SO MANY RECORDS, SO LITTLE TIME

April 25th, 2011

Propellerheads / Les Rythmes Digitales

Listen: Take California / Propellerheads
Take California / Propellerheads

In ’96, Wall Of Sound released Propellerheads ‘Take California’. The label had been set up by Mark Jones and Marc Lessner not long before, and had quickly become dependable.

‘Take California’ was one of many singles Gary Crowley played me at his Maida Vale apartment on that London trip. His place was a favorite stop as he gave the best crash course when it came to anything new and worthwhile.

Located literally across the street from the studios used by the BBC to record their live sessions ever since the 50′s, I’d stand in his front bay windows and in my head flip through the almost endless list of acts that walked through those very doorways ahead, as he’d spin his favorite recent releases, always a bit mesmerized by both.

Mind you, it was a pretty good time for dance and electronic music 1996. Much like punk in it’s heyday, there were loads of fun singles coming out weekly. On that visit, Gary played me ‘Take California’ really loud, and it was a jolt. Bless him, I hardly finished asking, before he promptly rang and set me up. Seriously, about an hour later, I was in a cab making my way toward South London to meet Mark Jones at Wall Of Sound’s Farm Lane office. The next night, Gary and I were at Ministry Of Sound to meet Marc Lessner, and see the Propellerheads live. It all happened that fast.

Jonesy, as he likes to be called and we all like to call him, hoisted a stack of records my way, talked for a good two hours and made plans to try working Wall Of Sound into a deal through Columbia for America. I couldn’t wait to take “Take California’ back home and play it for everyone, including Donnie Ienner, our chairman.

His response: “There’s no vocal.”

“Well, that’s the point.” But in fairness, Donnie wanted to explore the idea of representing the label in the US, and we proceeded to try.

Never did succeed, and Jonesy never did find a US partner.

Listen: Kontakte / Les Rythmes Digitales
Kontakte / Les Rythmes Digitales

One of those early Wall Of Sound acts were Les Rythmes Digitales. In essence, it was one guy, Stuart Price. Nice kid, great writer, great producer, great head of spiked out bright red dyed hair. Known professionally at the time as Jacques Lu Cont, as with Les Rythmes Digitales, both names were initially an attempt at attaching to the then current vogue for French house. Stuart went on to great success.

‘Kontakte’ traded on the darker side of dance, similar to Dr. Octagon, and the track would have probably suited 4hero’s ‘Mr. Kirk’s Nightmare’ better as it’s musical bed.

A very nicely packaged, and scarce, 7″ this.

Posted in 4hero, BBC, Columbia, Donnie Ienner, Dr. Octagon, Gary Crowley, Les Rythmes Digitales, Marc Lessner, Mark Jones, Ministry Of Sound, Propellerheads, Wall Of Sound |

April 24th, 2011

Nero & The Gladiators

Listen: Entry Of The Gladiators / Nero & The Gladiators
Entry Of The Gladiators / Nero & The Gladiators

The mystique of the early 60′s is impossible to shake. A constant return to it seems my endless circle. Instrumentals were a lot more abundant then, as A side singles that is. Electronic and dance records nowadays don’t count. No one expects them to go Top 40.

I’d always assumed Nero & The Gladiators were produced by Joe Meek. These early 60′s singles don’t even mention producers. In fact, label copy went downhill once more than the producer needed crediting. A nice, minimal information label still looks the best.

Come to find out, Joe Meek only did a non-Nero Gladiators single ‘Tovaritch’, their final release in ’63. It’s the intro on this one, ‘Entry Of The Gladiators’ that led me to assume otherwise.

There’s a lot detail involving this band’s musicians through the years: Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Ivy League, The Flowerpot Men. In fact, Mike O’Neill, Nero himself, was an original member of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, playing organ in their initial four piece lineup during Fall ’66.

Posted in Decca, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Joe Meek, Mike O'Neill, Nero & The Gladiators, The Flowerpot Men, The Ivy League, The Jimi Hendrix Experience |

April 23rd, 2011

Pixies

Listen: Here Comes Your Man / Pixies
Here Comes Your Man / Pixies

‘Here Comes Your Man’ was released as a 7″ either right before or straight after ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’. Regardless, together they were the band’s crowning 45rpm singles moment. Surprisingly, both were Top 5 Modern Rock hits in the US. Well maybe not so shocking, there was a patch in the late 80′s and early 90′s when alternative stuff was pretty mainstream. Some even went Top 40.

