Ear Worms

Don't get me wrong, I do like my women with functioning vaginas, but after having that song in my head for about three weeks now, enough is enough.

I deserve a break and I got one. This morning when I saw Ohhhmmmm and said, "Hello stranger" I got myself an instant ear worm. And a rather pleasant one at that.


Barbara Lewis ~ Hello Stranger

Considering what I said to here, it is no great mystery where this earworm came from. And so it was stuck in my head all day... and then later I was talking to Becca when Oooohhhhmmm showed up again and I told her U had myself an earworm and that I'd blog about it later.

Within minutes I found I had a new earworm.... and I'm not even going to attempt to offer explanation. I'm gonna stop digging!


The Wet Spots ~  Do You Take It?

James Bond in Ska, Soul and Jazz

Tributes to 007 in music.
Jackie Mitto and the Soul Brothers ~ From Russia with Love

James Bond ~ Roland Alphonso

Bobby Aitken ~ Thunderball

Tommy McCook ~ Goldfinger

Desmond Dekker and the Aces ~ 007 (Shanty Town)

Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers ~ Sock It To`Em J B (Part One)

Jimmy Smith ~ Goldfinger Part 1

Count Basie - From Russia With Love

Count Basie - 007

Ramsey Lewis ~ From Russia with Love

and finally...
John Barry ~ From Russia with Love (organ version)

Tramp

I found this charming bit of film of Otis Redding (singing with Carla Thomas).  It made me smile...
For the record, he started out as a well digger and by the time he died he was a producer with several companies with Otis Redding Enterprises bringing in over a million dollars a year.


Here's the original by Lowell Fulson.

To be loved

Someone to care, someone to share lonely hours...



Jackie Wilson ~ To be loved ~ live performance

Wake up!

Oh things are so quiet! Need some happy noise.

 
Laurel Aitken & the Soulmen ~ Last Night

Jackie Shane

I don't want to turn this into some kind of LGBT website, but this guy is inspirational... and legendary in the true sense of the word. In as much as it is hard to sort out the fact from the rumour.

The TV has been plugging a documentary all week about drag acts, and to my shame, Jackie Shane came to mind, which is unfair because he's not a drag act, he is a damn fine R&B/Soul singer who just happened to cross-dress and be openly gay.

"Because the mean things people say about you baby, Can’t make you sad, cause Jackie’s never lost a friend that I’ve never had."



It's not often an ad-lib makes me want to applaud, but... if people find it tough now, how much worse would have been in the early 1960s?

[EDIT] For the record, Any Other Way is a cover version, and the lyrics, "Tell her that I'm Happy, tell her that I'm gay, tell her I wouldn't have it any other way" are in the original William Bells song on Stax. Jackie manages to put new meaning in these lyrics, I can see why he chose the song.



[Further Edit] I find Jackie Shane fascinating, probably because I love a good mystery. There is very little information around about him, the most up to date seems to be on Queer Music Heritage which says he is still alive, despite the rumours about his murder. Just one thing puzzles me, the album Jackie Shane Live at the Sapphire Tavern 1963 appears to contain cover versions of songs which were not recorded by the original artists until well after 1963. For example Eddie Floyd didn't release Knock on Wood until 1967. Not trying to be a smart arse, just saying Saul.

Memphis Soul Stew

I have heard this a zillion times, you can't help but picture it in your head, so I have always wondered what it looked like, now I know!





The original recording

Gladys & the Pips - Giving up live

What a find! A live version of one of my favorite songs.
Feel free to join in singing backing vocals, you have 3 hrs to learn the dance moves, there will be a test... Go!



Single version by the Pips


Single version by the Ad-Libs

Misty Blue

I heard a rumour that DW is getting windlight? Gone will be the bright cheerful green trees and red brick, to be replaced by a sinister fog.

Tell me it's just a rumour baby! Thats no place for clockwork dolls!

Find a home JJ

Soon... maybe soon.

 
Solomon Burke ~ Home in your heart

The sun has got his hat on

Here comes the current bun!

Life is just a party when the sun is shining.

Luther Ingram ~ If it's all the same to you

Mood music

Trying to put together a playlist for home to create a mood, an atmosphere.



I took an early decision to only include girls, and I tried to go for moody, sexy, assertive, positive... not so easy! I tried to grab some 1950's glamour, but strayed into the early 70s, but I hope i managed to stay away from anything too pop, cheesy or bubblegum. It should be good as inoffensive background music, or for listening.

