I’m going down yonder, behind the sun
I’m gonna do something for you, that ain’t never been done
I’m gonna hold back the lightning, with the palm of my hand
Shake hands with the devil, make him crawl in the sand
What do you reach for to coax words out of your fingertips? I pour the whiskey, burn honey incense, and put these astounding voices on my stereo. The theme for the July Melbourne writers’ meeting is music, and I’ve been exploring my collection… just thought I’d share.
Koko Taylor – listen to her growl “I’m a Woman” and see if you don’t feel the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
Big Mama Thornton Astounding.
Etta James Still singing the blues to this day.
The blues rule my world, but if you’re after something to dance to?
Betty Davis The sassiest, wildest woman in funk – muse to Miles Davis – wearer of the sexiest hot pants in musical history.
Ike & Tina Turner Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t know the moves to this one! And watch that woman shake….
Something more contemporary?
Supersuckers Mmmmmm, gray-haired cowboys…..my favourite
Nashville Pussy One of the best live bands I’ve ever seen – complete with a six foot two blonde fire-breathing Amazonian bass player.
Lunachicks
Five fabulous tattooed punk goddesses….I was once asked to leave a Women’s Studies tute at uni for writing an essay holding up the bass player as my ideal of femininity
My not so secret shame Because it’s my damn journal, and I’ll add it if I want!
Honourable mentions: Mahalia Jackson (gospel queen), Odetta (stunning voice), Dallas Frasca (contemporary blues renegade), Reverend Horton Heat (rockabilly) and Nina Hagen (German punk/opera/jill of all trades) & as always, the immaculate Nick Cave.
So what’s the soundtrack to your creative process?
Jessica Taft, 3 months ago
I listen to David Broza, who sings a combination of hebrew, arabic and spanish songs to a flamenco guitar. It’s heaven!
LittleHelen, 3 months ago
Great collection…already knowing I am a big Etta James and Big Mama Thornton fan… those women will never stop rockin’ Today I listened to some Guns’n’Roses…never tire of them and a woman I have mentioned to you before Bell….Amy Winehouse
this is a crankin’ good song as is the rest of her album. I’ll be back with more tunes soon :D
mstrace, 3 months ago
Okay, those are frack-tastic. I’m downloading any I don’t already have.
This bell-issima, is for you…the teensiest tiny taste of my musical inspirations;
Marc Broussard – This short white guy can belt out a serious bluesy, southern-rock tune. I’m addicted to this song and love that it builds to a rockin’ deep soul crescendo.
Cake – Love the beat, but combined with amazing lyrics and this song stands tall (and short and long – oh, you’ll get it soon enuf).
Carl Carlton – look people, I’m a sucker for a beat. If it makes me wanna get up and shake my “badonkadonk” then I’m a happy fucking camper.
Dobie Gray – because his voice is soulful and rich. It’s R&B at it finest…slow enough to be just…seductive…enough. It was his one big hit, from 1973.
Gorillaz – Umm…cuz the video is creep-tastic AND the music makes my badonkdadonk, donk a lot
Jeff Buckley – Because he was a blind musical genius and when he died, I cried.
Moloko – Nobody in America seems to know who this band is…perhaps you all can restore my faith in humanity by telling me you have? If not, then partake, listen, enjoy. Rinse. Repeat.
Warren Zevon – A song I’ve played for years and years and years and…get the drift? Meaning – it has legs. It has longevity. It has staying power! and fuck all…its about werewolves in london people!! Great rock at its beat-y best.
My VERY SO NOT SECRET SHAME?...
I walk around my house, alone, sometime totally nake-nake, belting this out at the top of my very ample lungs. And yes, I have the complete box-set and then some.
Carry on.
butchart, 3 months ago
this could take me days….......... wouldn’t no where to start…... but thanks for adding to mine belle…. bless your sweet soul…........b
Erin Lyall, 3 months ago
Can’t wait to have a listen to some of those names that are not so familiar, Bell.
silverdollar, 3 months ago
Can of worms-OPENED….........................
Beth Hart
Spunge
Senser
White Zombie
Led Zeppelin
AC/DC
Thin Lizzy
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Guns n Roses
I suppose I should stop now…........
Roy barry, 3 months ago
Reef- quite simply, one of the best live bands I have ever seen.
Skin Hairy, good lookin’ and loud-all the things I wanted to be…......
Primal Scream FUNKY…........
I really could carry on all night….......
Empress, 3 months ago
distracted by the honey incense – available from?
friartuck, 3 months ago
Oh dear, what a topic… I actually cannot write with any music on at all. Good music holds me in thrall and won’t let me go until it is finished. All other music is like scratching the inside of my skull. It’s gotta be silence…
The good music though – there’s some variety I must say:
Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell album. The whole lot.
Gregorian Chants
Boston More than a Feeling
Boston Cool the Engines – proof that some music can never be played to loud and some machines can never go too fast!
Kinks Apeman – I’ll keep you warm and you’ll keep me sane… Sigh…
Soundtrack to Local Hero.
Soundtrack to Last Temptation of Christ. This is such a beautiful album, it really, really is. A taste
Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound of Thunder live album.
