Archive for the ‘Island’ Category
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Listen: She’s Lost Control (Single Edit) / Grace Jones
GraceJonesControl.mp3
Somebody, somewhere knew how to pick terrific material for Grace Jones. Possibly it was she herself. For my two cents, this is absolutely one her all time best vocal interpretations. Ever.
I do know the early 80′s musical patch during which Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’, a B side only, was recorded by Alex Sadkin and The Compass Point Allstars, coincided with Jean-Paul Goude’s image reinvention. As a result of that intense visual makeover, Chris Blackwell hung the already completed WARM LEATHERETTE cover art in the studio as the album’s sessions were begun, instructing the entire team to make a record that sounded like the photo looked. He told me this himself.
Eventually released in an extended club version, complete with dub, it’s this original B side ‘She’s Lost Control’ that is most valuable as a 7″. Despite all the other versions finding their way onto bottom of the barrel scraping compilation cds, this single edit has only ever appeared where it originally was issued, on a 7″.
Tags: Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell, Grace Jones, Island, Joy Division, The Compass Point Allstars
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Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Listen: Barefootin’ / Robert Parker
RobertParkerBarefootin.mp3
Robert Parker began his recording career playing with Professor Longhair on ‘Mardi Gras In New Orleans’ in ’49. Over the next decade, this guy worked with just about every New Orleans musician, including Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, and Huey ‘Piano’ Smith. You name it. Hitting his stride in ’66, after signing to the small Nola Records, he and the label delivered a Top 10 (#7) BILLBOARD hit with ‘Barefootin’.
Listen: Let’s Go Baby (Where The Action Is) / Robert Parker
RobertParkerAction.mp3
As it turns out, the single was a classic double A side, as ‘Let’s Go Baby (Where The Action Is)’ became a huge Mod club hit in the UK. It’s cemented his popularity in Europe till this day, where he still can make the occasional appearances and get some royal treatment.
Listen: Get Ta Steppin’ / Robert Parker
Get
Despite lack of national radio and chart success, his musical success never stopped. Released in ’74 ‘Get Ta Steppin’ eventually became known as a southern funk template, determined not only by those in the know but more importantly, via endless sampling.
Listen: Get Right On Down / Robert Parker
Get
Almost as though lightning struck twice, not unlike the ‘Barefootin’ / ‘Let’s Go Baby (Where The Action Is)’ coupling, ‘Get Ta Steppin’ / ‘Get Right On Down’ proved to be another double side, basically must have in any respectable soul collection, 7″ single.
Listen: Give Me The Country Side Of Life / Robert Parker
RobertParkerCountry.mp3
Despite not issuing albums during the 70′s (his only LP is BAREFOOTIN’ from ’66), Robert Parker just proceeded to make a seemingly essential single each year or so, right up through ’76.
Listen: A Little Bit Of Something (Is Better Than A Whole Lot Of Nothing) / Robert Parker
A
As with his 60′s output, career long musical arranger, producer and collaborator Wardell Quezergue was part of ‘A Little Bit Of Something (Is Better Than A Whole Lot of Nothing)’, his final single prior to recording retirement and one I just never see around.
Tags: Billboard, Fats Domino, Huey Piano Smith, Irma Thomas, Island, Nola, Professor Longhair, Robert Parker, Sue, Wardell Quezergue
Posted in Billboard, Fats Domino, Huey Piano Smith, Irma Thomas, Island, Nola, Professor Longhair, Robert Parker, Sue Records, Wardell Quezergue | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Listen: Mamma Gave Birth To The Soul Children / Queen Latifah & De La Soul
Mamma
I was fortunate enough to meet Jon Baker, owner of Gee Street Records, through the Island UK office. Actually, Julian Palmer from 4th & Broadway in London had signed Stereo MC’s to a singles deal, and Jon, the ever ambitious yet courteous entrepreneur, bugged me incessantly to come over and see a rehearsal, guaranteeing their greatness.
I recall Jon having a picture perfect office setup, basically heaving with records and always jumping. I loved Gee Street. They had released some US hip hop and house independently prior to ultimately signing the deal with Island. On a previous trip, this guy fed my 7″ addiction with serious handfuls of each release. Generous wasn’t near a strong enough term. And his pressings were beauties, thick vinyl, top notch UK picture covers. Jon Baker always did these things classy.
Well last night, ‘Mamma Gave Birth To The Soul Children’ got stuck on repeat as I moved some big boxes around the house, a lucky break. It recalled the time he and Ziggy drove Corinne and I around Chelsea, blasting late night London pirate stations. Some of the stuff played would still rock up any world, and in the mix, on comes Jon’s Queen Latifah / De La Soul record. Kid in a candy shop, it couldn’t have been a better moment for him.
Back to that Stereo MC’s rehearsal. They were red hot, yeah, undeniable. Mission accomplished. We scheduled ‘Elevate My Mind’ as a US Island single immediately. It eventually climbed into the BILLBOARD Top 40, paving the way for a proper Stereo MC’s career run and a full Gee Street/Island label deal.
