Desert Island TracksHome UpHome denied an alibi Final Warning IRISH Sam Cooke Desert Island Discs Sat Morning Ashwoods and Collectors Music and Food Part 1 Desert Island Tracks

TOP 200 DESERT ISLAND TRACKS

 

An interesting diversion. My Top 100 or so CDs have been nutted out over the years - refer Desert Island Discs. Now my old friend Len has provided me with a disc of his Top 100 "songs" so I felt that I had to attempt something similar. 100 or so, I thought, then perhaps 150, nahhhhh.....maybe 200... could have kept going, but then there's the write up, the accompanying reasons for choice, which I must get started on.....world's yer oyster son, get into it.  Is this final? Not likely - I could add another couple tomorrow. Only 1 classical?? Well I could have added more but then we're up to 300...this one had to go in.

Collectors are orderly creatures and jump at the chance of classifying and banging things into their appointed boxes - refer Saturday Morning Ashwoods and Collectors.  But what is the basis of choice  - nostalgia, artistic merit, lyrics, musical innovation, classic status, da groove mon, aesthetically appealing, dig the beat, cool man, tickles my ivories, absolutely fab, "oooh, ah like it"?  

Well these are discs which I would hope to have with me, should I be stranded on a desert island (with a sound system and electricity, a fabulous tsunami proof island hideaway..... and maybe one or two mermaids....I didn't say that!!) Some have nostalgic value eg Cliff Richard's live version of "Move It" which I recovered from the lifeboat platform after a wind gust blew it over the side of the "Fairsea" in the Indian Ocean 1962. So, that had to be included didn't it? Nonetheless, it is a superb example of early British, pre Beatles rock - check out Hank B Marvin's lead and Jet Harris' bass. Edith Piaff's "Les Mots D'amour" has romantic attachment, but of course it is a great performance by a chanteuse magnifique. 

Looking through the list I realise I'm a traditionalist, a roots aficionado. There is little from recent years and yet modern eclecticism does appeal. I love the use of technology, particularly when it incorporates indigenous music, as for instance with Mustt Mustt by Nusrat Farka Ali Khan, Amadou et Miriam, Lo Jo, Susheela Raman, Mercan Dede, Omar Sosa.  

The final list, like the list in Nick Hornby's very amusing book High Fidelity, is a moveable target, subject to whim, nostalgia, vacillation, further listening and discoveries. If only one had more ears, and time.....! The record that gave you a glow back then and put a smile on your dial, your secret song, has now been flogged mercilessly by those two cent stations and one cent jocks. But that's pop music, instant glow.......or is it art where further listening reveals depth? It turns like a diamond and each face reveals another aspect......Mmmm sometimes - "Madame George" but perhaps not "Papa Oom Mow Mow". It depends on your memory and imagination. This is not high art and was not intended to be so, initially. It was intended for dance, excitement and foreplay, intimacy and instant glow. And along the way the moneymakers shook the roots out of it and tried to cabaret, homogenise and codify. But the roots prevailed, yea on back streets bro, porch and dance halls and independent small labels kept it alive. In writer Tim Winton's expression, "dirt music". Real music.  The best of it sounding spontaneous, exciting and unpredictable.

This is the list, thus far ..... :

 

Were You There                            Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke)

Laudate Dominum                        Mozart - K 339 Vesperae Solennes Phillips edition soloist Dame Kiri

Madame George                          Van Morrison

Mystery Train                                 Elvis Presley

I Am The Walrus                            The Beatles

All Along The Watchtower            Jimi Hendrix

Moonlight Mile                                The Rolling Stones

Drown In My Own Tears                Ray Charles

Gimmie Shelter                              The Rolling Sones

Elvis Presley Blues                        Gillian Welsh

 

A Change Is Gonna Come           Sam Cooke

Tomorrow Night                              Lonnie Johnson

Al Bowley's In Heaven                   Richard Thompson

Les Mots D'Amour                        Edith Piaff

Come On In My Kitchen                Robert Johnson

Canned Heat                                 Tommy Johnson

Dark Is The Night                           Blind Willie Johnson

A Strange Affair                             Linda and Richard Thompson

Oh Well Pts1&2                             Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green)

