I didn't want to use Janis Ian's "At 17" , it's a fine song bit thought I would peruse my collection and
discovered an old Jethro Tull "B" Side "17" now available on the"Stand Up" CD and it is a very fine song. I just love it. This is one of the things about having a large records collection (it doesn't matter what media they are on, they are records).
I have a vinyl copy of "Stand Up" and that doesn't have it on, so you need to get it digitally or need to get a 7" copy of "Sweet Dream"
Anyway the 'flu' is being kept at bay by either my smoothies, paracetamol or both , but they (Boots) won't let me have a 'flu' jab till I'm over it. Well they recommended I didn't have a 'flu' jab as is could make me much worse , so hopefully I will get sorted later in the week.
Right, time for work , have a brilliant Tuesday everybody.
Although I'm not feeling anywhere near 100% (they wouldn't give me a 'flu' jab) before bed I am gonna hit you with Number Sixteen. There are a hell of a lot of "Sixteen" songs from "!6 Candles" by The Crests and "16 Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, (who I have featured before) to Sam Cooke, Ringo Starr and The Buzzcocks as well as Tom Waits (who is penciled in for number 30. There's also Chuck Berry and Iggy Pop and Michael Moorcock's Deep Fix.
So what do I go for , well what about "Sixteen Saltines" by Jack White. I know it's a bit off the wall but what the hell, it's a great song and worthy of a place in my 59.
Anyway , I am not feeling brilliant but I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
This morning I was expecting to feel not very good, but if I went to bed at 40% Feelgood Factor, this morning it's 70-80% . Although I am generally positive I wasn't expecting to feel that great. There's two things that I did yesterday, in the evening I had chocolate and paracetamol , but earlier for the first time in a few weeks I made my self a bespoke smoothie. Both of these may have actually helped make me feel better although I can't say for definite it was one or the other or both or something completely different. I still have a bit of a runny nose but I do feel much better than I did yesterday, and ready for my 'flu' jab later on.
Anyway song number 15 is "Fifteen Years" by The Levellers which means I'm a quarter through #ALifeInNumbers . I love the Levellers though apparently my spell checker tells me it should be Levelers (One "L" not two "L"s in the middle). 15 Years is a great song and again there were other options such as Eater's "Fifteen" or Snow Patrol's "Fifteen Minutes Old" , but really it's no contest.
Also there are another 44 slots to go although I am not sure I am committed to including Snow Patrol or Eater, but I am glad that the first part has been relatively easy.
Anyway I've made and drunk a smoothie this morning (orange, apple, pineapple, ginger, banana, blueberry and carrot) will keep on with the drugs at work today and let you know how it's gone tonight.
I normally like to be positive and say good things, but at the moment I am suffering from 'flu' like symptoms, dripping nose , headache, sore throat , and tomorrow I go for my 'flu' jab. My only worry is that this might kick off ITP which has not hit me since the millennium. I'm also running a temperature. I feel like I have been kicked all over my body and all I have done today (apart from a lot of blog posts) is walk to Aldi and back (about 3 miles round trip) to get fruit and porridge for work.
So I am taking paracetamol and chocolate and I will beat this. Tomorrow is a 6 am start and I will be in work. I don't let these things beat me. Admittedly last time I had 'flu' I lost some weight and managed to work from home. The fact is barring time off for hospital operations I've forgotten how to call in sick, that's real, I don't think I have had a sick day since I left SSS in 2002 and then it was 'flu' followed by ITP followed by full blown diabetes which wasn't diagnosed for about a year resulting in me having a lot of time off.
Anyway it's reasonably under control now and I suppose I just don't like feeling physically run down. I am sure I will be fine in a few days
So what song should we have, at first I was going to choose something appropriate but I've decided to go with John Cale's "Bamboo Floor" which I love it and it makes me feel good. And when you don't feel good you need to do something to make you feel good and I am going to listen to that and then go to bed.
14 is the first time I couldn't off hand think of a song so checked out my collection and there aren't all that many songs hiding in there. I decided to go with "Sixteen,Fifteen,Fourteen" by PJ Harvey and John Parrish from the album "A Woman A Man Walked By" which incidentally I was playing earlier today.
There were a few others , "The 14th of February" by Billy Bragg, "14 Black Paintings" by Peter Gabriel and 14 Days by Nick Lowe as well as various numbered Classical pieces, but the PJ Harvey one was the standout for me.
Polly Jean Harvey is one of my all time favourite artists and she was a great friend of Captain Beefheart who she would speak to about her albums and projects to get his opinions and advice.
My cold is still annoying me but hopefully it will improve in time for work tomorrow. I have had chocolate and that has soothed my throat no end.
Anyway that is my fourth post today, I don't know if that's a record for me, but this will be my last today.
Enjoy your Sunday evening and I hope you have a great start to a wonderful week.
I know I'm rattling of a few of these at the moment, 13 had a few more possibilities than 12 including "13" by Big Star and Johnny Cash , "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" by Big Country but I have gone for "V13" by Big Audio Dynamite (Mick Jones' post Clash combo) from the album "10 Upping Street" (not the greatest title Mick), but an album full of great songs including the excellent "V13". I love the use of soundbites in the Big Audio Dynamite songs, some of my other favourites being "Medicine Show" and "Bottom Line" from the first album, "This Is", and "Dial A Hitman" from "10 Upping Street" which is very funny but I don't know if they took that from a film or just recorded it themselves. It also contains the great couplet:
"We're The Band That Couldn't Shoot Straight
But We Aim To Please"
The other thing about "V13" is that wen it hits the coda it let's in the "Eastenders" Theme which is a fun touch.
I'm currently going down with a cold, nose dripping and throat feels like I've swallowed a pack of rusty razor blades making it difficult to talk or swallow, so Doctor Mikey's treatment id chocolate, ice cream and paracetamol, and we shall see how that goes.
For this one I was thinking of a cut from Spirit's classic "The Twelve Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus" , the title always intrigued me but but Spirit were never an "in" band in my teens for some reason. Eventually when I realised that I could listen to whatever I wanted I bought it and realised that I had been missing some amazing stuff , and in fact my all time favourite album "Future Games" is by them.
But I recalled a Bo Diddley instrumental called "Clock Strikes Twelve" for it's great reverb drum sound , "I'm A Man" riff vibe and distinctly original guitar sound. Well no wonder that guitar sound is original because that guitar is, in fact, a violin. Did you know Bo Diddley played violin? Until reading up on the song I didn't , hardly an instrument you associate with blues or rock except as part of an orchestral backing.
I've always loved Bo Diddley's songs and playing and was amazed to find a band who you an see playing small venues , the wonderful Lord Rochester who play a lot of Bo Diddley songs , effect the rectangular guitar and are one of the best live bands you will see. They describe themselves as Scotland’s Top Rock n’ Roll combo? I wouldn't disagree. I've included a video I took of them at The Schooner a couple of years back playing "Layla".
I am enjoying writing this series because it does enable me to talk about my favourite music, although I know the coming weeks will be a lot harder, I do have a few mapped out ready to slot it , often classic by major artists, although I didn't think I could fit Thousand Yard Stare in then I saw the number 45 in one of their song titles so they will be on the list though that's 33 songs and posts away.
Anyway enjoy the rest of this summery sunny Sunday my friends, and enjoy "Clock Strikes 12", it's another song I love.
