Untitled: The 12th Man

Alain Delon as Tom Ripley in Plein Soleil (1960). A great film I watched recently. based on Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Delon's first starring role. Here he is most likely listening to 'The Only One' by Roy Orbison.

I have spent the weekend listening and dancing to some great music on Friday and Saturday nights. Nothing quite like twirling around on an empty dance floor to a favourite song with a Red Stripe in your hand. People watch you and they can see, that for that moment, you are having a good time.
These 12 songs are a collection of Florence staples and recent discoveries, a mixture of songs I own on record, ones sourced through various compilations I have inadvertently stumbled across, and recommendations from certain people who usually know what I like before I do.
I seem to be naturally drawn to songs whose lyrics are of a more sombre nature, and these days, the more organ the better. Great songs to listen to in the evening while nursing a gin & tonic and reflecting upon life, or a soundtrack to accompany a spring clean on a Sunday morning.





Untitled: The 12th Man* 


Hurt - The Futuras
She - The Monkees
Disillusion - The Minute Men
Always With Him - The Living Daylights
I've Got A Way With Girls - Lavender Hour
The Only One - Roy Orbison
Mirage - Tommy James & The Shondells
My Baby Is Gone - The Untamed
Don't Think It's Me - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
So Many Times - The Sweetarts
Lonely Weekend - The Remains
So Hard To Bear - The Banshees

* I felt the need to give this collection of songs a cricketing title, having had just watched the West Indies' triumphant win over Sri Lanka at the Twenty20 World Cup. Titling things is hard, perhaps I should do the opposite to what I do with artworks, which are often named after songs, and name mixes after artworks. On that note, let's just add an 'untitled' in there for good measure.

Not in an empty room


Wise words from Agent Cooper:
Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.

In my case, it could also be Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band - one of my favourite records, or LP's which contain some of my favourite songs (Deirdre by The Beach Boys, and 'You Better Move On, The Rolling Stones' version of the Arthur Alexander classic.)

It could even be sitting on the grass with a cold beer and a book by one of your favourite authors (Ngaio Marsh, Raymond Chandler and Haruki Murakami) after just having a swim.

These are a few presents I have treated myself to recently, to fill up sometimes lonely days with words, conversation, lyrics and music. 
Besides, there is something very comforting about reading Murakami when the times are tough - almost all of his main characters do little more than read, listen to music, drink beer or whiskey, and make mouth watering meals for themselves seemingly effortlessly. They are always alone, never lonely. And there is a comforting companionship when one follows another's solitude within one's own.

Senast Inkommet


A collection of recent acquisitions I have amassed recently: one a birthday gift, one found on ebay, another at a second hand shop, and the rest picked up today in Lund at a record fair and in Repeat Records, where I also came across a copy of Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends, which I quickly snaffled up.

Scott Walker - Jackie b/w The Plague / Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman b/w Back in the Race / The Hollies - I'm Alive b/w You Know He Did / Jane Birkin - Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus (with Serge Gainsbourg) b/w Jane B / Nina Lizell & Lee Hazlewood - Hey Cowboy b/w Vem Kan Segla Förutan Vind / Chuck Jackson - Somebody New b/w Stand By Me / Ketty Lester - Love Letters b/w I'm A Fool To Want You /  The Rokes - Piangi Con Me b/w Che Colpa Abbiamo  Noi / The Poor - She's Got The Time (She's Got The Changes) b/w Love Is Real / Simon & Garfunkel - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) b/w I Am A Rock / Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Did You Ever b/w Back On The Road /

I have always considered myself to be more of an LP than a single sort of music listener, but this is apparently changing, as I have 2 Love 45's hopefully winging their way towards me having bought them on Tradera. Long Players are not forgotten though, with The Moody Blues' debut 'The Magnificent Moodies', and Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks' and Paul Butterfield Blues Band's 'East/West' taking their rightful places on my shelves.

At this rate, I may be able to do a dj hour of new records of my collection to accompany the playlist I am creating of songs about crying, which hopefully I will play 'live' in it's entirety somewhere in Malmö. For some reason I can't find enough sad songs to cover more than 1 ½ hours.

