Cheers to Debby H for sending us a photograph taken the other day of her ornithogalum plant. “The tallest flowers are now about 1 metre and 80 cm high!” That is crazy Debby!
All we can say is wow!
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Cut and paste for a Saturday night
Here’s a nice piece of cut and paste dub sitar business from Richard Houghten out of California called Sitar Dub funnily enough. Once you get into that looped groove it’s hard to get out of it! Enjoy.
More things we didn’t know part 24
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.
Skybirds take to the sky
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!
Since you’ve been away
You go away for a week and when you come back the garden has grown a little. We have a pair of cheeky cardoons at the bottom of the garden that have survived whatever is eating the leaves for the last couple of years. They are looking quite majestic!
As we didn’t have much luck with our pepper and tomato seedlings earlier this year, the plants we bought from B&Q are doing well and the few bargain ones we bought at Blythe Hill Festival are starting to grow a little even if they were a little late being put in. We can’t remember how many we got but it was 5 or 6 for £2, what a bargain!
The above was another plant bought at a summer fair. We think it may be Lambs ear, Mullen as we were told next year we’ll get some tall yellow spear flowers. It’s technically a weed but one that attracts pollinators galore. If it’s something else do let us know.
This blog post was written whilst listening to this wonderful soundtape put up by the great Dave Brown (in Mississauga, Canada) from November 1980 and a brilliant tape it is too! If you love the older soundtapes do have a look at his mixcloud.
And if you want to hear a slice of Jamaica from 1977, listen to the great Jah Love Muzik below.
Psst wanna know a secret?
We’re away for a few days not far from Eastbourne and very close to Beachy Head, which of course was used as the cover location of Throbbing Gristle’s 20 Jazz Funk Greats and the red and white striped lighthouse below there featured as Schnipps’ rocket that was to be launched against London in The Prisoner (“The Girl Who Was Death” episode.)
The last few days we’ve been wandering to Beachy Head using different routes on the South Down’s way, getting to know the shoreline and just enjoying the chilled vibes and good weather. Rain is sadly forecast for tomorrow.
On every walk this week we’ve bumped into a friendly older man with a tooth missing, in walking boots, carrying a rucksack either sitting on the many benches there having a rest or just passing by on his way to some place.
Today it came as no surprise we bumped into him again, this time idling about on a coastal route. We bid him good day and smiled to ourselves that we crossed paths again and he asked us “Do you want to know a secret?” ”Yes” of course we replied!
He then spent ten minutes telling us that the undulations in the earth below us were filled in trenches from the First World War. Then he chatted about Ancient Tumuli now hidden on a nearby golf course. An Ordinance survey map was pulled from his rucksack to be added as evidence and lots of local knowledge were imparted within the short meeting.
We at Weeds love meeting these characters on holiday and a fun filled conversation would be guaranteed if a couple of pints were shared with them. The alternatives so far in the pubs have been barflies talking very loudly about their luxury 5 star holidays to Dubai or their jury service experiences “I 100% knew he was guilty but the judge obviously didn’t”.
We here prefer people who spill local secrets on hilltop footpaths. Here’s to the great characters you meet when you’re away from home!
They took the sun away but these bring warmth
Here’s a couple for a Saturday night after a bit of a cloudy day, the first will be coming on a forthcoming shortwave mix soon and it’s from Herman Marquis & David Madden, a heavy version of Take 5. Previously stuck at the back of a load of twelve inchers and found by pure fluke the other week.
A few weeks ago we bought a handful of singles from Lorenzo’s Records in Brockley including one by Ezz Reco And The Launchers With Boysie Grant (more about the band here) called King Of Kings. Turn’s out the song hit the UK charts before Millie’s My Boy Lollipop and was a cover version of a Jimmy Cliff song. Here’s a wonderful video of some dancefloor action featuring a very young Jimmy Cliff at The Sombrero Club (More on that venue here).
Even more from north London
Just before we go away for a few days at the south coast, here’s some great gardening pictures from our friend in north London, Debby H. The cosmos patch is still going strong (above) and bright and colourful. The next is the cana lilly, now flowering for the first time this year (below).
“Then there’s the wonderful Ornithogalum (below) with four flowers now clearly visible.” it does look wonderful Debby!
Then there’s the sedum (above) and the great Zephyranthes Lilly flowers (below).
“And just up the road from here is a great front garden with a wonderful array of tomatoes all along the front border. There’s also sun flowers and other plants I don’t recognise.” That front garden is crazy! Love those climbing tomatoes! Cheers for sending those Debby.
What a difference four days make
It doesn’t take long, just a few days of dryness to ruin what you have in your garden. Our good friend Gerry Hectic came back the other week from Gilles Peterson‘s We Out Here festival and his tomato/strawberry experiment in one of those strawberry pots was looking the worse for wear. It is totally sad to see the before (above) and after (below).
Please tell us there’s a happy ending Gerry!
And to change up the vibes on this sad event here’s a wonderful number from Cyril Diaz Et Son Orchestre with Feeling Happy. May this tune lift spirits and sad dry plants everywhere.
A drive-in Sunday
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.
Weeds up to me knees 