Dionne Warwick - I Say A Little Prayer

The legendary Burt Bacharach and Hall David produced a multitude of 1960s classics with interchangeable female singers - Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and Sandie Shaw. But Dionne Warwick was always their favourite. Bacharach had spotted her as a backing singer, asking her to sing on his Brill Building demos, and then signed her to their production company.

It was a fruitful partnership, as they often wrote specifically for her, knowing she could accommodate a variety of styles and emotions. She had hits with their "Don't Make Me Over", the heart-breaking "Walk on By", "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart". 

"I Say A Little Prayer" was produced in their normal pattern, David adding lyrics to the music already composed by Bacharach, who would then oversee the recording with hired session men. On this occasion in April 1966,  it had seemed unsuccessful, with Warwick trying an unusual ten takes (normally it was three), and Bacharach unhappy with the fast tempo. It was relegated to an album track, but suddenly became popular with radio DJs, which prompted a single release in November 1967.

David's intention was to describe a women's concern for her partner away serving in the Vietnam War, but it also tapped into a universal theme of care for a loved one. It details her small prayers during a typical day -  starting from "the moment I wake up / before I put on my makeup"  (similar to the Beatles "For No One"), her commute ("While riding I think of us") to her break at work.

These are heartfelt wishes, as it builds in the chorus to affirm "Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart". It sounds fresh and different, partly due to a different beat pattern in the verse and chorus.  Easy listening pop (a compliment not a criticism), with Warwick's vocals delicately hitting the high notes, and powerful in the chorus. She is also supported by the gospel vocal group Sweet Inspirations (including her aunt Cissy Houston).

"I Say A Little Prayer" was a number 4 hit for Warwick, quickly becoming a standard, with Aretha Franklin a year later (with Sweet Inspirations backing too), multiple other artists and the memorable scene in "My Best Friend's Wedding".

Perhaps Aretha's version was more emotive, but Warwick's was the original and still captured the worry and  love in her own beautiful way. A great version of a Bacharach & David classic.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLCRUWCETK4

Hear Next -  "The Look of Love" is a wonderful compilation of Bacharach & David highlights.

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road

I have been to many great concerts, but large stadium shows pose some challenges. U2 excel with their oversized highly visual show, but Bruce Springsteen is still the Boss. He manages to form an intimacy but with an epic landscape, where every night seems special and life-affirming, as he pushes himself and his band for over three hours.

By 1975 he was under pressure, as his first two album had been good, but sold poorly. He designed an ambitious homage to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, with vignettes of youth, love and redemption.

The opener "Thunder Road" builds on the key Springsteen components - a young guy, a car and a girl named Mary (he is a good Catholic). Starting life as a different song featuring Chrissie or Angelina, and written on a piano not guitar, he repurposed as an introduction to his new era (the title comes from a Robert Mitchum film).

It begins quietly with piano and the forlorn harmonica  (again, always a great sound), as he evocatively introduces the girl "The screen door slams / Mary's dress waves".  He describes himself by name checking an idol "Roy Orbison singing for the lonely / Hey, that's me and I want you only".

She "ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright" (what a compliment), but then he admits he is no hero either. He invites her on a magical trip in his car, the American dream of open roads, and "let the wind blow back your hair".

She has rejected many before, but they are both getting older now, so this may be their last shot at happiness together. The final line "It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win" would be echoed through "Born To Run".

A well-written depiction, with a novelist's eye for detail, is supplemented with the growing power of his E-street band.  Finally they let loose in the instrumental coda, the guitars, drums, piano are overwhelmed Clarence Clemons' mighty saxophone.

"Thunder Road" is a Springsteen classic, an epic tale, and a mainstay of concerts.  A glorious moment of youth.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdhkaPZtQF4

Hear Next -   Born To Run returns his classic, vignettes of love and life.

** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats - https://tinyurl.com/y43mbr2b 

Little Richard - Tutti Frutti

It is hard to imagine the impact of the flamboyant African American Little Richard in conservative 1950s USA with segregation was so prevalent. Homosexual, pompadour hairstyle, eyeliner and attracting throngs of white teenagers - he must have been their worst nightmare.

On a personal note, I saw playing him a free concert in Philadelphia in 1990s - preening, he announced "I am the most beautiful man in the world, that is not arrogant, because it is true!". He tore through classics such as "Long Tall Sally", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and the seminal "Tutti Frutti".

Richard Penniman had been performing since he was 14 (sometimes in drag) and recording since 1951. His career only took off after moving to Specialty Records and producer "Bumps" Blackwell. The initial session seemed unsuccessful too, until Richard launched into "Tutti Frutti", a vulgar ode to gay sex that he had been playing in clubs for years. Blackwell recognised its potential and commissioned Dorothy LaBostrie to revise the lyrics.

