Sunday 14 October 2018

Is This What You Call Falling In Love?

  1. Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step
  2. Dana Gillespie - You Just Gotta Know My Mind
  3. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Balloon Man
  4. Sir Douglas Quintet - She's About A Mover
  5. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - This Is What We Find
  6. Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him
  7. Mick Harvey - Ford Mustang
  8. Beach Boys - You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
  9. Orange Juice - I Can't Help Myself
  10. Beryl Marsden - When The Lovelight Starts Shinin' Thru His Eyes
  11. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Spanish Flea
  12. Aberfeldy - Love Is An Arrow
  13. Spring - Chuck It Up
  14. Harry Nilsson - Pretty Soon There'll Be Nothing Left For Everybody
  15. Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Just Dropped In
  16. Jim Noir - I Me You I'm Your
  17. High Llamas - Up In The Hills
  18. Tindersticks - Nectar
  19. Shivaree - I Close My Eyes
  20. R.E.M - Laughing
  21. Evie Sands - Any Way That You Want Me
  22. Harvey's Rabbit - Is This What You Call Change
  23. Lick The Tins - Can't Help Falling In Love
  24. Tom Waits - Burma Shave
  25. The Beatles - For No One

Firstly, don't read too much into the title of this mix. It's working title was "Tom Waits For No One" but I changed that at the last minute feeling it was a bit naff. I chose to splice the titles of tracks 22 & 23 instead. There are quite a few love songs on here, though and the mix as a whole is quite upbeat (again). I will try my hand at a solemn mix one day, but the likes of Barry & Curtis do it so much better than I possibly could. So there we are then, another 'POP' mix!

Lost In A Song


  1. Crystal Fighter - Plage
  2. Still Flyin' - The Hottchord Is Struck
  3. Emmy The Great - Iris
  4. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Little Girl (feat Julian Casablancas)
  5. Wedding Present - Everyone Thinks he Looks Daft
  6. The Clash - The Right Profile
  7. The Vaccines - Nørgaard
  8. Deaf School - Where's the Weekend
  9. Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
  10. Telekinesis - I Cannot Love You
  11. Ether Coil - Light
  12. Fleet Foxes - Lorelai
  13. Iron & Wine - Me And Lazarus
  14. Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
  15. Islands - No You Don't
  16. Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle
  17. Those Darlins - Wild One
  18. Anna Calvi - Suzanne And I
  19. The Specials - Little Bitch
  20. Correcto - Do It Better
  21. 54-40 - Feast Of Ida
  22. The Rolling Stones - I Am Waiting
  23. Marissa Nadler - The Sun Always Reminds Me Of You
First mix in blooming' ages. Sorry about that. I'll try to be more prolific in the coming months. For now, enjoy this..


Sammy's Top 25 tracks of 2011


  1. Tune-Yards - Powa
  2. Metronomy - Everything Goes My Way
  3. Cass McCombs - County Line
  4. Emmy the Great - Iris
  5. Real Estate - Green Aisles
  6. St. Vincent - Cruel
  7. M83 - Raconte-Moi Une Histoire
  8. Grimes - Devon
  9. Foster The People - Houdini
  10. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
  11. Girls - Honey Bunny
  12. Little Comets - One Night In October
  13. The Generationals - Ten-Twenty-Ten
  14. Givers - Up Up Up
  15. Washed Out - Amor Fati
  16. Anna Calvi - Suzanne And I
  17. Little Majorette - Overflow
  18. Battles - Ice Cream (feat. Matias Aguayo)
  19. Mini Mansions - Monk
  20. The Feeling - Dance For The Lights
  21. Those Dancing Days - I'll Be Yours
  22. Atlas Sound - Mona Lisa
  23. Fleet Foxes - Lorelai
  24. Soft Hearted Scientists - The Trees Don't Seem To Know That It's September
  25. Neon Indian - Polish Girl

Better late than never, my favourite tracks of 2011! I have compiled a Top 50 and you can listen to the Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/user/sammyg123/playlist/3eV7zTShQWpVB61AMJV7vL?si=rIRrCfXvQcuDmo9MU1Yj4Q.

