Al Stewart: Terminal Eyes

From his album "Past, Present and Future". Sleeve by Hipgnosis.

This one figures into the mix we did back in December. It's a nice inoffensive Walrusesque number, good for a mid-afternoon coffee break. Featuring copious use of analog tape delay on the vocals, sort of like Peter Green's Just For You.

The Smiths:
William, It Was Really Nothing
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

Please, Please, Please was the B-side on this single released on August 24, 1984. Three years later Morrissey had this to say about the track:

I think it was very close indeed [to being a perfect song], and hiding it away on a B-side was sinful. I feel sad about it now although we did include it on Hatful Of Hollow by way of semi-repentance. When we first played it to Rough Trade, they kept asking, "where's the rest of the song?" But to me, it's like a very brief punch in the face. Lengthening the song would, to my mind, have simply been explaining the blindingly obvious.

Beastie Boys: Freaky Hijiki

Don Henley: Dirty Laundry

I always dug the beat and the production on this one. David B. might owe just the tiniest fraction of the royalties for "Let's Dance" to Don & co. for this.

Steve Porcaro: keyboards, special keyboard effects
Danny Kortchmar: rhythm guitar
Joe Walsh: 1st guitar solo
Steve Lukather: 2nd guitar solo
Jeff Porcaro: drums
Roger Linn: special effects
George Gruel, Timothy B. Schmit, Danny Kortchmar and Don Henley: background vocals

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Shirley Bassey:
What I Did For Love
The Hungry Years

original air dates: 11/15/06 and 4/4/07

These are the first two songs on the Love, Life And Feelings LP and together they constitute one of my favorite one-two punches to open any album. There is enough philosophical content in these lyrics to keep you thinking for a while.

What I Did For Love written by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban
The Hungry Years written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield

Produced by Martin Davis
Arranged and Conducted by Arthur Greenslade
Engineer: Martin Rushent

Première Classe: La Fille Qui Rit

I did a google blog search the other day in search of anyone else who might be repping Mikado's Par Hasard. The stratagem worked like a charm as it turned up this great French wave comp, which includes the song posted above. Apparently this is the B-side of a track called Poupée Flash. If anyone has an mp3 of that one, please do get in touch.

Love when this goes to minor at 2:36.

Phil Cordell: Red Lady
Beyond The Wizards Sleeve: Red Tuesday

François de Roubaix: La Fête Des Dieux Avions

Kicking off the week with this Monday morning coffee-sipper, available on this CD.

Elkin & Nelson: Jibaro

I finally got a copy of this 12", so that I could make my own homebrewed mp3 of this. Newsflash: this works well at parties. For lagniappe, here's the Williams Fairey version, courtesy of Ugly Talented.

Grateful Dead: Scarlet Begonias>Fire On The Mountain
(recorded "live" at Barton Hall, Cornell University, May 8, 1977)

We welcome the advent of spring with this blast of orange sunshine from spring tour '77. Legend has it that Sheridan DuPre once played this for Big B, and he liked it.

I love the audience reaction when Jerry's vocals come in at 0:43.

for the faithful:
Grateful Dead: Scarlet Begonias
(recorded live at Winterland, March 20, 1977)

Antonio Adolfo: Venice

From his album Feito Em Casa.

Casino Music: Viol AF 015

Another cut from that compilation Bippp, and the triumphant return of Casino Music to these pages. I'm not sure what these guys are singing about here but they sound hormonal. Nice vaguely canine background noises at 1:02.

The Chuck Rainey Coalition: Eloise (First Love)

From their self-titled LP.

I've fallen in love with this little tune, composed by C. Rainey, since I was first introduced to the Richard Tee version last year. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this earlier version at the local shoppe the other day. Minor-nine tonalities, piano octaves, reverb, strings, congas... romance.

FROM THE ARCHIVES
Originally posted 2.24.2007
Ronnie Spector: You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory

Lamont Dozier: Going Back To My Roots

L.D. was 36 years of age and 20 years into a career in the music biz when he felt the need to zip up his boots and go back to his roots with this epic musical statement. Cheers to the compilers of this CD for including the longest imaginable version of this. (And here's the Richie Havens version once more, for those in need.)

Dave Clark Five: Red Balloon

The Superimposers: Rainbow

Echoes Of: Echoes Of Jerusalem

Special thanks to Prana for this one. Such a nutty record. Was it the inspiration for the arrangement on this?

