Song of the Day: From the deserts of Mali with Tuareg band Tinariwen to the Sahara further north, and the sublime singer Oum El Ghaït Benessahraoui from her 2013 album, Soul of Morocco
Read moreOum – Taragalte
Oum El Ghaït Benessahraoui
Suicide / Bruce Springsteen / Neneh Cherry & The Thing – Dream Baby Dream
Suicide's Alan Vega and Martin Rev in 1979
Song of the Day: The dream goes on, but where might it lead next? Reaching into the power of nightmares and fantasies, an original by the US electro-punk duo of Alan Vega and Martin Rev from 1979 and two contrasting covers
Read moreRoy Orbison – Afraid To Sleep
Roy Orbison, a voice of majestic tragedy
Song of the Day: After Santo & Johnny's exquisite, dreamy melody, a song from the man Elvis Presley described has being the world's greatest singer, her with lovesickness that filters into the subconscious
Read moreMarion - I Go To Sleep
Marion Maerz
Song of the Day: After a recent run of German female solo artists and about seeking or not seeking solitude, a 1967 classic written by Ray Davies of the Kinks, and sung by Marion Maerz
Read moreVan Morrison – Bright Side Of The Road
Van the man
Song of the Day: After James Carr's soul classic, let's turn down down an unusually upbeat route written by by the Belfast legend for his 1979 album Into The Music, which includes a lyric inspired by it
Read moreJames Carr – The Dark End Of The Street
James Carr
Song of the Day: Following Nick Cave's Jubilee Street, let's continue down the magnificent but murky musical road with this 1967 soul classic by the Mississippi-born singer from album You Got My Mind Messed Up
Read moreMattiel – Count Your Blessings / Whites Of Their Eyes
Mattiel
Song of the Day: Today's entry comes from the the singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia, who is a designer by day and a performer by night, and here her rock-pop-soul songs reflect this, making multiple reference to colours
Read moreReggie Watts – Fuck Shit Stack
Reggie Watts. A performer of infinite jest.
Song of the Day: Following Childish Gambino's laceration of American history and culture, let's move into loopier acerbic perspective with the comedian, rapper and singer from his 2010 album Why Shit So Crazy?
Read moreEartha Kitt/Nina Simone/Jeff Buckley – Lilac Wine
Eartha Kitt in Las Vegas in the 1950s
Song of the Day: One flower-based song, three great voices doing their versions, all intense, intimate and intoxicating. Let's drink all of them in, interpreting this song written by James Shelton in 1950
Read moreThe Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup / Baby, Now That I've Found You
The Foundations
Song of the Day: After yesterday's Les Fleur by Minnie Riperton, we turned to another uplifting flower song by the great British ethnic-mix Motown-style band who were active between 1967 and 1971
Read moreMinnie Riperton – Les Fleur
Minnie Riperton in 1971
Song of the Day: After our previous Manchester late-80s dance tracks, when flower power returned with a new chemical twist, we hark back to another petal-infused and influential song by the vocalist linked to our previous Rotary Connection selection
Read moreBill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers
Song of the Day: Moving on to a sublime black-hole-where-the-sun-was song by the American artist from 1971's Just As I Am, and written when making toilet seats for 747 aeroplanes, but given a gold when when it was a hit
Read moreThe Supremes – Love is Like An Itching In My Heart
Anyone got a backscratcher for The Supremes?
Song of the Day: Continuing the 'Love is Like" theme from yesterday, something to refresh the musical palate with a thumping classic from Diana Ross and co, penned by the timeless Holland-Dozier-Holland
Read moreKen Dodd – Love Is Like A Violin
Ken Dodd's first of 19 chart hits was this tender tenor number in 1960
Song of the Day: What a perfect day, alongside hailing the tickling stick and five-hour shows, to say that the sadly departed comedian was also a huge 1960s pop star – and his first hit reveals a surprisingly beautiful tenor voice
Read moreAretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Aretha Franklin, of course
Song of the Day: Continuing our woman-man perspective mini-theme, a sublime moment from among the greatest of all voices with a song to stir anyone's emotions
Read moreWomen's suffrage special: Lesley Gore – You Don't Own Me / Ethel Smyth - March of the Women
Millicent Fawcett campaigns for the vote in London's Hyde Park
Song of the Day: Two very contrasting songs to celebrate the centenary of the first legal step into women's suffrage in Britain - the Representation of People Act 1918 - followed by the eventually ratification across the US in 1920.
Read moreJ Dilla – Two Can Win / The Sylvers – Only One Can Win
Maybe nine can win? Fabulous family band The Sylvers
Song of the Day: After yesterday's Ty Segall/Hot Chocolate cover comparison, more material playing on the topic of who or may not be the winner in a relationship from the brilliant hip hop and jazz producer and the 70s funk and soul family group
Read moreMassive Attack – Teardrop
Elizabeth Fraser singing Teardrop on tour with Massive Attack in 2006
Song of the Day: After yesterday's Amy Winehouse, tears of another taste from another enthralling voice – Elizabeth Fraser formerly of the Cocteau Twins
Read moreAmy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own / Back to Black
Amy Winehouse
Song of the Day: The voice, the lyrics and the timing – tears don't get much more moving than this – a double from the much missed singer who had many downs, but undoubtedly hit the heights with her Back to Black album of 2006
Read moreThe Moody Blues / Bessie Banks – Go Now
The Moody Blues in 1965
Song of the Day: As time goes on, this heartbreak song grows in meaning as we say farewell to more and more pop and rock stars, and there's none better than to pay tribute the recently departed Moody Blues frontman Ray Thomas
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