Tags: 4th & Broadway, Billboard, Gee Street, Island, Jon Baker, Julian Palmer, Queen Latifah & De La Soul, Stereo MC's
Posted in 4th & Broadway, Billboard, De La Soul, Gee Street, Island, Jon Baker, Julian Palmer, Queen Latifah & De La Soul, Stereo MC's | Comments Off
Sunday, September 4th, 2011
Listen: Times Square (Live) / Marianne Faithfull
Times
Over several nights, Marianne Faithfull recorded a live album at St. Ann’s in Brooklyn with an all star cast put together by Hal Winner. I was in charge of A&Ring it, and Marianne graciously gave me an Executive Producer credit on the album. I was beyond flattered and touched. She has a good heart.
A lot of the performances needed some serious weeding and occasionally required confrontation between myself and Hal. At the time, I was under appreciative of his input. But now I realize what an absolutely tremendous contributor and producer he was and is. Thanks Hal.
Playing the final mix of the terrific composition by Barry Reynolds, ‘Times Square’, for Chris Blackwell gave both he and I chills up the spine on that first listen. I will never forget the two of us simultaneously having involuntary spasms at exactly 2:19. Yes, Marianne Faithfull could be a higher form of life without even knowing it. Her performance on this occasion unanimously proved that.
Thankfully, Island Germany chose to release ‘Times Square’ as a picture sleeved 7″ single. I was thrilled and am forever grateful.
Tags: Barry Reynolds, Chris Blackwell, Hal Wilner, Island, Marianne Faithfull
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Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Listen: Cat Food / King Crimson
Cat Food / King Crimson
They’d probably cringe, but even the most hardened album acts like King Crimson made a decent single from time to time. Or the labels, back before creative control was bestowed on the artist, may have heard a hook in the thick of an opus, thereby being able to edit/rearrange a twelve minute album piece into three and change for a 7″ single.
Not sure if that’s the case with ‘Cat Food’. King Crimson’s albums never did hold my attention through a whole side, so I’m not positive if this is the full version. But I sure did love this song when it got some concentrated play from the local college station, WAER. What a surprise to walk into Discount Records, on the Syracuse University campus, and find a few copies of the single in their racks.
That store was a shrine in the late 60′s, when record buying was in full, and I do mean full swing. A beehive of white drugged up students with money to spend on white drugged up rock music made for the ultimate market. Box lots of all the latest releases by Ten Years After, The Nice, Spirit, Pink Floyd and whatnot seemingly evaporated into thin air.
I’d bet the stunning cover art on those King Crimson albums drew in more than one spontaneous purchase. So too did this 7″ picture sleeve, in those days unheard of, particularly from the UK. Between both it’s mini album construction, and the pink inner sleeve housing a matching pink labelled pressing, I found myself committing an exorbitant $1.98 to the cause. Excellent investment, as it turned out.
Tags: Discount Records, Island, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Spirit, Ten Years After, The Nice, WAER
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Monday, August 15th, 2011
Listen: Film Star / Suede
Film Star / Suede
Easily my favorite British act from the 90′s, and one of my favorites of all time. Favorite hardly describes it really. We’d met when they were unsigned, looking for a deal, having recorded their demo with Ed Buller, then resident engineer, in the Island demo studio at 22 St. Peter’s Square, during my last few months at the label.
By then, I was plotting my new venture through Warner Brothers, The Medicine Label, back in New York, but still spent a lot of time in London. I would soon try to sign them to my company for the US. Didn’t happen, but never mind, it not once blemished my love for their music.
It was during those months in early ’92 that I did my A&R drill, showing up at several of their shows around England, where they were playing to bulging crowds in small pubs and clubs, booked only a month or so prior to the frenzy. One night after a show at the Princess Charlotte Pub in Leicester, Brett, Mat and I rode back to London together, Brett dj-ing David Bowie’s HUNKY DORY the entire trip. In my opinion, Suede never took their eyes off it as one of the band’s great inspirations.
Third album, COMING UP unexpectedly took everyone off guard. Having replaced their original guitarist, the naysayers were naysaying big time. Big surprise, new guitarist Richard Oakes was a much better musician and ultimate band catalyst. As well, COMING UP established Mat Osman as one of rock’s very most accomplished bassists. After the album’s cycle, which by it’s finishing stretch had delivered five Top 10 UK singles, the non-believers were silenced. A fantastic work.
‘Film Star’ was the fifth of those five, a #9 in England.
Tags: Brett Anderson, David Bowie, Ed Buller, Island, Mat Osman, Richard Oakes, Suede, The Medicine Label
Posted in Brett Anderson, David Bowie, Ed Buller, Island, Mat Osman, Princess Charlotte Pub, Richard Oakes, Suede, The Medicine Label | Comments Off
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Listen: Toxygene (7″ Edit) / The Orb
Toxygene (7
Even though I’d left Island during ’92, I still had loads of friends there, and would visit the UK office in St. Peters Square a lot. The company was always putting out tons of great stuff, and I needed all those promo only pressings in a bad way.
