Playlist 22.08.11

Back in 1966, the wonderful Fred Neil was finishing off an album in the big city. The producer promised him that if he delivered just one more song, he could sign off. And so Fred came up with 'Everybody's Talkin'' a song about escaping to his native Florida, where the sun keeps shining and the weather suits your clothes. He recorded the track in one take and promptly flew south.

I was thinking about this when I played 'Ural Song' by Tom McShane on this week's show. It's exactly the opposite of Fred's logic. Tom is a deeply respected songwriter from these parts who puts out occasional but sublime records. Last year he decided to test his art by recording an album before a live audience. The kicker was that the punters would sit in the middle of the sessions, and on occasions, they would also sing vocals. They would essentially be inside the record. I was there, I sang a bit and it was extraordinary.

'The Ural Sessions' is getting ever closer to a public release, which excites me no end. On playback, you can revisit the rare sentiments, the heavy concentration, the crackle of music being snatched from the air. And on 'Ural Song' Tom is damaged by love, mourning in San Francisco, dressed for the cold but still hurting from that major chill.

BBC Radio Ulster, 92-95 FM

Online: www.bbc.co.uk/radioulster

Blog: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/stuartbailie/

Mondays, ten - midnight

The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (Elektra)

Fruit Bats - Picture Of A Bird (Sub Pop)

Aaron Shanley - One More Cigarette (Love Gum)

Laura Nyro - Sweet Blindness (Columbia)

Stephen Malkmus - Tigers (Domino)

Fearing and White - Let Love Be Your Direction (Lowden Proud)

Water Tower Bucket Boys - East Way Out (white)

Paul McCartney - Nobody Knows (MPL)

Twin Sister - Gene Ciampi (Domino)

The Mighty Stef - Georgia Girl (The Firstborn Is Dead)

Manu Chao - Merry Blues (Virgin)

Elbow- Lippy Kids (Fiction)

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - Some Day After A While (Decca)

Jim White - Keep It Meaningful You All (Loose)

Mint Julep - Aviary (Village Green)

Elvis Costello - Why Don't You Love Me (Demon)

Peter Conway - Satellite (white)

Tom Waits - Jitterbug Boy (Elektra)

Carrie Rodriguez, Ben Kyle - My Baby's Gone (North St Opus)

Jolie Holland - All Those Girls (Anti)

James Vincent McMorrow - Breaking Hearts (Believe)

John Fahey - Love On Waikki (Rounder)

Tom McShane - Ural Song (Third Bar)

Stephen Malkmus - Fall Away (Domino)

Waterboys - White Birds (Puck)

Fruit Bats - Wild Honey (Sub Pop)

Fearing and White - October Lies (Lowden Proud)

Jimmy Scott - All The Way (WSM)

Grainne Holland - The Blue Hills Of Antrim (white)