This week saw the launch of an online news portal in Switzerland: ‘Watson.ch‘. It’s yet to be produced in English, but it’s only a matter of time before Watson.ch takes the cake – and eats it all over the world!
The challenge to get this near to right was great but here’s Reverbs Happy Birthday varied-topical-playlist tribute to what will be a beautiful baby namens WATSON, who was born to run.
Girl Talk : What’s It All About — Feed the Animals
Tom Jones: What’s New Pussy Cat
What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye
Johnny Guitar Watson: Gangster of Love
Madrugada: What’s On Your Mind
The Next Messiah: Jenny Lewis feat. Zooey Deschanel
Better late than never goes the motto. So here’s something a wee bit late but forever acclaimed…
… James Ramey – aka Baby Huey, was born on new years day, 1944 in Indiana. He fronted The Babysitters (1963 – 69) who produced songs like ‘Just Being Careful’. Later, he went on to be a major influence for hip hop of the 80’s/90’s with the song ‘Hard Times’ . Samples of Hard Times can be found in various hip hop creations – the likes of Biz Markie with The Dragon, A Tribe Called Quests’- Can I Kick It (Spirit Mix) or Lil Wayne with The Game all used the high-pitched riff along with parts of the backing track in their samples.
Baby Hueys only album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend was released posthumously by Curtom Records head Curtis Mayfield in 1971 – he released it without the Babysitters on the recording. This version was derived from Gene Chandlers ‘In My Bodys House’ (1969) and after Baby Huey’s death (October 28, 1970 ) Curtis Mayfield recorded it himself in 1975 – a honed in, soul version with much less production going on in the background – it gave Mayfield’s amazing version a stripped down ‘message’ kind of groove to it…
The song high-lighted the hardship lives of the African American community and the ghettos. Not unlike Dickens highlighted the social and economic pressures in his book of the same title- albeit a tenuous link of about 100 years I hear you sigh … But It would’ve been wacky to have had Dickens and Baby Huey putting their noggins together, collaborating for a Stage adaptation of Dickens’ Hard Times with Hueys title song chugging along as the score … my fantasy doth overfloeth!
For WFD it has to be none other than The Isley Brothers with their socially concious song Harvest For The World. Released by the brothers as a single from same named album in 1976.
And UB40’s Food For Thought – the epic first single release for British Reggae- and socially tuned-in band in 1980. The song was a double A single with the song ‘King’- about the late Martin Luther King.
The Isley Bros.
UB40
The occasion is organised by The Food and Agriculture Organisation to be on the same day the Organsation was founded in 1945.
The objectives of World Food Day are to:
encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end;
encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries;
encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions;
heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world;
promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world; and
strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.
Transistor Six Sessions pay homage to the BBC’s Peel Sessions. It’s where we invite artists into our little studio setup at ‘Frank’ here in Austin, where they record a few live songs, take some photos with our Lomo film cameras and do an interview. We also shoot many of the shows on Super 8 film for a truly warm analog experience.
Many of our shows are by invite only and not announced until the day of the show. Access to these shows will only be available to those who ‘Like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Incase you’re just reading this and want to get in on the fun here are the links to our Facebook and Twitter, we also split up the invites between both socials so double your chance and sign up to both!
We also are doing something fun to give back where we have artists sign a one of a kind piece of music gear which we auction off. We then donate the proceeds to local music charities in Austin. It’s our way to give back to artists and music programs for generations to come.
… John Lennon was born, 1940 in Liverpool, UK. He died 40 years and two months later on the 8th December 1980 in New York. He released Starting Overon his 40th birthday.
It’s also his son Sean Lennon‘s (1975), PJ Harvey’s (1969), Jackson Browne’s (1948) birthdays today. Che Guevara, on the other hand died on this day 1967 aged 39, La Higuera , Bolivia. (Carlos Puebla Hasta siempre comandante)
This Is Love and We Float are I think 2 great songs of hers.
