Purple Reign

Did you know that the album track Purple Rain was recorded at a live gig and then overdubbed – rather than recorded in a studio? I didn’t. I do now. This is an incredible performance.

Gimme Cover

The best cover version is and will always be (to my mind anyway) Joe Cocker belting out With A Little Help from My Friends at Woodstock in 1969.

Having discovered a brilliant album called Strange Brew (not Cream, but Warner Brothers’ and Atlantics’ archives of weird cover versions), I cam across this gem from Johnny Harris.

Harris was a Scottish born composer and arranger, with some brilliant soundtracks to his name.

From the opening bars of this Stones cover, it also appears he was a huge influence on Portishead. But that may be coincidence.

Johnny Too Good

White reggae is almost always toilet. This is the exception. Originally by The Slickers from the excellent film and soundtrack The Harder They Come, Martyn shits all over Sting, The Police, UB4O and Boy George’s cover of Everything I Own. Innit.

The only time Springsteen is acceptable

The brilliant Andy Kershaw compilation More Great Moments of Vinyl History is brilliant for many reasons. This cover of Springsteen by Hull folk legend Jim Eldon is just one of them.

Top of the 25 O’Clock in the mornin’

Irish hip hop? Why not?

Music fact of the day

Ross McManus wrote and sang the R Whites ‘Secret Lemonade Drinker’ song from the 1970s ads. On drums was his son Declan. Declan later changed his name to Elvis Costello.

Field music

With both the Duke of Edinburgh and school playing fields in decline at the moment, here is a reminder of better days: HRH introducing Frank Sinatra on a 78 sold in the 1951 to raise money for UK playing fields.

And, so, the cosmos is in alignment.