Monthly Archives: August, 2019

ARTHUR-ANOTHER CASE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Arthur-Another Case Of What Might Have Been. The story of Arthur Lee Harper is a familiar one. He was a talented singer-songwriter who looked as if he was destined for great things. Sadly, that proved not to be the case. Arthur only ever released one album, Dreams and Images which was released on Lee Hazelwood’s …

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THE STORY OF DAMON AND HIS PSYCHEDELIC CULT CLASSIC, SONG OF A GYPSY.

The Story Of Damon and His Psychedelic Cult Classic, Song Of A Gypsy. For any collector of psychedelia whose fortunate enough to find a copy of Damon’s Song Of A Gypsy, it quickly becomes one of their most prized possessions. Sadly, finding an original  copy of Song Of A Gypsy is another thing. It’s one of the rarest psychedelic …

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THE DAISY AGE.

 The Daisy Age. Label: Ace Records. Release Date: ‘30th’ August 2019. When is a movement not a movement? When it’s the Daisy Age, which was  never really a movement. It’s been described more like an ethos or set of principles that for a short while, pervaded into hip hop, R&B and even pop. The ironic …

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TABANSI SAMPLER.

Tabansi Sampler. Label: BBE Africa. Release Date: ‘30th’ August 2019. Over the next two years, BBE Africa, an imprint of BBE Music, will release around sixty albums from the Tabansi Records vaults. This is part of their Tabansi Gold reissue series, which got underway recently, and is a reminder of what’s the most important, influential …

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LOS ANGELES SOUL VOLUME 2-KENT-MODERN’S BLACK MUSIC LEGACY 1963-197

Los Angeles Soul Volume 2-Kent-Modern’s Black Music Legacy 1963-1971. Label: Kent Soul. Release Date: ‘30th’ August 2019. Four-and-a-half years ago,  in February 2015, Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records, released Los Angeles Soul-Kent-Modern’s Black Music Legacy to plaudits and praise. Critics and music fans wondered if there would be a followup to this  lovingly …

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LIVE IT UP! BAYSWATER BEAT GIRLS 1964-1967.

Live It Up! Bayswater Beat Girls 1964-1967. Label: Ace Records. Release Date: ‘30th’ August 2019. It’s hard to believe that it was back in the nineties, when the Brit Girls genre was born, and record companies started releasing the first ever compilations. Little did anyone realise back then, that this new genre would thrive and over …

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NKONO TELES-PARTY BEATS.

Nkono Teles–Party Beats. BBE Africa.  During Tabansi Records’ long and illustrious history, few people made the same impact as Nkono Teles, who was born in  Cameroun, but grew up in Nigeria. That was where in 1952, Chief Tabansi founded the label he lent his name to, Tabansi Records. Three decades later, groundbreaking composer, engineer,  multi-instrumentalist …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BOB LIND.

The Life and Times Of Bob Lind. Bob Lind, it’s fair to say, is a many of many talents. He started life as a singer-songwriter in 1965, and helped define the folk rock genre. His debut single Elusive Butterfly gave Bob a hit single on both sides of the Atlantic in 1966. Five years and four albums …

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DYTOMOTE STARLITE BAND OF GHANA-DYTOMOTE STARLITE BAND OF GHANA

Dytomite Starlite Band Of Ghana-Dytomite Starlite Band Of Ghana. Label: BBE Africa. During the seventies and eighties, the Tabansi label was, without doubt, the most important and influential Nigerian record label, and consistently released groundbreaking music. Tabansi also discovered and nurtured many of Nigeria’s most successful artists. However, Tabansi also released albums by artists and bands …

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DAVID SANCIOUS-WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

David Sancious-What Might Have Been. By the late sixties, David Sancious was part of New Jersey’s vibrant music scene where he served  the first part of his musical apprenticeship. Over the next few years, the multi-instrumentalist honed his chops in various rock bands. The music they played was very different to the classical music that …

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ZACH AND GEEBAH-FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY.

