Listen: Some Guys Have All The Luck / Junior Tucker JuniorTuckerSomeGuys.mp3
This is plain and simple a great single. I seem to recall someone once referring to him as the Michael Jackson of reggae, no doubt due to a similar vocal tone. I got to put together a couple of THIS IS REGGAE MUSIC volumes while at Island and included this on #5, basically a collection of hits done in a reggae style. Even Rod Stewart’s mainstream success of the song did it justice.
Listen: Bank Robbery / John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis & Taj Mahal HotSpot.mp3
This couldn’t have a more politically correct cast of characters. In addition to the players, there’s Jack Nitzsche and Dennis Hopper. One could confuse this as a tasty, well hip selection to post. But let me tell you, not only is this a great single regardless who’s on it – it’s amazing that it’s a single at all. Not many labels in the 90′s would’ve pressed this onto a 7″. I cherish my copy, and with a picture sleeve to boot.
From the soundtrack to THE HOT SPOT, Chris Blackwell picked it up for release when the cult film was doing the Sundance circuit. I remember him asking me if I thought he’d overpaid for it. Not one person in the office could stop listening to it for weeks. Overpaid? No way.
Listen: Is This What I Get For Loving You? / Marianne Faithfull MarianneIsThis.mp3
They all wanted to produce like Phil Spector back then – even Andrew Loog Oldham. I’m not quite sure if Andrew ever really produced despite his label credits, and this comes from both conversations with him and his press, not necessarily my observation. As this single clearly demonstrates, there was more than good intention required in order to reproduce Phil’s special sound.
Having said that, I still love Marianne and Andrew’s version. It got some play in my hometown (see chart), always sounded great on the radio and I must have played this baby 500 times in the day.
More on Marianne down the road. We became close friends during my days at Island, made some great albums together and found time to have some fun rides. Soon come.
Listen: Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah / The Pogues PoguesYeahmp3.mp3
Somehow I ended up working with The Pogues at Island. It all happened so quickly, I honestly can’t remember much about the deal. I was going through one of those blurry stages – spending a bunch of time in London during the acid house days so…..
But definitely a fun, fun bunch. Their managers at the time, Frank Murray and Joey Cashman (who’s still with them), were as big a riot as the band. Never hassled the label to get them airplay, or do anything really, just make sure the records were in the stores and the press was covering it. Piece of cake. The reputation of the band did the rest. Their live business was always through the roof – still is. Seeing them in a few weeks and as always, it’ll be a great night out.
When this single was delivered, I thought it might get some play. We scheduled it straight off – not a usual response when a track isn’t part of an existing or upcoming album. Conveniently, US alternative radio was going mainstream then (’89) – and indeed it got some attention. The video deserved more looks but MTV was changing, and not really representing the street. Never mind, they did fine without it.
That’s Frank Murray introducing them:
Listen: Cokane In My Brain / Dillinger DillingerCokane.mp3
The misspelling fooled no one. This was the drug song of choice for eons. I’ll never forget that first listen.
Listen: Book Of Rules / The Heptones HeptonesBook.mp3
Listen: Book Of Rules (Version) / The Heptones HeptonesBookVersion.mp3
Listen: Sufferer's Time / The Heptones HeptonesSuffer.mp3
Listen: Sufferer's Dub / The Upsetters UpsettersSufferersDub.mp3
Two double siders.
‘Book Of Rules (Version)’ whomps ‘Book Of Rules’, the designated A side. Too much ear candy. Yet being a seminal song, it’s still a million times better than most everything else.
‘Sufferer’s Time’ and it’s B side ‘Sufferer’s Dub’ (credited only to The Upsetters), are Scratch at his most prolific, those Black Ark years when he did no wrong. How great is a world whereby this gets released on 7″ vinyl?
Listen: Stealer / Free FreeStealer.mp3
Listen: Travellin In Style / Free FreeTravelin.mp3
Free had terrible luck with followups. I’ve always been a bigger fan of the single that came just after the big hit, there are endless examples. Used to say if I loved it – the act was in trouble – at least I know how to read my own barometer.
