Heart

Valentine’s Day – the most romantic day of the year? Or a stressful, sentimental, overly commercialised nightmare? Whatever your opinion, it was time to enjoy a whole lot of songs with the word ‘heart’ in them. Because, let’s face it, this is a theme show and I’m not above exploiting this silly holiday for my own benefit either!

This week I want to give a big shout out to those of you who listen to the show via the web. I know that Alex listens every week in Sydney (because he texts me during the show when he particularly likes a track!) and Zoe and Steve have been listening in Tokyo. Isn’t technology wonderful!

My discovery this week was Little Miss Cornshucks. Who? You may well ask. To be honest I hadn’t heard of her either but Hudson from BayFM’s ‘Postmodern Backlash’ turned me onto her and I’ve got to say, she is amazing. She was a unique live performer who riveted audiences from LA to Chicago to New York in the post World War 2 years.This was the period of the “after-hours blues”, between swing and rock’n’roll, when the break between jazz and popular R&B was not yet a chasm.

 She was a huge influence on performers like Ruth Brown. And Judy Garland’s schtick, of sitting on the edge of the stage and communicating directly to the audience, is taken straight from Little Miss Cornshucks performance. I found a compilation of her recordings on both Amazon and ITunes, if you want to check her out for yourself.

The 101ers were a pub rock band from the 1970s, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join the Clash. The group was named for the squat where they lived together: 101 Walterton Road. The 101ers were supported by the Sex Pistols at the Nashville Room on 3 April 1976, and this is when Strummer claimed he saw the light and got involved in the punk scene. Joe Strummer commented on this event in the Don Letts documentary ‘Westway to the World’ on the end of the 101ers by saying “Five seconds into their (the Pistols) first song, I knew we were like yesterday’s paper, we were over.” I played Keys To Your Heart which still stands up today, so maybe he was being a trifle hard on the 101ers, but hey, we got The Clash. So no complaining. Have a listen to the 101ers courtesy of YouTube. 

A bit of trivia: Did you know that Kiki Dee was the first white British artist to be signed by Tamla Motown, releasing her first Motown album in 1970 (Great Expectations). She is better known for her duet with Elton John, and that’s the song we played this week – ‘Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart’.

The two hours just flew by and, as usual, I had a lot of fun. If you aren’t in a relationship at the moment, think of this Saturday February 14 as “Singles Awareness Day”. Otherwise, remember what Anais Nin had to say:

“Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.”

So, for all you music lovers out there, here is the playlist:

Unchain My Heart – Ray Charles

Hearts Of Stone – The Jewels

Keep Your Hand On Your Heart – Little Miss Cornshucks

The Heart of Saturday Night – Tom Waits

Your Cheatin Heart – Hank Williams

Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley

Breakin’ Up Is Breakin’ My Heart – Roy Orbison

Melt Your Heart – Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins

Heart Of Gold – Neil Young

Heart Full Of Soul – The Yardbirds

Heart Of Glass – Blondie

Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around – Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty

Heart Of Stone – The Rolling Stones

Don’t go breaking my heart – Elton John & Kiki Dee

Good Morning, Heartache – Billie Holiday

I’m Hanging Up My Heart For U – Solomon Burke

Ruler Of My Heart – Irma Thomas

Piece Of My Heart – Big Brother & The Holding Company

Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes

Chemical Heart – Grinspoon

Hearts A Mess – Gotye 

He Will Break Your Heart – Jerry Butler

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – Jimmy Ruffin 

Zing, Went The Strings Of My Heart – The Coasters

Next week, its ‘Cats & Dogs’. Hope to have your company.

Listen to Lyn McCarthy on BayFM 99.9 Tuesdays 2-4pm, Sydney time. Also streaming on http://www.bayfm.org