Les Fleurs

Trust me #35

Back in 1999 I bought a compilation by Giles Peterson; The Incredible Sound Of ....

I was introduced to a dazzling array of Peterson's favourite songs across 2 CD's. Track 3 was Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton. I'm not sure if this was the first time I heard the song or not. I suspect, given how strongly I still associate the song with this compilation, that it was.

WHAT ............. A ............ SONG!

I've said it a few times through the history of this blog and I always mean it when I do, but music really, really doesn't get much better than this. Spot the extra really!

Only 3-minutes and 18 seconds long, Les Fleur oozes class, beauty and a pureness that sets it apart. 

2 verses, a bridge and a euphoric chorus .... WOW the chorus is indescribably good. Out of this world. It just soars!

Written by Charles Stepney and Richard Rudolph, Stepney also arranged the beautiful, lush, sublime music, Riperton's voice gels easily and naturally. It all sounds so good. 

Honestly, this is one of those songs that leaves me speechless. So just listen and enjoy. If this is your first time listening to Les Fleurs then please let me know what you think.

LISTEN HERE ON YOUTUBE

A list of all previous songs I've blogged about in my Trust Me feature are listed below, along with links to each blog.

I've also collated them all into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE

Will somebody wear me to the fair

Will a lady pin me in her hair

Will a child find me by the stream

Oooh, kiss my petals, weave me through a dream

For all of these simple things and much more

A flower was born

It blooms to spread love and joy, faith and hope

To people forlorn

Inside every man

Lives the seed of a flower

If he looks within, he finds beauty and power

Ring all the bells, sing and tell people everywhere that the flower has come

Light up the sky with your prayers of gladness and rejoice for the darkness is gone

Throw of your fears, let your heart beat freely, at the sign that a new time is born

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

I Can Feel Your Love

Trust Me #30 - I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

Whenever I visit the wonderful Monorail in Glasgow, I often gravitate to the soul section. There are always wonderful compilation records available and for me, they can easily make a case for the most value for money records in the store. Most recently, I've bought 2 of the Shaolin Soul compilations - songs that RZA from Wu-Tang Clan has sampled - he has unbelievable taste!

Kent Records are arguably the masters of the soul compilation. Originally released back in 1982, their For Dancers Only compilation is a record I pulled out of the rack while browsing in Monorail one day, many years ago. I am a real sucker for sleeve notes and some soul comps go to the trouble of having a track-by-track run through. 

On the For Dancers Only sleevenotes, the words every track is a great 60's dancer leapt out at me before the curator, Harboro' Horrace, went on to say the record was for dancers, drinkers and DJ's. Those words were enough for me.

That's the other reason why I love soul compilations - indeed, all kinds of compilations. They are great for DJ-ing as (unless your a purist) they mean you don't have to cart quite as many records around! When I bought this some friends and I would put on the odd DJ night in the downstairs basement of a pub called O'Henry's (now the Yes Bar) across from the famous Horseshoe Bar in Drury Street, Glasgow.

We always played vinyl. And on the rare occasions I do DJ, I like to use vinyl. I'm not a purist who plays originals only and I totally get the ease of using downloads/streaming, but I love the thrill of the needle drop and the skill of getting the next song right.

the aforementioned Shaolin Soul record - when I DJ'd in Mono in November 2021

Anyway, For Dancers Only was full of songs I could play when I DJ'd but one jumped out at me in particular - the mighty I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor.

After a glorious introduction with horns leading us into a groove, there is a run of I Can Feel Your Love backing vocals sounding sweet and sublime, and then we're introduced to Felice Taylor's voice cutting through; strong, true, soulful and packed with emotion.

I can't explain this feeling that I get when you pass by

I guess I always knew that your love would get me by and by

I see the stars above me and my heart starts to cry

Cause you're the only one that I need by my side

And I can feel your love, oh yeah, coming down on me

And I can feel your love, oh yeah, coming down on me

What a vocal! The song is relentless, the backing vocals are delicious, the beat is perfect and somehow beautifully understated, the horns stab in all the right places.

And then things are lifted in a short instrumental section with horns to warm hearts before kicking back in to soar higher.

My darling when, I feel alone

I feel like I, just can't go on

Nothing seems to go right

Baby when you're, out of sight

What a song! It never fails to make me smile or reach for the volume to crank it up. I Can Feel Your Love continues to blow me away every time I hear it. Enjoy.

CHECK ON YOUTUBE HERE

You'll find a list (and links to) of all the previous songs featured in the Trust Me series below.

