Edwyn Collins - 'A Girl Like You'

Edwyn Collins - 'A Girl Like You'

Edwyn Collins Eurostar Adventures Flycasual Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Edwyn Collins - 'A Girl Like You' (1995)

Edwyn Collins has a lot to answer for!

In the mid nineties I used to work as a pumped up cabin crew aboard the then prestigious environs of Eurostar (more Eurostar adventures here). Back when everybody was giddy with excitement about going through a tunnel for 20 minutes.

And as you can see, I had an equally dazzling uniform! Phwoaaarr!

I would work with the same crew for a period and would obviously get to know them fairly well, unfortunately some tried more than others as my purser took a real shine to me. She would always try and find moments alone with me whilst on the train and ask about my love life.....over zealous trolley checks, over enthusiastic help with cash floats, helping me grill the Croque-Monsieur, yep, she'd be there.

When I'd mention this to friends, they'd often be like, "what's the problem? Get in there, she's a superior officer!". The problem was that she had a chin Jimmy Hill would have been proud of and I had a girlfriend I was particularly fond of. What's more, she kept calling me "my baby" and being twice my age, it just added to my discomfort as I was fairly content having a mother already.

Jimmy Hill, King Chin!

Things came to a head when my crew had a night-stop in Paris. On arrival, I had some downtime and I would take the opportunity to listen to some music on my Walkman (a portable tape, that's TAPE player) while waiting for the crew to finish up what they were doing. I was just about to relax with my latest monthly mix when 'psycho purser' sat far too close to me and asked if she could listen in.

"Uh, yeah ok." I mumbled

The first track happened to be the Edwyn Collin's classic, 'A Girl Like You'. Halfway through the song she blurted out, "You've done this on purpose, this song is about me, isn't it?"

"Hmmm, no really it isn't!" I replied, mild panic settling in.

"I must borrow this tape!" she retorted, I reluctantly handed it over.

The crew reconvened for dinner at a cheap and cheerful station restaurant later that evening and the cabin crew equivalent of Kathy Bates in Misery was clearly overdressed for the occasion. Amusingly she wore her hair not too dissimilar to Princess Leia from Star Wars and I made the mistake of telling her exactly that.

"Ooh, listen everyone, Brian just called me a Princess!" She cooed.

"No, no really I didn't, I just....", I tried vainly to explain.

But it couldn't have been further from the truth, she was more suited as a villain in Jabba the Hutt's court than in the arms of the dashing Han Solo.

Jabba the Hutt's court, there she's is, third from the left!

After dinner, I tried to make a quick getaway only for her to corner me in the lift alone. She tried to convince me to come for a 'night cap', even asking me if I would leave my girlfriend for her. Things had gone waaaaay out of hand now but it wasn't me who eventually complained, it was the rest of my crew who had noticed her behaviour. I was bemused by the whole episode, sometimes annoying but I never felt threatened. Of course I am aware of how serious a harassment case can be but I always thought I could handle it. I was asked by my management if I wanted to take it further, which I didn't and instead she was reprimanded and duly removed from my line.

I can't even remember her name or what happened to her afterwards as a result but ultimately I wasn't bothered, I was more pissed off that I didn't get my tape back.

Nothing like the girl in question!

Despite all that, the Northern Soul inspired, 'A Girl Like You' is a firm favourite of mine. It's coming up to the 20th anniversary of that song which the BBC's 'One Show' kindly reminded me, jolting memories of how not to conduct a romantic break in Paris for two. Interestingly (or not) the fuzz/dirty guitar sound was created using a vintage guitar pedal from the 60's.

What I didn't realise was how ill Edwyn Collins has been, suffering a series of strokes and cerebral haemorrhages back in 2005. With any hope of survival all but written off, he managed to recover somewhat and is able to tell the tale. A documentary of his life is being released on Nov 7th entitled, The Possibilities Are Endless. Powerfully inspiring stuff!

Check out some of my other favourite songs and memories here....or listen/subscribe to the Recollection Collection playlist below.

sfw Pada 02:38 5 Komentar

Tori Amos - 'Cornflake Girl'

Tori Amos - 'Cornflake Girl'

Close Encounters Eurostar Adventures Flycasual Recollection Collection Tori Amos

Thursday I'm in Love..a chance to share some of my favourite cereal!

Where's my cornflakes?

Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl (1994)

Ah Tori Amos, nobody believes me but we shared a moment, she and I. I remember hearing the excellent 'Cornflake Girl' at a New Years eve party at Sfw's, standing in the nerve centre (the kitchen) discussing the virtues of her unique and rather saucy piano playing style. It cemented my love for piano, the video is case in point (even dirty rotter Conan O'Brien licks his lips), Phwoar!

Our brief encounter took place back in 95', I was a steward on board Eurostar, delivering service with a smile. I was standing on the platform, meeting and greeting our first class passengers in my Canary Yellow blazer, tiger print bow tie and Village People style hat (no joke). I knew that it was going to be a day like no other as I was confronted by none other than Tori Amos and her entourage of 3 friends on a day trip to Paris. Untapped passion simmered when our eyes briefly locked, as I went to help with her bags, the train whistled and steam covered the platform, we were ready to depart. As expected it was an uneventful trip, that was until I bumped into her at the end of the carriage prior to our arrival and she asked me if I was coming back to London that night. My heart skipped a beat, the piano playing songstress was going to ask me for a drink, I stammered that I was returning on the exact same train. "great" she said "could you look after my magazines? I don't want to haul them around Paris". Gutted but still hopeful that this was a Rock n' Roll euphemism for hooking up with mere mortals (maybe there was her phone number in one of the mags!!....there wasn't). I told her not to worry and obliged to look after an unfeasibly large collection of uninspiring home improvement magazines. On the turn-around in Paris I couldn't go for my usual stroll and pose around the Quartier Latin but instead had to sit/sleep on my prized collection of magazines like some sort mother hen and her eggs. Dreams of a Rock N' Roll romance were all but shattered when my knob of Supervisor said he didn't need me for the return and instead wanted me go on an earlier and busier train. My desperate protests fell on deaf ears when I told him I was looking after a superstar's magazines (albeit illegally). "Tori who? I don't care I want you on that train".

