Somebody Groovy the Mamas and the Papas 1965

 I am not an expert but this looks early in their career. I really love this song. I don't know why - it's a kind of crossover - folk rock and rhythm and blues that makes a lovely dance tune.

Nuggets compilation is 50 years old.

 

Read an article about it in the Guardian. Nuggets wiki

Playlist Every song the Beatles covered

 Here on Spotify.

Shirelles Everybody loves a lover 1964

 Another big influence on the Beatles was the Shirelles. 

1956 Cookies - In Paradise

 I love this record. The bass and drum combination is heavenly. The notes say

This earlier edition of the Cookies provided backup on recordings by various Atlantic artists before they evolved into Ray Charles’ group The Raeletts. The 1960s Cookies (“Chains” “Don’t Say Nothing Bad About My Baby” "Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys") were a new act, though Dorothy Jones of the original group was a member.

Chains The Cookies 1962

 Covered by the Fab Four, I think this is the better version. Writers: Gerry Goffin, Carole King

Beatles at the BBC

 

This is a good insight to the Beatles of the early years. It came out in 94 and we bought it for our son on cassette. 

Carl Perkins - Honey Don’t 1956

 A big influence on the Beatles - they covered this one. 

The Beatles - Ask Me Why (BBC Here We Go, 6.11.62)-

 with Pete Best

Love Me Do signed by all four Beatles

 Sotheby's have this first pressing for about £20,000! Listen to the song here

Beatles merchandise I grew up with

 Going to do a few Beatles posts to mark the 60th anniversary of Love Me Do. These are items my big sister had. I found the pics online as the actual items were sold long ago. My sister also did a picture of the Beatles that was shown on the telly. She is still doing excellent artwork but not of the Beatles. So I grew up with the Beatles and when my son was getting interested in music he had a collection of Beatles cassettes for his Fisher-Price tape machine. Now his son happily sings Beatles songs (he does a lovely Yellow Submarine) as he goes to sleep so 3 generations!

Coal Miner's daughter lyrics

 Watch her perform it on Ed Sullivan here

Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter

In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler
We were poor, but we had love
That's the one thing that Daddy made sure of
He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar.

My Daddy worked all night in the Vanleer coal mine
All day long in the field a-hoin' corn
Mommy rocked the babies at night
And read the Bible by the coal-oil light
And ever'thing would start all over come break of morn'.

Daddy loved and raised eight kids on a miner's pay
Mommy scrubbed our clothes on a washboard ever' day
Why, I've seen her fingers bleed
To complain there was no need
She'd smile in Mommy's understanding way.

In the summertime we didn't have shoes to wear
But in the wintertime we'd all get a brand new pair
From a mail order catalog
Money made from sellin' a hog
Daddy always managed to get the money somewhere.

Yeah, I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter
I remember well - the well where I drew water
The work we done was hard
At night we'd sleep 'cause we worked hard
I never thought of ever leaving Butcher Holler.

Well, a lot of things have changed since way back then
And it's so good to be back home again
Not much left but the floor
Nothing lives here anymore
Except the mem'ries of a coal miner's daughter.

RIP Loretta Lynn

 

The country star has passed away aged 90. Sad news.  Listen to one of some of the six songs featured on this blog HERE. Collection on Spotify

Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game 2006

 I like this song. Read about it here. Celia's boss met her at Glastonbury and asked her if that was all her own hair? 'Well I paid for it' was the reply. 

In the Country - Cliff Richard 1968

This is a pretty tune. Remember it from my childhood.

Susan looking at where we live

 

Emancipation trailer

 Brand new trailer for a film about the Civil War that stars Will Smith. Wiki on the movie here

Love Me Do 1962

 So Wednesday the 5th is the 60th anniversary of Love Me Do coming out. I will celebrate it by posting some Beatles clips.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Since the smoking ban I don't go to the cinema much. I know films are better on the big screen but we don't have a cinema in Midsomer Norton (though they do show new movies at the Town hall and Susan's been a few times in fact once volunteered selling ice creams). So the last film I saw rather amusingly was the Dogtanian and the Muskehounds - a cartoon. It was as we were emerging from lockdown and Bea got some free tickets. We were the only ones there I think. Was nice. 

New Orleans Movie (1947) - Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Woody Herman

 This is the sort of film my Dad liked. He was very into music as a youth. See all the Billie Holiday songs from the movie here