Continuing the trip around Europe we remain bogged down in the UK and visit its capital city London.
This was first broadcast on Beachy Head Radio on 18th April and will be upload for listen when your in the mood in the near future.
These notes are a work in progress.
1. 00:00:00 The Clash – London Calling
1979 From London Calling. The former members of pub, glam and prog rock bands came together as The Clash in 1976 and continued for a decade filling out their initial punk sound with reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly.
London is the capital and largest city of The United Kingdom with a population of around 8.8 million and the largest city in Western Europe by metropolitan area with a population of 14.8 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea and has been a major settlement for nearly two millennia.
2. 00:02:11 The Jam – A Bomb In Wardour Street
1978 From All Mod Cons and a double A-Side single with their cover version of The Kinks ‘David Watts’. Having formed in 1972 The Jam broke up a decade later when their songwriter Paul Weller had reached the grand old age of 24.
Wardour Street in the City Of Westminster runs north from Leicester Square, through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street. Throughout the 20th century the West End street became a centre for the British film industry and the popular music scene.
3. 00:04:32 Good Time Losers – Trafalgar Square
1967 Single A-Side. The only release by the band and Written by Barry Fantoni a.k.a. EJ Thribb the poet-in-residence at satirical magazine Private Eye whose verses he penned for nearly forty years.
Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, established in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. The square’s name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain that took place on 21st October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar. The site around Trafalgar Square has been a significant landmark since the 1200s. For centuries, distances measured from Charing Cross have served as location markers
4. 00:07:04 Eric Coates – London Bridge March
1950 From Coates Conducts Coates. The composer best known for ‘By A Sleepy Lagoon’ which has been used as the theme to BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ since 1942 and the soundtrack to the film ‘Dambusters’. Here he conducts a recording of the tune he wrote in 1934.
London Bridge refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark since Roman times. ‘New London Bridge’ had been in place for a hundred years at the point this was written and remained in use until 1967. It was then sold to the Missourian oil entrepreneur Robert P. MuCulloch for $2,460,000 in 1968 to be rebuilt at Lake Hasvasu City Arizona.
5. 00:10:09 Spike Milligan – Wormwood Scrubs Tango
1962 The B-Side of Postman’s Knock. Orchestra And Childrens Chorus Conducted By Ron Goodwin. Produced by the best man at his wedding that year, George Martin.
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs was built between 1875 and 1891 at the southern end of the ancient park of the same name and stands beside Hammersmith Hospital. Musical inmates have included composer Michael Tippet for failing to carry out wartime duties as a contentious objector and Libertines front man Pete Doherty for drug and driving offences.
6. 00:12:17 Marillion – Chelsea Monday
1983 From Script For A Jester’s Tear. The only album with Mick Pointer the last surviving founder member of what was originally Silmarrillion who was let go for his variable sense of timing.
Chelsea on the north bank of the River Thames in West London. Not to be confused with Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan USA which has been the subject of songs by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Nico amongst others.
7. 00:15:37 The Kinks – Big Black Smoke
1966 B-Side of Dead End Street. One of the earlier pop songs with a direct drug reference, ‘she spent all her money on purple hearts and cigarettes’. Purple hearts being the amphetamines Drinamyl. Bass is by John Dalton who was in the band that year whilst Pete Quaife recovered from a car accident. He joined them full time in 1969.
The title is a variation on ‘The Big Smoke’ a nickname for London that was coined in the 1870s to describe the lethal smogs caused by the burning fuel. The problem had existed since before 1306 when Edward I briefly banned coal fires in the city and peaked with 4,000 deaths in four days in 1952 (with a further 8,000 dying later). They only ended after the Clean Air Act of 1956 which prohibited the use of smoke producing fuels in cities.
8. 00:17:59 Professor Bumble’s Magic Machine – London Bridge Is Falling Down
1975 From ‘Magic Moog Nursery Rhymes’. Not a lot of clues about this one beyond it being produced by Barry Kirsch and arranged by John Hawkins. But Kirsch was a keyboard player so may have been responsible for the synths..
