The 3rd Anniversary edition of my Amazing Songs & Other Delights can now be listened to on mixcloud.
With the help of my “band” – The Astro Travellers – I put together a beautiful show comprised of songs composed for the show, music from the vaults, some of my own instrumental music, collaborative songs by me and Francisco Silva and me and Bill Rivers, music from the vaults, still to be released music, songs that friends think represent me. This year I also picked a song that represents me. You can read the story of the 3rd Anniversary edition here Amazing Songs & Other Delights #67 – The 3rd Anniversary edition by Raquel & The Astro Travellers – programme story On the tracklist the name ahead of a song is the name of the person that picked it for me.
Tracklist: 01: Raquel Pinheiro – Big Bang with sax – Paulo Miranda’s Spectral Sound Modulation version 02: Bill Rivers & Raquel Pinheiro – Da Da Da bom 03: João Diogo Zagalo – Dead Redemption 04: Lola Flowers – This Is Not A Love Song (Pedro Mesquita) 05: digei de bairro – never been in Ibiza 06: Ed Clayton-Jones – Country Girl 07: Pernice Brothers – Working Girls (Rui Pimenta) 08: The Rolling Stones – She’s a Rainbow (Dana Detrick) 09: Francisca Fortes & Carlos Fortes – Como Um Cavalo Louco (Um Zero Amarelo cover) 11: Francisco Silva & Raquel Pinheiro – Someone Kissing You Away 12: Cake – I Will Survive (Raquel) 13: John Cale – How We See The Light (António Cunha) 14: Paulo Navarro – Atravessando as Águas 15: Bill Rivers & Raquel Pinheiro- Sweet Peace 16: Ed Clayton-Jones – Interloper 17: João Diogo Zagalo – Red Uszatek 18: Iggy Pop – The Passenger (Matt Hutchison)
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #67 is The 3rd Anniversary edition and airs Monday 3rd, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app). As usual on the program anniversary my “band” The Astro Travellers and I put as radio show together from a mix of purpose created songs or instrumentals, morsels from the vaults, songs that represent me, still to be released songs and instrumentals.
Here the Astro Travellers are António (Tó) Cunha, Bill Rivers, Carlos Fortes, Dana Detrick, Ed Clayton-Jones, Francisca Fortes, Francisco Silva, João Diogo Zagalo, Laura Mesquita, Matt Hutchison, Paulo Miranda, Pedro Mesquita, Pedro Tenreiro, Rui Guerra, and Rui Pimenta.
Tó, Dana, Matt, Pedro Mesquita and Rui Pimenta selected songs they feel represent me. Interestingly, Dana choice is Tó’s choice for my 1st anniversary show She’s a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones. This year I also picked a song that reportes me Cake’s version of I Will Survive.
I threw three chords to Bill and Francisco. Two of which I didn’t even knew the name of. I strummed them on the guitar, like it, drew a diagram. Bill didn’t knew the name of one of the chords either and called it chord H. Turns out, according to Francisco, chord H, if strummed a certain way is a pompous thing, a Fmaj7#11/ whatever that may be.
What happened to those three chords – with some adds/modifications by Bill and Francisco? They become three songs, Da Da Da bom, Someone Kissing You Away and Sweet Peace. Da Da Da bom are exactly the same instrumental basis, the first on keyboards, the second on acoustic guitar. Da Da Da bom has no lyrics per se, it is Bill humming a vocal melody. The lyrics in Sweet Peace were written by Bill to his latest record with Simon Hayward. Someone Kissing You Away are a few words Francisco used instead of a vocal melody to show me how the song could turn out.
Like the cover of Um Zero Amarelo Como Um Cavalo Louco by Francisca and Carlos Fortes, the aforementioned three songs are home, living room, recordings. João Diogo Zagalo and Paulo Navarro also contributed with home done music. Paulo did a beautiful piano solo piece, Atravessando as Águas, João sent what turned into Dead Redemption that was just voices. I liked it and kept it along Red Uszatek. Pedro Tenreiro, with his digei de bairro moniker, and Ed Clayton-Jones graciously allowed me to play still to be released material. Paulo Miranda took my Big Bang with saxophone (courtesy of Rui Guerra) and with spectral audio modulation created a new ambient for my music.
