Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Welcome to another journey through the time and various musical styles.

1960: Johnny Kidd and the Pirates

1965: James Brown

1982: The Clash

1971: Janis Joplin

1984: The Bluebells

1970: The Kinks

1981: The Specials

1981: The Go-Go's

1969: The Cambers Brothers

1975: Janis Ian

1975: Jim Croce

1979: The Cure

Saturday's Three

 

A few weeks ago I was looking for a topic for a new series for this blog. I couldn't think of anything inspiring until songs with the word Saturday in the title were played twice in succession via shuffle mode. I'll take that as a sign and start a little series.

Let's start with a song by The Specials. Friday Night, Saturday Morning was the b-side of Ghost Town and Terry Hall described beautifully a mundane night out in Coventry.

From 1991 is a song by hip-hop trio De La Soul and it is still far away with it's light-heartedness form many other artists of this genre.

And finally you should name a song by Nick Drake if you have the chance to. Saturday Sun is the final track from his fantastic debut album.

Trouble Every Day

 

In 1966 Frank Zappa ant the Mothers of Invention released Trouble Every Day in 1966 on their debut Freak Out. This one is one of my oldest one I own but always one I come back from time to time. Not only because Zappa was the one who made always the thing he wanted to make and his music was outstanding and far ahead of the times. Today you would call him an influencer a business you can make more money you can spent a month if you have enough followers. Trouble Every Day was by Zappa written round the the Watts riots in 1965 in Los Angeles. I have to admit that I forget this song and new interpretations came to my ears during the last weeks. First by She Drew The Gun a band that didn't get the acclaim they ought to have and second as a track on the latest release by The Specials where they featured protest songs from the last decades. Both versions are worth to get listened but the original is still unbeaten.

Well I'm about to get sick

                                                             From watchin' my TV

Been checkin' out the news

Till my eyeballs fail to see

I mean to say that every day

Is just another rotten mess

And when it's gonna change, my friend

Is anybody's guess, so I'm

Watchin' and I'm waitin'

Hopin' for the best

Even think I'll go to prayin'

Every time I hear 'em sayin'

There's no way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

No way to delay the trouble

Comin' every day

Wednesday I watched the riot

Seen the cops out on the street

Watched 'em throwin' rocks & stuff & chokin'

In the heat

Listen to reports

About the whisky passin' 'round

Seen the smoke & fire

And the market burnin' down

Watched while everybody

On his street would take a turn

To stomp & smash & bash & crash & slash &

Bust & burn

And I'm

Watchin' and I'm waitin'

Hopin' for the best

Even think I'll go to prayin'

Every time I hear 'em sayin' that there's

No way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

No way to delay

That trouble comin' every day

Ghost Town

In these days when everybody tells us to reduce your social contacts to a necessary minimum it is hard to avoid the news on TV or radio. They are now starting to close down the pubs, schools and cinemas and I really don't know if the mass hysteria because of a virus is legitimate. Or is there a bigger plan behind to keep us under control. I am sure that the winner will those who are engaged in stock markets. When I look outside my window the streets are filled with people going to buy their weekend stuff - now the road is empty and I ask myself what will be the next. Until then I have time enough to read some books and listen to some music.

The Specials - Ghost Town (12 inch single edition)

Encore

As I heard the news that The Specials are going to release a new album I was not sure what I should expect. My first thought was that the members need a bit of cash for their benefit and for second I couldn't imagine that they were able to hit me with their music like they did 40 years ago. After listening to the album I can say that it is a bit more than old wine in new tubes. Their new songs are different to their ska-punk in 1979. Sometimes a bit more jazzy with horns, another time spoken words to a Sly and Robbie reggae rhythm. With Hall and Golding two of three forming members are present, however, musically happens little new, however, politically the songs are still statements: Today instead of Reagan and Thatcher lunatics like Trump and May have taken over the asylum.

The only song that comes close to their origin sound is this one:

Disappointing Voting

Sad news that 60 percent of British parliament voted against a ruled Brexit. Mrs. May lost and I am afraid what will happen a few weeks ahead. I think that the ruling parties lost their influence to the country and a few hardliners will laugh about the stupid things that will happen. My hope is that Jeremy Corbyn will make a vote of no confidence to get rid of this unruled Brexit. May is gone but what bill be the next? I hope that the last word isn't spoken yet.

Nothing More To Say

There are less non-Jamaican reggae artists that made me listening to more than once. I I should name The Clash, The Specials or The Selector you might know what I mean. But a few weeks ago I got aware of an band based in Queens named The Frightnrs that made a very own and great interpretation of vintage rocksteady and early reggae that is worth to be listened to. All the songs from their debut album Nothing More To Say from last year is ruled by the falsetto of lead singer Dan Klein. Some might say it is retro but if today a band is able to make songs in this tradition I would call it great.

The Frightnrs - Trouble In Here
The Frightnrs - Nothing More To Say

I Love You Will You Marry Me

Almost half a year ago I featured Dominic Harrison at this place because his mix-up of musical influences impressed me. Now he's back with his alter ego Yungblud and a new single. And I still like the way he merges different sounds from the last decades in music. You can hear reminiscences of revolution rock by The Clash, ska-punk by The Specials and Bob Dylan's protest-folk. And over all a snotty rap The Streets used to do. Not too bad to start into the last quarter of the year.

Dawning Of A New Era

A few days ago I listened to a radio show featuring famous albums from the last decades. It is a series during the summer and it started with the epoch-making first album by The Specials. Back in 1979 is I had to do my basic military service in German army. Not much money to spent and living mostly together with other guys that have to share the same commitment. But we had a social room in the attic where could meet, drink, talk and listen to music to. In this time ska was the very new thing that was hyped by musical press and I suddenly got infected by this kind of music. Of course I knew a lot of songs from Jamaica and reggae was heard all over but I didn't knew anything about the ska movement in the 60's or what it meant to pop culture in Great Britain. For me it was only a new sound I could agree much to. In these days I owned the albums of The Specials. Madness and other Two Tone bands and I felt save and harm to this sound. The self titled album is still a classic and Wiki tells us this about it:

Musically, the album encapsulates the wave of British ska, greatly reworking the original sound of 1960s Jamaican ska. The music shares the infectious energy and humour of the original sound, but injects new-found anger and punk sensibility. The resulting sound is considerably less laid-back and "Caribbean" sounding than original ska, and dispensed with much of the percussion and the larger horn sections used in the older variety. The Specials also brought guitar to the front of the mix; it had often been a secondary instrument in Jamaican ska

The album produced by Elvis Costello with his anti-racist basic position which hits on rage about unemployment, social injustice, however, also on humor and opposition is still an all time favourite of mine during the last decades. Not only that The Specials brought their own songs to us they also introduced a lot of folks to classic songs by Toots and the Maytals, Prince Buster or Dandy Livingstone. It feels good to remember great records after all these years. 

The Specials - Monkey Man
The Specials - Too Much Too Young
The Specials - (Dawning Of A) New Era
The Specials - You're Wondering Now
The Specials - Doesn't Make It Alright