Zack and Geebah– For The Love Of Money. Label: BBE Africa. Tabansi Records was founded in Nigeria in 1950, and filled a void when major labels like Decca and then  Philips closed the doors on their Nigerian operations. Chief (Dr) G.A.D. Tabansi, who lent his name to what would become Nigeria’s most important label, recorded …

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REGGIE YOUNG: SESSION PLAYER TO THE STARS.

Reggie Young: Session Player To The Stars. There aren’t many musicians whose career spans seven decades and get to work with the great and good of music including Elvis Presley, JJ Cale, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Neil Diamond and Dusty Springfield. They’re just a few of the musicians that Reggie Young has worked with during his long …

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BEN JAGGA-HOLD ON PRETTY WOMAN.

Ben Jagga-Hold On Pretty Woman. Label: BBE Africa. Nowadays, every third rate, regional bar band has delusions of becoming the next Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Black Sabbath, and spend their days dreaming of fame and fortune. Alas, these poor deluded fools shouldn’t give up their day job and should stick to pumping gas and parking cars because they usually …

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ALAN PRICE AND THE ANIMALS’ GOLDEN YEARS: 1964-1969.

Alan Price and The Animals’ Golden Years: 1964-1969. So much can happen to a band in just five years, and The Animals were proof of this. They released their eponymous debut album in September 1964, and over the next few years, became one of the biggest of the British Invasion bands. However, by 1969, The Animals’ story was …

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THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND-1966-1969: THE INCREDIBLE STRNG BAND TO ChANGING HORSES

The Incredible String Band-1966-1969: The Incredible String Band To Changing Horses Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer first played together at the Crown Bar, Edinburgh, in 1963 where Archie Fisher hosted a weekly folk night, and two years later, in 1965, Joe Boyd, who was then working as an A&R man for Elektra Records first saw the …

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CAPTAIN BEEFHEART-1967-1972: SAFE AS MILK TO CLEAR SPOT

Captain Beefheart-1967-1972: Safe As Milk To Clear Spot. It was in 1964 that Don Van Vliet first dawned his Captain Beefheart persona. By then, Don was already twenty-three and had led an eventful life. He had been called a child prodigy, attended art school, sold vacuum cleaners and for the last two years, been a …

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IF MUSIC PRESENTS YOU NEED THIS-A JOURNEY INTO DEEP JAZZ VOL. 3

IF Music Presents You Need This–A Journey Into Deep Jazz Vol. 3. BBE Music. Album Of The Week. For the best part of four decades, Jean-Claude Thompson has been one of the leading lights of London’s vibrant and eclectic music scene. Since 1990, he’s been one half of production duo The Amalgamation Of Soundz who have …

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THE STORY OF THE BROTHERHOOD AND THEIR CULT CLASSIC STAVIA.

The Story Of The Brotherhood and Their Cult Classic Stavia. After Ohio-based singer, songwriter and musician John Hurd wrote a new song Tragedy in 1971, he booked some studio time so that his band The Revised Brotherhood could record their debut single. Joining John Hurt in the studio when The Revised Brotherhood recorded Tragedy and Those Things …

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MELISSA MANCHESTER-1973-1976: HER EARLY YEARS AND BREAKTHROUGH.

Melissa Manchester-1973-1976: Her Early Years and Breakthrough. It was almost inevitable that Melissa Manchester would end up embarking upon a musical career. The Manchester family were a highly creative family, and music played an important part in everyday life. That was no surprise. Melissa’s father was a bassoonist in the New York Metropolitan Opera. She would …

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THE ROZETTA JOHNSON STORY: A CASE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

The Rozetta Johnson Story: A Case Of What Might Have Been. Throughout the history of modern music, some of the most talented artists haven’t enjoyed the commercial success and critical acclaim that their considerable talent deserves. That was the case with Nick Drake, Jackie Leven, Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Michael Chapman, Tim Buckley, Alice Clark, …

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