New blog address

PLEASE NOTE!

This website has become a little out of date now, mainly due to a lack of time and too much to update. So the easiest thing for me to do is to start a fresh new blog at http://bluestrainradio.blog.com/ – this will be a simple blog, with news about the show as and when it is needed, plus where and when to listen to me on various places and how to contact the show.

Most of the info on this site will remain valid but the most up to date place to find playlists and podcast links will be http://www.facebook.com/bluestrainradio

See you on the other site!

All change at the station!

Big news on the Blues Train front!

The first shows from January 2011 saw a Saturday evening slot, which eventually turned into a Sunday and then, every other Sunday. It has been a pleasure to be able to do the show for you all but there is so much ‘competition’ on UK radio on a Sunday, we are all falling over ourselves. On my 6pm slot, I am up against three of the best blues show out there, two of which made the shortlist for the British Blues Awards. Although the majority of my audience will always be via the listen again podcast or the various repeats, it is also great to have some company during the live shows. Exchanging comments on Facebook while people listen, is always a thrill….and I would like to have more along for the ride!

So…as of WEDNESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2012…I will be swapping shifts…every other Wednesday, 8-9pm UK time. 

There are no other UK blues radio shows at that time on that day…so I hope that a few more people will be able to join me live. My live show on Sunday 7th October, 6-7pm, will be my last one at that time and day….so join me on http://www.fromefm.co.uk if you can.

The show will continue to bring you playlists that no other radio show has…a great mix of new blues and roots….I keep on looking for the very best, so keep tuning in and tell all your friends!

The great news keeps coming….Wednesday’s Even Worse also runs every two weeks, on the same dates as Blues Train and will be on air immediately before me 6-8pm.  So please make an evening of it…more details on https://www.facebook.com/Wednesdays.Even.Worse?fref=ts and have a look at the excellent http://www.bluesinthesouth.com/ – the show and website run by IAN McKENZIE, one of the most respected jocks on the airwaves.

Catch Wednesdays Even Worse on Phonic FM http://www.phonic.fm/2008/wednesday%E2%80%99s-even-worse

Following Blues Train, you can then check out the excellent ROOTS & FUSION with RICK STUART on PureFM 10.30pm – find details, links and podcasts at this link https://www.facebook.com/rootsandfusion/info

AND! DIGITAL BLUES with the fab ASHWYN SMYTH [ Blues Awards nominated! ] on Gateway http://www.gateway978.com/ 9-11pm!

Wednesday evenings are the new black!

Blues Train podcast and playlist – 23rd September

Roll up, roll up! Click the link to listen to a stupendous extravaganza of musical wonderment! Come and hear some of the very best new blues and roots around [ plus one oldie! ] – Blues Train continues to bring you playlists that you won’t hear anywhere else! This show also features an exclusive phone chat with the wonderful LAURA VANE plus two tracks from the lady herself.

So…click this or open in a new tab…http://fromefm.co.uk/pcasts/media/120923-bluestrain-bluestrain1.mp3

 – and support these greatly talented artists.PLAYLIST:

Simon McBride – Heartbreaker [ CD: Crossing The Line ]
Manfred Mann – Sack O’ Woe [ The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann ]
Whitney Shay – Let’s Do This Thing [ Soul Tonic ]
Funke and the Two Tone Baby – Cecile’s Song [ Injustice and Queen EP ]
Navacross – Monkey On My Back [ Navacross ]
Wooden Horse – Hell Ain’t Going Home [ What Comes Around ]
Dana Dixon Band – Crazy Maisie [ unreleased ]
Laura Vane and the Vipertones – Just Keeps Smoking [ Sugar Fix ]
*Phone interview with Laura Vane*
Laura Vane and Lee Baker – Look At Me [ unreleased ]
Henrik Frieschlader – With The Flow [ House In The Woods ]
Ben Racine Band – Marauder [ One Of A Kind ]

Next live show: Sunday 7th October www.fromefm.co.uk 6-7pm UK time – hopefully with OLI BROWN on the phone as we build towards the Frome Blues Festival on October 21st.
Blues Train is sponsored by RED DRAGON RECORDS
www.facebook.com/bluestrainradio
Thanks for the continued support – please tell all your friends!

NEWS update…

Apologies for the lack of recent updates on the blog, things have been really busy elsewhere with FromeFM bits and pieces and a laptop issue which meant limited time to do this! Over the next week or so, rest assured that I will be updating the playlists etc to make things as up to date as possible. Things have been happening so fast in the world of Blues Train, it has been hard to keep up!

For example….my recent Ladies Special show gained great feedback from new listeners and old, which was just what I like to hear! The playlist for that show was one of my very best and yet again opened the boundaries of what I have been featuring. It’s not ‘just’ blues, its so much more these days and when people tell me they are hearing new artists to them and liking them, that is my job done!

My show this weekend just gone saw me being able to give away a couple of signed Deborah Magone http://www.deborahmagone.com/#all CDs, the first time I’ve been able to do this. Over the next few shows, I will have further offers for you too! Whitney Shay http://www.whitneyshay.com CDs are on the way, so look out for a feature on the September 23rd show. That day, if I can learn the ropes, I hope to also be talking to the wonderful Laura Vane http://www.lauravane.com/1/Home.html on the phone and then in early October, I will be featuring artists on the great new label from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Let’s Riot Records…and hopefully will be able to offer a CD as a prize too. https://www.facebook.com/LetsRiotMusic

I am also about to book in a session with Andy Fraser [ founder member of Free ] and his young blues protege, TOBI. Check a YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3LfJxvNzA and www.tobiofficial.com – this is due to be recorded on September 25th and will be aired as a stand alone 30 minute special soon after.

Look out then for the build up to the first Frome Blues Festival on October 21st – http://fromebluesfestival.co.uk/

My Facebook group has now hit the 650 mark, which is amazing, with new additions nearly daily…most of whom are word of mouth visitors. Recent new listeners have told me they love the show, in places such as Greece and across the US. Thanks to you all and please keep spreading the word – the more people listen, the more get to hear the great artists that I play!

New show sponsor announced!

Blues Train has a sponsor! And I am here to announce them! Drum roll…….

A MASSIVE thank you to Tom and the team at Red Dragon Records for agreeing to back me and the show – it means a great deal to me that someone I don’t even know, would want to do this! I guess it is a sign that they can see what I am trying to do and feel that I am worth backing! They are actually backing FromeFM also by the way!

You can find them at their newly revamped website: http://www.reddragonrecords.com/#/home/

Their company profile and description of what they are there for: http://www.reddragonrecords.com/#/company-profile/

Red Dragon Records are closely linked to ACOUSTIC SPECTRUM radio and TV and it was via these links that I was able to do this. Both are backing new and indie artists and as that is what I try and do, hopefully we can all work together in a positive way. Ironically, Red Dragon don’t do much blues at the moment! But there are exciting plans in place in far flung places that could bring something totally different to Blues Train, so watch this space!

So thanks again to the team and from the September 23rd show, we will be officially linked!

Blues Train episode 30

Your are cordially invited to sample Blues Train Radio episode 30 for free, right here. While you are surfing the net, click the link and have a listen to some wonderful tunes. You’ve got a bit of everything on here, so go on, treat yourself!
Quotes: Young Jeni: “What a delight to have some rockin blues to get thru a day of housework!”. Sara c/o Junior Bowles: “Your show is great, and full of new material, keep on feeding us different stuff, your choice of music is fantastic…” Jeff, Mississippi Shakedown: “I did load up the MP3, a great listen… you’ve got a good show there.!!.. congrats..”
http://fromefm.co.uk/pcasts/media/120729-bluestrain-bluestrain1.mp3
Playlist:
Blue On Black – King O’ Spades / Robert Johnsons’ Door [ CD: Robert Johnsons’ Door ]

Girls With Guitars – Don’t Go Making Me Cry [ Blues Caravan 2012 – Girls With Guitars Live ]

Anthony Gomes – One Last Time [ Up 2 Zero ]
The Phantom Blues Band – Boogah Man [ Inside Out ]
The Chris O’Leary Band – Trouble [ Waiting For The Phone To Ring ]
Navacross tag
Mark May Band – Drifter [ Release My Soul ]
JW Jones – Ain’t Gonna Beg [ Seventh Hour ]
Alvin Lee – I’m A Lucky Man [ Still On The Road To Freedom ]
Dick Farrelly & Mat Walklate – Nothin’ But Love [ Keep It Clean ]
Red Molly – Come On In My Kitchen [ Light In The Sky ]
The Beat Daddy’s – Do These Blues Match This Stress [ Root Rubbin’ Ball ]
SharBaby Newport – Alabama Bound [ SharBabys’ 11 O’Clock Blues ]

Next live show due August 12th 6-7pm UK www.fromefm.co.uk

This is exciting times for Blues Train – new show sponsor to be announced soon, a ton of new music has been received for me to share with you and there are lots of new ideas in the pipeline. This show will keep on bringing you the best of new blues and roots – there is no other radio playlist quite like Blues Train!
www.facebook.com/bluestrainradio – thanks for your support – spread the word!

Eugene Hideaway Bridges visits Blues Train Radio!