I've spent a good month and a half working out the running order, listening to tracks I may have missed throughout the year and pretty much ignoring any music from outside of 2011. So now it's posted here I feel i can relax and get on with my life!

I actually compiled a Top 100 of 2010 last year and posted it to Facebook but neglected to post the result here, so here is the Spotify playlist for that.

Saturday 7 January 2012

Picture Perfect


  1. River City Extension - Letter To Lainie (featuring Glenn Tilbrook)
  2. Soft Hearted Scientists- Eyes
  3. Sundelles - Kiss The Coast
  4. Cults - Go Outside (Menahan Street Band Remix)
  5. Tunng - Woodcat
  6. The Ruling Class - Flowers
  7. Strawberry Whiplash - Picture Perfect
  8. Jeremy Messersmith - Dillinger Eyes
  9. Math And Physics Club - Movie Ending Romance
  10. Candie Payne - Take Me
  11. The Like - Fair Game
  12. Neighbors - Friends
  13. The Hollow Men - Thanks to the Rolling Sea
  14. Joe Jackson - I'm The Man
  15. Oingo Boingo - Ain't This The Life
  16. Zalman Yanovsky - As Long As You're Here
  17. The Dukes of Stratosphear - Braniac's Daughter
  18. The Mamas & The Papas - Go Where You Wanna Go
  19. Gomez - Options
  20. No Kids - For Halloween
  21. The Rosebuds - Kicks In The Schoolyard
  22. My Toys Like Me - Sweetheart
  23. The Real Tuesday Weld - Me & Mr Wolf
  24. Jens Lekman - Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo
An alt-dj collaboration between myself and Patrick (Nuclear Wasteheads). Completed in October 2011, and finally posted today (the first day in months it seems where I don't have to do anything, as opposed to having anything to do). Hopefully Patrick will chip in with a few words in the next day or so..

It all began with Glenn Tilbrook's birthday. Sam posted about this on Facebook along with the video for 'Up The Junction' (in my opinion the best pop song ever). From there, Sam contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in alt-djing with him, no rush, casual pace. As Sam is the creator of my all time favourite mix (the beautiful Carnaby Chic) I jumped at the chance.

And so it began. My first offering was a nod to Mr Tilbrook (whose anniversary of his nativity sparked this project) and from there it took off. Yes, there were fits and starts from both sides of the Atlantic, as 'life' seemed to get in the way of what we all wish we could do twenty-four hours a day. The deliberate pace, however, was a blessing in that (for my part at least) it allowed me to really think about what song to choose, as well as the joyous anticipation of what was coming next!

A blast to make, and though it took a while to come together, worth the wait..

Bon Anniversaire ZeRO


  1. Paul McCartney & Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed
  2. Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars
  3. Vashti Bunyan - Winter Is Blue
  4. Darker My Love - White Composition
  5. The Egyptians - Party Stomp
  6. The Marvelettes - You're The One
  7. Hello Seahorse! - Won't Say Anything
  8. ? & The Mysterians - Can't Get Enough Of You, Baby
  9. The Lovers - Love Potion No. 9
  10. Be Your Own Pet - Becky
  11. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
  12. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking
  13. Elliott Smith - Son Of Sam (Acoustic Version)
  14. Buzzcocks - Boredom
  15. The Cure - The Catterpillar
  16. Eddie Floyd - Bring It On Home To Me
  17. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
  18. The Left Banke - She May Call You Up Tonight
  19. Os Mutantes - Rita Lee
  20. Can - Mushroom
  21. The Velvet Underground - There She Goes Again
  22. The Olivia Tremor Control - Gypsum Oil Field Fire
  23. Nico - Afraid
  24. The Very Best - Salota
  25. Tomorrow - Why
A tribute to the website where I post my mixes Zen Running Order which celebrates its 3rd birthday this weekend. The mix is made up of tracks from the first 25 mixes posted on that site.