Lucille                                             Little Richard

 

Unchained Melody                        The Righteous Brothers

See Emily Play                              Pink Floyd

The Green Manalishi                    Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green)

Gimmie A Pigfoot                         Bessie Smith

Paint It Black                                 The Rolling Stones

Future Blues                                  Willie Brown

Pain In My Heart                            Otis Redding

Any Day Now                                 Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke)

Give A Man A Home                     Five Blind Boys

Little Wing (live)                            Jimi Hendrix

 

I Can't Get Next To you                 Al Green

Bring It On Home To Me               Sam Cooke

Masters Of War                             Bob Dylan

Tomorrow Never Knows               The Beatles    

St James Infirmary                        Louis Armstrong 

Desolation Row                             Bob Dylan

What's Goin' On                            Marvin Gaye

Rain                                                The Beatles

Angel Band                                    Stanley Brothers

The Feeling Begins                       Peter Gabriel

 

Serves Me Right To Suffer           John Lee Hooker

Ring Them Bells                            Bob Dylan

Jesus Wash Away My Troubles   Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke)

The Well Below The Valley           Planxty

London Calling                               The Clash       

Mona                                               The Rolling Stones

Down The Road Apiece               Amos Milburn

Green Onions                                 Booker T & The MGs

Temptation                                     The Everley Brothers

Bitch                                                The Rolling Stones

 

I Heard It Through the Grapevine  Marvin Gaye

Chain Of Fools                               Aretha Franklin 

So Long                                          Big Maybelle

Shake                                             Otis Redding

Hard Times                                    McGarrigle Family

Dear Prudence                              The Beatles

Smokestack Lightnin'                   Howlin Wolf

Cool Cool River                             Paul Simon

Blackbird                                        The Beatles

Bert's Blues                                    Donovan

 

Paper Sun                                      Traffic

Dance The Night Away                 Cream 

Dixie Fried                                     Carl Perkins

Bernadette                                     Four Tops

Hear My Train A Coming (live)    Jimi Hendrix

I Can See For Miles                      The Who

The Passenger                               Iggy Pop

Don't Look Back                            The Remains

Inside Looking Out                        The Animals

Big Legged Woman                     Jerry Lee Lewis

 

Sad Dark Eyes                              The Loved Ones

How To Make Gravy                      Paul Kelly 

Solsbury Hill                                    Peter Gabriel

La Triste Realite                            Amadou et Miriam

Mercy Street                                   Peter Gabriel

Maralinga                                        Paul Kelly

Slip Sliding Away                           Paul Simon

I'm Not Like Everybody Else         The Kinks

Sally Zu Zas                                     Big Joe Turner

Trying To Get To You                      Elvis Presley

Gone Gone Gone                            Carl Perkins

 

Why Do Fools Fall in Love             Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers 

Susie Q                                            Dale Hawkins

Talahassie Lassie                          Freddie Cannon

Big Hunk O' Love                            Elvis Presley

Having A Party (live at Harlem Square Club)        Sam Cooke

For Ireland I'd Not Tell her Name   Boys of the Lough

John O' Dreams                              Christy Moore

Speedo                                            The Cadillacs

Little Darlin'                                     The Diamonds

I'll Never Smile Again                     Daddy Cool

 

I Only Have eyes For You              The Flamingoes 

Honey Hi                                          Daddy Cool

So Sad                                            The Everley Brothers

That's How Strong My Love Is       Otis Redding

In The Pines                                    Bill Monroe

RM Blues                                         Roy Milton & His Solid Senders

Move It (live)                                    Cliff Richard & The Drifters (pre Shadows)

Barbershop                                     Tom Waits

I'm A Man                                        Spencer Davis Group

Heat Treatment                              Graham Parker

Virgo Clowns                                  Van Morrison

 

