THE SATURDAY SONG

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
our climates are very similar Ruby (as your friends here would attest to)

[Ruby]

^They do seem to be CH!

Today’s choice of song is primarily because I included a question relating to it in my monthly quiz. I know it’s been played to death, but it is, quite simply, a tour de force. Mark Knopfler is a master storyteller, as well all know, and I can honestly visualize that miserable evening, the dreary pub and the lacklustre band of this particular tale.
 
I think that this is one of MK’s greatest skills – weaving a story that is absolutely believable, imbuing with it all the essence of the moment. And that’s the thing - there’s so much authenticity in the portrayal because it was real. He stepped into a pub, pretty much accidentally, or at least by happenstance, encountering a rather pitiful bunch of musos playing to an empty room except for the wasted lot in the corner, and proceeded to unearth a wealth of material in what for most people would be an uninspiring situation. All goes to show - sometimes it's a question of perspective.

He notices people, dynamics and atmosphere and he is a genius at translating all the nuances to a musical format. From what I have read, it took a bit of work to get the music right, but he found his mojo creating this number and it’s the track that set them all up, in no small way. Ridiculous to think it was a debut! And so …

You get a shiver in the dark
It's raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring

Well, now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain, they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh, but the horns they blowin' that sound
Way on down south
Way on down south, London town

You check out guitar George, he knows all the chords
Mind, it's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing
They said an old guitar is all he can afford
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing

And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene
He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright
He can play the honky tonk like anything
Savin' it up for Friday night
With the Sultans
We're the Sultans of Swing

Then a crowd of young boys, they're foolin' around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best, brown baggies and their platform soles
They don't give a damn about any trumpet playin' band
It ain't what they call rock and roll
And the Sultans
Yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole, Creole

And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
"Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans
We are the Sultans of Swing"

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
i cant argue with any of your comments there Ruby (not that i would argue with you as your command of the English language would tie me up in verbal judo everytime LOL).

[Ruby]

^LOL - you could be tripping up in my many typos too, I realise! Must remember to use my extra eyes. Keep forgetting that I need them. 

I can think of several Jackson Browne songs that have a semi-prophetic vibe, if not downright biblical in some instances, which is kinda interesting – cautionary wisdom runs deep. Folly too, but that’s for another day. If anything, these words are even more relevant today than they were 51 years ago. Someone once said, and I’ve never forgotten it – ‘the only thing we learn from history is that we don’t’. No idea who came up with it to begin with and I am quite probably misquoting madly, but you know what I mean!
 
On a more pragmatic note, a deluge is what we about to have, for the next five days or so, beginning in the wee small hours of this mid-winter solstice night. It’s all downhill from here! Balm for chilly ears … 





And because I like the No Nukes version ... 

[Ruby]

This week’s song is a simple earworm. The result of a chance hearing, and actually, it’s a great pop song, and I don’t mind it playing in my head at all. Super uncharacteristic for me being Dolly ‘n all, but hey – life is nothing if not full of surprises. And I know it’s a bit weird, but I was wondering who this reminded of - a very distinct ‘sounds like’, in places, and it’s Eric Andersen - bizarro. Long week …

Written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil with the ubiquitous Dean Parks on guitar and arrangements, and none other than David Lindley on slide, not to mention Jim Keltner on percussion. The mind never ceases to boggle ...

[Ruby]

One thing leads to another – that is the rationale for this week’s song which is “Wild Mountain Thyme”. I had heard a rendition on a Strawbs album recently, and have known several other versions over the years, so I decided to investigate how many covers had been made, and by whom. There are 103 entries on Wiki, which is unlikely to be absolute – there appear to be many, many in excess of that number – some more appealing than others, depending on who’s listening I guess!

It is based on a variant of the song "The Braes of Balquhither" by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and Scottish composer Robert Archibald Smith. The currently used adaptation is credited to one Francis McPeake, of Belfast, who wrote and refined it in 1947. It was first recorded in 1957, by a family member – another Francis McPeake, and McPeake, the band, continues to uphold the legacy today - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz4ltVZ9GW0. I can’t find a clip of the 1957 recording which I would like to hear some time!

I wanted to find out why the song speaks of ‘pulling’ wild mountain thyme, specifically, and from what I can gather (pardon the pun), this speaks to a method of removing the fragrant leaves whilst allowing the plant to remain intact – probably using an implement that the end of a stalk could be threaded through and then pulled to release said leaves. It grows in between the heather, and the reason for wanting the plant to stay intact, rather than cutting it back, would be that in Celtic lore, thyme patches were the playground of the fairies, and one would not want to disturb them – that might lead to all sorts of trouble! The harvesting would also take place at the change of the seasons, which were seen to be intensely magical and the best times to pick herbs for medicinal use – they believed that the plant was more potent then, and they were not wrong. I find it completely fascinating that kernels of truths are so often hidden in folk tales and traditional practices, and that they make complete scientific sense although the people may not have known that then, i.e. harvesting or planting by the phases of the moon. Aside from its use as a flavouring, thyme is said to be a good sleep aid, to attract love, loyalty and affection, and to help ease grief and provide courage and strength.

Anyway – I found two covers that are quite enchanting to me. One by a very young Marianne Faithfull – a lovely unembellished rendition, her voice as clear as a bell. Recorded in 1966 on her 3rd album, North Country Maid, and complete with sitar, I think!



The second is by Gerry Rafferty and was produced by his daughter Martha for the posthumously released album Rest in Blue. So poignant …



PS - I recall having misgivings about Rest in Blue at the time - thought there were pieces on the album that would not have made the cut in Mr Rafferty's view - him being a stickler and all. But who am I to say?? And does it matter, in the grand scheme of things? Probably not. Here endeth today's lesson. 

[Ruby]

This week I'm choosing the newly released theme song from soundtrack of the movie, Four Letters of Love. I adored this book, which I read a long time ago and need to revisit, and I look very much forward to seeing it on film - written by Niall Williams. 

Johnny Flynn, about whose other music I know nothing, except that he also sings the theme song from Detectorists, which I liked, and that he is South African born, leads the song and the other vocalist is Katherine Priddy, a newish voice on the folk scene, whose sound is just lovely and unspoilt, IMHO. 

[Music Head]

a book huh?
I like books

[Ruby]

^Me too. 

I watched a documentary on YouTube this week - Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story - it's a BBC production. It was quite intriguing, with commentary by a few luminaries in the biz (and I'm not talking about Sam Fender there! He 'narrates'). So it's simple this week - just a song that I can't remember ever not knowing, which was pretty much Alan Hull's genius - helluva songwriter. 

"Run for Home"

[Ruby]

This has not been the most inspiring of weeks and there is an elusive phrase of music floating around in my head that I simply cannot pin down. Not gonna rest until I remember where it came from! Aargh!! 

On a more positive note, seems Tanita Tikaram is releasing a new album in October titled LIAR (Love Isn't A Right). She too has an elusive something in the quality of her voice and phrasing and I could have put it in New and Notable, but it's going here because it piqued my interest and I quite like that it's a little off the beaten track ...