Music with Mark! Beat the January blues.


Hey! January is here and with it a slight malaise. I try to shy away from the doom and gloom of January and blue Monday because it’s the start of a new year and anything is possible! I promise I’m not going to go full on Almost Famous and suggest listening to Tommy in full while burning a candle, but January is a good time for ritual and ceremony! So these are some of the songs I like to listen to on days when I need a bit of a pick me up.

ROADHOUSE BLUES – THE DOORS
I could write a whole blog about The Doors and I probably will at some point because they’re my favourite band. They’ve got loads of songs that are a pick me up but this song has the line “I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer” while I’m not explicitly advocating morning beers, the thought reminds me of summer festivals and also, sometimes, it is just nice to have a morning beer. Jim was on to something. This is The Doors at their blues rock best - driving guitars, sexy harmonicas and wonderful almost honky-tonk keys. This is a real pick me up album and there’s not a dud on there.

KINKY BOOTS – HONOR BLACKMAN & PATRICK MACNEE
This is just silly, and I love it. It was originally written for a satirical programme from the early 60s called That Was The Week That Was and then Honor and Patrick recorded it. They were in the avengers but I know Patrick Macnee from This Is Spinal Tap. We watched it for the first time around Christmas and I’m now one of those people who shoehorns Spinal Tap in to anything and everything I can.

FEMMES de PARIS – VARIOUS
This is a whole album of French bubble-gum psych pop. It’s cheerful, playful and evokes fantastic images in my mind of French cinema. From these songs you can easily picture yourself riding around the streets of Paris on a little scooter. These are my highlights from this album:
Chrisine Delaroche - Des Tigres et Des Minets
Jacqueline Taïeb - 7 Heures du Matin
Cleo - Et Moi, Et Toi, Et Soie
Liz Brady - Le Palladium (video above)

COFFEE IN THE POT – SUPERGRASS
One from their fifth album in 2005, it’s just a wonderful piece of music. It’s simple and really feels like a joyous hug. For me it’s a song that feels at home in a late summer garden in that warm lazy sun or hunkered down under blankets on a rainy winter day. It reminds me of each and it’s comforting in both ways. I'm not sure that this is the official video for the song but it's weird and I am here for that.

DESTINATION MARS – FROSTY & THE DIAMONDS
Another lovely instrumental to finish on. The title of the track and the name of the band are probably all you need to know before hitting play, they just don't name them like they used to! I found this on a compilation called Beat Jazz: Pictures From The Gone World, the album as a whole is pretty weird but it's a good listen, it even has a recording of Jack Kerouac on there. I know Frosty & The Diamonds released two 45s but this is the only one that I can find a video of. I guess that's no bad thing since some of my favourite tracks from my first blog are by one release wonders but this is so good, I want more from them! This is a song that brings to mind lovely warm Spring wanders when the sun finally has heat and you can feel Summer on the way!

So have a root through your vintage wardrobe, find your favourite Octopus Garden pieces, get some records on and have a fashion show. Let me know in the comments below what your go to songs are! Until next time, be seeing you in The Octopus Garden.

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