Marley and Me

Welcome to the belated latest instalment of the badly titled Everyone Has Got one Good Song blog thing. Day 34.

I was thinking of building the ultimate playlist with one simple rule. One artist. One song. Each day will feature a song by an artist whose birthday is that day and then nine other songs by nine different artists just because people like things to be in tens.

The playlist is here - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4exU9MUJMWaouOgnu7zmSl?si=I5fqk7VpQX6aDGec7xvqsQ&pi=e-IfIWXc5GT56R

 So, the idea was that you might want to follow and share and either have the playlist yourself or do your own or chat about it with me, you could use the hashtag #EHGOGS.

I’m on Twitter X thing as @fourfoot

Today’s selections is dedicated to birthday dude Bob Marley.

Caution – Bob Marley Problem with old Bob is that he’s been canonized and sanitised to such an extent that it’s hard not to listen to him without picturing some middle class pensioner lighting up a “doobie” and putting Legend on and doing his back in. Or some poster taking up the entire wall of some dangerous dog owning type. Anyway, enough of my inner Littlejohn. This is blinding. Mental guitar lines and some bizarre lyrics too.

California Soul – Marlena Shaw. Yeah it’s on every compilation album in the world ever but I don’t care. David Holmes changed my life with this song and if that’s not enough to convert anyone to the cult of the DJ as curator well then, nothing else will I guess. I went to California once but I did not hear this tune once. I did, sadly, hear a lot of the Red Hot Fucking Shit Band.

Stone Cold Sober – Paloma Faith Having previously dismissed her as some sort of post-Winehouse wannabe, I heard this on one of the very worst days of my recent life. And somehow it cheered me up. Honestly, if you’ve ever had your heart broken, stick this on. Skip the wallowtrack for a bit and move around your kitchen, put the glass down, have a gentle swaying bop to this.

Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust I am going to write a short story about the person that this song always reminds me of. Needless to say, it’s bleak and this masterpiece of revival-disco-house-French-pop only serves as an ironic counter point to the narrator’s shattered soul. Ha ha. I overshare. I really do. This tune, though, fucking hell yes.

Something Good – Utah Saints. True story. We once managed to persuade this lot to play our student union in the middle of fucking west Wales. Then they hit the big time and blew us out for Top of the Pops last minute. We ended up getting a fucking swing band last minute. Anyway, I’ve gone for the 2008 remix because of this video which, to me, feels like an apology..

Seventeen (Soulwax remix) – Ladytron. I literally said “I’m a fucking sucker for exotic, disdainful sounding female vocals over post-punk tinged dance stuff. “ yesterday so you’re getting more. Honestly, one of the best remixes of all time. How do you remix an electro monster when you’re the electro monster? You turn it into a rock song. Guitars, drums. A genius move.

Ritual Union – Little Dragon.  I didn’t know they were Swedish till I looked them up just now. Do they teach making pop music in Swedish schools? Fucking hell, they’re just so good at it. Anyway, you know this one – I’m trying to lower the tempo for the downbeat ending…

Ex’s and Oh’s – Elle King Without wanting to sound like one of those centrist Dads with a set of decks in their shed who say things like “oh Call Me Maybe is actually such a brilliant tune” when what they really mean is “I’ve seen the video and I want to fuck the arse off Carly Rae Jepsen.” – this is fucking brilliant, funny and smart.

I Lost You - Walkmen. I will hate myself for just dropping this so early. My most played tune of the decade. It’s the Walkmen at their most erm Walkmeny? Heartbroken vocal, a band at the end of the world’s saddest night joined by mariachi guys to soundtrack the one that literally got away.  

Theme De Yoyo – Art Ensemble of Chicago. I bet Bobby Gillespie fucking loves this. He’s probably going to tell you all about the fucking rare 9 inch vinyl acetate he bought off an Englewood crackhead next time he writes about being a socialist from the Roughasfuck scheme in Glasgie, neglecting to mention putting his kids through Eton since. Anyway, enough of this. It’s proper filthy skronky jazz funk rock and soul and goes on forever with it’s brash brass and absolute beastly bass.

Thanks for putting up with this shit – tomorrow we celebrate King Curtis….