A bunch of us coined their sound as plinky plinky, which in a more just world, should be recognized as a genre. The band seemingly had an intentional refusal to evolve into more complex musicians. The simplicity became a charm that wore thin eventually.

Suddenly, The Pixies upside was dwarfed. Despite the scene they rolled with, ‘Here Comes Your Man’ forced the band out of the comfortable underground space and into pop. Great songs, but their indie inflexibility was too off putting for a mainstream ear, and they never did cross over, which is a real drag. Feels like they had a ton of great singles in them.

This is my opinion totally, but I’d bet money on it.

Posted in 4AD, Pixies |

April 22nd, 2011

The Chiffons

Listen: Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On (In My Mind But Me) / The Chiffons
Listen: Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) / The Chiffons

’67 is generally credited as the year of psychedelia, but easily ’66 was when the arrangements that became quite specific to the sound started, as with ‘Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On (In My Mind But Me)’. Often, this record gets included on psychedelic/girl group lists.

The Chiffions had bigger hits, but I do remember this, along with The Dixie Cups ‘Iko Iko’ and The Shangri-Las ‘Past, Present And Future’ initially grabbing my ear as being very different and dark, not only for the time but for each of their respective outputs.

Considered by some to be their best single. Agreed.

Posted in Laurie Records, Stateside, The Chiffons, The Dixie Cups, The Shangri-Las |

April 20th, 2011

Bernie & The Buzz Band

Listen: Don’t Knock It / Bernie & The Buzz Band
Don't Knock It / Bernie & The Buzz Band

It’s easy to understand the addiction to Deram Records that so many collectors have, when you have it yourself that is.

The brown and white retail label design is as equally weak knee inducing as it’s turquoise and white promotional label sister. The craziest titles command the craziest money on the rare records circuit, usually without rhyme or reason beyond being on Deram. To be fair, much of the label’s obscure stuff is pretty consistent, as in, always expensive.

Take Bernie & The Buzz Band for example. Little is known about them. Noel Walker, label house producer of sorts, ended up with that chore. Based on his then current and successful releases with The Amen Corner, the pairing makes sense.

Nice quick in, quick out, four hour session at the Decca Studios I’m guessing. A very mono mix, a coincidentally similar to Andy Fairweather Low lead vocal, soul horns and soul bv’s interpret a lesser known Isaac Hayes / David Porter tune. There you have it, a £40 collectible.

Posted in Andy Fairweather Low, Bernie & The Buzz Band, David Porter, Deram, Isaac Hayes, Noel Walker, The Amen Corner |

April 19th, 2011

Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

Listen: Dawn / Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
Dawn / Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

A perfectly beautiful late Sunday afternoon in London during November to me is cold, damp and drizzly, with plenty of grey. It was one such day in ’07 that Roger and I made our way to the long standing Agra Indian Restaurant on Whitfield Street just near the Warren Street tube station after a long day at his big wooden kitchen table, rigged up with a turntable, his 45 library room at arm’s reach, post that morning’s Record Fair on Great Portland Street.

Agra has been around for decades, and by many standards, needs a proper remolding. Not mine though. A half step down off the sidewalk onto the tatty, sticky carpet, the main room complete with that old England smell, convinces me the place has serious history. It’s too close to hundreds of historic music landmarks not to. Capitol Radio was just the other side of the tube, Jonathan King’s UK Records office on Warren at Whitfield, University College where David Bowie & The Lower Third, The Riot Squad, and Timebox amongst so many others played, not to mention the square adjacent, the precise spot where The Syn did their photo shoot on the tarmac of Whitfield Place.

Yikes.

Oh yeah, the food is great too. Not all fusion fussy and overly decorated. Not decorated at all really, just old fashioned home style Indian. Despite being about two blocks from where I lived that summer ’73, it wasn’t until decades later that Roger introduced me to the place. We took our time, covered a lot, as we do.

Upon our exit, what better than to find Chris Farlowe at that very first table, right near the doorway, sitting in front of a spread fit for three people. Apparently, he lives with his Mom just down the block. More history in the making.

