Sunday 30 November 2014

Mellow Sunday



I'm probably feeling a little hungover this morning. Something soothing is the order of the day.

Lenka - Gravity Rides Everything


Saturday 29 November 2014

Things Ain't What They Used to Be



Ten years ago today I was partying hard along with fourteen others in a very large house in Dunoon. We were there for a few days to celebrate the first of our friend's fortieth birthdays. I don't think I was completely sober the whole time we were there and I was not the only one, a shit load of drunk was consumed. It was a good few days which culminated in an excellent dinner party when we all put on our posh togs, most of the guys in kilts, I think that I could still fit into mine then.

My abiding memory though is of a song that nearly ended in murder! Our mate Gav is a bit of a muso and brought his guitar with him. At this point he was going through a heavy Ryan Adams/alt country phase. No bad thing I hear you say. No it isn't but not all the time and certainly not the same tune belted out for the hundredth fucking time at full volume when all you want to do is sleep as you have been up drinking 'til around nine the morning, and just want to fall asleep preferably not to the refrain of "hey mama rock me" song by some out of tune drunks. At one point I was seriously contemplating getting up again, going down the stairs and ensuring that there would be no more sounds coming out of that guitar for the rest of the break. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I was unable to get myself out of bed and eventually passed out to the strains of the cacophony coming from downstairs.

Oh, how times have changed, today we are off for an overnight, only the four of us, the old git, his better half , Lynn and I and I for one are looking forward to a good meal, some alcohol and bed at a reasonable hour.

Happy birthday Coke.

Below is the offending tune that I can now listen to with affection rather than anger, only just mind.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel

Friday 28 November 2014

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



Repost time.

I have had no time to think of anything for today, so instead here is a post from back in June 2009 when I was still quite new to this blogging lark.

Have a good weekend people.

What do you get when an ex scooter boy, dj decides to combine 2 of his passions, Progressive House and Northern Soul? Possibly the funkiest track of 1996 - My Mate Paul.

By the time Holmes released this track he was already responsible for a couple of the best progressive house tracks as part of The Disco Evangelists and Four Boy One Girl Action. He had also released his debut album and 4 singles.

Later he would go on to set the standard for Essential Mixes which in my opinion is yet to be bettered and also compose film soundtracks.

I would go on but I have a feeling that Holmes will show up on Acid Ted pretty soon and don't want to steal his thunder.

The only other thing I will mention is that he did a damn fine remix of The Sabres of Paradise's Smokebelch amongst many others.

David Holmes - My Mate Paul

Thursday 27 November 2014

This Is The Summer Of Malcontent



Can you tell that very little effort has been put into this weeks post yet? I like to think that with the quality of the music posted my words are made a bit redundant anyway. I still kid myself on that people do take the time to read the pish that's typed on these pages, so please don't burst my bubble with comments to the contrary!

Anyway,  I know of at least one person who will be less than thrilled by today's piece of music.  Free Range was the first single that "the mighty Fall" released in 1992 and what a single it is, it seems to be brimming with the threat of violence, or is that just me; but every time I listen to this single I have visions of scorched earth,  the siege of Sarajevo and other images of the Balkan conflicts. That same year the band released Code Selfish an album that not many Fall fans would count amongst the band's finest output. Perversely I quite like it, you can hear the influence of techno all over the album which was apparently very deliberate as Smith was rallying against the influence of a certain west-coast musical movement that was prevalent. When interviewed at the time of the album's release Smith let it be known what he thought of the grunge scene.

"Funny thing is all of those American bands, Pearl Jam and Nirvana, are dead into the Fall. Nirvana tried to get into our bus, Courtney, What's her name, the actress, tried it and we pushed her off. But they all come from this horrible place, Seattle, which is just like Moss Side on a bad night. And they're nothing more than glorified longhair guitar salesmen, y'know. Fucking idiots, playing pub rock. Aye, pub rock, that's what it is. If they were English, you wouldn't put up with it."

But we did just a couple of years later. MES' fabled precognition letting him down there.

The version posted is the superior, aren't they all, Peel session version,

The Fall - Free Range (Peel session)


Wednesday 26 November 2014

Batman



Shit . . . Luton again! And I'm here for a couple of days. I think that I would rather be in Gotham City any day even with all it's violence and strangeness.

A magic piece of  mid sixties garage rock from Seattle, the a -side of which was featured on the blog a while back.

