Here’s a chance to get a free RHS “Growing for Gold” pack of Sunflower seeds. There’s four varieties including the giant 12ft Moonwalker available for the first 750 people who fill in a quick survey (name, address and email) as advertised in the London Evening Standard this evening. The survey is here. Do it!
A big thanks to Steven Nereo who got in touch with us the other week about a Jamaican Gospel 7″ I uploaded to the weedsuptomeknees soundcloud by the Creary Sisters (on Sonia Pottinger’s Glory Records). He told us about two mixes of Jamaican Gospel recordings from the 1960’s which he’s put together (both excellent stuff and I don’t even go to church!) which have been on constant play here at weeds since.
There’s loads of corkers on the two compilations, one being 15 minutes in on volume 1, the excellent Stax sounding “It’s a day” by the brilliantly named Evangelist Swell & the Charming Sisters and the first track on Volume 2 “Aint gonna grieve” by Phyllis East both originally released on Coxsone Dodd’s Tabernacle label (recorded on a Sunday naturally!) Two mixes worth listening to! You can download both here.
And while we’re on the great Tabernacle label here’s a release on the label from the great Bob Marley
Bob Marley and The Spiritual Sisters – Just in time – Tabernacle Records
A weeds up to me knees exclusive! A view of my back garden taken from the International Space Station when it was flying directly overhead SE23 at 17,500 m.p.h about an hour ago a.k.a “Forest Hill (in total darkness) from outer space.”
A big shout to David Rodigan again for playing this one from Stephen Marley featuring Sizzla and Capleton with a super sample from the Rt Hon Bob Marley!
Johnny Clarke – None Shall Escape The Judgement King Tubby & The Aggrovators – Version
And the influence, the flying cymbal classic from Johnny Clarke with some help from the great Bunny Lee. And talking of striker, below is Bunny Lee giving it some from 2.15.
Big up all on that big tin thing, the ISS that’s orbiting planet Earth, “Give me a signal” as David Rodigan would say!
Last Friday I was passing the local pizza place on the way home from work and noticed some smart looking empty tomato tins left outside with a “please take me” note beside them. I manage to snatch one before a couple of people behind us grabbed a few each. Back home some drainage holes were drilled (in a freeform jazz gardening stylee,) a lick of varnish was applied and now I’ve got a smart plant pot! A tarragon plant was purchased from Shannon’s and stuck in it and it’s now in situ!
There weren’t too much gardening done this weekend due to the overcast weather but some climbing french beans plants were put in (some empty jam jars were put over them as extra protection even though they’ve been hardened off – another Shannon’s purchase.) I also sowed some flower seeds (danish flag poppy and night scented stock) in some well-washed reused pots with a freezer bag over the top and stuck in the mini greenhouse. I was going to buy a smart permanent marker for the seed labels as I’ve had a few worn off of late (I’ve no idea what the pots contain now) but I was told at the garden centre on saturday morning “don’t bother wasting your money use an old pencil and write on the non-smooth side of the plant label.” Money saving tip of the week!
The above is a purchase from Shannon’s earlier today. I mean, a fragrant Lilly with a name like that, I just had to buy it (man!)
Talking of chill-out and the Cafe Del Mar (which we weren’t), a big shout to Phil Mison for featuring this one on a mix tape a long time ago!
And while we’re on a horizontal tip, a classic from past from the excellent The Mighty Quark (How you doing Mark?) from Stockholm’s King Syndrome Sounds label recommended to us by the man Pete Herbert in the long gone Atlas Records in Soho.
There were a couple of frosts last week which got me wondering on Thursday morning about the spuds I sowed a few weeks back after listening to Joe Maiden on BBC Radio Leeds. He said at the time it’s worth putting a row in as you never know what the future weather will bring.
I put some fleece over the area Thursday night as there was supposedly going to be more frost but then in the morning thought that it might have been a case of “shutting the stable door after the horse had bolted.”
Today I lifted it up the fleece and saw that the spuds have sprouted, how good is that, that Joe Maiden talks a load of sense! Do listen to the BBC Leeds’ Gardening with Tim & Joe show as there’s some great advice on it.
I stuck in some Carrots in the veg bed today and noticed there’s some Parsnips and Cabbages peeping through the soil after sowing them a month ago. The morale of this tale is, it’s well worth taking a risk with seeds, what have you got to lose?
Here’s a mix we’ve been listening to all week from Solar aired on Tim Sweeney’s excellent Beats in Space show out of New York’s WNYU from a couple of weeks ago. A lovely mix of darkish electronica featuring Siouxsie, Front 242, Genesis P Orridge and Cerrone. One to play while weeding in the garden and enjoying some sunshine as it’s supposed to be 20 degrees in the UK this weekend. Download the mix here.
Umberto – Running Blade
Siouxsie and The Banshees – Red Light
Cerrone – Générique (Début)
Uncle O – Madame X
Urban Tribe – Insolitology
Genesis P-Orridge – A Debris Ov Murder
Torn Hawk – Gags And Broken Fingers
Metrobox Is Prins Albert – Dies Ist Belgien
Front 242 – Dialogues
Elektroids – Time Tunnel
In The Disko (spAceLex Club Mix)
Decay – Tape DubbEdit (by Traxx) – Mambo Edits
Feedback – Walk The Line (Rude 66 Mix)
Mutant Beat Dance – Lowlife
G String – Phase (D’Marc Cantu Ghoul Remix)
Oltre La Morte – Aria Azure
Xosar – Elixir Of Dreams
Cheers to our good mate Jim N for letting us know about this subterranean greenhouse idea (aka Walipini) which was on the Jetson Green website (who do a great line in other bonkers stuff – last week it was glow in the dark plants to replace lights!) The idea is well clever but I honestly can’t see Lewisham Council or the neighbours (“I’m sure they’re having parties down there”) appreciating me building one down the garden! More on Walipini’s /Pit Greenhouses here.
The past week and a half we’ve been harvesting Purple Sprouting Broccoli. The plants took so long to mature I’d even forgotten what they were late last year! The most important thing with PSB is that you have to keep cutting the heads regularly after they start even if it gets a bit too much in the eating stakes (“What, Broccoli AGAIN?”) Once the heads open out and flower, it’s the end of that and the plants will stop producing.
There’s even some action in the mini cold frame down the bottom of the garden (the old window frame found in a skip stuck on some bricks), the overwintered garlic is coming on and the mixed salad leaves (obtained in a 5 pack veggie seed bargain on ebay for a couple of quid) sown a few weeks ago have started. Spring has sprung my friend!
Mr Benn “Stars” featuring Eva Lazarus, Blackout JA & Champian – Nice Up! Records
An excellent version of the Studio 1 classic “Stars” by Mr Benn as played on David Rodigan’s show this week (well, the instrumental was) and this version features the vocal talent of Eva Lazarus and two great toasts by Blackout and Champian (I take it, it’s the same Champian from the excellent Tighten Up posse, big up Mistah Brown and Tim P.) A top tune that’ll lure the sun back out into action again!
Weeds up to me knees 