Friday 29 April 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I'm not a big fan of snow at the best of times. it's cold. soaks you through and my car is particularly shit but three inches on the 28th April! Some bam is taking the piss.

Anyway, to the music Deep Dish are not a duo that I am overly familiar with, I have a few 12" singles and that's about it. Stranded is the pick of the bunch for me, I love the laid back almost Lazy vibe to it. Not one really for strutting your stuff to although I suppose you could but more a track for sitting and listening to in the comfort of your favourite chair while the snow falls outside in fucking April!

It's the last game of the season today and if we beat Ayr away and other results go in our favour we could be in the play-offs, I'm not overly hopeful. I won't be going I will be mostly thawing out and moaning that I have had to put the heating back on at the end of April.

Have a good weekend people.

Deep Dish - Stranded In The Club Mix

Thursday 28 April 2016

Epic



If there is one thing Spacemen 3 did well it was to string out a tune and in Geneva back in May 1989 they decided to take an already lengthy tune, Suicide and extend it to almost three times it's length. About 18 minutes in the band taped down the keys and left the guitars feed backing propped up against speaker cabinets left the stage and went back to the dressing room for a smoke and a drink, It is said that no one clicked that they were missing due to the strobe lights and smoke machine. They returned "refreshed" and carried on longer than MES was on stage the last time I saw the Fall.

Is this essential? Not sure, but it is worth while listening to at least once, although I have played it quite a few times. The quality is excellent for a soundboard bootleg,  considering that they have crammed all 29:12 onto one side of vinyl.

Enjoy

Spacemen 3 - Suicide

Wednesday 27 April 2016

This Will Be In Your Head All Day



Most people will be aware of the Third Degree's cover of Mercy from 2009 where they basically put the northern into Duffy's soul tune. Well, three years later they took a tune a very popular dance tune and "northernised"(TM) it and it works a treat especially the Smoove remix on the flip side. Would it sound as good with Kylie on vocal duties, I have wondered about this on a few occasions and I'm not sure if it would,

Enjoy

The Third Degree - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Smoove Remix)

Tuesday 26 April 2016

Maximum R n B



This came out on a very limited run of 300 7" singles a week or so ago and I was lucky enough to bag one, not sure if it was intended to be a RSD release and somebody messed up but it came out prior to 16th April. As it was only available on this format and in such limited supply I feel it is my duty to spread the word of the brilliance of this record. Nick Waterhouse, once again proves if it ain't broke then there is no need to fuck about with it. A new album is coming quite soon. Something to look forward to me thinks.

Nick Waterhouse - Old Place pt1

Nick Waterhouse - Old Place pt 2

Monday 25 April 2016

By Request




For Pete, who asked for this. I have included both mixes

West India Company -  O Je Suis Seul (Orient Express mix)

West India Company - O Je Suis Seul (Baghwan Boogie mix)

Envy (In Tour Eyes)



As is quite normal for this slot I know very little about The Orlons. What I do know is that they were a quartet who were active from 1960 to 1967 when they recorded mainly for Cameo Parkway. Envy was the flip side of No Love But Your Love released in 1965. I am not sure why this is the only single I own as both tracks are excellent slabs of soul. I think that I may have to dig deeper.

The Orlons - Envy (In Your Eyes)

Saturday 23 April 2016

Forty Seven




Christ, it only feels like a year or two ago I was worrying about being twenty five. I really am not comfortable with this ageing lark.

Have a good weekend people and happy birthday to Mr Gedge.

Fine Young Cannibals - I'm Not The Man I Used To Be

and as a birthday bonus

Age Of Chance - Kisspower

Friday 22 April 2016

It's Friday, I'm Not In The Mood To Dance



Although over the past few years I haven't kept up with Prince's music that much I was really  saddened last night and like everybody else completely shocked when I heard the news travelling home. It is fact to say that there was nobody else quite like him and the music he produced in the 80s,  especially was utterly unique. Tragically I think that he was probably far from being a spent force and was capable of changing the direction of music again. Here are my favourite versions of one of his songs.