And you can check them all out via my Spotify playlist by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me or by CLICKING HERE

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

Never Ending Mixtape part 60

Hello and welcome to the latest additions to my Never Ending Mixtape which has just broken the 2,000 song mark!

We have new acts like beadoobee, Girl In Red and Sarya included with legends like Bowie, Gaye, Dylan and Prince.

Where else would you get Kim Wilde after This Mortal Coil, or Faithless festival anthems sandwiched in between Lou Barlow and Del Amitri?!

There is a healthy does of funk and soul with James Brown and his J.B's band dishing out some incredible stuff, there is a gem from Ruby Andrews and Marvin Gaye at his peak. 

Elsewhere there is loads of alternative guitar pop brilliance with Smudge, Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh and Lou Barlow featuring heavily. There is an 18-minute song from Love, the sublime talent of The Avalanches and loads, loads more.

Dig in! As always, I hope you discover something you haven't heard before that you fall for, or rediscover and old favourite.

Thanks so much for reading the blog and checking the playlist. Special thanks to the 200 people who now follow the playlist - let me know what you have discovered through it.

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or CLICK HERE

The new additions are;

Coffee - beabadoobee

forget her - girl in red

boys keep swinging - david bowie

who can i run to - gerryhall

checking out (double clutch) - marvin gaye

helix III - kelly moran

you and your sister - this mortal coil

kids in america - kim wilde

how we met (cherry pie) - teencanteen

thinkin' of you - lord echo

if not for you - bob dylan

blowing in the wind - bob dylan

tonight i'll be staying here with you - bob dylan

absolutely sweet marie - bob dylan

catch the wind - donovan

remember we were lovers - bobby gillespie & jenny beth

torquoise - donovan

the less i know the better - tame impala

the sound of the suburbs - the members

teenage kicks - the undertones

everybody's gotta live - love

i ran away - dinosaur jr

loan you loneliness - gruff rhys

hey boy (take a chance on love) - ruby andrews

the outdoor type - smudge

18 in a week - smudge

berlin chair (acoustic) - smudge

alison tells me she's not sure what she got into - smudge

to the bin my friends, tonight we vacate earth - mogwai

my darkest light will shine - felt

i know where syd barrett lives - television personalities

cavalcade - lightships

living room - laura stevenson

it's automatic - zoot woman

eple - royksopp

sweet child o mine - neneh cherry

this is the day - the the

brand new love - sebadoh

vampire - sebadoh

skull - sebadoh

rebound - sebadoh

on fire - sebadoh

ocean - sebadoh

legendary - lou barlow

wave - lou barlow

insomnia - faithless

god is a dj - faithless

kiss this thing goodbye - del amitri

tell her this - del amitri

spit in the rain - del amitri

drunk in a band  - del amitri

manic monday - prince

love ... thy will be done - prince

nothing compares 2 u - prince

don't talk to me about love - altered images

the divine chord - the avalanches

oh the sunnn - the avalanches

we go on - the avalanches

gold sky  - the avalanches

never in my wildest dreams - dan auebach

we're going to be friends - the white stripes

hotel yorba - the white stripes

you're pretty good looking (for a girl) - the white stripes

i'm bound to pack it up - the white stripes

be thankful for what you got - love

revelation - love

i'll break my heart so you don't have to - sarya

make it funky - the j.b.'s

pass the peas - the j.b.'s

intro to the j.b's / doing it to death the j.b.'s

performance - happy mondays

twin tub twin - king creosote

aim in life - the bluebells

cloud 9 - beach bunny ft sarah and tegan

kids (soulwax mix) - mgmt

when you die - mgmt

kowalski - primal scream

save the children - marvin gaye

sound - james

i was alone - andy bell and pye corner audio

cherry cola - andy bell and pye corner audio

symphony space - spiritualized

200 bars - spiritualized

paris is burning - ladyhawke

Never Ending Mixtape part 47

Thanks for checking my latest blog. I hope you and your loved ones are well.

Music is really helping me at present. It's power offers me escapism, a chance to switch off, to research, discover or rediscover. And music unites. Even with the country in lockdown music finds a way to bring people together, to share their love, to escape.

There has been no shortage of stripped back online shows and Tim Burgess has been curating Twitter listening parties to bring people together online, with artists and fans sharing memories of classic and much loved albums. Follow #timstwitterlisteningparty

Music offers hope.

