Proof reader wanted

+ Lo siento, no he podido resistirme. Aunque la noticia en sí es dura, el titular colma nuestra aficción (http://www.20minutos.es - 7/9/05).

Sunny pop from Elephant 6

+ Ahora que las lluvias de fin de verano comienzan a refrescar el ambiente del desierto suresteño, conviene echarse unos cantes poperos. Nada mejor que los cantes de pop soleado del tremendo sello Elephant 6.

* Beulah - Waiting for the sunset.

* The Apples in Stereo - Shine (in your mind).

* Of Montreal - Disconnect the dots.

+ Please, visit the rest of the groups. You'll see that this label, elephant 6, maintains a clear idea of what is sunny pop.

Bruce Springsteen: Storytellers VH1

+ El Pais (one of the big newspapers in spain) has made available for free 8 video-songs of the boss:

- Devils and dust.
- Blinded by the light.
- Brilliant disguise.
- Nebraska.
- Jesus was an only son.
- Waiting on a sunny day.
- The rising.
- Thunder road.

+ Hurry up before disappears!.

+ Ah, the link, I almost forgot. Here you are.

Digitizing those singles (21) - Tommy Tutone

+ Ok, I'm back. It took more than I thought. This time was so great I really forgot everything. And I really mean it. Everything, work, women, cadillacs and so on...

+ Then, I guess we will keep on digitizing those singles of mine (and of others, he, he).

+ Today I bring you the first two singles of a band (new wave, power pop) that could well be labelled as a one hit wonder. Their main (I should say huge) hit was a song devoted to Jenny's phone number, which appeared on a wall someday making all the boys (and some girls) dial it for ever. Tommy Tutone is the band.

* The first album, contained these two great songs:

A - Angel say no
B - The Blame

both composed by Jimmy Keller (bandleader, aka Jimmy James) with Tommy Heath (singer and frontman). You should visit Jimmy's web pages. He's kinda busy!.

* The second album contained THE song that put them into popstardom and what made them appear almost in each and every 80's or new wave compilation:

A - 867-5309/Jenny
B - Not say goodbye

Some days off

Please, make sure to visit retrospectively (what a word!) this blog.
We'll be in touch real soon.

Digitizing those singles (20) - Dave Davies

+ I am sure you know Ray Davies. ¿Sí?. Y a ¿Dave Davies?. Es su hermano. Y tocaba la guitarra en uno de los grandes grupos de pop-rock de los 60. You know I'm talking about The Kinks. Aquí tienes una gran página web, en español, para saberlo todo de los Kinks. In english, please, The Kinks.

+ For us, spaniards, please be kind to us and tell us which one of these meanings is the good one, applicable to The Kinks:
1. A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, as one caused by the tensing of a looped section of wire.
2. A painful muscle spasm, as in the neck or back; a crick.
3. A difficulty or flaw that is likely to impede operation, as in a plan or system.
4. A mental peculiarity; a quirk.
5. An unusual or eccentric idea.
6. Slang: Peculiarity or deviation in sexual behavior or taste.

+ Whatever, in 1980, Dave Davies, they said he was always in his brother' shadow, published a good album. Twenty five years later, the 2 songs I have are in a single. Two great songs, I believe. The A side is a melodic song, a classic pop song. The B-side is a rocker, full of rhythm and passion. Dave did a good record, more if we think that he played almost every instrument. Of course, he composed all the songs.

* A - Imaginations real.

* B - Wild man.

+ I wait for your input about the real meaning!.

Digitizing those singles (19) - The Chameleons

+ Beginning of the eighties. U2 and Simple Minds are also starting out. Near Manchester, in Middleton, 4 young men begin a long time career. Their name, The Chameleons, later with the acronym UK added. John Peel gave them a hand at that time.

+ They do not have, not even by far, the success of those artists. But they deserve a space in this blog and in your ears, if you dare to listen good old new wave rock.

* Up the down escalator.

* Monkeyland.

+ Please, read the lyrics here. A great web page maintained in spanish and english by a great fan.

+ He's also got some interesting tunes in the downloads section.

Grab a song, listen to it!

+ This is what I'm doing, listening to songs fellas are posting in webjay. There you can find wonderful playlists of any imaginable type.

+ For instance, of my type:

* Zing's October 2k3 Mix.

* m_u_s_i_c.

* Glorious Noise MP3s.

* Bartonvan 's playlist.

* viciouslove1980's playlist.

+ I will select some of the songs I like, of my type:

* Paul Westerberg - Dirty Diesel.

* Bob Schneider - Metal and steel.

* Heath Haynes & The Crying Shames - Complicated girl.

* Neko Case - If You Knew (Live).

* The Supersuckers - I don't want to lose you yet.

+ Please, let me know when you add your own playlist.

It's too hot in here, play some pop music

+ Ok, refresh it, baby!

* The Beatles - Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End.

* The Beatles - Sgt's Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

* The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night.

* The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand.

* The Beatles - Revolution.

* The Beatles - Piggies.

The Robert Cray Band played in Murcia

+ I told you yesterday. I went to see the men. As the guitarist presented themselves. We are the Robert Cray Band. What a band, precise rhythm, impressive piano and organ lines, great guitar. A band. A band of blues...

+ Line up: drums, Kevin Hayes; organ, Jim Pugh; bass, Karl Sevareid; guitar and voice, Robert Cray.

+ Songs they played: I guess I showed her, Poor Johnny*, Right Next Door (Because Of Me), Smoking gun, Survivor, Bad Influence, Impostor, Our last time, That ain't love*, My last regret*, Twenty*, I'm walkin'*, Up in the sky...

