Lexie's Chain: The Hundred of Seventy First Chain

Hello pals! Welcome to week 171 of #lexieschain. Last week da winner was Indie with Bruce Cockburn and Comets of Kandahar. Let's see wot we gots dis week:

@maggietkat
Well done with Bruce Cockburn and the cities link. I thought, who do you travel between cities? You could fly, take a train, or drive. The iconic song (Get your kicks) on Route 66 came to mind! Here is a version by Asleep at the Wheel. (get it, drive, asleep at the wheel. sorry. ducks head).

@freddie_bt

Luvd da winner. Bruce Cockburn's inspiration made us fink of da film "Good Morning Vietnam" which deals wiv da importance of entertainin troops n dat not evwybody knows how to or even wants to. Dad's Dad was at da British Embassy in Saigon for a year dat included da Tet Offensive, Dad n his Mum wuz about to join im wen da FO restricted it to essential personnel only so he spent a lot of time listenin to American Forces Radio n came ome wiv music n catch phrases dat feature in da film, tho not the title. A moving sequence provides our linky, contrastin beauty, violence n Robin Williams' comedy wiv Louis Armstrong singin What a Wonderful World.

@skye613
Enjoyed this tune very much @borderpup. As Pup said this tune was written after Bruce Cockburn visited his brother in Afghanistan. Could not get the many young men & women who are serving there out of my mind. My linky this week " Miles From Our Home".

@claptonterrier

Hi Miss Lexie last week Mr Indie chose a song called Comets of Kandahar……i know that the funny lady Bjork from Iceland also has a song called the Comet Song…but that’s not a very clever link is it…so instead we have chosen her lovely song Venus As A Boy….hurray.

@diamondbertie
Last week @borderpup won with Bruce Cockburn composition Comets of Kandaha, this theme to a place is great as there are countless songs dedicated to places, so here goes my choice is Chattanooga Choo Choo by the Andrews Sisters. Why Comets of Kandahar was written during The Afghanistan war, my choice was composed during another bloody conflict and the train goes through many places.

@smcheetham
So how to find a link from last weeks great suggestion by Border pup. Well the name Cockburn got me thinking that Cockburn is also a famous brand of port here in the UK. That made me wonder about all the songs that are about ports and sailing and the sea. Convoluted I know but opens up a rich seam. One of the most poignant songs about sailing away is Thousands are Sailing by The Pogues which is about Irish immigration to America as a result of the potato famine. The lyrics are very bitter sweet and mix sadness with resilience. have a good week fellow chainees.

@bunnersandharvs
Well dun to dat cleva paws Indy fur da winning linky last week Bruce Cockburn's Comets of Kandahar. We been from St Louis to Afghanistan so we thort we be going travelling around da world with all dese toons and any time Mum and her pals talked about traveling dey always yelled 'Road Trip' so dat is our linky dis week Road Tripping by da Red Hot Chili Peppers.

@terenceterrier
Hmm. Last week da winning linky woz instrumental. Comets are fings wot wizz across da sky up in space. So I finks about a space feem instrumental for my linky n chooses da moosik from 2001: A Space Odyessy wot be The Blue Danube by Strauss.

@djladylexie
Bruce Cockburn's wrote this after visiting his bruvver in afghanistan. Over the years his songwriting has become more politicial and he has travelled the world to many countries playing benefit concerts and writing about many subjects includin the war, the IMF and land mines. Made us fink about anti-war songs of which there have been many of the years in the quest to use musical as a way of gaining support for universal peace. Somefink we ope dus appen one day. So, in honour of all anti-war music, here be one of our favourite anti-war songs. John Lennon and Give Peace a Chance.

An da winner ... as chosen by  .... @borderpup ...... dus be ......... @diamondbertie. Yay! So dat meant you dus be choosin next week Bertie!

Ere wot Indie said: Phew, it was difficult to choose! After much cogitation, we decided this week's winner is No. 5 - Chattanooga choo choo. We liked the linky about the two wars and train going to different places. Also it is about someone coming home, so we fink the Andrews Sisters must have cheered the troops up with that thought as well as their performances.

There isn't really an order this week, but if pushed we would complete our top three with 'What a Wonderful World' and 'Miles from our Home'. We enjoyed listening to all the toons, and being introduced to some awesome music. Fanks for playing everywun!

So it's over to you. Email me: lexie at toxicpenguin dot com or DM me on twitter (@dogstoyevsky) wiv your link suggestion followin on from dis one! You has until 4th May 2014 (gets it to me by 2pm UK time if poss). Oh sometimes I dus accidentally delete em! Heehee. So good idea to type DO NOT DELETE in the title and dussnt forget to send a linky to da video from You Tube!

Lexie's Chain dus be inspired by da pawsome Radcliffe & Maconie Show wot you can has a listen to on dere website. Follow me @dogstoyevsky or #lexieschain on Twitter to join da fun. Remember anyfink goes! Rock, classical, opera, ballads, punk, reggae - is up to you! Fanx for playin!

Lexie's Chain: The Hundred and Seventieth Chain

Hello pals! Welcome to week 170 of #lexieschain. Last week da winner was Maggie St Louis Blues from W C Handy. Let's see wot we gots dis week:

@WOtterface
So, the Blues. The first artist that came to mind was Robert Johnson, who allegedly sold his soul to the devil in return for his amazing guitar skills. The story of how he met the devil at the crossroads was included in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? So, we're sidestepping into Bluegrass and Mississippi Delta style. Obviously Man of Constant Sorrow would have been a good choice but we've gone with another song from that film soundtrack - Oh Death by Ralph Stanley. The harmonies make the hair on your neck stand up.

@diamondbertie
Last week @maggietKat won with her link with W.C. Handy's Orchestra with St Louis Blues, after a lot of head scratching I came up with Cab Calloway and Minnie the Moocher, I first saw it when I watched the film The Blues Brothers I loved it.

@thisbear
Maggie T Kat's winning link last week was W.C. Handy's Orchestra with "St Louis Blues".
I suppose you could say that St Louis is in the Beautiful South - of America, that is. Meanwhile, The Beautiful South - the band - named their 5th album "Blue Is The Colour" which contained the beautifully lazy song "Rotterdam".

@freddie_bt
WC Handy travelled in Alabama n neighbourin Tennessee listenin to n learnin da songs of da poor. He developed, played n published da music. Wen recordins replaced sheet music legendary studios opened like Muscle Shoals near Florence n in Memphis Sun n Stax da birthplace of Southern Soul. Da seminal Soul Man wuz recorded dere, Isaac Hayes son of a Tennessee share cropper co-wrote it, he wuz producer, composer, musician for Stax. Hayes continued Handy's work innovatin n developin Blues n Soul n wuz da first African American to win an Oscar fer music wiv our linky Shaft. Dis stunnin extended arrangement shows Hayes' talents.

@terenceterrier
Phooey! I cants compete wiv a quad linked linky which took us to “St Louis Blues* by W.C. Handy’s Orchestra. While I woz pondering a linky popped into my head. I fink my mum’s Dad might be responsible cos he duss pop in now an again even tho we cant see him no more and it woz his birfday dis munf. One of her Dad’s favrit singers woz Roy Orbison so I gives yoo “Blue Bayou” which woz also was writted by him.

@smcheetham
Well done Maggie for all those blue related links last week. we have stuck with blue as that gives me the chance to link to one of my very very favourite songs which is on my desert island disc lists and that is Tangled Up In Blue by Bob Dylan no reason other than its got blue in there and is fabulous. Have a very happy Easter all fellow chainees.

@bunnersandharvs
So another grand linky dis week by Maggie's win last week wid WC Handy and St Louis Blues. Well he was one of da furst dat got started with blues and dat gots us thinking about other singers wot wos fursts and contruvershul too. So our linky dus be going from da 'father of the blues' to the Kind of Rock and Roll in his Blue Suede Shoes....You gots it, it dus be good old Elvis Presley..... 

@borderpup
Well done to maggietkat for her winning song about St Louis. We fort, why not continue the feem with songs named after towns or places? Bruce Cockburn wrote this instrumental after visiting his brother, who was serving in Afghanistan. So our linky is Bruce Cockburn wiv "Comets of Kandahar".

@marleyterrier
Hi Miss Lexie…last week Miss Maggie chose the excellent St Louis Blues as her link in the chain….that made us look up St Louis on the internet because we may be going there in the summer on our little road trip….I saw that there were lots of famous people from St Louis…and looking for a musical connection I saw that the actress Linda Blair was a native of the City. She is most famous for appearing in the scary film The Exorcist…so this week my link is the creepy them tune from that film by Mike Oldfield from Tubular Bells….Eek! *hides under bed*.