Tori Amos, never got her mags back and I never saw her again. I like to think that there's a song out there she wrote about that handsome but bastard of a steward who took off with a bunch of woman's interest magazines.

Tori??  Bloody hell is that you love?

I've sort of stopped following her after that brief liaison but later, on doing a bit of research for this post, I subsequently found out that she has released a 12th studio album last summer, called Night of the Hunters. I was also surprised that the natural beauty, rather disappointingly decided to go down the route of plastic surgery but despite this, it won't stop me giving the new album a listen, it may rekindle that magic we once had!



Click here to see the video for 'Carry', taken from the album. Official site here too, some interesting photos!

Where did that rabbit put them keys? Click here for more of my favourite tunes..they're rad!

sfw Pada 22:00 15 Komentar

Trost - 'Cowboy'

Trost - 'Cowboy'

Flycasual Recollection Collection Trost

Thursday I'm in Love...a chance for me to share some of my favourite songs and memories and be a crap cowboy...

Trost - Cowboy (2008)

Having proved, in spectacular fashion, my inadequacies at cattle rustling last time out, I thought I'd better redeem some cowboy bravado by trying my hand at the ultimate Wild West pastime, Poker.

I used to be quite partial to a game of poker, playing with friends and the like but shit got real, at home, playing with the family. It would probably be during the course of an evening, a few drinks, music and a game of cards. It was all pretty high stakes stuff, a 5 pound buy in would get you approximately 100 matches (5p per match), starting bets would be between 10-25p and the maximum pot would probably be £10. We'd carry on until we would run out of drink, matches or steam whichever was first, often losing track and almost inevitably end up playing for a CD instead.

My wife hails from up t'north and it was on one of our trips visiting her parents that I first experienced poker at a Casino in the bright lights of Blackpool. Whilst my missus and my in laws were smashing it up at the Roulette wheel, I thought it was time to mix it up with the big boys on the Poker table. I was feeling confident, I had recently beaten or managed to win a CD off Old Pa and repelled a spirited two pronged comeback from my sister and Old Ma so it was definitely on. With a tenner's worth of pound coins I approached the table, I felt like I was in one of those gangster films where they'd walk all in slow motion nodding at the other players in acknowledgment as they take their place at the table. There were three other douchebags at the table that didn't seem to be any threat and the game was Five Card Stud, my game of choice. Unlike Texas Hold'em there are no blinds to play, so when the cards are dealt it's straight into the action. I was dealt a pair, what a good start, I thought, I'd throw caution to the wind and start off with two pounds (unheard of at our home games). I did think I got a pretty strange look from the dealer as I brazenly slid my coins to the centre of table, the player to my left smirked then reached into his blazer pocket and withdrew a wad of twenties, placing three notes atop of my measly offering. The other two players matched this and it was back to me to call or raise, "bloody hell", I thought, "I gotta get out of here!"

My finest hour!

I was so out of my depth, I had to leave immediately but had to somehow style it out a bit. So I gazed at my cards one more time in consideration, tapped my fingers on the table, shook my head, slid back on my chair and left as quickly as possible with my tail between my legs, the only secure place where I couldn't be seen would have probably been up Blackpool tower. I don't think I would have been as lucky getting away with this showing of Poker incompetence had I been in a saloon in Tombstone, I'm pretty sure a six gun would have taken care of that.

I think I first heard 'Cowboy' from a Word Magazine sampler and remember instantly liking it, it's a bizarre ride, with eerie atmospherics and some of the best drum breaks this side of Dodge. Trost is Annikka Line Trost, a singer/drummer hailing from Germany influenced by Punk/Electronica and 'Cowboy' is taken from her second album, 'Trust Me'.





Trost on Bronzerat Records...

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more of my favourite songs.

sfw Pada 20:32 10 Komentar

French Cowboy - 'Girl'

French Cowboy - 'Girl'

Flycasual French Cowboy Recollection Collection

Thursday I'm in Love....a chance to share some of my favourite songs and memories...yee-haw!

French Cowboys, nice chaps!

French Cowboy - 'Girl' (2010)

Since I'm usually in work first on my inhumanely early morning shift, it gives me the privilege of a) making myself and no one else a cup of coffee and b) choosing my radio station, which, on this day, was French Radio London. I enjoy listening at that time as it's an eclectic and continuous mix of chilled Anglo and Francophile music (I have found a number of fantastic tracks as a result), the perfect way to help me ease my way into the morning, that is until the rest of my colleagues come in. FRL was responsible for introducing this gold nugget of a track to me from French outfit, French Cowboy. An instant hit for me, 'Girl' is bit of a low key psychedelic groove which was perfect for my waking brain and is taken from the band's third album, (Isn't My Bedroom) a Masterpiece.


