Deacon Blue - Adele - Alicia Keys - Azadeh

Like most people my interface (oooh get me) with new music has changed.  Whilst I used to be able to rely on good old Radio One to play the current stuff with the odd "exclusive" preview of a forthcoming single; now there are so many sources to my musical world that frankly I feel very disconnected to what is going on.  It's odd as I seem to search out tracks my shopping experiences, form TV ads, the soundtracking to a baking competition on TV and even the odd X-Factor or Dave Arch/Strictly version.  Perhaps it's good that my musical taste is no longer the domain of some radio programmer somewhere.  My interests this month are of varied origin and datestamp.

Months ago I purchased tickets to see Deacon Blue.  I am a big fan of those first three albums, quality music which somehow always seemed a little out of time (perhaps timeless in hindsight).  Anyway with a forthcoming show to attend I've revisited the albums and even invested in the new one "The Hipsters" (hmm - irony).  With high hopes I really suspected to find the tracks that would make the bar attractive as Ricky says mid-set "and here's a new song" - hey it's billed as a 25th anniversary tour! I hear the crowd shout.  How pleasantly surprised am I to find a new album which, frankly, fits right in with the earlier string of sets which are dear to my heart.  Ross' voice remains engaging, the quality songwriting and arrangements, Lorraine McIntosh's harmonising, all are intact and what you used to expect from DC but with a progression that shows their obvious maturity.  It's like they've been frozen for the last 10 years.   And it fits right in with what is current.  I recommend you go to this whether a doubting existing fan or in a Deacon who? search for some quality.

Adele's 007 track "Skyfall" is predictable in it's structure but delicious in it's execution - the girl's phrasing brings it to life and shows a song stylist at her best.  Wonderful.

Alicia Keys is one artist that I will buy any new album without a preview - she has produced such a consistent body of work - again strength in songwriting  - that always hooks me and reels me in slowly. You know that feeling where you start with "not as good as.." and end up thinking "the best" let's hope I'm right about the new one "Girl on Fire" - the lead single of the same title (on YouTube currently) tells me I am.

Back to the Deacon Blue gig and my exciting find of the week.  Arriving early I thought the promo cards being handed out for Azadeh smacked of support act as (frankly) pretty girl with guitar - all very pleasant but a diversion from the main event.  WRONG!

Whilst I loved Deacon Blue, the evening was made by Azadeh's set (with band) .  Strong songs, a sort of Tori come Amy with Paula Cole voice but with a unique feel for her own sound.  The band arrangements built on her performance; she's clearly comfortable being out front and was gracious in the reception she got spending time signing demo's and chatting to audience members in the foyer later - her stage presence rang true, she's obviously passionate about performing her songs her way (and not some popster wannabe) only good came over in a what you see is what you get way - all to her credit.  The demo CD confirmed the show was no fluke and frankly the "demo's" need no work for a release. An internet hunt finds her unsigned - which is hard to believe.  Search her out - you're in for a treat.

Google - azadehmusic



Bobby Womack Images

Some Great Images of the Great Soul Man

Other BW posts

Soul From The City

In Appreciation Of BW

Please Forgive My Heart - Bobby Womack 2012

BW at The Jazz Cafe June 2011

Proud

Perhaps too much already said about our Olympics - but all praise is good.  We did a great job.  Hopefully the lasting legacy from the whole summer is a belief by the British that British is good and we actually can really put on a show on a massive scale whilst the world looks on.  The best quote i've read is that "..we have seen the best of ourselves.." those few words sum it up really.  I'm very proudly British and a Londoner - never more so that the last few weeks.

Lost and Found...

Or actually never lost...

I've had a great time recently going through vinyl that i haven't played for years and have discovered some great album tracks and B sides.

Gene Dozier and The United Front - Give the Women What They Want - a pre-disco funk workout by someone I have never heard of since (this is from the Soul Train album on Phongram 1974) Hear It here on BoyRed's Soundcloud

Ohio Players - Heaven Must Be Like This - the B side of the wonderful "Skintight" this shows their smooth side and is a taster for things that would come in later albums see this on 45Cat

Bessie Banks - Go Now - always known as an old Denny Laine era Moody Blues track in the UK here's the blinding original 45Cat and Hear It Here

Don Covay - It's Better To Have (And Don't Need) - wonderful 1974 track from Covay - shows him moving forward from his Soul Clan/Atlantic days. Hear it Here

Act One - Goodbye Love (We're Through) - another band known more for their uptempo sounds - well one at least - this was the B side of "Tom The Peeper" - well worth flippin'.  Play It Here On The Cloud and the 45Cat entry is here

So many records and so little time....

Jocelyn Bown - R-U-Lonely (1988)

Great single!
Find it on 45Cat

Jocelyn Brown - R-U-Lonely (1988) by BoyRed

Act One - Goodbye My Love (We're Through) (1974)

Found this wonderful B Side whilst running through a pile of singles this morning - I always judged Act One on "Tom" but this shows the soulful side of them - worth looking out for.

