Friday 27 June 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



By the time you read this we will be on the long road to Cornwall  and have probably already heard the phrase "are we there yet" at least half a dozen times.

Today's track has a right summery vibe to it, well you would hope so with a title like Sunshine wouldn't you. It was the first single by my favourite Catalan producer and remixer John Talabot, my copy in lovely blue vinyl is the remix version which came out in 2010, the original being released the previous year is as rare as hen's teeth. I had to remind myself last night what the remixes sound like as I only play the original, they are ok but are no where near as good as first version

This weekend and next week will most probably be spent underneath a brolly on a deserted beach with the odd crab piece and pasty washed down with cider. So nothing to see here until next Sunday.

Have a good weekend people.

John Talabot - Sunshine

Thursday 26 June 2014

Blissed Out BBQ



I have compiled another set of tracks for Cooking Up A Quiet Storm. This time it is to accompany the dodgy chicken and burnt burgers that you get at most BBQs, well most of the ones I go to anyway. Putting together these tracks made me long for when I had a set of decks and a mixer as I think that I could have blended these tracks together quite well with the odd bit of film dialogue and other vocal snippets.

You can access it here

Listen and let me know what you think.


The First Week Of The Summer Holidays



The boys broke up for the summer yesterday. I can just about remember that feeling of excitement of having nearly two whole months without having to listen to a teacher and being confined to a classroom for five days out of seven. Well that statement was only half true,  for me anyway.

The reminiscing below was first posted in June of the first year of the blog, 2009 and last night I couldn't think of anything better than to repeat it. I know, what a lazy arse!

When I was growing up I spent the first week of every summer holiday in a caravan with my mother and younger brother in North Berwick. I used to wonder why my father's mood would lighten as the last week of school approached, I now realise he was looking forward to his week of peace. As he didn't really drink, he was obviously looking forward to a week going from work straight to the golf course and not having to referee the battles between my brother and I.

We were not alone in this , there was always at least 4 or 5 other vans with my mother's friends and their kids.

This was where the problems stemmed from, my mother's friends like my mother were teachers and teachers when they get together they like to organise. Even holidays must be structured and have an itinerary. You would have thought that after planning lessons  and teaching children all year long they would like to lighten up, chill out,  have a kit-kat. Not this lot, if it wasn't rounders, it was long walks, crazy golf and if it was raining (and it did frequently) it was cards. Once in order to stop my brother and I from killing each other it was a walk in the pouring rain to Tantallon Castle, a ruin 3 miles from North Berwick, although it felt like twenty.

If I'm painting a rather bleak picture, I don't mean to as I had some of the best times of my life there I just didn't know it at the time.

As I grew older I started to resent going away for this week.

Could I not stay at home? I asked when I was 16, after all I was old enough to be on my own. No! stated my father, a little too quickly for my mother's liking I think. So once again I was on my way to Mrs Craig's caravan park.

Things started to look up from the moment we arrived. G had brought a friend with her. K was possibly the loveliest girl I had seen since the day before when I had last seen my girlfriend. I made any excuse I could to hang around G's caravan and connived of ways in which G and K could be incorporated in anything that was going on with us. As the week progressed we spent a lot of time together but nothing happened and at the end of the week I went home faithful to I but rather pissed off about it.

A couple of month's later, with that week in North Berwick a distant memory, my girlfriend introduced me to a new girl in her class. I was stunned when I saw that it was K, I think that she was a little surprised too. At that moment I was rather glad that that week a while back had ended in failure.

One of the best things about North Berwick was it had a record shop. Not just a record shop but a record shop that stocked records other than the stuff in the charts. I got some great records there, the only problem being that I bought them all on the Saturday we arrived and could not play them until the following Sunday when we returned home.

Come Back by The Mighty Wah is one of the records that I got in that record shop. Here it is in its full ten and a half minute,12" overblown bombastic glory.

Oh, and the hill in the picture, that's Berwick Law, a hill that we had to climb every bloody year, one year carrying a diabetic poodle (for another day)! Still the view from the top was pretty impressive.

The Mighty Wah! - Come Back (The Story Of The Reds/The Devil In Miss Jones)

Wednesday 25 June 2014

It's That Jonathan Time Of The Year Again




The older I get , the more misty eyed and emotional I get when I play this record.

"And you boys long for some little girl that you dated

Do you long for her or for the way you were?"

Profound words from Mr Richman.