The name of the band leads me conveniently to an uncomfortable episode whilst working for Air France at Heathrow a good few years back. Despite being half French and Old Pa championing the movie Shane all my life, I never particularly felt like a cowboy. That was until charity superstar, Pudsey Bear and his Children in Need posse rolled into town, setting up a fundraising rodeo ride just outside our work restroom.


Horrified with the potential for making a public display of myself, which I seem to have a knack of, I spent the duration of my shift slinking into the shadows avoiding eye contact with Pudsey. It was fairly easy to do at first as the mechanical bull ride drew quite a large crowd from workers and passengers alike but alas it wasn't to last. Our shift supervisor decided to do her bit for charity by volunteering some staff forward to test their mettle as a cowboy. Of course I was up first.


"What!?" I protested.



To which a collective, "C'mon, it's for the kids man!" was blurted out in response from my colleagues.


Oh well, who am I to refuse? I paid my pound, nodded my head to Pudsey in acknowledgment and mounted my bête noire. "I might as well go down in style" I thought, "I'm gonna John Wayne this bitch, one handed."


It's probably a fair reflection that my first and last bucking bronco experience lasted a total time of 4 pt 6 seconds as I spectacularly went arse over tit onto the safety mats below. A loud 'rrrriiiiipppp' followed as a Grand Canyon sized gash appeared along the crotch of my hideous polyester slacks, completing my misery. A roar of laughter erupted as I tried in vain to style it out, even noticing a mocking Pudsey Bear silently belly laughing as you see these characters do on TV. Needless to say I spent the rest of my shift behind a desk dreaming of an Alan Ladd style showdown with Pudsey Bear....it's ok it'll all be for charity. The life of a French Cowboy probably not for me.

The tear was like this big, yo!

Children in need is on November 15th this year and you can check the BBC website here.....I'm watching you Pudsey!

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 00:16 3 Komentar

Blondie - 'The Tide Is High'

Blondie - 'The Tide Is High'

Blondie Cover Nerd Crush Neal Recollection Collection

COVER NERD! meets THURSDAY I'M IN LOVE


After the relative success of my encroachment onto Old Pa's territory a few weeks back, I thought I would now step on Flycasual's toes and share with you a cover of a classic track that brings back childhood memories. What song takes you back to your childhood ??

Click here and let us read all about it and share with the world.

Do you remember your first crush ??? I do, her name was Trisha Yates and she was Tucker Jenkins arch-nemisis in Grange Hill.... Tucker was my hero cos of his cheeky grin and backchat to the teachers. Everyone wanted to be like him... And yet the girl that never took any crap from him was the girl of my dreams... I should have hated her but I couldn't. She wasn't a classic beauty but as an 8 year old boy I wasn't into looks... She was famous and I dreamed of being her boyfriend, I knew it could work... It didn't.

When I realised that this romance would never happen I went quickly onto my next crush, surely I'd have more luck with this one. Debbie Harry was sexy, even though I didn't really know what sexy meant. I read it somewhere and so she became the object of my affections. At the time we were living on an Army camp in Hounslow and my Mum worked in the NAAFI bar on the camp, during the school holidays my brother and I would hang out there playing Space Invaders and listening to the jukebox. One of my Dad's many responsibilities (he was the storeman for his regiment) was that of restocking the jukebox in the NAAFI bar. Every now and then he would bring home some of the records that had been removed from the jukebox and my brother and I would fight over them. This one particular day my Dad brought a few 7 inches home and I took a sneaky peek before he offered them to us. Usually my brother would get first dibs as he was older by 3 years, but this occasion I asked him if I could choose first. Obviously he said no, so I begged him and said he could have all the records if I could choose the first one. Thinking he was onto a winner he agreed... Haha sucker !!! I got my way and chose this particular track, I don't remember what he got but who cares. I got a Blondie record, even now 30 plus years later I can still picture the blue and white label on the vinyl with a small butterfly at the bottom. If I'd had a Top 20 of the year like I do now, that would have been in the Top 1 no doubt.

Blondie - 'The Tide Is High' (1980)

Last week, Shellhunter and I were at the French/Caribbean restaurant in our hotel here in Montego Bay, Jamaica and a band started playing a few reggae style instrumentals. They played a few classics and some Boney M songs too !!! Then they played The Tide is High... It took me back to 1980 again and Debbie Harry, then to Trisha Yates..

NERD ALERT - Trisha Yates came back in the very last episode of Tucker's Luck.... and went on a date with Tucker himself !!

And here is the original from 1967

The Paragons - The Tide Is High

Please find below my Spotify playlist

sfw Pada 22:00 4 Komentar

Pokey LaFarge - 'Central Time' / 'Devil Ain't Lazy'

Pokey LaFarge - 'Central Time' / 'Devil Ain't Lazy'

Flycasual Pokey LaFarge Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Pokey LaFarge - 'Central Time' (2013)

A couple of weeks ago I spent a weekend away, with family, in a gorgeous cottage in the Shropshire countryside. Warm, blue skies, local cider and rolling hills, the UK in the summertime you can't beat it. That is of course unless you're in Hounslow West. It was a period cottage probably used as a farmhouse and relatively untouched since it was built in the 1920's therefore the grounds were huge, with a tree house and plenty of nooks and crannies, a Famous Five adventure playground. Inside there were old pictures of the residents, antique furniture throughout, busy carpets and furry wallpaper, at first I wasn't so sure but it's unusual nostalgic charm won me over, it reminded me of visiting my grans houses when I was younger, musty smell included.