On one such visit, a new scout had just signed The Orb off of Big Life, and cornered us insisting we hear ‘Toxygene’, their forthcoming single. It was the end of a fun Friday. Gary Crowley was driving, so we passed through to collect Julian Palmer for drinks. Turns out the Island canteen was hopping as the staff would always hang late when the energy swirled into one of those fun nights.
Lord knows I wish I could recall who this A&R fellow was, I think he moved on to Universal Publishing. I thank him to this day.
We flipped for ‘Toxygene’. In our then current state, and played really, really loudly on that initial unveiling, the car and train sound effects embodied real live paranoia. Against band, management and company policy, he burned us a copy, making Gary promise not to play it on his Radio London slot that weekend.
Promises unbroken, Gary kept in under wraps, and quite frankly, the cdr didn’t leave my sight for weeks. ‘Toxygene’ eventually became a well deserved #4 smash in the UK.
On a 7″ pressing, it’s almost as hard to find as it would be to recreate the fantastic memory of that Friday.
Tags: Big Life, Gary Crowley, Island, Julian Palmer, Radio London, The Orb
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Friday, August 12th, 2011
Listen: Buffalo Gals (Single Edit) / Malcolm McLaren & The World’s Famous Supreme Team
Buffalo Gals (Single Edit) / Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team
Howard Thompson sent me this one the week of release in Britain, or more likely, even before street date. Getting those packages from him provided yours truly the honor of being the first disc jockey in America to play so many great records, ‘Buffalo Gals’ being one.
Back then, I co-hosted a midnight – 2am Specialty show, as they’re referred to nowadays, on the town’s local AOR outlet, WCMF. Those stations were basically the enemy, force feeding the public on mainstream corporate rock only, although in the case of this particular one, with the occasional great record or two thrown into evening rotation.
Their overnight jock, Roger McCall, would always have considerable leeway given his shift, and spun more than a safe number of playlist no-no’s in those early hours. We ended up co-hosting that show together, specializing in all the groovy stuff of the moment, on Tuesday nights.
Every once in a while, there’d be some mind blowing record, often from England and courtesy of Howard, that I’d take in to debut.
Like Howard, Roger and I had musical tastes that were profoundly in synch and we’d play those singles over and over really loudly in the studio while simultaneously doing the show, and of course giving them some needle time as well.
Yes, this was one of those records. Seriously, our jaws dropped on first listen. How could anything possibly be so good?
Years later while working at Island, Chris rang and asked me to take a meeting with Malcolm McLaren, he having originally signed him to the US label and issuing ‘Buffalo Gals’. Malcolm’s reputation certainly preceded him, so I was excited.
Honestly don’t recall what he was shopping at the time, maybe his French voguing record that ended up on Epic. But he was a riot to sit with for half an hour. An absolute storyteller/salesman.
Once we concluded the meeting, I pulled out my jukebox tab with the usual autograph request as part of the ask. Malcolm happily obliged, paying me quite the compliment: “Well, this truly is a new idea”.
Above: Jukebox Tab signed by Malcolm McLaren
Tags: Chris Blackwell, Howard Thompson, Island, Jukebox Tab, Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team, Roger McCall, WCMF
Posted in Chris Blackwell, Howard Thompson, Island, Jukebox Tab, Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team, Roger McCall, WCMF | Comments Off
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Listen: Tell Her I’m Not Home / Ike & Tina Turner
Tell Her I'm Not Home / Ike & Tina Turner
Embarrassing but true, during all the years I worked for Bob Krasnow at Elektra, I did not know of this record, although there were very many Ike & Tina Turner records I did know. In fact, the day Howard brought me in to meet him, essentially to get his blessing before joining the A&R staff, it was an Ike & Tina Turner single that probably helped get me the job.
I’d pretty much fumbled my way through some lop sided answer to his question, inquiring as to why I wanted an A&R job in the first place. Before leaving, I just had to get some details on one of the Ike & Tina Turner records Bob had produced, ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ from OUTTA SEASON, with it’s infamous white faced, watermelon eating cover art. It was clearly of great interest to him that I knew such a detail at all, and thus began our real relationship.
A year or so after young and foolishly leaving Elektra for Island, I stumbled on the UK stock copy, pictured above. How could I not buy any single by Ike & Tina Turner that I didn’t own, but as a great bonus, when the producer was Bob?
Easily, ‘Tell Her I’m Not Home’ stands the test of time as one of their finest, with it’s legendary spoken intro, and use of Tchaikovsky’s ’1812 Overture’ riff, beating The Move to it by a good six months. With both occurring before the song even really starts, what’s not to freak over?
I faxed a scan of the label to Bob’s office a week or so later, feeling a bit timid given we hadn’t had contact since I’d left, basically, complimenting him on my new found favorite song intro, to which he scribbled back something quite friendly. It was a nice moment.
