Where it’s at . . . .

Listen here to this week’s show:

Well, there was plenty of good spirits around the Grand Duchy this week, with some most enjoyable encounters with friendly faces, some good gigs and some very welcome additions to the Cruising Library, courtesy of our musical postman. We also heard from quite a few of the Cruising Crew during the week and caught up with some of them along the way.

Our gig list included a visit to Camden’s Blues Kitchen to see French band, ‘Les Gris Gris’, who delivered a power house set, very much in the style of early Yardbirds, Downliners Sect and Pretty Things. The band were on full throttle all night and the crowd showed they were really up for some ‘rough-house’ R&B. Sadly, we couldn’t find any recordings by them to play on the show, but they have some great YouTube videos, which are well worth a look. We also caught The Shake & Brother Jono on one of their rare London appearances and they were rocking the house, with the crowd jumping and dancing on the seats . . . . and they were still playing through the early hours of the next morning . . . . top shows indeed!

Now, the attentive and enthusiastic amongst you will remember that last week we played an early version of Pretty Flamingo by Gene Pitney and promised to go looking for the original by Tommy Vann & the Echoes. Well, we had the Cruising Researchers on the case and after a good deal of chasing across the internet, our musical postman turned up with a copy at Cruise Control . . . . and to prove it, we put it into this week’s playlist. Another test came from our ambassador to the North West territories, who challenged us to find a piece of rockabilly, released on the Elbridge label in 1961 by the wonderfully named Wayne Worley & The Worley Birds. Well, we found it . . . . and to prove it, we put that into this week’s playlist too.

If you know the band, The Strangelings, and their 2007 album ‘Seasons Of The Witch’, then there’s a good chance that you won’t have been surprised by our choice of their rather fine version of ‘White Bird’. This is a song that first came to our ears on that classic album by ‘It’s A Beautiful Day’ . . . . and The Strangelings do it rather well. But we started our cruise with a joyous piece of ‘real’ R&B called ‘Sugar Sugar’ from the Cadillacs . . . and not an Archie to be seen anywhere . . . .

Cruising for the horizon . . . .
Sugar Sugar – The Cadillacs
My Love – Hayward Lee
Handy Andy – The Five Keys
Gotta Draw The Line – Darrow Fletcher
Where It’s At – The Jades
Pretty Flamingo – Tommy Vann & The Echoes
Where Blue Begins – Dana Gillespie
I Believe I’m In Love With You – Sally-Anne Whitten
High Rise – West Side Horns
Don’t Wake Me – Moreland & Arbuckle
Nothing Takes The Place Of You – The Dualers
Red Headed Woman – Wayne Worley & The Worley Birds
I Got A Line On You – Button Up

Killer Diller Korner . . . . . with Johnny Alpha
Back Street 38 Dodge – Opus 1

Cruising where the music takes us . . . .
White Bird – The Strangelings
Tin Soldier – The Small Faces
Needle & Pins – Jackie De Shannon
My Special Friend – Baby Boy Warren
Got Love If You Want It – Slim Harpo
I Found A Love, Oh What A Love – Jo Ann & Troy
Walking With The Spirit – Eddie Watkins Jr
Tightrope – Inez & Charlie Foxx
Ain’t Gonna Tell You – Frank Wilson
I’ve Been Thinkin’ ‘Bout You – Al Green
Mojo Hannah – Betty Harris
Talk To Me Baby – Johnny Winter & Ben Harper
Mighty Mars – Johnny Mars

The girls were well represented amongst this week’s choices, with birthday girl Jackie De Shannon doing her original of ‘Needles & Pins’, along with Jo Ann Campbell, Inez Foxx, Betty Harris and Dana Gillespie. We added more to the balance with Sally-Anne Whitten, in our Girls & Guitars feature. She’s an Australian singer and guitarist with a style that’s a blend of swampy blues, R&B, southern rock and West Coast country. To demonstrate, we chose a track from her debut album ‘Blurring The Lines’ and a song we played recently by The Fabulous Thunderbirds . . . ‘ I Believe I’m In Love With You’.

Our rummage amongst the scratchy blues records, turned up something by Baby Boy Warren. He was born in Louisiana in 1919, but moved to Memphis, Tennessee and learned to play guitar from his older brothers. In 1942 he moved to Detroit and recorded 5 singles, of which we chose his first release on Staff Records in 1949 . . . . ‘My Special Friend’.

But, sad to say, our time finally ran out for us this week. So, we parked up the Cruise Mobile in the hope that our cruising playlist met with the high expectations of the Cruising Crew and could be enticed back again next week . . . . . just so we can go Cruising with The Commissioner again. Until then . . . have fun!

Living on the highway . . . .

Listen here to this week’s show:

Well, fresh back from our trip to the Loire Valley, we enthusiastically set about gathering some tasty treats for this week’s play list . . . . And we were certainly not disappointed with what we found. We included a selection of great Northern Soul numbers, inspired by the recent TV documentary ‘Living For The Weekend’ . . . . and we chose Nolan Chance’s ‘Just Like The Weather’, Leon Heywood’s ‘Baby Reconsider’ and rounded off with a 45 that can cost you a pretty penny . . . Jimmy ‘Soul’ Clarke and ‘Sweet Darling’.

And to demonstrate our deft dexterity and athleticism, we took a mighty bound, as we went jumping genres to take in a little blues. With a little encouragement from the Cruising Crew, we revisited an artist who appeared on one of our recent playlists . . . Adam Franklin and enjoyed his down home take on a much covered Duster Bennett song ‘Jumping At Shadows’. We also had some seasoned urban blues from Ike Turner, the Texas Cannonball, Freddy King and the master of the telecaster, Albert Collins.

It was, indeed Ike Turner with his Kings Of Rhythm who kicked off our cruise this week with a great instrumental called ‘Baby’s Got It’, which came from an album titled ‘Here & Now’ . . . . . . . . then we headed on down the road in the company of Chuck Carbo and The Spiders and ‘She’s A-1 In My Heart’ . . . . .

Cruising with the windows down . . . .
Baby’s Got It – Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm
She’s A-1 In My Heart – Chuck Carbo & The Spiders
Give It Up – Charles Sheffield
In My Tenement – Clyde McPhatter
My Life -Joe Jama
Just Like The Weather – Nolan Chance
Baby Reconsider – Leon Heywood
Sweet Darling – Jimmy ‘Soul’ Clarke
Jumpin’ At Shadows – Adam Franklin
Living On The Highway – Freddie King
A Good Fool Is Hard To Find – Albert Collins
Where Blue Begins – Dani Wilde
Wild Weekend – The Rocking Rebels
Road Runner – Sounds Unlimited

Killer Diller Korner . . . . . With Johnny Alpha
One More Heartache – Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Cruising where we please . . . .
Blue Stew – Paul Thorn
Strange Ways – Please
Shadows & Reflections – The Jackpots
Pretty Flamingo – Gene Pitney
Stack O’ Dollars Blues – Charley Jordan
Down Along The Cove – The Loan Sharks
Talk To Me , Talk To Me – Jean Du Shon
Actions Speak Louder Than Words – Mable John
Somebody’s Always Trying – Ted Taylor
Slow, Smooth & Easy – Anita Tucker
Sweet Sue – Big Joe Turner
Frieda Frieda – The Valiants

Well, this week’s Girls & Guitars feature focused on UK singer and guitarist Dani Wilde, who signed her first recording contract with Ruf records back in 2007. Since then she’s released 6 albums and in 2011 went on a world tour with American artists Samantha Fish and Cassie Taylor, as part of the “Girls with Guitars Blues Caravan”. We chose a track from DanI Wilde’s 2010 album ’Shine’ and a song that often gets an airing here at Cruise Control . . . . ‘Where Blue Begins’.

Our Scratchy Blues track this week came from Charley Jordan. He was born in Arkansas in 1890 and went on to develop his own style as a blues guitarist and singer in and around St Louis. He recorded many sides for Vocalion and Decca between 1930 and 1937 and was also a talent scout for both labels. He is probably best remembered for his recording of ‘Keep It Clean’, but we chose his track ‘Stack O’ Dollars Blues’.

Well, as the familiar places and faces started coming into view, we knew we were nearly at the end of our cruise. So, we decided to go home with a bit of a stormer from The Valiants, a group that used to open for Sam Cooke back in the day . . . . This is their Keen 45 ‘Frieda Frieda’.

