Music Labyrinth Episode 002
Track 1
Charge - Elbow
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Music Labyrinth. For those of you who are new to this (and that very much includes me!) we are embarking on a journey through music with no map to follow and no destination to seek. Our only guide through this labyrinth is the fact that each song we hear will have some tenuous link to the previous. We began this week where we finished last, with the song Charge from Elbow's 2014 album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. The recording process for that album commenced at Peter Gabriel's Real World recording studio in Wiltshire. Elbow and Peter Gabriel had formed a relationship several years earlier when Gabriel recorded a version of Elbow's song Mirrorball for his project, Scratch My Back. Now, those who know me will express some amazement that it has taken until track 2 of Episode 2 of the Music Labyrinth to arrive at the Peter Gabriel super-room! Nevertheless, that inevitability has now been achieved. So, now that we are here, what to choose? Well, I thought we would exercise some personal indulgence on my part and go right back to his first solo album after leaving Genesis in 1975. For me, every Peter Gabriel song is my favourite; but this is my favourite favourite. This is Here Comes The Flood.
Track 2
Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel famously engaged the Canadian musician and producer Bob Ezrin to produce that first solo album. Ezrin was most notable for his work with Alice Cooper, and that provides an obvious choice for us as we head away from the Peter Gabriel super-room. However, something more obscure about Bob Ezrin's output around this time caught my eye. Bob Ezrin is credited with co-writing, arranging and performing the piano accompaniment on this song from 1976.
Track 3
Beth - Kiss
From the 1976 Kiss album, Destroyer, that is Beth; the most un-Kiss-like song in their catalogue and, oddly, their highest charting US single. The single was recorded at the Record Plant studio in New York City in 1976. Four years later, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon walked out of that same studio to return to his suite at The Dakota, where he was fatally shot. Lennon was acerbically witty, controversially forthright, and greatly loved. His legacy continues to shine on.
Track 4
Instant Karma - John Lennon
From February 1970, that was John Lennon's Instant Karma. When I was thinking about that hook line, We all shine on, it occurred to me that Pink Floyd's famous homage to Syd Barratt, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, could perhaps equally be applied to Lennon's legacy. Now, as you might imagine, John Lennon and Pink Floyd might offer us a thousand different routes to continue our journey through this labyrinth - but we're doing nothing obvious at this point. When I think of "shine on", my memory goes straight back to high school, and to this track from one of the highest selling live albums of all time.
Track 5
Shine On - Peter Frampton
From the immensely successful super-album of 1976, Frampton Comes Alive, that is Shine On. And whilst the version we just heard is highly likely to be (for those of you who know it) the one you recall and love, it is in fact Peter Frampton's live cover of a track he first recorded when a member of the band Humble Pie about 5 years earlier. Another member of Humble Pie was Steve Marriott, who had already enjoyed a highly successful career as a driving member of the Small Faces. In that company, Marriott had a hand in such iconic songs as Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday, but I'll always be grateful for Tin Soldier.
Track 6
Tin Soldier - Small Faces
That was Tin Soldier, written by Steve Marriott who has acknowledged that the theme of the song was influenced by the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale of the steadfast tin soldier who fell in love with a paper ballerina. I suspect we could find plenty of songs based on fairytales, but here is an obvious one - and a ripper at that.
Track 7
Enter Sandman - Metallica
On the Music Labyrinth we've just heard one of the rare heavy metal lullabies. That was Metallica with Enter Sandman. You will have picked up the line in the song which refers to Never NeverLand which invokes, for me anyway, memories of J M Barrie's stories of Peter Pan. Now, we're about to go out on two very fine limbs here - hold on to my hand and stay with me! Firstly, Metallica's great popularity saw them feature on the cover of several influential rock magazines; one in particular in April 1993. Secondly, in a few minutes, I will explain the link between JM Barrie's Captain and the Doctor. And on that firm basis, here is our next stop in the labyrinth.
Track 8
On The Cover of the Rolling Stone - Dr Hook
That, of course, was Dr Hook and the Medicine Show with On The Cover of the Rolling Stone. Dr Hook's Ray Sawyer famously wore an eye patch, which led his fellow founding band member, George Cummings, to use JM Barrie's Captain Hook as an inspiration for the name of his new band. Cummings allegedly found it hilarious to tell this story despite the fact that Captain Hook was neither a doctor, nor wore an eye patch. The band were famous for their collective sense of fun. When asked by fans which member was, in fact, Dr Hook, they would always direct the enquirer to their bus driver. When Dr Hook played at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on May 1st, 1973, the opening act on that bill was a 23 year old singer-songwriter who was yet to make the seismic impact on the music scene that was to follow. Here he is many years later in that magnificent career.
Track 9
Rocky Ground - Bruce Springsteen
From the 2012 album, Wrecking Ball, that was Bruce Springsteen with Rocky Ground. And you will have heard sampled within that song this traditional gospel song, performed here by the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Track 10
I'm A Soldier in the Army of The Lord - Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama have a performing pedigree which goes back to 1939. Founding member Clarence Fountain was 10 years old when the group performed for the first time. His final performance with the group was 78 years later, in May 2018. Sadly, Clarence Fountain died some weeks later. The group continues though. To end this episode of the Music Labyrinth, here they are performing with Mark Cohn in 2019. This is Silver Thunderbird.
