Johnny Winter performs "Be Careful With A Fool" live from Danish TV in 1970 with Tommy Shannon on bass and Uncle John Turner on Drums.
“I met Johnny at the Fog, at the same club where I met Stevie,” said Shannon, who later played with Stevie Ray Vaughan from 1981 to his tragic death in 1990. “I was playing eight hours a night in a band called the Young Lads, making really good money. Uncle John and Johnny came in one night and Johnny sat in. I had never seen an albino before. When he got up under the lights, with that long white hair he looked like some kind of god—I was mesmerized by him. I knew I was going to be starving my ass off but I had this feeling it was the right thing to do. I quit my band and joined up.”
As a blues trio, their gigs were limited to weekend nights, and Johnny’s income immediately plummeted from $150 to fifty dollars a week. The band still couldn’t play all blues, but worked blues into their sets, which included Top Forty songs, as well as Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” “Manic Depression,” and “Fire.” “Even Muddy was restricted to the amount of blues he could play on his own jobs,” said Turner. “People didn’t like blues. So Muddy stood in the background and acted like he was playing the guitar, and the band played a bunch of soul songs. Then Muddy did about fifteen minutes of Muddy Waters songs at the very last part of their show.”
Before they played their first gig, Johnny gave Shannon a crash course in the blues. “I didn’t know anything about blues when I first started with Johnny,” said Shannon. “I would look at a Cream album and see Robert Johnson and thought he was a friend of theirs. Johnny sat down with me one night and spent hours taking me all the way through the blues, from field hollers to the present. He had a wall of records and took me through his whole collection, playing and explaining each one. After that night, I understood what I was doing.”
Sullivan, Mary Lou. Raisin' Cain: The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter (Kindle Edition)
Who says I only listen to music from 1962-1987? Here are the D’Addario brothers with a really fantastic pop tune. Of course, it sounds like it’s from 1974- think Big Star.
This is nice! Kinda Beatlesie too . . . .trust Guess I’m to come up with another band I have never hard of . . . . . . (we could write a book about bands you’ve never heard of - ED) Rude!
Oooh this is really nice and the Boss over at the Voodoo Wagon has posted a great video to accompany it which is really worth a watch . . . . .
Neil covers his early singles here (bought when it came out he covers a favourite song single of I Got You)
Have it at - its radio quality! (of course)
Neil Finn - The Plant Sausalito, CA. August 11, 1998 KFOG-FM soundboard @320
Setlist: 1-Intro 2-Last One Standing 3-King Tide 4-I Got You 5-She Will Have Her Way 6-Sinner 7-Dream Date 8-Try Whistling This 9-Fall At Your Feet 10-Don't Dream It's Over 11-Addicted 12-We Don't Want To Go (Outro)
"Somethings wrong, I feel uneasy, Reassure me, tell me your not teasing, I don’t know why sometimes I get frightened , you can see my eyes, you can tell that I’m not lying . . . . . . . “
While we’re still in the festive mood there is this which I found just quite extraordinary and the song itself about which there is much discussion . . . . . . . There was more to The Monkees than people thought you know!
This from the always brilliant and fascinating Route
Mike Nesmith (1942) and Davy Jones (1945) were born on this day in Houston, Texas and Openshaw, Manchester respectively. Riu riu chiu, la guarda ribera.
Click on it!
The Monkees make 16thC madrigals famous (again)! Strictly a villancico
Rui Chui
(It’s Catalan)
Riu riu chiu, la guarda ribera;
Dios guardo el lobo de nuestra cordera,
Dios guardo el lobo de neustra cordera.
El lobo rabioso la quiso morder,
Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender;
Quisola hazer que no pudiese pecar,
Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera.
Riu, riu chiu...
Este qu'es nacido es el gran monarca,
Christo patriarca de carne vestido;
Hemos redemido con se hazer chiquito,
Aunqu'era infinito, finito se hiziera.
Riu, riu chiu...
From Wiki:
The villancico is attributed by some sources[1] to Mateo Flecha the Elder, who died in 1553; it has also been described as anonymous.[2] The song also bears a strong resemblance to another villancico, Falalanlera, by Bartomeu Càrceres, an Aragonese composer.[3] It is known from a single source, the Cancionero de Upsala, published in 1556 in Venice; a unique copy is preserved at the library of the University of Uppsala. The song appears as the fortieth song of that collection.[4] Daniel R. Melamed described the song as "redoubtable", and mentions it as a contender for the best known piece of Renaissance music.[5]
The apparently nonsense syllables ríu ríu chíu are often taken to represent the song of a nightingale,[6] while the context and etymology are compatible with the call of a kingfisher.[7]
Riu translates as river in the Catalan language, in agreement with the birth place of the accredited composer, and was translated as river by The Monkees, where the roaring river prevented a wolf from crossing to attack sheep.
forgot to post Feast of Stephen as I frequently used to on Boxing Day (look it up) as it reminds me of my brother Steve (always) so here goes more than just that with a live version with Robin in Bloomsbury and another revelatory song I found only recently on Mike’s album ‘Echo Coming Back’ another haunting song and just listen to the voices on choral back up including the mercurially voiced Linda Thompson
A winter favourite ‘Feast Of Stephen’ Robin Williamson and Mike Heron live - Bloomsbury 1997
The original here which I adore and stands as a winters evening favourite from Smiling Men With Bad Reputations which I used to strongly identify with . . . . . . .
