For those who have been thinking, ‘If ONLY there was a 29-disc Cuby & The Blizzards box set’, your day has arrived:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIC1vvP2IpE
60s British blues-rock not your thing? 29-disc 60s Dutch blues-rock box set ahoy!
Aztec Energy
My pals Johnny and Adele very kindly agreed to put a couple of videos together for two songs on my forthcoming record, Sunset Cavaliers. Here’s my homage to the late, great Billy Thorpe…
Following hot on the heels of Twang…
…I have an album coming out, in February. The estimable Peter Muir, Mogul of Market Square – taking the risk of appalling hubris off my own shoulders – has created a vid for the opening track, ‘Blues For The Mahavishnu’ [Radio Edit] (and yes, I know there’ll be a few smiles at the very idea that something like this will ever appear on the radio… 🙂 ).
Chris Spedding plays lead guitar on the track, with Premik Russell Tubbs on soprano sax, my regular collaborators Ali MacKenzie (bass) and Cormac O’Kane (piano), plus Cardiff Lou from Wookalily (drums) and Lee Hedley from the Mighty Mojos on harmonica. I’m on acoustic and the mono-synthy homage to 1979.
Hope some of you enjoy it – no worries if not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC5lyrpfH_A
More Mahavishnu bar band fun!
I take my hat off to all these bar bands (most in New York, I suspect) who have a go at Mahavishnu covers. Here’s a new posting, very well atmospherically filmed with great sound and good playing (albeit that the synth’s violin setting suddenly makes the tune sound like it should have been an early 80s sitcom theme tune).
The musicians are:
Keyboard – Fabian Ballago Bass – Mohammed Omer Guitar – Carl Nordling Drums – Johan Sundvall
Enjoy!
The BNP need a whip-round…
…we only need to raise 25 quid for them, or they cease to be electable (!).
Anyone want to throw in a quid?
No, me neither.
Herbie Goins RIP
I may be late to this, but I just found out that Herbie Goins – mid 60s British soul/R&B man (ex USAAF), who took over as singer with the Night-Timers from Ronnie Jones, after Ronnie was ill-advisedly persuaded to go on a solo cabaret tour with the Bachelors.
One of the notable incifdents in Herbie’s tenure was the first-ever release of a John McLaughlin composition (John being the band’s guitarist), ‘Cruisin”, on a B-side. Yes, it’s atypical, yes it shows why John is not noted as a great lyricist, but it certainly grooves in that slightly angular, off-centre way we would come to expect a few years down the line…
Zimbabwean band touring Melbourne and Perth jan 29 and 30
by 12 Comments
Most of you will know that I’m a fan of African music and Zimbabwean music in particular. I’ve been helping the promoter out with the press release and drumming up indie radio interest. Here are some extracts from the press release. From what I’ve seen of the videos the band sound really good . The videos are pretty funny too, How often do you see a band marching around with real kalashnikovs?
When they think of the big names, the stars, most people outside of Zimbabwe, might think of Thomas Mapfumo’s militant Chimurenga music or Oliver Mtukudzi’s southern African fusion “Tuku music “or perhaps the joyful bouncy pop of the Bhundu Boy’s Jit music. But although still putting out great records, Thomas lives in exile and tours erratically, Tuku played some great shows here in Australia only last December, but he is getting on, and, sadly, Biggie Tembo and most of the Bhundu Boys died far too young.
So who will carry the torch for the music of Zimbabwe?
Jah Prayzah could well be that person.
The name is a bit lame and it suggests a reggae style band and certainly there is some of that but make no mistake » Continue Reading.
It’s Brush Shiels’ Skid Row!
I’m off to see a rare reheating of The Brush’s 1970/71 Skid Row repertoire souffle tonight in Dublin! And I shall be bringing earplugs (and Mrs H, who will also bring earplugs).
Let’s rock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyfYWYyyvww
It’s the Shane Pacey Trio!
Having just been in touch with the Pacemeister, late of this parish, I thought we should catch up with his activities downunder. Shane tells me he’s been doing really well in the Aussie blues chart with his Trio’s latest album, and his form band the Bondi Cigars have a comeback album on the go too.
Here he is in fabulous form a year ago. (There are plenty more recent vids on youtube, but I just loved the feel of this one, and it’s atmospherically filmed.) That Pacemaker – he’s a class act!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q87_BcC8fds
25 minutes of Winter Wookalily
I mentioned recently that I’d been to a couple of Wookalily TV recording events for a show that was inexplicably Not Allowed To Be Talked About. Now that the series in question has gone overground (advertising itself on BBC ticketing outlets), we can kick all that cloak and dagger guff into touch.
The wonderful Wookalily will be appearing on a forthcoming BBC4 series called ‘Britain’s Best Part-Time Band’. It seems to be some sort of competition, though not open to the public – all filmed in advance of broadcast. Comedian Rhod Gilbert and various music legends get to travel around the UK, see some bands, have a laugh and decide who they like best at a regional level and then, presumably, at a national level.
The Wookaladies are through from NI, and will be filmed again on January 15th at a live open-to-the-public thing in Belfast along with regional winners from the Celtic fringes. Tickets from the link herein.
Meanwhile, line up those mince pies and a steaming flagon of mulled wine, put your feet up and watch the Wookas on the considerably lower-budget NVTV performing six songs (some of their best, plus one real turkey). There are four chairs » Continue Reading.
Pretty Things on the radio tonight…
Just a heads up that Ralph ‘The Ralphmeister’ McLean at BBC Radio Ulster is having a 60s British R&B show tonight on his Rock’n’Soul show.
The likes of Them, Animals, Yardbirds in the first hour (8-9) and the Pretty Things in conversation in the second hour (9-10).
Available to ‘listen again’ or whatever it’s called if you miss it tonight…
One-man Mahavishnu sensation…
Check out this fellow, playing four parts himself with split-screen video. AND his name is Tom Penguin. How much better can it get?
This is astoundingly close to the sound and feel of the two original pieces. Phew…
Love Devotion Surrender
I picked this LP up on Sunday for 50p. I could not resist the gatefold sleeve featuring Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana, and their groovy white suits. Most of all I was warmed by the relative innocence and sweetness of the idea of a Coltrane tribute album influenced by Sri Chinmoy. Happier happier days. Is it worth buying a record player to listen to it or is it a bit of a dirge?
The antidote to a 33CD Bananarama box set…
…is this surprisingly great 22 guitar Link Wray tribute.
And yes, a 33CD Bananarama box set really has just been released.
