Monthly Archives: June, 2019

MICHAEL ROTHER- FLAMMENDE HERZEN, STERNTALER, KATZENMUSIK AND FERNWARME.

Michael Rother-Flammende Herzen, Sterntaler,Katzenmusik and Fernwärme. Label: Gronland Records. During the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving, and  was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being recorded and released by German bands. This included the holy trinity of Can, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Along with Amon Düül …

Continue reading

ALICE CLARK-ALICE CLARK.

Alice Clark-Alice Clark. Label: We Want Sounds. Sadly, all too often, hype and image has triumphed over talent, while commercial success and critical acclaim eludes truly talented artists. Chastened by the experience, many of these artists turn their back on the music industry. They’re content to return to civvy street, free from a world populated …

Continue reading

WARFARING STRANGERS: ACID NIGHTMARES LP.

Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares LP. Label: Numero Group.  Numero Group’s most recent release Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares, documents an oft-overlooked and intriguing part of the psychedelic era. This came after the optimism of the hippie movement came to a sudden end. Gone was the hopeful, positive and sunshine psychedelia. In its place, was a darker …

Continue reading

STONEGROUND’S WARNER BROS YEARS.

Stoneground’s Warner Bros Years. The Stoneground story began in San Francisco in 1968, when guitarists Tim Barnes and Luther Billed joined forces with drummer Mike Mau and founded Stoneground.  In the early days, Stoneground were happy playing as a trio but  before long, the lineup began to expand. This came about when Tom Donahue, a DJ and …

Continue reading

ZEAL ONYIA-TRUMPET KING ZEAL ONYIA RETURNS. 

Zeal Onyia-Trumpet King Zeal Onyia Returns. Label: BBE Music. It was none other than Louis Armstrong who upon hearing  Zeal Onyia  for the first time described him as: “the highlife hep cat of Nigerian jazz trumpet’. Like so  many others before him, Louis Armstrong  was captivated by the combination  of Zeal Onyia’s unique tone, rhythm …

Continue reading

OJO BALINGO-AFROTUNES-BEST OF JUJU  VOL. II-OBA MIMO OLORUN AYO.

Ojo Balingo–Afrotunes –Best of Juju Vol. II–Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘28th’ June 2019 Each week, record companies in America, Britain and Europe tempt and tantalise collectors with reissue of rarities that have never been released before. This includes everything from Acid House to zydeco and everything in between, including a …

Continue reading

BAND APART-BAND APART.

Band Apart-Band Apart. Label: Crammed Discs. French-American group Band Apart were founded in the early eighties by New York-based poet and performance artist Jayne Bliss, and Marseille-based musician and producer M.Mader and signed to Marc Hollander’s nascent Crammed discs who released the group’s critically acclaimed eponymous EP in 1981. Two years later in 1983, Band …

Continue reading

WAKE UP! MUSIC REMIXES DJ WALL OF SOUND VOLUME 1: MATT WARREN’S MUSIC IS MY LIFE

Wake Up! Music Remixes DJ Wall Of Sound Volume 1: Matt Warren’s Music Is My Life. Release Date: ‘19th’ July 2019. Label: Wake Up! Music. Buoyed by the success of the Matt Warren’s critically acclaimed Nu-House classic, Music Is My Life, Wake Up! Music’s founder and creative director MyMy Lady G aka Pepper Gomez, decided that …

Continue reading

SEAFARING STRANGERS: PRIVATE ROCK LP.

Seafaring Strangers: Private Rock LP. Label: Numero. As the sixties drew to a close, the Rolling Stones were one of the most successful bands of the decade. They were preparing to release their Let It Bleed, on the ‘5th’ of December 1969. It was the Rolling Stones eighth album in Britain, but their tenth album …

Continue reading

ELEPHANT9- PSYCHEDELIC BACKFIRE I AND PSYCHEDELIC BACKFIREII WITH REINE FISKE

Elephant9 -Psychedelic Backfire I and Psychedelic Backfire II With Reine Fiske. Label: Rune Grammofon. There aren’t many bands who release two albums on the same day, but that is what Elephant9 did recently, when they released Psychedelic Backfire I and Psychedelic BackfireII With Reine Fiske on Rune Grammofon. These two albums feature the return of one of finest Norwegian jazz groups …

