Marianne Faithfull « SO MANY RECORDS, SO LITTLE TIME

Posts Tagged ‘Marianne Faithfull’

JT & The Big Family

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Listen: Moments In Soul / JT & The Big Family JTBigFamily.mp3

JT & The Big Family, not even sure who they were. Didn’t hang around long enough to find out – them not me that is. Not forgetting, one of the hardest and bravest things to do, in addition to being seminal, breaking new ground etc etc, is making derivative schlock formula pap pop. There were, still are, several masters at it, and the general public many times eats it up. For instance, the Greenaway/Cook machine churned out things like White Plains and The Brotherhood Of Man. And I loved them all.

Along comes this bunch, throwing Art Of Noise and Soul II Soul samples into a blender, and out comes a, well….classic. Classic schlock, to some that is – and no problem. I, for one, am not offended by the term – but don’t forget, reinterpreting classic music through a new combination of samples isn’t all that easy. If it were, I think everyone would have done it well.

As Marianne Faithfull once sang in ‘Guilt’: “give me more more more more, more”.

Tags: Champion, JT & The Big Family, Marianne Faithfull, Soul II Soul, The Art Of Noise, The Brotherhood Of Man, White Plains
Posted in Champion, Greenaway/Cook, JT & The Big Family, Marianne Faithfull, Soul II Soul, The Art Of Noise, The Brotherhood Of Man, White Plains | No Comments »

The Psychedelic Furs

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Listen: Forever Now / The Psychedelic Furs PsychedelicForeverNow.mp3

I’ve been meaning to get a dedicated section on this blog for ‘Songs That Should Have Been Singles’. Some day, one day, as The Seekers once sang.

So now I have to decide, if something was pressed up on 7″ for promotional use only, is it a single? Or is a single a record that was actually released on 7″ for the public to buy? The plot thickens, given that some labels in the 60′s would promo a single to radio, then only press retail copies if it felt like airplay was possible. Feel free to discuss but I’m thinking if I can hold it as a 7″ piece of plastic, then yes it is a single.

One such promo only 7″, in a classy, almost UK type sleeve, was the (unfortunately) unedited version of The Psychedelic Furs ‘Forever Now’ (the over produced, ‘dynamic and percussively textured middle breakdown’, to quote a wordy journalist from the period, should have, in my opinion, been zapped). Despite that, the track is possibly one of their best. To hear the guitars REALLY pop, wear headphones. I’ve been listening to it almost exclusively since seeing the band for the first time in years, a few weeks back. I will not leave it so long ever again.

It’s always helpful to look great as well as sound it. Richard and Tim Butler indeed look exactly the same as they did thirty years ago. It defies logic. As importantly, they sound fantastic. Despite being the only two originals left, those integral parts Vince Ely and Jon Ashton created on this song are well reproduced in person.

And it’s those bits that make this recorded version so vital. Drummer Vince Ely flawlessly provides incredible swing underneath it all as a result of an interplay with Tim Butler’s bass that’s impeccable. John Ashton’s razor sharp guitar tones make his anthemic playing powerful and perfect. Then there’s Richard Butler’s classic vocal inflections and one of a kind lyrics: “everybody’s busy listening and pulling blinds”, beautifully marrying David Bowie with John Cooper Clarke.

‘Forever Now’ was the last song of their final encore that night, proceeded by the crowd jaw dropper, an unexpected ‘She Is Mine’. The end to a perfect evening. Only the goodnight kiss from Marianne Faithfull could top it.

Tags: Columbia, David Bowie, John Ashton, John Cooper Clarke, Marianne Faithfull, Richard Butler, The Psychedelic Furs, The Seekers, Tim Butler, Vince Ely
Posted in Columbia, David Bowie, John Ashton, John Cooper Clarke, Marianne Faithfull, Richard Butler, The Psychedelic Furs, The Seekers, Tim Butler, Vince Ely | No Comments »

Mark – Almond / Johnny Almond Music Machine / Jon-Mark

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Listen: What Am I Living For / Mark – Almond MarkAlmondWhatAmILiving.mp3

Listen: The City / Mark – Almond MarkAlmondTheCity.mp3

I was lucky enough to see one of the early shows John Mayall did in support of his then brand new album TURNING POINT, basically himself, Jon Mark, Johnny Almond and Steven Thompson. A fantastic drumless lineup – so different at the time. If you have the album, well the live show was exactly the same. A perfect evening.