Tags: Bob Krasnow, Elektra, Ike & Tina Turner, Island, Loma, Tchaikovsky, The Move, Warner Brothers
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Thursday, July 28th, 2011
Listen: Electric Boogie (Featuring Bunny Wailer) / Marcia Griffiths
Electric Boogie (Featuring Bunny Wailer) / Marcia Griffiths
Marcia Griffiths, she of Bob & Marcia from the early 70′s, also spent seven years as a member of The I-Threes, legendary background singers for Bob Marley & The Wailers.
This original version of ‘Electric Boogie’ with Bunny Wailer from ’83, initially turned up as a B side to her Mango single ‘Fever’ (top photo) but as a brewing party track, gained momentum. Within a few years, it was reissued on Island proper, this time as an A side.
Despite being a touch clumsy, possibly meaning rootsy to most, it’s a hard one not to like.
Listen: Electric Boogie / Marcia Griffiths
Electric Boogie / Marcia Griffiths
Like turned to love as a result of the 1989 remake with The Jerks, a sharp three man production team from Florida. Chris Blackwell had done a deal with them, hot off a success with Miami Sound Machine, and their biggest chart hit for Island (#51) came in the form of this new version, by now the signature song for the Electric Slide dance craze, well, sort of craze.
A DJ played this a few months back during an over the top birthday event held in one of those wonderfully generic party houses, complete with salty, over seasoned food, hoodwinking many into believing it was tasty. To be fair, the cake was super special, whipped cream instead of icing and lots of fresh fruit chunks and almond slivers folded in.
The floor lit up when ‘Electric Boogie’ hit the turntable, and I didn’t want it to end.
Tags: Bob & Marcia, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bunny Wailer, Chris Blackwell, Island, Mango, Marcia Griffiths, Miami Sound Machine, The I-Threes
Posted in Bob & Marcia, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bunny Wailer, Chris Blackwell, Island, Mango, Marcia Griffiths, Miami Sound Machine, The I-Threes | Comments Off
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Listen: A Song For Jeffrey (Mono) / Jethro Tull
A Song For Jeffrey / Jethro Tull
A very close friend reminded me just the other day that the mention of Jethro Tull still conjures up a cringe amongst many. I get it, but everyone needs to section off their first two albums as being very different to what followed. Even the third, BENEFT, had strong songs in the same style as the previous pair, but the shift in attack on recordings began to reveal itself as softening at that stage.
BENEFIT sounded safe and small. Would bet money a remix that captures Jethro Tull’s wild abandon on stage in ’69 could breathe life into it still, although my guess is Ian Anderson would disagree. Quite soon after it’s release, bassist Glenn Cornick was gone, and the band never regained their sizzle. All soul had been zapped.
‘A Song For Jeffrey’, their UK debut A side single as Jethro Tull, was coupled with second UK single A side, ‘Love Story’ on their double sided US 7″ debut.
Listen: Back To The Family (Mono) / Jethro Tull
Back To The Family / Jethro Tull
The song that best represents this band’s live power at their peak, during the touring cycle for second album STAND UP, was ‘Back To The Family’. I wanted the track to be released as a single so badly then, I just may have beamed it into reality. What a thrill to find it initially mis-pressed on the B side of Reprise 0886, incorrectly labeled ‘Reasons For Waiting’.
Tags: Island, Jethro Tull, Reprise
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Saturday, July 9th, 2011
Listen: Everyday / The Moody Blues
Everyday / The Moody Blues
Another case of one band name, but two completely different sounding lineups, making it easily possible to love/hate one and not the other, or something like that.
Me, I was into both. And it began logically, with the first of the two. The Denny Laine years I suppose you could say.
As lead singer, his tenure started May ’64 at their onset, lasting until Fall ’66. This was when you really had to be able to sing in order to get a deal and make records. Denny Laine trained himself on, you guessed it, soul and RnB. At this, he was winner.
All the singles released during his time are equally great. Most surprisingly weren’t hits, but still, they’re classics. The Moody Blues really stalled their momentum after the worldwide smash ‘Go Now’ by issuing a couple of dirge ballads that struggled for airplay. Hey, I loved them, but programmers didn’t.
After which, ‘Everyday’ came, but the mess had been made and it all slowly went flat for the Denny Laine lineup. Too bad. ‘Everyday’ is the kind of record that probably would have helped change their history a bit had it followed ‘Go Now’. All speculation here.
Another top Denny Cordell (not to be confused with the aforementioned Denny Laine) production though. Not that he totally agreed with me on that one. I met Denny at Island, and elsewhere on this blog there’s a more in depth post about all that. Let me tell you this. Denny was a blast, an absolute class act, had great history, impeccable musical taste and instinct, a wonderful soul. I’m still knocked out that we became good friends.
One time, in the days when we had pretty extravagant parties at our place, Denny came along, swirling in through the front door and b-lined toward the kitchen with a plan to whip up some Jamaican dish, and a bag of supplies for just that purpose. He simply crashed right into it all. That was Denny.
