Tonight’s late-night special - The Lady in the Morgue (1938). Only about halfway through, and I’m sorry the wise-cracking morgue attendant didn’t have a bigger part. #filmsky #nowwatching

The sky’s doing that thing again. The Tifanos - It’s Raining m.youtube.com/watch?v=tSVD... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Late Inktober day 11, ‘sting’.

It’s pissing down with rain and the world’s a bloody mess - seems like time to treat yourself to some top shelf rock’n’roll. www.mixcloud.com/RockinRachel... #musicsky #radio #DJ #nowspinning #nowplaying

Well, if I was going to stick a Christmas album on this early, I could certainly have picked a worse one. And after all, the weather outside IS frightful. #musicsky #nowplaying #vinyl #nowspinning #jazzsky

Charity shop records of the day 2/2, nice bit of Ray. #musicsky #nowspinning #vinyl #nowplaying

Charity shop records of the day 1/2. Good god, there are a lot of variants of this LP - think this is V3 (according to Discogs), with DIRECT FROM CAMDEN TOWN B2 etched in the Side B runout. Wasn’t that cheap, but I’d been after a copy and treated myself. #musicsky #vinyl #nowspinning #nowplaying

Tonight’s late-night showing: The Woman in Green (1945) - Holmes goes noir on the trail of a serial killer. #filmsky #nowwatching

Probably not one to listen to if you’ve recently been unlucky in love, but a beautiful song, with a vocal that reminds me a little of Blossom Dearie. Ketty Lester - Once Upon A Time m.youtube.com/watch?v=14Po... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

The PERCUSSION. Not something I often write about a doo-wop song, but justified, I reckon, in this case. On the excellent Herald label, too, who’ll rarely, if ever, steer you wrong. Charlie & Ray - The Closest Thing To An Angel m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAR4... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Been on a bit of a Donnie Elbert kick this afternoon. That falsetto, plus the ‘after midnight in an empty joint’ sax intro to this particular number, are a heart-shattering combo. Donnie Elbert - Have I Sinned m.youtube.com/watch?v=I6aI... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Late Inktober day 10, ‘sweep’. Another one that was a bit better as a pencil sketch, and I was going to do a chimney sweep instead, but to be honest, I’m knackered tonight.

Had this stuck in my head for the past hour - no idea why, but I’m not complaining. Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 m.youtube.com/watch?v=kpVx... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Great bouncy doo-wop number with a guitar sound which somehow feels both very of its time, and like a harbinger of ‘British Invasion’ things to come - it’s got kind of a Merseybeat flavour to it, to my ears. The Prodigals - Marsha m.youtube.com/watch?v=3-aR... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

This dreamy thing is presumably not named after Dickens’ second Christmas story, the bizarre, depressing follow-up to A Christmas Carol. The Chimes - The Chimes m.youtube.com/watch?v=lb70... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Late Inktober, day 9, ‘heavy’.

Another Askey & Murdoch comedy next: The Ghost Train (1941). There are few things on film that will make me cackle more heartily than Kathleen Harrison drunkenly shouting ‘KNOBS!’. #filmsky #nowwatching

Get this a lot on local buses, but somehow managed to escape it on every train last time I was in London (September). Might have accidentally taken the train to the ‘50s again, like. It happens.

#nowwatching I Thank You (1941) an old favourite of mine with a star-studded cast (if you’re a fan of British comedy actors of the ‘30s and ‘40s, anyway). #filmsky

Some top-shelf Sunday night doo-wop. The C-Quins - My Only Love m.youtube.com/watch?v=h2R9... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Been out solving mysteries (to the corner shop on a rainy night).

Would quite like to send Blanche out to take the little scrotes still setting off fireworks tonight (in the pissing rain, fuck’s sake) a peg or two. Blanche Thomas - You Ain’t So Such A Much m.youtube.com/watch?v=XlOU... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

And it ain’t no lie #musicsky

Dear Rock ‘n’ Roll Santa, Please go back to 1956 and bring one back for me. Love, Rachel P.S. Chimney is now blocked, please use window. Will leave your usual glass of whisky out.

