Give Peace A Chance

 

Trust me #88
Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band

Released in July 1969, John Lennon's Give Peace A Chance created worldwide headlines as the Beatle wrote and recorded the song during a 'Bed-In' held with his wife Yoko for their honeymoon in Montreal.

Capturing the times, the song quickly became the anthem for the anti-Vietnam war movement and was sung by 500,000 demonstrators, led by Pete Seeger, at a protest in Washington that year.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Lennon leads his audience backed with acoustic guitars, handclaps and stomps through a string of verses beginning with everybody's talking about ... before going on to list a series of words that are equally relevant, nonsense, funny and cool. 

Each verse leads to the chorus (which becomes a mantra by the end);

all we are saying is give peace a chance

Isn't the footage extraordinary? 

Lennon's relationship with Ono led to bursts of spontaneous music and art with love and/or social/political commentary at the heart of them. The Unfinished Music albums (incredible that these were released when The Beatles were still going!) are absolutely crazy but document one of the most important nights of Lennon's life, when Ono came over and stayed the night while Cynthia was away. They made love and they made music. Well, the latter might be debatable. Good luck getting through the album!

I love that Lennon returned his MBE to Buckingham Palace with the note;

I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. 

With love, John Lennon of Bag.

Instant Karma was recorded and released in days and Lennon would go on to write songs of peace and protest; Power To The People, Imagine and Happy Xmas (War Is Over). 

Yoko and I are quite willing to be the world's clowns if by doing so it will do some good. 

I know I'm one of these 'famous personalities'. 

For reasons only known to themselves, people do print what I say. 

And I'm saying peace. John Lennon

Give Peace A Chance simple, pure, soulful and a message that we all need to be singing in these troubled times. Where are the figureheads of Lennon's stature in these troubled times? 

Give Peace A Chance is added to my Trust Me playlist. Search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE. Check below for blogs on previous songs to feature in this series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell

45. Revolution by The Beatles

46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys

47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays

48. American Trilogy by The Delgados

49. Loser by Beck 

50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy

51. Comedy by Shack

52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven

53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr

54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels

55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized

56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds

57. Cannonball by The Breeders

58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane

60. Lucky by Radiohead

61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.

61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell

62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir

63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations

64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses

65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry

66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker

67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones

68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters

69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide

70. Stove by The Lemonheads

71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell

72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb

73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift

74. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s

75. Razzle Dazzle Rose by Camera Obscura

76. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

77. The Rat by The Walkmen

78. My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer

79. Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack

80. Sweet and Tender Romance by The McKinleys

81. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros

82. 69 Police by David Holmes

83. Hey Lisa by David Holmes

84. I Am A Rock by Simon & Garfunkel

85. Kung Fu by Ash

86. Kids by MGMT

87. Slight Return by The Bluetones

My Little Red Book

Cover version of the month #66

Love cover Manfred Mann

The genius partnership of composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David combined to write My Little Red Book for Manfred Mann and the song featured in the 1965 film What's New Pussycat?  

Los Angeles psychedelic pop group Love then covered the song in 1966 for their eponymous debut album (it was also their debut single) and it was through Love that I was introduced to the song many years later.

Love's 3rd album, 1967's Forever Changes was an album that I felt I had to own after reading so many of my favourite groups mention it during interviews. So, from memory, I bought that first and then worked back through their catalogue, helped by the fact that FOPP were selling Love albums on CD for a fiver!

A lot of bands I fell for talked of the way Love looked as well as the way they sounded

Then, somewhat remarkably, Arthur Lee and a modern day incarnation of Love (the band Baby Lemonade) were announced as playing King Tuts Wah Wah Hut! Arthur was fresh out of prison and thanks to having an incredibly loyal fanbase in the UK (Liverpool and Glasgow in particular) he was on tour. Would he show up? How would he sound after years/decades of substance abuse?

It's safe to say that there was a buzz in King Tuts that night. It wasn't sold out, I recall people sitting on the floor before the band came on stage. Arthur looked strong and tall, he sounded magnificent, within seconds everyone knew they were witnessing something special. You could have heard a pin drop during You Set The Scene, my favourite Love song, I still think of Arthur singing as the band dropped down to a low groove I see your picture, it's in the same old frame ... his voice was wonderful.

Arthur announced that customs had lost their equipment so they were playing with instruments borrowed from Belle and Sebastian. I was transfixed and caught them a number of times over the years at the Liquid Room, Usher Hall, Academy and I'm sure I saw them 3 times at Tuts. Certainly twice.

Arthur Lee and Love at King Tuts

This is from a 'secret' Forever Changes show they played

Watching Arthur and his band live made me appreciate his catalogue of songs all the more. I always find that when I see a band in person. One song that stood out was My Little Red Book. A shake of Arthur's tambourine set off a throbbing bass, drums and guitar and then the voice!

