The Shuffle Monkey’s Choosing, So Let’s Dance & Say Hello Bluey!

Yes – The Shuffle Monkey is Back and back doing what he does best, Oh Yes – & rather like good old Adonais of whom Percy Bysshe Shelly wrote on hearing of the death of John Keats in 1821 – “Peace, peace! he is not dead, he doth not sleep – He hath awakened from the dream of life” – That’s the good Shuffle meister for you!

So, as it’s been a while what’s this Blog about? Quite simply, it’s about Keeping The Faith for All Good Music and Letting The Shuffle do it’s thing!
The Shuffle Monkey & I now have over 12,600+ tracks loaded onto the iPlayer & available to us wherever & whenever (internet connection willing) via iCloud – Do we feel liberated? Do we feel powerful? No, but we sure do feel funky!!

And the numbers of tracks grows every day! Each carefully chosen from our funky and soulful past & they all mean something to the monkey & I.

Plus 12,600 adds up to over 35 Days of pure continuous listening pleasure if you were to do it in a Oner! But that’s not the name of the game Here – Every time we KeepItOnShuffle it’s a capture of the Dozen or so Tracks which Msr Le Shuffle randomly picks out of His little Bag & it sure is an eclectic Mix – Anything can and does pop-up & it’s Personal, Quirky, Inspiring…?

Certainly judging by many of the comments received over the past wee while from right across the World too, all of you seem to have found this an interesting Trip and the whole idea rather Inspiring!! That’s great and Thank You. We’ll certainly keep doing it now & for a little while longer to boot!

So, let’s press Shuffle and see whether today’s journey will strike a chord! Of course, as I’ve said before, the journey’s not just about the music, but the order in which the tracks play and we don’t edit or play around with that, just record in real time: &, just like Proust’s “Madelienes”, it’s the memories and the remembrances they invoke and indeed, what they inspire! The very essence of the Human Condition.

As an adjunct then to whatever else you may do, I hope this will continue to inspire you to go and search out and listen to today’s tracks when the Monkey & I list them in the order they play as part of this Blog. Do so in the same order because that is where the real surprise and the real delight will be – right there in that change between one type of music, mood & tempo and another. Go with the flow and let that track that comes right out of left field catch you and put you right back in a moment when… !

And I also hope you continue to enjoy some of the stories and memories they invoke for me as well!!

Happy travelling on your “Whatever’s In My Head” journey & remember, Keep The Faith & We’ll Keep It On Shuffle!

And Yes Today we take the Train – Well it sometimes beats the Bus? – as Gladys Knight kicks us off again Today with the Classic, “Midnight Train To Georgia” – Such Soul, Such Passion, A Story – The Whole World in the Lyrics of a Simple Love Song!; And this is quickly followed by a veritable Steam Train of a GEAR CHANGE with Iggy Pop & The Stooges and they Pound us into submission – Willing Submission – with, “Search & Destroy” – Essential!

An interesting Bowie link – & Look out for a great recent Publication of some brilliant Photographs of Sir Bowie from the 70’s – Anyway, this connects Lou Reed to Mott The Hoople who play for us, “Sweet Jane” – & didn’t Bowie produce Albums for each of these artists as well as playing Sax & doing Backing Vocals etc on at least 2-of-the-3 – if not all 3? i.e. Lou, Iggy & Mott.

And this is followed as only the Shuffle Monkey knows how with Stephen (Tin Tin) Duffy &, “Kiss Me” – He was out of Duran Duran by then; & Msr Le Shuffle switches to Spain – & that is why we love him – Coz here is Malu with, “Caminante Nocturno” – & yes me and the Monkey have seen Malu in a packed Placa Mayor in Madrid – Oh Yeah. & light up the Marlborough!

Ooh – Some other sort of stuff now – with first, The Force &, “Rock Your Baby (12″ Version)” – Completely utterly right there circa 1977-8 DISCO – This is Chris Hills et al – Lacy Lady, The Copford Windmill, Tracy’s...; & this is followed by an ultra Jazz Funk Groove with Eddie Henderson &, “Prance On” – The Disco Monkey is spoiling us!!
GEAR CHANGE again though next as Hotlegs pulsate into view with an early – 1971? track – “Neanderthal Man” – Now Hotlegs were basically Godley & Creme who went on to form the nucleus of 10CC (It might have been the other two though… ? Stewart & ?) – Anyway, I know, If I was referring to notes and did my research it would be interesting – But where’s the fun in that!! 10CC took their name of course from – Yes, You Know – The average amount of Ejaculated Seamen – Now I don’t know about you, but Glass in Hand, who goes about measuring that?? And I’ve seen ‘There’s Something About Mary’ & Well, there’s more then 10 ml in Cameron Diaz’s Hair, Buddy!

