Other than Loudon Wainright and maybe Richard Thompson, the other songwriter some of whose songs I would like to have been able to claim is Ray Davies. Lola - brilliant, brilliant, brilliant and utterly shocking when I first heard it as a child in the 60s. "... I'm glad I'm a man and so's Lola!" Here's RD singing it at this year's Glastonbury:
Shangri-La - not as well known as many of his songs, but very nicely put together. Most people would have been content to have half the number of ideas he throws into this song. More ideas often equals more mess, but not here I think.
Days - More from this year's Glasto. I don't use the word genius often, although this man comes pretty damn close in my opinion.
Rychard the Lionheart Wrote:Mike Harding - Bomber's Moon
Excellent Mike Harding anti-war song in tribute to his father, killed in Lancasters in WW2.
Good call, Rychard. I wouldn't have thought of Mike Harding. This song was much out of keeping with most of his material at the time. I first saw him at Hertford Folk Club in 1971 and I have never laughed so much in my life. He was the funniest performer I have ever seen, from the beginning to the end of the set. I couldn't keep a straight face when I saw him after that either. I always felt his recordings never communicated the energy of his live gigs.
Rolf Harris- Royal Albert Hall- Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s (1960 in Australia and Great Britain, 1963 in the US). Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed. The song is one of the best known and most successful Australian songs.
Daughter of Ewan MacColl, but I much preferred Kirsty's sense of humour She was famous for her ability to provide instant and spot-on backing vocals in the studio (which she did for many including The Smiths and Talking Heads), but some of her own songs were stunning. Sadly she died in 2000 saving her son's life in an encounter with a power-boat whilst diving at Cozumel, Mexico. I'm going to break my own rule here and include a couple of collaborative compositions. There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis - third single, first to chart. We've all met him, haven't we?
In These Shoes - very funny. I almost sought a dominatrix ... before I realised I was married to a repressed one and didn't like it
Don't Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim - this one is all hers, though. Interesting chord progressions, great lyrics celebrating independence and perfect bvs.
Rychard the Lionheart Wrote:Rolf Harris- Royal Albert Hall- Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
Rolf Harris, renaissance man! I love to sing his songs, The Court of King Caractacus, and sometimes even Sun Arise, with children, when I get a couple of hundred of them together to enjoy the occasion How many song-writers have also been commissioned to paint a portrait of The Queen?
I just went to see Carole King and James Taylor's concert in may...worth every penny. I see JT is here already so I will focus on Carole King... definitely should be represented on any singer/songwriter list...my favorite two songs from her...Beautiful and Jazzman..
I also loved Laura Nyro who wrote tons of stuff for people like Blood Sweat and Tears and Fifth Dimension but I really liked when she sang her own stuff...this is Poverty Train...Laura was a lesbian who died of cancer ...RIP..