My first radio show.

I have always fancied having a radio show along the lines of the one from Mark Germino's Rex Bob Lowenstein. Nobody is ever going to offer me that kind of chance. How about a podcast? Well, podcasts are really radio talk shows and my show would be all about the music.
What I have decided to do is a blog with links to music on Youtube, so it will have the shape of a radio show, if you take the time to watch or listen to the links.
The first few shows, I would do would be an introduction to the sounds that form the basis of my musical appreciation.

We would, of course, have to start with The Beatles. They form the foundation of my music house. I was already listening to all kinds of music before they exploded on to the world stage. I am playing it as
I write this and the intro gave me huge goose bumps. It crosses the barrier from their early pop band stuff to their cleverer production values of later years.
They cemented my love of all forms of music because of the sheer volume and variety of their different sounds.  Now which track should I choose. That's easy. A long time ago, I decided to pick one track and use that as my stock answer to the question "What's your favourite Beatles' song?". Makes life simpler. Ticket To Ride has everything you want from a Beatles track. I once heard this playing on a really good sound system in a menswear shop in Walsall, my home town. I had heard it lots of times before, but it still stopped me in my tracks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws9TRxGCuww

The Beatles may be my favourite band, but my all time favourite single is not a Beatles release. Stay With Me by the Faces has everything you need to make half a dozen great singles, but it's all in one record.
 One of the few tracks that I turn up the volume for when it comes on the radio. Rod and The Faces were one of the few acts I regret not going to see live. The closest I got was a BBC2 Live In Concert special. They were such a talented band and always seemed to be having a good time.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQp7YOPdJ8

1970 was the year I really got in to buying records. I had a Sunday job on Warwick market, selling stretch covers for three piece suites.

The big record that summer was In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry. Just this week I got the 3 CD set titled Gold. All of their UK hits plus so much more. They were my 70's go to band, I would be very impatient for their next release. However, I got in to so much more in that decade and they soon dropped off  the airwaves.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUQcnfwUUM

The big Christmas record of 1970 was I Hear You Knocking by Dave Edmunds. Such a different sound from anything else around at that time. I played it almost endlessly and he became one of the musicians whose new album I would buy, on release, the week it came out.  For a guy who preferred singles, that was a big leap.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTD5_FwdiBU

One of the bands I got into, slowly,  was The Move. Roy Wood was to become a big part of my collection in all his various guises. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ8VZZ6HVb8
The only record, I ever went hunting for was Chinatown. I paid a little over the odds for it. Still can't remember why I didn't get it on release. Got it at an excellent store in Birmingham, England, called Reddington's Rare Records. They had a stall on Warwick market, the site of my first weekend job, so I would very often sneak off and look through their stock.

The closest anyone ever got to the originality, variety and quality of The Beatles, was 10CC. If they had stayed together a little longer, who knows. They made such wonderful music, especially the original line-up. When Godley and Creme went off, they left the pop half behind, but they were the half I followed.  This is the first track they ever released although only 3 of them are here, just before 10CC. Neanderthal Man by Hotlegs stood out like a sore thumb from everything else, just like the band's look did during the Glam Rock era. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e0qYP_PTlY

In the pre-Beatle days and indeed sometimes afterwards, we would have a family night, playing grandad's 78 rpm records, both sides, no matter what they were. So many different voices and styles.
We never did that with 45s, but it was the 45s that stuck in my memory more. I would play all the records at both grandparent's houses, by myself. Difficult to pick out a track that stood out from the rest. However, one that strikes a huge nostalgic chord with me, whenever I hear it, is Anthony Newley's Why. Such a sweet sound from a different era. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8iFpJ7_xZA

My Uncle Les was a huge classical music fan and introduced me to lots of that stuff, but the most important thing he did, was to introduce me to the novelty record. The Goons are part of the reason I am like I am [wonderful, warm-hearted and sincere]. The Ying Tong Song is the first of many, many novelty/comedy records I was to own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nebe1zuEtbc

I always prefer recorded music over live stuff, partly because I get to re-live it over and over. One band I have seen live 3 times, is Status Quo, as recorded in this old blog of mine. https://kevinspondmusic.blogspot.com/2016/12/rick-parfitt-status-quo.html I remember buying Paper Plane from a shop in Smethwick. The shop is no longer there, part of a dual carriageway through the town, now.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhwCqAmggnM
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There are two musical genres that I have fixated on at different times.
Country and reggae. Mostly with the reggae stuff it's blue beat/ska/lover's rock, but if you stick a reggae beat on something it will nearly always make it better. Although Bob Marley was the king, I was in to so many other artists before then. I think Liquidator by Harry J All Stars was the kick start for me, although I was aware of  and liked other reggae tracks.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTn01jjEFfY