I was hugely honoured to have the one and only Eugene Hideaway Bridges pay a visit to the FromeFM studio’s on the 15th July. He spent the whole hour show talking about some of his life and his views on music. He played two exclusive live tunes and played three tracks from current CD, Rock and a Hard Place’ too….

The good news for you, the listener, is that you don’t hear too much from me as listening to Eugene is WAY more interesting!

The show can be heard here: http://fromefm.co.uk/pcasts/media/120715-bluestrain-bluestrain2.mp3 – please take a listen and share it with all the blues fans you know!

Nice things that people say!

My recent Blues Train episode 28 was sent to some of the artists on the playlist and I have now received some fab feedback from them. I’m not usually wanting to share these things but sometimes I don’t see the harm!

Sara on behalf of Junior Bowles: “Your show is great, and full of new material, keep on feeding us different stuff, your choice of music is fantastic, not just because you played Junior either!! but because it’s not the mainstream tracks. Nice work.”

Jeff – Mississippi Shakedown: ”

Thanks for the support, we appreciate it.

I did load up the MP3, a great listen… you’ve got a good show there.!!.. congrats..”

Calvin B Streets: Hi Bluesman…thank you so much for playing my tune on your radio show. If I can ever reciprocate, please let me know.
The tune you played, LAZY DAY BLUES is from my soon to be released album”I’m Just Sayin'” which is all acoustic roots blues.
My first solo album “He Ain’t Done With Me Yet” is a collection of rockin-ass-kickin-chicago and texas blues with some delta and ragtime thrown in.
enjoy, and Thank You once again.
Calvin B. Streets
The Brooklyn Bluesman

Seth Zowader – Bottleneck Blues Band: “Thank you SO much! This is fantastic!”

8 Ball Aitken:  “All good mate, I am rocking on the road in FNQ and all is going well.”

It means a lot to hear such comments as it keeps my faith that what I do is half decent! All blues jocks appreciate good feedback, so don’t forget to keep telling us!

Blues Train repeat slot details…

So…one of the issues of the show, is that I am only on every other Sunday and at two different times. This makes it hard for potential listeners to get used to…and makes the show easily missed, unless I plug it to bits on Facebook! But I wanted to remind you of the fact that the repeats on other platforms DO have regular weekly time slots and one of them might just suit you!

Kansas City Online Radio http://www.kconlineradio.com/ – the main regular time slot is every Thursday 8-9pm UK time or 2pm CT US time. I am often in the chatbox there too, so would love some company some time please….I don’t bite and feedback is always welcomed. Schedules can be seen here for UK http://www.bluesinthesouth.com/KCOR/ and here for US times http://www.kconlineradio.com/programming.htm

Charlietown Blues http://ctownblues.com/ – you can hear me twice during each week – Tuesday 7-8pm UK / 1pm CT US and Friday 4-5pm UK / 10am CT US.

RAG-FM http://ragfm.com/ is based in New Zealand and offers any listeners from that part of the world a chance to hear me at a decent time! This is played every first and third Sunday’s at 7-8pm NZ time, which I believe is 6am UK time [?].

Acoustic Spectrum http://www.acoustic-spectrum.co.uk/listen-here/ is a new UK station playing all kinds of new and indie music and is definitely worth trying if you want to explore new sounds. Blues Train is on air every Wednesday 8-9pm.

So…you can, in theory, hear the show on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday on various stations! And you never know, I could eventually creep into the other days too!

Blues Train 28 podcast and playlist

Please click, enjoy and pass on to your friends!

http://fromefm.co.uk/pcasts/media/120701-bluestrain-bluestrain1.mp3

Playlist:
Gwyn Ashton – All Over Now [ CD: Two Man Blues Army ]
Katie Bradley Bouille/Dudley Ross – I Don’t Believe [ Sessions ]
Big Boy Bloater – Leonard Cohen  [ The World Explained ]
Bottleneck Blues Band – When Life Gets You Down [ Live at the Mock Crest Cavern ]
Calvin B Streets – Lazy Day Blues [ The Candlestickmaker ]
Heritage Blues Orchestra – Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down [ And Still I Rise ]
Chuck Jacksons’ Big Bad Blues Band – Teenage Letter [ A Cup Of Joe ]
Mississippi Shakedown – Something Comes Into My Mind [ 5th ]
8 Ball Aitken – Hit The Road [ Alive In Tamworth ]
Junior Bowles – How Long [ The Time Will Come ]
Dukesy and the Hazzards – Running Outta Time [ Ain’t Coming Back To You ]
Alex Veale – Sweet Emotion [ unreleased demo ]
Wille and the Bandits – Chillout [ Breakfree ].

Next live show is July 15th when Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges will be my special guest for the whole show!