In search of summer songs to play in our mini-heatwave, I came across this curiosity from the 1970s. Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet and songwriter who found fame late in life. Loved by John Peel, The Beatles (he stars in Magical Mystery Tour) and the brilliant Neil Innes (Monty Python, The Rutles etc), his finest work seems to be Life In A Scotch Sittingroom #2, an affectionately satirical take on his childhood in the slums of Glasgow. Episode 11 tells the story of Ivor and his unfortunate siblings being dragged out into the countryside for a walk, Ivor's mock-Burns poetry hypnotically delivered over woozy instrumentation. It's strange atmosphere recalls the lulling, mid-summer drowsiness of Elbow's Lippy Kids, whilst conjuring images of a place and time that feels so separate from the chaotic world we live in, it's pretty much a guaranteed four minutes of calm. A little pool of tranquility from the tenements.
Life In A Scotch Sittingroom #2, Episode 11 by Ivor Cutler - listen on Spotify here.
From: Jammy Smears (1976)
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