Posted in Capitol Radio, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, David Bowie & The Lower Third, Immediate, Jonathan King, Roger Armstrong, The Riot Squad, The Syn, Timebox, UK Records |

April 18th, 2011

The Raeletts

Listen: Leave My Man (Woman) Alone / The Raeletts
Leave My Man (Woman) Alone / The Raeletts

Having developed a liking for early Ray Charles records meant the net was cast, and all things remotely related dragged in. Enter The Raeletts. Although sometimes referred to as The Raelettes, depending on which single you’re holding, various early members are mentioned/not mentioned in the their lineup. The more famous, like Mable John, Merry Clayton and Minnie Riperton, all got a run for their money by vocalist Vernita Moss, more often than not, criminally overlooked.

Her ad libs on ‘Leave My Man (Woman) Alone’ are priceless, seldom heard on record at that time. Tangerine, Ray Charles’ imprint, released some raw and earthy records in the late 60′s/early 70′s patch, and this is one. Relegated to the B side didn’t mean it could hide for long.

This copy was shipped in the above company sleeve. One side of which is an all white front, revealing the record’s label copy through a standard, circular hole, while the back is a uncut, color picture of the generic Tangerine artwork.

The Raeletts appeared many times on US television, including THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, many times with Vernita Moss.

Posted in Mable John, Merry Clayton, Minnie Riperton, Ray Charles, Tangerine, The Midnight Special, The Raeletts, Vernita Moss |

April 17th, 2011

Jack Nitzsche

Listen: The Lonely Surfer / Jack Nitzsche
The Lonely Surfer / Jack Nitzsche

Somewhere in this collection a US copy of ‘The Lonely Surfer’ lurks. Must have taken it out to dj with, because my recollection of it sounding huge and rather scary through the sound system at Brooklyn Bowl is quite vivid.

The sport of surfing was not big in the UK, nor was the musical genre, unsurprisingly. Given that UK pressings of surf singles are thin on the ground, finding this Jack Nitzsche 7″ in a tattered box of 45′s on a freezing October morning along the Portobello Road market indeed felt quite the anomaly.

Jack himself, well he was so entrenched in LA’s recording scene during the early 60′s that coining the ultimate surf anthem isn’t really a shocker. His many credits often included arrangements, something no one really does these days, not exclusively and certainly not for money. The guy kept a lot of plates in the air, working with Phil Spector at Philles, organizing THE TAMI SHOW, taking Doris Day to #1 in the pop charts, arranging for The Rolling Stones when they were at the RCA studios and managing to keep up a solo career on Reprise. There alone his array of releases included Chopin style renditions of then current pop hits to, well, surf anthems like ‘The Lonely Surfer’.

Having arranged and orchestrated Ike & Tina Turner’s ‘River Deep – Mountain High’ would be a pretty daunting accomplishment for anyone to top, but in many ways that’s exactly what he does on ‘The Lonely Surfer’. From the title to the eerie horns, he’s captured a dark and alarming side of the supposedly sunshine and fun theme. Sorry but this record has always reminded me of seedy old Hollywood, the unsolved Bobby Fuller murder and Sal Mineo’s as well.

By the way, ever noticed that some of the best surf records have the most unhappy horn bits on them.

Posted in Bobby Fuller Four, Doris Day, Ike & Tina Turner, Jack Nitzsche, Phil Spector, Philles, Reprise, Tami Show, The Rolling Stones |

April 16th, 2011

Bobo Mr. Soul

Listen: Hitchhike To Heartbreak Road / Bobo Mr. Soul
Hitchhike To Heartbreak Road / Bobo Mr. Soul

A story for Record Store Day.

A happy garage sale find this one. It was Whitestone, a typically bad place to find anything. But I was in the neighborhood having trolled better surroundings earlier that morning, and was on a mission. A lesson concerning garage sales I’d taught myself many times prior, never assume what’s on the driveway or lawn is telling you the whole story.

Case in point, after inquiring had they any records, the mom goes into the farthest reaches of the garage and pulls out a hollow glass wall brick that’s packed with about thirty 7″ singles, a perfect fit. They were all London and London label orange swirl promos from the early 70′s. ‘Headloss’ by Caravan was one, and a whole bunch of Hi releases the others. The grilling began instantaneously but alas, no family member ever worked for the company, no other records were in the house and no one had a recollection where they even originated from. Guess they fell out of heaven.

‘Hitchhike To Heartbreak Road’ was first to hit the turntable at home later. How perfect, it’s immediate Northern intro validated an official find and a day most well spent.

Written by Phillip Mitchell, could that be brother to Hi Records staff and alumni Willie Mitchell? Logical assumption but wrong, sort of. According to a published Phillip Mitchell interview, although not an immediate relative, a possible distant one. Who knows, he didn’t really seem to.

