Mondays are Idiosyncrasy 'Cos They Ain't 'Nuttin Else

[johncorrigan]

I'm still working through, and very much enjoying, Dylan's 'Philosophy of Modern Song'. He doesn't often stray into the realms of non-American tunes but yesterday's song was 'Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)' by Domenico Modugno. Bob reckons Italian is great to listen to because it has 'chewy caramel vowels and melodious polysyllabic vocabulary'. I remember my Mum used to sing this when I was a wean, singing the chorus confidently, then mumbling away at the rest. Anyway, here's Domenico giving it big licks on the Sullivan show in '58.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qivzSaALee8

[Globaltruth]

I'm still working through, and very much enjoying, Dylan's 'Philosophy of Modern Song'. He doesn't often stray into the realms of non-American tunes but yesterday's song was 'Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)' by Domenico Modugno. Bob reckons Italian is great to listen to because it has 'chewy caramel vowels and melodious polysyllabic vocabulary'. I remember my Mum used to sing this when I was a wean, singing the chorus confidently, then mumbling away at the rest. Anyway, here's Domenico giving it big licks on the Sullivan show in '58.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qivzSaALee8

Fascinating facts about the song Volare:

* Franco Migliacci began working on the lyrics of the song in June 1957, inspired by two paintings by Marc Chagall. He had planned to go to the sea with Domenico Modugno, but while waiting for Modugno to show up, Migliacci started drinking wine and eventually fell asleep. He had vivid dreams, and when he woke up, he looked at the Chagall paintings (reproductions) on the wall. In "Le coq rouge" was a yellow man suspended in midair, while in "Le peintre et la modelle", half the painter's face was coloured blue. So he began penning a song about a man who dreams of painting himself blue, and being able to fly (source: Wikipedia)

* Randy Newman uses some of the lyrics
"Nel blu, dipinto
Dipinto di blu
Felice de stare
Di stare lassu"
That means you love him
And he loves you
"Piu bel ci sono
Ci sei tu"
here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MarjoWyVe4M

He's playing in Dublin on Feb 24 & 25.
Edinburgh the week before...

[johncorrigan]

Edinburgh the week before...

Master C and I have had it postponed a couple of times, Global, but looking forward to a Friday night in Reekie in February. Thanks for the info about Volare and Chagall - really interesting.

[Globaltruth]

Oumou Sangaré - Yere Faga (Suicide)

very powerful lyrics - and Tony Allen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg1JqUA5ck4

[johncorrigan]

On Cerys' show on BBC Radio 6 yesterday Daniel Alfredo Rocca from Ecuador introduced me to the leaf-playing of Quito and in particular a Brazilian called Biluka, recorded by Daniel's grandfather in the sixties. There's a record out about Biluka on Honest Jon's - it seems that Biluka could play a range of different leaves. Here's a track from the record - 'Huashca De Corales'...I would not have guessed he was playing a leaf, but Daniel reckons that Biluka was probably the most gifted player of the leaf ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyZNzI9CnUo

Happy Idiosyncratic Monday to all leaf players.

[johncorrigan]

At the weekend I was reading an article about a new book by a guy called Howard Fishman who became obsessed about Connie Converse, an American folksinger, who disappeared some time in the seventies leaving little trace. I'd never heard of her before so I had a look for a couple of songs on YT. This song, 'Talkin' Like You (Two Tall Mountains)' was the first song that hooked Fishman in......I thought it had a bit of Dory Previn about it, and a touch of Vashti Bunyan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3f4h1Bd9eU

[johncorrigan]

I'm reading Richard Thompson's very informative and enjoyable autobiography, 'Beeswing - Fairport, Folk Rock and Finding My Voice 1967-75' at the moment. I hadn't realised that he had played with Lal and Mike on 'Bright Phoebus', which he says he was very proud to have been part of. Here he is playing with them on 'The Magical Man'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFcnEoEqNKo

[johncorrigan]

I turned up for Cerys Matthew's Sunday show on 6, but she's on holiday. Coming off the bench for the next four weeks is the always excellent Gideon Coe and among a great collection of songs that he played was this lovely wee bit of English folk - I thought it sounded familiar and then realised it was from Bagpuss...this is Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner performing 'The Miller's Song'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jg_iix_Ql0

Nicely idiosyncratic for a rainy Monday.

[Padraig]

World music? Idiosyncratic? . . . . Will this do?


PETER SELLERS - 'A Drop Of The Hard Stuff' - 1958 - YouTube

[johncorrigan]

World music? Idiosyncratic? . . . . Will this do?


PETER SELLERS - 'A Drop Of The Hard Stuff' - 1958 - YouTube

...and not a bum note in sight, Padraig. Reminded me of this on from my youth.

https://youtu.be/upg5Pj5PW8k

[Globaltruth]

feels like Monday!

From 1958 ... the Chordettes, Lollipop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkDDxis2DR4

(?maybe we need a WM nostalgia thread?)

[johncorrigan]

feels like Monday!

From 1958 ... the Chordettes, Lollipop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkDDxis2DR4

(?maybe we need a WM nostalgia thread?)

Yikes, GT, my Coulrophobia just kicked in...never knew I had it previosly. I have been known to burst into the lollipop song at the drop of a hat, even these days when I avoid such sweeties. Nice to be reminded of Beech-Nut...there used to be a Beech-Nut chewing gum dispensing machine round the corner from our church; the machine dispensing those wee packs of chiclets seemed to get rustier and rustier as the years went by, but they were a tasty wee treat for 2 or 3d, back in the days when I had an almost full mouth of gnashers.

[Globaltruth]

Say if you're feeling glum, cheer up with Beech Nut Gum....

1 Why Beech-Nut?
2 What was actually in it?

I am sure someone on here will know....

[johncorrigan]

I very much enjoyed Bex Burch's track, 'Dawn Blessings', which turned up on Saturday's Music Planet - very nicely idiosyncratic, I thought, and complete with cukoo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX3PbQiJhRg

[johncorrigan]

This turned up on my radio yesterday. Somewhere in a deep dark drawer of old cassette tapes I have a copy of Sir John Betjeman with John Parker - anyway, here's 'The Licorice Fields at Pontefract' for a Monday morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gqAc6lMgwA