@skye613

Super winning link Maggie! W.C. Handy " Father of the Blues" moved to Memphis in 1909. His famous " Memphis Blues" began as a political campaign song in a race for the city's mayors office. The Blues Foundation was founded and still calls Memphis home. Among the 2014 nominees for the Blues Music Awards is Susan Tedeschi. " Blues on a Holiday". (Lex: sorry the linky wod not work so I put annuva one in).

@djladylexie
We wondered who first sang the blues. Who first sang the blues is lost in history mainly coz they preceded the recording industry. We do know that the blues was a combination of vocal and instrumental music based on the use of the blue notes. The blue note can mean many things but they are considered to be flat notes, specifically the third, the fifth and the seventh. Bit technical? Well hell yeah. All we dus know is we love listenin to the many amazin blues singers that have been. One of the earliest women blues singers was Ma Rainey who we fink epitomises the lady sings the blues. So, here be Ma Rainey and Booze and Blues.

An da winner ... as chosen by  .... @maggietkat ...... dus be ......... @borderpup. Yay! So dat meant you dus be choosin next week Indie!

Ere wot Maggie said: My choice is Bruce Cockburn with "Comets of Kandahar". I loved the cities/places link not mention the great voice. There were so many clever blues links that it was so difficult to chose one because all songs were wonderful. The anipal who got the Linda Blair connection, well done. 

So it's over to you. Email me: lexie at toxicpenguin dot com or DM me on twitter (@dogstoyevsky) wiv your link suggestion followin on from dis one! You has until 27th April 2014 (gets it to me by 2pm UK time if poss). Oh sometimes I dus accidentally delete em! Heehee. So good idea to type DO NOT DELETE in the title and dussnt forget to send a linky to da video from You Tube!

Lexie's Chain dus be inspired by da pawsome Radcliffe & Maconie Show wot you can has a listen to on dere website. Follow me @dogstoyevsky or #lexieschain on Twitter to join da fun. Remember anyfink goes! Rock, classical, opera, ballads, punk, reggae - is up to you! Fanx for playin!

Lexie's Chain: The Hundred and Sixty Ninth Chain

Hello pals! Welcome to week 169 of #lexieschain. Last week da winner was Freddie wiv Saf Benda Bilili an Je t'Aime. Let's see wot we gots dis week:

@thisbear
The last link was music created by folk who live in the grounds of a zoo. The next step must be to listen to some music made by The Animals. Here they are singing "House of the Rising Sun".

@WOtterface
Well, we've chosen to go down the African artists route to lead us to our next choice. From DR of the Congo to South Africa and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. But, we're not choosing one of their songs but our favourite song from an associated act - Paul Simon and You Can Call me Al. Al is my Dad's name and Mom and Dad danced to this at their wedding (not their first dance!) Also, grandad loves the video with Chevy Chase pulling silly faces.

@maggietkat
That Freddie is so clever with Staff Benda Bilili playing "Je t'Aime". My take is these players are making music out of adversity. The Blues came out of the segregated sourthern United States about the turn of the century and spoke to the roots of blacks as well as their troubles. W.C.Handy is credited with being one of the fathers of the Blues. He was born in Florence, Alabama which just happens to be where my grandma-in-law was born (link 1). Coincidently he wrote "St. Louis Blues", my choice for the week. Link 2 is we live in St. Louis; link 3 is the Blues; and link 4 (stretching it) St. Louis hockey team is the Blues. Enjoy!

@diamondbertie
@freddie_bt won last week with the haunting Staff Benda Bibili with Je t Aime, the title does remind me of an old favourite also Je t Aime Moi Non Plus. This song was banned in the UK as being too hot and erotic, (those were the days!)

@skye613

Freddie you are one clever BT! This weeks winning link to me to Africa. Staff Benda Bilili was comprised of some homeless and disabled bandmates. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa. " Homeless".

