Category: Music

White man’s jungle

Another act from the enjoyably eclectic “Bob Harris Saturday Night” playlist is Australian C.W. Stoneking.

I hope Bob Harris has another, similarly mixed show coming up on BBC Radio 2. And I’m looking forward to the possibly probable return to Boston radio this spring of one of my favorite DJ’s, Barnes Newberry. A song that Barnes liked to play on his Highway 61 Revisited radio program is this one, by Leonard Cohen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ61su9H5RU

I first heard this on the old WBCN at least 40 years ago, and only its use of my sister Marianne’s name kept me from fully embracing it. Later, I would mentally substitute another, similar sounding, name and that gave it meaning.

More Bob Beeb-bop

I missed the beginning of the Bob Harris Saturday show on BBC Radio 2 last night, so I didn’t hear him saying it would be the final programme in the series. Argh! That’s a real bummer, man. Bob’s playlist can be seen and, for the next week, the show can be heard, at this link.

One of the songs Harris played is by a British band I hadn’t heard before, called The Dials. They capture the great Psychedelic Sound of the 60’s, and it goes like this!

Speaking of it goes like this, here’s The Like, with what I think is one of the best songs ever written by anybody. Then they do one of their own that deals with the same timeless subject…

Kristel takes over!

Comment writer Lina (who is not Lia!), sent this K3 video that’s a real knock-out. They’re singing live, and in English. Watch how Kristel Verbeke takes command of the stage. If this doesn’t convince you that Kristel is a major talent, nothing will. This is way too short, and I would love to see more of Kristel doing lead, with Karen and Josje providing backup as they do here.

The announcer, who I assume is Peter(?), seems to be taking his fashion cue from Matt Smith as Doctor Who.

Musical Massachusetts

Tim Rice’s American Pie series on BBC Radio 2 has finally reached home, here in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts has Boston — the city and the 70’s supergroup — and Aerosmith, The Cars, and the J.Geils Band. On the softer side there’s James Taylor and Arlo Guthrie. Tim Rice covers all of them, but he makes no mention of Jonathan Richman, drivin’ past the Stop & Stop (a supermarket chain that’s still very much a presence here). This clip is from England’s Top of the Pops. That sounds like Steve Wright doing the voice over at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_eLgvTDLIg

I’ve become something of a fan of the old Ames Brothers act, with Ed Ames singing lead. They’re from Mass., and Rice plays this fun 50’s tune by the bros.


The Ames Brothers – Rag Mop-1950 by CASVI_Factory