Enjoy

Jonathan Richman - That Summer Feeling

Tuesday 24 June 2014

"We play both types of music here"



I am beginning to get slightly worried. as I think that the rogue west of Scotland country gene is beginning to kick in  as I have been playing a lot of Holly Williams and even more Kacey Musgraves recently. I have had "The Ones We Never Knew"  and "Same Trailer Different Park" on rotation on the cd player this past week. If you have even the slightest interest in this sort of music both of these albums are well worth checking out. Personally I blame Eddie Lyons, one of my tradesmen when I was an apprentice all those years ago for introducing me to the delights of C&W, although I don't know what he would think of the music he would certainly have approved of both Holly Williams and Kacey Musgraves which might not be the most enlightened of comments but he was from Mauchline, totally unreconstructed and any attempts to make him more enlightened were totally futile.

Monday 23 June 2014

The Searching Is Over



It's late Sunday night, I'm tired and I have very little to say, so here is a very classy piece of soul from the Vibrations  from nineteen sixty something.

The Vibrations - The Searching Is Over

Sunday 22 June 2014

Mellow Sunday



The baton for the Commonwealth Games passes by our front door this morning. I shall watch it with a cup of tea in hand feeling a bit guilty (for a few minutes anyway) for being such an unfit,  lazy bastard then I will get back to the papers and possibly go out on the scooter later on.

The Velvet Underground - I Found A Reason

Saturday 21 June 2014

New Music Saturday




There were quite a few things that dropped into my inbox this week, however none of them came close to being as well written, produced or performed as this 50 year old record.

Co-written and co produced by Gerry Goffin and arranged by Carol King, it is astonishing that this record was never a hit and is not better know.

Enjoy!

The Cookies - I Never Dreamed

Friday 20 June 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I am not a big fan of the football song most of them are just shit, there have been some exceptions such as World In Motion which is head and shoulders above everything else and The Scotland 1982 squad with John Gordon Sinclair's We Have A Dream  but mostly they are just dire. So for someone to produce two very good football songs is an amazing feat but that is exactly what J Saul Kane did  during the 1990s under his Depth Charge moniker. Firstly in 1990 with "Goal" and then ahead of the 1998 finals with "Romario".

Romario is a tribute to the diminutive Brazilian striker Romario de Souza Faria one of the best footballers ever, winner of the Golden Ball as the best player in the 1994 World Cup finals and who is now a politician who has been very vocal about the corruption within FIFA. A player that all Scots feared in the run up to the opening match of the 1998 finals when Scotland would play Brazil in the opening match, the last time Scotland qualified for the finals of a major tournament.  We all breathed a sigh of relief when Romario was left out of the squad through injury which probably put the kibosh on sales of this single. Scotland lost the match 2-1 by way of a Tom Boyd own goal and we failed to progress through the group stages as normal after an ignominious three nil gubbing by Morocco.

Have a good weekend people.

Depth Charge - Romario

Thursday 19 June 2014

Gerry Goffin RIP



Responsible with his then wife Carole King for some of the most heart achingly beautiful records in mine and millions of others record collections.

I Can't Make It On My Own was originally on Dusty's Memphis album. Here is Maria McKee's take on the song.

Rest easy Gerry

Maria McKee - I Can't Make It On My Own

Makin' Up Time




It has been sunny and warm up here for the past three days. It's amazing the transformation people are even smiling, even the Duke has dressed accordingly (picture was actually taken in Feb but have been waiting for the right moment). If only everybody was as modest!

This is a jaunty little piece of instrumental soul courtesy of the Holidays to brighten up your day.

The Holidays - Makin' Up Time

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Honey Child



I know absolutely nothing about this record apart from it's really, really good, it was released in 1965 and Johnny Williams is from Texas. Not sure how much more I need to know really. Oh,  and Bobby Bland recorded the song first a year earlier.

Johnny Williams - Honey Child

Tuesday 17 June 2014

See You There



Here is a rather uplifting piece of retro soul from a DJ and producer  who is well versed in the sounds of 60s soul , as the DJ at Blowout and was also the bass player in Spearmint who have featured here a couple of times.

See You There was released as a sampler 7" from Lewis' 2005 released first album "Billion Pound Project and features the vocal talents of Philly soul singer Lynda Laurence. The song was co-written by northern soul dj and producer Ian Levine.

Andy Lewis - See You There 

Monday 16 June 2014

Why Can't We Get Together



How about a sassy piece of mid 60s New York soul arranged, conducted and produced Bert  de Coteaux. Gloria Parker only released three singles all of which are very very good but for me this is the best. The lyrics may not be the most sophisticated in the world but what a voice! I'm In Your Corner is the a-side and is more of a ballad and very good but it's the flip once again that get's the most time on the turntable here, well I suppose both sides get equal time on the turntable but you know what I mean.

Gloria Parker - Why Can't We Get Together.

Sunday 15 June 2014

Mellow Sunday



This has been posted before but for those who missed it or just want to hear it again, here you go.

A nice relaxing Sunday would be nice after all the festivities that have taken place since Thursday but alas the flags need to come down and the shopping done and . .  . and. .  . and.

King Creosote - And The Racket They Made

Saturday 14 June 2014

New Music Saturday



Every so often something comes into my inbox which catches my full attention when I click play. This album by Beverly did that. A sound made for those hazy days of summer which hopefully we will get a few more of.

Here's the PR :-

Beverly is a recording project between Drew Clinton and Frankie Rose. Conceived on the road, the songwriting and production reflects both Citron's pop insights and Rose's sharp ear for arrangement. 'Careers' (out the 1/7 on Kanine records) combines raw pop, post punk and dreamy melodies, drawing inspiration from The Amps and The Clean.

Friday 13 June 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the start of another Coupe du Monde for which my country failed to qualify for yet again. Maybe next time but I will not hold my breath. I don't really have that much Brazilian dance music so I have opted for a tune the cover of which features a photograph of the statue of Christ The Redeemer over looking Rio and which has a samba sample courtesy of Celebration Suite written and recorded by the Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira.

Belo Horizonti was first released in 1997 was the work of  the Italian duo Claudio Coccoluto & Savino Martinez.

Have a good weekend people no matter who your supporting I have yet to decide where my allegencies will fall between The Netherlands or Argentina.

The Heartists - Belo Horizonti

Thursday 12 June 2014

Happy Lanimers!!



Today is our town's annual festival to perpetuate feudalism and the rule of the nobility over us peasants! In other places in Scotland you have Gala Days but here it is way much more important than that, don't you know. There will be a procession, crowning of the Queen etc, much merriment, under age drinking and tonight drunken violence, the pubs have been open from six am and people are allowed to drink their carry-oots in the street.

Both boys are in a float or tableaux as it's called, I wonder if you can guess what the theme is?

John Martyn - Over The Rainbow

The Ohio Players - Over The Rainbow

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Give It Time



I have said it before and will probably say it again but I think that The Woodentops are a seriously underrated band. You don't see them being heralded as pioneers of the indie dance scene but long before Bobby G realised his love of the dancefloor Rolo McGinty and the rest of the band were recording tunes that were firmly focused at the feet and like New Order before them they enlisted the production skills of top dance music producer and remixer Arthur Baker. Give It Up was given the Baker treatment in the mid eighties and is available on the brilliant 3 cd retrospective set "Before, During and After" which if you don't own anything by the band is a bargain at £10.60 asking price from one retailer on Amazon Market Place and if you like what you hear you could buy the latest album Granular Tales which some of us have been on the look out for the last twenty five years.

The Woodentops - Give It Time (Arthur Baker dub)

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Jackie Collins Existential Question Time.



A few years ago The Manic Street Preachers commissioned other artists and producers to remix tracks from there then current album Journal For Plague Lovers, resulting in an album entitled Cooking -  Cleaning - Flower Arranging. I bought the album for the Weatherall and Optimo mixes as you do. By this time I had pretty much lost interest in the Manics. The album as a whole is quite patchy but I couldn't tell you how much the remixes differ from the Manics versions as I have never heard the originals. I suspect, however that the St Etienne interpretation of Jackie Collins Existential Question Time if quite similar to that on Plague Lovers as my guess it is more of a cover version than a remix as it contains Sarah Cracknell's dulcet tones.

Manic Street Preachers/Saint Etienne - Jackie Collins Existential Question Time




Monday 9 June 2014

Here Am I



Today's slab of prime soul is another one where the flip side is the song for me that's not to say that the a-side, Dear John isn't a very good song it's just Here Am I is even better. This was Jackie Moore's first single and a finer piece of Jacksonville by way of NYC soul you will be hard pressed to find it was first released on the Bang Records subsidiary Shout in 1968 and was given a release this side off the pond three years later.

Jackie Moore - Here Am I

Sunday 8 June 2014

Mellow Sunday



I will be honest with you, until a few years ago I never even knew this song existed, it is criminal but there you go  and I'm not sure where it was that I first heard it but I will be for ever grateful to wherever it was because I just love this song.

The Motels - Total Control

Saturday 7 June 2014

New Music Saturday

Not sure if I have created a rod for my own back with this series but I have had loads of things in my inbox over the last few weeks, I think that it is just coincidence that instead of the usual spam for penis enhancement pills and free porn mines all seem to be from new bands or artists who the PR tell me are the next big thing, I think I would be happier with the normal spam as I would just delete it and not feel the need to listen. Let's face it I am no taste maker and this blog isn't here to break new bands, the prime reason for it's existence is to play some tunes I like, spout pish and have the occasional cathartic rant, it's a lot cheaper than "going to see someone" which me being a man from west central Scotland wouldn't be happening anyway.

