Archive for the ‘Island’ Category
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
Listen: Meet Me Boys On The Battle Front / The Wild Tchoupitoulas
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Listen: Brother John / The Wild Tchoupitoulas
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Listen: Man Smart, Woman Smarter / Robert Palmer
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Turns out the legendary album by The Wild Tchoupitoulas was even more legendary than originally thought. It was a bit of a first in it’s day, critics choice and all that. I remember Kathy Kenyon sending an envelope of singles to my college radio station back in ‘76. She worked at Island then, left for several years and ended up returning when I started in the 80’s. Small world.
That package included these two Wild Tchoupitoulas 7″s and Robert Palmer’s ‘Man Smart, Woman Smarter’. Seems the label was going through a New Orleans fetish. Robert Palmer’s album (as well as Jess Roden’s then current one) were all recorded there with either The Meters, The Neville Brothers and/or Allen Toussaint contributing. When Chris Blackwell goes for something, he goes for it (reggae, world music, go-go).
Apparently, The Wild Tchoupitoulas project lead to the formation of The Neville Brothers, who until it’s recording, had never played together. Hard to believe they, not only as brothers but a band, started a long career as a result of that very album.
Listen: Tell It Like It Is / Aaron Neville
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For some reason, they reissued the Aaron Neville single ‘Tell It Like It Is’ (originally on Stateside) in England. That pressing was also included in the package. That re-release reminded me of how much I loved it, not owning the original at the time. All in all, a pretty memorable watermark – thanks Kathy.
Posted in Aaron Neville, Allen Toussaint, Chris Blackwell, Island, Jess Roden, Kathy Kenyon, Par Lo, The Meters, Wild Tchoupitoulas | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Listen: Ja Funmi (Remix) / King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
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Chris Blackwell was always a believer that the world would be, or eventually be, open minded and enjoy a wider musical palate. Logically, in the early 80’s he started releasing African artists to the pop consumer. Everyone enjoys a bit of world music in their life, right?
Unfortunately, not as many as would have – had they heard it.
When I joined Island, it was like an oasis, being a part of the music business, yet at the same time comfortably away from the mainstream. An A&R person’s dream come true. You could take a flight to Paris for a Ray Lema or Ali Farke Toure show – and have Chris excitedly anticipate your opinion.
But even before Island, I was bitten by the King Sunny Ade & His African Beats bug. Roger McCall and I would play his stuff seamlessly amongst all the punk, reggae and new wave on our weekly ’specialty show’.
We particularly loved ‘Ja Funmi’ – I wonder, did anyone else?
Listen: Ase / King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
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There’s a great 12″ extended dance mix of ‘Ase’ that Island US promo’d, but an edited 7″ – now that’s a treat. Found this one lying around Island’s London St. Peter’s Square radio department – seems the promo folks were only too happy that I carted off a whole 25 count boxlot with me.
A beauty indeed.
Tags: Island, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
Posted in Chris Blackwell, Island, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats, Roger McCall | No Comments »
Saturday, August 7th, 2010
Listen: Over The Hill / John Martyn
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Listen: Dancing / John Martyn
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SOLID AIR and ONE WORLD were two of John Martyn’s most incredible accomplishments. He did have many – he was great from the get go, but I keep going back to those albums and their respective 7″ singles, both above.
I remember seeing him open for Foghat in ‘75. Who would have thought a one man band, armed with only an acoustic guitar and an array of foot triggered affects peddles could captivate a beer drenched knucklehead crowd at the Syracuse War Memorial – but he sure did. The place shimmered in awe and respectful silence during the set. A warm memory.
The deluxe editions of both SOLID AIR (‘Over The Hill’) and ONE WORLD (‘Dancing’) are well worth searching out. To quote a well known UK glossy, ‘the albums are fluid, percussive masterpieces and the outtakes are essential’.
Posted in Foghat, Island, John Martyn | No Comments »
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
Listen: Gonna Fix You Good / The Alan Bown Set
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What a great idea. Take the band’s leader, put ‘The’ in front of his name – and an exclamation point at the end. Need for band name: solved.
Previously monikered The Alan Bown Set, and then leaning more toward a sometimes noisy soul sound, the band covered Little Anthony & The Imperials’ ‘Gonna Fix You Good (Every Time You’re Bad)’ and proceeded to get Northern Soul love years later. At the time though, ‘65 – ‘66, they struggled.
Listen: Toyland / The Alan Bown!
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Switching labels, name and genre in ‘67, and jumping on board the psychedelic train that seemingly overnight had a lot of passengers, they hooked up with the Mike Hurst who did their future productions.
The Alan Bown! recorded a pop-psych classic OUTWARD BOWN (simply titled THE ALAN BOWN! in the US), from which ‘Toyland’ was the second single. Until recently, I had no idea it charted on the Cashbox Top 100, peaking at #96. Usually when a single would get into the 90’s on Cashbox, Billboard or Record World, it would at least ‘bubble under’ the other two publication’s charts. Not the case with ‘Toyland’ in Billboard’s ‘Bubbling Under The Hot 100′ section – hence I missed out on the single’s activity, not having regular access to Cashbox. ‘Toyland’ really did deserve to be heard and become a hit.