Here’s a tribute Jackson Browne’s perseverance.
And Carlos Puebla’s beautiful voice for his hero Che Guevara.
A reader rightly pointed out that in last weeks weekend playlist (20.09.13) – Casiotone For The Painfully Lonely cover of When You Were Mine was in fact written by Prince – wether formerly known as or not. Learning through error, I thought it would be an idea to make this weekend playlist with just a few of the songs written by Prince and/or made big by other artists. The prince of synth awaits.
1. When You Were Mine, was on album Dirty Mind 1980, Later B-sided on the single Controversy (1981). Here the A side.
2. The Sex of it from Kid Creole and the Coconuts 1990, goes on for over 6 minutes and isn’t interesting in my opinion.
3. The still classic; Manic Monday from The Bangles (1986). Written by Prince 1984 – originally planned as a duet with Patricia Kotero, member of Apollonia 6, the girl group made famous through the Purple Rain film and a really bad song Sex Shooter- also with Prince’ signature all over it.
4. The 1990 dance hit Pray from MC Hammer, produced by the MC himself – he was the first and it was one of the few songs legally blessed by Prince to incorporate samples of one of his compositions. When Doves Cry is stamped to it like a branded cow.
5. The classic: “Nothing Compares 2 U” from Sinead O’Connor (1990). Prince released the song 1985 and originally wrote it for The Family. Screams of Passion – a song from the band screams that Prince was the Campbells Soup of chart topping music at the time. Here’s The Family version – just as a taste of what might have become of the song if Sinéad O’Connor hadn’t go her paws on it.
6. I Feel For You was an early compostion by Prince. He wrote it in 1979 for his second album Prince, later in 1984 – with permission from Prince to make changes (bridges, rapping; Melle Mel, and harmonica from Stevie Wonder) Chaka Kahn had a Number 1 hit with it in the UK.
This ones for me. Feeling sorry for myself with a broken rib. I’ve been looking for a good, appropriate title and I came up with this. If anyone’s got anything better, please let me know and I’ll make a playlist. My ribs will heal much quicker. THANKS
Bell X1 ‘was’ an Aeroplane and ‘is’ also a band from Dublin, Ireland known for their wide range of styles https://myspace.com/bellx1. Here’ The Ribs Of A Broken Umbrella.
Dinky orAlejandra Del Pilar Iglesias Rivera as she’s also known, is the chilean producer and DJ who lives in Berlin. She’s been steeped in electro club music since the 90’s, but with her latest album Dimension D (June, 2013) shes’ taken on another strain of the music virus – started singing and songwriting and producing sensuous melodic songs. Here’s Fallen Angel Enjoy!
The onset of Autumn or Winter can be a challenge for some, but nearing the end of September- here in the Schoener Schweiz, festivities are underway celebrating the changing of the seasons with the annual Alpabzug (Alpdescent). Herds are guided back down into the valleys – after spending the glorious summer months grazing on the highlands, to spend the coming winter in the stalls. As part of the seasons festivities cows are decorated with flowers and donned with big cow bells.
Size matters The harvest is also essential to this time of year. Reaping the fruits of the farmers labour is at task – it brings with it ehrgeiz. Competitions are held and entrants basically show off their largest prize Veg. The competition for the biggest pumpkin is held each October in Seegräben (canton Zurich) and last year Beni Maier brought along a pumpkin weighing 768.5 kilograms – the heaviest pumpkin in Europe, 2012.
Setting the tone There are a couple of very good tracks to choose from to set the tone – for example: R&J Stone‘s; The World Is Just A Great Big Onion, Harvest by Neil Young, also Harvest For The World – The Isley Brothers, or Needle In A Haystack from The Velvelettes, or even Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks at a push. But in honour of tradition I’m leaving you with classic, original schwyzerörgeli folks music ( diatonic button accordian) by Josias Jenny (1920 – 1989). The piece is called ‘Metzgete bim Karl’. Enjoy!
reverbmusicblog 
Recent Comments