Changing Of The Guard                Bob Dylan

Rank Stranger                                Stanley Brothers

Ballad Of Hattie Carrol                  Bob Dylan

Nadine                                            Chuck Berry

Dearest                                           Buddy Holly

He'll Have To Go                            Ry Cooder

Tuxedo Junction                             Erskine Hawkins Big Band

Blue Rondo A La Turk                   Dave Brubeck Quartet

Uncloudy Day                                 Staple Singers

I Shall Not Walk Alone                   Ben Harper

 

Lake Charles                                  Lucinda Williams

The Pretender                                Jackson Browne

Kimiad                                            Alan Stivell

Raggle Taggle Gypsy                    Planxty

It's Better To Have                         Don Covay

You Really Got A Hold On Me       The Miracles

Will Ye Go Lassie Go                         Dick Gaughan (w.McGarrigles, Emmylou Harris

John Willie's Ragtime Band         The Oldham Tinkers

Dr Feelgood                                   Aretha Franklin

Mess Around                                  Ray Charles

 

I Don't Mind                                    James Brown & The Famous Flames

Between You and Me                    Graham Parker

Spooky Girlfriend                           Elvis Costello

Uptown Toprankin'                         Althea and Donna

   Wang Wang Doodle                      Howlin' Wolf

   A Mon Like Thee                           Oldham Tinkers

Mustt Mustt                                      Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan

Madan (Gekko remix)                    Salif Keita

Ye Ye Ye                                          Geoffrey Oryema

Surfin' (from Below the Baseline)  Ernest Ranglin

 

Deportee               Nanci Griffith, Gillian Welsh, John Prine, Guy Clarke, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris etc

God Put A Smile on my Face        Coldplay

Litanie Des Saintes                        Dr John

The Magnificent Seven                  The Clash 

Too Much Monkey Business         Chuck Berry

Battle of Evermore                          Led Zeppelin

Junco Partner                                  Dr John

Crawlin' King Snake                       John Lee Hooker

Soul On Fire                                    Lavern Baker

Get Up Stand Up                            Bob Marley

 

My Time After Awhile                     Buddy Guy

A Sort of Homecoming (live)         U2

Saints and Sinners                         David Francey

Bring 'em All In                                Wailin' Jennys

Sayonara                                         Pogues 

Political Science                            Randy Newman

Double Trouble                              Otis Rush

Everybody Knows                          Leonard Cohen

   I Don't Want to Go To Chelsea     Elvis Costello

Happening Times Ten Years Ago The Yardbirds

 

Papa Oom Mow Mow                   The Rivingtons 

At The Hop                                     Danny & The Juniors

I'm So Young                                  The Students

Trouble No More                            Muddy Waters

Saint Behind The Glass                 Los Lobos

Needles and Pins                          The Searchers

Lord Mayo set                                Lunasa

Mustang Sally                                Wilson Pickett

Sweet Little Sixteen                       Chuck Berry

Get Down Moses                          Joe Strummer

 

De Timbuktu a Essakane             Lo' Jo 

Gimmie Some Lovin'                    Spencer Davis Group

Joy                                                   Lucinda Williams

Pioneer/Six Months in A Leaky Boat          Split Enz

Willow                                             Joan Armatrading

Mr You're A Better Msn                 The Yardbirds

Arthur McBride                               Paul Brady

15 Feet of Pure White Snow        Nick Cave

Morning Dew                                  The Chieftains

Sea of Joy                                       Blind Faith

 

Jersey Girl                                       Andy Cowan

Waiting On The Cards To Fall      Guy Davis

Three Hours                                    Nick Drake

Billericay Dickie                              Ian Dury & The Blockheads

Auschwitz Australia                        Final Warning

Jerusalem                                       Steve Earle

Truck Driver's Two Step                Taj Mahal

Wars or Hands of Time                  Masters Apprentices

Many Waters Rise                          Archie Roach

Blue Guitar                                       Fred Smith

 

King Henry                                       Steeleye Span

Young Ned of The Hill                      Pogues

Hand of Kindness                           Richard Thompson    

Six and the Seven Books              Toots & The Maytals

Bonde                                              Ali Farka Toure

Midnight To Six                               The Pretty Things

Rhiannon                                         Fleetwood Mac

A Sailor's Life                                 Fairport Convention

I thought I heard Buddy Bolden Say   Jelly Roll Morton 

Coming Home                                Anthony McGloin

 

