Welcome to the RPM Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 8th July, and we're back, suitably refreshed after our weekend in a field in the heart of rural Norfolk at the Folk in a....well, Field festival. Normal service resumes here; over to...

Alan -

"Hope everyone enjoyed their 'folk in a field' weekend? (Yes, it was brilliant! Tim.)

It seems like COVID Omicron BA4 and BA5 is going to prove even more infectious than its predecessors so keep taking precautions everyone!!

This week it's three great blues tunes..."

I'm Gonna Do What They Do To Me by B B King (7" US single released 1968. Bluesway/ABC label) - "A few years ago they held a 'Hobbies exhibition' in the local community centre and, tired of looking at knitting, cross-stitching, watercolour paintings etc, I decided to display some of my vinyl collection and music books. I selected 50 scarce singles which I placed in two plastic sleeve folders (one per page) with a small note in each saying who it was, why it was scarce and a 'mint condition' value. For the LP's (around 40), I put some in 12" plastic sleeves and displayed them on a notice board, the others I wrapped in clingfilm and placed them in a couple of boxes (for info: clingfilm next to clingfilm makes 'em pretty difficult to take out to view but... hey, ho!!!). I had quite a few interested/curious enough to view, with some people asking if they were for sale (despite the rather hefty prices of some..... Big Boy Pete's 'Cold Turkey' was then worth around £50!!) and others just wanting to chat. One guy asked if he went home and brought some singles down, would I value them up for him from the RRPG. Well, I was there all day so I said sure and, around an hour later he returned with a fistful of very nice singles. I valued them up for him as if they were mint, gave him some info I had on a pretty obscure 60's band he had in his collection and thought that was it. But, as a reward, he then handed over two B B King singles on the US Bluesway label. Of course I refused, but he insisted so, reluctantly, I had to accept them and here's one of 'em!!! One interesting point about B B King, apparently he could not play the guitar and sing at the same time, something I had never noticed until Clapton (I think?) mentioned it in an interview."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HEEwi1LWTI

Just a Dream (On My Mind) performed by Muddy Waters (from 'Muddy Waters sings Big Bill' LP released January 1960. Chess label. This from Spanish reissue on Waxtime label 2017) - "Here's Muddy with his first studio album (recorded June to August 1959) where he is backed by, amongst others, Francis Clay on drums, Pat Hare on guitar, Otis Spann on piano and the great James Cotton on harmonica. The album is not so much a re-recording of a selection of Big Bill's songs, but a much more dramatic recasting into the burgeoning 'Chicago' style electric blues. Waters had been given early encouragement by Broonzy in 1943 when he was given the opportunity to open the show in Chicago's blues clubs where Broonzy was incredibly popular. Waters had previously supported Big Joe Williams in the thirties and recorded for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress in the early forties and there were a slew of singles released over the following fifteen years before they were collected for the 'Best of....' album released in 1958. That albums popularity saw Muddy play 1960's Newport Festival but, by then, he had already visited the UK where, backed by the Chris Barber Jazz Band, he commenced alienating many of the 'trad' audience by playing his electric slide guitar accompanied by Spanns piano, which saw the opening nights gig in Leeds reviewed under the headline ' 'Screaming Guitar and Howling Piano'. His style of playing, however, had an immediate effect on two of Barbers band, Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies, who soon left to form their own Blues Incorporated outfit which proved the breeding ground for so many of the 'Thames Delta' musicians of the early/mid sixties and beyond. Muddy's career in the sixties saw his early work become blues standards whilst his current recordings with accomplices such as Bo Diddley and Howling Wolf (the 'Super Blues' album) and label mates Rotary Connection (the psychedelic 'Electric Mudd' and 'After the rain' LP's) proved less acceptable. This led to Muddy returning to his more familiar style with the 'Fathers and sons' album where he was backed by the more sympathetic Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield. That album proved to be the most successful in sales terms of his whole career but it was followed by the much anticipated, poor selling and disappointing 'London Sessions' album which, despite featuring the cream of the UK's bluesmen and being awarded a Grammy, saw Muddy return to a much simpler style of blues for albums featuring The Band and, later, his acolyte Johnny Winters. Despite the onset of ill health, Muddy continued to appear in concert until 1981 and he died, aged 70, in 1983."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l0gPGDobHk

