The Undisputed King Of Caledonian Cajun Swing

I resisted yesterday's subliminal suggestion from Ernie Goggins* to post a Status Quo selection today (with apologies also to Jez**). Instead, you get Champion Doug Veitch, for my money the better option (with apologies again to Jez).

 

A much later posting today, following yesterday's festivities (my family, not the Royal family) and a slight musical detour that turned out to be rather unnecessary. When I woke up a couple of hours ago, this post still a half-formed thought, the sum total of my Champion Doug Veitch collection was the three 12" singles you see pictured above. I got them all in one go, in a bulk-buy second-hand 12" purchase from Plastic Wax Records in Bristol, many years ago.

However, a quick bit of research revealed that The Original, the 1989 compilation of these and other singles plus a few John Peel session tracks, was available on Apple Music but nowhere else as far as I could tell. I don't buy music from Apple as a rule, although I did have an iTunes gift voucher a long, long time ago. I know this because when I logged on to my Apple account, I was still registered at the Bristol address I left over a decade ago. Anyway, I threw caution to the wind and parted with £7.99 for a download of The Original. Be nice to have a digital copy, I thought, as the part-completed rips of my vinyl are a bit crackly.

It turns out that the Apple Music version of The Original is ripped from an even more crackly vinyl than mine! Buyer beware...

Anyway, I've stuck with the three 12" singles I physically own for today's selection, presenting 6 tracks in 27 minutes, guaranteed to bring some extra sunshine into your life, wherever you are.

 

Margarita is a cover of Trinidadian calypso legend Slinger Francisco aka Mighty Sparrow. There's a great performance of Margarita and Mharajin Sister from 1989's Notting Hill Carnival on YouTube, Mighty Sparrow and band in fine form. 

 

Jumping Into Love is a reworking of Marcia Griffiths' 1968 hit Feel Like Jumping. Cue another fantastic performance at the Rototom Sunsplash festival in Benicasim, Spain in 2019. Marcia was 69 at the time of this show though you'd hardly know it.

 

The Banks Are Made Of Marble was written and recorded by Les Rice in 1950. I don't think I've ever heard the original, though I was vaguely familiar with the song from Pete Seeger's version before I came to this.

One Black Night was original released as a 4-track 12" in 1985. I've instead gone for the Mad Professor remix from the Margarita 12", along with further dub excursions of Jumping Into Love and Margarita to round things off.

 

1) Margarita (12" Mix By Tony McDermott) (Cover of Mighty Sparrow) (1986)

2) Jumping Into Love (Full Length Mix By Tony McDermott & Mad Professor) (1985)

3) Banks Of Marble (Single Version By Tony McDermott) (Cover of Les Rice) (1985)

4) One Black Night (Re-Mix By Mad Professor) (1986)

5) Deep End Version (Full Length Mix By Tony McDermott & Mad Professor) (1985)

6) Margarita (Mix Mescales By Mad Professor) (1986)

 

1985: Jumping Into Love EP: 2, 5

1985: One Black Night EP: 3 

1986: Margarita EP: 1, 4, 6

The Undisputed King Of Caledonian Cajun Swing (27:10)

 

 

 

* An essential visit after this post is the excellent 27 Leggies. I've lost track of how many fantastic artists and sounds from around the globe I've been introduced to via Ernie's posts and today is no exception.

 

** A History Of Dubious Taste is also a permanent fixture on the sidebar to the right. Jez's music selections and musings are always good value and his Friday Night Music Club mixes are inspired.