Some Great Soul/Disco next though with Shirley Jones sounding very much like the Jones Girls obviously, on “Finally”; & this is followed by another Amazing GEAR CHANGE from the Shuffle Monkey with Bad Company &, “Rock Steady”!

Back to Jazz Funk with Patrice Rushen &, “Message In The Music”; And we stay in this Great Groove with Incognito – Hi Bluey!! & something Pretty recent from them – The Brilliant, “Everything We Are”; Which in turn is followed by a true Masterpiece in Modern Soul with Eddie Billups singing, “Shake That Dream” – I think we’ll tweet that later through @desfume; Which in turn is followed by Prince &, “Cream” – Now, Why Oh Why Wee Monkey here is my Question – “Why Couldn’t that have followed Hotlegs?”

And Finally today, some Classic Smooth Soul from Sylvia with, “Sweet Talk” – Who is not only remembered as well for “Pillow Talk” – but also founded and run the SugarHill Record Label – Rappers Delight et al!! And this is followed on the slide down to Grace by Terri Gonzales &, “Treat Yourself To My Love” – & then Norman Connors plays us out with the Classic, “East 6th Street” – Which also features Aquarian Dream – So Keep The Faith, Coz – I Got A Thing For You And I Can”t Let Go, &, What I’d Do For Love (Bobby Caldwell)… Meanwhile, We’ll Keep It On Shuffle, here at Shuffly Towers 🙂

“The Dutch Have A Word For It Shuffle Monkey!”

“Pronkstillevens”, they say around Old Amsterdam, as Old Bertolt & Bowie & Brel have been want to Sing, &, it means in Painting Terms, “Sumptious Still Lifes” – But The Shuffle Monkey is All Jackson Pollock if anything & in His little Abstract Heart there’s nothing remotely Still Life about what this Simian throws down & Today is no exception as he starts us off with The Originals, & “Californian Sunset” – rather moody, Pacific West Coast Soul. Followed by Dazz &, “Brick”; & then Father’s Children &, “Hollywood” and Chain Reaction with, “Hogtied” – Chain reaction of course were Bruce Ruffin (‘I’m Mad About You’) Dave Collins – Brother of Ansel (‘Double Barrel’ – no less) – & the other one who I should remember, but I can’t and The Shuffle Monkey’s no hope with His Banana addled Brain!!

Next it’s Bowie with, “Everyone Says Hi” – a more contemporary track, but excellent; Interesting – Danny Wilson next with, “Mary’s Prayer” – Lighters’ Aloft!; & back to some Soul now with ZZ Hill, who has one of those Voices & this is just one of those Deep Soul Songs, “Make Me Yours” – 4-to-the-floor; Speeding up a little, but still on the Soul Side comes Arthur King, with “Fear”; And now a real Corker, The Supremes with“Bad Weather” – We have several versions of this great track in the Shuffle Monkey’s Mix-Bag, but check the groove on this cut and Blow Your Whistle!

GEAR CHANGE – Some Reggae with Bunny Wailer &, “The Oppressed Song”; GEAR CHANGE, Again – Rose Royce &, “Get Up Off Your Face” – A Tad Darker & Heavier than Car Wash; Followed by “Tite Rope” – Harold Alexander blowing His Funky Horn; then another GEAR CHANGE & a bit of ‘Blue Grass’ Beatles, or rather, I should say Handsome Hank swinging “Back In The USSR” – Hey, Hey, Hey! Airplane Landing!!

Duke Pearson follows that and whilst I catch my breath I must ask – How did we get here? But it’s fabby – Cool, Piano Driven Samba, with a great vocal, “Sandalia Dela”; & finally today The Man, Mark Murphy with, “Love Is What Stays” – Some of Mark’s stuff has been more recently remixed by Nicola Conte and works really well – This cut though is a straight ahead take! I had the pleasure of seeing Mark Murphy play in Edinburgh a while back – Another Story, like The Gil Scot Heron “Birmingham’ Adventure, which will feature in a Future Blog – Anyway, Catch Mark, if you can, while you still can!! And Keep The Faith, Be Awesome & We’ll Keep It On Shuffle… Oh Yeah! 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog 106 Or Getting It Wrong Is The New Getting It Right!

