Solomon Burke RIP

After hearing the news today, I went looking on YouTube and found this clip:

After enjoying “The Blues Brothers” when it was re-released in the late 80’s, I tracked down as much of the music from it as I could. Sadly, I missed Solomon Burke until a few years ago.

So, when I’m marking this afternoon, I’ll dig out a couple of Solomon Burke CDs, and if I haven’t finished, it’ll be John Lee Hooker, Sam & Dave and some Elmore James, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Parker , The Band, Booker T, and some Motown and R&B classics (not the modern twaddle that calls itself R&B, but real Rhythm and Blues).

Title Says It All

This came on my CD in the car as I headed out to get some essential supplies this morning. They are a great band, I was boogying along the seafront with the aircon on, heading for an early shop – which then included the new CD “The End”.

Supplies – oscillating fan (it was 20°c at 0900hrs) and an LG widescreen LCD monitor (yup, I finally disconnected my CRT unit).

When I got back, the Boxer rifles pack from Old Glory was waiting for me. I only ordered it when I was editing a video after midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning. Good going. I’ll get all my figures to the same stage of prep and then wait for a rainy day to get a wodge painted.

So much to do before I can disappear to the hills with a clear conscience.

If you haven’t figured it out – I survived another teaching year, and I’m looking forward to next year. Emotionally and physically, I’m having a big clearout at home and at work. “Hello, Trail? Yup, I’m cancelling my subscription”. Life is too short to get dragged down by other people. I can’t define my life by what I am not. I like problem-solving, I like helping people, I like learning things. I am a geek. No more, no less.

Crowing On

Something I said earlier in the week caused my brain to revisit “The Crow”. Searching through my tapes, I remembered that the car had eaten my album over a decade ago, and I’d never got round to replacing it.

Album ordered from Play before I forget again.

Stop Making Sense

“Stop Making Sense/Talking Heads” It’s a great dvd. I love watching the band’s interactions and this breach of copyright will probably mean that the video will not last long here. Such is life. If you dance as badly as I do then get the grey suit out, pad up the shoulders and dance along like the chicken-legged performer par-excellence that is David Byrne.

Filmed more than 25 years ago, I can still find motivation in it. Isn’t that one of the wonders of art? Whatever the medium is, each individual can take away different things from it. And have a good, fun time too.

‘nuff said: press play and join the grey side …

Shopping link. Wikipedia.

Noddy's For Life, not just for Christmas

This was Slade's 3rd number one chart-topper, spending 3 weeks at the top in 1972, and was their second number one of that year. Source.

12 years ago Slade had their 20th anniversary.

I'm not sure if things have changed that much since then. Of course, Noddy is no longer in the band's line-up. The charts are pretty much dead, replaced by iTunes or whatever online source of information new bands aspire to. Hopefully, good, passionate music still comes to the fore, and that bands with character still come to the heart of the country enough to have the mickey taken from them in a loving way.

Next time you hear the strains of "it's Christmassssss" give a thought to Slade, and the inspiration that they were to others.

Not Scottish, But What the Heck

Come one, surely this is worth re-broadcasting?

It’s Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssss

Today's EarWorm

I heard the track on the radio during my morning ablutions, and that fired up the air guitar video from Scrubs in my head. Again and again.

So, in a breach of copyright, but advertising a great track, and a superb tv series, here is my earworm.

Feeder Frenzy

Merged screenshot of the different times of comment feed arriving (and, yes, I did refresh the screen first).

The time of this snap was 23:07. I switched over to the Safari browser so that I can have a non-logged in view.

Comments v 3 & 4 are based on RSS feeds. Latest post received was from Dawn (the last comment posted).

Comments v 2 & 3 are based on Atom feeds. Latest post received was from WD (posted at 21:47).

Earlier today the Atom feeds seemed to be faster to update.

No reply from Blogger staffers at their forum. I did notice a post that asked "Does Blogger Tech Support staff ever look at this forum?" (source). I looked back through forum posts to find that I may be better asking them for information directly. So, I went through the Blogger Help, and ended on this page:

The best way to get help is to post your question to the Blogger Help Group. There, you can find answers, ask questions, and share expertise with other Blogger users. There are some Blogger employees who jump in as well. You'll see a blue "G" badge next to their names. Report your issue here.

Clicking on the link took me back to the Official Blogger Help Group from whence I started. So I looked through some posts and found how few had been answered by staffers. Actual, real staffers, and not the "stars" that help so many people. And then I looked at how many final posts read about getting help from staffers by email. If you find these words negative, just go and have a look at the work these people are doing. As to the "stars", I don't know if they get paid, or sent some gift socks.

Still, it is a new day tomorrow. I'll try some Piriteze to see if it works better on the leg than the Benadryl tab. It is distracting me from doing some painting, but not enough to get me to do the housework.

In the meantime, some music, it was used in the compelling documentary series "Teachers".

That's Alright

Watched some of the "Elvis: '68 Comeback" dvd from June 1968. (trailer)

Just under 40 years ago. The youngest person in the audience looked to be around 10 years old. Some 50-, 60-, 70- year old folk are walking the streets, being pestered by thieves and wasters because they are old, but they have the knowledge that they experienced something unique. Something that the modern stolen, downloaded, processed music can't reproduce.

So; go and see live music when you can.

Will it be enough to save the Lemon Tree? Who knows, but you'll have the experience in your brain and no-one can take that away from you.

