One of the greatest of the songs written in tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. is this inspired composition from folk singer Patty Griffin. "Up To The Mountain" has enjoyed a surge in popularity following it's performance by Kelly Clarkson and Jeff Beck on "Idol Gives Back" in 2007. It has since been covered by many artists including Susan Boyle and Crystal Bowersox. Though Griffin began performing the song around 2005, it was first recorded by the late Solomon Burke in 2006 and included on the album "Nashville". Griffin's version appeared on the 2007 album "Children Running Through". The Clarkson version doesn't seem to be commercially available anymore, though I know it once was.
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WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW (ABRAHAM, MARTIN & JOHN)/TOM CLAY (1971) Most Christmas music collectors explore the music of other holidays to some extent or other. Halloween is a very popular choice. Valentine's Day scores big, too. April Fool's Day, Groundhog Day, Baseball season.... I've even seen some with fairly extensive Arbor Day collections. In the last few years, I've taken an interest in music relevant to Martin Luther King Day. MLK Day, I believe, is one of our most important, yet also one of our most maligned holidays. Last year, I compiled a fairly extensive list which I posted at FaLaLaLaLa.com (more context and links provided at Imwan). One of my absolute favorites from the list is this largely forgotten Top Ten hit from 1971 by Tom Clay. And, in view of the weekend's events, it seems particularly poignant. Clay was a much traveled disc jockey back in the days when rock and roll was first reaching American radio. His career took him from Buffalo to Cincinnati to Detroit to L.A. to NYC and back round again. He worked for such great stations as CKLW and WCBS-FM. Clay was one of many caught up in the payola scandals of the late 50s, which were, in reality, anti-rock and roll campaigns; the practice was legal when they did it and the laws against it were applied retrospectively to any popular disc jockey who aired rock music. Clay always wanted to make a difference, somehow--to contribute more than "patter" between the platters. It was while Clay was working at Ontario's CKLW that President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. A few months after the tragedy, Clay found a poem that had been written about the events of that weekend by Candy Greer, a girl from a Detroit suburb. Clay read "Six White Horses" (not the Johnny Cash song) on the air one day and, by the following day, the station had been deluged with phone calls requesting a record of the reading. The station issued the single and proceeds were donated to charity. SIX WHITE HORSES/TOM CLAY (1964) The 60s unfolded violently. After leaving WCBS-FM (New York) in 1969, Clay found himself working an inconsequential part-time gig at KGBS in Los Angeles. Clay's air time was virtually nil, there, but he began producing montages of music, sound clips and news actualities to stand out (and to "say something"). These montages, which would often run up to 20 minutes, became somewhat legendary. I stumbled upon a web site a few years back that had one hosted (don't remember where it was, now, if it's still there). How many more survive, I couldn't say. But one of Clay's montages struck a nerve with Americans still reeling from the Viet Nam War and the killings of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The single of "What The World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin And John" was released on Motown subsidiary MoWest in 1971, selling over 4 million copies and climbing to #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 charts. Clay maintained he never received any royalties for the record and was owed over $300,000. Clay released an entire album on MoWest, which sold respectably enough. But the follow-up single failed to sell. In the 80s, Clay was mostly doing voice-over work and, once again moved by an assassination (John Lennon), decided to put his free time to good use. Clay put together a montage reflecting the headlines of the day, entitled "Time For A Change" (after a clip from Lennon in the mix). Clay shopped his new montage for years--constantly updating it--but found no takers from the record labels who all said it wouldn't sell. In 1991, Clay released "Time For A Change" directly to radio stations in the US and Canada, but it remains unissued on CD. Tom Clay died of cancer on November 22, 1995--32 years to the day after the death of President Kennedy. TIME FOR A CHANGE/TOM CLAY (1991) Neither "Six White Horses" nor "Time For A Change" is commercially available, so far as I can determine. "What The World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin And John" (as well as some other material from the MoWest album) is available as part of the The Complete Motown Singles series. Also available is Clay's sign off "That's All"--a 1960 single he recorded on the Big Top label. Special thanks to Refried Vinyl, as much of the info here is drawn from that blog.
