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There’s something inside … Labi Siffre
Love and marriage, fighting alcoholism, fearless drag queens, 400 years of black resilience, to being able to bend rather than be brittle and break – there’s something very strong going on here, thanks for playlists picked by guest magicman inspired by last week’s topic
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Gang of Four peer closely at the small print ….
Reggae to punk contracts and beyond, it’s time to sign on the dotted line, but only when you’ve read all the small print. With no obligation to express your reaction until you’ve heard it all, come and check out these fabulous playlists picked by guest Tatanka Yotanka from last week’s theme and nominations
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Sweatiest video? Alewya
It’s more than warm in here. Sexual arousal to hard labour, cold sweats to night sweats, picked from all the nominations from last week’s hot topic guest of the week pejepeine’s playlists will leave you perspiring with excitement
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Otis Redding - cut down in his prime
Relationship breakdown, devastating loneliness to shocking bereavement, from a huge response to last week’s topic, it’s all here in a set of supremely powerful playlists picked by guest magicman, where despite all the sorrow, the music brings release
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Handing out key advice …
Reported or direct, the practical or philosophical, the benevolent or biased, critical or contradictory, from parent to child, expert to novice, or general, this week it’s all about useful instruction, ignored or taken and ideally as detailed and unusual as possible
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John, aka 9hairs9knots in a classic pose …
Pull up a chair, pour a drink and soak in this extensive farewell, filled with anecdotes, quotes and songs to John, aka 9hairs9knots, mischievous, articulate, knowledgeable, funny, warm, sensitive regular here at the Song Bar for years. Rest in peace.
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Lady Gaga: Just put your paws up – 'cause you were born this way, baby …
Finding the ordinary in the extraordinary to the straight in the straitjacket, this week’s playlists are anything but average, as guest playlister IsabelleForshaw entertainingly reveals that normality is all a matter of perspective
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Soweto Gospel Choir
If ever a music genre brought people together, this is it. Sublime selections in a heartfelt tribute by guest playlister magicman from mass nominations spanning South Africa to Russia, America to India, France, Wales and well beyond
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The Red Army Choir gives it some welly
Time to sing out! This week, in any genre, music and songs featuring choirs, whether they are the main performers, or come alongside other musicians or singers and then play a prominent or pivotal role
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Spanning the ages in 3/4: OMD’s Maid of Orleans
Beethoven to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin to Funkadelic, Joe Cocker to Cocteau Twins, it’s time to waltz into a set of lists that swing across time and genres, picked expertly by guest playlister DJ Bear from a mass of nominations
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Fred and Ginger
You can count on this, as easy as one, two, three. While four or eight beats to the has been the dominant form, this week we swing over to three or six beats to the bar, and it's surprising just how many artists have used it
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There’s more than one way of having in ball in New York. The 1930s …
It’s the city of the world that never sleeps, but this week let’s explore what kind of music, particularly instrumentals, but also lyrics, capture the particular spirit, culture, feel and rhythms of its extraordinary five boroughs
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What will be your weapon of choice this week?
Music and film are often intertwined commercially, but where does a video become an artform to the level that the visual elements enhance, complement and become symbiotic with the song? Let the action commence …
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Al Green … holy and sexual in the same line
Hallelujah! This week’s divine lists, picked by guest magicman from countless nominations, not only shines light on gospel’s music in soul to jazz, disco and more, but will lift hearts and minds though dark times
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Guitar and singing legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Big flamboyant, expressive voices to call-and-response choirs, praise and looking for answers? This week we soul search into gospel’s musical styles infused into other genres, from soul to R&B, hip hop to rock, folk and indie
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Martin Luther King, 28 August 1963
Conflict to the Equals, Peggy Seeger to the Pointer Sisters, Kamasi Washington to John Coltrane, this week’s playlists chosen by guest pejepeine from a wonderful week of egalitarian-spirited nominations, are a dream come true
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NHS founder Nye Bevan visits Park Hospital, Davyhulme, Manchester, in 1948.
This week we’re giving it the special treatment to mark the NHS 70th anniversary, but also looking for music that mentions any kind of medical care, especially nursing, and its emotional effect in lyrics
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Wake up ... with Sudan Archives
Dawn in India to Donovan, Bacharach-David to The Beatles, this week's wonderful selections by guest playlister ParaMhor from last week's nominations will have you feeling wide awake and refreshed
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Ray Charles and The Raelettes
Aretha and her sisters to Ray and the Raelettes, Louis and Keely to Gladys and the Pips, this week's brilliant backing vocals came from a chorus of nominations topic, led by a masterful guest playlister magicman
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The Andantes: backing vocal mainstays of Motown – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps. Who didn't they sing for?
They're the brilliant singers who blend beautiful and really make the music. From Motown and soul to to church and gospel, barbershop to pop or even punk, suggest songs made backed brillliantly by the unknown or famous
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