Who's Fooling Who?

"She knows all about Murphy's law on a Monday night. Charlotte Street's always jumping ... it's an all night bus that you've missed again. It's a walk home late in the pouring rain ..." sings Julie Roberts on Working Week's Who's Fooling Who? Ah the age old problem of how to get home late at night. In the mid-'80s when this was recorded London was anything but a 24/7 city. Night buses were few and far between. The song with its references to the soul jazz groove, to jazz dance DJ Paul Murphy and the Sol y Sombra where he used to play, perhaps fell into the hands of critics who had their own agendas and prejudices. But what the heck. After Weekend Simon Booth's new outfit kicked off with an adaptation of the Allende's administration anthem Venceremos (released on Paul Murphy's label) with a video by Julien Temple, featuring the legendary IDJ dancers. The song itself featured Robert Wyatt, Tracey Thorn and Claudia Figueroa on vocals. Wyatt's involvement always made me smile because the group's detractors ordinarily fawn over anything involving the great man. I seem to remember Robert Elms claiming Venceremos as one of THEE London songs. Why not? The follow-up single Storm Of Light featured Julie Tippetts on vocals, and this genuinely is a London song. Now let's get this straight ... Robert Wyatt's on your first single. Julie's on the second. The cream of London's jazz musicians are contributing, including the great Harry Beckett. Fantastic ...