Strange Fruit

Dear James,

Here's something I found out at work today. I was "researching" espionage for the Trojan Television episode when I found the story of the Rosenbergs, controversially alleged US spies who gave information about the atom bomb to the Soviets and were executed in 1953. Their children were eventually adopted by Abel Meeropol, who under the pen name of Lewis Allen wrote Strange Fruit. Albeit fourteen years earlier, which kind of spoils the story, on reflection.

In 1999, Time magazine named Strange Fruit the Song of the Century. Time magazine clearly weren't Queen fans. Although that does remind that you can find out what was on the cover of Time magazine on the day you were born. Mine's Paul McCartney.

Stars that Play with Laughing Sam's Dice

Dear James,

I was watching one of those rock biography films last night of the type that should appear on the Hallmark channel but in this case appeared on VH1. You know the type, like the one which imagines what the conversation might have gone like when Paul McCartney and John Lennon met up in New York in 1975, with actors with a passing resemblance to the people in question and questionable accents. This particular one was about Jimi Hendrix, although the filmmakers didn't appear to have obtained the rights to include any Jimi Hendrix songs, so had him singing "Like A Rolling Stone" in a Hendrix styley, and also recreating the Wild Thing guitar burning bit. It was so dull, I switched over to Ray on the other channel, but even heroin and the devil's music couldn't keep me from going to bed.

Before turning over, I noted with curiosity that The Jimi Hendrix Experience once toured with The Soft Machine in support. The Soft Machine, who may even be called plain Soft Machine, is a band that has frequently piqued my interest, though never enough to bother watching anything on Youtube or download any of their songs illegally. Even now, in what is by all rights a Soft Machine post, I can't be bothered to look for videos, although this is mostly down to knowing that you'll have something up your sleeve and my being at work.

This much I know about The Soft Machine:
1. Robert Fripp was in them, and he's supposed to be this really good guitarist who features frequently in magazines like "Guitarist Monthly".
2. They were named after a William Burroughs novel. I used to be interested in William Burroughs, back in my subversive days, but the film for Naked Lunch was just a bit too boring.
3. Brian Eno might have had something to do with them, or I'm just making that up to suggest some tie-in with my previous post.
4. The chap in the wheelchair who sang "Shipbuilding" was in them too.

So as you can see, I'm at a bit of a loss and would appreciate any assistance. In return, I can tell you that Stars who Play with Laughing Sam's Dice was a b-side to Burning of the Midnight Lamp, the title includes a reference to LSD and to STP, and in common with most songs off Smash Hits, it brings back fond memories of my first girlfriend, Lucy.

Dear Daniel,

If Stars That Play... was the B-side of Burning of the Midnight Lamp, then that's my two favourite Hendrix moments in one concise package. If they'd put Crosstown Traffic and Fire (or just the comedy "let Jimi take over..." bit) in the run-off grooves, that would be the only Hendrix record I'd listen to.

I want to continue this reply as a new post, so that I can bring more attention to one of my favourite guitarists... it'll be Bowie's Fashion.

Dear James,

You don´t like Hendrix? All this time, and you never told me.

Paperback Writer/Rain

Dear James,

It was 40 degrees cee here yesterday so naturally today we´re about to have a big old storm. So I've smoked an 11am loogie and am now watching Beatles records. Such is the creative process.

I like these videos for the interesting shots they do, quite different to a modern pop video. Ringo is a killer in both videos, sitting around wondering where his drumkit is and then going for a wander in the grass. Oh, Ringo.

I love how this single is so representative of the crossover from Rubber Soul to Revolver, and you could say the same for We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper as the crossover between Help and Rubber Soul. It shows also that Paul got turned on to acid a year later than John and George.

There was a lengthy pause there while I read Revolution in the Head. Did you know, Got to Get You Into My Life was said by Lennon to refer to McCartney's belated first acid trip, something which McCartney later confirmed?

Hang on, though. This video was made for the Ed Sullivan show. Why make two videos of the same song?

(Remember) Walking in the Sand

Dear James,

Peach of a song for you here from the Shangri-Las, following the theme of the previous post and showing the world where Amy Winehouse got Back to Black for. But it's not just Amy who copied it: Sir Paul McCartney ripped off the verse, put it in the middle eighth of Free As A Bird and claimed John Lennon had written it. And can you guess which American hard-rock band covered it? It almost sounds like they wrote it.

I just checked my Revolution in the Head and Iain MacDonald pointed out that Shangri-La thing many moons ago. And I thought I was great. However, MacDonald makes no mention of Brian Epstein faking his own death, killing Paul McCartney and inhabiting his body and feeding on the blood of Michael Jackson, so I've still got some original ideas.

Mary Weiss was 15 when she sang lead on this song. I like how they had nothing to do with Phil Spector, even though they sound like they should, and how they're a lot darker than other girl groups of the 60s, as seen in Past, Present and Future, which is just this side of unsettling. This is a cover, I couldn't find the original.

Billy Joel played piano on the original demo to (Remember), which was seven minutes long. That's so Billy. It probably featured a Dixieland jazz section and lengthy saxophone solos. I don't know whether that drummer you like featured.

Dear Daniel,

Crikey. I was reading your text and watching the video and thinking to myself how attractive the singer of the Shangri-las was. Just then, you revealed me to be a dirty old peadophile. Thanks a bunch. Nice tune, though.

Harmour Love

Dear James,

It's back! I posted this video on the blog that dare not speak its name many moons ago, and then it got taken down by the copyright people. But now it's back! I really love this song, from the first chords to the bit which you think is the chorus but isn't. Great stuff. Incredibly it only reached #75 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1975. Maybe it's not as good as I thought.

At first, it looks like she's talking on the phone. Then it looks like she's singing in the studio. Then it looks like she's just holding a funny earphone thing in order to flip the viewer the V's.

Notice how her mouth doesn't move much. Is she stoned, or is she just doing a really bad lip-synch? That's Stevie Wonder singing the backing vocals, by the way. Maybe he just wears sunglasses so no one can tell that he actually sings out of his eyes.

Syreeta married Stevie in 1970 and divorced him 18 months later. She is credited as a co-writer of Signed, Sealed, Delivered. She was considered as Diana Ross' replacement in The Supremes. In 1974 she released her Wonder-produced album, "Stevie Wonder presents Syreeta". Do you think he used to say that to people at parties and other social gatherings, on introducing his wife?

Syreeta also played Mary Magdalen in a 1994 tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. I first found her after accidentally downloading her cover of "She's Leaving Home". I thought it was a modern song. Sadly, you can't find it on youtubes. There is this one of Paul McCartney doing it in 2002, but it's just a bit odd. Whereas Carrie Underwood's version...