Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy broadcast the 158th episode of Balearic Breakfast on her Mixcloud and Twitch TV socials on December 19th 2023.
About this show. – With Christmas being just around the corner, Colleen invited us to share songs to what would be the last show of the year. We all gathered around her Christmas tree, our hearts filled with songs and emotions...
Embarking on what will promise to be a proper and memorable tour in the early days of 2024 (Colleen will be touring Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, see below), our dear Captain did not let us down as she has worked with members of the Breakfast Family who will take the con musically while Colleen will be travelling.
With these exciting times ahead of us and with the warm show Colleen prepared for us, both joyous and reflective, I thought it would be nice to have 18 thoughts for snow...
Listen back to the 158th edition of Balearic Breakfast:
You can now listen to the last live Balearic Breakfast show of 2023 on my Mixcloud where its archived along with all of the other Balearic Breakfast shows. I’ve told you that I’m heading off down under, so you may be wondering what is going to happen to the show? Well, although I shepherd the show and pull it together into something that hopefully resonates, it’s the BB family who choose most of the music and I love the musical conversation. With that in mind, I asked several of our consistent contributors to contribute a one hour mix and I will stream those mixes by hosting Balearic Breakfast on the road.
Starting on Tuesday, the 9th January, I’ll stream Balearic Breakfast at the same time -Tuesdays 10 to 12 GMT and hopefully at the same place - on both Mixcloud Live and Twitch TV. We have mixes from BB contributors and I’ve been listening to the mixes they sent over and its so inspirational as they all have their own vibe and musical bent. I’ll still be on the chat groups too so we can all get together as we listen to the mixes so yes, BB will take a couple of Tuesdays off and then the live streams recommence on the 9th January.
Colleen, Instgr., 19/12/2023
PLAYLIST
Cat Power – Hey Mr. Tambourine Man
Rachael Lavelle – Let Me Unlock Your Full Potential
Yu Su – I Want An Earth
Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Bethe Bethe Kese Kese
Baalti – Kirpa
Monyaka – Go Deh Yaka (Go to the Top)
Paul Johnson – Better Than This (Dego & Kaidi 2000 Black Mix)
Amp Fiddler – More Than
Roundtree – Get On Up (Moplen Remix)
DC La Rue – Cathedrals
Spirit of Love – The Power of Your Love
Inner City – Good Life (Magic Juan Mix)
Amp Fiddler – Hope (YSE Mix)
Mateo & Matos – New York Style
Parbleu – Elios
Azoto – San Salvador
Kate Bush ft Stephen Fry – 50 Words for Snow
Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song
THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE
Don't you know it's not just the Eskimo.
Let me hear your 18 thoughts for snow...
Sadness. – Christmas is a bittersweet holiday for me, too many people lost, I feel lonely, hence the request of Mr. Tambourine... I wish it would snow right now, you know Ana? Only Snow has the power to soothe this lingering pain we all have deep down inside as the end of the year shows its winterish moods (these are not tears in my eyes right now...), and I wish I could be closer to you to give you a hug, but I know someone who can do it right away, dear Lioncub, please...
Sadness is here in this episode of Balearic Breakfast, as, with the end of the year, we think about the loved ones we lost (friends, members of our families or of our communities) and these few lines are dedicated to all of you who, in a silent tear, hope for sunnier tomorrows... Today's show opener, Cat Power – Hey Mr. Tambourine Man [2023 - Discogs], was recorded live in 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall by the American singer and songwriter; her show recreating Bob Dylan’s legendary 1966 show at the Royal Albert Hall in full. Her calm rendition gives the original song an aura one may not have found in Bob Dylan's version, giving the lyrics a beautiful setting. Yet, it must be said that Mr. Tambourine Man, made famous by The Byrds, who took it to #1 in both the US and UK, is not your happy song by any means; the lyrics display a man playing a tambourine, followed by a lonely man... The lyrics are ones of sadness and willingness to escape...
Self-Empowerment. – Taken from her new album Big Dreams, Rachael Lavelle – Let Me Unlock Your Full Potential [2023 - Bandcamp], and as she explained it on her website, "The title is taken from an ad that found me as I searched for the answers to getting “unstuck”. At the time I wished for nothing more than someone to come along and show me the way, but this song reminds me of the need to trust oneself. It is a song about getting out of your own way, taking responsibility, setting the wheels in motion and unlocking your own potential".