Track 11
Silver Thunderbird - Marc Cohn & The Blind Boys of Alabama
Charge - Elbow
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Music Labyrinth. For those of you who are new to this (and that very much includes me!) we are embarking on a journey through music with no map to follow and no destination to seek. Our only guide through this labyrinth is the fact that each song we hear will have some tenuous link to the previous. We began this week where we finished last, with the song Charge from Elbow's 2014 album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. The recording process for that album commenced at Peter Gabriel's Real World recording studio in Wiltshire. Elbow and Peter Gabriel had formed a relationship several years earlier when Gabriel recorded a version of Elbow's song Mirrorball for his project, Scratch My Back. Now, those who know me will express some amazement that it has taken until track 2 of Episode 2 of the Music Labyrinth to arrive at the Peter Gabriel super-room! Nevertheless, that inevitability has now been achieved. So, now that we are here, what to choose? Well, I thought we would exercise some personal indulgence on my part and go right back to his first solo album after leaving Genesis in 1975. For me, every Peter Gabriel song is my favourite; but this is my favourite favourite. This is Here Comes The Flood.
Track 2
Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel famously engaged the Canadian musician and producer Bob Ezrin to produce that first solo album. Ezrin was most notable for his work with Alice Cooper, and that provides an obvious choice for us as we head away from the Peter Gabriel super-room. However, something more obscure about Bob Ezrin's output around this time caught my eye. Bob Ezrin is credited with co-writing, arranging and performing the piano accompaniment on this song from 1976.
Track 3
Beth - Kiss
From the 1976 Kiss album, Destroyer, that is Beth; the most un-Kiss-like song in their catalogue and, oddly, their highest charting US single. The single was recorded at the Record Plant studio in New York City in 1976. Four years later, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon walked out of that same studio to return to his suite at The Dakota, where he was fatally shot. Lennon was acerbically witty, controversially forthright, and greatly loved. His legacy continues to shine on.
Track 4
Instant Karma - John Lennon
From February 1970, that was John Lennon's Instant Karma. When I was thinking about that hook line, We all shine on, it occurred to me that Pink Floyd's famous homage to Syd Barratt, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, could perhaps equally be applied to Lennon's legacy. Now, as you might imagine, John Lennon and Pink Floyd might offer us a thousand different routes to continue our journey through this labyrinth - but we're doing nothing obvious at this point. When I think of "shine on", my memory goes straight back to high school, and to this track from one of the highest selling live albums of all time.
Track 5
Shine On - Peter Frampton
From the immensely successful super-album of 1976, Frampton Comes Alive, that is Shine On. And whilst the version we just heard is highly likely to be (for those of you who know it) the one you recall and love, it is in fact Peter Frampton's live cover of a track he first recorded when a member of the band Humble Pie about 5 years earlier. Another member of Humble Pie was Steve Marriott, who had already enjoyed a highly successful career as a driving member of the Small Faces. In that company, Marriott had a hand in such iconic songs as Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday, but I'll always be grateful for Tin Soldier.
Track 6
Tin Soldier - Small Faces
That was Tin Soldier, written by Steve Marriott who has acknowledged that the theme of the song was influenced by the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale of the steadfast tin soldier who fell in love with a paper ballerina. I suspect we could find plenty of songs based on fairytales, but here is an obvious one - and a ripper at that.
Track 7
Enter Sandman - Metallica
On the Music Labyrinth we've just heard one of the rare heavy metal lullabies. That was Metallica with Enter Sandman. You will have picked up the line in the song which refers to Never NeverLand which invokes, for me anyway, memories of J M Barrie's stories of Peter Pan. Now, we're about to go out on two very fine limbs here - hold on to my hand and stay with me! Firstly, Metallica's great popularity saw them feature on the cover of several influential rock magazines; one in particular in April 1993. Secondly, in a few minutes, I will explain the link between JM Barrie's Captain and the Doctor. And on that firm basis, here is our next stop in the labyrinth.
Track 8
On The Cover of the Rolling Stone - Dr Hook
That, of course, was Dr Hook and the Medicine Show with On The Cover of the Rolling Stone. Dr Hook's Ray Sawyer famously wore an eye patch, which led his fellow founding band member, George Cummings, to use JM Barrie's Captain Hook as an inspiration for the name of his new band. Cummings allegedly found it hilarious to tell this story despite the fact that Captain Hook was neither a doctor, nor wore an eye patch. The band were famous for their collective sense of fun. When asked by fans which member was, in fact, Dr Hook, they would always direct the enquirer to their bus driver. When Dr Hook played at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on May 1st, 1973, the opening act on that bill was a 23 year old singer-songwriter who was yet to make the seismic impact on the music scene that was to follow. Here he is many years later in that magnificent career.
Track 9
Rocky Ground - Bruce Springsteen
From the 2012 album, Wrecking Ball, that was Bruce Springsteen with Rocky Ground. And you will have heard sampled within that song this traditional gospel song, performed here by the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Track 10
I'm A Soldier in the Army of The Lord - Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama have a performing pedigree which goes back to 1939. Founding member Clarence Fountain was 10 years old when the group performed for the first time. His final performance with the group was 78 years later, in May 2018. Sadly, Clarence Fountain died some weeks later. The group continues though. To end this episode of the Music Labyrinth, here they are performing with Mark Cohn in 2019. This is Silver Thunderbird.
Track 11
Silver Thunderbird - Marc Cohn & The Blind Boys of Alabama