“My friends used to tease me: ‘How can you wake up in the morning and look at that face of hers?’ It was a good question. Sharon was so overwhelmingly, so incredibly beautiful that anyone not knowing her might think it took a lot to live with such a beauty. But, you see, that was another thing about Sharon. With all her beauty, everyone loved her. I never heard anyone say a bad word about her, not even another actress. And in this town that’s not only a rarity, it’s an impossibility! Sharon was the type of girl who had no defenses, no pretenses, she was just herself all the time. She was so trusting, so eager to accept people as they were, so generous.”
Sharon Tate, 1968.
688 club atlanta aug 22 1981
The Soft Machine, not long after recording their first album and touring America, began breaking up -- just the first in a long series of personnel changes and subsequent new directions that formed one of art rock's winding sagas of the '70s. Kevin Ayers was the first to leave, mostly because of that American tour, and he soon became one of the first acts to release music on Harvest, a new progressive label from EMI that promised to offer the best and brightest in the new vanguard of British rock.Ayers recorded and released five albums over the next five years, all of which appear on separate discs of The Harvest Years 1969-1974, and each of which comes with bonus tracks (most of them entertaining BBC sessions). Ayers was quite the chameleon during this time, beginning with a set of psychedelic-pop whimsy akin to Syd Barrett (Joy of a Toy) but soon detouring into free-form epic prog (Shooting at the Moon, with young hotshot guitarist Mike Oldfield), and later arriving at a surprisingly straight-ahead vision of bluesy pop (Bananamour).The set offers the albums in the best sound they've ever been heard, and the bonus tracks are excellent as well. The unavoidable caveat comes, though. Why not include all the bonus tracks from previous editions, especially when they include a track actually recorded with Syd Barrett? (That would be "Religious Experience (Singing a Song in the Morning)," available on the 2003 Joy of a Toy reissue.) Quibbles aside, this is a hugely entertaining set from one of art rock's most beguiling figures.
By the way, I've already posted two Songwriters' Circle albums. They all follow the same format, in which three singer-songwriters are chosen and take turns singing songs in an acoustic format. Sometimes they join in a bit on each other's songs, sometimes not. Then, at the end, they usually sing a song together.
I've already posted two such shows. Here's one with Jimmy Webb, Chip Taylor, and Nick Lowe:
https://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com/2023/03/jimmy-webb-chip-taylor-nick-lowe.html
And here's one with Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, and Loudon Wainwright III:
https://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com/2022/12/richard-thompson-suzanne-vega-loudon.html
I have figured out all of these come from a BBC TV show called "Songwriters' Circle." But the odd thing is, this show has had two brief runs. There were a bunch of shows in 1999, including the one I'm posting here. Then there was a second bunch in 2010 and 2011. There haven't been any since. All the episodes remain unreleased as audio albums, but you can often find the videos of them on YouTube.
For this show, I found out there are two versions. One ends with "The Ship Song," and goes into a BBC DJ announcing the end of the show. Another has one more song, a cover of "I'm Waiting for the Man" by the Velvet Underground. I used the shorter version for most of this concert, since I had that in better quality. But I added in the extra song from the other version.
This album is 49 minutes long.
01 talk (John Cale)
02 Dying on the Vine (John Cale)
03 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
04 Talk of the Town (Chrissie Hynde)
05 talk (Nick Cave)
06 West Country Girl (Nick Cave)
07 Thoughtless Kind (John Cale)
08 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
09 Kid (Chrissie Hynde)
10 talk (Nick Cave)
11 Henry Lee (Nick Cave)
12 talk (John Cale)
13 Fear Is a Man's Best Friend (John Cale)
14 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
15 I'll Stand by You (Chrissie Hynde)
16 talk (Nick Cave)
17 Into My Arms (Nick Cave)
18 talk (John Cale)
19 Ship of Fools (John Cale)
20 Back on the Chain Gang (Chrissie Hynde)
21 The Ship Song (Nick Cave)
22 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
23 I'm Waiting for the Man (John Cale, Nick Cave & Chrissie Hynde)
Simply put . . . . . wow! This seems rare as hen’s teeth but you may know different yet I love these three and the Songwriters’ Circle has thrown up some fascinating bedfellows!