I tend to round up some of the music I have been listening to in a monthly blog on my Never Ending Mixtape, but here is a little bonus blog and a list of music added to the Mixtape Playlist.

As always, I hope you find something you enjoy. A full list of the latest additions is below.

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or click below..

Re-discovery - The Bends by Radiohead
I re-listened to the whole of The Bends by Radiohead on the 25th anniversary of its release. That very week, my brother and I caught the band at The Garage in Glasgow as the band celebrated a number one record. The Bends is a stunning album and the title track blew me away with powerful guitar riffs and sensational powerful vocals.

New discovery - Golden Streams - The Hidden Cameras
Kind of Flaming Lips-y, Polyphonic Spree-y, psychedelic pop.

Elsewhere enjoy a few gems from BMX Bandits, the majestic Bunnymen, the funk groove of Patti Jo, Marvin and Tammi in love and some brilliant indie guitar from Galaxie 500. And much, much more.

Want You To Know - Camera Obscura
Plimsoll Punks - Alvvays
Coma - Big Thief
Dot To Dot - BMX Bandits
The Sailors Song - BMX Bandits
Your Class - BMX Bandits
Come Clean - BMX Bandits
The Next Girl - BMX Bandits
The Bends - Radiohead
Make Me Believe In You - Patti Jo
The Cutter - Echo and the Bunnymen
Rescue - Echo and the Bunnymen

Keep On Lovin' Me Honey - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Baby I Need Your Loving - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
oh baby - LCD Soundsystem
Golden Streams - The Hidden Cameras
It's Going To Take Some Time - Carole King
Yoga - The Pastels
Walk It Back - The National
Good Song - Blur
The Width Of A Circle - David Bowie
Sweet Honey Blue - Starry Skies

Stay - Mark W Georgsson
Cath - The Bluebells
The Wagon - Dinosaur Jr
Blue Thunder - Galaxie 500
Ceremony - Galaxie 500
Isn't It A Pity - Galaxie 500

Never Ending Mixtape part 46

A recent discovery - Let's Take Some Drugs And Drive Around by The Silos

Welcome to the latest additions to my Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify; approaching 1,400 songs and over 91 hours of music.

We have some classic Stones and Velvet Underground, I dive back into the 1990's with The Bluetones, The Cardigans and The Black Crowes. There are new discoveries (for me)- check the amazing Let's Take Some Drugs And Drive Around by The Silos, Iceblink Luck by Cocteau Twins and At First Sight by The Stems.

And we have a couple of gems from Beth Orton, including a remix with Andrew Weatherall all over it. How sad that he was taken from this earth far too soon.

There is much, much more - pure pop from Jigsaw, a children's choir singing The Beach Boys and the timeless Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry.

You'll find the full list of additions below. Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or click below.

Blue Flowers - L-Space
Lots of Colourful Lights at All Times of Day - L-Space
Let's Take Some Drugs And Drive Around - The Silos
Apology Accepted - The Go-Betweens
No Fear of Hellfire - Nap Eyes
Twice As Hard - The Black Crowes
Jealous Again - The Black Crowes
By Your Side - The Black Crowes
Let's Spend The Night Together - The Rolling Stones
Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones
Coming Down Again - The Rolling Stones
A Parting Gesture - The Bluetones
Slight Return - The Bluetones
Bluetonic - The Bluetones
Hallelujah (club mix) - Happy Mondays
Who Do You Think You Are - Jigsaw
More News From Nowhere - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Red Telephone - Love
Into My Arms - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Sunday Morning - The Velvet Underground
I'm Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
Here She Comes Now - The Velvet Underground
Beginning To See The Light - The Velvet Underground
Good Vibrations - The Langley Schools Project
Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins
At First Sight - The Stems
Waking Up - Elastica
We're Not Gonna Take It - The Who
Costa Rita - Euros Childs
Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry
Rise and Shine - The Cardigans
Street Tuff (Scar Mix) - Double Trouble
Shame Shame Shame - Shirley and Company
Molly's Lips - Eugenius
Anywhere (Two Lone Swordsmen Remix) - Beth Orton
Call Me The Breeze - Beth Orton
Do Anything You Wanna Do - Eddie and the Hot Rods
Keep On Keepin' On - Nolan Porter
Tougher Than The Rest - Camera Obscura

The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

Trust me #8
The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

In the summer of 2004 I bought a compilation album called Songs for Mario's Cafe by Saint Etienne. Well before then, I had learned that Bob Stanley from the band had exceptional taste in music that was matched by his knowledge and thirst for more.

