Hello, welcome to the My Northern Skies website, home of my two weekly radio shows, which alternate here each week, The Jazz File every Tuesday (8pm) and Flick the Dust Off every Friday (10am).

Featured Album | 409

Family | Music in a Doll’s House | Reprise 6312 | 1968

Though I’d already read several articles and features on the Leicester-based band Family, their music didn’t really reach me until the band released the single “The Weaver’s Answer”, the lead track to their second album ‘Family Entertainment’, which was released the following year.  Roger Chapman’s rasping voice was an acquired taste back then and if I were to be perfectly honest, I’m still not convinced that I actually ever fully acquired it, all these years on.  Despite these reservations, the musicians Chapman surrounded himself with were second to none, including John “Charlie” Whitney, Jim King, Ric Grech and Rob Townsend.  Produced by Dave Mason, ‘Music in a Doll’s House’ is a bold debut, incorporating complex rhythms and textures, some Classical elements, and even o bona fide jazz band, courtesy of Tubby Hayes, whose band effectively jammed with Family during the latter half of “Old Songs, New Songs”.  There are one or two moments that could be considered examples of early Progressive Rock, though the use of the blues harp keeps the band within the realms of the blues bands of the day.  Curiously, the title has its place in Beatles mythology, in that ‘The Doll’s House’ was the intended title of what subsequently became the ‘White Album’, Family effectively beating them to it.            

Playlist:

All Your Love – John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton) 

Can’t Find My Way Home – Blind Faith (Blind Faith)

Old Songs New Songs – Family (Music in a Doll’s House)

Hey Joe – Deep Purple (Shades of Deep Purple)

NIB – Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath)

Season of the Witch – Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Stephen Stills (Super Session) 

One More Time to Live – Moody Blues (Every Good Boy Deserves Favour) 

Golden Child of God – Emitt Rhodes (Mirror) 

The Chase – Family (Music in a Doll’s House)

A Love Supreme – Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin (Love Devotion Surrender)

An hour of the best in jazz, join me for The Jazz File on Tuesday 21 July.