ALBUM REVIEW:  MIRIAM – NOBODY’S BABY

Miriam (Linna) has released her long overdue (but somewhat unexpected) debut album – Nobody’s Baby – on Norton Records.

If Miriam’s name is familiar but not immediately recognisable, it’s because she’s got a long history of association with top class music, both old and new. Miriam worked for Red Star Records at the time Suicide made their UK debut in the late 70s, she ran the Flamin’ Groovies fan club during their period with Sire Records and was the original drummer with US legendary band The Cramps.

ALBUM REVIEW:  MIRIAM – NOBODY’S BABY

Subsequent excursions have seen her form Norton Records with her partner, Billy Miller (which they still run) and she has a “permanent” gig behind the drums for The A-Bones (also with Miller). Miriam was last noticeably seen in the UK with the A-Bones when they provided the backing band for the London reunion gig of long time Groovies, Cyril Jordan and Roy Loney ,at Le Beat Bespoke Festival (#7) in 2011.

So what’s the album sound like – well, unsurprisingly it’s a 60s throwback! Twelve songs (11 covers and one original) all with a strong nod to the girl group sounds of the 60s, and the strings arrangements of Jack Nitzsche and Andrew Loog Oldham.

It’s an interesting set of covers – you get “My Love Has Gone” (Del Shannon), “Questioningly” (The Ramones), “There Goes My Baby (Neil Young) and “Not For Me” (Bobby Darin) – but all fit together to form a complete sounding album of music.

Song choices swing from the well known e.g. “So You Say You Lost Your Baby” – Gene Clark to the (relatively) obscure – “Cut And Come Again” – Billy Nicholls.

All the music (other than strings) is provided by Miriam’s partner for this venture, Sam Elwitt, with Sam also doubling up as the record’s producer. The 60s sound is spot on and you hear reference points to well known classics on almost every song.

Miriam get’s the 60s vocal sound down pat, whether it’s on the “bad boy” songs such as “Let Him Go Now” (where Miriam gets to channel her inner Shangri-Las, and the Crystals) or the lonely boy (girl) folk/pop rock sound on songs such as “It Happens Every Time (think Tim Buckley, Gene Clark etc).

The first single from the album is “My Love Has Gone”, with its Jackie De Shannon/Searchers guitar style intro, followed by a wonderful rolling 60s drums sound. Here’s the accompanying video from Miriam’s Youtube channel:

The response to the album has been positive and this has led to Miram going out upfront and on the road with Sam Elwitt and a full band in the States. No news yet on any UK dates but we’ll let you know if we hear anything.

Here’s Miram’s cover (from her Youtube channel) of “Questioningly” from the live shows in the US:

 

TRACK LISTING

My Love Has Gone

So Lonely

So You Say You Lost Your Baby

There Goes My Babe

Cut And Come Again

Walking Down The Street

I’m Nobody’s Baby Now

I Never Told You

Let Him Go Now

It Happens Every Time

Questioningly

Not For Me

 

The album’s available on Vinyl and CD from Norton:

 

http://www.nortonrecords.com/397-miriam-nobodys-baby-lp-397/

 

 

COVERS

 

If you are interested in looking back at the originals, here’s a link to the Gene Clark version of “So You Say You Lost Your Baby”:

 

 

And to Del Shannon’s version of “My Love Has Gone”

 

 

 

BACKTRACKS

 

Here’s a clip of Miriam thumping the drums live with the A-Bones – rockin’ it up on “Ooh Poo Pah Doo” in front of a very enthusiastic crowd in Japan circa 2009:

 

Paul Wood London Guitar Academy.