@claptonterrier
Hello to you Miss Lexie…..last week Mr Freddie chose a song by the band Staff Benda Billi…..this is a band of disabled musicians from a country called the Democratic Republic of Congo….the Congo is a gigantic river which flows through Africa. It is the world’s deepest river and in places is over 200m deep and also discharges more water than any other river in the world except for the Amazon….so this week our linky is Take Me to the River by Al Green….

@smcheetham

Well done Freddie for last week another fine win. I was interested to read more about Staff Benda Bilili and its a fascinating story. One thing I learned gave me my link for this week, that was that members of the band suffered from polio once I saw that I immediately had a link to another person who contracted polio as a child and that is Ian Drury. That took me to What a Waste which is my favourite Ian Drury Song enjoy your week my friends.

@terenceterrier
Last week da winnin linky woz “je t’aime” by Staff Benda Bilili . I fink dat translates to “ I love you “ . So my linky iz “She Loves You” by The Beatles.

*leaves mum in corner reliving teenage years*

@djladylexie
Great linky Freddie and fanx for introducin us to Staff Benda Bilili. A mpst interestin story. I'm goin wiv da street musician linky. Street performers are also known as buskers. One very famous british singer who started as a busker and is very active in the political arena and many of his songs reflect that. So we dus choose, New England, also covered beautifully by Kirsty MacColl.

@bunnersandharvs
So a big old well dun to dat Freddie fur his winning linky last week called Staff Benda Bilili. We int hurd of dem before but we did enjoy listenin to dem and it gots us thinking about other Street Moosic and how it links us all whether you likes it or not, it is wot joins us and makes us tap our paws sooooo we found a longer linky dis week. We thort is was coool cos so many different people and different moosic too. It's called The Phenomenon of Street Music cos it don't matter wot language you barks, we all connected to stuff wot we likes to danse to so hit it, get your paws tapping and enjoy pals.

An da winner ... as chosen by  .... @freddie_bt ...... dus be .............. @maggietkat. Yay! So dat meant you dus be choosin next week Maggie!

Ere wot Freddie said: Vewy difficult choice as I luvd all da linkys n all da songs. So temptin to pick 7 or 9, 2 of my most favwite songs by favwite singers but I was drawn to linkys 2(luvly story n song), 3(so clever) n 4(so suggestive so French). In da end linky 3 wiv its connections n its roots is my winner. Fanks to all of you.

So it's over to you. Email me: lexie at toxicpenguin dot com or DM me on twitter (@dogstoyevsky) wiv your link suggestion followin on from dis one! You has until 20th April 2014 (gets it to me by 2pm UK time if poss). Oh sometimes I dus accidentally delete em! Heehee. So good idea to type DO NOT DELETE in the title and dussnt forget to send a linky to da video from You Tube!

Lexie's Chain dus be inspired by da pawsome Radcliffe & Maconie Show wot you can has a listen to on dere website. Follow me @dogstoyevsky or #lexieschain on Twitter to join da fun. Remember anyfink goes! Rock, classical, opera, ballads, punk, reggae - is up to you! Fanx for playin!

Lexie's Chain: The Hundred and Sixty Eighth Chain

Hello pals! Welcome to week 168 of #lexieschain. Last week da winner was Wyn wiv Birdy's Shelter. A lovely toon I must say.  Let's see wot we gots dis week:

@maggietkat
Well done with "Shelter" by Birdy. What a lovely voice telling us about the anguish of relationships. My song is about relationships, sung by 2 movie characters who destroyed each other, and yet make it to a point where they can sing together in public again. It is Mitch and Micky from the mockumentary 'A Mighty Wind' singing "there's a kiss at the end of the rainbow". The tune was nominated for an Oscar, so the clip I chose is from that broadcast. (Good luck Lexie if you can't find the one I chose!)

@claptonterrier

Hi Miss Lexie…last week Miss Wyn chose a song called Birdy…..now, I have to confess that I’m somewhat cheating this week ….I heard the most beautiful song this week and have been determined to shoehorn it into the chain some way somehow….so, my link this week is elephant by Jason Isbell….its another song about animals…phew….

@skye613
Congrats @wotterface for a hauntingly beautiful tune from Birdy . Thank you for the introduction. In 1985 Peter Gabriel wrote the sound track for the film Birdy , a movie that was set during Vietnam war period . ( 1960-1975 ) Although Genesis was formed in 1967, Gabriel was still a relative newbie when he played the flute on Cat Stevens " Katmandu " in 1970. 