King Creosote - Nothing Compares To You

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares To You

Thursday 21 April 2016

Fuck! Not Another One


This is getting beyond a joke.

Alphabet Street

Rockabilly on a Thursday, Surely Not?


This song came into my head yesterday and I checked if I had posted it before and I had spookily on a Thursday when I was also in Luton as I will be today. Due to these factors it is worth posting again along with the totally non related picture which still makes me smile. Since the last time I posted this I managed to track down a vinyl copy of this magnificent piece of Rockabilly.

As I said previously Joyce ain't the kind of lady you would take a burst pay packet home to.

Joyce Green - Black Cadillac

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Blues Fix



Following on from yesterday's track that Lux and Ivy may have taught us to one that I was definitely unaware of until they covered it on the Blues Fix ep first released in 1992 but eventually on 10" vinyl a couple of years ago. Jelly Roll Rock was first recorded by Walter Brown in 1958 and is a great piece of Rockabilly. The Cramps are quite restrained in their cover but there is still no doubting who it is.

Enjoy

The Cramps - Jelly Roll Rock

Tuesday 19 April 2016

I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time



This track came into my head when I was rooting through wine boxes full of tapes at the weekend. I have found a new sort of toleration of the tape recently after having to purchase the latest Thousand Foot Whale Claw album that for some perverse reason has only been made available on this format. My idea was to find the fabled garage rock/ psych tape that I have mentioned before, rip it and post it in it's entirety but alas it could not be located. So I did the next best thing I dug out some of the tracks that I remembered from it  and more and had a perfectly good hour or two grooving to late 60s music instead of listening Radio Scotland's ridiculous over the top coverage of a football match between one Glasgow team in green & white and the other in "royal" blue. I know who is living in the past and it ain't me babe.

I know SA posted this a while back but I think that it is worth a regular airing.

The Third Bardo - I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time

Monday 18 April 2016

2-4-6-8- Twenty Two



Soul Time is one of those tunes that narrowly failed to make it into my Northern Top Fifty although as this was a minor hit in the US in 1967, entering the R&B Top Forty and getting to #67 in the Billboard chart, I'm not sure it would be considered "Northern" by the aficionados. It gets in the original Northern Soul Top 500, just,  at number 469 and is kind of damned with faint praise by Kev Roberts. It was included in one of the early compilation albums I bought back in 1986/87 and I have loved the energy of the song and also the brass. Ellis is probably best kn own for The Clapping Song a top ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1965

Shirley Ellis - Soul Time

Sunday 17 April 2016

Mellow Sunday



After Mojave 3 split in 2003 Rachel Goswell released a very good solo album on 4AD. The second single from this album took two of the tracks Coastline and plucked and gave them to Ulrich Schnauss and names on record to remix. I have chosen for the vocal mix by Herr Schnauss of Coastline for your listening pleasure this morning, which my be a little less than fully satisfied as this transparent bit of vinyl has a lot of surface noise. The only explanation for which has to be crap vinyl as this record has not been played more than a dozen times as I totally forgot I had it until recently.

We've had fucking snow up here the past couple of days, granted it hasn't amounted to much but bloody snow none the less. It's true what they say "Ne'er cast a cloot 'til May be oot"

Rachel Goswell - Coastline (Ulrich Schnauss vocal mix)

Friday 15 April 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Until about 6 months ago I didn't own anything by Electrelane. I had heard of the Brighton band and read a couple of things where they cited all of the influences that would usually had me investigating further, The Velvet Underground, Stereolab, Neu! etc but for some reason I didn't not quite sure why. So when I was shuffling through the dance 12" singles in Oxfam Music on Byres Rd. the only response on seeing a single by the band was the question dance? until I saw the "remixed by Jagz Kooner which caught my attention. I am never one to go by any record that has the name of a member of the Sabres of Paradise associated with it and at 50p it was well worth a punt. Money well spent as it is a throbby, krauty tune with a motorik beat to it which had me thinking of Fujiya & Miyagi. The other side of this, the third single by Electrelane is also pretty good but hasn't sent me rushing to check out their back catalogue yet as I have too many other things to listen to at the moment,

