For some tormented souls, the term "Summer Music" will conjure up lurid notions of daft Europop in naff discos; for others, the grim sceptre of Bangin Eye-Beef-A Choons may be raised. But for me, "Summer Music" has always meanst sinuous, sultry, low-slung grooves, wafting through an open window on a hot, dark, sticky night. As such, it has long been one of my very favourite musical aesthetics.
On one such night earlier in the week, I stayed up past my bedtime in order to compile my submission to the
Summer Burn 2004 project, as hosted by the guys at FunJunkie.
(Simple, effective concept. Burn a summer-themed CD; send it to two random participants as selected by the organisers; receive CDs of new music from two other random particpants; hey presto, everyone's a winner.)
Inevitably, since I seem to be congenitally unable to do anything by halves, this ended up being a 2CD compilation. Here's the track listing. For maximum effect, do not play until after nightfall.
CD ONE.
1. sparkle city - shuggie otis
2. back to the world - curtis mayfield
3. voz d'amor - cesaria evora
4. it's alright now - eddie harris
5. reasons - minnie ripperton
6. strawberry letter 23 - shuggie otis
7. upside down - carol cool
8. clean up woman - betty wright
9. express yourself - charles wright & the watts 103rd street rhythm band
10. give me your love - sisters love
11. turned on to you - eighties ladies
12. be thankful for what you've got - one blood
13. ain't no time fa nothing - the futures
14. moonshadow - labelle
15. easy money - dee dee sharpe gamble
16. light my fire - shirley bassey
CD TWO.
1. want ads - the honey cone
2. expressway to your heart - margo thunder
3. how can you live without love - jean terrell
4. you got the love - rufus with chaka khan
5. a toda cuba le gusta - afro-cuban all stars
6. he venido a decirte - omara portuondo
7. who is he and what is he to you - bill withers
8. no letting go - wayne wonder
9. my sensitivity (gets in the way) - luther vandross
10. star - earth wind & fire
11. what are we gonna do about it - mercy mercy
12. annie mae - natalie cole
13. disposable society - esther phillips
14. primavera - mariza
15. solid air - john martyn
16. chelsea morning - joni mitchell
17. l-o-v-e (love) - al green
18. make me believe in you - patti jo
19. cucurrucucú paloma - caetano veloso
Being a list of the twenty tunes - some old, some new - which are currently enjoying the heaviest rotation on the stereo / on the 'puter / in the car / inside my head.
1.
phoenix - holding on together
2.
caetano veloso - soy loco por ti, america
3.
youssou n'dour - cheikh ibra fall
4.
kelis - trick me
5.
kanye west/syleena johnson - all fall down
6.
style council - long hot summer
7.
jc chasez - all day long i dream about sex
8.
emma - crickets sing for anamaria
9.
prince - illusion, coma, pimp & circumstance
10.
ojos de brujo - tiempo de soleá
11.
harpers bizarre - witchi tai to
12.
faithless - i want more
13.
magazine - a song from under the floorboards
14.
girls aloud - the show
15.
esther phillips - disposable society
16.
usha uthup & chorus - one two cha cha cha
17.
company b - fascinated
18.
one blood - be thankful for what you got
19.
scissor sisters - laura
20.
ce'cile - hot like we
What's currently Number One in
your personal chart?
Glory be. After a 24-hour period of downtime, troubleddiva.com has been fully resurrected. Apologies for the blip (a long and boring story - don't ask), and thanks to those of you who helpfully posted a link to the short-lived Emergency Blogspot Service.
Order is restored. Let peace and harmony reign throughout the land.
You find me here under somewhat reduced circumstances: trotting meekly back into the arms of Blogspot, with a sheepish, hang-dog expression on my face.
Blogspot... dear, sweet, faithful old Blogspot. God, but I've been such a bloody, bloody fool.
Blinded, I was. Blinded by the cheap glamour of a personal domain. They said you were dowdy... flabby... past your prime. They said I was too good for you... that I had "outgrown" you. How wrong I was to listen. How terribly, terribly wrong. Can you find it in your heart to take me back?
(Yeah, that should just about do the trick. I picked up some flowers from the garage on the way home, as well. They like that sort of thing.)
Basically - and I shan't bore you with the details just yet - a protracted Episode with my web hosting providers has resulted in me being temporarily homeless, as of this morning. For now - and against fairly massive evidence to the contrary - I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. However, if I'm still shacked up here in a couple of days time, then the Name & Shame phase of the operation will come into play. Oh yes.
Although I think I've fixed everything on the front page of the site, there will inevitably be a few broken links knocking around the place. I respectfully crave your indulgence in this matter.
(Now, where are my old slippers?)
Update: Yeah, whatever. See ya, Blogspot.
When will I be back? Dunno. Don't wait up.
Oh, don't give me that
look. You know I hate it when you do that.
*slam*
