With a show at Brighton’s Prince Albert tomorrow (5 August) followed by another date in Servant Jazz Quarters in London on Thursday (7), Erland & The Carnival are reaching the end of their UK dates before releasing new album Closing Time on 25 August and then heading back on the road in October. The band’s Simon Tong (also a live Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad And The Queen member and sometime Verve man) has made us a Playlist of songs that are helping him get through life on the road, titles “Heartwarming tracks to keep you from going insane near the end of a long tour”. Nearly there Simon…
The Byrds – Wild Mountain Thyme
“Always makes me feel like it’s the first day of summer.”
The Watersons – North Country Maid
“Something to remind you of the ‘old country’ when you’re driving through unfamiliar territory, on an autobahn or mid west highway.”
Leonard Bernstein – Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin
“It seems to go on forever but you never want it to end. It’s a piece of music that just keeps on giving, even if you dislike jazz.”
Glen Campbell – By The Time I Get To Phoenix
“Glen was so good at making great music for watching the world go by through a bus window and he always inspires a communal sing-a-long.”
The Ink Spots – I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire
“One of the greatest groups of all time and all their songs start in exactly the same way. Genius!”
Johnny Cash – One
“Johnny Cash could polish a turd – not that this song is a turd but you know what I mean.”
Alfred Deller – Flow My Tears
“So good that Philip K Dick wrote a book inspired by it. Just don’t listen to the Sting version by mistake.”
Buddy Holly – Love Is Strange
“Music from the 50s but could have been made yesterday. Just seems to ooze a timeless beauty and innocence.”
Roy Orbison – Crying
“Actually anything by the Big ‘O’ will do – I just chose this at random.”
Stevie Nicks – Landslide
“Don’t worry. You’re nearly home now and everything is going to be all right- or is it?”
For more head to Erlandandthecarnival.com
