Ian Dury - Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3

1979. The late 1970s were really a time when anything could happen musically, and probably did. 

I'll let the real musicologists figure out who was influencing whom at this point. Musicians, let's face it, listen to everything and steal whatever is convenient and seems to work for them. There are times when music falls into certain patterns, and there are times where music is a crash of multiple hurricanes of sound where new patterns emerge. The late 1970s were of the crash variety, and the echoes of many experiments of the period are still with us today. 

Hot Chocolate- You Sexy Thing (original)

Many of those fertile periods for music occurred in England. These could be due to the close relationship with America and the shared language, like the English Invasion, or it could be due to the increasing diversity in England itself, like this song and others like it. 

Then there was the case of Germany in the 1970s. I don't think that anyone has come up with an explanation for that yet. Cosmic rays or something. 

Trio -- Da Da Da [[ Official Video ]]

Europe has a lot to recommend it. Dozens of fabulous museums, mostly. The people are very well dressed, and they sport very good haircuts. Several very good movie making nations. Very happening TV commercials. Music? Sorry, Charlie. Except for the occasional burst of positive energy, it's mostly dull, dull, dull. 

Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango (Original)

This was a hot song in 1972. We were just being introduced to the African music. Fela; Osibisa. Lots of great local color in this video. 

Alley Oop vs. Bo Diddley

Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight’s entertainment is a no-holds-barred fight to the finish between Mr. Alley Oop, who is new to these parts, and everybody’s friend, the man himself, Mr. Bo Diddley!

(Huge cheers from the large crowd.)

We asked Alley Oop where he was from, but all he said was, “the jungle.” I asked him what part of the jungle, you know, what do they call it, place got to have a name. Dude just gave me a look and said, “okay, I’m from the jungle, up by the river.” I didn’t ask him no more, because I was a little afraid to rile him up.

Alley Oop is over in the blue corner, wearing what looks like a wildcat’s hide, and I’m pretty sure he tore it off of that cat himself.

(Laughter and many cheers.)

You ought to see the club we took off him before the show. We let him walk around carrying that thing the cops will raid this place for sure. We’ll show it to you later if there’s anything left of the building when these boys get done.

And in the red corner! The home-town-boy! The natural-born man! Wearing overalls and brogan shoes! Bo Diddley!

(Huge cheers.)

Bo Diddley tells everybody that he’s from Chicago, but I know his people! He’s from South America!

(Grumbling from the crowd. “He don’t look like no South American to me!”)

But he is! He’s from south Arkansas!

(Cheers and laughter.)

And then the bell rang, and I woke up.

chariots of silk t.rex

I also love the later T-Rex stuff, and it's always nice to see the talented lads with long hair make some money. There's a lot of merit in this earlier Tyrannosaurus Rex material though. I loved this LP, even though it was far afield from my normal listening. 

Larkin Poe Perform Black Betty

Is this cultural appropriation? I'm not trying to be a wise-ass, I'm just wondering. We sure hear a lot about cultural appropriation these days, and anyone who is pushing the broad definition should hurry up and realize that they are trying to eliminate about seventy-five percent of the musical expression in the world from legitimacy. Be careful what you wish for. 

I like this version a lot, and I'd argue that these girls have a license to play this song, based upon talent, enthusiasm, and sincerity.