Oh, Save Us Please – The Fashionista’s are now saying that the Yummy Mummy’s don’t want to be seen as having it all sorted and looking just So anymore, just because they can afford to – Oh no, out goes the Boden styling (other labels of course may apply??) and in comes stuff to wear with an Edge and a bit of an Attitude, to show that they are down with the Poor(er) amongst ‘Us’ – So, it’s Ok then to now look like you haven’t got it all sorted – mmhm, Well, it passed the Monkey and Me by the first time round and we’ve had a Raft of Kids between us – although clearly not with each other – That would be a Werner Herzog film… Anyway, the Guff you can squeeze to milk some column inches – & we can say that as one of us used to be a Journalist, 100 years ago – & it weren’t the one with Paws in this relationship!

Still, something far more interesting to Msr Le Shuffle & I – &, far more likely to up your standing in the Pub Quiz Team – & a Shout Out for Inveralmond Brewery while we’re about it – Did you know that when it opened in 1897, The Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair was known as The Coburg? And they didn’t let Monkey’s in then and they still don’t now – even if they are wearing a Tie – We know,  we’ve tried!! Twice…

And so to Business, &, first off Today is Jane Birkin with, “Qoui” – Questions, Questions, So Many Questions; & to follow and still in French is Celine Dion with, “pour QueTo M’aimes Encore”; whilst Robert Plant barges in with, “Even This Shall Pass Away” – Highly recommended as He’s got quite a little groove going on & it certainly sounds as though Beck’s had an influence – which would close a circle as Jane Birkin’s daughter – Charlotte Gainsburgh’s latest Album was produced by Beck – We Know, You Know!! And behind Mr Plant, David Bowie crashes through the safety fencing with, “Always Crashing In The Same Car” – off the mighty and game changing Album, ‘Low’!

A Great GEAR CHANGE next with a Great Group and A Great Song – The Persuasions with an Acappella version of, “Up On The Roof” – Go Hear It!! And then a quick one-two into Euro Disco Land with Madileen Kane &, “You Can” from the aptly named Album, ’12” & More’ – You just couldn’t get away with it Now, could you… Well, perhaps not with a straight face – but the Monkey & Me are impressed – Not Hard!! And Major Lance comes and Lances that Boil with a Touch of Northern Soul called, “Don’t Fight It” – Majestic; And then we have The Velvet Underground coming down from a hard Saturday Night with a Trippy, “Sunday Morning”!

The Shuffle Meister digs even deeper next and pulls out some fantastic Jazz Fusion Funk with his Socks, from Brother Jack McDuff & this sweetie is called, “Ju Ju”; & the Jazz continues with the Japanese Group The Natives with, “Love To You”; & this is tailed by the Splendid Dusty Springfield &, “You Didn’t Have To Say You Love Me”!

A guilty pleasure follows and a return to Une Francais with, “J’attends Siffler Le Train” by Richard Anthony – &, of course, we know the Track better in English by it’s title, ‘500 Miles’!! And what better than a bit of DISCO next from the early 1980’s & BMP with, “Loc It Up” – & we don’t care if there is a bloody drum machine !-)
And Finally today four Super Tracks to play us out – Firstly, its’ Jimmy Ruffin &, “Tell Me What You Want” (Extended Mix) – Secondly, “It’s Your Love” by Ethel Beatty which of course originally appeared on Roy Ayer’s Uno Record Label; Thirdly we have some more Jazz Fusion with David Benoit &, “Life Is Like A Samba”; & Lastly we 2-Step out with the Mighty Gladys Knight & her band of little Pips singing, “Just Walk In My Shoes” – Well take ’em off first, we say!! So Be Awesome, Plant Your Feet, Keep The Faith & We’ll Keep It On Shuffle 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog 99 Or We’re Not A One Man Band!