Its opening acapella " Awopbopaloobop alopbamboom!" was a clarion call for rock 'n roll - mysterious and hypnotic.  In the new clean version, Richard chooses between two women,  Daisy ("a real gone cookie") and Sue ("knows just what to do"), but it is still hard to mistake his lascivious intentions.  

The backing fuses blues, swing and even gospel to form something new and exciting. His pounding piano and the saxophone solo stand out, but the unquestionable highlight are Richard's vocals, the distinctive holler and much imitated "wooos". 

"Tutti Frutti" was an instant smash, and one of the first rock 'n roll records to cross over from the R and B to the national chart.  But Little Richard's heyday was short-lived, as he renounced rock 'n roll (partly because he thought the fireball of Sputnik was a sign from God) and turned to religion. There were comebacks, but nothing could match his ground-breaking 1950s. 

He may not have released the first rock 'n roll record, but Little Richard  was a pioneer and architect, and his influence pervaded all the 1960s acts from the Beatles to James Brown.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_C9q4tuwXI    but I really like this guest appearance on the sitcom Blossom  (after 15 minutes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Jl6SCWVPM

Hear Next -  There are plenty of compilations albums and many clips on YouTube.

Gotye - Somebody I Used To Know

Choosing another sad break-up song, may indicate deep psychological scarring, but it  commonly accepted that most artists produce their best work after heartbreak or a separation. Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" is the most quoted example, but you could also include "Sea Change" by Beck and Bon Iver's debut.

Gotye's  all-conquering "Somebody I Used To Know" includes this agony, but with a twist as we hear from both parties (like Human League's "Don't You Want Me ").

The Australian Gotye leads with his memories of the relationship, she was happy, but he was always dubious ("felt so lonely in your company"), assuming that love was always painful. He professes a relief (" I'll admit that I was glad it was over"), but it may be denial. What is not in doubt is his shock at how she acts afterwards.

She had promised that they would remain friends, but she had shunned him ("you treat me like a stranger") and the "stoop so low" is very harsh. He feels victimised and the injured party.

However when Kimbra enters, she paints a very different picture. She wasn't happy, and recalls ("all the times you screwed me over"). She felt an unease ("believing it was always something that I'd done"), and changing her number, suggests a more abusive affair. Towards the end, he sounds more cowed and defensive. 

Gotye sounds like Peter Gabriel, a pained, hushed spoken narrative, raising in the chorus, contrasts with Kimbra's sweet but powerful harmony.  The addictive melody came from "Seville", a 1967 instrumental by Brazilian jazz guitarist Luiz Bonfá, and Gotye added beats, keyboards, other samples and a wonderful xylophone part (we don't have enough xylophone in modern music).

The memorable video also added to the effect, with Gotye and Kimbra's body paint merging into a work of art. 

"Somebody I Used To Know" was a massive hit, going to number one across the world, won Grammys and was the biggest selling single in the UK and USA in 2012. It is a great and memorable addition to the treasury of break-up songs.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY

Hear Next -  I have not heard any of Gotye's other releases, but I really enjoyed Kimbra's "Vows" album.

The Beatles - For No One

1966 was Paul McCartney's annus mirabilis, and "Revolver" is its testament - the soulful "Got to get you into my life", the haunting "Eleanor Rigby", the sweeping ballad "Here There & Everywhere", but my favourite is the sublime "For No One". It is such a mature and sophisticated effort, that it is hard to conceive, it was barely three years since their first album.

Paul wrote it in a bathroom of a ski chalet in the Swiss Alps, during a trip with girlfriend Jane Asher. It is sorrowful charting of a break-up, and includes great economy of detail in just two minutes.

A superb opening line "Your day breaks, your mind aches", sets the scene in just six words  - a sense of pain and long nights of the soul. Followed by the poignant "You find that all the words of kindness linger on / When she no longer needs you" - a breakup and he is tormented by the memories.

Constructed like a poem, it is tempting to review every line. Not only does he convey his hurt, but also the girl's, who is crying not for him, but for the end of another relationship ("that should have lasted years").

He uses the same pattern at the start of each verse,  which describes the story ("You stay home, she goes out") and the minor details ("She wakes up, she makes up").  Brevity and fullness. Each word is carefully selected and honed, describing her love as "dead" is brutal.

McCartney has rarely sung better, slow and clipped. The backing echoes the more adventurous approach, with Paul playing bass, piano, and most importantly the baroque sound of the clavichord. Ringo supplies light drums, with the percussion of tambourine and maracas. Finally there is the beautiful French horn solo, from Alan Civil, pushed to its limits. A beautiful background to desolation.

For most artists "For No One" would be a career defining highlight, but for McCartney (and the Beatles) it is a "routine" album track, quickly written and recorded between tours. The wonder of the Beatles is not only their unassailable peaks, but the consistency and quantity.  

