The January Podrophenia is up for download with Piley, Popeapedia and Steve Carr of the always excellent Every Record Tells a Story website - and m'self wherein we cover R 'n' R tales, truths, myths and fibs with a playlist ranging from Harry Nilsson to Son House, The Kinks to Cass Elliott - and lesser known originals made famous by The Carpenters, Elvis, Madonna and Manfred Mann
And we've a bonus guest spot from Kelly Ann Buckley gathering together news of the Wild Almanac Collective
The Podrophenia Christmas special gathers together some of most talented young musicians from the Southend area: BaVard - an award winning talented trio with a combined age of 40, and the acoustic magic of Caitlin King (16). So, settle yourself by our radio fireside for a live session from both, festive puns, and some seasonal songs - including Donald Trump covering two tinsel tunes. And who are Beanie, Bobble and Slouch..
This Saturday - a roomful of loud sound as Lo Chief and Howling Black Soul ramp up the amps. Come on down for drums and decibels at The Railway Hotel Southend...
Dates and details here abouts
Bowie's barnets - missing the classic T J Newton do though
Happy 65th birthday (belatedly) to ol' blue/brown eyes himself David Bowie - continuing with the riff of H, what a run of great haircuts he's paraded through the ages..
Why H? Because tonight we unwrap chapter 8 of the Podrophonic Alphabet. The hooting-tooting harmonica honking of Wes Weston. Happiness (the Pursuit of) and a funky Monkees cover from Hubert Laws and his Royal Bowieness are amongst a handful of the hits and highlights you can expect to hear live from 9 on tonight's Radio Podrophenia. Where Piley and I are joined in the bunker by King of the Jingles - Phil Hubbard.
Tune your ears and internet to Chance Radio from 9..
A few related rarities for your Bowie browsing
The Freddy Buretti version of Hang On to Yourself
One unreleased Springsteen cover from the Young Americans sessions
Digging through the John Barry back catalogue I ran across his take (well the John Barry 7's take) of Watch Your Step...originally a Bobby Parker single that Lennon openly admitted was lifted and rejigged by The Fabs for I Feel Fine (more on that here). The Beatles shuffle 'n' bump arrangement is literally just a shade away from John Barry's Brit-Beat twist on the tune.
His first take appeared on The John Barry Sound EP, released just a year after the Beat Girl soundtrack, an album constructed from similar trebly Anglo-twangs and speedy hipster rhythms
Fast forward to 62, where The John Barry Orchestra re-oomphed Watch Your Step for Beat Girl star Adam Faith, an updated take flip-siding his Lonesome single. The opening note - an extended sax honk - is almost a pre-feedback version of The Beatles legendary intro.
Exhibits A (Adam) B (Barry) C (Cheeky Beatles) are below. Take 6 of I Feel Fine, the instrumental version, is the one to lend a quizzical ear to...
Questions starting 'where were you when'? for me anyway, are usually answered 'in bed actually'. I'd just woken up when mum broke the news of John Lennon's murder. A very grim start to the usual school shuffle and shunt. Even 'Hairy Cornflake' DLT had the good sense to drop the wackery for one morning, and the Not Not the Nine O'Clock News tribute of a non-comedy ending: fade to black and In My Life soundtracking the credits was pitch perfect.
Say what you like about his Legend - and we have done here - but if Lennon's Jukebox is any sort of indicator of his record collection, it appears to sort of haul that would get the knowing nods from music snobs and pop purists alike. This portable jukebox (a Swiss KB Discomatic) was originally loaded with 40 of Lennon's favourite singles for taking on tour with The Beatles and later updated with newer tunes. Peeping at the playlist (with track titles scribbled in Lennon's hand writing) of mod, soul, Motown, pop and rock n roll - all the inspirations, influences and building blocks of The Beatles fall into place.
Click to zoom in for full details
Rhythm, riffs and top line melody seem to be the unifying themes, which makes sense given Lennon's role as the Fab's rhythm guitarist and vocalist. Like many writers in rock's aristocracy (Bowie, Dylan, Macca, Roger waters, Keef) Lennon was a non-virtuoso. Musically he plays a mid-field position where the shape of the song is more important than the solos.
How do you rate yourself as a guitarist? Well, it depends on what kind of guitarist. I'm okay; I'm not technically good, but I can make it fucking howl and move. I was rhythm guitarist. It's an important job. I can make a band drive. Rolling Stone interview 1971
But, getting back to the jukebox, most of the Lennon's hand-picked singles were collected and compiled for a (deleted now, and selling for silly money prices) double CD in 2004 and the subject of a South Bank Show special. Scanning the panel above reveals a tune or two missed from the CD: one being a new-to-me Booker T stomper, which isn't a million miles from this Lennon riff
Stepping Out appears on the CD as Paul Revere, but my guess would be given the JM and C scribbled notes, that it's the John Mayall and Clapton tear up (available here)as Clapton's thick fuggy Beano tone also seems to be the source for Lennon's guitar sound on Abbey Road
So tomorrow I will be tipping my hat and a raising a glass to the memory of John Winston Ono Lennon, who thirty years on from his tragic and senseless death is still tuning me into new music. And as a footnote, looking at the tracklist of 'bankers' on the CD, I'll bet he would have made a rocking DJ ..
