On Monday I suggested the idea of an 'obscure songs poll'... to clarify this what I would like to do is to include as a 'slot' on this blog a regular introduction to an obscure song. With a brief discussion as to why it's good, perhaps why it's obscure (even by my/your own admission), and how you heard it and passed it on.
My first choice is a song called "Keeping the Weekend Free" by a band called Licquorice from their album Listening Cap. It's a cover version of a song by Franklin Bruno and I will confess I haven't heard the original, so if anyone knows how to get hold of it - let me know.
It's a delicate track: simple in it's construction - two verses and a chorus. Two voices: Dan Littleton and Jenny Toomey, with counterpart risings and fallings. A simple melody: just piano and guitar (I think).
The words are just lovely - full of a realist's yearning and lovers' thinking: "whose charges get reversed/all depends on who calls first" and "keeping myself locked up/lettin' the weekend go/waitin' for my parole".
I heard it first on the John Peel show - where else? - in 1995 and was just swept away by it. I tracked it down on the album (secondhand from Selectadisc in Nottingham - certainly my favourite independent record store) and immediately began playing it for my friends whenever they indicated an interest in tender ballads.
2 comments:
Lisa,
Pretty amazing I stumbled upon your blog, because I was Googling for precisely that song because it's been haunting me for about a decade now. Someone put that song on a comp that I borrowed, then failed to return, then lost track of the person (I fully intended to return it; but I think they had all the stuff that was on the tape, so I don't feel too bad). The comp tape had no track listings whatsoever, so I only could recognize the old Sebadoh stuff, but THIS song has really stuck with me - now I can finally track it down - THANKS!!!
-Dave (from Ohio & DC), in Poland
Happy to be of service: I've even done a shout-out to you in a post today!
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