Courtesy of Hit Parade Italia, here's the Italian top 30 for 1973. (I'm unsure whether this is an actual chart or just a list of someone's favorite songs... either way it's a nutty list.)

1. Il Mio canto libero - Lucio Battisti
2. He - Today's People
3. Harmony - Artie Kaplan
4. Satisfaction - The Tritons
5. Eccomi - Mina
6. Io domani - Marcella
7. Cosa si può dire di te - I Pooh
8. Flying through the air (Più forte ragazzi) - Oliver Onions
9. Io perchè, io per chi - I Profeti
10. Forever and ever - Demis Roussos
11. Give me love (give me peace on Earth) - George Harrison
12. Get down - Gilbert O'Sullivan
13. Diario - Equipe 84
14. Mama Loo - Les Humphrey Singers
15. Superman - Doc and Prohibition
16. Last tango in Paris - Gato Barbieri
17. Echoes of Jerusalem - Echoes Of
18. Also spracht Zarathustra - Eumir Deodato
19. I'm the leader of the gang - Gary Glitter
20. Chi sarà con te - Massimo Ranieri
21. I Giochi del cuore (I'd love you to want me) - Maurizio
22. Long train running - The Doobie Brothers
23. Also spracht Zarathustra - Prophetic Band
24. Who was it - Hurricane Smith (R.I.P.)
25. Rapsodia Radius - Formula 3
26. Point me at the sky - Pink Floyd (?!)
27. Bambina sbagliata - Formula 3
28. Dueling banjos - Eric Weisberg and Steve Mandell
29. In a broken dream - Python Lee Jackson
30. Blockbuster - The Sweet

Fleetwood Mac: That's All For Everyone

Madonna:
I Know It
Burning Up

J.J. Cale: Ride Me High

How high can we go?

The Ventures:
Sleepwalk
No Trespassing
Night Train

He assumed physical poise, yet bared inertia. Rather than hearing dread a young emcee mostly mimics epically testy tracks.

Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan: One Too Many Mornings
Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan: That's Alright Mama

Baden Powell:
Tapiilraiauara
Serenata Do Adeus

From the album Estudos. Recorded: Hawaii 1971

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Willie Nelson: Me And Paul

Available on the album Yesterday's Wine.

Feeling the need to re-rage this classic originally posted by Big B on 12/20/06. The question remains: Who is "Paul"?

Lee Hazlewood: Forget Marie [1970]

"Gonna go as far as fourteen dollars can take a fool like me..."

The Gist: Love At First Sight

As featured on the CD in the new ish of MOJO. From the album Embrace The Herd. Written by Stuart Moxham. All vocals and instruments by Stuart M., except bass by Phil Moxham and chop guitar by Dave Dearnaley.

Absence of snare drum builds an exquisite tension here, not unlike this.

George Faith: To Be A Lover [1977]
William Bell: I Forgot To Be Your Lover [1968]

Vintage Lee Perry production on the George Faith version. Enjoy the righteous guitar lick at 2:25; it only happens once.

Written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell.

Mikado:
Par Hasard [1982]
Attends Ou Vas-T'En [1984]

The triumphant return of Mikado to these pages. (See here for another slice of their sound.) Tragically, today's selections are coming to you via the iTunes music store. If anyone is holding this material in another format, please do get in touch.

Attends Ou Vas T'En was written by none other than Serge Gainsbourg. Par Hasard was written by Pascale Borel, Mikado's singer. There's a keyboard part in Par Hasard that was driving me crazy because it reminded me of something... at last I realized it was What A Fool Believes.

Bob Dylan:
Covenant Woman [1980]
Pressing On [1980]

Seeing I'm Not There brought me back to SAVED, especially after the scene of Christian Bale as Dylan singing "Pressing On" in the church basement. "Covenant Woman" is one of my favorites on the album. I'm kinda on a Dylan "gospel rock" (as wikipedia defines the genre) kick. There's some good stuff from those years.

W.A. Mozart: String Quintet in G Minor, first movement (Allegro)

Completed by Wolfgang on May 16th, 1787. Performed by Arthur Grumiaux, Arpad Gérecz, Georges Janzer, Max Lesueur, and Eva Czako. Recorded at La Chaux de Fonds (Switzerland), January, 1973. Taken from this CD.