Cover Songs (10 - 1) : My Favourites


Here's the final 10 from my favourite 100 Cover Songs. I hope everyone is having a great Christmas.


My 100 Favourite Cover Songs (10-1)

10 The Man Who Sold The World : Nirvana (David Bowie)
9 Tomorrow is a Long Time : Elvis Presley (Bob Dylan)
8 It's Oh So Quiet : Bjork (Betty Hutton)
7 Sweet Jane : Cowboy Junkies (Velvet Underground)
6 Mr Bojangles : Nina Simone (Jerry Jeff Walker)
5 Louie Louie : The Kingsmen (Richard Berry)
4 I Heard It Through The Grapevine : The Slits (Whitfield/Strong)

3 Lola : The Raincoats (The Kinks)
2 Hey Joe : Jimi Hendrix (The Leaves)
1 Song To The Siren : This Mortal Coil (Tim Buckley)


Hope you've enjoyed (at least some of) my choices.

Nollaig Chridheil.

Cover Songs (40 - 11) : My Favourites


Well I didn't make last Sunday for blogging numbers 40 - 11 from my list of 100 favourite cover songs. I've been working solid for the whole of December on wedding albums, portrait shoots, designing next years photography training courses and new sample albums for wedding and portraits. Today I've finally called it a day. So here's numbers 40 - 11.


My 100 Favourite Cover Songs (40-11)

40 All Along The WatchTower : XTC (Bob Dylan)
39 Smooth Criminal : Alien Ant Farm (Michael Jackson)
38 This is not a love Song : Nouvelle Vague (PIL)
37 Hurt : Johnny Cash (Trent Reznor)
36 Just : Mark Ronson (Radiohead)
35 Private Life : Grace Jones (The Pretenders)
34 Somewhere Over The Rainbow : Eva Cassidy (Judy Garland)
33 Police & Thieves : The Clash (Junior Murvin)
32 All Along The WatchTower : Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
31 Lost In Music : The Fall (Sister Sledge)
30 Get It On : The Power Station (T. Rex)
29 Telegram Sam : Bauhaus (T. Rex)
28 Slow Down : The Jam (Larry Williams)
27 Cocaine : Eric Clapton (J.J. Cale)
26 China Girl : David Bowie (Iggy Pop)
25 Smells Like Teen Spirit : Paul Anka (Nirvana)
24 Personal Jesus : Johnny Cash (Depeche Mode)
23 Twist and Shout : The Beatles (Top Notes)
22 Why Can't We Live Together : Sade (Timmy Thomas)
21 Making Plans For Nigel : Nouvelle Vague (XTC)
20 Ms. Jackson : The Vines (Outkast)
19 Rock The Casbah : Rachid Taha (The Clash)
18 Dancing in the Moonlight : Smashing Pumpkins (Thin Lizzy)
17 Refugee : Melissa Etheridge (Tom Petty)
16 Bizarre Love Triangle : Frente (New Order)
15 Satisfaction : Cat Power (The Rolling Stones)
14 Satisfaction : Devo (The Rolling Stones)
13 One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer : John Thorogood (John Lee Hooker)
12 Nothing Compares to You : Sinead O'Connor (Prince)
11 Going Nowhere : Lena Zavoroni (Neil Sedaka)


I'll post numbers 10 - 1 on Christmas Day. Nollaig Chridheil (gaelic Merry Christmas) to everyone.

Oscar Marzaroli

BBC iPlayer : Public Artwork

On Radio 4 this week there was an interesting program about Oscar Marzaroli (Italian born "Scottish" photographer). The program is now available on BBC iPlayer, here's the link.

Italian-born "Scottish" photographer Marzaroli is most famous for his 1960's images of the Gorbals.

On the corner of Cumberland Street and Queen Elizabeth Gardens (in Glasgow) there's a piece of public artwork based on one of his most famous images. The artwork is three separate sculptures of three boys in their mother's high heels playing in the street. The original photograph is a great example of "right-place right-time" photojournalism. Here's a link.

Cover Songs (70 - 41) : My Favourites


Last Sunday I blogged numbers 100 - 71 from my list of 100 favourite cover songs. This week it's 70 - 41.


My 100 Favourite Cover Songs (70-41)

70 Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds : Elton John (The Beatles)
69 We Can Work It Out : Stevie Wonder (The Beatles)
68 Helpless : K D Lang (Neil Young)
67 Superstar : Sonic Youth (Carpenters)
66 Love The One You're With : The Isley Brothers (Stephen Stills)
65 House of the Rising Sun : The Animals (trad.)
64 Me and Bobby McGee : Janis Joplin (Kristofferson/Foster)
63 Paranoid Android : Radiodread (Radiohead)
62 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow : Roberta Flack (Shirelles)
61 I Hung my Head : Johnny Cash (Sting)
60 Your Song : Billy Paul (Elton John)
59 Take it to the Limit : Etta James (The Eagles)
58 Paint It Black : The Modettes (The Rolling Stones)
57 It's All Over Now Baby Blue : Them (Bob Dylan)
56 Light My Fire : Jackie Wilson (The Doors)
55 Hallelujah : Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
54 Hazy Shade of Winter : The Bangles (Simon & Garfunkel)
53 Everything I Own : Ken Boothe (Bread)
52 Wonderwall : Ryan Adams (Oasis)
51 Take Me to the River : Talking Heads (Al Green)
50 Way Down in the Hole : Blind Boys of Alabama (Tom Waits)
49 Redemption Song : Joe Strummer (Bob Marley)
48 David Watts : The Jam (The Kinks)
47 Biko : Simple Minds (Peter Gabriel)
46 Valerie : Amy Whinehouse (Zutons)
45 Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood : The Animals (Nina Simone)
44 Let Down : Radiodread (Radiohead)
43 One : Johnny Cash (U2)
42 I Fought The Law : The Clash (The Crickets)
41 Love Potion #9 : Searchers (Clovers)


Next Sunday I'll post numbers 40 - 11 and on Christmas Eve I'll let you have the countdown 10 - 1.