Mike Heron - Feast of Stephen - Smiling Men With Bad Reputations
Great song and a great singer too . . . love these spells of introducing me to new folks and Frank here is destined to become another classic on the turntable! Thanks Alice
A work of genius IMHO but read on from retropopcult
this is fascinating . . . found in the ex-jukebox bins when it came out ( I couldn’t afford to get it anywhere else! but it was a picture sleeve, as was my I Don’t Want to Go To Chelsea) still playable today!
It peaked at #28 on the UK Singles Chart and was their first top 40 hit single in the US, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Costello said "Everyday I Write the Book" was "a song I wrote in ten minutes almost as a challenge to myself. I thought, maybe I could write just a simple, almost formula song and make it mean something. I was quite happy with it and tried to do it in a kind of lovers-rock type arrangement and I wasn't happy with it and then ended up putting this other kind of rhythm to the song, which was written originally as a kind of Merseybeat knock off...I invested less emotionally in it than any other songs from that time yet it's the one that everyone warmed to."
The music video was directed byDon Letts and has been called a "classic MTV hit" and features footage of Elvis Costello and the Attractions performing in a studio with female backup singers Claudia Fontaine and Caron Wheeler dressed in African clothing. Their performance is mingled with footage showing celebrity lookalikes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales, Charles incongruously doing household chores and Diana watching television in a middle class home. Costello later commented he had "no idea" of the reason for the interspersed royalty scenes, which were, he says, the director's idea.
found this today of a younger Marianne and some bright spark labelled it 'Mick’s bird'! Let’s be clear she was never Mick’s bird!! She was always very much her own woman and trail blazed that throughout her life whether through the highs of album Broken English or the lows of living through her heroin addiction on a ‘wall in Soho’!
Go on . . . . click on it anyway! . . . . . it works I SWEAR!
'As Tears Go By'
Nanker & Phelge! The Glimmer Twins! possibly with Oldham too!
Marianne Faithfull another shot by Adrian Boot, 1978.
My choice of the worlds greatest electric guitarist!
There that should start a row!
Jeff Beck Group Top Gear 1967-68 & In Concert 1972 Soundboard/FM source @320
Track List:
1.I Ain't Superstitious 2.Beck's Bolero 3.You'll Never Go To Heaven 4.You Shook Me 5.Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 6.Jeff Beck In Concert 1972 (1 unchaptered file) 60 minutes
Eurythmics - Belinda (with Dave playing bass and do you recognise the drummer . . . ?)
Play until the end . . . . . .and at THAT moment everyone fell in love with her!
Never Gonna Cry Again . . . . . .
(recognise anyone else!) Holgar Czukay on French Horn, with Clem Burke on Drums)
We don’t think so much about birthdays this time of year but what about this . . . . . . Christmas Day marks the Birthday of perhaps our finest ever pop voice!
Who IS this bonnie lass?
Of course its legendary Eurythmics ad solo virtuoso
ANNIE LENNOX
Ann "Annie" Lennox (born 25 December 1954)
and of course today would have been Alex Chilton’s birthday
The Boxtops - The Letter (bought when it came out)
and finally . . . . . . . . more Annie
Annie [Nightingale] introduces the whole Shebang! (in case you don’t believe me!)
worth listening to again? I think so!
Annie Lennox- lead vocal and multi instrumentaist (flute here)
Dave Stewart (writer and bass player)
Roger Pomphrey - lead guitar
Clem Burke - drums
Penny Tobin - keyboard and backing vocals (cruelly underrated and under exposed. If Annie chose her as backing vocals she wasn’t messing about she chose the best to back her, like Eddi Reader )
Tim Wheater - flautist
Holgar Czukay - French Horn
I like her - can you tell?
First time I saw the band and Annie sing . . . . . . . . . hook line and sinker!
Everyone’s sober right? Well here’s a right treat Steve Earle and The Dukes from way back in 2018 (sic!)