‘London Bridge Is Falling Down’ is derived from rhymes and games dating to the late Middle Ages and solidified to it’s current form in the 19th Century. The rhyme is constructed of quatrains in trochaic tetrameter catalectic with pike.
9. 00:18:45 Wynken, Blinken & Nod*And The Golden Rock-A-Twisters – London Bridge (Rock-A-Cha-Cha)
1964 Single A-Side. Dance and Sing Mother Goose With a Beatle Beat’.
10. 00:20:12 The Popguns – Dirty London
2023 From POPISM. Brighton band originally of the late 1980s to mid 1990s who reconvened in 2012.
11. 00:22:38 Third World War – Shepherd Bush Cowboy
1971 From Third World War.
Shepherd’s Bush is a suburb of West London within the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with evidence of human habitation from the Iron Age. The BBC had a large base there until 2012 and often broadcast concerts and programs from the Shepherds Bush Empire which is still a music venue.
12. 00:24:44 Ram John Holder – Brixton Blues
1969 From Black London Blues. John Wesley Holder CBE best known for playing Augustus “Porkpie” Grant in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond’s.
Brixton is a district in South London and part of the Borough of Lambeth. It became the home of many immigrants from the West Indies and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s. Paul Simonon and Mick Jones of the Clash, heard earlier, are from there as was David Bowie.
13. 00:26:39 Dick Emery – Bermondsey
1973 From Dick Emery Sings. English comedian who had his own TV series from 1963 to 1981 and was President of the Airfix Modellers Club. He peaked in the charts with his 1969 single ‘If You Love Her’ which reached number 32.
Bermondsey in the Borough of Southwark has produced more than its share of successful actors and entertainers including Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, Charlie Chaplin Jenny Agutter and Susan Ballion a.k.a. Siouxsie Sioux but Dick Emery wasn’t one of them having been born in Bloomsbury and spent much of his youth on tour with his comedy double act parents.
14. 00:28:55 Dire Straits – Wild West End
1978 From Dire Straits. Led by Newcastilian Mark Knopfler they were quite popular in the 1980s.
A central London district west of the City and north of the Thames containing many of the city’s major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings and entertainment venues. The term was first used in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross, the notional centre of the Capital.
15. 00:31:56 Squires Of London – A Personal Call From Squires Of London
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16. 00:32:24 Jethro Tull – Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square
1969 From Stand Up. English agriculturist who lived from 1674 to 1741 often credited with inventing the seed drill.
Staying in the West End Leicester Square is a pedestrianised area with a park at its centre that’s the location of a number of major cinemas.
17. 00:34:06 Dory Langdon – Lonely Girl In London
1958 From The Leprechauns Are Upon Me. With Kenny Burrell on guitar and Andre Previn on piano the latter of who she was writing songs for films and who she married a year later. She resumed here performing career in 1970 after their divorce. She can also be heard on last month’s Loud Hailers #10, Myths, Legends & Fantasy No.1 https://lowredmoon.ch/2024/03/21/loud-hailers-10-myths-legends-fantasy/
London the Capitol of the UK shouldn’t be confused with Bay of London, Eday island, Orkney, Scotland; London, Belgrade, Serbia; London, France; Ny-London, an abandoned mining settlement in Svalbard, Norway; London, Ontario; London Island (Cook Island, Tierra del Fuego), an island east of Londonderry Island and south of Cockburn Channel; London, Arkansas, a city; London, California, a census-designated place; London, Indiana, an unincorporated community; London, Kentucky, a city; London, Michigan, a township; London, Minnesota, an unincorporated community; London, Ohio, a city, London, Texas, an unincorporated community; London, West Virginia, an unincorporated community; London, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community; London, Kiribati; or the asteroid 8837 London.