Free did it twice. ‘All Right Now’ was a monster global hit in May ’70. I still can’t listen to it all these years later – and I love the song. Unfortunately, you couldn’t escape it, almost to the level of ‘Good Vibrations’ or ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ in being hammered into a negative impression by radio. FIRE AND WATER, the album from which it came, was full of classic Free. The followup long player, HIGHWAY, seemed prime to do even better. It’s a better record too – I still maintain that. ‘Stealer’ was the lead single, and everyone had high hopes. They were selling more tickets than ever, their sound was now signature, with Andy Fraser’s bass strutting the songs forward and Paul Rodgers voice unmistakeable. Even the US label A&M thought it was in the bag, ordering a full color picture sleeve to house the 7″, not common in those days. Then plunk – didn’t even chart in the UK. What a shock. It stalled at #49 here – US radio would never touch them again.
Despite some occasional, and solid UK hits (‘Little Bit Of Love’, ‘My Brother Jake’), it wasn’t until ’73 that Free scored another big rock UK Top 10, this time from their solid HEARTBREAKER album, a bit of a comeback, regrouped, rejuvinated Free. ‘Wishing Well’ was as stormer, and just a perfect bit eerie, reaching #7 in January. One of the many top songs from that LP, ‘Travellin In Style’ was chosen as the followup. It’s loose, bar room sloppiness felt right in the ‘My Brother Jake’ pocket. Oh no, again plunk. Not a blip of sell through. Oddly enough a hard one to find in good shape.
Listen: Play That Thing / Scratchmo Scratchmo.mp3
I still get a kick out of this one-off. I don’t really remember who put it together, but Julian Palmer at Island UK signed/released it – and sent me an advance when I did A&R for the US company. Proceeding to pretty quickly schedule it as a 12″, I think he was shocked. Early mix of mashup and acid house, it all sounds a bit novelty now. Thankfully, Julian released this on 7″ as well as 12″. The Louis Armstrong angle attracted me. I was very in to his aqua kitchen that I’d seen pictures of at the time. Handy for Scratchmo that I was going thru a Satchmo phase.
Listen: Heartattack And Vine / Tom Waits TomWaitsHeartattack.mp3
Listen: Frank's Wild Years / Tom Waits TomWaitsFrank.mp3
Dilapidated Hollywood motels like the long gone Sunset-Orange, where the vacancy sign’s on/off flicker kept you from sleeping all night (I tried it once), hookers doubling as strippers clothed only in pasties and G strings (check out the sleeve of his SMALL CHANGE album), the hangover after taste of a night in the French Quarter, that grizzly homicide in the Mohave desert near Las Vegas, the freeform delivery of The Last Poets, the acquired taste for Louis Armstrong’s voice, the romantically inviting booze, pills and dope cocktail. Just some of the images he conjures up in my pea sized brain. It must sound like I’ve just taken a continuing education class in creative writing. No, I’m just putting into words they way I hear Tom Waits, most of them are his. A more cinematic songwriter/performer I can’t really think of. Can you believe this recipe could make it onto several 7″ singles……what a great world we live in.
Listen: Power And The Glory / Eddie & The Hot Rods
Power
Either you have it or you don’t. Eddie & The Hot Rods always did, despite little commercial success in the US pointing otherwise. When they returned to tour during summer ’08, it was made clear their cult rep was well in tact, with a sizable audience of very young kids freaking out up front. And live, well as powerful as ever. Those that will remember can verify they could tear apart a stage in the late 70′s.
I stumbled on them during ’76, pre-punk. One of the Canvey Island bands that included Dr. Feelgood and Ducks Deluxe, their lightning speed attack was a huge attraction. I was the PD of WITR, Rochester Institute Of Technology’s radio station at the time. I dropped a quick letter to Island UK about the reaction we were getting from the band’s EP, LIVE AT THE MARQUEE. It landed with Howard Thompson who’d signed them. We became close friends as a result, and he eventually hired me at Elektra. I’d still be stuck in upstate New York had it not been for him and that letter.
As for Eddie & The Hot Rods, I became a bit of a stalker. Happy about that too as it meant getting to see them many times, at BBC sessions, UK TV shows, in the studio. Great guys and Barrie Master is still a pal. The great news being their power on stage has never waned. That hasn’t changed, and oddly, neither has Barrie. Not one less hair on his head nor one pound more on his bones. Voice as strong as in the day. He even wore the same pair of white jeans as he did at CBGB’s in ’77. Amazing.