At Golden Dawn

Kris djing in style in a typically flamboyant shirt at Golden Dawn, Auckland. One of the two occasions he dj-ed there during our trip. The second time also featured a tag-team cameo of Alex and I, recapturing the records in the summertime feeling of living together at Rocky's. Good times all-round.

Sad songs


 Chuck Jackson's debut 1962 album was 'I don't want to cry!'. Along with Lesley Gore's debut 'I'll cry if I want to' and Steve Alaimo's 'Every day I have to cry' both released in 1963, the album featured tracks solely devoted to the subject of crying.
Not only amazing collections of misery-laden songs, the covers for these three records have to be some of the best I have seen, the expressions of sorrow on the face's of Gore and Alaimo especially perfect, while the dark Lynchian anguish on Jackson's debut seems ahead of it's time.
These three portraits would make an excellent triptych, and the track listings read like a emo's teenage poetry.


I don't want to cry! (Chuck Jackson)

I Don't Want to Cry
Tears on My Pillow
My Willow Tree
In Between Tears
Tear of the Year
I Cried for You
Lonely Teardrops
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
Salty Tears
I Wake Up Crying
A Tear
A Man Ain't Supposed to Cry


I'll cry if I want to (Lesley Gore)

It's My Party
Cry Me A River
Cry
Just Let Me Cry
Cry And You Cry Alone
No More Tears (Left to Cry)
Judy's Turn to Cry
I Understand
I Would
Misty
What Kind of Fool Am I?
The Party's Over


Every day I have to cry (Steve Alaimo)

Every Day I Have to Cry
I Don't Want to Cry
My Heart Cries for You
I Cried All the Way Home
Cry Me a River
I Wake Up Crying
Side 2
Cry
She Cried
Don't Cry
Cry of the Wild Goose
Cry Myself to Sleep
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying

I have been listening to a lot of Chuck Jackson recently. Perfect Saturday morning music. Though I think the time calls to this to these three collections of tearful tunes back to back, while waiting for winter to hurry up and stop trying to prolong it's stay. Sad songs and grey skies, go well together.

Orange



Today I spent up large at the small record/comic book store by Lilla Torg, coming home with a selection of 9 LP's and 3 45's. The three I found for myself appear to have a sort of orange theme running through them.
Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy shopping for records - I think I had grown weary of it in recent months because I never seemed to find anything, and would always get so flustered at record shops because I could never decide what I was in fact looking for. There is nothing so disheartening as flicking through scores of records and finding nothing piquing your interest. Now I am excited about expanding my collection again, hunting for albums in Malmö and New Zealand, and exploring different music genres.

The Walker Brothers - Images (1967) / Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (1964) / Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay b/w I Threw It All Away (1969)

If I Were A Carpenter

Last Thursday night I had the rare and always appreciated pleasure of being on the receiving end of a song dedication. The band (La Sera) dedicated their rendition of "Dedicated to the one I love" to us (the DJ's - well I was more of a musical advisor less of a dj I suppose), and the whole scenario felt a little more special as we had played The Shirelles' version earlier on in the night when no one was there bar us, the bands, the guy setting up the merch table and a staff member writing up the evening's specials on a black board and making a bit of a hash of it. If I was ever in the position where I could do a really swell cover of a heartfelt song and dedicate it to someone, I would choose this:




To take a squizz at the mammoth list of pretty excellent songs played by the tally ho's partner in crime 'RECORD TURNOVER', please stop by.

I Alla Fall









Alive and singing in Paris
2010
Invisible ink on newsprint

Illya Kuryakin /colour field quilt /Sriwhana Spong at Newcall

Things of interest so far in the new year - David McCallum and his records, objects that remind me of abstract expressionist art, collections of things that fly, drinking too much coke.

more drawings in invisible ink. balancing birds on wooden mobiles. hand embroidered wood grain patterned tights.

BELLE epoch

Last night at BELLE epoque:
after sitting down to a delicious meal of trout, rooster and pork, followed up with a blood orange sorbet, I serenaded the winers and diners with a handful of my favourite wintery songs about such weighty topics as blues, hearts, paris, girls, mornings, nights and moons.

