We’re just putting another shortwave mix together and picked this tune from Tommy McCook & The Supersonics called Second Fiddle. It starts off with a “Popeye the sailor man” type motif then into a very interesting rock steady number.
Then we found out by accident that The Incredible String Band did a cover of it. Well we never knew that! There’s a lot we don’t know we reckon, music is one big can of beans.
This week the Imaginary Stations crew will be bringing to you the return of Skybird Radio International via the shortwaves on Sunday 15th September 2024 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2000 UTC on 6160 kHz and 3975 kHz via Shortwave Gold. Expect some wonderful eclectic music in a true worldwide style from all of the Skybird crew of DJ Frederick, Justin Patrick Moore and at 3.28 in is a mix by One Deck Pete featuring Entjar Tjarmedi, Enip Sukanda, Narcy, Leik, Los Zheros and Dr Charty.
Then next week on Wednesday 18th September 2024 at 0200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI they’ll be bringing you another episode of Skybird Radio International which is another worldwide affair as you can imagine with more tunes from around this musical globe of ours. Tune in and travel the world!
Next Sunday Imaginary Stations will be bringing a cinematic treat to those shortwaves. On Sunday 1st September 2024 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2000 UTC on 6160 kHz and 3975 kHz they’ll be presenting Skybird Drive-in Radio via Shortwave Gold. They’ve got the matinee and evening spots booked for you so there’s no need to arrive early in the motor. Make yourself a tasty snack (hot dogs, tacos, ice cream, a burger or perhaps some popcorn?) and turn on the shortwave radio, it’s as easy as that. Then imagine you’re in a cadillac or whatever car you fancy, tilt your seat back and enjoy all sorts of cinema related tunes as you would in an outdoor experience.
There’s all sort of cinema related tunes and at 38.39 there’s a mix by One Deck Pete called Crash course for the ravers featuring tunes by Trío Noctámbulo, Count Lasher, Charlie Binger & his calypsonians, 3kuad and The Fall. Enjoy the evening’s programme but before you leave please could give the management back the in-car speakers as they are expensive.
The programme will be repeated Wednesday 4th September 2024 at 0200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI.
News just in! There’s a new EP release from Jasmine & Madtone and it’s up on Bandcamp here featuring the two tracks that were on The Rhythm Doctor’s excellent mix on Gilles Peterson’s Breakfast show on Worldwide FM. Expect more new music from Jasmine & Madtone soon!
On Sunday 11th August 2024 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2000 UTC on 6160 kHz and 3975 kHz Imaginary Stations have yet another version of COOL, this time COOL 5 via Shortwave Gold. Like the last COOL shows, it’s summer vibes galore and tunes to listen to whilst on the sun lounger. Towels and suntan lotion at the ready please!
Then via WRMI on Wednesday 14th August 2024 at 0200 UTC on 9395 kHz they’ll be bringing you a back to school special of KMART, your “official supermarket shortwave radio station”. Expect voucher give-aways, extended opening hours and the best blue light specials on the planet (*All subject to availability of course). Tune in and enjoy an alternative to shopping via the shortwave dial.
Reggae is one of those genres that if you think you know a little, you’ll always be suprised. By pure fluke we found the above tune from Ranking Toyan – Kill No Man whilst looking for another Toyan tune on youtube. We then remembered the horn version on the LP Aggrovators Meet The Revolutionaries we bought in a second hand shop many moons ago and used the title track on a “Radio Clarion Vs KDUB” shortwave mix. That thing called the internet can be great sometimes!
On Sunday 4th August 2024 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2000 UTC on 6160 kHz and 3975 kHz Imaginary Stations have another version of COOL, this time COOL 4 via Shortwave Gold. Like the last COOL shows it’s all about those summertime tunes, 1950’s sun tan lotion adverts, deckchairs, long drinks and cool nights. If you’ve loved the last few summer shows you’ll love this one. Shortwave on, sunscreen on and tune into COOL.
This came up in our youtube feed just and we’d forgotten how good it is. We love it even more as we imagine that the blokes in the band are standing on a platform at the Elephant & Castle railway station with the old London College of Printing building at the back of them. This is such a good tune! £25 on discogs and worth it, we reckon! Love a 12″ with an extended mix and a dub version too.
Thanks again to Justin Patrick Moore, this time for letting us know about this great track. Sounding like a send up of the Lincolnshire Poacher number station the wonderfully named Shropshire Number Stations brings you The Minsterley Tumbler and it’s good fun. We do hope that this doesn’t start a trend of happy sounding tunes sampling/parodying number stations as it’s all doom and gloom and the end of the world on shortwave, ain’t it?
Here’s another track that isn’t getting all serious on us when it comes to sampling off shortwave. Ax Martz brings us the upbeat Mensaje en código (Coded message).
If you do some bass heavy tripped out ravey number stations vibes, this is a good one. RAVEDEATH1993 with Number Station Dub.
00000. End of message end of transmission. Enjoy your weekend (said in a monotone robotic voice of course).
It’s going absolutely crazy in the vegetable patch at Justin Patrick Moore‘s back yard in Cincinnati. Our good friend from across the pond and author of the fine book The Radio Phonics Laboratory (out now from the Peckham based Velocity Press here) has sent us some pictures of his vegetable plot. Look at the monster zuchinni plants (above) and the present harvest (below).
And as for the green beans and the corn (and the current harvest in the fridge) look at the below. It’s funny as our zuchinni (AKA courgette or baby marrow over here) and green beans didn’t get past germination stage or if they did, the “no holds barred” Forest Hill slugs had them.
Usually with zuchinni/courgettes we have a glut and there’s only so much you can do with them. There are ways around that glut though, we’ve tried this chocolate courgette cake here and here’s a great idea from Justin’s wife Audrey.
An open sandwich called Yvonne.
Put sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, and spinach, black olives if you like them, seasoned with garlic, pepper, basil and melted swiss cheese on top that you ladle over toasted bread. Add a splash of soy sauce to your taste. Sounds great for those zuchinni gluts and your own gut too.
And (above) look at this for a self-seeding/volunteer zuchinni in his garden too! What went on with our seedlings I wonder and usually our normal plants don’t even get as big as this.
And as for a tune, Justin picked this one from Tim Curry funnily enough called The zucchini song. Cheers again for the pics and recipe idea Justin and here’s more on his great book here:
Weeds up to me knees 