Lucky Cat S11 E11 - Kids in the Studio!

Kids in the studio!  Snacks galore in the Dim Sum Lunch Box and engineer Laura samples a festive treasure  fried rice dish.

https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/lucky-cat-12th-december-2015/

Playlist:
Fade Away - Junior Byles (Rewind Selecta Vol 1 LP)
Celebratory Cantonese Music
Milord - Edith Piaf
I Wanna Love - The Jiving Juniors (Blue Beat 7")
Wei Cheng - ChaCha and JahJahWay (produced by Along, on Souncloud only)
Quando Salir de Cuba - Betty Chung (Love Story LP, EMI)
Down in the Basement - Sugarpie de Santo and Etta James (The Sweetest Peaches LP, Chess)
Where Do I Begin (Love Story) - Betty Chung (Love Story LP, EMI)
East Virginia - Elizabeth Laprelle (downloaded from An Immaculate Collection charity online musical advent calendar!)
Memories of China, Butterflies -  Sydney Chinese Music Society
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Peggy Lee (Christmas Carousel LP)

The Immaculate Collection
A project to help raise money for pregnant and traumatised women in the refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece.
This is a really great project where you can donate to download lots of great tracks, do take a look and give if you can:

http://immaculatecollection.co.uk/

Lucky Cat S11 E10 - No Cars new album 'Yoko Goes to Bollywood'

On this week's show I play tracks from the fantastic new No Cars album Yoko Goes to Bollywood.
No Cars are a Japanese girl group based in Hackney, East London.  Their new album is a wonderful mix of funny, feel good, taste good, spicy pop!  The album is available as CD, cassette and download.  Warning it might make you hungry (of course I love the food themed songs).

Lucky Cat  - 5th December 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

• Love and Understanding - John Holt (10", Channel 1 label)
• Gerrard Street - Guardian Angel (12", Laser label)
• Tears, Tears, Tears - Amos Milburn (Vicious, Vicious Vodka, Aladdin LP)
• Why Birds Follow - Hortense Ellis (Studio 1 7")
• Curry - No Cars (Yoko Goes to Bollywood CD, PostPop Records)
• Samosa - No Cars (Yoko Goes to Bollywood CD, PostPop Records)
• Vanilla Rooibos - No Cars (Yoko Goes to Bollywood CD, PostPop Records) 
• Godam Gunjar - Koto duet (Musical Atlas of Japan, Unesco Collection LP, EMI/Odeon)
• folk music from Okinawa islands (Musical Atlas of Japan, Unesco Collection LP, EMI/Odeon)
• Muchachas Del Vacilon / Girls Who  Fool Around - Antonio Flores and Manuel Valdez (Mexican Songsters from the Past 1920s and 30s Vol 2, Folklyric LP)
• Vicious, Vicious Vodka - Amos Milburn (Vicious, Vicious Vodka, Aladdin LP)

The Lady From Sham Shui Po

Today's show is an imaginary sound track for the Hong Kong noir The Lady from Sham Shui Po co-directed by Wong Kar Wai and Orson Welles.
Starring Marlene Dietrich, Maggie Cheung, Joseph Cotten and Simon Yam.

Bending the time space continuum to make this film, just imagine the possibilities.....

The Lady From Sham Shui Po by Luckycatzoe on Mixcloud

Track listing:

• Trois Morceaux En Forme de Poire - Erik Satie  
• Illusion - Nat King Cole
• The Flower of Tachai Blooms in Chien Men - Erhu and Cheng Duet
• Apres Moi - Eartha Kitt
• Luar Do Serato - Marlene Dietrich
• Pearls of the Ravine - Cheng solo
• Guardian Angels - Mahalia Jackson with Harpo Marx
• Love Without End - Carrie Koo Mei 
• Non Domenticar - Peggy Lee
• Take Good Care of Him - Kong Ling and the Fabulous Echoes
• Poinciana - Nat King Cole
• Dark Eyes - Tshornye Graza, P. Leschtchenko and his orchestra
• Black Market - Marlene Dietrich
• Purple The Schemer - Billy May
• The Sorrow of Lady Wang Chao-Sun - Lui Hung

Lucky Cat S11 E08 - Allen Toussaint Tribute, Reggae 7s & Yunnan Aubergine Recipe

Another ALL VINYL show for your listening pleasure.
RIP Allen Toussaint.
 

Lucky Cat  - 21st November 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

• War No Right - Denise Darlington (Studio One 7")
• Yes We Can Can - Lee Dorsey (Saturday Night Fish Fry Soul Jazz 2xLP)
• Mean Man - Betty Harris (Saturday Night Fish Fry Soul Jazz 2xLP)
  Break in the Road - Betty Harris (Saturday Night Fish Fry Soul Jazz 2xLP)
• Cry to Me - Jusy Mowatt (Jamaican blank 7")
• Heart of the Knight - Lennox Brown (Jamaican blank 7")
• Green Collie - Roy Richards (Jamaican blank 7")
• You're No Good - Marcia Griffiths (Jamaican blank 7")
•  I Love You - Simms and Robinson (Wordisc label 7")
• Crying Over You - Simms and Robinson (Wordisc label 7") 
• Leave Her Alone - Derrick Morgan (Beverley's label 7")
• The Flower of Tachai Blooms in Chien Men - Erhu and Cheng Duet (10" LP Spring in Date Garden, China Record Company)
• I Can Never Go Home Anymore - The Shangri-Las (Golden Hits of the Shangri-Las, Phillips LP)
• Tiptina - Dr John (Gumbo LP, Atlantic)
• New Orleans - Big Boy Myles (The Greatest 15 Hits on ACE LP)
• Stu Mambo Cha Cha Cha - Marino Marini and his Quartet (10" LP Happy Music from Italy, Durium)

 

Simon Yam and Joseph Cotten

This Saturday's show will be an imaginary soundtrack for a romantic Hong Kong noir thriller. Think Wong Kar Wai meets Orson Welles for a few jugs of rice wine in the rain... Starring Marlene Dietrich, Maggie Cheung, Joseph Cotten and Simon Yam.

Just doing some research and look at how similar these photos of Joseph Cotten and Simon Yam are!  Both wonderful actors with charismatic faces, a twinkle in the eye and both can really smoke the hell out of a cigarette!

 

Come Drink With Me on Netflix

Netflix has recently added lots of old Shaw Brothers films - hurrah!  Including this stunning wu xia masterpiece with the beautiful Cheng Pei Pei.  

May I also recommend a documentary on there - General Tso's Chicken. It's basically the story of the Chinese American diaspora told through food.  This dish is not familiar here in the UK, I'm not sure what the equivalent is.  One of our national dishes is chicken tikka massala, a subverted Indian dish that has been created to appeal to British palates.  It would be interesting to see a documentary made about that.

Talking of documentaries there's a good one on Chinatowns of the world on BBC iPlayer Radio now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0380gh0

Lucky Cat S11 E07 - Andy Martin on Chinese Cinema

Here's last weeks' show where I was joined writer and musician Andy Martin to discuss his book Chinese Cinema: A Study of Chinese Films from 1905 to 2005.

Lucky Cat  - 14th November 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Links
Buy the book:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-martin/chinese-cinema/paperback/product-21225752.html

Andy's UNIT band web site:  
http://www.unit-united.co.uk/

Andy Martin's Top 10 Hong Kong Films

1. Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind directed by Tsui Hark


2. Boat People directed by Ann Hui


3. Tiger Cage directed by Yuen Woo Ping (produced by Michelle Yeoh's ex husband Dickson Poon, fact fans)


4. Daddy, Father and Papa directed by Clifton Ko Chi Sum


5. Men Behind the Sun directed by Mou Tun-Fei
This film documents unbearable atrocities carried out by the Japanese in a chinese prisoner of war camp in Harbin. I watched a clip on Youtube and it is so disturbing I am unable to post anything.  I notice is turns up in this list of the 50 most disturbing movies of all time!
Go search for yourself.  This looks so horrific, I cannot watch!