Always on the move musically, John Mayall soon reinvented himself, possibly due to the formation of Mark – Almond. They too, were a super good act live. Several of the songs from their first two albums on Bob Krasnow’s Blue Thumb label were progressive radio staples, including ‘The City’. It was frankly shocking to hear it on a JetBlue flight recently via their Sirius radio feed. It had been years since that came out of any radio. Got to hand it to Sirius, they play a lot of great stuff.

Learn something everyday: I was completely sure ‘What Am I Living For’ had charted, even peaking in 30′s/40′s on Billboard’s Top 100. Not so. Never even entered. I heard it often as a current during the summer of ’72. It was a high point of the live show as well.

Mark – Almond double billed often with plain and simple guitar bands during their 4-5 year run. Despite the company, every audience listened and appreciated their undeniable musical superiority. Jon Mark, the consummate acoustic, 12 string player, with Johnny Almond at his side, swaying to the music, eyes closed. His seemingly euphoric state took up almost as much stage time as his playing, which by the way, was superb.

Listen: Solar Level / Johnny Almond Music Machine JohnnyAlmond.mp3

Prior to the John Mayall association and subsequent Mark – Almond period, Johnny Almond made a few albums for Deram’s jazz leaning long player roster (along with the likes of Henry Lowther, The John Cameron Quartet and The Mike Westbrook Orchestra). All highly desirable now, primarily for their sampling potentials, it’s interesting to think that the label would actually release singles from said endeavors, which even more oddly, I ended up liking a lot.

Listen: Night Comes Down / Jon-Mark JonMarkNightComes.mp3

Jon Mark, in fact, started years earlier, playing guitar on various Marianne Faithfull singles, like ‘Come And Stay With Me’ and ‘Summer Nights’. It was during that period (’65) that he too recorded a version of the Shel Talmy written ‘Night Comes Down’, which I post a few days back by The Mickey Finn in a much more psychedelicized style.

Tags: Blue Thumb, Bob Krasnow, Columbia, Deram, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, John Mayall, Johnny Almond Music Machine, Jon-Mark, Marianne Faithfull, Mark - Almond, Patto, Shel Talmy, Sirius, The John Cameron Quartet, The Mickey Finn, The Mke Westbrook Orchestra
Posted in Blue Thumb, Bob Krasnow, Columbia, Deram, Henry Lowther, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, John Mayall, Johnny Almond Music Machine, Jon-Mark, Marianne Faithfull, Mark - Almond, Shel Talmy, Sirius, The John Cameron Quartet, The Mickey Finn, The Mike Westbrook Orchestra | No Comments »

Freddy Cannon / Where The Action Is

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Listen: Where The Action Is / Freddy Cannon FreddyCannonAction.mp3

Let’s face it. The theme song to ABC’s syndicated daily pop show, WHERE THE ACTION IS, titled ‘Action’ by Freddy Cannon, was so good, even The Ramones could have covered it.

I lived for WHERE THE ACTION IS and saw many a great act each day after school. Our local Syracuse affiliate, WSYR-TV, was wishy-washy, and many times pre-empted it with other things. Looking over the complete, chronological list of episodes and guests, I’ve only just discovered missing Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours, The Action and Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich for just that reason. Indeed, I’m a bit crushed having now discovered these atrocities. Scumbags.

But seeing an LA centric act almost daily, given they were basically down the street from the studios, must have been daily bliss. To name a few: The Guillteens, The Ikettes with and without Ike & Tina Turner, The Vejtables, The Leaves, The Seeds, Gary & The Hornets, Love, Dino Desi & Billy, The Buffalo Springfield, Jan & Dean.

Not to mention the RnB stuff: Martha & The Vandellas, Doris Troy, The Royalettes, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway, The Toys, Maxine Brown, Kim Weston, Carla Thomas, Billy Stewart, Bobby Hebb, Alvin Cash & The Crawlers or Felice Taylor. I still replay The Vibrations doing ‘My Girl Sloopy’ vividly in my memory.