In the UK, the week the band got their Top Of The Pops appearance, their current UK label, MGM, had a pressing plant strike – so with no copies in the stores, their single fell out of the NME chart (where it was #26) and that was that.
Listen: Gypsy Girl / The Alan Bown!
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Treading water through ‘68 – ‘69, they signed with Deram releasing my other favourite 7″ from them, ‘Gypsy Girl’. Singer Jess Roden up and split to go solo, with Robert Palmer replacing him, and re-recording many of the vocals on the new album.
Next stop for The Alan Bown! was Island in ‘70, where Robert Palmer’s vocals on the upcoming album, LISTEN were re-recorded by new vocalist Gordon Neville once he chose to leave for a solo career.
This pattern must have gotten pretty boring for Alan Bown himself. An even odder coincidence being that by then, The Alan Bown!, Robert Palmer and Jess Roden were all signed to Island and no doubt seeing each other regularly in the label’s infamous canteen. Can you imagine the unspoken competition?
Tags: Billboard, Bubbling Under The Hot 100, Cashbox, Deram, Gordon Neville, Island, Jess Roden, Little Anthony & The Imperials, MGM, Mike Hurst, NME, Record World, Robert Palmer, The Alan Bown!, Top Of The Pops
Posted in Billboard, Bubbling Under The Hot 100, Cashbox, Deram, Gordon Neville, Island, Jess Roden, Little Anthony & The Imperials, MGM, Mike Hurst, NME, Record World, Robert Palmer, The Alan Bown!, Top Of The Pops | No Comments »
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Listen: Mummy / Patto
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It’s not my ordinary form to write up a B side ahead of the A side, but in this case….
‘Mummy’ is clearly meant as a tasteless joke, and not really representative of Patto’s diverse musicality – but it is a riot. It’s so sick, so twisted, I couldn’t help but love the record from first play. I would spin it on my college station constantly and always got nasty calls from mommy’s boys, pining for a home cooked meal and a hug.
When it comes to ‘Mummy’, I felt the same then as I do now. If you don’t completely love this – fine. But indeed if that’s the case, please do leave this blog now and never return. You are not wanted here.
Listen: Singing The Blues On Reds / Patto
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Still reading? Good. Hopefully all the riff raff are gone.
‘Singing The Blues On Reds’ is much closer to the typical Patto groove, although a bit more straight blues rock than usual. I would guess it to be intentional on the band’s part, given the subject matter: tongue in cheek overview of white, drugged up rock band singing blues numbers on tour. Edited down from the 4+ minute album version, someone at Island smartly chopped out the last chorus’s lyric “screwing in hotel beds”. (All the other choruses: “sleeping in hotel beds”).
Didn’t matter, US radio wouldn’t play it anyways. I know you are not surprised. Me neither.
Nonetheless, Patto were brilliant, amazing, whatever the word is, on the American tour with Joe Cocker & The Grease Band / Mark – Almond, to promote ROLL ‘EM, SMOKE ‘EM, PUT ANOTHER LINE OUT, from which both sides of this hideously obscure, US only single, came.
Tags: Island, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, Mark - Almond, Mike Patto, Muff Winwood, Ollie Halsall, Patto, Timebox
Posted in Island, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, Mark - Almond, Mike Patto, Muff Winwood, Ollie Halsall, Patto, Timebox | No Comments »
Monday, July 12th, 2010
Listen: Cokane In My Brain / Dillinger
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‘Cokane In My Brain’, being a summertime hit during exactly the same year and season one’s friends and one’s self dove head first into the festivities is something you never forget. Trust me. 1977 was a great one.
Talk about a badge of honor. We all touted around copies of this Dillinger track, on record, on tape. Seemed no party, club show or event was quite perfect without it, both musically and literally. Oh, to be a kid again. I wouldn’t trade the timing of my youth with any generation.
Well maybe the one just ahead of me, come to think of it. That way I could have gotten on a plane to London a few years before I actually did and seen The Move and The Action and……I better not start.
Tags: Dillinger, Island, The Action, The Move
Posted in Dillinger, Island, The Action, The Move | No Comments »
Friday, July 9th, 2010
Listen: Back To Africa / Aswad
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Don’t dismiss Aswad because they were an English reggae band. I can understand you confusing them with the generic Steel Pulse based on origin, but Aswad indeed were roots. And the hits they had years later, well, they were great singles. I still love ‘Don’t Turn Around’.
Howard turned me on to them back in ‘76. He put them out with Eddie & The Hot Rods. Remember when reggae and punk happily co-existed? Well that tour may indeed be the one that gave Joe Strummer the idea to take The Clash reggae a year or so later – I mean he was copying everything else so why leave this idea on the table?
I initially had no idea Aswad were English, having been part of those 45 packages Howard would send along from Island: Augustus Pablo, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Rico, Burning Spear and Junior Murvin. They sounded so authentic, I couldn’t tell the difference from their initial few singles, of which this was the first.
Tags: Aswad, Augustus Pablo, Burning spear, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Howard Thompson, Junior Murvin, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Rico, Steel Pulse, The Clash
Posted in Aswad, Augustus Pablo, Burning spear, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Howard Thompson, Island, Joe Strummer, Junior Murvin, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Rico, Steel Pulse, The Clash | No Comments »
Saturday, June 26th, 2010
Listen: Dear Jill / Blodwyn Pig
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If you don’t like that late 60’s blues/progressive stuff, you probably won’t appreciate this one. Although, Blodwyn Pig just may find a place in your heart, as they really were quite musical and still hold up well today.
