Song of the day 57 : Boz Scaggs - Loan Me A Dime

Last night I watched a copy of Boz Scaggs Greatest Hits Live that a friend lent me.  Lately I have been listening to a lot of early Boz and his most recent album.  Stuff from 1969 - 1972.

While it lacks the gloss of the period from 76 to the mid 80's  it is, in my opinion, more engaging.

Loan Me A Dime from his self titled debut is simply outstanding and now one of my favourite songs full stop. Great guitar, thanks to Duanne Allman, Eddie Hinton and Boz himself and a brass riff that is up there with the best in rock.

Stunning!!! 

Song of the Day 56 : Biff Rose - Fill Your Heart

Stuck in the middle of side two of David Bowie's magnificent and breakthrough album Hunky Dory is a weird and incongruous track "Fill Your Heart".  At the time I knew it was not an original as it is credited to Biff Rose.

In truth if it was so twee and so short it was never worth skipping on vinyl but regularly gets skipped when I am playing the CD.

I latter heard that Bowie was a big fan of the guy and recorded another song of his as well - Buzz the Fuzz.

The beauty of the internet, means research is much easier and I eventually found a copy of the album that both songs came from.  I was really surprised that not only did Bowie cover the song but, even though at the time he was begging to be known as an innovator in this instance Bowie was no more than an affected karaoke artist.   Check out Biff's version here.

More Muscle from The Shoals : Don Nix ‎– Hobos, Heroes And Street Corner Clowns

I came across Don Nix researching recordings that David Hood from the Swampers had played on.  I then kept an eye out for albums by him at a reasonable price and Hobos, Heroes and Street Corner Clowns was the  first one that I then managed to find.  Half recorded at the Shoals and half in London the album reflects that schizophrenic mix but it still has a lot to offer.

Black Cat Moan sounds like vintage Stones and We gotta Move (Keep on Rolling) is another highlight.

Started to read a bit more on Mr Nix and found out that he was an original member of the Bar-Keys the original Stax house band, before they morphed into the Mar-Keys and the MGs.   After that he took off to LA where he was Leon Russel's room and band mate.  That alliance led him to working with Freddie King and writing some of the best songs and producing King's masterpiece Getting Ready.

There's those connections that go right through my music collection.

Journey Through The Past : Leon Russell : Carney

By the time Carney was released in 1972 Leon's star was already fading and a young upstart called Elton John was cornering the eccentric piano playing rocker market.  Leon had also been outflanked by Jow Cocker who after touring with Leon on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour took Leon's backing band away from him and scored a big hit with Delta Lady, Leon's ode to Rita Coolidge.

There are some magnificent songs on Carney but the album had a willfulness about it with some interesting (?) instrumental moments.

However any album with songs as good a Tight Rope, This Masquerade (an interesting version here introduced by Elton) and My Cricket and Magic Mirror is always going to be worth checking out.

It was not until recently that I realised that some of the album was recorded at Muscle Shoals so that is another point in its favour.

Damn Right I've Got The Blues : Willie Dixon : I Am The blues

Willie Dixon is generally one of the unsung behind the scene heroes of the blues.  He played bass and wrote or contributed to the writing of many of the early songs recorded at Chess records in the 50's and early 60's.Willie contributed songs for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Walter either as principal songwriter or at least helping out.

Famous in the 70's for successfully suing Led Zeppelin for stealing his songs - most notably how they took his You Need Love to be their Whole Lotta Love

He generally shunned the spotlight but in 1969 stepped out front with these recirdings of his own classic songs. The statement I am the Blues is for once not an exageration.

Just look at the song titles, all Willie's own. Hoochie Coochie Man, Spoonful, Little Red Rooster, I can't Quit You Baby, Backdoor Man, You Shook Me and The Same Thing.  Wow!!!

Damn Right I've Got The Blues : Hubert Sumlin : About Them Shoes

I saw what would have been one of the great Hubert Sumlin's last shows.  I was in Chicago and managed to catch a tribute show marking Robert Johnson's 100th Birthday and Hubert played a twenty minute set.  At that stage he was dependent on an oxygen machine but  still managed to play.  He died not much later and one of the nice stories that accompanied that sad news and all the obituaries was that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger dug into their pockets to pay for Hubert's funeral.

One of the architects of rock and roll and revered by many of the English Blues freaks of the 60's Hubert was the Guitar Player behind Howlin' Wolf.  He created one of the most distinctive and influential sounds around the blues.


This album features a mix of Willie Dixon and Muddy Water's songs with one Sumlin original. Hubert is supported throughout by cast of stars and seasoned session musicians  and generally leaves the vocals to others.  Among those that joined him are Levon Helm from The Band, Blondie Chaplin (the Beachboys and the Stones touring band) and David Johansen from the New York Dolls.

However the undoubted highlights come from the inspired performances playing with Hubert that come from Eric Clapton ( has he sounded more alive in the last 30 year's ago than he does on the opening I'm Ready and Long Distance Call?) and Keith Richards produces an atmospheric Still a fool.  It shows what being in the company of your hero can do.

On the final track, This is the end little girl, Hubert steps to the mic and closes the album in style  

Song of the Day 55 : We Had it All : Waylon Jennings; Dobie Gray, The Rolling Stones; Maggie Bell; Everyone really!!!!

We Had it All is one of the great Country Soul Classics and certainly one of my all time favourite songs. I have now many many versions of this song and seeing it on an album (by a half reasonable singer) is frequently enough to persuade me to pick the album.  The version I heard first was Waylon Jennings' from his Honky Tonk Heroes album.  On an album packed with great Billy Joe Shaver songs it stands out.  Other versions I enjoy include Dobie Gray's and Maggie Bell's.  I also quite like this version by Ray Charles.  It is also supposedly one of Keith Richard's favourite songs and The Stones have their own version and Keith regularly sings it with others.

The song was written by Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts - Fritts is a native of Florence Alabama in the Muscle Shoals area who still plays with Rick Hall occasionally so it does have that groove to it.   I am currently on a mission to track down a copy of Donnie's Prone to Lean album where he gives his own interpretation.