Nor, A One Monkey Band either, I hasten to add – Coz it’s definitely Me & the Shuffle Monkey cruising on a Sea of Love, Funk, Soul & many other Righteous forms of Music in the Good Ship – keepitonshuffle @desfume – But Leo Sayer blasts the Claxon Horn first Today with what I’m pretty sure was his first commercial success in the early 1970’s, “One Man Band” – & there he was dressed as a Clown & Jumping out of Dustbins, as you would if dressed as a Clown – Or did he actually live in a Dustbin for a while, I canee mind? He now lives in Australia though I believe, but Tours Europe regularly, &, He also wrote “Thunder In My Heart” that got a massive turbo-charged Disco remix at the back-end of the 80’s, &, of course he also wrote the Classic, “Giving It All Away” – which was a solo Hit for Roger Daltry!

And we keep in the 1970’s as the next three tracks confirm our credentials here at Monkey Towers of being the Broad Church of Keeping The Faith for All Good Music – Firstly, it’s Jo Jo Gunne with, “Run Run Run”, which I’d forgotten Slows Down at the End, but is still a Blistering Track – Secondly, it’s another visit from Creedence Clearwater Revival with, “Looking Out My Backdoor”! – & then we have the Epic, Gear Changing Soundscape of, “Station To Station” from a certain David Bowie – It’s too late to be grateful, it’s too late to be later than, it’s too late to be hateful… It’s too late…!!

Oh my, we remain in the 1970’s – Timelocked, like in a version of the Time Tunnel – but we’re moved across Genre’s & we’re into Punk and on the path laid down by Bowie’s chum Iggy Pop with the blistering Power Chords of the Sex Pistols giving us, “Pretty Vacant” – & Boy that’s Still got some Awesome Muscle!! And we remember being in Richmond (London) in 1976 when Bill Grundy had a 6 o’clock spat with Johnny Rotten & Glen Matlock & assorted Punkette chums on the Thames News! GEAR CHANGE now and we’re into Blue Note territory & Tripping with Kenny Burrell &, “Midnight Blue”; which followed by another slab of Happening Jazz, although bringing us firmly up to date with The Natives &, “Dragon Jump”! Cool-As-Coolade!!

The great Freda Payne next with not, ‘Band Of Gold’ – but another brilliant song called, “Tell Me Please” – written by Skip Scarborough no less; & this is followed in turn by a terrific modern mash-up from Josh Milan & Honey Sweet with, “Wake Up”; And Finally Today let’s Fire Up The Funk & Light up a Tote – It’s Rick James & He’s, “Busting Out (On Funk)” – Bloody Righteous – So Plant Those feet, Be Awesome, Keep The Faith & Me & The Monkey will Keep It On Shuffle – Promise!! 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead – Blog 92 – Or, It’s Christmas!

No, of course it’s Not, but the Shuffle Monkey watches neither the Clock, nor has his Piqued Eye on the Calendar – & for our First Track Today we get a Righteous Slice of Kurtis Blow & “Christmas Rappin” – Ho, Ho, Ho!! And this is speedily followed on the Mother of all Sledges drawn by a Team of Hungry Huskies – Yes, Zucchero – I know you were ahead of us & Here he is serenading us with, “Quonti Anni Ho” – & Ho, Ho, Ho again, &, this comes from His, ‘Live In Italy’ Album!!

Elastica spring-up and into place next with, “2:1” – Justine liked to keep her song titles Numerical, like her Boyfriend of the time – Blur’s Damien Albarn – & this is followed by the completely marvellous and certainly under-rated Swing Out Sister – the Shuffle Monkey & I commend them to you, The Jury – & Go and check out this Track, “Something Every Day”; Whilst David Bowie – Yet again, Swings by Next with, “Boys Keep Swinging” – Which catapulted him into the 1980’s and just pre-dates his next phase after Berlin etc – ‘The Serious Moonlight’ Era! And Clare Teal closes this segment with, “One More” – Try it, One More Dip In The Ocean, One More Fish In The Sea… Happy Music!!

Some Bionic Boogie to follow next with, “Dance Little Dreamer (12″ Extended)” – Extended what, we Don’t know?? And then we have Teddy Pendergrass singing as part of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes from about – 1974? – & what a Track, “Be For Real” – & this version is All 7.31 Glorious Divine Minutes…; Whilst Linda Clifford (who was married to Curtis Mayfield) Blows us away with the Track, “With You”!

