Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Truly There Is None Other...Than Holly Golightly!


The record shop was good to me last week - I got Sonic Youth's "Goo" (where my old copy has gone is a mystery) and "Truly There Is No Other" by Holly Golightly for £4 each. 

Holly Golightly (real name, folks) has been known to knock about with the legends Billy Childish and Jack White and has released about 15 solo albums. 

What I like about Holly is her love of fags and cups of tea, her curiously English voice, her sometimes twisted but always heartfelt lyrics, her love of old blues and 50s rockabilly - that when she recreates the style - sounds really fresh and lovely. 

The record is very varied, and it's hard to pick a couple of tracks to represent it. It's very Kinksian, a point that's made even clearer by the two Ray Davies' penned songs she covers, but avoids being de-riv. 

(Double Bass on the LP was provided by Sir Bald Diddley, according to the sleeve notes. Nice one Sir Bald!)

 "You Have Yet To Win" is like a stone cold lost classic from the 60s, and "Without You Here" makes me wonder why it's Duffy at number one. 

Anyways, here's the tunes, from her 2003 record (I must check and see what she's up to just now) and if you like them, please buy them


You Have Yet To Win by Holly Golightly
Without You Here by Holly Golightly

12 comments:

glasshalfempty said...

Oh, she's the 'Holly' on 'It's true we love one another' - recognised the voice immediately, but hadn't realised that's who it was when I heard Elephant.

Great couple of tracks btw. I'll check her out. Thanks for yet another good turn on, Blimp...

Blimpy said...

my pleasure ghe - remember, if you click the track name rather than the play button they should download to your home pc!

Blimpy said...

Elephant is an amazing record, I always found it a wee shame they just used Holly for the lightweight track (as much as I love it). "There's No Home For You Here Girl" is in my top ten White Stripes tracks.

glasshalfempty said...

Yeah, I was gobsmacked when I first heard it. If there was one album a year with that instant impact, I'd be well pleased, but I think the one before that, that hit me as hard, was Dummy, 9 years earlier! Other standouts - if I had to choose - would be Ball & Biscuit, Seven Nation Army, and Cold Cold Night, in that order.

ejaydee said...

I feel a 'Spill topic coming on...

Blimpy said...

The trio on the opening side (it's a double on vinyl) is epic, and heavy - 7 nation, black math, there's no home. By the time There's no home has peaked - you're on your back. The after that Jack delivers one of his best vocal performances ever with I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (great guitar solo too).

Blimpy said...

God, a top ten would be hard to pick. . .

Blimpy said...

Also, I have a very sweet personal Jack White story - which I may share some day....

steenbeck said...

Don't make us beg, Blimpy

Blimpy said...

it's late, and I'm all wet cos Mewsli just came in from the storm and snuggled up next to me, so NO WHITE STRIPES POST TONIGHT!

el derino said...

Great songs - specially the first one. There was a song of hers called On The Fire which was on a Rough Trade comp a few years back and was really good so I'd meant to look up some more of her stuff.

Blimpy said...

Glad you like 'em!

On The Fire is a top, top tune, by the way.