David Stoughton - The Summer Had No Breeze

A lifetime doesn't last
And too much has already passed
It takes a while to realize that it's better to love than to despise
And too much of a lifetime is how long it takes to learn what lifetime is.

Right on, man. Right on. More cosmically, I'd like to add that the melodic motif that appears for the first time at 00:19 brings back pleasant memories of this.

Pentangle - So Early In The Spring

Recorded "live" at the Royal Albert Hall, June 29th, 1968.

So here's another great hall with great acoustics, speaking of Webster Hall. It's right up there with Cleveland Music Hall. (See here for context.)

Cathy Berberian with the Juilliard Ensemble - Black Is The Colour

Arranged & conducted by Luciano Berio.

"Black is the Colour" is an American folk song with Scottish roots, re-melodicized by John Jacob Niles.

This performance was recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, December 1968. (Anyone planning to head down to Webster Hall tonight?)

 Equals - Police On My Back

Thanks to GC for the tip on this little slice of mod heaven. Many songs mention days of the week in succession (Lady Madonna et al.), but can you name another that runs the gamut from Monday to Sunday like this with no words between? (Seven days and eight beats, so you have to say "runnin'" first.)

BTW watch for some more GC contributions in the extremely near future.

3's a Crowd - Gnostic Serenade

Words & music by William Hawkins. Vocals by David Wiffen. Produced by Mama Cass. Vinyl rip by the amazon mp3 store. For the transcendent Esther Ofarim version, see here.

And I am trapped on this crazy star
I've been a prisoner all my days.

MARGINAL SOUND QUALITY UPGRADE!

Carole King - Porpoise Song (publisher's demo)

I took the trouble of acquiring a recording of indeterminate origin entitled The Monkees Archives Volume 5 in order to present you with a new rip of this track (originally posted back in July), in slightly less wretched fidelity (though of course the lo-fi is part of the charm).

A biographical note: we've moved back into the apartment after a renovation, and I've finally gotten the turntables hooked back up, and work promises to slow down a bit after a uniquely hellish September, and I should have a free hour or two soon to set about reälphabetizing my records and CDs, and in all likelihood I'll be able to start posting some songs again soon. No major life changes scheduled for the next six months. It's on.

The Incredible String Band - Air

Gentlemen, I'm beginning to feel something!

Carole King - Porpoise Song (publisher's demo)

Brenton Wood: I Think You've Got Your Fools Mixed Up

The Beach Boys - Little Bird

Dennis Wilson comin' at ya off of Friends. I feel like the string section should be given the sample treatment. Or maybe it has been? Whatever. I'd still probably prefer this version.

Roy Panton - Endless Memory

Cream - Dance The Night Away

I like that you can pretty much see the revellers spilling out into the streets when the psychedelic part kicks in at 0:45.

Simon & Garfunkel: Punky's Dilemma [demo]

The Cryan' Shames - The Sailing Ship

To me this sounds more like a '90s retro-psych outfit trying to write a psych tune than an actual '60s psych tune. (Indeed, the Brian Jonestown Massacre covered it.) Kudos to Jim Fairs for the Baby You're A Rich Man-style psychedelic bagpipes.

Official Cryan' Shames National Fan Club
P.O. Box 473
Oak Brook, Illinois

Two tracks to help ring in your New Year.
Cheers!

David Ruffin: Anything That You Ask For

Ray Barretto: A Deeper Shade of Soul

Saturday Night Special

Phil Wainman - Going, Going, Gone

drawing by thijshere's flickr

Bobby Womack: I'm in Love

James Brown: The Popcorn

Recorded after a show at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium in 1968. Released as a single in May '69 charting at #11 R&B.

Emmett presents: "The Waiting Is The Hardest Part"
Spring-Summer Megamix 2010

Face A
Grandstand - Soul Stage Orchestra
Hilly Fields (1892) - Nick Nicely
Just For Me - Manfred Mann
Skyline - Norman Greenbaum
Zoo Gang - Paul McCartney
The John Scene - Tigers On Vaseline

Face B
Morpha Too (rough mix) - Big Star
You Were So Warm - Dwight Twilley Band
Looking For The Magic - Dwight Twilley Band
Cantata Per Maryam - Piero Umiliani
Like We Were Before - Song
The Mess (live) - Wings

Face C
DK 50-80 - Otway & Barrett
Towering Inferno - The Green Arrows
Space (excerpt) - Georges Rodi
Magic - Unknown Artist
Strangers From The Light - Baltinore
Cosmic Surfin' - Haruomi Hosono

Face D
Brodovi - VIA Talas
Summertime City - Mike Batt with The New Edition
(Like A) Locomotion - Leftside
Cardboard Lamb - Crash Course In Science
Under Your Thumb - Godley & Creme
Everyday - William Onyeabor

Face E
Doot Doot (extended version) - Freur
C'est Fab - Nancy Sesay & The Melodaires
Ain't You - Kleenex
Marcy - Norman Greenbaum
Petrol Flowin - Yan d'Ys
Honey In The Rock - Blind Mamie Forehand

zip file with all 30 songs, plus m3u

This megamix is dedicated to my son Noah, born the day after this was posted!

Aiight fools, this is going to be on the spring playlist (whenever I finish it) but throwing caution to the wind I've decided to "leak" it today. Dig the melody. The message. The endearingly off-key guys in the background singing "just for me". The heavy-handed imagery in the video. The celesta part (or whatever's making that bell sound). The harpsichord part. The ducks in the pond.

Anyone know who wrote this? Is that Mike d'Abo on lead vocals?