Welcome to the first Seven Day Soundtrack of 2021, your weekly musical inoculation against bad vibes with a booster shot each week. I'll leave you in the capable and hopefully warm hands of the professionals......you won't feel a thing; over to.........

Philip -

"Wishing all RPMers a happy, healthy and vaccinated New Year. I've decided not to volunteer in school in the new year until either Norfolk comes out of Tier 4 or I receive a vaccination- whichever comes first. I'm inclined to think that if we're supposed to be having a "circuit break" to prevent spread of the new variant of the virus, ALL Educational establishments should remain closed for at least two weeks beyond the Xmas holidays.

Meanwhile, back at the CD player, a theme seems to have emerged..."

Jean -

"I’m picking tracks from my latest purchases this week. I’ve only listened to these CDs a couple of times but these tracks have all ready caught my attention."

Piers -

"My choices for this week……….

Last week I wasn’t really feeling very Christmassy, and I missed the chance to roll with any other theme, so this week I will drop in these three to make up for that, as well as to help sum up my view of 2020.

The year started with lots of hope for a great year musically, lots of great festivals to look forward to, but by the time we all locked down it was already looking pretty bleak with Boris Johnson’s unicorns failing to appear…."

"We started with 3 but soon their will be….."

"I know that the man isn’t the buffoon he purports to be, but this seems fitting!"

Dave -

"Happy New Year RPMers.....enjoyed reading your picks off the year. I am sure I will check out some off them . Here’s 3 that I have enjoyed this week."

Morra

"Happy New Year."

Tony -

"Here's my 3 for this week. Happy New Year to you and all my fellow RPMers.

Let's hope that it's not too far into 2021 before we can meet up again but meantime it's great that we still have the 7 Day Soundtrack to look forward to each week."

Jayne -

"Wishing all RPM friends a safe New Year; I hope you’re all up for a long haul. For the first 7DS of the new year I’ve (not for the first time) gone a bit contemplative."

Alan -

"Gonna start the year off with, hopefully, at least a couple of sixties instrumentals you may not be familiar with! Initially I was going to stick to the HammondB3/Lesley sound of Fame/Bond/ Money etc but I'll probably do that in a few weeks or so. Instead I've put together a couple of album tracks and an obscure single beeside for you. Stay safe everyone, here's hoping to an end to this interminable enforced or voluntary isolation this Spring. Oh, and a Happy New Year!!!!! "

Impressions of Oliver by The Herd (taken from 'Paradise Lost' album, released early 1968. Fontana label) - "Originally formed in 1965 from the ashes of The Preachers and Moon's Train, the band recorded three unsuccessful singles for Parlophone before the six piece line up slimmed down to a four piece including new member Peter Frampton. Signed up to Fontana, the band followed the near miss 'I can fly' with the pop moguls Howard/Blaikley composition 'From the Underworld' which received inordinate (and probably expensive) airplay on the pirate radio stations. October and November saw the bands follow up ('Paradise Lost') in the charts, a major tour alongside the Who and Traffic and support to Jimi Hendrix at the Saville Theatre. The 'Paradise Lost' album was a fairly even mix of Howard/Blaikley and Peter Frampton/Andy Bown compositions with this organ groover closing out side one. However, the failure of the seriously good 'Sunshine Cottage' single and the band's perceived image as a 'teenybop' act (akin the the concurrent position of the Small Faces) saw Frampton accept an invitation from Steve Marriot to initially join the Small Faces before internal pressures there resulted in Marriot leaving to form Humble Pie with Frampton and SF acolytes Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROeeQFc5iHI

