Friday 28 February 2014

Paul Weller To Play Brussels on 9th June


Paul Weller has just announced a show for his Belgian fans, he'll play the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on Monday 9th June.

Tickets went on sale at 11am this morning (Friday 28th February) so be quick!!!

Modfest 2014 Flyer - The Authors


Dave Davies of the Kinks returns to London to perform his first UK concert for 13 years at the Barbican Hall on Friday 11th April. Tickets go on sale at 9am today!!!



This concert will see him celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the revolutionary guitar sound he created which launched the Kinks into international stardom.

Tickets go on sale Friday 28th February  at 9am from the Barbican Hall box office – 0207 638 8891 or can be booked online from www.barbican.org.uk.

"You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night were predecessors of the whole three-chord genre," says musicologist Joe Harrington. "The Kinks did a lot to help turn rock 'n' roll into rock."

As lead guitarist and co-founder of the Kinks, Dave Davies is one of the most unpredictable and original forces in rock,” enthuses writer Bill Crowley. His distinctive guitar style went on to have major impact on several key guitar-rock styles, including heavy metal and punk. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Dave's massive guitar sounds have inspired bands from Van Halen to Green Day."

Since the early days, Dave has worked on a slew of critically acclaimed records, ranging from solo hit song Death of a Clown, to experimental Kinks records like Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur and the classic song Lola in 1970.

In the 1980s Dave released experimentally prescient solo work like the eponymous album titled Dave Davies or AFL1-3603 named after himself and/or the barcode symbol face cover art.  Mainstream success continued with the hit Kinks albums Low Budget and State of Confusion, as they re-attained the commercial success they previously had in America in the mid-60s, before they were unfairly banned for 4 years.

In the 1990s Dave released more solo work such as Bug and the compilation Unfinished Business. His songs have been featured in films by John Carpenter and Wes Anderson, who featured Strangers in Darjeeling Limited (the song has been covered by numerous artists including Norah Jones).  One of Dave`s most popular Kinks songs Living on a Thin Line was used in the HBO television show "The Sopranos".

His tell-all autobiographical book Kink was well received in the late `90s as well. In recent years, Dave has collaborated creatively with his sons. In 2010 he worked with son Russell Davies to create the hauntingly beautiful rock electronica album, The Aschere Project.  Dave is currently working with son Martin on their second documentary film Dave Davies Rock 'N Roll Journey - following on from Mystical Journey - and he has just released a book on meditation called Heal. He has also been collaborating on a Kinks biopic directed by Julien Temple, who previously made the BBC documentary about Dave - Kinkdom Come.  

Dave's latest album I Will Be Me is a return to his groundbreaking guitar sound and innovative songwriting. His classically English voice shows off a new deepness but still hits his famous high notes in this collection. Dave is beginning work on a new album and is planning more shows throughout 2014. No matter how diverse the ambition, Dave Davies puts his heart and soul in all of his projects. 

“These 22 Lost Classics Of Motown Deserve To Be Rediscovered” says The Huffington Post (PHK – not lost classics to some of us!!!)


“When it comes to songs about first love, true love and heartbreak, we go back, again and again, to a record label that took its heart and soul from Detroit: Motown.

The home of Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the young Michael Jackson. The music itself is pop rooted in the traditions of gospel, accompanied by pounding drums, layers of strings and brassy call-and-response bits. But it's easier just to say "Motown." It's music that actually sounds like love, and you don't need to speak English or have grown up in the 1960s for that message to translate.

Here's the secret all Motown junkies know: The label began by Berry Gordy in a little house on Detroit's Grand Boulevard had more hit songs, and more talent, than those four walls could ever hold. And for every hit single crafted by Smokey Robinson or the crack songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, there were equally great songs that flopped, and equally talented singers who were unfairly denied marketing or access to tracks. There were lawsuits, feuds and falling outs. Even further in the background were session musicians like the Funk Brothers and background singers like the Andantes who gave their all on dozens of records before fading into obscurity.

Below, you can find a collection of little known singles, unreleased tracks and deep cuts from Hitsville USA's heyday, about 1963 through 1971. Some of these 22 songs come from Motown artists you know and love. Others come from groups that might be new to you. All of them deserve to be recognized as "lost classics" of the Motown sound.”

1. The Monitors, "Time Is Passin' By"

The original Monitors line-up only released one album in 1968, which collected three years' worth of songs that Richard Street, Warren Harris, and Sandra and John Fagin recorded for the label. This foursome had a certain magic together, as the swing of "Time Is Passin' By" suggests, but Street would go on to replace Paul Williams in the Temptations during the 1970s, and a new Monitors lineup would come together in the 1980s. The original group never found success at Motown, but fame shouldn't have passed them by.