Formed by Jethro Tull’s first guitarist, Mick Abrahams, just after they’d released that debut LP, THIS WAS. Like them, Blodwyn Pig leaned a bit jazz as they were based on more than guitar/bass/drums, with Jack Lancaster on saxes, horns, harmonicas, etc. A particularly strong asset: Mick Abraham’s vocals. Authentic blues voice had he – and a very accomplished acoustic slide player as well.
Funny to think this was being written and played by guys in their late teens or at most, early twenties. Saw them once, along with Chicken Shack, opening for The Kinks. A UK band triple header that at the time, had me counting down the weeks, then days, then hours. Man, was it ever worth the agony.
Tags: A&M, Blodwyn Pig, Chicken Shack, Island, Jack Lancaster, Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams, The Kinks
Posted in A&M, Blodwyn Pig, Chicken Shack, Island, Jack Lancaster, Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams, The Kinks | No Comments »
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Listen: Dream Baby Dream / Suicide
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Wedensday was Alan Vega’s birthday. He’d kill me if he knew I was letting on, but Vega never goes online, so no worries. Having said that, he and his partner in Suicide, Marty Rev, always were, and still are, sonically light years ahead of the rest of the planet. Have you ever seen Suicide live? They are more powerful than ever. Do not waste the rest of your life – see them ASAP. Search youtube and check them out performing ‘Dream Baby Dream’ on The Midnight Special, making awesome TV back in ‘79. Thanks Bruce Springsteen for rightfully honoring Suicide and performing this at concerts. Apparently his respect for Alan and Marty goes way back. Good one.
Tags: Alan Vega, Bruce Springsteen, Marty Rev, Suicide, The Midnight Special
Posted in Alan Vega, Bruce Springsteen, Island, Marty Rev, Suicide, The Midnight Special, Ze | No Comments »
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Listen: Di Black Petty Booshwah / Linton Kwesi Johnson
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I recollect LKJ’s FORCES OF VICTORY and BASS CULTURE albums suddenly being of great interest amongst our whole crowd. For whatever reason, they seemed like the first full lengths after that initial introductory (to us) influx of ‘76 and ‘77 releases (Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Peter Tosh, The Mighty Diamonds, Jah Lion, Dillinger), and they were both non stop favorites for months. It never occurred to me some singles might actually be pulled from them, given they were such ‘album’ albums. I still thank the decision makers who chose to proceed otherwise.
The Sly & Robbie Taxi productions combined with acts like Steel Pulse and Inner Circle that raced toward a clean, syndrum, soul-less era of early 80’s reggae was just about to begin. FORCES OF VICTORY and it’s follow up, BASS CULTURE, bar a few others like Black Uhuru, basically ended my hardcore infatuation with most reggae music that followed, due to this new sound twist, uncomfortably merging expensive modern equipment with one of the only non flash earthiest genres left.
From BASS CULTURE, ‘Di Black Petty Booshwah’ was a nice example of LKJ’s countless A1 tracks. I still don’t get why so many songs ended up gracing 7″ singles that seemed to have no hope for airplay. I’m guessing in the case of reggae, the pockets of Jamaican communities around London might have been the target – but they weren’t exactly singles buyers like in the 60’s, where they?
My money would’ve been ‘Inglan Is a Bitch’ as the choice. If you’re going to end up being struck down at BBC playlist music meetings, you might as well make an unsettling statement.
But I’m well content to own the promo and stock of ‘Di Black Petty Booshwah’, complete with custom sleeve. It sounds just that tiny bit better than the album, given the nice wide grooves and the revved up speed of 45.
Listen: Straight To Madray’s Head / Linton Kwesi Johnson
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Misleading title for the actual dub of this A side. I double checked via INDEPENDENT INTAVENSHAN – THE ISLAND ANTHOLOGY, a comprehensive double cd encompassing his work for the label, complete with dub versions of just about every song. And guess what – this isn’t included. So to the best of my knowledge, one needs to track down the 7″ if adding it to the collection is required.
While on the subject earlier of mischosen LKJ A sides, it’s worth wishing history had dictated a 7″ release of ‘Independent Intavenshan’ and it’s priceless extented dub version which can be found on the above anthology.
Tags: Black Uhuru, Dennis Bovell, Dillinger, Inner Circle, Island, Jah Lion, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, Steel Pulse, The Mighty Diamonds
Posted in Black Uhuru, Dennis Bovell, Dillinger, Inner Circle, Island, Jah Lion, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, Steel Pulse, The Mighty Diamonds | No Comments »
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
Listen: Guns Of Nararone / The Skatalites
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Is it just me, or do many of the most revered early ska singles sound off centered? Maybe a result of specific tuning, or a lack thereof. I’m not complaining, it works, but definitely noticeable.
Talk about an intro, this captures it all. The drums on the edge of distortion and, go ahead, laugh – the immediate connection with James Bond’s DR. NO. In hindsight, that was my first exposure to ska. Soon after came Millie’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’ and The Angels’ ‘Jamaica Joe’, but I made no connection with those songs having a specific genre identity for decades. They were just great records to this youngster.
