Wednesday 30 October 2024

OTBT Phil Lesh tribute show

*** Show now uploaded. This link will take you to Mixcloud. ***

I have recorded a new show mainly in tribute to bass player and founder member of the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh who passed away recently. I thought I had uploaded it to Mixcloud but discovered that they are doing some systems work on their website today and everything is up the pictures, to coin a phrase. 

So some thoughts about the Dead. The first album of theirs I bought was Live Dead which I might well have found in a record shop in Camden Town. I lived in London from the end of 1988 to March 1991. I can't remember the name of the shop but it had a basement which I'm pretty sure you got to via a spiral staircase. As with many things, the passage of time robs one of memories but I can still see the record shop in my mind's eye having made a few purchases there. They had a fine selection of LPs from the hippie era and I picked up albums by other West Coast bands like Quicksilver Messenger Service. 

From Live Dead I bought Workingman's Dead and it must have been something of a surprise to hear the radical change of direction they took on that album. Remember, this was in the pre-internet days so unless you heard something on the radio or TV or heard a record at a friend's house you were more or less taking pot luck (if you'll pardon the unintentional drug reference) regarding the music you were buying. But like it I did and not long after I found a copy of American Beauty, both on CD as I had bought my first CD deck by then. 

I never got to see the Dead in concert which is a shame as they had a reputation for playing long sets with no two nights ever being the same. As we got into the 90s with the Madchester & Britpop scenes exploding onto the UK music scene I started buying fewer records from yesteryear and paid more attention to the new sounds of Manic Street Preachers, Dodgy, The Charlatans, Echobelly and of course the dominant duo - Blur and Oasis.

I did buy one final Grateful Dead album namely their 1987 release In The Dark which I picked up on cassette for the very reasonable price of 99p in a branch of John Menzies which was Scotland's equivalent of WS Smith. 

So on to the playlist. Three numbers by the Dead with a CSN&Y song which Jerry Garcia guested on along with various other late 60s\early 70s favourites and some more recent cuts. But probably best to leave going onto Mixcloud until tomorrow.

Grateful Dead - Box of Rain 
Carole King - So Far Away 
Dom Martin - Belfast Blues 
Katie Spencer - Hello Sun (live) 
Phil Ochs - That Was The President 
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children 
Grateful Dead - Cumberland Blues 
Blue Rodeo - Go Go Round 
Martyn Joseph - Born Too Late 
Roddy Frame - Small World 
Virginia Kettle - Promise of a Sunrise 
The Broken-Hearted Few - Hidden From The Sun 
The Doors - Hyacinth House 
Grateful Dead - Friend of the Devil 
The Byrds - My Back Pages 

RIP Phil Lesh (15 March 1940 – 25 October 2024)



Wednesday 23 October 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks mix October 2024

Two songs from the Richard Thompson tribute album Beat The Retreat which was released in 1994 and a track from Yasmin Williams' new album Acadia. Also a few song titles with a Hallowe'en connection. Listen now on Mixcloud

REM - Wall of Death 
Nuala Kennedy - Death and the Lady 
Yasmin Williams - Hummingbird (feat. Allison de Groot, Tatiana Hargreaves)
Allison de Groot & Tatianna Hargreaves - Each Season Changes You 
Band of Burns - To Daunton Me 
Fotheringay - The Pond and The Stream [demo version] 
Ewan MacColl - The Banks of the Nile 
Beausoleil - Valerie 
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - The River Knows 
Kris Kristofferson - The Law Is for Protection of the People
Heather Bristow - Somebody's Cryin'
Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony 
The Tillers - I Gotta Move 
Pokey LaFarge - Run Run Run 
The Mountain Firework Company - The Gravedigger's Lament 
Luke Jackson - Ghost at the Crossroads 


Friday 11 October 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks 14 October 2024

Having recently seen Martin Stephenson and The Daintees in concert I though I'd play three of their songs on this week's show. I've also had a promo copy of Steve Knightley's new studio album The Winter Yards so there's a track from that and a new song by The Young 'Uns from their song-writing project The Suitcase. Listen now on Mixcloud.

So this week's playlist goes as follows...

