Author | Lightnews

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 15h

SotD: Strange World, Hazy Sour Cherry
youtu.be/CPK3O_qA7aE?...

TV studio performance of the title track to their 2022 album.

Strange World - Hazy Sour Cherry [Y's music TV Special Live 2022/10/22]

YouTube video by Y's music TV

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

1981 Muppet Show performance. Gladys Knight with muppet Pips. Seems to be modeled on the 1970 Andy Williams performance. The most subdued version. On the other hand…MUPPETS.

youtu.be/1eFW-JAog_o?...

The Muppet Show - 516: Gladys Knight - “Friendship Train” (1981)

YouTube video by The Muppet Show Vault

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

1973 Midnight Special performance. The arrangement is much more disco than the previous versions. Incredibly energetic, really makes you want to move.

youtu.be/6_FYE3OS-Kg?...

Friendship Train - Gladys Knight & The Pips | The Midnight Special

YouTube video by The Midnight Special

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

Some of the people Knight goes up to look like they do not want to shake her hand.

youtu.be/CB_ukeSFfNU?...

Gladys Knight & The Pips "Friendship Train" (1970)

YouTube video by Largo3point0

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

A live, TV performance from 1970 on the Andy Williams show. The timer in the center of the screen is pretty irritating! I’m pretty sure they are lip syncing the vocal performance, but not from the single, I’m guessing this is a vocal performance they recorded earlier for this performance.

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

Misc. other GKatP performances:

A live, TV studio version also from 1972, not sure what the program is. Poor quality video. Very similar to the BBC performance above, but this was in front of a primarily black audience. The Pips do so much on such a small stage.
youtu.be/s-uGDnveTT4?...

Gladys Knight and The Pips - Friendship Train LIVE!

YouTube video by DetroitLives313

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

Every so often all four singers (Knight and the 3 Pips) will sing a harmony passage that just kills. Maybe my favorite version.
youtu.be/tn9p_mTHEEM?...

Gladys Knight and the Pips - Friendship Train (Live 1972 - FULL VERSION)

YouTube video by FuriousWank

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

The audience appears to be all, or mainly, white. The arrangement is actually pretty different from their single of three years earlier. A great performance—Knight’s delivery is a bit sweeter than the single. The Pips--holy moly!

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

From 1972, a live TV studio version by Gladys Knight and the Pips. I don’t know what the show was, but some of the comments lead me to believe it was a BBC production. GKatP perform with a live band-I don’t think there is any lip syncing, but I could be wrong.

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

In 1971, The Undisputed Truth recorded their dystopian version-uneasy and skittish. I don’t mean that as a criticism, their take just has a different vibe. Imo, there is a strong Staples influence here. A dark and brooding version, over twice as long as the GKatP single.
youtu.be/-yB1A6FhoO4?...

Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)

YouTube video by The Undisputed Truth - Topic

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

A year later, in 1970, the Temptations recorded a version for their Psychedelic Shack lp. About twice as long as the GKatP version, the arrangement is sprawling. There is a phenomenal guitar part on this-I don’t know which funk brother is playing it, but it is terrific.
youtu.be/IAyhQ9FbTNw?...

Friendship Train

YouTube video by The Temptations - Topic

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

As far as I could tell, the first recording of this was the Gladys Knight and the Pips single from 1969. There is an urgency to Knight’s delivery that gives the song an edge contrasting with the optimism of some of the lyrics. Great arrangement and performance:

youtu.be/FPjVu6S2-OI?...

Friendship Train

YouTube video by Gladys Knight & The Pips - Topic

youtu.be

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

When I looked up the playlist, turns out it was The Undisputed Truth’s version of a Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong, The Friendship Train. I must have heard this song at some point in the past, but I didn’t have any strong memories of it. I started to poke around…

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

Yesterday, while I was doing a bunch of other stuff, I went down a rabbit hole with this song. I had the radio on in the background and heard what sounded to me like someone had done a club/dance edit to a Staple Singers track—something that you might have heard in the 90s, for example.