Continue reading

FIRE! ORCHESTRA-ARRIVAL

Fire! Orchestra-Arrival. Label: Rune Grammofon. When Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin founded the Fire! Orchestra in 2011, it featured twenty-eight musicians and vocalists who were responsible for the ensemble’s impressive sound. Now eight years and as they release their fifth album Arrival on Rune Grammofon, its a slimmed down line-up that appears on the …

Continue reading

MASTERPIECES OF MODERN SOUL VOLUME 5.

Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Volume 5. Label:Kent Dance. Nearly sixteen years ago, back in October 2003,  Kent Soul released the first instalment in the Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series. Since then, another five volumes have been released. The first came in January 2009, when Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Volume 2 was released. Just over two …

Continue reading

NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN-THE SOLO YEARS 1976-1988.

Narada Michael Walden-The Solo Years 1976-1988 The first many record buyers heard of Narada Michael Walden, was when he was announced as Billy Cobham’s replacement in the second lineup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1974. By then, Narada Michael Walden was just twenty-two and the Mahavishnu Orchestra was one of the top fusion bands. However, …

Continue reading

THE SPENCER WIGGINS STORY.

The Spencer Wiggins’ Story. Although Spencer Wiggins is nowadays, widely recognised by critics as one of the finest exponents of deep soul, sadly, he’s still one of soul music’s best kept secrets. Spencer Wiggins at the peak of his powers, had the ability to breath life, meaning and emotion into the lyrics of a song. …

Continue reading

SPOOKY TOOTH’S ISLAND RECORDS YEARS.

Spooky Tooth’s Island Record Years. All too often, some bands don’t get the credit they deserve, and that was the case with Spooky Tooth, who for a time, pioneered the use of twin keyboards. They lead the way and soon, other bands were following in their wake. By then, the Spooky Tooth story was over. Spooky Tooth were …

Continue reading

THE STORY OF MARY LOVE.

The Story Of Mary Love The day that Mary Love  entered a talent contest in a local club was that the day that her life changed forevermore. She sang a cover of Etta James’ Somebody’s Got A Hold On Me and won. This resulted in Mary being hired to sing every Thursday.  She was paid $8 a night and accompanying Mary …

Continue reading

THE DAMNED-THE STIFF AND CHISWICK RECORDS’ YEARS.

The Damned-The Stiff and Chiswick Records’ Years. Not many bands are still going strong after forty-three years.  Especially punk bands, which in many cases, were short-lived affairs, who released one or two singles, before calling it a day. However, there’s one punk band are still going strong after forty-three years, The Damned.  The Damned were formed in London in 1976, when members …

Continue reading

ERIC ANDERSEN-STILL ONE OF MUSIC’S BEST KEPT SECRETS

Eric Andersen-Still One Of Music’s Best Kept Secrets. In 1975, thirty-two year old folk singer and songwriter Eric Andersen moved to Greenwich Village, New York, where it had all started for him in the early sixties. Back then, Eric Andersen was part of the folk scene, and as a twenty-one years in 1964, had auditioned for …

Continue reading

STUBBLEMAN-MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS.

Stubbleman-Mountains and Plains. Label: Crammed Discs. Forty years ago, in 1979, Pascal Gabriel aka the groundbreaking and maverick composer and producer Stubbleman, moved from his home in a Belgium to London. The former punk musician joined a series of experimental art school bands, which was the start of a voyage of discovery that led to …

Continue reading

DARK STAR SAFARI BY JAN BANG, ERIK HONORE, EIVIND AARSET, SAMUEL ROHRER.

Dark Star Safari by Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, Eivind Aarset, Samuel Rohrer. Label: Arjunamusic Records. Jan Bang, Erik Honoré and Eivind Aarset are among the leading lights of Norway’s vibrant music scene, and are know for creating ambitious, innovative and progressive music that pushes musical boundaries to its limits. So is forty-two year old Swiss …

Continue reading