2. Stevie Wonder, "I Don't Know Why"

"Scandal" fans may have paused during the epic make-out session between Olivia Pope and Fitz to ask, "Which Stevie Wonder song is serving as the perfect backdrop to this relationship train wreck?" The B-side to 1968's "Ma Cherie Amour," "I Don't Know Why" finds an 18-year-old Wonder playing the lovesick victim -- but the accompanying guitar riff is all wounded vengeance. "I Don't Know Why" has been covered by the Jackson 5, the Brand New Heavies and, most notably, the Rolling Stones, who were practicing it when they got the news that founding member Brian Jones had died. It will take one listen for you to wonder why it's not one of your favorite Stevie Wonder songs.

3. Chris Clark, "Love's Gone Bad"

A 6-foot blonde teenager, Clark didn't look like a typical Motown artist. But one spin of "Love's Gone Bad" shows why the label signed Clark, who's been called Motown's answer to Dusty Springfield. This rollicking Holland-Dozier-Holland single only charted at #41 on Billboard, but crazy has never sounded so compelling. After her Motown career faded away, Clark, a California girl, didn't stop living a fascinating life. She co-wrote "Lady Sings the Blues," the Billie Holiday biopic starring Diana Ross, and married the writer of the Shaft novels. She also photographed the Masai in Africa and owned a pet cougar. Read more about Clark in the Los Angeles Times.

4. Four Tops, "Remember When"

We have to wonder whether the Four Tops, only second to the Temptations in success, were singing about themselves on this track. The powerhouse songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland had recently quit the Motown label, and the Tops were working with an assortment of new producers. A dry spell for the singing group lay ahead on the Billboard charts. The moodiness of "Remember When" recalls another famous Motown hit, the Four Tops' "Bernadette." Read more on "Remember When" at Allmusic.

5. Mary Wells, "Oh Little Boy (What Did You Do To Me)"

Every Motown fan has heard Mary Wells sing about "My Guy," but most don't know this standout track, which features an incredible mini-aria from Motown session singer Liz Lands. "Oh Little Boy" was inexplicably tacked onto the end of Wells' 1964 "Greatest Hits" record. Despite the operatic coda, Wells gets the credit for selling this breathtaking number of a woman slowly going mad over a man she loves and hates at the same time. Motown doesn't get deeper, or more devastating, than this. Read more at Motown Junkies.

6. The Velvelettes, "(We've Got) Honey Love"

Motown artists were famous for covering each other's songs, along with any other songs that were current hits. So while Martha & the Vandellas made "(We've Got) Honey Love," our favorite version is an unreleased cover by a lesser-known girl group called the Velvelettes. This foursome had a few singles but were edged out of the limelight as the Supremes became superstars. Motown fans on Soulful Detroit say that this track is a rare opportunity to hear some lead singing from Sandra Tilley, who would later become a Vandella.

7. Tammi Terrell, "I Can't Believe You Love Me"

Perhaps no Motown story is more tragic than that of Tammi Terrell, a sweet young songbird who became famous after replacing Kim Weston as Marvin Gaye's duet partner. But Terrell wouldn't be able to enjoy much of her success. Collapsing into Gaye's arms during a performance in 1967, she was later diagnosed with a brain tumor. After eight unsuccessful operations, Terrell finally succumbed to cancer in 1970 at age 24. "I Can't Believe You Love Me" was the singer's first R&B Top 40 single. It was also the first song she recorded after Gordy changed her professional name from Tammy Montgomery.

8. The Jackson 5, "2-4-6-8"

You can't talk Motown without including a song from this pint-size band of brothers. Everybody knows their song "ABC," but this counterpart from the same album remains relatively unknown. "2-4-6-8" features one of Michael's most adorable spoken word parts ever recorded: "I may be a little fella / but my heart is as big as Texas!" Another incredible outtake from the "ABC" recording session never made it onto a Motown album. Listen to Michael cover Ray Charles' "A Fool For You" with singing chops a vocalist twice his age would envy.

9. Sherri Taylor & Singin' Sammy Ward, "Oh Lover"

Singin' Sammy Ward was the Motown Soul label's resident bluesman. Newcomer Sherri Taylor was a brash vocalist equipped with a piercing wail. Their unlikely duet, "Oh Lover," is a randy little number co-written by Brian Holland and Smokey Robinson. Motown Junkies says it's the first duet released by Motown. By the time Ward died, sometime in the mid-'90s, he was all but forgotten by the music industry. Find out more about Singin' Sammy Ward at Motown Junkies and listen to his masterful ballad "Then You Changed," which was never released by Motown's Soul label... but really should have been.

10. The Supremes, "Surfer Boy"

We'll forgive you if you haven't seen the 1965 surfing flick "Beach Ball." It's best remembered for cameos by the Righteous Brothers, the Four Tops and even the Supremes, who sang "Come To The Beach Ball With Me," along with this addictive little jangle. The Supremes look a bit bemused up onstage, like they're wondering, "How on Earth did we get cast in this movie and why are we singing about surfers?" Song's still a winner, though, as is the name of their backup band on set (The Sinners!).

