the beatles

musicology #510

CoversWeek2 #7

(Bill Withers – Let It Be)

Final day of the second instalment of the covers theme..yet again there’s too many to choose from so rather than waste precious time deliberating I’m just going to lay this cut on you. Yet another one from themusicologist’s memory banks..Bill Withers 1971 version of the Beatles song Let It Be. Highlighted from his first LP ‘Just As I am’. Produced, arranged and featuring ‘Booker T’ Jones as well as the combined talents of Stephen Stills, Jim Keltner, Bobbye Hall Porter and Al Jackson Jnr. Recorded and released on the Sussex label.

“When I find myself in times of trouble Brother Billy comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom, Let It Be ohhh Let It Be..”

New theme starts tomorrow…

musicology #492

SoulBoy #11

(Doris Troy – Please Little Angel)

Ladies with Soul … Lots to choose from; Aretha Franklin, Carla Thomas, Candi Staton, Randy Crawford, Millie Jackson, Mary Wells, Gwen McCrae, Vicki Anderson, Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Barbara Lewis, Etta James, Dee Dee Warwick, Fontella Bass, Minnie Ripperton, Marie Knight, Dee Dee Sharp, Mitty Collier…as well as contemporary kittens such as Angie Stone, Brandy, India Arie, Beyonce…and those are just the ones off the top of my head !

As difficult as it was to choose..today’s cut, (courtesy of Doris ‘Just One Look’ Troy), has ALL the right ingredients; Vocals, Lyrics and Production..

Bronx born Doris Higginsen begun her career singing Gospel in her fathers choir but it was as a songwriter that she scored her first hit ‘How About That’ recorded by Soul pioneer Dee Clark in 1960. Three years later she was spotted by James Brown working as an usherette at the Apollo and in that same year she wrote and recorded the Mod/ernist classic ‘Just One Look’. Not sure how or why but Doris didn’t go on to receive the critical acclaim that her talents deserved. Employed by the Beatles at Apple as Artist, Writer and producer Doris sung backup and worked with some of the UK’s most established musicologists, (The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and The Moody Blues), but failed to make a commercial impact as an artist in her own right. After a few years in the wilderness Doris’s story became a successful stage show ‘Mama I Want To Sing’ which is scheduled for a cinema release this month? I didn’t know that before researching for today’s cut but musicology works in mysterious ways so it makes complete sense to me.

musicology #207

12AngryMen #4 (alternativesoundtrack #3)

(Chuck Berry – Too Much Monkey Business)

today’s dialogue hears some of the jurors laying out the reasoning behind arriving at their guilty verdict and begins to give us an insight into them as people. One thing’s for sure, with the amount of top quality dialogue in this film it could turn into a long musical journey..not sure I have enough 1957 cuts in the vaults to cope so might have to throw a few from previous years.

the slice of musicology is from, some say, the King of Rock & Roll…none other than Charles Edward Anderson Berry. About whom John Lennon was quoted to have said

“If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.”

Taken from his first LP ‘After School Sessions’, (a favourite down Circus Street), released in, yep you guessed it, 1957. The song has been covered by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Yardbirds and The Kinks such was Chuck’s stature among musicians. If you listen to Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ it’s almost the same song but with different lyrics.

musicology #167

malevocals2 #5

(Amblique – Yesterday)

big night tonight…a friend’s 40th birthday bash and ‘yer man’, (themusicologist), is selecting the sounds.

the menu consists mainly of Soul, Funk and Boogie, (70’s and 80’s), but I’ve also put together a ‘Dancehall’ set and a ‘Dubstep’ selection to satisfy all tastes…should be a top night…almost all the ‘cats’ are making an appearance.

this cut, a cover of The Beatles song ‘Yesterday’, is by one of my favourite ‘digital’ singers over the last 15 years who began his career as a youth under the tutelage of Derrick ‘One Stop’ Harriott’ in 1970 as Ramone The Mexican but it wasn’t really until 1994 when he teamed up with Sly & Robbie that his career began to take off, which just goes to show the importance of sticking to your guns. since then he has continued to ‘tear up’ the dance with his recordings and performances.

this one is taken from a 45, (a vinyl single to all those digital heads), and it’s a Clive Hunt production on the Kickin’ label from around 1996, (if memory serves me right), as is often the case there is very little information on the label, not even an ‘engineer’ credit…no surprise really as I doubt the song was licensed from whoever holds the rights.