The Anniversary edition is my wide family affair, a group of fabulous musician, composers, songwriters, producers. It is always a guess, a what will come of it, until the show is fully assembled. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed doing it.
01: Raquel Pinheiro – Big Bang with sax – Paulo Miranda’s Spectral Sound Modulation version 02: Bill Rivers & Raquel Pinheiro – Da Da Da bom 03: João Diogo Zagalo – Dead Redemption 04: Lola Flowers – This Is Not A Love Song (Pedro Mesquita) 05: digei de bairro – never been in Ibiza 06: Ed Clayton-Jones – Country Girl 07: Pernice Brothers – Working Girls (Rui Pimenta) 08: The Rolling Stones – She’s a Rainbow (Dana Detrick) 09: Francisca Fortes & Carlos Fortes – Como Um Cavalo Louco (Um Zero Amarelo cover) 11: Francisco Silva & Raquel Pinheiro – Someone Kissing You Away 12: Cake – I Will Survive (Raquel) 13: John Cale – How We See The Light (António Cunha) 14: Paulo Navarro – Atravessando as Águas 15: Bill Rivers & Raquel Pinheiro- Sweet Peace 16: Ed Clayton-Jones – Interloper 17: João Diogo Zagalo – Red Uszatek 18: Iggy Pop – The Passenger (Matt Hutchison)
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #66 – The John Parish edition dedicated to musician, composer, songwriter, producer John Parish can now be listened to on mixcloud.
Tracklist: 01 – PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love 02 – Dry Cleaning – Hot Penny Day 03 – Giant Sand – Astonished (in Tucson) 04 – Tracy Chapman – You’re The One 05 – John Parish – Westward Airways 06 – M. Ward – Primitive Girl 07 – Bettie Serveert – Satisfied 08 – Eels – Stumbling Bee 09 – The Goon Sax – In The Stone 10 – Mazgani – Distant Gardens 11 – Aldous Harding – Lawn 12 – PJ Harvey – Inside the Old I Dying 13 – John Parish – Sorry For Your Loss 14 – Peggy Sue – All We’ll Keep 15 – Sparklehorse – King of Nails 16 – John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey – Rope Bridge Crossing
Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app) the radio where my Amazing Songs & Other Delights airs every other Monday turns 3 years old Monday 27th. We’re celebrating at Praia da Luz, in Porto, 7-11pm with DJ sets by Francisco Coelho, Francisco Esp, João Bruschy, José Amen, Maria Gambina, Pedro Tenreiro, Rui Pimenta and Tugalife.
Yé Yé came to be May 27th to signal one year of the departure of our friend Vicente Pinto de Abreu. Vicente was a music, books, film, tv shows, comics lover. Praia da Luz a place he liked and identified with. A place where he and the djs collective he was part of, 7 Magníficos – of which Pedro Tenreiro and Rui Pimenta were also part of – spinned records many times.
I still remember the day of Vicente’s death. The night before, as we often did, we had been talking about films, tv shows, comics. I both were meant to watch and read something to discuss with each other the following evening. There was no following eve.
We are celebration Vicente, Yé Yé, radio, music, life, the joy of life and living, the seaside. Come celebrate with us.
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #66 – The John Parish edition airs Monday 20th, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
This edition is dedicated to musician, composer, songwriter, producer John Parish whose work I’m quite found of. John Parish graces one of the to three different front pages of print Mondo issue 13, the third anniversary issue in November 2002.
Parish work is wide and diverse. From his own solo albums and soundtracks to being PJ Harvey’s trusted collaborator in a number of roles.The choices for this programme include two songs by John Parish, two by PJ Harvey, one by John and Polly Jean from the album Dance Hall at Louise Point and an assortment of John’s work with musicians as diverse as Tracy Chapman, Mazgani or Bettie Serveert.