+ With *, those songs from his last cd, twenty.

+ Some people (I guess british, there are a lot of them in the mediterranean coast of Murcia) wooooed Robert when he was singing those terrible lines of twenty about the soldier mission in Iraq; please, read yesterday's post. They left immediately after the song finished. Bye bye, war supporters!.

+ Robert changed the guitar with every song. I guess he is a fanatic of perfect tuning. Moreover, singing the first lines of twenty he didn't like something and took it off. The technician came immediately with other guitar, the grey one. He used mainly two Fender Stratocasters and one Telecaster with the sitar effect to play the last song, up in the sky. His only talk after finishing songs, was thank you so very much and the name of next song, like this.

+ So, my final impression. It was a great show, but I needed some more blues. Of course. The sound was great and the musicians were in shape. 8 out of 10.

+ Ok, I an going to post two of these songs. For me, the best of the new album. Just for a limited time only, one week at the most. Of course, if I receive a notification of the copyright holder, I will remove them immediately. I do not want to meet Robert's lawyers.

* Poor Johnny.

* I'm walkin'.
(songs removed on July 31)

+ Ok, great job, Bobby and pals.

Hey Bobby, brother!

+ Tomorrow I will be, I hope so, in a Robert Cray concert.

+ I have known the man since the 80's, probably since his (their) first album, strong persuader, and liked throughout all these years his wonderful voice, of course his guitar, but mainly his voice, his soulful voice, his histories of love and not love...

+ He's got a new album, twenty, devoted to war, iraq's war. You shoulda listen carefully, he's got the things cristal clear and delivers it straight to you. Read the lyrics to this heartbreaking song twenty:

When you’re used up, where do you go, Soldier
Mother dry your eyes, there’s no need to cry, I’m not a boy, it’s what I signed up for

When you’re used up, where do you go, Soldier
I can’t take the heat, and I hardly sleep anymore, What’d we come here for

Standing out here in the desert, Trying to protect an oil line
I’d really like to do my job but, This ain’t the country that I had in mind
They call this a war on terror, I see a lot of civilians dying
Mothers, sons, fathers and daughters, Not to mention some friends of mine
Some friends of mine

Was supposed to leave last week, Promises they don’t keep anymore
Got to fight the rich man’s war

When you’re used up, where do you go, Soldier, Late in 2004
Comes a knock at the door, It’s no surprise, Mother dry your eyes

Mother don’t you cry, no, no, Someone told you a lie, Yes they did, why
Mother don’t you cry, oh no, Mother don’t you cry

When you’re used up, where do you go, Soldier

+ I have read they already have made more than 1000 gigs, so I guess the show will be perfect.

* Baby's arms, is a song from his 2001 album shoulds been home.

* the score. (real blues).

+ I hope they play some of the songs I love most. Just in case he does not I will make myself a cd, i don't like to bother artists while they are doing their job. You know, smoking gun, i was warned, right next door, i guess I showed her, nothin' but a woman, ...

+ I'll tell you about the thing.

Digitizing those singles (18)

+ The gentleman I bring you today is well known for many of us. It is one of the pioneers of the new jamaican music and composer of one of their classic songs, the isrealites. But that was at the end of 60's. It took him almost 10 more years to reach some success again, mainly because of the the british ska movement.

+ So, by this time you should know that this gentleman is Desmond Dekker, who in 1980 published his famed album Black and Dekker., re-recording all his previous hits.

+ More important, this record was published by Stiff Records, legendary company of some of the english new wave sounds. And even more important, who was the band that accompanied Desmond in this album?, yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, The Rumour.

+ Here you can have access at clips of the whole lp.

+ The single, depicting a very black Desmond in a white suit even with white tie, contains two excellent pieces of ska, both composed by himself (Desmond Dacres):

* A - It mek (original from 1968).

* B - Hippo.

+ It's fun, isn't it?. No modern ska these days?

Digitizing those singles (17)

+ The Beat was the band that played with power-pop enthusiast Paul Collins (madrileño de adopción, if you don't know, favorite friend of Madrid's pop and rock).

+ But The Beat was also the name of a ska group. In fact, still it is the name of a ska band. But, it is difficult to find the early vinyls, not even the covers (i'll try to get pictures space soon). But, worry not, I have the songs.

+ They say that ska is reggae made easy. Read it here together with a small history of english ska.

+ Ok, then, at that time (80's) we had The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and many many others. I think I have some more ska singles I will be digitizing. So make sure you are ready to dance the offbeat!.

* Hands off, she's mine.

* Mirror in the bathroom.

* Twist and crawl.

* The jackpot.

+ Question for musicians: is it really easier ska than reggae?

+ 2nd question for musicians: can you tell the difference between downbeat and offbeat?

* Btw, you have 4 current The Beat mp3s here.

Digitizing those singles (16)

+ Doll by Doll was a group that came with the new wave-punk scene that had a very reduced success at that time (beginning of the eighties).

+ Doll by Doll made some records and soon its front man, a scottish guy called Jackie Leven, started his own career. He's had quite a career!.

* In 1982, they published this single I bring you today:

- Under my thumb (a classic Jagger/Richards' early piece).

- Eternal (a slow Leven composition).

+ So, how would you label doll by doll?.

I'll give it a try in blogger

+ I have been posting about a year or so at ya.com, but I have been experiencing too many problems during the last days/months. So, I decided to move to other place. Lets' see how it goes.

+ So, update your bookmarks, your feeds reader or whatever you use to visit this blog.