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 1d

SotD: Friendship Train, various artists

Warning: The thread that follows is much too long....

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 3d

SotD: Queen Of Globes And Mirrors, Sharp Pins
sharppins.bandcamp.com/track/queen-...

From the upcoming album, Balloon Balloon Balloon. Sharp Pins is Kai Slater, from Chicago. Sometimes he is also a guitarist/vocalist for Lifeguard. Sharp Pins is a solo project.
A wistful, autumnal jangler.

Queen Of Globes And Mirrors, by Sharp Pins

from the album Balloon Balloon Balloon

sharppins.bandcamp.com

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 4d

SotD: Just One More Chance, Dizzy Gillespie
youtu.be/TM3gkXdUWnw?...

I wasn't familiar with this before--but last night on WKCR, they played a set of recordings Gillispie and Don Byas made in Paris in 1952. These tracks were originally made for 78s, so they are all pretty short. Really wonderful.

Just One More Chance

YouTube video by Dizzy Gillespie - Topic

youtu.be

2

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 5d

Here is the video:

youtu.be/zVPFp4s2L_s?...

Die Spitz - "RIDING WITH MY GIRLS" Official Music Video

YouTube video by Die Spitz

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 5d

SotD: Riding With My Girls, Die Spitz diespitz.bandcamp.com/track/riding...

From their recent album, Something To Consume. They're all young, but they've been a band for a while now. Heavy metalish punk? Punkish heavy metal? Whatever, great guitar rock and their videos are often hysterical.

RIDING WITH MY GIRLS, by Die Spitz

from the album Something To Consume

diespitz.bandcamp.com

1 1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 6d

SotD: Loaded Dice, Marcocoa
youtu.be/FtWC1nttGfA?...

New single. I believe they are from germany, although the sound is all 70s california chill. It's the third month of August here, this was on the radio the other day and it was perfect for another hot, dusty, afternoon.

Marcoca - Loaded Dice

YouTube video by Nice Guys

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 7d

SotD: For The Love Of Money, The O'Jays
youtu.be/GXE_n2q08Yw?...

Anthony Jackson was a brilliant bassist, had a long career, and was involved in a lot of great music. But it's his bassline to the 1973 O'Jays hit that gives me chills to this day whenever I hear it.

RIP Anthony Jackson

The O'Jays - For The Love of Money (Official Audio)

YouTube video by TheOJaysVEVO

youtu.be

3

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 8d

SotD: Kiss Me, Son of God, They Might Be Giants
youtu.be/FTHqDDvB25I?...

Live performance from 1989 on The Night Network, aired on something called ITV.

"...but Mr. Jesus is very far away."

They Might Be Giants - Kiss Me, Son of God (ITV Night Network | 1989)

YouTube video by Crittaslink

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 9d

Fishbone performing in the KEXP studios back in the beginning of August:

youtu.be/P9F4YnZS_qQ?...

Fishbone - Racist Piece Of Shit (Live on KEXP)

YouTube video by KEXP

youtu.be

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 9d

SotD: Racist Piece of Shit, fishbone
fishbone.bandcamp.com/track/racist...

From their new album, Stockholm Syndrome. Rocking the theremin! But, really, watch the live, in studio perforamance at the link below.

Racist Piece of Shit, by Fishbone

from the album Stockholm Syndrome

fishbone.bandcamp.com

1

lopezepol @lopezepol.bsky.social · 10d

SotD: Fe Cega Faca Amolada, Filo Machado
youtu.be/l470P-l5glA?...

Recent cover of a Milton Nascimento song. The Youtube algorithm delivered it and i really enjoyed it. Machado is the singer and possibly the guitarist, but I know nothing else about him.

FÉ CEGA FACA AMOLADA

YouTube video by Filó Machado

youtu.be