The Essential Weekly Playlist of: Some Velvet Morning

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Earlier this week we told you about Some Velvet Morning. Now we bring you their Essential Weekly Playlist.

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A rapper with a ghost writer? What the fuck happened?
I swore I wouldn’t tell
But most of y’all sharing bars
Like you got the bottom bunk in a two man cell
What more could you want?
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Fleetwood Mac – ‘The Chain’
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This song is one of Some Velvet Morning’s biggest influences – the simple rhythm that runs throught the whole track, the stripped back quarter notes on the kick drum for the verses, the fills, the bass and drums in the chorus, the harmonies and the lyrics.  And then a complete new section at the end – an idea we have borrowed on several occasions.
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The Cure – ‘A Forest’
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The limitations of early technologies often become a characteristic of a genre that then gets emulated even when those restrictions are no longer there. It happened for example with sampling. This song has the simplicity of rhythm that sounds as though it was influenced by the limitations of basic drum machines and electronic instruments available from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s. It is then applied to a live band performance.
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The Beatles – ‘I Feel Fine’
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An early classic from the Fab Four with the first ever recorded use of feedback on record. The Beatles based this track on ‘Watch Your Step’ by Bobby Parker – the classic riff is easily identifiable.  This was the start of a series of fantastic riffs by the Beatles including ‘Ticket To Ride’ and ‘Day Tripper’.  We also love the crazy drum fill in the break – Ringo was the best.
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Paul Simon – ‘Mother and Child Reunion’
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A tour favourite for the band. One of the earliest white musician songs to feature a reggae influence, paving the way for future acts like The Police, who were an early influence on our sound. Jimmy Cliff’s backing group are on the track and are so tight. We also like the way the backing singers wail at the end of the track. One of our drummer Rob’s highlights from Simon’s Graceland 25th Anniversary concert in Hyde Park, 2012.
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Saint Motel – ‘My Type’
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One of those great tracks where the lyrics alone make it a hit – an clever ‘chat up’ style like the Arctic Monkeys’ ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor’.  It is also has a fantastic horn part that is reminiscent of ‘Geno’ by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.  Incidentally we supported ‘Geno’ aka Geno Washington in London a few years back.
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Louis Armstrong – ‘Wonderful World’
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Quite frankly, we are shocked that this isn’t every single person’s favourite song of all time. What is wrong with people?!?! Perfect. End of discussion.
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The White Stripes – ‘Seven Nation Army’
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What a riff. What a sound. There’s a famous saying about how making a great song sound simple is the hardest thing to do – this is Jack White’s finest hour.
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Crowded House – ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’
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Neil Finn is alongside McCartney for us in being able create natural melodies – tunes you can hum instantly and feel as if they have existed for all time. Exemplified by the albums ‘Together Alone’ and ‘Woodface’.
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Scott Walker – ‘Next’ 
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Jacques Brel’s lyric matter is so refreshing to hear. Too often pop music lyrics remain rooted in romantic love or break ups. Here is a song that contains the lyric, “the wet head of my first case of Gonnorhoea”. Many other great images and ideas flood this song from top to bottom and then there is Scott’s deliver of this song. Every ‘Next’ is sung with a different intonation that keeps the listening in the world of this young man’s alienation and longing. The string arrangement provided by Wally Stott is simply a delicious slab of icing on a sublime cake! 
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March 4 sees Some Velvet Morning headlining their own show at London’s Roundhouse, in Camden, with support from Tarq Bowen, and Hayley Cannon. Further information and tickets is available here.
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