SYL JOHNSON-BACK FOR A TASTE OF YOUR LOVE.
SYL JOHNSON-BACK FOR A TASTE OF YOUR LOVE.
During the early to mid-seventies, Hi Records were producing some of the best Southern Soul of that time. With Willie Mitchell producing, The Memphis Rhythm Section, Memphis Horns and legendary backing vocalists Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, one great record after another was recorded at the famous Royal Recording Studios and Allied Recording Studios. Back then, Hi had a roster that included some of the most talented purveyors of Southern Soul. Their best known artist was Al Green, who released some critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, resulting in four of his albums certified gold, and one platinum. However, there was more to Hi Records than Al Green, with Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, Otis Clay and Syl Johnson all producing some stunning albums for Hi. Of these artists, Syl Johnson is often overlooked when people discuss Hi Records. In doing so, some wonderful Southern Soul goes almost unnoticed, because Syl released four albums for Hi, all of which feature some quality Southern Soul. Before I tell you about Sly’s first album for Hi Records, 1973 Back For A Taste of Your Love, which was recently rereleased by Fat Possom Records, I’ll tell you about Syl Johnson’s career up until them.
Syl Johnson was born Sylvester Thompson in July 1936, in Holy Springs, Mississippi, the youngest of seven children. Two of his brothers like Syl, would go on to have careers as musicians. Mac Thompson and Jimmy Johnson would go on to have successful careers, with Jimmy becoming a famous blues guitarist. Later in life, Syl and Jimmy would record an album together, entitled Two Johnsons Are Better Than One, which was released in 2002. That was still to come. Before that, Syl would enjoy a long and successful career.
By the 1950s’ Syl, Mac and Jimmy were based in Chicago, and Syl was working with people like Junior Wells, Magic Sam and Eddie Boyd. His first recording session was playing guitar for Billy Boy Arnold in 1956 which was released on the famous Vee Jay label. During this period, Syl worked with the great and good of Chicago’s blues players, including Jimmy Reed. This was a good grounding for Syl’s solo career, when it began at King Records.
Syl’s first solo record contract was with King Records, and he recorded six singles on their Federal label between 1959 and 1962. These singles were a mixture of blues, soul and much more pop oriented material. However, none of the singles sold particularly well, despite being well promoted by his label. It was after recording with one of the best known producers of the day Sonny Thompson, that Syl decided to produce his own material. This he did for the two singles he recorded for the Zachron label. Like his singles on Federal, but apart from selling well locally, they too, failed commercially. After that, he recorded for TMP-Ting and Tag Ltd, and still he couldn’t make a commercial breakthrough. That would come at a new label based in Chicago, Twilight.
It would be 1967 before Syl issued a successful single, entitled Come On Sock It To Me, on the new Twilight label based in Chicago. He followed this up with Different Strokes and I’ll Take These Skinny Legs. In 1969 Syl’s released his most successful single and album both entitled Is It Because I’m Black? This was a a single and album that was socially aware and tapped into the social problems of the era. Suddenly, after years of trying, Syl had a first a hit single, and then a hit album. By now Syl was a star, and was also head of A&R at Twilight, which had now been named Twinight. As if this wasn’t enough, he started setting up Shama, his own label in 1968. Shama signed acts that Twinight decided not to sign, and to record sessions for his new label, Syl enlisted the musicians that played on all the Twinight recordings.
In 1969 Syl decided to head south to Memphis to record sessions for his Shana label. The reason for the trips to Memphis was Syl wanted to change the label’s musical style, and admired the sound coming out of Memphis. Some of the sessions took place in the Hi Records studios. Once there, he realised that Willie Mitchell had put in place one of the best studio bands in music. When Shama and Twinight experienced financial problems, Syl decided it was now time to sign to Hi Records. This was the summer of 1971, and in the next seven years he’d release four albums for his new label.
Now signed to Hi Records, Syl began work for his new label. His Hi Records debut was Back For A Taste Of Your Love, released in 1971. Ten songs were chosen for the album. Syl cowrote three of them, the title-track Back For A Taste of Your Love, I’m Yours and Feelin’ Frisky, which he cowrote with Earl Randle. He wrote four tracks, including I Let A Good Girl Go and Anyway The Wind Blows. Along with three other tracks, they became Back For A Taste Of Your Love which was recorded at Royal Recording Studios, Memphis.
Producer Willie Mitchell brought in his A-Team for recording of Back For A Taste of Your Love at Royal Recording Studios, Memphis. The rhythm section included guitarist Teenie Hodge, bassist Leroy Holdge plus drummer Howard Grimes and Al Jackson Jr. Charles Holdges played organ and piano, while The Memphis Horns joined legendary backing vocalists Donna Rhodes, Charles Chalmers and Sandra Rhodes. As Rhodes, Chalmers, Rhodes, their sprinkling of musical magic was the finishing touch to what would become Syl’s Hi Records debut Back For A Taste of Your Love, which was released towards the end of 1973.
On Back For A Taste of Your Love’s release towards the end of 1973, the album sold well, reaching number nineteen in the US R&B Charts, the highest chart placing of any of Syl’s Hi albums. In total, three singles were released from the album during 1973. The title track Back For A Taste of Your Love, reached number sixteen in the US R&B Charts, while We Did It reached number twenty-three in the US R&B Charts. The only disappointment was I’m Yours, which peaked at number sixty-eight in the US R&B Charts. Overall, Back For A Taste of Your Love, Syl’s Hi Records career had been a success. You’ll realise why, when I tell you about Syl Johnson’s Back For A Taste of Your Love.
Back For A Taste of Your Love opens with the title0-track Back For A Taste of Your Love, which gave Syl a number sixteen US R&B hit single. With horns blazing ,the track swings into life. A driving rhythm section accompanies Syl’s sultry vocal. A guitar plays the same line repeatedly, while a Hammond organ wails and horns punctuate the arrangement. The arrangement just swings along, hooks aplenty during what’s a really catchy, swinging track. With the horns and rhythm section playing leading roles in the track’s success, your swept along for just under three minutes of this horn laden, driving track. You become caught up in this uptempo and uplifting track, with Syl’s joyful vocal sitting atop Willie Mitchell’s arrangement.
I’m Yours was another of the three singles released from the album, but only reached a rather disappointing number sixty-eight in the US R&B Charts. This didn’t reflect the quality of the song, which again, sees braying horns, Hammond organ and punchy rhythm section open the track, before an emotive and confident Syl’s vocal enters. With Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes accompanying Syl throughout the track, their sweet, soulful harmonies help make a good track even better, and provide a contrast to Syl’s more powerful vocal. As the track progresses, horns constantly punctuate the track, while the Hammond organ and rhythm section provide the mainstay of the arrangement. They’re the perfect backdrop for a besotted Syl, whose smitten by his new love, willing to do anything to please her. Together, they combine to produce a joyous and emotive sounding track, with Syl sassy and confident throughout.
I Let A Good Girl Go, a very different sounding track to the two previous tracks. It’s slower and full of sadness and regret. It has a much more understated and lush arrangement with strings sweeping sadly and slowly, while the rhythm section play carefully and thoughtfully and guitars chime. Adding to the emotion and sadness is a heartbroken Syl whose full of regret at the girl he mistreated and let go. When a Hammond organ enters, it’s the perfect addition, helping to bring out the heartache and regret in the lyrics, and a perfect accompaniment for Syl’s desperate vocal. This is easily one of the album’s highlights, a track that you’ll never tire of hearing.
With horns blazing Anyway the Wind Blows, another Earl Randle track opens. The horns are joined, chiming guitars and rhythm section, before Syl’s soliloquy enters. He’s despairing, his girlfriend threatening to leave him, and has come to the conclusion he can’t stop her. He’s done all he can to make her happy, so if she chooses to leave, so be it. Against an atmospheric and emotive backdrop of stabs of Hammond organ, rasping horns, lush sad strings and rhythm section, a despondent, but realistic Syl’s voice rises and falls, pain and frustration in his voice ever-present. Here, the addition of the Hammond organ and strings is a masterstroke, adding to an already sad and despondent sounding arrangement, and by combining horns adds to the frustration and anguish in Syl’s voice. This is a classic Willie Mitchell arrangement. It suits the lyrics and Syl’s delivery of them. Willie’s arrangement and Syl’s vocal brings Earl Randle’s lyrics brilliantly to life, resulting a deeply moving and sad song, but one that’s quite beautiful and thoughtful.
You Don’t Know Me is another slow track, where swathes of strings, rhythm section and Hammond organ combine, before a despondent and thoughtful Syl enters. He’s unhappy, having let his chance of love pass him by, his love unrequited and unnoticed. While a heartbroken Syl sings, Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes add subtle and tender backing vocals, as the song meanders sadly along. The strings add to the sadness, as does the Hammond organ, while a thoughtful rhythm section provide the song’s heartbeat. This is a powerful and thoughtful combination, made all the better by the slow tempo and of course, Syl’s heartbroken vocal.
Feelin’ Frisky was co-written by Syl and Earl Randle. It’s a faster and much more uptempo track, with a more uplifting sound. Blazing horns, Hammond organ and rhythm section provide a swinging backdrop for another sassy vocal from Syl. As horns bray and rasp, the Hammond wails and punchy drums are occasionally joined by Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes. Together with Syl and the band, they combine to produce a great sounding track, albeit one where the lyrics don’t have the depth of some of the other tracks on the album.
Another of the three singles released from the album was We Did It, which reached number twenty-three in the US R&B Charts. Here, the tempo increases, with swirling, sweeping strings joining rasping horns, piano and rhythm section before Syl makes his entrance. It’s a happy, joyful Syl we meet, happy that his relationship has lasted, and that they’ve made it through the bad times. With Rhodes, Chalmers and Chalmers sweetly yet soulfully accompanying him, the arrangement sweeps along, with a Hammond organ accompanying the punchy, growling horns and swirling strings that play a key role in the arrangement. When all this is combined with the quicker tempo and Syl’s joyous vocal, the result is a much better track than the previous one, thanks to the joyous, uplifting lyrics.
Earl Randle wrote Wind, Blow Her Back My Way which straight away, you realise has a classic Willie Mitchell arrangement. A Hammond organ and rhythm section combine to produce heartbreaking arrangement, even before a despondent Syl or the saddest strings enter. Add to this rasping horns and you’ve one of the saddest and emotive arrangements on the albums. Stabs and flourishes of the Hammond add to the sadness, as Syl sings about who he told his girlfriend to leave, and is now desperate for her return. Willie Mitchell provides one of his stunning, trademark Southern Soul arrangements, perfect for a despondent and inconsolable Syl. Although just two and half minutes long, it’s one of the best and saddest tracks, Syl ever recorded for Hi.
I Hate I Walked Away has similarities with the previous track, with swathes of the lushest strings, a wailing Hammond organ and slow rhythm section combining before Syl’s vocal enters. He’s full of regret and despair, having left his girlfriend, and realizing his mistake wants her back. As the emotion results in his voice rising, Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes enter, their harmonies swoop in, sympathetically accompanying Syl. With the strings sweeping and swirling, sometimes adding drama, the Hammond adds to the atmospheric slightly bluesy sound. Full of remorse and regret, Syl pleads forgiveness, his voices soaring as he apologises. This is hugely effective and seems so realistic, that you almost start to get caught up in the scenario, hoping that Syl will be forgiven. That’s testament to both Syl’s vocal and Willie Mitchell skills as a producer.
Back For A Taste of Your Love closes with The Love You Left Behind, which Syl released as a single in 1971, reaching number forty-three in the US R&B Charts. Bursts of braying horns punctuate the arrangement, while the rhythm section add drama, before Syl’s powerful, roaring vocal enters. WIth Rhodes, Chalmers and Chalmers accompanying him, their subtle backing vocals provide a welcome contrast to the power of Syl’s vocal. Throughout the track, punchy, growling horns, Hammond organ and rhythm section combine, playing quickly, matching the passion displayed by Syl. Although it’s a track laden with drama and passion, it has a slightly different sound to the other nine tracks. Whether this is because it was recorded at a different time, or just because Syl and the band kick loose, it seems somewhat out of place. However, given the passion displayed and a punchy, blazing arrangement, it’s a good way to end the album.
Syl Johnson’s music is often overlooked when the music of Hi Records is mentioned. During his career, he recorded for a variety of labels, with one of his best albums 1969s Is It Because I’m Black? A close second must come Back For A Taste of Your Love which features Syl at his very best. No wonder. He was accompanied by some of Memphis’ best musicians. Among them are The Memphis Horns, the Memphis Rhythm Section and Memphis Strings, with Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes adding backing vocals. Add Willie Mitchell as producer and some great material, and you’ve the recipe for a commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, Back For A Taste Of You’re Love, which was recently rereleased on vinyl by Fat Possom Records.
That was the case with Back For A Taste of Your Love. It reached number nineteen in the US R&B Charts, giving Syl his most successful album of his Hi career. Of the four albums he recorded for Hi Records, they all featured some of the finest Southern Soul Syl ever released. None of the other three albums were as complete as Back For A Taste Of You’re Love. Each of the ten songs feature Syl at his best, bringing a song to life. Whether it’s heartache and despair or happiness and joy, Syl brings the lyrics to life. On each song, he launched himself into it, making the lyrics come alive, so much so, that it made you believe in the characters. This is similar to a good book or film. That Syl could do this, is testament to his talent and versatility as a singer. If you’ve never heard the music of Syl Johnson, Back For A Taste Of You’re Love is the perfect place to start. Back For A Taste Of You’re Love just so happens to be the best and most successful of the four albums Syl Johnson released for Hi Records and is the perfect introduction to one of Southern Soul’s best kept secrets. Standout Tracks: I Let A Good Girl Go, Anyway the Wind Blows, Blow Her Back My Way and I Hate I Walked Away.
SYL JOHNSON-BACK FOR A TASTE OF YOUR LOVE.
ANN PEEBLES-I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN.
ANN PEEBLES-I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN.
During the first half of the seventies, Al Green enjoyed unmatched critical acclaim and commercial success. There’s no doubt about it, Al was the King of Hi Records. While Al was King, Ann Peebles was Queen of Hi Records. Ann Peebles released seven albums on Hi Records and nearly twenty singles. She is regarded one of the best female vocalists in the history of Southern Soul. Her most successful album was her 1974 album I Can’t Stand the Rain. It was her fourth album and will be released on vinyl on 2nd December 2013 on Fat Possom Records. Not only was I Can’t Stand the Rain Ann’s most successful album, but featured her biggest single, the title track. It’s a single that’s become synonymous with Ann Peebles and is regarded as a Southern Soul classic. I’ll tell you why, after I’ve told you about Ann’s career.
Ann Peebles was born in April 1947 in St Louis, Missouri, and discovered by bandleader, Gene “Bowlegs” Miller, in 1968, when Ann was singing in a Memphis nightclub. Gene had helped other musicians and artists get started in the music business, including many of the famous Hi Records rhythm section. Ann became the latest of Gene’s discoveries, and very soon, Ann began writing songs with Don Bryant, who was the Hi Records staff songwriter, who she eventually married in 1974.
By 1969, Ann had released her debut single and album. Walk Away was her debut single and This Is Ann Peebles, was her debut album. Although her debut album failed to chart, Walk Away reached number twenty-two in the US R&B Charts. Two years later, things were about to improve for Ann.
Her second album Part Time Love, released in 1971 was a commercial success, reaching number forty in the US R&B Charts. Part Time Love was released as a single, reaching number seven in the US R&B Charts and forty-five in the US Billboard 100. Having enjoyed the biggest single of her career, Ann looked like becoming one of the biggest female vocalists in Southern Soul.
Straight From the Heart was Ann’s third album, released in 1972. It reached number forty-two in the US R&B Charts. There was no hit single on Straight From the Heart. There would be on her fourth album, I Can’t Stand The Rain.
For I Can’t Stand The Rain, Ann would cowrote eight of the tracks. She penned Do I Need You and One Way Street with Don Bryant. With Bernard “Bernie” Miller they penned I Can’t Stand The Rain, Until You Came Into My Life, A Love Vibration and You Got To Feel The Fire. Ann and Don cowrote Run, Run, Run with Daryll Carter. Earl Randle wrote I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down and If We Can’t Trust Each Other. The other tracks was Ira Allen and Buddy Mize’s (You Keep Me) Hanging On. These ten tracks became I Can’t Stand The Rain, which was produced by Willie Mitchell at Royal Recording Studios, Memphis.
At Royal Recording Studios Willie Mitchell put together some of the best session musicians and backing vocalists Memphis had to offer. The rhythm section included guitarist Teenie Hodge, bassist Leroy Holdge plus drummer Howard Grimes and Al Jackson Jr. Charles Holdges played organ and piano, while The Memphis Horns joined legendary backing vocalists Donna Rhodes, Charles Chalmers and Sandra Rhodes. As Rhodes, Chalmers, Rhodes, their sprinkling of musical magic was the finishing touch to what would become the most successful album of Ann Peebles career, I Can’t Stand The Rain.
On its release in 1974, I Can’t Stand the Rain provided Ann with her biggest selling album and single. The album reached number twenty-five in the US R&B Charts and number 155 in the US Billboard 200. I Can’t Stand the Rain the single, reached number six in the R&B Charts and number thirty-eight in the US Billboard 100. For Ann I Can’t Stand the Rain had been a game changer in terms of commercial success and critical acclaim. You’ll realise why, when I tell you about I Can’t Stand the Rain.
I Can’t Stand the Rain opens with the title track, I Can’t Stand the Rain, which Ann wrote with future husband Don Bryant. It has an atmospheric opening with percussion and drums combining, before an equally atmospheric yet thoughtful, vocal from Ann enters. She’s then accompanied by guitar, rhythm section and the blazing sound of the Memphis Horns. Together, they combine to produce the perfect backdrop for Ann to sing lyrics laden in sadness, about the loss of her lover. Throughout the track, The Memphis Horns dramatically, interject providing the perfect contrast to Ann thoughtful and soulful vocal. Quite simply, it’s one of Ann’s best ever tracks.
Do I Need You opens with a guitar chiming brightly, before the rhythm section enters. When Ann sings, her voice is loud, clear and full of pride, as she sings, trying to decide whether she needs her lover in her life. Behind her the Memphis Horns and rhythm section combine with guitars and organ, producing an arrangement that’s dramatic and atmospheric. When the horns and drums punctuate the track they provide the drama, a total contrast to the thoughtful and calm vocal from Ann. As Willie Mitchell’s A-Team provide the backdrop to Ann’s vocal, her vocal takes centre-stage. There’s no doubt it’s the highlight of the track. At times it’s calm and thoughtful, sometimes louder, stronger, but constantly questioning whether she needs him in her life.
When Ann starts singing the vocal on Until You Came Into My Life, it’s instantly noticeable that her voice is much softer and tender. Likewise, the arrangement has a much more subdued feel and sound, with backing vocalists accompanying Ann. As the track opens, strings and rhythm section combine with guitars and organ to produce am understated and almost lush arrangement. Ann gives one of her best vocals on the album, as she give thanks for the love of her life. The addition of Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes on backing vocals, really helps, with their voices the perfect accompaniment to Ann’s tender vocal. Later, the horns enter, briefly punctuating the track, their addition the perfect finishing touch, to quite simply, one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. The reasons for this are Ann’s tender vocal and Willie Mitchell’s subtle arrangement.
A guitar slowly plays as (You Keep Me) Hanging On begins, before Ann sings, accompanied by the rhythm and string sections. Her vocal although restrained, quiet and tender is full of drama and passion. Again, the backing vocalists accompany her, their voices similarly tender as they unite. An organ plays subtly, as the strings sweep lushly, and drums sit at the front of the mix, providing the track’s heartbeat. The arrangement like Ann’s vocal, is restrained and subtle, and here, horns aren’t used, so as not to overpower Ann’s beautiful vocal. Like the previous track, Ann demonstrates how good she is at singing songs which require a tender and thoughtful vocal.
Braying horns open Run Run Run, a track that’s the polar opposite of the previous track. Here, Ann’s vocal is much louder and stronger, but is drenched in emotion and passion. Similarly, the arrangement is much fuller, with the rhythm and brass section combining to produce an arrangement that has Southern Soul written all over it. Horns interject throughout the track, and the drums are loud, sitting at the heart of the mix. In the background, an organ and percussion play, while guitars chime. Matching the fullness and volume of the arrangement isn’t a problem for Ann, as her voice is loud and powerful, but laden with passion and emotion. This allows her to demonstrate that she’s just as good, singing tracks that require a much stronger and louder vocal as she is singing songs that require a quiet and tender vocal. Similarly, the much louder and fuller arrangement suits the song, and features some of Memphis’ best musicians at their best.
If We Can’t Trust Each Other is a much quicker track. Guitars, rhythm section, strings and horns combine as the track begins. Stabs of horns announce Ann’s arrival. It’s a vocal that deserves heralded in, as she sings emotionally, and with passion and pain, lyrics about mistrust within a relationship. Her emotive vocal is accompanied by horns that pepper the arrangement. It’s as of they’re in tune with Ann’s passion and pain. Meanwhile, the strings sweep along, as the rhythm section contribute yet more drama to this arrangement that mixes emotion and drama masterfully. Combined with Ann’s emotion laden vocal, this is one of the most emotive and dramatic tracks on I Can’t Stand The Rain.
The rhythm and string section combine with Charles Hodges’ organ playing to produce an introduction that’s both atmospheric and dramatic as A Love Vibration unfolds. When Ann’s vocal enters, it matches the arrangement that’s unfolding. It’s a mixture of sadness and regret, as she sings about missing the opportunity for love and happiness. Here, the organ and later the horns, are responsible for helping to create such an emotional, dramatic and sad backdrop for Ann’s vocal. Sensing that this is one of the best arrangements on the album, Ann rises to the occasion, producing a fantastic performance, one that’s drenched in emotion, regret and sadness.
A guitar and organ combine to produce a quick, bright and emotional sounding introduction to You Got To Feed the Fire, another song about love lost. When Ann sings, her voice is loud, yet bright and emotional, as she remembers the past. Behind her, the arrangement says “Made In Memphis,” and is an emotional roller coaster. Horns interject, brightly and theatrically, drums provide drama and a Hammond organ provides atmosphere, while lushly, strings sweep in and out. Completing the sound are the backing vocalists, who sing emotionally, but sweetly, complimenting Ann’s vocal perfectly. Together the arrangement and vocal combine to produce a track that demonstrates what Southern Soul is about.
Another of Ann’s best known singles was I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down, which reached number thirty-one in the US R&B Charts. Like I Can’t Stand the Rain. It has been covered by many artists. The definitive version is Ann Peebles.’ Nothing else comes even close. Strings and an evocative Hammond organ open the track before Ann sings, accompanied by horns. When her vocal enters, it starts of gentle, almost thoughtful, but later is a combination of emotion, power and passion. As she sings, horns punctuate the arrangement, while strings beautifully lush sounding, sweep. Percussion plays and the rhythm section provide the track’s heartbeat. At the heart of the track, is Ann’s vocal, by now a combination of power and passion, as she forecasts the downfall of an unfaithful playboy. Like, I Can’t Stand the Rain, this was one of Ann’s finest songs, and easily, one of the album’s highlights.
I Can’t Stand the Rain closes with One Way Street that opens with strings and rhythm section combining with piano and percussion, before Ann sings. When she sings, there is a gospel feel to the song and her delivery. Backing vocalists provide gospel drenched backing vocals as Ann sings in a way that reminds me of Aretha Franklin and Candi Staton. It’s almost call and response that Ann and backing vocalists sings, as the arrangement of piano, strings and rhythm section combine beautifully. Although very different from the other songs on the album, in that it’s a track that has its roots in the church, I find it incredibly moving and beautiful. Personally, this style of song suits Ann’s voice, and the arrangement is perfect for the song. Willie Mitchell’s use of the strings, piano and backing vocalists was a masterstroke, and combined with Ann’s vocal, is a song Aretha would be proud of.
The seven albums Ann Peebles recorded with Willie Mitchell for Hi Records contain some wonderful music. Of these seven albums, I Can’t Stand the Rain was Ann most successful album. There’s a reason for I Can’t Stand the Rain’s success. By 1974, Ann was enjoying a parallel career as a songwriter. Her songs were variously emotive, heartbreaking, poignant, soul-baring and joyous. Many songs written Don Bryant and Bernard Miller. Of the ten songs on the album, she cowrote eight of them, with (You Keep Me) Hanging On and I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down, the only two cover versions on the album. What surprises me, is that with the ability to write such great songs, and such a stunning voice, Ann wasn’t a much bigger star. That to me, seems strange, as she’d everything going for her. Whether if she’d been on a major label, she’d have been a much bigger success, we’ll never know?
If that had been the case, she’d neither have had Willie Mitchell nor all the brilliant musicians or backing vocalists at Hi to accompany her on her seven albums. Ann won’t be the first artist whose work hasn’t found a much wider audience, sadly this is a familiar story. Talent doesn’t equate to success is just as true now as it was then. Today, people with little talent seem to find huge commercial success, while hugely talented artists struggle to get their music heard. Hype and marketing seem to be the order of the day, and this sadly, has will only get worse. This means that hugely talented artists like Ann Peebles, will remain loved by people who are familiar with her music, but largely unknown to most people. Some people may only have heard her two best known tracks I Can’t Stand the Rain and I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down, or cover versions of these songs. However, there’s much more to her music than that. Much more. The place to start is I Can’t Stand The Rain which will be rereleased on vinyl by Fat Possom Records. I Can’t Stand The Rain was Ann Peebles’ most successful album and is the perfect starting introduction to one of Southern Soul’s best female vocalists. Standout Tracks: I Can’t Stand the Rain, A Love Vibration, I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down and One Way Street.
ANN PEEBLES-I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN.
PUNK 45-KILL THE HIPPIES! KILL YOURSELF! THE AMERICAN NATION DESTROYS ITS YOUTH-UNDERGROUND PUNK 1973-1980 VOLUME 1.
PUNK 45-KILL THE HIPPIES! KILL YOURSELF! THE AMERICAN NATION DESTROYS ITS YOUTH-UNDERGROUND PUNK 1973-1980 VOLUME 1.
Some musical historians regard 1976 as ground zero. That was the year punk exploded. A supposed game changer, it divided, and continues to, divide opinion. Depending upon who you ask, punk was either a musical revolution or a musical wasteland. Punk although a new musical genre, was actually a fusion of genres and influences. Everything from sixties garage rock, proto-punk, no wave, experimental, industrial and postindustrial music went on to shape punk. This includes the New York Dolls, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, MC5 and Velvet Underground. These artists and bands are always quoted as influencing the first wave of punk artists. They may even have influenced the twenty-one artists who featured on Soul Jazz Records’ recently released compilation Punk 45-Kill The Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Youth-Underground Punk 1973-1980.
Featuring twenty-one tracks, Punk 45 features contributions from Electric Eels, Pere Ubu, The Flamin’ Groovies, Theoretical Girls, The Pagans and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers and documents the music that influenced punk. An eclectic compilation, Punk 45 may divide opinion for two reasons.
Unlike similar compilations, Punk 45 eschews some of most innovative and influential artists who influenced punk. There’s no New York Dolls, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, MC5 or Velvet Underground. The nearest Punk 45 comes to an innovative and influential group are The Flamin’ Groovies,’ the oldest track on Punk 45. However, digging deeper is admirable. So Punk 45 will feature garage bands and a whole host of innovative music released between 1973 and 1976, when punk exploded, changing the musical landscape. Sadly, that’s not the case.
Punk 45 is billed as a compilation that features music released between 1973 and 1980. Technically, that’s right. Of the twenty-one tracks, one The Flamin’ Groovies’ was released before punk exploded in 1976. Then Pastiche’s Flash Of The Moment was released in 1976, as punk changed the musical landscape for good or bad. The other nineteen tracks were released between 1977 and 1980. For some musical historians, they’ll describe most of Punk 45 as post punk. Granted 1977 was the start of the post punk era, but the nineteen tracks released between 1977 and 1980 aren’t post punk. Not at all. They’re much more eclectic than that. You’ll realise that when I tell you about the highlights of Punk 45.
The Urinals’ I’m A Bug opens Punk 45. Released in 1979, on their sophomore E.P. Another E.P. It was released on their own label, Happy Squid Records. Produced by Vitus Matare of The Last, a Los Angeles’ based power pop band, The Urinals became an influential band. The Another E.P. and I’m A Bug showcases a band that are much more competent than many punk and post punk bands. Nor are they punk revivalists. They forge their own sound on this driving track. Everything from punk, garage, rock and post punk is thrown into the mix on this genre-sprawling track.
New Orleans isn’t exactly know for punk bands. R&B, jazz, blues and soul provides the soundtrack to the Big Easy. For a moment in time, The Normals, a short-lived band, tried to introduce punk to New Orleans with their only single Almost Ready. Released in 1979 on the Lectric Eye label, the guitar driven Almost Ready is an explosion of energy, frustration and anger. Best described as a tribute to The Ramones, you can’t fault their commitment and passion, maybe though, The Normals should’ve found their own voice?
Pere Ubu who contribute The Modern Dance to Punk 45, are one of the biggest names on Punk 45. They’d been around since 1975, when they released their debut E.P. 30 Seconds Over Tokyo on vocalist David Thomas’ Hearthen Records. By the time they released The Modern Dance in August 1977, on Hearthen Records, they’d developed their own sound. Unlike many bands, Pere Ubu weren’t a guitar band. They took a different approach creating music that’s unique, innovative and influential. Fittingly, The Modern Dance is a fusion of influences, including punk, avant-garde, art rock and experimental music. Since then, several generations of musicians have claimed that Pere Ubu have influenced them.
Bizarros’ Ice Age was released on Clone Records in 1977. It’s proof that not every punk band were third rate musicians writing inane lyrics. Not Bizarros. Far from it. They’re much better than that. They sound as if they’ve been weened on classic rock, blues and R&B. Then there’s Nick Nicholls‘ vocal. Sneering and strutting, he sounds as if he’s born to be a frontman. So good is Ice Age, that it’s the highlight of Punk 45.
Tuxedomoon are best described as group who created genre-melting, groundbreaking music. Everything from avant-garde,electronica, experimental, punk and rock is thrown into the melting pot. Joeboy The Electronic Ghost which was released on Time Release Records in 1978, is proof of that. They deploy a similarly eclectic selection of instruments A saxophone, clarinet, violin join keyboards and a guitar. The result is a track that not only pushes musical boundaries, but is strangely melodic and memorable.
The Flamin’ Groovies are easily the best known group on Punk 45. They released their debut album in 1968. Five years later, in 1973, they released their Grease E.P. It featured Dog Meat, which is a fusion of rock, garage rock and proto-punk. In some ways, Dog Mean is reminiscent of what the New York Dolls were doing around this time. With a tight, driving, rocky rhythm section and proto-punk vocal, this is a potent partnership and unsurprisingly, one of the highlights of Punk 45.
Although The Deadbeats’ Kill The Hippies is far from even coming close to being a highlight of Punk 45, the sheer yawningly predictability of the title, and what passes for lyrics must be highlighted. Released in July 1978 on Dangerhouse Records, The Deadbeats are the musical equivalent of an attention seeking child. A parodic group, they thrash guitars, while the lead vocal is the equivalent of Primal Scream Therapy. A word of warning though, listening to Kill The Hippies is two minutes of your life you’ll never get back.
Pastiche released Flash Of The Moment in 1976, on Boston’s Euphoria label, just as punk exploded into life. Produced by vocalist and guitarist Mr. Curt, it’s something of an anomaly. Strangely, they’re almost too good to be referred to as a punk band. The five members of Pastiche are much better musicians than those that formed punk bands. As for their music, it has a much more slick and sophisticated sound and sheen. Mostly, their influences seem to be rock music, albeit with a sprinkling of proto-punk. There’s even a Thin Lizzy influence in the guitars and vocal, of a track that falls into the category hidden gem.
My final choice from Punk 45 is Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers’ Chinese Rocks. Having left the New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders joined forces with The Heartbreakers. Together, they released Chinese Rocks on London’s Track Records in May 1977. There’s a noticeable New York Dolls’ influence, as punk, glam rock and garage unite. Edgy with a tough sound, Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers just like the Dolls, achieve what seems impossible, being both sloppy and tight simultaneously. That’s quite a feat, but what do you expect from a former New York Doll?
Punk 45 is best described as mixed bag of eclectic music. There’s everything from sixties garage rock, electronica, experimental, industrial, no wave, postindustrial, proto-punk and punk. Some of the music on Punk 45 is innovative, groundbreaking and genre-melting. This includes contributions from Bizarros, The Flamin’ Groovies, Tuxedomoon, Pastiche and Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers. They’re some of highlights I mentioned earlier. As for the rest of Punk 45, it’s very much a mixed bag.
The other tracks vary in quality. They’re best described as the good, bad and indifferent. The bad and indifferent range from parodic, predictable and derivative. There’s wannabes and never-will-be’s. Then there’s tribute bands and attention seeking, punk wannabes, whose music is designed to shock. They’re the equivalent of an attention seeking child. Maybe the problem is, Punk 45 has focused too much on the period between 1977 and 1980.
If Punk 45 had featured more music released between 1973 and 1976, maybe it would’ve been a much better compilation? Among the artists whose inclusion would’ve transformed Punk 45 are the New York Dolls, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, MC5 and Velvet Underground. These artists would’ve transformed Punk 45 into a must-have compilation. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Far from it. Instead, Punk 45 is combination of a few familiar faces and groups who aren’t even household names in their own houses. Among them are X Blank X and The Deadbeats who are responsible for two of the low-points of Punk 45, which is a somewhat disappointing way to end 2013 for Soul Jazz Records. Standout Tracks: Bizarros Ice Age, The Flamin’ Groovies Dog Meat, Pastiche Flash Of The Moment and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers Chinese Rocks.
PUNK 45-KILL THE HIPPIES! KILL YOURSELF! THE AMERICAN NATION DESTROYS ITS YOUTH-UNDERGROUND PUNK 1973-1980 VOLUME 1.
AL GREEN-LET’S STAY TOGETHER.
AL GREEN-LET’S STAY TOGETHER.
There’s a certain irony that just after the release of Al Green’s third album, 1971s Al Green Get’s Next To You, critics thought that his career was in decline. Al Green Get’s Next To You, his second album for Hi Records, stalled at a disappointing number fifty-eight in the US Billboard 200 Charts and number fifteen in the US R&B Charts. Given Al’s debut for Hi Records, Green Is Blues had reached number nineteen in the US Billboard 200 and number three in the US R&B Charts, critics wondered if Al Green’s career was over before it had began. How wrong they were.
What followed was a run of unmatched commercial success and critical acclaim. Between January 1971, when Al released Let’s Stay Together and Al Green Explores Your Mind in October 1974, Al released five albums. Four of these were certified gold and the other was certified gold. Al also enjoyed a run of six consecutive number one US R&B albums. The album that marked a run of critically acclaimed and commercially successful music was a stonewall Southern Soul classic, Let’s Stay Together which was recently released on vinyl by Fat Possom Records, and which I’ll tell you about.
For Let’s Stay Together, nine tracks were chosen. Al wrote five tracks, including So You’re Leaving, What Is This Feeling, Old Time Lovin,’ Judy and It Ain’t No Fun To Me. He cowrote La-La For You with producer Willie Mitchell. The pair also cowrote the title-track For Let’s Stay Together, with Al Jackson Jr, the legendary drummer and founding member of Booker T. and The MGs. Little did they know, that they’d just penned their pension plan. Three other legends of Stax Records and Southern Soul Eddie Floyd, Al Bell and Booker T. Jones cowrote I’ve Never Found A Girl. Along with a cover of Barry and Robin Gibb’s How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, Let’s Stay Together on paper, was an album oozing with quality. Was that the case?
Producer Willie Mitchell brought in his A-Team for recording of Let’s Stay Together at Royal Recording Studios, Memphis. The rhythm section included guitarist Teenie Hodge, bassist Leroy Holdge plus drummer Howard Grimes and Al Jackson Jr. Charles Holdges played organ and piano, while The Memphis Horns joined legendary backing vocalists Donna Rhodes, Charles Chalmers and Sandra Rhodes. As Rhodes, Chalmers, Rhodes, their sprinkling of musical magic was the finishing touch to what would become not just a classic album, but the most successful album of Al Green’s career. Once Let’s Stay Together was recorded, it was up to Terry Manning to work his magic. He mixed Let’s Stay Together at Old Ardent Studios. Terry played his part in what was for a game-changing album for Al Green, Let’s Stay Together.
On the release of Let’s Stay Together, it reached number eight in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. This resulted in Al’s first gold disc. Critics loved the album. Let’s Stay Together saw Al Green’s style range from crooning to scatting, and veering from the smoothest falsetto to the deepest, funkiest rasping, growl. Strangely, only one single was released from Let’s Stay Together. It was the title-track, Let’s Stay Together, which reached number one in the US Billboard 100 and US R&B Charts was also certified gold. Producer Willie Mitchell had transformed Al Green’s career. Let’s Stay Together, which saw Al Green become one of soul music’s biggest stars. You’ll realise why, when I tell about Let’s Stay Together,
Opening Let’s Stay Together is the title track Let’s Stay Together, a single that sold over two million copies. It only takes one listen to realise why it’s regarded as one of the best songs of all time. track. As the Memphis Horns rasp and bray, Al’s vocals a whispery, needy vamp. Straight away, you’re hooked. His vocal is smooth yet strong, and the way he delivers the song, it’s as if he means every word. Sincere describes his pleading, heartfelt vocal. This is vintage Al Green. As for Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, they add cooing, caressing harmonies. They’re subtle, a perfect foil for Al’s voice. The rhythm section’s contribution is equally important. They provide the song’s heartbeat, and along with The Memphis Horns, played their part in what was the greatest song Al Green had recorded. Whether he ever bettered Let’s Stay Together is debatable?
After starting Let’s Stay Together with a classic, how do you follow it? What Willie Mitchell did, was put a very different sounding track next on the album. La-La For You has a very dramatic, pensive opening. The Memphis Horns, Charles Hodges’ piano and rhythm section set the scene, dropping the tempo. When Al sings, his vocal’s different. He sings the song slow, real slow, leaving space within the song that has the effect of increasing the drama and tension. His vocal is heartfelt, dramatic. He sounds insecure, as he pleads, delivering he songs beautiful lyrics. Soulful, gospel-tinged and with a masterclass from some of Memphis’ greatest musicians, it’s heartfelt and passionate song, delivered emotionally by Al Green.
The Memphis Horns and the rhythm section provide a wistful backdrop as So You’re Leaving unfold. Having set the scene for Al, his vocal is best described as soul-baring. Veering between needy, heartbroken and frustrated, he sings to his lover that’s leaving him. In the song he attempts to get her to stay, even offering to marry her. He sometimes sounds defiant, but changes, and almost pleads, desperation not far away. Midway through the song, Al scats and vamps. Behind him, The Memphis Horns and the rhythm section deliver a masterclass. Their contributions play a huge part in the track’s success. Most important is Al’s vocal, as breathes, life and meaning into this tale of love gone wrong.
What Is This Feeling sees The Memphis Horns set the scene agin. This time, they don’t sound so harsh. This suits Al’s vocal. His vocal is powerful and joyous, happiness etched deep in his voice. No wonder. he’s singing about being in love, and it’s obvious he’s glad to be in love. Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes backing vocals have an understated quality. They coo subtly in the background, never once threatening to overpower Al. The way the Memphis Horns play, their sound much sweeter, they too, sound pleased that Al’s in love. Their playing adds to the joyous sound on what’s one of Let’s Stay Together highlights.
Old Time Lovin’ has an understated, melancholy sound. Just drums provide the heartbeat, before an atmospheric Hammond organ and growling horns envelop Al’s vocal. As the band keep tempo is slow and moody, Al’s vocal is sultry and seductive. This is Al at his best. His vocal is quieter, much softer. Sometimes he let’s go, his voice soaring, yet still singing within himself. His delivery of the lyrics is moving, you feel as if he means them. Willie Mitchell’s arrangement is perfect, the rhythm section and Memphis Horns combining masterfully, and the backing vocalists adding the finishing touches to a beautiful slice of the finest Southern soul.
I’ve Never Found A Girl is a cover of Eddie Floyd’s 1968 hit. This is the first of two consecutive cover versions on Let’s Stay Together. The track starts brightly, the Memphis Horns playing as if announcing the introduction of Al Green. When Al sings, he continues the much more restrained delivery of Old Time Lovin’. Here, his voice sounds strong and confident, but when he sings, he again, sings well within himself. Instead, he leaves Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes to sing the louder parts, only really letting his voice briefly, soar, towards the end of the song. The interplay between Green and his backing vocalists is highly effective, and they’re allowed to demonstrate just how talented they are. Al isn’t afraid to let them shine, and they make a huge contribution towards the track’s success.
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart is the second cover version on Let’s Stay Together. Written by Robin and Barry Gibb, it was later recorded by The Bee Gees song. This to me, is the definitive version, and will never be surpassed. Just an understated, meandering arrangement sees the guitar and drums combine. They’re then joined by a Hammond organ, moodily playing in the background. Even before Al’s softly sung vocal enters, the mood is set. The mood is sad, it’s a track that can’t fail to pull at your heartstrings. Al’s delivery is heartfelt, as if he recognises the emotions described in the lyrics. It’s one of his best vocal performances, and highlights how a softer, quieter and more restrained delivery can be much more moving. For six and a half spell binding minutes, you’re enthralled at Al’s heartfelt rendition this song.
After the magnificence of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, it’s an almost impossible act to follow, comes Judy. Compared to the emotional roller coaster of the previous track, this is much more laid back. Just the rhythm section and strings combine, as the track unfolds. Al’s performance lacks the emotional intensity of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, and here, he seems happy, at peace with the world. As he sings his voice is light, it has a brightness as he sings the song slowly, with an understated quality. Even the arrangement is subtle, the band seem to have caught Al’s vibe, and play within themselves. This is highly effective, and works, and what they produce is gorgeous track, one that has a lovely laid back vibe
Let’s Stay Together closes with Ain’t No Fun For Me. It has a similar tempo to the previous track. The big difference is the song’s tougher edge. As the rhythm section provide the heartbeat, The Memphis Horns play, announcing the presence boldly. They rasp and growl, playing around Al’s vocal, and behind it. On this track, they’re playing is louder, which suits the arrangement. Al’s vocal is louder,stronger and sassier, unleashing a vamp, full of shrieks, and hollers. At times, his passion almost overflowing. There is nothing understated about this track. Not at all. Soulful, funky, sassy and bold, and its a perfect way to end Let’s Stay Together, the album that launched Al Green’s career.
Although Let’s Stay Together was only Al Green’s fourth album, it’s a highly mature and polished album. From the opening bars of Let’s Stay Together, right through to the closing notes of Ain’t No Fun For Me, Al never lets the quality drop. He’s forever the consummate professional. On each track, he breathes life, meaning and emotion into the lyrics. Often, the lyrics Al sings, he wrote. Of the the nine tracks on Let’s Stay Together, Al Green wrote five and cowrote two, including the Magnus Opus that is, Let’s Stay Together. Despite that being a million selling single, there’s much more to the album than one song. Ironically, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, one of two cover versions features one of Al’s most emotive and captivating performances. These are just two of nine reasons to discover or rediscover Let’s Stay Together, which was recently rereleased on vinyl by Fat Possom Records. It’s a welcome rerelease of a classic album.
Not only is Let’s Stay Together a classic album, but an album that transformed Al Green’s career. if Let’s Stay Together had failed commercially, that might have been the end of his career. Thankfully, it wasn’t. Between January 1971, when Al released Let’s Stay Together and Al Green Explores Your Mind in October 1974, Al released five albums. Four of these were certified gold and the other was certified gold. Al also enjoyed a run of six consecutive number one US R&B albums. Al Green went on to become one of the most successful soul singers of the early-seventies. For a few years, Al Green was untouchable.
Indeed, for six albums, Al Green could do no wrong. No wonder. Accompanying him were some of the greatest musicians and backing vocalists in the history of Southern Soul. Along with producer Willie Mitchell, they played their part in some of the greatest Southern Soul ever recorded. The album that started this run of commercial success and critical acclaim, is Let’s Stay Together, a stonewall classic that belongs in every record collection. Standout Tracks: Let’s Stay Together, Old Time Lovin’, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart and Ain’t No Fun For Me.
AL GREEN-LET’S STAY TOGETHER.
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE.
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE.
Last year, DJ Vadim released his tenth solo album, the critically acclaimed Don’t Be Scared. One of the singles from Don’t Be Scared was I’m Feelin’ U, which featured Essex’s finest purveyor of all things soulful, Greg Blackman. Now a year later, DJ Vadim and Greg Blackman are about to release their first collaboration as Hartley and Wolfe. Their debut album Bespoke Future, will be released on BBE Music on 18th November 2013.
Bespoke Future is best described as a genre-melting album. Musical influences and genres are thrown into the musical melting pot by Hartley and Wolfe. There’s everything from Americana, dub, electronica, funk, hip hop, Nu Soul, R&B and soul on Hartley and Wolfe’s Bespoke Future. Drawing inspiration from everything both American and British soul and R&B. Listen carefully, and you’ll hear everything from Rick James, The Isley Brothers, Omar, Loose Ends and Soul II Soul. It’s a musical journey with more than a few unexpected twists and turns. No wonder, with DJ Vadim taking charge of production, while Greg Blackman, tunesmith extraordinaire, laying down some of his trademark vocals.
Over the twelve tracks on Bespoke Future, Hartley and Wolfe create music for the head, the heart and the dance-floor. Songs of life, love, betrayal and rejection see Hartley and Wolfe paint pictures with their music. Evocative songs, where Hartley and Wolfe use music like an artist uses paints. Bespoke Future is their canvas, where they explore the vagaries of life, love gone wrong, rejection and politics. Cerebral and intelligent, Hartley and Wolfe don’t forget about hooks. They’re certainly not in short supply. Neither are songs for the dance-floor. Whether you like your music soulful, funky or dance-floor friendly, then Bespoke Future has something for you. Hartley and Wolfe see to that. You’ll realise that’s the case, when I tell you about Bespoke Future.
Opening Bespoke Future is You’ve Got Nothing. As it opens, there’s a real laid-back, summery vibe. Greg scats above an arrangement that reminds me of Nightmares On Wax. Maybe its the sound of crackly vinyl and the filters? Soon, it’s all change and a thunderous bass drives the arrangement along. Still it has a summery vibe, with reggae, soul, funk, gospel and hip hop thrown into the melting pot. Greg’s vocal is heartfelt and powerful. Full of frustration he threatens to walk away, having been pushed to far. Yet he doesn’t, he’s loyal and tells her that. He then adds scatted harmonies, before singing call and response, demonstrating that powerhouse of a vocal that, for far too long, has been one of British music’s best kept secrets.
Wistful and melancholy describes the introduction to The Little Things. Again, there’s the sound of crackly vinyl, that gives the track a vintage sound. Then when Greg’s vocal enters, it’s reminiscent of D’Angelo and Prince. He uses his full vocal range, his vocal a sassy, emotive and needy vamp. Behind him, keyboards, crispy beats and the pounding bass join harmonies. The backing vocals drive Greg to even greater heights on this sassy, soulful, funky opus.
Behind Close Doors sees another change in direction. Space-age synths are joined by hypnotic beats and Greg’s impassioned, but pensive vocal. Soon, the track’s heading in the direction of hip hop. Greg’s lays down wistful vocal, before a feisty rap takes charge. Despite that, it’s Greg’s vocal that you focus on. It sounds as if he’s loved and lived to the tell the tale, on this fusion of hip hop, funk and soul.
It’s as if the scene’s being set on the cinematic Room To Breathe. With its big, bold and dramatic cinematic arrangement, it’s like a track from a seventies Blaxploitation movie. That’s partly to do with the swirling, sweeping strings, funky rhythm section and keyboards. Then there’s Greg’s vocal and the harmonies that accompany him. Dramatic, with an authentic seventies sound, they’re ying to the arrangement’s yang. By the end of this three minute musical journey, you’re almost convinced that you’re listening to a forgotten seventies Blaxploitation movie. That’s how good this cinematic, hidden gem is.
What I’ve Been Told almost picks up where Room To Breathe left off. Bursting into life, Greg delivers his vocal against an arrangement that’s uber funky. Driven along by the rhythm section, stabs of blazing horns punctuate the dramatic, galloping arrangement. Again, it could be another track from a Blaxploitation movie. Especially given the lyrics, which are full of social comment. They’re a reflection on 21st Century society, about being taught not to trust establishment figures. It’s as if this inspires Greg. As he sings calls and response, his vocal is full of frustration, anger and disgust. Adding the finishing touch, are the soaring harmonies. They play their part in a track that’s soulful, funky, cerebral and has a strong social conscience.
Turn The Volume Down sounds like a track about the morning after the night before. A fragile, thoughtful and introspective Greg delivers a gloriously soulful vocal against a backdrop of synths, handclaps and harmonies. Realising he’s got to change, he wonders if now’s the time to “Turn The Volume Down” on his hedonistic lifestyle?
A myriad of beeps and squeaks open Console, a track where electronica, funk, soul, R&B, Nu Soul and hip hop unite. Against a futuristic backdrop of synths, crispy beats and harmonies, Greg combines hip hop and soul effectively. With its 21st Century sound, this demonstrates another side to Hartley and Wolfe.
This World has an experimental sound, as Hartley and Wolfe take you on an intergalactic journey. Electronica, hip hop, funk and soul are combined during this four-minute adventure. Sci-fi synths, hypnotic drums and harmonies provide the backdrop to Greg’s vampish vocal. His vocal is full of frustration and confusion as he sings: “there’s so much I don’t understand.” A powerful comment on life in general, Greg breathes life and meaning into the lyrics, delivering them with emotion and power.
Dancing In Circles sees a return to the sound of You’ve Got Nothing and The Little Things. It’s the chords and instruments used that lead to this comparison. There’s even a brief similarity to The Style Council, when chiming guitars, keyboards and crispy beats combine. Then Greg’s heartfelt, soulful vocal enters, it’s one of his best. He sounds like Robert Palmer, and is fed up “Dancing In Circles.” How he’s “grabbing the chance.” Nervously and hopefully, he hopes he’s not left it too late. His vocal is replaced by a rap, and we never find out whether he’s still “Dancing In Circles. Despite that, it’s one of the highlights of Bespoke Future.
Larry The Cat is totally different from the other tracks on Bespoke Future. With his tongue placed firmly in his cheek, Greg introduces us to Larry The Cat. Funky, dramatic and dance-floor friendly, Greg vamps his way through the track with beats and squelchy synths for company. The result is a track that shows just how eclectic an album this is.
Lady Sunshine sees Hartley and Wolfe fuse soul, funk and electronica. Greg seems inspired by Rick James, D’Angelo and Prince. There’s also a nod to Robert Plant and old blues shouters, as his vocal is transformed. It’s quite unlike previous tracks. As for the track, it’s dance-floor friendly, funky and soulful. The tempo is dropped, with drums and bass providing the heartbeat, while synths adding sci-fi sounds and drama. As genres melt into one, an irresistible and infectiously catchy track unfolds.
Closing Bespoke Future is Never Understand. Slow, with an eerie, ethereal, sci-fi sound, the sound of crispy vinyl, then whispery vocals, joins beeps, squeaks and crunchy beats. Greg’s vocal is urgent, full of emotion, frustration and confusion during this tale of love gone wrong. This increases as stabs of synths, marching drums and urgent harmonies come towards him. Despite that, he still manages to despairingly, deliver the line: “you’re a fool.” An emotive, dramatic relationship song, this bookends Hartley and Wolfe’s debut album Bespoke Future nicely.
Bespoke Future, the debut album from Hartley and Wolfe, is proof that the musical partnership of DJ Vadim and Greg Blackman, works, and works well. With DJ Vadim’s production expertise and Greg Blackman supplying some of his most soulful vocals, this is a musical marriage that won’t end up in the divorce courts. During the twelve tracks on Bespoke Future, Hartley and Wolfe never let the quality drop. As they do this, musical genres and influences melt into one.
Indeed, Bespoke Future is a genre-melting, roller-coaster musical adventure. Hartley and Wolfe innovate and push musical boundaries. This they do throughout the Bespoke Future. They’re continually reinventing themselves, crossing and criss-crossing musical genres and boundaries. There’s everything from ambient, drum ‘n’ bass, dub, electronica, funk, hip hop, Nu Soul, R&B, reggae and soul, within the twelve tracks on Bespoke Future. Influenced by everyone from Rick James, The Isley Brothers, Prince, D’Angelo, Omar, Robert Palmer, Loose Ends and Soul II Soul. All these influences and genres are combined within Hartley and Wolfe’s melting pot. The result is Bespoke Future, a delicious dish, best tasted often.
Another way to describe Bespoke Future, is as a musical journey. As musical journeys go, it’s one with more than a few unexpected twists and turns. A genre-melting journey from the innovative duo of Hartley and Wolfe, Bespoke Future will be released on BBE Music on 18th November 2013. Hopefully, Bespoke Future will be the first of many collaborations between DJ Vadim, the John Coltrane of hip hop, and Greg Blackman, Essex’s very own purveyor of all things soulful. There’s a reason for that. The reason is Bespoke Future, Hartley and Wolfe’s debut album is full of innovative, genre-melting music, that’s funky, deeply soulful and dance-floor friendly. Standout Tracks: You’ve Got Nothing, The Little Things, The Little Things, Room To Breathe and What I’ve Been Told.
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE.
BRENDA HOLLOWAY-THE ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY.
BRENDA HOLLOWAY-THE ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY.
It was in 1962 that Brenda Holloway released her debut single, Hey Fool on the Donna record label. She was just sixteen years old. Later that year, Brenda first released a cover of Ed Cobb’s Every Little Bit Hurts for Del-Fi Records, a subsidiary of Donna Records. Two years later, when Brenda rerecorded Every Little Bit Hurts, she was signed to Motown’s Tamla imprint. It reached number thirteen in the US Billboard 100, resulting in the biggest hit of Brenda Holloway’s career. During the three years Brenda spent at Tamla, she released nine singles. These nine singles feature on Kent Soul’s recently rereleased compilation The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway.
Originally, The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway was a compilation released in Britain in 1968, when Brenda left Tamla. It featured nine singles, five B-Sides and two tracks from Brenda’s album Every Little Bit Hurts. These sixteen tracks featured on Kent Soul’s originally release of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway. Now Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records, have rereleased The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway. They’ve good reason for doing so. Compilers Keith Hughes and Mick Patrick have discovered eight previously unreleased Brenda Holloway tracks hidden away in the Motown vaults. This means that the updated version of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway features twenty-four tracks. For anyone whose a fan of Brenda Holloway, The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is essential listening. I’ll tell you why, once I’ve told you about Brenda’s career.
Brenda Holloway was born in June 1946, in Atascadero, California, a city midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. She was the eldest of three children. When she was two, Brenda and her family moved to the Watts district of Los Angeles. Three years later, in 1951, Brenda’s younger sister Patrice Holloway was born. Like her sister, she’d become a singer. That’s no surprise though.
From an early age, Brenda immersed herself in music. She learnt to play flute, piano and violin. Soon, she developed a passion for classical music. Singing played an important part in Brenda’s life. Brenda was an active member of her church choir. At high school, Brenda hooked up with Walter and Wallace Scott, who later form The Whispers. This lead to Brenda singing backing vocals on demonstration records, which songwriters would use to showcase their songs to artists and record companies. Through singing backing vocals, Brenda’s career as a singer began.
This was in 1962, when she was just sixteen. Brenda recorded Hey Fool, which was released on Donna Records. This was the first of three singles Brenda recorded for Donna Records. Later that year, Brenda first released a cover version of Ed Cobb’s Every Little Bit Hurts for Del-Fi Records, a subsidiary of Donna Records. The other two singles Brenda recorded for Game Of Love and I’ll Give My Love. Having served her apprenticeship at Donna Records, Brenda was signed by Motown imprint Tamla by Berry Gordy.
Motown had opened a West Coast office in Los Angeles. In charge of the Los Angeles office were Hal Davis and Marc Gordon. With Brenda being based in the West Coast, and more importantly, being a president’s signing, Hal and Marc must have known the pressure was on to find the right song for Brenda’s Tamla debut. This would be a song Brenda was familiar with, Every Little Bit Hurts. It would result in the biggest hit of her career and features on The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway, which I’ll tell you about.
For her Tamla debut, Brenda Holloway rerecorded Every Little Bit Hurts. Written by Ed Cobb, it was produced Hal Davis and Marc Gordon. On its release in May 1964, it reached number thirteen in the US Billboard 100. No wonder. It’s a soul-baring vocal that belies Brenda’s tender years. She was just eighteen, but breaths life and meaning into the vocal. Hal and Marc sweeten the dramatic, piano lead arrangement with swathes of strings. This is the finishing touch, resulting in a stonewall classic.
I’ll Always Love You was was the followup to Every Little Bit Hurts. Tamla, thinking they’d a potential huge star on their books, must have high hopes for the single. Sadly, it stalled at number sixty in the US Billboard 100 in July 1964. Again, it was written by Ed Cobb, and produced by Hal Davis and Marc Gordon. With an understated, but drama-laden arrangement, Brenda has the opportunity to unleash a vocal masterclass. Controlled power and emotion are combined to produce a heartfelt, dramatic ballad that showcases Brenda at her best.
During 1964, Brenda released her debut album, Every Little Bit Hurts. Not only did it feature Every Little Bit Hurts and I’ll Always Love You, Too Proud To Cry and a cover of Alex North and Hz Zaret’s Unchained Melody. The version of Unchained Melody is quite different from The Righteous Brothers’ version. It’s slightly quicker, with a jaunty arrangement. As for Brenda’s vocal, it’s needy and impassioned. Too Proud To Cry which Frank Wilson and Alvin Bowen cowrote,is the best of the two tracks. A slow ballad, with a string drenched arrangement, Brenda embraces the songs. It’s as if she’s lived the lyrics. She delivers the lyrics with emotion, her vocal full of sadness and regret.
As Brenda began her second year at Tamla, she released Operator, which was written by Smokey Robinson. Originally, it had been recorded by Mary Wells. Her version was a somewhat sanitized pop version. Brenda’s version is much better, and is the definitive version of Operator. Despite it’s more grownup sound, it only reached a disappointing number seventy-eight in the US Billboard 100 and thirty-six in the US R&B Charts in January 1965. Given Brenda’s slow, soulful and sultry delivery that must have been a huge disappointment for producer Smokey Robison. Tucked away on the B-Side is I’ll Be Available another track penned and produced by Smokey Robinson. It’s a track that has a real Northern Soul sound that falls into the category of hidden gem. In later years, Brenda would enjoy success on Britain’s Northern Soul scene.
August 1965 saw Brenda release the Berry Gordy penned and produced You Can Cry On My Shoulder. It failed to chart, stalling at just 116 in the US Billboard 100. Despite its lack of commercial success it features a tender, heartfelt vocal from Brenda where she uses her full vocal range effectively.
Together ‘Till The End Of Time was released in January 1966. Written by Frank Wilson, it was produced by Hal Davis and Marc Gordon the single failed to chart. Featuring a thoughtful and impassioned vocal, you can hear Brenda maturing as a singer. Sung against a dramatic, sometimes melancholy arrangement, her vocal veers between tender and thoughtful, to power and passion. The result is one of the highlights of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway.
After two consecutive singles failed to chart, Brenda must have been desperate for Hurt A Little Every Day To Chart. Released in August 1966, history repeated itself and the single failed to chart. With a big, bold and dramatic arrangement, Brenda, accompanied by cooing harmonies, delivers a cathartic performance. Good as the single is, turn over to the B-Side and you’ve a surprise in store. Where Were You was written by Helen and Kay Lewis. It’s a fusion of blues, R&B and soul, that swings along. Soaring harmonies, handclaps, dancing strings and rasping horns accompany Brenda, whose vocal is full of Hurt and heartache. When all is this was combined by producers Frank Wilson and Hal Davis, the result is a hook-laden track, that’s a favorite of Northern Soul fans.
Just Look At What You Done, which was written by R Dean Taylor and Frank Wilson, saw Brenda’s career get back on track. Produced by Frank and Lamont Dozier, it reached number sixty-nine in the US Billboard 100 and number twenty-one in the US R&B Charts in March 1967. An upbeat, stomper, it’s another favorite of Northern Soul fans. With stabs of blazing horns and a pounding beat, Brenda throws herself headlong into the song. She makes the betrayal and heartache in the lyrics come to life. She paints pictures during this irresistible Northern Soul stomper. The B-Side is another Northern Soul stomper, Starting The Hurt All Over Again. Penned by Ashford and Simpson, who in 1967, were Motown staff songwriters, Harvey Facqua and Johnny Bristol take charge of this production. With such an all-star cast, it’s no wonder this is such a infectiously catchy track.
You’ve Made Me So Very Happy was Brenda’s final single for Motown. She bowed out on a high, when the single reached number thirty-nine in the US Billboard 100 and number forty in the US R&B Charts in August 1967. It was written by Brenda her sister Patrice, plus Berry Gordy and Frank Wilson who produced the track. Dramatic, wistful, melancholy and beautiful describes what is a timeless track. Frank Wilson contributed the B-Side, I’ve Got To Find It. It’s a fitting farewell to Tamla. There’s a sense of melancholia in Brenda’s vocal, as if she’s looking for something, but hasn’t quite worked out what it is. All she knows, is it’s time to say walk away from Tamla. This she does against a wistful backdrop where blues and soul create a poignant combination.
That’s not quite the end of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway. There’s the small matter of the eight previously unreleased ballads. Of the eight tracks there’s a few hidden gems tucked away in there. Four are worth mentioning. The first of these is After All That You’ve Done, which is bound to win over fans of Northern Soul. The Love Line features a sultry, seductive vocal from Brenda. Then there’s the dramatic, emotive Just Another Lonely Night which briefly, reminds me of Phil Spector productions. It’s Love I Need, which closes The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway features a needy, sassy vocal powerhouse from Brenda.
As I said earlier, The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is essential listening for anyone whose a fan of Brenda Holloway, Motown or just soul music. For fans of Brenda Holloway, the eight bonus tracks could well be the clincher. Even of you’ve the original version of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway, the bonus tracks make it worth buying again. Then there’s the other sixteen tracks on The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway. That’s sixteen good reasons to add Kent Soul’s recently released The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway to your record collection. Another reason is, that the music on The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is the best, and most successful, music of Brenda Holloway’s career.
Despite enjoying a long and successful career, Brenda Holloway never quite recaptured the commercial success she enjoyed at Motown. That’s quite sad, because Brenda was only twenty-one when she left Motown. The most successful part of her career was behind her. Despite releasing further singles and a trio of albums, chart success eluded Brenda Holloway. Never again did she enjoy the success that she enjoyed at Motown. Brenda enjoyed fame and commercial success at an early age. She had a tantalizing taste of fame and commercial success. Drinking deep from the well of fame, she enjoyed every last drop. Sadly, her taste of fame didn’t last long. It made only a fleeting visit, lasting just three years, which are documented on The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway. Standout Tracks: Every Little Bit Hurts, I’ve Got To Find It, You’ve Made Me So Very Happy and Just Look At What You Done.
BRENDA HOLLOWAY-THE ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY.
CLARENCE CARTER-THE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 2 1970-73.
CLARENCE CARTER-THE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 2 1970-73.
It was in 1966, that Clarence Carter released his first single for Rick Hall’s Fame Records, Tell Daddy. Clarence was already thirty when he released Tell Daddy, his debut solo single. His life had taken a few twists and turns before that. Born in January 1936, when Clarence graduated from high school, he headed to Alabama State University. In 1960, he graduated with a degree in music. After that, his musical career began in earnest. It wasn’t as a solo artist though.
Clarence was part of a duo with Calvin Scott. The pair released a string of singles between 1962 and 1965. Their debut single was 1962s I Don’t Know (School Girl), which they released as Clarence and Calvin. After that they became the C and C Boys, releasing four singles for Duke Records. Commercial success eluded them and in 1965 they left Duke Records. Down but not out, Clarence and Calvin headed to Rick Hall’s Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. There they recorded Step By Step, which was released on Atco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Step By Step failed to chart. Worse was to come. Calvin Scott’s wife shot him, resulting in Calvin having to retire from music temporarily. This inadvertently lead to Clarence’s debut solo single.
This was Tell Daddy, Clarence’s first single for Rick Hall’s Fame Records. Tell Daddy was the start of a string of hit singles Clarence released between 1967 and 1969. This period is documented on Kent Soul’s 2012 compilation Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 1 1966-1970. It contains singles Clarence released for Fame and Atlantic Records. Whilst this was the most successful period of Clarence’s career, there’s much more to his career than that. Much more.
On Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973, which was recently released by Kent Soul, a subsidiary of Ace Records, continues the Clarence Carter story. This compilation covers the remainder of Clarence’s time at Atlantic Records. There’s also a quartet of tracks released on Fame, plus Clarence’s Fame singles distributed by United Artists. Featuring twenty-two tracks, Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 includes many tracks that have never been available on CD before. Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 finds Clarence Carter, a giant of Southern Soul, at his soulful best. Ironically, Rick Hall wasn’t sure about signing Clarence Carter.
It’s ironic given the commercial success Clarence Carter enjoyed, that originally, Rick Hall didn’t want to record Clarence. Rick felt that Clarence as a solo career, wasn’t an attractive proposition. Luckily, Rick changed his mind after Clarence released his debut solo single Tell Daddy. It only reached number thirty-five in the US R&B Charts, but inspired Etta James’ Tell Mama. It was then that Rick Hall realised that Clarence Carter was a hugely talented singer and songwriter.
Clarence Carter signed to Atlantic Records in 1967 and between 1967 and 1969, he enjoyed ten singles. This includes two top ten singles in the US Billboard 100 and six top ten singles in the US R&B single. Two of his singles sold over one million copies, resulting in gold singles for Clarence. His biggest hit single was 1967s Slip Away, which reached number four in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the US R&B Charts. Then in 1968, Clarence enjoyed a Christmas hit with Back Door Santa, which reached number four in the US Billboard 100. All these singles featured on Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 1 1966-1970. Its followup is Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973.
Opening Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973, is Patches, the most successful single on the the compilation. It reached number four in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the US R&B Charts in 1970. Written by General Johnson and Ron Dunbar, Clarence rejected the song when he first heard it. After producer Rick Hall talked him round, there wasn’t even time for the lyrics to be transcribed into braille. So, Sonny Limbo whispered each line of the lyrics into Clarence’s ear. Remarkably, this worked, resulting in a heart-wrenching tale of poverty and sadness. Add to his vocal lush strings and cooing harmonies, and it’s no surprise the single was such a success. Tucked away on the B-Side to Patches is Say It One More Time. Penned by Clarence and George Jackson, Clarence’s vocal is needy and heartfelt as blues and Southern Soul unite to create a beautiful track.
It’s All In Your Mind was released in 1970, reaching just number fifty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number thirteen in the US R&B Charts in 1970. Written by George Jackson and Raymond Moore, it’s from Clarence’s album Patches. Good as the single is, I prefer the B-Side Till I Can`t Take It Anymore. Clyde Otis and Dorian Burton cowrote this track. It has an understated arrangement, where rasping horns, cooing harmonies and chiming guitars allowing Clarence’s heartfelt, hopeful vocal to take centre-stage. Clarence unleashes a vocal that sounds as if he’s lived, loved and survived the lyrics.
Red Lane penned the mini soap opera that is The Court Room. It’s a true story about a preacher accused of a sexual misdemeanour It gave Clarence a minor hit in 1970, when it reached number sixty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number thirteen in the US R&B Charts. Dramatic and emotive, Clarence brings to life the lyrics. So much so, that you can imagine the scenes unfolding before your eyes. As for the backing vocalists, including Candi Staton, who Clarence married in 1970, play the roll of the shocked jurors perfectly and add the finishing touch. On the B-Side is Getting The Bills (But No Merchandise), penned by George Jackson and Raymond Moore epitomizes Southern Soul. The story of a lovestruck, infatuated lover it allows Clarence to unleash his powerhouse of a vocal.
Released as a single in 1971, Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love reached number eighty-four in the US Billboard 100 and number twenty-five in the US R&B Charts. Written by George Jackson, it’s soulful, sassy and funky, with Clarence vamping his way through the lyrics, singing call and response with his backing vocalists. Similarly funky and soulful was the B-Side, I Hate To Love And Run, which features a tormented Clarence.
Scratch My Back (And Mumble In My Ear) which was released in 1971, is a ballad where Clarence returns to his slower, more soulful sound. Despite this, it reached just number forty-one in the US R&B Charts. Written by Earl Cage, Raymond Moore and Marcel Strong, it featured a vocal masterclass from Clarence. He sounds not unlike the legendary James Carr. With an arrangement punctuated by growling horns, its Southern Soul at its best. Even the B-Side I’m The One is quality. Written by George Jackson and Raymond Moore, it’s a track that swings. That’s thanks to Clarence’s impassioned and joyous vocal. Then the addition of swathes of strings and soaring harmonies add the finishing touch to this hook-laden hidden gem.
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em features Candi Staton, who between 1970 and 1973, was married to Clarence. This is a very different track. There’s a tougher, funkier sound to Clarence’s sassy, vampish vocal. Candi adds soaring, dramatic harmonies to a track that shows another side to Clarence Carter’s music. Again, I prefer the B-Side, the Mac David penned Lonesomest Lonesome. Full of hurt and heartbreak, Clarence’s vocal is wistful and melancholy, as he comes to terms with the love he’s lost.
Having left Atlantic, where Clarence’s relationship with the company has been described as distant. Clarence felt under-appreciated. He also felt his music had been under-promoted. Back at Fame, Clarence released a blistering version of Oliver Sain’s Back In Your Arms towards the end of 1972. It reached number forty-six in the US R&B Charts. An uptempo, funky track, Clarence kicks loose. It’s as if saying to everyone at Atlantic, look what you’ve lost. Then on the B-Side Holdin´ Out (On My Baby), penned by Mickey Buckins, Clarence digs deep, delivering a heartbreaking vocal. Full of emotion, sadness and regret, he calls time on his cheating lover. So realistic is his delivery, that you’d think Clarence and been there and survived to tell the tale.
It’s a different Clarence that we find on Put On Your Shoes And Walk, his 1973 single, which reached number forty on the US R&B Charts. Clarence is confident, feisty and delivers the vocal with a swagger. It’s as if this song was tailor made for him. Ut wasn’t though. Instead it was originally recorded by Harmon Bathea. This is the definitive version, best described as soulful, funky and swaggering.Turn over to the B-Side and you’ll find I Found Somebody New, a confessional slice of Southern Soul written by Clarence. Ironically, in 1973, Clarence and Candi Staton’s marriage ended.
Mother-In Law and Sixty Minute Man were a double-sided single, taken from Clarence’s final album for Fame, the Southern Soul Sixty Minutes With Clarence Carter. Of the two tracks, sultry, sassy and suggestive Sixty Minute, which Clarence wrote, is the best of the two songs. A tale of forbidden love, Clarence adopts the role of soul seducer supreme, on a track that reached number sixty-five in the US Billboard 100 and number seventeen in the US R&B Charts. As for Mother-In Law, it was written by legendary New Orleans’ songwriter Allen Toussaint. It’s best described as a scathing sideswipe at the third person in his marriage. It reached number eighty in the US Billboard 100 and number twenty-four in the US R&B Charts. If the radio stations had chosen to play just one side, then Clarence could’ve had a huge hit on his hands.
As I’m The Midnight Special unfolds, it sounds a distant relation of Sam and Dave’s In The Midnight Hour. Instead, it was penned by Clarence, George Jackson, Alyn Mitchell and Raymond Moore. Driven along by the famous Fame rhythm section and stabs of blazing horns, Clarence rolls back the years, as Southern Soul and funk combine. This resulted in a single that reached number fifteen in the US R&B Charts. Hidden away on the flip side, is I Got Another Woman. Here, Clarence proves that confession is good for the soul, as sadness, realism and relief play their part in a hidden gem about love gone wrong.
Love’s Trying To Come To You was the last single Clarence released for Fame. Released in 1973 as a single, it failed to chart. Written by George Jackson, the combination of bluesy horns and harmonies result in a real hidden gem that’s wistful, thoughtful and beautiful. Over on the B-Side was Heartbreak Woman, written by Mark James. Produced by Rick Hall and Clarence this heartbreaking song bookends Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 perfectly.
For anyone yet to discover Clarence Carter, then Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 and its predecessor Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 1 1967-1970 are the perfect place to start. Volume 1 was released in 2012, while Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 was released recently, by Kent Soul, a subsidiary of Ace Records. Lovingly compiled by Dean Rudland, who wrote the sleeve-notes, this is what a compilation should be like. What do I mean by that? Well, there’s twenty-two tracks, plus a lavish, twelve-page booklet, crammed full of information about Clarence Carter and his music. However, what really makes Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973 is the music.
One of the giants of Southern Soul, Rick Hall’s decision to sign Clarence was vindicated. Between 1966 and 1973, Clarence was one of the most successful acts Rick Hall discovered. While Candi Staton was the first Lady of of Fame Records, her one-time husband, Clarence Carter was one of the most successful male artists. A hugely talented singer and songwriter, Clarence Carter could breath life, emotion and meaning into a song. The lyrics come to life, with Clarence sounding as if he’s lived and survived the tales of love, and love gone wrong. It’s no wonder Clarence enjoyed such success.
Accompanying Clarence were some of the greatest musicians of the sixties and seventies. Collectively, they were known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They provided the heartbeat for numerous Southern Soul classics. Then there’s the backing vocalists, who included Candi Staton. Add to this are a whole host of staff songwriters, including George Jackson. The final piece of the jigsaw, was the man with the Midas touch, producer Rick Hall, who owned Fame. He produced Clarence for Fame, Atlantic and then Fame, once again. When Clarence Carter is added to the equation, musical magic happens. This musical magic resulted in the most successful period of Clarence Carter’s career.
Following Clarence Carter’s time at Fame, he never enjoyed the same commercial success. Undeterred he continued to release albums and played live. He’s enjoyed a long and successful career, and 2012, marked the fiftieth anniversary of his first single. Since then, Clarence Carter has released around thirty albums. However, the best music of his career is the music he recorded at Fame Studios with Rick Hall. This includes the twenty-two tracks on Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 2 1970-1973, which along with Clarence Carter-The Fame Singles Volume 1 1967-1970, which are the perfect introduction to a giant of Southern Soul, Clarence Carter. Standout Tracks: Patches, Scratch My Back (And Mumble In My Ear), Lonesomest Lonesome and I Got Another Woman.
CLARENCE CARTER-THE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 2 1970-73.
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-MORE DYNAMITE.
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-MORE DYNAMITE.
Back in May 2013, Ace Records released Bluesin’ By The Bayou, a compilation of “low down, dirty and greasy blues from Louisiana.” With some zydeco thrown in for good measure by compiler Ian Saddler, Bluesin’ By The Bayou was a potent musical cocktail. The music on Bluesin’ By The Bayou was recorded at J.D. Miller and Eddie Shuler’s studios in Louisiana. For the followup to Bluesin’ By The Bayou, the recently released Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite, which was recently released by Ace Records, compiler Ian Saddler has dug deeper.
Not only does Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite feature tracks recorded at J.D. Miller and Eddie Shuler’s studios, but tracks recorded at Carol Rachou and Charles “Dago” Redlich’s studios. Each producer had their own approach to recording.
When Eddie Shuler’s career started, he had no studio. So he had to take his artists to radio stations to record them. Eventually, when he became a successful producer and label owner, he had his own studios in Lake Charles. That was where Eddie recorded countless singles. Eddie continually studied his artists, watching their technique and was constantly, looking for ways they could improve them as artists. Once Eddie had his own studio, this was easier, because he wasn’t constantly having to think of the budget. This allowed him to take longer, and produce better music. So did J.D. Miller, although this was a constant struggle.
J.D. Miller is best described as a perfectionist. He set his standards high, and was known to constantly rerecord a track over and over. This was all part of his constant quest for musical nirvana. While J.D. would rerecord tracks, he was known to constantly rebuild his studios. Many times, J.D. stripped his Crowley studio and rebuilt it. All this was in his quest for perfection. Another producer striving for perfections was Charles “Dago” Redlich. He was J.D. Miller’s brother-in-law, a new name that features on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite.
Charles “Dago” Redlich owned a record shop in Lafayette. From his own record shop, he ran his own label, Viking. Unlike other producers, he didn’t own his own studio. Luckily, he was J.D. Miller’s brother-in-law. So when he wanted to record an artist, he used J.D. Miller’s studios. That’s where he recorded the artist he enjoyed the most success with, Johnnie Allan. He was one of a whole host of artists Charles produced.
The other producer to feature on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite is Carol Rachou and Charles. His studios were state-of-the-art. That’s why they were the choice of producers and artists looking for a studio. Packed with the latest equipment, this innovative room produced great sounding music. That’s because of the La Louisianne studio’s equipment, acoustics and design. That was where Carol Rachou made the music that features on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite.
Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite features music from J.D. Miller, Eddie Shuler, Carol Rachou and Charles “Dago” Redlich. There’s twenty-eight tracks on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite. This includes eighteen previously unreleased tracks. They’re part of what is an explosive and intoxicating compilation, Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite, which I’ll pick the highlights of.
Opening Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite is Peto Marlow and The Rhythm Kings’ Rock and Roll Beat, one of the eighteen previously unreleased tracks. Here Peto pays homage to the music that inspired his love of music, rock ‘n’. After being signed by J.D. Miller, he recorded and released a string of singles. This is a blistering slice of good time rock ‘n’ roll. It should’ve been released as a single. Sadly, it wasn’t. Instead, it’s an explosive way to open Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite.
Vince Anthony and The Blue Notes featured on Bluesin’ By The Bayou. They released Clarabel in 1960, on Charles “Dago” Redlich’s Viking label. Over fifty years later, Vince Anthony and The Blue Notes are still playing around Louisiana. If Clarabel is an example of their music, no wonder. A stomping, rocky track unfolds, and Vince vamps his way through the lyrics, Accompanying him are rasping, growling horns and pounding beat. The result is an irresistible track that brings back memories of what music used to sound like.
Bobby Charles is an artist who played an important part in the development of swamp pop. He was there at the birth of the genre, and is remembered as one of the inventors of swamp pop. So it’s only fitting that one of his tracks feature on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite. Teenager has never been released before. Driven along by swinging, blazing horns and chiming guitars, Bobby’s vocal is a sassy, feisty vamp on what is, a swamp pop hidden gem.
Rocket Morgan, or to give him his real name Claylel Rod “Rocket” Morgan is another artist who featured on Bluesin’ By The Bayou. He makes a return on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite not once, but twice. Gonna Walk Back Home (a.k.a. Walkin’ Home) and the medley of Sweet Love On My Mind/Let’s Play House are a tantalizing taste of one of rockabilly’s best kept secrets. Why best kept secrets? Well, Rocket found religion, and turned his back on music. That’s why these tracks a poignant reminder of Rocket Morgan, at his explosive best.
Originally, Merton Thibodeaux started off playing bass on J.D. Miller’s sessions. From bass, he eventually switched to piano, proving a regular at sessions at the Crowley studios. Merton was also a recording artist, but never had any of his music released. His early cuts were described as hillbilly. As for Big Basile, a track he recorded for J.D. Miller, it’s A fusion of country, folk and rock ‘n’ roll all rolled into one. The harmonies and growling saxophone are the finishing touch to Big Basile.
Rick Johnson recorded for various labels, before recorded Eeenie Meenie Minnie Mo for the J.D. Miller’s Flyright label. It’s rockabilly at its very best. Why this wasn’t released until 1983, seems strange? Surley J.D saw the potential in the track? Mind you, better late than never.
As Dayward Penny’s I’m Coming Home unfolds, he sounds not unlike Johnny Cash. His needy vocal is full of longing. Behind him, country guitars are ever-present, and later, boogie woogie piano create a backdrop for his vocal. When he sings “I’m coming home,” this sounds realistic. Maybe that’s because he’d just come home from the Korean War. So he knew about loneliness and longing. After that, Dayward tried all manner of businesses, but with varying degrees of success. The one thing that the remained the same, was his love of music.
Tommy Strange’s Nervous and Rockin’ All Over was released on Rocko Records in 1958. By then he was just twenty-two, but sounded like a musical veteran. Think Jerry Lee Lewis with a touch of Eddie Cochran thrown in for good measure and that describes Tommy Strange’s performance on Nervous and Rockin’ All Over, one of the highlights of Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite.
Al Ferrier enjoyed commercial success as a solo artist and as Al Ferrier and His Boppin’ Billies. Blues Stop Knockin’ was a track he recorded for Eddie Shuler’s Goldband Records. It was never released though. Thankfully, it’s one of the eighteen tracks Ian Saddler included on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite. His vocal is Elvis-esque, dramatic an dripping emotion. This results in track where elements of rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll and country play their part of this blistering, rocky version of Blues Stop Knockin.’ Sadly, Al Ferrier is yet another artist who neither enjoyed the commercial success nor critical acclaim his talented deserved.
Larry Hart’s Oh Nellie is my final choice from Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite. A Texan, Larry headed to Louisiana where he became Larry Hart. Having dawned this cloak, he joined forces with Eddie Shuler at Goldband Records. They proved a potent partnership, as the previously unreleased Oh Nellie demonstrates. With a vampish quivering vocal, some good time piano and pounding rhythm section, this is vintage rock ‘n’ roll.
Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite picks up where Louisiana,” Bluesin’ By The Bayou left off. This means more “low down, dirty and greasy blues from Louisiana.” There’s also rockabilly, country, rock ‘n’ roll, zydeco and swamp pop. Quite simply, Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite is an introduction to the music of Louisiana. An rich and eclectic selection of music, there’s ten tracks that have been released before, plus eighteen previously unreleased tracks. It’s compelling, enthralling, eclectic and mesmeric musical journey. That’s thanks to Ian Saddler’s crate-digging skills.
Ian’s dug deep into the vaults of four Louisiana producer’s vaults. These are J.D. Miller, Eddie Shuler, Carol Rachou and Charles “Dago” Redlich. Eventually, he’s settled on twenty-eight tracks. A mixture of familiar faces, rarities and hidden gems, it’s a journey back to another musical era, where the music of Louisiana comes to life. Eighteen tracks have never seen the light of day before. That’s a great shame. Music deserves to be heard, not lie unloved in a record company’s vaults. Instead, it should be where people can enjoy. That’s where compiler Ian Saddler and Ace Records come in. They’re responsible for Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite, a fitting followup to Bluesin’ By The Bayou.
Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite, just like its predecessor Bluesin’ By The Bayou are the perfect introduction to the music of Louisiana during the late-fifties and early sixties. They conjur up images of Louisiana, during another musical era. The music on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite is also emotive and evocative. That describes the music on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite perfectly. Just like Bluesin’ By The Bayou, Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite sounds like the music you’d hear in a Louisiana juke joint, late at night, with a bourbon in one hand and cigarette in the other. Ace Records supply the music on Boppin’ By The Bayou-More Dynamite, all you need to supply are the cigarettes and whiskey. Standout Tracks: Dayward Penny I’m Coming Home, Tommy Strange Nervous and Rockin’ All Over Al Ferrier Blues Stop Knockin,’ Larry Hart Oh Nellie.
BOPPIN’ BY THE BAYOU-MORE DYNAMITE.
AMERICANA 2.
AMERICANA 2.
Two years after the release of their first compilation of blue-eyed soul, Americana, Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor return with the followup, Americana 2. It will be released by BBE Music on 11th November 2013. Americana 2, which features sixteen tracks from the seventies and eighties, is described on the album cover as “more blue-eyed soul and A.O.R. sounds from the land of the free.” That may be the case. However, in some ways, Americana 2 differs to its predecessor.
The best way to describe the music on Americana 2 is contemporary. Yes it’s still blue-eyed soul, but with a more contemporary sound. As for the music on Americana 2, it’s much more eclectic. In some ways this is fitting. After all the term “Americana” covers a whole host of musical styles.
Definitions of Americana vary, but essentially, it’s contemporary music incorporating various American roots music. This could include everything from blues, bluegrass, country, folk, R&B, rockabilly or roots rock. Importantly, there’s a difference between the roots oriented sound and the genre its inspired by. Roots-rock is a good example of this. There’s quite a a difference between roots-rock and rock music. As you see, Americana is a broad musical church. Fittingly, Americana 2 is an all-encompassing compilation. That’s no surprise, given who the compilers are.
Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor are both well known crate-diggers. Both are familiar faces within the soul music scenes. Their lives are steeped in black music and they eat, live and breath music. Passionate record collectors, they’re extensive and eclectic record collections. They share a common interest, blue-eyed soul. That’s how they came to compile the first volume of Americana for BBE Music. Since then, they’ve headed back to their crates and dug deep.
What Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor have come up with is sixteen tracks from two decades, the seventies and eighties. For many people, these two decades are the golden age of blue eyed soul. Having spent time pouring through their respective record collections, they’ve settled on sixteen songs that last sixty-eight minutes. This includes contributions from Breakaway, Joseph Nicoletti, TR’s Hot Ice, Macky Feary Band, Hal Bradbury and Lucy Stone. They while these artists might not be household names, there’s more than a few hidden gems on Americana 2. It’s these hidden gems I’ll now tell you about.
Breakaway’s There’s A New Group In Town opens Americana 2. This is a track from their self-released 1977 album Breakaway. It’s something of a rarity and copies of Breakaway change hands for upwards of $100. No wonder. This is track that’s very much in the Chic mold. With an uber funky arrangement, wah-wah guitars, washes of synths and a pulsating beat accompany a female vocal that’s soulful, dramatic and diva-esque. What a way to open Americana 2.
E.J. Stone released I Know All About It on Rtyone Productions. Written by Paul Jokela and Peter Alexander Ruone Jr, it’s a truly irresistible track that was released in 1981. It’s three minutes of laid-back, heartfelt, soulful music. An outpouring of hurt and sadness, E.J. Stone should’ve enjoyed a successful career.
Back in 1980, Archie James Cavanaugh released what was the only album of his career, Black and White Raven. He released the album himself. It was a limited edition, meaning copies are hard to come by. If you come across a copy of Black and White Raven, Make Me Believe opens the album. A genre-melting track, there’s everything from soul, funk, Latin and jazz music in this joyous, upbeat and hook-laden track.
The Spats’ (Your Lovin’ Is) Everywhere is one of these tracks you could date to within a year. It’s musical D.N.A. says 1978. It’s a track from The Spats’ eponymous album, released in 1978 on Good Sounds. A fusion of soulful, funky and dance-floor friendly music, hooks are certainly not in short supply. Key to the song’s success is a sultry, vampish vocal, cooing harmonies and genre-melting arrangement. The result is another example of blue eyed soul at its best.
TR’s Hot Ice only ever released one single, Fatty Bum Bum. Described as tough, modern and dance-floor friendly, it changes hands for $100. Tucked away on the B-Side is Hot Ice. It’s one of these tracks that could fall into several categories. Is it punk-funk or post-disco? It’s funky, with a hard edge, but is also sassy, and sultry. Like its flip side, it’s also dance-floor friendly.
Macky Feary Band’s A Million Stars glides into being. It’s a musical gem that from it’s opening bars, sparkles. Written by Charles Souza, it’s a track from the band’s debut album Macky Feary Band. Recorded at the Sounds Of Hawaii studio, where Bryant Feary Jr, produced this track. A glorious amalgam of soul, funk, jazz and A.O.R, it features one of the best vocals on Americana 2.
RCR or Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, started life as backing vocalists at Hi Records. At Hi, they sung on albums by Al Green, Ann Peebles and O.V. Wright. Fast forward seven years, and they’d reinvented themselves into a disco trio. Give It To You, one of two singles released from their 1980 album Scandal, released on Radio Records, is one of the highlights of Americana 2. Sassy, breathy and sensual, it’s just a shame this track hadn’t been released a few years earlier, when disco was at its peak. if it had, Give It To You might have been a stonewall disco classic, rather than a lost hidden gem.
The Freudian Funk Band released the Chic-inspired I’m Ambivalent About You Baby (Yes, Yes, Yes… No, No, No) in 1977. Just like Chic, the Freudian Funk Band stick to a similar formula. Cascading strings, female vocalists, clever chord changes and an arrangement where funk and soul combines. Where things differ, is there’s a tougher edge. That’s partly down to the keyboards and the ab-libbed, feisty vocal. All this results in a truly timeless track where disco and proto-boogie combine with soul and funk seamlessly.
Lucy Stone is another artist who only released one single. That was If Somebody Needs Somebody, another rarity. It was released in 1980, on Fire Mountain. On the B-Side side is Giving You Love Instead Of Gold, penned by Troy Raglin. It features Lucy’s needy, heartfelt and soulful vocal. Enveloping her vocal is an arrangement that draws inspiration from soul, funk, jazz and even rock. What makes the song is Lucy’s vocal, as it breathes life and meaning into Troy’s thoughtful lyrics.
Closing Americana 2, is Jaye P. Morgan’s Here Is Where Love Belongs. It’s from her 1976 eponymous album on Candor Records. Twenty years earlier she’d released her eponymous debut album. Released on RCA Victor, it too was entitled Jaye P. Morgan. During that twenty year period between the two volumes of Jaye P. Morgan, music had changed. What hadn’t changed was Jaye’s vocal. Sultry and seductive, she delivers her vocal against a jazz-tinged arrangement. This results not just one of the highlights of Americana 2, but a fitting way to close what is one of the best compilations of 2013.
That’s no exaggeration. Americana 2 is bound to feature on the lists of best compilations of 2013. No wonder. It’s crammed full of quality, contemporary music. This includes private pressings, rarities and forgotten hidden gems. An exquisite and eclectic selection of music, choosing just my “top ten” tracks wasn’t easy. That shows how high the quality is. There’s no filler on Americana 2. Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor see to that. They’ve dug deep into their respective record collections, digging deeper than they’ve dug before. What they’ve come up with, is some of the rarest records they own. In sharing them with you, they save you a small fortune.
That’s what it would cost to buy the sixteen tracks on Americana 2. Indeed, that’s if you could find them. Many of these tracks were pressed privately or were on albums that were released in small numbers. Tracking them down could take a lifetime and prove a frustrating search. To save you the trouble, frustration and running up a huge overdraft, Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor bring them together on Americana 2, which will be released on 11th November 2013.
Americana 2 is their latest compilation of contemporary blue-eyed soul. It’s something of a rarity. After all, how many followups are better than the original compilation? Having listened to Americana and Americana 2, I’d say Americana 2 surpasses its predecessor. That’s of course is all a matter of personal taste. To allow you to makeup your mind, I’d suggest you buy both volumes of blue-eyed soul, Americana and Americana 2, then make your mind up. Standout Tracks: Breakaway There’s A New Group In Town, The Spats (Your Lovin’ Is) Everywhere, RCR Scandal and Jaye P. Morgan Here Is Where Love Belongs.
AMERICANA 2.
ERA RECORDS NORTHERN SOUL.
ERA RECORDS NORTHERN SOUL.
Back in 1955, two cousins decided to decided to form a record label in their hometown, Los Angeles. They called this new label Era Records. The two cousins were Lew Bedell and Herb Newman. Lew Bedell was a comedian, whose career seemed to have come to a halt. So he was looking for a new career. Herb Newman was a music industry veteran. He’d started out as a West Coast sales rep for Mercury and later Decca. Now he’d learned the ropes, he wanted to form his own company. With his cousin looking for a new career, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. After all, Herb and Lew had been brought up together, after Lew’s parents split up and were like brothers. With the financial support of Herb’s father Max Newman, they founded Era Records in 1955.
Having started their own label, Herb and Lew concentrated on releasing music that was popular locally. Los Angeles’ music scene was much more conservative than New York, Washington or Philly. So, originally, they planned to released just pop, country, rockabilly and jazz. With black music not as popular in Los Angeles, they only occasionally released soul or R&B. Their first soul single Era Records released was in 1957. It was as if they were just testing the water. Seven years later, in 1962, Era Records took the plunge and became a soul label.
By then, Era Records had already released over 150 records. Following the decision to change direction musically, Era Records released a whole host of singles that have become popular on the Northern Soul scene. A tantalising taste of them can be found on Ace Records’ Kent Soul imprint’s recent release Era Records Northern Soul. Featuring twenty-four tracks, where there’s ballads, floaters and stompers aplenty, Era Records Northern Soul is essential listening for fans of Northern Soul. I’ll tell you why, after I’ve told you the story of Era Records.
From the get-go, the Lew and Herb had the Midas touch. Era Records’ first hit single was Cogi Grant’s Suddenly There’s A Valley, released in 1955. Cogi proved to be their lucky charm. In 1956, Era Records released Cogi Grant’s classic The Wayward Wind. Written by Herb Newman, it reached number one. For the next couple of years, Era Records continued to enjoy a modicum of commercial success. One of these was Art and Dotty’s Chanson D’Amour, which reached number eight in early 1958. Later that year, Lew and Herb founded another label, Dore.
Dore was founded as an outlet for more adult oriented music. Ironically, what should’ve been Dore’s first released wasn’t exactly adult oriented. What could’ve been their new label’s release resulted in a parting of the ways for the two cousins. A young producer called Phil Spector arrived with a demo of To Know Him Is To Love Him. Herb, musically trained, felt the song lacked something. He suggested adding swathes of lush strings. Phil Spector and Herb had different ideas when it can to production. This disagreement proved costly, when Phil took the song to another label. This resulted in an argument between the cousins. They agreed to part ways in May 1959. Lew took Dore and Herb Era. What could’ve been a successful partnership was no more. Herb Newman had a point to prove.
Now in full control of the label, Herb Newman set about turning Era Records into one of the most successful independent labels in Los Angeles. Herb Newman, now a music industry veteran, he lived and breathed music. He was determined Era Records would become a successful label. Sticking to his policy of only releasing music that he thought would prove popular, now that soul music was growing in popularity, Herb embraced it. Era Records enjoyed success with The Rockets, who also doubled as the label’s backing vocalists. Along with The Castells, Ronnie Height and Ketty Lester soul music proved lucrative for Era Records. So much so, that from 1962 onwards, Era Records became a soul label.
While 1962 marks the year Era Records jumped on the soul bandwagon, it also is the start of the period covered on Era Records Northern Soul. There are twenty-four tracks on Era Records Northern Soul. Seventeen cover the period between 1962 and 1968, while seven are unreleased. The tracks Era Records Northern Soul, which I’ll pick the highlights of, are just a taste of the music in Era Records back catalogue.
Opening Era Records Northern Soul is Billy Watkins The Ice-Man. This sassy, stomper was released in 1967. Penned by Billy and Herb, it was produced by H.B. Barnum. The version of The Ice-Man on Era Records Northern Soul is an unreleased remix with extra backing vocals. It surpasses the original and then some. It’s not just the backing vocals, but the dancing strings, rasping horns and a showboatig vocal from Billy. Billy’s other contribution to Era Northern Soul is a previously unreleased version of Dance With Me, which is mixed by Rob Keyloch. Just Like The Ice-Man, it’s another stomper, with a vampish vocal from Billy.
Othello Robertson’s So In Luv has Northern Soul written all over. If anyone asks you what Northern Soul sounds like, play them this track. Released in 1967, it was written by Dell Randle who produced the track and arranged it with Eddie Foster. As for Othello Robertson’s vocal, it’s an outpouring of power, passion and emotion. She pushes her vocal to its limits, as if determined to breath life and meaning into the lyrics. Accompanied by an arrangement that epitomizes Northern Soul, describing this as an impassioned ballad is an understatement.
Jimmy Lewis released his debut single Goodbye Sorrow in 1962. Twelve years later, in 1974, Jimmy released Totally Involved, the only album he ever released. In between, he released a series of singles. One of these was 1966s One Love. Its B-Side was What Can I Do Now, written by Jimmy and arranged by Jimmy Carmichael. A needy, heartfelt ballad, Jimmy’s vocal is tinged with hurt and regret. Add to that a pulsating heartbeat and cooing harmonies, the result is a reason why Jimmy Lewis is one of soul music’s hidden secrets.
From the opening bars of Melvin Boyd’s Exit Loneliness, Enter Love you realize he’s lived the lyrics. He’s been there, experienced the pain and hurt and then found love. Written Barry Stuart and arranged by Miles Grayson, this single was released in 1966. With a vocal that’s a mixture of power, emotion and joy, you’re hooked. What follows is something of a stomper. Melvin’s vocal is a joyous vamp, blazing horns, cooing harmonies and a pounding beat playing their part in a track that makes you want to dance for joy.
Carol Connors’ I Wanna Know was released in 1962, she was following in the footsteps of Kitty Lester. They were the first female vocalist to sign to Era Records. As Carol demands answers, she almost spits out the lyrics, distrust and betrayal ever-present. This is proof, if any was needed, of the danger of a woman scorned.
Tommy Mosley’s Echoes In The Night is one of the previously unreleased tracks on Era Northern Soul. It’s mixed by Rob Keyloch for the compilation. A fusion of soul and easy listening, Tommy’s vocal is compelling. Heartfelt, you focus on his every word. Adding to what is a hidden gem, are swathes of the lushest string and soaring harmonies.
As The Turn Arounds’ Run Away And Hide unfolds, briefly, it sounds like a mini soap opera. What follows, is a fusion of doo wop, R&B, soul and jazz. The interplay between the lead vocal and harmonies is at the heart of the track’s success. Strangely, given the track’s quality, it wasn’t the single. No. It was just the B-Side to the Thomas Turner penned Ain’t Nothin’ Shakin,’ released in 1964. Having heard that song, I much prefer the B-Side. This reinforces what I always say, remember and check out B-Sides.
Steve Flanagan released I Need To Be Loved So Bad in 1967. I’d described its as two-and-a-half minutes of hurt, heartache and loneliness. It’s perfect song for the newly heartbroken. Quite simply, this is the best ballad on Era Northern Soul by far.
When Brenda Holloway and The Carrolls sang I Ain’t Gonna Take You Back, everyone must have believed her. She delivers the lyrics as if she means every word. Anger and frustration fill her vocal, while The Carolls add punchy harmonies. Released in 1963, on Era Records’ Catch imprint, Brenda doesn’t hold back. She reads her man the riot act, giving him his character and makes one thing clear: “I Ain’t Gonna Take You Back.”
Closing Era Records Northern Soul is Othello Robertson’s Come On Home. Released in 1967, as the B-Side to So In Luv, it’s a poignant ballad. It’s a love letter to her “soldier boy” asking” “when are you coming home.” A heartfelt, soulful ballad, it’s a track that can’t help but tug at your heartstrings.
Nowadays, Northern Soul compilations are two a penny. As a result, the quality varies greatly. That’s why I often describe Northern Soul compilations as the good, bad and ugly. Era Records Northern Soul falls into the first category. Good doesn’t come close to describing the quality of music on Era Records Northern Soul. It’s one of the best of 2013. I’m not surprised though. After all, Era Records Northern Soul is compiled by Ady Croasdell, a man steeped in Northern Soul.
Ady Croasdell is a man whose life has revolved around Northern Soul. He’s a forty-year veteran of Northern Soul. Since then, he’s been immersed in Northern Soul and has compiled more compilations that most people will have in their collection. He’s a man who knows his floaters from his stompers. His taste is impeccable as he takes the listener on a tour through Era Records’ back-catalogue. We hear some familiar tracks, hidden gems and unreleased tracks. Among the unreleased tracks are alternate versions and mixes by Rob Keyloch. Two of the best unreleased tracks come from Othello Robertson and Billy Watkins. They’re just two reasons to buy Kent Soul’s recently released Era Records Northern Soul.
Whether you’re a veteran of Northern Soul compilations or newcomer to the genre, you can’t afford to be without Era Records Northern Soul. From Billy Watkins’ The Ice-Man, which opens Era Records Northern Soul, right through to Othello Robertson’s Come On Home, it’s quality all the way. Not once will your hand go near the remote control. It’s more likely you’ll be dancing around your living room, trying to recreate the Wigan Casino in its heyday. That’s how good Era Records Northern Soul is. Standout Tracks: Billy Watkins The Ice-Man, Othello Robertson So In Luv, Melvin Boyd’s Exit Loneliness, Enter Love and Steve Flanagan I Need To Be Loved So Bad.
ERA RECORDS NORTHERN SOUL.
LONG-LOST HONKERS AND TWANGERS.
LONG-LOST HONKERS AND TWANGERS.
For their latest compilation, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, Ace Records return to the golden age of the instrumental. Featuring twenty-six tracks, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is a return to an era when instrumentals were King. This “golden age” began around 1956 and exploded when Duane Eddy released his debut single Movin’ and Groovin’ in March 1958. After that, instrumentals were commonplace on the British and American charts.
Whether it was honking saxophones or twangy, jangling guitars, instrumentals were big sellers. Every musical genre, whether it be jazz, R&B, pop, surf or rock, have numerous instrumental classics. The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Booker T. and The MGs, The Shadows, Don Costa and Spencer Ross all enjoyed huge hits. So did Johnny and The Hurricanes, The Ventures, The Titans, The Fireballs and Billy Joe and The Checkmates, which feature on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers.
Thirteen of the tracks on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers have been released before. They were released between 1960 and 1996. They’re a reminder of another musical era and will bring back many musical memories. This includes familiar faces, rarities and hidden gems. The other thirteen tracks have never been released before. As is often the case, there’s some real hidden gems tucked amongst the unreleased tracks on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. These delights are testament to Dave Burke and Alan Taylor of Pipeline Magazine’s crate digging skills. They’ve dug deeper than they’ve ever dug before. Fans of instrumentals should be grateful for this. Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is one of the best compilations of instrumentals you’ll come across. I’ll now tell you why, whilst picking my highlights of Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers.
From the opening bars of The Ventures’ Walk Don’t Run, which opens Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, you’re transported back to the early sixties. Immediately, you think of surf music, but The Ventures never considered themselves a surf band. Instead, they saw themselves as a rock band. The version of Walk Don’t Run on the compilation is the demo version, that’s never been released before. It would later be the title-track to their debut album, released in December 1960. Reaching number eleven in the US Billboard 200, the album was certified gold. After that, The Ventures sold over 100 million albums. Best described as innovative, given their use of effects, they spawned a thousand imitators. Of all the singles The Ventures released, Walk Don’t Run is their best known track. There’s another four unreleased tracks from The Ventures on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. Murfreesboro, Sabrosa, The Spur (La Espuela) and Run Don’t Walk are further proof that The Ventures always, released groundbreaking music that pushed musical boundaries.
Johnny and The Hurricanes released their debut single Crossfire, in 1959. This was the start of a run of eight hit singles. Then disaster struck, when most of the band left. The last man standing was Johnny Paris. While The Hurricanes became The Fascinators, Johnny Paris put together a new band. They feature on The Psychedelic Worm, which features Red River Rock ’67 on the B-side. Written by Johnny and released on Johnny’s Atila label in 1967, Psychedelic Worm is an explosive and blistering track. Best described as a honker and twanger, it shows that Johnny and The Hurricanes were far from a spent force. As for Red River Rock ’67, it sounds like a track that inspired The Who.
That The Titans are one of these bands that didn’t enjoy the success their talent deserved. They only released a trio of singles and one album, 1961s Today’s Teen Beat. Thankfully, that wasn’t all the music they recorded. The compilers of Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, discovered two unreleased tracks Skokiaan and Crying In The Rain. Skokiaan is the best of the two. With its jangling and later choppy guitars, this track falls into the category of hidden gem. Crying In The Rain, it brings a new twist to an oft-covered classic.
The Reveliers are another band with three tracks on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. Two of them, White Water and Flat Tyre have never been released before. Raw and full of energy described The Reveliers’ White Water. They sound as if they’ve been influenced by Dick Dale, Link Ray, The Ventures and The Shadows. Then there’s Flat Tyre. Ironically, it’s best described as an explosive, driving track. It’s like Patch, another guitar driven track. This was the B-Side to their 1963 single Hanging Five, which was released on G-Clef Records. Given the quality of Patch, I wonder how good Hanging Five was?
Straight away, you notice that The Fireballs’ La Pobracita has a really contemporary sound. It’s much more understated than many tracks on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. Just like the wistful Ain’t That Rain, La Pobracita has never been released before. Both are true hidden gems. However, vocal versions were released by Jimmy Glimer and The Fireballs in 1966. Having heard both version, the instrumental versions are the best version. So it’s no surprise that The Fireballs enjoyed a long and successful career. Their career started back in the fifties, when they were signed to Top Rank International. After releasing their debut single in 1959, they released their debut album Vaquero 1960. For the next few years, The Fireballs enjoyed commercial success and were never far from a recording studio, sating the demand for their music.
Despite releasing a handful of singles and four albums between 1958 and 1962, The Champs’ South Of The Border wasn’t released until 1996, when it featured on a compilation. It’s well worth revisiting a track that’s jazz-tinged and dance-floor friendly. Even better, it features some scorching saxophone playing.
Some songs paint pictures. That’s certainly true of The Exports’ Car Hop. Instantly, your back to the days when hot rods and surfing were de rigueur. Released in 1963 on King Records, the best way to describe Car Hop is evocative and cinematic.
Driven along by a bluesy harmonica and Gerry McGhee’s guitar, Billy Joe and The Checkmates’ Nashville West (One More Time) explodes into life. What follows is two minutes of musical magic. So it should be. Billy Joe and The Checkmates comprised some of the best session players of that era. They never miss a beat on Nashville West (One More Time), or The Drifter, another track on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. Both were released in 1963 and were among nineteen singles this crack band of session musicians released.
My final choice from Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, is The Swanks’ Ghosyt Train. It’s a previously unreleased track. Bursting into life, you’re almost caught unaware. You head on a hair-raising and dramatic journey. For company, you’ve jangling, twanging guitars. They provide an atmospheric backdrop to this magical mystery tour.
Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is long and quality and short on filler. In fact, I’d go as far as say that there’s no filler on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. Quite the opposite, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is all killer and no filler. Featuring familiar tracks, some rarities and a plethora of hidden gems, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is a compilation that’ll appeal to many music lovers.
Among them, are anyone whose a fan of instrumental music. Then there’s fans of R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and surf music. Some of the guitar tracks fall squarely into the category of surf music, where many musical secrets await discovery. The same can be said of Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers.
Just like any other compilation, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is a voyage of discovery. You’re bound to discover music you’ve never heard before and head out in pursuit of albums by The Ventures, Johnny and The Hurricanes, The Fireballs and The Champs. Compilations are a great way to discover new music. They lead to more musical discoveries. It’s all part of a long and enjoyable musical journey.
As for the musical journey that is Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers we make detours via R&B, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and surf music. During that journey, we hear thirteen tracks that have been released before and thirteen unreleased tracks. Among these honkers and twangers, there’s many a hidden gem. They sit side-by-side with rarities, familiar faces and old favourites on Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers. It’s one of the best compilations of instrumentals you’ll come across. Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, which was recently released by Ace Records, is a compilation that’s sure to bring back memories of the golden age of instrumentals. Standout Tracks: The Ventures Walk Don’t Run, The Fireballs La Pobracita, The Titans Skokiaan and Billy Joe and The Checkmates’ Nashville West (One More Time).
LONG-LOST HONKERS AND TWANGERS.
THE SPINNERS-COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE.
THE SPINNERS-COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE.
Forty years ago, on the 9th November 1973, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, the third single from The Spinners’ third album Spinners, reached number one in the US R&B Charts and number four in the US Billboard 200. It sold over one million copies and was certified gold. Since then, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, a Philly Soul classic, which was written by Melvin and Mervin Steals under the pseudonym Mystro and Lyric has been played over four million times on American radio. That’s no surprise. It’s A true timeless classic. Could It Be I’m Falling In Love which sounds as good as the day it was released, is celebrating its fortieth birthday in style. Before I tell you about that, I’ll tell you about the song.
The Spinners had been around since the fifties, and by the time they signed to Atlantic Records in 1972, success had eluded Detroit-based band. Their debut album was 1967s The Original Spinners, which failed to chart. 2nd Time Around, their 1969 sophomore album, released on Motown reached just number 199 in the US Billboard 200 and forty-six in the US R&B Charts. Three years later, The Spinners luck changed, when they signed to Atlantic Records where their career was transformed by Thom Bell.
Thom Bell was already successful producer and songwriter. He’d already enjoyed commercial success with The Delfonics and The Stylistics before hooking up with The Spinners. Along with Gamble and Huff, founders of Philadelphia International Records, Thom Bell is now perceived as one of the architects of Philly Soul. For the first half of the seventies, he enjoyed the hottest period of his career. Everything he touched turned silver, gold or platinum. This made him the perfect producer to revive The Spinners’ ailing career.
Once The Spinners signed for their new label Atlantic, and started working with Thom Bell, five consecutive gold albums followed, with the group having three consecutive US R&B number one albums. This was a remarkable turnaround in fortune for Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippe Wynne, Henry Fambrough and Pervis Jackson, who were The Spinners. This run of commercial success and critical acclaim began with their third album Spinners.
Having signed to Atlantic in 1972, and hooking up with Thom Bell, work began on The Spinners’ first album for Atlantic. It featured ten tracks, from some of Philly’s best songwriters. One of these was a track mysteriously credited to Mystro and Lyric, an alias of Melvin and Mervin Steals. This track, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, and the other nine tracks were recorded at Joe Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studios in Philly.
For the recording of Spinners, producer Thom Bell brought onboard some of Philly’s best musicians. Known collectively as M.F.S.B, they’re remembered as Philadelphia International Records’ house band, including bassist Ron Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young of the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section. They were joined by guitarist Bobby “Electronic” Eli, vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr, flautist Jack Faith and violinist Don Renaldo. Larry Washington on congas and bongos completed this cast of musical titans. Adding backing vocals were the legendary Sweethearts of Sigma, Carla Benson, Barbara Ingram and Evette Benton. All these Philly Soul legends played their part in the success of Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, which was written by two twin brothers Melvin and Mervin Steals.
Twins Melvin and Mervin Steals were born in Aliquippa, a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. From an early age, music was in Melvin and Merlin Steals’ blood. They attended the local high school, and when they graduated, headed to Cheyney State College. Situated on the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love, Cheyney was also home to another Philly Soul legend, their musical education continued.
A fellow student at Cheyney was Eddie Holman, who was already an aspiring singer. Eddie was one of many future stars of Philly Soul who attended the college. These meetings would prove beneficial to their careers after college.
In 1967 Melvin and Mervin were members of The Four Perfections. The other two members were Barry Lessene and Raymond “Chip” Porter. Their debut single was I’m Not Strong Enough, penned by Melvin and Mervin with Joe Thomas. Recorded at Cameo Parkway’s studios, Joe Tarsia, future owner of Sigma Sound Studios, was engineer at the recording session. I’m Not Strong Enough is a relationship song, which tells the story of Melvin’s problematic relationship. He sings the lead vocal on I’m Not Strong Enough, his vocal a cathartic outpouring of emotion, confusion and sadness. Surely, such emotion had to be a success?
On the release of I’m Not Strong Enough, commercial success eluded it. Despite that, it’s become a popular song on the UK’s Northern Soul circuit. Having enjoyed a fleeting taste of life as a recording artist, the Steals’ brothers decided they’d make a living as songwriters.
After the release of I’m Not Strong Enough, Melvin and Mervin Steals tried to forge a career as songwriters. This wasn’t easy, especially in Philly. The only breakthrough the Steals’ brothers enjoyed was having their song Go For What You Know chosen to be the B-Side of Archie Bell and The Drells’ There’s Gonna Be A Showdown. Arranged by Thom Bell, Go For What You Know was produced by Gamble and Huff. On the release of There’s Gonna Be A Showdown, it gave Archie Bell and The Drells the biggest hit of their career. As for the Steals brothers, they’d enjoy commercial success that would surpass There’s Gonna Be A Showdown and then some. Before that, they’d to serve their musical apprenticeship.
Over the next few years, Melvin and Mervin put together a portfolio of songs. They persisted and continued to hone their sound. When their songs turned down, they strived to improve their sound. Each time, they came back stronger and even more determined. Soon, they had a strong portfolio of songs. Two of these would go on to be million sellers. Despite the undoubted quality of their songs, Gamble and Huff failed to spot the potential. The other member of the “Mighty Three,” Thom Bell did.
For The Spinners Atlantic Records debut, Spinners, Thom Bell spotted the potential in Could It Be I’m Falling In Love. It was one of ten tracks recorded at Joe Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studio. With M.F.S.B. and The Sweethearts Of Sigma accompanying The Spinners, they hit a problem. Originally, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love was meant to be a much more uptempo track, to make it work, Thom slowed the song down. This proved a masterstroke.
Spinners marked a change in fortune for The Spinners and the Steals’ brother. On its released in April 1973, Spinners reached number fourteen in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts in 1973. Certified gold, Spinners was was The Spinners most successful album. Things got even better. I’ll Be Around, the sophomore single from Spinners, reached number three in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. It too sold over a million copies and was certified gold. Then when Could It Be I’m Falling In Love was released as a single, it reached number four in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. This meant another gold disc for The Spinners and a Grammy nomination. For Melvin and Mervin Steals this was the biggest hit of their career. After this, their careers took off.
A year later, Honey Bee, from Gloria Gaynor’s 1974 album Never Can Say Goodbye gave Melvin and Mervin Steals the second million-selling single of their career. After that, the Steals brothers as Maestro and Lyric cowrote Trusting Heart for The Trammps, Arthur Prysock’s All I Need Is You Tonight, Ecstasy, Passion and Pain’s Dance The Night Away, plus Major Harris’ Two Wrongs and After Loving You. They also penned tracks for First Choice, Eddie Kendricks, Stacy Lattislaw, Gloria Gaynor and The Impressions. However, the best known track that Melvin and Mervin Steals cowrote is Could It Be I’m Falling In Love.
Forty years after its release, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, a true timeless Philly Soul classic celebrates its fortieth birthday on 9th November 2013. To celebrate this milestone, Melvin and Mervin Steals have organized the first Steals Brothers Classics 2013 Awards Gala. This fund raising gala is in aid of Urban Impact and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Helping raise money for what are two worthy causes are special guests Eddie Holman, Johnny and The Halos and fittingly, Earl Young.
After all, Earl was one of the members of M.F.S.B. who played on Could It Be I’m Falling In Love. At least Earl Young and the rest of M.F.S.B. will receive the credit they’re due. That hasn’t always happened, despite a recent and supposed “unifier.” In the past, M.F.S.B. and The Sweethearts Of Sigma have been treated as hired help. Not tonight.
Melvin and Mervin Steals will honor everyone who played their part in what was their finest musical moment. This means M.F.S.B, The Sweethearts Of Sigma, Thom Bell and of course, The Spinners. Each and every one of them played their part in Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, The Spinners’ timeless Philly Soul classic, which today, celebrates its fortieth birthday.
THE SPINNERS-COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE.
DUES PAID-THE BLUESTIME STORY.
DUES PAID-THE BLUESTIME STORY.
After eight years running Impulse, one of jazz’s premier labels, Bob Thiele found himself at loggerheads with Larry Newton, the head of ABC Records. It looked as if Bob’s time at ABC was coming to an end. Given what he’d done for ABC, he was going to be sorely missed. Not only had he been responsible for producing seminal albums like John Coltrane’s A Love, but was responsible for reviving blues legend B.B. King’s career.
This came about when ABC launched a new blues imprint Bluesway. The nascent label’s debut album was B.B. King’s Blues Is King, which was produced by Bob Thiele. Blues Is King was the first of four consecutive B.B. King albums to reach the US R&B top twenty. When ABC what saw their was still an audience for blues music, they signed artists like Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. Bob Thiele, a huge blues fan, was really supportive of the project.
Not only was Bob signing many of the artists, but he produced most of them. Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Otis Spann and George “Harmonica” Smith all had albums produced by Bob. He was dividing his time between Bluesway and Impulse, helping rejuvenate the career of blues veterans and at Impulse, producing groundbreaking music. However, behind the scenes, there was about to be a parting of the way between Bob Thiele and ABC Records.
On 29th April 1969, it was announced that Bob Thiele was leaving ABC Records. He was about to found not just one, but three labels. Flying Dutchman would release some of the most ambitious and inventive jazz, psychedelia, rock and electronic music. Amsterdam, Bob’s second label was responsible for releasing adult oriented pop. The final label was BluesTime, a blues label, which would rival ABC Records’ Bluesway. BluesTime would sign some of the giants of electric blues, including Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Otis Spann, T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner. These artists are among the ten artists that feature on Ace Records recently released compilation Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story. It features fifteen tracks from BluesTime’s back-catalogue. Before I tell you about the music on Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story, I’ll tell you about Bob Thiele’s career in music.
Bob Thiele was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in 1922, and from an early age, immersed himself in music. Aged fourteen, Bob got his first job in music, hosting a jazz radio show. At the same time, Bob an accomplished clarinet player, was a member of a jazz band. Then when he left school, aged seventeen, Bob Thiele founded his own label Signature Records.
After founding Signature Records in 1939, Bob signed musicians who’d become legends of jazz. This included Donald Byrd, Lester Young and Errol Gardner. One of the biggest signing came in 1943, when Signature signed Coleman Hawkins. Five years later, in 1948, Signature became insolvent. Bob wasn’t out of music long though. He was soon working with Decca Records.
Having started work for Decca Records, Bob Thiele found himself running its imprint Coral Records. It was at Decca, Bob met his future wife, Teresa Brewer, a singer who he was producing. Having established his reputation at Decca, where he spent most of the fifties, in 1961, an opportunity arose to become head of A&R at one of jazz’s most influential labels, Impulse Records.
Creed Taylor, left Impulse to run Verve Records. This left a massive void needing filled. Bob Thiele was the man to do this. He’d established a reputation as a talented and forward-thinking producer. This was perfect for Impulse. Over the next eight years, their roster included John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Max Roach, Chico Hamilton, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Louis Armstrong.
Bob started work at Impulse 1961 and spent eight years there. During that time, Bob Thiele enjoyed the busiest period of his career. Bob, he was hardly away from the studio, producing over 150 albums in eight years. This included John Coltrane’s seminal album A Love Supreme. Ironically, Bob’s most successful production was Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World. Not all of Bob Thiele’s production’s were as successful. Innovative music didn’t always equate to commercially successful music.
Through working with some of the most innovative and creative musicians in the history of jazz, Bob must have realized that often, large record companies aren’t the best environment for innovative and creative musicians. Often, these musical mavericks didn’t thrive within such an orthodox environment. Their creativity is restricted, meaning they’re unable to experiment and innovate like they’d like.
Soon, Bob Thiele, would be able to create an environment where this would be possible. By 1969, Bob had been at Impulse for eight years. He’d been responsible for producing some of the most important jazz music of the sixties. At the same time, Bob was rejuvenating the career of some of the giants of blues music.
ABC Records founded Bluesway in 1967. Their first release was B.B. King’s Blues Is King. Produced by Bob Thiele, Blues Is King was the first of four consecutive B.B. King albums to reach the US R&B top twenty. When ABC what saw their was still an audience for blues music, they signed artists like Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and Otis Spann. Over the next two years, all these artists had albums produced by Bob Thiele. By 1969, despite Bob’s success at Impulse and BluesTime, Bob’s relationship with ABC Records was at breaking point. Something had to give.
Proving there’s no sentiment in music, Bob Thiele was the victim of a musical coup d’tat. Bob Thiele was ousted from his role at Impulse. This proved to the start of the next chapter in his career.
Leaving Impulse in 1969, Bob founded three new labels, Flying Dutchman Productions, Amsterdam and BluesTime. Flying Dutchman would release some of the most ambitious and inventive jazz, psychedelia, rock and electronic music. Amsterdam, Bob’s second label would go on to release adult oriented pop. The final label was BluesTime, a blues label, which would rival ABC Records’ Bluesway.
For the newly founded BluesTime, Bob continued to sign true blues legends. Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Otis Spann, T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton and Harmonica Slim. Bob then found material that would allow these blues greats to shine. After that, he took them into the studio, where they were accompanied by some of the top session musicians. For BluesTime’s first release Bob didn’t turn to a blues legend. No. Instead, he turned to The Plaster Caster Blues Band, who are one of ten artists to feature on Ace Records’ Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story, which I’ll tell you about.
Rather than release an album by a high-profile blues player, Bob Thiele decided The Plaster Caster Blues Band’s eponymous debut album should be BluesTime’s first release. Released in 1969, the album includes Chicago Charva Chapter which features on Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story. Featuring mostly jazz musicians, including Bobby Bryant, Gildo Mahone and drummer Max Hardy, Chicago Charva Chapter is a languid, laid-back track, where jazz, easy-listening and even funk unite. That’s until Harmonica Smith blows his blues harp. This transforms the track, resulting in a glorious genre-melting, blues-tinged track.
Harmonica Slim blues apprenticeship began when he joined Lowell Fulson’s band as an eighteen year old. Heading out on tour, he honed his sound and four years later, released his debut single You Better Believe It. It have him a minor hit and resulted in him working alongside some of the biggest names in blues music. He also released singles on labels like Aladdin, Spry and Vita Records. One thing he’d never done, was release an album. Then in 1969, Harmonica Slim released his debut album The Return Of harmonica Slim, which included Love and That’s Alright. Love epitomizes everything that’s good about electric blues. From the crystalline guitar, rasping horns and gut-wrenching vocal, this is electric blues at its best. As for That’s Alright, soulful, bluesy, full of hooks and heartache describes what is a tantalizing of Harmonica Slim at his best.
Before Big Joe Turner signed to BluesTime, he’d worked with Bob Thiele at Bluesway, ABC Records’ imprint. So it’s no surprise that when Bob founded his new blues’ label, one of his first signings was Big Joe Turner, a true legend and blues veteran. His second album for BluesTime was Real Boss Of The Blues, released in 1969. It featured Shake, Rattle And Roll and Plastic Man. The best of these two tracks is Big Joe Turner’s version of the Carl Butler penned Shake, Rattle And Roll. Arranged by Gene Page and produced by Bob Thiele, it was released as a single. No wonder. During three minutes, Big Joe Turner is every inch the showman, vamps and struts his way through the track, fusing electric blues, jazz, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. For anyone whose never heard Big Joe Turner before, then these two tracks are a tantalizing taste of what you’ve been missing.
Otis Spann was another member of the blues supergroup that featured on Super Black Blues in 1969. He also released his solo album Sweet Giant Of The Blues in August 1969. Produced by Bob Thiele, it features I’m A Dues Payin’ Man and I Wonder Why. These two tracks are the perfect introduction to Otis Spann. I’m A Dues Payin’ Man features virtuoso performances from Otis on piano and tenor saxophonist Tom Scott. A blistering, rocking blues, the finishing touch is Otis’ vocal. It’s a fusion of emotion and power. As for I Wonder Why, it’s quite different. It starts off slower, but soon Otis and his band fuse blues, R&B, boogie woogie and funk. Otis become a blues shouter, he’s almost distraught, his vocal full of hurt and heartache. The addition of wah-wah guitars is a masterstroke, resulting in an innovative and inventive track, where electric blues gets a makeover, ensuring it remains relevant.
T-Bone Walker released his first recording in 1929. Forty years later, T-Bone was seen as one of the most innovative and important musicians in the history of music. He was the first guitarist to popularize the electric guitar. Despite being a true pioneer, T-Bone Walker found himself without a recording contract. Bob Thiele, who had worked with T-Bone before at Bluesway, signed the veteran bluesman, who became part of a blues supergroup. Along with Otis Spann and Big Joe Turner, they recorded Super Black Blues in 1969, an album of live blues jams. The followup 1970s Super Black Blues: Volume II was another live album. It featured Sail On, which allows you to hear T-Bone and his all-star band locking into the tightest of grooves and jamming. It’s an impressive sound, this band of blues greats in full flight.
There are two other tracks from T-Bone Walker on Dues Paid-The Bluestime Story. Every Day I Have The Blues and For B.B. King featured on a 1973 BluesTime compilation Blue Rocks. For B.B. King is slow, moody and has a late night, bluesy sound. T-Bone Walker unleashes a peerless, crystalline guitar solo. It seems never ending, and for that, you’re eternally grateful. Then on Every Day I Have The Blues, T-Bone Walker showcases both his vocal prowess and guitar playing. They prove a potent combination. Throaty and full of hurt and heartache, it’s the perfect accompaniment to T-Bone Walker’s guitar playing, which demonstrates just why he’s one of the most innovative and pioneering guitarists in the history of blues music.
Although Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson released over twenty albums, he remains one of blues’ best kept musical secrets. His 1957 debut album was Cleanhead’s Back In Town. After that, he released albums for various labels, including the Bob Thiele produced Cherry Red, for Bluesway. In 1970, he released The Original Cleanhead for BluesTime. It features the soul-baring I Needs To Be Be’d Wid. Best described as bluesy, soulful and jazz-tinged, emotion, drama and heartbreak unite. For anyone whose yet to discover Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, this is the perfect starting place.
Malcolm and Chris only ever released one album, Just The Blues. Produced by B.B. King, he brought the album to BluesTime. They released in 1970. It featured the harmonica driven Something So Bright. It’s a track with a country blues sound. Listen carefully, and you’ll hear a track most blues fans will be familiar with. The song has been inspired by the riff from Sonny Boy Williamson’s old blues classic Help Me. It’s as if Malcolm and Chris were brought up on a diet of Chess’ blues classics. This is apparent of Something So Bright, a harmonica driven hidden gem, which features the combined talents of Malcolm Gibson and Chris Keehan.
The Super Black Blues Band were a blues supergroup that featured T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann and Big Joe Turner. They recorded two albums. Super Black Blues, recorded and released in 1969, was their debut album. It featured Paris Blues, a fourteen minute Magnus Opus. This is a peerless blues jam. Mind you, what do you expect when you bring together some of the greatest musicians in the history of blues music?
Leon Thomas’s Disillusion Blues closes Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story. It’s a track from Super Black Blues: Volume 2. Recorded live, with an all-star band accompanying him, a flourishes of bluesy piano and standup bass accompany Leon. Gone is his usual style. Instead, he’s transformed into a blues shouter. His vocal is a mixture of emotion, drama and humor, on a track which shows another side to Leon Thomas.
A previously unreleased live version of Big Mama Thornton’s Hound Dog is the other track Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story. Back in 1952, Hound Dog gave Big Mama Thornton the biggest hit of her career. It spent seven weeks at number one in the US R&B Charts and sold nearly two million copies. Written by Leiber and Stoller, Big Mama Thronton’s version was perceived as the definitive version, until Elvis recorded it. After that, many people have overlooked her version. That’s a great shame, given the way she breathed life, meaning and energy into the song. She does that again on this live version. Feisty, powerful and sassy describes her take of this classic track.
Featuring fifteen tracks from some of the biggest names in blues music, Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story is one of the best blues compilation of 2013. No wonder. It includes T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and Harmonica Slim. These artists had enjoyed long and successful careers. However, by 1969, when Bob Thiele founded BluesTime, blues music was no longer as popular. It’s popularity had been overtaken by pop, rock and soul. Blues was perceived as the music of yesteryear. That’s despite the groups like the Rolling Stones, Cream and The Animals flying the flag for blues music. Even this didn’t help rejuvenate blues music’s popularity.
So, some of the artists on Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story were almost forgotten. Bob Thiele, who had worked with some of them, decided to try and rejuvenate their career. He paired them with the right material and some of the best session musicians he could find. The result was some of the best music these musicians had recorded in some time. They were rejuvenated and their career enjoyed a brief Indian Summer. Sadly, that Indian Summer lasted as long as BluesTime.
BluesTime was a short-lived label. It lasted little over a year. While it might not have been Bob Thiele’s most successful musical venture, it was music he loved and believed in. He got behind the music and tried to revive the career of blues legends. Sadly, many of the albums BluesTime released have never been released on CD before. They’ve lain unloved for over forty years. Thankfully, Ace Records has delved into BluesTime’s back-catalogue and chosen fifteen tracks from them. They became Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story, which was recently released by Ace Records. Hopefully, Ace Records who released Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story will release some of the albums BluesTime released. As Dues Paid-The BluesTime Story shows, BluesTime is a musical treasure trove awaiting discovery. Standout Tracks: Otis Spann I’m A Dues Payin’ Man, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson I Needs To Be Be’d Wid, Big Joe Turner Shake, Rattle And Roll and T-Bone Walker For B.B. King.
DUES PAID-THE BLUESTIME STORY.
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS.
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS.
No other group epitomises the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle like the New York Dolls. Drink, drugs and death touched the New York Dolls. Despite this, the Dolls continued to court controversy, with a disaster always just a heartbeat away. Just like a game of daring do, the egged each other to fly close to the sun. This was all part of the myth that surrounds the New York Dolls. Here was another case of flawed genius. A firecracker combination of talents and personalities, they could’ve and should’ve been one of the biggest bands in musical history. Fuelled by a diet of alcohol, pills and powders, the New York Dolls first two albums were the best they ever recorded.
Their 1973 eponymous debut album New York Dolls, which was recently released by Universal Music, was a swaggering, strutting introduction to the New York Dolls. A year later, came their sophomore album, Too Much Too Soon. A fuelled up Dolls, courted controversy and chaos, continued to strut and swagger their way through life. On both of these albums, the New York Dolls out-rocked the opposition. Other bands, including the Rolling Stones, enviously looked on. Here was a band who were the real thing. They were living the rock ‘n’ lifestyle and living it hard. With what seemed like an appetite for destruction, somehow the New York Dolls recorded two classic albums within the space of a year. The first of these was their debut album New York Dolls, which I’ll tell you about.
Although the New York Dolls were formed in 1971, the bands origins can be traced to 1967. That’s when Sylvain Sylvain and Billy Murcia, two school friends, started playing in a band called The Pox. Then when the lead singer left, the band split up. To make ends meet, Sylvain and Billy worked various dead end jobs.
First of all, the pair started a clothes shop called Truth and Soul. After that, Billy worked in another clothes shop, A Different Drummer. Situated across from the New York Dolls’ hospital, rumour has it, that this is how their future band got its name. Then in 1970, after a couple of years working dead end jobs, Sylvain and Billy decided it was time they formed a new band. They’d eventually, become members of the New York Dolls.
Formed in 1971, the New York Dolls arose, like a Phoenix from the ashes out of Actress. Four members of Actress, guitarist Johnny Thunders and Rick Rivets, drummer Billy Murcia and bassist Arthur Kane would form the backbone of the New York Dolls. Johnny Thunders was originally the lead singer, but soon decided he wasn’t cut out to be a frontman. David Johansen was. So, he joined the band and Johnny originally a bassist, was converted into a guitarist. Then when Rick Rivets quit the band, Sylvain Sylvain replaced him. Before the Dolls had made their debut they’d been through several lineups. While this isn’t unusual in a band’s early days, the Dolls lineup was constantly changing. This was essentially Mk. 1 of the New York Dolls.
Having settled with vocalist David Johansen, guitarists Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, drummer Billy Murcia and Sylvain Sylvain on guitar, bass and piano, the Dolls were ready to make their debut. They made their live debut on Christmas Eve 1971, at one of the most unlikely music venues. This was the Endicott Hotel, a homeless centre in New York. After that, the New York Dolls got themselves a manager, Soon, word was spreading of their unique swaggering sound and style.
Word got as far as Rod Stewart, who decided the Dolls were the perfect group to open for him in London. This looked like the perfect start to the New York Dolls’ career. Opening for Rod Stewart increased the New York Dolls profile. They were making inroads into the American and British markets. Then disaster struck.
Not long after the Dolls opened for Rod Stewart, drummer Billy Murcia tragically drowned during their UK tour. High on drink and drugs, he passed out and accidentally drowned. This was devastating news for the Dolls. They’d lost the man who gave the group its heartbeat. Despite the loss of a key member, the show had to go on. Drummers were auditioned and eventually, Jerry Nolan was selected as Billy’s replacement. Not long after that, Mercury Records signed the New York Dolls and work began on their eponymous debut album.
For what became New York Dolls, the Dolls’ debut album, David Johansen wrote Vietnamese Baby and formed a successful partnership with Johnny Thunders. They cowrote Personality Crisis, Looking For A Kiss, Lonely Planet Boy, Bad Girl, Subway Train and Jet Boy. David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain penned Frankenstein and Trash, while David and Arthur Kane contributed Private World. The other track was a cover of Bo Diddley’s Pills. These eleven tracks became New York Dolls.
When recording of New York Dolls began at the Record Plant in April 1973, New York, Todd Rungren was chosen as producer. For many people, this was a strange choice of producer. Here, was a brash, innovative group. They were the future, with their intensity, energy and showmanship. Todd Rungren was the ghost of rock’s past. Formerly a member of Nazz, even the band didn’t seem impressed. He was used to a slicker, more sophisticated sound. The rawness and energy of the Dolls was the antithesis of everything Todd Rungren believed in. It seemed this was the case of the wrong producer for the wrong album? David Johansen disparagingly referred to Todd Rundgren as: “an expert in second rate rock ‘n’ roll.” As for Todd Rundgren’s approach to production, he mixed the album in half a day. In doing so, the edge was taken of Jerry Nolan’s drums. Did this mean that rather than trying to capture the band’s energy and intensity, part of the New York Dolls trademark sound was lost? That’s what I’ll tell you, when I tell you about New York Dolls?
Personality Crisis explodes into being, opening New York Dolls in style. Fiery, machine gun guitars, flourishes of boogie woogie piano and a driving rhythm section set the scene for David’s proto punk vocal. Raw and edgy, describes his vocal, while behind him, the Dolls manage to be both tight and sloppy simultaneously. The Dolls are better musicians than many people give them credit for. They provided the template for the Rolling Stones and Primal Scream, amongst a thousand other impersonators. An intense explosion of energy, this is timeless good time rock ‘n’ roll, what a way to introduce the Dolls.
Drawing on inspiration from Eddie Cochran, David every inch the charismatic frontman, struts his way through Looking For A Kiss. Low slung guitars trade licks, while the rhythm section provide the pulsating heartbeat. As for David, feisty, sassy and oozing an air of danger, describes his performance as proto punk, glam rock and rock ‘n’ rock unite majestically.
A gong chimes, before the New York Dolls throw launch into the rocky Vietnamese Baby, an ant-Vietnam War song. Driven along by scorching, searing guitars, drums pound and David’s vocal seems to have matured. This is much more like how he sounds on their sophomore album Too Much Too Soon. It’s as if he’s enjoying the role of frontman. There’s a swagger in his vocal. He spurs the band on. They trade glistening guitar licks, playing with a freedom and swagger, as if realising that this it what they were born to do.
Lonely Planet Boy has much more understated sound. Just guitars and thoughtful rhythm section accompany David’s whispery, theatrical vocal. Bursts of jazzy horns drift above the arrangement, as the Dolls look to the past for inspiration. Drawing inspiration from sixties R&B, jazz, pop and doo wop harmonies, we hear another side to the New York Dolls, one which I’d like to have heard more of.
Three years after New York Dolls released their debut album, and punk was born, tracks like Frankenstein provided the template for this new musical genre. You can hear where Johnny Rotten comes from. Having said that, the Dolls were ten times the musicians than the Sex Pistols ever were. They were hype, the Dolls were the real thing. Here, a snarling, angry vocal is accompanied by a raw, raucous arrangement. Key to that are the driving rhythm section and machine gun guitars. Combined this explosion of energy, intensity and raw power, resulted in a thousand impersonators, none of which came close.
Trash is a combination of garage, grunge, proto-punk and rock. It’s as if the Dolls are hyperactive and Trash is an outpouring of energy. Like a five Duracell bunnies, the Dolls become an explosive unit. They play as if their lives depended on it. Playing with power and passion, they never miss a beat. Neither does David. His vocal is an outpouring of frustration, while cooing harmonies provide a contrast.
Bad Girl sees a no frills approach from the Dolls. It’s as if the producer just called a wrap, warts and all. This gives a taste of what the New York Dolls live were like. Jackhammer guitars join drums which aren’t so much played, but punished. Then there’s David’s vocal. He roars, as if this is cathartic. Surely, he must have been hoarse by the time he’d laid down this vocal? As for the guitars, they’re mesmeric. Chiming, soaring, searing, their crystalline sound, feedback and all, plays a huge part in the Dolls at their best.
Subway Train sees the New York Dolls play within themselves. They’re much more restrained. Rather than an explosion of energy and intensity, they produce a much more laid-back performance. David’s vocal is more restrained, but just as effective. He’s not roaring, his delivery drawling and languid. Guitars riff, scream and screech, trading licks. Like a musical shoot out between guitar gunslingers. At the end, everyone’s left standing. The Dolls swagger into the sunset, catching a Subway Train everyone needs to catch a ride on, once in their life.
Bluesy harmonica and an explosion of searing guitars open Pills, an old Bo Diddley song. It had never been played liked this before. Given the Dolls background, this should’ve been their theme tune. They seem to realize this, seamlessly mixing blues, glam rock and rock ‘n’ roll. In between blowing his blues harp, David struts his way through the lyrics. Accompanied by a wall of guitars, thunderous rhythm section and harmonies, rock ‘n’ roll’s hardest living band deliver a paean to hedonism.
A probing bass opens Private World, before the rest of the New York Dolls kick loose. Veering between gloriously sloppy and tight, the were the envy of rock ‘n’ roll rivals and pretenders. They’re in the tightest of grooves, a stomping beat, percussion and dueling guitars providing a raucous, good time backdrop. Stabs and flourishes of piano add to the good time sound. David vamps his way through the track. He revels in being the frontman for a group as good as the Dolls, who in 1973, were rock ‘n’ roll royalty.
Jet Boy closes New York Dolls. Does it close the album on a high? From the opening bars, the Dolls unleash their machine gun guitars, cooing harmonies and pounding rhythm section. Soon, rock, proto-punk and glam rock have been combined. The Dolls are at their hard rocking best. David’s struts and swaggers, while harmonies and handclaps accompany him. Then there’s the guitars, which include some of the best playing on the album. That’s saying something. Riffing, dueling and feeding off each other, the New York Dolls guitar heroes ensure that New York Dolls ends on an explosive high.
Released in 1973 on Mercury, New York Dolls divided opinion. Some critics hailed New York Dolls as a stonewall classic, others deemed it a parody of a rock album. It certainly took the world by storm, spawning a million imitators. Strangely, on its release, sales of New York Dolls were disappointing. It only reached number 167 in the US Billboard 200. Mercury had hoped that the album would be one of their big sellers of 1973. It certainly captured the attention of critics and music lovers, it was voted both the best and worst album of 1973. It seems that New York Dolls was an enigmatic album and one that divided opinion. Forty years later, history has been rewritten.
Ironically, during the forty years since its release, critics who called New York Dolls “mock rock” have changed their mind. These lisping rock critics have now changed their mind about the New York Dolls. Nowadays, New York Dolls is now perceived as a classic album. The New York Dolls fusion of glam rock, proto-punk and hard rock is perceived as innovative and ahead of the musical curve. The New York Dolls are credited as one of the founding fathers of punk rock. Since then, many groups have imitated the New York Dolls swaggering brand of good time music. Nobody comes close. No ifs, no buts. Having released a career defining album, the New York Dolls never bettered. If ever there’s a case of a band peaking to soon, this was it.
Raw, intense and full or energy describes New York Dolls. It’s as close you’ll get to hearing what the New York Dolls sounded like live. This was a no frills album. Sleazy, sassy and raunchy, New York Dolls is lo-fi, good time music. It’s no wonder Todd Rundgren only spent half a day mixing New York Dolls. Although he was a strange choice for the Dolls, he harnesses their energy and enthusiasm. Maybe the Dolls should’ve called the album Raw Power? Apart from a few occasions where Todd Rundgren’s overdubbing goes too far, he strikes the right balance for a debut album. He doesn’t overproduce New York Dolls. Having said that, he was the wrong man for Too Much Too Soon.
That’s where Shadow Morton came in. He produced Too Much Too Soon, a much more polished album. Too Much Too Soon, the New York Dolls’ sophomore album, is an iconic, innovative album. Ironically, Too Much Too Soon almost passed unnoticed. It hardly troubled the American charts. After its release, Mercury sent the New York Dolls on an American tour. It proved chaotic and almost broke the band. On their return from the ill-fated tour, Mercury dropped the Dolls. Later in 1975, they split up, against a backdrop of rancour, drug abuse and hedonism. The hardest living party band were no more.
Despite reforming, the New York Dolls never reached the same heights. New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon are the best albums the New York Dolls ever released. Nothing else comes close to these two iconic albums, which have recently released by Universal Music. These two albums, New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon provided the template for punk and spawned a thousand impersonators. Not one comes close to the New York Dolls. Standout Tracks: Personality Crisis, Lonely Planet Boy, Trash and Subway Train.
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS.
ASTRO SONIC-COME CLOSER AND I’LL TELL YOU.
ASTRO SONIC-COME CLOSER AND I’LL TELL YOU.
The sonic landscape that is Astro Sonic’s debut album Come Closer and I’ll Tell You, isn’t like most other albums. Far from it. Recorded during these three days at the Svenska Grammofon Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, Astro Sonic use their musical palette to push musical boundaries. Seamlessly, musical genres melt into eleven sonic landscapes. Mostly improvised, Astro Sonic look to the past to create the music of the future. Drawing inspiration from ambient, avant-garde, electronica, Krautrock, synth impro and free jazz, seamlessly, musical genres unite during eleven sonic landscapes. These sonic soundscapes paint evocative pictures.
Astro Sonic sound as if they’ve sought inspiration for Come Closer and I’ll Tell You from the rugged Scandanavian landscape. Close your eyes, and you head off on a musical journey. Ethereal beauty becomes haunting, broody, moody and magnificent. Sometimes, Come Closer and I’ll Tell You is spellbinding and breathtaking. Always, it’s compelling and has you spellbound. Considering Come Closer and I’ll Tell You is Astro Sonic’s debut album, which will be released on 2nd December 2013, on Hubro Music, that’s quite remarkable. However, in other ways, it’s not surprising, given the amount of time the members of Astro Sonic have been working together.
It was back in 2008, when Astro Sonic was formed. Before that, its three members Erlend Slettevoll, Rune Nergaard and Gard Nillssen had been collaborating. Astro Sonic was made of three of Norway’s best musicians. This included Erlend Slettevoll, who played synths in both Grand Central and The Core. Then there’s Rune Nergaard, the bassist from Norwegian guitar trio Marvel Machine. The third and final member, Gard Nillssen, is the drummer for Susanne Soundfor. Rune and Gard knew each other. For ten years, they’d been Bushman’s Revenge’s rhythm section. In 2008, they became Astro Sonic’s engine room. When Erlend Slettevoll’s inventive synth playing was added to the equation, then Astro Sonic became a potent musical force.
Since 2008, Astro Sonic have been constantly honing their sound. They’ve also been pushing musical boundaries and fusing musical genres. They’ve played live, but until now, haven’t released a debut album. Recently they decided to rectify this.
For what became Come Closer and I’ll Tell You, Astro Sonic cowrote nine tracks. The exceptions are 437,7 Days which Rune wrote and Analog Karma, which Erlend penned. These eleven tracks became Astro Sonic’s debut album Come Closer and I’ll Tell You.
Heading to Svenska Grammofon Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, recording of Come Closer and I’ll Tell You took just three days. Between the 10th to 12th November 2011, eleven tracks were recorded in Gothenberg. Each of the group are multi-instrumentalists, brought something new to what became Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. Erlend plays Fender Rhodes, Moog Voyager and Prophet 5. Rune takes care of bass, electronics and drum machines. As for Gard, drums, tablamachine, gongs, bow, vibes and electronics are his forte. Then to complete Come Closer and I’ll Tell You Astro Sonic spent two days in August 2012, completing their debut album. Now just over a year later, Hubro Music will release Come Closer and I’ll Tell You on December 2013. Come Closer and I’ll Tell You will introduce the world to the ambitious, innovative and groundbreaking music of Astro Sonic, which I’ll tell you about.
Retrodynamics, a fifty-three second musical amuse bouche opens Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. Droning, Hendrix-sque synths sound as if they’re guiding a ship through thick fog. They’re not. With hissing ho-hats for company, instead, their raison d’etre is to ensure Astro Sonic have your attention as this musical adventure unfolds.
Distant, thoughtful and dramatic describes the opening bars to Orbiter. It’s a futuristic sonic landscape, that brings to mind distant galaxies. Melancholy and wistful, footsteps come towards you. Meanwhile the Fender Rhodes adds a melancholy contrast to the drama that’s unfolding. By now, Orbiter sounds like the soundtrack to an outbreak of intergalactic warfare.
A myriad of eerie, sci-fi sounds opens The Electric Airbag Police. Its title seems to be a nod towards two tracks from Radiohead’s OK Computer. Ambient, experimental and synth wave gives way to a rock inspired track. Astro Sonic’s rhythm section provide the heartbeat while stabs of synths join beeps, squeaks and crackles aplenty. Locking into a groove, Rune’s bass and Gard’s drums power the track along. As they drop out, what sounds like a crackly radio and sci-fi sounds take centre-stage. It’s easy to imagine this post rock, jazz-tinged track being the soundtrack to spacecraft taking off, heading to an unknown, mysterious destination. A genre-sprawling track, Astro Sonic paint evocative pictures that unfold within your mind’s eye.
Mysterious. That describes 437,7 Days, another one minute track. Again, it conjurs up pictures of outer space and science fiction novels. It sounds as if a U.F.O. is landing. Dramatic and moody, it’s as if it’s hovering above you. This sends shivers down your spine, as you wonder what’ll happen next? Spine-tingling and mysterious. That’s a powerful combination.
Magnavox, another short track, is a fusion of genres and influences. Rock, Krautrock, psychedelia, postindustrial and free jazz join a myriad of sci-fi sounds and sound effects. The result is an ambitious and groundbreaking track.
Rolls of rocky drums, prog rock keyboards and drum and bass’ drums open The Shell Falls Rapidly And Splashes Into The Sea. Then there’s sci-fi synths and futuristic, sound effects. In the space of one minute, Astro Sonic fuse numerous musical genres and influences. Not only do they push musical boundaries, but throw away the musical rulebook. Anything is possible it seems in Astro Sonic’s world. They become Norway’s answer to Jimi Hendrix, their talent, energy and innovation creating a mind-blowing, lysergic track.
Lander sees Astro Sonic Rune’s bass and Gard’s drums create the backdrop for jagged, futuristic synths. It’s a compelling combination. Elements of rock, ambient and psychedelia unite. They create a poignant, wistful combination. Eventually, it drifts into the distance, leaving its question unanswered.
EDM, rock, industrial and experimental combines on No Satisfaction At All. Powered along by Gard’s drums, space-age synths and sound effects float above the arrangement. They shimmer, quiver and quake, while hi-hats hiss. After meandering along, the arrangement bursts into life, heading towards its dramatic and sudden crescendo.
From the opening bars, it’s obvious Analogue Karma is more than a little special. It sounds as if it belongs on an seventies Pink Floyd album. Slow, spacious drums, vibes, synths and sound effects combine creating an innovative, futuristic sound. Then the Fender Rhodes weaves its magic, playing its part in what sounds like the soundtrack to a journey to a distant planet. Understated, evocative, atmospheric and later, dramatic Astro Sonic join forces to create what’s quite simply the highlights of Come Closer and I’ll Tell You.
Fairy Queen closes Come Closer and I’ll Tell You, and is one of the longer tracks on Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. This is no bad thing. It allows Astro Sonic to stretch their legs and demonstrate what they’re capable of. Whereas they shorter tracks were akin to a short story, this is a novel. It’s some thing of an adventure, a journey into the unknown. With its understated, eerie, pensive sound, ambient, classical, experimental, psychedelia and even Celtic influences unite. As the arrangement meanders along, shakers, synths and strings combine. Mostly they’re understated and melodic. Other times they’re mysterious, dramatic and almost discordant. A string of surprises are sprung by Astro Sonic. This ensures the listener learns to expect the unexpected, on what’s a compelling musical adventure, with twists and turns aplenty in store for the unsuspecting listener.
As debut albums go, Astro Sonic’s Come Closer and I’ll Tell You which will be released on 2nd December 2013, on Hubro Music, is one of the best I’ve heard in the last few years. Over eleven soundscapes, Astro Sonic use their musical palette to create one of the most ambitious and groundbreaking albums of 2013. To do this, they’ve drawn inspiration from a whole host of musical influences. Everything from ambient, avant-garde, EDM, electronica, free jazz, industrial, jazz, Krautrock, postindustrial, post-rock, prog rock, psychedelia and synth wave play their part in Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. When all this is combined, the result is an album that’s a cinematic musical adventure.
Cinematic is the best way to describe Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. It conjurs up pictures and scenarios. Haunting, atmospheric and evocative, many of the tracks have a futuristic, sci-fi sound. Instantly, you’re transported into this space-age, 21st Century world. Other tracks are understated, eerie, moody and broody, while others are melancholy, wistful and pensive. That adds to Come Closer and I’ll Tell You cinematic quality. Sometimes, moderne describes the music on Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. Dance music and rock are added to the mix as Astro Sonic create tomorrow’s music today. That’s the perfect way to describe such ambitious,
Ambitious, moody, broody and pensive, plus dramatic, melodramatic, melancholy and beautiful. These are just some of the words that describe Come Closer and I’ll Tell You. It’s an album that variously, washes over you, embraces you, challenges you and forces you to think, as it paints pictures in your mind’s eye. Come Closer and I’ll Tell You is best described as the soundtrack to a film that’s yet to be made. With Astro Sonic supplying the music, all you need to do, is supply the pictures to Come Closer and I’ll Tell You, one of the most evocative, atmospheric and cinematic albums of 2013. Standout Tracks: Orbiter, The Electric Airbag Police, Analogue Karma and Fairy Queen.
ASTRO SONIC-COME CLOSER AND I’LL TELL YOU.
COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY.
COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY.
Classic is one of the most overused words in the English language. However, classic is the perfect way to describe Country Joe and The Fish’s 1967 debut album, Electric Music For The Mind and Body. Quite simply, Electric Music For The Mind and Body is a psychedelic classic. Country Joe McDonald, not known for exaggeration, says as much. He says” “if you want to understand psychedelic music, and you haven’t heard Electric Music For The Mind and Body, then you probably don’t know what you’re talking about.” There’s a lot of truth in what Joe is saying.
After all, Electric Music For The Mind and Body which was recently released by Vanguard Masters, was one of the first psychedelic rock albums released. Country Joe and The Fish, who were pioneers of psychedelic rock and now, are perceived as psychedelic rock royalty. They formed in 1965, and six months later, released their debut E.P. Talking Issue No. 1 on the Rag Baby label. This was a groundbreaking statement of intent. Country Joe and The Fish started as they meant to go on, releasing pioneering music.
Not only that, but here were a band whose music was full of social comment. Their music was also highly political. Given their name was a reference to Joseph Stalin and a quotation from Chairman Mao, that’s no surprise. Known for their genre-melting, lysergic music, Country Joe and The Fish were at the vanguard of the anti-Vietnam war movement. Their highly politicized music played a huge part in the emerging counter-culture. Country Joe and The Fish played at the anti-Vietnam teach-ins in 1965 and four years later, in 1969, played at the legendary Woodstock Festival. By then, Country Joe and The Fish had released a trio of albums that today, are recognized as psychedelic classics. This includes their debut album, Electric Music For The Mind and Body, which I’ll tell you about.
For their debut album Electric Music For The Mind and Body, Country Joe McDonald wrote ten of the eleven tracks. The exception was Love which was written by the five members of the band, Country Joe McDonald, Gary “Chicken” Hirsh, Bruce Barthol, Barry Melton and David Cohen. They recorded the eleven songs that became Electric Music For The Mind and Body at Sierra Sound Laboratories, in Berkeley, California.
Producer Samuel Charters took charge of the recording of Electric Music For The Mind and Body began at Sierra Sound Laboratories. Founder member Country Joe McDonald sang lead vocals, played guitar, bells and tambourine. The rhythm section included drummer Gary “Chicken” Hirsh, bassist Bruce Barthol who also played harmonica and guitarists Barry Melton and David Cohen. Some of Electric Music For The Mind was recorded in 1966. Electric Music For The Mind which was released in January 1967, introduced the world to psychedelic rock.
Critical acclaim greeted the release of Electric Music For The Body and Mind in January 1967. Country Joe and The Fish watched as the album reached number thirty-nine in the US Billboard 200. For Country Joe and The Fish, their fusion of psychedelic rock and lyrics with a social conscience was a successful combination that struck a chord with music lovers. Why was that? That’s what I’ll tell you, once I’ve told you about Electric Music For The Body and Mind.
Flying High, which opens Electric Music For The Body and Mind, is a fusion of rock, psychedelia, blues and jazz. Searing, chiming, guitars, broody bass and dramatic drums provide a backdrop to Country Joe’s vocal. His vocal is full of despair at the situation he finds himself. You can picture the bedraggled picture he paints. The the lyrics take on a lysergic, surreal quality. Add to this, the banks of keyboards and Country Joe and The Fish come into their own, with their unique brand of pioneering psychedelic rock. Genre-melting, with a strong, surreal and witty narrative, this is groundbreaking music.
Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine reminds me of Pink Floyd and The Beatles. That’s no surprise, as these bands must have been influenced by Country Joe and The Fish. With waves of wistful organ, jangling guitars and a mid-tempo rhythm section, Country Joe’s vocal has a lysergic, dreamy sound. Sounding nicely mellow, his psychedelic lyrics tell the story of “Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine.” His description hardly endears you to her. Despite that, you can’t help but be enthralled by Country Joe and The Fish at their psychedelic best as they tell the story of the mythical, mystical Martha Lorraine.
Death Sound Blues sees Country Joe and The Fish look to the blues for inspiration. Seamlessly, they become a barnstorming electric blues band, unleashing some twelve-bar blues. Against a slow, shuffling arrangement, where scorching, crystalline guitars join the rhythm section and shakers, Country Joe delivers a languid, heartbroken vocal. With his relationship over, he doesn’t no which way to turn? Reverb and echo is added, adding to the drama, emotion and heartbreak of this slice of psychedelic blues, which is one of the highlights of Electric Music For The Body and Mind.
Psychedelic, surreal and grandiose, that’s the perfect description of Porpoise Mouth. It’s a track that sounds as if it would provide inspirational to prog rock. Against a spacious arrangement, stabs of organ and bursts of drums accompany Country Joe’s vocal. It sounds as if it belongs in another era. You’re taken on a journey back through time, where Country Joe sounds as if he’s a medieval jester. His job is entertaining the court. The addition of the harpsichord adds to this, before the track takes on a dark, moody psychedelic sound. Before that though, it was like a journey through the ages, courtesy of Country Joe and The Fish.
Section 43 is a seven-minute epic. Here a banks of keyboards, crystalline guitars and the rhythm section take the track in the direction of psychedelia. Wistful, thoughtful and pensive, it’s a track you loose yourself in. It has a mesmeric quality that draws you in. Gradually, the arrangement unfolds, revealing its secrets. Bursts of a bluesy harmonica and drums lock into a groove, which reminds me of The Doors. From there, the band embark on a glorious jam, before heading in the direction of experimental music and free jazz. It’s a case of being determined to push musical boundaries further than ever before. To do this, rock, psychedelia, experimental and jazz, are fused creating a pioneering pot pourri of musical influences.
Super Bird literally bursts into life. Soon, musical genres melt into one and Country Joe’s political lyrics soar above the arrangement. West Coast rock, psychedelia and pop unite. Chiming, jangling guitars, a bubbling bass, drum rolls and keyboards accompany Country Joe. He struts his way through the song, his delivery impassioned and confident. He and the rest of the band become an unstoppable musical force, giving what’s one of their best performances on Electric Music For The Mind And Body.
Sad And Lonely Times has a bluesy, sixties sound. A harmonica, percussion and bass lead rhythm section join forces. They provide the backdrop for Country Joe’s tender, wistful vocal. As he deliver a heartfelt vocals, West Coast guitars jangle and chime. Later, harmonies are added, proving the perfect finishing touch to this quite beautiful, joyous song.
After a false start, Love gets underway. Country Joe’s powerful, throaty vocal is sung in a bluesy style. Behind him, keyboards, crystalline guitars and the rhythm section unite. They showcase their considerable skills Country Joe’s vocal drops out. When he returns, this spurs them on, and they reach greater heights, fusing blues, rock and psychedelia, proving how versatile a group they were.
Bass Strings has a moody, melancholy sound. Keyboards, rhythm section and Country Joe’s emotive, soul-baring vocal create a dark, pensive backdrop. Full of despair and desperation, Country Joe’s sings, hopes and promises, “one more trip now.” His lysergic vocal is full of pain and misery, maybe for fear of what he’ll see or find?
Keyboards dominate the introduction to The Masked Marauder. When they drop out, he rest of the band take centre-stage. Guitars chime, before Country Joe scats against a theatrical backdrop. Featuring a carnival organ, crystalline and searing guitars and then bluesy harmonica, it’s another experimental, genre-melting, track that veers between thoughtful to dramatic.
Closing Electric Music For The Mind And Body is Grace, where Country Joe and The Fish pay homage to Grace Slick, of Jefferson Airplane during a seven-minute track. Slow, spacious, understated and thoughtful describes the track. Country Joe’s serenades Grace Slick against a minimalist arrangement. Instruments flit in and out of the arrangement, with space left within it. They’re akin to a series of dramatic pauses that punctuate this alternative paean to Grace Slick.
Electric Music For The Mind And Body is best described an ambitious, adventurous and innovative album. It features thoughtful, poignant lyrics, some of which are full of social comment. The music on Music For The Mind And Body is cerebral and intelligent. Sadly music is no longer like this. That’s a great shame and huge loss. This was music for the mind, which sough answers to “big” questions. Unfortunately, music like this isn’t released. On the odd occasion it’s released, it’s not by major labels, but by brave independent labels who believe in the music. This means that no longer do we hear the modern equivalent of musical pioneers like Country Joe and The Fish.
On Electric Music For The Mind And Body, Country Joe and The Fish fused musical influences and genres. Everything from acid rock, country, folk, jazz, psychedelia and rock became one on Electric Music For The Mind And Body, Country Joe and The Fish’s critically acclaimed, eloquent and erudite debut album. It was no ordinary album and Country Joe and The Fish were ordinary bands. They were innovators, pioneers, agitators and some said rabble rousers. They weren’t. All they wanted was justice and an end to an unjust war. That didn’t make them rabble rousers or rebels. No. Instead, they were music’s conscience. Country Joe and The Fish were also pioneers.
They were pioneers who were at the vanguard of psychedelic rock. Country Joe and The Fish were one of the inventors of psychedelic rock. Their first two albums Electric Music For The Mind And Body and I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, which were both recently released by Vanguard Masters, are two of the finest albums of the psychedelic rock era.
Electric Music For The Mind And Body which was recently rereleased by Vanguard Masters as a luxurious and lovingly compiled double album. Disc One features the mono version, with Disc Two featuring the stereo version. Then there’s in-depth sleeve-notes. Quite simply, this is the definitive version of Electric Music For The Mind And Body I’ve come across. No other version of Electric Music For The Mind And Body comes close to the Vanguard Masters’ version. It brings to life Electric Music For The Mind And Body, a cerebral, psychedelic classic. Groundbreaking and genre-melting, Country Joe and The Fish rewrote the musical rule book with Electric Music For The Mind And Body, a pioneering debut album. Standout Tracks: Flying High, Death Sound Blues, Bass Strings and Grace.
COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY.
CHVRCHES-LIES.
CHVRCHES-LIES.
One of the biggest success stories in Scottish music during 2013, is Chvrches, who will soon release their fifth single Lies, on Virgin Records. This sees Chvrches go full circle to where their career started. After all, Lies was their debut single. It was released in an unusual way, through the blog of the Neon Gold label. People were able to download a free copy of Lies. their debut single. This somewhat unorthodox approach to marketing worked. Soon, word was spreading about Chvrches.
Two years later, Chvrches are one of Scotland’s most successful musical exports. Having released one of the most highly anticipated albums of recent years, The Bones Of What You Believe, it seems Chvrches can do no wrong. The remarkable thing is, everything has happened so quickly for Chvrches.
Chvrches were founded just two years ago in 2011. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind musical adventure for Lauren Mayberry, Ian Cook and Martin Doherty. They’ve spent the last two years touring the world converting people to their unique brand of shimmering electro-pop. Britain, Europe, Canada and America gave been conquered by Chvrches. Somehow, Chvrches have also found the time to release a four singles and a trio of E.Ps. These singles were a tantalizing taste of the main event, Chvrches highly anticipated debut album The Bones Of What You Believe, which was the result of two years work and determination from Chvrches.
The face and voice of Chvrches, lead vocalist and keyboard player, Lauren Mayberry is an accidental pop star. Originally, she studied law and after graduating, studied journalism. With a Masters in journalism on her C.V. Lauren became an award-winning freelance journalist. From there, she almost inadvertently, became a musician.
Like many Scottish children, she learnt to play the piano as a child. It’s almost a rite of passage. Then when she was a teenager, Lauren learnt to play the drums. Drums or piano, it’s no contest. Soon, she was playing drums for various bands. Between the ages of fifteen and twenty-two, Lauren played in two bands. In Boyfriend/Girlfriend she was the drummer. Then when Lauren joined Blue Sky Archives, she played keyboards and drums. It was in Blue Sky Archives, that Lauren met Ian Cook.
Blue Sky Archives were recording an E.P. and the producer was Ian Cook. He’d originally been a member of Aerogramme and The Unwinding Hours. Ian also wrote music for television and film. Production was another thing he enjoyed. Through producing Blue Sky Archives, Ian met Lauren. She proved to be just who he was looking for.
Ian Cook and Martin Doherty, who was a member of The Twilight Sad when they played live, were working on a new project. They needed someone to lay down some vocals. Neither Ian nor Martin saw themselves as lead vocalists. So, Lauren was asked to come along and sing on a demo.
Little did Lauren realize what she’d let herself in for. Ian and Martin it seems, are perfectionists. That proved to be no bad thing. They spent eight months in a basement studio, working on their new project. Eventually, it was finished. It had been such a success, they decided to transform this studio project into a live band, that became Chvrches.
May 2012, saw Chvrches release their first single. They did this in an unusual way. Through the blog of the Neon Gold label, people were able to download a free copy of Lies, their debut single. This somewhat unorthodox release must have worked. Soon, people were talking about Chvrches. By now momentum was building. What helped, was that Chvrches were a great live band. Throughout the summer of 2012, were honing their live act. Quickly, word was spreading about this new Glasgow band. September 2012 it seemed, was the right time to release their sophomore single.
The Mother We Share was released in September 2012. In between touring, Chvrches found two days to write and record their new single. On its release, it was well received by critics. They were falling over themselves to heap praise on Glasgow’s newest band. A classy and classic slice of glistening, ethereal electro-pop, Chvrches had made an impression.
At the end of 2012, when various magazines and radio stations published their best of 2012 polls, Chvrches name loomed large. The NME, BBC and Huffington Post praised Lies and The Mother We Share. This new band had made a big impression. Would 2013 be as big a year for Chvrches?
Looking at Chvrches achievements so far, I’d suggest that they’ve surpassed everything they achieved during 2012. They’ve released two single and two E.P.s.
Chvrches third single Recover, which was released in February 2013, gave them their first hit single in the UK. It reached number ninety-one. After that, Chvrches had to divide their time wisely. They’d an album to record and had a busy touring schedule to fulfil. In between recording their debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe, Chvrches continued to tour. There were still parts of the world where Chvrches’ gospel hadn’t been heard. Agnostics had to be transformed into believers. This was working
July 2013 saw Chvrches released their fourth single Gun. Just like Recover, Gun was available as either a single or an E.P. Gun gave Chvrches the biggest single of their nascent career. Not only did it reach number fifty-five in the UK, but number forty-four in Japan. It seemed that with each single, Chvrches were conquering another part of the world. Britain first, then Europe, Canada, America and now Japan are all devotees of Chvrches.
Recently, on a coast to coast tour of America, Churches have been winning friends and influencing American musical lovers. This is perfect timing. After all, Chvrches’ debut album The Bones Of What You Believe, was due for released on the 23rd September 2013 on Virgin. Written by the three members of Chvrches, The Bones Of What You Believe was without doubt, one of the most eagerly awaited and anticipated albums of recent years. Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Chvrches are enjoying success world-wide So, it’s the perfect time to released their latest single Lies, which I’ll tell you about.
Thunderous drums and beeping, squeaking synths open Lies. They provide the backdrop for Lauren’s sassy, feisty vocal. Behind her, Ian Cook and Martin Doherty unleash banks of keyboards and synths, while drums provide a dramatic, electro heartbeat. Add to this Lauren’s ethereal, multi-tracked backing vocals. They provide a contrast to the dark, dramatic arrangement. It takes on a life of its own. It’s becomes a collosus. As it marches, struts and swaggers along, Lauren’s vocal is full of bravado, feisty and oozes sass.
Lies is a tantalising taste of what Chvrches are capable of. It’s also a tantalising taste of their critically acclaimed debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe. Indeed, Lies like The Bones Of What You Believe, not only lived up to expectations, but surpassed them. An example of innovative, inventive music, it’s pioneering electro-pop, full of drama, sass, shimmering synths and the ethereal beauty of Lauren Mayberry’s vocal. Along with Ian Cook and Martin Doherty, Chvrches fuse electro pop, house, synth pop, hi-NRG, Euro Disco, pop, indie rock and soul. Dance-floor friendly, anthemic, soulful and full of slick poppy hooks, Lies in another example of Chvches style of pop perfection. That’s why Chvrches will be Scotland’s next big musical export. Many have been contenders for the title, now it looks like Chvrches with their unique sound, will claim it as their own.
Chvrches have restored my faith in modern music. I’m pleased that still, there are a group capable of making the perfect pop song. That’s what I’d described Lies and their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe as. It’s a reminder of what a classic pop song sounds like. For everyone who says pop music is dead, play them Lies, then The Bones Of What You Believe. That’ll prove them wrong. Pop music is alive and kicking, and Chvrches’ new single Lies and The Bones Of What You Believe is the future and salvation of pop music.
CHVRCHES-LIES.
MIKE OLDFIELD-CRISES.
MIKE OLDFIELD-CRISES.
Nine years after releasing his debut album, Mike Oldfield decided his music had to change. His albums were no longer selling as many copies. Success in America seemed to elude Mike. If it hadn’t been for excerpts from Tubular Bells being played in The Shining, his debut album might never have reached the heights it did. After that, America proved a hard nut to crack. Even at home, in the UK, 1978s Incantations, 1979s Platinum and 1980s QE2 had failed to reach the top ten. Each album slipped that further bit down the charts. There was a reason for this, music was changing.
Music was in a constant state of flux. Fashions changed quickly. Realizing that, Mike Oldfield decided his music had to evolve and change with the times. This realization resulted in 1982s Five Miles Out, which was Mike’s most successful album since 1975s Ommadawn. Reaching number seven in the UK, this resulted in the second gold disc of his nine-year recording career. Following the commercial success of Five Miles Out, Mike embarked on an exhausting world tour, which finished in Germany in December 1982. By then, Mike had already began work on his eighth album Crises, which was recently rereleased by Mercury Records. Would Crises match the success of Five Miles Out? That’s what I’ll tell you.
Crises followed in the footsteps of Five Miles Out. The opening track Crises, which filled side one, was a twenty minute opus that his old fans would enjoy. It was written by Mike. So were three of the five short songs that showcased the “new” Mike Oldfield. This included Moonlight Shadow, Taurus 3 and Shadow On The Wall. The other two tracks were collaborations. Foreign Affair was written by Mike and Maggie Reilly, a frequent collaborator with Mike and regular guest vocalist. Jon Anderson of Yes, cowrote in High Places with Mike. These six tracks became Crises.
For recording of Crises, which Mike and Simon Phillip co-produced, Mike decided that it was best to stick with what was a winning formula. This meant hiring the best session musicians. It was a slimmed-down band that played on Crises. There was a reason for that. Mike was relying more on drum machines and synths. He also played guitar, bass, banjo, harp, mandolin, piano, Farfisa organ and percussion. Among them were guitarist Rick Fenn and Anthony Glynne, bassist Phil Spalding and Simon Phillips who played Tama drums and percussion on several tracks. Pierre Moerlen added vibes, while Maggie Reilly, Jon Anderson and Roger Chapman of Family added vocals. This was the personnel that featured on Crises, which was recorded at his own studio between November 1982 and April 1982. A month later, Crises was released.
On 27th May 1982, Crises was released. It picked up where Five Miles Out left off, reaching number six in the UK. This resulted in Mike’s third gold disc. Around Europe, Crises was a huge success, reaching the top ten in eight countries. In Sweden and Germany, Crises reached number one, and was certified gold in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Moonlight Shadow which was chosen as the lead single from Crises, reached number four in the UK. Again, it was a huge commercial success, reaching number one in eleven countries in Europe. For Mike, Moonlight Shadow was the biggest single of his ten year career. The second single was Shadow On The Wall, which featured Roger Chapman from Family on lead vocal, stalled at just number ninety-five in the UK. Despite that disappointment, Crises had been a huge commercial success, further vindicating Mike’s decision to change direction musically. You’ll realize why Crises was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, when I tell you about Crises.
Opening Crises is the title-track, a twenty-minute epic, that’s like a musical adventure. It’s like a song cycle. Here, Mike Oldfield old and new unite. A myriad of traditional instruments and technology play their part in the track. Bells chime, synths beep and squeak with synths cascade and keyboards meander. Then all of a sudden, drums drive the arrangement along. There’s a nod to Mike’s prog rock past and Pink Floyd, but he makes good use of the synths and drum machines He leaves space within the arrangement, allowing it to breath and grow. A scorching, searing guitar solo is joined by crashing drums, dark synths and sound effects. Soon the arrangement explodes. Mike becomes a one-man band, playing fourteen instruments and adding an emotive, heartfelt vocal. Reverb is added, as it disappears into the distance. Later, the arrangement becomes understated and thoughtful. Other times futuristic, dreamy, dramatic and ethereal describes this ambitious, groundbreaking opus.
Moonlight Shadow is probably the best known Mike Oldfield single. It’s very different from the opening track. Featuring Maggie Reilly, who originally wanted to sing the vocal in a rocky style, there’s a real folk influence. Maggie’s vocal is wistful and melancholy, painting pictures in your mind’s eye, as acoustic guitars, harmonies and the rhythm section accompany her. Mike’s lyrics veer between descriptive to surreal. As the song hits the bridge, the band unleash rocky licks aplenty. Mike dons the role of guitar hero. Relishing this opportunity, his guitar playing is peerless. It’s the perfect replacement for Maggie’s vocal. Together, they play their part in what was Mike’s most successful single ever.
Jon Anderson’s vocal is perfect for In High Places. His unmistakable vocal soars above the sparse, spacious arrangement. It forces you to listen intently to the cerebral lyrics. As he asks a series of questions, you’re spellbound by his poignant, potent delivery. Reverb is added to his vocal, as the rhythm section, synths and vibes provide a backdrop to his pensive, ethereal vocal. As he delivers his vocal in short, sharp, thoughtful bursts the arrangement fills out. The band prove to be ying to Jon’s yang on what’s one of the highlights of Crises.
Foreign Affair sees a return of Maggie Reilly, whose delivery of the vocal brings them to life. She’s like an old-fashioned storyteller, who during this track, reminds me of Al Stewart. As she paints pictures, her vocal veers between evocative and emotive, to whispery and sultry. Behind her synths, drums and shakers accompany her, mixing technology and traditional instruments. They provide the perfect backdrop to Maggie’s vocal masterclass. Indeed, so good is her vocal, that it surpasses even Moonlight Shadow.
Taurus 3 is the only instrumental on Crises. Mike plays Spanish guitar, his finger flying up and down the fretboard. Behind him a mandolin, acoustic bass, percussion and bells accompany him. They provide a summery, Balearic sound. Adding drama are the Tama drums. Thankfully they’re used sparingly. This allows you to revel in this beautiful and drama of this uplifting track, which is a slice of aural sunshine.
Shadow On The Wall closes Crises. It features Roger Chapman of Family. For those unfamiliar with Family, BandStand and It’s Only A Movie are essential listening. Guitars chime, drums pound and strings sweep. With a roll of the drums, Roger unleashes a throaty, rocky vocal. Accompanied by stabs of synths, thunderous drums, buzzing bass and screaming guitars, Roger brings to life the lyrics. They’re about the plight of political prisoners. So impassioned is Roger’s vocal, it’s as if he’s affronted about their plight. With Mike’s band rocking hard, and Roger delivering lyrics full of social comment, it’s the perfect way to close Crises.
That however, isn’t quite the end of Crises. No. Mercury Records two-disc Deluxe Edition is what a Deluxe Edition should look like. On disc one, there’s the original version of Crises and seven bonus tracks. Disc two features a recording of a concert that took place at Wembley Arena, London, on 22nd July 1983. For those of you who haven’t seen Mike Oldfield live, this is an opportunity to see what you’re missing. What you’re missing, is the reinvention of Mike Oldfield.
Realizing that music had to change in 1982, Mike Oldfield set about reinventing himself. This began with1982s Five Miles Out, which was Mike’s most successful album since 1975s Ommadawn. A year later, in 1983, Mike surpassed Five Miles Out with Crises, an album for both his old and new fans. Unlike other artists, Mike didn’t forget his old fans. The title-track, Crises, was a twenty-minute opus. Then on side two, the other five tracks were an eclectic selection of bite-sized tracks. Folk, rock, pop, prog rock, Balearic and electronica were thrown into the mix. Each track had something new, different and innovative. Mike keeps your attention. Your hand doesn’t stray near the remote control, in case you miss something new new and innovative. After all, that’s what Mike Oldfield is an innovator.
Indeed, for forty years, Mike Oldfield has been pushing musical boundaries. From Tubalar Bells onwards, Mike flew the flag for cerebral, innovative music. He was determined to stay relevant. It would’ve been easy for him to keep churning out album after album of similar material. Most likely, his loyal fans would’ve bought the albums. That wasn’t enough for Mike. He wanted and needed to challenge himself. So Mike embraced and mastered the new technology. That’s something other artists never did. Unlike Mike, they ceased to be relevant. Thirty years after Mike Oldfield released Crises, he’s still relevant and striving to innovate and to create music that’ll push musical boundaries to their limits. Standout Tracks: Moonlight Shadow, In High Places, Foreign Affair and Taurus 3.
MIKE OLDFIELD-CRISES.
BRAZILIAN BEATS 7.
BRAZILIAN BEATS 7.
For lovers of Latin music, one of the most eagerly awaited compilation series is Mr. Bongo Records’ Brazilian Beats. The first installment of this critically acclaimed compilation series was released thirteen years ago, back in 2000, just as the new millennia dawned. Little did Mr. Bongo Records realize that they’d launched one of the most successful compilation series of recent years, one which helped popularise Brazilian music.
The next volume, Brazilian Beats 2, was released a year later in 2001. Volume 3 followed in 2002, with volume 4 released in 2003. Then after a gap of two years, 2005 saw the release of volumes 5 and 6. Since then, apart from a box set containing each volume of Brazilian Beats, there’s been no further volumes of Brazilian Beats.
Eight years have passed and Mr. Bongo continued to release cutting-edge music. What had been one of the most eagerly anticipated compilation series, it seemed, was no more. Wrong. All of a sudden, Mr. Bongo were about to release Brazilian Beats 7.
After a short delay, Brazilian Beats 7 was released. During that time, I wondered whether Brazilian Beats 7 would match the quality of the six previous volumes? The last anyone wanted was for our memories of this critically acclaimed series being tarnished. However, we shouldn’t have worried. Mr. Bongo have dug deep, in their quest for the best in old and new Brazilian music.
Featuring twenty tracks, Brazilian Beats 7 is an exploration in the best in Brazilian music. There’s contributions from new names and familiar faces. Among them are Karol Conká, Cláudia, SamJazz, Junior Com Orquestra E Coro, Arnaud Rodrigues, Cizinha and Jackson Conti. These are just a few of the artists that feature on Brazilian Beats 7, which attempts to pick up where volume 6 left off. However, does Brazilian Beats 7 match the quality of Brazilian Beats 6? That’s what I’ll tell you.
Providing a refreshing start to Brazilian Beats 7, is Karol Conká’s Boa Noite. Karol is part of a new generation of Brazilian artists. Mr. Bongo Records will shortly release Karol’s new album, Batukfreak. Boa Noite which was a You Tube hit, is a fusion of hip hop, Baile Funk, trap and dub. Produced by Nove, it’s a groundbreaking, genre-melting track.
From the opening bars of Som Sete’s Esquindindin, you realize something special is unfolding. A slice of aural sunshine, is the best way to describe this samba classic.
Djavan’s career began in 1976, when the released his debut album A Voz, O Violao, A Musica De Djavan. Released on the Som Livre label, it was the start of a long and successful career that’s spanned four decades. Two years later, in 1978, Djavan received his eponymous sophomore album on EMI. fusion of soul, jazz, easy listening and Bossa Nova, there’s even an African influence to his music. One of the highlights of Djavan was Nereci. Soulful, joyous and jazzy, the addition of vocalist Mariznha is the finishing touch to what is one of the highlights of Brazilian Beats 7.
Cinematic, compelling and genre-sprawling describes Odair Cabeça De Poeta’s Isso É Bonito. It’s a real hidden gem, from s Odair Cabeça De Poeta’s second and final album A Forronatica E O Forramba. Released in 1976 it’s a melting pot of influences and genres. Everything from Brazilian, jazz, folk, funk and Afrobeat is thrown into the melting pot. Given a stir, the result is an irresistible and delicious hidden gem.
During Abilio Manoel’s career, he only released a trio of albums and a quartet of singles. In 1972, he released an E.P. for the Odeon label. The A-Side featured Rei De Ouros and Tua Chegada om. Tucked away on the B-Side was Luiza Manequim and Depois Eu Digo. Luiza Manequim reinforces by belief that you should always check out a B-Side. It also features on Abilio Manoel’s sophomore album Entre Nos. A timeless, emotive and dramatic soulful fusion of soul, jazz and Latin music, why this track was only a B-Side is beyond me?
Coaty De Olivieira’s Caminho Livre is a pulsating, percussive disco track that bursts into life. It’s impossible to keep still, during what’s essentially a call to dance. This was a track from Coaty’s 1975 debut album Le Forro Bresilein. It was released on the Mason Conseil label. A glorious fusion of samba and disco, this track is still guaranteed to fill a dance-floor.
Without doubt the most leftfield choice on Brazilian Beats 7 is Zapata’s A Mesa Santa. Released on the Odeon label in 1971, gospel meets psychedelia and sixties rock. Gospel harmonies give way to a lysergic fusion of Hendrix-esque guitars and a vocal that’s akin to an cathartic exorcism. Add to that, thunderous drums and gospel tinged harmonies. The result is best described as Brazilian psychedelic gospel. So good is this track, it’s worth buying Brazilian Beats 7 just for A Mesa Santa.
One of the oldest tracks on Brazilian Beat 7, is the Jorge Autuori Trio’s Autorizando. Taken from their sophomore album The Jorge Autuori Trio Volume 2, which was released in 1968 on the Rozenbilt label. A year later, in 1969, The Jorge Autuori Trio released their third and final album Ovalo. This hard driving example of Bossa Nova shows what Brazilian music lost when the Jorge Autuori Trio called time on their career.
Quarteto Novo’s Misturada featured on a 1965 compilation Introducao, which was released on the Rozenbilt label. Two years later, when Quarteto Novo released their 1967 eponymous debut album on Odeon, this Bossa Nova classic was one of the highlights. It showcased an innovative and inventive band, who sadly, released just one album.
My final choice from Brazilian Beats 7, is Mestre Bimba’s Corridos. This is a track from his 1969 album Curso De Capoeira Regional, which was released on RC Discos. Mestre Bimba who was born in Salvador, Bahia, where he was a master of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Here, he draws musical inspiration from Capoeira. He delivers a corrido, which is sung during a Capoeira. Mestre Bimba sings call and response with the Academia Regional choir. They sing in toungues, while a single-string Berimbau contributes the hypnotic rhythms. Together, they play their part in one of the most compelling, mesmeric tracks on Brazilian Beats 7.
For anyone who loves Brazilian music, and are fed up with predictable compilations, then Brazilian Beats 7 is a compilation that deserves to take its place in your collection. It features twenty-tracks that showcase all that’s good about Brazilian music. Just as importantly, Brazilian Beats 7 matches the quality of previous installments in this critically acclaimed compilation series. New names and familiar faces feature on Brazilian Beats 7. Among them are Karol Conká, Cláudia, SamJazz, Junior Com Orquestra E Coro, Arnaud Rodrigues, Quarteto Novo and Mestre Bimba. These artists play their part in what is an eclectic compilation of quality Brazilian music. It seems that the good people at Mr. Bongo Records dig deeper than your average compiler.
While some of the tracks on Brazilian Beats 7 will be new to new to all but the most discerning connoisseurs of Brazilian music, this is no bad thing. After all, it’s the first step on a voyage of discovery. Once you’ve heard Brazilian Beats 7, you’ll want to hear more of this wonderful music. To do that, I’d recommend Mr. Bongo’s Brazilian Beats, an eight-disc box set. That includes the six previous volumes of Brazilian Beats. That’s the perfect introduction to the different styles of Brazilian music.
Mr. Bongo’s Brazilian Beats, just like Brazilian Beats 7, is best described as eclectic. Everything from bossa nova, samba, soul, funk, jazz, rock and psychedelia can be heard on Brazilian Beats 7. This is a world away from most of the tired and predictable compilations of Brazilian music released in recent years. Instead, the music on Brazilian Beats 7 is innovative and eclectic. Brazilian Beats 7 also joyous, uplifting and irresistible. It’s a welcome return for the the Brazilian Beats series. After eight years away, the Brazilian Beats compilation is back and back with a bang with Brazilian Beats 7, the latest in what is one of the best compilations of Brazilian music money can buy. Standout Tracks: Som Sete Esquindindin, Djavan A Voz, O Violao, Jorge Autuori Trio Autorizando and Quarteto Novo Misturada.
BRAZILIAN BEATS 7.
CALL TO MIND-A FAMILY SKETCH.
CALL TO MIND-A FAMILY SKETCH.
Glasgow’s Olive Grove Records look like they’ve hit the jackpot with their latest signing Call To Mind. Why? Well, this is a band with a big future. One listen to their latest single A Family Sketch, which was released on Olive Grove Records on 28th October 2013, and you’ll realize that. Call To Mind have been influenced by an eclectic selection of artists, including Sigur Ros and Kate Bush. That’s no surprise. These influences shine through on A Family Sketch, which is an exquisite example of ethereal beauty. A glacial soundscape, A Family Sketch is musical perfection from Call To Mind, who remain one of Scotland’s best kept musical secrets.
Formed in Ardersier, in the Highlands of Scotland, Call To Mind are a five piece band, who are now based in Glasgow. The lineup includes Martin Ross and Jamie Ross, Andrew Masson, Joe Smillie and Steve Gribbin. Drawing inspiration from their musical influences, Call To Mind bring a new meaning to the word eclectic. Call To Mind have established a reputation for producing dramatic, glacial and ethereal soundscapes. In some ways, this could also be reflection of their Highland roots. These soundscapes were first heard on Call Of Mind’s debut E.P.
Their eponymous E.P, Call Of Mind was released in March 2010. On its release, critics recognized Call To Mind’s talent and ability to innovate. This was music of substance, cerebral, multi-textured music. Layers of music unfold, while subtleties and nuances reveal themselves. Since then, Call Of Mind have spent the last three years honing their sound.
During the last few years, Call To Mind have been compared to Doves, Radiohead and Joy Division. Then there’s the influence of Sigur Ros and Kate Bush. To that I’d add Brian Eno, The Bathers and Cocteau Twins. Indeed, a myriad of influences play their part in the music of Call To Mind. A Family Sketch, which I’ll tell you about, is an introduction to Call Of Mind.
A Family Sketch meanders into being. Dramatically, this ethereal soundscape unfolds. Guitars chime, while washes of dramatic synths play their part in this moody, melancholy opus. Reminiscent of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, the track evolves and further influences reveal themselves. A ponderous bass is added, before the vocal is akin to a cathartic outpouring of emotion and frustration. Elements of ambient, jazz and indie pop. By then the arrangement has become ethereal, glacial and wistful. Growing in power and potency, this outpouring of emotion is accompanied by searing guitars, harmonies and bubbling keyboards. This results in the track heading in the direction of post-rock. A mesmeric, ethereal and cerebral fusion of influences, this glacial, genre-melting track, A Family Sketch is the perfect introduction to Call To Mind.
Call To Mind are unlike many other bands. Their music can variously be described as ethereal, glacial, enigmatic, minimalist, melancholy and pensive. A Family Sketch is a fusion of ambient, indie rock, jazz, indie pop and soulful vocals. The artists that have influenced Call To Mind’ are just as varied. Listen carefully and you’ll hear Sigur Ros, Astrid Williamson, Bartok, Blue Nile, Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins, Jerry Burns, and Kate Bush. Such a diverse and eclectic range of influences make for music that’s intriguing and compelling.
Indeed, from the opening bars of A Family Sketch to the closing notes, you’re spellbound. Layer upon layer of multi-textured, genre-sprawling music toys with your emotions. Intrigued, you wonder where Call To Mind are taking you? It’s like a musical journey, during a cinematic soundscape. Veering between ethereal and beautiful, this glacial soundscape, A Family Sketch is musical perfection from Call To Mind, who are one of Scotland’s best kept musical secrets.
CALL TO MIND-A FAMILY SKETCH.
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 