18. 00:36:31 Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
1978 From City To City. Baker Street in the Marylebone disctrict of the City of Westminster was home to Eric Coates whose ‘London Bridge March’ was heard earlier and Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle’s popular fictional detective. It is now mainly occupied by commercial premises.
Baker Street in the Marylebone disctrict of the City of Westminster was home to Eric Coates whose ‘London Bridge March’ was heard earlier and Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle’s popular fictional detective. It is now mainly occupied by commercial premises.
19. 00:38:47 Microdisney – Singer’s Hampstead Home
1988 From 39 Minutes. The lead track to the Irish duo’s last album.
Hampstead is an area lying four miles northwest of the city centre and part of Camden known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical, political, and literary associations.
20. 00:41:04 Kipper – The Clapham
1975 From Confessions Of A Pop Performer Soundtrack. A fictional band in a sex-farce starring Robin Askwith. The soundtrack producer was Ed Welch a former Head Chorister at Christ Church Cathedral who studied composition at Trinity College of Music which by coincidence isn’t in Clapham.
21. 00:42:51 I Marc 4 – Regent Street
1968 From I Solisti Di Armando Trovajoli (‘The Soloists’ by Armando Trovajoli). I Marc 4 (or Marc 4) comes from the initials of the members of this session group that that worked on film soundtracks with Italian composers Ennio Morricone, Piero Umiliani and Armando Trovajoli who was the ‘A’ in the original line up playing keyboards.
22. 00:43:45 The Fureys & Davey Arthur – Euston Station
1989 From The Scattering. The Scattering was produced by David A. Stewart of Eurythmics and amongst those appearing on it were Jim Rafferty brother of the writer of Baker Street and Ralph McTell the author of a fairly well known song about London that may yet make an appearance.
23. 00:47:52 Jim Dale – Piccadilly Line
1957 Single A-Side. Originally a dancer and then a professional comic at 17 he was briefly a rock ‘n’ roll singer before acting in films including the ‘Carry On’ series he is well known for in the UK as well as playing Spike Milligan in ‘Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall’. Lyricist of ‘Georgy Girl’ which was nominated as best song at the Academy Award and Golden Globes he was invited to the National Theatre by Laurence Olivier and later went on to star in Broadway musicals and narrate the Harry Potter audio books in the USA. Quite busy then. This spoof of Lonnie Donnegan’s version of ‘Rock Island Line’ that sparked the skiffle craze was produced by George Martin.
24. 00:50:29 The Bad Shepherds – Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
2009 Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!. A band formed by comedian Adrian Edmondson to play punk and new wave songs in a folk style.
25. 00:54:24 Tony Weston – Streets Of London
1970 I’ll Do It Again. Cabaret singer who peaked 1951 at 20 when he appeared in the musical ‘Zip Goes A Million’ with George Formby.
26. 00:56:18 Eric Clapton & Michael Kamen – Oxford Circus
1985 From Edge of Darkness Soundtrack. Popular guitarist with the American composer of over eighty soundtracks with an excerpt of music they wrote for the BBC television drama starring Bob Peck as a policeman trying to find the truth behind the murder of his daughter.
27. 00:57:19 Mr. Bloe – 71/75 New Oxford Street
1971 . When Stephen James of Dick James Music couldn’t get the rights to ‘Groovin’ With Mr. Bloe’ by American studio group Wind he put together a group of musicians to release a version that got to Number 2. They later recorded two Elton John tunes as a single on which he played including this one.
28. 00:59:00 Chas & Dave – Ponders End Allotments Club
1975 From One Fing N Anuvver. Whilst touring America as part of British country rock band ‘Heads, Hands & Feet’, Chas Hodges began to questioned why he was performing playing music so remote from his background. So he got together with session musician Dave Peacock to play ‘rockney’ as Chas & Dave.
29. 01:01:07 John Le Mesurier – A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
1976 What Is Going To Become Of Us All?. British character actor not previously known for his singing and still wasn’t after this release.
