Currently listening to.... 2016

Paloma Faith - she doesn't "look" like her voice, if you know what I mean? I do like her - fantastic depth and power to her voice, and any time I have seen her on TV not singing, she seems to have a wicked sense of humour.

 

Good afternoon all my friends as I am cleaning all the leaves from the pond I am listening to

 

I have never heard that Springsteen one before - thanks @longk!

 

As usual, I'm listening to some of my old records (I much prefer vinyl) and am playing the 1953 LP 'Calypso' by Harry Belafonte.

He made a big hit out of 'Jamaica Farewell' and they recorded this studio version in 1957.



Forty years later he gave this performance of it and I can't make up my mind whether I prefer the original or this 'modern' version with the extra beat to it. I think I prefer the original



The Kingston Trio (three white folk singers) were inspired by the music coming out of Jamaica which prompted them to use the word Kingston in their name.

They were the first highly successful folk group to use acoustic guitars. They took advantage of the new 'long playing' LP records and ended up selling many millions of them. five number one albums, 14 in the top ten and 19 in the top 100.

Their first single 'Tom Dooley' (an older western song based on the murder of Laura foster in 1866 - they had it on their first album) sold over three million copies. In this country Lonnie Donegan reached number 3 with it.

They even made a film about Tom Dooley (nowhere near the true story) starring Michael Landon (Little Joe in Bonanza).

All this from a poem/song of very few lines!

 

Oooh, I've never heard of Ryan Adams, but I do like!! Beside the music itself being superb, a hell of a lot of effort has gone into that recording, and by hokey is it worth it!

@roders - Mrs C and I have taken a real shine to Ward Thomas -- I live in hope that Santa will maybe pop a nice CD under the tree for me......