Your Custom Text Here
Ranking Roger from The Beat, 1963-2019
Song of the Day: A short musical tribute after the sad loss of Ranking Roger, co-lead singer and MC with the Birmingham ska band that along with Specials became a cornerstone of British and Jamaican music at its best
Read more
Scott Walker, 1943-2019
Song of the Day: A short musical tribute to the great and now sadly late American-born British singer and composer with that extraordinary baritone voice, from his Walker Brothers pop era to a solo career of great influence, innovation and experiment
Read more
Dick Dale in the full 60s surf mode with the Del-Tones
Song of the Day: A tribute to the king of the surf guitar after his recent passing aged 81, hugely influential on Jimi Hendrix and other rock guitarists, the left-hander’s rock guitar style was shaped by his Lebanese background
Read more
The cover of 1997’s Momus album Ping Pong
Song of the Day: To mark the 30th anniversary of the world wide web, a very prescient 1997 song about the online world by the prolific Scottish artist also known as Nick Currie from his 11th studio album (of dozens), Ping Pong
Read more
Single cover for PJ Harvey’s Sheela-Na-GIg (1992)
Song of the Day: Today’s song, in celebration of women, is from the British singer-songwriter from her debut album Dry – a robust defence of and pride in the female body in response to an insulting lover
Read more
Keith Flint of The Prodigy
Song of the Day: Another sudden death of a great performer, and this time a tribute to the Prodigy’s Keith Flint, who began as a dancer for the punk rave band, but who’s magnetic presence turned into a charismatic co-frontman
Read more
The 7-inch Single cover
Song of the Day: Returning to the nextdoor dispute theme, a fabulously catchy number the by Brixton reggae artists and DJ, aka Anthony Henry, relating neighbours’ noise clash from his 1986 album Is It Really Happening To Me
Read more
Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis, 1955-2019
Song of the Day: A triple-song tribute the Mark Hollis, founder songwriter and frontman of the extraordinarily innovative and influential 80s band, whose death, at 64, was recently reported
Read more
Davey Graham, originally spelled Davy
Song of the Day: After the ‘fuss and fight’ of the Paragons and later Massive Attack on Man Next Door, and reverse of perspective from the neighbour making the noise, in a powerful version by the great and underrated English folk guitarist and singer
Read more
Paragons of great rocksteady reggaeL with John Holt
Song of the Day: After A Quiet Place by Garnet Mimms, more neighbour disturbance with a ‘68 rocksteady classic inspired by another song penned by Paul Witt, and then an electronic landmark sung by Horace Andy from 1998’s album Mezzanine
Read more
Garnet (originally Garnett) Mimms
Song of the Day: Following Miles Davis with In A Silent Way, a beautiful ‘64 soul number pleading for silence on a noisy street by the artist who grew up in Philadelphia and developed his Sam Cooke-like voice in church and doo-wop bands
Read more
Miles Davis’s In A Silent Way, recorded 18 February 1969
Album of the Day: A special edition to mark the anniversary of a unique masterpiece recorded 50 years ago today on 18 February 1969 at New York’s CBS 30th Street Studio. Davis’s contribution was small, but key, fitting perfectly alongside the work of other greats
Read more
The Staple Singers - fronted by Mavis
Song of the Day: On the day Donald Trump calls an attention-seeking national emergency to get funding for his controversial wall project, a song from 1973 by the great soul and gospel family with a message that’s loud and clear
Read more
The Beatles recording the White Album at Abbey Road in 1968
Song of the Day: Combining two birthdays, one for the Song Bar itself - now three years old, and less significantly, the Bar’s Landlord, this off-the-cuff rock number was written during the White Album recordings on 18 September 1968
Read more
The Groundhogs
Song of the Day: Deliberately one day after the traditional date of Groundhog Day, life and music repeats itself with two songs by the British 60s band were inspired the great American bluesman and one of his numbers
Read more
Sandi Shaw
Song of the Day: To capture the current state of farcical flux and political impasse over Brexit and US government shutdown, a classic written by Lionel Bart for the musical Oliver!, which also became a feminist 60s pop hit for the female star
Read more
Alabama 3
Song of the Day: After Miss Otis Regrets, another songs about a women who decided to stop taking abuse from a man, this time by the band from Brixton whose song eventually became synonymous with the Sopranos
Read more
Ella Fitzgerald
Song of the Day: After yesterday’s She Drew The Gun songs, let’s go back to an original Cole Porter number from 1934, which contains that shot line of defiance and revenge, a tragic tale about a society woman who simply would not take it anymore
Read more
Louisa Roach from She Drew The Gun
Song of the Day: A pair of finely crafted and powerful songs addressing pain and ongoing social problems from the Liverpool indie pop band fronted by singer and songwriter Louisa Roach from the 2018 album Revolution of Mind
Read more
Coda for a stellar career? David Bowie’s Blackstar
Song of the Day: Exactly three years ago Bowie released his final album, on his birthday, and two days before he died. Was that opening track a coda for a stellar career, referencing a life’s work, his demons and impending death?
Read more