Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE MICK COX BAND-THE MICK COX BAND.
The Mick Cox Band-The Mick Cox Band. Label: Another Planet Music. Format: CD. Mick Cox was born in Gillingham, Kent, in 1943. His father was a bandsman in the Royal Marines, and he encouraged his son to play classical piano as a child. However, by the time he was eleven, and attending Grammar Schoo,l he …
A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
A Snapshot In Time. Ace Records. Format: CD. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, youth cults have come and gone. Some have proven to be nothing more than passing fads that nowadays, and nowadays, are mere footnotes in cultural history. Some youth cults have endured and played an important part in British culture. However, …
WRAP IT UP-THE ISAAC HAYES AND DAVID PORTER SONGBOOK.
Wrap It Up-The Isaac Hayes and David Porter Songbook. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: 30th September 2022. One of the most important songwriting partnerships in the history of Stax Records was Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They started writing together towards the end of 1964, and success came quickly for the pair when …
TRIP ON ME-SOFT PSYCH AND SUNSHINE (1966-1969).
Trip On Me-Soft Psych and Sunshine (1966-1969). Label: Big Beat Records. Format: CD. Release Date: 30th September 2022. The perfect soundtrack to a long hot summer is Trip On Me-Soft Psych and Sunshine (1966-1969). It’s a lovingly curated collection of late-sixtes California sunshine pop and psych nuggets from the vaults of various independent labels and …
LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH! GIRL GROUP SOUNDS USA 1962-1966.
Look But Don’t Touch! Girl Group Sounds USA 1962-1966. Label: Ace Records. Format: LP. Ever since the eighties, Ace Records has been the go-to label for girl group compilations. Since then, they’ve released ten volumes of their critically acclaimed Where The Girls Are as well as the Girls About Town and Stop, Look and …
GIRLS WITH GUITARS GONNA SHAKE!
Girls With Guitars Gonna Shake! Ace Records. Format: CD. There are very few compilation series that are still going strong after thirty-three years. Often, by then, the compiler has run out of material or musical tastes have changed. However, some compilation series survive changing musical tastes and prosper. That’s the case with Ace Records’ long-running …
CLOWNS EXIT LAUGHING-THE JIMMY WEBB SONGBOOK.
Clowns Exit Laughing-The Jimmy Webb Songbook. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Although singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb was born in Elk City, Oklahoma, on August the ’15th’ 1946, he grew up in Laverne, Oklahoma. His father, a US Marine Corps veteran, was now a baptist minister, who ran and preached in churches in rural southwestern Oklahoma and west …
HAPPY IN HOLLYWOOD-THE PRODUCTIONS OF GARY USHER.
Happy In Hollywood-The Productions Of Gary Usher. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ July 2022. Although Gary Usher was born in Los Angeles, California, on December ‘14th’ 1938, he spent his childhood and teenage years living in New England. That was where his lifelong love affair with music began. Growing up, music was …
MASTERPIECES OF MODERN SOUL VOLUME 6.
Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Volume 6. Label: Kent Dance. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ July 2022. Almost nineteen years ago, in October 2003, Kent Soul released the first instalment in the Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series. Since then, another six volumes have been released. The first came in January 2009, when Masterpieces Of Modern Soul …
ATLANTA SOUL ARTISTRY 1965-1975.
Atlanta Soul Artistry 1965-1975. Label: Kent Soul. Format: LP. Atlanta’s black music scene started to thrive during the fifties and sixties. However, one of the most important figures during the sixties was Bill Haney. He was a producer, songwriter and owner of Down South Productions who was responsible for some of the finest Southern Soul …
FUNKADELIC’S GREATEST HITS.
Funkadelic’s Greatest Hits. Label: Westbound. Format: CD. Nowadays, most albums released in 1975 have been reissued at least once. An exception is Funkadelic’s Greatest Hits compilation which was originally released in 1975. That’s about to change when Westbound, an imprint of Ace Records reissues this ten track CD. It’s been newly remastered and is a …
BOB STANLEY AND PETE WIGGS PRESENT FELL FROM THE SKY: DOWNTEMPO AND AFTER HOURS 1990-91.
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present Fell From The Sky: Downtempo and After Hours 1990-91. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘1st’ July 2022. House music arrived in Britain in 1987 and instantly transformed the musical landscape. Just like disco a decade earlier, it went on to provided the soundtrack for a generation in clubs …
NIMBUS SEXTET-FORWARD THINKER.
Nimbus Sextet-Forward Thinker. Label: Acid Jazz Records. Format: CD. It was just over three years ago when Nimbus Sextet signed to Acid Jazz Records in the spring of 2019. A lot has happened since then. The group recently released their sophomore album Forward Thinker, and are now regarded as one of the leading lights of the …
MOONSHINE AKA MONICA RYPMA AND FRIENDS-CLASSIFIEDS.
Moonshine aka Monica Rypma and Friends-Classifieds. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. Release Date: 17th June 2022. When BBE Music recently released the compilation We Are The Children Of The Sun, one of the highlights was Monica Rypma’s Let Love Flow, a hook-laden Balearic groove hidden gem. The track was a tantalising taste of the album …
THE COUNT BISHOPS-THE COUNT BISHOPS.
The Count Bishops-The Count Bishops. Label: Chiswick. Format: LP. During 1977, a genre that has continued to divide opinion was at the peak of its popularity, punk. This anti music was championed by critics and cultural commentators who were willing to overlook that many of the musical charlatans within punk bands could barely play their …
THE PRISONERS-THE LAST FOURFATHERS.
The Prisoners-The Last Fourfathers. Label: Big Beat Records. Format: LP. Musical history is littered with the story of groups who could’ve gone on to enjoy a long and successful career. This includes The Prisoners, who were one of the leading lights of the Medway Scene. They were formed in Rochester, Kent in 1980, and released four albums. This included The Last …
WILLIAM BELL-NEVER LIKE THIS BEFORE.
William Bell-Never Like This Before. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Veteran Southern Soul man William Bell was born William Yarbrough on July the ’16th’ 1939, in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, he sang in church and was inspired by the gospel group The Soul Stirrers, who at the time, were led by Sam Cooke. By the …