Record of the Week

Midnight in Moscow
by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen



On hearing the sad news of the passing of Kenny Ball today, our dear notjustmum played this as a tribute. We both remarked that this was a sound we grew up with and, as they were regular guests on the Morcambe & Wise shows on BBC tv, a sight very familiar to us.

My dad was a trad jazz man... Chris Barber in particular... but Kenny Ball would do and he was a regular on the radio and telly throughout the 60s and well into the 70s.

A hit for Kenny and the boys in 1961, but sounding as fresh today as it ever did. A great foot-tapping, dance inducing tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face and will have you singing or whistling it all day long.

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Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen web site...

Record of the Week

To Be In Your Eyes
by The Church



I played this last week and can't get it out of my head... so, Record of the Week it is.

Having said that, this is probably... maybe... one of my desert island discs. Perhaps. It is just so beautiful: simple in its construction; short and to the point; sound held-back to allow the heartfelt poetry of the lyrics to carry their lament. And when it's finished you just want to play it again. And again.

It all starts with that wonderful intro, that - when the bass guitar comes-in - almost sounds like a tribute to Ace's 'How Long'. And why not?

The middle-eight provides an uplifting moment that there is some hope for the writer that his longing might be fulfilled... only to be '...waiting, contemplating...'

Definitely in my The Church top ten and would carry 11-stars in my iTunes playlist.

Buy the CD from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...
To Be In Your Eyes lyrics...
The Church official web site...

Record of the Week

Falling In Love Again
by Techno Twins



I mentioned them in the last weeks' Record of the Week, so only fair they get top billing this time around!

The Techno Twins were, essentially, husband and wife duo Steve Fairnie and Bev Sage. And this little gem should have been a massive, massive hit and sounds as fresh and wonderful today as it did back in 1981.

And this isn't the first time this track has been chosen as a Record of the Week. Oh no. You see, it managed to pick up a fair bit of airplay when released, including being the chosen disc of one Dave Lee Travis (if we're still allowed to mention him) on his Saturday morning show on Radio 1 (if memory serves me correctly).

Anyway, a great version of the classic song by an act that went on to perform under many guises and were always at the edge. Their stage shows were wonderful affairs and I feel privileged to have seen more than one of them.

Download the single from Amazon...
Techno Twins Wikidpedia page...
Steve Fairnie/Techno's web site...