Inevitably, warped by years of horror films, I thought "it must be haunted". I fully expected to find a ghostly presence staring back at me from one of the bedroom windows as I explored the grounds or an unwanted figure in the family portrait as we flicked through the pictures on the camera. And what was in that locked cellar? Thankfully I will never know, safe in the knowledge that I didn't open a portal 'to the other side' and inadvertently summon Beelzebub's minions to inconvenience my father in law's birthday. "Bloody hell" I thought, think more Enid Blyton not the Evil Dead.

Where do I plug in my IPod?

With the silence and the lack of reception on my mobile, it really felt like I could have been sometime in the 1940's. It was like going back in time, without the need of a Delorean, gazing out the window, I fully expected a Spitfire to flypast the house, then possibly a diplodocus. But apart from a pristine 1982 ET colouring book I was especially impressed by a magnificent piece of furniture that I guess dated back to the late 50's/60's, a radio record player. The record player didn't work, perhaps thankfully, as on the deck was Oklahoma which my wife loves and i'm pretty certain would have given us a horrendous rendition, probably enough to summon aforementioned minions (there was a best of Ken Dodd too, I don't think I'd be writing this now if that got played). But the radio still worked, which was brilliantly nostalgic, I could just imagine the sounds of something just like Pokey LaFarge emanating from the speakers.

Pokey LaFarge - 'Devil Ain't Lazy' (2013)

Despite going for almost a decade, he's only been a recent discovery for me and I'm quite partial to a bit of American Roots/Swing anyway. I suppose I could listen to any number of bands that were around during the era but St Louis' Pokey LaFarge are refreshing and full of Southern Charm with immaculate musicianship.

Both songs are taken from his, fourth and self titled album released earlier this month on Jack White's label, Third Man Records. As Pokey says himself, "It's not retro music. It's American music that never died."

Check out Pokey LaFarge's website here...

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 09:40 5 Komentar

Leo's Sunshipp - 'Give Me The Sunshine'

Leo's Sunshipp - 'Give Me The Sunshine'

Flycasual Leo's Sunshipp Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

a chance to share some of my favourite soul sauce

Leo's Sunshipp - 'Give Me The Sunshine' (1978)

It's time to wear your hankies on your heads, treat yourself to a Magnum double chocolate ice cream and do very little, as whether you're a sun worshipper or not, this song will make you squint it's so bright.

It's probably one of my favourite summer grooves to rival Roy Ayers' 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine', in fact to be enjoyed all year round especially when you're vitamin D depraved, as it's one of those songs where you can actually feel the heat radiating from the speakers.

Can I get a lil' soul clap!

Leo's Sunshipp were made up of former singers who used to work for Motown, notably with Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross and 'Give Me The Sunshine' is taken from their only album, We Need Each Other. It was almost never released however, as lead singer Johnny Simone suddenly succumbed to cancer during the recording of the album but despite only four tracks being produced, the record company eventually decided to go ahead and release it along with several outtakes of the songs.

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 02:31 1 Komentar

Friendly Fires - 'Paris'

Friendly Fires - 'Paris'

Friendly Fires Have Music Will Travel Jools Holland Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

 a chance to share some of my favourite songs, memories and B&B's. 

Friendly Fire - 'Paris' (2008) Great performance, great Ian Curtis style dancing!

There's nothing quite like springtime in Paris, that is unless you go when it's cold, grey and wet like I did in April. But that hardly mattered as it was for my wife's 40th (I know, what a guy!) - a rare foray away, the joys of parenthood shelved for two nights. I was also hoping to take in some of the sights and sounds of Jazz Age Paris al la movie, 'Midnight in Paris', Woody Allen's love letter to France's capital and a firm favourite of mine. It was a semi-surprise, as I ended up telling her a few weeks early and that was for two reasons:

Firstly, on the advice of fellow blogger Sfw, who wisely stated that a woman needs time to prepare and that I should probably give my wife the heads up in case she turns up, to one of the most stylish cities in the world, in a tracksuit (highly unlikely but I couldn’t take the risk).

Secondly, as my wife has never forgiven me for the last time I booked a surprise trip and as a result now takes on all the responsibility for booking breaks to make sure the family doesn't get traumatised, I needed to double-check that I was on the right track.

Better than Blackpool Tower? 

The aforementioned event was on the occasion of a friend's wedding when I decided to take the initiative and book a Bed and Breakfast. The website said that it was an idyllic cottage with a great breakfast, 5 minutes from the reception venue but more importantly it was cheap. It was also called 'Trade Winds'. I loved the name as it evoked the swashbuckling and romantic spirit of adventure, especially staying in a seaside town. Well, it was a crap adventure and it couldn't have been further from the truth. There were 2 single beds (romantic) with stains on the bed-sheets, a thick layer of dust covering the chintzy furniture with spiders ,dead and alive, lurking in the corners and quite clearly peeved that they now had to share their space with us. To top it all there was mould all over the (communal) bathroom. It made student digs look like the Ritz and, as everywhere else was full, it felt like we were well and truly shipwrecked. Furthermore, on reluctantly returning from a bizarre wedding reception (the groom ended up accusing his new bride of adultery), we were greeted by the B&B's owner, half naked in a dressing gown, gazing at us disapprovingly. It was like being in a creepy slasher movie. My wife was not happy! 

