Sunday 25 March 2012

Moon rivers and sing songs

This is a bit of a soppy one - to those times long ago and little when I lay in bed soothed to sleep by sing songs on the piano from the dining room below.   Somewhere in our house there's a legacy of dog-eared sheet music with wonderful illustrations on the fronts from films.

And when I read Bob Dylan's amazing Chronicles One (2004) and learned that Moon River was one of his favourite songs I loved him even more.  On p81, talking about early pop songs, he says;   "I loved songs like "Without a Song", "Old Man River", "Stardust" and hundreds of others.  My favourite of all the new ones was "Moon River".  I could sing that in my sleep.  My Huckleberry friend, too, was up there, waiting 'round the bend maybe on 14th Street".

Seems to tie in with what he says later (p108), returning to his home town in Duluth for his father's funeral and remembering how "growing up, the cultural and generational differences had been insurmountable - nothing but the sound of voices, colourless unnatural speech" and " It seemed I'd always been chasing after something, anything that moved - a car, a bird, a blowing leaf - anything that might lead me into some more lit place, some unkonwn land downriver".  I like to think this is another reference to the roaming spirit of Moon River - 'wherever you're going I'm going your way'.

and on Youtube I found this incredible clip from Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River - you'll never want to hear another version, believe me:




. . . although there are loads of Youtube raves on the Joe Cocker recording and even Bob himself singing it live once!

and while on the subject of Joe Cocker - when I was a first year student we used to go down the road to the unrenovated Ranmoor Inn where an old dear played the piano on Sunday nights to an imprompu sing song of songs long before our era.  We often spotted Joe Cocker in the corner in the tiny snug singing along!  Some of our favourites on those nights were:

On Mother Kelly's Doorstep, Bye Bye Blackbird, Side by Side, My Old Man Said Follow the Van, On The Sunny Side of the Street, The Lady is a Tramp  . . . .


I'll leave you with a few to dip into and you can imagine those balmy nights in bed with the songs drifting up the stairs and thinking of "the free fresh wind in my hair, life without care"!

Ringo singing Bye Bye Blackbird lovely and I prefer it to Paul's new version:


The wonderful Bing singing Swinging on a Star with cute chorus:



This version of Side by Side should make you smile ......


and the amazing Ella on the Sunny Side of the Street - another piano cluster!


 fabulous 2008 Lily Allen version of The Lady is a Tramp:






Monday 19 March 2012

oh we do like to be beside the seaside


Had a lovely Mother's Day in New Brighton yesterday with Mum, full of nostalgia


Fort Perch Rock with Liverpool in the background

ooo I just love seaside shelters

old stomping grounds - the indoor fair

Sun going down outside a Moreton kitchen window

and gone

Friday 16 March 2012

In search of the Dragon of Wantley

It was a beautiful day last Sunday - sun shining over our rooftop


so off we trudged in search of the fabled dragon.   Through the dark dark woods and across to the wilds of Wharncliffe Chase.

Every picture tells the story . . . .

Giant Fungi
Ents galore
Dingly Dells

sculptury thingies
Stripey paths
pretty ponds
and we finally cut to the chase, as they say!
Sheffield City Centre down below
Picnic spot on the Crags
Signpost to safety - all dragons slayed
and Spring is nearly sprung - look at those buds!!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Let the right one in

 Did you see that movie a couple of years ago - scary or what!!

 

Anyway, this little chap keeps tapping on our kitchen window every morning.

and 'who's that knocking on my door (well window!)' reminded me of one of my favourite Incredible String Band Tracks:
 
 

and while we're at it, here's one of the most amazing tracks from the Incredible String Band to send shivers up your spine . . . Painting Box



Ahhhhhhh

Monday 5 March 2012

In praise of village greens

Lovely spring day and just wandered up to our Village Green.  Strange stones, early crocuses and views far across the eastern hills.  I'll leave you with the pics . . .