Later in the evening, Duane, with a you gotta hear this look on his face, nudged me toward he and Marianne sitting at the then, newly found 50′s wrought iron and glass patio set, a garage sale miracle with a story all it’s own, deep in stuffy English brogue conversation, so upper class thick, you literally had trouble deciphering what the fuck they were saying. The two of them were all giddy, reminiscing about the old days, smuggling hash into England, dishing through folks at Decca, Mick’s parents, you name it, no one was spared. I just sat right down, refilled their margaritas, listened in, a conspicuous fly on the wall. Cool as a cucumber on the outside, fourth of July fireworks inside. Exactly as anyone else would have felt.
Tags: Decca, Denny Cordell, Denny Laine, Island, London Records, Marianne Faithfull, Mick Jagger, The Moody Blues
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Monday, June 6th, 2011
Listen: 96° In The Shade (Single Edit) /Third World
96° In The Shade (Single Edit) /Third World
Summer ’77, this was one of our anthems. The single came along several weeks before the album. Not surprisingly, a longer version accompanied the long player, and it was certainly a treat to have the outro chorus repeated many more times. A beautiful slow fade that you kind of never wanted to end, like summer itself.
Oddly, the song’s a cappella intro, nicely edited off this 7″ version, was never ever loud enough. I’m shocked no one ever noticed, and wanted to change that in mastering when years later I had to put together a cd length history of Island’s best known reggae tracks for a New Music Seminar sampler, snapshotting it with the title 96° IN THE SHADE. Only now realizing I completely fumbled that one, totally forgot to make the needed improvement. Mistake.
One of the nice things about working for Island in the late 80′s and early 90′s, the company was fine with doing all kinds of promo only items, theme based compilations of reggae, ska, world, funk, dance. A particular favorite was one I slaved over for weeks: SALT & TABASCO, a gathering of latin leaning tracks from Los Van Van, Jorge Ben, Kid Creole & The Coconuts and Arrow, to tropical-ish remixes by The Gibson Brothers and Third World.
As with most, including the 96° IN THE SHADE sampler, which by the way Island later commercially released as GROOVE YARD, I was able to slip a promo only 7″ onto the release schedule for college servicing. We’d do a run of a few hundred to cover the A list stations on the panel, a handful for the UK and few boxes for the US office, most of which I would horde and covet not unlike the guilty substance abuser I was/am/will always be when it comes to 45′s.
The sleeve to said 7″ is pictured above (B Side: The Harder They Come / Jimmy Cliff)
Tags: Arrow, Island, Jimmy Cliff, Jorge Ben, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Los Van Van, The Gibson Brothers, Third World
Posted in Arrow, Island, Jimmy Cliff, Jorge Ben, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Los Van Van, The Gibson Brothers, Third World | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Listen: Ob La Di, Ob La Da / Joyce Bond
Ob La Di, Ob La Da / Joyce Bond
Found yet another gem at Academy Records in Brooklyn, hysterically sitting peacefully amongst the 50¢ boxes: Joyce Bond’s version of ‘Ob La Di, Ob La Da’. A song seemingly written for the natural Caribbean bounce, it further validates the lightweight value of The Beatles. Again, I preferred The New Vaudeville Band when comparing equals.
To be honest, I had no idea this even got a Stateside release, so I admit needing to be more humble in my criticisms of the local vendors. But hey, Steel Pulse singles on MCA are not worth $10 guys.
Listen: Robin Hood Rides Again / The Joyce Bond Review
Robin Hood Rides Again / The Joyce Bond Review
Nonetheless, way more fascinating is the B side here. Policy usually meant a straight up instrumental of the single’s A side was the norm, or as the mid 70′s evolved, a dub version. Not so this time. A completely new track, instrumental, and clearly nothing to do with Joyce Bond in any way other than her label copy credit.
Produced by B. Lee. Was it Byron or Bunny? Seems Joyce Bond had musical affiliations with both.
If ever there were an expert on Ska/Rock Steady/Reggae/Dub, it’s Duane Sherwood. He’s the go to on this stuff for all things not previously grooved into my gray matter. Inconveniently in this case though, he’s not big on the pop end of the genres. Add to that, the records recorded in the UK as opposed to down the yard, of which this is one don’t grab his attention. But given, as he pointed out, Bunny Lee produced a version of Otis Redding’s ‘Mr. Pitiful’, released by Joyce Bond and Little John in ’69, one year after this issue, Duane guessed B. Lee to be the Bunny man himself.
A fun, sonically out of place on Decca or any other major label at the time, single. I can only imagine how few were pressed, not to mention, sold.
Tags: Bunny Lee, Byron Lee, Decca, Duane Sherwood, Island, Joyce Bond, Little John, Otis Redding, The Joyce Bond Review
Posted in Academy Records, Bunny Lee, Byron Lee, Duane Sherwood, Island, Little John, MCA, Otis Redding, Steel Pulse, The Beatles, The Joyce Bond Review, The New Vaudeville Band | Comments Off
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Listen: Cry Me A River / Marie Knight
Cry Me A River / Marie Knight
Hey thanks Vicki Wickham, for keeping this one since the 60′s. Yes, it was part of her 45 collection that I was gifted by Saint Vicki herself last fall.
