Friday 27 December 2019


'Tis the season to be jolly  Fa la la la la, la la la la ♫♫♫
Something very silly then... and no one sillier than The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.
They'd been extremely silly for some 4 years and 4 albums when in 1969 it all came unstuck and at a concert over Christmas they announced they were splitting up. In the general mayhem of their live shows no one present actually believed them. I know, because I was there !
There was a short 'farewell' tour in 1970 and the contractual obligation of one final LP in 1972. Otherwise the original line up of Vivian Stanshall, vocals, trumpet; Neil Innes, vocals, guitar, piano; Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, guitar, banjo; Rodney Slater, saxophone, trumpet; Roger Ruskin Spear, saxophone, mechanical props; “Legs” Larry Smith, drums; & Sam Spoons, percussion: past into folklore, gone but never forgotten.
Here they are off the 'Gorilla' album, with their version of 'Jollity Farm' (a song from 1930 written by Leslie Sarony). Cartoon time with some faded footage of the band. 

Recognise the ending ?  Yes it's 'The Archers' theme tune.


Monday 23 December 2019


For the record over the last four years the   FRIDAY MUSIC SPOT   has starred 200 tracks.
Beginning on 13th November 2015 with Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain'.
The first 50 songs can be reviewed via this link. For 51-100 click here: 101-150 click this one and finally 151-200 are listed below.
Click on the blue arrow 
 to replay that track. NB: Not all of the videos are still available, but you can search for an alternative, if you wish.

Welcome to:

151     At My Most Beautiful .…….….……….….....................… REM
152     Rockin' 1000 Summer Camp .……….…...…… Power Medley
153     A Head Full of Dreams .………………….….............… Coldplay
154     Good Times, Bad Times ..…..…................…. Led Zeppelin
155     Samovar .…..……....…...........................…… The Krew Kats
156     Overnight Sensation .…….….……….…...........… Raspberries
157     Who Wants to Live Forever .……….…...……...…..…… Queen
158     Come On, Let's Go .………………….….……......… Ritchie Valens
159     Lord of the Rings - Soundtrack ...........…. Howard Stone
160     High Hopes .…..……....…..........................…… Zero-Project

161     Waves .…….….……….…..............................… Mattia Cupelli
162     The Best Years of Our Lives .……….…....…… Neil Diamond
163     Last Time For Everything ….……...............… Brad Paisley
164     The Same Love That Made Me Laugh .....…. Robert Cray
165     Old Love .…..……....…..........…… Eric Clapton & Robert Cray
166     Driving Wheels .…….….……….…................… Jimmy Barnes
167     The One and Only .……….…...……...…..…… Chesney Hawkes
168     Made of Stone .………………...................… The Stone Roses
169     Blue Sky Mine ..…..….................................. Midnight Oil
170     Time Waits For No One .....................…… Rolling Stones

171     Always With Me, Always With You .…….….… Joe Satriani
172     Electric .……….…...……...……….…....................… Madrugada
173     Cowboy Take Me Away .….......................… Dixie Chicks
174     Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing) .. Benny Goodman Band
175     The Void .…..……....…........................................…… Muse
176     Up The Junction .…….….……….…......................… Squeeze
177     Wasn't Born To Follow .……….........…...…….…… The Byrds
178     From The Beginning ...............… Emerson Lake & Palmer
179     Scatterlings of Africa..….......................…. Johnny Clegg
180     Cold Little Heart ..........................…… Michael Kiwanuka

181     Youth .…….….……….....................................…....… Feeder
182     See Me Feel Me .……….….............……...……….……  The Who
183     You Need Love .…………..……............................… JD Simo
184     Good Times ..…..….............................................…. Chic
185     Who By Fire …...................................…… Leonard Cohen
186     It Ain't Me .……….…..........… Creedence Clearwater Revival
187     Living In The Past .…......….…..........……….……. Jethro Tull
188     Fireworks .………………….........….......................… Embrace
189     Still Fighting ..…..…....................................…. Ben Folds
190     What Makes You Think You're The One. Fleetwood Mac