Magnum – Storytellers night
For much of this stuff I will switch off all the lights, switch on the lava lamp, start up the music, lie flat on the floor and drift through the worlds in my head (when not bouncing off the walls playing air guitar) – one day I’ll never come back…
friartuck, 3 months ago
Oops, sorry, the Magnum link was bad. This one’s better and it’s worth it I think
Yasemin Sumner, 3 months ago
Oh, Belle, can’t speak, can’t think, can only funk at those marvelous words Betty Davis.
The woman is a goddess.
Let’s worship at her altar together soon. xx
bellmusker, 3 months ago
My oh my, a can of worms has been opened indeed! I’m going through these one by one, taking my time.
LittleHelen
You know I share your Guns & Roses fondness, so a question for you: do you prefer the gentler version of “You’re Crazy” on the “Lies” CD, or the harder version on the “Appetite for Destruction” CD? And what does our choice say about us, I wonder?! And I love Amy’s voice, but can’t get past her appalling lack of self-respect….shame, really.
mstrace
Marc Broussard is astounding – thank you!! I was won over by the first notes of the guitar, but that voice is amazing. And god bless you woman for using the word “badonkadonk” in my journal post. When we eventually meet up, there will be baseball games, Art Nouveau, vodka, and wearing our highest stilettos whilst grooving to this
silverdollar
Beth Hart’s voice is so gutsy – I love it! And you get double points for both including AD/DC, and reminding me why I used to love watching Axl run across the stage so much.
Roy
Ah, Primal Scream. I recall being hooked on their eponymous 1989 album, and howling the lyrics to “I’m losing more than I’ll ever have” with all the fervour that only an angsty teenager can get away with.
empress
Wild Honey incense is divine, and is only available from a few stores, will have to look up the names. Or maybe I’ll only give them to you when you agree to a coffee one day, when the secret location shall be divulged with caffeine ;)
friar
Dear Kloose, your selection is eclectic and quirky – I’d expect nothing less from you. I’ll keep you warm and you’ll keep me sane – now this is my idea of romance. As for Boston, I have a killer version of the Lunachicks (from my list) doing this song. And the chants sent chills down my spine….glorious. Hmmm, lava lamp, hey?
Yaseminka
My little cricket child, isn’t Betty Davis THE BEST?!! And you just chose the song I told LittleHelen would be my pole dancing song of choice….damn fine taste you have, hehe.
Next time we meet there will be some sultry strutting to this
And with that, I’m off to lay my head down on my blood red sheets, with the full moon pouring her light in my window…....now, what song should lure me off to slumber?....
LisaG, 3 months ago
I have my music on random as my mind tends to be so it is hard to come up with an inspiration list.
But some places I start. Each of these songs hold a special place for me, there are so many others, so many, many….of course….hehe….
Eva Cassidy
Stevie Nicks
Led Zeppelin – Battle of Evermore
Pink Floyd – Shine on you crazy diamond
Muse – Bliss
I have to include this one for my darling Leeamber…..
Michael Jackson – Ben
Kate Smith, 3 months ago
Hurray for Stevie Nicks… I had Rumours on last night … always meant that to be the background for the third novel.
Can we include cupcakes with the caffeine? Little Cupcakes in Degraves.
Kate Smith, 3 months ago
Drat. Forgot which identity I’m using.
bellmusker in reply to Kate Smith’s comment, 3 months ago
_Can we include cupcakes with the caffeine? Little Cupcakes in Degraves
Yes! Yummm…..as long as they’re not pink, that is…..bmail me with details and I’ll hand over the secret location of the divine incense. Look forward to it….
Nicole Ryan, 3 months ago
Old (ahem) Stevie Nicks fan here too :D ... and i love Kate Bush.
I’m very gregarious with my music taste .. i can honestly say i like all types of music .. i could listen to the hardest punk, rock , rave, pop, thru to opera .. not a huge country fan but i grew up with it. Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers .. i can cry to a few of their songs ..
One of my most fave is Roisin Murphy
oh i LOVE her .. yes i do :D
pure pleasure seeker
fun for me
Another absolute all time fave of mine is Underworld Moaner
.. that CD (beaucomp fish) absolutely sends me wild .. i rate it as one of my highest and faves in music. That clip is just skin tingling for me. Underworld are one of the few groups of tech/trance that i can actually still listen to these days (without feeling like i’m going to lose the plot lol). Darren Emmerson (dj) is a favourite of mine too and i love to write to that style of music sometimes.
I really Josh Pyke, Gotye, Crowded House (how amazing are they as writers), Coldplay, Little Birdy, Sneaky Sound System, Bernard Fanning, John Mayer (small doses/right mood), John Butler, Mariah Carey (‘The Emanicipation of Mimi’ is an absolutely brilliant album), The Killers ABSOLUTELY ROCK .. BRILLIANT WRITERS, The Cure fan from childhood days and still am faithful, Radiohead are fabulous, The Presets, Juggernauts, Sarah Blasko .. on and on and on ..
Nicole Ryan, 3 months ago
oh oh OH
and i forgot to add Paul Kelly :)