Not sure what I will be up to this weekend, I know it is record shop day but I think that the days of me getting up at 5am to go and queue outside Mono for a few hours are well and truly over, Max isn't that interested anymore and to be honest there is only one thing which I really want, the Unloved single and that is less than essential now that I have found out that it is on 12" and not 7" which I think suits the style of the track far more. If the weather is good I will take the scooter into the town in the afternoon and see if there is still a copy in Monorail. If not my Saturday will be spent listening to Off The Ball and Sportsound hoping that Airdrie can pick up three points keeping us away from the relegation play-off place, what a difference a few months have made!

Have a good weekend people.

Electrelane - Blue Straggler (Jagz Kooner remix)

Thursday 14 April 2016

Hip Priest



It's been a month or so since we had anything by The "mighty" Fall here. The gruppe are on tour this month but not venturing back north of the border, probably just as well as on the last three occasions that I have seen them the musicians have been brilliant but Smith as been absolutely woeful, on stage for about twenty minutes at the most. Still I have the memories of previous nights at the Renfrew Ferry, Liquid Rooms and various other venues when he not only turned up but was absolutely mesmerising, Here is a song that's thirty five years old but still sounds amazing. If you don't know much about the Fall and wish to investigate further you could do worse than starting with Hex Enduction Hour the album that this track is lifted from.

The Fall - Hip Priest

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Little Girl Blue



There was a rather good documentary about Janis Joplin on a few weeks back on BBC4 which I'm glad didn't labour the doomed, tortured artist angle but portrayed Joplin as a funny,  talented and thoughtful individual who was probably about five to ten year ahead of her time, I was really surprised by the snippets of interview with Dick Cavett as I had always thought of him as a kind of "square", establishment chat show host, granted this opinion was formed only on a few sections of interview I had seen previously of Cavett interviewing not just Joplin but also Jimi Hendrix. It turns out that he was champion for their style of music and may have had an on/off thing with Janis. Anyway, the programme is well worth seeking out, if you haven't already. Here is the track from which the documentary takes it's title. Little Girl Blue, a stunning interpretation of the Rogers and Hart staple first sung in the Broadway musical Jumbo by Gloria Grafton in 1935, Janis's version comes from her first album "I Got Dem Ol Kosmic Blues Again Mama!"

Janis Joplin - Little Girl Blue

Tuesday 12 April 2016

Pushin' Against A Stone



I first heard Valerie June on Giles Peterson show on 6Music and I immediately had to investigate further leading me to the Pushin' Against A Stone album which has co -writing credits with Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys and Booker T Jones who also plays on the recording.  The album is a real melting pot of different styles, soul, country, bluegrass and blues and well worth seeking out. The guitar on the title track makes me think of Big Brother and the Holding Company's version of Summertime, no bad thing.

Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone

Monday 11 April 2016

Bricks, Broken Bottles and Sticks



If you know the name Dean Parrish at all, it is probably as the blue eyed soul singer who cut the song I'm On My Way, which was the last song of the "three before eight" played each week at the Wigan Casino at roughly three minutes to eight every Sunday morning until the club was closed in 1981. The song was released on Laurie Records in 1967 just prior to Parrish, or Phil Anastasia as he was christened wrapped the music business for a more "steady" job as an actor, he had a part in one episode of the Sopranos but that's about all I can find on his acting career, he did however return to the music biz from time to time notably as a session musician for Jimi Hendrix in 1970. Bricks, Broken Bottles and Sticks was released on Musicor in 1965 and I prefer this to his more famous single. Strangely on the demo for this single one of the r's in his surname was dropped, probably by mistake.

Dean Parrish - Brick, Broken Bottles and Sticks


Friday 8 April 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I think that we will go for some vintage Big Beat from DJ Food, aka Strictly Kev, known to his mum as Kevin Foakes, remixed by Damian Harris. A meeting of two of my favourite labels of the 90s. This was just one of twenty one tracks remixed by some of the best leftfield djs and producers around at the time such as Fila Brazillia, Square Pusher and DJ Vadim to name but three, issued on three double 12" singles that as soon as I sold I bitterly regretted. These were part of the great ipod funding sell-off back in 2003. I am not sure how to dance to this as I tend to be sitting in a chair nodding away when I listen to this.

