You’re Living Inside My Head – John Ireland

You’re Living Inside My Head – John Ireland (And here’s the bill for your rent)

John Ireland, Thinking Aloud

People my age probably only liked John Ireland, but those a few years older had him living inside their heads, and for the slightly younger of us, we were a little taken aback at the pounding disco beat that emanated from our speakers once we stopped tittering at the suggestiveness of ‘I Like…’ and tracked down Mr Ireland’s earlier hit.

‘You’re Living Inside My Head’ blends an old tune (Greensleeves – remember that one from 1580?)  with sci-fi whistling sounds and mirror ball spinning  beats to create a floor-filler that incorporates both space and time. Ireland’s voice varies between almost whispered and at times somewhat creepy as he ‘Think(s) of you so much, you must be living inside my head’. He also manages to add a confident ‘big brother’ commanding tone that gives an overall edgy effect that leaves one feeling slightly ill at ease, yet intrigued.

The song peaked at Number 8 on the SA Top 20 in 1978 and remains one of the great SA disco tunes of the late 70’s. It’s hard to imagine King Henry VIII to whom Greensleeves is (wrongly according to Wikipedia) attributed, strutting his stuff in his white suit to this song, but I think I can picture Anne Boleyn pulling him onto the dancefloor saying, ‘You have to dance to this.’

John Ireland, Thinking Aloud (German pressing) 1978

Where to find it:

Thinking Aloud – John Ireland (1978), Teal, JIC9999 (vinyl only, unreleased on CD)
Disco Fever – Various Artists (July 1999), Gallo, CDREDD 627 (Out of print, so you may struggle)

Disco Fever

Website:

John Ireland at the SA Rock Encyclopedia

Video:

Single Edit Version

Full Length Album Version

 

Oxford Town – Abstract Truth

Oxford Town – Abstract Truth (A very learned song)

Abstract Truth - Totum

Abstract Truth - Silver Trees & Totum

Abstract Truth were a band just crying out to be the first entry in an encyclopaedia of South African rock music and, if it hadn’t been for Kevin Abraham would have made it as the opening act of the Chilvers / Jasiukowicz ‘History Of Contemporary Music Of South Africa.’  Despite this minor set back, and the fact that the group only lasted a little under two years, they did leave a legacy of gems, one of which is the cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Oxford Town.’

The song was written in response to Broadside’s magazine request for songs about a black student being enrolled in the University of Mississippi, a subject that would have been controversial in the States back in 1962 when it was written and would have been just as controversial in 1970 in South Africa when Abstract Truth did their version. Lyrics like ‘he comes to the door, he couldn’t get in, all because of the color of his skin’ would not have made this a censor friendly ditty, so no radio play then, I guess. Despite this, the album from which it was take (Totum) became one of those internationally sought after rarities, joining the likes of Freedom’s Children, Hawk and McCully Workshop.

Given that this is a cover version, one is obliged to make comparisons to the original and I am going to stick my neck out and say that Abstract Truth’s version is better than Dylan’s. I know that to some people this may be regarded as blasphemy, but there, I said it. I think the reason I regard Abstract Truth’s version as being better than Dylan’s is that Dylan was still learning his trade and forging new directions in music at the time his folky acoustic version was recorded while Abstract Truth had the benefit of a decade that saw rock music develop in leaps and bounds. They took Dylan’s simple arrangement, added some drums and a flute and moved the song from the heart to the head.

Where to find it:

Silver Trees / Totum – Abstract Truth (2005), Fresh, freshcd146

Lyrics:

Oxford Town, Oxford Town
Ev’rybody’s got their hats bowed down
The sun don’t shine above the ground
Ain’t a-goin’ down to Oxford Town.

He went down to Oxford Town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Better get away from Oxford Town.

Oxford Town around the bend
He comes to the door, he couldn’t get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my frien’ ?

Me and my gal, my gal’s son
We got met with a tear gas bomb
I don’t even know why we come
Goin’ back where we come from.

Oxford Town in the afternoon
Ev’rybody singin’ a sorrowful tune
Two men died ‘neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon.

(Written by Bob Dylan)

Video:

Family Tree:

Abstract Truth Musical Family Tree

Nuwejaar / Daar Kom Die Alibama – Central Malay Choir

Nuwejaar / Daar Kom Die Alibama – Central Malay Choir (‘n Klopse Klopse Joke)

Cape Carnival by Central Malay Choir

Woo-hoo, two for the price of one here, which means I will be able to squeeze an extra song into the list at the end – sneaky, I know. However, the sheer joie de vivre that the music of the Kaapse Klopse generates is enough to make you overlook infringements such as this and to go out and dance in the streets.

Nuwejaar and Daar Kom Die Alibama are probably the 2 most well known of songs of this genre and have been performed by countless artists over time. Nuwejaar (New Year for the non South Africans amongst you) is a celebration of, well, New Year, while Daar Kom Die Alibama is a song about the CSS Alabama, a Confederate ship during the American Civil war that made a stop in Cape Town in 1863 for repairs, and during its short stay there, made such an impression on the local population that the song was born, although I have been unable to find who actually penned this song.

The songs have also endeared themselves in the Boeremusiek arena and versions exist with the tune being carried by the accordion, but, if you want to stay true to the roots of the songs there is nothing quite like the banjo-powered versions and to my mind the Central Malay Choir’s version which appears on the compilation CD South African Souvenirs is as good a version as you could hope hear.

Where to find it:

South African Souvenirs – Various Artists (1993), Teal Records, TELCD 2346

Sound Offerings From South Africa, Vol 3 (Daar Kom Die Alibama) – Various Artists, Gallo, CDREDD662

Cape Carnival (Nuwejaar) – Central Malay Choir, Chrysalis, CDCARD6

Lyrics to Daar Kom Die Alibama:

AFRIKAANS

Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see
Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.

Nooi Nooi die rietkooi nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak,
Om daar op te slap
Nooi Nooi die rietkooi nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak,
Om daar op te slap

O Alibama, die Alibama,
O Alibama kom oor die see
A Alibama, die Alibama,
O Alibama kom oor die see

ENGLISH

There comes the Alabama,
The Alabama comes over the sea,
There comes the Alabama,
The Alabama comes over the sea.

Girl, girl, the reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made
For me to sleep on.
Girl, girl, the reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made
For me to sleep on.

Oh, Alabama, the Alabama,
Oh, Alabama come over the sea,
Oh, Alabama, the Alabama,
Oh Alabama come over the sea.

Videos:

Daar Kom Die Alibama by The Goema Captains:

Nuwejaar by Drakensberg Boys Choir:

 

More info about the CSS Alabama

Natalie – Black Hotels

Natalie – Black Hotels (No, it’s not about Ms Imbruglia)

Beautiful Mornings EP – Black Hotels (2007)

Bouncy, jaunty, catchy, toe-tapping. These are just some of the adjectives one could use to describe the opening and standout track on the Black Hotels debut EP, and it’s like that from the first hook till the final note. Clocking at a few seconds over 3 minutes the song undoubtedly draws influence from the resurgent post-punk revival spearheaded by the Strokes at the start of this millennia.

‘There are four pictures in my room, they’re all of me and none of you,’ is a rather strange lyric to start a song that goes on to sing the praises of Natalie, but maybe that says more about the singer than about the girl.

‘Natalie’ is the best introduction a band could have to anyone first trying them out and they have gone on to produce 2 solid albums (‘Films For The Next Century’ and ‘Honey Badger’) since their first EP, but I keep coming back to this track because it’s just so darn good.

Where to find it:

Beautiful Mornings EP – Black Hotels (2007) Sovereign, SOVCD 029

Video: