Following-up her 2010 solo debut (The Law of Large Numbers), former Delgado member and founder Chemikal Underground Emma Pollock will release a new record In Search Of Harperfield next week (29 January). To accompany the album she’s made Q a playlist of “random acts of guidance… Wherein the ex-Delgado and Chemikal Underground founder salutes some extraordinary women for inspiring and informing her love of music”.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Didn’t It Rain
“A quite extraordinary piece of footage taken of ‘gospel music’s first crossover artist’ whilst on tour in the UK. This was filmed at a Manchester train station apparently. She became famous in the 30’s and 40’s in fact but this footage is taken much later in her career when she’d become pretty handy with the electric guitar.”
PJ Harvey – Dress
“I first heard the debut album ‘Dry’ when I was doing work experience in Oxford in the summer of 1992. I was listening to it whilst walking to work and couldn’t get over the rawness of the sound, the self assertion of the vocal delivery.”
Fiona Apple – Every Single Night
“Taken from 2012’s brilliantly titled LP ‘The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do’. Suitably uncompromising from one of my absolute favourite artists.”
Billie Holiday & Louis Armstrong – The Blues Are Brewin
“This is a great video with some hilarious facial expressions from Louis Armstrong. I grew up in a house where trad jazz and swing were rarely off the record player and my Dad was a pretty great jazz musician himself. Billie Holiday’s Lady in Satin is one of my favourite records of hers – the last studio recording and some say with a failing voice, but no less affecting to my ears.”
Dusty Springfield – The Windmills Of Your Mind
“Quite psychedelic studio performance footage of this classic song taken from the Dusty In Deutschland DVD.”
Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
“A pretty funny video of a pretty funny artist. She’s got that careless vocal delivery and apparent careless (until further inspection) lyric to partner it. Perfect combo.”
Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve
“Another fantastic female vocalist. I toured with The New Pornographers in 2007 in the US and was able to listen to her every night for weeks. Heaven.”
Laetitia Sadier – Then, I Will Love You Again
“This song comes from the last album Something Shines that came out last year. It’s a terrific album and this track is a favourite.”
Deerhoof – Milk Man
“A live performance of a long term favourite. I’ve never managed to see them live yet. Must fix that.”
Kate Bush – King Of The Mountain
“There are plenty of earlier videos to choose from of course – but I think Aerial is a triumph of an album and shows Kate Bush just keeps on moving forward as an artist. I especially love that this song is over six mins long and every minute of it justified.”
Elizabeth Fraser/ This Mortal Coil – Song To The Siren
“Still glorious.”
Rachel Grimes – The Herald
“I’ve been a huge fan of Rachel since 1996’s Music For Egon Schiele. Her chords are unmistakably hers. This is a beautifully shot video with a dynamic to match the track, not something that you often see in music video.”
Judee Sill – The Kiss
“I only recently discovered Judee Sill and this is a terrific song of hers performed on The Old Grey Whistle Test, with an ear worm of a chorus line.”
For more head to Chemikal.co.uk.