Bobo Mr. Jones was the early moniker for Beau Williams, now a gospel artist, after a spell in the mid 80′s for Capitol Records. When Phillip Mitchell was signed to Hi as an artist in the early 70′s, he brought in a version of ‘Hitchhike To Heartbreak Road’ he’d recorded and produced earlier by Curtis Wiggins but with Beau’s vocal re-singing Curtis’ parts instead. The label decided to give this new update a release.

According to Phillip Mitchell: “Curtis was a very similar singer and I produced the record for him in Muscle Shoals. However, we never got a chance to get a deal for it. I then brought in Beau Williams. We called him Bobo Mr. Soul, dubbed his voice on the track and shopped it with Hi Records.”

Lucky for us.

Posted in Beau Williams, Bobo Mr Soul, Canned Heat, Capitol, Caravan, Hi, London Records, Northern Soul, ZZ Hill |

April 15th, 2011

Ann Peebles

Listen: I Don’t Lend My Man / Ann Peebles
I Don't Lend My Man / Ann Peebles

Hi Records, with their Willie Mitchell led house band, not many labels had anything on them. Between Hi and Stax, the 70′s must have been a fantastic time to live and play in Memphis.

Always having a major soft spot for London Records, and the UK parent company Decca, meant I was interested in all their subsidiaries: Parrot, Deram, Tribe, Press and, despite a very different sound and roster, Hi. I have never passed up a Hi single at a garage or church sale. Can’t physically do it. And if it’s in the company sleeve, well forget it. As a result over the years, I’ve got loads of extras, so many Al Greens, for instance. Hey, they always come in handy: the jukebox, new friends, new neighbors, copies if I ever get that summer house.

Plus it’s led to amassing some crazy obscurities: Big Amos, Quiet Elegance, Bobo Mr. Soul, Erma Coffee, Gene Bowlegs Miller. It’s really how I got hooked on Ann Peebles, collecting the label. Probably owned two or three singles before properly checking her out. Then bang. Her’s is a real treasure trove of material. No denying the greatness of ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’. But when she veers toward the Millie Jackson lyrical sass, that’s when I love her most. ‘I Don’t Lend My Man’ – that title tells you everything you’re about to hear before you start.

Posted in Ann Peebles, Big Amos, Bobo Mr Soul, Decca, Deram, Erma Coffee, Gene Bowlegs Miller, Hi, London Records, Parrot, Press, Quiet Elegance, Stax, Tribe, Willie Mitchell |

April 14th, 2011

Dillinger

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.

Posted in Black Swan, Dillinger, Island, Lee Perry, Linton Kwesi Johnson |

April 13th, 2011

Davie Jones & The King Bees

Listen: Liza Jane / Davie Jones & The King Bees
Liza Jane / Davie Jones & The King Bees

If you don’t succeed, try try again. That’s the story of David Bowie. Took him five long years, a lifetime in youth, to get his first hit with ‘Space Oddity’. Even that was looking like a one hit wonder story waiting to unfold for a few years thereafter. He made a lot of great singles in that initial window, starting with ‘Liza Jane’.

It’s hard to challenge ‘The London Boys’ from ’66 as the ultimate snapshot of that city’s beat group culture, although ‘Liza Jane’ comes close. The song, like the band, rubs shoulders with Them, The Birds and a good half of UK Decca’s roster in the day.

Posted in David Bowie, Davie Jones & The King Bees, Decca, The Birds, Them |

April 11th, 2011

The Ethiopians / Roy Shirley / Lyn Taitt & His Band / King Perry

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.

Posted in Island, King Perry, Lyn Taitt & His Band, Madness, Roy Shirley, Sue Records, The Ethiopians, The Specials |

April 10th, 2011

Debbie Taylor

Listen: Check Yourself / Debbie Taylor
Check Yourself / Debbie Taylor

Last seen or heard from on Arista in ’75, a final label stop having drifted from pillar to post when it came to record companies. Literally last seen or heard. There seems to have been no contact with her since and mystery surrounds Debbie Taylor’s whereabouts.

Her first two releases came in ’68 for US Decca. A vocalist with obvious deep south church training, the second of those, Isaac Hayes and David Porter’s ‘Check Yourself’ was a most sought after want for many years.