191     Duke's Travels/End .…….….…….....….…............… Genesis
192     Friday I'm in Love .……….…...........……...…….…… The Cure
193     Adam's Song .………………….….…......................… Blink 182
194     Sweet Home Alabama ..….................…. Lynyrd Skynyrd
195     November Rain .…..……......................…… Guns N' Roses
196     No More Lonely Nights .……..……….…....… Paul McCartney
197     Run Like Hell .……….…...….......…...……….…… Dave Gilmour
198     River.………………….….……............................… Joni Mitchell
199     Wuthering Heights ..…....….......................…. Kate Bush
200     Celluloid Heroes ..........................................….… Kinks

Friday 20 December 2019


A long time ago, in a galaxy not so
far away.... 

The Friday Music Spot was launched and today is the 200th track - and it's one full of Stars. 
This has long been one of my favourite tracks by one of my all time bands. I only recently discovered this song had evolved over the 70s into this 'live' version. The original release from 1972 now has a great guitar intro from the much underrated Dave Davies before brother Ray takes us for a walk down Hollywood Boulevard - this version appeared on the 'One For The Road' album in 1980.
"Everybody's a Star" on 'Celluloid Heroes' by the Kinks.


> A full run down of the FMS 200 coming soon.



Friday 13 December 2019


All you students, academics and would be mathematicians out there will have calculated that THE FRIDAY MUSIC SPOT is fast approaching track number 200. Hands up if you knew that ?
Today is actually No.199.

When I started out, the intention was not to repeat myself, but some artists have appeared more than once: AC/DC, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Joe Bonamassa, The Byrds, Rod Stewart and Pink Floyd. (hmm, more than I thought)! While others have inevitably turned up a few times in different shapes and forms: Mark Knopfler, Roger McGuinn, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Steve Howe, Neil Young and Eric Clapton.
Here are some of my favourite artists we have yet to featured (probably because picking just ONE track has proved beyond me): Jackson Browne (though he was on Gregg Allman & Friends), Tom Waits, John Martyn, Oasis, Kinks (Ray Davies we have had), Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Doors. One of them will be No.200. I've just not yet quite decided who….

Before that today's track is .....
Based on Emily Bronte's classic book of the same name, it's Kate Bush and 'Wuthering Heights'. However the familiar single version was only 3.30 minutes long and it misses off the one minute guitar solo by Scottish musician Ian Bairnson that plays it out on the album track. I was unaware of this version for ages. Here it is along with a great video 'mash-up' of different performances down the years. Here's waving at yer...


A 1978 hit and No.1 for 4 weeks in the UK, it was also No.1 in Australia, Ireland, Italy & New Zealand plus a Top 10 entry in many other European countries, but I can find no record of any chart success in America. So this may come as something entirely new to listeners across the Atlantic. 

Wednesday 11 December 2019

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 could be made for the 'Midweek Music Spot' :(i.e. like it or switch it off, if you don't). I confess I heard this on 'Strictly Come Dancing' when Chris Ramsey and Karen Hauer danced their 'Paso Doble' on week 10. (see this link).
That said it reminded me of 'Thunderstorm' from 'Riverdance' (here) OR if you prefer this opening to the finale (here too)
Music Spotlight is on 'Run Boy Run' by Woodkid - aka French musician Yoann Lemoine




Friday 6 December 2019


Time for something completely different...

I like to think that the FMS provides a welcome break from the endless round of Christmas hits that get played every year around this time. This then is the nearest we are going to get to a Christmas song. Which it isn't really, but as it samples 'jingle bells' and mentions Christmas the timing is at least correct and the video images appropriate. 
From the 1971 LP 'Blue' Joni Mitchell sings 'River'.
There are many covers versions but none come close to the original. This is real stardust...