6. Cageman directed by Jacob Cheung


7. Young and Dangerous directed by Andrew Lau


8. 15 directed by Royston Tan, set in Singapore


9. Too Young directed by Derek Yee starring Jaycee Chan (Jackie's son)


10. Beseiged City directed by Lawrence Ah Mon



Andy recommends this East London shop for all your HK movie needs: Umit & Son
http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/umit-son


 

Lucky Cat S11 E06 - Halloween Tunes & London Korean Film Festival

In this week's episode I play some spooky tuneage for Halloween, pay tribute to the sadly departed HK movie legend Tien Feng and interview Hyujin Cho, producer of the London Korean Film Festival.

The London Korean Film Festival celebrates it's 10th year in 2015 with a bumper programme.  I'm very excited that director Chung Chwang Hwa will be giving a Q&A and 3 of his films will be screening:

• Voodoo Women  - Smiley Smith (Zombie Horror CD Collection, Chrome Dreams CD)

• Vampire - The Upsetters (Loch Ness Monster, Trojan LP)

• Legend of Sleepy Hollow  - The Monotones (Zombie Horror CD Collection, Chrome Dreams CD)

• Dracula Prince of Darkness  - King Horror , thought to be Laurel Aitken (Loch Ness Monster, Trojan LP)

• Kung Fu Master  - Solo Banton (Music Addict, Jahtari EP)

• Last Blade  - Disrupt (Music Addict, Jahtari EP)

• Yunnan Reggae  - Lao Hei (soundcloud)

• Arriran  - Various (Korean Folk Volume 1 LP)

• Zombie Jamboree  -  King Flash and the Calypso Carnival (Zombie Horror CD Collection, Chrome Dreams CD)

• Evil Spirits  - Mighty Invaders (Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2015)

• Duppy Dance  - Aquarius Soul Band (Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2015)

• Hell Below  - Crystal Generation (Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2015)

• Mr Brown  - Cliff and the Organizers (Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2015)

http://koreanfilm.co.uk/directors/chung-chang-hwa

The Taiwanese director made these films in Korea with Korean cast and crew...including the 1967 martial arts movie A Swordsman in the Twilight.

There are also more populist movies in the Audience Choice strand of the festival.  HK actor Simon Yam stars alongside Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae and Gianna Jun in the heist movie The Thieves, which in 2013 was the secondhighest grossing movie of all time at the Korean box office.  

Lucky Cat - 31st October 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

RIP TIEN FENG 1928 - 2015

Lucky Cat S11 E05 - Gareth Rees 'Written in the Dust'

Here's yesterday's show in which I chat to Gareth Rees, director of the contemporary silent film Written in the Dust.  An enjoyable show, great guest!

Lucky Cat  - 24th October 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

The Dim Sum Lunchbox: Vietnamese style pork patties (makes 18)

Melt 2 tablespoons of muscovado sugar in a heavy bottomed pan with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce.  This makes a very pungent caramelised syrup (i.e. you might want to open a window)!  Let it cool before mixing it into your pattie mix which you make by blending:

2 large cloves garlic
10 shallots 
1 stalk lemon grass (bash the bottom bit before blending and discard the thin top end - probably about half of the stalk)
3cm cube ginger
dash fish sauce
pinch of pepper

Use a little blender if possible as ingredients need to be finely chopped together then mix into the 900g minced pork (not too fatty) using your hands and also mix in the cooled syrup.  Cover and leave to rest for 2/3 hours.

Heat the grill and lightly brush your grill rack with oil so the patties don't stick. Shape the patties in your hands into balls then flatten so they are approx 3cm in diameter.  Grill until golden brown on both sides.  Serve with fresh mint leaves and fresh chilli and fish sauce dip.  

I served the patties with a Thai green papaya salad made with physallis as well as baby tomatoes and mixed nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) instead of peanuts.