From The South Bank Show: Bobby Parker's Watch Your Step, with Lennon expanding on how The Fabs recycled the song for several Beatles bits.
PS - if you've got half a mill' to spare why not punt in a bid on Mark Chapman's Lennon signed copy of Double Fantasy. Hopefully though Yoko will bag it, and keep the bloody thing out of the public domain once and for all
If you're a fan of the Italo spy-fi film genre you may be familiar with the long-shifting whispers about low budget cult-flick The Code Zodiac Tapes. Made in 1969 it received just a handful of European screenings before being shelved due to international wrangles over distribution rights.
Zodiac dropped out of circulation and with no sightings, leaked footage or dodgy copies filtering into the public domain since, it's been widely accepted that the film had become lost, wiped or stolen. However, canisters containing the original broadcast masters were recently discovered in the basement of an abandoned Riviera mansion. Damp, dust and neglect have left the film stock, shooting notes and script damaged beyond recovery or repair..
Thankfully a handful of production details, storyboards and publicity shots survived - along with some concept art for set designs (pleasure units, undersea casinos, moonbased pods and modules ) and some costume credits....
Hair by Laurence of Park Lane Wardrobe by Mr Hipster M.O.N.D.O Mobile by George Barris
Concept art by uncredited artist
More significantly the 16 track Ampex analogue master tapes of the Zodiac soundtrack were found to be salvageable. These tapes - and any scraps and snatches of dubbed dialogue - were taken to Shabby Road studios for digital restoration. Today the freshly mastered, previously unreleased Code Zodiac soundtrack receives it's international debut. A teaser trailer is available here along with an OST stream - but the full 19 track album is available as a limited-edition free download over at Budd Schifrin's site..
Keith Mansfield's composition Soul Confusion was originally used to score a deleted scene (scripted as - Scene 34: How does that grab you?) and has been included here as a bonus track
Organized and arranged by Webbie from the Football and Music blog, The John Peel memorial day Keeping It Peel blazes it's way across the blogs today. Piley and I are chipping into the days doings with Podrophenia 11: Sound-a-likes is the theme so, expect an ear-opening, eye-popping playlist of lifted riffs, recycled styles, stolen vocal tones and even own brand versions of bigger bands.
With a playlist featuring some of Peel's favourites and Peely peeves, you can grab and stream below - or take away via iTunes..
It's a Pop Quiz - we didn't have the space to fit this comp into the Poddy, so have a punt here pop pickers. Seven snippets of sound-a-like licks and riffs. I'll give 1 point for spotting the original riff and 1 point for the rip off . A total of 14 points to be bagged then: but how many can you manage? Be warned, it's a bit nippy, so you may need to replay a few times
Once you've lent an ear here - why not zip about the blogs and see what other Peely treats are on offer. The list of participating sites can be found here...
Is it really that time of year already? Time for blackberry picking, pumpkin
sculpting, showing out the hiding spiders, russety-woodland walks and cosying up in country pubs.
This year's harvest of seasonal songs - featuring selections from Clair of Woo (Angel Eyes) and Davy of H (Celebrated Summer) - is more of a UK/US crossover comp than usual, with each tune telling a tale of love, loss or longing. And, in what at first appears to be a Fab free zone, 'Hari Georgeson' can be spotted hiding in the writing credits for So Sad, while adding slide and bass guitars alongside Ron Wood's 12 string and Mick Fleetwood's drums.
So settle yourself around the fireside and let this patchwork platter warm you through the winter, as Auntie Enid sets the tone for this year's autumn trail.....
Dear Boys and Girls,
I wish you could come with me and walk over the hills, through the fields and down by the river, finding a hundred exciting or beautiful things by the way. I should like to take you fishing in the ponds, and fill your jars with snails and tadpoles. I should like to help you to make a bird table, or to prepare a splendid aquarium. I should like to give you a garden of your own and show you how to make it a place of bright colours and sweet scents. - Round the Year with Enid Blyton, Autumn Book. 1935.
The tracklist is in the comms to avoid being blog whacked. If you're new to the Lazy Sunday series you can dip into previous postings here or more Mondo Mixes here...
