SOTU 469 Friends and Neighbours

a homemade song dedicated to the poor bloke who lives in the flat above me and has to listen to all my plinking

Technical issues have slipped me later than planned (*YAWN*), but I finished recording this an hour ago on 10 Feb: the 50th anniversary of Carole King's album Tapestry. Among a treasure trove of great songs, Tapestry includes a perfect one for this Season: "You've Got a Friend".

I managed to "record" this twice without actually getting a recording, and I wasn't smart enough to stop and get a drink of water, so my voice kind of wandered away on me in a few parts here.

Arcy said:

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Has anyone else noticed that the cartoon head Arcy used in this vid could be a caricature of any one of a good number of the bearded regulars here on the Seasons!

DelGriff said:

Has anyone else noticed that the cartoon head Arcy used in this vid could be a caricature of any one of a good number of the bearded regulars here on the Seasons!

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Well, I don't know whether it could be a caricature of a "good number" of the bearded regulars, so far as I am concerned it looks exactly like you (as I've already told Arcy.) Remember ... imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

After an Amazon delivery this morning I was prompted to resurrect this rock classic about someone who works in your neighbourhood ..........

LimousinLil said:

Well, I don't know whether it could be a caricature of a "good number" of the bearded regulars, so far as I am concerned it looks exactly like you (as I've already told Arcy.) Remember ... imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

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As a member of the accused let me just say I could only dream of a beard that luscious. Red glasses are spot on though.

There now follows a Public Service Announcement -

The next three Seasons are allocated, (or maybe just two if the military coup stops Joko from hosting), but we have gaps for the weeks commencing March 7th & 14th. Any offers to host these weeks will be pounced on by a grateful co-ordinator. Thank you.

Now we return you to Friends & Neighbours....

Apparently this is what I do now when it's snowing outside. Seems a reasonable way to pass the time.

Anyway, here's a Fairport Convention song. Some say it's a song about death. I like to think of it as a song about camaraderie and long term friendship. Richard Thompson wrote it when he was 17 (!), and apparently claimed in an interview that he doesn't know what it's about, so I don't suppose any of us can claim we know any better.

On baritone ukulele, plus a tenor, and a singalong chorus. There's also a brief solo from a squeaky chair, an instrument I've been learning for some time now and I feel like I'm starting to get quite good at it.

So... I’m probably pushing my luck with this one, but I’ll throw myself on the mercy of our glorious host and accept her adjudication, whichever way it goes, with good grace!
I originally did this song for Brian UkeFoote’s justice season a little while back. But it’s one of those songs that sounds better with a female vocal. So a couple of weeks ago I took a punt and asked Mel Meow, a fabulous singer who plays guitar and uke, if she fancied replacing my lead vocal with hers. Happily she said she would, and this is the resulting collaboration. I hadn’t been aware that it fitted this week’s theme until I realised the word friend is there in the lyrics.
So here is the dilemma: the vocal is new this week, the video is new this week, but the music is a good few weeks old. So it’s over to you, Val!

RAB11 said:

As a member of the accused let me just say I could only dream of a beard that luscious. Red glasses are spot on though.

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Well, the beard's got a bit too much colour to be mine. I do have a pair of glasses (my bifocals) that are red from the back, but blue/black from the front.


I had some colour in my beard 45 years ago when I was my brother's best man. (Note the confetti)

My Ramblin' Boy by Tom Paxton

One from The Great Folk Scare of the sixties.

Hi folks! Here’s one inspired by your theme, Val! I’m trying to slog my way through FAWM, (February Album Writing Month) and this is song 6 of, I’m hoping, 14. Wish me luck...

My Neighbor, Conway
Liz Brinker, 2021

Intro


Back when I was little bitty, growing up in Oklahoma City

I had a famous neighbor, so they say

He was a great big country star who wrote sad songs and played guitar

When we met I knew just what he’d say…


Chorus:

Hello, Darlin’, Nice To See You, It’s Been A Long Time…

If we ever met I knew that’s what he’d say

Hello, darlin’, nice to meet you, aren’t you lookin’ fine?

And, I would say, you’re lookin’ fine, Conway



He’d be wearing his famous pompadour and the bright orange suit I saw he wore

While singing songs on TV late one night

It might have been on Porter Wagoner, or Hee Haw, with the lady who had the tag on her hat

I loved that show with all my might, and he’d sing…


Repeat Chorus


On Saturdays after ballet class at Mrs. Latham’s we would ask for

Twitty Burger on Western Avenue

Hoping we might catch a glance of the man himself, there was a chance

He’d come on over and say this right to you…


Repeat Chorus

Break


Well, now as you can probably guess, I never met the man unless

It counts we watched his drummer’s house burn down

We all rode over on our bikes and watched the blaze... a rite of passage

Known to children all the world around

I’m betting they were out on tour, playing concerts sure to lure

Country fans from near and far away

So, though I never met the man, and was too young to be a fan,

He’ll always be my neighbor, Conway, he sang...

Repeat Chorus

Things are intensifying here in Myanmar. As I played this, I could hear protesters marching 3 blocks away....

This song doesn't mention friends or neighbors anywhere in the title or lyrics, but Americans will know it well by the TV show it was the intro for...

I was gonna put this old favourite of my dad's to music, but maybe I'll just share it as is.

The People Upstairs Ogden Nash

The people upstairs all practise ballet
Their living room is a bowling alley
Their bedroom is full of conducted tours.
Their radio is louder than yours,

They celebrate week-ends all the week.
When they take a shower, your ceilings leak.
They try to get their parties to mix
By supplying their guests with Pogo sticks,

And when their fun at last abates,
They go to the bathroom on roller skates.
I might love the people upstairs more
If only they lived on another floor.

OK here we go:

applying the thorton rule for hospital bed

LimousinLil said:

Big thanks to Mel & Del (OF COURSE, your submission is welcomed with open arms!)...

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Thanks so much Val - you’re the hostess with the mostest!
Trying to persuade Mel to join us all here on the Seasons at some point soon - wish me luck!