I’ve no idea how many times ‘Guns Of Navarone’ was re-released, and therefore, how many Island label designs it graced. Certainly, in ‘77, when ska/reggae was the politically correct music for punks and punk bands to like, instead of their own, it had a nice blip. This sleeve (although obviously not the promo pressing above it) is from that era.
Listen: Marcus Garvey / The Skatalites
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Yet another reissue hence later label design, still carrying the copy, or lack of (writer/publisher/producer) from it’s first time around. God knows why, but I didn’t flip this one over to find yet another favorite on the B side for the longest time. Though impossible to tire of either, I do find myself punching D7 on the jukebox in order to play ‘Marcus Garvey’ probably two to one against it’s A side.
One thing these two songs remind me of constantly is that 7″ from DR. NO that lurks somewhere in my 45 shelves – for the life of me I can’t remember which artist it’s credited to – hence my never ending search through the collection’s otherwise efficient alphabetical artist listing in search of said record.
Tags: Dr. No, Island, James Bond, Jukebox, Ska, The Skatalites
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Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Listen: Book Of Rules / The Heptones
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Been digging out a lot of reggae stuff lately, combing through the shelves separated out exclusively for the genre, well ska and blue beat are in there too of course.
A few posts back, Justin Hines & The Dominoes to be exact, the story of my initial introduction, basically an unexpected crash course box full of seminal records from Howard, had me pull out a cd compilation I did at Island, created specifically to market, via in store play, the reissue series encompassing most of their classic 70’s reggae titles. Both cd and campaign were called 96º IN THE SHADE. It was good fun, and honestly a piece of cake. I just started with Jimmy Cliff’s ‘The Harder They Come’ – and using the Island master printout (which chronologically lists every single and album by catalog number – if anyone would like a pdf of it – email me – it’s fascinating) picked out the gems.
And I’m proud to say, the comp got such good response from the shops, that we renamed it GROOVE YARD, changed the cover, squeezed on a few more good ones, and released it commercially. It sold well. I’m pretty sure it’s still in print – no wait – I just checked Amazon – out of print but there’s 1 new copy for sale: $142.00. I need to dig out that box lot from the garage this Saturday.
Like the rest of the solar system, I don’t use cd’s much anymore – the Airbooks in the house don’t even have disc drives, so most of those compact discs are boxed and in storage, although some I do keep shelved for long drives. I grabbed GROOVE YARD on my way out to Stony Brook University to see Matt & Kim the other weekend, and found myself reliving the greatness of quite a few tunes from the era, as well as some sentimental memories of those times.
‘Book Of Rules’ is certainly one of my 10-ish favorite reggae 7’s. Fantastic song, nice clean vocal and lovely production. Well done Chris Blackwell.
Listen: Book Of Rules (Version) / The Heptones
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Released in ‘73, it seems to have just preceded full on dub, hence instrumentals with decorative sound effects thrown in were then called ‘version’ – and often used as B sides. I’ve always wanted ‘Book Of Rules (Version)’ to be a bit more exciting or interesting or something moving – but it basically isn’t. I’ve posted it to quench curiosity. Plus it’s interesting to see how dub was getting started.
Listen: Sufferer’s Time / Heptones with The Upsetters
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By ‘76, with Lee Perry at the controls, The Black Arc in full swing and The Upsetters doing the tracking, The Heptones were in tune with the times. Another classic, ‘Sufferer’s Time’, is basically perfect in every way. I never spin it just once. Can’t. I’ll even be late for something important to hear it that one extra time.
The real fun bit here it that Island US issued it as a 7″ too. I’m guessing there were pockets of Jamaican communities in some of the major US cities that would warrant, say a 1000 – 2000 piece run. Those sales figures are again guesses, and the manufacturing details were very sloppy at Island, so I never did figure out a real number on this and a few other jaw droppers (in that I couldn’t believe they’d been issued in the US on 7″) while at the company.
This I can tell you – there weren’t many as I’ve never seen another US copy of ‘Sufferer’s Time’. Just happened to stumble on this while going through some deeply buried boxes in the mailroom – a process of completion that took a month or two, but I got through ‘em all and it was well, well, well worth the sleuthing, trust me.
Listen: Sufferer’s Dub / The Upsetters
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Not only is the A side a killer, but by ‘76, proper dub was in serious swing – hence this monster example on the flip, aptly titled ‘Sufferer’s Dub’. Oddly credited only to The Upsetters despite many Heptones vocal drops, it makes for even more excitement in one way – an American single by The Upsetters. Never been another. I get excited by unexpected things admittedly.
Listen: Party Time / The Heptones
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When this first arrived in the mail, dependably hot off the presses from HT, I was mildly disappointed. That was stupid. It’s awesome. I had the original UK LP pressing too, but now find only the US Mango copy in my wall shelf. Basically, I know Duane stole it – he always denies it – but it’s plain and simple true. No biggie – at least I know where it is.
But if you try to touch the single Duane, be prepared to pull back a bloody stub.
Tags: Chris Blackwell, Duane Sherwood, Howard Thpmpson, Island, Jimmy Cliff, Lee Perry, Mango, Matt & Kim, The Heptones, The Upsetters
Posted in Chris Blackwell, Duane Sherwood, Howard Thompson, Island, Jimmy Cliff, Lee Perry, Mango, Matt & Kim, The Heptones, The Upsetters | No Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Listen: Creeping Away / Swamp Dogg
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Listen: Do You Believe / Swamp Dogg
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I vividly recall my first look at the RAT ON! sleeve, his only album for Elektra from which both these single sides come. I thought, this is gonna be terrible.
