Music Labyrinth Episode 088
Signs / Five Man Electrical Band (1971)
Hello Listener, and welcome to episode 88 of The Music Labyrinth. We’ve got a pre-recorded show for you this week. I apologise for not being live in the studio with you but, as this program goes to air, I will be off lending what ever support I can to the Tasmania Police Charity Trust Bike Ride, a 3 day bicycle endurance ride from Cradle Mountain to Tarraleah which is raising funds to support St Giles and Autism Tasmania. The bike ride has been raising funds to assist charities in this state for about 15 years now, and has resulted in the donation of more than half a million dollars to various charities. If you would like to know more about that ride or (bless you) if you would care to make a donation, I have popped a link here which will fulfill both those needs. Now, this is episode 88 of The Music Labyrinth, and I can tell you that 88 is considered a very fortunate number in Chinese culture shape of the Chinese character for 8 (八) implies that a person will have a great, wide future. 88 is also, as we have discussed in a previous episode of this program, the speed at which the Back To The Future DeLorean develops its ability to travel back in time. So, strap yourselves in Folks. Who knows where this may end?! For those who might be new to The Music Labyrinth, let me just quickly explain that this episode started with the song which finished the last episode, and that was the 1971 song Signs by the Five Man Electrical Band. So now lets try and find a link from that song onwards into The Music Labyrinth. The Signs song, and the one that preceded it (if your memory can take you back a fortnight) both heavily featured a reference to the “long haired freaky people”. Well, Gorillaz also acknowledged the freaky people in this track from their 2018 album, The Now Now. Featuring Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle, this is Gorillaz with Hollywood.
Hollywood / Gorillaz (feat. Snoop Dogg & Jamie Principle) (2018)
From the 2018 album The Now Now, that was Gorillaz with Hollywood. The Now Now included guest contributions from Damon Albarn’s old Blur bandmate, Graham Coxon. So, lets stay with Graham Coxan for our next track, especially since he co-performs it with a favourite of The Music Labyrinth. Here is Graham Coxon with Paul Weller on a track called This Old Town.
This Old Town / Paul Weller & Graham Coxon
You are back with The Music Labyrinth where we last listened to This Old Town by Graham Coxon and Paul Weller. In 2020 (that is, at the end of the Trump presidency) Graham Coxon teamed up with Camilo Lara, who is also known by the band name Mexican Institute Of Sound, and together they released this song called My America Is Not Your America.
My America Is Not Your America / Mexican Institute of Sound (feat. Graham Coxon)
Camilo Lara’s Mexican Institute Of Sound is an interesting project. Lara is a Mexico City producer and DJ who made a hobby at the end of each year of remixing the best of that year’s releases with his own sounds. Soon this became a full time career and led to actual collaborations with major artists. In 2007, the second Mexican Institute Of Sound album, Piñata, featured contributions from Tom Tom Club and the Fantastic Plastic Machine. From that album, this is A Girl Like You.
A Girl Like You / Mexican Institute Of Sound (2007)
That song, A Girl Like You by Mexican Institute Of Sound, featured in the soundtrack of the first season of the TV series Californication. So too did this Gus Black cover of a very well known track - although it may take you a moment or two to recognise it.
Paranoid / Gus Black
This is The Music Labyrinth and just a few moments ago we listened to Gus Black’s cover of the Black Sabbath classic, Paranoid. Gus Black is not afraid of having a serious crack at the sacred cows. He contributed another cover for the soundtrack of the 1996 slasher movie, Scream. This is the song he covered for that movie soundtrack.
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper / Blue Oyster Cult
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper also appeared in the soundtrack of the 1994 movie The Stoned Age, which hardly amounted to a box office monster, but the soundtrack obviously carried it along quite nicely. In addition to (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, it also includes this disco staple. And - pay particular attention to the bridge in the song which occurs after about 2 and a half minutes, it is relevant to the next track.
Disco Inferno / The Trammps (1976)
Now if you picked up on the bridge in that track that I mentioned before I played it, you will have noticed the lyric “Up above my head I hear music in the air, it makes me know there’s somebody somewhere”. Well, with slight modification, that is a lyric lifted directly from this 1947 recording by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air / Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marie Knight, Sam Price & His Trio
This is The Music Labyrinth and we have been exploring as far back in the labyrinth as 1947 when we listened to Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In 1992, 45 years after Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Twin Cites alt-country band The Jayhawks were recording their third and probably greatest album, Hollywood Town Hall. During those sessions they recorded a cover of the song we just heard, which didn’t make the initial pressing, but was included in a 2011 reissue. A song that did make the initial pressing of Hollywood Town Hall was this wonderful tune. This is The Jayhawks with Two Angels.
Two Angels / The Jayhawks (1992)
On The Music Labyrinth that was The Jayhawks with Two Angels. Piano on that track by was played by the English super-session-player, Nicky Hopkins, who has performed on many of the most popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s. In 1980 Nicky Hopkins became a member of The Rumour, Graham Parker’s long time backing band, and as a result, he appears playing piano on this next Graham Parker track. And, again, pay particular attention to the backing vocals on this track. There will be a quiz. This is Endless Night.