11. The Miracles, "Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)"

The Funk Brothers set this dance track on fire with their dynamic horn arrangements. When Smokey Robinson grabs onto the word "I" around 2:16 and refuses to let go, it's really one of the Miracles frontman's finest vocal moments. How this song barely made it into the R&B Top 20 charts, we can't really understand. More at Funky 16 Corners.

12. Marvin Gaye, "This Love Starved Heart Of Mine (It's Killing Me)

Marvin Gaye's catalog of hits for Motown was so strong that in 1994, the label released 25 recordings from his career that had never seen the light of day. As Jason Ankeny wrote at Allmusic, they are "performances of such sublime beauty and haunting poignancy that their failure to reach the masses until now is nothing short of remarkable." Among the most incredible tracks are "This Love Starved Heart Of Mine (It's Killing Me)," a breathless, string-laden march that Gaye escalates to a passionate climax. Is this Marvin Gaye's greatest track? Is this one of the greatest Motown songs EVER? Here's one argument in favor.

13. Martha & the Vandellas, "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knockin' Every Day)"

The B-side to "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave," this sweet standard was penned by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team and first sung by Martha & the Vandellas. Covers by the likes of Dusty Springfield, the Animals and Ike & Tina Turner emblazoned this track on the American consciousness in the 1970s. Fans may note that this recording has a lighter touch than the classics Martha & the Vandellas are remembered for -- "Dancing In The Street," "Nowhere To Run" and "Jimmy Mack."

14. Frank Wilson, "Do I Love You"

Talk to a serious Motown 45s collector, and they'll bring up Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You," the only single Wilson released before moving into songwriting and producing at Motown Records. According to the BBC, there are only two known copies left on Earth -- Berry Gordy reportedly destroyed the rest. The record was discovered after being played in Britain's Northern Soul nightclubs in the 1970s. One copy fetched an astounding £25,742 at auction in 2009.

15. Kim Weston, "Take Me In Your Arms"

Her husband was Motown A&R chief Mickey Stevenson, but that still couldn't guarantee Kim Weston fame and backing from the Motown brass. One blog calls her "another artist Berry Gordy just left on the shelf." No matter who was ultimately responsible for not showcasing her talents, this is clear: Kim Weston matched the commanding force and personality of her one-time duet partner, Marvin Gaye. Her sensational vocals are best showcased on "Take Me In Your Arms," an upbeat Holland-Dozier-Holland romp that allows Kim to vacillate from intimate pleadings to a full-throated snarl. Check out 2:18 to hear her unleash, "I said I wouldn't beg him / I said I wouldn't plead." Motown Junkies writes, "If you told me this was your favourite Motown record of all time, well, I couldn't really argue the pick."

16. David Ruffin, "I've Got A Need For You"

Music critics are still wondering why Motown shelved "David," the third album from former Temptation David Ruffin. More than 40 years later, it's shocking to realize how well this LP, only released in 2004, would have fared had it been liberated back in 1971. A less distinctive voice than Ruffin's may have been overshadowed by the lush, dramatic arrangements. The entire album is worth listening to (especially Ruffin's grown-up redo of "I Want You Back"), but the signature track here is "I've Got A Need For You." With the choir howling in the background, Ruffin leads the vocals with so much joy, it's like the song itself is a triumph for him to sing. Read more at Allmusic.

17. Isley Brothers, "Why When Love Is Gone"

That guitar line slays us! This live jolt of electricity was an early single from the Isley Brothers, released on their 1967 album "Soul On The Rocks." "Why When Love Is Gone" is the B-side to the group's version of Kim Weston's "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)." The Isley Brothers had briefly welcomed Jimi Hendrix to play guitar in their band, but when neither single charted, Hendrix left them and the brothers signed with Motown Records' Tamla imprint. Their only Tamla hit was "This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)," and the Isleys only stayed with the Motown family until 1968 before leaving to form their own label. They left Motown with one more great song: "Why When Love Is Gone," produced by Ivy Joe Hunter, the man who made "Dancing In The Street."

18. The Marvelettes, "Too Many Fish In The Sea"

Short ones, tall ones, fine ones, kind ones... The Marvelettes deliver this marvelously snappy advice to girls hung up on the wrong guys. This song's history also suggests there were too many potential hit songs swimming around Motown Records. At the time, the Marvelettes picked this song over another track called "Where Did Our Love Go," which was eventually assigned to another girl group that hadn't had a single hit record yet -- the Supremes.

19. Brenda Holloway, "Just Look What You've Done"

The story of Motown's first West Coast signing sounds like a '60s teen movie plot. The shapely Brenda Holloway grabbed the mic at a Los Angeles DJ convention to sing a cover of Mary Wells' "My Guy." In the audience was none other than Berry Gordy, who was so blown away by Holloway's looks and voice that he signed her, just 18 years old, to Tamla, according to Allmusic. Although Holloway scored some hits, like "Every Little Bit Hurts," she became equally as interested in songwriting -- and disillusioned by Motown. Gordy did let her record one song she co-wrote, "You've Made Me So Very Happy," which later became a hit for Blood, Sweat and Tears. On songs like "Just Look What You've Done," Holloway, who quit the label by age 22, sounds every inch the troublemaker Motown feared she was.

20. Stu Gardner, "Expressin' My Love"

Maybe you've never heard of Stu Gardner, but you know "Kiss Me," the song he recorded that became the theme to "The Cosby Show." Before this underground soul star was producing for Bill Cosby, he was a recording artist for both Stax and Chisa Records, an imprint that signed a distribution deal with Motown in 1969 -- meaning that while Gardner was never technically on the Motown label, he was part of its extended family."Expressin' My Love" is the struttin' song of a wildcat man whose emotions remain blissfully untamed. It remains one of the era's most irrepressible lost singles.

21. The Pirates, "I'll Love You 'Til I Die"

The Temptations were named by Motown after two local Detroit groups, the Primes and the Distants, merged together to form a sort of new supergroup. And the Temptations really could do everything -- sing marvelously, dance in time and dress sharp. The Motown museum compares their influence on R&B to the Beatles' impact on rock 'n' roll. Even many fans don't know this group was briefly renamed "The Pirates" in 1963 -- just a year before "The Way You Do The Things You Do" established the fivesome on the Billboard Charts. They'd remain there for years to come, their brief fling as the Pirates all but forgotten.

22. The Contours, "First I Look At The Purse"

If you thought the singing group behind "Do You Love Me" didn't have any other moves, think again. One of Motown's jolliest acts, the Contours achieved pop perfection with this ditty about sizing up women for the right reason: money, honey! Written by Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers of the Miracles, "First I Look At The Purse" is a joke song -- and one that was simply too risque for an act like the Temptations to tackle. The song could certainly be criticized from our modern standpoint, but the lyrics are too ridiculous to take seriously. "If she waddles like a duck and talks with a lisp," who really cares, "if her dollar bills are crisp?"

Thursday 27 February 2014

The Fay Hallam Trinity 2014 Italian Tour Flyer


“New book: Quadrophenia by Stephen Glynn” reports modculture.com


Our friends at modculture.com have recently flagged-up this new book saying, “We thought we would flag up Quadrophenia by Stephen Glynn in case you want to get your hands on a copy.”

The book is published by Columbia University Press and is described thus:

1964: Mods clash with Rockers in Brighton, creating a moral panic.

1973: ex-Mod band The Who release Quadrophenia, a concept album following young Mod Jimmy Cooper to the Brighton riots and beyond.

1979: Franc Roddam directs Quadrophenia, a film based on Pete Townshend’s album narrative; its cult status is immediate.

2013: almost fifty years on from Brighton, this first academic study explores the lasting appeal of ‘England’s Rebel Without a Cause’.

Investigating academic, music, press, and fan-based responses, Glynn argues that the ‘Modyssey’ enacted in Quadrophenia intrigues because it opens a hermetic subculture to its social-realist context; it enriches because it is a cult film that dares to explore the dangers in being part of a cult; it endures because of its ‘emotional honesty’, showing Jimmy as failing, with family, job, girl, and group; it excites because we all know that, at some point in our lives, ‘I was there!’

Stephen Glynn is Associate Research Fellow at De Montfort University, UK. His writings on rock movies range from the particular, A Hard Day's Night (2004), to the general, The British Pop Music Film (2013).

If you want a copy, you can get the 144-page book directly from Columbia State Press for £10.50 or if you want it sooner, you can get it from Amazon.co.uk for the Kindle for £6.86.

Review of The Mannequins ‘Boiling Point’ EP (Paisley Archive) - released on 10th March


Detour Records’ ‘Paisley Archive’ imprint is currently in top gear and top form in terms of new releases with the stonkingly good ‘Studio 68’ CD anthology out on Monday immediately followed a week later by the brand new ‘Boiling Point’ EP from Mannequins.

This EP starts in blistering form with the excellent ‘Yella Belly’ which has a flavour of 1966/67 Freakbeat about it as it bashes out a really good R&B style number with great passion and power. As you would expect from the opening track of an EP, this is A-side material, and at a little over 2-minutes long is quite punchy.

‘Mega Money City’ is a guitar led track with a throbbing bass with an overall backing track that would not be out of place on an early Weller solo LP. Another good song that already starts to show the range and diversity that Mannequins have.

