Would you buy a used continent...?

It's Buffy Sainte-Marie's birthday in a few weeks time and, in the run up to the big day, I'm listening to all my Buffy songs. It's a good opportunity to remember old favourites and hear songs anew and afresh. Some songs make me smile and some make me cry. I generally hear something new every time I listen properly to Buffy's songs. A unique lyric or phrasing, something that whizzes me back in memory to another decade or something that just makes me think 'yeah'.

This evening I looked up this cover of the New Musical Express from 1976 with Buffy looking well righteous and the caption, 'Would you buy a used continent from this woman?'. 1976 was an eon ago and I can't quite remember, but I bought the NME back then so maybe it was this cover and the related interview that made me watch the BBC2 programme about Buffy that converted me to the true faith. Maybe.

I can't help but like the fact that the Sex Pistols graced the cover of the NME a matter of months after Buffy.

Buffy was probably promoting the 'Sweet America' album when this photo was taken. The record includes some of her early powwow rock songs like 'Starwalker' and 'I Been Down', creating a unique Native American sound on the one hand and, on the other, adding another sonic dimension to a rock sound. 'Sweet America' was my first non-compilation Buffy album and I still love it. It's one of my favourite Buffy albums and it was great when it was finally released on CD a few years ago as 'Buffy/Changing Woman/Sweet America - the Mid-1970s Recordings', three albums across two CDs.

Buffy has released new music in four of the last five decades, the '80s being the exception. But then again, she wrote 'Up Where We Belong' in the '80s and won an Oscar for it without even needing to record it. The only record missing from her collection is 'Many A Mile', Buffy's second album, and I don't understand why that is. It includes her mega-hit 'Until It's Time For You To Go' (which was recorded by everyone in the '60s) and 'Piney Wood Hills' that she still plays live at the start of her live set. It also includes 'Lazarus' that was sampled by Kanye West for a song by Cam'ron. Why isn't 'Many A Mile' available? Maybe there's a licensing problem? I bought it through eBay so have all the songs but it should be available on principle.

Buffy's latest album is 'Running For The Drum' and includes a great melange of songs in a variety of styles. She even includes her tribute to the late '50s skiffle bands (like Lonnie Donegan, as Buffy mentions) and Elvis with songs like 'Blue Sunday'. She still writes great love songs but she also writes great social commentary songs about environmental greed and 'the man'. She turns a complex social problem into a three minute pop song with ease and gets the message across with aplomb.

The last time I saw Buffy play live was during the London Olympics 2012 as part of Anthony Hegarty's Meltdown festival. She played with her band without any support act so we got two hours of Buffy, a longer set that meant she played some of the songs from her '70s albums. I was terribly excited when I heard the introduction to 'Generations', one of my favourite Buffy songs. That was delightful.

I was also privileged with meeting Buffy and her band after the show - I had to queue up, of course, since everyone wanted to meet her. Her band were excited to hear that I'd downloaded their Bruthers Of Different Muthers album (which is their band name when they're not with Buffy) and enjoyed it. You might too. Buffy was lovely and I thanked her for putting me on the guest list for the show (I'd already bought a  ticket in any case - I'm not missing an opportunity to see Buffy!).

I think we're about due for another visit to London, Buffy. Hint. Hint.

Buffy Sainte-Marie at Meltdown

I've fallen behind with my blogging due in part to the Olympics but mainly because my laptop died on me last week. I need to do a mammoth Olympics blog but the day after the Closing Ceremony is not the right time. Instead I'll tell you about something that can only mean joy - Buffy Sainte-Marie has been back to London for two shows on the Southbank as part of Anthony Hegarty's Meltdown festival and I attended both (indeed, had guest list tickets to both but that's showing off).

The first event on Monday 6 August in the Purcell Room was originally billed as, 'An Interview With Buffy Sainte-Marie' but, due to the absence of an interviewer became, 'Buffy Sainte-Marie - A Multimedia Life'. We were treated to a slideshow of Buffy's photos over the years to get us in the mood and then on she strode with the confidence of an experienced public speaker. Buffy spoke for the next hour or so, delivering an entertaining and thought-provoking talk about indigenous peoples and how the ordinary peoples of Europe had suffered for centuries under the same rulers that invaded the Americas.

She then did a Q&A, answering questions the audience had previously written down. I had three questions answered:

• 'No No Keshagesh was originally called AIM Elijah - what does that mean?' - Elijah refers to Elijah Harper, a Native American politician in Canada who blocked constitutional changes that hadn't been agreed with native peoples. AIM refers to the American Indian Movement.
• 'What was the last record you bought?' - Alabama 3
• 'If you were in the Olympics what sport would you take part in?' - Buffy pulled a face and said, 'naah' she wouldn't be in the Olympics since she lacks the competitive gene. She loves flamenco dancing but if she was being chased by a tiger she'd be the meal!

As a teacher, Buffy gave us three book to read as homework: 'Indian Givers' by Jack Weatherford, 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown and 'The Female Brain' by Louann Brizendine.

The second event was a gig in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and we were treated to a full two hours set. She walked onto the stage in a glitter jacket and with glitter in her hair with her band of Jesse, Leroy and Mike (also known as Juno award nominees Bruthers of Different Muthers). The setlist was:

Piney Wood Hills
Cho Cho Fire
I'm Gonna Be A Country Girl Again
Mister Can't You See
Cripple Creek
Still This Love Goes On
Up Where We Belong
No No Keshagesh
Universal Soldier
Darling Don't Cry
Until It's Time For You To Go
Working For The Government
Little Wheel Spin And Spin
Soldier Blue
Generation
The Big Ones Get Away
Cod'ine
Blue Sunday
You're Not The Loving Kind
Goodnight
Look At The Facts
The Priests Of The Golden Bull
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Starwalker
He's An Indian Cowboy At The Rodeo (encore with pow wow dancing).

There were two big highlights for me. The first came with 'Darling Don't Cry' when I was transported back to Belleville in Canada in 2005 and the theatre erupting into pow wow singing as the mainly First Nations  audience sang along and lifted the roof with their beautiful sound. The second was hearing 'Generation' for the first time played live.

Since it was an extended set then Buffy played some songs that she doesn't normally include in her set and 'Generation' was one of the additions. It's from the 'Buffy' album from the early 70s and a song I recall hearing for the first time back in 1976 on a BBC2  programme about Buffy. It was released again a couple of years ago when all of Buffy's early 70s albums were re-released. A mighty 'wow' for that song. The chorus ends with the line, "I just want to dance with the Rosebud Sioux this summer" and I was wearing my rosebud shirt to celebrate Buffy in London.

It's always good to see Buffy play live and the Queen Elizabeth Hall is a good venue to see her. My one beef about the Meltdown is that Buffy wasn't mentioned in any of the promotional materials for the series other than on the main poster that listed everyone - or, at least, I didn't see any mentions. Why was that, Meltdown people?