Gonna fix you good . . . .

Listen here to this week’s show:

Well, we weathered the storms here in the Grand Duchy and enjoyed the sunshine that followed, but it’s all too clear that the days are getting shorter and we’re already preparing to secure the broom cupboard at the end of the month, as we pull together a spooky playlist for a Halloween Cruising with The Commissioner. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves . . . .

In addition to the much revered Johnny Alpha, this week’s show had another friendly face, because our good pal Matt stopped by, looking pretty cool and relaxed and appeared totally unfazed by the disarray around Cruise Control. But such is our hospitality that we plied him with a libation or two and a few of Mrs TCs famous ginger snaps and he was rather easily tempted to bring us his first Three From Me., as you can hear.

Now, we gave a respectful nod towards our good pals The Spongeman and The Auburn Phantom this week, because on their shows, they’ve played some folky tracks from the Transatlantic record label. That reminded us that the label had also put out some notable rock and blues albums too, so we rounded up a few for your listening pleasure.

But before we got to all those treats . . . . and more . . . we kicked off this week’s show with the great Lonnie Mack and his classic recording of ‘Wham’ and didn’t waste a moment to follow up with another to further tantalise your musical taste buds, from James & Bobby Purify and their Bell 45 ‘ I Don’t Know What It Is You Got’ . . . . and it all rolled on from there . . . .

Cruising where we please . . . .
Wham – Lonnie Mack
I Don’t Know What It Is You Got – James & Bobby Purify
Just For You – Jerry Butler
But It’s Alright – The Sugarman 3
Just Won’t Do Right – James Brown & The Famous Flames
Shake Sherry Shake – Faron’s Flamingos
Farmer John – The Premiers
Wicked Soul – Joanne Shaw Taylor
Johnny B Goode – Peter Tosh

Three From Me . . . . with Matt
Raspberry Beret – Prince
Boy From The North – Monica Heldal
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm – Crash Test Dummies

Cruising with the crew . . . .
Get Out Right Away – Stray
Walking In The Park – Skin Alley
Woke Up This Morning – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated
Hard Luck Blues – Muddy Waters
Some Other Guy – The Big Three

Killer Diller Korner . . . . . with Johnny Alpha
Want Ad Reader – The New Breed

Cruising for the city lights . . . .
She May Call You Up Tonight – Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
All Night Drinker – Fat Mattress
Louie Louie – The Topics
Sugar Diabetes – Eddie Banks & The Five Dreamers
Twist & Shout – Beverley Knight
Gonna Fix You Good – The Alan Bown Set

Well, offered our small tribute to Johnny Gustafon, who we lost this week. He was a member of The Big Three and then The Merseybeats,
Quatermass and Roxy Music, amongst a few others.

Well, there’s every chance that with your customary curiosity, you may have spent the past week wondering who is our featured artist for our next Girls & Guitars feature. So, to bring such speculation to a timely close, we revealed that our decision was influenced by the arrival of our cheery postman and the safe delivery of the new album by Joanne Shaw Taylor. The album is called ‘The Dirty Truth’ and anyone who’s seen Ms Shaw Taylor on stage will know her to be a singer and guitarist of some very considerable ability, as was ably demonstrated with a track from that album, called ‘Wicked Soul’.

There was more than one spoonful of blues in our playlist, including track from Muddy Waters which just about qualified as our scratchy blues selection this week. This was one of the first recordings made by Muddy Waters when he arrived in Chicago and it was one of the tracks he cut for the US Columbia record label in 1946. The tracks weren’t released at the time, but fortunately they did get released later, including our choice, ‘Hard Luck Blues’.

Well, it was an eventful cruise this week and we changed route several times, meeting some good folks along the way. But, as the music and minutes rolled by, we quickly found ourselves having to turn the Cruise Mobile for home. When it eventually rolled gently to a stop, we were already planning next week’s adventure with a special seat saved especially for you so we can all go Cruising with The Commissioner. So, we extended our grateful thanks to our good pal Matt, to Johnny Alpha, and to the rest of the Tuesday Night mafia, for their great music . . . but most particularly to you dear listener . . . . for your very good company. But until the next time we go Cruising with The Commissioner . . . . remember . . . have fun!