Next up is not only a Great song writer, but also not a Bad Singer either – Lamont Dozier & he provides us with one of his own compositions – “It’s The Same Old Song” – You Know It! And to Follow we go on a Moon Safari with Air as, “Kelly Watch(es) The Stars”!! That leads into Rod ‘The Mod’ Stewart who is back in the House with the Majestic, “Handbags & Gladrags”; & up on the fence comes the Original of, “Summer The First Time” by Bobby Goldsboro – This takes me right back to 1974 & Pauline from Letchworth – Which I don’t believe has a Public House in it’s boundary? – Well, it didn’t, but that’s no excuse – there are always Board Games!

And Blue Magic are now, “Chasing Rainbows”; Whilst Wilbert Longmire ups’ the ante further with his version of the Classic, “Loves Holiday” – written by Skip Scarbrough – & Earth Wind & Fire do a Great Vocal version – but this version by Mr Longmire however is a Great Jazz-er; & Keeping in the Jazz Groove the Mighty, Mighty Mark Murphy follows with, “Love Is What Stays” – A voice Aged in Life & Love – Love Found, Love Lost, Just Love & the Price We Pay!

David Bowie hits us again now – It’s very early Bowie though with, “The Laughing Gnome” – &, well, You’ve just got to Laugh, Haven’t You – & he is sounding not unlike a Young Anthony Newley – But then again we know that – Coz We/You Are In The Know – & Once Upon A Once Upon A Time, I used to have a version of both this Track &, ‘Love You To Tuesday’ in German – But that was on Cassette!! It was a Miracle of course we survived such a Dark Age- but the Monkey & Me believe in Miracles and here’s a great song to Proove it – the Jackson Sisters &, “I Believe In Miracles” – Classic & Class!! And this brings us to our last Track Today picked by the Shuffle Meister & Yes, It’s The Mighty, Mighty, Mighty George Benson – Who I believe is Touring again Soon – & this is one of his more recent cuts, “Show Me The Love” – From The Album, ”Songs & Stories’ – So, Keep The Faith, Keep It Real, Be Awesome & We’ll Keep It On Shuffle, Promise! 🙂

 

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog 90 or Doubts & Suspicions Turn Me To Ice, But Happy Father’s Day Anyway!

Mozart again – with a Little poetic license from the Shuffle Monkey thrown in re Father’s Day – & this time we’re drawing from, ‘Le Nozze Di Figaro’ – Doesn’t look as though it’s going to be all plain sailing, or indeed a very happy marriage though with all that ‘Doubt & Suspicion’ & talk of ‘Ice’ to boot – Take the Midnight Train To Georgia, We Say here at Monkey Towers!

Anyway Frank Sinatra is back in the House & kicks us off Today with, “I Can’t Believe I’m Loosing You” from the Album, ‘Softly As I Leave You’ – Which is a Classic Track in its’ own right & Msr Le Shuffle has already pulled it out of the pack in an earlier Blog with Matt Munro doing the Impeccable Honours! And then we get an immediate GEAR CHANGE with a Tractor v Deeper Substance remix of David Bowie’s, “Let’s Dance” from the ‘Club Bowie Rare & Unreleased’ Album – Positively Inspired & Banging!

Noah & The Whale follow next and they’re channeling their Velvet Underground on this Track I must say – Check out, “Wild Thing” from their Album ‘Last Night On Earth’, &, You’ll see what I mean! And next up is JD73 with some righteous, uplifting Bumpity Bump called “Be Mine (Feat. Lana)”; & then we get Quincy Jones with, “The Verb To Be” from the ‘Back On The Block’ Album circa 1986; which in turn is followed by the mighty Kinks &, “Lola” – the Shuffle Monkey clearly likes this One – & why Not!!

Next up is Crusho feat. Marilyn David with, “Someone To Love” – Righteous!; & Rene & Angela follow with, “Banging The Boogie” – & this doesn’t sound far off The Jacksons in their Prime – Mighty Mighty!! The Righteous Grooves continue with Black Heat &, “No Time To Burn” – Very Down On It! And two great Songsters next who are shaking their Groove Thing for us – Perry & Sanlin get down with, “We’re The Winners”; Followed by a more subdued Jerry Lee Lewis with, “You Win Again” – Marvellous!!; & Finally in this Segment another GEAR CHANGE & this time into C’est Chic Une Francais with Les Gam’s singing, “L’ete Reviendra”!