Now Brother Jobe (we’re in enclosed orders ya get me?) says
"This was released in 2018 as a Record Store Day release only 2000 were available. So if there are any hard feelings about posting this I will remove it. "
The time between Christmas and New Years (days that is!) are odd and filled with ennui often so after the miniposting of the track from John Prine t’other day here’s the whole programme. Enjoy!
this interview is absolutely fascinating and indispensable for the avid Zimmy fan . . . . another gem from Ray at Flagging Down the Double Es (click the link above for the whole article and interview )
"Earlier this year, I was poking aroundsetlist.fmand came across an unusual comment on a Rolling Thunder 1976 setlist. It had been posted way back in 2015. It read, in part, “I was the audio engineer for this portion of the Rolling Thunder Revue tour. While I do not have a complete setlist for both the Mobile, AL and Austin, TX shows, I do have tapes of both shows. However, the songs have been combined into a single tape, so I don't know which song was performed at which venue.”
If you’ve read my other interviews, you know this immediately piqued my interest. So I reached out to this anonymous commenter. His real name, it turned out, was David Hendel. He did indeed do sound for the second half of the second Rolling Thunder tour, including the famous Hard Rain show. And he did indeed have tapes. So I called Hendel up to talk Rolling Thunder ’76.” Ray Padgett
The Pogues - Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl - A Fairy Tale of New York
plus a couple we’d rather forget!!
“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.”
— George Bernard Shaw, “The Devil's Disciple”
Jeff Beck (musician)
One of the greatest guitarist in the world . . . EVER!
Robbie Robertson (singer songwriter band member and film music composer)
THE BAND - only Garth (Hudson) left now from one of the seminal groups of the counter culture and Bob Dylan’s backing band from the beginnings of time itself
Tom Verlaine (singer songwriter)
Denny Laine (singer songwriter)
Bernie Marsden (musician)
Here with my dear old friend and school mate Johnny Marter (ALASKA) on the right
David Crosby(Singer)
Gordon Lightfoot (singer songwriter)
Huey Piano Smith (singer composer songwriter pianist)
Jean Knight (singer)
Steve Mackay (musician and bandmember Pulp:bass)
Andy Rourke (musician and bandmember The Smiths:bass)
Andy Rourke was a member of the Facebook group for Smiths obsessives called "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Popbitch
Rudolph Isley (band member and singer)
Norah Forster (Mrs Johnny Rotten)
John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) lost his beloved wife of over 40 years
Cindy Williams (actor- Laverne and Shirley)
Miss Williams, best known for her role as Shirley on Laverne & Shirley
Cindy Williams first became interested in acting during high school, where she actually performed with Sally Field. After graduation, she attended L.A. City College where she majored in Theater Arts. After college, she landed her first television roles on Room 222, Nanny and the Professor and Love, American Style. She would go on to co-star with Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford in American Graffiti directed by George Lucas, a low-budget film that went on to become a box office smash and film classic.
Cynthia Jane Williams died January 25, 2023 at the age of 75.
Steve Harwell (musician - Smash Mouth vocalist)
Linda Lewis (singer)
Tina Turner (singer)
Sinead O’Connor (singer)
"Sinead O'Connor's nickname for Prince was "Ol' Fluffy Cuffs”. POPBITCH
Shane MacGowan (singer songwriter)
Shirley Ann Field (actor)
Tony Bennett (singer)
Harry Belafonte (singer activist)
Barrett Strong (singer songwriter)
Wayne Shorter (jazz musician)
Carla Bley (jazz musician)
Ahmad Jamal (paints)
Astrid Gilberto (singer)
Burt Bacharach (songwriter composer)
Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis Presley)
Julian Sands (actor)
UPDATE And as visitor steVe informs us, we lost Tommy Smothers of the Smother’s Brothers this week too (Boxing day) - a true pioneer of left field comedy and also an extraordinary muso in his own right, his almost not quite there lovable ‘unplugged' schtick in his comedy routine came as a revelation to me, a mere Brit, when I finally caught up with him across the pond as we say. One of the funniest men . . . we will not see his like again
"Matthew Perry didn't want to be remembered just as Chandler off of Friends – so to honour that wish, we'll remind you that he was also responsible for one of the great late-night talkshow anecdotes too.
One afternoon, alone in his home, Matthew decided he wanted to spend a bit of quality time with himself, so fired up a dirty movie on his home entertainment system. Intending on treating himself to the full luxury experience, he lingered over it, spending a good half-hour enjoying the build up – before throwing himself into it for a really mucky orgy scene.
After he had finished up, he tried to turn his TV off but found he couldn't. The best he could do was turn the volume down. But when the sound display read 00 he swore he could still hear sex noises coming from somewhere.
It was another couple of minutes before he remembered that the previous night he'd been outside in his garden, relaxing with a glass of wine, piping music through his outdoor speakers. Speakers which were still connected – and had been blasting out porn to his neighbours around the San Fernando Valley at full pelt.” Popbitch
Jane Birkin (actor singer)
Paul O’Grady (television personality comedic drag actor)
A lot of the tributes to Paul O'Grady made much of his trailblazing work as a drag artist, his dedication to the LGBT community, his love for animals and his intergenerational appeal – but he was also one of the great lash hounds of his era. Possibly of all time.
