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Posts Tagged Mavis Staples

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August 26, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

My New EBook: Selected Interviews (Vol. 1)

I’ve just published my new e-book – a selection of some of my favourite interviews. There are new essays and context-notes around each interview and the range of subjects takes in not just musicians but two pro-wrestlers, a filmmaker and a comedian. There are 15 conversations documented from living legends (Joan Baez, Ry Cooder, Mavis […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Amazon, Author, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Cassandra Wilson, Comedian, Comic, Damon Albarn, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, e-book, ebook, Filmmaker, George Clinton, I'm Calling You From The Edge Of The World...Are You There?, I'm Calling You From The Edge Of The World...Are You There? : Selected Interviews From New Zealand (Vol. 1), Interviews, Jeff Beck, Joan Baez, John Waters, Kindle, Mavis Staples, Movie, Music, My New Ebook, My New EBook: Selected Interviews (Vol. 1), Pro-Wrestling, Ric Flair, Rob Schneider, Ry Cooder, Sananda Maitreya, Selected Interviews, Selected Interviews From New Zealand, Simon Sweetman, Sonny Rollins, Steve Vai, Terence Trent D'arby, Todd Rundgren, Vol. 1, Writing ·

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June 17, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Mavis Staples: We Get By

Mavis Staples  We Get By  Anti/Epitaph   She is 80 this year. She is remarkable. She is the voice of civil rights. She is one of the voices of the 20th Century and her output across the last decade and a half in particular shows a restless ambition; Mavis Staples doesn’t want to be remembered as being the voice of just the […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, ANTI-, Ben Harper, Epitaph, Mavis Staples, Mavis Staples: We Get By, We Get By, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 16, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Dolly Parton: Dumplin’ [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] 

Dolly Parton  Dumplin’ [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] RCA Records Label Nashville First off, it’s a great movie – really worthwhile. Strong, subtle performances, an interesting set of themes and more grit and heart than the typical Hollywood comedy fare. It’s funny too – but has more than just humour. And one of the big themes of the film […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged [OST], Album Review, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Dumplin, Dumplin’ [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], Jennifer Aniston, Mavis Staples, Miranda Lambert, RCA, Rhonda Vincent, Sony, Soundtrack, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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December 19, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 456

The Staple Singers, I’ll Take You There [Single] (1972) Oh mmm I know a place  Ain’t nobody cryin’ Ain’t nobody worried Ain’t no smilin’ faces Mmm, no no Lyin’ to the races Help me, come on, come on Somebody, help me now (I’ll take you there) Help me, ya’all (I’ll take you there) Help me […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1972, A-side, B-side, Civil Rights, EP, I'm Just Another Soldier, LP, Lyrics, Mavis Staples, Protest, Record, Single, The Staple Singers, The Vinyl Countdown # 456, Vinyl ·

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December 5, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black

Mavis Staples If All I Was Was Black Anti/Epitaph What a decade it’s been for Mavis Staples – riding on a high note ever since 2007’s We’ll Never Turn Back with a constant victory-lap of touring and this now deep collaboration with Jeff Tweedy’s Wilco. It hasn’t all been amazing, I couldn’t get too excited […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, ANTI-, Blues, Epitaph, Folk, Gospel, If All I Was Was Black, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Politics, Pops, Protest, Racism, Rick Holmstrom, Ry Cooder, Staples, The Staples Singers, Tweedy, Wilco ·

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July 12, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

V/A: Mavis Staples – I’ll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration

Various Artists: Mavis Staples – I’ll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration Blackbird Production Partners LLC A Mavis Staples concert is a joyous experience – a celebration, she’s there at church and she, erm, takes you there…so on this tribute we have to wait for the last half hour for Mavis; still regal and […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, An All-Star Concert Celebration, Blackbird Production Partners, Buddy Miller, CD/DVD, Concert, Eric Church, Gregg Allman, I’ll Take You There, I’ll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration, Jeff Tweedy, Live, Live Album, Mavis Staples, Mavis Staples – I’ll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration, Patty Griffin, Staple Singers, Tribute, Tribute Concert, V/A, Various, Various Artists ·