Revenge by The Kinks (taken from 'The Kinks' album, released October 1964. Pye label) - "Initially The Ravens, the band started to make waves long after Ray Davies had stints in the Dave Hunt Band, the Pete Quaife Quartet, the Blues Messengers/Hamilton King Band and others (including at least one gig with Rod Stewart on vocals). Signed to the Larry Page stable, with concerts promoted by The Beatles own promoter Arthur Howe and with Shel Talmy on production duties, the band were signed by Pye who recommended a change of name. Despite an unenthusiastic response from the band, they eventually accepted Page's suggestion of The Kinks ("the way you look, and the clothes you wear, you ought to be called The Kinks") just in time to record a lack-lustre version of 'Long Tall Sally'. The Davies comped 'You still want me' followed, once again missing the charts, and an ultimatum from Pye saw the band record their debut charter ''You really got me' in June 1964. Following its success the band returned to the studio to record their debut album and it's from that disc that 'Revenge' is taken. Listed as a Page/Davies composition, the Page in question is not manager Larry, it's ace sessioneer Jimmy who utilised the riff for his lone solo single 'She just satisfies' in early 1965. Here, though, the Kinks shortcomings as an R&B band were as obvious as on the album when compared, for example, to the Stones and Yardbirds concurrent output. From this point on, however, the band would rely on the steady supply of vignettes from the pen of Ray Davies, recording only a couple of blues numbers after 'The Kinks' albums release."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juHldNxP9Yc

There are but five Rolling Stones by Andrew Oldham Orchestra (beeside to 'To know him is to love him' single by Cleo, released 10th January 1964. Decca label) - "Recorded on the 2nd of January 1964 and released a week later, here's the Rolling Stones in the studio sandwiched between a performance on the first edition of Top of the Pops (1st January) and sessions for their debut album (3rd and 4th) topped off with gigs on each of those two nights. Not only that, despite the title this is the full 'six piece' Stones with founder member Stu (Ian) Stewart on piano. Andrew Oldham had a fixation over Phil Spector and his working methods as regards his musicians and also the artists he used on his recordings. It's now well known that the artists credited on some of Spectors finest recordings are not always the ones on the finished article. Also, loth to 'waste' a further song, Spector would regularly allow the 'wrecking crew' to record an instrumental as the beeside whilst retaining the top-side artist's name as the performer. Here though, on the beeside to a cover of Spectors first hit record, Oldham allows himself the credit for an in the studio jam by the Stones which features some 'Mrs Mills' style keyboard thumping enlivened by a typical Chuck Berry style solo from Keef. Charlie's drumming is typical of the Stones early work and there's nice rhythm guitar from Brian and bass from Bill too. I'm not sure of Jagger's involvement here, there's no vocal interjections or harmonica so perhaps he was in the control room? It's also possible that the Stones recorded two further tracks at this session for use by the AOO as later beesides, the punningly titled 'Oh, I do like to see me on the B side' and, following on from 'There are but...', the equally pun-tastic '365 Rolling Stones (One For Every Day Of The Year)'. And Cleo? Well, that's Cleo Sylvestre, a lady responsible for a couple of important milestones in British entertainment. After appearing in three era defining Ken Loach films and several popular TV dramas, she was the first black actor to appear in Coronation Street and, similarly, she was the first black actor to have a featured character in Crossroads as Meg Richardson's adopted daughter Melanie. She then took to the London stage in 1967, appearing alongside Sir Alec Guinness and being voted 'Most Promising New Actress' before taking a lead role in Peter Nichols 'The National Health' at The National Theatre in 1969. Her career since then has revolved around regional theatres but, in 1969 she took part in early rehearsals for Brian Jones projected band following his sacking from the Stones. Still acting, with a recent appearance in 'Paddington', much of her time is now devoted to the Young Vic and work with children in the arts."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-1jldeqgek

John -

"Hi RPMers. Welcome to 2021 - let's hope it's better than 2020....."

Nina

"Here's my choices; the link is quirky & interesting videos. Take care everyone, here's to a happy & healthy 2021."

Tim -

“In my Norfolk village of Elsing, the first Saturday night in January is (now) traditionally when we hold the community orchard’s apple tree wassailing……..not this year, though, as we’re in a tier 4 lockdown ☹ So, as music plays a big part of the proceedings, I’m going to celebrate it here in a little bonus feature, if you will allow such an indulgence……I would suggest mulled cider or apple juice as an appropriate accompaniment.”

"And here's hoping to a better New Year............and I just don't refer to the dreaded virus here......"