We return to some Soul – It’s never far away in the Monkey’s Mix – & it’s a Big song from a Big Group – The Mighty Dells & the Full 12″ version of, “All About The Papers” – It’s Storming, so Join Us & Get Down! And we then returnez to Un Francais with two of my Favourite French Chansons Etienne Daho & Charlotte Gainsburgh giving it large on, “If”; & this is Followed by a Country & Western Legend, Charlie Rich with a C&W Classic, “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” – Oh Yes!

And Finally Today, Two Brace of Prime-Time Tracks to Play us out – All from The Disco End of the Shuffle Monkey’s vast Catalogue – & they’re All Goody Goodies – First is Michel Poinareff with, “Lipstick” – A Disco Anthem; Secondly from the Soul-end of Disco come the Stovall Sisters with, “Hang On In There”; Third-up the Mighty Sister Sledge &, “You Fooled Around” – Pure Disco Discharge! And Finally the Main Ingredient with, “Evening Of Love (7″ Mix)” – Pure Soul Disco Ecstasy! Hunt them down on You Tube, or iTunes – Listen, Watch, Enjoy & Keep The Faith because we are Most Definitely Keeping It On Shuffle 🙂

 

 

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead – Blog 87 or For Your Eyes Only!

Well – I’ve fessed up to you and the Shuffle Monkey re my Favourite Bond Book & Film – ‘Goldfinger’ & ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ respectively – & now I’ve admitted to both Dame Shirley’s, Swirls & Twrills, “Diamonds Are Forever’ & Sheen Easton’s, ‘For Your Eyes Only’ being my sort of joint favourite Bond Movie songs – so, what’s our first track today under the guidance of Msr Le Shuffle? – Yes, you’ve guessed it – “Purple Haze” – The Jimmy Hendrix Experience – I know, me too! I do also have a soft spot for Roger Moore in the role though!! And Jimmy is followed in great style by Will Young &, “Leave Right Now” – You couldn’t make it up! – A lovely song though and we will always remain true to the whims of the wee shuffly thing – If It’s In The Mix, It’s In!

Next up and hey Ho, we’re into SCHOOL DISCO time with a veritable cornucopia of ’70’s Tunes – Firstly, David Cassidy with, “Daydreamer” – We’ve had the French Version and the Modern Soul versions already, but this has got to be my Favourite & I used to have my Hair like that – Sans Partridge Family – Thought it suited me better than a Ziggy… But Second-up is the Character who followed Ziggy under the Guiding Hand of David Bowie, &, it’s a Classic rendition of, “Diamond Dogs” – Which also introduced the Jene Genie, ‘In the year of the scavenger, the season of the bitch… young girl, they call him the Diamond Dog” – Third-up are the Real Thing with not one of their usual ones, but still very much a Classic mid-70’s, Summer Groove Real Thing, Thing – “Lady, I Love You All The Time” – & Fourthly come The Jacksons with the Classic, “I’ll Be There” – Extra points if you remember the Cartoon series they featured in with The Osmonds – & No, I’m not making it up! And thanks to the great Philadelphia International Records 40th Anniversary Collection, we now have even more Jacksons’ tracks to add to the Mix – Not so with the Osmonds though I’m afraid – We already have all their little goodies in the Monkey’s Bag!!

Jazz Funk time now with some laid back Bobbi Humphrey &, “Just A Love Child” – London in the Summer, Oh Yes! And this is followed in ultimate style by Al Green singing, “Your Heart’s In Good Hands”.

Two great Back-to-Back GEAR CHANGES next with firstly Aerosmith &, “Love In An Elevator” – which seques nicely into Levon Helm singing the Excellent, “Single Girl, Married Girl” – Just Love His voice, which has got even more Corn-Husker since The Band – & Thank you Shuffle Monkey for such an inspired Juxtaposition!

Mark Murphy scats into Town next with, “Be Bop Lives (Boplicity)”; & a Righteous Summer Groove follows from Malo with, Suavecito” – Beautiful! Whilst the Final Two Tracks to play us out Today come from two Motown Girl Groups – Firstly, The Supremes with, You Can’t Hurry Love” – enough said; & Secondly High Inergy with another of my Favourite Tracks ever – “You Can’t Turn Me Off” – Slap Dab in the Middle of Turning Me On – & ‘Slap Dab In The Middle’ is also a great Disco Track in it’s own right sung by Jackie McClean – What You Say Monkey, Soon! So Keep The Faith & We’ll Keep It On Shuffle 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog 68 or Support Tala Lee-Turton To Go & Train With The Bolshoi Ballet!