Earworm: Singalong

Earworm

In Praise of Ben Spellcheck

Concealed on the BBC iPlayer/Radio/Radio Scotland is "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra..." which was last night's performance of:

Ronald Stevenson's epic "In Praise of Ben Ardrain" [Sic], based on the poem by Duncan Ban McIntyre.

I caught some of it in my car last night. Not my cup of irn bru. I'll need to catch the whole thing for completeness sake. Some good lilting bits in it, but nothing I could tap my feet to and go "heuch".

I dunno - like the prog that was on recently about a search for a Highland musical, I don't think it is particularly relevant to the Highlands. But that's just me. Nor is this. But some of these may take your breath away or this.

--

Previous post

Praise of Ben Dorain

I heard an article on Radio Scotland on Tuesday interviewing Ronald Stevenson about his "Praise of ben Dorian" piece being performed at Celtic Connections in...Glasgow on Saturday. He sounds a nice chap, I think the term is "well grounded".

More info

Celtic connections 2008

Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (Gaelic)

Scotland's Music Finale

A gentle, but well-travelled finale to Phil Cunningham's "Scotland's Music" series on BBC2. Travelling from the camel-riding pipe band in Oman, to Donegal/Ireland, to Cape Breton in Canada and down to the USA. There he plays Carnegie Hall with Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne - in an interesting experiment, they have composed a tune and took it to play blue-grass style in Tennessee. At one Scots/US festival, there deep-fried Snickers bars being sold.

Official Website

Well done to all involved. I wasn't going to watch it when I saw the initial trailers, now I'm glad that I did. An excellent addition to my growing cultural dvd library.

Scotland's Music Nr 5

Just watched the penultimate program in Phil Cunningham's "Scotland's Music" TV series.

Episode 5 was about celebration with clips on their website.

Paolo Nutini discussed why he liked Burns' original tune for "Auld Lang Syne". The Peatbog Faeries talked about reading the crowd. There was a retrospective on Jimmy Shand (especially the Bluebell Polka). A battle of the bands between east (Colin Dewar) and west coast (Fergie MacDonald. Heuch. I'm a west-coaster. I prefer this. Toes are tapping, and fingers drumming out the tune). Niel Gow's NE fiddling style, painted by Raeburn, celebrated in festival. Scott Skinner, Queen Victoria's Strathspey King.

A trip back in history through earlier courts to the effect of the Reformation on music. The use of the canntaireachd to pass on pipe music when it seen as illegal after the '45 (though they were never prescribed, an earlier programme said). And ends with Sir Harry Lauder. "Why would we give Harry Lauder a hard time?" Fine, fun tunes like this. Can anyone take The White Heather Club seriously? What is wrong with fun? Fiona Kennedy speaks about Scottish music on television, with her Dad, Calum at the forefront.

This links neatly to the modern scene: Sandi Thom and the Internet; the rise of festivals in Scotland. "The future's going to be incredible", says the presenter, who plays the set at Belladrum with his pal Aly Bain.

Just one more episode in this great series to watch.

School of Scottish Studies

Whilst looking researching (if that's what you call it) the previous post, I found this resource in the School of Scottish Studies: recordings of songs, music, folk tales and historical facts from all around Scotland.

Link to the Archive of recordings. Sorted by 'type'.

I'm off to listen to this one by Affleck Gray and the strange happenings at the Corrour Bothy; sleeping in caves in the Cairngorms in the 1920's. He was 87 when the recording was made. Link

Festive Song

From the wonderful Goons, here's their rendition of a Christmas carol (wav format).

I Heart Jimmy Shand

The blog seems to be turning into a request show, as a student of mine pointed me to this video.

Out of Boddam

Having a laugh listening to "out of doors" on radio scotland. In a cold car, rain hammering against the windows and against me when i open the window to see where the sun will rise. I doubt i'll get the chance to use the tripod. Hey ho.

8:33am

8:50am

8:58am

9:00am

9:07am

MapLink: Car park, south of Boddam, on A90.

This useful site has the sunrise/sunset times, but the sunrise was mugged today by a North Sea cloudbank. Warm clothing and a thermos in the car. I had intended to stop in Peterhead and get some snaps, but the light was poor, so went shopping (bumping into Stu from the wargames club), then to a mate's for tea, and got a free pub lunch for helping fix a problem with her Dad's computer. Then spent most of afternoon asleep on my sofa. A lazy day.

Just noticed that I hadn't set the EOS clock to GMT. Oops. I can't try and blame Lay for that one.

Coincidentally, "Scotland's Music" on the TV just now has Phil Cunningham talking to Aly Bain about the light that falls on Scotland (MediaLink).

Meditation by Paddyrasta

Paddyrasta's "Meditation" video, filmed here in Aberdeen. See how many locations you can spot.

Scotland's Music

There's a fine programme on BBC2 called "Scotland's Music with Phil Cunningham", with Phil Cunningham presenting a programme about music from Scotland. He delves into Scotland's past, meets people, and discusses the tunes and who wrote them.

In this week's episode he covered work. Which meant that he looked into waulking songs, with Anne Lorne Gillies and Capercaillie; shepherds (with a trip to Tibbie Shiel's Inn in Ettrick); fishing in Stonehaven and whaling in Peterhead; jute in Dundee, and travellers and Doric balladeers, "fit fit fits fit fit?"

So you get a better idea of aspects of Scottish people, history, the environment, oh, and some music too.

Being a modern media company, the BBC have a website where you can watch (and listen to) clips from the shows so far. Heuch.