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Sammy's 80s


  1. New Order - Dreams Never End
  2. Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
  3. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
  4. Orange Juice - Bridge
  5. Big Audio Dynamite - E=Mc2
  6. Teardrop Explodes - Sleeping Gas
  7. The Jam - 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street
  8. Aztec Camera - Oblivious
  9. Prefab Sprout - Lions In My Own Garden
  10. Monochrome Set - Espresso
  11. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
  12. My Bloody Valentine - Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
  13. The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual
  14. Dexys Midnight Runners - There There My Dear
  15. Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
  16. Agentss - Agentss
  17. R.E.M - Life And How To Live It
  18. The Specials - Too Much Too Young
  19. Everything But The Girl - Each And Every One
  20. The The - This Is The Day
  21. Echo & The Bunnymen - Bring On The Dancing Horses
  22. Magazine - A Song From Under The Floorboards
  23. Felt - Primitive Painters

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Breaking It Up


  1. The Feeling - Dance For The Lights
  2. Lanu - Beautiful Trash
  3. Mini Mansions - Monk
  4. The Shutes - Hits Like Mourning
  5. The Drums - Money
  6. Luxury - Green Hearts
  7. Karelia - Love's A Cliche
  8. Stackridge - Anyone For Tennis?
  9. Soft Hearted Scientists - The Trees Don't Seem To Know That It's September
  10. Billie and Lillie - That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
  11. Brigitte Bardot - Ne Me laisse pas l'aimer
  12. Razika - Vondt I Hjertet
  13. Summer Camp - Round The Moon
  14. Virna Lindt - Young and Hip
  15. Lykke Li - Breaking It Up
  16. The John Steel Singers - Evolution
  17. Cults - You Know What I Mean
  18. Ginny Arnell - Dumb Head
  19. The Association - Come On In
  20. So Many Wizards - Inner City
  21. The Late BP Helium - Belief System Derailment Scenario
  22. Los Tios Queridos - Por Eso Vuelve Por Favor
  23. Secos e Molhados - Amor
  24. Petter & The Pix - Momentarily Lost

And here's part 2..

Breaking It Down


  1. Lucky Elephant - Reverend Tilsley & His Magic Lantern
  2. Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir - Medley
  3. The Mummers - Fade Away (The Time & Space Machine Mix)
  4. Brent Cash - Just Like Today
  5. Los Ginkas - Sol Sal Ya!!! (Con las Astrogirls)
  6. Miniature Tigers - Last Night's Fake Blood
  7. The Bards - Moses
  8. Key - I'd Really Go For A Lady
  9. Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl
  10. Olivia Newton-John - What Is Life
  11. The Boy Least Likely To - The One That I Want
  12. The Cortinas - Phoebe's Flower Shoppe
  13. Brown Recluse - Monday Moon
  14. Little Majorette - Overflow
  15. The Lackloves - On My Way
  16. Oregon Bike Trails - Swimsuit
  17. Frank Ciampi - Little Girl
  18. Sara Lowes - Something I Don't Know
  19. Generationals - When They Fight, They Fight
  20. Starbuck - I Got To Know
  21. The Monkees - Dream World (Stereo LP Mix)
  22. The Haywains - Bye Bye Boyfriend
  23. One Thousand Violins - Locked Out of the Love-In
  24. Dent May - Fun
One of two alternating dj mixes between myself and my old chum Ion Moe. Truth is, we started on this one, lost track of timings and before we knew it we'd gone way past the 1hr 20 limit for a CD mix. We then agreed to post one each on Zen Running Order. Ioe got in there first with his title and artwork, I followed a couple of days later with this...

Sunday 11 September 2011

New York


  1. George Gershwin - Rhapsody In Blue
  2. Ryan Adams - New York, New York
  3. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy In New York
  4. Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
  5. Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
  6. The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man
  7. David Bowie - The Jean Genie
  8. Rod Stewart - The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II)
  9. Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street
  10. Paul Simon - Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
  11. Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City
  12. Moondog - Lullaby (2 W 46th Street)
  13. Suzanne Vega - Toms Diner
  14. Erasure - You Surround Me
  15. Corrine bailey Rae - Paris Nights/New York Mornings
  16. Harry Nilsson - I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City
  17. Billy Joel - New York State Of Mind
  18. The Pogues - Thousands Are Sailing
  19. Tom Waits - Coney Island Baby
Remembering those we lost on September 11th 2001. God bless them & their families.

