2023 saw the release of 'Hackney Diamonds' the excellent LP by the Rolling Stones. 

> "previously on Bill Blogs" [see post below] - Keith Richards [birthday] >

From the album (and I really could have picked any number of tracks) here's 'Whole Wide World' - enjoy the song and the cycle ride

Bonus video - try 'Live' from NYC 'Sweet Sounds of Heaven' -
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt3ISLkIS38   

  H a p p y  B i r t h d a y  

- K E I T H    R I C H A R D S -

80 Years Old Today

How he ever got there is a mystery, but I'm glad he did !! - born 18th December 1943 

- so I thought I'd share this:

Keith Richards: Shows Off His Guitar Skills by Playing Some Rolling Stones Hits on The Tonight Show 

TV host Jimmy Fallon gets a bit carried away, but then why not  

> More Stones coming up Friday....

  

Finally arriving in the present day with new releases from 2023. Bit obvious this, but couldn't resist: 

Beatles or the Stones - (The Stones will be up in a few weeks time).

Whatever you think of the 'new' song the video by 'Lord of the Rings' Peter Jackson is something special and amazingly clever. Journey back in time with 'Now and Then' > 

Unlike years gone by records don't stay at No.1 for weeks at a time. This did top the chart in November but for one week only.  

"Kerching" - some of you may feel this marketing gone mad. With some justification. 

Various formats of this single are: CD at £4.99; Vinyl - 12” black at £20.99;  12” red - £22.99; 7” Blue / White - £17.99; 7" clear - £17.99; 7” black - £14.99; 7” red limited - £ 22.99; even a Cassette for £9.99.
All selling out !! 

'Now and Then' is b/w 'Love Me Do' (2023 - new mix). Originally Released in 1962 for 6s 6d (33p) 

  

For the record over the last eight years   T H E  F R I D A Y  M U S I C  S P O T   has now starred 400 tracks, from the beginning in November 2015. 

The first 50 songs can be replayed via this link. For 51-100 click here: 101-150 click this one and then 151-200 (link) ; while 201-250 is here ; 251-300 right here ; and 301-350 revisited here. Today lists the last 50, see below.

Click on the blue arrow ➤ to replay that track. Please note: Many of the 400 videos are showing unavailable now, but you can search for an alternative, if you wish. 

351 ➤ Cause We're Ended As Lovers ...... Jeff Beck & Tal Wilkenfeld
352 ➤ I'd Rather Go Blind.......…................................. Chicken Shack
353 ➤ Stand Up.........….................................................. Cynthia Erivo
354 ➤ Caravan of Love............................................The Housemartins
355 ➤ Celestial Voices ...........…....…................................. Pink Floyd
356 ➤ The Court of the Crimson King.......................... King Crimson
357 ➤ So Long Ago, So Clear .............................................. Vangelis
358 ➤ The World We Use to Know …............................ Transatlantic
359 ➤ Back To Zero …………........................................... Morganway
360 ➤ Please Please Me .........….…..............................…The Beatles

361 ➤ The Flying Scotsman ….….......................... Brandon McPhee
362 ➤ Big Picture …................................................ London Grammar
363 ➤ Get It Right Next Time......…….......................… Gerry Rafferty

364 ➤ Time….….................................................................. Pink Floyd
365 ➤ What's Your Country Song …........................... Thomas Rhett

366 ➤ Rock and Roll......……......................................… Led Zeppelin

367 ➤ Buddy Holly .…............................................................. Weezer
368 ➤ Catch Us If You Can …................................... Dave Clark Five
369 ➤ Sister Atlas......……..............................................… Merry Hell

370 ➤ Anywhere Is …................................................................. Enya

371 ➤ Waking Up…............................................................. King King
372 ➤ Girl On Fire ............................................................ Alicia Keys
373 ➤ Superstition......…….....................................… Stevie Wonder

374 ➤ Nutbush City Limits….…...................................... Tina Turner
375 ➤ Grey Ghost …............................................... Henry Paul Band

376 ➤ There Goes Another Love Song............................… Outlaws

377 ➤ It's a Long Way There .…..............................Little River Band
378 ➤ Going Home…................................................... Mark Knopfler
379 ➤ American Tune......……..........................… Simon & Garfunkel

380 ➤ We Didn't Start the Fire …........................................ Billy Joel

381 ➤ Californication ….…............................ Red Hot Chili Peppers
382 ➤ Perfect Frame….................................................... Neon Waltz
383 ➤ This is the Last Time......……...................................… Keane

384 ➤ Dreadlock Holiday........................................................... 10cc
385 ➤ Thing Called Love …........................................... Bonnie Raitt

386 ➤ Take On the World ......……...........................… You Me At Six

387 ➤ Moonshine Sonata .…................................ Black Oak Arkansas
388 ➤ Lothlorien…................................................................ Bo Hansson
389 ➤ Witchi-Tai-To ..……........................................... Brewer & Shipley

