Hell On Wheels - Cher

Picked up a two albums on one CD copy of Cher's late 70's epics Take Me Home and Prisoner a couple of weeks ago and if this track and video doesn't send you into the weekend with a warm feeling in your loins (no matter what floats yer boat) there's no hope for you. 

PS: Apparently Cher performed this video with a broken arm too, what a trooper. 

Kid Creole & the Coconuts / Barbara @ The Bath Forum - 24th

After a fine warm up set from newcomers Barbara (think the love children of The Divine Comedy and The Lemon Twigs with a little Gilbert O'Sullivan and Mika thrown in for good measure) Kid Creole & the Coconuts played one of the tightest, most joyful and energetic sets you're ever likely to see. Put this lot on at Glasto and they'd steal the show. At almost 75 Kid Creole (aka Augustus Darnell) should probably have his feet up with a nice cup of cocoa, instead he's putting on the kind of gig that acts half his age would struggle to manage. Playing the hits, deeper cuts and a fine jazzy cover version of Big Joe Turner's Flip, Flop and Fly the whole band gave at least 111% from start to finish. How the Coconuts didn't spontaneously combust half way through is a mystery to me. If this is to be their last tour they're going out on a high but the world needs bands like this more than ever. If you do get a chance to see 'em you'd be (coco)nuts to miss it. 

PS: I had the very great pleasure of meeting Augustus after the show and he's every inch the gentlemen you'd hope he'd be. 

No Rain - Blind Melon

Eleven days ago I found a wingless bee (apparently a virus can cause some bees' wings to fail to develop) on the floor. It was covered in ants who clearly thought it would make a decent lunch. Despite being overwhelmed the poor bee was doing its best to fight them off so I stepped in, picked him up (I found out later he was a he) and popped him in a Tupperware box with some sugar water. A few hours later Buzz-Bee (as I named him) had perked up considerably and for almost two weeks we shared an office and enjoyed a little lunch outside (he did like a clover flower or two) in the sun. Last night he buzzed his last buzz though, but our brief time together reminded me of this classic video and track from Blind Melon. RIP Buzz-Bee. 

Bullshit Anthem - Fantastic Negrito

Halfway through the week and what better track to blast out than Fantastic Negrito's Princey/Funkadelicy Bullshit Anthem...which should probably replace this country's national anthem right now when you think about it.

Allbarone - Baxter Dury

 Another offbeat banger from Baxter Dury. I reckon his old man would be chuffed with this one...

Sly and Bri RIP

It's odd but rather fitting that both Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, two artists who burned brightly back in the 60s but then spent much of the next half a century battling addictions and mental health issues, both passed away within a few days of each other at the grand old age of 82. 

Just imagine what they might have come up with if they'd both ended up in a studio together when they were firing on all cylinders eh? 

Got to Have Love - Pulp

Every time this track comes on the radio it still takes me a few seconds to realise it's Pulp's new single. Lyrically it's classic Pulp, especially the spoken word bit, but musically the soulful, flamenco tinged sound's a world away from Brit Pop's Common People clap along. It's pretty remarkable to think that the bands just three years away from celebrating its 50th anniversary (yes, seriously) even if it took the world almost two decades to catch up with them. 

This was my gateway into the band, via a 12 inch single from Swordfish Records bought back in 1993. 

Hang on, let's see what it's worth...good grief...Pulp - Lipgloss 12" Vinyl Single 45RPM 1993 Britpop | eBay UK

Long Blondeshell anyone...?

Maybe it's just me but every time I hear Blondshell's 23's A Baby I can't help thinking of The Long Blonde's classic Once & Never Again...thematically rather than musically...

Ahhhh, the joys and tribulations of youth eh? Still, you get some cracking songs out of it. 

Take A Sexy Picture Of Me - CMAT

CMAT was one of my live highlights last year and this summer she's made it to Glasto's legendary Pyramid Stage, sandwiched between Supergrass and Burning Spear, now that's an entertaining afternoon right there. Sadly my Glasto days seem to be over as it's easier to get to the moon than it is to snap up a ticket but I'll always have Bowie's show in 2000 and Pulp's super sub slot in 1995, amongst many other memorable moments (Jeff Buckley, REM, Billy Childish to name just a few), to look back on. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd just end up spinning around like a loon if I ever got in again though...how the heck do you even begin to choose what to see now that there's a gazillion stages?