The energy that leaps out of the song is spine tingling. The way Arthur adds in an extra talk in all I did was talk, talk about you gets me every time. The band are locked in a groove, the relentless guitar and bass riffs and beats behind Arthur's strong voice creates an urgency that still captivates 55-years after release. 

Arthur tell the tale of getting out his little red book the minute he is ditched by his girlfriend, determined not to sit crying and nursing a broken heart, he goes out dancing with as many girls as he can, but he just can't get over his loss.

I went from A to Z

I took out every pretty girl in town

They danced with me and when I held them

All I did was talk about you

Hear your name and I'd start to cry

There's just no getting over you 

Love's My Little Red Book is two-and-a-half minutes of garage pop perfection. I love when Arthur hums in the short instrumental. You believe him every time he sings there's just no getting over you, oh no. The whole song aches with passion, regret and soul.

Manfred Mann's version is tame in comparison. It's the same song, but the urgency isn't there, it's more theatrical. It's just not quite right. Bacharach himself has been quoted as saying "It's just a very nervous sounding record. They were uncomfortable with that song." (Record Collector)

I count myself extremely fortunate that I got to see the maestro Burt Bacharach at the Kelvingrove Bandstand in the summer of 2019. He was grateful that Love recorded the song and breathed new life into it and he was impressed by the cheer of the crowd when he mentioned Love.

So although Love's version is a cover, in this case, they most definitely make My Little Red Book their own. 

You can check Bacharach's own version along with that of Love's and Manfred Mann's below. They have also been added to my Spotify playlist.

Burt Bacharach plays his hits

Love - stereo version from their eponymous debut album

Love - TV American Bandstand version

Manfred Mann version

Click (or search for) Everything Flows cool cover versions on Spotify for a playlist of the covers I have blogged about and read on for a full list and links to previous cover of the month blogs. 

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday 
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

Confidently top 10

My sister and her friend Kat recently co-presented a regular show (fLUNT) on LP Radio which I thoroughly enjoyed. The two enjoy great banter when discussing songs, proudly stating after some that it would confidently be in their top 10 list of fave songs ever.

It got me thinking, could I confidently state my top 10 fave songs ever?

I think I can ... it might change. But these 10-songs will always be there or thereabouts.

1. Come Together (Farley mix) - Primal Scream
This is blissful psychedelic pop touched with a little acid house and gospel. Absolute perfection.

The ambition, progress, collaboration and invention surrounding Primal Scream at this time still generates interest and debate all these years down the line. This is an example of why.

The Weatherall version on the Screamadelica LP is blissful, the Farley mix is my favourite. During the anniversary shows the Scream combined about 3 versions together to create utter euphoria. Check the Farley mix and then the extended live version below.

Kiss me, won't you, won't you, kiss me

2. Going Back To My Roots - Richie Havens
I discovered this song on an incredible compilation called All Back To Mine by Sean Rowley. Every track was incredible and impeccable, but this stood out. That intro, those lyrics, the vocals ... a perfect groove.

Not talking 'bout the roots in the land, I'm talking 'bout the roots in the man

3. Temptation - New Order
Whether it is the original raw version in its extended glory or the polished rerecorded version from Substance, or an extended live version, Temptation pushes all the right buttons for me. The guitars, groove, lyrics, vocals ... it is perfect. Sumner shows why he is one of my favourite singers and guitarists, the circular guitar riff is one I could listen to for hours on end.

Oh you've got green eyes, of you've got blue eyes

4. You Set The Scene - Love
I had fallen for Love after the Fanclub, the Roses and the Scream all mentioned their Forever Changes album in interviews. Then amazingly Arthur Lee announced that he was playing King Tuts following a release from prison and a long period of inactivity through a drug habit. The show was astonishing, a captivated crowd were treated to a show they never thought they would see and you could have heard a pin drop during You Set The Scene. One of my all-time favourite live moments was during this show and this song when Arthur sung I see your picture, it's in the same old frame his voice soared in a way fans could only dream of after years of substance abuse.

The way this song flows, dips and rises is astonishing. Lyrically and musically brilliant, structurally ambitious and just all round stunning.

This is the time and life that I am living

And I'll face each day with a smile

For the time that I've been given's such a little while

And the things that I must do consist of more than style

5. Don't Leave Me This Way - Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes
What .... A .... Song
What .... A .... Tune
I adore this song. I still find so much in it, the groove, the way it develops, the way it builds to the euphoric chorus, the way it picks up pace, the way that even as it fades out I want it to keep going. Does an even longer version exist?

This is a song I always played whenever I DJ'd in pubs or at parties. Even if you haven't heard it you're going to be hooked in and singing along by the second chorus. The vocals are exceptional, the band are incredible, the drums and percussion are just sublime.

Don't leave me this way

I can't survive, can't stay alive

Without your love, oh baby

6. Everything Flows - Teenage Fanclub
Probably no surprise that Everything Flows is in my top 10! I think this song gets better with age, like a fine wine, I get more meaning out of it, I get more feeling out of it.