The Shuffle Monkey is impressed, &, I am Impressed by The Great Achievement of 16 Year Old Tala, Who has just been Offered a place to Train at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia – If She can Go, She will be only the 9th British Person to have trained with the Bolshoi in it’s 239 Year History – But it Costs Money, So If You Know any Cool Cats (or Monkeys) who Who Dig their Ballet Grooves as well as their Keep It On Shuffle Grooves & Feel inspired like we Do here at Shuffle Towers, Please go visit her Sponsorship Website at – http://www.gofundme.com/m0jvk or Just keep in touch with All the Deserved Press Coverage at – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/9242721/Teenager-from-Barnsley-to-dance-with-Bolshoi-ballet.html – & A Big Shout out for her Mum, Sara (& I Spelled it Right!) who I used to work with at Thingy!!

And to The Groove, but probably not Swan Lake Today, although Who knows with the Little Shuffly One – What, Oh What do we have on the iPlayer Today? Well first off, What A Great Song & last heard on the Sound Track of ‘The Little Fockers’ – But don’t let that put you off – It’s The Rascals &, “Beautiful Morning” & it’s Just So Up Beat 1960’s & Austin Powers & So Yer, Baby!! Next up is a Monkey Special Swerve into Teenage Fanclub with, “Dumb Dumb Dumb” – Which then Para-glides into a Momentus GEAR CHANGE with the Jones Girls singing, “When I’m Gone” – B,B Beautiful; & Keeping the Groove, we have another Fabulous Female Soul Singer, although un solo & She was Championed by Brother Roy Ayers no least back in the day & she does have rather a unique Pitch to her Voice – Oh Yes, it’s Sylvia Striplin singing, “Will We Ever Pass This Way Again” – Super, Groovy & Far Out!

George Benson follows with one of his great ‘Pop-py’ Songs, but no less brill for that & it is rather Catchy – It’s, “Love X Love” – Go Listen & Sing Along! Oooh, Whos’ That Knocking At My Door Next – No, Not ‘Tom The Pepper’ – It’s that Australian Dude with The Mullet, Nick Cave who with his Bad Seeds (Just Water them Mate, &, Talk To Them A little Too) is giving us, “West Country Girl” – All Charm & Enchantment Stuff, from ‘ The Boatman Calls’!

A Spectacular move into Reggae next & an Old Gold Classic, “A Lovers Concerto” which comes Tumbling right out of the Trojan Lover’s Rock Back Catalogue, &, Here it is sung beautifully – Like a Norfolk Turkey, Bernard – by Dimple Hind – Bloody Oooh! And Next it’s even more inspirational in it’s conceit and Audacity from Msr Le Shuffle coz he’s only gone and pulled out Salford’s Gloomy One – Morrisey is Up & Off the Bench with, “My Love Life” – Now Look Here Mate, It Can’t Be as Dire As Mine!! It’s A Great Tune though, off ‘Suedehead’ if my memory serves me right, which of course, is always Questionable & Thingy!!

Tamco follows with a Bertol Brecht song, “In The Port Of Old Amsterdam” – Baal, &, I Know, Coz I’ve been there My Tulips – I was also that Little Mouse Who Clip Clippity Clopped Under The Stair, But That’s Another Story & As Far as I know there is no Law against impersonating a Mouse In A House In Old Amsterdam – But Anyways, We also have Marianne Faithful & David Bowie singing versions of this Song in the Mix, So Keep Your Ears Open! And Finally Today, It’s by Chance, Nay, By The Inspiration & Sheer dedication of the Shuffle Monkey – But It’s definitely One I’d like to dedicate to both Tala & Sara – “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Staton – Of Course it’s the Bob Sinclar Remix, But What else would you expect!! So, Keep The Faith – Sponsor If You Can – & Whatever, I’ll Keep It On Shuffle 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog 42 Or Rust or Lust