Photography Exhibition : Glasgow

No Vacancy : Nicola Stead


If you've never been to Montgomery's Coffee House (near Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow) you don't know what you're missing. So I'll tell you. Great coffee and a wee photography exhibition by Nicola Stead.

The subject of the exhibition is a set of characters living in a hotel. I couldn't find any links for Monty's or the exhibition, so here's the details I have.

now to 1 February, 2009

Montgomery's Coffee House
9 Radnor Street
Glasgow
G3 7UA
Scotland

Album Cover : Cover Songs

Album Cover

Last week, (rock) music photographer, Pennie Smith received an "outstanding contribution" gong at the Record of the Day bash. Pennie Smith is famous for her iconic image of bass smashing Paul Simonon; as used on The Clash London Calling album. This image is my second favourite rock photograph. Pennie herself finds fault with this image (because of the blur); but you can't fault the great anticipation and framing in capturing a timeless moment.

My #1 favourite rock image is a photograph of Elvis Presley (on stage) taken by photographer Roger Marshutz. Here's a link to it. It's loosely connected to the Clash image because the "London Calling" cover was inspired by the cover of Presley's debut album.

And talking of covers.................


Cover Songs

Last week Radio Scotland asked listeners to send in their favourite cover songs. My initial thought was "that's easy, covers are normally pretty tame compared to the original". So I jotted down a few favourites but the list grew and grew and grew. Over the next few weeks, and as a bit of John Peel type festive fun, I'll blog my 100 favourite cover songs.

Here's the countdown 100 - 71

My 100 Favourite Cover Songs (100- 71)

100 Rocket Man : William Shatner (Elton John)
99 Maggie's Farm : Rage Against the Machine (Bob Dylan)
98 Couldn't Get It Right : Fun Loving Criminals (Climax Blues Band)
97 Chelsea Hotel : Lloyd Cole (Leonard Cohen)
96 Enjoy The Silence : Lacuna Coil (Depeche Mode)
95 Stepping Stone : Sex Pistols (The Monkees)
94 Needles and Pins : The Ramones (Searchers)
93 Havana Affair : Red Hot Chili Peppers (The Ramones)
92 O Holy Night : Nat King Cole (traditional Carol)
91 Lets Spend The Night Together : David Bowie (The Rolling Stones)
90 Make Me Smile : Wedding Present (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel)
89 Baby Hit Me One More Time : Travis (Britney Spears)
88 Creep : Richard Cheese (Radiohead)
87 Always on my Mind : Pet Shop Boys (Brenda Lee)
86 Brother Louie : Hot Chocolate (The Stories)
85 Tears of a Clown : The Beat (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
84 Wind Cries Mary : Jamie Cullum (Jimi Hendrix)
83 She's Not There : Sanatana (The Zombies)
82 Torn : Natalie Imbruglia (Ednaswap)
81 Rocket Man : Kate Bush (Elton John)
80 Delilah : Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Tom Jones)
79 The Day Before You Came : Blancmange (ABBA)
78 Venus : Bananarama (Shocking Blue)
77 Word Up : Gun (Cameo)
76 Sweet Child of Mine : Luna (Guns N' Roses)
75 Step On : Happy Mondays (John Kongos)
74 I Call Your Name : The Boys (The Beatles)
73 Never Tear Us Apart : Tom Jones & Natalie Imbruglia (INXS)
72 The Air That I Breathe : Hollies (Phil Everly)
71 Black Magic Woman : Santana (Fleetwood Mac)

(70 - 41 will be next Sunday, 40 - 11 the following Sunday and 10 - 1 on Christmas Eve).

I make no excuses for the William Shatner cover making the list. There's a "car crash" quality to it; a work of accidental genius you could say.

Personal Work : Very Low Light Photography


At the moment I'm into (very) low light photography. Some (people) may say you don't have much choice this side of the Scottish calendar. My favourite of the week (and favourite to date) is below. I was sheltering in the entrance to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery when the picture composed itself before me.



I'll post more images just as soon as I clear my preChristmas workload.

Photography Exhibition : Barbican, London

Robert Capa at Work : Gerda Taro a Retrospective


I normally only mention Photography Exhibitions doing the rounds in Scotland. However, this one at the Barbican in London is something quite special.

What makes it stand out (to me) isn't so much the great name of Robert Capa but the lesser known name of Gerda Taro; a quite exceptional woman and conflict photographer. I say "conflict photographer" instead of "war photographer" to detract away from gung-ho connotations of the latter label. Taro's work is so much more than that.

Her life story itself is as incredible as her images. Glamourous, lover and colleague of Capa, and a pioneering front-line war photographer. She actively opposed the rise of the Nazi Party and was separated (at an early age) from her family; she would never see them again. She pioneered the use of small cameras in photojournalism, died in battle at the age of 27 and was given a Grand state-like funeral in Paris.

She will be always over shadowed by the name of Capa (such is our male dominated world) but at this exhibition she gets equal billing.

A "must see" exhibition. I'm heading straight over to thetrainline.com to book my travel.

17 October to 25 January, 2009

The Barbican
Silk Street
London
020 7638 4141