Bertie Fridays #1: Here's Looking At You, Kid

This is our dog, Bertie. He's put on his best outfit for you.

And now, we're going to party like it's 2017, the year this blog embraced Kenny Wednesdays and Randy Tuesdays... with a celebration of rock 'n' roll's greatest Herberts. 

Starting with the one and only...

1. Bertie Higgins.

Elbert Joseph Higgins hailed from Florida where he started his working life as a ventriloquist and a sponge diver.

In 1982 he hit the US Top Ten with his debut single Key Largo, which appealed to Bogart and Baccall fans everywhere (including Terry Wogan and yours truly). The song tells the story of a young couple suffering through a long winter together, their only entertainment watching old films on the Late Late Show. Another single from the same album continued the theme...

Bertie Higgins - Casablanca

...but none of Bertie's subsequent records made quite the same splash as his hit named after the movie Key Largo.

We had it all
Just like Bogie and Bacall
Starring in our old late, late show
Sailing away to Key Largo

Here's lookin' at you kid
Missing all the things we did
We can find it once again, I know
Just like they did in Key Largo

Bertie's still touring though, and he was inducted into the Florida Music Hall of Fame in 2017. 

Next week... he's got the mad hits!

Sequel Songs #3: Wild Horses

Mick 'n' Keef wrote Wild Horses in 1969, recording a rough demo which they decided wasn't really worth taking any further. Mick denies popular speculation that the lyrics are about the end of his relationship with Marianne Faithful, while Keef reckons the song is about being sick of touring. 

The Stones gave a copy of the demo to their mate Gram Parsons who liked the song more than they did, recording it for the second Flying Burrito Brothers album, Burrito Deluxe, in 1970.

Hearing the Burrito version encouraged Mick 'n' Keef to give the song another chance, recording it properly for the album Sticky Fingers and releasing it as the follow-up single to Brown Sugar in the US.

Neither version made the UK charts, but in 2009 the song made our Top Ten thanks to a version recorded by Susan Boyle following her performance on America's Got Talent. Boyle chose the song because for her it reflected "a personal story about how achieving such massive success extremely quickly has affected her life". Before you pour scorn on Susan's version, you might be interested to read that Mick considered it a "ghostly version... much better than anything I had ever done".

Other memorable versions include...

The Sundays - Wild Horses

Leon Russell - Wild Horses

Alicia Keys - Wild Horses

None of these are sequels though - they're just covers. 

The sequel didn't arrive until 2022, thanks to this gorgeous story song by First Aid Kit from their album Palomino, in which two young lovers drive across America with Wild Horses on the car stereo... highlighting irreconcilable differences in their relationship.

We passed a canyon

We passed a fire brigade headed up the mountains

They said "The wood's ablazin'" and then we got hungry

Stopped at a diner

You flirted with the waitress and I didn't even care

Where do you go to when you look past me?

Do you see yourself miserable and free?

Such a strange notion, to see you clearly

When love's shadow stood up and left the room

We played Wild Horses on the car stereo

You prefer the Rolling Stones' and I like Gram's

No mention of Susan Boyle in this story. That really would have tested their relationship!

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #120: Pretty Women

My favourite song by Australian country singer Kasey Chambers is her Number 1 (Aussie chart) hit from 2002, Not Pretty Enough. Although Chambers was in her mid-20s when she wrote the song, it's the perfect insecure teenage lament...

This song came back to me when I heard its unofficial Mid-Life Crisis sequel from Linda Thompson.

As you may or may not be aware, due to a condition called spasmodic dysphonia, Linda is unable to sing anymore. That seems particularly cruel when you remember just how beautiful her voice used to be...

Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Anyway, Linda hasn't let this stop her putting out a new record, late last year. She just got friends and family to do the singing. Fortunately, she has some very talented friends and family, including son Teddy, daughter Kami, ex-husband Richard... plus the Wainwrights (Rufus and Martha), the Proclaimers and the Unthanks. In a stroke of genius, she even got John Grant to sing a song all about... John Grant. That really shouldn't work, but it does.

Linda Thompson & John Grant - John Grant

The stand out track though is the one sung by Manchester's Ren Harvieu. It could be heard as a woman lamenting the loss of her youthful beauty... but I'm guessing it's more a metaphor for the loss of that beautiful voice we heard earlier...

The album's called Proxy Music, which explains the reason Linda's chosen to dress and pose the way she has on the cover.

Namesakes #122: Steps

Eddie Cochran would have us believe that there are only Three Steps To Heaven. 

