Corrine Bailey Rae says "Put Your Records On" with O'Jays

I've had this cd for a fair while since its release in  February following the lead off single Like A Star came out in special four track edition last October which ignited a lot of interest in the musical press and caught my ears as someone who unapologetically  prefers soul music coming from a more traditional direction rather than what sounds more like watered down hip-hop with harmonies on top we've been having since the nineties.

This Yorkshire singer has a most amazing voice.

What really did for it for me was the second single Put Your Records On released at the same time as the album itself that just that vibe right down which lead to the album peaking at #2 in the UK albums chart and amazingly #4 in the US.

Trouble Sleeping was released over here as a single in May.

The OJays have a long history but it wasn't until Gambol and Huff - the producers - sign them to their Philadelphia International label in the early 1970's that they broke big and it was around that era that I first got to hear of them being played on the metropolitan radio stations managing to make a big enough antenna for my radio to pull these stations.

Strangely enough one source of hearing them was the journey to school as one of the drivers who took me always had their stuff plus a shed full of other acts on that label playing out of his car stereo.

Several things hit you of which the first was the production being sparse allowing the musicianship to rise and the vocals to come through clearly.

The second was the arrangements with a strong jazz influence and finally them words - the O'Jays famously had had 'a message in our music' talking about the state of society - family breakdown, integrity, backstabbers, racism, the importance of love and so on in what in other respects was a cynical no future era. In the O'Jay's world you could rise above what maybe holding you down.

I was late into getting anything buy the O'Jay's on compact disc and the first title I did get was "Collectors Items" originally released on lp in 1977 which is a collection of special mixes of their earlier songs. 

Shortly afterwards in the States a number of their early albums got issued by Sony legacy but these were very hard to find and in fact I've only just completed my set with the Backstabbers, Ship Ahoy and Survival studio albums plus the Live In London album issued in 1974.

In late 1998 it was announced that WestSide were to re-issue all their post 1976 albums in the UK the following year and in that period I bought each issue as soon as it came out.

They came in the form of either 2 albums on a single cd or three on 2 cds with one album kind of split between the discs which wasn't ideal but they had very good notes about what was happening with the band, all the singles issued with their 'b' sides and so on.

There were all re-released by Edsel in 2004 in the much better 2 album on one cd format.

Earning your Sport Adventure badge

Brownies, the young adventurers, embark on exciting journeys during their time with Girlguiding. One of the thrilling adventures they can undertake is the Brownie Sport Adventure Badge. 🌟

To earn this badge, Brownies participate in a sport adventure activity that involves equipment, a game, and rules. Whether it’s fencing, axe throwing, or another exhilarating sport, the key is to step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves. 🤺🪓

Here are some questions to determine if they’ve had a true sport adventure:

Did the activity take you beyond their usual routine or comfort zone?

Was it a new experience for you?

Did you explore a new place?

Did you discover something new about yourself?

If they answer yes to at least three of these questions, you’ve achieved the Brownie Sport Adventure Badge! 🏅

Scouting and Me

The one organization I'd love to have joined when I was a chronological child would of been the Brownies, the younger side of Girl Scouting but it was never to be. In fact my folks never enrolled me to any part of the World-wide Scouting movement which was a pity for although I have disabilities it wouldn't of been hard for them to accommodated me (and I'm sure if asked nicely they'd of been happy too).

This is the Brownie uniform I'd of been proud to have worn, learning more about self-reliance, serving others and improving my poor confidence at the time.

Taking the promise, one I'd of been happy to made in 1972 as I had no problem uphold the principals and pledging my allegiance.

Here's a 70's vintage uniform with  badges but can you see that oh so  1970's smiley face yellow badge. I used to have loads of them then! 

Smartly dressed I would learn how to be a useful citizen, giving of my best, being the very best I can be.

Given what I now understand of my gender issues as a sissy gurl one might think I'd of wanted to of been a Brownie although I had no issue with the Cub program.

I made the commitment in 2018 to follow the program and principals of the Brownies exploring, learning new things and having fun and have never looked back.

Channelling the essence of being a Brownie in day to day life, having a a uniform with the range of variations to suit needs we have today, that's very much me and I love it.

*Updated 2018*

Adding to my classical cd collection

One of my interests crosses over to a means of relaxing and indeed regression and that is music, specifically classical music and as I approach the twentieth anniversary of our first cd player there's two discs I bought recently.

While I have long term plans for my collection, the music of Brahms has figured, not so much as Mozart or Beethoven and whatever may come of my discs of his symphonies at some point, his piano music interests me more for now not least in piano lead chamber music.

These two discs recorded in 1971 and 1980 respectively and carefully remastered from analogue tape are amongst the very best of these core chamber music works and in the case of the Quartet often borrowed on cassette form from the local library that they are a part of my past musical experience that makes now owning them in cd form a joy for the performances have staying power.