The first Midweek Song List of May arrives with a mix that wanders from union anthems to Glam Rock debates and a closing question for Bowie loyalists. A regular reader asked us to mark May Day retrospectively with Revolution Song—we’ve obliged, though information on it remains elusive. If anyone knows more, do get in touch. We stay with the labour theme for a moment, picking up the thread from March’s nod to the General Strike with another version of We Belong to the Union!—this time delivered with gusto by Australian comedian Robin Roberts. From there we drift into Glam territory, comparing Hot Love with last week’s Ride a White Swan to see which one truly set the template. Bastille’s acoustic Pompeii brings a modern lift, Wilson Pickett reminds us what a real voice sounds like, and we close with Lulu’s take on The Man Who Sold the World. Bowie fans, your verdict is needed. The songlist appears every week on Wednesday but sometimes later on the web!
Amelia – ‘Pathways’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2pio7RzNjU
A drifting, quietly determined track that moves like someone walking through a half‑lit city at their own pace, Pathways builds its mood through soft synth washes and Amelia’s calm, clear vocal. There’s a sense of someone sorting through choices without rushing, letting the melody breathe while the rhythm nudges things forward. It’s understated but not slight, the kind of song that rewards a second listen because the emotional weight sits just beneath the surface rather than shouting for attention.
Joan Baez – ‘House Of The Rising Sun’
https://youtu.be/rD80eZ6Gxz0?si=RvRkwZEndP4SqIZO
Baez approaches this folk standard with the poise and clarity that made her such a defining voice of the 60s. Her version strips away the grit of later rock interpretations and replaces it with something colder and more fateful, as if she’s recounting a story she already knows ends badly. The guitar is crisp, the vocal unwavering, and the whole thing feels like a reminder that the song’s roots lie in warning, not swagger.
Bastille – ‘Pompeii’ (Acoustic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytie995zY-Q
The acoustic take on Pompeii shows just how strong the bones of the song really are. Dan Smith’s voice carries a mix of urgency and melancholy, and without the big production behind him the lyrics land with more force. There’s a warmth to the stripped‑back arrangement that makes the chorus feel almost communal, as though the band are playing in a small room rather than a festival field. It’s a reminder of how good they were at crafting melodies that stick.
The Cult – ‘Spiritwalker’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uod2gdVKP6c
A blast of early Cult energy, Spiritwalker mixes post‑punk edges with the beginnings of the widescreen rock they’d later embrace. Ian Astbury’s vocal has that shamanic, incantatory quality he was leaning into at the time, while the guitars churn and shimmer in equal measure. The track feels like a bridge between scenes—too atmospheric to be straightforward rock, too muscular to be goth—and that tension gives it its bite.
Lulu – ‘The Man Who Sold The World’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQARz_7uo_g
Lulu’s version remains one of the more divisive Bowie covers, partly because she leans into the theatricality rather than the unease. Her voice is bold, polished, and confident, which shifts the song’s meaning; instead of a haunted confession, it becomes something closer to a dramatic monologue. The arrangement is unmistakably of its era, but there’s a strange charm in hearing such a polished pop voice tackle something so shadowed. Whether it works is another matter entirely.
Magazine – ‘The Light Pours Out Of Me’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFGA2HbCa0A
Howard Devoto delivers this with the cool detachment that made Magazine so distinctive. The track pulses forward on a taut rhythm section while the guitars slice through with angular precision. It’s art‑rock with a sneer, but also with a sense of purpose—every part feels sharpened, deliberate, and slightly dangerous. Devoto’s vocal sits just above the fray, sounding like someone observing the world from a slight height and not entirely impressed.
Alexander Nikolov – ‘Revolution Song’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrknnBTJU20
A curious piece, partly because so little is known about it. The song has a homemade, rough‑edged quality that gives it an earnest charm, as though it was recorded with more conviction than resources. There’s a sense of someone trying to capture a moment of political feeling without worrying about polish. If anyone knows more about Nikolov or the origins of this track, we’d genuinely like to hear from you.
Wilson Pickett – ‘In The Midnight Hour’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGVGFfj7POA
Pickett’s voice hits with the force of someone who means every word, and the groove behind him is pure 60s soul—tight, confident, and built for movement. There’s a rawness in his delivery that hints at gospel roots, but the arrangement keeps things firmly on the dancefloor. Listening now, it’s easy to imagine how electrifying this must have been live, with that horn section punching through the mix and Pickett working the room.
Robin Roberts – ‘We Belong to the Union!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vptDwRrOw3g
Roberts brings a lively, almost cheeky energy to this union anthem, delivering it with the enthusiasm of someone who knows the value of solidarity and isn’t afraid to shout about it. The performance has a music‑hall bounce that makes the message feel celebratory rather than solemn. It’s spirited, good‑humoured, and clearly made to be sung loudly in company.
Shakespears Sister – ‘Stay’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb_Z4F0Z0fc
Few songs shift gears as dramatically as Stay. Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit create a strange, theatrical tension—first with the fragile, almost celestial opening, then with the sudden plunge into something darker and more commanding. The contrast still lands after all these years. It’s a track that feels like a miniature drama, complete with a twist in the middle.
Siouxsie & The Banshees – ‘Hong Kong Garden’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyA-G_zYuKA
A burst of colour and sharp edges, Hong Kong Garden captures the Banshees at their most immediate. The guitar line is bright and insistent, almost playful, while Siouxsie’s vocal cuts through with that unmistakable mix of cool distance and pointed intent. It’s punk filtered through something more stylish and self‑aware, and it still sounds fresh.
T. Rex – ‘Hot Love’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kqbpbHbqm0
If Ride a White Swan hinted at what Glam could become, Hot Love pushes things further into the glitter‑dusted territory that would soon define the genre. Bolan’s voice has that lazy, feline swagger, and the rhythm has a looseness that feels both casual and utterly assured. You can hear the blueprint forming—stomp, strut, sparkle—and it’s easy to see why some argue this is where Glam truly took shape.