You know, I love you Vicki Wickham.
Let’s talk about Vicki Wickham. We first met in ’89, when she managed Phranc during her Island days. I remember exactly where we first shook hands: backstage at the Beacon Theater, in the the very stairway where Ahmet Ertegan took his last spill. Phranc had just hired her, and was at that time on tour with The Pogues.
I was actually meeting thee Vicki Wickham. The one that booked READY! STEADY! GO!, managed Dusty Springfield, co-wrote ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’ with Simon Napier-Bell, produced Labelle. The one who not only booked the infamous Saville Theatre series, brought the Motown Review to England, worked at Track Records with The Who, Thunderclap Newman, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Marsha Hunt, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, John’s Children, and yes, The Cherry Smash; but also knew Scott Walker…and Brian Jones. I was nervous and in awe. Vicki Wickham was a higher form of life.
Fast forward. Nowadays, we meet often for lunch, on 9th Ave and 44th Street at Marseilles, possibly her favorite restaurant. She always orders the asparagus omelette and eats about half. I grill her for details: RSG, The BBC during the 60′s, Rediffusion Television, Top Of The Pops not to mention every band and everybody she ever encountered. Did she visit the Immediate Records office, Deram, Philips, Fontana. What was the Ready Steady Go canteen like, did she know Tony Hall, Steve Marriott, Inez Foxx, Joe Meek, Dozy. When did she last speak with Andrew Loog Oldham, P.P. Arnold or Madeline Bell…..we cover, discuss, judge and trash tons of people. Yes, we are guilty. Needless to say, there’s never a loss for topics.
On one such occasion last year, she mentions having just found boxes of 45′s in storage, and the only one she can remember seeing in the whole bunch was the Bessie Banks ‘Go Now’ UK A label pressing. Was I interested in the lot? That’s like asking Alago, Duane, Joe and I if we’d like a free bump in the VIP bathroom at The Ritz in the 80′s. Ahh, yeah.
Vicki, you ARE a saint, and a beloved friend.
And you turned me on to Marie Knight. Praise be.
Tags: Andrew Loog Oldham, Bessie Banks, Brian Jones, Cherry Smash, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Deram, Duane Sherwood, Dusty Springfield, Fontana, Immediate, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Island, Joe Meek, Joey Ramone, John's Children, Labelle, Madeline Bell, Marie Knight, Marsha Hunt, Michael Alago, Motown, Musicor, P. P. Arnold, Philips, Phranc, Rediffusion Television, Scott Walker, Simon Napier-Bell, Stateside, Steve Marriott, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Ritz, The Who, Tony Hall
Posted in Andrew Loog Oldham, BBC, Bessie Banks, Cherry Smash, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Deram, Duane Sherwood, Dusty Springfield, Fontana, Immediate, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Island, Joe Meek, Joey Ramone, John's Children, Labelle, Madeline Bell, Marie Knight, Marsha Hunt, Michael Alago, Motown, Musicor, P. P. Arnold, Philips, Phranc, Ready Steady Go, Rediffusion Television, Scott Walker, Simon Napier-Bell, Stateside, Steve Marriott, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Ritz, The Who, Thunderclap Newman, Tony Hall | Comments Off
Thursday, April 14th, 2011
Listen: Natty B.Sc. / Dillinger
Natty B.Sc. / Dillinger
Amongst the wave of deejay toasters who rose to prominence during the mid 70′s, Dillinger went global with single ‘Cokane In My Brain’. In fact, that record is a bigger calling card for reggae meeting punk than the media gives credit to. It was everywhere, and still is. ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ my foot. It was all about drugs. Those mainstream media anthems, like The Clash faking their way through ‘Police & Thieves’, had nothing on Peter Tosh ‘Legalize It’ or ‘Cokane In My Brain’.
In seemingly no time at all, ‘Marijuana In My Brain’ was released as a 7″ by a competing label. Good move, it would appear a logical followup to an unsuspecting public. Problem being the single wasn’t great. The hoax failed.
Even at the time, Dillinger had released half a dozen albums on as many labels in the Jamaican market, so UK record companies in search of all things reggae had, as with loads of acts, plenty to pick from when licensing product for Britain. To date in fact, Dillinger has released some thirty albums worldwide.
But the real followup single was ‘Natty B.Sc.’, this time on the Black Swan label, then an Island subsidiary. Born Lester Bullock but christened Dillinger by Lee Perry, the connection to Black Swan makes some sense. Scratch didn’t produce any of his Island/Black Swan output, but had indeed been the first to take him into the studio for ‘Ready Natty Dreadie’ in ’75.
Listen: Buckingham Palace / Dillinger
Buckingham Palace / Dillinger
The favored side of WIP 6380 was by far ‘Buckingham Palace’, one of the very best tracks from CB 200. A perfect representation of the hard, political sound we all loved back then. Everyone did. Man, this stuff sound great when cranked up late at night. A precursor to LKJ even.
