Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Do You Think You Could Get A Job By Thursday? Dept.

The sheer quality of this album - as sheer as a cliff face - is such that you'll wonder why you don't have it as a cornerstone album of your collection. The opening track is a scripted (or extremely cleverly ad-libbed) encounter between a lady "social worker" and a prospective customer. It's cunningly sound-designed for atmosphere, lasts over six minutes, and I could use an entire album of this. A spoken word opening track? Who is this bitch?

Marlena Shaw was the first female vocalist to be signed to Blue Note, and '74's Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? her best-selling album for the label. Quality is equalled for sheerness by variety - funk, soul,  pop, orchestral interludes, jazz, and that audacious opening track. It's a white-knuckle ride ride. Sweet Beginnings, from '77, made less of an impact - that change in image from in-your-face byatch to sensitive romantic did her no favors - but is still, as we say here, a swell listen. Her monologue intro to the second track is brutal. And funny. Helluva dame.
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39 comments:

  1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 6:16 AM

    I'm hoping Babs can chair the Mass Debate ... ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. MrDaveMay 18, 2022 at 6:28 AM

    Color me intrigued! Looking forward to hearing these

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 6:44 AM

      They are a rush, MrDave. I've only recently caught up with her TO MY SHAME, and look forward to any additions to the discography. She apparently sang with Basie, and I 'd love to hear that. Linkage up a little later.

      Delete
    2. BabsMay 18, 2022 at 7:39 AM

      Marlena and Count
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Op6PSJLTfs&ab_channel=PascalSavelon

      Delete
    3. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 8:02 AM

      Babs, I've thought long and hard about this and decided that yes, I will bear your love child. Oh - people will laugh - bitter little people with shriveled hearts - but we care naught for them, for our eyes are set on the stars!

      Delete
    4. BabsMay 18, 2022 at 10:54 PM

      Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
      Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
      Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love....

      Delete
    5. Nobby (A Fine Old English ....)May 19, 2022 at 4:03 AM

      Enough !!! Get a room, as I believe the youngsters say.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 18, 2022 at 6:44 AM

    If your life was a TV show, what would the theme song be?
    Babs not anonymous
    What's up with Blogger this evening?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 6:45 AM

      Babs having a Senior Moment here with her laptop - pro tip - get the cat off the keyboard.

      Delete
    2. BabsMay 18, 2022 at 7:34 AM

      Actually, it was the asshats at Firefox

      Delete
  4. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 6:47 AM

    If my life was a TV show, my theme song would be -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WShMzwT-nM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clarence PuneMay 18, 2022 at 9:04 AM

      Very fitting. (Unlike your pants.)

      Delete
    2. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 9:34 AM

      My pants are hip hop pants, with a ten-inch zipper and low crotch to accommodate my donkey meat.

      Delete
  5. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 7:12 AM

    My albums o' th' year. What year? Who's counting?

    https://workupload.com/file/FmH7X477mW7

    ReplyDelete
  6. draftervoiMay 18, 2022 at 7:27 AM

    My theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQvUBf5l7Vw

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 9:38 AM

      This starts off like Judy In Disguise, so I am excite. But it's okay.

      Delete
  7. Nobby (A Fine Old English ....)May 18, 2022 at 7:29 AM

    My theme song :
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui65cGTekK8

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 18, 2022 at 9:39 AM

      Great song, indifferent production.

      Delete
    2. Nobby (A Fine Old English ....)May 18, 2022 at 2:21 PM

      Hmm, you're right, this one sounds a bit better, better video too

      https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj_kuGOwej3AhWRilwKHRAuDZEQtwJ6BAgEEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWtmwckP58s8&usg=AOvVaw3oOOEkEZDsYoS1g5dsHaZB

      Delete
  8. BabsMay 18, 2022 at 7:33 AM

    Mine would be
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dQ8CsuBXDY&ab_channel=SonnyRollins-Topic
    Or
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0--emrNth8&ab_channel=LouReed-Topic

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMay 18, 2022 at 8:32 AM

    it would have been this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZWvi0MaIZs
    or this
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOnWTBrFIh0
    but it is really this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfa56tjBQo

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMay 18, 2022 at 8:33 AM

    oops
    Bucephalus

    ReplyDelete
  11. RobMay 18, 2022 at 5:59 PM

    Uffington Wassail
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyYGQxcCYVM

    That'll do for me.

    ReplyDelete
  12. MrDaveMay 18, 2022 at 8:21 PM

    Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is?
    https://youtu.be/LCRZZC-DH7M

    ReplyDelete
  13. BambiMay 18, 2022 at 9:34 PM

    Is this sacrilegious?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qs1J612nZs

    ReplyDelete
  14. GreenockianMay 18, 2022 at 10:13 PM

    Life should not get any deeper than this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMl6HnhFFIA

    ReplyDelete
  15. SteveSharkMay 18, 2022 at 11:33 PM

    I'm going for this piece of cheese.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nPTZqnIfFM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 19, 2022 at 7:14 AM

      Jan Hammer really should have been in this show. "with JAN HAMMER as "Jan Hammer""

      Delete
    2. BambiMay 19, 2022 at 4:12 PM

      Funny how some 80's music sounds so dated now, but that did make me smile.

      Delete
  16. Fanny BlancmangeMay 19, 2022 at 7:00 AM

    Ms Shaw looks like she'd eat me alive but what a way to go.

    As to my TV show theme -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-txQ6KF1Sis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMay 19, 2022 at 7:11 AM

      This piece has had the lowest page hit count for a couple of weeks - if I'd put Kreemé at the top it would have had the highest.

      Delete
    2. BambiMay 19, 2022 at 4:21 PM

      Oh yes UFO, I loved that show as a kid, however I also loved the Persuaders, around that time, and that is an awful show. I might try watching some old UFO shows, but expect it might be a disappointment in 2022.

      Delete
  17. AnonymousMay 20, 2022 at 12:01 AM

    I was barely out of nappies when UFO first was broadcast but in recent years it has become my fave TV scifi thing. It still looks and sounds gorgeous although it is something of a period piece with incompetent aliens facing off against not much less daft defenders of Earth.

    ReplyDelete

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