This was for the inaugural night of RECORD TURNOVER, the new moniker of my dj partner in crime. He is sort of like the conjurer and I his able bodied assistant, who is willing to be sawed in half.

A list of the tunes I selected lies below, and if you weren't able to make it and the tracklisting tickles your fancy and piques your interest, or if you would just like to re-live the experience one more time, you can even add 'blah blah' to your own music collection by following this LINK.

BAROQUE CLOAK

Something On Your Mind - Karen Dalton
Blues In the Night - Ann Shelton
Dreamin' - The Distant Sounds
Blue is the Night - The Deverons
This Boy - The Beatles
Sunday Morning - Margo Guryan
Be-Bop-A-Lula - Gene Vincent
You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
Rolling Moon - The Chills
Are You The One - The Trolls
Rockin' Back Inside My Heart - Julee Cruise
And I Say To Myself - David Bowie with The Lower Third
All These Blues - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Great Balls of Fire - The Librettos
Looking For Me - The Walker Brothers
Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon - Neil Diamond
Paris Summer - Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
Tell Me Now So I'll Know - The Kinks
Got Nothin' to Say - The Limiñanas
How Can I Stop Loving You - The Eighth Day
Time of the Season - The Zombies
Sally I Do - Abdullahs' Regime
Just A Little - The Beau Brummels
Superstar - Carpenters
That Lonely Feeling - Dean Ford & the Gaylords
I'll Keep It With Mine - Nico


songs for prancing to.

DEIRDRE

misspelt single title.



could possibly be part of collections named "Songs featuring my parents' name's", or "Beach Boys songs featuring a girls name in the title".

"Long Promised Road"/"Deirdre" (1971)
The Beach Boys

BELLE epoque suite


Louise Drombrowski doing the Hook Rug Dance

My contribution to last night's dj effort between Kris and myself at BELLE epoque - one of the restaurant/bar fixtures directly beneath our apartment, 11 August 2010.

He's The Great Imposter - The Fleetwoods
He's In Town - The Rockin' Berries
She Comes Running - Lee Hazlewood
Do I Love You - The Ronnettes
The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
You Only Live Twice - Nancy Sinatra
La Nuit N'En Finit Plus (Needles and Pins) - Le Lionceaux
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) - Otis Redding
She's a Mystery to Me - Roy Orbison
Lady of the Lake - Peggy Lipton
Perdita - Rubber City
Here Comes the Night - The Walker Brothers
Here Comes the Night - Them
Hook Rug Dance - Angelo Badalamenti
Strange Love - Darlene Love
Tryin' To Get To You - Elvis Presley
Doodlin' - Dusty Springfield
I Call Your Name - The Beatles
He's The Only Guy I'll Ever Love - Maxine Brown
I'll Call You Mine - The Zombies
Blow-Up (Main Title) - Herbie Hancock
Say I Am - Tommy James & The Shondells
Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto
Little Town Flirt - Del Shannon
It's All In The Way (You Look At It Baby) - Mousie & The Traps
La Chanson De Jacky - Jacques Brel
Mary, Mary - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Quand un amour renaît - Sylvie Vartan

the other half - Kris' playlist here


and David Hemmings about to teach Vanessa Redgrave how to dance to Herbie Hancock.

Malmö Record #2


Yes, I bought another Fleetwood Mac album. From the same store, this time en route to the beer supermarket for a few Red Stripes (James Bond's favourite beer when in Jamaica). Being a marvellous spring day, the old codgers running the joint were relaxing outside on chairs I think they were trying to sell. In the record crates there was still an abundance of Elton John, Rod Stewart and Supertramp, but they also seemed to have come into the possession of the entire back catalogues of Toto and REO Speedwagon. Was sorely tempted by some Roy Orbison and Elvis compilations, and the same Best of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music as at Rocky's, but all were too scratched for my liking.
I had a small tête-à-tête with owners, who, after establishing I was from New Zealand, regaled me with tales about an American band who couldn't get any studio time to record and then decided to move to New Zealand and became a country act, naturally, the name escapes me. It was one of those "someone and the something else's". There was also some talk of a Swedish glass artist who was apparently glazing and blowing down Nelson way.
Perhaps my next record purchase will be something completely out of left field...like early Fleetwood Mac. Or Albatross.