Well, I've got news for you, Eddie...!

THE STEPS #1

We'll start the climb with some Singapore Steps who enjoyed a long career from the late 60s to the 80s, both as their own group (mixing local tunes with a wide range of Western covers) and as a support act for a variety of female singers, including Ellya M. Haris, Sandra Sanger, Marini and Ivo Nilakreshna. 

The Steps - Sri Langkat

THE STEPS #2

Step two: from the Netherlands in 1969, some psychedelic pop from Chris van Putten, Henny Sluijs, Kees Sluijs, Joop Kortland and Herman van Eck. Van eck!

The Steps - You Are The Sun To Me

STEPS #3

If the words "Jazz Fusion" make you break out in a cold sweat, don't worry. Help is available from the Brecker brothers and their ever-changing roster of musicians who made a name for themselves in the New York jazz scene of the 70s and 80s, first as Steps... and then as Steps Ahead. 

Be warned though... treatment does take some time. Up to 11 minutes on the track below...

Steps - Uncle Bob

STEPPS #4

And if that wasn't enough... wait till you meet these Aussie jazz rock/fusion/progressive rock dudes with two Ps in their name, formerly known as Snakes Alive. Very popular in Sidney in the late 70s, apparently, "they used to pack the Royal George Hotel every Friday night." Only 50 copies of their album Waltz For Tiger Joe were printed... but youtube has the whole thing, if you're interested.

Stepps - Kolour Kode

STEPS #5

Another jazz band, this one hailing from the exotic climes of Bristol in 1977, with less fusion this time.

Steps - Same But Different

THE STEPPES #6

Being Geographically ignorant, I always thought the Eastern European Steppes were a mountain range... when actually, they're the complete opposite: a large area of flat grassland. 

I almost neglected to research bands with this particular spelling, which would have been a shame, wouldn't it? Our first group of Steppes come from London in 1979...

The Steppes - The Beat Drill

THE STEPS #7

Perfectly serviceable Wisconsin power pop from 1982. These guys also recorded under the name Bacchus Lotus, which is where I got the picture.

The Steps - Don't Want You

STEPS #8

Step up to some funky AOR from North Carolina in 1982. Beyond that, I know nothing, but I was pleased to find this one uploaded on the tube of you...

 Steps- Sugar

THE STEPS #9

Swiss Steps from the early 80s with a nice line in moustaches (except the guy second from the left who was probably called Frank Moustache). I don't know if this was their biggest "hit", but it was the one with the most views on tubular youbular... a massive 177 when I played it. I'm sure that will go up after today.

The Steps - Friend

THE STEPS #10

Southern Californian punk band from 1982, led by songwriter Paul Almanza who went on to form Chainsaw Pop, Million Six, Battery Life and The Curbhounds. Well, it kept him off the streets.

The Steps - It's Only Life

THE STEPPES #11

More Steppes, this time of the half Irish, half American variety, and formerly known as The Blue Macs. Here they are in 1985...

The Steppes - History Hates No Man

THE STEPS #12

French synth-pop from 1986. Could this be today's winner? Don't be a fool...

The Steps - Don't Be A Fool

STEPS #13

H, Clair, Faye... the other two. Together, they sold 5 million albums and almost as many singles. They formed in 1997 in that London, split up in 2001, then got back together ten years later for a reunion which appears to be still ongoing. I'm sure you're all aware that they chose their name to go along with their dance routines - the steps of which were included on the CD insert with every song. Who needs a lyric sheet when you've got dance steps?

Steps - Stomp

(I picked that video just because I enjoyed the idea of George having to sit through all 3 minutes 38 of it).

STEPPES #14

And finally, a third group of Steppes, from Michigan in 2017. Their page on the camp of bands tells us, "Combining honest lyrics with a real sense of fun and optimism... intricate, melodic guitars mesh with pop structures that make each track memorable and singible.” 

That's not how I'd spell singable. Decent tune though.

Steppes - Marceline The Vampire

Which Steps make you want to Step Up... and which ones do you want to push down the stairs?

Listening Post #21: Confidence Is A Preference

I can't hear the name "Lawrence" without hearing it said by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's first Batman movie. The only reason I remember that Lawrence was one of the Joker's goons in that film is because of this...

Prince - Partyman

I was going to link to the video, but in that, Prince loses the Nicholson quote in favour of his own stylish intro...

