Christmas treats: for me !

Christmas treats, and its not even Christmas yet and I don't know what Santa is bringing! 
I am engrossed in the new biography of Aretha Franklin, "Respect" by expert David Ritz who certainly knows his soul and r&b, having known and worked with them all. Its a terrific 500 page tome filling us in on everything Aretha!

The Joni Mitchell new 4-cd retrospective in that nice book package, with extensive notes by Joni, and the re-mastered favourites sound great. Nice Christmas references too:

"River" of course is a new Christmas classic and gets covered a lot: "Its coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees, they're putting up reindeer, and singing songs of joy and peace" ..... and that nice reference in "Chinese Cafe": "Christmas is sparkling out on Carol's lawn, this friend of my childhood games has kids almost grown and gone".... and I love how she sings in "Barangrill" (not included here): "The guy at the gas pumps has a lot of soul, he sings "Merry Christmas" for you just like Nat King Cole".

Sophia's book is also a treat for devotees as she reveals a lot about her early Italian films and shares correspondence from Cary Grant and Richard Burton, and comments on a lot of her films, surprisingly dismissing EL CID as a "Superwestern" ....
That new David Hockney documentary has just arrived too - I have had a quick look, it contains moments from earlier BBC documentaries I did not have any more, and also from Hazan's A BIGGER SPLASH, and there is another new Hockney documentary too, covering his recent paintings. 

On the music front, Aretha new "Diva Anthems" cd nicely complements the new book, while Ella and Nelson Riddle is a treat (thanks Jerry), with perfect versions of songs like "I Can't Get Started" and "Georgia On My Mind", reminding one of that lush Nelson Riddle sound; Quincy Jones steps up to the mark too with that fabulous Donna Summer album now re-issued and expanded with great notes (also part of a Donna 6 cd reissue) - this is probably my most played cd just now, great to hear "Love Is In Control", "State of Independence" and/"Lush Life" again - as per my last post on Donna (see label). I am awaiting delivery of FKA Twigs and "LP1" (right) - modern hip hop with a twist. 

Then there is BFI stuff to catch up with: "Sight & Sound" and the January programme with some more Maggie Smith treats .... more at labels!
And the Christmas song? Tom Odell's "Real Love" .... along with Sam Smith ("In The Lonely Hour") and Ed Sheeran ("X") the success of the year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZLYp-jgx-I

Donna: de luxe and re-issued

I am delighted to finally have a cd of Donna's 1982 album titled "Donna Summer", the one produced by Quincy Jones - and a de luxe, remastered edition too, in a book format, with copious notes and extra versions of "Love is in Conrol" and "State of Independence". This for me is Donna's best later album and has been unavailable on cd for a long time. The album with Quincy Jones is one of my favourite 80's albums that never sounds dated and Donna's voice sounds amazing.  

"Love is in Control" was the first song I heard on a friend's Sony Walkman, so I had to dash out and get my own one - it still sounds terrific now, and I love her version of the Billy Strayhorn classic "Lush Life".

Its part of a 6 cd boxset, but the albums are available singly at a good price. Looks like Donna is back in favour again ... It was also good to get Grace Jones' seminal album "Nightclubbing" also in that de luxe re-mastered format with lots of extra tracks, earlier this year - Grace Jones label - and Diana Ross's Chic album "Diana". 

Donna Summer, R.I.P. + Robin Gibb

Another music legend departs at the too early age of 63: Donna Summer (1948-2012). I was not really into her sound during the '70s disco era (that was the height of my Joni Mitchell fandom), but loved her '80s album with Quincy Jones which had that great version of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" (which does not seem to be available now) - Donna's version is as good as any of the others such as Nancy Wilson's - and those tracks like "State of Independence". I remember my pal Stan and I travelling on the London underground, it must have been about 1983, and he had one of the first Walkmans so I listened to it and it was Donna's "Love is in Control" that came over the headphones ... I had to get my own Sony Walkman after that - the clunky yellow Sports one ! 

Donna had a huge string of hits - the '80s was my disco era really in London, Brighton and Portsmouth - so we liked "Bad Girls", "Hot Stuff", "She Works Hard for the Money" etc. Those ill-advised comments about Aids (if she made them) derailed her career for a while, but Donna kept going, that hit with Barbra Streisand etc and did not have to hit the nostalgia circuit, the power and elasticity of her voice continued as her career diversified. Those early hits with Giorgio Moroder will always be around.

Robin Gibb too has lost his long fight against cancer. RIP too then to another 1960s-70s pioneer. He was 62 and co-founded the Bee Gees with his brothers - I remember buying their early singles like "Massachusetts" in the 60s. The tributes have been suitably reverential placing the group's songwriting next to Lennon-McCartney. I got around to buying SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER the other week, as felt as an essential '70s film it should be in the collection. I also of course had the essential vinyl double album back then.
So far then this year we have lost a Bee Gee, a Monkee, a member of The Band as well as some disco divas, Etta James, Dory Previn and that great German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Diskau. A heavenly choir indeed.

Today's paper says .."The deaths of Donna Summer and now Robin Gibb have resounded so powerfully around the world because they were so intimately associated with something utterly life-affirming - the groove of disco and movement and frivolous escapism. When pop stars pass away, they take with them a part of our collective memory, the moments when they were the soundtrack to our times. But at least they leave behind the thing that matters most: the music itself." .