A young Norman Blake sounds wise beyond his years as he sings;

We get older every year

But you don't change

Or I don't notice you changing

And perhaps this opening line, more than anything else that is magical about the song, highlights why the song takes on more meaning year on year, gig on gig, listen on listen.

The whole song is magical. The guitars sound incredible and the chorus is beautifully self reflective and one that we can all relate to and the band just gel. It is perfect.

The band later revisited their debut single on the Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It EP that I blogged about HERE and where you can check out their stunning acoustic version.

You can check out the original release and a stunning Peel session version below.

I'll never know which way to flow

Set a course that I don't know

7. Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
Lennon is so in love that he needs 4 words rather than 3. I love the rawness of this song, the feel and the soul. And I particularly love the middle-eight as Lennon drifts off sounding dreamy I'm in love for the first time, don't you know it's gonna last ...

And I love the footage of The Beatles playing on the roof of the Apple building looking super cool. Imagine if they had gone on tour at this time?

8. I Believe In Miracles - The Jackson Sisters
This still blows my mind every single time I listen to it. I love the power, the groove, the big long intro on the extended version and the skyscarping euphoric vocals, the way they rip through the verses to reach the chorus and the whole way this comes together to sound like it is a remix, but it is the real deal. It just sounds this good, this catchy, this dancey, this groovy.

Believe in dreams and think they are real

And one day soon

The miracle will come true

9. California Soul - Marlena Shaw
I was lucky to catch Marlena Shaw a number of years ago, when the Renfrew Ferry was still moored on the southside of the River Clyde. The reception for this song will live with me forever. It seemed to go on longer than the song itself, such was the reaction, the appreciation, the love for it in the audience.

This is another song I would play (back in the day) when I DJ'd and it would always generate the response I look for. People dancing, people coming up to say 'tune' or people coming up to ask who sings it.

Quite simply perfect. It's controlled yet it still has a sense of euphoria for me. I will always dance to this song.

Like a sound you hear

That lingers in your ear

You can't forget

From sunrise to sunset

10. One To Another - The Charlatans

We end with a monster tune from one of my all-time favourite bands. One To Another is a song I sing most days as I have a framed print at the top of our stairs containing the lyrics be my spider woman, I'll be your spider man.

The first single after the death of Rob Collins, One To Another has a sense of defiance to it, it rocks, it grooves, it explodes and it is utterly magnificent. I think the promo film captures all of that perfectly and I have also included a live version from The White Room - you get the added bonus of Crashin' In. This is my favourite Charlatans TV performance. Look at Tim Burgess gazing on with love and admiration as his band are on fire.

Justice for believers and love can keep the faith

I don't need you, I can't buy you, I can't hurt you

Never Ending Mixtape Part 36

Pop genius Brian Wilson

And so my Never Ending Mixtape passes the 1,000 song mark. And, even if I do say so myself, it does so in style with some stupendous tunes.

There are tunes to dance to, get lost in, swoon and melt over, sing to, play air guitar to and fall in love with. Some of these tunes have lived with me for years or decades, others are tunes I have just discovered.

The Nearest Faraway Place is an instrumental by The Beach Boys that will let you drift off into a daydream, Another Boy Like Mine (demo) will hit you hard and you'll fall, Iko Iko is like a playground song full of simplistic joy and Tommy and the Shondells are my new favourite 60's band with Crimson and Clover shooting high into my favourite songs ever list. I must write that down sometime!

Elsewhere we have the Velvets, Glasgow's Sonny Marvello, Love, incredible songwriting and performance by Shuggie Otis, the sensational David Axelrod, a pysh garage gem by Os Mutantes, the sensational First Cut Is The Deepest by PP Arnold and much, much, much more.

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or click below. You'll need to scroll right down to get to the latest additions.

NEW TIP - if you go to filter at the top and type in Out on the Floor and click play, it should play the songs in the order below.

Read on for the full list of 30-songs that have been added.

Out on the Floor - Dobie Gray
Sidewinder - Teenage Fanclub
Alone Again Or - Love
Who Loves The Sun? - The Velvet Underground
Outdoor Miner - Wire
Fire Went Out - Sonny Marvello
My Little Red Book - Love

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
The Nearest Faraway Place - The Beach Boys
Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson
All I Wanna Do - The Beach Boys
Another Boy Like Mine (demo) - Ellie Greenwich
Strawberry Letter 23 - Shuggie Otis
Holy Thursday - David Axelrod
A Minha Menina - Os Mutantes
The First Cut Is The Deepest - PP Arnold
Tighten Up Pt 1 - Archie Bell and the Drells
Sinnerman - Nina Simone

Iko Iko - The Dixie Cups
Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats
I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder
Runaway - Del Shannon
Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells
This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies
You're Gonna Miss Me - The 13th Floor Elevators
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - Ennio Morricone
The Ecstasy Of Gold - Ennio Morriconne
Out In The Streets - The Shangri-Las
Draggin' The Line - Tommy James and the Shondells