Rocky & The Riddlers - Batman

Tuesday 25 November 2014

You're Gone, I'm Left



How about a rather demented piece of Rockabilly out of San Francisco and released on the Andrex label in 1958. I will not hear any jokes about the quality of this song and the use for which another product called Andrex  is used for in the UK. As with yesterday's track I know nothing about the singer but love the song and it's quite refreshing to think that there was a time when somebody with the name of Tyrone Schmidling could release a record under his real name, at least I hope it's his real name.

Tyrone Schmidling - You're Gone, I'm Left

Monday 24 November 2014

I Can't Stand It



I was sure that I had featured today's track in the past, so much so that when I dug out the single the other week I thought I would check how long ago it was to see if I could get away with posting it again. but on checking it appears that I haven't which is a travesty that I shall resolve this morning.

I know absolutely nothing about Brenda George apart from it appears she released three singles all on different labels between 1971 and 1972. I Can't Stand It was the flip side of the first of these sforty-fives, What You See Is What You Get released on Kent. It  is probably the best  of  the tracks I have heard and a finer slice of funk from that year will be hard to find, although I'm sure Darcy could put me right on that score.

Enjoy!

Brenda George - I Can't Stand It (I Can't Take No More)

Friday 21 November 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



One of the few things I like about this time of the year is the apples. Not any apples, no but shiny, red/green, soft, tart Macintosh Reds. One of the only fruits that still appear to be seasonal, well up here in Scotland we only get them from about October to end of December and only in Morrison's; when I was a kid they were exclusive to Safeway, I liked Safeway, there were always things in there you couldn't get anywhere else. I think that Mac Reds are unique in being the only food stuff that has not shrunk or altered in taste and texture since I was wee and therefore never disappoint.

"What the fuck have apples got to do with dance music?" I hear you ask. Well nothing really apart from the fact that Leo and I were extolling the virtues of these glorious apples at the football last Saturday, well it was more interesting than watching the pish that was going on on the park and the phrase "A juicy red apple is nice, but not every apple is red" popped into my head and has subsequently been lodged there ever since. So in order to expunge this, it was up to the cupboard to find one of my more incongruous purchases of 1992. Not being a great fan of breakbeat Rave I'm not quite sure why I bought this record and I also have no idea what I did with it, as I couldn't find it anywhere. So to the internet and there it was. I believe that it is my duty to share and therefore I present for your delectation the annoying earworm in all it's glory. No need to thank me.

You know what?  It's not as bad as I thought it was.

Have a good weekend people.

Skin Up - A Juicy Red Apple Is Nice (Sweet mix)

Thursday 20 November 2014

Jimmy Ruffin 1939 - 2014



Go easy Jimmy

Jimmy Ruffin - He Who Picks A Rose

Denmark's Best Export Apart From Lurpak



It has been a couple of years since the Raveonettes last showed up in Glasgow and it doesn't look like there is any chance of them returning this side of new year. Funnily enough I got the new album Pe'ahi a couple of months back but have only given it a casual listen, once so have no opinion on if it's any good or not but that doesn't matter as live the songs are always much better than they are on vinyl. Here's a track from their first proper album, Chain Gang Of Love,  which is probably still the one I listen to most.

The Raveonettes - Remember 

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Short But Sweet



If you look down the right hand side of the page under my blog list you will see "Derek's Daily 45" blog listed, which is an excellent source of Soul and R&B tunes. Although the blog is no longer daily, Derek still posts wee gems now and again.

Derek who is a dj and musician was the guitarist in the now sadly disbanded Bang Girl Group Revue. They did however release one rather good album and three singles. Although the group's sound is firmly rooted in the 60s Girl Group sound it does not sound dated at all and rattles on at some pace.  "You Better Watch Out" is one of my favourite tracks from the album.

The Bang Girl Group Review - You Better Watch Out

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Right Now



Today's song is probably best know by people my age in it's 1983 interpretation by Siouxsie and Budgie as the Creatures which reached number 14 in the UK charts. I am told that there is a version by the Pussycat Dolls but thankfully I have not heard that one.

The tune was written twenty one years prior to the Creatures version by Herbie Mann and was originally an instrumental with lyrics added later that same year by Carl Sigman and became a hit for Mel Torme. The version posted is from 1969 and was included in Salena Jones album The Moment of Truth. I'm not quite sure whether I prefer this to Siouxsie's version or not but it is a cracking song.

