jueves, 26 de febrero de 2009

The Realists - I've Got A Heart




The Realists - I've Got A Heart (Paul Astles) Stiff / Off 4 - 1978

En el sureste de Londres hay un area llamada Deptford y en 1977 tres bandas locales apuntaban buenas formas y un éxito futurible: Squeeze, The Dire Straits y The Realists. Obviamente, sólo las dos primeras cumplirían sus expectativas.

Se sabe que no sólo de música se nutre el circo del rock y, para desgracia propia y también para la de los amantes de las buenas canciones, The Realists únicamente lograron publicar un solitario single en Off, un subsello de la entonces emergente marca Stiff.

Por si a alguien le interesa, que de todo hay, The Realists eran: Paul Astles (voz, guitarra y líder), Ralph Holden (guitarra solista), Pete Butler (bajo) y John Conroy (batería). Tras la no tan realista aventura, todos excepto Mr. Conroy se unieron al ex-Fabulous Poodles, Bobby Valentino, para formar la banda de cajun, bluegrass, y americana en general The Electric Bluebirds. Dos LPs en 1986 y en 1996 es su discreto legado.

"I've Got A Heart", además de ser una potente y nutritiva píldora pop que merece ser recordada y degustada en fiestas de guardar, es la prueba palpable de que se pueden hacer canciones atómicas con tan sólo tres acordes. Si me puediera aplicar el cuento...
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In the south-east of London there's a place called Deptford and, in 1977, three local bands were showing good shape and were pointing to a probable success: Squeeze, The Dire Straits and The Realists. Obviously, only two of them would fulfill those expectancies.

It's a well known fact that the rock circus is fed not only by music and, unfortunately fot them and also for the lovers of good songs, The Realists only released a lone single in Off, a sublabel of the then blossoming Stiff Records. Well, in fact there was a self-released second 45. But it was even more anonymous than this first one.

If anyone is interested, anything can happen, The Realists were: Paul Astles (lead vocals and guitar), Ralph Holden (lead guitar), Pete Butler (bass) and John Conroy (drums). After the not so realist adventure, everyone except Mr. Conroy joined Bobby Valentino, ex - The Fabulous Poodles, to form a cajun, bluegrass and americana band called The Electric Bluebirds. Two LPs in 1986 and 1996 is their discreet legacy.

"I've Got A Heart", besides being a poweful and nourishing pop pill that deserves to be remembered and taken in every proper holiday, is the living proof that atomic songs can be really made with only three chords. If I could only do it myself...

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domingo, 15 de febrero de 2009

Heart'n' Soul - Lazy Life


Heart'n' Soul - Lazy Life (Gordon Haskell) Festival FK 2949 - 1969


Curiosa historia la de esta canción. Fué escrita por Gordon Haskell cuando era el bajista The Fleur De Lys, antes de publicar su primer LP en solitario. Ante la indiferencia del mundo, Gordon se unió a King Crimson a tiempo de participar en su tercer LP "Lizard", sustituyendo a Greg Lake. No aguantó mucho tiempo al Sr. Fripp y prosiguió una errática y prolongada carrera solitaria, que le trajo un inesperado éxito en Inglaterra en 2001 con la canción "How Beautiful You Are".

"Lazy Life" fué grabada primero for el grupo sudafricano, de Durban, The Gonks. Su manager la había pescado en un viaje a Londres. Editada con el seudónimo de Quentin E. Klopjaeger, tuvo éxito en las listas del pais en 1968 e incluso se editó en el Reino Unido con un nuevo seudónimo, esta vez como William E. (Polydor 56 181 - 1968)

Alguna copia del disco en cuestión se las debió arreglar para aterrizar en Australia. Allí, en Sydney concretamente, un grupo que andaba bajo la estela de bandas de jazz pop como The Graham Bond Organisation o Colosseum, la recogió y se marco un increíble arreglo que transformó una sencilla balada beat en una producción casi spectoriana en cinemascope y tecnicolor.

Heart'n' Soul llegaron a editar tres singles en el sello Festival entre 1968 y 1970, siendo "Lazy Life" el segundo de ellos. En el 71 apareció su único LP "Hot Boogie Band", ya con un enfoque más netamente progresivo y experimental, para después desparecer en el éter intemporal de las historias semianónimas.

A destacar la profunda voz del cantante, Graeme Willington, sorprendentemente cercana a un Scott Walker en su mejor momento. Si en lugar de andar por un suburbio de Sydney hubiera sido inquilino de Carnaby Street, otro gallo le habría cantado probablemente. Ah, y arreglo de la parte instrumental central, ausente en la versión original, es realmente épico. Pena que sea tan corto.


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This song has a quite curious story. It was written by Gordon Haskell when he was the bass player of The Fleur De Lys, some time before releasing his first solo LP in 1969. Facing world indifference, Gordon joined King Crimson in time to play on their third album "Lizard", filling departed Greg Lake's place. He couldn't stand Mr. Fripp for very long and followed then with an erratic and long solo career which brought him an unexpected U.K. succes in 2001 with the song "How Beautiful You Are".

"Lazy Life" was first recorded by the south african band from Durban, The Gonks. Their manager had just got the song from a recent trip to London. It was released under the pseudonym of Quentin E. Klopjaeger and it was a 1968 hit in South Africa. It even had a U.K. release with an even new name: this time as William E. (Polydor 56 181 - 1968).

A copy of this record somehow found its way to distant Australia. There, in Sydney to be precise, a local jazz - pop band under The Graham Bond Organisation or Colosseum wave, got hold of it and worked out an incredible arrangement that mutated the original simple beat ballad into an almost spectoresque cinemascope and technicolour production.