Saturday 18 June 2011

Odd Pop


  1. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Diamond Dew
  2. Pete & The Pirates - Come To The Bar
  3. Summer Heart - I Miss You
  4. Battles - Ice Cream (feat Matias Aguayo)
  5. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt1
  6. Way Yes - Gino
  7. The Luyas - Cold Canada
  8. The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Shiny Cage
  9. Hezekiah Jones - Mind Malaise
  10. The Bees - No Atmosphere
  11. Orange Juice - Blue Boy
  12. The Generationals - Ten - Twenty - Ten
  13. Casey Dienel - All Or Nothing
  14. MillionYoung - Calrissian
  15. White Town - Your Woman
  16. Jookabox - Drops
  17. The Magnetic Fields - Long-Forgotton Fairytale
  18. NewVillager - Lighthouse
  19. Tune-Yards - Powa
  20. The Bird & The Bee - Baby
A collection of odd pop songs.

Monday 30 May 2011

Standing On The Shadows Of Your Ghosts


  1. Nick Moss & The Flip Tops - No Hide Nor Hair
  2. Dr Dog - Unbearable Why
  3. Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside
  4. Tobacco - Sweatmother
  5. Wild Sweet Orange - Aretha's Gold
  6. Luna Is Honey - Who Wouldn't?
  7. Sarah Blasko - Lost and Defeated
  8. Air France - Gothenburg Belongs To Me
  9. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Gead
  10. Secret Goldfish - You're Funny 'bout That Aren't You?
  11. Sarah Sample - Born To Fly
  12. Chew Lips - Karen
  13. John Nemeth - Fuel For Your Fire
  14. Teenage Fanclub - Baby Lee
  15. The Waves - Shrug It Off
  16. Ghost Bees - Did The Red Sea Part?
  17. Surfer Blood - Catholic Pagans
  18. Philadelphia Grand Jury - The Good News
  19. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
  20. Saturnalia - Disappear
  21. The Pearlfishers - We're Gonna Save The Summer

Sunday 22 May 2011

I Think I See The Light


  1. Cat Stevens - I Think I See The Light
  2. Hunx & His Punx - Lovers Lane
  3. Matt Dibble - Daytime TV
  4. Tracey Thorn - Hormones
  5. The Kinks - Here Comes Flash
  6. Dusty Springfield - Spooky
  7. Al Brown - Here I Am Baby
  8. Freddie King - Going Down
  9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Straight Up And Down
  10. Band Of Horses - Laredo
  11. Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods
  12. Suicide - Dream Baby Dream
  13. Seeland - Black Dot, White Spider
  14. Those Dancing Days - I'll Be Yours
  15. Sia - Clap Your Hands
  16. Foster The People - Houdini
  17. Jenny and Jonny - Animal
  18. Au Revoir Simone - All Or Nothing
  19. Cotton Jones - Egg On A Sea
  20. Junip - Always
  21. Simon and Garfunkel - Bleeker Street
  22. Birdy - Skinny Love
First post in months!
Hope you enjoy, shan't keep you all waiting so long for the next one ;)

Sunday 30 January 2011

A Mild Fascination


  1. Pelle Carlberg - Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls
  2. Little Comets - One Night In October
  3. The Spinto Band - Vivian Don't
  4. Stereolab - Everybody's Weird Except Me
  5. The Phoenix Foundation - Flock Of Hearts
  6. The Dodos - Fables
  7. Darren Hanlon - All These Things
  8. Tennis - Marathon
  9. Wavves - Post Acid
  10. Janelle Monae - Tightrope (feat Big Boi)
  11. Cee Lo Green - Satisfied
  12. The Bobby Fuller Four - Let Her Dance
  13. Cowsills - Indian Lake
  14. Ally Kerr - The Sore Feet Song
  15. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Who?
  16. Tobacco - Sweatmother
  17. Maximum Balloon - Groove Me
  18. Math & Physics Club - Nothing Really Happened
  19. Sonny & The Sunsets - Too Young To Burn
  20. Here We Go Magic - Collector
  21. Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards - Love Lends A Hand
  22. The Asteroid No.4 - My Love

The other half went to London for the weekend to see her sister and niece. I was left at home with Ava. When my mother asked if she could take the little girl out for the afternoon I of course agreed.