My SEAL team 6 style logistical planning paid off, and despite not hearing Cole Porter or having a drink with Scott Fitzgerald, we had a fantastic time. A beautiful boutique hotel, immaculately decorated (no mould or spiders to speak of) with a bath in the room! (All above board I can assure you). In an area where we could take in the most spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower I have ever seen (Palais de la Chaiilot) and strolling along the vibrant La Marais (so many vintage record shops too). Memories of my first ill fated surprise expedition well and truly exorcised! I can't wait for my 40th now!

Got the moves like Curtis, oooh oooh oooh....

Friendly Fires' 'Paris' was one of my favourite songs of 2008, probably due to the fact it's about Paris, it's romantic and has some good lines in it. An amorous guy promises his girl, they'll move to Paris as soon as he has enough cash and that's his goal, "just hold on a little more". And when they get there they'll watch the stars and city lights, "they'll be out for us", ahhh it's so nice. "I'll find you that French Boy, you'll find me that French Girl"....ehrm, hang on a minute, swapsies? That's not very romantic. Oh well, I suppose the French are at it, so when in Rome and all that (or Paris for that matter). 

The St Albans trio released their second album of 'Hawaiian shirt funk' in 2011, called Pala and have also released a Late Night Tales compilation. Check out their website here...... 

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 19:00 2 Komentar

DJ Shadow - 'Midnight in a Perfect World'

DJ Shadow - 'Midnight in a Perfect World'

DJ Shadow Flycasual Mo Wax Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

DJ Shadow - 'Midnight in a Perfect World' (1995)

I don't know exactly when it was but sometime in the early 90's I broke up with Hip-Hop. I wasn't entirely sure where it was headed or what it was trying to say anymore. Subsequently it went on to be arguably the most popular form of music, a classic case of 'it's not you, it's me'. However something was salvaged from this acrimonious split, I discovered the Mo' Wax record label which was founded in the early 90's by James Lavelle, who would later go on to form UNKLE. I felt the label retained the essence of Hip-Hop, going with the 'two turntables and microphone' mantra. Except instead of the mic, the tracks were sample heavy and predominately psychedelic in nature, hence the sometimes unwanted tag, 'Trip-Hop'.

Ain't no such thing as bad weather...word!

DJ Shadow was on Mo' Wax's books and dropped the classic 'Entroducing' album, a completely innovative record made up of beats and spliced up with old funk and movie samples. This track stood out for me as it sounded gentle in nature imagining a silent urban night scape but with the heavy 'boom bap' Hip-Hop beat to satisfy the head bobbing B-boy in me. Hip-Hop had evolved......a true gem.

You'll be pleased to know that Hip-Hop and I are back together now. I guess we just needed a break.

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 19:00 1 Komentar

Laurie Anderson - 'Rhumba Club'

Laurie Anderson - 'Rhumba Club'

Flycasual Laurie Anderson Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Laurie Anderson - 'Rhumba Club' (2001)

So here it is, Spring has sprung and I'm off work, oh yeah!! Oh no, I'm off work and stuck inside as I've done my back in and I can hardly move. I don't know how I did it either, that's the thing, probably something as extreme as emptying the dishwasher. Good ol' doc though, he has given me strong as Chuck Norris pain killers and celebrity Valium, but I feel far from a Hollywood A-Lister. On top of it all, it's my Old Ma's 70th birthday get together in Brighton this week and to avoid being the party pooper, I've seriously considered hiring a mobility scooter.

I try and loosen my back up a bit by taking a tour round the block but end up walking like a crap Robocop so I go in and listen to music. Then out of a melancholic playlist, this stunning song comes on by Laurie Anderson. I don't know much about her apart from her being married to Lou Reed and 'Rhumba Club' is the one and only song I have ever heard from her (she's an accomplished musician and artist as it happens). Absolutely mesmerising, I love the constant drone in the background and the instrumentation, on a tragic tale of a dance hall. I can just imagine the people meeting there and the characters she depicts in the song, it just takes you away, beautiful.

You're not coming into the club walking like that pal!

It's a sad song which makes me happy (as SFW mentioned on his TOTW last week) as it reminds me of the time when I first heard it. It was on a Nonesuch Records sampler with so many good artists on it, Ry Cooder, Sun Kil Moon and Wilco to name a few (I must dig it out) and I had just moved in with my girlfriend (now wife). Ahhh young love, exciting and happy times, sharing the bills, your own drawer, having to remember to put the toilet seat down and and turning the tap on in the bathroom when you're doing number two's!

Bizarrely, 'Rhumba Club' didn't make the cut for Laurie Anderson's 2001 album, 'Life on a String' and was actually released on a bonus CD accompanying the album. Wha!? That suggests to me the album must be amazing, weird how some songs just strike a chord....

Laurie Anderson's official website....

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 19:00 2 Komentar

Earthling - 'Infinite M'

Earthling - 'Infinite M'

Earthling Eurostar Adventures Flycasual Hip Hop Classics Recollection Collection YO! TuneDr Raps

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Earthling - Infinite-M (1995)

Sometimes going to Disneyland isn't the fairytale it's all cracked up to be. That is of course, if you are working the trolley onboard Eurostar. I used to work as cabin crew back in the mid 90's and though it was largely enjoyable, trolley detail was most certainly the short straw, especially the journey to Eurodisney. One moment it's working the premium cabin to Paris, serving canapés and 1988 Chateau Lafite to Tori Amos (yes I met her, read about it here) the next it's five carriages of trolley carnage, selling Kit Kats and Um Bongo to groups of school kids vomiting with excitement.

Earthling...looks like it's his 5th trolley detail in a row!

One such memorable journey to Eurodisney saw me tasked with this unenviable duty. The train was full of school trips, I had more than my fair share of trolley duties that month and of course one of the wheels refused to co-operate. That meant when the train was taking bends at 300kph around the French countryside, lugging the trolley at what felt like negative G's, it was tantamount to wrestling a Sherman Tank. I wasn't in the mood. My misery was compounded by the fact that I was working with an overly zealous, overly camp purser whom I affectionately called 'French Terry' (his name was Thierry), who I had previously fallen out with. Service protocol required me to be in a certain carriage at a certain time during the trip to avoid a potential refreshment riot at the buffet car. Due to difficult circumstances, I had failed to meet this requirement much to the visible disappointment of French Terry who came to check on me, branding me, "the slowest trolley dolly he has ever known".

With a sudden and uncharacteristic act of insubordination I shouted, "You scumbag!"

"Get out!" He screamed.

"But we're not at a station." I replied.

"Just get off my train!!" French Terry, getting visibly redder, barked.

"It's not your train though." I retorted, adding more fuel to the fire.

"You're stood down!" and with that he disappeared back down the train.

Those dreaded words meant I was officially relieved of my duties, a bit like a cop handing in his badge and his gun except in this case it was the trolley key and the takings. I was well and truly busted.

On arrival at Eurodisney, French Terry told me to make my own way back to Paris to catch a Eurostar home to London. So, declining a hug from Tigger and friends who were greeting the hordes of children on the platform, I made my way back with my tail between my legs. As it turns out I got a slap on the wrist and told not to call my superiors scumbags and French Terry got reprimanded for lack of due care for leaving a staff member behind enemy lines. Yes!

I see this picture, I start to have a Vietnam style flashback.....eh? Oi! Put that back!

It's amazing how, on hearing a song, it takes you back to an event in your life where you pretty much recall everything. Like Earthling's debut album 'Radar', particularly my favourite track 'Infinite M', will always be synonymous with the above events. As on the journey home from Eurosdisney, this was the album I was listening to on my Discman, soothing me like a 'there there' pat on the back.

Earthling are a Hip Hop act hailing from Bristol (there's a surprise!) and released their debut in 1995. Portishead's Geoff Barrow was also involved in the album providing some unmistakable 'Trip Hop' nuances. I loved it, it was highly original, innovative and brilliantly bizarre, an underrated classic as far as I'm concerned, making up a chunk of the UK's Hip Hop and dance scene's musical DNA. In 2011 they finally released a third album called 'Insomniac's Ball'.

Have a look at what Earthling are doing on their website.

More adventures on Eurostar......

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 22:00 9 Komentar

Cypress Hill - 'Cock the Hammer'

Cypress Hill - 'Cock the Hammer'

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Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Cypress Hill - 'Cock The Hammer' (1993)

I managed to catch the tail end of Jurassic Park the other day, a film I loved and one which I haven't seen in ages. I fondly remember getting caught up in dino fever at the time, Laura Dern's shorts making we want to study paleontology. All those dinosaurs running amok reminds me, bizarrely, of Cypress Hill's 'Cock the Hammer'. Not only was the album 'Black Sunday' out at the same time but the track is dark, brooding and menacing. The screeching sample making me think I was being hunted by a pack of Velociraptors as opposed to some Cholos in South Central LA.

Doyouthinkhesaurus.....man, we been smoking too much!

My wife woke me from my reverie to tell me that, after the Blackpool premiere in ’93, she was interviewed by the local Evening Gazette and asked what she thought of the film. Instead of praising the ground-breaking special effects, bringing the dinosaurs to life or how cool the scene is where the guy on the toilet gets munched by T-Rex, she replies,

"it was great but I wasn't sure the PG rating was right as it was very scary."

She was 20 at the time - what a schmuck! (her word not mine but yeah, what a schmuck!).

However I also have a confession to make. Many moons ago, Old Pa dragged me along to see Bob Dylan at Wembley Arena. Despite 'growing up' with Bob, I still knew very little. So when Q magazine approached me (Q! My big moment), post- concert, to ask me what I thought, I froze! Knowing I may feature as part of their regular fan concert review, I desperately tried thinking of something smart to say but all I could muster was,

"it was good but he could have played some of his older stuff. His hat was cool though."

The interviewer just said his thank yous and left. When Old Pa returned from the toilet he was beaming and exclaimed,

"that was an amazing gig he played a lot of his older and more obscure stuff which he doesn't usually play!"

What a schmuck!

gutted!

Have you ever been a schmuck and said something you knew was crap after being interviewed? It's ok, go ahead we're all on the truth tree, you can tell us.

See what they're up to, check Cypress Hill's official website...

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.

sfw Pada 18:00 1 Komentar

Chaka Demus and Pliers - 'Murder She Wrote'/'BamBam'

Chaka Demus and Pliers - 'Murder She Wrote'/'BamBam'

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Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

 Follow meh!

Chaka Demus & Pliers - 'Murder She Wrote' (1994)

Mine's the blond!....

I have always wanted to meet a Maxine because of this song and last week, at work, my dream was finally realised. On a rare and precious break, I decided to 'run the gauntlet' by going from the office to the coffee shop in the departure lounge. This should be a round trip lasting no longer than 7 minutes leaving you a total of 23 minutes to enjoy your downtime. However, with 'running the gauntlet', you risk having your time severely dented as passengers see the uniform/hi-viz vest and converge on you like brain starved zombies wanting to ask you all sorts of questions. And since I'm the type of guy who likes to provide a service with a smile, I oblige. This time a young woman wanted to ask me a question about her flight and checking her boarding pass I noticed her name was Maxine. I must've let out a little squeal, as I tried hard to suppress myself from blurting out something disastrous like "hey, just like 'Murder She Wrote'" and sing "If I ever tell you about Maxine". Luckily my brief liaison with Maxine was uneventful and she was happily on her way to the correct boarding gate whilst I was able to go back to my office to enjoy a 21 minute break.