Every single song on this compilation was like finding treasure. I hadn't heard any of them before! I'll be blogging on some of my favourite compilation albums in 2020.

One of the songs that stood out from this particular compilation was a song called The Music Box by an artist called Ruth Copeland. I was blown away by the music, production, voice and raw emotion that leapt out of this song.

Starting with a children's choir singing a la la la la la la la melody, that you can instantly sing-a-long to, The Music Box makes use of the choir throughout, with Copeland singing in a crystal clear voice over a funky Motown style beat.

Copeland is on a plane to meet a lost love who has written to say he is marrying and has a child. In her pocket she carries the letter and a music box that her lost love had given her. Reading between the lines, the music box kept the flame alive. Now, Copeland feels she has to return the music box which plays their song.

The second verse is heartbreaking, Copeland meets he lost love, hands him the music box and walks away, hearing him open the box and play their song.

I could only hand to him the music box and turn away

And as I walked away from all our love I heard him play

The la la la la la la la melody is what the music box plays, leading to an incredible section of the choir singing the melody and Copeland breaking down, literally sobbing along over a beat that is crying out to be sampled, if it hasn't been already.

Trust me, this is a gem. Check it out below and dig into her limited back catalogue that includes a sensational 8-minute cover of Gimme Shelter.

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

Love Power by The Sandpebbles

I recently bought a magnificent compilation album 1967 : The Year Pop Divided, out on Ace Records Author and music buff Jon Savage chose the tracks and he chose them well.

There are some magnificent songs, but you know that way when one stands out and you play it over and over? Well I got that with the stunning Love Power by The Sandpebbles.

Love Power hit number 14 on the Billboard singles chart and was the sole hit for the band. What a hit it was though!

Ringing bells and a throbbing bass are quickly followed by a powerful and soulful vocal that draws us in quickly. The extra beat that comes in with the horns and the rising vocal for the chorus just lifted me up out of my seat as I was driving along the first time I heard it.

The driving beat goes one step further when the chorus is repeated and then there is a glorious breakdown and things go even higher. The lyrics convey someone head over heels in love, being in that beautiful bubble where it feels like nothing else matters and everything is going your way. What a tune, you believe every word.

When we walk down the street

Oh, we don't care who we see or who we meet

Don't have to run (run), don't have to hide (hide)

Cause we have something burning inside

Cause we got love (love) power (power)

And it's the greatest power of them all

Oh we've got love (love) power (power)

And together we can't fall

Sometimes we're up (up) sometimes we're down (down)

But our feet are always on the ground

We always laugh (laugh), don't have to cry (cry)

And this is the reason why

Cause we got love (love) power (power)

And it's the greatest power of them all

Oh we've got love (love) power (power)

And together we can't fall

instrumental

verse 2 repeated

chorus repeated

.

Going Back To My Roots

Cover version of the month #2
Going Back To My Roots by Ritchie Havens

Last month I started a new feature - cover of the month - with the Gladys Knight and the Pips version of the classic You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', declaring that it might be my favourite cover version of all time.

Minutes later I realised that one of my favourite songs of all time is actually a cover. Since the first time I heard Ritchie Havens doing Lamont Dozier's Going Back To My Roots it has been a staple in my top 3 fave songs ever.

I didn't realise that it was a cover version when I first heard it on a magnificent compilation; All Back To Mine by Sean Rowley. I might blog about that later this month!

I play Ritchie's version any time I DJ; the long funky intro building into a total groove with fantastic house piano, the wah-wah guitar, the ah-ah-ah oh-oh-oh backing vocals,  and then Ritchie kicks in with a rich and soulful vocal full or urgency.

Zippin' up my boots

Going back to my roots

To the place of my birth

Back down to earth

Not talkin' 'bout the roots in the land

I'm talkin' 'bout the roots in the man

Zippin' up my boots, join' back to my roots

I'm homeward bound, got my head turned around

It's difficult to know where the chorus is, the song just flows and keeps on going. The outro is exceptionally powerful with Havens really going for it. His voice throughout his just sublime, pushed to the limit, sounding soulful and true.

It's not black, it's not white

It's not red, it's not yellow.....

It's down to earth, it's down to earth 

The original is also absolutely sublime, a 10-minute epic by one of the most incredible songwriters of all-time. Dozier is absolutely on fire with the vocal delivery and the groove is sensational, leading to an extended africana outro.

Worth noting that a cover by Odyssey is probably the most famous version of the song - but here is the original in all its glory.