Friday 31 January 2020


Final request for January and an artist who I could really have picked any number of tracks 
by, but have gone for this one.
We're going for a drive and looking out at the road rushing under those wheels: 
In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up one-oh-one*

You got it. Jackson Browne from the 1977 live tour and the album of the same name 'Running On Empty'. Look out for unsung hero David Lindley on the pedal steel guitar.


* For those who don't know 'One-oh-one' refers to US Route 101 out of Los Angeles all the way to Oregon over 1,500 miles north. Personally I would be aged 24 when I was running into the sun and running behind on the 101.


Friday 24 January 2020


"Greetings Music Lovers. Thanks for all the track requests sent in: Love, Five Man Electrical Band, Disturbed definitely The Boss. Love the blog, ta! More Prog? What about some 'Moonmadness' from Camel ? - erm, not 'arf. Hold on..."
Apologies for all the Alan Freeman* DJ banter, but I'm guessing you now know what's coming, right? Alright !
Written by Andrew Latimer (guitars & flute) and Peter Bardens (keyboards) we get 'Air Born', with Doug Ferguson on bass & Andy Ward on drums from 1976, this then is Camel:  Up and Away >


* The Saturday Rock Show with Alan 'Fluff' Freeman ran on BBC Radio 1 from 1973-78. I have just discovered some uploaded recordings on Mixcloud.com >. This link has a show from December 1977, complete with all the Prog Rock outtakes and classical fanfares he used like 'jingles', there is coincidentally 10 minutes in, after David Bowie and Sham 69, a request for the same song as last week's Star Track by Bruce Springsteen. Have a listen.
Much like the Saturday Rock Show which returned in 1989, when 'Fluff' came back to the 'Beeb', I will return to this topic in the coming weeks.


Friday 17 January 2020


This week's request simply said 'How about The Boss' ?!
Bruce Springsteen has actually been on the FMS, but only singing duet with Ray Davies on the Kinks 'Better Things' (click reminder here). 
As I had already ear-marked this video, I didn't have to do much searching at all for 'Jungleland', the final track off the 1975 'Born To Run' album. Here then is 'The Boss' playing 'live' in New York, reunited with The East Street Band at Madison Square Gardens in the year 2000. Clarence Clemons sax solo is just amazing, to put it mildly - even Bruce looks moved - along with Steve Van Zandt on guitar, another of the original band members from 25 years earlier > down in Jungleland


Wednesday 15 January 2020

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). 

Even with five Fridays this month I need extra slots for the January requests. So to include this suggested track I'm going to use the Midweek Spot.  
You know the song, I'm sure, but maybe not this version of it. 
American heavy metal band from Chicago called Disturbed - (disturbing) 'The Sound of Silence':



Friday 10 January 2020


Part Two of the 'January Request Slot' involves a band with a song I'd never heard of before said request. But the opening line of the song had me intrigued while the back stories are also pretty interesting.
"And the sign said, 'Long-haired freaky people need not apply'."
Composed by lead singer Les Emmerson who wrote the song after taking a road trip on Route 66 in California, where he noticed a plethora of billboards that obscured the beautiful scenery. This posed a question: 'Who is allowed to put up signs that interfere with nature?'
The song simply called 'Signs' was included on the band's second album in 1970, but not considered single-worthy by their record label, as it didn't fit a standard pop format. In 1970, it was issued as the B-side to the single "Hello Melinda Goodbye," which only made No.55 on the Canadian chart. Disk jockeys preferred the flip side, however, and started playing "Signs", which was then released as an A-side in 1971. It made No.4 in Canada but took off in America, reaching No.3 in August. No signs (pardon the pun) of any UK chart success.
From Ottawa, Canada this is Five Man Electrical Band - enjoy the 'freaky' instrumental ending all you long-haired people >

Just in case this YouTube video is country restricted (as happened last week) here's another link that I'm sure works fine > www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeT5otk2R1g - this actually contains a longer instrumental ending.


Friday 3 January 2020


Don't you love a list, you know I do !
I recently found a print out from a 'Rock List Music' website (click link here) that shows various poll results from publications down the years. 'Zigzag' magazine (1969-1986) listed, in issue 23, in 1971 as their readers 'Best Album Ever':- 'Forever Changes' by Love. Three years later under 'Most Played Album' it was the same LP and in 1975 their 'Album of the Century' was, you guessed, 'Forever Changes' ! (Interestingly similar lists, with hindsight, today list The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Beach Boys or Velvet Underground as their number one 60s album).
That said, this brings me neatly to today's Star Track and first request for January 2020: off that 'Forever Changes' album from 1967 this is Side One, Track One - 'Alone Again Or' by Love. Listen on headphones and enjoy the new technology of 1967, in stereo sound.

Wonderful track to here again. And more again... so here's a 'live' recording of Arthur Lee & Love from 2003 > www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdPLlxoT_as


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Sadly just two days after last week's FMS track Neil Innes of the Bonzo Dog Band passed away. He had also appeared in this blog playing John Lennon (Ron Nasty) as part of the spoof The Rutles - here's that link as a reminder of a great musician. R.I.P. Neil. 
http://billblogs2.blogspot.com/2016/10/seems-ive-got-stuck-in-sound-like.html
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