In country music, one track stands out as being the first time I knew I was listening to country and not just some music from America. I was never big on seperating music genres and still try not to, although it is handy when you are trying to find a cd in a huge record store. Faron Young's Four In The Morning is, on the face of it, very corny olde tyme music, but so memorable.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXWV15YtEcQ

Finally, for this first radio show, it's about time I included somebody from the other gender. I first saw Emmylou Harris on The Old Grey Whistle Test, a late night show on BBC that introduced me to another world of music away from the Charts. I was a member of an album of the month club and ordered two of her albums from there and never looked back. She has such a voice. I can't really explain it in a public forum. Close your eyes and drift away to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-PRts_RGeA

Many more tracks are coming to mind, so there will be a part two to this, but that's all for now.

It`s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I know, I know. It`s not even Thanksgiving yet. 
Christmas music is with us again, in the stores, on the radio and, yes, in my house. Of course, some people have already been listening to it for some time. Hello daughter! Christmas for a lot of Brits, does not start until Noddy Holder says so. See picture, left.
There`s always a discussion on how early you can play Christmas music. My answer? As early as you like. There`s a lot of it to listen to and not really that much time to do so.
I have a large collection of Christmas cds and a few vinyl albums. I never intend to buy more, but yard sales yield some great bargains. Among this year`s stash I got Joe Diffie, James Taylor, Mannheim Steamroller, Pentatonix and Lady Antebellum cds plus yet another various country artists disc. All for a dollar each or less. Country music, especially, leans towards themed albums at this time of year.
When it comes to new releases, this year, there are quite a few to go round. John Legend, Englebert Humperdinck, Jessie J, Diana Ross. Even Captain Kirk in his alter-ego of William Shatner. I have bought three new releases. Eric Clapton, The Monkees and The Mavericks.

I have always been a Monkees fan. I had two second hand albums in the early 70`s. Their first, eponymous, one and the third one, Headquarters. I bought them  from the guy that lived in the house at the bottom of our garden. Not in our garden, people, but joined to our garden. I was still at school, just starting to build my collection. 15 Albums for ten bob [ten shillings or 50 pence]. A great bargain. Wish I still had all of those. I once had to give an occasional 10 minute talk, in a music lesson, at school. I chose The Monkees for one of those talks. I only had the information on those albums. How I managed to make it last 10 minutes, I don`t remember. This was, of course, well before the internet.
The Monkees Christmas Party has a few original tracks, written by some interesting people. Andy

Partridge is a particular favorite of mine, from his days with XTC. His track, Unwrap You At Christmas, starts the album off energetically. It sounds like it`s going to be a Spector style cover, but turns into a double entendre track about unwrapping someone for Christmas. It is better than that makes it sound. Of course, time will tell if any of the original tracks, on here, will become standards, played on the radio, year after year. The best tracks on here, just happen to be the original ones, written for this album. Rivers Cuomo, from Weezer and Peter Buck, from REM,  contributed. There are a couple of decent versions of classics, like Mele Kalikimaka and Silver Bells, both using vocals from the late, lamented Davy Jones. They also have a stab at a couple of more modern classics. No-one will ever beat Roy Wood`s original with Wizzard, but the boys do a decent, standard pop version of  I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day. Also a very nice version of Paul McCartney`s Wonderful Christmastime. There`s even a cover of an old song about Jesus written by Alex Chilton. That doesn`t happen a lot on mainstream Christmas albums. The instrumentation, all the way through, is fairly basic, but sounds pretty good for all that. Adam Schlesinger produced and mixed most of the album. A couple of the tracks sung by Michael Nesmith, were produced by Michael`s sons.
Adam Schlesinger is no stranger to Christmas, having been heavily involved with Stephen Colberts`s Christmas album, ten years ago. My favorite song of Schlesinger`s has to be Masters of the Sea from Ice Age, Continental Drift. Lots of ice, but no Christmas. Overall, a pretty good contribution to the long, long list of Christmas albums. Every now and then it actually sounds like The Monkees of old, especially the Davy Jones` tracks. He was always the most distinctive of the voices. I will be using a few tracks for a future Christmas mix CD for the car.

Eric has done a Clapton on his disc. Full of the usual easy, relaxed blues sound and Eric`s laid-back

vocal style. That`s really what I`m looking for from a Christmas album, music that fits in with the usual sound of whatever artist it is. An Eric Clapton album is always welcome. I came late to the Eric Clapton is God party. I remember going to a record store, in my hometown, Walsall. It was the 70`s. I had spotted a second hand copy of All Things Must Pass by George Harrison in there. My kind of price too. It was a triple vinyl album. The hippie behind the counter [that`s what I thought at the time] took each of the records out and checked both sides. When he pulled the last one out, he said "now, this is the one that matters, right?" I nodded. I had no idea what he was talking about. Eric was what he was talking about. Slowhand Clapton. Years later, I got into Clapton through his version of I Shot The Sheriff. Now I`m buying a Christmas album by this guitar god.
How would his relaxed blues style transfer to a Christmas album? Very well, it turns out. Starting out with THE Christmas song, White Christmas. I usually do not like it when vocalists mess with a tune, but this version seems to work very well. Next up, I did not know that Away In A Manger was a blues tune. Fantastic. The rest of the album is filled with a mix of Christmas classics and blues/soul tracks. For Love On Christmas Day is a self-penned track, along with Simon Climie [co-producer] and Dennis Morgan. His version of Jingle Bells is an, almost totally, instrumental gem. The whole album makes for a gentle evening of Christmas music. A great alternative to the Bing, Spector, Country and Buble albums that dominate so much, here in the States. Nothing wrong with that stuff, I have those in my collection and they will be listened to. If you want some Christmas on the stereo, but without a lot of jingly jangly stuff, this is your choice. Some of it would not look out of place alongside Nat and Dean and Frank. Very cool. His Silent Night is one of the best I have heard. A "heavenly choir" backing and Eric`s soulful vocal chipping in. Also the collector in me is happy with the free flexi-disc I got when I bought the album.

The third new Christmas album I bought, this year, is The Mavericks` Hey! Merry Christmas!. A Christmas classic in the making. Somehow, their distinctive sound, especially Raul Malo`s voice, lends itself to Christmas music very easily. In the UK, I got turned on to these guys by a DJ called Nick Barrowclough who had a nice turn of humour and presented a weekly show of, what was then called, New Country. They became huge in the UK, for a while, with Dance The Night Away, which gave them a solid fan base. We saw them live once. They did not disappoint. Like most country artists, they can play. The album starts off at a cracking pace, sounding familiar but not quite. These are songs that may get covered. Should get covered. Standard Christmas themes like Christmas is coming, Santa knows what you do, I want you for Christmas, it`s for me and you, more Santa, Christmas without you, that kind of thing. Of the 10 tracks, on the standard issue, 8 are Mavericks penned songs, with a couple of classics. Baby, Please Come Home and Happy Holidays sound like original Mavericks tracks, so natural is their feel for them. It slows down a little in the middle, but comes back with Hey! Merry Christmas, a track I am confident will be played on Christmas radio for many years to come. They should be made to do this every Christmas.
All in all, I am very pleased with these new additions to my collection. They will be coming out to play, for many Christmases to come.
Just as a side note, why is there so little music for Thanksgiving? It`s as big a holiday as Christmas for a lot of people.

10 Christmas hits from the U.K. [in no particular order!]

Christmas music in the U.K. is a little different from in the U.S.A.. Sure we listen to Bing and Frank and Nat and all the other great crooners. We also love Phil Spector`s version of Christmas. However, there are some major Christmas hits that barely make a dent, if they are noticed at all, over here in America. Hits that are mostly essential Christmas listening for Brits. Indeed at least two of them are unofficial indicators that Christmas can start now. Most people in the U.K. see Christmas as starting, when they hear Noddy Holder`s [pictured right] wonderful rasping vocals or the cash till ringing at the beginning of Wizzard`s magnificent opus.
The following ten records, in no particular order, represent a personal top ten of very British Christmas music. 

We`ll start with Slade and Merry Xmas Everybody. After the opening chords, Noddy wades in and gives us a new tradition of music for the season. "Fairies keeping Santa sober for a day" or granny "up and rockin` and rollin`". Slade were on a roll in 1973, hitting number one in the first week of sales for several releases  [pretty much unheard of, in those days] . They had a few minor U.S. hits, but not this song. The U.S. band Train covered it on their Christmas In Tahoe album in 2015. It`s really difficult to express how huge this record is at Christmas. Bigger than Bing. Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade - YouTube



The next record we all listen for is Wizzard`s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. From the cash till ringing to the kid`s choir, everything is chucked into this one by the brilliant Roy Wood. Very Spectorish in sound, this is my personal favourite. It got to #4 in the same year as Slade. Elton also had a Christmas record that year. Maybe if Slade had not done theirs, then Wizzard would have had another number one.  Who knows? Roy had a U.S.  hit with The Move and Do Ya. He was also a major element at the beginning of ELO`s long road to world domination. Look out too. for Wizzard`s Rock `n` Roll Winter, a hit in the Spring of 1974. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Stop The Cavalry by Jona Lewie has become a fixture on many Christmas compilations. A number 3 hit in 1980, it never troubled the Hot 100, although it does get some radio play. However, a version by a Welsh choir and brass band is more often requested in the U.S. It was kept off the top by two posthumous John Lennon re-releases. It was never meant as a Christmas song, more as a comment on the atrocities of WW1. But the mention of Christmas at the heart and the jolly backing refrain made it a no-brainer for this list. Jona had other hits, such as You`ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties, under his own name and Seaside Shuffle under the name Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs. Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry - YouTube




Gilbert O`Sullivan is quite well known in the States, for his massive number one, Alone Again Naturally, which has featured in Stuart Little 2 and also one of the Ice Age movies. His Christmas Song is typically understated and novel in its approach of not wishing for a Happy Christmas but instead asking for a peaceful world. Not as huge in perennial popularity as the previous three above, but a favourite of mine and one which brings back personal memories of working on the railway in 1974. It only got to number 12. Gilbert O'Sullivan - I'm Not Dreaming Of A White Christmas Original Video - YouTube



Jingle Bell Rock is a monster Christmas song. Even my grandkids love singing this. Bobby Helms was the original and it was a huge hit for Brenda Lee. The version, I prefer, a purely personal opinion of course, is the one by the older generation`s favourite, Max Bygraves. Already a big radio and film star by 1959, when his version reached #7. It`s part of the soundtrack to my childhood. He was quite well known in the States and appeared with Jack Benny and Ed Sullivan. In the mid 80`s he hosted the British version of Family Feud, called Family Fortunes. Jingle Bell Rock - YouTube







Another huge Christmas song, in fact, officially the biggest. White Christmas, Irving Berlin`s classic. So many versions to choose from. This is a personal post and a British post, so I have gone for Darts. A 50`s doo-wop style band. They had a great run of pop hits in the late 70`s Lot of fun. A very up-tempo version and it gets a Christmas party mood going very easily.  It got only as far as #48 in 1980 and was the last time they troubled the charts. White Christmas - Darts - YouTube

The Wombles was a kid`s show based on the books by Elisabeth Beresford. A very catchy theme tune by Mike Batt, who began recording more music as The Wombles. Ostensibly a novelty act, the music was very professionally done. After appearing in a home made Wombles outfit, more costumes were made and they appeared on TV. Wombling Merry Christmas is a favourite of mine. Number 2 in 1974.
Always brings a smile. Uptempo and lots of fun. Too good for kids! In 2011 they appeared at Glastonbury and got a bigger audience than the act on the main stage. The Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas - YouTube






Shaking Stevens is a bit of an enigma. Part of Britain`s rock `n` roll heritage, but also a huge 80`s pop star, the most successful chart act of that decade, in the UK . Vilified by "music lovers". He had a long run of chart hits, mostly covers of old classics. He had one minor Hot 100 hit in 1967. I always liked him. A great voice. He released a few Christmas hits, but this was the first and biggest. Merry Christmas Everyone was number one in 1985. Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (Official 4K Video) - YouTube

Adam Faith was an odd recording star. His very clipped vocal style and the shortness of his records was unusual even in the early 60`s with the 3 minute single reigning supreme. He had a couple of American hits in 1965. Lonely Pup [In A Christmas Shop] was a huge hit when I was a kid. Less than two minutes long. None of the usual Christmas production, just the highly manufactured Faith sound. It`s bordering on novelty, but good fun, all the same. It got to number 4 in 1960. Lonely Pup In A Christmas Shop - Adam Faith - YouTube









Finally, Britain`s king of Christmas Cliff Richard is a pop music legend. Rock `n` roll star, movies, t.v. shows, a hit in every decade. He slowly took over Christmas before the X Factor came along and ruined the Christmas Number One race. This is probably the best and most popular of his Christmas hits. Mistletoe and Wine was number 1 in 1988, his 99th release. He does have a presence in the US charts, Devil Woman being his biggest U.S. hit. According to my Hot 100 book, this yuletide track got an honourable mention but no chart position. Dodgy snow effects on the video, though. Cliff Richard - Mistletoe and Wine (Official Music Video) - YouTube


So, a very personal list of British Christmas records. Here are some that almost made the list.
Hey Mr. Christmas by Showaddywaddy
Step Into Christmas by Elton John
Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing and Bowie
Gaudete by Steeleye Span
In Dulci Jubilo by Mike Oldfield
Winter`s Tale by David Essex
We Wish You A Merry Christmas by The Greedies.

There are many more. All available online. Go check them out