The Yuletide songsheet started with the first Christmas record from Gary US Bonds since 1967, rippling boogie from Sugar Chile and the dirtiest Ho-Ho-Ho you've ever heard from Back Door Santa. It seemed the right moment to unveil the secret that shocked the socks off me: I will host a live show on Christmas morning from 10 til noon here on Star107.9/1FM (stuffed full of country comforts and folk favourites).
Our shiny brand new contenders included Tutu Jones, Smokin Joe Kubek with Bnois King, Mike Wheeler and the evergreen Larry Garner (if there's a gap in your collection where he is filed, shame on you). Big Walker's project "Roots Walkin'" repays each listening with something new and the Bopcats collection hits that spot on the cusp of rhythm & blues and rockabilly. Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm" - nice.
In the birthday book, Robert Ealey, the second Sonny Boy Williamson and RW Penniman. No-one know the exact year of Aleck Rice Miller Ford's birth, I've seen both 1899 and 1912 though the sources agree on 5th December. So should we mark a centenary or not? Definitely 5th December 1932 was where Mr Penniman came in - as Little Richard he was the self styled "Architect of Rock'n'Roll" who had a foot in both soul and gospel camps for Don Covay's song "Dont Know What You Got". Our start of his birthday bash went to "Heebie Jeebies" and "All Around The World" instead of "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" you will surely hear this upcoming Wednesday. Look for Chas White's brilliant biography for the story of a man who added more nuance to the term "Sex and Drugs & Rock'Roll" than Ian Dury dared dream of.
Don't forget Gary Blue's almanac is days away from being mailed out, its free and is stuffed to the gunnels with facts figures trivia and tomfoolery - you'll need to contact me at gary.blue@star107.co.uk with an email address that can accept PDF files. In the birthday book for December is Pops Staples who graced our show yesterday with the "John Henry" he recorded for Stax in 1971 but didn't come out until KENT's "Ultimate Collection" a few years ago. I'll check those dates before the Almanac is published.
Mark Lamarr compiled a Christmas set for Acrobat and a Screamin Gospel set for VeeTone - no better excuse needed to pilfer a couple of tracks for your entertainment. Martha Davis knew her stuff when singing about old records: we took a gospel classic from Arhoolie by Louis Overstreet, as well as the controversial "Two Wings" from Utah Smith and some amazing axe shredding. The argument is over whether he did the song for Checker or if they leased it in from another source?
Before we knew it the shortest two hours of our week was done in a trice, hopefully leaving us wanting more next Sunday at ten pm (GMT) right here on Star107 with Spot The Duck and Deefer Duck (who is such a tart, hamming it up for the webcam for all she's worth). I'll be back to marshal them into some semblance of sanity, until then take care of yourself and take care of those that take care of you
| Track.Title | Track.ArtistSort | Index | Album.Title | Album.ArtistSort | Label |
| Better Not Look Down | B. B. King | 2 | Introducing B. B. King | B. B. King | MCA |
| Weekend Driver | Tutu Jones | 3 | Inside Out | Tutu Jones | |
| I'm Working | Mike Wheeler | 13 | Self Made Man | Mike Wheeler | |
| I Had A Dream | Robert Ealey | 1 | Rounder Revue | Various Artists | Rounder |
| Get Out There And Get It | Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King & Kirk Fletcher | 5 | Close To The Bone | Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King | Delta Groove Productions |
| christmas is a phone call away | gary us bonds | 5 | christmas is on | gary us bonds | g l a |
| Heebie Jeebies | Little Richard | 10 | Cosimo Matassa Story | Various Artists | Proper Box |
| I Don't Know What You've Got But It's Got Me | Little Richard | 5 | Have Mercy! The Songs Of Don Covay | Various Artists | ACE |
| All Around The World | Little Richard | 19 | The E.P. Collection | Little Richard | SEE FOR MILES |
| Get Out Those Old Records | Martha Davis | 19 | Chronological Recordings (1946-1951) | Martha Davis | CLASSICS |
| candy man | mississippi john hurt | 2-1 | roots of the blues | various artists | vanguard |
| raise a ruckus | big walker | 7 | root walking | big walker | n/a |
| Get Rhythm | Bopcats | 15 | 25 Years Of Rock'n'roll | Bopcats | eller soul |
| Back Door Man | Howlin' Wolf | 20 | The Back Door Man | Howlin' Wolf | Essential Music and Marketing Ltd |
| Back Door Santa | Clarence Carter | 1 | The Original Soul Christmas | Various Artists | RHINO |
| Christmas Blues | Gatemouth Moore | 24 | Mark Lamarr's Rhythm And Blues Christmas | Various Artists | ACROBAT |
| Christmas Boogie | Frankie 'Sugar Chile' Robinson | 23 | Blues Blues Christmas | Various Artists | DOCUMENT |
| Got To Be Some Changes Made | Larry Davis | 10 | Funny Stuff | Larry Davis | ROOSTER BLUES |
| Treat Me Right | Robert Belfour | 5 | What's Wrong With You | Robert Belfour | |
| Two Wings | Utah Smith | 5 | Screamin' Gospel Holy Rollers Vol. 2 | Various Artists | Vee-Tone Records |
| I'm Working On A Building | Rev. Louis Overstreet | 12 | 15 Down Home Gospel Classics | Various Artists | Arhoolie Records |
| John Henry | Pop Staples | 22 | Ultimate Staple Singers: A Family Affair | Staple Singers, The | Kent (U.K.) |
| i'm so glad | Skip James | 3 | Roots Of The Blues | Various Artists | VANGUARD |
| Help Me | Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller) | 10 | Chess Blues Classics 1957-1964 | Various Artists | MCA/CHESS |
| Miss Boss | Larry Garner | 4 | Blues For Sale | Larry Garner | Dixiefrog |
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