Did a good deed today and recycled two huge boxes of old phones, old computers and every imaginable, why do I own this, power chord/converter/charger at the local library’s Green Drive a few blocks away. Feeling great relief at handing off the load to an over happy volunteer, I thought I’d browse their book sale. Maybe an old Billboard or Cashbox lurked amongst the magazine section. Lo and behold, a box of records, 10¢ each/12 for $1….first one I pull out, ‘Check Yourself’ by Debbie Taylor, dressed perfectly in the original Decca company sleeve.

God beamed down on me once again. Thank you Lord.

Posted in Arista, Billboard, Cashbox, David Porter, Debbie Taylor, Decca, Isaac Hayes |

April 8th, 2011

The Boo Radleys

Listen: Wake Up Boo / The Boo Radleys
Wake Up Boo / The Boo Radleys

The Boo Radleys never entered my life before ‘Wake Up Boo’, and I must say they never did again. No idea what they look like, how many members there are, if they still exist, nothing. A fleeting comet.

One thing for sure, when I heard this, midday on Radio 1, it was like nothing else before it. Pumped up Squeeze with horns….on helium. I was hooked. Inked in a stop at the Oxford Street HMV specifically to lock down a 7″ hours later.

So that’s my Boo Radleys story. I was tempted to Google them, check out youtube, but decided to abstain. I’ll never know more than ‘Wake Up Boo’. It’s all good.

Posted in Creation Records, HMV Store - Oxford Street, Squeeze, The Boo Radleys |

April 6th, 2011

Terry Reid

Listen: Stay With Me Baby / Terry Reid
Stay With Me Baby / Terry Reid

Other than ‘Better By Far’, a preview to BANG BANG YOU’RE TERRY REID, his first album, no further UK singles were issued from that or the even better followup, TERRY REID. Mickie Most was not only producing, but managing, if you can call it that.

Never got to meet Mickie Most, but had that opportunity occurred, inquiring into the lack of Terry Reid singles would have been the first words spoken. He’d have hated me pretty quickly, because I’m still steaming about it and probably would’ve remained unsatisfied despite his reply. Very obnoxious indeed, given the many terrific records he produced, most of which I own. Truthfully, I certainly would have behaved, shown respect. After all, there’d have been a lot to talk about and who the fuck am I compared to Mickie Most?

In the States, Terry Reid was the opening act for The Cream in ’68, and then The Rolling Stones on their ’69 tour. By that time, said classic second album, TERRY REID, was out. Epic had enough sense to pull a few tracks off the record and press up 7′s, if only to focus the underground disc jockeys, as they were known, toward the more obvious airplay choices.

‘Stay With Me Baby’ could’ve taken off, so give it a 7″ kickstarting chance. Why not? A mid chart hit (#64 in ’66) for Lorraine Ellison, the Jerry Ragovoy song (although wrongly credited on the label copy here to members of Savoy Brown, they too had a then current song titled ‘Stay With Me Baby’) seemed purposely written for Terry Reid’s voice.

Live, it was so powerful, almost frightening, a career moment, a show stopper.

Listen: Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace / Terry Reid
Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace / Terry Reid

He never did play near my home in upstate New York when I was a youngster. He seldom played the States at all really. After those initial two albums came out and miraculously underperformed, it was a few years before he ventured back. By then, the crazy teenager in me decided I could wait no more, and hitchhiked to NYC summer ’73, seeing him at Central Park’s Wollman Skating Rink during their yearly Schaefer Music Festival summer concert series. My lord, what a lineup that series had. It’s hard to read quickly, you’ll need to go slow.

Yes, I hitchhiked from Syracuse, along the New York State Thruway. No money in my pocket to speak of, about $30. And nowhere to stay after the show, I hadn’t even thought about that part. Post concert, I made my way down to The Village Oldies. They were open until 2am, stocked up on 25¢ unsleeved promo 45′s, had some pizza, then it was time to head back. Almost can’t believe I did it. My folks were in a true panic. Wow, crazy stuff. I should be dead, instead I was possessed, 45′s under one arm, the other with a thumb out along the West Side Highway.

Terry Reid played all the classics that night. The addicted amongst us were foaming up front, dangerously freaking out, like the messiah had arrived. There were moments, like during ‘Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace’ when I could’ve sworn he had. Terry Reid was that incredible.

Posted in Epic, Jerry Ragovoy, Lorraine Ellison, Mickie Most, Schaefer Music Festival, Terry Reid, The Cream, The Rolling Stones |

April 5th, 2011

Redds & The Boys / Trouble Funk

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.