Time to hit the pause button for a bit. Take a break, clear my head. But it's to be noted that there isn't really an off season for an obsessive Christmas music collector. So taking a break is not the same as disappearing for an extended period. I'm always stumbling across free stuff and there are still some records I want to add to the Previews section (though they're more like Postviews at this point). I want to do some more reviews, as well, though those might best be saved for the beginning of the next holiday windup. I'm sure there will be posts on the front page more frequently than either you or I can now imagine, beginning, perhaps, with some Fruitcake Tossing videos should any good ones come out of today's festivities. Overall, I think we did a pretty decent job here for our first season. Got a late start, but included a lot of content. Still, I'm disappointed I didn't get more full reviews up. I had wanted, very much, to help fill the void left by the departure from the web of ChristmasReviews.com and I'm not sure I achieved that particular goal. As I recently told someone else, this year on the web felt very much like one of those giant cartoon snowballs steamrolling down the hill--it had its own momentum and I had very little control over the thing. I do hope that a broader range of artists will see fit to submit their holiday efforts for review here next season (our address is to the right). Starting earlier, I certainly hope to do more of that next season. Beginning in the summer, we'll start building the list of 2011 new releases and, thus, one of our least viewed pages this year will, for a time, become quite the attraction. I also hope to flesh out the Nice List a little more between now and September. I'm actually kind of content to let The Essentials grow organically, though I suspect we'll have a few new entries by the fall. And I imagine I'll be figuring out (or trying to) how to archive all the previews and freebies from this season, so we can start fresh and uncluttered for 2011. Oh, and I'll probably go back and delete a lot of the videos that don't, otherwise, add content to the site; we'll have plenty more next year. I want to thank everyone, again, who spent a portion of their holiday season with us--especially those of you still checking in (hi Mom, hi Ernie). Our musical number, today, is from Beach Music artist Ron Moody. The Virginia artist and his band, The Centaurs, have been making their kind of music since the 60s, including stints on Columbia, MGM and Dunhill. "Closed For The Season", which has also been covered by Billy Scott, comes from Ron's 2006 EP, "Santa's Coming In A Cadillac"--available direct from the band or as an mp3 on iTunes. Mrs. Katz (not her real name) and I will see you soon. OK, so it's not holiday music. But it's good music. Was having an email conversation with an old friend this evening and he mentioned this guy. I admit, I don't know much of his music beyond the hit ("Say Hey (I Love You)"). So I hit up YouTube to see what he's been up to. Every song is awesome, man. So, yeah, we're at January 7th, now. We had two holiday posts Thursday (plus a new freebie). We'll have another later today, sort of (maybe, probably). I think we can pause for some great and uplifting music that's not, strictly speaking, holiday related. Above, Michael Franti & Spearhead's "Hey Hey Hey". Below, "Hey World (Remote Control)". Dig it. Anyone who makes an annual compilation for family and friends and wants a new challenge for 2011 might consider trying to come up with a full CD of music relating to the Epiphany. As a small hint, the traditional music of Christmas would apply (not the stuff about Santa and Rudolph, of course), particularly music related to the 12 Days and the Three Kings. But the challenge would be finding rock, folk, blues, (etc.) music more closely associated with the Epiphany than with December 25. A nice pop punk version of "Lord Every Nation" (Psalm 72, the Responsorial Psalm), for example, would be most welcome. Frankly, the choir versions of the song (and much of the rest of the Epiphany "catalog") come off as incredibly creepy to me (sorry, they do). "Lord Every Nation" in particular, though, has the kind of song structure that would lend itself well to other genres. I haven't spent a lifetime seeking out Epiphany music so it's quite possible it's all out there just waiting to be discovered. Anyway, good luck with that and don't look at me. From a secular point of view, The Feast of the Epiphany also signals the end of the holiday celebration. It's the day folks are expected to have the tree out by the curb and the nativity scenes, garlands and ornaments all boxed up and put away for next year. And that seemed a good opportunity to offer up one of my most favorite end-of-the-season songs of all time. The Misty River Band's "Don't Take Down The Mistletoe" is from the 2004 release "Midwinter: Songs Of Christmas", available through Amazon or CD Baby. Drop by The Misty River Band web site any time. The Annual Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado is actually a celebration tied to the Feast of the Epiphany. It is their way of marking the end of the holiday season. Farewell folderol! And bye-bye fruitcake! The event is held annually on the Saturday nearest Little Christmas (I believe), so this year's event will be January 8 (mark your calendars). According to the town's web site, this year will mark the 16th Annual Great Fruitcake Toss. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and there is a small fee (generally a donation of food or cash) for entrants. Bring your own fruitcake or, if you don't have one, you can rent one (supply is limited). You'll find full rules and fruitcake specifications in this PDF file. Ah, America at its finest.