Late Inktober day 8, ‘reckless’.

In case you feel like dusting off your dancing shoes Jimmy McGriff - A Thing To Come By m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vQt... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Great bit of DC doo-wop from a group who sadly only cut a few records - one each as The Marvels, The Marvells, and The Senators. The Marvells - Come Back m.youtube.com/watch?v=jsrE... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

It’s a dark, miserable November night - liven it up with some explosive rock’n’roll, doo-wop, rhythm & blues, and rockabilly on the radio. (Warning: contains trace amounts of what remains of DJ’s heart and soul). www.mixcloud.com/RockinRachel... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning #radio #DJ

Something to make you cry. Or not, I don’t know where your heads are at. The Four Tunes - Old Fashioned Love m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6F5... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

More fireworks tonight, starting, appropriately enough, when this came on. Dorellik (Johnny Dorelli) - Arriva La Bomba m.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Vw... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

A swingin’ good time. Papa Albert French & His Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (Blanche Thomas lead vox) - Bald Headed Beulah m.youtube.com/watch?v=zkat... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Oh, to be a cigarette in that man’s mouth.

Or do whatever you fucking like. I’m going to drink too much and watch The Maltese Falcon again. #filmsky

It’s a dark, miserable November night - liven it up with some explosive rock’n’roll, doo-wop, rhythm & blues, and rockabilly on the radio. (Warning: contains trace amounts of what remains of DJ’s heart and soul). www.mixcloud.com/RockinRachel... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning #radio #DJ

It’s awfully nice of all these people to watch #totp on a Friday, so I can get on with watching old episodes of Sherlock Holmes and shouting at the adverts.

Well, that explains the cloud of smoke coming from the recording booth. Vince Castro with The Tonettes - Bong Bong (I Love You) m.youtube.com/watch?v=xox6... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Working my way through the 1000 Best Doo-Wop Songs (according to the authors of The Complete Book of Doo-Wop). I’m only on the C’s and I already have Opinions, but I haven’t started compiling an alternative list - yet. #musicsky

Late night/early morning fog.

Late Inktober day 6, ‘pierce’ - ink drawing with watercolour pencil wash. Not the first time I’ve tried to draw from photographs of lamplighters, and I don’t think it’s quite there yet, but at least I finished this one.

Proper comfort viewing. #filmsky #nowwatching

The reason why I am often to be found singing to Smokey that he’s the sweetest and the neatest little cat in the flat. The Velvets - Lana m.youtube.com/watch?v=eIE3... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

I would maybe argue that this isn’t that obscure (depends what you’re into, obviously), but it is indisputably a CHOON. #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

I’m having a fucking awful day, lads. Nowt to do with the lyrical content of this song, but it feels about right on the mournful and exhausted scale. The Blenders - (I’m Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over m.youtube.com/watch?v=ijdM... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Late Inktober day 5, ‘deer’. Any excuse for a snowy scene, though I think there’s more white ink on me than the page.

Been a wee bit obsessed with this track since I stumbled across it on YouTube a few years ago, and (spoiler alert), it’s on this month’s Snakes and Roundabouts, so that’s one good reason to tune in on Saturday next. #musicsky #radio #DJ #nowspinning #nowplaying

Haven’t heard this beautiful, soul-drenched, sultry sub-two minute number in some time, and it’s lost none of its power or charm. Forever on my Holy Grail list of 45s. Baby Washington - Ah-Ha m.youtube.com/watch?v=TM2w... #musicsky #nowspinning #nowplaying

Glad the fireworks have calmed down for Smokey’s sake, but I can’t help but enjoy the pretty lights in the sky on my own account.

Are fireworks getting louder, or am I just a cantankerous auld wifey? Al Simmons & Slim Green with the Cats From Fresno - You Ain’t Too Old m.youtube.com/watch?v=yT7R... #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning

Never mind the fireworks, some very strong work from the moon tonight.

Join a very exclusive club for people of taste who’ve listened to this show (four including me recording it). A fine accompaniment to/thing to partially drown out fireworks. www.mixcloud.com/RockinRachel... #musicsky #radio #DJ #nowspinning #nowplaying