Next up is ‘Sound of Silence’ (which is something it clearly (and thankfully) isn’t). It starts lightly and builds up, combining a ‘dirty’ rockabilly style riff with heavy tom-toms, before building up once again to an even more intense level. This is a seriously good song and I really, really like it a lot.

The EP finale is ‘Oh Glorious’ which starts slowly and develops into a very commercial chorus of ‘Glorious’ that I can easily imagine being chanted back to the band by the crowd after the final number as a plea for an encore.

In summary then, another great release from Detour from a band that are clearly in top form – for just £4.99 you can add another superb 2014 CD to your collection.

Detour Records Product Description: -

“Following on from Mannequins 2013 self-titled album release, Detour Records present “Boiling Point” EP.

Boiling Point is a superb collection of four tracks that sees Mannequins at their most creative period, encompassing an eclectic range of influences that are reflected in this release.

From in your face Rhythm and Blues of opening track “Yella Belly” to the sublime closing track “Oh Glorious” this captures a band that are at the top of their game.”

Track Listing:-

1 Yella Belly

2 Mega Money City

3 Sound of Silence

4 Oh Glorious

Mannequins are: -

Lee Bonington – Guitars / Keys / vocals

Chris Stevens – Guitar / vocals

Brendan Ivie – Drums

Lee Clements – Bass Guitar

Wednesday 26 February 2014

The Len Price 3, The Galileo 7 & Sonic Jewels at The Pipeline on Saturday 1st March


BLUE NOTE ANNOUNCES 75TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL INITIATIVE & GRAMMY MUSEUM EXHIBITION


"The 75th Anniversary of Blue Note Records, the most-respected and longest-running Jazz label in the world, is being commemorated throughout 2014 and beyond with a broad range of special releases and events.  Blue Note is pleased to announce a new vinyl reissue series of 100 essential remastered Jazz albums spanning both the classic and modern eras of the label. The series will launch on March 25 with five iconic LPs:  Art Blakey Free For All, John Coltrane Blue Train, Eric Dolphy Out To Lunch, Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil, and Larry Young Unity. On the same date, the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles will launch Blue Note Records: The Finest In Jazz, a one-of-a-kind exhibit offering visitors an in-depth look at the legendary record label.  On the evening of March 25, the museum will host a special public event, “An Evening With Blue Note Records,” featuring a Q&A with Blue Note Records President Don Was.

Blue Note Records was founded on January 6, 1939, when a German immigrant and passionate Jazz fan named Alfred Lion produced his first recording session in New York City. Blue Note has gone on to represent The Finest In Jazz, tracing the entire history of the music from Hot Jazz, Boogie Woogie, and Swing, through Bebop, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Avant-Garde, and Fusion, and into Jazz’s numerous modern day incarnations under the leadership of Bruce Lundvall, who revived Blue Note in 1984, and the label’s current President, Don Was, who took the helm in 2012.

GRAMMY MUSEUM EXHIBITION AND LAUNCH EVENT DETAILS

On March 25, The GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles will unveil Blue Note Records: The Finest In Jazz. Located in the Mike Curb Gallery on the Museum’s fourth floor, this one-of-a-kind exhibit will offer visitors an in-depth look at the legendary record label through music, album artwork, photographs, artifacts, interviews and more.

On the evening of March 25, the museum will launch the exhibit with a special public event, “An Evening With Blue Note Records,” a Q&A with Blue Note President Don Was, hosted by the museum’s executive director, Bob Santelli, and the curator of the exhibit, Nwaka Onwusa, in the museum’s Clive Davis Theater. Tickets for the event are available for purchase on the GRAMMY Museum website:  www.grammymuseum.org.

BLUE NOTE RECORDS 75th ANNIVERSARY VINYL INITIATIVE

Blue Note will commence an extensive 100-album vinyl reissue initiative on March 25 with the release of five classic titles (Art Blakey Free For All, John Coltrane Blue Train, Eric Dolphy Out To Lunch, Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil, and Larry Young Unity). The vinyl releases are set to continue monthly and will also include modern classics from Blue Note’s recent catalog such as Joe Lovano Quartets: Live At The Village Vanguard, Jason Moran Soundtrack To Human Motion, Terence Blanchard Flow, Medeski Martin & Wood Combustication, and Cassandra Wilson Traveling Miles. Click here for the full list of vinyl releases.

Blue Note President Don Was says, “Two years ago, we began remastering the jewels of the Blue Note catalog in hi-def resolutions of 96k and 192k. In order to develop a guiding artistic philosophy for this delicate endeavor, we donned our lab coats, ran dozens of sonic experiments and carefully referenced every generation of our reissues. Ultimately, we decided that our goal would be to protect the original intentions of the artists, producers and engineers who made these records and that, in the case of pre-digital-era albums, these intentions were best represented by the sound and feel of their first-edition vinyl releases. Working with a team of dedicated and groovy engineers, we found a sound that both captured the feel of the original records while maintaining the depth and transparency of the master tapes... the new remasters are really cool!