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April 27, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Mavis Staples: Livin’ On A High Note

Mavis Staples Livin’ On A High Note Anti/Epitaph Here’s the latest from Mavis Staples, and a producer-switch, following two charming-enough but sombre Jeff Tweedy-helmed full lengthers. Now we have M. Ward making sure things are sunny and hopeful – and the songwriting credits include Nick Cave, Neko Case and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon among others. […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, ANTI-, Bon Iver, Documentary, Epitaph, Jeff Tweedy, Justin Vernon, Live: Hope at the Hideout, Livin' On A High Note, M. Ward, Mavis Staples, Mavis!, Neko Case, Nick Cave, Ry Cooder, We'll Never Turn Back, Your Good Fortune (ep) ·

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November 3, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Tweedy: One NZ Show (March, 2016)

Tweedy is the father/son duo of Jeff Tweedy and Spencer Tweedy. Jeff we know from Wilco – Spencer, from being Jeff’s son. I wasn’t at all impressed with their debut album as a duo but I’m fully into the idea of seeing them live – because the show is promising a mix of the material […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2016), Akld, Auckland, Easter, Gig, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Powerstation, PR, Promo, Solo, Spencer Tweedy, Sukierae, Sunday March 27, Tweedy, Tweedy: One NZ Show (March, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco ·

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October 28, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Radio Nowhere by Michael Ross: # 7 – Cities Where Stuff Happened

Something different today, before regular Radio Nowhere service finally resumes… People travel for a lot of fairly obvious reasons – to eat, drink, see the sights, visit friends, and so on. Me? I mainly travel so I’ll have a good excuse for repeatedly missing blog deadlines, and also because there’s a part of me that’s […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Bonnie Raitt, Cities Where Stuff Happened, Drive-By Truckers, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hejira, Jane's Addiction, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Mavis Staples, Michael Ross, Mike Ross, Mother Love Bone, Nirvana, Radio Nowhere, Radio Nowhere # 7, Radio Nowhere by Michael Ross: # 7 – Cities Where Stuff Happened, Subpop, Treme, Trombone Shorty ·

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August 30, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Mavis Staples: Your Good Fortune (ep)

Mavis Staples Your Good Fortune (ep) Anti/Epitaph Mavis Staples is a survivor and striving on – she doesn’t ever sound like some geriatric party-trick, she sounds like a vital artist, pushing herself on, compelled to work. That was largely the tone of the recent, celebratory documentary. That documentary’s one big failing was in not acknowledging […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Blues, EP, Fight, Gospel, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Mavis!, Ry Cooder, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, Son Little, Your Good Fortune, Your Good Fortune (ep) ·

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August 7, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Mavis!: Film

Mavis! Director: Jessica Edwards Film First Co./Home Box Office (HBO) It pretty hard to fault Mavis! – the feature-length doco covering the life of living legend Mavis Staples. I’ve seen Staples perform three times in recent years, highlights in every show and I’ve been charmed by her as an interview subject. She’s funny, wise – […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Documentary, Film, Film Festival, Film Review, Gospel, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Mavis!, Movie, Movie Review, Music, Music Doco, Pops Staples, Prince, Ry Cooder, Soul, The Staple Singers ·

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July 28, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

The Best Guitarist in The World: # 2 – Ry Cooder

You can’t just call him a guitarist. He plays so many instruments. He’s written a book of short stories. He produces, finds and nurtures talent, is something of an ethnomusicologist, he’s created evocative film scores, is a gifted singer/songwriter and yet through all of that he is simply one of the very best guitarists you […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Best Guitarist, Blog On The Tracks, Buena Vista Social Club, Captain Beefheart, Crossroads, Dr John, Facebook, Guitar, Guitarist, Mavis Staples, Phantom Billstickers, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Short Stories, Slide, Slide Guitar, Stuff.co.nz, The Best Guitarist In The World, The Best Guitarist in The World: # 2 – Ry Cooder, The Rolling Stones ·
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