It meant I had the house to myself and I could sit on my Mac and make a mix!

And here's the result. No theme, just a mix of great pop. Enjoy..

Sunday 23 January 2011

Lenny


  1. Lenny Bruce - Psychopathia Sexualis
  2. Simon & Garfunkel - A Simple Desultory Philippic
  3. R.E.M - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
  4. The Stranglers - No More Heroes
  5. The Boo Radleys - Rodney King (Song For Lenny Bruce)
  6. Nico - Eulogy To Lenny Bruce
  7. Joy Zipper - For Lenny's Own Pleasure
  8. Manic Street Preachers - IfWhiteAmericaToldThe TruthForOneDayIt'sWorldWouldFallApart
  9. Mickey Avalon - Dipped In Vaseline
  10. Nada Surf - Imaginary Friends
  11. Metric - On The Sky
  12. The Auteurs - Junk Shop Clothes
  13. Genesis - Fly On A Windshield
  14. Tim Hardin - Lenn'y Tune
  15. John Lennon - We're All Water
  16. Bob Dylan - Lenny Bruce
  17. Grace Slik & The Great Society - Father Bruce
  18. Nils Lofgren - Mr. Hardcore
  19. Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon - The Laws Must Change
  20. Simon & Garfunkel - 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night


Lenny Bruce

American comedian Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) made fun of everything held sacred during the 1950s and early 1960s, from the Lone Ranger television character to the Pope and Jesus Christ. His irreverent "anything goes" style eventually caused him to be jailed for public obscenity.

Lenny Bruce shocked and entertained audiences during the politically conservative years following World War II. His irreverent and unabashed antics failed to amuse everyone, and on a number of occasions he was charged with public obscenity. He was convicted in several states and spent his final years involved in court appeals, defending his right to free speech. Bruce's life and career ended tragically when he died of a narcotic drug overdose at age 40.

Bruce was born Leonard Alfred Schneider in Mineola, New York on October 13, 1925. As a child during the Great Depression, he lived with his mother and assorted relatives in a singularly Jewish environment. He saw his father infrequency, and life with Bruce's mother, comedian Sally Marr, was erratic at best. Bruce attended six elementary schools, sold pop bottles for spending cash, and stole lunches from other students. By his own admission, he sniffed aerosols as a youngster. Bruce's mother was completely uninhibited and supported herself in unconventional ways. For a time she operated a dance studio and furnished adult escorts. As Bruce grew to adulthood, his mother developed her own comedy act and performed in nightclubs. From his mother, Lenny learned to laugh at life's irregularities.

Bruce left home at the age of 16 and went to live with a couple named Dengler on their Long Island farm. He stayed on the farm until shortly after the beginning of World War II. In 1942, Bruce joined the U.S. Navy. After boot camp he served as an apprentice seaman on the U.S.S. Brooklyn. The ship was stationed in France and Italy, where Bruce experienced live combat conditions. He longed to return home. In order to secure a discharge, Bruce dressed like a female sailor until his superiors requested a dishonorable discharge. Through the intervention of the Red Cross, the Navy reversed the circumstance of the discharge and Bruce received an honorable release.