Show of Hands - Haunt You 
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Crocodile Cryer 
Flossie Malavialle - Peaceful Easy Feeling 
Steve Knightley - If You Come Back 
Andy Cutting - Charlie Come Back 
Banter - Picking A Ship 
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Rain 
The Young 'Uns - Borrowed Boots 
Jez Lowe - Yankee Boots 
Tom Kitching - The Old Country 
The Bad Shepherds - Road To Nowhere 
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Slaughterman 
Helen McCookerybook - Woodwide Web 
Patsy Matheson - Water is Over The Weir
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - I Love You Baby



Friday 4 October 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks 7 October 2024

A tribute to the country music legend Kris Kristofferson on this week's radio show. Also two tracks from the new album by bluegrass band Down Hill Strugglers titled Old Juniper. Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday at 1pm or 8pm on Ginger Feather FM.

The Highwaymen - Highwayman 
Down Hill Strugglers - Let The Rich Go Bust 
Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen (Live At The BBC)
Chris While and Julie Matthews - Feel Good List 
Heal and Harrow - Behind The Eyes 
Kris Kristofferson - Blame It On The Stones 
Kris Kristofferson - The Last Thing To Go 
Lassi Logren - Wildwood 
Roving Crows - Ride On 
The Rosie Hood Band - Tyger Fierce 
Kris Kristofferson - From The Bottle To The Bottom 
I'm With Her - Ain't That Fine 
Fierce Flowers - La Corde 
The Deep Dark Woods - The Cocky at Bungaree 
Fish - Internal Exile 
Down Hill Strugglers - Old Phone Died 



Friday 27 September 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks 30 September 2024

A mixture of music from the UK and the USA on this week's show with two tracks from singer and double bass player Miranda Sykes. Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday at 1pm or 8pm on Ginger Feather FM

The Levellers - Dance Before The Storm 
SykesMartin - Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies 
Danny Schmidt - Soon The Earth Shall Swallow
Meg Baird - Cross Bay 
Rosanne Cash - September When It Comes 
The Foghorn Stringband - Lost Gal 
Eric Bibb - 'Tain't Such A Much
Plu - Ddim ar Gael 
Megson - Road To Hell (Part 2) 
Miranda Sykes - What's The Use Of Wings If You Can't Fly
Kathryn Tickell - Sycamore Gap 
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Cathedral 
The Low Countries - You're Here Again 
Bob Fox - From Me To You 



Friday 20 September 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks 23 September 2024

Two tracks on this week's show from "Nothing More" The Collected Fotheringay. Something I learned from reading the booklet that comes with this collection is that Sandy Denny asked Richard Thompson if he could recommended a guitarist and he suggested Albert Lee who became the band's first lead guitarist. Albert then recommended bass player Pat Donaldson but after a few weeks he left as his guitar playing didn't really fit in with what Fotheringay were doing and he had been offered a 'lucrative retainer' to play with Steve Gibbons. Pat then suggested they ask Jerry Donahue who had some initial doubts but after their first rehearsal, he joined and the line-up (with singer\guitarist Trevor Lucas and drummer Gerry Conway) was then complete.   

Listen now on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday at 1pm or 8pm.

Dick Gaughan - What You Do With What You've Got (Live) 
Fotheringay - The Sea 
Gilmore & Roberts - No Rest for the Wicked 
Cara Dillon - Coming Home 
John Renbourn - Blues Run The Game 
Lady Maisery - Let No Man Steal Your Thyme 
Salt House - The Road Not Taken 
Richard Thompson - Walking The Long Miles Home 
Sarah Deere-Jones - Deep In Love 
Fotheringay - Bold Jack Donahue 
The Magpie Arc - The Cutty Wren 
King Creosote - Walter de la Nightmare 
The Tiger Lillies - Don't See The Sun (Live)



Friday 13 September 2024

Off The Beaten Tracks 16 September 2024

Radio show playlist for the week starting the 16th of September. Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday at 1pm or 8pm on Ginger feather FM

Jon Palmer Acoustic Band - Music Town 
Fairport Convention - My Love Is In America 
Amy Thatcher - The Last Dance 
The Deadly Winters - I'll Be Fine 
Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman - Call My Name 
Flook - Happy Jigs (A Short Journey & A Short Journey II)
June Tabor - The Earl of Aboyne 
Megan Henderson - The Dawn Chorus (radio edit) 
Steeleye Span - The Unquiet Grave 
Linda Thompson feat. The Proclaimers - Bonnie Lass 
Johnny Flynn - Detectorists 
Tom Paxton - I've Got Nothing But Time 
Melanie - Beautiful People (live)
Yasmin Williams - Dragonfly 
Ralph McTell & Wizz Jones - You're Gonna Quit Me Baby