Faith. – This next song, Yu Su – I Want An Earth [2023 - Bandcamp] is powerful because of how it is able to share its musical faith into our own reality. It is a plea, but it holds in it Faith also, faith for a better future. It is the kind of song which really takes me back to the tracks composed by Davide Lovato or George Koutalieris, music holding visual capabilities...
Voyage. – Keeping the trippy soul alive, Colleen then plays Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Bethe Bethe Kese Kese [2007 - Discogs]. If a track in this 158th edition should embody Voyage, I believe this one fits the bill pretty well! For those of you who want to know, the lyrics seem to be, "Oh what unthinkable pain my heart feels, You took someone else's name, And my eyes, Filled up, Oh what unthinkable pain my heart feels" The song was taken from Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's 2007 album Dub Qawwali but can also be found on the Budha Bar X compilation.
Mercy. – The next song, Baalti – Kirpa [2023 - Bandcamp] seems to deal with faith as, while searching on the web, I found out that the word Kirpa meant "Mercy". We're touching higher and unknown grounds here! Find out more about Baalti by following their Instagram!
Unity. – With its punchy and positive lyrics, this song made me think about us, about the musical Family we really are. Monyaka – Go Deh Yaka (Go to the Top) [1984 - Discogs] is a song about friendship "We want you to know / That we won't ever let go / Rockers! / And you, you must understand / That we are here to lend a helping hand" This song, the album opener, was a n° 14 hit in the UK, with then-current bass player Paul 'Computer Paul' Henton. It hit n° 48 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles.
On a personal level, I absolutely love the first part of this 158th edition of Balearic Breakfast as it encapsulates a lot of the "sad" and "reflective" times we experience, holding in its hands some hope for the future. The musical unity is great, and these first six songs really help you to reach other grounds!
Love. – For the next 6 songs, Colleen spreads a lot of joy among the members of the Balearic Breakfast Family. Starting with Paul Johnson – Better Than This (Dego & Kaidi 2000 Black Mix) [2015 - Bandcamp], it is obvious that Colleen won't let sad times set in for too long. Life is a trip; we must embark on it and hold our heads up high; love is the answer...
Dream. – Paying tribute to the late Amp Fiddler throughout the show, Colleen plays a very dreamy track, Amp Fiddler – More Than [2002 - Discogs], from his 2002 EP, Basementality. Head over to the Classic Album Sundays website to read the interview Colleen did with Amp. This song can also be found on the 2021 album and embodies how we all feel when listening to Balearic Breakfast: a sentiment of joy, blended with ecstasy and that infinite sense of freedom! I think I just gave you an explanation about the howz and whyz of today's post title, laughs!
Happiness. – Since we're having a laugh, let's go down the musical road with Roundtree – Get On Up (Moplen Remix) [2021 - Discogs]. This song is one of our favourites! We love its groove; it makes us Dance! Issued in 1978, just when Disco (from the word Discothèque – a French word, by the way, which meant, in 1928, a place where records were collected, but also, in the '60s, a place where people would dance together – if you didn't know!) started its short but tremendously successful journey, this track embodies everything we love about this musical style: the rhythmic section, the groove, the orchestra, the tightness of it all and the simple lyrics! Should you want to know more about the BBC2 Series that started a few days ago, just follow this link.
Disco. – This next song is a beautiful example of what True Disco Sound was like back in the day: a long musical trip! With its strange and somewhat sad lyrics, DC La Rue – Cathedrals [1976 - Discogs] still has that Balearic Touch that makes your body move to the beat. Taken from the 1976 album of the same name, including the very lonely and funky piece "I don't want to lose you" with its whooping 14:14 minutes of windy wanderings, Cathedrals started... At the Loft! "It was three or four in the morning at the Loft, and I was standing on the sidelines with Steve D’Acquisto [the DJ and all-around disco insider who later went on to work with Arthur Russell]. David Mancuso didn’t mix songs together, and at one point, in the silence between the records, people were freaking out in anticipation of the next track – and when David put on the next record the crowd exploded. Steve goes, “Ahh, discos are the cathedrals of now!” I thought, “Ooh, that’s a good concept for a song.”
