Have you ever gone Dutch and visited De Nederlandsh? Our first trip in '94 saw us rolling from the ferry (a Ceefax bargain) to theme of Eurotrash in our Renault 5 GTX for five days camping and nipping around and about Amsterdam, Edam and Volendam. Generally Holland was more micro-sized than expected with dinky, neat and tidy streets and suburbs. Clusters of flat-packed towns built from from Toytown blueprints. It may sound bizarre but Amsterdam aside, the lowlander lifestyle was so casually efficient, polite and polished that it felt like a nation populated, designed and governed by Toto fans.
A few weeks after our Dutch run I spotted a Toto live album - strangely, but not surprisingly, recorded at a gig in Holland. Perma-perms, soft rock and all-season sunglasses aren't on today's menu. Instead it’s a triple run of...
Bonnie St Claire (above) from her 69 soul-stomper era.
Brainbox (?)
A Shocking Blue tune that isn't Venus (Tom version here by the way)
Bonnie St Claire - I Surrender
Brainbox - Down Man
Shocking Blue - Hot Sand
Did you know George Baker and his total pop classic are as Dutch as Advocaat ? Smoke and pancake - the clues are all there..
24 comments:
great selection Mondo:
good to see the vid for such classic:
dank u zeer ^_*
Uh-oh, you mentioned Toto. I'm gonna have to play 'Africa' now.
Love ol' matey's Elvis style shades in the vid' Choco.
Have you tried the first album Davy - hidden amongst the keyboard stabs and air-punching anthems is this Jazz Funk nugg. And the live versh of Rosanna usually has an extended piano jazz-off coda.
PS did you know Toto's David Paich worked with Sarah Vaughan on her Songs Of The Beatles album
No! I didn't! What are you like! I bought Toto IV for two quid just for 'Africa' 'Rosanna' and the Roger Sanchez-sampled 'I Won't Hold You Back'.
Do you know what - I've never admitted this before, but as the subjects come up I'm outing myself. Toto IV is my guiltiest pleasure.
In theory I should dislike everything about it: the beards and bird's nest perms, the Peter Cetera style soft/soppy synths, the sunny American 80s anthems - but for some reason it just works. I took Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish when we went to Holland - but played Toto IV all the time
I was going to say Mondo, who are you to diss fans of Toto?!
I'm loving that Bonnie St. Claire track, it's perfect for a Friday. And I never knew that the George Baker selection were Dutch or indeed that Toto worked with Sarah Vaughan. You learn a new thing every day etc. etc.
Ok so whilst we all confessing about Toto who are a good band I'll have to confess to Journey another one that one the face of it you'd think you'd run away from but frankly, great musicianship, good songs, well played and just all round good stuff....
Just for the record I've Paradise Lost Icon blaring out whilst I type this (trying to keep my streetcred in check here you know :-))
I feel strangely liberated and lighter of step now I've come clean about them Cocktails. PS Bonnie will return with some glam-stompers at some point.
Mrs M's got some/a Journey album/s I think F Ron(and Marillion and Genesis) she's also possibly the only girl ever to buy a Jethro Tull album.
I've got a lot of time for the freaky deaky Dutch. A couple of years back we did The North Sea Jazz Festival (niiiice) in The Hague and pulled in Amsterdam both on the way there and on the way back. But that's another story.
I went to the Pink Pop festival a couple of times in late teens early 20s and have spent a few holidays in Noordwijk. I love the Netherlands.
Was not aware of George Baker Selection fact, a track I love
North Sea Jazz and Pink Pop - worra a pair of swingers. The only event we caught was a fashion show in a pub, which later became a strip show (we'd left by then).
Netherlands was nice, but Belgium beats it for me - the belfries, cobbled back streets, Belgian beer, chocolate, waffles, ice cream. It's all too much. And the world's largest vending machine - packed with wine, bread and bolognese sauce.
When I was a kid in the late 60s my brother had some great Shocking Blue singles and one of them had a picture sleeve - a real rarity in those days, not unconnected with Mariska Veres' photogenic qualities I suspect.
Amsterdam. Holland. Well, you wouldn't find me going on about it.
For years (well a few months probably aged 14)I thought picture sleeves were a punk invention. It was a bit jarring to realise they'd been around since Elvis and beyond Any chance of blogging a couple of those Shocker singles Mick?
I've only just made the connection DVD - have you got Dutch heritage?
I think DVD is referring to his 'War & Peace' length post over at the Vinyl Villain.
I should be able to blog about Shocking Blue but it might take a while to organise.
Some time in 1977 my friend Mike (the other one in the POTA picture) and I recorded a couple of ‘punk’ songs at his house and I shamelessly ripped off the Venus riff. He didn’t know it and thought I was a genius. He’s still got the tape.
Regarding picture sleeves, my brothers had hundreds of records in the late 60s and off the top of my head I can only remember 4 picture sleeves:
Shocking Blue - Venus or Mighty Joe
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds
Badfinger - Come and Get It
Tremeloes - Even The Bad Time Are Good.
How's that for an eclectic collection.
Yeah I remembered that post after I'd whacked my comm' in - blame on too much Polish beer and Italian Vermouth. And worra great collection of singles - Come and Get It, was one of the first tunes I remember going mad for as a nipper.
My first picture sleeve though ELO Sweet Talking Woman (which I only bought for the purple vinyl). Mine came with the top cover out of those two pictured
Nice vinyl. Sweet Talking Woman is now my favourite ELO song but I didn't buy it at the time. I must blog about my 1st coloured vinyl single one day - a very uncool record (as was my 1st 12").
Been out of action for a few days with 'net related' probs (bloody TalkTalk...)
ELO are one of my guilty pleasures funny enough... whenever I dig out one of the Greatest Hits volumes, I always think "i'll just play Mr Blue Sky and then turn it off", but it's incredible how many other gems are on there - almost every one a winner...
Whats the chances, Mrs P is the only OTHER girl to buy a Jethro Tull LP (and on CD too!). They should hook up for a Tull-fest.
P
I'm always surprised that more was never made of how Huey Lewis (probably the first and only time you'll see his name on this blog) ripped Sweet Talking Woman for this
Unreal P - we should definitely get them on some sort of Tull team-up
I'm relieved to hear so many others 'fessing up to a bit of Toto Love. As everyone says these days "I hate the whole Guilty Pleasures concept it's just music that people like and that can never be wrong, etc etc"...but I WAS ashamed of secretly knowing all the words to 'Africa'. Now I'm proud.
But why Toto - ISB, what is it that lifts and seperates them from Kansas, Journey and endless other dross and drudgery. I can't work out the pull of the appeal - but it's there.No question.
um...I quite like late 70s Kansas.
I'll get me coat...
It's that mellow easy vibe, Mondo.
I can't believe I just wrote that.
I'll consult with Mrs M about Kansas tips Mick that was always her department.
Time to break out the Werthers Originals and Saga subscription soon ISB
Post a Comment