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The Cultural Imperialists Have Got Me
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I just realised that about 90% of the popular music that I have liked and listened to over the years was American or had its roots in American culture.
rock songwriter harmony soul country americana singersongwriter melody alt country rhythm sahb alex harvey
Artist picture
Multi-talented Scottish singer-songwriter performs his own take on Americana. Original tunes with beautiful guitar work: laugh with Her Father Called Me Franken
Bob Leslie is the unknown soldier of the Scottish songwriting scene. Out of full-time professional action for fifteen years (due to family commitments), he never stopped writing and has recently returned with a 12-song CD of self-penned Americana with a touch of Tom Waits about it. In A Different World (release August 2010) employs top musical talent from the Central Scotland scene: Bernadette Collier & Alice Leslie - backing vox; Fraser Speirs - harmonica; Jim Keilt - lead guitar, Alex Mack - banjo, mandolin, and lead guitar; Craig Nelson - alto sax; and Carl Esprit Bridgeman - bass guitar. Apple, Chrysalis Records, and the Kinks' managers showed interest in Bob's early work and his later songs have elicited high commendation from the the prestigious Billboard Song Contest. Top players Bob has worked with include: Andy Hamilton (sax player for multi-million-selling Canadian songwriter Corey Hart) Chris Glen and Ted McKenna (bass and drums, respectively, with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band) Colin Bass (bass player of seminal prog-rockers Camel) Dave Vasco (guitarist for Warner Brothers artists Clancy) Fraser Speirs (harmonica maestro with Paolo Nutini and Scots blues legend Tam White) Jim Keilt (virtuoso lead guitarist with John Otway and the London production of Tommy - the Musical) Kathy O'Donoghue (vocalist with, amongst others, Roger Chapman and Hank Wangford) Zeke Manyika (drummer for Scots chart-toppers Orange Juice)
Song Info
Genre
Country • Alternative Country
Charts
Peak #124
Peak in subgenre #24
Author
Bob Leslie
Rights
2010
Uploaded
May 15, 2010
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.9 MB • 128 kbps • 4:12
Story behind the song
I generally write in a range of styles which is loosely called "Americana" so I thought I'd express my debt to American music. We have a great tradition of folk music here in Scotland but, although I love listening to it, it's never been what I principally play. By the way, a "philabeg" is Gaelic for what you Saxons out there call a "kilt"! You'll just have to find out about the "Eightsome Reel" for yourselves!
Lyrics
My old hat’s a Stetson felt It was once jet black but now it’s elderly And fading some just like its owner People shout “Bobby, where’s your horse?” I say “still running at the course, And I wouldn’t bet on it for all the sand in Arizona” I got a black leather weskit, an open-neck shirt I used to wear high boots that made my feet hurt And the songs I write get called “Americana” Now I can sing folk if I really try Dance an eightsome reel, make my philabeg fly But the plain fact is that I don’t really wanna ‘Cause the Cultural Imperialists have got me From Louis Armstrong to the Magic Band With Jimmie Rodgers on the way And his yodel-lodel-lay-hee-hay And some guy called Elvis might have lent a hand And some guy called Elvis might have lent a hand Well, I cut my teeth (when they were all my own) On Old King Curtis and his saxophone Tim Buckley said that all the hymns were born there Black’n’white jazz on a 12” screen Satchmo was the best thing I’d ever seen Heard Goodman, Ellington, and Lena Horne there There were cowboy movies, in Tombstone Town Matt Dillon shot the outlaws down And Zorro helped the poor in California Had some 78s and scratched 45s Of old-time crooners And rocking jive Heard Jerry Lee, Chuck and Roy Orbison there I started out singing rock’n’soul Tried to sound just like Country Joe Sang Jimi, Janis, Bobby and the Airplane Painted myself like Sitting Bull Ain’t never been accused of being cool Boy, I was hotter than Hades in a hurricane Oh, the Captain growled and the Wolf did howl And Muddy Waters took a bow And ol’ Tom Waits well he was just a boy then And so it’s gone up to this day It’s coloured everything I play And I’m just glad I was there to hear it all then
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