I've Been Treated Wrong by Jimmy Witherspoon (from 'Evenin' Blues' LP released in US March 1964. This from the 1967 UK release. Both on Prestige label) - "Witherspoon's early musical career started with Teddy Weatherford's Band which regularly broadcast on the US Armed Forces Radio from Calcutta, India during WW2 and, following his demob, he began recording with Jay MacShann's band and hit in 1949 with 'Ain't nobody's business'. This 'blues shouter' became his signature song for many years and its success saw him appear alongside many of the great jazz and big band's of the early fifties at LA's famed Cavalcade of Jazz concerts. His style fell from favour in the mid-fifties but 1959 saw him record his '.... at the Monterey Festival' LP (not that festival!!) and he changed his style to suit the more popular Chicago/Memphis blues which were gaining popularity at that time. He visited the UK in 1961, the first of many tours here, and recorded with the Dick Morrisey Quartet and guitarist Terry Smith. 'Evenin' Blues' is probably one of his most 'authentic' blues outings and features a small, five piece outfit including the great T Bone Walker on guitar. He continued to record well into the nineties alongside such luminaries as Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Bernard Purdie, Earl 'Fatha' Hines, Jimmy Smith and even UK blues wailers Eric Burdon, Long John Baldry and Van Morrison as well as finding time to appear in three films including 1974's 'Blaxploitation' film 'The Black Godfather'. Witherspoon passed away in 1997 after being stricken with throat cancer."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypP4Ca1W858

"Looks like the latest Tory MP to run afoul of the rules regarding 'impropriety' is merely a problem because he's an assistant Whip. Presumably his behaviour has been OK as an 'ordinary' MP? Surely this is against the rules (if there are any in the House?) no matter what his status? After all, actor Kevin Spacey is to go on trial for what sounds like very similar offences to me!

Stay safe."

John -

"Hi Everyone, Great to see some of you at Folk In A Field last weekend. My three choices for this week are from some of the wonderful acts I enjoyed at this superb event."

Philip -

"Get Exit Done! Then our President (oh sorry, that's just his own delusion), I mean Prime Minister can return to writing a Load of Pfeffel for the Torygraph.

There's a title for his regular column, right there for free! I'm here all week for further consultations!

Meanwhile, I've finished reading Bob Stanley's book and was impressed with a couple of opinions expressed in his epilogue:

1. On Lloyd-Webber and Rice, he says they combined "preciousness" with "hauteur" to produce "some of the worst popular music of the late twentieth century." (My wife disagrees vehemently, but I'm with Bob on this).

2. He calls Ben Elton's "We Will Rock You" "plain stupid," an assessment with which Jacquie and I agree.

His chapter on film soundtracks concentrates largely on Henry Mancini and John Barry- fair enough I suppose, but no mention of Ennio Morricone other than a passing reference in a previous chapter.

So, Mancini and Barry for this week's first two selections, followed by a Canadian-born adopted Kiwi rockabilly.

Best wishes to all RPMers as always."

Jayne -

"A lovely time was had at Folk In A Field last weekend; floating around, catching up with friends and making new ones, and of course experiencing some great music. My choices this week are influenced by FIAF and the upcoming Dereham Blues Festival this weekend."

Piers -

"Here’s a selection of tunes I performed on the Boat Stage (very ably MC’d and managed by Ewan) at Folk In A Field last weekend — and will no doubt do so again at the Dereham Blues Festival inaugural Ellenor Fenn Garden busking session on Saturday."

Tony -

"I hope you had fun visiting Folk In A Field last week. Unfortunately I couldn't get about, due to my terminally ill car - which I have just manage to replace, having picked it up this morning.

I'm guessing there'll be some folky picks this week suitably inspired the festival.

Here's my 3 for the week, with best wishes to all."

James -

"This weeks picks; three long time favourites I've been listening to this week."

Dave -

"Hi RPMers, hope you all are well. Hope all who went to Folk in a Field had a great time. I would have loved to have seen the Leylines again . Sadly work got in the way. Here’s my 3 this week..."

Jackie -

"I've recently been travelling a lot on plane, boat, train and funicular railway (in Bridgenorth)...so here's some train songs."

Tim -

"What a great weekend we had at Folk in a Field....here's two from my top bands of the weekend."

'Til Next Time...