 

Mercury - 6008 005

45Cat Entry

    

Bobby Womack Poster

In my current clearout phase this poster from my collection has to go - you can bid for it on ebay at LINK - bidding started at just £5.

I have to stop buying all this stuff!

Smash!

Is anyone else watching Sky Atlantic's series Smash!.  US TV at it's best, this follows a stage show production based on the Marilyn Monroe life story.  Here we see the writers (including an excellent Debra Messing); a single minded Brit director in the form of Jack Davenport (This is the best i've seen him - totally beleivable as bastard!); Angelica Houston as a recently divorced producer trying to find her business feet on her own for the first time.  The stars really are Megan Hilty (Wicked on Broadway) and Katherine McPhee (apparently a runner-up in American Idol a few years ago).  Hilty clearly shows her stage show experience and is mesmerising - with a powerful voice.  If this ever makes it to the stage I want to hear her do it (sorry lost in the story there for a moment).  McPhee is a revelation as her green newbie character gets to sing songs from the show and others whilst we see her at karaoke bars, performing at a bar mitzvah etc - she has an all round voice - I particularly like her take on Florence's "Shake It Up"


This is good TV and a great Saturday night music fix rolled into one.  I'm so taken I've  just ordered the soundtrack.  Be warned keep way from the Smash website as it will spoil the plotline, iflike me you are watching outside the US where the first season is only mid-way through.

Ronnie Laine - Brother, Can You Spare Me A Dime? (1975)

Ronnie Laine's take on an old song about the US depression.  This was used in a 1975 David Puttnam BBC2(?) TV documentary on the subject and the track was used as the closing credits rolled.  Good version of a powerful song.

To hear it go to BoyRed's SoundCloud/Brother

45Cat Link

Island - WIP 6229

Q. Am i right in thinking that this has also been recorded as "Buddy, Can You Spare Me A Dime?

The first RCA CD Catalogue - ever! (1983)

In 1983 I was working at RCA Records European office coordinating CD releases.  The format launch first in Japan in October 1982 and then Europe in March the following year had gone so well that there was a worldwide shortage of manufacturing capacity.  RCA had got in on the act quickly and had put out about 20 releases both pop and classical.  Whilst you would normally never see both in the same catalogue, this was produced to entice the audiophiles to buy RCA rather than the dominant Philips catalogue. 

Here is the cover of the first ever CD catalogue from the label.

 (The US launch would occur in October 1983)

Marvin Gaye Live In London - 1976

Thanks to Nathalie - who on reading my posts on the MPG gig I attended in 1976 found this picture from the Royal Albert Hall appearance two days later.

Related Posts

The Live Album

The Gig on 27th September 1976

Donna Summer

Sad news of Donna Summer's passing.  Here was a true artist that although always labelled "disco" delivered much more.  Her career in the 70's will forever be associated with the dancefloor and her work with Giorgio Moroder.  Together they took the US disco movement in a fresh direction with the use of electronics that until that point were the tools of experimental rock bands.  Her "I Feel Love" was ground-breaking, and whilst those sounds are familiar to us all now in all genres of music it is her and Moroder's legacy.  One obit this week quotes Bobby Gillespie as saying that he bought "I Feel Love" on the same day that he bought the Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen".  Summer moved away from the scene by recording more mainstream songs on her albums "The Wanderer" and "She Works Hard For The Money" with great success.  For me, her reinvention was complete when she recorded the self titled album produced by Quincy Jones and featuring "State Of Indepedence" "Living In America" and the jazz standard "Lush Life".  Yesterday I spent a long train journey in the company of her career on my ipod.  Her "On the Radio" greatest hits concentrates on her dance-floor hits but includes many lesser known tunes (here anyway) such as "I Love You" and "Sunset People" alongside her "Love To Love You, Baby" her voice and delivery are superb, she was a writer and production contributor.  The "Four Season Of Love" album marked the emergence of dance as a major force outside of the 4 minute (or extended 10 minute) single.  The album shows the magic between Summer and Moroder and Pete Bellote by delivering a consistent piece. 

Much will be said this week about her, the trials with the conflict of her faith and the sexual nature of her image, her dismissal as a diva disco queen - we should value a game changing body of work, the result of the fate of the early coupling with Moroder/Bellotte and her second and third coming.  Hopefully it may be a catalyst in helping Disco find it's place in serious music history.

For now let's remember her as a fantastic artist.

Westminster Record Fair 2

Attended yesterday's fair with great expectations of a good days crate digging.  This VIP fair isn't as big as the Music Mania event (next one in November) but probably good for those collectors willing to pay the big ticket desirable items.  I'm more of a pile it high and flog it cheap merchant as i like to sort through stuff.  One man's tat is another man's treasure.  So shorter day than expected, but met with the boys in doing so and swung by Fopp! on the way back.  Small haul in the form of Simply Red and Sinatra CDs for my son, together with the "Wondrous Stories" prog compilation and a couple of 70's Biddu albums on vinyl (to follow up meet my current disco craving).