Well, you’ll be pleased to know that we arrived back safe and sound from our cruise and just in time to park up the Cruise Mobile for another week, ever hopeful that you enjoyed our cruising playlist enough to return next week. . . . . when we’ll be here, if you’ll be there . . . same time, same place . . . when we’ll call by in the Cruise Mobile with a seat saved especially for you . . . . just so we can all go . Until then . . . . have fun!

Goin’ back to New Orleans . . . .

Listen here to this week’s show:

Well, this week has included an adventure of another kind, as we paid a visit to the Loire Valley and enjoyed the excellent company of our good pals Nita & Gordon. So, our spirits were definitely high and we even managed to visit a few champagne houses and vinyards, where we were persuaded to relocate some of their produce!

As a result of our travels, we were very grateful to fellow Wireless FM DJ, The Spongeman, for ensuring this week’s show got broadcast as usual, despite his stressful day . . . . so our deep thanks to him.

There was plenty of good stuff in our playlist this week. Last week we played Roy Hamilton’s version of that song and we promised to go looking for that one by The Righteous Brothers, which we did, along with a memory of 60s band, The Downliner’s Sect , in the form of a 90s band called Thee Headcoats Sect that featured original Sect members, Don Craine and Keith Evans . . . . so we played a track from their 1996 album ‘Deerstalking Men’ . . . . ‘Baby What’s Wrong’.

We also featured a tune that was likely to strike a chord with our good pal Amigo. He was track spotting during the interval soundtrack at a recent gig and he identified one track as Clarence Gatemouth Brown’s ‘Okie Dokie Stomp’ and we found a version by American band The Fins. But, everything got off to a flying start with the Twangmaster himself, Duane Eddy, and ‘Some Kinda Earthquake’ and it rolled on nicely from there . . . .

Cruising for the border . . . . .
Some Kinda Earthquake – Duane Eddy
Roberta – Frankie Ford
You Can Have Her – The Righteous Brothers
Hit The Road Jack – The Swing Cats
The Shadow Knows – The Coasters
The Way You Do The Things You Do – Rita Coolidge
My Baby Must Be A Magician – The Sapphires
Baby What’s Wrong – Thee Headcoats Sect
Country Line Special – Cyril Davies
Breakin’ Up – Wild Bill Davis
White Rabbit – Claudene Christian
Goin’ Back To New Orleans – Jesse & Buzzy
Fell Like Jumping – Marcia Griffiths

Killer Diller Korner . . . . . with Johnny Alpha
I’m Gonna Make Her Love Me – Jim Ford

Cruising where the mood takes us . . . .
Another Night In The Naked City – Pete Thomas
White Bird – Vanessa Mae
Don & Dewey – It’s A Beautiful Day
Someone’s Steppin’ Out (Slippin’ Out, Slippin’ In) – ZZ Hill
If You Got To Love Somebody – Tommy Tate
It’s Growing – Margie Joseph
Too Hot To Hold – The Inciters
A Love That Will Last – Terri Sharp
Okie Dokie Stomp – The Fins
I’m On Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
Goodbye – Chuck Carbo & The Spiders

Well, it could have been the lingering influence of Johnny Alpha that made us choose one of those slinky, 50s numbers that he used to play on his late night shows, but we did. We picked out a superb instrumental from sax man Pete Thomas and a track from his 2006 album ‘Lucky’ . . . . called ‘Another Night In The Naked City’. Meanwhile, our our Girls & Guitars feature brought us some psych rock and a song that we know well by Jefferson Airplane, ‘White Rabbit’, which came from singer and guitarist, Claudene Christian.

Our ventures into scratchy blues usually take us back into the 20s, 30s or 40s, but this week we only went as far as the 50s for something Jesse & Buzzy. They were Jesse Perkins (harmonica and vocals) and Buzzy Lubinsky (guitar or drums) and their release on Newark’s Savoy Records label may or may not have been just have been influenced by the fact that Buzzy’s father was the owner of the label. But none of that should detract from their rather fine offering ‘Goin’ Back To New Orleans’.