Check this!
O My Soul
Reissued lately the master version of Paris 1919
with as O My Soul points out Andalucia
another favourite and album track and album!
JOHN CALE - Child’s Christmas in Wales
from Paris 1919 (1973)
Take down the flags of ownership
The walls are falling down…
a favourite track from a favourite album!
Cale at his peak!
Alice posted this favourite early John C love this song it has fascinated me for years . . .the lyrics especially . . . . . they are SOOOO weird! It has proved a haven for my misheard lyrics for years! ha ha ha ha ha
"The cattle graze bolt uprightly. Seducing down the door..."
With mistletoe and candle green
To Halloween we go
Ten murdered oranges bled on board ship
Lend comedy to shame
The cattle graze bolt uprightly
Seducing down the door
To saddle swords and meeting place
We have no place to go
Then wearily the footsteps worked
The hallelujah crowds
Too late but wait, the long-legged bait
Tripped uselessly around
Sebastopol Adrianapolis
The prayers of all combined
Take down the flags of ownership
The walls are falling down
A belt to hold
Columbus too, perimeters of nails
Perceived the mama's golden touch
Good neighbours were we all
John Cale, A Child’s Christmas in Wales: 1919 | 1973
and some of us still like dressing up too!
BBC Radio 4 - ‘Soul Music’ Nick Drake:Northern Sky
I never felt magic crazy as thisI never saw moons, knew the meaning of the seaI never held emotion in the palm of my handOr felt sweet breezes in the top of a treeBut now you're hereBrighten my northern skyI've been a long time that I'm waitingBeen a long that I'm blownI've been a long time that I've wanderedThrough the people I have knownOh, if you would and you couldStraighten my new mind's eyeWould you love me for my money?Would you love me for my head?Would you love me through the winter?Would you love me 'til I'm dead?Oh, if you would and you couldCome blow your horn on highI never felt magic crazy as thisI never saw moons, knew the meaning of the seaI never held emotion in the palm of my handOr felt sweet breezes in the top of a treeBut now you're hereBrighten my northern sky
John Cale & Lou Reed, 1968
📷 Joel Meyerowitz
You may think you’re cool but you will never be as cool as John Cale and Lou Reed walking down the street here!
I found this weirdo around t’interweb! Sorry couldn’t find the other two tracks although searching for rare Cale is always a treat and as for searching for House of Freaks that’s just plain bonkers! Great fun but here’s Brian when he was still obsessing about fire (it’s a theme, look it up! - Baby’s On Fire? Fever? etc etc) Spontaneous combustion anyone! 🔥
(plus bonus disc of Songs For Drella with Lou Reed 1990 - for ANDY WARHOL)
Urbanaspirines turns up trumps again and looks at the history of official album releases from John Cale over a decade and with a bonus some ten years later dedicated to Velvet Underground mentor Andy Warhol with Lou Reed in Songs For Drella
John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, drone, classical, avant-garde and electronic music. Cale has also acquired a reputation as an adventurous record producer, working on the debut albums of several innovative artists, including the Stooges and Patti Smith. Having discovered a talent for viola, Cale joined the National Youth Orchestra of Wales at age 13. Receiving a scholarship, Cale studied music at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Upon arriving in New York City, Cale met a number of influential composers. Early that year, he co-founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed,recruiting his flatmate Angus MacLise and Reed's college friend Sterling Morrison to complete the initial line-up. Just before the band's first paying gig for $75 ($709 adjusted for 2022) at Summit High School in New Jersey, MacLise abruptly quit the band because he viewed accepting money for art as selling out; he was replaced by Moe Tucker as the band's drummer. Initially hired to play that one show, she soon became a permanent member and her tribal pounding style became an integral part of the band's music, despite the initial objections of Cale to the band having a female drummer. Apart from appearing on the Velvet Underground's first two studio albums, he also played organ on the track "Ocean" during the practice sessions to produce demos for the band's fourth studio album Loaded (1970), nearly two years after he left the band.
I would urge you to buy the Cale back catalogue from official sources
John Cale (study with different iPad background)2012
Most if not all are still readily available via Amazon or your usual outlets, some from the Cale website (above)