Salena Jones - Right Now

Monday 17 November 2014

Leaving Here



Here is a song that for years I only knew from the Motorhead version which I first heard on the On Parole album with a live version on the Golden Years ep. Back then I didn't check the credits on the record as I wasn't in the slightest bit interested and as a ten year old I didn't have a scooby who Holland-Dozier- Holland were anyway.  The Motorhead take isn't a million miles away from the original give or take the odd guitar solo and Lemmy's growl.

My favourite version of the song used to be the Jimmy Hanna one but over the past year or so I have been playing the original Eddie Holland cut on Motown from 1963 a lot more.

Eddie Holland - Leaving Here 

Sunday 16 November 2014

Mellow Sunday



How about a bit of Spacemen 3 to make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the sabbath. the only problem with this track is it's way to short if it had been extended to about ten minutes or so it would be just about perfect. I was tempted to post the whole of the new Jon Hopkins Asleep versions 12" as it is quite, quite beautiful but instead I implore you all to go out and purchase it.  It is also available on cd and probably download but why you would want to buy something you can't hold is beyond me. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Spacemen3 - Just To See You Smile (Orchestral mix)

Friday 14 November 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I've got a stinking cold and am not in the best of moods at the moment, so something that makes me think of warmer climes is the order of the day. I suppose I should have posted this a few weeks ago when SA was doing his Balearic week over at the Bagging Area.

This is another of those times when the b-side of a Saint Etienne single is far better than the flip, well only the second time now I come to think of it the other time being People Get Real which was far superior to Join Our Club, for me anyway. But then again that was a double a side. So really this is the only example I have of the b-side being better.

I never really liked Nothing Can Stop Us, not sure what it was about it but I just could never take to it. However Speedwell, I fell for straight away, the original  but even more so the flying mix.  It just totally fit in with the vibe of 1991 along with Orchestra JB and the original mix of Fallen. These were the kinds of thing that I couldn't get enough of at the time and still hit the spot.

My weekend is now going to be spent trying to locate that "Ibiza" tape from back in 1991 that had all of those tunes on it or try to re-create it.

Have a good weekend people.

St Etienne - Speedwell (Flying mix)

Thursday 13 November 2014

Her Life Was Saved By Rock and Roll



A week or so ago JC posted over at the Vinyl Villian that he never really got into the Velvet Underground which he had told me before so it was news. When he first told me this I was quite surprised as a lot of the stuff that he does like reference the Velvets in one way or another but each to their own.

In the comments to JC's post there was a clear consensus that the man really needed to listen to Live 1969 which in my opinion is probably the finest live album I have ever heard even after accounting for the less than perfect sound quality. I have read in many places that these recordings from Dallas and San Francisco showcase the band at the pinnacle of their powers and I would not disagree. I own quite a few bootlegs of the band performing live of varying quality and for me the recording of the shows at the End of Cole Avenue are the best.

So for JC here are two prime examples from that album

Rock and Roll

What Goes On

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Amen Brother



Today's track contains probably one of the most sampled six seconds of drumming on it that has even been give it's own name the "amen break" which can be found on everything from early hip-hop and electro to a thousand drum and bass records, it has even been used by Oasis and Nine Inch Nails.

The original track Amen Brother was released in 1969 and was the flip of Color Him Father. Putting aside the drum sample which has furthered the career of hundreds of electronic artists from the 80s onwards The Winstons in Amen Brother produced a funky as fuck track which deserved not only to be a single in it's own right but also to have been a hit.

If you get a chance check out Portishead's Essential Mix where the track is used to great effect sandwiched between Spreadin' Honey and the Theme From Space 1999.

The Winstons - Amen, Brother

Monday 10 November 2014

Pressure



I have never really taken to modern soul, especially the 80s/90s stuff. It was all a bit too slick, overproduced and shiny for me. But every now and again a track came along that grabbed me and today's track is one of those.

In 1994 soul wasn't top of my listening list. At that time I was listening to mainly dance music from labels like Sabres of Paradise, Junior Boy's Own,  Mo Wax and the like. I would still dip into the  northern soul from time to time but I wasn't actively seeking out or buying any. I did take notice when I heard Pressure by Driza Bone and as was my want at the time I bought the 12" single with it's myriad of mixes none of which are any better than the edit that was available on the 7" really, which is really quite hard to get a hold of these days for some reason where is a copy on ebay at the moment with a starting price of 35 quid! Not sure why, as the single must have been manufactured in a decent number. It has even been been bootlegged as can be seen in the picture above, with a Clyde McPhatter track on the flip. Anyway it's a damn fine tune for all it's smoothness and slick production.

