Introduction

The Maritime Club is a virtual live music venue situated in www.virtualbelfast.com in the non-profit www.osgrid.org as well as the great live acts each week resident DJ Stiofain plays a classic obscure album in the order the artist originally intended on Sundays at 9 PM GMT.

This blog is intended to archive about a years worth of those albums with HQ cover and label scans and recordings from the original vinyl in 320kbps MP3 format and links to more information on the artists to give a good idea of the style of music played.

History

In the real world the Maritime Club was opened by Van Morrison in Belfast in April 1964 more details and video the virtual Maritime Club opened in 2007 and has been featuring weekly live music events ever since.

Copyright

If any of the content here infringes on the rights holders just send a mail and it will be immediately removed.

Otherwise I consider that running the show and this blog constitutes an educational resource.

I bought all these albums and consider playing them to guests online the same as I would playing them to guests at home.

You should check out copyright issues in your jurisdiction before listening or downloading.


You can listen live in the player below but for the full virtual experience follow these instructions .

Bob Lind - Since There Were Circles

 Even the most devoted music aficionado could be forgiven for believing Bob Lind was a one-hit wonder. The once-reclusive folk singer enjoyed a brief stint at the top of the charts in 1966, courtesy of the hit “Elusive Butterfly.”
 Lind sang of love and longing, and like Dylan and Donovan, set hearts a-fluttering in the process. And the song drew a following of its own; it was covered by more than 200 artists, including Cher, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Dolly Parton and Petula Clark. Sadly, Lind found it difficult to maintain the momentum “Elusive Butterfly” brought.
 Subsequent efforts failed to find an audience. Lind struggled with drugs, alcohol and a less-than-stellar professional reputation before he recorded a final album for Capitol Records, 1971’s “Since There Were Circles.” Although the effort pleased the critics, sales failed to follow. Lind parted ways with the music business and initiated a career that found him writing novels, plays and screenplays. He was a friend of the writer Charles Bukowski, who turned him into the character "Dinky Summers" in his 1978 novel Women and other writings

bob lind wikipedia

Al Wilson - Searching for the Dolphins

The debut album by a lost (in all senses) American singer, Al Wilson. It is all covers, or versions of others' songs. Some standards some not. It is consistently brilliant. Wilson was from Mississippi, he was born at the head of World War 2. One of his friends was the white (Wilson was black) southern musician Johnny Rivers who had a label called Soul City. This first classic album came out of that relationship with Wilson singing and Rivers producing. Rivers doubtless helped select most if not all of the songs too, including a couple of his own as well as I Stand Accused, co-written by Curtis Mayfield, and By The Time I Get Phoenix and Do What You Gotta Do by Jimmy Webb. However, the record, widely available, yes it's true, is named from the extraordinary Fred Neil song The Dolphins, which is the opening cut. Neil was a 60s folk singer, who wrote Everybody's Talking, and The Dolphins

Al Wilson wikipedia 

Dr John - Desitively Bonnaroo

A very underrated album from the good Doctor. His career is split between the voodoo psych madness of his first 4 LPs up to the Gumbo album and the laid back New Orleans funk of the rest of his work after his hit Right Place Wrong Time, which became something of an albatross round his neck as he seemed doomed to try and repeat it's success.

This was his follow up to the break through In The Right Place album and it unfortunately sank without trace despite being a superior set of tunes. While most people seem to regard his earlier spacier work as being the definitive Dr John sound there was always an accessible funky sound hidden in his music going all the way back to Mama Roux off his first LP Gris Gris, which Desitively Bonnaroo simply polished and clarified. While he seemed to slip into a bit of a rut with this approach on subsequent releases on this LP he presents a beautifully recorded set of blues, soul and funk expertly played by the Meters, who contribute a great deal to the grit and fire that keeps it from feeling like it is a by rote stab at the mainstream.

Dr John wikipedia

Les McCann - Talk to the People

Les McCann is a prolific jazz pianist and bandleader who released his first of over 50 albums in 1959. In the late 60s he became more experimental in his output with a variety of obscure instruments and recording techniques which can be heard on this album from 1972 . He was a renaissance man also known for his painting, photography and political activism.