Tags: Black Swan, Dillinger, Island, Lee Perry, Linton Kwesi Johnson
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Monday, April 11th, 2011
Listen: Train To Skaville / The Ethiopians
Train To Skaville / The Ethiopians
Trains infatuated me as a kid. My Dad would take me to the nearby railroad yard, where we’d watch the freight trains being assembled, a work engine pushing various cars to the top of the hump, then releasing them down the hill where the switching tracks would route each onto the correct train. As they’d crash into the most recent stationary car in the chain, their hooks would couple and so on and so on. Before long, a proper freight train would materialize and eventually, a pair of main diesel engines would tug them away, beginning their journey.
This was in Minoa, NY. I believe those train yards are long gone. Disassembled during the early 70′s when train travel was pretty much exterminated in the US.
Like most kids in the 60′s, I had a few sets of Lionel trains. Actually, still do. They reside in my parent’s attic. Haven’t touched them since high school. Lionel trains were like heroin. I knew if I messed with either, I’d be whisked into serious addiction. So instead, I decided to o.d. on records.
As late as ’85, New York City’s last standing Lionel train shop was still open for business. Corinne and I were casually walking along East 23rd Street one Sunday shortly after moving to town, and there it was. A time warp. Inside, several large city/country landscape displays with trains chugging through miniature towns and mountainsides were clattering away. Behind the counter, shelves lined with Lionel’s signature cobalt blue and orange boxes, full of model train cars and engines, were stacked to the ceiling. I got the shakes. I wanted to buy everything. It was a wonderful and horrible moment all at once.
So the train fetish is real, and anytime there’s a song about trains, I’m intrigued.
The Ethiopians ‘Train To Skaville’ by most accounts, fits into the sunny day bounce typical of ska records, but I always chose to imagine it recapping a risky journey through Jamaica by night. Way more unsettling.
Listen: Hold Them / Roy Shirley with Lyn Taitt & His Band
Hold Them / Roy Shirley with Lyn Taitt & His Band
Listen: Doctor Dick / King Perry
Doctor Dick / King Perry
Thanks to The Specials and Madness, the pioneer Ska and Rock Steady labels from the 60′s began reissuing these classics in the late 70′s. With a sought after gem always gracing Side A, many times something more obscure or collectible landed on the flipside.
In the case of Island, two tracks made up Side B of all their re-releases, both the Ska/Reggae ones on the old red and white label, as well the RnB reissues on Sue.
I was reminded of all these details having stumbled on a fantastic site, 45-SLEEVES. It’s a bible for those of you who, like myself, can’t sleep when a record isn’t housed in it’s correct, time period specific company bag.
Tags: Island, King Perry, Lyn Taitt & His Band, Madness, Roy Shirley, Sue Records, The Ethiopians, The Specials
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Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Listen: Movin’ And Groovin’ / Redds & The Boys
Movin' And Groovin' / Redds & The Boys
Back in ’79, MCA had a freak hit with Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers ‘Bustin’ Loose’. I distinctly recall our head of radio promotion being amazed at the record’s surprise success and frustrated too. Black radio wouldn’t play the single, only the white pop stations were airing it.
Fast forward a few years, Go Go is now officially a musical genre and movement, but the same tired radio resistance kept all those great singles off the urban airwaves.
But in ’85, Island was headstrong in aiding this musical cause. Signing a bunch of acts to singles deals, some to full albums, then packaging them together for a few nights of serious nasty grinding at The Ritz. I’ll never forget those shows. EU, Mass Extension, Trouble Funk.
The real truth: Redds & The Boys, they were crazy great. Even the worst dancers lost shame, made fools of themselves and did not care. I know cause I was one.
Onstage, ‘Movin’ & Groovin’ did not end, and not a soul wanted it to. Talk about a signature song. These guys were so locked it was scary. They seemed ready to take on the world. What the fuck happened?
Listen: Trouble / Trouble Funk
Trouble / Trouble Funk
When I joined Island in ’88, their mailroom was knee deep in Go Go records. Praise be. I grabbed handfuls of them all.
Like Redds & The Boys, and all the others for that matter, Trouble Funk suffered from the same curse: misguided production and mixes. The drum sounds were so wrong. To be honest, the team around these recordings were a bunch of self celebrating studio churls. Hacks basically having their moment in the sun. Damn shame. Because live, these bands ripped down anything in their way.
Real drums. That’s it. The processed drums fucked it all up. Someone should remix all these records, take off that ghastly wash of cheap studio technology. Because the foundation is here, on every last one.
Bootsy producing ‘Trouble’. Great call.
Now Bootsy, you need to remix and reclaim this.
Tags: 4th & Broadway, Bootsy Collins, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, EU, Go Go, Island, Mass Extension, MCA, Redds & The Boys, The Ritz, Trouble Funk
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Monday, April 4th, 2011
Listen: Jungle Bass / Bootsy’s Rubber Band
Jungle Bass / Bootsy's Rubber Band
In late ’89, Victoria Clare from Island Publishing in Los Angeles brought forth the idea of signing Bootsy Collins’ latest copyrights, and as I recall, was curious if the label side might be interested as well. I was up for hearing it either way, so she pouched me a cassette.