Chaka Demus and Pliers, 'Maxine, her face is like a bunch of rose', apparently..

And thanks to that encounter it reminded me of these two brilliant tracks which I haven't heard in years. I absolutely love the backing and so did they by the looks of it as it's used on both songs. Despite Chaka Demus and Pliers being successful Dancehall artists in their own right, 'Murder She Wrote' (produced by Sly and Robbie) was their most popular hits as a duo, taken from their 1993 debut 'All She Wrote'.

 

Chaka Demus and Pliers - 'Bam Bam' (1994)

The equally irie 'Bam Bam', a reworking of a Toots and the Maytals classic also features on the album. Hear dis!

Have a listen to some of my favourite tracks on my Spotify playlist below or click here to read some more posts.....Easy Kno!

sfw Pada 18:00 5 Komentar

Massive Attack - Daydreaming / Lately

Massive Attack - Daydreaming / Lately

Flycasual Massive Attack Recollection Collection

Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

Massive Attack - 'Lately' (1991)

My dad came back from a business trip sometime in 1991 and instead of a lousy t-shirt he got me Massive Attack's Blue Lines.

Living in Saudi Arabia you were always a good few months behind on the latest music, so I couldn't wait to hear it as I had read so much about it. And it absolutely blew my mind....it changed everything for me, Hip Hop, Soul, Reggae, Dub, capturing for the first time, all the forms of music I loved. There's this underlying gloom throughout the album yet it still remains hopeful and the songs are perfectly crafted together one after another. From the rumbling bass of 'Safe From Harm' to the hopeful 'Hymn of the Big Wheel' and not to mention the goose pimple inducing classic of 'Unfinished Sympathy'.

Blue Lines, Bristol's finest!

At the time my copy of Blue Lines, Massive Attack were called only Massive, this was apparently due to the 1st Gulf War coinciding with the album's release (how inconvenient). It certainly wasn't helped by the fact that Saddam Hussein had billed his war as 'the mother of all battles' with the 'Coalition of the Willing's' military juggernaut building up on his doorstep, there was indeed a very good chance of a 'Massive Attack'. A tad inappropriate then, so probably a wise move dropping the 'Attack' bit until everyone cooled off.

For a 16 year old red blooded boy however, it was a pretty exciting time. Our school was adjacent to Jeddah airport and every morning we would see positioning B52's, tankers and Stealth Bombers take off and land. The bus ride into school would be dominated with conversations on contingency plans to thwart the advance of an Iraqi mechanised division. At home we were advised to purchase gas masks and tape our windows in case Sudan (across the Red Sea) would deliver a Scud surprise. Then there was the merchandise, you couldn't be seen without your Operation Desert Shield cups, hats, t-shirts, and even having to upgrade to Operation Desert Storm when the war began and because it sounded better. When it finally all kicked off, school was cancelled for a week, which was an absolute bonus. It meant we could all stay at home and gather round the television to see, for the first time, 'live war' with CNN's 24 hour coverage. Including the Saudi fighter pilot who was welcomed back to base with a jet shaped cake, for shooting down a couple of fleeing Iraqi Migs, the country's first 'Kill', treated like a sporting event. Oh, what a lovely war! All a bit gruesome in hindsight I suppose, considering the amount of devastation unleashed but it was a remarkable time that will always live with me.

Massive Attack - 'Daydreaming' (1991)

Nov 20th 2012 saw the re-release of that vintage album which, in my eyes, the Bristol sound was the blueprint for UK dance music. With no bum track on the album, it was never an easy choice to pick a favourite but I have a real soft spot for 'Lately', with Shara Nelson's dulcet tones on a relationship turned sour. And 'Daydreaming' with 3D, Daddy G and Tricky's hushed rhyming, a trademark Massive Attack sound. They are currently in the studio recording the follow up to 2010's excellent Heliogoland.

Official site here....

more of my favourite tunes here.....

sfw Pada 18:00 6 Komentar

DC Basehead - 'Not Over You'

DC Basehead - 'Not Over You'

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Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

this time we are on the receiving end of cupid's harpoon!

DC Basehead - 'Not Over You' (1992)

I love this track with it's looping scratch and piano and Micheal Ivey's laboured delivery adding to the smokey atmosphere. The sound of a broken man, there's a real feel of resignation here, a reluctance to move on or be helped as our protagonist is weighed under his lovesick stupour.

Because of the unique nature of the song, I used to view it as a bit of a novelty record blissfully ignorant to it's real meaning. I would think.... 'Ah bless him, he must be upset...he sounds like he's in such a bad mood. It can't be that bad'! Little did I know a few years down the line, the track would take extra significance as I would get 'kicked in the ass by love' myself and would fully understand why he sounded so bloody miserable!

DC Basehead.....upset!

'Not Over You' is taken from DC Basehead's debut album Play With Toys and you'll be pleased to know that he is no longer gutted and has re-released his debut to coincide with it's 20th anniversary.