Into The sun                                    Joseph Arthur

Days                                                The Kinks

Watching The Detectives              Elvis Costello

Bird on A Wire                               Jennifer Warnes

Pleasure and Pain                         The Divinyls

Bold Doherty                                   Waterson Carthy

Pourtown                                        Jackie Leven

I'd Rather go Blind                          Etta James

Dark End Of The Street                James Carr

Lonesome Tears In My eyes        Johnny Burnett Trio

 

Rawhide                                        The Chaps

Help Me                                         Sonny Boy Williamson

Tell Yo Mama                                John Butler Trio

Killer Queen                                   Queen

Tell It Like It Is                                Neville Brothers                                                       

Si Tu Savais                                  Django et Stephane

Someday Baby                             R L Burnside/Lyrics Born

Rivers of Babylon                          The Melodeans

Where Would I Be                         Emmylou Harris

Sail On Sailor                                The Beachboys

Sunnyland                                       Elmore James    

Oh Death                                         Stanley Brothers

 

Bo Diddley                                     Bo Diddley

Shout                                             Isley Brothers

I Believe to My Soul                       Ray Charles

Respect                                        Aretha Franklin

Dr Jazz                                         Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers

Sanctus                                         David Fanshawe

Sympathy for The Devil                Rolling Stones

Voodoo                                          Neville Brothers

Last Writes                                   Final Warning

Juicebox                                        The Strokes

Tezeta                                           Mulato Astatqe and Ethio-Jazz

On the Wall                                   Louise Johnson

Dying Crapshooter’s Blues           Blind Willie McTell

Blind Willie McTell                         Bob Dylan

I Never Loved A Man                     Aretha Franklin

Washable Ink                                Neville Brothers/ John Hiatt

Street Spirit (fade out)                   Radiohead

Hallelujah                                       Jeff Buckley/Leonard Cohen

Dominion of The Sword                Martin Carthy

The Grey Funnel Line                   Trio

 

Come Together                             The Beatles

Special Rider Blues                      Skip James

Papas Got A Brand New Bag       James Brown (early extended version)

Warm and Tender Love                Percy Sledge

Stay                                               Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs   

Valentine's Day                             Bruce Springsteen

See My Friend                               The Kinks

C'am ye O'er Frae France            Steeleye Span

Can you hear me knockin’            Rolling Stones

Baby Won't you Come Out Tonight Buddy Holly

My Baby Left Me                            Elvis Presley

Prisoner of Love                            James Brown 

God’s Song                                   Randy Newman

Monte Adentro                               Ry Cooder & Manual Galban

I'm Bad like Jesse James (live)    John Lee Hooker

Something Inside Me                    Elmore James

AB-I-Hayat                                     Mercan Dede

War                                               Bob Marley

Sina                                               Salif Keita

 

I Wanna Holler But the town's Too Small   Detroit Cobras/ Gary US Bonds

Mannish Boy                                     Muddy Waters

Spanish Caravan                              The Doors

Soldier's Poem                                Muse

Tumbao No 5 (para Charlie Mingus) Orlando Cachaito Lopez

Just Like U Said it Would be         Sinaed O’Connor

We Love you                                 Rolling Stones

Yellow Moon                                  Neville Brothers

Pinball                                           Brian Prothero

I Knew The Bride                          Nick Lowe/ Dave Edmonds

Ticket To Ride                            The Beatles

Haayo                                            Ernest Ranglin

I'll Go Crazy                                    James Brown

Moanin'                                            Art Blakey & The Jazz Messagers

It Hurts Me Too                            Elmore James

Topsy                                            Count Basie Orchestra

Fever                                             Little Willie John

Rocky Road To Dublin                  The Dubliners

String of Pearls                             Glenn Miller

Topsy                                            Count Basie

Rocky Road To Dublin                The Dubliners

42nd Street                                     Ruby Keller