Today I think we should have something by Aretha.
You know the song, however the piano/organ interplay and gospel choir make it sound like a totally different song...

For a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Aretha Franklin was reunited with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section. Also on the session were Billy Preston, Cornell Dupree, Chuck Rainey, Ray Lucas, and King Curtis. 

 ...and of course the voice of the one and only Aretha Franklin

Forever, forever, you'll stay in our hearts

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

This years BBC Proms season has certainly not clung to convention (notably on a Friday evening). The Royal Albert Hall hosted Anna Meredith's curtain raiser 'Five Telegrams' with it's 59 Productions visual light show. Then there was multi-instrumentalist and arranger Jacob Collier and friends. An evening of roots reggae called 'Havana meets Kingston' and a Folk Prom concert celebrating traditional music entitled 'Folk Music around Britain and Ireland'.
This last show was introduced by Sam Lee and Julie Fowlis, who also performed various songs. Described as 'Mouth Music' (Puirt-a-Beul) the performance by Julie Fowlis of 'Fodor Dha Na Gamhna Beaga' (translates as 'Fodder for the Small Stirks') knocked me out. She sings a jig, is the easiest way I can describe it.
The whole concert is currently available (all 2 hours*). However the actual snippet of 'Fodor Dha Na Gamhna Beaga' is not separately available. I have though found a version from BBC Celtic Connections in 2016, which is equally as good.

* For the whole BBC Folk Prom see: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bczkzz/bbc-proms-2018-folk-prom
(The Puirt-a-Beul Set: 'Fodor Dha Na Gamhna Beaga' appears at minutes 24.30 to 29.00). Hurry! Available for only a few more days. 

On the 27th August 1978 I went to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, to see Gordon Lightfoot.
My journal records he "sang everything I knew and more". So I am thinking he probably played 'Canadian Railroad Trilogy' and 'Don Quixote' and definitely 'If I Could Read My Mind'. But I also reckon he played this: from the 1978 LP 'Endless Wire', the closing track, 'The Circle is Small', a re-recording of that song from his fourth album 'Back Here On Earth', released in 1968.

I hoped I'd find some actual footage from the concert, but alias not.
For the record my concert ticket cost me $8.75. ($1.86 = £1, back then).

A New Lidl line-up

Not before time Lidl have freshen up their beer shelves.
From their Hatherwood Craft Beer Company they have some new bottles and cans to sample – selling for just 99p each – my personal favourite is the Red Eye Captain Pale Ale. 

The final episode of the ITV crime drama 'Unforgotten' - series 3 - ends this Sunday night. Written by Chris Lang, he still has us guessing 'who done it?'.
The haunting opening title music is less of a mystery. London-based alt-pop duo Oh Wonder, consisting of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West provide the answer with their 2014 song called 'All We Do'.

Just heard the news: Thanks for the memory Aretha. 'Respect' (just a little bit). R.I.P. 

Summertime: You're in the car tuned to the radio hoping it plays some ideal driving music. On comes the appropriately named Journey with 'Don't Stop Believin'. Originally from 1981, the 'Escape music' referred to at the beginning of the video is the bands LP of that year called (wait for it) 'Escape'. 
'Don't Stop Believin' has been described as a 'perfect rock song' and an 'anthem', featuring one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock. I love the choppy guitar passage that scatters its way in on the one minute mark and the powerful vocal performance from Steve Perry.
Give it some volume and keep your eyes on the road.

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Not that I know a great deal about this sort of thing but a trend I've noticed is that waiting to get a record deal to release your music is no prevention to getting it 'out-there'.
You have a Facebook profile to publicise your uploads to stream on Apple music, Spotify, Deezer or Soundcloud plus a video on YouTube and your away.
I think I came across this 'Social Song' via Facebook - googled the artist and only found links to all of the above sites. No information about Aris ? K-pop? Hip-Hop Rap? You decide, but the video is fun and has racked up over 1 and half million views and counting... in just 2 months !

Another such artist I came across is Ahxello. Again little info beyond he's a Swedish producer and "Ahxello with a new Melodic House tune! Listen and download on: Spotify, Soundcloud etc." > www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n247WHSbG8

Hands in the air electro house music, YouTube has just loads of this stuff.

I did have something else in mind for this week and then this came up... 
My music buddy Bobby shared this (an always welcome transatlantic music video exchange, happening here).
So we have 'Use Me' by Bill Withers performed by Nick Marzock – One Man Band Style. He can be seen in the video playing five different instruments (Mike Oldfield managed 22 on Tubular Bells) so he may have a way to go to match that, but this is a great cover song. Get in the groove....

The 1972 Bill Withers original is worth a look too: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcFaVfTDWcs