Category Archives: Uncategorized
SOUL HARMONY – SWEET SOUL VOCALS 1961-1984.
Soul Harmony-Sweet Soul Vocals 1961-1984. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Between 1962 and the early seventies there was an increase in the popularity of soulful ballads in Southern California. These slow jams were played in the clubs and could be heard in the cars that cruised the streets of towns and cities throughout Southern California. …
RODION G.A.-FROM THE ARCHIVES 1981-2017.
Rodion G.A. From The Archives 1981-2017. Label: Ace Format: CD and 2LP. In April 2022, I pitched the idea of a new Rodion G.A. compilation to Ace. This was a just over a year after the death of Rodion-Ladislau Rosca, the cofounder of Rodion G.A. By then, four years had passed since the release of the …
ATLANTA: HOTBED OF 70s SOUL.
Atlanta: Hotbed Of 70s Soul. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. During the fifties and sixties, the Atlanta’s black music scene was thriving. One of the most important figures during the sixties was Bill Haney. He was a a producer, songwriter and owner of Down South Productions, which was responsible for some of the finest Southern …
SHE’S GOT THE POWER! FEMALE POWER POP, PUNK AND GARAGE.
She’s Got The Power! Female Power Pop, Punk and Garage. Label: Big Beat Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘28th’ April 2023. Back in August 2020, Big Beat, an imprint of Ace Records, released the compilation Girls Go Power Pop to widespread critical acclaim. Now, just under three years later, comes the much-anticipated followup, Girls Go …
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 …
THE STUDIO WIZARDRY OF TODD RUNDGREN.
The Studio Wizardry Of Todd Rundgren. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. The first time critics and music fans heard the name Todd Rundgren was when psychedelic rockers Nazz released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album in 1968. This was just a year after the group was founded in Philly in 1967 by bassist Carson Van …
THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE-TV TUBE HEART 40TH ANNIVERSARY VERSION.
The Radiators From Space-TV Tube Heart-40th Anniversary Version. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. When The Ramones played at the Roundhouse in London on the ‘4th’ of July 1976, this was a catalyst for punk movement. Many of the future leading lights of the punk movement have since claimed to have been present that night. In …
HAPPY TIMES-THE SONGS OF DAN PENN AND SPOONER OLDHAM VOL 2.
Happy Times-The Songs Of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham Vol. 2. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘30th’ October 2020. One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the past sixty years is without doubt Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. The pair met at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals in the mid-sixties and went on …
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: GANDALF- MAGIC THEATRE.
Cult Classic: Gandalf-Magic Theatre. Nowadays, Gandalf is regarded as one of Austria’s most accomplished, innovative and successful musicians. Gandalf who is a talented multi-instrumentalist, is also one of Austria’s most prolific artists. He has released over thirty albums between 1981 and 2016. That’s despite not releasing his debut album until he was twenty-nine. Before that, …
DANA GILLESPIE-UNDER MY BED.
Dana Gillespie-Under My Bed. Label: Ace Records. During a career that has spanned fifty-five years, Dana Gillespie who is regarded by many as the Queen of British blues has released seventy albums. This is quite remarkable as she has recorded albums of folk, pop, rock, soul and even Indian sacred music. However, nowadays, it’s blues …
MIRIAM MAKEBA-PATA PATA.
Miriam Makeba-Pata Pata. Label: Strut Records. Zenzile Miriam Makeba was born on the ‘4th’ of March 1932, in the Prospect Township, of Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa. The future singer, songwriter, civil rights activist and actress was born to to Swazi and Xhosa parents. Sadly, Miriam Makeba’s father died when she was still a …
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 …
ATOMIC-PET VARIATIONS.
Atomic-Pet Variations. Label: Odin Records. Release Date: ‘22nd’ March 2019. Eighteen years ago, Scandinavian supergroup Atomic was founded by Swedish trumpeter Magnus Broo and his fellow countryman and reed player Fredrik Ljungkvist who joined forces with Norwegian pianist Håvard Wiik, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. By then, each musician was a familiar face in their own country, but …
KEITH MANSFIELD AND JOHN CAMERON-VOICES IN HARMONY.
Keith Mansfield and John Cameron-Voices In Harmony. Label: Be With Records. Over the last year or so, Be With Records have been working with KPM to reissue ten albums from across the KPM 1000 Series and the Themes International Music catalogue. This includes Voices In Harmony, which features two of the leading lights of the British library music, Keith Mansfield and John Cameron. They were responsible for …
TOM WAITS-HEARTATTACK AND VINE-VINYL.
Tom Waits-Heartattack and Vine-Vinyl. Label: Anti. In June 1980, thirty year old Tom Waits began work on his sixth studio album, Heartattack and Vine, which was the last album he released on David Geffen’s Asylum Records. The Asylum Records’ years had been frustrating for Tom Waits, who had released his debut album Closing Time in …
BOB STANLEY AND PETE WIGGS PRESENT STATE OF THE UNION.
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present State Of The Union. Label: Ace Records. Release Date: ‘26th; October 2018. By 1968, the times they were a changing in the land of the free, and many Americans watched on as the country they loved and were proud of changed, and sadly not for the better. The Vietnam …
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