Posted in 4th & Broadway, Bootsy Collins, Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers, EU, Go Go, Island, Mass Extension, MCA, Redds & The Boys, The Ritz, Trouble Funk |

April 4th, 2011

Bootsy’s Rubber Band

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.

Posted in 4th & Broadway, Bootsy Collins, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Fred Wesley, Gary Mudbone Cooper, Island, Maceo Parker, Victoria Clare |

April 3rd, 2011

Motorhead

Listen: Overkill / Motorhead
Overkill / Motorhead

Seminal single. Seminal song actually. Not that I need to tell anyone this. But funny enough, many of the most common records I post get the greatest number of plays. Go figure.

As with lots of singles considered hard core metal, like rap, electronic and dance, a 7″ is fairly uncommon. I don’t see many ‘Overkill’ copies on 45 about, and therefore love this one even that much more.

Listen: Too Late, Too Late / Motorhead
Too Late, Too Late / Motorhead

The A side is certainly well known, but I’m pretty sure ‘Too Late, Too Late’ never made it to an album. Guessing it’s been scraped off the barrel bottom to resell the fans on a ‘Best of’ cd with pretty much material they already own, but as a traditional vinyl B side….here you go.

Above: Jukebox Tab signed by Lemmy

Now the real point of this Motorhead post is to give you a look at the jukebox tab Lemmy filled out a few weeks back.

Here’s the thing, Lemmy will do anything for Howard Thompson. HT pretty much has carte blanche with him. In short, when no one was interested in signing Motorhead, and I do mean no one, Howard saw the obvious while running A&R at Bronze, gave them a singles deal and the rest is indeed, history.

So tagging along with him to a Motorhead show is a no brainer. Into Lemmy’s inner dressing room we go, complete with all the trimmings. Meaning lots of Jack and coke, and potato chips. And Lemmy of course, gracious as can be.

Hanging out with the man from Motorhead is a major thrill, period. For me, the added value of sitting talking with one of The Rockin’ Vickers is basically priceless.

Posted in Bronze, Howard Thompson, Jukebox Tab, Motorhead, The Rockin' Vickers |

April 1st, 2011

Don Fardon

Listen: Indian Reservation / Don Fardon
Indian Reservation / Don Fardon

Believe it. Don Fardon, age 68, has a hit single in Holland. This very minute. A song called ‘Im Alive’. I heard it with my own ears just last week blaring out of The Bulldog coffee shop, aka legalized pot cafe, near Amsterdam’s American Hotel.

Years ago, Corinne and I visited for a long weekend. It was an irrational, last minute idea we got on a Friday morning and by evening, we were on some cheap KLM ticket out of Heathrow for said adventure. I was in London for several weeks at a patch back then, as Island was still UK based.

Saturday afternoon was spent working off my first Indonesian meal (gado gado) by digging for 45′s in the shops and outdoor flea market stalls near the American Hotel, the best place to stay even to this day. My collection is strictly US and UK pressings, but the rules do get bent for Dutch 7′s from the 60′s, especially those Decca/Deram ones in the generic picture sleeves, all with the same geometric layout yet using some very obscure band photos. Love those.

This was around November ’88, and shockingly, there were still plenty of nice items to snag. Amongst them The Attack ‘Colour Of My Mind’ in the Dutch sleeve. Very nice.

As the day wound down, Corinne wanted to try out a coffee shop, sample the brownies. Reluctantly, I agreed. The heavy dub reggae blaring onto the street convincing me to live a little.

Oh boy. Big mistake. One brownie didn’t seem to touch me, so I bought a second. No sooner was that down, and boom, the first one hit. Hard. Couldn’t get back to the hotel fast enough.

I always scurry past those coffee shops these days, even a flashback is too frightening a thought. But I was well pleased to hear Don Fardon from down the block last week.

Anything sounding remotely tribal has always caught my ear, and that’s how I kind of describe ‘Indian Reservation’. Not unlike Don Fardon’s first band, The Sorrows, and their UK hit, ‘Take A Heart’ before it. Both are heavy with original arrangements and stand out big time from most other releases during their respective time periods.

Shockingly, ‘Indian Reservation’ was a US hit (#20) as well as a British one (#3). Despite being on a small indie, I guess it picked up some airplay and broke through on quality.

Posted in Decca, Deram, Don Fardon, GNP Crescendo, The Attack, The Sorrows, Young Blood |