I'd be happy to see the back of the monarchy, it's an anachronism and has no place in a modern democracy- not that this particular country looks much like a democracy at the moment what with the sitting Prime Minister having been found guilty of breaking the law but refusing to resign and his party refusing to remove him. By doing this Johnson and his colleagues further trash standards in public life, erode trust in politics and politicians, and embody the entitled attitude that they, the ruling class, can do as they please and can ignore laws and lie about them with no consequence. Those who support him, who enable and excuse him are just as bad. The Constitution and the Ministerial code mean nothing if a Prime Minister with an 80 seat majority and a self serving Tory Party can ignore them and do as they please- the phrase I believe is elected dictatorship. All of this entitlement, inequality and subservience is endemic throughout the UK's political system, from the top down, and that includes the monarchy and the unelected House of Lords. But, if we must live in a kingdom, then a Kingdom of T- shirts is one I can get behind.
Following on from the soul and funk of Dr. Rob's post on Wednesday I went back to The Chi- Lites, a group I discovered in the early 90s via this song...
Stoned Out Of Mind was a 1973 single for The Chi- Lites, a Chicago soul group. It's one of those songs that exists completely in its own space, a lighter- than- air, horn led swooping song with a soaring falsetto vocal and some glorious backing vocal harmonies. A song of heartbreak you can dance to.
John Holt covered it in the same year on his 1000 Volts Of Holt album, an uptown reggae take on the song, Holt's voice an octave or two lower than the original and the horns replaced by the skank. 1000 Volts Of Holt is apparently the best selling album on the Trojan label ever.
Stoned Out Of My Mind (Jamaican Mix)
In 1982 The Jam released their final single, Weller's triumphant goodbye to the group, Beat Surrender. On the 7" double pack Weller dropped some hints about the direction he intended to travel in next, a cover of Stoned Out Of My Mind sitting alongside Jam versions of Curtis Mayfield's Movin' On Up and Edwin Starr's War. On Stoned Out Of My Mind Weller pushes the horns upfront and sings in a softer voice while Rick and Bruce gamely find the groove.
I'm going to see Paul Weller at the Apollo tonight, courtesy of a ticket from a friend to whom I am very grateful (after seeing John Cooper Clarke last night). Full gig reviews will follow.
