BOBBY WOMACK R.I.P. 1944-2014

Bobby Womack, the legendary soul singer whose career spanned seven decades, died on June 27, 2014 at age 70. A representative for Womack’s label XL Recordings confirmed the singer has died to Rolling Stone, but said the cause of death was currently unknown. Throughout most of the Eighties, the singer struggled with drug addiction, eventually checking himself into a rehabilitation center for treatment. A series of health problems would follow, including diabetes, pneumonia, colon cancer and the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, though it was unclear if any of these ailments contributed to his death. Womack was declared cancer-free in 2012. Among his notable albums were The Poet (1981) and The Poet II (1984).

Big O reposts an inter radio site from BBC UK and France
Bobby Womack - Inter Radio FM, November 21, 2012 BBC Session

Legendary songwriter Gerry Goffin dies aged 75

In a statement his ex-wife and songwriting partner Carole King said, 'Gerry Goffin was my first love. He had a profound impact on my life and the rest of the world. Gerry was a good man and a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come. His legacy to me is our two daughters, four grandchildren, and our songs that have touched millions and millions of people, as well as a lifelong friendship. He will be missed by his wonderful wife Michele, his devoted manager, Christine Russell, his five children, and six grandchildren.'

'His words expressed what so many people were feeling but didn't know how to say. If you want to join his loved ones in honoring him, look at the names of the songwriters under the titles of songs. Among the titles associated with me, you'll often find Gerry's name next to mine,' King added.

Extraordinary! Who of us might have an ex partner say such wonderful things about us if we passed away?
Oh, you want an insight into exactly what he wrote the lyrics to?

Gerry Goffin, a prolific and multi-dimensional lyricist who with his then-wife and songwriting partner Carole King wrote such hits as Will You Love Me Tomorrow, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Up on the Roof and The Loco-Motion, died on June 19, 2014 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 75. His wife, Michelle Goffin, confirmed his death. Goffin, who married Carole King in 1959 while they were in their teens, penned more than 50 top 40 hits, including Pleasant Valley Sunday for the Monkees, Crying in the Rain by the Everly Brothers, Some Kind of Wonderful for the Drifters and Take Good Care of My Baby by Bobby Vee. Goffin was able to pen jokey lyrics or achingly sad ones. He also did it for solo artists and multiple voices. The couple divorced in 1968, but Goffin kept writing hits, including Savin’ All My Love for You for Whitney Houston. Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years later. - The Guardian

Guardian's obituary (in full)

Aretha - Natural Woman

The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

 
The Drifters - Up On The Roof






Carole King - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow


And they also wrote . . . . 

Little Eva - The Locomotion on 'Shindig' c 1966

 "This house will become a shrine, and punks and skins and rastas will all gather round and hold their hands in sorrow for their fallen leader. And all the grown-ups will say, "But why are the kids crying?" And the kids will say, "Haven’t you heard? Rick is dead! The People’s Poet is dead!"

R.I.P. Rik Mayall - 

March 7th 1958 - June 9th 2014

 Very sad day to find another hero passed away and our thoughts are with his family as we have lost one of the funniest men of his generation. My son, Matthew, and I were lucky enough to get to see the 'Bottom' tour here in Oxford's New Theatre thanks to the stage manager, a dear old friend John Underwood, who had shown me round the stage and the set (including the shitting seagull! which was John's responsibility) earlier in the day and after a few drinks at lunch time, we wandered around to their hotel suite in the local snooty hotel at John's bequest and as I ws suited and booted and had a posh raincoat draped acorss my shoulders, John had me inspect the rooms they had been given, only for him to have me say they weren't good enough, and to have them upgraded to entire suits of rooms! Absolute hoot! Happy days indeed
The performance was BRILLIANT! of course, with Ade and Rik slipping off script and ad hoc interjections all over the place as was their wont. John having made sure we had amongst the best seats in the house it has stayed in both our minds as one of funniest and silliest evenings in our memories. Happy days! Hilarious stuff! We loved it . . . . . .

I had adored Rik immediately, right from the Dangerous Brothers and Kevin Turvey through The Young Ones, Alan B'Stard and Blackadder's Flashheart of course. "Woof!"

We will miss him and comedy is bereft as we are all the poorer for his untimely passing

His tweet!
Rik Mayall @rikmayall

"Opening my very own Twitter to stop another bastard from doing it. 
So fuck off & don't expect to hear from me any time soon. Love Rik x"
6:25 PM - 9 Jun 2014

Ade Edmondson said yesterday
"There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing.
"They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him.
"And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard."

Nick Drake

I guess I don't normally do this and just post pictures but the tumblr site devoted to Nick Drake has recently posted these wonderful pictures of the legendary Nick Drake and they would appear to be from the last photo session for the equally legendary WitchSeason's Joe Boyd. The photographer is

the wonderful Keith Morris whose site I link to here in hope that he doesn't wish me to take them down!

Keith Morris Photo - Nick Drake Folio

I post these here in tribute to the wonder and force of poetic nature that was the singer songwriter Nick Drake

 Hang on to your hat and wind that clock!

If, like me, occasionally (sic!) you feel things are all too much and the world has gone stark staring mad and you have lost, or feel you're losing, all faith in humanity especially when you watch the ten o'clock news, then spare a moment to read this etter from the author E.B.White (author of 'Charlotte's Web' and 'Stuart Little')

 As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society – things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbour seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.

