Latin Quarter’s song “Phil Ochs” is about the death of a protest singer of the 1960’s and of that which died with him. Phil Ochs was a talented singer-songwriter of the 1960s who addressed all manner of anti-war, civil rights, labour, and social justice issues in America. He took his own life in 1976.

This song is about Nomzamo Winifred Mandela, wife of Nelson Mandela, who was arrested in 1963 and sentenced to life in prison. She’s one of nine children and her people, the Xhosa fought nine big wars against the white settlers, in the 18th and 19th century.

From Latin Quarter’s first album Modern times: It is a long way from the bazaars in North Africa, in which leather goods and Berber carpets are sold, to the car factories in which each movement is measured in units of time and you don’t earn much. Maybe you came all the way to Toulouse, in order to lose?

Latin Quarter: The election of Ronald Reagan to President of the USA and subsequent swing to the political right horrified many people. “Bed-Time for Bonzo”: One of Reagan’s last movies in which his co-star, a chimpanzee named Bonzo, was the better actor.

Jim White has mastered a genre of his own making, we like to call it “voodoo honky-tonk.” Note that when Jim says “ole”—that’s southern talk for “old.’ And when Jim sings “sho’ is cool”—that’s how some folks in the American south say “sure is cool.”