This came into my inbox during the week and I have no idea if  this duo are well known or not, I suspect that they have had some hype as it looks as though this release has been sponsored by a well known gantin energy drink, anyway I liked the track and thought it worthy of posting.

Enjoy.

There may be more next week, you never know.



Friday 6 June 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance To A Reposting



Sorry about this but here is another re-post, far too much shit going on at work to think about this. Hopefully normal service will resume at the weekend.

Have a good weekend people

Here we have a very fresh slab of minimal tech house from Redshape on the Delsin label.  Future Shock is the title track from this 3 tune ep which comes on rather lovely marbled transparent blue vinyl. This is a belter of a track which reminds me of Late Night Jam by Levon Vincent, featured in this very spot some time ago.

Redshape is the alias of Sebastian Kramer another producer working out of Berlin.  What is it about that city that produces so many consistently good purveyors of Detroit influenced Techno? He has been responsible for numerous great pieces of tecno on the Delsin and Present labels and this year also did an absolutely brilliant remix of CCTV by The Black Dog. 

Redshape - Future Shock

Thursday 5 June 2014

A Fall Repost


Mad busy at the moment so here is a re-posting of one of the episodes of the Fall covers series  "If You're Gonna Play It Out Of Tune, Play It Out Of Tune Properly" from March 2011.  The series sort of fell by the wayside, not sure why as there were loads of other songs that the gruppe have covered in their own unique style. I may have to revive this.

Today's track the Fall covered takes us back to 1958. Rollin' Danny was originally recorded by one Vincent Eugene Craddock, Gene Vincent to you and me. One of the pioneers of rockabilly and probably best known for Be-Bop-A- Lula and Lotta Lovin'.

In 1960 while on tour in the UK Vincent had a near fatal car crash in which Eddie Cochran, who was also in the taxi died. Vincent's career never really reached the heights again that he had reached in the late 50s and he died in 1971 from a ruptured stomach ulcer aged thirty six.

Another tenuous link with the Fall is that Vincent released an album,  I'm Back And I'm Proud on John Peel's Dandelion label in 1969.

Gene Vincent - Rollin' Danny

The Mancabilly version was released as a double AA side single with Couldn't Get Ahead on Beggars Banquet in 1985

The Fall - Rollin' Dany

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Lizzo



I featured a Youtube video of Batches and Cookies by Lizzo late last year shortly after whch I bought her debut album. Not sure if Lizzobangers is available in the UK yet but I did read somewhere that she has now signed to Virgin so maybe the album will be getting a full release here in the near future. You can get it through Totally Gross National Product or from Amazon.

Lizzo's  sound is very old school style hip-hop invoking memories of Sweet Tee and Quen Latifah. Originally from Houston Lizzo now resides in Minneapolis and started out in a female R&B band Chalice who released an album locally before going solo and releasing Lizzobangers at the end of last year, Faded is one of the many highlights therein.

Link removed due to DMCA copyright infringement

Tuesday 3 June 2014

The Good Old Days



I don't listen to the Libertines that much these days but when I do I am always kind of blown away by how good they actually were. It is quite sad that the music is somewhat overshadowed with the soap opera around the band and the shambles that is Pete Doherty  This is one of the many great tracks from the debut album "Up The Bracket"

The Libertines - The Good Old Days

Monday 2 June 2014

Shoes



If there was ever a misnomer in music it must be the surname of the artist of today's single, as if there is one thing the Memphis singer who was christened Robert Calvin Brooks wasn't, was Bland. The name came from this step-father. He was known as Bobby "Blue" Bland, has been described as "the Sinatra of the Blues" and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame described him as "second in stature only to BB King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene".  His career spanned from 1952 when he released his first single Crying All Night Long on the Chess label until shortly prior to his death aged 83 in 2013. Today's track was the flip of A Touch Of The Blues released in 1967. My copy is a rather brilliant four track ep released on Kent in 1985.

Bobby Bland - Shoes

Sunday 1 June 2014

Mellow Sunday



I could have picked any of the six tracks from Now Here's My Plan where Bonnie "Prince" Billy reinterprets songs from his back catalogue, however when Angel Olsen's voice comes in on the second verse of Three Questions it is quite breathtaking and always sends shivers up and down my spine which just gives it the edge over the others but you really should check them out as they are just about as good as this one.

Enjoy

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Three Questions