The secret of The Beatles sound (well, Lennon's technique mostly) was revealed to me in a local pub, by an old boy known as Music John - 'He played Banjo chords on guitar' John whispered with lowered tones and knowing nods. If you've ever dabbled with guitar techniques and Beatles tunes, you'll know the Fab's catalogue is coloured with quirky chord shapes and unique sequences, unlike anything you'll find in other rocker's songbooks. It's these same singing, ringing chords and magical combo's that defines a demarcation line between disciples and disbelievers....
Roger McGuinn 'The chord changes really had magic in them'
Bob Dylan 'They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous'
Steve Jones 'The rest of us hate the Beatles. And it turned out he (Glen Matlock) loves them. He came up with all these Beatles influenced chords and melodies that I couldn't play.
From the moment it's first Cllaaaaaanggggg rang around the world, the opening chord to A Hard Day's Night has been the Holy Grail (and basis for raging debates and dissertations on the mechanics of the chord) for guitar anoraks, plectrum analysers and Beatologists. George Harrison settled, but didn't solve the mystery in 2001.
George Harrison' It is F with a G on top (on the 12-string), but you'll have to ask Paul about the bass note to get the proper story'
The principles of the 'proper story' are:Fadd9 is the George chord, (you'll hear this being picked during the closing coda) but the recording is a composite of overdubbed instruments playing additional notes. Meaning, the chord required for solo players is - G7sus4. The full theory and breakdown is here. My home made recreation of Fadd9 and extra instrumentation is here.......
But, getting back to Music John's revelation, Lennon was shown banjo shapes by his mother Julia. As his style developed he rounded out his chord library with more conventional shapes, but always coloured his compositions with these peculiar voicings. But it wasn't just the chords that were non-standard. Musicians of the early sixties typically favoured, shiny new Fenders in jet age shapes and Cadillac colours. Not The Beatles - their kit and instruments were a collection of oddities and eye-openers.
Lemmy on seeing The Beatles at The Cavern....
Music John's banjo chords theory, is only one component tone of The Beatles signature mix. Build in Lennon's love of descending bass lines, Ringo's left handed drummer/right handed kit arrangement Macca being the reluctant bass player reinventing the form, and the north-south divide of blues boomers versus country lovers (why the Stones honk out riffs and the Fabs chime with arpeggios) and inspiration and influences taken from an assortment of sources, soul imports, Little Richard squeals, Motown hits, music hall melodies - and the harmonics of the hit makers starts to take shape.
Zip to 00:48 of Chuck Berry's You Can't Catch Me - and you'll find a line mainly famous as Beatles refrain, or Bobby Parker's opening riff for Watch Your Step, which Lennon openly admits was recycled for handful of Fab anthems.
Piley and I set about our eleventh podcast later this week, with sound-a-likes being the motif of the moment. So expect to hear some more 'sounds familiar' acts and tracks at some point soon.
He's written two garage classics, but who is he and what are they - find out in Podrophenia
Elvis, Madonna, Bowie and Blondie are just some of the glittering legends and heavy-hitters NOT appearing in the latest edition of Podrophenia. But pod-pickers, listen in and lend an ear as Piley and I lay bare, unwrap and unearth the low-level source material supplying these high flyers with smash hit songs and singles. All is revealed in Podrophenia 10. Along with Piley's tale of a tooth-brightening, eye-widening electric enema.
With only five tunes a'piece something had to give, so Superstar got the 11th hour bounce from my Podropheniaplaylist. Mainly famous as a Carpenters classic (with retweaked lyrics sleep with you swapped for be with you) the original versh can be found tucked away on Delaney and Bonnie B Side - a gorgeous serving of blue-eyed soul.
After a summer break, Piley and I are finally getting back to some semi-serious podding about tonight, selecting songs themed around: obscure originals made famous as covers. Plenty to choose from, but only ten tunes can make the final playlist. Hey Joe had been one of my five, until another garage nugg' popped into play giving it the bounce.
I wouldn't be surprised to discover, Bowie being the Artful Dodger of pop that he is, cribbed some Leave's riffery to underpin this early doors Dame ditty
How gutted and crushed must the Blue Magoos have been to hear the explosive opening bars of Deep Purple's Black Night ringing out from radio and record shops. Purp's fret-melter Ritchie Blackmore had plainly pop-lifted the nippy little lick underpinning the Magoos' 69 garage classic (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet, literally stealing their heavy metal thunder - buffing, bulking and bullworking it into Purple's mega-metal anthem and international hit.
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots - is the theme of today's Jamaican stop-off. A handful of roots tunes (as in 'roots of' rather than 'roots reggae') that have inspired, influenced or been recycled for bigger hits.
I could have posted Alton Ellis's original I'm Still in Love With You, but Marcia Aitken's cover with the extended toasting section (starting at 4 mins in) is just a whisker away from the riffing lifted by Althia and Donna.