Tracklist: 01 PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love 02 – Dry Cleaning – Hot Penny Day 03 – Giant Sand – Astonished (in Tucson) 04 – Tracy Chapman – You’re The One 05 – John Parish – Westward Airways 06 – M. Ward – Primitive Girl 07 – Bettie Serveert – Satisfied 08 – Eels – Stumbling Bee 09 – The Goon Sax – In The Stone 10 – Mazgani – Distant Gardens 11 – Aldous Harding – Lawn 12 – PJ Harvey – Inside the Old I Dying 13 – John Parish – Sorry For Your Loss 14 – Peggy Sue – All We’ll Keep 15 – Sparklehorse – King of Nails 16 – John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey – Rope Bridge Crossing
The second Reading List comprises reading choices by my friend, at times co-songwriter, and fellow avid reader Francisco Silva. Francisco laid to rest his old (pun intended) music composition Old Jerusalem and has been taking off in new directions with The June Carriers and Velho Homem. In Francisco’s own words.
Some of my musical reading material.
Warren Ellis – Nina Simone’s Gum: A Memoir of Things Lost and Found is a picaresque story of the amulet engendered by Warren Ellis as an excuse to digress about music, creativity, humanity, etc.
Whyndam Wallace – Lee, Myself & I: Inside The Very Special World Of Lee Hazlewood is Lee Hazlewood’s life story as retold by his former manager, journalist Wyndham Wallace.
Bruce Adams – You’re With Stupid, the Chicago scene and the Kranky label by the quill of one of its founders, Bruce Adams.
Various – Rock Rendez Vous the photos of the iconic Lisbon club (and the portrait of an era).Rob Young – Electric Eden a detailed and multifaceted story of British folk music and its context.
Harold F. Eggers – My years with Townes van Zandt: Music, Genius and Rage” – the uncanny account of Harold F. Eggers’ time as road manager to Townes van Zandt in his prime and beyond it – an assignment that only a Vietnam veteran could tackle.
Ian Preece – Listening to the Wind: Encounters with 21st Century Independent Record Labels. Interviews and profiling of some of the most interesting (obscure?) independent record labels of our time: Light In The Attic, Thrill Jockey, International Anthem, Touch, Sublime Frequencies, Temporary Residence, Important, Paradise of Bachelors, Scissor Tail, among others.
… and two extraordinary graphic novels: the hitherto rare Storyville by Frank Santoro and the amazing Rusty Brown (but it could also be the just as beautiful – if not more so – Jimmy Corrigan) by Chris Ware.
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #65 – The Rockamatic edition now available on mixcloud.
This edition name comes from the image transmitted by the songs. A mix of cinematic and rock covered by songs of diverse genres and ambients.
Tracklist: 01: Barry Adamson – The Last Words Of Sam Cooke 02: Belle & Sebastian in – What Happened To You, Son 03: Bernard Butler – Deep Emotions 04: Beyoncé – Blackbird 05: Dark Miles – The Waiting 06: Fat White Family – The Work 07: Girl and Girl – Oh Boy! 08: Guided by Voices – Serene King 09: Janita Salomé & Camané – Homens do Largo 10: Johnny Moped – Things May Happen 11: Mark Knopler – Two Pairs of Hands 12: Martin Savage & The Jiggerz – Observer 13: Myriam Gendron – Terres brûlées 14: Of Montreal – It’s Different For Girls 15: Pernice Brothers – Look Alike 16: Prickly Pear – At The End 17: The Decemberists – Burial Ground
The tracery of Sparky (Hips and Makers, 1994) filled the wideness of the stage until Kristin Hersh’s voice filled the room with Eyeshine (Clear Pound Road, 2023) casting out ghosts that seemed to threaten Throwing Muses’muse at every turn.
Lady of lyrics tinted by experience and personal conflicts, braided with a pop folk sound under a harsh vocal sky Kristin Hersh and her acoustic guitar run through thirty years of career, including her time with Throwing Muses, in an intimate, mature, flowing performance in choices such as Your Ghost (Hips and Makers, 1994), Kay Catherine (Throwing Muses, 2020), Your Dirty Answer (Sonny Border Blue, 2001) or Ms Haha from her latest album.
