Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Pretty self-explanatory
jmm
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Post by jmm »

Very nice selection and performance by EC, certainly no Andy Williams version of that one!!

About 2min into the Diana clip the switch to an interview of her and Elvis

Merry Christmas everyone
sweetest punch
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Post by sweetest punch »

scielle wrote:It seems the links are set up on The Hour's page, but no video is available as of yet -

EC: http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1872

DK: http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1871
The links work now.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Post by Mikeh »

Lindisfarne! I was right!
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Post by martinfoyle »

As always.

The original is on the Lindesfarne album Nicely Out of Tune.
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Post by johnfoyle »

Kudos to Mikeh for guessing it right. Perhaps he remembered the 2001 re-issue of Lindesfarne singer Alan Hull's 1975 album Squire which has this quote from Elvis -

'He was a wonderful songwriter who will be remembered for his dark and thoughtful compositions, as well as his humour '

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squire-Alan-Hul ... 622&sr=1-4

Squire
~ Alan Hull

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hull

Winter Song (1970 by Alan Hull)

When Winter's shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet
Do you spare a thought for Summer whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat
When Winter.... comes howling in

When the wind is singing strangely, blowing music through your head
And your rain-splattered windows make you decide to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp who wishes he was dead
Or do you pull your bed-clothes higher, dream of Summertime instead
When Winter.... comes howling in

The creeping cold has fingers that caress without permission
And mystic crystal snowdrops only aggravate the condition
Do you spare a thought for the gypsy with no secure position
Who's turned and spurned by village and town and the Magistrate's decision
When Winter.... comes howling in

When the turkey's in the oven and the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module - he's an American astronaut
Do you spare a thought for Jesus, who had nothing but his thoughts
Who got busted - just for talking, and befriending the wrong sorts
When Winter.... comes howling in
When Winter.... comes howling in


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsHvFOAGJ8k

Lindisfarne - Winter Song (Live 1984)

The version on this 1984 solo album seems worth seeking out -


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Basics-Ala ... 558&sr=8-1

Back to Basics
~ Alan Hull
charliestumpy
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by charliestumpy »

Thanks for the link which yesterday I used to 'hear' EC doing the Hull song just fine ...
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re:

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

johnfoyle wrote:Kudos to Mikeh for guessing it right.
And no kudos to SLL for dismissing him!
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

My computer's audio wasn't working at Christmas . The CBC link doesn't seem to work now. Does anyone have the soundtrack to 'Winter Song' ? If so, PM me please .
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

Just got a promise of a DVD of this - great!

When it gets here I'll ask Martin to post the soundtrack here.
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by ReadyToHearTheWorst »

Get a WMV of it here
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
johnfoyle
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

Thanks Ready !

As always with Elvis seeing the performance adds immeasurably to the song's impact. That lip curl at the words the Magistrate's decision is just perfect.
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by martinfoyle »

Finally got around to making a mp3 of Elvis fine performance

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?vh5g1ajknt0
johnfoyle
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

Seasonal bump for this.
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

...and again.

The download link still works. Listening here in freezing Dublin , my nose actually sore with the chill, this song is just perfect.

A 1975 recording of Winter Song by Alan Hull has, by the way, recently been released -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alright-Night-A ... sim_m_h__1
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by Mikeh »

Great, I had been looking for this again! I see Ronan Keating has released an album called Winter Songs, not connection with the Alan Hull song is it??

Ronan's a Dublin boy isn't he John?
johnfoyle
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24 '07

Post by johnfoyle »

We don't speak about Ronan - the shame is too overwhelming. Seriously, fair dues too him, he's successful and talentless - a tricky combination!
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24

Post by johnfoyle »

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

Image
Amanda Friedman for The Wall Street Journal

Eddie Gorodetsky at L.A.'s Farmer's Market; he writes TV shows, produced Bob Dylan's radio program and excavates obscure recordings, which he shares with friends.



Eddie G's Holiday List

Eddie Gorodetsky has stuffed the stockings of as many as 1,500 music and showbiz folks with holiday party mixes for more than 20 years. Here's his 2010 list: Most of the songs can be downloaded as MP3s for $.99 to $1.29.

1. "White Christmas," Jimmy McGriff Bing Crosby turned Irving Berlin's song into the best-selling single in music history. Mr. Gorodetsky likes this "hopped up" instrumental by the B-3 organ maestro.