“Some Love Is Fire, Some Love Is Rust, But The Finest Cleanest Love is Lust” – & today Mr Shuffle kicks as off with, “Love On Top” with Beyonce in fine Form – A Pounding Tune; Next up it’s an Inspired selection with Old Style Kylie Minogue and a resounding bumpity bumpity, “I Should Be So Lucky“; GEAR CHANGE now with a great cover of the Sam Cooke Classic, “You Send Me” by the Pondersoa Twins – Let’s Hope Hoss is on Lead Vocals and little Michael Landon gets that ‘Little House On The Prairie’ – Actually when you listen to the Track and the Perfect Close Harmonies, I think you’ll agree that there are more than Twins in the Mix!; Tommy Dorsey & His Band follow with a very young Frank Sinatra guest vocal-ing on, “Trade Winds”; Back to the Funk & indeed, “The Funky Ride Of Life” now, with Deirdre Gaddis belting it out for us!; Cat Walk Favourites Gorgol Bordello next with a very spirited, “My Companjera”; The Fabulous Emotions bring us right back up into the SATURDAY NIGHT FOREVER Groove with a Great Cut, “All Night, All Right”; Quickly followed by those marvellous songwriters and performers  Ashford & Simpson &, “Everybody’s Got To Give It Up” – & Who Didn’t these Guys write Songs for in their Time??; Frank Sinatra again but now with a Track from his great Columbia Years &, I think, one of his favourite songs to boot because of the association with his Daughter, “Nancy With The Smiling Face” – This is before said Daughter took up with that Lee Hazelwood and started walking in those Boots!; & Finally an Epic Song to Play us out & David Bowie with the Full Hornby Train Set Thing Going On &, “Station To Station” – Boy, How He had changed in just a couple of Years from Glam Rock & Power Chords, through ‘Blue Eye Soul’ & Funk, to this Trans European Brooding Durm & Strangwork-out – Bloody Marvellous!! Keep The Faith & I’ll Keep It On Shuffle, Till Next Time 🙂

keepitonshuffle@whateversinmyhead.com – Blog No. 30

Oh yes, Mr Leroy Hutson eases us in today with the oh so beautiful, “I Bless The Day” – Can it get any better than this? Check it Out!!; Well Mr Shuffle the Shuffle Monkey is having a bloody good shot of keeping it close to Soul Heaven (Capt) Norman Connors follows with, “We Both Need Each Other” – & Michael Henderson &, I think Jean Carn are doing the vocals – I should go and look, but if anyone knows why don’t you tell me!; No, No, No – Yes, Yes, Yes – Some More Great Soul next with the Ebonys & the fabby Summer Groove of, “Do You Like The Way I love You” – A Question none of us should never take for granted!; A very Strong Opening three then I’m sure you’ll agree & the next track up from the Shuffle Monkey would have almost won Mr Shuffle Game, Set & Match (Check out the Triology of the same name, by Len Deighton, as well!) – it’s herself, Cilla Black with, “Surround Yourself With Sorrow” – Fabby, Fabby, Fabby – But it had to be herself singing this in Italian – It’s in the Mix, somewhere – for the Big Prize! Never mind though, A valiant effort & we also have Sandi Shaw singing in both French & Italian for our future delight & when the Shuffle Monkey gets round to them! A lot of the 1960’s and early 70’s vocalists also recorded their stuff in French, Italian, Spanish – Mixed it up & Played Around with it – Early Days of Pre & Post EC Membership for the UK & all that, increased foreign travel and foreign holidays with Freddie Laker et al, & lucrative markets opening Up – There is a great version of Bowie singing, ‘Love You Till Tuesday’ in German & of course, he did ‘Space Oddity’ in both Italian & Spanish as well, &, Hero’s later in the 70’s in both German & French – Anyway, they are all at the disposal of Mr Shuffle, so Fingers & Toes crossed for the Future; And what to follow all that with then? – Oh Yes, The Van Dykes with, “Save My Love For A Rainy Day” – 4-To-The-Floor – This is Northern Soul & Saturday Night Forever & I’m Dancing, Yeah!; And it looks like there’s going to be no rest for me because now we have Nicola Conte – Big respects! – With, “Do You Feel What I Feel” – This should be on Spool, but that would be Cheating!! Anyway, the Tracks off, ‘Love & Revolution’, but I don’t know who’s singing – So Again, Anyone Out there who does Know?? A Heavy Storming Big Disco Number follows from Colonel Abrams with, “Trapped” – (12″ Vocal Mix) & very much of it’s time, but no less fabby for that!; & Finally today Michael Jackson & “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” circa the Great ‘Thriller’ Days – Do Keep The Faith Then & I’ll Certainly Keep It On Shuffle!! :))