. . . .so might sign off with this beauty from Gene Clark via Tripping Mantras
I followed the course
From chaos to art
Desire the horse
Depression the cart
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Marianne Faithful - Mick Jagger remembers . . . THE ROLLING STONES : Wild Horses [plus Marianne does Sister Morphine and Broken English]
"In 1971, The Rolling Stones released “Wild Horses”, a song that many call one of the most tender and heartbreaking in rock history. But behind its gentle melody lies a story of love, longing, and personal struggle that nearly tore hearts apart.
Mick Jagger wrote the song during a particularly tumultuous time in his personal life. He was deeply involved with Marianne Faithfull, a relationship that had been passionate but chaotic. Faithfull had faced her own demons—addiction, betrayal, and the pressures of fame—and their love was strained by distance, misunderstandings, and the constant whirlwind of rock-and-roll life.
The lyrics of “Wild Horses” reflect Jagger’s anguish: the struggle of wanting to stay in a relationship while feeling the pull of freedom and the chaos surrounding him. Lines like “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away” express both the depth of love and the inevitability of pain that often accompanies it. It’s a confession of vulnerability from a man who usually projected confidence and rebellion.
Keith Richards has said that he co-wrote the song in a cabin in the American South while Mick was in turmoil. The song was a rare moment where the band let emotion take the lead over rock bravado. Its haunting acoustic guitar, tender vocals, and slow, aching rhythm capture a sense of loss and longing that resonates to this day.
Though inspired by a personal heartbreak, “Wild Horses” became universal—a song anyone who has loved and lost can feel in their bones. It reminds us that even rock stars carry private pain, and sometimes the softest songs tell the hardest truths.
In the end, “Wild Horses” isn’t just a love song—it’s a portrait of heartbreak, longing, and the impossibility of holding onto something—or someone—forever."
The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses (Live)
MARIANNE FAITHFULL on the set of the film, ANNA. 1966. Photo taken by NORBERT PERRAU
Marianne Faithfull - Sister Morphine (Live)
Marianne Faithful - Broken English (From "Live in Hollywood" DVD)
IF YOU PLAY ONE THING FROM HERE TODAY MAKE IT THIS
PLAY IT LOUD!
Free - Tons Of Sobs (1969 UK 2010 remaster) | Plain & Fancy - and in remembrance of Andy Fraser
Free - Tons Of Sobs (1969 UK 2010 remaster)
Free - She’s a Mover
Tons of Sobs is the debut album by English blues rock band Free, released in the UK on 14 March 1969. While the album failed to chart in the UK, it did reach #197 in the US. Free are cited as one of the definitive bands of the British blues boom of the late 1960s even though this is the only album of their canon that can strictly be called blues rock. According to bass player Andy Fraser, the title effectively summed up the album.
Free were a new band when they recorded Tons of Sobs, and they were extremely young; none of them were yet twenty and the youngest, Andy Fraser, was just sixteen years old. They had achieved a following through constant touring, and their debut album consisted for the most part of their live set-list.
With the band signed to Chris Blackwell‘s Island Records, Guy Stevens was hired to produce the album (he later became notable for producing early albums for Mott the Hoople and The Clash‘s legendary album London Calling [1979]). He opted for a minimalist attitude to production, due to the extremely low budget of about £800, creating a very raw and raucous sound – although it may have been that the relative inexperience of the band was also a contributing factor to this. As such the album is a marked contrast in production terms from the band’s later albums. The simple nature of the recording meant that many tracks translated well into a live setting and several songs from this album were still performed even when the band had written and recorded many more for subsequent records.
The majority of the album was recorded over the course of a few days in October 1968. Originally slated for a November release, the album was delayed to early 1969 due to the late addition of their cover of “The Hunter”. This track was a mainstay in their live sets and was recorded in a December 1968 session at Stevens’ insistence.
Free-Official
Tracks1. Over The Green Hills (Pt. 1) (Paul Rodgers) - 0:492. Worry (Paul Rodgers) - 3:263. Walk In My Shadow (Paul Rodgers) - 3:294. Wild Indian Woman (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 3:395. Goin' Down Slow (James Burke Oden) - 8:206. I'm A Mover (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 2:567. The Hunter (Booker T. Jones, Carl Wells, Donald Dunn, Al Jackson Jr., Steve Cropper) - 4:138. Moonshine (Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff) - 5:049. Sweet Tooth (Paul Rodgers) - 4:5410.Over The Green Hills (Pt. 2) (Paul Rodgers) - 1:5811.I'm A Mover (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 3:0412.Waitin' On You (B.B. King, Ferdinand Washington) - 2:1513.Guy Stevens Blues (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke) - 4:3914.Moonshine (Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff) - 5:0915.Sweet Tooth (Paul Rodgers) - 4:5316.Visions Of Hell (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 3:4617.Woman By The Sea (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers) - 3:3018.Over The Green Hills (Paul Rodgers) - 3:51Bonus Tracks 11-18Free*Paul Rodgers - Vocals*Paul Kossoff - Guitar*Andy Fraser - Bass Guitar*Simon Kirke - DrumsWith*Steve Miller - Piano
Remembering ANDY FRASER (RIP) on the 10th anniversary of his death."born Andrew McLan Fraser - Paddington, London, England (3 July 1952 -16 March 2015).Bassist, keyboards, vocals, songwriter: John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers, FREE (1968-71 & 72), Toby (1971), Sharks (1972-73), Andy Fraser Band (1974-76), solo.Somewhat of a prodigy. He turned pro at age 15 and became a hugely influential bass player by the age of 19 via his innovative playing (not to mention his songwriting) with Free.Sadly, he and songwriting partner Paul Rodgers started pulling in opposite directions regarding Free. This led to the initial 1971 break-up.Rodgers wanted the band to stay blues-based. While Fraser wanted to explore a more commercial direction.Not to mention Fraser had aspirations to be a lead vocalist himself.After leaving Free for the second (and final) time, he formed the band Sharks with Chris Spedding. They released the excellent "First Water" in 1973 before Faraser was temporarily sidelined by an auto accident while the band was touring.Andy died (age 62) of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which led to a heart attack after years of living with the AIDS virus. Which he had under control."Henry Howard [Facebook page]
Frida Sonko - Gwenasobya | Herberg De Kelder
Gwenasobya
Gwenasobya - Frida Sonko
60’s
A dazzling Ugandan treasure
On Gwenasobya, Frida Sonko’s sweet, sparkling vocals ride the bright, infectious groove of The Equator Sound Band, featuring Daudi Kabaka, a familiar name to followers of this blog.
Beyond her own recordings, Frida Sonko worked with her brother Charles Sonko to help other musicians get their music recorded in Nairobi, Kenya.
HERBERG DE KELDER
Tabu Ley Rochereau et l'Orchestre African Fiesta: “N'daya Paradis” (1964) | Herberg De Kelder
Tabu Ley Rochereau et l'Orchestre African Fiesta: “N'daya Paradis” (1964)
"One of these times, I’m going to break a hiatus on this blog for something other than an obituary post. But not this time. Tabu Ley “Rochereau” died last week at the age of 76. Born Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu, he took his stage name, Rocheraeu from, of all places, a French general, Pierre Philippe Marie Aristide Denfert-Rochereau, the “Lion of Belfort.“
This was the colonial era, so young Congolese boys who got the privilege of going to a decent school learned about European aristocrats and battles. Rochereau probably stood out to young Pascal because he was the only French general to do anything but fail during the Franco-Prussian War, holding Belfort against a vastly superior army.
Rochereau put himself on the map in Kinshasa (then called Leopoldville) as one of the singers in L'African Jazz, the band of Le Grand Kallé Joseph Kabaselleh, the man most people consider the father of modern Congolese music (Franco and OK Jazz first recorded for a label he owned).
The dance orchestras of the day generally had a front line of several vocalist, who would trade leads and harmonies as needed, and among African Jazz vocalists, Rochereau stood out. He had a voice that seemed to drift over the music, light and sweet. As a lead singer, he was nimble and warm, and on the harmonies he added a drizzle of honey every time he sang.
He and the great guitarist "Docteur” Nico Kasanda left African Jazz in the early 60s to form their own band, African Fiesta, and that’s the group that recorded this track in 1964. It’s probably my favorite recording of his. The spacey slide guitar sets him up so nicely, and this is a great vocal performance, commanding but light.
The men who did the most to turn Rocehreau into a star, Kabaselleh and Nico, both ended their careers early, but Rochereau kept going, putting new bands together for over thirty years. He changed his stage name to Tabu Ley during the Mobutu years, and went into exile in the late 80s, continuing to record until 1997, when he joined the cabinet of Laurent Kabila, the first post-Mobutu president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He bounced around government posts for much of the last decade and a half of his life."
HERBERG DE KELDER
Glenn Tilbrook, (Squeeze) prior to a MTV interview (1982)
Glenn Tilbrook, prior to a MTV interview (1982)
Glenn is doing the media rounds at the moment and has an album out from material written when he and Chris (Difford) were starting to form Squeeze!)
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