2. "Poor Old Rudolph," The BellRays The punk and soul group from Riverside, Calif. applies its self-described "hi-octane rock and roll" to the children's song about the luminous-nosed reindeer.

3. "Ornaments," Homer & Jethro The hillbilly comedy duo's ditty about a gal "six-foot-three and built like a Christmas tree" offers "proof that few hillbillies have read Germaine Greer," Mr. Gorodetsky says.

4. Willing & Able," Helene Smith Mr. Gorodetsky unearths this gem by the little-known Miami soul singer, whose version of "Pain in My Heart" is less well remembered than Otis Redding's.

5. "The Old Year Is Gone," Bobby Helms and Johnny Paycheck A yearning New Year's lament by the man who made "Jingle Bell Rock" famous and the "Take This Job and Shove It" outlaw, on their Little Darlin' label.

6. "Merry Christmas Darling," Hop Wilson. This Texas lap steel guitarist demonstrates "what slow blues records sound like when they're not on an endless loop at TGI Fridays."

7. "Winter Song," Lindisfarne "Elvis [Costello] turned me on to it," he says of the haunting ballad by the Brit folk group's late leader Alan Hull. "And it mentions astronauts."

8. "Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas," The Staple Singers "Without Pops, no Curtis [Mayfield], maybe no Jimi [Henrdrix]," Mr. Gorodetsky says. "Without Mavis [Staples], no reason to live."

9. "The Merriest," June Christy The former Stan Kenton Orchestra vocalist ("Something Cool") sings this pop carol "over fantastic arrangements by Pete Rugolo," the jazz composer.

10. "Happy Christmans, Happy New Year" Mabel Mafuya Mr. Gorodetsky and Mr. Dylan included this "sweetly melodic African music from the last century" on their "Theme Time Radio Hour" Christmas show.

11. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," Paul Bley Trio Sidemen Charles Mingus and Art Blakey are gone but Mr.. Bley "is still playing, still great," Mr. Gorodetsky says. "Support live music!"

12. "Death Might Be Your Santa Claus," Rev J.M. Gates. "The king of the recorded preachers," the late pastor of Atlanta's Mount Calvary Baptist Church is sampled on Paul Simon's latest.


DECEMBER 17, 2010

The Santa Claus of Christmas Songs

Music insiders covet his holiday mixes; 'People will listen to anything if you put sleigh bells on


By STEVE DOUGHERTY

Built like a bear, with a rumbling basso buffo voice to match, Eddie Gorodetsky is an off-the-radar celebrity, a star in two separate pop culture universes but little-known except to insiders.

Today he's on a treasure hunt, searching a half acre of recorded music for gold at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. "This is a song you just won't believe!" He pulls a CD from a jam-packed bin. It's a 1950s track by Calypso king the Mighty Sparrow.

"The character singing is upset because the prostitutes in his favorite bar are old, 'with a face like Jack Palance.' He wants them to step aside and give the younger women a chance. I mean, what a crazy concept for a song!"

As a TV writer, Mr. Gorodetsky, 54, has seven Emmy nominations (and one win). He has written for "SCTV," "Saturday Night Live" and David Letterman. He now works with producer Chuck Lorre on the two most popular half-hour comedies on television—"Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory"—plus the new "Mike & Molly." A new project: writing a novel about "celebrity, paparazzi, drugs and superheroes."

He was also the producer of "Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan," the weekly satellite radio series that from 2006-2009 produced a crazy-quilt mix of genre-and-decade-jumping songs, with running commentary from Mr. Dylan. Much of the material for the 100 episodes was culled from Mr. Gorodetsky's own record collection, which among other eclectic selections contains a vast array of Christmas music. Mr. Gorodetsky made these holiday songs into mixes and sent them to friends for years. In 1990, Columbia Records released "Christmas Party with Eddie G." It's out of print now but a collectors item on Amazon and eBay.

What drives Mr. Gorodetsky most is his zeal for musical archeology—and evangelizing. "I'm not a musician. I don't play an instrument. I can't carry a tune. But I love music and I love sharing it," he says.

