoise Hardy sings in English.
Friday, February 19, 2021
Howlin' Wolf - My Mind Is Ramblin' - 1966
Lovely guitar work from Hubert Sumlin. Me and my mate Rich worked out a version of this but we never recorded it. Very good song.
Honky Tonk
Saturday Night" in a north central Mississippi 'Tonk' called the Brotherhood Sportsmen's Lodge. We hear the blues expounded in its most volatile form. Hill country Blues player Rural (RL) Burnside and friends clearly delineate honky tonk in rural black life.
September 28,1974 Como, Mississippi 17-min.Muddy Waters - Rollin' Stone
Live at the Newport Jazz Festival. Watch the entire 1960 Newport Muddy Waters set here
Muddy Waters (vocal, guitar) Pat Hare (guitar) Otis Spann (piano) James Cotton (harmonica) Andrew Stephenson (bass) Francis Clay (drums)
Squid Law The Fall 1989
It's Fall Friday. The lyrics to this one are on the Youtube page - they are very interesting.
Hound Dog Taylor - Wild About You Baby 1967 (with Little Walter)
Someone who recorded for the Chicago Bea and Baby label is Hound Dog Taylor. Illustrated discography here.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Meat and Gravy and Cadillac Baby
You Got to Reap · Eddie Boyd 1960
This I like a lot. Don't like the other versions he has done of this song - has to be the Bea and Baby release. read about Cadillac Baby and his world here
Joe Hill Louis - Boogie In The Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill_Louis
Joe Hill Louis (September 23, 1921 – August 5, 1957), born Lester Hill, was an American singer, guitarist, harmonica player and one-man band. He was one of a small number of one-man blues bands (along with fellow Memphis bluesman Doctor Ross) to have recorded commercially in the 1950s. He was also a session musician for Sun Records. He recorded as Chicago Sunny Boy for Meteor Records in 1953.
I really like Joe Hill Louis and he is definitely there at the birth in the 50s of a local sound. If you want to listen to him anything by him is good and you can't say that too often!
Worthy Farm Cheddar
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
The Leaves - Hey Joe 1966
Not the original but the most famous version before Hendrix. The song here has two distinct 'voices'. The Leaves
Jesse Fuller - San Francisco Bay Blues (1968)
Something a little different. If you would like to see more of 'the Lone Cat' there is a short 71 documentary up on YouTube.
Monday, February 15, 2021
Masters of the Delta Blues: The Friends of Charlie Patton
Listen to Masters Of The Delta Blues: The Friends Of Charlie Patton on Spotify. Various Artists · Compilation · 2005 · 23 songs.
Bertha Lee With Charley Patton - Mind Reader Blues
January 31, 1934 NYC
Bertha Lee Pate, known more commonly as Bertha Lee (June 17, 1902 – May 10, 1975) was an American classic female blues singer, active in the 1920s and 1930s. She recorded with, and was the common-law wife of, Charley Patton.
SHAKEY JAKE - Roll Your Money Maker [Artistic 1502] 1958
This is a good one. Wiki. Magic Sam's uncle.
Sunday, February 14, 2021
The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way 1982
This was one of the last records I bought by them. I am not a huge fan but I do find myself playing them often at Susan's request. Wiki
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles You Really Got a Hold on Me 1964
Of course I first encountered this song via the Beatles.
Saturday, February 13, 2021
Friday, February 12, 2021
Where are all your friends?
It was five years ago we put this CD out. It was a collection of recordings we had done between 2003 to 2015.
1984 demo recording
I managed to get some studio time booked in 84 and went in with Gavin Lusby and his band - a young rockabilly trio including double bass with me doing harp and Sue doing vocals. It was a kind of last ditch attempt.
Listen here at the Free Music Archive
Animals & Men at Longleat 1979
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Rough Treatment - Various artists - the JOB Records story
This album is up on Youtube but as a playlist. Might buy it, not on Spotify/ Label wiki
The biggest hit on J.O.B was Eddie Boyd's Five Long Years
Gene Vincent, 1965, Cavern Club Liverpool
Gene Vincent's birthday today
(What'd I say & Whole lotta shakin' goin' on)
The Mamas and The Papas - Straight Shooter - Monterey 1967
I love this song. Not sure why. Apparently been used in a Tarantino movie.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Willie Dixon & Walter "Shakey" Horton - My Babe!
Live in Germany, 1970. Chicago Blues Band are: Lee Jackson (Guitar), Lafayette Leake (Piano), Clifton James (Drums).
Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe - Can I Do It For You?
From about 1930. This is a great song. The basis for a lot of other songs including Hey Gyp by Donovan.
Tuesday, February 09, 2021
Buddy Guy - First Time I Met The Blues 1970
Buddy Guy performing First Time I Met The Blues, with David Myers, bass, from the movie Chicago Blues, in 1970.
J.B. Hutto - Thank You For Your Kindness 1970
J.B. Hutto and His Hawks, playing Thank You For Your Kindness, from the movie Chicago Blues, in 1970.
Mellow Down Easy - Little Walter
Another one we used to do 40 years ago.
