Monthly Archives: August, 2014
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 5: THE WORLD.
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 5: THE WORLD. In the four previous volumes of their Spiritual Jazz series, Jazzman Records have mostly, focused on European jazz. For Spiritual Jazz 5: The World, Jazzman Records have travelled far and wide. They’ve been on what can be best described as a worldwide crate digging expedition. Hidden gems and rarities have …
BOB CARPENTER-SILENT PASSAGE.
BOB CARPENTER-SILENT PASSAGE. Often, it looks as if a singer is destined for greatness. That was the case with Canadian singer-songwriter Bob Carpenter. He was signed to Warner Brothers in 1974. Straight away, Bob headed into the studio to complete his solo album, Silent Passage, which was rereleased by No Quarter Records on 19th August …
LES AMBASSADEURS-LES AMBASSADEURS DU MOTEL DE BAMAKO.
LES AMBASSADEURS-LES AMBASSADEURS DU MOTEL DE BAMAKO. As the seventies unfolded, the Rail Band de Bamako were kings of Malian music. They had dragged Malian music kicking and screaming into the twentieth century. The Rail Band de Bamako had given traditional Malian music a makeover. However, another group was about to steal their crown, Les …
ROBYN HITCHCOCK-THE MAN UPSTAIRS.
ROBYN HITCHCOCK-THE MAN UPSTAIRS. Sometimes, dreams can come true. Growing up, Robyn Hitchcock had a dream. When he was fifteen, he dreamt that one day, Joe Boyd would produce one of his albums. Back in 1967, Joe Boyd was on his way to becoming one of the most successful producers of his generation. Already, Joe …
THE BLUE NILE-HATS.
THE BLUE NILE-HATS. For most groups, a gap of five years between albums would be unthinkable. It just wouldn’t happen. Either the group would be keen to get a new album released, or their record company would be pressurizing them to do so. Not The Blue Nile. In fact, the five years between their debut …
ELVIS PRESLEY-THAT’S THE WAY IT IS.
ELVIS PRESLEY-THAT’S THE WAY IT IS. By the time Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie was born on 1st February 1968, his career was at a crossroads. Over the last few years, Elvis had been trying to forge a career as a movie star. However, the movies were formulaic and according to critics, were the epitome of …
NO MORE DOGGIN’ THE RPM STORY VOLUME 1 1950-53.
NO MORE DOGGIN’ THE RPM STORY VOLUME 1 1950-53. Jules Bihari, a Hollywood based musical entrepreneur, founded Modern Music with his brothers Saul, Joe and Lester in 1944. Little did anyone realise, that within a few years the nascent Modern Music would become one of the most successful independent labels. Modern Music made its name …
A BLUES TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL.
A BLUES TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. The latest instalment in Cleopatra Records’ Tribute To series is A Blues Tribute To Creedence Clearwater Revival. This is third instalment in the series released during 2014. The first instalment was A Psych Tribute To The Doors, which was released in March 2014. A Psych Tribute To The …
HENRY GROSS-RELEASE/SHOW ME TO THE STAGE.
HENRY GROSS-RELEASE/SHOW ME TO THE STAGE. In 1969, Henry Gross was the youngest person to perform at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Henry was just eighteen when he took to the stage with Sha Na Na. However, Henry Gross, whose albums Release and Show Me To The Stage were recently rereleased by Chiswick, an …
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS.
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS. Enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian are words that best of describe The Blue Nile’s 1984 debut album A Walk Across the Rooftops. The Blue Nile are the complete opposite of most bands. Describing the Blue Nile as publicity shy, is an understatement. Indeed, since Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and …
END OF NEIL-ONLY SURFERS KNOW.
END OF NEIL-ONLY SURFERS KNOW. Without doubt, one of the most talented Scottish singer-songwriters around today is End Of Neil. I’ve been following End Of Neil’s career for the past couple of years. Since I last touched base with him, a lot has happened to End Of Neil. Neil Stewart, the man behind End Of …
JIMMY HUGHES-STEAL AWAY.
JIMMY HUGHES-STEAL AWAY. Fifty years ago, Jimmy Hughes released what was the first album to bare the Fame Records logo, Steal Away. It was released after the title-track, Steal Away gave Jimmy Hughes the biggest single of his career. On its release, Steal Away gradually climbed the charts. Its rise wasn’t meteoric. Instead, it was …
HADDA BROOKES-QUEEN OF THE BOOGIE AND MORE.
HADDA BROOKES-QUEEN OF THE BOOGIE AND MORE. When Hadda Brookes released her debut single, Swingin’ the Boogie in 1945, she was billed as Queen Of The Boogie. This wasn’t hype. Far from it. Hadda Brookes was the real deal. That’s why she enjoyed the longevity that she did. Hadda’s career lasted over fifty years. She …
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL!
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL! When Bob Weinstock founded Prestige Records in 1949, he’d no idea that his nascent label would become one of the most important, influential and innovative labels in jazz music’s history. So much so, that nowadays, Prestige Records sits proudly beside Atlantic, Blue Note, Columbia, Impulse! and Verve …
JOHN MORALES PRESENTS CLUB MOTOWN.
JOHN MORALES PRESENTS CLUB MOTOWN. DJ and remixer John Morales, spent much of the last seven years working what he describes as his “labor or love,” John Morales Presents Club Motown. It’s a lovingly compiled double album which was recently released by UMC. John Morales Presents Club Motown features a total of twenty tracks from …
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS.
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS. No other group epitomises the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle like the New York Dolls. Drink, drugs and death touched the New York Dolls. Despite this, the Dolls continued to court controversy, with a disaster always just a heartbeat away. Just like a game of daring do, the egged each other to …
JENNY HVAL AND SUSANNA-MESHES OF VOICE.
JENNY HVAL AND SUSANNA-MESHES OF VOICE. Five years ago, in 2009, Jenny Hval and Susanna began writing to each other. A lot has happened to Jenny and Susanna since that initial exchange of letters. Jenny and Susanna were both singer-sonwriters. So it made sense that they collaborated. Together, they cowrote fifteen songs. They showcased these …
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW.
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW. Dana Gillespie has packed a lot of living into her sixty-five years. She’s been an actress, singer and songwriter. Her singing career began in the mid-sixties. Initially, Dana was a folk singer. Before long, Dana became a teen pop idol and released her debut album, Foolish Seasons in1967. Since then, Dana’s musical …
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE.
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE. There aren’t many artists who’ve released over forty albums. Scottish singer-songwriter Kenny Anderson has. However, many people won’t have heard of Kenny Anderson. They will have heard of King Creosote. King Creosote is just one of a number of aliases Kenny Anderson records records under. He’s been a one man …
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