The man who was responsible for bringing the most attention to Baker Street since Sherlock Holmes, Gerry Rafferty passed away Tuesday. Gerry Rafferty was born in the working class town of Paisley in Scotland in April 1947. Rafferty’s music, which he began writing in his mid-teens, was inspired both by the music of his time (The Beatles and Bob Dylan) and the folk songs he’d learned from his mother. He and schoolmate Joe Egan played together from early on, first in a band called the Mavericks. They appeared on a Columbia single for the group The Fifth Column in 1966. And Rafferty released a solo album in 1972, “Can I Have My Money Back”. But it was when Rafferty and Egan became Stealers Wheel, later in 1972, that Rafferty began making his mark. Stealers Wheel was a problem child from the outset, with revolving door personnel changes, that included Rafferty himself departing and returning, and a poorly negotiated contract with A&M. The band was also a continuous legal morass, with assorted law suits continuing long after the group’s demise in 1975. The band’s third and final album, “Right Or Wrong”, consisted mostly of songs written by either Rafferty or Egan expressing their growing acrimony for each other. Still, “Stuck In The Middle With You” was huge and follow-up songs like “Everyone’s Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine” and “Star” are stellar efforts, even if their chart positions didn’t match up. As a solo artist, Rafferty is best remembered for his 1978 album “City To City” which contained his biggest hit, “Baker Street” (featuring the saxophone of Raphael Ravenscroft). That album also produced the hits “Right Down The Line” and “Home And Dry”. Rafferty’s next album, “Night Owl”, produced a couple more big charting singles, “Get It Right The Next Time” and “Days Gone Down”. But Gerry’s next two albums in 1980 and 1982 went nowhere and produced no hit singles. It would be another six years before Rafferty recorded another album. Between 1988 and his death, Rafferty released five more albums (not including compilations), none of them achieving notable success and none of them spawning any hits. Between his last two albums—2000’s “Another World” and 2009’s “Life Goes On”—there was an endless stream of rumors and denials about the singer’s health, whereabouts and even whether he was alive or dead. But it is well known and acknowledged that Rafferty had long battled depression and alcoholism and, in the end, Gerry Rafferty succumbed to liver damage and kidney failure at the age of 63. It is on Rafferty’s final album--“Life Goes On”, released in 2009—where we find his contributions to Christmas music. My understanding is that both “Adeste Fielis” and “Silent Night” had previously appeared as free downloads on Rafferty’s web site (which no longer exists). In any case, I doubt many were aware of their existence at all. I've been collecting Christmas music since the early 70s, at least. Honestly, I preferred the challenge of finding the difficult to find at a time when no one was making Christmas records to the challenge of figuring out which of the gazillion new releases is worthy of attention. But, as a collector, you adjust to the conditions that exist, one way or another. My goal, personally and here on this site, is to try to insure that worthy recordings don't go unnoticed for 30 years, only to be resurrected by some future Rhino records, decades from now, as "lost classics". If a record is classic-worthy, why can't it be appreciated at the time of it's release? Christmas records from Mariah Carey or Bob Dylan are unlikely to ever be "lost", but how many people outside of the Omaha area would have heard of "Jesus And Mary Christ" by Noah's Ark Was A Spaceship? A nice track like John Solly's "Hickory Run" is almost certain to get lost in the year's seasonal avalanche, let alone remembered next year and the year after. Calling attention to these songs or albums when they are released at least gives them a fighting chance. Still, things will slip through the cracks and require resurrection. A few "lost classics" resurfaced this year--items previously prized by clollectors and often commanding big bucks on the secondary markets, they are now available to anyone who wants them at reasonable prices. Some collectors hate this because the natural side