Then there were the black and white segments from England, a real high for we Anglophiles: The Small Faces, Gary Farr & The T-Bones, Them, The Mindbenders, The Zombies, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, Unit 4 + 2, The Who, Wayne Fontana, Marianne Faithfull, The Yardbirds and The Cryin’ Shames.

Tags: ABC-TV, Alvin Cash & The Crawlers, Billy Stewart, Bobby Hebb, Brenda Holloway, Carla Thomas, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Dick Clark, Dino Desi & Billy, Doris Troy, Felice Taylor, Freddy Cannon, Gary & The Hornets, Ike & Tina Turner, Jan & Dean, Kim Weston, Love, Marianne Faithfull, Mary Wells, Maxine Brown, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, The Action, The Buffalo Springfield, The Cryin' Shames, The Guilteens, The Ikettes, The Leaves, The Mindbenders, The Moody Blues, The Ramones, The Royalettes, The Seeds, The Small Faces, The Toys, The Vejtables, The Vibrations, The Who, Them, Unit 4 + 2, Where The Action Is, WSYR-TV
Posted in ABC-TV, Alvin Cash & The Crawlers, Billy Stewart, Bobby Hebb, Brenda Holloway, Carla Thomas, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Dick Clark, Dino Desi & Billy, Doris Troy, Felice Taylor, Freddy Cannon, Gary & The Hornets, Gary Farr & The T-Bones, Ike & Tina Turner, Jan & Dean, Kim Weston, Love, Marianne Faithfull, Martha & The Vandellas, Mary Wells, Maxine Brown, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, The Action, The Buffalo Springfield, The Cryin' Shames, The Guilteens, The Ikettes, The Kinks, The Leaves, The Mindbenders, The Moody Blues, The Ramones, The Royalettes, The Seeds, The Small Faces, The Toys, The Vejtables, The Vibrations, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Zombies, Them, Unit 4 + 2, Wayne Fontana, Where The Action Is, WSYR-TV | No Comments »

Don Covay & The Goodtimers

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Listen: Mercy, Mercy / Don Covay & The Goodtimers DonCovayMercy.mp3

I woke up one day realizing albums by The Rolling Stones serve as introductory encyclopedias for figuring out the best American RnB and Blues originals. I felt really behind the curve at that moment, but considering it was still 1969, I caught up ok. The band, or someone in their camp, had impecable taste when picking this stuff. I still read the occassional story of their early visits to the US, whereby they’d all flock to now infamous record shops in Harlem or East LA just to buy all the black releases. Man, those stores must have been amazing. And where are all those records now? There were plenty of those original US pressings amongst the Tony King collection…..

Don Covay entered my world via OUT OF OUR HEADS. The Rolling Stones started side one of the US version with ‘Mercy, Mercy’. OUT OF OUR HEADS was their fourth and final US album to pressed initially (first run only) in the UK, then exported to the US and sleeved here. Just recently have collectors been alerted to this detail, but for years I was buying up those UK copies at garage sales for $1. They are particularly easy to spot. The font is obviously different than US London labels, but they’re also deep groove, and they indicate ‘Made In England’. Quite helpful. A few other London releases during the era (’64 – ’66) were intially pressed in the UK as well: Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones and Them.

When I worked at Island in the late 80′s, Chris Blackwell signed Don Covay, who came by regularly to see Holly Furgeson and her office was next to mine. She did the A&R admin, and Don Covay handled all his own business. I remember him working diligently on the project only to have it shelved, a bad habit Island always had.

I was well pleased to find not only the original DJ copy of ‘Mercy, Mercy’ amogst Tony’s records, but a very nice UK reissue as well, both pictured above.

Tags: Chris Blackwell, Don Covay, Don Covay & The Goodtimers, Island, London Records, Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones, Them, Tom Jones, Tony King
Posted in Chris Blackwell, Don Covay, Don Covay & The Goodtimers, Holly Furgeson, Island, London Records, Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones, Them, Tom Jones, Tony King | No Comments »

SO MANY RECORDS, SO LITTLE TIME

Posts Tagged ‘Marianne Faithfull’

JT & The Big Family

The Psychedelic Furs

Mark – Almond / Johnny Almond Music Machine / Jon-Mark

Freddy Cannon / Where The Action Is

Don Covay & The Goodtimers

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