Kurt’s Cultural Offering adds the mighty Nazareth to his catalogue of Essential Mixes.

What a great band. I saw them, when I was still at school, at the Inverness Ice Rink. They were/are one of the few bands that continued to record very strong cover versions (Beggar’s Day, Love Hurts, Cocaine, Java Blues etc) alongside their own originals: Hair of the Dog (which Guns ‘n’ Roses later recorded), Expect No Mercy, Holiday etc.

The band is still going, but distinctive founder-singer Dan McCafferty left in 2013 because of ill health. He had a gravel-and-smoke voice that sat somewhere between a hard-rocking Rod Stewart and Odin’s raven after a heavy night out.

It’s a great playlist but, for me, the best introduction is 1981’s live album Snaz.

Also, Hair of the Dog needs to be on everyone’s “One of those days” playlist…