A founder member of Duran Duran, Stephen Duffy had his first hit in 1985 with ‘Kiss Me‘, before forming The Lilac Time in 1986 and releasing several acclaimed albums on Fontana. During the 1990s he recorded two solo albums, ‘Music in Colours‘ and ‘Duffy‘, before collaborating with former Duran colleague Nick Rhodes on The Devils‘ ‘Dark Circles‘ LP. He also scored another UK hit single, ‘Hanging Around’, as part of the ‘temporary supergroup’ Me, Me, Me, with Blur‘s Alex James and Elastica‘s Justin Welch. Stephen contributed his Harkive story in 2015.
“Is it morning?” asks our daughter.
It’s around 7.00 am.
I may not listen to music for a while if that’s okay?
Whilst clearing up I listen to the first side of Pageant Material by Kacey Musgrave. From High Time to Biscuits skipping Late to the Party.
Then on finding the last track on the Flo Morrisey album is the title track and I hadn’t got that far I listen to Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful before going down into the studio.
There I answer some emails whilst listening to Album 1700 by Peter Paul & Mary because Apple Music thought I might like it. I did. I’m sure my Apple concierge is already compiling a Peter Paul & Mary: Deep Cuts playlist ready for the next time I open it up.
My record player is hard wired into my studio system which makes it sound unfairly awesome compared to other music listening arrangements around the place. I have just purchased The American Dreamer on eBay. It’s the soundtrack from the Dennis Hopper documentary. I have enjoyed a mp3 bootleg for years and am happy to have a hard copy. I have just discovered whilst writing this that the film will be released on DVD this autumn. (http://theatln.tc/1eZyj5T)
Then my brother arrives and together with Claire we rehearse for the Port Eliot Festival where we are playing as a trio on August 1st. We play 20 or so songs that cover most of our 9 albums. Some songs from the And Love For All album we haven’t played since it came out in 1990. Salvation Song from Looking For A Day In The Night 1999 we have never played. It takes time to get back up to speed as we haven’t played since the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2007 and this will be only our 6th gig of the century. Wow this paragraph is chock full of numbers. . .
Time to eat.
After dinner I put on my old “Classic” iPod on shuffle. I fear for its demise as it is edited to within an inch of it’s life. Creating Apple Music playlists or whatever is something I don’t feel I have time for just yet.
These Hands from Robin Williamson’s last album, then Long Long Road from The Incredible String Band’s Tricks of the Senses. I Always Get Lucky by George Jones, Port Lairge – The Clancy Brothers, Long And Wasted Years from Bob Dylan, I love You A Thousand Ways- Lefty Frizzell, Galveston – Jimmy Webb Same Old Man – Karen Dalton, The Donor – Judy Sill, Fire And Wine – Anne Briggs, Come Go With Me – The Del-Vikings, To Make You Stay – Lal & Mike Waters. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Ry Cooder is still playing as I come downstairs to type up this and turn off all the little red lights. It’s funny I listened to new music this morning as I’m more of an old music by old or dead folk person.
I’m still here and listening to Ryan Adams’ amazing Live At Carnegie Hall album, or albums as its on six of them. It’s wonderful. I listen to it to frighten myself as he never makes a mistake or sings out of tune. Still I have a couple of weeks to go, surely perfection can be achieved by then?
There was a lot of music today. Tomorrow maybe not so much apart from the rehearsals and perhaps Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo for Daisy. On Thursday, if it’s fine, I’ll just listen to Test Match Special all day. I wrote a song with Booker T Jones years ago called Holes In My Shoes, it’s no Soul Limbo.