Endless Night / Graham Parker
OK then, did you do your homework? If so, you will have noted that backing vocals on the track we just heard - Endless Night by Graham Parker - were by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss also pops up on this 2021 track by The Killers.
Dustland / The Killers (feat. Bruce Springsteen) (2021)
This is The Music Labyrinth where we have been listening to Dustland by The Killers, featuring Bruce Springsteen. Brandon Flowers of The Killers seems to enjoy working with other artists. In 2015 he collaborated with British dance and electronica legends, New Order, in the writing and performance of this song on their album Music Complete. This is Superheated.
Superheated / New Order (feat. Brandon Flowers) (2015)
That was Now Order, featuring Brandon Flowers, with Superheated. Some years prior to that collaboration, Peter Hook from New Order was also sharing the love with other artists. He joined forces with Perry Farrell in 2007 for the only album released by Farrell’s band Satellite Party. Featuring Peter Hook, this is Satellite Party with Kinky.
Kinky / Satellite Party (2007)
That was Satellite Party with Kinky. As I mentioned before we played that track, Satellite Party was a band put together by Perry Farrell who - in addition to being the founder of the Lollapalooza Festival - is perhaps best known as the lead singer of Jane’s Addiction. Which presents me with an opportunity to play another favourite. This is Jane Says.
Jane Says / Jane’s Addiction
Welcome back to The Music Labyrinth where we have been wallowing in the calypso social commentary of Jane Says by Jane’s Addiction. In 2012 Jane’s Addiction contributed a cover of Sympathy For The Devil to the TV series Sons Of Anarchy (which I might have played for you except, well, its pretty awful). Anyway, awful or not, that track became part of the series soundtrack, called Songs Of Anarchy: Vol 2, which also included this cover of a Stevie Wonder classic.
Higher Ground / Franky Perez & The Forest Rangers
That version of Higher Ground was by Franky Perez and The Forest Rangers. Franky Perez has contributed to the odd musical collective known as Camp Freddy, an American hard rock supergroup consisting of a core of established and well known musicians who played rock covers at various shows around the United States from 2002 through 2014. In addition to the core members of Camp Freddy, each performance also featured a string of guest appearances from other well-known musicians and singers. Because the model of Camp Freddy is built around live shows, there is not a great library of recorded music, but there is this cover of an old Cheap Trick song.
Surrender / Camp Freddy
One of the core members of Camp Freddy is Matt Sorum, best known as the drummer from Guns’n’Roses. In 2002 he and two of his GNR band mates (Slash and Duff McKagen) teamed up with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Dave Kushner of Wasted Youth to form the supergroup Velvet Revolver, and this is their 2004 song Slither.
Slither / Velvet Revolver (2004)
This is The Music Labyrinth where we just listened to the big old American rock sound of Velvet Revolver with Slither. And, speaking of big old American rock sound, you will have heard the big old American guitar solo in that track, and will be completely unsurprised to know that it was played by the guitarist Slash, from Guns’n’Roses. In 1991 Slash teamed up with Lenny Kravitz and contributed guitar to this Lenny Kravitz song. And, because we’re approaching one of those blatantly obvious links to the track that follows, I think I will treat you to two songs uninterrupted by dribble from your host. Enjoy!
Always On The Run / Lenny Kravitz
On The Run / Mark Ronson, Mos Def and M.O.P.
We just heard Mark Ronson’s On The Run, featuring Mos Def and M.O.P which followed on immediately from Lenny Kravitz’s Always On The Run, of which it contains a fair slice. Mos Def, in addition to being a musician and rapper, is also an actor of some note. He starred as Ford Prefect in the 2005 film adaption of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Now, stand by for a sever case of whiplash, because, from the soundtrack of that film, here is another actor, Stephen Fry, with Reasons To Be Miserable (His Name Is Marvin).
Reasons To Be Miserable (His Name Is Marvin) / Stephen Fry (2005)
Yes, do not adjust your sets, this is The Music Labyrinth and that quirky number which we heard just before those messages was Reasons To Be Miserable (His Name Is Marvin) from the soundtrack of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Now, believe it or not, that film soundtrack also contains this 1973 soul classic by Al Green.
Here I Am (Come And Take Me) / Al Green (1973)
That, of course, was Al Green with Here I Am (Come And Take Me). In 1988 Al Green teamed up with Annie Lennox to contribute a song to the soundtrack of the movie Scrooged. I think its fair to say that the song became a bigger hit than the film. Let me refresh your memory.
Put A Little Love In Your Heart / Al Green & Annie Lennox
Put A Little Love In Your Heart by Al Green & Annie Lennox has brought us to the end of episode 88 of The Music Labyrinth. At the top of the show I was talking a bit about the significance of the number 88 in Chinese culture and also in the mythology of Back To The Future. Its also a fact that, in amateur radio circles - and I make no assertions about the professionalism or otherwise of this program - 88 is used as shorthand for "love and kisses" when signing a message or ending an exchange. So, 88s to you Dear Listener until we do this again in two weeks. Please come back and join us then. To take us out this week, lets stay with Annie Lennox, and lets stay with the concept that has dominated the second half of this episode of collaborations between artists. To take us out, this is Annie Lennox’s band, The Eurythmics, with Aretha Franklin, and Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves. Thanks for listening.
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves / Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin