Playlist: Listen, my friends! ~ June 2016

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In the words of Moby Grape… listen, my friends! Yes, it’s the (hopefully) monthly playlist presented by George’s Journal just for you good people.

There may be one or two classics to be found here dotted in among different tunes you’re unfamiliar with or have never heard before – or, of course, you may’ve heard them all before. All the same, why not sit back, listen away and enjoy…

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CLICK on the song titles to hear them

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Kenny Ball and his Jazz Men ~ Midnight In Moscow (1962)

Los Mustang ~ Submarino Amarillo (1966)¹

Jefferson Handkerchief ~ I’m Allergic To Flowers (1967)

P. P. Arnold ~ To Love Somebody (1968)

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus ~ Theme from Inga (1968)

Eartha Kitt ~ Hurdy Gurdy Man (1970)

Billy Rosenberg ~ Theme from Columbo (Ransom For A Dead Man) (1971)

Joan Baez ~ The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (1971)

Okko Bekker ~ East Indian Traffic (1971)

Johnny Wakelin & the Kinshasa Band ~ The Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) (1974)² 

Denny Crockett and Ike Egan ~ Theme from Ulysses 31 (1981)

The Icicle Works ~ Whisper To A Dream (Birds Fly) (1983)

The Dream Academy ~ The Edge of Tomorrow (1985)³

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¹ The Spanish-language version of The Fabs’ much-loved pseudo-throwaway tune that sold a spectacular 130,000 copies in its homeland; in fact, so popular a cover was it that the fans of the Villareal football club took up singing it at matches – owing to the team’s all-yellow kit – thus inevitably establishing the club’s nickname as El Submarino Amarillo (The Yellow Submarine)

² Ironically for a novelty hit that cheerily celebrates black empowerment (released to ride the wave of Ali’s extraordinary comeback when he won back the World Heavyweight boxing crown at the age of 32 via the Zaire-set ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ bout), its writer and performer Johnny Wakelin was a white man from the English seaside city of Brighton; Ali died on June 3, aged 74

³ As featured on the soundtrack of classic ’80s-tastic coming-of-age teen comedy-drama Ferris Buellers Day Off, which was released in cinemas 30 years ago this summer.

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