Madness - House Of Fun

Happy birthday to Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson who's 54 today. Thompson has written or co-written many of the band's most famous songs, including the fabulous 1982 single "House Of Fun", and fun it is indeed. What a band!

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The Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays

Bob Geldof is 60 today, so happy birthday to him! The singer/songwriter/activist is possibly most famous for his Band Aid/Live Aid work, but his former band The Boomtown Rats' 1979 single "I Don't Like Mondays" isn't far behind. It's a fantastic song, misunderstood by lots of people who hate to get up for school or work after the weekend, but is in fact about a shooting spree at an American school. On January 29th 16 year old Brenda Lee Spencer shot and killed two adults and further injured eight children and a police officer. Geldof wrote it immediately afterwards, and the song was performed for the first time less than a month after the incident. Even though it's a ridiculously catchy song, it's also eerie and a bit disturbing. Please "enjoy".

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AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

Happy birthday to AC/DC singer Brian Johnson who turns a respectable 64 today. "You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of the band's signature tunes, lifted from their classic, best-selling 1980 album Back In Black. Rock'n'roll doesn't get much more primal - and fun - than here. Take it away, boys!

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Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle

Happy birthday to Steve Miller, who's 68 today. He formed his Steve Miller Band in 1967 - at first called The Steve Miller Blues Band - and in 1973 finally struck gold with album number eight, The Joker, from which the title track has become one of rock music's greatest classics. I really love "Fly Like An Eagle", so I'd rather listen to that one today. It's the title track from the band's 1976 album, and a true classic in my book.

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Bert Jansch - Needle Of Death

It's a sad day as the great Scottish singer/songwriter Bert Jansch died in the early hours this morning October 5th, 67 years old, after a long battle with cancer. Jansch was a leading figure in the British folk revival of the 1960's and has released a score of albums, both as a solo performer and with his band Pentangle. His work has influenced artists such as Paul Simon, Led Zeppelin, Nick Drake, Donovan and Neil Young, as well as "newer" names like Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler and Devendra Benhart. I have always loved the song "Needle Of Death" from his eponymous 1965 debut album, so here goes. R.I.P. Bert.

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Listen to the entire new Peter Gabriel album

Peter Gabriel's new album called New Blood, featuring reworkings of 13 classic tracks for orchestra with no drums or guitars, is out on Monday (on Friday here in Norway), and you can listen to it in its entirety now by following the link below. Gabriel did a similar project two years ago on his Scratch My Back album, a covers album where he reimagined others songs in the same fashion.

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Modern Jazz Quartet - Django

Modern Jazz Quartet's tribute to the great gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, simply titled "Django" from their similarly titled 1956 album, is one of the cornerstones of the small combo jazz music of the late 50's/early 60's. It's a very cool seven minutes composed by the group's pianist and musical director, John Lewis.

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Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

"I Say A Little Prayer" is a classic Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition recorded by many. Among the numerous fine versions my money is split equally among Dionne Warwick's for whom they actually wrote the song in 1967, and this 1968 version by the one and only Aretha Franklin.

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Lyle Lovett - That's Right (You're Not From Texas)

If you're wearing a cowboy hat and boots in the city, says Lyle Lovett, there's a good chance you're not from Texas. "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)" is simply a great feelgood song from the amazing Texan troubadour, lifted from his 1986 album The Road To Ensenada. Yeehaw!

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Howard Jones - What Is Love

Howard Jones is a largely forgotten (by many) 80's synth-pop artist, responsible for great tunes like "New Song", "Like To Get To Know You Well" and this, his greatest song. "What Is Love" appeared in 1983, and has stayed with me ever since. Fantastic song!

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