While these new versions will become available in digital hi-def, CD and Mastered for iTunes formats, the allure of vinyl records is WAY too potent to ignore. This year, Blue Note - along with our friends at Universal Music Enterprises - is launching a major 75th Anniversary vinyl Initiative that is dedicated to the proposition that our catalog should  be readily available at a low cost, featuring high quality pressings and authentic reproductions of Blue Note's iconic packaging. Although this program begins in celebration of Blue Note's 75th Anniversary, our catalog runs so deep that we will faithfully be reissuing five albums a month for many years to come!”

On March 11, Blue Note/UMe will release a new 2CD collection of 22 stellar tracks spanning the label’s history, Best of Blue Note ICON, including Sidney Bechet Quintet/“Summertime,” Thelonious Monk/“’Round About Midnight,” John Coltrane/“Blue Train,” Sonny Clark/“Cool Struttin’,”  Lee Morgan/“Sidewinder,” Wayne Shorter/“Speak No Evil,” Norah Jones/“Cold Cold Heart,” and more.

For Record Store Day in April, Blue Note will also reissue the label’s first two releases as limited edition 12” vinyl:  Meade “Lux” Lewis “Melancholy”/”Solitude” (BN1) and Albert Ammons “Boogie Woogie Stomp”/”Boogie Woogie Blues” (BN2). Other catalog releases, including a 75-track digital bundle spanning Blue Note’s entire history, will be announced shortly."

Tuesday 25 February 2014

The 45s release ‘Teenage Depression - Live on Canvey’ EP on iTunes


1 Teenage Depression (Live) 2:54 

2 Have Love, Will Travel (Live) 2:23 

3 I Can Only Give You Everything (Live) 3:29 

4 Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Live) 3:48

'Live' Review: The Strypes at The Leadmill, Sheffield, by Andrew Foley


The Strypes are the most important band in music today. They swagger, they’re cocky, arrogant and incredibly young.

Live, this four-piece from Cavan, Ireland, is incendiary. The audience was taunted, pummelled and whipped into a frenzy by the relentless, sweat-drenched force in front of them.

Singer Ross Farrelly wore shades and a four-button tartan suit sharp enough to draw blood. If you can’t do that when you’re 16, you never can.

The Strypes will be accused of being revivalist, the illegitimate offspring of Keith Relf, Lee Brillaux, Slim Harpo and Ray Davies.

Nonsense. The Strypes are about here and now. Don’t believe the hype and focus on how good they are.

Guitarist Josh McClorey referred to Sheffield as being ‘home to the best band in the world’.

If that’s true, Alex Turner needs to have a nervous glance over his shoulder, at the attitude-driven chainsaw that is fast approaching.

For if The Strypes stay together and maintain momentum, they have the weapons to destroy all in front of them.

It’s impossible to imagine The Clash at the 100 Club in 1977 were more potent than this.

RAF release 10” 6-track EP on Time For Action Records


Just got the new 10” EP through from RAF, an American Mod Band from Portland, and what great fun this is.

For anyone who loves the revival period and a Mod & Proud attitude then this is the record for you (as well as me). With titles like ‘(It’s A) Modern World’, ‘We Are The Mods’ and ‘Ready Steady Go (Tonight)’ you have a flavour of exactly what you’ll be getting. This is hearts on their sleeves time.

With a sound reminiscent of early Squire and some of the other ‘Mods Mayday ‘79’ bands (and others of that time) I find that I cannot recommend this release highly enough. Although this is the first time I have heard these songs, in a weird way it brings back memories of being in my mid-teens again.

This is a band I would love to see ‘live’ in the UK

Delving into their history (via their FaceBook page) the band themselves say, “RAF was formed in 2011 with a simple goal - create punchy, danceable, music with as much style and attitude as possible. This is Mod music from Across the Pond. A full frontal assault of catchy 3 minute songs delivered in sharp suits and vintage instruments. No standing around. No Chavs. The foursome of lads includes Chris Rich (guitar & vox), John Crawford (bass & vox), Josh Millman (guitar & vox) and Brad Pharis (drums). Come be a part of "The British Inversion." We are the Mods!”

Their own description of themselves is bang on – seriously, don’t miss out on this great release.

To get yourself a copy of this fabulous vinyl 10” EP, visit www.timeforaction.de 

Doug Sandom: 'Leaving The Who was the biggest mistake of my life'


WHILE the legendary rock band celebrate 50 years in music, original drummer Doug Sandom recalls the bitter row that led him to walk away.

As a member of one of the world’s most influential rock bands The Who, Doug Sandom could have been a multimillionaire rock star. Instead today the 83-year-old lives on his state pension in a two-bedroom council house just a few miles west of the sumptuous London homes occupied by his former bandmates Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.

And all because of a silly argument with Townshend 50 years ago.

