Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE MURMAIDS-A CASE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
The Murmaids- A Case Of What Might Have Been? Sadly, musical history is littered with groups that are remembered as one-hit wonders. Their brush with commercial success may have been brief, but at least they enjoyed a tantalising taste of what some established groups take for granted. As a result, after a group has enjoyed one hit single, they want another. …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-1973 1978: CATCH A FIRE TO KAYA
Bob Marley and The Wailers-1983-1978: Catch A Fire To Kaya. Nine month after Bob Marley and The Wailers released their critically acclaimed classic album Exodus in June 1977, they returned on the ‘23rd’ of March 1978 with their much-anticipated tenth album Kaya. It was a very different album to Exodus, and was one of Bob Marley …
JIMI HENDRIX-LIVE AT WOODSTOCK.
Jimi Hendrix-Live At Woodstock. Label: Sony Music BMG. From the moment that Jimi Hendrix saw T-Bone Walker playing his guitar with his teeth he took it as a challenge, and was determined that one day, he would be able to replicate what he had just witnessed the veteran bluesman do. In years to come, this …
FAREWELL DR JOHN AND A GUIDE TO HIS MUSIC:PART 1-THE ATCO YEARS 1968-1974.
Farewell Dr John and A Guide To His Music: Part 1: The Atco Years 1968-1974. A month ago, on the ‘6th’ of July 2019, Dr John, who was born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. on November the 20th 1941, in New Orleans, which he still called home, passed away aged seventy-seven. That day, music lost one of the greatest musicians of his generation. The next day I …
JOHN MARTYN-TROUDADOUR AND MUSICAL MAVERICK.
John Martyn-Troubadour and Musical Maverick It’s no exaggeration to say that the late, great John Martyn’s life revolved around music. His career began in 1967, when he was just seventeen. Back then, John Martyn was a folk singer. However, over the next forty-two years, John Martyn continually reinvented his music flitting between folk and folk rock to blues, psychedelia, …
NIGERIA 70: NOW WAHALA: HIGHLIFE, AFRO-FUNK AND JUJU 1973-1987.
Nigeria 70: No Wahala: Highlife, Afro-Funk and Juju 1973-1987. Label: Strut Records. Twenty years ago, in 1999, Strut Records was founded and for tiger next four years, released a number of lovingly curated compilations. This included everything from breaks, funk, library music, old school hip hop, underground disco and Nigerian Afrobeat. By 2003, Strut Records …
WHERE THE ACTION IS! LOS ANGELES NUGGETS.
Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets. Label: Rhino There aren’t many compilation series that last twenty-five years. That’s apart from Rhino’s much loved Nuggets compilation series. It began in 1984 when Nuggets, Volume 1: The Hits was released. Little did anyone know that the Nuggets series would last twenty-five years, and include fifteen LP, five …
THE YOUNG ONES OF GUYANA-ON TOUR AND REUNION.
The Young Ones of Guyana–On Tour and Reunion Label: BBE Music. On the ’26th of May 1966, Guyana, the third smallest severing state in mainland South America gained its independence from the United Kingdom. For the people of Guyana this was something to celebrate, and celebrate they did. In 1970, The Young Ones Of Guyana, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 