Les McCann wikipedia

Santana - debut - self titled

Santana is the debut studio album by Latin rock band Santana released in 1969. Over half of the album's length is composed of instrumental music, recorded by what was originally a purely free-form jam band.
 At the suggestion of manager Bill Graham, the band took to writing more conventional songs for more impact, but managed to retain the essence of improvisation in the music.
The album was destined to be a major release, given a headstart by the band's seminal performance at the Woodstock Festival earlier that August. Although "Jingo" was not very successful (only reaching #56), "Evil Ways", the second single taken from the album, was a U.S. Top 10 hit.
Santana wikipedia

Gil Scott Heron - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox

This is Gil's debut album recorded when he was just 20 it nevertheless displays talent, political awareness and a literary wisdom far beyond his years, This is not as musical as his later work with Brian Jackson and contains some blatant homophobia but is regarded by many as the first rap album.
gil scott heron wikipedia

Joni Mitchell - Song to a Seagull

Song to a Seagull is Joni Mitchell's 1968 debut album. Mitchell would later note that the album is more a result of her love of classical music than of folk, and this is evident through the thick, rich, and often unusual harmonies, and the densely poetic lyrics of the album. This album was originally released as an untitled or self-titled LP because of an error at Reprise Records' publishing department.

Song to a Seagull is a concept album divided into two halves: "I Came to the City" and "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside". (The two halves correspond to the two sides of the LP, which are identified as "Part 1" and "Part 2" rather than the conventional "Side 1" and "Side 2"). The first track refers to her failed marriage to Chuck Mitchell in Detroit, and a similar theme is explored with "Michael from Mountains", which questions whether one can truly love someone without knowing him. "Night in the City" is a celebration of nightlife; "Marcie" is a profile of a lonely woman, presumably a friend of Mitchell's; and "Nathan La Franeer" ends side one with the account of a bitter city-dwelling taxi driver Mitchell once encountered.

album wikipedia

The The - Infected

A more modern offering than usual this week ( but still over 30 years old - 1986 ) just to offer something a bit different and hopefully complement our live act tonight Red Heaven from Canada.
Matt Johnson is the tortured genius and creative force behind The The who I suppose could be described as an English post punk band from the 80s but still active today.
Infected is the most complex The The album, every song on this album is arranged to the nth degree until it becomes almost too much. Lyrics-wise it is usual for Matt Johnson wallowing in the mess of his own feelings and merciless self-flagellation. "Here comes another winter of long shadows and high hopes. Here comes another winter, waiting for utopia, waiting for hell to freeze over". Saxes and trumpets, trombones and string orchestra, Steve Hodarth - who later will become the Marillion vocalist - plays nice piano on "Heartland" and "Twilight of Champion" starts with some stupendous baritone saxophone intro.
The The wikipedia
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Clifford T Ward - Home Thoughts From Abroad

This is Cliffords 2nd album released in 1973 recorded after the chart success of " Gaye " allowed him to retire from teaching English Lit in England ( one of his pupils was Trudie Styler future wife of Sting who championed him in later years when he fell ill ) . He had sevferal hits in the UK and further afield but due to his illness ( Multiple Scelerosis ) was unable to keep up the gruelling schedule needed in those days to carve out the international career and fame  he deserved.
Home Thoughts From Abroad is a well known short work by the famous Victorian poet Robert Browning (1812-89).
Clifford T Ward wikipedia
Cliffords Obituary in the Guardian newspaper
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Phoebe Snow

This is Phoebe Snows debut from 1974 . While well respected by fellow songwriters Phoebes career didnt reach the heights she should have perhaps due to her dedication to looking after her disabled daughter at a time when most with her conditions would have been institutionalised.

phoebe snow wikipedia

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Chet Baker Sings

This is possibly the apex of American Songbook interpretations, at least as far as the 1950s are concerned. Romantic jazz man and heroin addict Chet Baker took every single good idea the previous year had offered and brought them to the next level. Julie is Her Name, Cloud 7 and In the Wee Small Hours were far from perfect but Chet Baker Sings damn well is. He managed to combine the three elements that London, Bennett and Sinatra had used separately and by this artful combination, outdid them all.
The download is the 1956 reissue with 6 extra tracks. Chet led a pretty wild life and is well worth reading up on.

Chet Baker Wikipedia

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John Mayall - Blues From Laurel Canyon

This was Johns first solo album after the break up of the Bluesbreakers . After spending time in 1968 in Laurel Canyon hanging out with the likes of Stephen Stills , Joni Mitchel and the cream of Americas songwriters he returned to England to record this before moving back to Laurel Canyon . This is a sort of concept album with an interesting thing being that there are no visible breaks between the tracks on the Vinyl album . Some songs fade  into the next track, others segue while others stop on a chord which is immediately followed by the introduction of the next track. John is still playing now in his 80s

john mayall wikipedia

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Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat

As it is the anniversary of both the opening of the real Maritime Club in april 1964 and the Easter Rising for Irish independence in 1916 I dont think there  is a better choice for album of the week than Vans 1988 collaboration with the Chieftains.

Irish Heartbeat wikipedia 

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Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief

An acclaimed and seminal album in the advancement of British 'Folk-Rock', "Liege & Lief" is the fourth album by Fairport Convention. Released in the UK on Island Records in December 1969 and supported by a sell-out concert at London's Royal Festival Hall, it resided in the UK's album charts for 15 weeks.

Recording:
Prior to recording, the band suffered the tragic loss of drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend, Jeannie Franklyn, when their tour-bus crashed. In addition, Iain Matthews left, later to create "Matthews' Southern Comfort". The band regrouped and began rehearsals in a country house in Winchester, with Dave Mattacks filling Lamble's role and with violin virtuoso Dave Swarbrick joining the band full time, both of whom had appeared on the group's previous release, "Unhalfbricking". The band was completed by Richard Thompson & Simon Nicol on guitar, Ashley Hutchings on Bass Guitar and Sandy Denny on vocals. The producer was Joe Boyd, with engineering by John Wood at Sound Techniques, London.
Members Hutchings and Denny had departed the band by the time this was released in the USA.

fairport wikipedia

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Nick Drake - Bryter Layter

With even more of the Fairport Convention crew helping him out -- including bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks along with, again, a bit of help from Richard Thompson -- as well as John Cale and a variety of others, Drake tackled another excellent selection of songs on his second album. Demonstrating the abilities shown on Five Leaves Left didn't consist of a fluke, Bryter Layter featured another set of exquisitely arranged and performed tunes, with producer Joe Boyd and orchestrator Robert Kirby reprising their roles from the earlier release. Starting with the elegant instrumental "Introduction," as lovely a mood-setting piece as one would want, Bryter Layter indulges in a more playful sound at many points, showing that Drake was far from being a constant king of depression. While his performances remain generally low-key and his voice quietly passionate, the arrangements and surrounding musicians add a considerable amount of pep, as on the jazzy groove of the lengthy "Poor Boy." The argument could be made that this contravenes the spirit of Drake's work, but it feels more like a calmer equivalent to the genre-sliding experiments of Van Morrison at around the same time. Numbers that retain a softer approach, like "At the Chime of a City Clock," still possess a gentle drive to them. Cale's additions unsurprisingly favor the classically trained side of his personality, with particularly brilliant results on "Northern Sky." As his performances on keyboards and celeste help set the atmosphere, Drake reaches for a perfectly artful reflection on loss and loneliness and succeeds wonderfully.

Nick Drake wikipedia

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Oscar Brown Jr - Sin and Soul

This is Oscar's first album ( though he did contribute the lyrics to the call for civil rights We Insist by Max Roach the previous year ) and was considered a jazz classic as evinced by the sleeve note quotes by , among others , Nina Simone. The record company seem to have invested in the next album Between Heaven and Hell produced by Quincy Jones but then lost interest in Oscar or maybe didnt know whether to promote him to the hip jazz crowd or the middle of the road crooner set, Whatever the reason he never became the star he should have been but remained working throughout his long life in a variety of creative ventures and the civil rights movement.

Oscar Brown Jr obituary in the Guardian
Oscar Brown Jr wikipedia
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St Patricks weekend

Sorry we had no album of the week session this week as we had a big exhibition and talk inworld by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick   and all the music was live

Amy Winehouse Frank

Amys first album a bit rough round the edges but an insight into the massive talent that burned out too quickly

amy winehouse wikipedia

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John Martyn Solid Air

This is John's 5th album ( released in 1973 ) but in my opinion the first that he truly found his voice. The title track is an ode to Martyn's friend Nick Drake who sadly didnt heed the warning and died of an overdose 18 months after its release. The backbone of the album is Danny Thompsons double bass - the perfect accompaniment to John's fine finger picking and smoky voice which he slurs in the manner of a junkie jazz sax solo. Every track is a classic and everyone should own a copy for smoky, drunken nights.

john martyn wikipedia

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Fred Neil - self-titled

This is Fred Neil's second album from 1966 then re-released in 1969 to much greater success when " everyones talkin" became a worlwide hit due to the film " Midnight Cowboy " . Never comfortable in the limelight Fred more or less retired after a live album in 71 and dedicated himself to The Dolphin Project which  was established on Earth Day 1970 by Richard O'Barry with a donation from Fred Neil & Steven Stills and is dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide.

fred neil wikipedia

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Harry Nilsson - Aerial Ballet

This is Nilssons 3rd album but the first that features mostly his own compositions ( apart from " Daddys Song " written by Nilssons mother and the big hit  " Everybodys Talkin " by Fred Neil ) . This album features a lot of layering of vocals in the production which would become a Nilsson trademark.

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harry nilsson wikipedia