390 ➤ September ................................................. Earth, Wind & Fire

391 ➤ Journey to the Moon .…............................... Biddu Orchestra
392 ➤ I've Seen That Movie To ….................................... Elton John
393 ➤ The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack......…................ The Nice

394 ➤ Tubular Bells II [Part 3] ….…............................. Mike Oldfield
395 ➤ Silver Machine........................................................ Hawkwind

396 ➤ Homecoming ......……........................................… Josh Ritter

397 ➤ Every Breath You Take ......................................... The Police
398 ➤ (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You........................ UB40
399 ➤ Where Is the Love......…….......................… Black Eyed Peas

400 ➤ Let Her Go ............................................................. Passenger

  

Jumping a further 10 years to arrive in 2013 with perhaps a less well known artist but none the less another million seller !

The song was actually released in 2012 and became a hit in Holland at the end of that year. In 2013 it went to No.2 in the UK on May 19th, and this 'sleeper' hit then achieved international success topping the charts in 18 countries around the world. As of July 2014, it had sold over one million digital copies in the UK and over four million in the US. 

We are talking about Passenger aka Mike Rosenberg and 'Let Her Go'.

A few weeks ago a new version of the song arrived, as part of a special 10th anniversary edition of Passenger's hit, with Ed Sheeran helping him reimagine the song. 

But this is the original version >

Today is 'Star Track' number 400. For the record a full run down coming soon. 

   

Another week and fast forward 10 years, a lot has happened and the world in 2003 feels a different place. Summed up by the single from Black Eyed Peas ‘Where Is the Love’ that captures the new millennium in a different mood. 

This was the biggest selling UK single of the year, spending six weeks at No.1. Lyrically it could easily have been written yesterday - "One World"  

   

'The Fool' - 1964 Gibson SC Guitar

'Deal of the Week'. Did you see the news story about Eric Clapton's Gibson guitar (pictured) that he played while in Cream, that the Dutch Art Collective known as 'The Fool' painted? It sold last week for just over £1 million in Nashville, Tennessee ! 

The story behind it is recalled here. The article contains two YouTube videos - both well worth a look. 

   

Moving on from last week to 1993 and another song that topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and also 10 other countries. Namely UB40 and '(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You' and their reggae/dance-pop version of the Elvis Presley original from the 1961 movie 'Blue Hawaii'.

The Elvis song has been adopted by several football teams including AFC Wimbledon - I'm just warming up by thinking about the Caribbean with some rocksteady calypso laid-back vibes: 

Cue lots of echo and singing in a corridor > 

  

As we steadily approach the four hundredth Friday Star Track I had this idea to pick some artists somehow not previously featured on the Music Spot in those 8 years - with tracks you’ll know I’m sure:- jumping ten years at a time in 'Decade Time Steps'.

1973 has been covered sufficiently I feel, so starting today in 1983 with The Police ‘Every Breath You Take' and the video from MTV. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks and was No.1 in the UK for 4 weeks. It was also rated 'Song of the Year' in many polls. 

   

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). 

Now I consider myself a big fan of the guitar so this headline easily caught my attention:-

  "Rolling Stone 250 Greatest Guitarists of all time" !

A previous Rolling Stone list of "Greatest vocalists" of all time, caused an upset. Well the same applies here. There's a lot of guitarists missing and many questions marks though ultimately it just boils down to opinion - one guy's reaction on YouTube was to simply add 50 of those missing (while addressing some of my concerns) and Rick Beato just called it a Sh*t List ! 

I have diligently gone through the full 250 list [see here], checking each time I think of someone, to determine if they are there or not - there are lots of names I simply don’t know - and not wanting to add to the controversy - but there's no Gary Moore! How can that be ? He'd be in my Top 5 !

No Leo Kottke or Joe Bonamassa or Paul Kossoff [who was actually No.51 in a 2010 list by Rolling Stone's David Fricke in his 100 Greatest Guitarists]. No Tom Scholz from Boston. No George Benson or Earl Kluge either. 

Interestingly the 250 list contains a few twin guitar players like at # 194 there's Thin Lizzy guitarists: Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, but then again there's no Steve Hunter / Dick Wagner. Or duos like Andy Powell & Ted Turner and Hughie Thomasson & Billy Jones OR these guys and their 2006 single "Through The Fire And Flames" that became one of those legendary songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock*. Namely Herman Li & Sam Totman from the band Dragonforce. Pretty outrageous stuff and if you play this in your car you might ending getting a speeding ticket. Lots of hair flying... and towards the end there is a close up of the playing, if you fancy giving it a go 😁  Hit full screen [  ]  

*It was easily one of the more popular songs in the game. Though according to guitarist Herman Li, the band only got paid around $3,000 for the use of the track… and that's before splitting the money between band members and management.