Soul. – Balearic Breakfast is the place where anything, musically speaking, laughs!, can happen. This song, Spirit of Love – The Power of Your Love [1978 - Discogs], absolutely embodies the show's power, freedom and encompassing spirit. You have it all there: the disco/funky sound, the choir and the wonderful voices, not to mention the Balearic touch! The song has been reissued in 2016.
Youth. – Inner City – Good Life (Magic Juan Mix) [1988 - Discogs] just brought us back to our younger years; a lot of the members of the Balearic Breakfast Family wish they were young again! Should you want to find out more about the original cut, head over here, the story is Great!
Hope. – Keeping the rhythm steady throughout her speeches, Colleen embarks here on another musical trip with 4 songs that blew the Balearic Breakfast's ship apart, laughs! Amp Fiddler – Hope (YSE Mix) [2023 - Bandcamp] is taken from the 2006 track issued as an EP.
"I am maintaining my faith as a creative person. I figure the creator must have a purpose for me, so I have to stay focused and keep my faith that everything is going to be alright. I’m always trying to be positive about the future of what is possible because I’ve got so much more to learn." RIP dear Amp...
Groove. – While we were enjoying Amp's track, we were blown away by Colleen's mix. I mean, listen to that... At that point, the Balearic Breakfast Family was bouncing, dancing, laughing, you name us how you want, I think we just totally lost it, laughs! As I said on the chat, the Wow effect was on! My dear Friend Ana joined forces and said to Colleen how much we loved the mini mixes she creates for the show! Mateo & Matos – New York Style [1996 - Discogs] just brought that absolute groove to our dancefloor! The track can be also found on Joey Negro's 2015 compilation, 90's House & Garage Vol. 1.
Cosmos. – For the second time in the show we here have a track blending several musical styles in one musical trip. After the disco/gospel trip, we here have a cosmo-balearidisco tune, laughs! That one must have been Colleen's favourite on today's edition, for sure! The song, with French lyrics, is about someone who was unable to find love on earth and leaving it for another dimension; the lyrics are fairly explicit: "Without love / nothing remains but a cold box / I'm sure of it / soon the sun will warm my soul / I see it / She's on the horizon / It's been years / I dream of this merger / Collision / I'm going for it / Su-per-no-va / My heart's already melting". Parbleu were already featured in Balearic Breakfast with "Dance cette Zik", in this new track, Parbleu – Elios [2023 - Discogs], the duo composed by Andres Balbucea and Andrea De Fazio went to meet the Greek mythology, nothing less, and with how much musical aplomb did they do that!
Balearic. – The last track of that wonderful Balearic/disco mix is Azoto – San Salvador [1979 - Discogs], which has been reissued in 2022!
Blizzard. – Whenever I listen to Kate Bush ft Stephen Fry – 50 Words for Snow [2011 - Discogs], I always picture a heavy Blizzard and a presence, somewhere... A man, a woman, who knows? Maybe some of us trying to figure out life's meanings? “Years ago I think I must have heard this idea that there were 50 words for snow [in the Inuit language]… And I just thought it was such a great idea to have so many words about one thing. It is a myth – although… it may hold true in a different language – but it was just a play on the idea, that if they had that many words for snow, did we? If you start actually thinking about snow in all of its forms, you can imagine that there are an awful lot of words about it. Just in our immediate language, we have words like ‘hail’, ‘slush’, ‘sleet’, ‘settling’… So this was a way to try and take it into a more imaginative world.”
Peace. – With the show ending with an absolute classic, Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song [1962 - Discogs] (written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé, this stereo version of the song was recorded by Nat in 1961 and found on his 1962 album pictured here), we can't help but feel the bittersweet happiness lingering in our souls. What's this life about? It's all about doing our best while we're here, so let's enjoy ourselves while we can; tomorrow might never come... Whatever you do, please, remember, just be Balearic...
Colleen will be featured in these coming events (click on the pictures to get the tickets):
December 31: When Pigs Fly, Melbourne AUS;
January 6: Runner Up, Melbourne AUS;
January 12 & 13: Sydney AUS TBA;
January 21: Mellow Magic Sunday, Adelaide AUS;
January 28: Yot Club, Ragian NZ;
February 3rd: Flamingo Pier;
March 8th: The Disco Express.