A work in progress.

To Keyra

I really hope I see you at the weekend babe. But don't worry if not. You know where to find me.

Slow and easy is my style.

 
Ann Cole ~ Easy Easy Baby

Thank you!

It's Monday, I haven't had enough sleep, work is tough, and it's cold and damp.

But I have seen all three of my girls in the last 12hrs, and I'm happy, happy, happy!

How happy?

Erm... about as happy as a Sammy Davis Jr with three Go-go dancers grooving to Errol Dixon.

...er what? Wait! What the hell would that look like?

Something like this :-

Errol Dixon ~ I don't want

This blog just hasn't featured anywhere near enough go-go dancers recently!

Anyway, thank you girls. I'm happy when I'm with you, and I'm happy thinking of you when I'm not with you.

Function at the Junction

A 15min film short, centered around the Northern Soul dance scene circa 1975.

 

Dreams

Dreams let me do all the things I can't do when I'm wide awake.


Maceo and All the King's Men ~ Dreams

I'm the one to do it - yes I am!

Lavern Baker ~ I'm the one to do it.

Because Mefanwy doesn't have sound, the Lyrics (hand typed by me, I know them by heart)


I say baby if you are feeling blue,
and you think love has walked out on you,
Baby just keep the faith,
because sadness can be replaced,
I know I'm not a magician,
but i can straighten out your condition - come on and see me now.

I'm the one to do it, yes I am,
I'm the one you have been looking for.

If you need some reassurance,
then I'm the girl to see,
I can't stop wars my darling,
but i sure know how to end misery,
I know you're not an Einstein,
but I figured out a way to give you peace of mind - come and get me now baby.

I'm the one to do it, Oh darling,
I'm the one ya looking for.

You're riding in a boat of blue,
Don't you think I've been in that same boat too?
I've you've been a victim of neglect,
and you're looking for a sweet girl with love and respect - come and check me out baby.

I'm the one to do it, Oh you better believe it,
I'm the girl that you've been looking for.
I'm the one to do it, Oh believe me,
I've got everything you need baby.
Oh come and get me my darling,
I've got all the love I can give you.

Worth a try

Try a little tenderness ~ Otis Redding

I Loved and I Lost

I love and i lost ~ The Impressions

I confess... I fucking hate to lose. I'll worry about it tomorrow, I have a wedding to go to and nothing is going to stop me having a good time. :)

I take what I want

I have been singing all the morning, "I take what I want, I'm a bad go-getter yeah!", you better believe I am. This was daddy's secret weapon.

I swear that my old man sung more often that he talked, which wasn't much. One of my ealiest memories was him singing "Up the wooden hills to Bedforshire". Nothing else, just that, when it was time for me to go to bed, a traditon I have repeated with my own.

It wasn't until I was into into my teens that I'd discover that these were mostly real songs and not just some shit he made up.

He was always humming, whistling, tapping, strutting, dancing and occassionally You'd hear him sing out, really loud, a single line from a song, "The sun has got his hat on", "Hear comes the sun", "Polly put the kettle on", "Hi-ho silver lining", "Ride your pony, ride you pony", "Walking the dog", "My Ding-a-ling".

I spent hours on car journies with him and he always had tapes in his briefcase, he'd always sing along and arrive jolly and rubbing his hands together all excited. He was a complete work-a-holic and seemed completely unstopable until about 15 years ago when the big 'C' got him.

I started doing a bit for his company and one morning we were on the way to a meeting. He put on a Sam & Dave CD, stitched it off again, then turned to me and told me the secret... He told me he used music as a soundtrack to his life, to fill him with 'happy', and energy and drive.

"I'm never a loser, and never a quitter" - words to live by!

We listened to 'I take what I want' about 6 times, singing along at full voice, and strutted into the meeting, closed the deal and strutted out again still humming! Fuck yeah!

Apparently he had seen Sam & Dave live in the 60's and been humming ever since. Apparently, those live performances had inspired him -- thanks to Youtube I can see the enery.

Remember I said he sometimes used to sing "Ride your pony, ride you pony"? I have of course run across the song and thought, 'meh, it's so-so'. Then I found this video of Lee Dorsey on the Sam & Dave show-



Ah I get it! I guess when he was singing this he was feeling particualy driven, and it's likely
 mum was gonna get lucky when he got home!

I have played this over and over, remembering my dad, can't help but laugh.
Cheers Dad.