There was nothing more I loved doing than checking every last record that came into our college station. I would sit for hours, well into the night, and instead of studying my class work – I studied records. Cataloging, suggesting cuts for airplay, deciding what to call into the labels for extra copies of, basically to fatten my collection. iIt was great being both MD and PD of a college station – loved it.
First listen, it went into the same space as Dr. John, meaning musical in a bit more grown up way, not unlike the occasional jazz or blues album that struck me, or The Crusaders, The Meters, The Blackbyrds and yeah, Dr. John.
I got slightly more interested when a 7″ showed up shortly thereafter. I loved this guys voice, and his name, terrific. Both sides segued nicely with ‘Wash Mama Wash’, a Dr. John single I liked playing on the occasional late, late shift I’d sit in for once in a while.
Gotta admit though, despite my liking of Swamp Dogg, I didn’t exactly did follow up accruing the next few releases, which I recall being on the Brut label. I just wasn’t interested in certain record companies as a kid, stuck up, knew it all – an early version of a Pitchfork contributor. Well, a word to the wise, wrong attitude – a lesson learned later in life having to backtrack filling in gaps in the colllection. The Swamp Dogg gap being one in particular.
Listen: Did I Come Back Too Soon (Or Stay Away Too Long) / Swamp Dogg
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Above: Jukebox Tab filled out by Swamp Dogg
Come ‘74, Swamp Dogg is suddenly on Island, with a seriously happening album HAVE YOU HEARD THIS STORY?. I dug into every last track, could sing any one of ‘em for you on a dime. And the sleeve, in one way, another mess: out of focus shot of a very unkept Swamp Dogg in a very unkept room, surrounded by records and books, perched atop a bean bag chair. Yet in another way, completely inviting and totally descriptive of the music inside. His talent for some twisted lyrics, actually clever slants on slightly sleazy subjects drew me in further.
“Did I Come Back Too Soon (Or Stay Away Too Long)’ Have a listen. Can’t be said any better, kinda funny yet very true. Always take care of your partner. And again, that signature voice.
Listen: The Mind Does The Dancing / Swamp Dogg
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A second UK single from the album, and pressed promo only, this was a hard one to track down, Plus it’s an edit, even more necessary. The full 7:20 album version gets cut to 5:30, not that much of a radio friendly timing, but seems this was more aimed at clubs, given the disco leaning beat and a vocal that doesn’t come in until 2:22. Besides, Island UK only did five singles with this label design and the USA catalog number prefix, all aimed seemingly at clubs. Given the time period, Swamp Dogg wasn’t far from Ike Turner’s musical path, wah-wahs and revue horns still in place.
For fun, a press release below that was inside the album’s radio station shipping envelope, wisely saved. I had a habit of sticking all these type things inside the sleeves, making for sometimes fascinating reading nowadays.
Swamp Dogg indeed has many releases, starting in 1970. Prior, he used his real name, Jerry Williams. Well actually Little Jerry Williams until, I’m assuming, he grew up.
Nice closing trainspotter bit here: Jerry Williams co-wrote and had studio involvement with, to me, Inez & Charlie Foxx’s greatest ever single (and them’s big words as they had many): ‘(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days’. Well in fact, one of the greatest soul singles of all times, posted elsewhere on this blog if you care to have a listen. Go ahead, start the first day of the rest of your life.
Tags: Danny Holloway, Elektra, Ike Turner, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Island, Jerry Williams, Jukebox Tab, Pitchfork, Swamp Dogg, The Blackbyrds
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Listen: Shotgun Wedding / Roy C
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You’d think this was originally recorded down Jamaica way, given the record’s audio quality seemingly captures not only the sound associated with the lilting rhythms of early ska recordings, in that rock steady and blue beat style, but the very time period as well. Like Roy C himself, the recording is New York based.
A UK #6 in ‘66 on Island, yet despite a dated sound even for ‘72, it still re-entered and peaked at #8 in England when reissued on Jonathan King’s Decca distributed UK label. A bit of a timeless audio document, it’s addicting in the same way ‘Harlem Shuffle’ by Bob & Earl, another New York recording, still is today. The power of a great record seldom dies.
Tags: Blue Beat, Bob & Earl, Island, Jonathan King, Rock Steady, Roy C, Ska, UK
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Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Listen: Close (To The Edit) / Art Of Noise
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As if overnight, suddenly there were a few Art Of Noise singles being released seemingly simultaneous in the UK and US. I did a specialty radio show at the time with Roger McCall on WCMF, and we would dig through all the latest releases every few days preparing for our Tuesday night slot. I will never forgot our jaws dropping in unison when we gave this it’s first spin on the unused production studio’s turntable. It sounded like nothing at all in the solar system – the exact similar awe we experienced upon initial listens to Malcolm McLaron’s ‘Buffalo Gals’ or Scritti Politti’s ‘Wood Beez’.
We opened our very next show with ‘Close To The Edit’.