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELlLIwhvknk  

Hear Next -  The "Revolver" album is a always a great place to start.

The La's - There She Goes

The La's are the great lost Liverpool talent - a group with untold promise and one definitive moment. Led by the eccentric perfectionist Lee Mavers,  their erratic reputation even spawned the untrue rumour that they wanted a studio mixing desk with 1960's dust.

They were a throwback to 1960s Merseybeat of short, crafted pop songs with the prerequisite Byrds jingle jangle. Incidentally their name relates to the scouse expression for lad or mate, rather than any affection for Los Angeles.

"There She Goes" had been initially released as a single in 1988, but with no success. The group were unhappy with the attempt to capture their sound, a tendency that would mar their short career. It finally went into the UK top 20 in 1990, after a remix by the producer Steve Lillywhite.

Like "Another Girl Another Planet",  it is another song that could concern  love or drugs. The latter more credible with the lines "Pulsing through my veins" and "heal my pain". There can be hints at an obsessional love ("Racing through my brain"), or that could just be addiction? Mavers stated his heroin issues post-dated its writing.

Either way, it is a great pop song - dispensing any verses, for just the thrill of the killer chorus. Mavers' voice soaring on the "goes", with acoustic guitar guiding the compact backing.

The recording of their album was similarly tortuous, and the final release was disowned too. The bass player John Power soon departed to form Cast, part of a Britpop scene, that acknowledged "There She Goes" as an influence.  

There have been occasional concert reformations, remixed rereleases and alternate takes, and but no new material. A second album is eagerly awaited (as long as Liverpool's premiership - Everton fan Mavers would like that), but it seems unlikely.

"There She Goes" is now established as upbeat regular on radio, TV and movies. We can regret the La's lost potential, but then maybe she should be very grateful for this one wonderful realisation.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZXLLMbJdZ4

Hear Next -  Only one album - so just listen to the great "The La's" album - even if they hated it.

Little Jackie - The World Should Revolve Around Me

Sometimes you can like a song, before you have even heard it. I remember reading a rave review of "The World Should Revolve Around Me" in the Word magazine, and loved the description and title. It didn't disappoint when I finally heard it.

The New York singer songwriter Imani Coppola had a minor hit in 1997, but had disappeared, before she formed the Little Jackie group in 2008 with Adam Pallin, a producer and multi- instrumentalist. Their debut album "The Stoop" was a great fusion of modern sounds and superb lyrics. TWSRAM ( I will use abbreviation onwards), the first single, was a bouncy and fun pop song. It seems a definite trend that much of my favourite work comes from artist's first releases.

After another break-up, Coppola is tired of relationships, and analyses her role in their failures ("I don't get involved because I'm not equipped").  She is too self-obsessed ("there's only one me in the galaxy / I am an endangered species"). Her lyrics are feisty and witty, even digressing trivial philosophical queries ("what came first / the chicken nugget or the Egg McMuffin?'"). In the end she realises she is the most important person in the world, so it should revolve around her !

Pallin's guitar and keyboards provide a compelling backing, with hints of soul from the brass samples. A Motown style for the 21st century. Coppola's vocals are pronounced and sassy.

I don't think the song is really that narcissistic, as it more tongue in cheek with elements of feel-good self empowerment and independence ("I don't need you around, I know I rock!"). There is similar humour and clever wordplay in much of her subsequent work.

TWSRAM was a hit single in the UK, but not in US -  a surprisingly common trend for several US artists. Two further albums appeared to critical acclaim, but low sales, and since 2014 Coppola has reverted to a solo artist. It is a shame as Little Jackie was a great vehicle for her wry lyrics and pop sensibility.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB8i8J6ORmY

Hear Next -  "The Stoop" is a great album, but then I have enjoyed others too.

Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue

I recently read a biography of Buddy Holly, and it was predictably heartbreaking - low on funds after a managerial dispute, forced to leave his pregnant wife, and embark on a treacherous tour of the snowbound Mid West, on a series of ill-suited buses, Holly sought a private plane trip. A tragic end, leaving a glorious legacy from a brief but fertile recording career, that influenced the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.

"Peggy Sue" from 1957 remains his most famous song - a rock 'n roll classic.

It was written mainly by Holly and initially named Cindy Lou after his niece, but the drummer Jerry Allison pleaded for it to be a tribute to his girlfriend Peggy Sue Gerron. It was the least he  could do, as Allison had replaced the tame latin tempo, with a fierce snare drum beat, originating from a warm up exercise. The producer Norman Petty took his customary song-writing credit, which has always been debatable, but did lend his expertise to the arranging and the echo chamber recording of the drums.

The drums are the focus, setting a rapid pace, that the guitar and standup bass barely match. Holly supplies a great guitar solo in the centre. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, an affectionate love song "Oh how my heart yearns for you".

