My Crucial Tracks for last week - Elvis, Pussycat, Black Grape, Sandy Denny, Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor, the Wurzels and my daughter
These were my Crucial Tracks for the last week.
What's a hidden gem you wish more people knew about?
"Emerald City" by Bethany Eve
I have to pick a song by Child #1
It’s a feature of being a parent that eventually your kids get better at some things than you are. In my case the kids are massively better than me at two things I’d really like to be good at - music and sport, respectively
Another song from a summer when I was a kid
"The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)" by The Wurzels
Also a hit in the long hot summer of 1976.
The Wurzels were a folk band who had a couple of novelty hits.
They were mainly I think from Somerset, which is to the west of where I’m from….but the accent is much the same 😀
"The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)" by The Wurzels on Apple music
Describe your favorite summer as a kid using a single song.
"Teenage Queenie" by Pussycat
This song is like a second cousin twice removed from today's prompt.
I don’t really associate any particular song with summer as a kid - it was probably too long ago.
Anyway, I looked up a list of number ones from the summer of 1976, which was very long and very hot in the UK.
One of the number ones was Mississippi by Pussycat, who were a “Dutch country and pop group led by the three Veldpaus sisters: Toni, Betty and Marianne “.
Mississippi is a great song, but earlier this year I put their greatest hits on a playlist, and I’m now slightly obsessed with this song
What song best matches the energy of today?
"England's Irie (feat. Joe Strummer & Keith Allen)" by Black Grape
Football today (yes....even at my great age), so a football song
"England's Irie (feat. Joe Strummer & Keith Allen)" by Black Grape on Apple music
What song best captures your current phase of life?
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes? (BBC Session - John Peel 11/9/73)" by Sandy Denny
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes? (BBC Session - John Peel 11/9/73)" by Sandy Denny on Apple music
Your favorite demo or unreleased version of a song.
"Don't Be Cruel (Version 2)" by Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis & Johnny Cash
Elvis doing an impression of Jackie Wilson covering Elvis' song Don't be Cruel
Elvis says he went to see Jackie four nights in a row in the band Billie Ward and the Dominoes
Some versions of this track have a word associated with Jim Crow era segregation but I don’t think this one does
Your favorite live version of a song.
"Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love (Live)" by The Cramps
I don't often listen to live versions more than once. There are a couple of exceptions - Christy Moore is one, and the Cramps are the other.
They were terrific fun live, so this LP is a great reminder of their shows. Also I don’t think any of the songs are available anywhere else
"Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love (Live)" by The Cramps on Apple music
A song from your most listened to artist of the last 20 years.
"Haunted" by Shane MacGowan & Sinéad O'Connor
Two artists for the price of one. Tragically neither are still with us.
Cracking song…it should have been a huge hit
"Haunted" by Shane MacGowan & Sinéad O'Connor on Apple music