He’d basically recorded what turned into the JUNGLE BASS EP and circulated the tracks as a demo. At the time it all seemed perfectly out of step/in step with the moment, meaning Bootsy’s Rubber Band had been dormant long enough to shake off the stink of declining sales in their heyday, replacing it all with comeback potential. Whether by design or not, Bootsy was keen to revive the band’s name and begin trading once again as Bootsy’s Rubber Band. Without much deliberation, everyone at Island was on board and off we went.
Bootsy was one awesome sweetheart to work with. In no time, he assembled Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and the core team. Mudbone Cooper was on front-ground vocals and Bootsy himself, suddenly self proclaimed as The Megabasstron Magus Lord Of The Riff for the studio logs, performed space bass, guitar, drums, black noise, unsamples and vocals. Someone named Boot-tron got the robot vocal credit for fun as well.
I do wish I’d saved some of his voicemails to the home phone. They usually started with “Hey Kev, it’s Bootsy baby”. This guy is a higher form of life, and he’s calling me at home. Sick.
God bless English record labels. They’ve persevered with thick, deep grooved 7″ pressings in non-flimsy picture sleeves to this day. It was a close call, but Island’s UK office hesitantly agreed to a ‘Jungle Bass’ 7″, all 13:10 minutes of it.
How can anyone not love this record? I’ve never found a person who didn’t thankfully. The press and UK fans certainly went for it big time, and presto – a few nights at Hammersmith Odeon went on sale.
Listen: Disciples Of Funk / Bootsy’s Rubber Band
Disciples Of Funk / Bootsy's Rubber Band
Bootsy is publicly known to avoid all forms of air travel, having been on a Concord flight back in the day that plunged to 10,000 feet and miraculously landed safely. This encounter was relayed to me by the man himself. So, when a few weeks after that run of London shows, I looked up to find Bootsy standing in my office doorway, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Inquiring what’s up, why was he in town, I discover he’s just back from England. Okay, did you spend some time there after the show?
“No, I took the QE2 home.”
I’m thinking, I know you don’t fly, but you gotta fly to and from England. Does overseas really count if you’re a non-flyer? Indeed it does.
Personally, I fear the ocean. But the ocean at night, that’s even scarier. Therefore, you’ll always find me trying to take a daytime flight and get over there or back before dark.
“Bootsy, aren’t you in fear of the ocean too?”
“Yeah Kev. But it’s the lesser of two evils. Ya see I can swim a little, but I can’t fly at all.”
Never ever did Boosty not have a hilariously logical comment about every last thing. He just pukes ‘em up.
Which brings me to the single’s B side ‘Disciples Of Funk’. Lyrically full of Bootsy-isms. The guy’s well just never runs dry. If the “You’re the best boyfrien…” intro isn’t enough, a smattering of other Bootsy one liners from the song are proof: “Bebop and boogie woogie baby”, “Don’t funk with my funk”, “It’s time to put some bass in that bottom baby”.
Luckily, nowadays, Bootsy is never out of style. I’ve called on him several times through the years since JUNGLE BASS, for co-writes, features, sessions, production. Within days, he’s back with more than needed. Great work ethic. Great soul. One of a kind.
Tags: 4th & Broadway, Bootsy Collins, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Fred Wesley, Gary Mudbone Cooper, Island, Maceo Parker, Victoria Clare
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Friday, March 11th, 2011
Listen: Eye Know / De La Soul
Eye Know / De La Soul
When I worked at Island in the late 80′s, the whole UK office were nuts about hip hop, most of them that is. When they’d visit New York for CMJ, or maybe it was called the New Music Seminar then, it would be straight to lower Broadway to buy sneaks and the East Village to see bands, all the while thinking they were steeped in hip hop culture. Pretty funny. Grass is always greener. I was just as guilty of acid house, or Brit pop as it cringingly got coined. De La Soul was top of the list for them all. They’d go on about De La this, De La that, like De La clothes and De La haircuts. It was a bit embarrassing. I suppose the lure of ghetto life was no different then than my attraction to it ten years earlier, whether it be Blaxploitation or funk. So fair enough.
Listen: Peg / Steely Dan
Peg / Steely Dan
I tell you what, my effort to avoid them failed, and De La Soul became a bit of a guilty pleasure. A double pleasure really, as it got me to lower my guard against Steely Dan. During their heyday, I was way more interested in The Buzzcocks or The Heartbreakers than all their polish. Taste changes with age, mine widens in fact. Because of ‘Eye Know’ I suddenly realized my affection for the sampled hook from ‘Peg’.
And I found I do love a nice UK pressed Steely Dan 7″, especially the promos.
Tags: Big Life, CMJ, De La Soul, Island, New Music Seminar, Steely Dan, The Buzzcocks, The Heartbreakers, Tommy Boy
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