No longer able to live at the Dengler farm, Bruce returned to live with his mother. She was working as a stand-up comedian at various clubs around Brooklyn. Bruce accompanied her to work and watched her and the other performers present their routines. Bruce himself took the stage one evening at the Victory Club, as a stand-in master of ceremonies. He used the stage name "Lenny Marsalle" that evening but later settled on Lenny Bruce. Despite pre-show jitters, Bruce composed himself and delivered a string of ad libs. To his surprise, the audience laughed and found him marginally amusing. Bruce, who performed without pay that first evening, was instantly addicted to the world of entertainment. In time, he secured an agent and played amateur clubs and contest, sometimes for a $2 fee or for prizes. Bruce wrote an act for himself to perform on stage so that he would not get tongue tied. He did excellent impressions of famous movie stars including Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson. In 1947, he used those impressions to win Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, a radio show talent contest.

Bruce performed in vaudeville shows and in burlesque theaters during the late 1940s, but in time he joined the merchant marine, working on the Luckenback Line to the Middle East. As a merchant seaman, Bruce visited over two dozen countries. At every port of call he saw little of the terrain and the culture beyond the shore bars and brothels. Bruce adopted the promiscuous lifestyle of many soldiers and seamen among his peers. On board the merchant ships, he learned to smoke hashish.

Shortly before he sailed with the merchant marine, Bruce met an exotic dancer named Harriet "Honey" Harlowe. Bruce was enamored with Harlowe after spending one evening with her at a party. The intense mutual attraction left a strong impression on Bruce, who eventually tracked her down by telephone while he was working on a merchant boat that was docked in Spain. The 25-year-old Bruce found Harlowe willing to wed and returned home as quickly as possible.

The newlywed couple re-entered show business in 1951. Bruce performed comedy while Harlowe sang and danced. They performed together in nightclubs. Bruce determined that he should raise money to pay for singing lessons for Harlowe, to enable her to resume her former career as an exotic dancer. Bruce, true to his outrageous comedic nature, concocted a false identity for himself. He assumed the identity of a priest and solicited donations for a leper colony in Guyana. Bruce collected $8,000 in three days before frustrated Miami law enforcement officials arrested him. He ceased his gigolo-like tactics and focused his efforts toward his stage career and his marriage.

The couple worked together until 1954 when both suffered severe injuries in a violent car crash in Pittsburgh. Bruce was thrown from the car, fractured his skull, and suffered lacerations. Harlowe's injuries were much worse. She was unable to walk for four months. Eventually the couple recovered and moved to a chicken farm in Arcadia, California that was owned by Bruce's father and stepmother.

Bruce, who studied acting at the Geller Dramatic Workshop in Southern California, was acutely ahead of his time in his political sympathies. He had great concern for the poverty stricken, discounted anti-Communist propaganda, took issue with capital punishment and what he viewed as other social shortcomings. On stage, Bruce made fun of the established traditions of Middle America. He was a talented speaker, and although his act was meticulously prepared and rehearsed, he projected a spontaneity to his audience. His natural gift for weaving stories, combined with an unnatural ability to ramble into a stream of consciousness repartee, was fundamental to his genius.

Kitty Bruce was born in 1955, the only child of Lenny Bruce and Harriet Harlowe. Soon Bruce became increasingly possessive of his wife, and developed a dependency on narcotic drugs. The couple divorced in 1957.

Within a year, Bruce established a following at several reputable nightclubs in San Francisco. His popularity soared as his reputation for using profanity and obscenity in his act grew. On stage, Bruce held nothing sacred. He clowned about perversion and sexual fantasies, taunted those who held the tenets of Judeo-Christian thought, and described the deep-seated racial tension in America. Lenny Bruce achieved high visibility. His antics were broadcast through the rapidly rising recording industry as well as through television. Many recognized the underlying truth in the Lenny Bruce message. This was true of the late San Francisco columnist Herb Caen, quoted in Playboy. "They call Lenny Bruce a sick comic-and sick he is. Sick of the pretentious phoneyness of a generation that makes his vicious humor meaningful." By the early 1960s, Lenny Bruce was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall. Despite the "adults only" nature of his act, he played to sellout audiences in 1960 and 1961.