Of course the other highlight is Holly's distinctive vocals - hiccupping (Uh-oh Peggy), swooping up and down, almost childish at points, and the forceful  "pretty pretty pretty Peggy Sue" it is a delight.

"Peggy Sue" was credited to just Buddy Holly, rather than the previous Crickets, and a top 10 single in both the US and UK. Allison and Peggy Sue married in 1958, and Buddy composed the sweet "Peggy Sue Got Married".

But fame and fortune were fleeting for the early rock 'n roll stars, forcing him on his fateful tour. His is one of the greatest losses to music, and it is tantalising to imagine his subsequent career and relationship with his disciples, the Beatles.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUesbTObC9A   and a rare TV appearance, at least worth watching for the introduction  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiIMuOKIzY

Hear Next -  There are a mass of Buddy Holly "best of" compilation CDs.

Hazeldine - Tarmac

As I grew older, I moved from reading Q to Uncut magazine. I shared their love of Americana or Alternative Country, and enjoyed their yearly sampler CDs. The one I remember best from 1998, started with the wonderful  "Tarmac" by Hazeldine. I had never heard of them before, but I was instantly hooked within the first few chords.

Hazeldine, three female guitarists and a drummer from Albuquerque, were in the vanguard of Alt Country, a reaction to the polished 1990's Nashville sounds. Their first album "How Bees Fly" was actually a demo tape recorded in a pool hall, but it found a release and popularity in Europe.

"Tarmac" was the first single, and has a great mixture of raw musicality with precise and mature lyrics.

As I mentioned, the start is powerful and gripping as the guitars produce a great and catchy riff. The fuzzy guitars and feedback are the highlight of the record, and rewarded with the extended breaks in the middle and at the end. 

The opening line isn't bad  too  - "This town forgets to draw its blinds / I see the last-ditch carnal crimes". It unfolds as a late night requiem for a former lover. Home alone as "couchside TV glows", she desperately wishes he would come back and "f*ck me like Batman" (really!).

But she knows there will be no return, and "blood flowing / and scars showing / and you won´t be back" convey the pain and regret. To produce such lyrics on a debut album is very impressive.   Shawn Barton's vocals do justice to these words, and you can feel the pain towards the end.

The only query - why is the title Tarmac, as there is no reference to driving or roads, unless it relates to his departure ?  

Hazeldine released three more albums, but struggled with records labels, low sales, and have been dormant since 2000. There is little legacy just one concert on Youtube and two tracks on Spotify. A great pity, but I will always remember "Tarmac".

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0o7HzdZWdg&t=31s  (seems to be a holiday video with Tarmac as the background)

Hear Next -  The debut "How Bees Fly"

Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

It is harsh, but there is some truth in the claim that the Rolling Stones 1960s output, followed the Beatles trail six months later. However the provocative "Sympathy for the Devil" seems to have been more influenced by Bob Dylan's long form narratives and the tumultuous mood of 1968.

After their brief dalliance with psychedelia, there was a desire to return to their R 'n B roots. What was more natural than the channelling the occult, and their memory of Robert Johnson?

Mick Jagger initially penned it as an acoustic folk song, quoting French poet Baudelaire & Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov as the key sources (but of course). Keith Richards' contribution was limited but crucial, as he proposed a faster samba beat and percussive feel.

Jagger introduces his role Satan, but as well mannered and sophisticated ("a man of wealth and taste"). He recounts his role across history, from the Crucifixion, religious wars, through the Russian Revolution ("I stuck around St. Petersburg / When I saw it was a time for a change") and the Second World War. He brings it up to date with the hastily adjusted "who killed the Kennedys?" as Robert Kennedy was assassinated during the recording.

It sounds so unusual for a rock song, as it is propelled by drums, bongos, maracas and Wyman's African shekere. There are also great piano parts by Nicky Hopkins and Richards' lead guitar solo at 2 minutes 50.

As always Jagger's vocals are the focus, ranging from the polite to a holler, as he competes with  the massed backing vocals of "hoohoo" (124 times!). It is sprawling and rambling climax before it fades out after six minutes.

Does he really have sympathy for the devil ? I don't think so, maybe he is just playing a role, highlighting a confusion between good and bad ("Just as every cop is a criminal / And all the sinners saints"). Lucifer may be requesting more respect, but it is man that has caused these events.

The recording of "Sympathy for  the Devil" was documented by Jean Luc Godard in the "One Plus One" film, and shows the close Jagger / Richards bond, but also the sad freezing out of original member Brain Jones.

"Sympathy for the Devil" may not be as famous as "Satisfaction" or as feral as "Gimme Shelter", but it is a iconic and potent moment in rock history.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnClrx8N2k

Hear Next -  "Hot Rocks" is still the definitive record of the Rolling Stones 1960s singles.