Back end of last year I saw an article headline that read "The Best American band you've never heard of" - only on this occasion I had heard of them !

While sitting having a drink in the bar at a hotel last August, music was playing via a phone playlist and I was able to 'Shazam' a number of the tracks I liked. The Red Clay Strays 'Wondering Why’ was one of those tracks noted. A country music band formed in Mobile, Alabama, their 2022 single "Wondering Why" was successful in late 2023 after going viral on TikTok and exposure on Live AF (An independent country and Americana space, on YouTube channel Western AF). This song is very bluesy and lead singer Brandon Coleman's voice is quite something. 

More Red Clay Strays (and further religious references) check out: 'Devil in My Ear' > here

And I can recommend: 'Wanna Be Loved', ‘I’m Still Fine’ and 'Drowning’. 

  

To follow last time's Star Track it feels only right and proper to actually feature the Band. 

I came upon this particular track via a post entitled "Five songs to prove Robbie Robertson is an underrated guitar genius": (link).

The track is ‘It Makes No Difference’ from 1975. The video is combined footage from 'The Last Waltz' movie and a show at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco.

The Band were: Rick Danko (bass guitar, vocals, guitar, double bass, fiddle), Richard Manuel (piano, vocals, keyboards), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, saxophone, accordion, woodwinds, brass), guitarist Robbie Robertson and drummer & singer Levon Helm. They have now all passed away, to play Music from the Big Pink in the sky ! What a memory they leave. 

A sad song, some great guitar and a sax solo - written by Robbie Robertson and sung by Rick Danko >>> 

  

For the record over the last ten years   T H E  F R I D A Y  M U S I C  S P O T   has now starred 500 tracks, the grand total from 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 ; 301-350 revisited here ; and for 351-400 click this link ; for 400-450 link here ; Today lists the last 50, see below. 

Click on the blue arrow ➤ to replay that track. Please note: Many of the 500 videos featured are showing unavailable, but I'm sure you can search for an alternative, if you choose. 

451 ➤ 2-4-6-8 Motorway ............................. Tom Robinson Band
452 ➤ Walk In My Shadow .......…....................................... Free
453 ➤ Cast Your Fate To The Wind ............. Sounds Orchestral
454 ➤ Not Fade Away ............................................. Buddy Holly
455 ➤ Getting Closer .................................................. Lonerider
456 ➤ Beautiful........................................................... Carol King
457 ➤ Highway to Hell .................................................... AC/DC
458 ➤ If I Had a Hammer …....................................... Trini Lopez
459 ➤ Autobahn …………............................................ Kraftwerk
460 ➤ The Fairest of the Season  ....................................…Nico 

461 ➤ The Birds of St. Marks .......................... Jackson Browne
462 ➤ Fox On The Run .......….......................................... Sweet
463 ➤ Blitzkrieg Bop .........…................................. Rockin' 1000
464 ➤ Baby Let Me Take You Home .......................The Animals
465 ➤ Rage of Angels ....................................... Sign of the Wolf
466 ➤ Feet.................................................. The Equatorial Group
467 ➤ The Weaver's Answer ........................................... Family
468 ➤ Cheek to Cheek …......................................... Fred Astaire
469 ➤ On The Way ………….................................. Hollow Coves
470 ➤ Good One Coming On ........................ Blackberry Smoke

471 ➤ The Passenger ................................................... Iggy Pop
472 ➤ Up Around the Bend ....... Creedence Clearwater Revival
473 ➤ Ride Like the Wind .........…................. Christopher Cross
474 ➤ (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 ..................... Chuck Berry
475 ➤ Saturday Gigs ......................................... Mott the Hoople 
476 ➤ The Riddle..................................................... Nik Kershaw
477 ➤ Highway ..................................... Robert Jon & The Wreck
478 ➤ Space Age Love Song …................... A Flock of Seagulls
479 ➤ Margaritaville …………............................... Jimmy Buffett
480 ➤ Woodstock ........................…Matthews Southern Comfort

481 ➤ The Cinema Show .............................................. Genetics
482 ➤ Wish You Were Here ....................................... Pink Floyd
483 ➤ Transcendental Reunion ............ Mary Chapin Carpenter
484 ➤ So Very Young ...............................................Cat Stevens
485 ➤ At Last ............................................................. Etta James 
486 ➤ Guinevere.................................................. Rick Wakeman
487 ➤ Boom Boom .......................................... John Lee Hooker
488 ➤ Galway Girl ................. Dennis O'Neil & Davey Armstrong
489 ➤ Rockin' in the Free World ……....................... Neil Young
490 ➤ Galadriel.....................................…Barclay James Harvest

491 ➤ Lotta Love ............................................... Nicolette Larson
492 ➤ She's A Star ............................................................ James
493 ➤ Angel Delight .........…........................ Fairport Convention
494 ➤ Sugar and Spice ........................................ The Searchers
495 ➤ Gonna Move Across the River ... Bill Pinkney the Drifters 
496 ➤ The Winter Long .................................................. Strawbs
497 ➤ She Knows How .............................................. The Burros
498 ➤ In Electric Dreams ............ Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder
499 ➤ Sultans of Swing ………........…...................... Dire Straits
500 ➤ The Weight ........................................ Playing For Change