Little Walter And His Jukes Checker Records 1954
Peach Tree - Sonny Boy Williamson
This is a good one. Not sure of the date, late 50s I expect. Blues Records lists it as unknown session.
We used to do a version of this 40 years ago. Look-a here our version was.
Monday, February 08, 2021
Jimmy Rogers Walking By Myself CHESS 1956
B-side of it Ain't Me (below) harp Walter Shakey Horton. This album on Spotify looks like the good stuff.
Jimmy Rogers - Act Like You Love Me
Chess Records 1953 B/W Left Me With A Broken Heart,
Jimmy Rodgers (Voc/Guitar),Little Walter (Hca),Muddy Waters(Guitar)Sunday, February 07, 2021
Jimmy Rogers (blues)
Famous for his work in Muddy Waters band he had some fine hits under his own name. Expect some over the next few days. Biography
That's all right
Rock On David Essex 1973
"I can recall the three musicians on the backing track for 'Rock On' all looking around in a mostly empty Advision Studios, Studio 1, wanting to know when the rest of the band were arriving! I explained there weren't any others for that track, and I was relying on them to understand my idea for the production. While the drums and percussion parts were written out, it was definitely Herbie that grasped immediately that a bass guitar playing a lead riff could fill a large part of the spatial spectrum and he took my idea and turned some basic notes of mine, into his amazing bass riff. Then to top it off, he suggested playing it again an octave higher. So you get this unusual bass sound right up front – now it couldn't have been up front if the arrangement didn't allow the air and the space to be created that way."[5]
Song written by Essex himself which was a big hit in the 70s. Bass by Herbie Flowers who also did the bass for Walk on the Wild Side. wiki
JIMMY ROGERS If It Ain't Me 78 1956
Stonking song. Walter Shakey Horton on harp. Jimmy Rogers wiki.
Sonny Boy did sort of a version of it here
Belton Sutherland & Clyde Maxwell: Blues (1978)
Alan Lomax Archive
Belton Sutherland (vocal and guitar) performs an unidentified - and presumably improvised - blues with Clyde "Judas" Maxwell on fiddle on Clyde's porch. Shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long at Maxwell's farm in Madison County, Mississippi, September 3, 1978
You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory New York Dolls · 1974
If you are like me not a fan of the normal So Alone 'Memory' give this a spin. It's quite delightful.
Reward Teardrop Explodes 1981
40 years ago the world was grooving to this. I think it's the only Teardrop explodes song I know and like.
Saturday, February 06, 2021
Anyone read this? - looks good
Crime - Hot Wire My Heart 1976
I didn't hear this at the time. I got to hear of Crime and see pictures of them and read about them but didn't hear them until later. About 78 I first heard of them.
Muddy Waters - Rolling Stone
Muddy Waters performed "Rolling Stone" live at the Newport Jazz Festival.
Friday, February 05, 2021
Stranded in the Jungle. Jerry Nolan biography
Book on Jerry Nolan? You got.it.
Blurb reads
Curt Weiss's book is an in-depth picture of Jerry Nolan, the celebrity NY punk drummer, but also a detailed story of the early punk scene. "Stranded In the Jungle" touched on all aspects of punk culture: the music, fashion, writing, and economics of the time and of course, the drug use that tore through the scene.
Robert Johnson (30th song never recorded, Mr. Downchild)
Robert Lockwood Jr telling stories about him and Robert Johnson and reveling a song never recorded by Johnson.
Hear Sonny Boy Williamson's first recording of the song in 51
Thursday, February 04, 2021
Wednesday, February 03, 2021
Mink DeVille - Spanish Stroll (1977) HD
Do you remember this? I do. I didn't buy it though. No really punk but of that era.
The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So (Live Jools Holland 2001)
It is very rare to see anybody any good on Jools Holland. Susan really liked the Hives and we luckily saw them at Bristol a few years ago and they were great.
Dr Feelgood She Does it Right 1975
From Geordie Scene (Tyne Tees). Love this song. I used to play this many years ago.
Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Earl Hooker Tanya 1962
Thought I would post a slide song from Earl Hooker. I don't think he ever did vocals much this is an instrumental. Earl Hooker was only 40 when he died.
John Brim - Tough Times 1954
Times are certainly tough again.
John Brim (Voc/Guitar),Jimmy Reed (Hca),Eddie Taylor (Guitar),Grace Brim (Drums).
Junior Wells - "Come On In This House" 1960
''And if I had a million dollars I'd give every dime just to hear you call me daddy one more time".
I believe this was a B-side to Little by Little. Is very good. Give it a spin. Earl Hooker on guitar. B.B. King said of Earl Hooker "to me he is the best of modern guitarists. Period. With the slide he was the best. It was nobody else like him, he was just one of a kind".[3]
Monday, February 01, 2021
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (Full Album) 1978
This is a great album. Not really any bad tracks. My favourites are 'Life stinks' and 'Humor me' but they are all good.
"Non-Alignment Pact" 0:00
"The Modern Dance" 3:18 "Laughing" 6:49 "Street Waves" 11:26 "Chinese Radiation" 14:32 "Life Stinks" 18:02 "Real World" 19:56 "Over My Head" 24:00 "Sentimental Journey" 27:46 "Humor Me" 33:54