For Doug was The Who’s original drummer long before Keith Moon came on the scene. Back then they were called The Detours, travelling in a clapped-out van to dance halls as far afield as the tenner a night they earned could fund the petrol.

Within weeks of the group changing their name to The Who, Doug went his separate way after a row with Townshend during an audition for a record company.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” remarks Doug who was about to sell his legendary drum kit to fund Christmas celebrations when he landed a contract to publish his memoirs The Who Before The Who.

“It would have been the saddest deal of my life,” he continues. “I keep that drum kit at the foot of my bed and kiss it every night before I go to sleep. After all it’s been on stage when we were up there as a support act to The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders, Eric Clapton’s Yardbirds… you name ’em and Pete, Rog, the Ox and me played with ’em.”

The Ox was the group’s affectionate nickname for their bass player John Entwistle who died of a drug overdose in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2002. He was a regular visitor to the Sandoms’ home where he would eat a mountain of sandwiches prepared by Doug’s late wife Lily in the days when the musicians could ill afford decent food.

Doug became the band’s drummer after a chance meeting with Roger Daltrey in 1962: “I thought I was going to an audition but it wasn’t happening so during a brief chat with Roger I told him I’d had a wasted journey. ‘It’s not wasted mate,’ he said. ‘Our drummer’s going on holiday so come and sit in with my band The Detours.’

“I didn’t need asking twice. That Friday I turned up at Acton Town Hall and it’s there I met one who had funny hair – he turned out to be John – and a tall skinny one with a big nose, Pete. I went on for the second set and we gelled. From that night on I was the drummer.

“We played all over the place, mostly songs that were hits for other people like Gerry And The Pacemakers and Cliff Richard. They were Roger’s choices, he’d formed the group so he chose what we played. That was to cause a lot of friction between him and Pete further down the road. Pete was an art college student and he favoured R&B. But I believe that friction was what subsequently made The Who the success they are today. The anger off those two came across on stage and the fans loved it. Occasionally I had to go to Pete’s rescue when tempers flared but it never came to actual fisticuffs which was just as well because Pete would have come off worst.

“The band needed Pete for more than just his musical skills. His mum Betty was a professional singer and through her connections she got us quite a few gigs – she even drove us to some of them.

“But it was Roger who did most of the work. He picked me up from my home for every single gig. I was always ready and waiting which was more than could be said for Pete – Rog would often have to drag him out of bed.”

As The Detours became more successful the seven-nights-a-week gigs (and the groupies’ make-up on his shirt collar) put a strain on Doug’s marriage and Lily pressured him to quit.

“After I had stepped away and they became incredibly successful, Lily did say, ‘If only I’d been more understanding we could have been rich now.’ But that was never what I wanted. I loved the fans, the music, being in the band.”

As the drummer Doug had a privileged insight into the 1960s rock scene. Take the Stones.

“The first night we backed them Pete went to the dressing room to begin what turned out to be a lasting friendship with Mick Jagger.”

But he didn’t hit it off with everyone: “Pete said Keith Richards was arrogant. That didn’t stop him adopting the arm-swinging move Keith made when he was warming up to go on. As the windmill gesture it became our band’s trademark.”

Yet just as everything seemed to be coming together for the group John Entwistle dropped a bombshell.

“We were setting up our gear when the Ox arrived and told us there was another band called The Detours and they’d already been on TV so we had to change our name. That night we all went back to a friend of Pete’s – a wonderful chap called Richard Barnes, or Barnsy, to try to find a new name.

“Barnsy initially suggested The Group and Pete favoured The Hair. Someone else suggested No One until we imagined a compere on stage saying: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome No One.’ We’d have been a laughing stock. It was Barnsy who came up with The Who. Pete tried to compromise by suggesting The Hair And The Who until it was pointed out that it made us sound like a pub. Anyway, Roger came round to mine the next day and said it was to be The Who.”

On that fateful day of the audition for Fontana Records, Doug recalls he was not in a good mood and Pete was not pleased.

“He had a terrible go at me, snarling, ‘What’s wrong with you? If you can’t get it right then you’re out.’ I just got up from my stool and said, ‘That’s it, I quit.’ It was the biggest mistake of my life. It really came home to me when I watched them on TV giving that fantastic performance at the Olympic Games and knew it could have been me up there too.”

There is a happy ending to the story, however. The others still send Doug tickets for their concerts and VIP passes for their fan club conventions where he is recognised and mobbed by autograph-hunters.

Roger, 69 – who insists the ex-drummer calls him every Sunday morning – once said: “You’re famous, Doug. You’re a legend.”

In a moving foreword to Doug’s book Pete Townshend, 68, writes: “Had we continued together back in 1964 with Doug on drums we may never have become as successful as we are today. Keith Moon was a born publicist as well as a highly eccentric performer. But I have no doubt that personally I would have been happier as a young man. Partly because I think we would have continued to put music and friendship first in our band because that was Doug’s way.