@smcheetham
So last week the choice was Shelter by Birdy. shelter seemed to be a good theme to take a link from as there are lots of songs about Shelter. I was very tempted to go with Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan from that fantastic album Blood on the Tracks but struggled to find a YouTube version. So that made me fall back onto another classic Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones so that's my shelter based link. Enjoy your weeks my friends.

@terenceterrier
last week da winnin linky be “Shelter” by Birdie. Iz a simple fur so I goes for a simple linky. I chooses “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones. Dis be a live vershun. Mum sez the older they get the scarier they get to look at. – all dat drink, drugs n roll n roll from earlier years takin its toll I fink.

@bunnersandharvs
So we has another great week and winn frum @WOtterface fur Lexie's chainy last week. We int neva hurd of Birdy but dat wos a great songy. We did think about da Hunger Games and da songy Shelter which got us thinking about other theme songys where you might need shelter and all which gots us thinking about Adele's songy in da moovie Skyfall. Why you say? Well if da Skyfalls den you need shelter....*giggles* Anyway, we dus lyke Adele so and we thort Skyfall would be a good linky. Have fun choosing pal and thanking you as ever, Miss Lexie fur all your work on dis too.

@freddie_bt
In Birdy's Wikipedia entry it stressed she ad a gweat gweat... Belgian relative. Belgium makes Dad fink of DR Congo, where he lived durin da turmoil dat followed da Belgians departure, da stamps wuz still old Belgian Congo ones overprinted wiv Republique du Congo. One of his memories is Kinshasa Zoo wiv its fiercesome Crocs, our linky is Staff Benda Bilili formed fwom da community of homeless, mostly disabled n orphans dat live in da zoo's grounds. Dey make sublime music wiv omemade instruments, da ingenuity n fortitude of Africans. If dere is a "burden" in Africa it's da outsiders, "Je t'Aime".

@diamondbertie
Once again I try for Lexies Chain, last week the winner was @wotterface with Shelter by Birdy. I keep the theme of "shelter" with umbrellas, therefore I choose Michel Legrand's "I Will Wait For You" from the film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

@djladylexie
Ok Birdy wiv Shelter .. Well annuva great female singer wot sung a song also called Shelter was Sarah McLachlan. She's Canadian, an like Birdie, as received many awards for her achievements. Now one of the fings we like abowt Sarah is her support of animal shelters and elpin to raise awareness an donashuns, somefink very dear to all us anipal hearts! For this reason, I gonna choose Angel by Sarah McLachlan which, fanx to the use of this song in the ASPCA advert, (dis the merican version of our charity) raised millions of dollars to elp shelter animals. Dis for all dem anipals out there wot dussnt av lucky forever omes like wot I dus.

@thisbear
Last week's winner was Shelter by Birdy. Which takes us to a nightingale singing in Berkeley Square for the Force's Sweetheart, Vera Lynn.

An da winner ... as chosen by  .... Wyn (@WOtterface) ...... dus be .............. @freddie_bt. Yay! So dat meant you dus be choosin next week Freddie!

Ere wot Wyn said: Wow! Genuinely tough choice this week. We nearly went for the Stones but didn't think it would be fair to have to pick one over the other. Then there was Sarah McLachlan who deserved picking just for the help she gives to animals. However, the story of the disabled and orphaned folks who live at the zoo just got us, then to hear the joyful music they make made the decision for us after much umming and ahhing. So the winner this week is Staff Benda Bilil with J'Taime. 

And Linky 2, you made my Mom cry!!!! What a stunning song. We shall be listening to more of Jason Isbell. 

So it's over to you. Email me: lexie at toxicpenguin dot com or DM me on twitter (@dogstoyevsky) wiv your link suggestion followin on from dis one! You has until 13th April 2014 (gets it to me by 2pm UK time if poss). Oh sometimes I dus accidentally delete em! Heehee. So good idea to type DO NOT DELETE in the title and dussnt forget to send a linky to da video from You Tube!

Lexie's Chain dus be inspired by da pawsome Radcliffe & Maconie Show wot you can has a listen to on dere website. Follow me @dogstoyevsky or #lexieschain on Twitter to join da fun. Remember anyfink goes! Rock, classical, opera, ballads, punk, reggae - is up to you! Fanx for playin!