A Hold On Me

After the big storms, the clear air of a perfect June morning somewhere in England.

Dot sounded lovely last night at sundown, so I asked her to pop back today.

Dot Allison - 'Mo' Pop' (1999)

Friday Reggae # 27

I cannot get enough of this lovely version of a lovely song by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and neither can the eldest daughter who's been walking to school with it on her iPo these past weeks. She is an eleven and three quarter year old with taste, innit.

Sharon Forrester - 'Silly Wasn't I?' (1973)

Tell you what, I'll throw in the original too.

Heavens, look at the time! It's gin o'clock!

Juvenile Impulses Sway

The Queen Is Dead was released 25 years ago last week. Such statements are sure to make a person feel old.

For me, back then, our Finals were just done and an early summer not unlike this one was underway. I was looking for a job but couldn't find a job and I even think I asked in Walthamstow McDonalds at one point.

I know.

In the end I couldn't hold on in London, and fell back to Devon. It was a strange, sad time in limbo.

This isn't even from that album. And not from that year, but the one before.

Its insouciance suits my mood today, and the weather.

For me it's forever Sue Gilchrist ironing in the front room in Brixton, at the time of the later riots, and singing along.

The Smiths - 'Stretch Out And Wait' (1985)

(I've posted it before of course. Old people repeat themselves, you'll find)

Get The Funky Drummer In Here

Clyde Stubblefield

At 5'35 the most sampled break in musical history.

Don't turn it loose cos it's a Mother. 

Gin!

James Brown - 'Funky Drummer' (1969)

Bon

For once a 'promotional film' as beautiful/strange as the record it is made for.

She'll catch her death in that nightie.

Drop

I think it was the first time I realized that I can change the world, or at least change the way that my sister hit the clock on every tick just to see what happened. The time has really flown by I guess and it's hard to think of the way it might've been, or remember very specifically the words and all the rest of it. I was down, more than I'll ever be probably. That has more to do with it all together, like the orange trees in the backyard and it's Easter and it just won't end. Fucking Phil, he's off on his board somewhere and I'm just sitting here getting more and more lost with everything. And that was the thing about it, it's not as if a cousin had promised something and taken it away; it was like nobody could share my so-called dreams, which really meant none of it was happening. And that reach around midnight left with just about that - nothing. There's not anything particular about it either and I think that the whole thing gets vaguer every second, but I am too, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's even funny when you stop to realize, I'm just nineteen, and how serious can anything be anyway? Not very.

Blog tennis? Drew.

Drop Nineteens - 'Kick The Tragedy' (1992)

Blue Juice

Some music for the new colour scheme.

Jimmy McGriff - 'Blue Juice' (1968)

Italian Blog

"Just remember this - in this country they drive on the wrong side of the road".

Salute!

Matt Monro - 'On Days Like These' (1969)

Blog

Then came the rain, falling steady and soft - and after so long away that the kittens are staring at it baffled, or bursting in through the catflap, grumpy and damp.

The girls are back at school, the house is quiet - it's just me, this keyboard, Astrud....and the rain, falling steady and soft.

*makes tea*

Astrud Gilberto - 'The Gentle Rain' (1965)

Friday Reggae # 26

Hot, hot, hot here tonight - will be cracking open the rosados for sure.

And Roberta Flack? We'll accept your resignation now.

Marcia Griffiths - 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' (1974)

June Groove

Is the sun back then? I hope the sun's back. Because then I can post this summery thang and we can all groove along nicely, I expect.

And it's Thursday already and where's half term holiday going, eh?

Donald Byrd - 'Think Twice' (1974)