Longtime rocker Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, who has known Mr. Gorodetsky more than 30 years, describes the impulse: "For people who are beyond obsessed about music, the need to share it is almost like an emergency medical assist—it's your duty to turn the other person on. If you don't, they'll die."

The mix tapes and CDs were intended to do more than spread holiday cheer, says Mr. Gorodetsky. He rails against the homogenization of forms of music that sprang from "whore houses and gambling joints and back alleys." Some marketing efforts turn artists like "Howlin' Wolf into one of the Jamboree Bears."

"It used to make me crazy to hear people say 'I hate country music.' Or 'I hate jazz,'" he says. "True, a lot of twee stuff passes for jazz and country these days, but there is no greater poetry than Hank Williams. I can listen to Lester Young and it breaks my heart. The idea with the mix tapes was to get people to listen to stuff they wouldn't normally listen to—a reggae track here, then a country track, followed by a jump blues tune." He chose Christmas songs because "people will listen to anything if you put sleigh bells on it."

Mr. Gorodetsky no longer circulates his holiday compilations, complaining that the Web has made tastes even less discriminating. "We live in a universe where it's easy to buy music by the pound, where you can download every Christmas song ever recorded," he says. "Having every Christmas song is like having no Christmas songs."

But he continues to troll "bricks and mortar" record stores and produce compilation discs and, lately, MP3 play lists. "It's churlish to flaunt size," he says, but he reluctantly places the size of his collection at more than 10,000 records and more than 140,000 iTunes downloads.

Much of the audience for the quirky mixes culled from that trove is a wide and illustrious network of friends, including Mr. Dylan, Mr. Wolf, Elvis Costello, Penn Jillette and Tom Waits. During the 2007 Hollywood writers' strike, Mr. Gorodetsky was joined on the Writers Guild picket line by Mr. Costello. In 1999 he got Mr. Dylan to appear in an episode of the sitcom "Dharma & Greg."

He resolutely won't name-drop. "Eddie never leads with any of that," says Mr. Lorre, who also co-created "Dharma & Greg." "He inhabits an extraordinary world but he moves through it with remarkable modesty."

Born in Providence, R.I., Mr. Gorodetsky was attending Boston's Emerson College in the late 1970s when he began to make a name for himself. With a gift for gab and his already-amazing record collection, he became a DJ at WBCN, Boston's legendary free-form underground radio station.

Frustrated by radio's drift toward classic rock programming—"it was tedious, waiting 10 minutes for the piano coda in "Layla" to end for the 3,000th time,"—Mr. Gorodetsky began producing comedy segments for WBCN, then TV, eventually leading him to Mr. Lorre, a guitarist who played Florida bars in the 1970s. "We share the view that our little genre has a wonderful musicality to it," says the producer.

Mr. Gorodetsky agrees that producing TV is like playing in honky-tonks: "When you're on a roll and you're all kind of clicking it really does feel like you're in a band."

—Steve Dougherty is a writer based in New York and Los Angeles.
johnfoyle
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Re: Diana 'n Elvis sing seasonal tunes, Canadian TV, Dec. 24

Post by johnfoyle »

Elvis' take on this last week in Chicago -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYAOKFVx ... tu.be&hd=1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsHvFOAGJ8k

Alan Hull's Winter Song, recorded live at Newcastle City Hall on Christmas Eve 1984.

Alan Hull (Vocals, Guitar), Rod Clements (Bass)
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by johnfoyle »

This song has never been more relevant.
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by johnfoyle »

Seasonal 'bump' and new , working youTube clip -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53vn2_nrdoY
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by johnfoyle »

Another seasonal bump !


http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 2007-12-24

The Hour's Holiday Music Special, CBC, Vancouver, BC, Canada, taped 2007-12-15 for 2007-12-24 broadcast

Winter Song


http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?vh5g1ajknt0
fred darden
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by fred darden »

10,000 posts for mr foyle. thanx sir.
sweetest punch
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by sweetest punch »

fred darden wrote:10,000 posts for mr foyle. thanx sir.
Unbelievable!
Congratulations, John.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by johnfoyle »

Thanks - I never noticed! Here's to the next 10,000!
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis sings Alan Hull's Winter Song

Post by johnfoyle »

A , perhaps, more easily accessible relay of ,I presume, the Canadian tv performance -

Elvis Costello "Winter Song" http://tmblr.co/ZipX6vcflySX
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