Wednesday 29 June 2016

It Gets Worse



The above picture shows a sticker that had been stuck on a memorial to the volunteers from Glasgow that went to Spain to fight Franco and his fascists in the 30s!

Is it just me or does it feel like we are back at the arse end of the 70s beginning of the 80s. Labour going into meltdown. Football and racist violence becoming de riqueur. Added to which certain Conservatives showing their true colours with not an ounce of shame. I tell you as soon as I see a pair of brown cord flares and ridiculously collared mustard coloured shirts I'm for the off.

The Specials - Doesn't Make It Alright


Tuesday 28 June 2016

Take Me To The Other Side



I have posted a live version by Spiritualized of this track originally recorded by Jason Pierce's previous group Spacemen 3 before but the quality of that recording from a Glasgow gig at the ABC that I attended was less than perfect. This version from a bootleg of a performace at  the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden back in 2002 is much better and gives a better impression of how powerful this track can be live, although you don't get the fluttering of the chest that you get when confronted face to face with the wall of sound created or the mental light show which is impossible to watch for any length of time. Magic stuff! It has been far too long since Spiritualized toured the UK.

Spiritualized - Take Me To The Other Side (Hultsfred 14-06-2002)

Monday 27 June 2016

Friday 24 June 2016

Dark Days Indeed



A bit more Weatherall might cheer us up, it couldn't make it any worse! And is that doesn't work there is always Sturdy Girl and alcohol.

Sly and Lovechild - The World According to Sly and Lovechild (Soul of Europe mix)

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance




I just hope to fuck that I am in the mood to dance when this post comes out in the morning. I thought as a companion piece to the Wednesday's Chemical Brothers I would post their first single, well the Weatherall mix of their first single which came out on a different label and so is probably the second single or second edition and not even that as at the time they were called the Dust Brothers. It doesn't really matter it is magic.

In other news my new scooter has arrived and it's lovely. Not looking forward to running it in but you've got to take the crunchy with the smooth as the big nosed bard from Barking once said.



Have a good weekend people. I wonder if you can guess what I'm going to be up to.

Dust Brothers - Song To The Siren (Full Sabre mix)



Thursday 23 June 2016

Destiny Calling



God I hope that this time tomorrow I don't find myself a member of a little,  insular, backwards looking country but I wouldn't bet against it happening. Or will I still be in a union of nations that's not perfect and needs to be reformed.. I am not going to get into the arguments as if you live in the UK you have almost certainly had enough of other peoples opinions and if you are from anywhere else and have not been following this devisive campaign, you have not missed much as not many of debates and speeches were very illuminating and even less were true. The title of this song from The Cramps is a question I have asked myself more than once over the past couple of months.

The Cramps - How Far Can Too Far Go?


Wednesday 22 June 2016

Anti-Nazi Mix



I'm not sure if there was an upsurge in Nazi sympathisers in the UK in 1997, I suspect that there were quite a few less than there are in 2016. However the Chemical Brothers released an Anti-Nazi mix which was broadcast on Radio 1, probably one of Pete Tong's shows. As you would expect from those big beat pioneers, it is big,  brash and best played very loud. This was one of the tapes that I dug out the other weekend and got off a parent at my mothers school nearly two decades ago. I can't be bothered typing out the track listing but you can find it here.

The Chemical Brothers - Anti-Nazi Mix

Tuesday 21 June 2016

This Wheel's On Fire



Let's have a bit of British Psychedelia. This Wheel's On Fire has been going round and round my head recently, I first heard it in it's original form from the Basement Tapes as a teenager when I used to borrow a mate's dad's Dylan albums but I have always preferred the effects laden version by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity, it's not the kind of thing I would want to listen to if tripping as it has always seemed a bit malevolent to me. The less said about Kylie's recent attempt to cover this the better., suffice to say avoiding it at all costs would be the best course of action.

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - This Wheel's On Fire

Monday 20 June 2016

Just A Little Misunderstanding



Today's track is a perfect example of upbeat mid 60's Motown. Just A Little Misunderstanding was recorded by the Contours and released on the Gordy label in 1966. The song was co-written by Stevie Wonder who also played the drums on the track. The lead singer of the Contours, Joseph Stubbs was drafted in when the group's original singer Billy Gordon left, however this was the only single by them that he sang on as he was soon replaced by Dennis Edwards.

The Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding 

Friday 17 June 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



It is an established fact that Scotland have produced better progressive house and techno records and labels than they have national football teams over the past twenty five years (some of you may be pointing out that that really wouldn't be all that hard). You only have to look at labels such as Soma, 23rd Precinct and Hubba Hubba, who not only released home grown talent but also great records from other parts of the UK and Europe. Today's track comes from Sublime, one half of whom was also responsible for the superb sounds of Havana who I thought had featured here before but apparently haven't so expect Schtoom or Ethnic Prayer to be posted in the near future. The Theme was released on 23rd Precinct's sister label Limbo in 1992 and as far as I'm aware failed to bother the charts but could be heard regularly on a night out in the more discerning clubs in the town. I have opted for the longer more percussive dub mix from the flip side. This tune was apparently big with Sasha and Digweed and appeared on the first Renaissance cd,

We also had a huge Hardcore Rave scene in the central belt and if there had been a competition in the early 90s for the most eccied up nutters I think it would have been a close run thing between Glasgow and Newcastle,

I'm not up to much this weekend I had high hopes of spending it running in a new scooter but alas that is not going to be delivered until sometime next week.

Have a good weekend people.

Sublime - The Theme (Sublime dub)

Thursday 16 June 2016

Koolaid Acid Tape



At the weekend I thought that I would listen to some tapes as it has been some time since I used it. A few years ago I took a punt on this album by Koolaid (Global Tyranny) the cover caught my attention and also the name, bringing back memories of reading the Electric Koolaid Acid Test and the likes when I was a teenager. Anyway the album was well worth the gamble and has been played often since. Along with the Lp and cd, a compilation tape called the Koolaid Acid Tape was part of the package. I listened to the tape once and then threw it into one of the wine boxes full of cassettes. So I dug it out had a listen and decided to rip it for you all to give it a listen.

I listened to quite a few tapes on Saturday and was amazed at some of the pish mixtapes I bought in the early 90s. Not compilation tapes but mix tapes in the proper sense of the word, tapes of dj sets, there are a couple that bear the name David Holmes and more than a few of Andy Weatherall. I say bearing the name, as on listening I am not sure that I can be certain that they are by who they say they are, a couple such as Weatherall at The Rhumba Club in Edinburgh, yes  but others I wouldn't stick any money on. There were also loads of Essential Mixes, I remember going through a phase during 93 - 94 when I would set the timer on the stereo and tape these every week and so there are mixes from Brothers In Rhythm, Snap, Dave Clarke and many more., There were also quite a few tapes given to me by a Virgin A&R man who was a parent at my mothers school. I may have to feature some of these in the coming weeks.

Koolaid Acid Tape

Side 1

Side 2

Tracklist

Californians - The Cooks Of Cakes and Kindness/Cryan' Shames - Greenburg, Glickstein,  Charles David Smith and Jones/Nick Nicely - Hilly Fields/Vibrasonic - Kingsley J/Monkees - Daily Nightly/Fever Tree - Where Do You Go?/Godz - Radar Eyes/West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - A Child of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death/Pretty Things - Eve Of Destruction/50 Foot Hose - Red The Signpost/JJ Light - Indian Disneyland/Julian Cope - I've Got My TV & My Pills

Music Emporium - Nam Myo Renge Kyo/Steve Hillage - 8 Miles High/Byrds - Child Of The Universe/Time & Space Machine - Reeling/Juan Trip - Robots and Space Chips/Demons of Negativity - Resurrection/101 Strings - Flame Out/Kim Fowley - Strangers From The Sky/Carpenters - Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

Enjoy this trip



Wednesday 15 June 2016

Al's Untouchables



Here is a bit of the rawest Garage rock that I have ever heard and it;'s magic. Basically just over two minutes of a guitar solo with some singing over the top. Al's Untouchables were the support band of choice for any major acts that stopped by their hometown of Grand Rapids Iowa in 1965/66 such as Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and the Dave Clarke 5 when they were still in high school, although they were all kicked out in 1966 due to their hair being "unfit". At this point they released their one and only single Come On Baby/Stick Around which had been recorded the previous year at Sound Studios in Chicago. After being kicked out of school they headed for Hollywood where they nearly signed a contract but would not agree to clean up their image and get hair cuts. True rebels. They then sacked their manager, Al (Huntzinger), the Al in the group's name and changed their name to The Orphans but that's a different story.