Prince - Partyman (video version)

Lawrence is also the surname of two New York siblings called Gracie and Clyde, who, together with six of their mates, have been causing a minor commotion on the US music scene... while also actively speaking out against the Ticketmaster / Live Nation cartel, so good on them for that.

I've been listening to their latest album, Family Business, recently. This is my favourite track... for obvious reasons.

Snapshots #380: A Top Twelve Songs About American Automobiles

Here are this week's answers, with a Lincoln at the top of the page.

I really wanted to include this... but it would have been just too obvious.

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rod Lincoln

Here's the ones that were a little less obvious...

12. Lennon's Candyman. 

Sammy (Davis Jr.)? He belongs to John. 

Sammy Johns - Chevy Van

11. Crocodile, crocodile... I'm a big fan!

Lyle Lyle Crocodile! Love it!

Lyle Lovett - Pontiac

10. Take a journey across Grandaddy's lake.

Grandaddy had a Crystal Lake. Take a trip!

Crystal Trip - Stingray

9. Pull to slow your descent.

The Rip Chords - Hey Little Cobra

8. Follows Ray Parker into the All Terrain Armoured Transport. Sirius, Polaris, Antares.

Ray Parker is followed by Jr. The All Terrain Armoured Transport was also known as a Walker, as Star Wars fans will know. Sirius, Polaris and Antares are all stars.

JR Walker & The All Stars - (I’m a) Road Runner

7. Groundhog: wood... seer. 

A groundhog is also known as a woodCHUCK. A seer is a prophet.

Chuck Prophet - Ford Econoline

6. Sean & Julian.

Second Lennon clue of the day. Sean and Julian are John's children.

John's Children - Mustang Ford

5. Bald, bony, rather confused fella.

"Bald, bony" was an anagram.

Bob Dylan - From A Buick 6

4. Spring flowers (purple).

The March Violets - Eldorado

3. Cock-up at the Ministry of Defence.

Cock-up the MOD to make OMD...

OMD - Tesla Girls

2. Dark Side of the Dean.

Dark Side of The Moon meets Dean Martin.

Moon Martin - Cadillac Walk

1. One from the Spin Doctors.

The Spin Doctors sang about Two Princes.

Prince - Little Red Corvette

The Snapshots Drive-Thru will re-open next Saturday morning at 8.30...

Saturday Snapshots #380

Here we go, Snapshot Bandits... another twelve popular music stars to identify. 

But how are their songs connected?

12. Lennon's Candyman. 

11. Crocodile, crocodile... I'm a big fan!

10. Take a journey across Grandaddy's lake.

9. Pull to slow your descent.

8. Follows Ray Parker into the All Terrain Armoured Transport. Sirius, Polaris, Antares.

7. Groundhog: wood... seer. 

6. Sean & Julian.

5. Bald, bony, rather confused fella.

4. Spring flowers (purple).

3. Cock-up at the Ministry of Defence.

2. Dark Side of the Dean.

1. One from the Spin Doctors.

Deliverance of the answers will commence tomorrow morning...

Listening Post #20: Sorry I'm Late...

I never paid a lot of attention to Liverpudlian indie band The Wombats. I know their big hit from 2007...

The Wombats - Let's Dance To Joy Division

...but beyond that, I couldn't name another one of their songs.

However, I just stumbled across this, which they released late last year, and it would be rude not to pay it lots of attention, since they appear to have written it just for me...

Sequel Songs #2: Halfway To Paradise

Back in the early 60s, a young man named Ronald Wycherley changed his name to Billy Fury and began to make waves in the UK charts. When he needed a new backing band, one of the groups that auditioned were called The Silver Beetles. They were offered the job minus their bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe, but they refused to make that sacrifice. Guitarist John Lennon did ask for Fury's autograph though, before the Silver Beetles left the audition.

A year later, Fury had his biggest hit with a cover of the Goffin/King song Halfway To Paradise. Or that's how history remembers it. In truth, Halfway To Paradise only reached #3 in the charts, one of three Fury singles to achieve that position. He did better with his follow-up release, Jealousy (a version of the Danish song, Jalousie, written in 1925) which got to #2. 

Twenty-some years later, NME writer Cath Carroll formed the band Miaow in Manchester and began to make minor ripples in the UK indie charts. Miaow released a bunch of singles but split up before they finished their debut album (Carroll went on to join The Hit Parade and pursue a solo career in the 90s). One of the tracks that might have made the cut for that unreleased album is this radio session which takes a few more steps towards completing Billy Fury's journey...

Positive Songs For Negative Times #85: I Hate Hate

Elton John - Madman Across The Water

So the Bad Man came back. 