A delightful bit of instant mythology



Rolling Stone review from October 18, 1969, by T.M Christian.

To view text click to enlarge.
Due to the first column and paragraph one of column two being blurred, I have transcribed them below:

"They began months ago, the rumours of an event that at first seemed hardly believable but which in the end was accepted as all but inevitable. After all, with 'Garage Jam', Super Sessions', 'The Live Adventures of...', Blind Faith, Joe Cocker's LP, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 'Jammed Together' and 'Fathers & Sons', it had to happen. Set for release later this month, the 'Masked Marauders' two-record set may evoke an agonizing 'tip-of-the-tongue', lobe-of-the-ear recognition in some, or cries of 'No, no! It can't be true!' in others. But Yes, yes it is - a treasured, oft-xeroxed sheet of credits (which, for obvious contractual reasons, will not be reproduced on the album), and the unmistakable vocals make it clear that this is indeed John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, backed by George Harrison and a drummer as yet unnamed - "THE MASKED MARAUDERS".
Produced by Al Kooper, the the album was recorded with the impeccable secrecy in a very small town near the site of the original Hudson Bay Colony in Canada. Cut in late April, only three days were required to complete the sessions, though mixing and editing involved months of serious consultations on both sides of the Atlantic. Word has it that the cover art was intended as a "send-up" of Blind Faith, but none of the principals were willing to comment on the situation."

Available on Deity Records.

Malmö record #1

Today I purchased my first record in Malmö. It was a wrench leaving my old collection behind in New Zealand bar six records, but here is the start of a new one. Outside a small antique shop on my street, two crates of records rested on little wooden stools side by side, and as I was on my way back from the supermarket I flicked through the crates hoping to stumble across something worthwhile.A bit of a manoeuver while you are holding a punnet of lettuce in one hand. Bypassing the copious amounts of Supertramp (unfortunately, there was no Breakfast In America), Elton John and Rod Stewart compilations, Styx and various easy listening favourites, I discovered Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. Not bad for 20:- / $4. It does seem like the previous owner has purposely made a squiggly scratch through "That's All For Everyone", but I feel it sort of adds to the charm. I can imagine someone being 'nope, can't stand this bloody song, I would rather have to get up and move the needle than listen to it.'
I can only hope this omission doesn't completely ruin the concept behind the concept album. An album required of every collection.


Letters and Notes


With the easter break looming, I was in dire need of some new reading material. The books I had brought with me to Malmö are all much loved and well thumbed, my volume of Sherlock Holmes novels, a couple of Ngaio Marsh's, Gatsby, and The Skinny Louie Book by Fiona Farrell, one in the new Penguin New Zealand series, given by an aunt as a parting gift. I am the kind of person who will read the same books, watch the same films, and listen to the same music again and again, and never tire of it. But even I need some welcome additions to the list every so often. I was excited to learn Malmö stadbibliotek had shelves detective fiction (in english) for my to read and re-read, along with some Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, and Murakami. The usual suspects.

One thing I did find out of left field was a TINTIN ROMANCE. Well this is what it appears to be at first glance, and probably the reason I borrowed it. Actually, its a novel by Frederic Tuten, titled Tintin in the New World: a romance . Apparently, Tuten transplants Tintin from his comic book confines into a fleshed out, realistic world with all its wicked, grave and abstruse trappings. Sounds like my kind of story.


cover of Tintin in the New World with artwork by Roy Lichtenstein (1993)

I only bought six records with me to Sweden, Roy Orbison 'Mystery Girl', Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours', The Beatles 'Please, Please Me', The Righteous Brothers 'Greatest Hits', Elvis Presley '50 000 000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong' and the Original Soundtrack of 'The Singing Detective'.
However with the purchase of an ipod before I left, slowly a collection of music is beginning again.
The past few days of avid reading have been accompanied by some excellent tunes.

Cowboy in Sweden and The Story of Them

As I never listened to either of these in Auckland I feel like I can associate them solely with my new life in Sweden. Now I just need to build up another record collection - with Cowboy in Sweden and at least one Them album in there.