The Saturday Matinee – BLR Debate Night, Spencer Davis Group, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, and La Bamba

Just click play. It’s worth it.

Spencer Davis passed away this week at the age of 81.  What a legend.

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (with Mick Taylor) 19 July 2003, 70th Birthday Concert. The “Father of British Blues” was born on 29 November 1933, but so what.

We started this recording on a back porch in East Los Angeles With members of Los Lobos, And Then returned to the roots of the song in Veracruz, Mexico. As we Traveled, musicians everywhere mixed the traditional and rock ‘n’ roll styles of “La Bamba” into a new Song Around The World. – Playing For Change

Guaranteed to be the best version of the traditional you’ve never heard. Have a great weekend, folks. We’re not going anywhere, so stop back here tomorrow for, you know, stuff.

 

The .Gif Friday Post No. 655 – Fido Fort, Streaming the Sliders & Skydancer Attack

[Found here, here and here.]

The Dress.

[Found here.]

Something Big Stops Here.

[Found here.]

Home Delivery

Sideshow manager carries snakes from a small tent to his trailer.

[Image found here.]

Neil Cavuto’s Shoulder Pads: Clap ON, Clap OFF

Just for fun.

The Fife Cantilever

‘The Fife cantilever’, c 1880s.

Photograph of the construction of the Forth Railway Bridge in Scotland. Undoubtedly Britain’s most famous railway landmark, The Forth Bridge was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in March 1890 following eight years of building, and completed the east coast railway route between London and Aberdeen. It spans the Firth of Forth, joining the city of Edinburgh and Fife in Scotland. The bridge was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, and built by engineer Sir William Arrol. It contains almost 54,000 tons of steel and when completed, the 1.5 mile long bridge was the biggest in the world. It is the world’s oldest cantilever railway bridge and remains in use to this day.

[Image from Feral Irishman‘s awesome rotating banner. Description from here.]

Haruspicational Hot Links

All Shook Up, Ry Cooder (1987) Album: Get Rhythm, Warner RecordsCooder took the 1957 Elvis classic and made it all sweaty ‘n’ swampy.

Cough it up.

Zinc ionophones.

Mr. Sunshine Lollipops.

Cool interactive 3D model.

Two full minutes of St. Bernards.

Janet Nguyen’s story. (Here’s her home page.)

Dental training robot creeps me right out [via].

“The people who are their own spiritual directors have fools for disciples.”  Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 -1153 AD)

Just in time for Halloween: Candy corn (and candy carrots & candy green beans) that taste like the real thing.

[Top image from here. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins put a spell on you.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.

The Saturday Matinee – Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, Link Wray w/ Robert Gordon & Santana

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express live at Winterland 29 November 1975, San Francisco, CA. Early jazz fusion at its best. Lineup:

Brian Auger – organ, vocals;
Jack Mills – lead guitar;
Alex Ligertwood – vocals, guitar, percussion;
Clive Chaman – bass;
Lennox Langton – congas;
Dave Dowle – drums.

Robert Gordon‘s 1977 cover of Billy Lee Riley‘s 1957 cover of Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson‘s 1955 recording of Red Hot got a lot of radio play. Now about that legendary guitar ripper…

Link Wray‘s recording career spanned decades, 1958 to 2000, and it’s hard to pinpoint when he was really at his prime. Wray was ranked No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time bu Rolling Stone, and is considered the “Father of the Power Chord.” Other fun facts: his parents were Shawnee and Cherokee; he was a Korean War veteran; he lost a lung due to tuberculosis in 1956.

Carlos Santana‘s 1999 album Supernatural is one of my favorites. Can’t believe it came out over two decades ago.

That kinda wraps things up until tomorrow. See you then.

The .Gif Friday Post No. 654 – Bottle Washer, Snow What & Mentos Russian Roulette

[Top & bottom .gifs found here and here; misplaced the source for Snow Way.]