Radio Times 11 July 2020

CD1: 1-2 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, 15th march 1967; 3 CBC TV Studio, Toronto, 14th September 1967; 4-5 CBS TV Studios, LA (Ed Sullivan Show) 17th September 1967; 6-7 CBS TV Studio (Jonathan Winters Show) 27th December 1967; 8-9 Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 4th December 1968; 10-15 Critique TV Show, recorded 28th April 1968; CD2: Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden 20th September 1968; CD3: Cobo Arena, ~Detroit, 8th May 1970, FM Radio Broadcast; CD4: Center Coliseum, Seattle, 5th June 1970, FM Radio Broadcast; CD5: PNE Coliseum Vancouver, 6th June 1970, FM Radio Broadcast 4th July 1992; CD6: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 21th July 1972, FM Radio Broadcast.

In the days before punk rock, Kursaal Flyers straddled the line separating pub rock and power pop. The line was so thin it would seem to disappear in the rearview mirror, but when Kursaal Flyers were active in the mid-'70s, they were subtly pulled in two different directions. They'd tour on the same circuit as their friends Dr. Feelgood, but they also signed to Jonathan King's company in 1975, then worked with pop impresario Mike Batt after singing to CBS for The Golden Mile in 1976. Batt gave "Little Does She Know" a grandiose arrangement designed to conjure memories of Phil Spector, and it was enough for the single to crack the U.K. Top 20; however, instead of being their breakthrough, it was their only hit.

Naïve Art is the debut album by San Diego (by way of Liverpool) synth-pop duo Red Flag, consisting of brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds. This is the 30th Anniversary reissue of the CD which has not been available since 2001. It contains all original versions from the initial release in 1989 along with 18 additional bonus tracks. This reissue is far different from the 2001 Restless reissue which was only one CD and the songs were severely edited and over compressed. This has been remedied for this new re-release. The second disc also contains many of the remixes that were released separately on Naive Dance compilation in 1990. It also contains some very hard to find remixes of Russian Radio, Broken Heart and an early track called Control, which sounds amazing.

About the album Porridge Radio grew out of Dana Margolin’s bedroom, where she started making music in private. Living in the seaside town of Brighton, she recorded songs and slowly started playing them at open mic nights to rooms of old men who stared at her quietly as she screamed in their faces.

Harry Chapin’s brother Steve and his drummer Howard Fields remember: “On April 11th 1977, Harry Chapin and his band, near the end of their first tour overseas, performed a concert broadcast over German radio at a small auditorium in the city of Bremen in front of 400 people."

There is more Spain in Offenbach’s brain than in Spain itself’, said a journalist entranced by Maître Péronilla. Understandably so, given the charm and humour of this operetta in which no fewer than twenty-two characters are kept busy unravelling a preposterously complicated love story. And the libretto is all the better for having been penned by the composer himself.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are Indigo Girls. Together they write, arrange, record and perform music which over the course of 40 years has become a vital part of the lives of their legion of devoted fans around the world. Their first new studio album in 5 years, Look Long, is a testament to their storied career. Produced by John Reynolds at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio in England, Look Long, features 11 brand new tracks all written by Ray and Saliers.