30. 01:04:18 Elvis Costello – (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
1978 Single A-Side.
31. 01:06:51 Young Londoner – Young Londoner Shoes
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32. 01:07:54 Electric Light Orchestra – Last Train To London
1979 From Discovery. For more disco try Loud Hailers #5 Two Hour Disco Dance Party https://lowredmoon.ch/2023/10/05/loud-hailers-5-two-hour-disco-dance-party-2/
33. 01:10:24 Hazy Osterwald Jet Set – Swinging London
1972 From Hazy Osterwald Jet Set. Led by the Swiss trumpet player, vibraphonist and singer.
34. 01:13:14 Nico Fidenco – London Streets
1967 From Supercolpo da 7 Miliardi Soundtrack (The 1000 Carat Diamond).
35. 01:14:24 Henri Salvador – Carnaby Street
1967 B-Side of Mary and part of the Pikabou EP. French Caribbean comedian, singer, musician, humorist, TV personality, label manager, author and composer.
36. 01:16:32 Secret Affair – Soho Strut
1979 B-Side of Time For Action. From the short lived Mod Revival.
37. 01:18:28 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Rainy Night In Soho
1992 B-Side of What A Wonderful World. When Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan duetted on a version of the Louis Armstrong hit they recorded versions of a songs by each other. MacGowan chose ‘Lucy’ from ‘The Good Son’ whilst Cave did this by The Pogues from 1986’s ‘Poguetry In Motion’ produced by Elvis Costello.
38. 01:21:09 Prince Hammer (Carry That Swing) – North London Thing
1979 B-Side of Ten Thousand Lions.
39. 01:24:16 The Kinks – Berkeley Mews
1970 B-Side of Lola.
40. 01:26:36 Paddy Roberts – Ballad Of Bethnal Green
1959 Strictly For Grown-Ups. Five times the winner of an Ivor Novello Award.
41. 01:29:13 Django Reinhardt – Lambeth Walk
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42. 01:31:55 George Chisholm – Archer Street Drag
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43. 01:33:52 Eddy Grant – Electric Avenue
1982 From Killer On The Loose and a Single A-Side.. Electric Avenue in Brixton was the first shopping street to be lit by electricity.
44. 01:35:15 Leyton Buzzards – Saturday Night Beneath The Plastic Palm Trees
1979 From Leyton Buzzards. They later became ‘Modern Romance’. Is there no end to their crimes? That’s Leyton in the East End, not to be confused with Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, not to be confused with professional wrestler Leyton Buzzard who wasn’t born until the 1990s.
45. 01:38:05 The Rose Garden – Next Plane to London
1967 From The Rose Garden. an American folk rock musical group from Los Angeles, California, that was active in 1967 and 1968.
46. 01:40:29 Lord Kitchener – London is the Place for Me
1948 . Not the one on the First World War recruitment posters but Calypsonian Aldwyn Roberts from Trinidad.
47. 01:42:59 Pet Shop Boys – King’s Cross
1987 From Actually.
48. 01:45:34 Ray Davies – Return to Waterloo
1984 From Return to Waterloo Soundtrack. Right Ray, you’ve just had a bit of success with ‘Come Dancing’ to build on so what you absolutely must not do is get bogged down spending all your time and energy on a short film for Channel 4.
49. 01:46:48 Pulp – Mile End
1996 From The Peel Sessions Originally on Something Changed.. Used in the film ‘Trainspotting’.
50. 01:48:51 Bellowhead – London Town
2006 From Burlesque.
51. 01:52:38 Jeff Wayne – Dead London
1978 From The War Of The Worlds. Keyboards and synthesizer by Ken ‘Prof’ Freeman.
52. 01:57:42 Norman Luboff Choir – London Pride
1963 From Grand Tour. Written by Noel Coward during the Blitz in 1941.
53. 02:01:05 The Kinks – Muswell Hillbilly
1971 From Muswell Hillbillies.