It’s the start of another year and, as often I’m given to thinking over again, what is it that we love about music? Why do we get so hooked, charmed, consumed by tiny little songs which last barely three minutes but make us want to hear them again and again and again. It’s often too at this time of year that I think about the great Buddy Holly and that catalogue of recordings he managed to accumulate at such a tender age before he left this world so violently.
Buddy Holly was only twenty two years old when he was killed in February 1959 before most people reading this were born, no doubt, and before some of the more seismic events informed what we understand about popular music even happened. His records were made in the days before multi track recording and stand as a testament to great performances of ground breaking musicians , recorded by people who knew how to capture the magic in a short space of time. All of these recordings were made in mono with almost no overdubs. Needless to say that recreating that sound today would take days of digital noodling.
Mono is how many of us fell in love with pop music. We heard it on old car radios and tinny transistors and going in and out of signal in high streets, tunnels and under bridges…and we loved it all.
On this week’s edition of the AC I’m paying tribute to Raul Malo whose death was announced last month. Raul was a frequent visitor to Scotland with and without The Mavericks. The interview I recall highlights his sheer joy at recording an album in Mono – called ‘Mono‘ some ten years ago. Raul and The Mavericks were a unique band of musicians. Embraced by country music and Americana fans they also had a huge audience among the Latino community from where they emerged originally. That blend of Country, Rock n Roll, Latin and Pop music proved to be such a winning combination which brought them huge success in Europe as well as in the US. We’ll play some great Raul/Mavericks songs just to remind you.
We shall also pay tribute to Joe Ely whose death was announced just before Christmas and who was a highly regarded member of the country/Americana community.
As well as these tributes we aim to bring you new records of note for the new years. Listen out for wonderful things from Valerie June, Margo Price, Tyler Ballgame and Courtney Marie Andrews. We will also bring you new acts we are excited about as well as a few records you really want to hear again and again. I’ll be back on BBC Radio Scotland FM and BBC Sounds this Tuesday evening from five past eight. Join me if you can.