"what it is ...., what it is ....,"

So here I go ... trying to explain some of the thought process for my choice of tracks for my cd circle cd 4a … (why did I picture a goldfish in a godfish bowl there?)

"What it is what it is …,"

well picking my favourite femalel singer has always been easy …. & then I change it when I’m reminded of another one I like. So here is track 1. Aretha, who is in my top two or three with the best version of a song I’ve probably heard far far too many times … and yet to me, her version makes it fresh …,

So I compiled this cd ‘my way’ … and then changed it a few times and probably ended up where I had started, with the tracks in this order.

No excuses for track 2. Pete Atkin’s “session man’s blues” …taken from my vinyl copy which has stood unplayed on the shelf for quite a few years I can tell you. This for some reason reminds me of an autumn afternoon, one of those afternoon’s when it does n’t know whether or not it wants to rain* and if it does you know it’s going to ‘chuck it down’

I never tire of track 3. the Inkspots, even though all of the starts to their songs sound the same. I must have been in a very melancholy mood. Mind you I love the refrain of “…. and that’s why it is no secret any more ..um um umph.” Classic.

track 4. Straight into a track from one of my favourite cd’s of last year. I nearly made my whole compilation around letters, must have thought I was Bobby Z doing theme time radio …drat I should have recorded my own voice overs…but then again perhaps not, you might have thought you were listening to a recording of 'big brother'

I was in a record shop which had an exhibition of artists interpretation of Harry Smith’s folk cd. You put head phones on and listened to the tracks whilst looking at the art work. track 5. John the Revelator stood out for me … and it seemed an obvious choice after “please read the letter”.

I’ve just started to listen to throat singing so this follows Blind Willie’s gruff throaty rasp. As I’ve demonstrated on previous cd’s I like ‘mixes’ and track 6. Tuva Groove has a nice beat… ( I knew it would rain* you can hear the thunder)

Which takes us nicely into track 7. a ‘modern/old’ mix … well if you are my age it's an old/old mix really.

Keeping ‘the groove’ with track 8. and here is a bit of good advice.

And then on to track 9. Cat Stevens just for a mood change, making it nice and fresh with a touch of Greece coming through the lemon and olive groves.

Ok travelogue over, back to good old soul music … I love this song and even bought a Gary Farr and the T Bones LP just for this track … however this Solomon Burke on track 10.

track 11. Straight head long into my ‘Mod’ days, hush puppies, stay press trousers, a Ben Sherman shirt and back combed hair …oh yes and a ‘swagger’ when I walked and a plastic pacamac with probably my hands in my pockets.

Great attitude song by the master of attitude track 12. Mr Chuck Berry. You Know, he must have influenced so many people.

Staying on the sixties soul theme track 13. Mr Ernie K Doe who has had a resurgence due to a ‘Boot’s advert’ … Somebody sent me the Warren Zevon version but I had to point them in the direction of the one I’ve put on here …doh!.

Well for a bit of flavour for track 14. and Bob Dylan adds just a hint of spice.

track 15. is Maximum Bob (was that deliberate) by Charlie Dore,. I like her, very easy listening and this is quite a colourful song.

track 16. My other passion (as well as mixes) is soundtrack music and this is taken from the ‘Ghengis Blues’ soundtrack featuring paul Pena… they say it’s a good film .. I’ll have to check it out…sadly Paul died a few years ago, without getting the true recognition he deserved.

‘I …Oh I …. I …. Oh I …’ …. track 17. Al Green.

and at track 18. Straight back with another track from the ‘Genghis Blues’ soundtrack.

I’m sure I have n’t got to tell anyone about track 19.Tartit ("Tartit" means "union"who are a band from the Tombouctou Region of Mali. The group comprised five women and four men, all of whom are members of the Tamasheq ethnic group, also known as Tuareg)... so I’ll not …,

I was in HMV the other week or so ago and heard track 20 being played across their great sound system…. so I thought ..."why not" … I had n't heard it in ages.

So have a great weekend .. oh yes .... and the rest of the week as well..... and remember to 'stay fly'