Gareth Rees, director of 'Written in the Dust' on tomorrow's Lucky Cat

On tommorow's show I will be joined in the studio by film director Gareth Rees. Gareth, who splits his time between Beijing and London, has directed the silent movie Written in The Dust which will soon be screening in London with a live cross cultural musical accompaniment.
Tune in: Sat 24th October 2015, Resonance 104.4FM

http://www.writtenindust.net/

Lucky Cat S11 E04 - Gangster Payday

Just me on this episode.
I review the HK movie Gangster Payday starring Anthony Wong and Charlene Choi (pictured above getting sloshed on jaeger shots!).
The dim sum lunch box features a mild version of nonya Malaysian chicken  curry.  Thanks to engineer Laura for sampling.

Lucky Cat  - 17th October 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

Be Mine - Carlton and the Shoes (from the Studio One label CD Love Me Forever) 

Come Back My Love - Derrick and Patsy (Bluebeat 7") 

Manchuria Express - Shigeru Umebayashi (The Grandmaster OST LP)  

Seemingly an Old Friend Comes - Anita Mui Yim Fong (Anita Hits 3xCD) 

Cha Cha Cha - Grace Chang (Pathé 7")  

Watering - Dawn Love (Treble 7") 

Oh Calypso - Grace Chang (Pathé 7")

Hey Boy, Hey Girl - Derrick and Patsy (Nu Beat 7") 

A Go Go - Dara Puspita (from the LP The Garage Years on Groovie Records)  

Merdita's Lesson - Hazize Issoufi (Art Export LP of Albanian Folk) 

Love Me Forever - Carlton and the Shoes (from the Studio One label CD Love Me Forever)

Lucky Cat S11 E03 - Naoko the Rock!

Zoë and Naoko outside Resonance FM Oct 2015

Here's the mixcloud link to the show with very special guest selctor Naoko The Rock.  It was wonderful to have her on the show, she brought along some wonderful musical treasures to share!

Once again this was a 100% VINYL show.

Lucky Cat  - 3rd October 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

-Okinu Koita - listed as A Popular Song (from the Brazilian LP Quadro Musical do Japao, Columbia label) 

The rest of the selection is from Naoko:

-Ringo - The Skatalites (green 10" Top Deck label)

-Hungy Man - The Deacons (green 10" Top Deck label)

-First Come First Served - The Sound Dimensions (Coxsone LP Reggae Time)

-Metro - Mute Beat (from the LP Flower, Overheat Records label)

-Fu Manchu - The Dreamlets (Rocka-Shacka 7")

-Tell Them Lord - The Wailers (7" blank)

-There's a Reward - Joe Higgs and Roy Wilson (Wincox Records label 7") 
-Instrumental track (Treasure Isle label 7")

-In the Rain - Keith Hudson (Mamba label 7")

-Grow Closer Together - Gregory Isaacs

-Fever - Melanie [Melonie] Waters (Pin Up Records 7")    

We talked about the first track Ringo and how it was originally a Japnese folk song famously sung by Hibari Misora.  I found out that Hibari Misora sings this in the film Ringo-en no shōjo (aka The Girl from Ringo Park aka The Girl from Apple Park) in 1952. Here she is singing it in a film followed by a later clip of her singing on Japanese TV (looks like the 1970s):

This 1963 Jazz version predates the Skatalites version (1965), perhaps this was the influence?:

 

Naoko The Rock on Tomorrow's Lucky Cat Radio Show!

I am delighted to be joined live in the studio by DJ and record collector Naoko The Rock on tomorrow's Lucky Cat on Resonance 104.4FM.

Naoko will be talking about Reggae in Japan, record collecting and DJing here in London.  She will also be bringing some of her favourite tunes to spin - I can't wait!

Tune in tomorrow Saturday 10th October at 3.30pm (UK time) www.resonancefm.com or on 104.4FM if you have a radio and are London based (DAB will be coming soon)!

To be up to date with all the Resonance FM news please sign up to their newsletter (don't worry you won't get lots of emails from them just the occasional one, worth doing): http://newsletters.resonancefm.com/h/r/607E5058DD8AC51E

Yunnan Reggae

Just stumbled across this and really love this track:



I feel a Yunnan province special coming up on the show!

Food looks good:
http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/culinary-wonders-of-yunnan.html

Lucky Cat S11 E02 - Ai Wei Wei discussion with Harry Baxter

Artist educator from The Royal Academy of Arts Harry Baxter joins me to discuss the Ai Wei Wei exhibit at the RA.