Heart'n' Soul released three singles on the Festival label between 1968 and 1970, and "Lazy Life" was the second of them. In 1971 they released their only album, "Hot Boogie Band", which had a quite more experimental and progressive approach. Heart'n' Soul disappeared then into the ether out of time, where the semianonymous stories sleep.

I have to underline the deep voice of singer Graeme Willington, surprisingly close to the best Scott Walker. If Mr. Willington had been a Carnaby Street dweller instead of wandering on some Sydney suburb, other winds could have probably blown. Oh, and the instrumental arrangement in the middle part of the song, absent in the original version, is really epic. Shame it's so short.



http://rapidshare.com/files/198460983/Heart_n_Soul_-_Lazy_Life.mp3



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sábado, 14 de febrero de 2009

John Stewart - Daydream Believer


John Stewart - Daydream Believer (John Stewart) Warner Bros. 7525 - 1971


Siempre me ha dado mucho morbo escuchar y conocer las versiones originales de canciones que me gustan, y que previamente había conocido en boca de otros.

No es este el caso exactamente, ya que The Monkees editaron antes que el propio autor esta gran canción, que siempre ha sido una de mis favoritas del grupo. Aunque ilustra y enternece oir la versión de quien escribió la canción en cuestión en primer lugar.

John Stewart, de San Diego, California, se unió a The Kingston Trio en 1961. Cuando estos se disolvieron en 1967 comenzó una larga carrera en solitario, que se extendió hasta su muerte, ahora hace un año. Muchos artistas han grabado sus canciones, aunque tal vez este "Daydream Believer" sea su canción bandera. Aqui podemos escucharla en la frágil voz de su autor, tal vez cercana a la de un Johnny Cash, por ejemplo.

Está producida por su hermano Mike Stewart, del grupo We Five, y aunque mucho más sobria que la espectacular e irrepetible versión de The Monkees, transmite una calidez y una intimidad que tienen luz propia. Despues de todo, era su propia canción.

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To me it's always been like a secret pleasure to know and listen to original versions of songs I like, and that I had previously known with others covers.

This isn't exactly the case here,'cause The Monkees released this great song, "Daydream Believer", before its own creator did. Though it's always illustrative and touching to hear the song in the voice of the one who wrote it first.

John Stewart, from San Diego, California, joined The Kingston Trio in 1961. When they split in 1967 he started a long solo career which stretched just until his death, about one year ago now. Many different artists have recorded his songs through the years, tough probably this "Daydream Believer" is his most representative one. We can hear it here with the fragile voice of its writer, maybe a bit close to say Johnny Cash.

It was produced by his brother Mike Stewart, from the band We Five, and altough quite more sober than the spectacular Monkees cover, it shows some kind of warmth and intimacy that shines all through. After all, it was his own song.


http://rapidshare.com/files/197742550/John_Stewart_-_Daydream_Believer.mp3


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domingo, 8 de febrero de 2009

The Clique - Love Ain't Easy



The Clique - Love Ain't Easy (M. James / C. Klein) Scepter 12212 - 1968


Grupo de Austin, Texas, The Clique editaron casi una decena de singles y un LP entre 1967 y 1970. Su primer single era una rompedora versión de "Splash", de The 13th Floor Elevators.

En 1969 pasaron al sello White Whale donde trabajaron con acreditados productores/compositores como Tommy James o Gary Zekley & Mitchell Bottler.
17 años después, R.E.M. versionearon "Superman", su tercer single.

"Love Ain't Easy", su segundo disco, es una de esas canciones que, sin apenas pretenderlo, hace parecer domingo un martes cualquiera.


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A band from Austin, Texas, The Clique released about nine singles and one LP between 1967 and 1970. Their first single was a rough cover of "Splash", by The 13th Floor Elevators.

In 1969 they signed for the White Whale label where they worked with well known producers/writers like Tommy James or Gary Zekley & Mitchell Bottler.
Seventeen years later, R.E.M. covered "Superman", their third single.

"Love Ain't Easy", their second one, is one of those songs that, without even pretending it, makes any tuesday feel like a sunday.


http://rapidshare.com/files/195610931/The_Clique_-_Love_Ain_t_Easy.mp3


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domingo, 1 de febrero de 2009

Bloodshot - Softly Stroll



Bloodshot - Softly Stroll (Graham Jarvis/Henry Hoole) RockMa GPJ 001 - 1978


Una hipnótica canción editada durante la eclosión de la new wave a finales de los 70 por un grupo casi fantasma del que nunca he conseguido averiguar absolutamente nada.

Parece ser uno de tantos singles autoeditados en el Reino Unido, en pleno burbujeo de la mayor época del "Hagaselo Vd. Mismo". Un single tal vez demasiado progresivo para las hordas de la nueva ola... y tal vez demasiado new wave para los clanes de los peludos. Y ahí se ha quedado. En un limbo imposible. Un poco fumeta y un poco imperdible.

Con un engañoso principio acústico, "Softly Stroll" mantiene un clima magnético realzado con unos arrebatadores pianos eléctricos que consiguen crear una atmósfera única. Treinta años después, sigue poniendo en órbita a todo aquel que se deje llevar.

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A hypnotic song, released during the new wave boom in the late 70s, by an almost ghost band of whom I've never been able to find a single word about.

It seems one of those many singles self released in the U.K. during the bubbling of the biggest "d.i.y." time. A record maybe still too progressive for the punk and new wave hordes... and maybe too new wavish for the hairy clans. And there Bloodshot remained. In an impossible limbo. A bit smokey, and a bit safety pin.

With a deceiving acoustic start, "Softly Stroll" keeps a magnetic climate, underlined by some captivating electric pianos, creating a unique atmosphere. Thirty years on, it still may send in orbit anyone with a minimum will to do so.


http://rapidshare.com/files/192531506/Bloodshot_-_Softly_Stroll.mp3


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