Sincerely,

E. B. White

 White's missive, penned on March 30, 1973, when he was 74, endures as a spectacular celebration of the human spirit

found at the wondrous:
Brainpickings

Catch The Wind

 

 An occasional series on songs and albums that were important to me and I bought Donovan's 'What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid' when it came out on the Marble Arch label in the mid Sixties a precocious teenager (just!) and I would sing many of the songs on here learning them by rote but it was the haunting melody and sentiment of 'Catch the Wind' that has haunted me down the years . . . and haunts me still. As an indictment of unrequited love there is no better song . . . . . .

"Catch The Wind"

In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty, I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind

To feel you all around me
And to take your hand along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find

For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing 'twould make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind

For standin' in your heart
Is where I want to be and long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

So long, Bob!

 So sad to hear of the passing of the brilliant Bob Hoskins, who has died from pneumonia at 71. I loved his work, especially from the beginning in the legendary Dennis Potter's ' Pennies from Heaven' with Cheryl Campbell and Gemma Craven both of whom we fell in love with and especially Bob!  . . . . I also enjoyed his production of 'The Raggedy Rawnie' an idea that fascinates me still. . . . to his work with the deliciously brilliant Cathy Tyson in 'Mona Lisa' that also starred Michael Caine and Robbie Coltrane. To 'The Long Good Friday' with Helen Mirren to 'Roger Rabbit' where he studied his daughter's ability to enter the world of the imagination until he was hallucinating for real. That's method!

We had mutual friends and we shall miss his unique position in the pantheon of British 'Stars' and the extraordinary character he brought out in everything that he acted in. Brought up by a communist father as an atheist we had much in common in many ways

 Our thoughts got out to his family . . . . . . we are all the poorer for his passing

The legendary Stephen Fry, another humanist/atheist hero, lead the tweets

“Oh no, Bob Hoskins. Gone? That’s awful news,”

he tweeted.

“The Long Good Friday was one of the best British movies of the modern era. A marvellous man.”

The Independent news of Bob Hoskins tributes

Happy Easter!

to all my Christian friends

 . . . and, come to think of it, to all my non-Christian friends too!

I first heard this by Ry Cooder on his early album 'Into the Purple Valley' and adored it, it has a fantastic hook and despite my lack of Christian faith, I still adore it to this day

Here is the original by one of the father's of Gospel Music

Washington Phillips

"Washington Phillips is one of the most intriguing and delightful figures in American music history. His style is completely unique, both in his warm, plaintive singing and his use of zither for accompaniment. His treatments of early religious material is poignant and expressive and his zither playing backup is absolutely captivating. His complete output of 16 selections is presented here with brand new remastering that heightens all the irresistible characteristics of his performances."

get Washington Phillips' 'Key to The Kingdom' from Yazoo Records

Denomination Blues Part 1 - Washington Phillips

 

 Denomination Blues Part 2 - Washington Phillips

 Buy Washington Phillips - Key to The Kingdom here

Ry Cooder - Into The Purple Valley here

ART LESSON

I found this wanderin' t'interwebbie thing and thought it might help 

explaining PICASSO

to people who don't know about art but know what they like, the "My Kid Could have Done THAT!" brigade!

Quotes from The Master

 

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso

 

 

"It takes a long time to become young."

Pablo Picasso

 

 

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

Pablo Picasso

 

 

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."

Pablo Picasso

 

 

JESSE WINCHESTER (R.I.P. 1944-2014)

I am so saddened to hear this awful news. Jesse Winchester meant a great deal to me and his ‘Third Down 110 to go’ from ‘72 meant a great deal to me too. I bought it when it came out over here the first album by him I would buy but not the last and as seminal albums go [IMHO there isn't a duff track filler on it!] and affect us it was a beaut. ‘Isn’t That So’ and ‘Dangerous Fun’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ a favourite especially when finding others cover it too (it was used in a TV film with Tommy Lee Jones called ‘The Executioner’s Song’ where he played Gary Gilmore and it was used over the credits at the end which I found most affecting sung by the legendary Waylon Jennings and it took me an age to find it by him but my understanding is that it’s a Jesse original) . . . . .sorry rambling here but going to put some Jesse on the jukebox and mourn his passing.
Sad day
I for one will miss him . . . . . .

April 12, 2014 – 9:11 am

Big O informs me - Jesse Winchester, whose “blend of folk, blues and country… embodies the spirit of American music,” died on April 11, 2014. He was 69 and had been battling cancer. His manager, Keith Case, told NPR that Winchester died Friday morning in Charlottesville, VA, where he lived.
NPR Music also noted the following: “Winchester ranks among the elite group of singer-songwriters who can captivate an audience with just his words, his voice and an acoustic guitar. The musician is revered by everyone from James Taylor and Lyle Lovett to Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris. Winchester even famously brought a tear to Neko Case’s eye after performing ‘Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding’ on Elvis Costello’s Spectacle program, which he also performs in this set.”
Winchester’s career was dramatically affected by his decision to leave the US rather than face the draft during the Vietnam War. As World Cafe has written: “Winchester was on track for a successful performing career, but his status as a Vietnam War draft-evader prevented him from touring and gaining a footing in the US. He opted to move north to Montreal in 1967, and developed a strong Canadian following while touring there. Winchester released seven albums in the 1970s and early ’80s, culminating with the Top 40 hit ‘Say What’ in 1981.”
Winchester, like hundreds of thousands of other anti-war protesters who left the country or otherwise avoided the draft, was able to return to the US after President Carter granted them unconditional pardons on his first day in office - Jan. 21, 1977.

Jesse Winchester - Defying Gravity 2010

For Jesse - Waylon Jennings - "Defying Gravity"

FIXIN' TO DIE

Check this from Jesse's website . . extraordinary man

 Jesse R.I.P

 Tribute to Jesse - on Mailboat Records - 2012/08/14: A gift from musicians and songwriters to a master....

Jesse Winchester - All of Your Stories