Catching Up With Some Blogging Buddies

Quite a few of my fellow bloggers post pieces of music that inspire me with my own posts or -- at least -- remind me of something from my own collection. Today's selections are really just concluding conversations I have had with bloggers via their comments sections or by email. Hopefully all of you, not just my blogging buddies, will find something you like here, too.

This first one goes to Scott at Spools Paradise. A couple of weeks ago he featured organ aficionado Shirley Scott. I'm a fan or her work, but I must admit I only have a few of of her albums. Then again, who could have them all? Just between 1958 and 1968 she released more than 30 of them. My favorite of the ones I have is 'For Members Only,' from 1963, but I wanted Scott to hear a song from the 1964 album 'Great Scott!' There are a lot of Scotts going on here, eh? Sorry about that.

"The Blues Ain't Nothin' But Some Pain" came about while messing around on the organ as she waited for her trio to gather in the studio. She was singing to herself, and the tune caught the ear of producer Bob Thiele. When he asked Shirley about it, he discovered this was an original composition with, yes, lyrics. He asked her to record it. After much coaxing, she relented. So, this is the first time we ever hear Shirley Scott sing on a record. As you would expect, her delivery is timid and vulnerable, but it works perfectly for this slow burner.

The Blues Ain't Nothin' But Some Pain

Switching gears, I have two selections for CC over at Charity Chic Music. Way back in September, while reading Tracey Thorn's 'Bedsit Disco Queen,' CC wondered about Thorn's early band the Marine Girls. I tried to leave him a message about the all-girl group, but for some reason my comment wouldn't stick. Well, time passed, and I forgot about getting in touch with him. I'm reading Thorn's book now (and what a read so far!), and I happen to be in the midst of the section on the Marine Girls. It jogged my memory about CC's request to his readers for some Marine Girls.

I have a few go-to songs from the band, but "Honey" has always been my all-time favorite. You can find it on the 1981 album 'Beach Party.' The songs are lo-fi affairs I find simple yet utterly charming. Now, I'm not going to claim I go quite this far back with Thorn. Thankfully, Cherry Red reissued 'Beach Party' and followup 'Lazy Ways' on one disc back in 1997, and it's been in print ever since. If you aren't a fan of Thorn's yet, don't start here. For the rest of you, however, I think this material will amount to more than just a curiosity.

Honey

Just the other day CC was singing the praises of 'Break Out,' the latest from Chris Devotion and the Expectations. I was excited to read this, as I had completely missed the news of this release. Scott from Spools Paradise commented to CC the Devotion song "wouldn't sound out of place on a mix CD with a bit of Joe Jackson, a bit of The Knack, a bit of Squeeze etc..." When I hyped their album 'Amalgamation and Devotion' on my best of the year list in 2012 I wrote: "The first time I listened to this album out of Glasgow I would have sworn this was a front for an Any Trouble reunion." I always felt Any Trouble's debut album, 'Where Are All the Nice Girls?' sounded a bit like early Joe Jackson. Sounds like Scott and I are on the same page. So, CC, until you find Any Trouble at your local charity shop, and you're bound to, here's Any Trouble's first single.

Yesterday's Love

I didn't quite get to everyone I wanted to catch up with today. So, next time I'll try to convince George from Jim McLean's Rabbit that an old favorite of mine is worth adding to his music room.