Tomorrow's home game for Airdrie  against Stenhousemuir will be my last this season as I will be away for my birthday when the last game against Dunfermline occurs. It dawned on me the other night if we don't win  at least two of the last four games we could end up down in the second division next season! Still all is well with Scottish Football as the other half of the bigots is back where they belong and the Scottish Media and the supporters of the only teams that matter are salivating at the prospect of at least 4 hate filled encounters in Glasgow. Me I feel as that it is an anachronism that we no longer need.

Have a good weekend people.

DJ Food - Dark Lady (Skint mix)

Thursday 7 April 2016

Drum Hunter



If drums aren't your thing then I wouldn't bother listening  or downloading today's offering. This percussion driven gem was a Japan only release on 7" inch , not sure why, from a couple of years back. I know that this will not be to everybody's taste but I personally love it, especially very loud first thing on a Saturday.

Idjut Boys - Drum Hunter

and since I'm in a good mood, here's the flip.

Idjut Boys - Le Wasuk (version)

Links are now live

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Not Just A Great Title Then.



I like to think that in some parallel universe this song was as ubiquitous in 2000 as Yellow By Coldplay or Groovejet by Spiller was in ours. This song has everything,  lovelorn lyrics, jangly guitars, slightly shouty vocals and a trumpet, a delicious.  slightly over the top trumpet and for an indie single it's long,  clocking in at over six minutes but never outstays it's welcome. And when it's all over, you just want to put it back to the start and listen and dance like a loony all over the place again.

Airport Girl - The Foolishness That We Create Through Love Is The Closest We Come To Greatness

Tuesday 5 April 2016

I Will Be The Angel On Your Shoulder



This came on the ipod yesterday when we were driving east out of Glasgow on the M8,  after spending far too much record browsing time watching Max doing his thing on his BMX at the Kelvingrove Skate Park and not enough time perusing the shelves of Monorail. I'm not sure why but it just felt perfect at that moment. But it didn't,  actually we had Radio Scotland on in the car listening to Sunday Sportsound and I sort of zoned out and Geraldine was playing in my head. A bit strange, I know.

Glasvegas - Geraldine

Monday 4 April 2016

You Can Do It



Here's the track that I was originally going to post by Kim Weston last week.Smokey Robinson and Ivy Jo Hunter will never win any awards for the lyrics of You Can Do It but who cares what the words are when they are so sublimely sung. With the unmistakable sound of the Funk brothers backing, why this was never released is unfathomable. It first came to light on the Kim Weston Anthology cd released in 2005 and finally made it to vinyl two years ago when it was included in the Richard Searling compiled Motown 7s Box - Rare and Unreleased Vinyl Volume II. Worth the wait I'm sure you will agree.

Kim Weston - You Can Do It

Friday 1 April 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



No April fools pish here. Dance music is too serious a business for that kind of stuff.

Right, if this doesn't at least get your toes a tapping then I feel sorry for you as there is no hope for you ever to get your groove on. Scottish DJ Al Kent takes the Loleatta Holloway acapella of Crash Goes Love and lays it on top of a seriously funky disco/house track with an excellent rolling bass creating a sure fire floor filler that if it wasn't so good could have sounded quite cheesy with Loleatta's whoops and yells. Pure class.

 The Diamonds are away to Stranraer who are three points ahead of us in fourth place. Although they have been dismal on the past three occasions that I have had the dubious pleasure of watching them,  amazingly Airdrie are still in contention for that final play-off place which just shows you how pish league 1 is this season, apart from Dunfermline but that is another story, it is incredible how you can go bust owing a considerable amount of money,  start up again and two years later be full time with three times the budget of all the other teams in your league but I digress . I will be spending most of the day tomorrow trying to kick start the scooter as it has only been turned over once since October.

Have a good weekend people.

Al Kent - Good Inside