It would have been wonderful to prolong this golden moment of the musical calendary, electrically wrapped with The Cuckoo (Hips and Makers, 1994) and English folk song open to interpretations, cladled as a goodbye.
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #64 – The Grandeur of Ghosts edition can now be listened to on mixcloud. It is a good soundtrack for today, 25 de Abril (April 25), is the day my country stopped being a dictatorship 50 years ago. April 25 is also Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. The programme includes Portuguese songs connected to 25 de Abril, an instrumental track from Mick Harvey’s Waves of Anzac and other anti war songs, instrumentals and poems from Siegfried Sassoon and Federico Garcia Lorca. You can read more about the programme here: https://mondobizarremagazine.com/2024/04/21/amazing-songs-other-delights-64-the-grandeur-of-ghosts-edition-by-raquel-pinheiro-radio-ye-ye-monday-22nd/
Tracklist: 01 – Johnny Mandel – Suicide is Painless (from M.A.S.H.) 02 – Credence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son 03 – The Cranberries – Zombie 04 – Golpe de Estado – Rev 25 05 – JP Simões – Mudam-se os Tempos Mudaram-se as Vontades feat. Ruca Rebordão, Nuno Ferreira, Márcio Pinto, Pedro Pinto (José Mario Branco song) 06 – Mick Harvey – Vietnam 07 – José Afonso – Grândola Vila Morena 08 – Vivian Kubrick – Ruins (Full Metal Jacket soundtrack) 09 – New Order – Love Vigilantes 10 – Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun (live at the Filmore East,1st night, 31.12.1969) 11 – Jacques Brel – La colombe 12 – Siegfried Sassoon – Suicide in the Trenches read by Stephen Graham 13 – Paulo de Carvalho – E Depois do Adeus 14 – The Libertines – Shiver 15 – Federico Garcia Lorca – Balada de la gran guerra by Joan Mora 16 – Amália Rodrigues – Zé Soldado, Soldadinho 17 – R.E.M. – Orange Crush 18- Elvis Costello – Shipbuilding 19 – Tom Waits – Day After Tomorrow 20 – Manic Street Preachers – Suicide is Painless, Theme for M.A.S.H.
The Grandeur of Ghosts by Siegfried Sassoon
When I have heard small talk about great men I light my two candles; climb to bed; then Consider what was said; and put aside What Such-a-one remarked, and Someone-else replied.
They have spoken lightly of my deathless friends, (Lamps for my gloom, hands guiding where I stumble,) Quoting, for shallow conversational ends, What Shelley shrilled, what Blake once wildly muttered…
How can they use such names and be not humble ? I have sat silent; angry at what they uttered. The dead bequeathed them life; the dead have said What these can only memorise and mumble.
On a Monday evening the line of people to Hard Club was visible before opening time. It took some time for British singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford, the opening act to be on stage. Quickly, with a smiley face, starting to play the piano and singing beautifully. Of note a cover of Radiohead’s No Surprises and the live debut of a new song, Honest Mistake. Going by the delight many were listening to her on the front rows, she gathered new fans.
Patrick Watson turn, playing Lost With You under mild, intimate light, that progressed towards the other musicians, surprisingly encorporating the lyrics of Radiohead’s CreepIt was a concert of great complicity and intimacy that captivated the audience. As much on a scenic as well as musical level it was a concert of great beauty and sensibility with songs that tools to intimate, but also mundane places. Between sings there were stories about those songs in themselves, and some joyous moments. Such as in Lisboa Mermaid in Lisbon was sung by Gisela João (on record the voice belongs to Teresa Salgueiro), displaying good stage chemistry. In a kind of encore Hohnen Ford returned, and once more enchanted the audience singing an acoustic song along Patrick Watson.
The concert ending was surprising. Patrick Watson came down to the middle of the audience with a megaphone accompanied by his bassist/guitarist carrying on his shoulders some sort of lights structure, both slowly playing and singing towards the room exit.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 