Author Archive: dereksmusicblog

THE SPINNERS-WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS.

The Spinners-While The City Sleeps. Label: Kent Soul, In 1964, The Spinners signed a seven-year recording contract with Berry Gordy’s Motown label, which the Detroit-based group would transform their fortunes. They had already enjoyed  two hit singles That’s What Girls Are Made For and Love (I’m So Glad) I Found You in 1961. Since then, …

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MOGWAI-KIN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

Mogwai-Kin Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Label: Rock Action Records. Although Scottish post rock pioneers Mogwai have released nine studio albums, two live albums, two remix albums and written and recorded the  score to three documentaries, until very recently, there was still something missing from the Glasgow band’s impressive musical CV. Mogwai had still to write …

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ROCKIN’ IN THE USA-HOT 100 HITS OF THE 80S.

Rockin’ In The USA-Hot 100 Hits Of The 80s. Label: Ace Records. As 1979 gave way to 1980, critics and cultural commentators wondered whether the golden era that began  when The Beatles released Love Me Do in 1962 was about to continue?  Record buyers had been spoiled by some of the biggest bands from Britain …

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JACK ASHFORD-JUST PRODUCTIONS VOLUME 2

Jack Ashford-Just Productions Volume 2. Label: Kent Soul. In March 2016, Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records released their new compilation Jack Ashford-Just Productions to widespread critical acclaim. Critics and music fans wondered if there would be a followup? Just over two years later and Kent Soul have released Jack Ashford-Just Productions Volume 2. …

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JOHN COLTRANE-BOTH DIRECTIONS AT ONCE: THE LOST ALBUM-VINYL. 

John Coltrane-Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album-Vinyl. Label: Impulse! As John Coltrane and his classic quartet arrived at the Van Gelder studios in Englewood Cliffs, on the ‘6th’ of March 1963, the band were in good spirits having played a barnstorming set at Birdland the night before. It was one of the best sets …

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NORTHERN SOUL’S CLASSIEST RARITIES-VINYL

Northern Soul’s Classiest Rarities Label: Kent Dance. Nowadays, Northern Soul compilations are two-a-penny and  hardly a week goes by and yet another compilation is released. That has been the case for the best part of twenty years and nothing has changed during 2018. It seems that Northern Soul is more popular than, ever and record …

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BALEARIC 4.

Balearic 4. Label: Balearic. During the nineties several small independent labels started to release lovingly curated compilations of downtempo or chill out music, which was  popular in the Balearic Islands, and especially on the White Island, Ibiza. That was where many British and European DJs first saw chill out sets being played at places like …

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DAVID AXELROD-SONGS OF EXPERIENCE-VINYL

David Axelrod-Songs Of Experience Vinyl. Label: Now Again Records. By 1968, composer, musicians and producer David Axelrod was just about to embark upon a solo career after nine years working in the music industry. Buoyed by the experimental climate of popular music, David Axelrod wrote and recorded what was akin to a suite-like tone poem …

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ARVE HENRIKSEN-THE HEIGHT OF THE REEDS.

Arve Henriksen-The Height Of The Reeds. Label: Rune Grammofon. Originally, The Height Of The Reeds’ project was commissioned by the city of Hull, to celebrate the city being chosen as Britain´s cultural capital in 2017. This was only port of the story behind The Height Of The Reeds. It’s  a culturally important commission that celebrates …

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MOSKUS-MIRAKLER.

Moskus-Mirakler. Label|: Hubro Music. The Moskus story began at the prestigious Trondheim Conservatory of Music, in Norway, in 2011. That was when bassist Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson first met drummer Hans Hulbækmo and pianist Anja Lauvdal and decided to form a new  group which they called Moskus.  Little did they realise at that first meeting, that Moskus would become the …

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STEVE TIBBETTS-THE ECM RECORDS YEARS.

Steve Tibbetts-The ECM Records Years. Ever since Minnesota born composer and guitarist Steve Tibbetts signed to ECM Records in 1981, the  pioneer of sound-forming has only released nine albums for Manfred Eicher’s Munich-based label. These albums document the career of a musical innovator who was introduced to music at an early age. Steve Tibbetts was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1954, and …

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JETHRO TULL-FROM THIS WAS TO HEAVY HORSES: THE FIRST ELEVEN.

Jethro Tull-From This Was To Heavy Horses: The First Eleven. By April 1978, Jethro Tull was still one of the most successful British bands of their generation, and were about to release their eleventh album of their career, Heavy Horses. It was the second album in a trilogy of folk rock albums and Jethro Tull hoped that …

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THE MAN FROM MO’ WAX (MUSIC  FROM THE MOTION PICTURE).

The Man From Mo’ Wax (Music From The Motion Picture). Label: UMC. Twenty-six years ago in 1992, eighteen year old British electronic musician James Lavelle, and DJ, producer and recording artist Tim Goldsworthy cofounded a new record label Mo’ Wax. Little did anyone realise that Mo’ Wax would go on to release some of the …

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MOGWAI-KIN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK VINYL

Mogwai-Kin Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Vinyl/. Label: Rock Action Records. Although Scottish post rock pioneers Mogwai have released nine studio albums, two live albums, two remix albums and written and recorded the  score to three documentaries, until very recently, there was still something missing from the Glasgow band’s impressive musical CV. Mogwai had still to write …

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POPOL VUH-MESSA DI ORFEO RECORD STORE DAY 2018.

Popol Vuh-Messa Di Orfeo-Record Store Day 2018. Label: One Way Static. Popol Vuh were one of a number of groundbreaking bands who were formed in West Germany in the early seventies, and over the next three decades established a reputation for releasing innovative music that influenced the next generation of musicians. This was the case …

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BARIS MANCO-NICK THE CHOPPER

Barış Manço-Nick The Chopper. Label: Pharaway Sounds. Some nineteen years after his sudden and tragic death, Barış Manço is still remembered as one of the pioneers of modern Turkish music. His career began in 1958, and continued right up until his death in 1999.  During his career, Barış Manço was one of the founding fathers of …

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HOUSTON PERSON AND RON CARTER-REMEMBER LOVE. 

Houston Person and Ron Carter-Remember Love, Label: HighNote Records.    Seventy-three your old saxophonist Houston Person recording career began in 1966,when he   recorded Underground Soul for Prestige. This was the first of over seventy-five albums that Houston Person released as bandleader for Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, CTi Records and Muse Records over the past six …

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APHEX TWIN-SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 85-92(VINYL).

Aphex Twin-Selected Ambient Works 85-92 Vinyl). Label: Apollo Records. Richard D. James was just twenty-one, when he dawned the Aphex Twin moniker, and released his debut album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 on Apollo Records in late November 1992. Initially, Selected Ambient Works 85-92 was only available as an import as Apollo Records, which was an imprint …

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BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-KAYA.

Bob Marley and The Wailers-Kaya. Label: UMC. 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 and The …

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DAVID BOWIE-BOWIE NOW RECORD STORD DAY 2018.

David Bowie-Bowie Now Record Store Day 2018. Label: Parlophone. For Record Store Day 2018, a triptych of David Bowie albums was released including Bowie Now, which was reissued by Parlophone on heavyweight white vinyl. Bowie Now was regarded as the pick of the bunch by The Thin White Duke’s fans, and a reminder of an …

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