Season 275 - Put on Your Dancing Shoes

In general, and notwithstanding the fine performances made in this Season, I'm not a great one for making gestures of solidarity over social media. The people responsible will ignore them and the people affected are never going to read them - and I can't imagine in this sad affair that there's many Ariana Grande fans either on the Seasons, or who follow the Seasons.

So this one's not for the victims of the atrocity in Manchester. It's for you: the Wilbert Harrison number made famous by Canned Heat - Let's work together.



Footage from TOTP, 1970 - dancing to Canned Heat.
 
I've had a bit of a marathon catch up and I've listened to and commented on every entry to here. I'm out tonight and I'm away at a small ukulele event this weekend but I will try and keep up with your entries when I can.

I've enjoyed your entries but I'm surprised there has only been one pure instrumental. OTOH, many of you are putting instrumental breaks into your songs which shows how much many of you have come along. There's been a good variety of dance music too, slow & smoochy, up tempo and in between. It's all good.

I'm looking forward to more entries over the weekend. Keep uking.
 
This one has always made me smile...




and dance!
 
I have been in the middle of exam marking this week and I have a wedding to attend in France this weekend, so I am just not going to get a moment to contribute this week. Gulp! First time I have missed two weeks in a row for ages!

So I am offering a bonus here. It's from Fun Week SOTU 142 and is me and my old band Pere Flipat in full flight "Dancing through a Minefield"




Great week so far!
 
Indulge me once again if you will (or won't)...
<TCK>in 1985, when I was about thirteen, I was walking past a record store and saw a record in the window with three smiling fellows on the cover...it looked like the kind of thing I had to hear. I had already been buying punk records that I liked from the late nights listening to the college radio station, and of course I had heard some reggae on there- but I have no idea what this was...it was so different from the roots stuff played on the radio. In any event, it was used and $3, and I had $4 on me, so home it went.
That record was The Pioneers "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" and when I played it, I was knocked over. Knowing what I do now, it was mostly an attempt to cross over to American audiences (ie. watered down pop soul) but I thought it was the best thing ever...So I hit the reggae stacks next time I had cash in my pocket.
Next up was a compilation on Trojan of Desmond Dekker's work, suggested to me by a very pretty mod girl who was much older, and again- I was floored (strangely enough the singers on these records were brothers), so I went to do some reading.
By the time 1987 rolled around, 15 year old me had a Vespa, a crombie coat I bought second hand, a ton of Fred Perry shirts, and a freaking tonic suit (I was the bees knees I thought)...some ridiculously expensive boots and a short crop (I still have that part...LOL). I had found that Britain had once had people who liked this reggae thing, and back then they were called "skinheads". Mom and dad were so proud (NOT-at least I had a job. My records demanded it). In spite of the fact that this music was made a few years before I was born (I was born in 1972), and my version of the scene had long since been turned into this very odd racial thing (I understand it...and how it happened...maybe I just don't like it...OK, I totally don't like it- those guys are jerks) for me it was always the music which immediately takes me to my own personal happy place every time. There is something so delightful in early Reggae, especially if it was popular in England during that short window (1968-1971 or so). I have always loved it, will always love it, and yeah- it makes me wanna dance even though me dancing is like watching a train wreck.
I bought this in 1989...back when I used to write things down. It is an INCREDIBLE side from the Bleechers that I can't even attempt to do justice, but I chose it because it has a historical origin.
Come Into My Parlour- The Bleechers. Inspired by The Spider and The Fly by Mary Howitt, 1829. I searched and searched until I found one our host would enjoy for it's historical relevance...maybe. This was it, and boy do I love this song. I still play these records in the city sometimes, and on the radio...I reckon I always will. I do so enjoy being the "old guy" in these stupid supposedly orthopedic boots that hurt my feet. </TCK>
 
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How the heck do you follow that? Well, I'm just fooling around as it's a lovely evening. Couldn't help but strum one in the yard.
 
You can blame my brother for this. He spends most weekends getting people to dance, as the caller with a number of ceilidh bands around the Manchester area. So when he asked if I did requests, I was expecting a traditional folk tune or two. But instead he suggested this one, a hit in the UK for Liquid Gold in 1980, possibly because he was at at school with their guitarist, Syd Twynham.

 
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This didn't quite work out the way I planned, but then again, what ever does?
The Twitch
 
Spiritual Healing

After all that ska-ing and skanking, the slow smoochie number...

 
Let's Dance

Can't help thinking I've posted these two in the wrong order :)

 
I'm caught up to here with comments.

Irony of Ironies, The uke festival I'm at has a ceilidh tonight but because of the torn cartilage in my knee I decided to give it a miss as I don't want to risk further damage even though it's probably about as good as it's going to be. This means I'm stuck in my hotel room but a good opportunity to catch up.

I may have missed putting a couple of entries on the playlist. If yours is one either, if you are able add it yourself or pm me and I'll add it when. I get home and can do it on my laptop rather than my tablet
 
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