Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO VOLUME 2.
The Ladies Of Too Slow To Disco Volume 2. Label: How Do You Are? Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, musical genres have fallen in-and-out of fashion, and what’s popular today can be consigned to the dustbin of musical history tomorrow as tastes change. That happened to everything from psychedelia and progressive rock …
CULT CLASSIC: SEA LEVEL-BALL ROOM.
Cult Classic: Sea Level-Ball Room. In 1980, Southern rockers Sea Level released their fifth album Ball Room, which was a new start for the band. They had been signed to Capricorn Records since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1976. After recording four albums for Capricorn Records, Sea Level signed to Clive Davis’ …
THE BLUE NILE-HIGH
The Blue Nile-High. Label: Confetti Records. Format: 2 CD Set. Release Date: ‘5th’ June 2020. Enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian are words that best of describe The Blue Nile. They’re the complete opposite of most bands. The Blue Nile have been described as publicity shy. That’ is an understatement. Ever since Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and …
JOHN LEE HOOKER-DOCUMENTING THE SENSATION RECORDINGS 1948-52.
John Lee Hooker-Documenting The Sensation Recordings 1948-52. Label: Ace Records. In 1946, Detroit-based Bernard Besman joined forces with accountant John Kaplan and bought Pan American Record Distributing. Later that year, they also founded Sensation Records which they named after a local nightclub, the Sensation Lounge. The next step was to sign some of the best …
SOUL VOICES-60S BIG BALLADS.
Soul Voices-60s Big Ballads. Label: Kent Soul. For many soul afficianados, the sixties was a golden age with labels like Stax, Atco, Goldwax and Motown releasing some of their best and most successful singles. Five decades later, and some of these singles are now regarded as classics and are favourites of radio DJs. Sadly, many other …
BOB STANLEY AND PETE WIGGS PRESENT OCCASIONAL RAIN.
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present Occasional Rain. Label: Ace Records. As the sixties gave way to the seventies, psychedelia prepared to kiss the sky and say goodbye as it exited stage left. However, all wasn’t well despite all the groundbreaking music released during the last few years. After Woodstock and the Altamont Free Concert …
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-FEEL SO GOOD.
Boppin’ By The Bayou-Feel So Good. Label: Ace Records. When Ace Records released Boppin’ By The Bayou in 2012, little did anyone at the label realise that they had just released the first instalment in what would become their longest running and most successful compilation series. However, it was so successful that another instalment in …
CULT CLASSIC: ALAN HAWKSHAW AND BRIAN BENNETT-SYNTHESIS.
Cult Classic: Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett-Synthesis. Nowadays, the seventies are regarded as a golden age for library music, and two of its leading lights during this era were Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett. They were responsible for some of the best library music that KPM Records released during its golden era. This included the library music classic Synthesis, …
CULT CLASSIC: BERT MYRICK-LIVE ’N WELL.
Cult Classic: Bert Myrick-Live ’N Well. Many record collectors have an album that has continued to elude them for many years. So much so, that it is the equivalent to finding the holy grail. They’ve searched for years, and never come close to finding that elusive and rare album. It gets that they can’t pass …
JIMI HENDRIX-BAND OF GYPSYS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
Jimi Hendrix-Band Of Gypsys 50th Anniversary Edition. Label: Sony. When the Jimi Hendrix Experience took to the stage at the Denver Pop Festival in June 1969, bassist Noel Redding knew it was his swansong with the group. He had been told by a journalist before the show that he was going to be replaced by Billy …
KING CRIMSON-LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC.
King Crimson-Lark’s Tongues In Aspic. Lable: Panegyric. Release Date: ‘12th’ June 2020. In October 1969, King Crimson announced their arrival when they released their critically acclaimed debut album, In The Court Of The Crimson King. This future progressive rock classic reached number five in the UK, and was certified gold in America, when it reached number twenty-eight. Following the success of In The …
HANK MOBLEY-POPPIN’.
Hank Mobley-Poppin’. Label: Blue Note Records. Musically, Hank Mobley was a late starter, and first picked up a saxophone was when he was sixteen, and suffering from an illness that meant he had to stay at home for several months. By then, he was living in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was finding that the days …
LEE MORGAN-THE RUMPROLLER.
Lee Morgan-The Rumproller. Label: Blue Note Records. In 1964, twenty-six year old hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan’s career was transformed when he enjoyed a crossover hit with The Sidewinder. Instantly recognisable and incredibly catchy, it became a jazz standard and nowadays, is regarded as Lee Morgan’s best known composition. Buoyed by the success of the …
AKSAK MABOUL-FIGURES.
Aksak Maboul-Figures. Label: Crammed Discs. Nowadays, there aren’t many bands that are still together and releasing new albums after five decades. The same can be said of record labels founded in the seventies. Sadly, bands and record labels aren’t enjoying the same longevity in the modern music business. All too often, bands release a couple …
CULT CLASSIC: THE MONKEES-HEAD.
Cult Classic: The Monkees-Head. On September the ‘8th’ 1965, the Daily Variety contained an advert that said: “Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series.” This was a new sitcom that had been written by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider about a struggling rock band from Los Angeles. The new sitcom would …
CULT CLASSIC: NICOLETTE LARSON-ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO.
Cult Classic: Nicolette Larson-All Dressed Up and No Place To Go. Nowadays, far too many people are scared to follow their dream and instead, settle for second best and the drudgery of working 9-5. Sadly, it’s only much later, when it’s too late, that they realise what they gave up and what might have been. …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 