Driza Bone - Pressure


Friday 7 November 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Let's go back to the time of Prog, no not over educated student types singing about lawn mowers while wearing ridiculous costumes playing vast stadiums. No back to an age when leather trousers, long hair and biker boots were thought to be acceptable in clubs and everybody looked like idiots with those huge grins that meant when you woke up your face would be aching.

I think I may have mentioned before that I loved progressive house, the stretched out dubby bass heavy grooves. Anything on labels such Guerilla, Cowboy and Boy's Own were essential purchases.

Today's track is a monster that just builds and builds and was regularly dropped by Sasha at Renaissance. Released on Cowboy Records in 1992 by the Aloof responsible for a couple of my favouite tunes of the period with Never Get Out The Boat and One Night Stand. The version of On A Mission posted is the remix by the Flying dj Fabio Paras.

Have a good weekend people. I will be hoping for a home win tomorrow which will see is leapfrog Stenhousemuir making us third from bottom!

The Aloof - On A Mission (Fabio Paras remix)

Thursday 6 November 2014

Love Is A Wonderful Colour



I had forgotten just how joyous intro Love Is A Wonderful Colour has. I put it on the other week and was transported back to the Grammar and Friday night YM discos, the air thick with the threat of violence and the stench of under age drink induced vomit. Happy days to be sure.

To these ears this classic song from 1983 doesn't sound dated but to fourteen year old today it probably sounds as ancient as Elvis did to me back then, so they are in for a treat when they finally discover this and the likes of the Mighty Wah and the Bunnymen when they are in their twenties.

Icicle Works - Love Is A Wonderful Colour

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Like A Bad Girl Should



As I commented over at Swiss Adam's bit last week, you've got to love the Cramps. Sure, they were never in any danger of winning an Ivor Novello or anything and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have thanked you for one. It doesn't mean their music when at its best was anything less than brilliant. I go through phases of listening to them non stop and then my desire satiated I will leave them alone for a little while feeling ever so slightly filthy.

Like a Bad Girl Should was the lead single from the 1997 album Big Beat From Badsville which was pressed in lovely red vinyl completed with a tasteful sleeve with a picture of Ivy dressed in underwear sitting astride a bass drum holding a stiletto switchblade. There is also a video that I'm sure was never aired on Top of the Pops or The Chart Show but just maybe have been put on late at night on Channel 4.

The Cramps - Like A Bad Girl Should

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Got My Mo-Jo Working



Here is the original version from 1956 of Preston Foster's much covered classic . You wouldn't b much of a R&B or Blues artist if you hadn't covered this song. Artists from B.B. King through Elvis to Dr Feelgood have recorded versions of the song. There is even a version by Conway Twitty which is a lot better than I thought it would be. I do think that this version is my favourite.

Ann Cole and the Suburbans - Got My Mo-Jo Working

Monday 3 November 2014

I'm Satisfied



Today's slab of prime soul comes, like so many other brilliant tunes from the FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, produced of course and co-written by Rich Hall. It was released on the Atlantic off-shoot Cotillion in 1970.

Otis Clay was born in Mississippi but moved to Chicago as a youngster where started singing in a series of gospel groups. His first secular output was released on One-derful! Records. He moved to Cotillion when One-derful! folded in 1968 where he recorded a handful of singles including the one posted. Since then he has recorded for a few labels including his own label Echo where he recorded The Only Way Is Up. Clay is still performing to this day.

Enjoy.

Otis Clay - I'm Qualified

Sunday 2 November 2014

Mellow Sunday





How about a bit of MES in a reflective mood, not something you find very often  in the output of the gruppe.

The Fall - Bill Is Dead

Saturday 1 November 2014

Happy Anniversary Doll!



Today is mine and L's wedding anniversary. Seventeen years ago we made it all legal and have been taking "the crunchy with the smooth" ever since. There should be some sort of long service award for putting up with my moods and irrational behaviour! Apparently you are supposed to give something made of carnelian, no me neither.

Ruby Andrews - Just Loving You