Al's Untouchables - Come On Baby

Al's Untouchables - Stick Around

Tuesday 14 June 2016

You Better Stop It



Here is a great piece of crossover soul from 1969 which was originally released on Artic Records. I hummed and hawed over the repress and eventually missed out when it was re-released on the Athens of the North label in January of this year which is now selling for anything from 30 quid to seventy on Discogs.  It's good but not that good, for a repress anyway.

Barbara Mason - You Better Stop It

Monday 13 June 2016

Lonely For You Baby



This record oozes atmosphere from the opening notes from the bass and you can hear the heartache in Sam Dees vocal delivery for the girl who has dumped him. The track was recorded in 1968 and released on the Nashville label SSS International. Some of you may remember it featuring in the Cornish surfing movie from the mid nineties, Blue Juice. I always liked that film.

Sam Dees - Lonely For You Baby

Sunday 12 June 2016

Mellow Sunday



I think I may have a problem, I put Nutini's cd Caustic Love on the other week as I just wanted to listen to something different and found myself really enjoying it, especially the track below which I think is very very good.

Paolo Nutini - Better Man

Friday 10 June 2016

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



It's been ages since I have seen this posted anywhere that I frequent on the internet and seeing as it should be a criminal offence not to listen to this at least once a month I am doing a public service here. Weekender still sounds as powerful as it did twenty four years ago and after talking to my favourite nephew yesterday, is still as pertinent.

In other news, there seems to be some international football competition kicking off today but since I do not have a dog in the fight I find it very difficult to get excited about it. I suppose I will support Croatia, for their colourfull strip as much as anything. I have a feeling that Walter could well be a happy man in about a month's time.

I have also taken the plunge and bought an automatic scooter! For years I have wanted a Lambretta GP but with neither the funds nor the technical know-how to keep one on the road it was always going to be a dream. But recently I saw a few Scomadi scooters, design based on a GP but an automatic 4-stroke engine and then last month there was an article in Scootering about them, which got me thinking. I have done a bit of further research and earlier this week thought "why the fuck not, if you don't do it now you'll never do it". Today I took the plunge and ordered one, so bang goes the good weather for the rest of the summer and I now have the prospect of running in a scooter again.

Have a good weekend people, and remember just make sure what you do makes you happy.

Flowered Up - Weekender

Thursday 9 June 2016

Happy Lanimers



It's that time of the year when my town celebrates the yolk of oppression and looks back misty eyed to when most of them would be living in squalor at the mercy of the Factor and the local Lord. Feudalism,you canny beat it.

Secretly, deep down I love it.

As you can see my flags are up.

Allo Darling - Kings And Queens

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Cookin' On Three Burners



How about a bit of modern soul all the way from Australia via Kentish Town? There is an updated version remixed by Kungs of this kicking about at the moment however the original 2009 release is the one for me. It features the vocal talents of Kylie Auldist and was released on Freestyle Records. Another thing that soundtracks this balmy weather rather well.

Cookin' On Three Burners feat. Kylie Auldist - This Girl

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Music for When The Tar Is Melting.



This track or two tracks if you want to be pedantic about it has felt just right this past week or so in the unseasonable heat and brightness that we are having up here.

Walk on the Wild Side pts 1 & 2 is Jimmy Smith and Oscar Nelson's version of the Elmer Bernstein title track of the film of the same name and was released in 1962 the same year as the film.

Jimmy Smith - Walk On The Wild Side pts 1&2


Monday 6 June 2016

Lend A Hand



Things are still a bit hectic with work and other things at the moment but I think that the longer I leave it before I start posting again the harder it will be so here goes. I have been meaning to post today's track for ages, it is a belter and one of the original "crossover" tunes that can be classed as northern or modern but which I think should just be called soul.

Lend A Hand when it first appeared was played from Bobby Hutton's 1973 album, Piece Of The Action. It then appeared on a 7" in 1978 and was released on Goldmine in 1996. Bobby Hutton, hails from Chicago and should not be confused by the man of the same name from Oakland, California who was a founding member of the Black Panthers.

Bobby Hutton - Lend A Hand