In the midst of overwhelming popularity, Bruce was arrested for obscenity in San Francisco in October 1961. The case went to trial early in 1962 and ended in acquittal for Bruce. Later that year, he was arrested at the popular Gate of Horn Club in Chicago. In 1963, Bruce was refused admission to both England and Australia following a narcotics arrest and drug conviction earlier that year.

A conviction on obscenity charges in New York on November 4, 1964, caused another setback for Bruce, despite his earlier success in evading similar charges on the West Coast. The New York trial lasted six months. Despite petitions and testimony filed by prominent personalities including Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer, Bruce was convicted because he used "obscene, indecent, immoral, and impure" language and gestures in his performances. Bruce was sentenced to four months in jail, during which time his conviction in Chicago remained on appeal.

Bruce returned to San Francisco following his conviction in New York. Increasingly stressed and obsessed by his legal problems, he was determined to exonerate himself. Unfortunately, he was severely addicted to heroine at that time and lived mostly in seclusion after 1965. He stayed close to home and rarely worked. He gave his final comedic performance on June 25, 1966, at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. A few weeks later, on August 3, 1966, Bruce died of a drug overdose in Hollywood. His death was ruled accidental; he was 40 years old.


All tracks on this mix were influenced by or namecheck the great Lenny Bruce.

RS MF

Sunday 16 January 2011

Gone in '10 Pt2


  1. The Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspiration [Vocalist Myrna Smith d December 24, 2010]
  2. Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes - The Love I Lost [Vocalist Bernard Wilson d December 24, 2010]
  3. Teddy Pendegrass - Close The Door [March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010]
  4. The Crests - A Year Ago Tonight [Vocalist Johnny Maestro d March 24, 2010]
  5. Kathryn Grayson - All Of a Sudden ( My Heart Sings) [February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010]
  6. Mitch Miller - Happy Days Are Here Again [July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010]
  7. Jimmy Dean - Big John [August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010]
  8. Eddie Fisher - I'm Walking Behind You [August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010]
  9. King Coleman - Let's Shimmy [January 20, 1932 – September 11, 2010]
  10. Gregory Isaacs - Ba Da [15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010]
  11. Arrow - Hot Hot Hot [16 November 1949 - 15 September, 2010]
  12. Boney M - Daddy Cool [Singer Bobby Farrell October 6, 1949 - December 30, 2010]
  13. The Knack - My Sharona [August 20, 1952 - December 30, 2010]
  14. Jay Reatard - It's So Easy [May 1, 1980 - January 13, 2010]
  15. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance The Way I Feel [Singer Charles Haddon d August 20, 2010]
  16. Stereophonics - Looks Like Chaplin [Drummer Stuart Cable May 19, 1970 - June 7, 2010]
  17. Black Sabbath - Neon Nights [Singer Ronnie James Dio July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010]
  18. Henryk Gorecki - I. Lento, Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Cantabile [December 6, 1933 - November 12, 2010]

Gone In '10 Pt1


  1. Captain Beefheart - I'm Glad [January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010]
  2. Alex Chilton - Hey Little Girl [December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010]
  3. Big Star - What's Going Ahn [Bassist Andy Hummel d July 19, 2010]
  4. The Kinks - Big Sky [Bassist Peter Quaife 31 December 1943 – 23 June 2010]
  5. Bobby Hebb - Sunny [July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010]
  6. Solomon Burke - Cry To Me [March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010]
  7. The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power [Bassist Marvin Isley August 18, 1953 – June 6, 2010]
  8. Teena Marie - Behind The Groove [March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010]
  9. Parliament - Handcuffs [Guitarist Garry Shider July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010]
  10. The Gap Band - You Dropped A Bomb On Me [Bassist Robbie Wilson d August 16, 2010]
  11. Guru - Keep Your Worries [July 17, 1961 – April 19, 2010]
  12. Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time [Singer General Johnson May 23, 1943, – October 13, 2010]
  13. Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch [22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010]
  14. The Slits - Typical Girls [Singer Ari Up 17 January 1962 – 20 October 2010]
  15. Sparklehorse - Rainmaker [Singer Mark Linkous September 9, 1962 – March 6, 2010]
  16. Deaf School - Darling [Singer Eric Shark d January 7, 2010]
  17. The Freshies - I'm In Love With A Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk [Singer Chris Sievey 25 August 1955 – 21 June 2010]
  18. Lena Horne - It Had Better Be Tonight [June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010]
  19. Abbey Lioncoln - I Must Have That Man! [August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010]
  20. Kate McGarrigle - Hard Times (Come Again No More) [February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010]
My 6th Annual look at who we lost in the music world the year before. These mixes always end up being my most eclectic posts of the year, my thought being if they made a mark, regardless of genre, they'll be included.