And like a real life pantomime baddy, he swept onto the stage spewing bile and division in a series of specially targeted hate bombs... or "executive actions", as he likes to call them. That whole speech just reminded me of Macbeth...

It is a tale

Told by an idiot, 

Full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

It all just makes me very tired and very sad... especially when I log onto the book of faces to see a former colleague praising that inauguration speech and somebody else commenting "Why can't we have a leader like [him*]?" 

*I can't even bring myself to type his name anymore.

Chuck Prophet - Get Off The Stage

The following morning, I was driving in to work and this track came up on the memory stick. It seemed apt.

I didn't know anything about Razzy Bailey before I heard this tune on a Country Soul compilation, so I was surprised to discover what a long and successful career he had, including three double sided number 1's in succession on the US Country Music chart, "a feat never accomplished by any other artist".

This is one of Razzy's earliest tunes, from his 1974 debut album of the same name... and it was a big hit on the Northern Soul scene too, for obvious reasons.

Namesakes #121: Travis

You talkin’ to me? 

You talkin’ to me? 

You talkin’ to me? 

Then who the hell else are you talkin’ to? 

You talkin’ to me? 

Well I’m the only one here.

Robert DeNiro played the legendary anti-hero Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, and I figured you'd rather see a picture of him at the top of this week's post than another disgraced Radio 1 DJ. 

Of course, there are hundreds of performing artists with Travis as their first or last name. Still, I was surprised by how many acts I found who released records just under that name...

TRAVIS #1

Discogs tells me these guys are an "Obscure US late 60s / early 70s garage psych band from Youngstown, OH." And for discogs to use the word "obscure", they've got to be pretty obscure.

Thankfully, they weren't so obscure as to be missing from the tube of you...

Travis - Livin' In The U.S.A.

TRAVIS #2

From scenic Surrey in the year of my birth (1972) came a Travis by the name of Paul, along with his mates, who took Paul's surname for a bandname... though they'd later change it to Strange Days.

Travis - Band of Heroes

TRAVIS #3

Next up, some laid back soft rock from Michigan in 1975...

Travis - To Be As Free As You

TRAVIS #4

Followed by some "angsty DIY power pop" from... somewhere... in 1975.

Travis - Look At You

TRAVIS #5

The Australian Travis, with a tribute to their hometown which sold 4000 copies in 1979. Luckily, they got back together in 2009 to record the video below...

Travis - Kalgoorlie Town

TRAVIS #6

Castleford's own (Graham) Travis, who had "a very varied career in the music business and has been involved on many recordings". The track below comes from 1984. 

I reckon it was the move to Goole that ended his career.

Travis - Get The Life

TRAVIS #7

Japanese post-punk from 1986.

Travis - Fuchin Kubo

TRAVIS #8

The Travis you should all be familiar with, originating in Glasgow in 1990. They didn't take their Robert DeNiro or The Lairy Cornflake, but instead from the character Harry Dean Stanton played in the Wim Wenders Paris, Texas.

I still think Travis were one of the better post-Britpop guitar bands, especially if you saw them live at a festival when it started raining mid-set. Cue their biggest hit and a great feel-good moment for the crowd.

Fran Healey is sporting a particularly fetching orange hairdo these days...

Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

THE TRAVIS #9

More Japanese punks from 1992. They also had a song called Crazy Crazy, but I can't find that online... because this comes up instead. (And with 3.4 million youtube views, I was very tempted to bend the rules and give those guys their own entry.)

The Travis - Counter Clock Wise

TRAVIS #10

A Travis from the Netherlands in 1997, and an album named after their cat Wicki. Not bad! 

Travis - Susie's

TRAVIS #11

Wisconsin band from 2004, featuring members of Seam and Dis-. I have no idea who Seam or Dis- are, but I really like this song. And it's only two minutes long as well.

Travis - L Dot Y

TRAVIS #12

Even more Japanese punks from 2005...

Travis - TR6-Escape

TRAVIS #13

Pictured: one Travis Straub from Joplin, Missouri, who released three albums under his first name only between 2008 and 2010. Not sure how he got the shiner. Maybe for going out the wrong door...

Travis - Exit The Entrance

TRAVIS #14

We finish today with a Chilean psychedelic trance DJ from the end of the last decade. I might not have included this nonsense but for the fact that I'm superstitious and I don't like to leave it at 13 acts.

Travis - Old Is Gold

Which is your Top Travis... and which ones are just a Travis-ty?