Well, the Cruise Mobile eventually rolled gently to a stop and we seemed to arrive back with all that we started with . . . . which must be a good thing! But, no sooner had time run out on this week’s adventure than we were thinking about the choices for next week’s playlist. If that sounds good to you . . . . we’ll be ready to call by in the Cruise Mobile, same time, same place, next week with a seat saved especially for you . . . just so we can all go Cruising with The Commissioner. Until then . . . . . have fun!

Down in Mexico . . . .

Listen here to this week’s show:

Well, greetings to one and all and I hope the new week finds you thriving. August slipped in over the weekend and the giveaway was the notable absence of school run traffic, along with the increased noise around and about, of mothers’ valiant, if belated, shrill attempts to instruct their off-springs . . . . with no discernible effect, except on some nearby dogs, who run for cover. Despite that, here in the Grand Duchy, we’ve been enjoying some fine days and we’ve hit that period when we seem to be between overseas adventures. So, our rummaging in the Cruising Library has been somewhat brief and frenetic . . . . but still discerning!

This week’s selection has a hint of Motown about it, because there were a couple of tunes that came wafting on the breeze and tantalizing our ears during our recent sojourn to Portugal with Linda & Brian. They have a fondness for some Motown and a little Dusty Springfield, so we included a couple of suitable choices.

There is still a flavour of New Orleans in our choices this week and if you ever believed that Bourbon Street was place of interest in New Orleans, then you’ve definitely got more to see! Sample the music and sights of Rampart Street, the original home of J&M Studios and the final resting place of the witch queen of New Orleans, the wonderful places on Frenchman’s Street and Dacatour Street and so much more!

But before we got to the Southlands in our playlist, we kicked off our cruise this week with birthday boy, Frankie Ford, and his million seller, ‘Sea Cruise’ and we followed fast with The Animals and another Frankie Ford hit, ‘Roberta’ . . . .  and there’s more . . . . .

Cruising down the road apiece . . . . .
Sea Cruise – Frankie Ford
Roberta – The Animals
You Can Have Her – Roy Hamilton
I Ain’t Guilty – The Crawford Brothers
Our Love – Sylvia Robbins
Packing Up – Dusty Springfield
Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) – The Temptations
La La La La La – The Blendells
La La Blues – Pokey La Farge & The South City Three
Bourbon Street – Bex Marshall
We Make A Good Gumbo – Tab Benoit & The Voices Of The Wetlands
Sh Boom – The Big Six

Killer Diller Korner . . . . . with Johnny Alpha
Down In Mexico – The Coasters

Cruising with the breeze . . . . .
She’s Got The Magic – The Parade
High Flyin’ Bird – Jefferson Airplane
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Dan Carlin & Friends
My Baby Left Me – Robert Petway
Driving Wheel – Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows
Love Her With A Feeling – Johnny Winter with James Cotton and Muddy Waters
Run Baby Run – The Newbeats
Sign On The Dotted Line – Gene Latter
Seven Days Is Too Long – Chuck Jackson
Sign On The Dotted Line – Gene Latter
Much Too Much – The Hollywood Flames
Flip Flop & Fly – Jerry Lee Lewis

Our Girls & Guitars feature this week focused on a daughter of Devonshire, Bex Marshall. As a child she was encouraged to sing and at 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by an uncle of hers. As a sample of her work, we chose her track ‘Bourbon Street’ from her 2012 album ‘House Of Mercy’.

Our scratchy blues track this week heralded and bit of a blues fest, starting with Mississippi bluesman, Robert Petway. There seems to be little known about him, except that he was a friend and fellow bluesman of Tommy McClennan and recorded some 16 songs, between 1941 and 1942. One of these was his song ‘My Baby Left Me’ and with the unusual combination of skill and luck, we played it for all to hear.

All too soon, the rattling tin cans told us that the sands of time had finally run out for us on our cruise this week. So, we came rolling to a halt and parked up the Cruise Mobile for another week, with the sincere hope that you enjoyed our cruising playlist sufficiently to be enticed back again next week. If so, we’ll call by for you, same time same place, with the promise of even more rock, soul and real rhythm and blues.

So till the next time we go Cruising with The Commissioner . . . . . have fun!