This year there wasn't a high profile passing of 'Michael Jackson' proprtions, say, but any music lover will have been deeply saddened by the passing of Captain Beefheart and Alex Chilton to name but two.

What is evident was 2010 was not a great year for bass players. And as seems to be the norm we lost some legendary soul singers, this year Solomon, Teddy and Teena.

Also this year we said goodbye to Corey Haim, John Forsythe, Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, Rue McLanahan, Tony Curtis, Arthur Penn, Sir Norman Wisdom, Leslie Nielsen and Blake Edwards.

Sunday 19 December 2010

Winter Sun


  1. Fruit Bats - Rainbow Sign
  2. Mercury Rev - Endlessly
  3. The Twin Atlas - Sleep In late, Laugh All Night
  4. Bert Jansch - Come Sing Me A Happy Song
  5. The Shins - New Slang
  6. The Kingsbury Manx - New Old Friend Blues
  7. Sigur Ros - Staralfur
  8. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
  9. Animal Collective - Bluish
  10. Sufjan Stevens - Romulus
  11. Atlas Sound - Walkabout
  12. Broadcast - The Book Lovers
  13. School Of Seven Bells - I L U
  14. Pinback - Loro
  15. Mazzy Star - Halah
  16. Richard Hawley - Baby, You're My Light
  17. Micah P Hinson - Yard Of Blonde Girls
  18. The Junipers - Gordie Can't Swim
  19. Tim Hardin - Reason To Believe
  20. Nick Drake - Northern Sky
  21. Cat Stevens - The Wind
  22. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Mysteries
December. The time of year when I like to send out a mix CD to some of my closest friends. In recent years I've sent out Christmas mixes (last year's being the first I have posted on-line).

This year, I decided to opt for a mix with a wintery feel. I also wanted to blow people's socks off with a drop dead gorgeous mix. So I set about compiling 'Swoon' which I posted here last week. During the mix making process I realised I was very happy with how it was shaping up. However it was far from perfect. Then I realised for me, the perfect mix would have to take elements from some of my past mixes.

So this, Winter Sun, contains songs and runs from former mixes 'An Autumn Daydream' 'Fly Away' and 'Wintersong' along with the lovely Grizzly Bear track, a favourite from this year 'I L U' and a song that really and sincerely could be my favourite song of all time 'Bluish'.

So is this my definition of the perfect mix? Probably not, but it's as close as I'll ever get I believe.

Thursday 9 December 2010

Swoon


  1. The Black Angels - Telephone
  2. Betamax Crew - All I Know
  3. Oh No Oh My - I Love You All The Time
  4. Carlo Emerald - Riviera Life
  5. The Soundcarriers - Caught By The Sun
  6. The Russian Futurists - One Night, One Kiss
  7. Brendon Benson - Folk Singer
  8. Superstar - The O.K Corral
  9. Band Of Horses - Factory
  10. Zita Swoon - Me & Josie On A Saturday Night
  11. LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
  12. School Of Seven Bells - Heart Is Strange
  13. The Depreciation Guild - Dream About Me
  14. Lucky Soul - Love 3
  15. Clinic - I'm Aware
  16. Snowden - So Red
  17. Yo La Tengo - Sometimes I Don't Get You
  18. Camera Obscura - I Love My Jean
  19. Nik Freitas - Sun Down
  20. Apollo Sunshine - Breeze
  21. Love Is All - Take Your Time
What's in my head Nov/Dec 2010