“You get free records, you get paid for playing them on the radio, I choose all the music for my own programmes … it seems to me to be almost the perfect life, really.”

Peel on Big Black: “Once a week I drive a nail through my foot to remind myself of the stupidity of not going to see them when I had the chance.”

Following a TOTP performance of I Knew You Were Waiting by George Michael and Aretha Franklin:  “Well Aretha could sing any old rubbish and make it sound good.. and I think she just has.”

“There’s always the possibility that you’re going to come across a record that transforms your life. And it happens weekly. It’s like a leaf on the stream. There are little currents and eddies and sticks lying in the water that nudge you in a slightly different direction. And then you break loose and carry on down the current. There’s nothing that actually stops you and lifts you out of the water and puts you on the bank but there are diversions and distractions and alarums and excursions which is what makes life interesting really. It’s fantastic.”

Play it one more time (Grinderswitch – Pickin’ The Blues, the Peel Show theme):

What’s that? You want to hear some Undertones? Oh, alright then.

I’m going to take a little break from the blog. Back soon.

Related post: The Sacred Days You Gave Me – The Human League

The idiosyncratic, influential Captain Beefheart died today in California at 69, of complications from multiple sclerosis. In memoriam – Five Hamburgers and A Squid Eating Dough.

RIP.

I remember when I met him so well, yet it must be nearly ten years ago now.. I get the feeling we’d still be talking and drinking Guinness in Islington today if I’d not had to call a halt to the interview and stagger off for my train. He’s a lovely guy, so full of stories.

The news he’s had a recurrence of his earlier health problems is not good, so I’d just like to say hang in there, big fella, we’re with you.

Here’s Bill and the boys in the best of times, covering Jimmy McCracklin’s The Walk (which did good business on the UK charts in 1979, if I remember rightly).

Related post: Interview – Bil Hurley

A giant of a man. RIP.

Shame on you if you have no Solomon Burke in your collection. You could amend that immediately by tracking down two albums: the religious experience that is Soul Alive! – without doubt one of the greatest live soul recordings (featuring Solomon with that borrowed band). Add to that, from 2002, Don’t Give Up On Me – Solomon’s Grammy winning collection of songs from a diverse array of writers (Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello),  also featuring Daniel Lanois and The Blind Boys of Alabama. Essential.

Related post: 26×26 – F is for The Fall