I thought lockdown was meant to give us lots of free time? I dutifully made my Spotify mix at the end of 2020, as has become an annual tradition. But it’s taken me until the end of 2021 to actually get a chance to type it up and share it. In an attempt to actually get it done, below are some less-fulsome-than-usual details of what I’ve picked.
The link is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wa3v2SW1HP0teVWZ1RGHh?si=3e942326b4cf4b0c
A note on Spotify: I’ve been concerned for some time that Spotify does not pay artists fairly for their work. But at least they have a choice whether to sign up. Now that I read that Daniel Ek is using the millions we have given him to invest in the arms trade, I am seriously thinking about switching to another streaming service. I think Apple music is a similar price and pays artists slightly better, whereas Tidal costs more but pays a much fairer share. But for now, here I still am!
Without further ado…
1. Far Flown Falcon – When the City is Home
Did I ever mention my brother, James Conder, plays? He’s been a fantastic songwriter for many a year and gets better and better at his musicianship and arrangements. I think I’ve officially gone from an impressed and supportive brother to an actual full blown fan. This one dates from when he was living in Cairo, and is extra special as it also features my darling Owen on harmonium (somewhere deep in the mix!).
From Concrete Valleys and Manmade Canyons (2020)
2. Sinnoi – Sequence
My new favourite Korean band. Fantastic vocals, buzzing bass and electronic sounds. I reviewed their online concert for K-Music 2020 for Songlines magazine.
From The New Path (2019)
3. Yorkston / Thorne / Khan – Westlin Winds
Scottish folk singer James Yorkston, Indian sarangi player and singer Suhail Yusuf Khan and English double-bassist Jon Thorne make up this excellent trio. They were a highlight at Glastonbury 2017.
From Navarasa: Nine Emotions (2020)
4. Shirley Collins – Sweet Greens and Blues
Octogenarian English folk singer Shirley’s unexpected renaissance continues with this charming song written by her first husband Austin John Marshall.
From Heart’s Ease (2020)
5. Richard and Linda Thompson – The End of the Rainbow
Us Richard and Linda Thompson fans had a treat in 2020 when a new boxset was produced with all of their albums together plus a tonne of bonus tracks. Here’s an alternate version of what I always think is the bleakest song of all time, with vocals from Linda.
From Hard Luck Stories (1972 – 1982)
6. Xploding Plastix – Shakedown Shutoff
Surprisingly, the only track I can find in the world that samples Richard Thompson is this excellent reuse of the guitar line from the above song.
From Behind the Eightball (2002)
7. The Pointer Sisters – Don’t let a thief steal into your heart
To end a trio of Thompson-themed tracks, here’s the Pointer Sisters soulful and funky cover of a track from Richard and Linda’s First Light album. I’ve known that this exists for many years but for some reason I only looked it up for a listen recently.
From Priority (1979)
8. Louis Cole – Weird Part of the Night
One of the biggest changes to my listening habits has been the discovery of JQBX.fm, which allows you to share music via Spotify with people from all over the world in online rooms. Here’s something I discovered there.
From Time (2018)
9. Lizzo – Juice
Every so often a pop song just shines through everything else.
From Cuz I Love You (2019)
10. Tropical Fuck Storm – Legal Ghost
I can’t remember where I found this, I guess JQBX again. It’s good.
Single from 2020
11. Lisa O’Neill – Along the North Strand
Those Irish singers are getting over the whole ‘pretty singing’ thing. Here it’s thick and ragged and all the better for it. I think the fantastic concertina coda is played by Cormac Begley, but it could be Radie Peat.
From Heard a Long Gone Song (2019)
12. Joachim Cooder – Molly married a travelling man
Son of Ry, Joachim Cooder has been banging drums on his father’s records for years, but on his third solo album he’s getting well deserved attention in his own right. On this cover of a song by Uncle Dave Macon, he leads on a tinkling electric mbira.
From Over that road I’m bound (2020)
13. Ross Harding – Like Elijah
My old university friend Ross wrote and recorded this. Good isn’t it? Credit to him that it fits some comfortably amongst heroes like Richard Thompson and Bob Dylan.
From Person of Interest EP (2020)
14. Jane Birken – Elisa
Serge Gainsbourgh’s creative and romantic partner in the late ‘60s and the ‘70s, Birkin is still keeping his songs alive. The album, Arabesque, from 2002, is a newly discovered triumph.
From Arabesque (2002)
15. Bob Dylan – Murder Most Foul
This rambling, 17-miute epic from Dylan’s latest album centres on the killing of JFK and takes in broad swathes of American popular culture from the time alongside it.
From Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020)
16. Randy Newman – The Great Debate
I really got into Randy Newman in 2020, who I’d previously only known from Toy Story and John’s Martyn’s cover of ‘God’s Song’. Here’s another God-related song (religion being one of his perennial subject’s of interest). Listen to the words, as it’s rather more nuanced than it initially sounds.
