I first came across Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassiou - better known as Vangelis in 1975 with the release of his solo album 'Heaven and Hell' on RCA records, partly because I worked on the press ad. and we had a copy of the LP in the studio.

In fact I'd actually heard him before that, playing with Greek band Aphrodite's Child along side Demis Roussos in the late sixties on a hit single called 'Rain and Tears'.

Described as a "one-man quasi-classical orchestra" in most tributes to him there's mention of his film scores especially 'Chariots of Fire' and 'Blade Runner' without to much said of his various collaborations with Jon Anderson from Yes. 

Indeed Vangelis often seemed resentful that 'Chariots of Fire' risked overshadowing much of the rest of his prolific output of solo albums, ballet scores, a choral symphony as well as soundtracks for many other movies. 

Recorded and released in the same year as that Oscar winning soundtrack for 'Chariots' and on the 'The Friends of Mr. Cairo' LP was the Jon and Vangelis single 'I'll Find My Way Home' > 

My first awareness of his music came with 'Heaven and Hell' as side one closed with 'So Long Ago, So Clear' > click here, if you please. 

Vangelis sadly died last week in Paris. 

   

I was introduced to Lucinda Williams some months ago via a Robert Plant BBC Playlist.

The track I heard was 'Sweet Old World' a 2017 version of her previous 1992 release, part of a full-length reconsideration of her earlier work, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams re-recording her 1992 album 'This Sweet Old World'.

Why do this ? Well for starters her voice has changed considerably, it's got more gravely, almost slurring her vowels and a big change from the smooth polish of the original versions. It now has a less clean feel and many tracks are longer. 

Her husband and manager Tom Overby suggested that she re-visit the album. She re-recorded the album in 10 days with her touring and studio band: guitarist Stuart Mathis, bassist David Sutton and drummer Butch Norton and longtime friend and collaborator, legendary steel-guitar player Greg Leisz. 

Opening the record is a track called “Six Blocks Away” about a painful longing for something that, as Tom Petty once put it, is “so close and still so far out of reach.”

“That one really, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a surprise' ” says Williams of the ambling rocker, reinvigorated with a chiming, jangly Rickenbacker guitar line that evokes everyone from Petty to the Byrds to R.E.M. 

I love it ! 'Six Blocks Away' -

Check out other tracks if you wish: 'Pineola', 'Prove My Love', 'Hot Blood' & 'Sweet Old World'. From rockers to ballads - here's the link you'll need. 

 

  

At the end of my 'Rickenbacker Special' a month ago I suggested that was it "...for the time being, anyway". Naturally I had others up my sleeve and having mentioned The Hollies in my introduction >>>

I was recently "riding along in my automobile, my baby beside me at the wheel" when I thought I saw a poster advertising none other than The Hollies on Tour. Sure enough at the end of this month the band are embarking on a 60th Anniversary Tour. And the current line-up contains two original members: drummer Bobby Elliot and guitarist Tony Hicks.

I came across an interesting fact in relation to the band's sound and Tony Hicks playing a British made 12-string that sounded like a Rickenbacker: (see ad below).

Today's video has him playing the Vox Phantom in a performance from 1965 at the London Palladium - complete with that revolving stage. The Hollies 'Look Through Any Window' >

 

+ More pure nostalgia in this clip > www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ObNLnXs5I 

See a 23 year old Graham Nash providing some background to the recording of 'Look Through Any Window' followed by an acoustic run through of the song plus some 'dodgy dancing' ! 

   

There's this song that has been playing in my head lately. And every time the news comes on, it's there once more. As the songs composer says when she introduces it "there's some songs you wish didn't keep making sense ".

Written nearly 60 years ago by Buffy Sainte Marie, sadly the relevance is still obvious. 

Donovan covered this song in 1965 and I was struck by it at the time and it remains so to this day. 

'Universal Soldier' - this not the way we put the end to war !