On January the 1st 1970 Yorkshire folkie Michael Chapman released his second album Fully Qualified Survivor, a record that passed with few fanfares or fireworks (apart from John Peel crowning it 'Album of the Year'). Forty years on, the album pooling all the elements for the post sixties Bowie tone remains an overlooked obscurity.The Velvets, Iggy and Dylan may get the knowing nods for the rise of Ziggy Stardust but the core components are much closer to home.
Produced by Gus Dudgeon, with string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster, both having worked on Chapman's debut Rainmaker - and Bowie's Space Oddity in between - it's Chapman's choice of fretman for 'Fully Qualified Survivor' that's the key ingredient here. Handpicked from Hull, and making his recording debut is - Mick Ronson.
Ronno's glittering riffs and runs electrify the album's open aired fuggyness of acoustic shuffles, lumpen drums and sparkling guitar work. Effectively it's a style that informs The Man Who Sold The World through to Ziggy Stardust. In the the same way Anthony Newley and this chap (no it's not Bowie singing honest!) were borrowed for Bowie's vocal coat of many colours, Chapman's chewed 'S's, fey waywardness and louche-lipped, gin-soaked vocals seem to have been appropriated as the voice of choice for DB's heavy hippy moonage daydreaming.
We've already documented, Bowie's magpie eye for talent, so it's no surprise that shortly after Fully Qualified Survivor's release, Ronson and Hull-based band mates Trevor Bolder and Woody Woodmansey were recruited for Bowie's new band The Hype eventually evolving into The Spiders From Mars until Ziggy broke up the band.
If you're familiar with the Dame's pre-Pinups discography (Pin ups drummer Ansley Dunbar also appears on Rainmaker) Fully Qualified Survivor will get you spotting a references from the off. Build in the space-age mod clobber of a Droog suit, top it off with Vivienne Westwood's feather cut, and all the pieces fall into place.
One autumnal number I'd been hoping to place in last Sunday's Autumn Falls mix was Humble Pie's Wrist Job. An oddly titled outtake from As Safe As Yesterday Is. A performance rumbling along on a slow-shifting tidal swell of heavy Hammond, roof-raising gospel vocals and one runaway bass, all of which come crashing together in heady perfection between 3:00 and 3:30
As much as I love the track, it's just too, well, potent and powerful to sit alongside the soft footfall required for last Sunday's mix.
However, a Wrist Job-lite can be traced back to a track from Steve Marriot's previous band The Small Faces, where it had an instrumental run out under the title of The Pig's Trotters.
I've always had something of a sweet tooth. I'm not aware if a related condition of 'sweet ear' exists - but if it does, I've got it. The symptoms being bending and buckling at the knee over honey-coloured chords, Milky Bar harmonies and butterscotch pop - almost entirely the type of confection Evolved Monkey excel at.
Sketching comparisons and contextual references is almost a disservice to Evomons intimate but open air sound and breezy rhythms. Although if pushed - suggesting they've cross-pollinated the slow melting melodies of Macca, Brian Wilson, Andy Partridge, Ben Folds and Jellyfish (with a small echo of The Charlatans) layered them on a bed of trip-pop backbeats and the space-age acoustics of Air or Goldfrapp all of which waft on the gently swelling drift of Yacht Rock - wouldn't be unfair..
There's not many albums I can play several times on the bounce and still want to reach for the repeat button - but weighing in at a perfect 40 minutes of well balanced and buffed quality pop, Project Messy is a selection box that's almost impossible to resist revisiting for a second helping
Remember the 1972 smasher 'Popcorn' by Hot Butter - a track that galloped along at the speed of the space race, sounding like Donna Summer on Skylab, Cosmonaut pop and the future unfolding around your very ears.
Well, did you know it was actually a cover? A cover of a track already three years old, and taken from Gershon Kingsley's 1969 album 'Music To Moog By'...
Never one to miss a contemporary pop-trick (like the local Marching Militaire, or Brass Band that screech out refits of cinematic hits) Herp Alpert, had himself a wallop at Popcorn
Goodbye to bubbling, fat analogue sounds, sine waves and Moogadoodledoo . Hello to the soothing muted toot of the Tijuana Brass, the tropical lapping of steel drums and the soft plod of xylophonic pop...
Both varieties are below - so, why not try a taste test and see which you flavour you favour...
I knew that this Soup Dragons tune was a rework of this Stones obscurity, and the bass line on this nineties floor-filler was lifted from this sixties soundtrack.
But until a couple of weeks ago, and thanks to the 'Play Any Track' option on my trusty Creative Zen Xtra, I never knew that ....
*mis-spelt as 'Beaver Control' by the ripping software. My favourite example of rock typo's in my MP3 collection is The Sweet's 'Burn On The Flame' re-titled by the Russian download service ALLOFMP3 to 'BUM On The Flame' - ouch!!
