I'm sure this has been blogged to death already, but it amused me so I thought I'd do it anyway. This YouTube clip had had 58,623,999 hits at the time of writing this. That's the same amount as the entire world horse population. Apparently.
The Trashmen's Surfin' Bird tune is one of the highlights of the Full Metal Jacket soundtrack for me, although it is in danger of proving the saying that familiarity breeds contempt. There was a Facebook campaign a couple of years ago to get it to number one for Christmas. Personally I thought getting Rage Against the Machine to number one was brilliant but it's been done now. I'd much rather see some decent new music topping the Festive Hit Parade (it is still called that isn't it?) By 'decent new music', of course, I mean real, original music, created by musicians because music means something to them and not just some formulaic shite spewed out by a TV unreality show.
This YouTube vid of Surfin' Bird from the Full Metal Jacket OST is currently on just over a million views. I suppose that may have been a bit higher if they'd spelled the name of the film right!
Surfin' Bird was made by combining two songs by doo-wop band The Rivingtons: Papa Oom Mow Mow and The Bird's The Word:
I think if anything I prefer the two Rivingtons tunes to the Trashmen's hybrid version; they seem less contrived to me somehow. However, if I was only allowed to have one version of the tune(s) though it would have to be this one:
Like it says at the top of the page: nothing particularly insightful or earth shattering, but I finished my playlist for this week's show earlier than usual and had a bit of free time!
After starting last week's show with some sunshine music it's been bloody freezing here all week. I just hope kicking off this week's show with a track called Dirty Reggae hasn't jinxed anyone's love-life for the ensuing week. Stand-out track for me this week is the storming Call the Police - sent to me by Rich Mills (formerly of The Simmertones - check out Rich's blog here) - by Devon band The Humanitarians. Rich tells me the track hasn't been mastered yet; I have no idea what that actually means so I just nod sagely & try to look wise, sounds bloody good to me though! Seems they're playing in Exeter on April 20th, might have to get along to that - watch this space.
This week's 3-in-a-row artist was Jimmy Cliff. With such an awesome back catalogue to choose from I thought long & hard before choosing an old fave, a newer track off the Sacred Fire EP & a wonderful performance on Later accompanied by Jools Holland.
Among the other newer ska I played this week, The Bakesys, Cartoon Violence, Robb Blake & the brilliant Drewvis all have cd's available on Do The Dog records; all well worth looking up if you don't know them already. The Amnesiacs album Forget to Remember is available as a free download on Soundcloud. Finally, underlining my oft-stated opinion that Scotland is THE place for new ska at the moment, I played 2tracks from Bombskare & one each from The Begbies & The Cundeez - every one an absolute belter. Perhaps my enthusiasm for Scottish ska is catching on; I heard Bombskare played on Exeter's indie station Phonic FM on Wednesday night and I swear I didn't request it!
Apologies if anyone was offended by my telling of the Easter Story in Reggae. Actually, scratch that - it was a joke, lighten up! If I ever seem to be taking this a bit too seriously, please do me a favour and give me a virtual slap in the face; it's a hobby, just like bus-spotting - but without the acres of man-made fibres, post-pubescent acne & hard-core Dutch porn hidden in the rucksack (honest, they're all total pervs).
The Aggrolites - Dirty Reggae
Desmond Dekker - Beautiful & Dangerous
Errol Dunkley - You're Gonna Need Me
The Jamaicans - Ba Ba Boom
Bombskare - Honeymoon Without The Wedding
Drewvis - Drunken Words 'n' Dub
Robb Blake - Ain't Got No Soul
Junior Murvin - Judas & Jesus
Ruben & the Diatones - Crucified
Roland Alphonso - Musical Resurrection
The Riffs - One Egg
Crunch! - Fur Elise
The Tennors - Weather Report
The Skatalites - Malcolm X
The Humanitarians - Call the Police
The Bakesys - Looking for Love
The Amnesiacs - Going Out
Cartoon Violence - Teresa
King Tubby - Ali Baba Dub
Augustos Pablo - Keep on Dubbing
Lee Perry - Fist of Fury
King Stitt - Jump For Joy
Dave Barker, Charlie Ace & the Upsetters - Shocks 71
Back to normal this week after last week's dose of the doldrums caused me to pull my show. I pretty much stuck with last week's playlist but with a few alterations.
I saw the Selecter this week and they were brilliant so in honour of that I added a 3-in-a-row of Selecter tracks: one of their 2Tone hits in a live version, a track off the Rare album and their wonderful cover of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. The two Bombskare tracks were sent to me by the band last week and on the strength of this material their new album promises to be an absolute belter. I also played Stop Press!'s new tune. I love this band's fresh and energetic take on ska; their English Life EP is great, here's hoping for more CD's in the not-too-distant future.
For me though, the highlight of the playlist is Nicky Thomas's live performance of Is It Because I Am Black. The YouTube link is below the playlist - the man is on fire! I've lost count of how many times I've watched that clip. I've got the whole concert as a video, if YouTube ever get round to letting me put videos longer than 30 min's up I'll post it.
Desmond Dekker & the Aces - Reggae Recipe
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Sun Is Shining
Bad Manners - Walking In the Sunshine
The Amphetameanies - The Sun Shines Down
Determinations - Cooked Ska
A.R.T.S. - Afro Freak
Oi Skall Mates - Nutty Sound
Bombskare - Yellow Pages
1 Stop Experience - Mentally Ska'd
Susan Cadogan - In The Ghetto
Symarip - These Boots Are Made For Walking
Nicky Thomas - Is It Because I Am Black
Roberto Jacketti & the Scooters - Moscow Nights
The Voodoo Trombone Quartet - Voodoo Trombones
Stuck Lucky - Dry Drowning
The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
The Selecter - Madness
The Selecter - Back to Black
Laurel Aitken - Reggae 69
Lee Perry - Soul Man
Stop Press! - Rocksteady Melody
Prince Perry - You Won't Say It
Maddie Ruthless & the Secret Affair - Rudie Blood Pact
I haven't posted anything for a while, mostly because I've had a major attack of the miseries and haven't felt like doing much except the essentials: work (sadly), eat (too much), sleep (not enough) and smoke. I even cancelled my radio show last week; it must be a bad dose of the doldrums if even playing some killer ska can't lift the mood. Today, however, I got up with more of a spring in my step, even if at my age and waistline it's the sort of spring you get from an overused Slinky (see foot of page for a further, bonus Slinky reference).
Thankfully even the darkest of walks with the Black Dog can be illuminated by an evening of great live music - especially if you're also lucky enough to share it with great company. Such was my experience last night. Despite feeling like a bag of shite I got myself down to Exeter Phoenix to watch the Selecter. So, so glad I did too - it was like an intravenous dose of the best anti-depressants money could buy! Pauline Black was superb and it was such a bonus to see her accompanied by the awesome ball of energy that is Gaps Hendrickson, but for me the show was stolen by their keyboards player, Greg Coulson. Pauline introduced him as 'Boy Wonder' and she wasn't kidding - his playing was absolutely superb. I met him briefly after the gig and at the risk of sounding like an old fart all I can say is 'What a nice young man'!
There are other reviews of the current tour dotted around the web and the set list was predictable enough (in a good way!) so I won't go into 'review-mode', but there were a couple of things which stood out for me. Firstly, the band seemed to be really enjoying themselves and that can make all the difference in the world. The newer tunes stood up well against the old favourites from the 2Tone days. My England was performed with a vigour and passion that left us in no doubt that Pauline meant every word of her anti-EDL introduction. I couldn't help smiling at the way a couple of so-called fans stared at their shoes and shuffled uncomfortably when the EDL was getting a slagging. Just how anyone can pretend to understand what ska music in general and 2Tone in particular are all about when they support the odious aims and opinions of that bunch of cocks is beyond me. It was also good to see another particularly charmless tool get a bollocking off the band for slapping a woman, bet he felt so proud of himself! Suffice to say that the band were tight, energetic and passionate; they delivered.
I mentioned good company as being the second active ingredient in this blues-busting evening. I met up with a guy who I've been following on twitter for quite some time and who also presents a radio show - although his is presented from a real studio rather than my distinctly home-made efforts! Jas co-presents the Morning Dews show on Ridge Radio on Thursday mornings from 10 to 12 - you can listen at http://www.ridgeradio.co.uk/ and I'd recommend that you do, it's always a cracking show with a cool mix of indie, ska and alternative music. Jas tweets as @The_MorningDew on Twitter and is one of the most enthusiastic and genuine music tweeters you could hope to find.
All in all the evening was the perfect antidote to my dark mood. So here's my suggestion: live music on prescription. Much faster-acting than anti-depressants, probably cheaper in the long run, plus the added bonus that watching a band doesn't make you fart.
Bonus Slinky reference:
What does an EDL member have in common with a Slinky?
Neither serve any useful purpose but they both make you smile if you push them down the stairs.
Bit of a shorter show than usual this week, partly because the preceding show previewing Paul Weller's new album finished just after 8pm but mostly because I pressed the wrong button to start broadcasting and merrily played music just to myself for a few minutes! I also got my adding-up wrong and finished early too. Not to worry, there was still time for 33 tunes and some of them are real belters. Had more new tunes from The Nomarks & Pikey Beatz plus a cracking track from Swiss band Alaska. Big thanks to Urang Matang for sending me Teddy Cut A Dash too, another corking track.
I fancy doing another 'theme' show next week or the week after but am bereft of inspiration - any ideas or suggestions would be gratefully received!
Winston Jarrett - Mini Dress
Bongo Man Byfield - Bongo Man
Madness - You Keep Me Hanging On
Sonic Boom Six - Scatterbrain
The Nomarks - Saturday Night
Bad Manners - Lorraine (live)
Easy Star All Stars - Us And Them
Pikey Beatz - D Minor
Urang Matang - Teddy Cut A Dash
The Upsessions - Lucille
Rico - Gunga Din
Prince Buster - Freezing Up Orange Street
Dave Barker & the Wailers - Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
I don't mean that literally. I expect lots of people speak Russian. Lots of Russian people probably do for starters. What I mean is: can anyone translate any of the text from the pictures below for me please?
Yep, it's yet another charity shop vinyl discovery. I can't begin to imagine how three Russian singles ended up in the FORCE charity shop in Heavitree but I'm rather glad they did. The first is the Anthem of the Soviet Union on Melodiya records; very stirring stuff. I've uploaded the audio into a video and added it below. (If anyone can tell me how to put just audio on here I'd love to know.)
I can't make out a date on the label but I'd suspect all three are of the Cold War era; conjuring up for me a romantic vision of an old Russian dissident sitting in his safe-house (perhaps near Heavitree Park), listening to these records and wiping away a tear at the memory of his homeland while children of the Free-West ride past on their bourgeois BMX's and capitalist dog-walkers leave surreptitious turds outside his front door. (By the way, if the cock who regularly fails to clear up his dog's dooings between my house and the park is reading this: I WILL see you leave it there one day. And I WILL rub your sodding nose in it. Yes, yours. Not the dog's.)
Sorry about that, but it gets my back up something rotten. Dirty git. Anyway... The second disc has vocals on it and the tunes are vaguely familiar. I've scanned the label in the hope that someone can identify it for me. I've been trying to Google the names and serial numbers but the script is defeating me. I've also had a good look on eBay to see if they're worth anything but again, no luck.
The third one is by far the strangest. It was tucked inside the gate-fold sleeve of the second one and I thought it was just a square of cardboard until a mate told me it was actually a cardboard record - a kind of flexidisc I suppose. I had a job playing it, either the needle skated straight off or it just stopped it revolving completely. I suppose Soviet bloc turntable arms were built like their tanks but the application of a roll of parcel tape in the middle demonstrated why the superior innovation and technology of the West caused the defeat of Communism. Or something.
This one helpfully has English(?) text on the back: "Primo Sekundo on Greek The music bu Musak. performer N. Bregvadze. Where are you mu dear, The music bu Georga Sabadze - Paromer Nani Bregvadze."
The sound quality is atrocious and I don't want to play it more than once because the whole thing seems very fragile. I've never seen anything quite like it and I love it.
So if anyone reading this can shed any light on the text or the music I'd be most grateful. I originally picked them up with the thought of sticking them on eBay in true Western-Capitalist style and seeing if I could turn a profit on my £1.00 investment. I'm quite taken with them though and may well keep them. Unless they're worth shed-loads of dosh, in which case the bidding starts at £15.
Postscript: I knew the second one was familiar: it's the 'original', I suppose, of Kenny Ball's Midnight in Moscow - one of the tunes I grew up listening to on my Dad's old Pye Jazz singles.
And being the dutiful ska-fanatic that I am I searched for a ska version. Found one and pretty good it is too!
And they keep coming! Petula Clark gets in on the Moscow action:
I did two things tonight I swore I'd never do on my show. Firstly I over-ran because I rambled on too much. Secondly I played a Judge Dread tune, albeit one without him singing on it. As well as the usual mixture of old and new ska, reggae & dub I also had three brand-spanking-new tracks that I was sent this week. Huge thanks to The Nomarks, Pikey Beatz & The Riviera Rockers for sending me their latest tracks. Quite apart from feeling honoured, I'm chuffed to bits because they are all absolutely cracking tunes. I've had a couple of days off work with man-flu this week and to cheer myself up the vinyl came out and I played quite a few tracks that I'd recorded off singles & albums - apologies for the crackle, my vinyl varies from pristine to ploughed-field and all points in between. So here's the list, please take time to check out the stuff that's new to you, Cheers.