Listen: Beat Box / Art Of Noise
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As I said, as if overnight, another Art Of Noise 7″ arrived. ‘Beat Box’ just as innovative and exciting as the previous release. Now we were playing two of their tracks each program – and this went on for weeks. Even as other records were being broadcast, Roger and I would flail around the studio blasting these on the second unused turntable until moments before needing to use the bloody thing to cue up the next record. We had a few close calls, then figured out playing Television’s ‘Marquee Moon’ or The Special AKA’s ‘Ghost Town’, both quite lengthy, would allow us more time to carry on to Art Of Noise.
Listen: Moments In Love / Trevor Horn, Paul Morley with Art Of Noise
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Eventually, but not too long after, ‘Moments In Love’ graced a 7″, culled from the soundtrack to PUMPING IRON II – THE WOMEN. Not having seen the movie, I can’t understand from it’s title how the hell this track fit in – but it must have. Almost ambient, it was addictive. Sampled years later into a UK hit, ‘Moments In Love’ by JT & The Big Family, I’m pleased it earned some cash for the writers of this superb song.
Art Of Noise continued on for several years with Chrysalis. They never matched those initials few singles, well I don’t think so that is.
Tags: Island, JT & The Big Family, Malcolm McLaren, Paul Morley, Roger McCall, Scritti Politti, Television, The Art Of Noise, Trevor Horn, WCMF, ZTT
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Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Listen: Carry Go, Bring Come / Justin Hines & The Dominoes
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Back in ‘76, when Howard Thompson was still a junior A&R scout at Island UK, we struck up a quick friendship – well it happened quick but it’s still going today and as strong a friendship as one can have. The first package he sent over, and a big one at that, included the comp THIS IS REGGAE MUSIC (Volume 3). His accompanying note implored me to listen, citing the ‘almost psychedelic’ nature of the songs and their production. More accurate words have never been written. That sampler changed my life.
I couldn’t get down the phone fast enough to him – and the call was quickly followed by a box, a fucking BOX, jammed with full length LP’s from just about every act on that comp: Aswad, Jah Lion, Burning Spear, Junior Murvin, Max Romeo & The Upsetters and Justin Hines & The Dominoes’ JEZEBEL – plus a slew of 7 and 12″ singles from all the above and more (Lee Perry, Fay Bennett, The Skatalites, Leroy Smart, Rico, Lord Creator, Millie, Dillinger, Augustus Pablo) each with that vital dub B side. A treasure trove if ever, ever, ever there was one. I’ll never forget ripping that one open. Can you imagine how it blew my mind – and my friend’s minds too? Well it did.
There were a couple of singles in there from Justin Hines & The Dominoes. A then current reggae remake of his very own decade old Jamaican ska hit (then listed as Justin Hinds & The Dominoes) ‘Carry Go, Bring Come’. This newer version being my preferred choice.
Listen: Jezebel / Justin Hines & The Dominoes
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It’s flip, ‘Jezebel,’ a confusingly titled non-LP track from the JEZEBEL album, (stay with me here), is actually a very nice dub of the A side ‘Carry Go, Bring Come’. Give it a listen and see for yourself.
To my knowledge, it’s never appeared on a reissue of any sort.
Listen: Fire / Justin Hines & The Dominoes
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‘Fire’ still reminds me vividly of that summer ‘76 when Corinne worked the night shift and I had the place to myself, with not a responsibility in the world between semesters but doing a bunch of ‘play whatever you want’ radio shows. So I’d spend all night spinning records, smoking grass and drinking tea, then sleeping the morning away once she got back home. Ah the joys of being young.
‘Fire’ in particular was the well worn 7″, a perfect song to overlay onto the backdrop of an alarmingly silent city, all asleep, not even a mouse was creeping on the deserted streets – quite eerie. Jack Ruby, the record’s producer, was indeed known for just such a haunting production quality. I still prefer to think of him as Reggae’s Joe Meek. We’d listen to it at least a few times, religiously, every morning before passing out.
Listen: Natty Take Over / Justin Hines & The Dominoes
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There’s not a bad track on that JEZEBEL album, yet there is a favorite: ‘Natty Take Over’. A most obvious A side to me, yet relegated as a B, I was just happy it was on a 7″ at all. It fit in perfectly with the Island promo shirts announcing these reggae releases. The shirts came in many colors. I preferred the purple one with sky blue lettering that said quite simply, REGGAE on the front, with that nifty palm tree Island logo on it’s sleeve. What better thing to wear almost daily during a nice hot summer. I still have that shirt.
Tags: Aswad, Augustus Pablo, Burning spear, Dillinger, Dub, Fay Bennett, Howard Thompson, Island, Jack Ruby, Jah Lion, Joe Meek, Junior Murvin, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Lee Perry, Leroy Smart, Lord Creator, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Millie, Reggae, Rico, The Skatalites, This Is Reggae Music
Posted in Aswad, Augustus Pablo, Burning spear, Dillinger, Dub, Fay Bennett, Howard Thompson, Island, Jack Ruby, Jah Lion, Joe Meek, Junior Murvin, Justin Hines & The Dominoes, Lee Perry, Leroy Smart, Lord Creator, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Millie, Reggae, Rico, The Skatalites, This Is Reggae Music | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Listen: Charlotte Anne / Julian Cope
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This came out not long after I joined Island in ‘88. Ron Fair was part of the A&R team, and produced the single (plus the album from which it came, MY NATION UNDERGROUND).
I hadn’t seen Ron for years, he went on to big success with The Black Eyed Peas and Keyshia Cole – good for him. But we did finally have a chance to reunite at a recent party in New York – and despite my praise of his work with Julian, he was pretty humble.
‘Charlotte Anne’ is such a classic British pop single. I remember sitting in the little parking lot behind Island’s St. Peter’s Square office in London back then, listening to it in Ron’s car. I loved the track that first time and still do.
Listen: Beautiful Love / Julian Cope
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Luckily I had the privilege of getting to know Julian and his then sidekick/producer Donald Skinner. They were making one of his masterpieces, PEGGY SUICIDE. What a fucking fantastic work from start to finish that baby is. Soon after release, I ventured to Norwich and caught an early show on the UK tour in support of the album. No lie – was it great.
‘Beautiful Love’ is probably my all time favorite Julie single – reminds me so much of The Herd’s ‘I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die’. So what’s not to like.
Visiting New York for a few days press prior to the album’s US release, he stayed, as always, with his in-laws out on Long Island. It was a blistering hot July day, and into the office comes Julian wearing flip flops, a wide brimmed sun hat, shades and swim trunks just a touch bigger than your average sized thong. That’s it. He plopped onto the sofa in my office and proceeded to have a totally casual conversation with Phranc, Marianne Faithfull, neither of whom seemed to blink twice.
Island was one hell of a fun place to work at times.
Tags: Donald Skinner, Island, Julian Cope, Keyshia Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Phranc, Ron Fair, The Black Eyed Peas, The Herd
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Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Listen: The Cisco Kid / War
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Today is the first full day of spring, according to my neighbor who knows all these things. Actually it started yesterday at around 1:15, so that didn’t count. Whatever. When it’s about 70°, no humidity with clear blue skies, and I find myself digging through boxes of doubles stockpiled for some 15 years back out in the garage, I know it’s spring. It’s the first thing I do, having itched to get at something or other all winter – and that’s exactly how yesterday was spent. The place is actually a scene from that new TV show about hoarding, the latest condition a doctor will give you tablets for. Corinne went in to get something, and being her first time for a couple of years, and just flipped out on me. So I needed to do some shuffling around anyways.
Brought one of those portable suitcase record players out with me. I bought this one for a steep $20 sometime in the late 80’s when those two parking lots on 6th Ave and 26th St had the weekly junk sales, dealers of everything covering the two spaces. I got into a habit of getting there at dawn, and found records even I can’t believe. One time, I got it into my head I needed a wlp of The Faces debut on Warner Brothers, and found it that very day. Like I willed it to be there. True story.
The player still works, perfectly in fact. It’s one of my favorite pieces, complete with interchangeable 45 adapter spindle. So off I go to the garage to dig and spin. First box, first handful, I find a copy of ‘Cisco Kid’. I’d forgotten Island UK licensed their catalog off Jerry Goldstein around ‘75, and proceeded to be his English outlet for War, although quite why United Artists there didn’t hold on to his Far Out Productions was probably a mistake in hindsight.
I freaking love ‘Cisco Kid’. It reminds me of April ‘73, when I took my pal and college radio rep for United Artisits in LA, Rich Fazekas, up on his offer to come on out and visit Easter week. The Pretty Things were making their US debut at the Whisky Au Go Go. Did I need more reason? We tooled around non-stop. He turned me on to Mexican food – there was no Mexican food in my college town of Rochester. I’d never had a taco, and given Rich is Mexican, he knew the real deal places to go.
‘Cisco Kid’ was easily the soundtrack to the trip. It was being played everywhere, you remember how hits used to be unavoidable. By early summer when I went to London, it had migrated to their airwaves, and I heard it constantly all over again.
So this time of year brings that all back, and to find a copy in that first handful I grabbed does make me feel frighteningly connected to my records. I love those records.
Tags: Island, The Faces, United Artists, War
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Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Listen: Daylight / Georgie Fame
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I think this song may qualify as a bit of a guilty pleasure, as it is a touch schmaltzy, although my pal Phil, who has super taste in music, loves it – then again, it was written by Bobby Womack and now a sought after hit on the Northern Soul circuit. Plus Georgie has such a great voice, and the whole idea that he perfected his sound doing all-nighters at the Flamingo Club on Wardour Street in London during the swinging 60’s alongside Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, is, well, all I really need. Basically he always emulated Mose Allison and conventiently helped invent mod-jazz in the process.
As with some of his early hits like ‘Get Away’, this was produced by the late, great Denny Cordell. When I worked at Island in the early 90’s, Chris Blackwell brought Denny in to oversee A&R. Most everybody got their noses out of joint by his arrival but not me – I mean this was the guy who had produced The Move (He did the whistle sound, fingers to mouth, on ‘I Can Hear The Grass Grow’), and help start Deram and Regal Zonophone, and then Shelter. So we hit it off immediately, and I often think of the many great times (and meals – he was a serious cook) I had with Denny. Plus he introduced me to so many people from the UK, all of whom would stop by to see him when passing through town. I remember when he brought Tony Colton into my office. He was the vocalist for Heads Hands & Feet (who I became an instant fan of when seeing them open for Humble Pie). Tony had also produced a then obscure, now kind of appreciated gem: ON THE BOARDS by Taste. So this was a big deal to me.