To give you a top-tier testimonial: Paul was once introduced to Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones (through their mutual friend, Cilla Black). To our knowledge, there is no written record of the carnage that ensued but Paul put the band through their paces to such an extent that Mick Jagger has since said that the Rolling Stones have just three things they need to be kept away from...
"Drugs, booze and Lily Savage.” Popbitch
Fay Weldon (writer)
Andre Breuer (actor)
Jimmy Buffet (singer songwriter)
"Michael Gambon was once invited as a guest of honour, alongside Princess Margaret, to some fancy toff's house for a gargantuan slap-up dinner. There, guests were treated to 13 individual courses – with a different wine pairing for each one.
After such an extravagantly indulgent binge, Gambon began to feel a little queasy. Figuring (wisely) that he might not make it through his host's massive house before he chucked his guts, he got up and staggered towards the fireplace to spew there instead.
His host, spying an impending disaster with his very valuable antique hearth rug, dashed to intercept. He effectively rugby tackled poor Gambon out of the rug's way – causing Gambon to throw up right there on the spot – resulting in the pair of them landing on the floor in a heap of vomit and tuxedo.
Throughout it all, Princess Margaret didn't bat an eyelid.” Popbitch
Michael Gambon (actor)
Barry Humphries (comedian)
Watch this . . . . . . .Sir Les at his er . . . . peak?!
Jerry Springer (TV show iconoclast)
"I just hope hell isn't that hot because I burn real easy" – Jerry Springer
Robert Blake (actor)
Kenneth Anger (author)
Alan Arkin (actor)
Glenda Jackson (actor /MP)
It is sometimes easy to forget how beautiful Glenda Jackson was and particularly how brilliantly clever too
A force to be reckoned with always, Oliver Reed said when starring in Women In Love alongside her, that acting with her was like being run over by a small Bedford truck!
Richard Roundtree (actor)
Cormac McCarthy (writer)
Treat Williams (actor)
Martin Amis (author)
"The British Library gift shop used to sell a black and white postcard of a young Martin Amis. Their biggest customer? Martin Amis – who bought a huge stack of them." Popbitch
Milan Kundera (author)
Mary Quant (fashion designer)
Ryan O’Neal (actor)
Bobby Charlton (footballer)
Betty Boothroyd (actor and Speaker of The House)
Gina Lollabrigida (actor)
Raquel Welch (actor)
"RIP Raquel Welch: Her episode of the Muppet Show is what Ryan Gosling says inspired him to become an actor.” Popbitch
John Motson (sport commentator)
Paco Rabanne (fashio designer - perfumier)
Piper Laurie (actor)
David McCallum (actor)
Stella Stevens (actor)
Mohamed Al Fayad (store owner)
Jean Boht (actor)
Joss Ackland (actor)
Alistair Darling (Labour Politician)
Benjamin Zephaniah - No Problem
I am not de problem
But I bear de brunt
Of the silly playground taunts
An racist stunts,
I am not de problem
I am born academic
But dey got me on de run
Now im a branded athletic
I am not de problem
If yu give I a chance
I can teach yu of Timbuktu
I can do more dan dance
I am not de problem
I greet yu wid a smile
Yu put me in a pigeon hole
But i am versatile
These conditions may affect me
As I get older,
An I am positively sure
I have no chips on my shoulders,
Black is not de problem
Mother country get it right
An juss fe de record,
Sum of me best friends are white.
Benjamin Zephaniah
Bridget Forsyth (actor) comedienne from The Likely Lads to modern day classics too
The Likely Lads' Bob And Thelma
and more . . . a great actor lost in Tom Wilkinson
starred in many favourites and one I will watch over and over again with Andrew Scott and the breathtaking Jessica Brown- Findlay in This Beautiful Fantastic (2016) and in many great films from The Grand Budapest The Best Exotic (about hotels!) Batman Begins, to The Full Monty. . . to In the Bedroom opposite Sissy Spacek! We have lost a great actor
Bubbling under (hell reference?!)
Rolf Harris (entertainer and convicted paedophile)
Henry Kissinger (mass murdering politician)
Silvio Berlusconi (Italian politician bunga-bunga!)
"As brazen as many modern politicians can be, Silvio Berlusconi really was in a league of his own. Gordon Brown tells a story about how he was once approached at a G20 meeting by Berlusconi, who singled him out specifically to ask a very important question.
Something related to the catastrophic global economic downturn? Seeking advice on how to take over from a Prime Minister who had lost the trust of the nation?” Popbitch
Erm, no. Berlusconi wanted to know if Brown could get him Naomi Campbell's phone number.
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