So here we go the latest installment in my 7" vinyl collection, with singles from all decades from the 1950's to present it is as I've said before very varied.

First up one from Alexis Korner's C.C.S. The Collective Consciousness Society.

 a top tune reaching # 7 in the UK charts in 1971, This was followed by the # 5 hit Tap turns on the water.

Junior Campbell was a former member of the top band Marmalade and these two solo hits should be in any singles collection.


                          


Two superb slabs of British pop that have the sound was popular in the early seventies.

1990 saw this next track revive a Beatles classic as part of the "Madchester" scene. The group Candy Flip covering "Strawberry Fields" 

    This # 3 hit also included a drum sample from James Brown's "Funky Drummer" It was their second release and the only one of four singles to reach the top 40

Most people of a certain age can remember David Carradine in the hit TV series "Kung Fu", but how many remember his half brother Keith who was also an actor. As well as acting Keith Carradine released several records, including this track "Mr. Blue"   

                         

Here in the UK we have a ripe tradition of novelty records becoming big hits and over the years many comedians have had such hits. One from the seventies was a surprise hit for Jasper Carrott. The A side was a track called "Funky Moped" that got plenty of exposure on the radio, however most of the sales were down to the B side "Magic Roundabout" which was a spoof on the animated TV series that was on our TV's every weekday night. Let's re-live 1975.


                                                   


Richard Chamberlain is best known as Dr Kildare from the late fifties early sixties TV series, he did however also have a career as a singer covering many hits of the day. Amongst these is a pretty good version of the Roy Orbison's "All I have to do is dream"   

   I have this on two different singles, one has "Hi Lilli - Hi Lo" as the flip side the other has a cover of the Elvis hit "Love me tender"  


     Music Hall and pub sing-a-longs are a big tradition here and a couple of  guys who have made a good living out of this are Chas & Dave. Chas Hodges & Dave Peacock are great musicians who have played in bands from their teens. Chas, most famously being in the band Heads Hands & Feet with guitar legend Albert Lee. 
I guess most people remember them now for their Cockney knees up songs, here are a couple from their double A side hit from 1980.   

                           The Sideboard song having been a hit in it's own right the year before. 

So let's call it a day for now & back to the singles another day.

So the headliners have now been announced and they are some top line acts.

On the Thursday night they have legendary singer songwriter Billy Bragg with band The Hot Seats plus yet to be named support. Billy will be bringing his brand of no nonsense folk/punk protest songs to the Big Top stage.

  A great night is in store with Billy having a huge back catalogue of songs to choose from.

Friday night sees one of folk's superstar groups, Irish folk legends Clannad. This follows on from Moya Brennan's appearance at last years festival. Again, like Billy Bragg, Clannad have had a huge worldwide success and have a huge following. 

So it will be great to hear their brand of Celtic folk played under the Big Top, including the possibility of their hits "Harry's Game" & "Robin The Hooded Man". The latter must be a certainty being so close to Sherwood Forest.

 

Saturday night sees BOC headlining on the second stage. 

  That's the folk roots band from Mallorca not the reaper fearing band from the states! BOC was born in mid-2009 with an eclectic idea to mix up the folk sounds and traditional instruments of Mallorca with the wider influences of hardcore, new age, metal, ska, and so on. So we can expect a rip roaring set full of surprises.