Listen: Conscious Man / The Jolly Brothers 01 Conscious Man 1.mp3
There’s a story about this record, told to me many times by Duane Sherwood, who knows all there is to know reggae-wise. It forever gets cloudy in my memory, but here goes. There was a period when Lee Perry’s relationship with Island Records in London was going south as they were rejecting many of his submissions, due to the sheer volume of his output. It lead him to burn down his Black Ark studios, but not before making some of the most historic reggae recordings ever. One such rejection was The Congos album, an original Jamaican copy will set you back. It’s been beautifully reissued by Blood & Fire, but you can never replicate the sound of recycled Jamaican deep groove vinyl, hence the quest for the original.
Then there’s this, The Jolly Brothers ‘Conscious Man’. Scratch was so annoyed by Island, he apparently never even offered them The Jolly Brothers master. He just licensed it off to United Artists in England, and it became a hit. For whatever reasons, those early pressings don’t even credit his production, but it only takes one listen.
It was everywhere during an October ’78 London trip, when we’d stayed at Howard’s place in Hammersmith and did the town with him every night. I remember finding the picture sleeved copy at Harlequin Records just off Marble Arch. Never saw another.
Listen: Nervous System / Killing Joke 01 Nervous System.mp3
There’s something about this first single, I think it’s their best. I seem to remember it being out alongside PIL’s ‘Poptones’. Despite their similarities, found them both to be neck in neck favorites for a good while. Some folks disagree, but it’s obvious they really did have a heavy hand in Industrial.
Listen: Continental Mind / Ernestine Anderson ErnestineContinentalMind.mp3
A traditional jazz vocalist from the get go, she fell nicely into the mid 60′s Mod scene due in no small part to her association with Sue Records. Guy Stevens ran this Island imprint for Chris Blackwell and it’s catalog was flawless, focusing on the raw and brazen US RnB/smokey keyboard jazz stuff of the day. Years later, this one would be considered trendy bachelor pad fare. At 80 years old, she still performs – and will be in New York Feb 9-14. Do yourself a favor, check out this footage:
Listen: Goodbye Little Boy / The Triffids 04 Goodbye Little Boy.mp3
Credit goes to Blondie for introducing the 60′s girl group sound to the next generation. There are so many moments when a band just can’t resist letting it all hang out, and going retro for the fun of it. Everyone from Billy Joel (‘Uptown Girls’) to Personal Effects (‘End Of The World’) have done it flawlessly. So did The Triffids with ‘Goodbye Little Boy’. They were signed to Island when I worked for the label, and made a couple of great albums, both embarrassingly ignored in the US, but getting much traction in the UK and of course in their native Australia. They played NY one time, and were super great. Really fun people too. I just loved them. This one-off sounding throwback sat perfectly on their BLACK SWAN album, although sounding nothing like the other tracks. Please search it out – very worth owning.
Listen: We’ll Be Right Back / Steinski & Mass Media SteinskiWellBeRightBack.mp3
There’s a nice interview with Steve Stein in the December 2008 issue of RECORD COLLECTOR. It reminded me of the two Steinski singles Fourth & Broadway released, and so I went to play them, not having heard either for ages. They are a vivid soundbite of all that cut up stuff happening in both hip hop and dance but sound a bit dated now. ‘Pump Up The Volume’ was the unexpected mainstream smash from the bunch. Despite reaching Number 1 in Billboard, it lost a stack, as none of the samples had been cleared. Island were way more careful when releasing Bomb The Bass ‘Beat Dis’. Both singles were great, but those in the know claim without Steinski & Mass Media’s ‘We’ll Be Right Back’ from the year prior, they might not have existed. So just maybe this started it all.
Listen: Did I Come Back Too Soon? / Swamp Dogg 01 Did I Come Back Too Soon_.mp3
Seemingly an ever present bargain bin resident, like everyone else, I just passed all his releases by in the day. Then I read he and Jerry Williams were one in the same. Wait, the Jerry Williams who had produced Inez & Charlie Foxx? It pays to read label credits.
Before that stuff vanished from those bins for good, I picked up a bunch. It was down and dirty. I liked this guy.
The great list of singles he’s written or produced or both is pretty impressive: ZZ Hill, Patti La Belle & The Bluebells, Arthur Conley, Ruth Brown, Gene Pitney etc etc. Being the Inez & Charlie freak, stalker, that I am, he’s a saint in my book, having co-written my all time favorite ‘(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days’.
In the 70′s he signed to Island, and released a great album from which they pulled two singles. This is one, with a fun story line that sounds as country as it does funky – was oddly a US B side but UK A side. If only it had been a hit.
Check out the CD compilation of his work on Ace: Blame It On The Dogg – The Swamp Dogg Anthology.
Listen: King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown / Augustus Pablo King Tubby Meets The Rocker.mp3
Often credited as one of the singles to open up reggae and dub to the world outside of Jamaica, this record and Augustus Pablo have a twisted history. Duane educates me on it’s varying specifics: the vocalist here is actually Jacob Miller who achieved some notoriety with Inner Circle and Augustus Pablo somehow was able to make off with the rights to this sorta instrumental, sorta dub version and release it as his own.
Well whatever, it’s a classic. Might be the first reggae single that I actively sought out after a glowing review in one of the UK music papers, SOUNDS. Not only because it got the lead review and you could trust them in those days, but the description. Whatever it was as I don’t recall exactly but I do remember needing this record because of it. It was so worth it.
Listen: Strictly For The Beat / The Executives 01 Strictly For The Beat.mp3
This could be the title track or endless bed music for any black and white 60′s British spy or youth film. It reeks of teens dancing to beat groups. I used it as the theme song to a radio show I did years ago – then lifted the title for a compilation CD we released on Island years later. A fellow named Roy Carr, who was quite a respected music journalist in the 70′s, was a member. It’s still a fun one to listen to.
Listen: Happy New Year / Beverley 01 Happy New Year (01) (01) 1.mp3
The year was 1966. UK Decca are about to launch their hip subsidiary Deram. The first release was a now period piece by Beverley, before she married John Martyn and became one half of the Island act, John & Beverley Martyn. ‘Happy New Year’ was the first of two solo singles, both on Deram and both produced by Denny Cordell. The record is so ‘live’ and was mastered so loudly – it’s just the ultimate vinyl sound with some very extreme production ideas – not out of line for Denny Cordell.
Luckily I got to work with him years later at Island. He was just full of stories and info. Never a day would pass without him dropping some tidbit my way. He knew I was a trainspotter and fed it well. You know the loud techno sound in The Move’s ‘I Can Hear The Grass Grow’ at exactly 2:08? I asked him once how he got such an other worldy electronic sonic back then. He simply raised his two little fingers to the corners of his mouth and whistled. Exactly like on the single. Awesome.
Somehow, when I worked for Elektra in ‘84/’85 , Womack & Womack passed me by. They’d had some hits in the UK for the label, which should have tipped me off that I’d be interested. Here in the US, they never could get any traction at RnB or Pop stations. I still find it baffling. The Elektra singles ‘Love Wars’ and ‘Strange And Funny’ were great, and seemed to fit the sound of urban radio just fine. Nonetheless……no go at US radio. Like W&W, I moved to Island in ‘88. What a coincidence. And a repeat of the big UK/no US success pattern continued for them. This time I noticed. They were an interesting bunch, not only Cecil and Linda (who are W&W), but all the kids and their parents; the whole lot were on stage with them and seemingly constantly by their side. I was sitting in Chris Blackwell’s office when the cover slick for their only Island album came up from the art department for his approval. He was credited as producer, and immediately asked the assistant delivering the slick, ‘Why am I listed as producer?’. Her logical response was, ‘That’s how the credits came in from Linda’. He looked at me and said, ’I’ve never even met them!’. She proceeded to chase down the confusion. Strange and funny indeed. Cecil’s first wife was Mary Wells and second, Linda Cooke – Sam Cooke’s daughter. Not a bad run. His brother of course, is Bobby. Some family right?. All of their albums are worth owning, especially CONSCIENCE, from which this track comes. It may have a touch of ‘80 sonics, but it never fails to raise the question: ‘Who is this?’, even from the most knowledgeable.
