Listen here to this week’s edition of Through To Midnight:
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Well, when the appointed time arrived, we were all bright eyed, enthused and raring to go! For those who didn’t recognise themselves in that description, then I may have arrived just in time, because if you were suffering the chronic phonic fatigue of ‘ordinary radio’ . . . I was on hand with a timely dose of Dr Roberts Sonic Tonic just for you. If proof were needed, we kicked off the show with a little ‘Steppin’ Out’ with Kool & The Gang and following fast with the excellent Marc Broussard . . . so everyone had my permission to turn it up loud and dance about a bit . . . and they weren’t alone.
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Now, among my many cherished memories is seeing the great Allen Toussaint here on a UK tour some years back. It happened to be his birthday this past week, so I thought his songs would be just right for this week’s Under The Covers feature. So, I enjoyed a little time listening to quite a few covers of his songs and eventually chose three, starting with one of Scotland’s superb rock singers, Frankie Miller, who was the first artist to release this Allen Toussaint song, ‘Shoo Rah Shoo Rah’ back in January 1974. Then, we heard from Little Feat with another Allen Toussaint number, ‘Play Something Sweet’, which brought us to the third of our covers, this time, from another great voice from North of the Border . . . this is Rod Stewart, who recorded another celebrated Allen Toussaint song back in 1975 along with Booker T & The MGs, ‘Holy Cow’.
Steppin’ Out
J&B – Brian Auger & Jeff Golub
Steppin’ Out – Kool & The Gang
Rock Steady – Marc Broussard
Green Light – Betty Fox Band
Sweet Delicious & Marvelous – The California Raisins
Turned On For Good – The California Playboys
Crazy Girl – The California Honeydrops
Under The Covers
Shoo Rah Shoorah – Frankie Miller
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) – Little Feat
Holy Cow – Rod Stewart w Booker T & The MGS
Hot Buttered Rum
Meet Me In The Corner – James Thomas Band
Ain’t No Pleasing You – Johnnie Allan
Brother Or Other – The James Hunter Six
Too Late To Turn Back Now – Alton Ellis
Hello Stranger – Yvonne Elliman
Hot Buttered Rum – The M-Tet
Sailin’ Shoes
Sailin’ Shoes – Phillip Sayce
Love Don’t Love Nobody – Rosie Flores
Hurricane – Michele D’Amour & The Love Dealers
Ridin’ Shotgun – Jess & the Bandits
Girls & Guitars
You Keep Me (Hangin’ On) – Ruthie Foster
Oh Honey – Rita Ray
On The Giglist
Heroes & Villans – Geraint Watkins
Alive
Alive – Sister Lucille
I’d Have You Any Time – George Harrison
Brightest Star – Lilly Hiatt
Neighbour – Kings & Associates
Mr Blue Sky – Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
Livin’ On A Prayer – Francine Quinn
Sincerely – Johnny Jenkins
This week, our Girls & Guitars feature, focused on Ruthie Foster, who hails from the small rural town of Gause inTexas, where she started out singing in her community church and drawing influence from the likes of Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin. She cut her first album in 2002, and to date, she’s released 7 albums . . . so plenty to choose from . . . and a difficult choice. But, in the end it was a track from her album,’The Truth According To Ruthie Foster’ that got chosen . . . ‘You Keep Me (Hangin’ On)’.
Now, for this week’s On The Giglist feature, I recalled a recent fun gig featuring Geraint Watkins. He has a special place in my affections for his time leading The Balham Alligators. He’s perhaps, just a little more mellow these days, as he was on the night I caught him on stage, where he treated us to his take on the Beach Boys @Heroes & Villans’.
As time ticked away, we were soon enjoying some ‘mellow moments’ with a little treat from Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and the welcome return of Francine Quinn. Then, we found tomorrow waiting impatiently on the doorstep, so I collected my armful of the ‘good stuff’, tidied up the studio and got ready to head out into the night . . . but not before thanks you for your good company on this week’s show and hoping to meet again the next time we go Through To Midnight. Until then . . . remember . . . . have fun!
Broadcast by Maritime Radio 96.5fm on 22 January 2020
Just Cruising 