Yeah, Denny was a great great pal….he produced this track as part of the 2nd album Georgie made for Island that the company then proceeded not to issue – still! I mean what hasn’t been released at this point? Island was a great place in many ways, but they had a very bad habit of making albums and not releasing them. I know of a few still in the vaults from Marianne Faithfull, and unfortunately countless others from The Smoke to Don Covay.
So this track, ‘Daylight’, and it’s B side, ‘Three Legged Mule’ came out in ‘77 as a 7″ & 12″ single, and has finally been reissued as part of the ISLAND YEARS ‘74 – ‘76 anthology.
Posted in Bobby Womack, Chris Blackwell, Chris Farlowe, Denny Cordell, Deram, Don Covay, Georgie Fame, Island, John Mayall, Marianne Faithfull, Regal Zonophone, Taste, The Move, The Smoke, Tony Colton | 1 Comment »
Sunday, February 21st, 2010
Listen: Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straights Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of The Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleanie / Fairport Convention
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Although the song title earned the Guinness Book award for ‘longest ever’, Fairport Convention were guaranteed not to have a hit single because of it. Besides, this was oddly relegated to the b-side. A last remnant of Richard Thompson’s days with the band, by time of release, he was gone.
I was desperate to own this single, not having been included on FULL HOUSE, their current album at the time. Far from being amongst the majority vote, I considered the new four piece lineup, sans Thompson, their best yet. And although the prior release, LEIGE AND LIEF got, and still gets, all the praise – it’s FULL HOUSE hands down that’s my favorite. This being due to coinciding with my first Fairport Convention concert, supporting Traffic. A wondrous night that. I was spellbound.
Listen: John Lee / Fairport Convention
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Less spellbound were the critics. Everyone missed Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny. Okay, I get it, but Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol were equally powerful, unsung frontmen. Tiny Dave in dark blue platform boots swirling around the stage, attacking his violin, and creating a whirlwind of sound and nuts-ness. What the fuck’s not to like?
Their next album, BABBACOMBE LEE, ruled my world. That tour was a special night out for us British music followers, being sandwiched between The Kinks and Lindisfarne. This my friends was heaven on earth, the absolute best place to be in the entire solar system.
‘John Lee’, one the the album’s two singles, still brings back that raging blizzard of March 1, 1972. We’d driven through blinding snow for well over an hour. Being pre-cell phone days, I was terrified of finding the show’d been cancelled once we arrived and approached Kleinhand’s Music Hall with a deadly pit in the stomach. Besides, this was my first date with Corinne, who finally agreed to accept an invitation out. Please God, make it all happen.
Miracle. The show went on as planned, thankfully. It was in the stars I guess.
Let me tell you about it: This was Lindisfarne’s first ever US date – though you’d never have known. ‘Fog On The Tyne’ made it clear this was going to be a very English night. Bring it on, we had waited long for this.
Not to worry, Fairport Convention, despite being of ‘folk rock’ classification, powered that stage the moment they hit. Straight into ‘Walk Awhile’, “Sir B. McKenzie’s…’, ‘The Journeyman’s Grace’, ‘Sickness And Diseases’, ‘Sloth’ and the above ‘John Lee’ – even the balcony was jigging in the aisles, or at least they thought they were.
Then came The Kinks. At this point, in their high camp era, Dave decked out in a tight orange / red suit and Ray with bright green velvet jacket and clown sized bow tie, perfectly sloppy, satiating us with ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’, ‘Victoria’, ‘Death Of A Clown’, ‘Wonder Boy’, ‘Drivin’, ‘Autumn Almanac’ and ‘Waterloo Sunset’. Sweet Jesus have mercy!
Listen: Rosie / Fairport Convention
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“Rosie’ is as vital a song and single in Fairport Convention’s history as any of the others – which seem to get all the name checks. It came to represent the beginning of a comradery amongst former members that eventually defined lineups ahead, whereby any or many would float in and out of the band. For this one, it was Sandy Denny who guested on the call and response type chorus, hinting at the full time member she would return to be just a year or so down the road. For proof of the fantastic vocal clarity she could bring to any song, just listen to ‘Rosie’.
Listen: White Dress / Fairport Convention
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Supporting the reunion album, RISING FOR THE MOON with another Anglophile crushing US package (Caravan and Renaissance), the horribly under attended September 24, 1975 stop in Rochester had to be a demoralizing, why-are-we-here moment. Unfortunately, the stark, vast theater seemed ironically fitting during ‘White Dress’, their most chilling track ever, and in some ways, most powerful – simply via Sandy Denny’s ability to evoke feelings of sadness so effortlessly.
As with her very own version of Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind’ (a solo single from ‘78 – see Sandy Denny post), ‘White Dress’ can be overwhelming, and many times, still challenges my courage to play it all the way through.
Tags: Caravan, Dave Swarbrick, Elton John, Fairport Convention, Island, Kleinhand's Music Hall, Lindisfarne, Renaissance, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Simon Nicol, The Kinks, Traffic
Posted in Caravan, Dave Swarbrick, Elton John, Fairport Convention, Island, Kleinhand's Music Hall, Lindisfarne, Renaissance, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Simon Nicol, The Kinks, Traffic | No Comments »