effect is that the value of the original item (if they own it already) comes down. While I understand that as a collector, I'm mostly just interested in the music. Original copies of "Natty Dread Christmas" by The Iron Phoenix on The Thing have been known to fetch over $200. The Jamaican release actually features the legendary Heptones, who adopted the Iron Phoenix name for this 1976 record (and a few other sides) because their own name was falling out of favor with record buyers who saw the Heptones as "too soft" at a time when Reggae music was becoming edgier and more overtly political. In 2010, the British reissue label Observer repressed "Natty Dread Christmas". This was back in the spring, so the supply is drying up. Google for vendors (mostly in the UK) or hit up eBay, but here's a few who still seem to have copies in stock--JahWaggy, Sounds of the Universe, DubVendor; it'll run you between $6 and $8 (American), plus postage. When this album turned up on a file-sharing site early in this century, it was a bit of a mystery. Who were the Infant Kings? Where and when was this record from? Why had no one ever heard of it before? Within a few years, the result of it having been put out there so that the questions could be asked, we had our answers. The Infant Kings were a conglomeration of Seattle musicians--including The Model Rockets, members of The Young Fresh Fellows, and others--and this 1996 recording was pressed in very small numbers and, originally, only sold in one Seattle store. "Jingle Up High, Jingle Down Low" is a wonderful surf rock record with a bit of an alternative rock spin to it. Sporting a 2010 release date, you can now pick up this lost treasure for $6.99 at Amazon mp3 or $7.99 through iTunes. I love Blues music and, in particular, Blues Christmas music. So I'm always searching. Sometime around 2003 or 2004, a google search turned up reference to an album entitled "Christmastime In Cowtown". I tracked down the site, all right, but found the on-line ordering mechanism disabled. Tried the email. Nothing. There was a mailing address, too, and I tried that. At this late date, I don't remember how that went down, exactly, but the long and short of it is the check was never cashed and no CDs ever arrived. I tried on-line ordering of the series (there were at least 3 of them) year after year, finally abandoning the quest a few years back. Hell, maybe it was just me and everything worked fine for everybody else. All I know is this was something I'd long wanted to hear. Earlier this year, "Christmastime In Cowtown" showed up in my routine check of the holiday listings at CD Baby. I ordered it immediately and was not at all disappointed. The 1999 release featured stellar Blues performed by Bobby Counts and others from the Fort Worth, Texas area. I'd expected, perhaps, a country blues disc but, for the most part, this is straight ahead Blues blues. Better yet, further exploration has revealed that the on-line ordering mechanism at the original web site appears to be functioning again. I've only just placed an order for Volumes 2 and 3, so obviously I can't tell you anything further. I can't even guarantee there are any CDs at the end of that rainbow, yet. But I will say that, for fans of Christmas Blues, Volume 1 is a very nice listen indeed. [Postscript: CDs--Volumes 2 & 3 have arrived!] Last but not least, and speaking of Blues, I would be remiss if I did not mention that hard copy CDs of the 2005 Document Records collection "Blues, Blues Christmas 1925-1955" are once again available. The popular collection sold through rather quickly, leaving only a download version available for the last several years. "Blues Blues Christmas" was successful enough to inspire a follow-up and the original would have been repressed sooner but for the economic meltdown in 2008. Amazon may not restock the hard copies, but you can get them straight from Document records and, in so doing, help prevent the loss of yet another independent record label. The one with the red cover (at right) is Volume 1, in spite of how they've labeled it on the Document web site; but get them both and you won't have to worry about getting the wrong one. Check out the cool Blues calendar (with accompanying CD), too, while you're over there. |
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