Gutted? Want to rub your face in it some more? Click here
or more of my favourite tunes here.....

sfw Pada 18:00 2 Komentar

Zero 7 - 'In the Waiting Line' / 'I Have Seen'

Zero 7 - 'In the Waiting Line' / 'I Have Seen'

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Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

 with a smoke and a pancake!

Zero 7 - 'In the Waiting Line' (2001)

My girlfriend and I hadn't been going out long and were still checking each other out (yes still, read my Cuban post here)! when we booked a romantic weekend trip to the 'Venice of the North', Amsterdam. It was perfect, spring was in the air, the tulips were in full bloom, a leisurely stroll along a canal before taking in the Van Gogh museum. I had Post Impressionist facts about ears and stuff at the ready should they be needed to impress. Then back to our hotel, a typical classic Amsterdam townhouse in a quiet part of town for a nap before dinner, table booked for 2030. Bliss....ahhh new love!

I suggested that since we were in Amsterdam we should experience a 'coffee shop' - when in Rome and all that. In order to impress my girlfriend I wanted to make out like I knew what I was talking about so told her to follow my lead. We went to a chilled and cosy looking coffee shop away from the main drag with JJ Cale playing in the background - it was the perfect vibe. I ordered a coffee for me, a hot chocolate for my hot date and like a connoisseur, I asked the fine gentlemen behind the bar for the 'menu'. Without a clue, I decided on a ready made joint of which they had only one kind, ominously called 'Super Skunk,' obviously not a good idea but oh, what the hell, yes please!


A shmoke and Pancake alstublieft!
With the conversation flowing, the drinks going down nicely and the J being passed back and forth, all was going well. I was having most of the joint so I began to realise I might have a problem on my hands. I was already righting the world's wrongs in my head when my girlfriend piped up and to my horror said "Hey should we get another one?" Lord only knows why I agreed and even the barman looked at me with that sort of look that says, "you sure you know what you’re doing pal?" I returned to the table with drinks and with a doobie that even Jim Morrison would have refused. A few drags in, the conversation went dead, paranoia set in as I thought I had said something to upset her. Is that really the lizard king shaking his head at me in the corner? What were we talking about? The silence grew increasingly uncomfortable, I broke out in a cold sweat as I squirmed in my comfy armchair but was it really comfy? I realised I was having the dreaded 'whitey', blood drained from my face, features all slack....I had to get out so I bolted.


Dam Square, perfect recovery area..
My girlfriend chased me through the streets of Amsterdam asking what was the matter, with the bicycles dodging me thinking ‘bloody tourist!’, until I made my way to a crowded Dam Square. I tried to find the most comfortable position which was lying down besides the monument, half on - half off some steps, in the middle of the most famous square in town. Not really a good look for me and certainly not quite the impression I was hoping to make after the wonderful day we had had. We should have gone to a nice bar to have a couple of sophisticated cocktails as an aperitif before dinner. Instead what I did was probably the equivalent of downing two pints of Carlsberg Special Brew - classy. Dinner was now ruined, as it took me at least an hour or so to recover enough to get moving again. I don't remember her being that mad at me, (I definitely would have broken up with me) and besides, she is still with me 10 years on so my charm and irresistible good looks must have won the day!

Zero 7's debut album 'When it Falls' reminds me of that weekend. I had bought it prior to our trip and it was the ideal accompaniment as it was the perfect mood setter. Two of my favourite tracks here, with stunning keyboard work on the Fender Rhodes on the gorgeous 'In the Waiting Line' and 'I Have Seen'.

Please note, that both my now wife and I did not inhale!!

Zero 7 - 'I Have Seen' (2001)

Zero 7 official site here and check out RCRDLBL.com for some free Zero & downloads including their latest offering for the Talk Talk tribute album, 'Spirit of Talk Talk'

Why not subscribe to my playlist....it's a little bit crap!

sfw Pada 19:00 4 Komentar

Jamiroquai - 'Little L'

Jamiroquai - 'Little L'

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Recollection Collection......musical memories recalled with affection!

 Cuban heat!

Jamiroquai - Little L (2001)

Categorically I'm a wallflower, I do not dance, it's safer for everyone that it remains that way. But one song in particular always seems to get me moving, however badly, and that's the bubbling bassline, strings and claps of 'Little L', it just oozes funk. I'm not even a big fan of Jamiroquai even though they have made some great tunes. It's like I've unknowingly partaken in a government experiment, I have had an implant and I am only activated into service when a certain signal is relayed, in this case this song. 

Taxi for Flycasual!

It's reminds of a holiday to Cuba in 2001, where I picked up the album for my wife, 'Little L' was on it and I just couldn't get enough of it. We had been going out for a year, so we were still checking each other out (yeah) and so there were plenty of opportunities for deal breakers, dancing like a chicken scratching for grits would probably be one of them. One evening we were having a few drinks at the hotel bar, after one Cuba Libre too many, the revolution in my pants was in full swing and I turned to my girlfriend and said 'Let's take this to the Disco', I had it in my head that I wanted to hear 'Little L' and maybe glide and move like Jay Kay. The DJ had never heard of it and continued to play some tragic Euro pop. So despite my girlfriend's protests, I decided to go back to the room to fetch it. By the time I came back, (thankfully) some off duty hotel staff were providing the guests to an impromptu display of dancing to some Cuban Son music, it was saucy, sultry, hip to hip action and I wasn't about to ruin the mood by moving about with all the sexiness of a damp cloth. Dignity intact and probably what uncle Che would have wanted!

Jay Kay, certainly not scratching for grits..

Jamiroquai's official site here...

sfw Pada 02:41 2 Komentar