From Dark Matter (2017)
17. Theatre Intermission
18. Bette Midler – Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
I found this song whilst looking for something else and just had to listen to it with a name like that. It was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince and made famous by the Andrews Sisters. I’m pretty sure Bette Midler is multi-tacking with herself her, as per this TV performance with her ‘sisters’ Therese and Conchita: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTOzR1sSfFs
From The Divine Miss M (1972)
19. The Mississippi Mass Choir – I’m not tired yet
Relentless gospel, introduced to me by Owen. If this isn’t enough, there’s a 15 minute version online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk_1ZE7Rwcg.
From Not by Might, Nor by Power (2005)
20. Danny Kaye – Tubby the Tuba
There’s an absolutely brilliant Arena documentary from 1981 on the BBC iPlayer (see here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074lzv) about the Chelsea Hotel in New York. One of the characters we meet is the composer George Kleinsinger, best known for this symphonic piece for children that he co-wrote with Paul Tripp in the 1940s. After hearing an extract on the documentary, I had to listen to the full version, performed here by actor Danny Kaye with Victor Young and his Orchestra. If you are taken by Tubby, there is plenty more out there – two animations, a song summarising his tale in a more compact form, sequels and spin offs about secondary characters from the story!
From Danny Kaye Sings Selections from the Samuel Goldywn Technicolor Picture ‘Hans Christian Andersen’ and Tubby The Tuba (1957)
21. Bonny Light Horseman – The Roving
Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman perform a gleaming version of this amorphous traditional song, which shares lyrics with ‘Loving Hannah’ and ‘The Irish Girl’ amongst other folk songs.
From Bonny Light Horseman (2020)
22. The Magnetic Fields – Papa was a rodeo
A country-tinged highlight from the classic album, 69 Love Songs, which I finally got around to listening to in 2020. I love Shirley Simms’ voice at the end of this.
From 69 Love Songs (1999)
23. The Ray Gelato Giants – Bar Italia (Where You Wanna Be)
A tribute from one Soho institution to another. Not to be confused with the Pulp song. We spend a number of lock-down free evenings in 2020 drinking spritz outside Bar Italia.
Released as a single (2011)
24. The O’Jays – Back Stabbers
It’s okay, I’m over it now.
From Back Stabbers (1972)
25. Melingo – La Búsqueda
I got to meet and interview Melingo in Buenos Aires a few years back. I really like his latest album stew of rebetika, tango and electronics.
From Oasis (2020)
26. King Short Shirt – Nobody Go Run Me
I can’t remember now how I first found this track, but I absolutely love it. King Short Shirt is 79 now, and still living in Antigua. I now want to visit and meet him!
From Ghetto Vibes (1976)
26. A.G – Kehna Hi Kya (Spice Queen remix)
A.G is a London-based DJ and this song is originally from A. R. Rahman’s soundtrack to the film Bombay (1995). I like this crunchy, bass-heavy version.
From Manara: The Ultimate Spice Mix (2019)
27. Bush Gothic & Angharad Jenkins – I Fyw I Fôd
My favourite Australian band meets Welsh fiddler Angharad.
Single release (2020)
28. Neneh Cherry – Natural Skin Deep
This, complete with pannists from the Mangrove Steel Band, was a highlight of Cherry’s fantastic set at Glastonbury 2019 (now we’re going back, here it:). I got round to listening to the recorded version in 2020 and loved it even more. I think this is a masterpiece, that carnival horn shunting us between different realities (random Ornette Coleman horn break anyone) but always back to that molton pan sample. Oh, and I’ve just realised it’s from one of her albums produced by Four Tet. And check out this official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBUCfn5aj4Y. She is such a complete artist. My love goes on and on.
From Broken Politics (2019)
My 2019 mixtape can be found at the link below, and you can work your way back from there:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/3562716883767882/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wa3v2SW1HP0teVWZ1RGHh?si=3e942326b4cf4b0c
Don’t I need to write something here to make it show up in the sidebar?
Very eclectic. Will give this a listen.
Thanks Junior!
Amongst various typos, I see I omitted the video of Neneh Cherry at Glastonbury. Here she is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvLQbZJS0Q.
Great list – lots of leads into no-doubt deep rabbit holes!
Cheers for this, murkey. Gave the whole thing a listen, and have the following thoughts:
* I had heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy previously, courtesy of Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (!). What a tune that is, and pretty much tailor made for Bette Midler.
* Loved that Mississippi Mass Choir track – what a tune.
* Papa Was A Rodeo is an old fave, and sent me back (once again) to 69 Love Songs, the gift that keeps on giving. My favourites are All My Little Words, Book of Love, Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Death of Ferdinand de Saussure and Busby Berkeley Dreams. What a record that is: when I first brought it home it felt like there was far too much of it and I couldn’t swallow it whole, but I’ve spent the last 25 years picking through it and discovering new delights.
* I haven’t heard Natural Skin Deep in such a long time, but what a treat that was. Love a bit of Neneh Cherry.
* I had never heard Back Stabbers before. It’s brilliant – thank you.
* Tropical Fuck Storm did not disappoint!
Have a very Merry Christmas, and thanks for compiling; I enjoyed listening to it all.
Aww thanks so much Bingo, great to hear your feedback! Merry Christmas! Here’s to my ’21 mixtape being a bit faster to emerge.