Lucky Cat  - 3rd October 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

Everybody Needs Love - Slim Smith 

One Day You'll Know Dub - Rico and the Alpha Boys (Randys 10" single)

One Day You'll Know - Cha Cha and Ranking Joe (Randys 10" single)

The Peacock Spreads its Wings - Kwantung orchestra (10" LP Joyful Songs of Lingnan; Music from the Kwantung Province, China Record Company)

Catching Lovesickness - Yao Lee (from the Pathé 100 CD) 

Images from the exhibition above.  Below is some work made in the teacher's workshop which encouraged people to take inspiration form the exhibition and make their own prints.

North Korean Cinema Music

As featured on last week's show:

Lucky Cat S11 E01 - Tribute to Rico, the Autumn Moon Festival and an all vinyl show

Lucky Cat  - 26th September 2015 by Resonance Fm on Mixcloud

Playlist:

Soul of Africa - Rico and His Blue Boys (Blue Beat label 7" - B side to Prince Buster's Wash All Your Troubles Away)

A Message To You Rudy - The Specials (from the LP The Specials on the Two Tone label)

Wonderful World - Rico with Miss Megoo and the Yahman Allstars (from the EP Miss Megoo & The Yahman all​-​stars)

Moonlight in Vermont - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (from the EP Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, HMV)

The Myohyang Is a Mountain of Unparalleled Beauty - Choe Gwang Suk (Korean Folk Song Vol 2 10" LP, Pyongyang, Korea)

Song of Pomegranate Blossoms - Choe Sam Suk (from the film The Road a Doctor Follows, on the Cinema Music 10 10" LP, Pyongyang, Korea)

 Puyaili (Traditional Thayland) - Dara Puspita (Dara Puspita The Garage Years, Groovie Records)

 Easy Snapping - Theo Beckford (Studio One Story, double LP on Soul Jazz)

Lucky Cat Series 11 Starts today!

After a summer break I am back on the airwaves today for series 11 of Lucky Cat on Resonance 104.4FM.  Illustration above is by me, inspired by this Korean record cover (I'll play the record today - a rather beautiful find whilst crate digging in Berlin):

As always tune into 104.4FM in London or listen anywhere via www.resonancefm.com
All shows will be archived on the Resonance FM mixcloud: 
https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/

Today's show is an all vinyl special with platters from North Korea, Indonesia, China and Japan lightly sprinkled with some Jamaican bass lines. I will pay respects to the great trombonist Rico Rodriguez who sadly passed away earlier this month:

Rico at Alpha Boys School Jamaica

In the dim sum lunchbox: a review of Korean restaurant Po Cha (Lower Marsh SE1) and I have made ants climbing trees (pork with mung bean noodles)! 

Happy Mid Autumn Moon Festival everyone!

[Note: the show is repeated on Thursday at 6am UK time]

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/luckycatzoe/

Playlist for Last Episode of Lucky Cat Series 10

Just me and my vinyl today on 104.4FM or www.resonancefm.com at 3.30pm (UK time).

China Gate - Guardian Angel (12" on Matumbi label)

Schoon ver van jou - George de Fretes en zi ju kurontong orkestra (Indonesian Folklore LP, Decca)

Baby Piano - Wendy Cooper (Playtime Series 7", EMI/HMV)

The Way Back Blues - Erroll Garner (The Most Happy Piano LP, Columbia)

How About You - Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Gospel Train LP, Mercury)

Tears  淚

- Dai Lin Chuang (Mayar Records LP, made in Hong Kong)

Tobago Lollipop - Lord Kitch (Kitch 67 LP, RCA)

Long Road   漫漫長路上- George Lam (EMI LP)

Ten Times Sweeter - Winston Francis*(PAMA LP)

Les Desesperes - Jacques Brel (Barclay/Fontana LP)

But Not For Me - 

Erroll Garner (The Most Happy Piano LP, Columbia)

*Note this is mistakenly credited to Tony Gordon

Thanks for listening, I'm off for a summer break now.  Lucky Cat will return.....