“With Doug as my friend, I believe I could have been a better man.”

The Who Before The Who by Doug Sandom is available from Amazon at £20 and as an ebook on Amazon Kindle for £8.04.

Bury band, The Gramotones, to go on UK tour


A Bury band is to tour the country after it recorded new songs at the studio of music legend Paul Weller.

The Gramotones will take in cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow, as well as their native Manchester, next month.

The shows come on the back of recording sessions at the studio of Paul Weller, the former frontman of The Jam, at his studio in Surrey.

The group were spotted by the drummer in Weller’s band while performing in Liverpool, and the legendary musician even mentioned one of their songs as his favourites of 2013, alongside efforts from David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Arctic Monkeys.

Bassist Ryan Comac, of Meadowcroft, Radcliffe, said he is looking forward to taking their show out on the road.

The 22-year-old said: “It has been a long time coming. We haven’t gigged for over a year so it will be good to get out there and give the new songs an airing. We looked at where we went down well when we toured with Steve Craddock.

"They were really receptive in Glasgow and Bristol, and it will be good to get back playing in Manchester.”

Ryan says the group will soon be releasing the songs which they recorded at Weller’s studio, and that it has been a pleasure to be associated with such a high-profile act.

He added: “It is just good to get credit like that. If nothing ever happens, it’s just the fact that somebody like that has come out and supported us. It’s amazing.”

Their Manchester show at The Castle in Oldham Street sold out within three days, and the group are hoping to either upgrade to a bigger venue, or add another date.

The group, who are influenced bands such as The Hollies and The Beach Boys, formed nearly two years ago after Ryan met drummer James Cardus while studying at Bury College, and joined with Jake Fletcher and Sid Cooper, who are both based in Oldham.

You can catch them: -

Mar 14  Sunflower Lounge  Birmingham

Mar 15  The Lanes  Bristol

Mar 20  The Castle Hotel  Manchester

Mar 21  Ku Bar  Stockton On Tees

Mar 22  The Vic Inn  Derby

Mar 27  The Albert  Brighton

Mar 28  The Finsbury  London

Mar 29  Lennons  Southampton

Apr 03  Korova Bar  Liverpool

Apr 04  Cockpit 3  Leeds
 
Apr 05  Flat 0/1  Glasgow

Paul Weller to play the Mouth of the Tyne Festival reports the Chronicle Live


A decade of music at Tyneside’s coast will be marked by a performance from the Modfather himself.

Veteran musician Paul Weller will take to the stage as this year’s headline act at the Mouth of the Tyne Festival at Tynemouth Priory and Castle.

The Jam and Style Council front man is the first artist to be announced by organisers of the outdoor event which takes place on Saturday July 12.

Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul Weller to our tenth anniversary festival and can’t wait to see him in action – it’s a great way to celebrate ten years of live music and entertainment at one of North Tyneside’s most iconic locations.”

A hugely successful solo artist since the early 1990s, Paul Weller, 55, is expected to play a wide-range of tracks from across his 11 top-ten albums.

Previous big name acts at the event include The Script, James Morrison, Beverley Knight, Scouting For Girls, McFly, The Human League and The Wanted.

It is organised by North Tyneside Council and supported by Port of Tyne, Kier and TyneMet College.

Tickets cost £40 each plus a booking fee and go on sale from www.ticketmaster.co.uk  at 9am on Thursday morning.

The Long John Baldry - Saturday 29th March in Southampton


BREAKING NEWS: Heavy Soul Records to release second single by The 45s


The 45s new 7” single, ‘Teenage Depression’ c/w ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’ is currently being pressed by Heavy Soul Records and will be released in approx.. 4-5 weeks.

Monday 24 February 2014

Win tickets to see Roger Daltrey & Wilko Johnson tomorrow night!!!


Tickets to see Roger Daltrey and Wilko Johnson at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire tomorrow night are like gold dust but YOU could be there.

To get your hands on a pair of tickets go to http://zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/vvreg/8780-329836 and enter your details. The winner will be contacted by the competition organisers tomorrow morning.

Good luck!!!

An outstanding bill!!: The Faces Story performed by Small Fakers, Humble Lie & The Faces Experience at The Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton on Thursday 06 November 2014


THE FACES STORY
Featuring the music of SMALL FACES, HUMBLE PIE & THE FACES!
Performed by the SMALL FAKERS, HUMBLE LIE & THE FACES EXPERIENCE

Quite frankly, a nailed-on, copper-bottomed ‘must see’ show for any self-respecting fan of The Small Faces, Humble Pie, Rod Stewart & The Faces, or any permutation of the three!

Featuring a trio of exceptional tribute bands - The Small Fakers, Humble Lie and The Faces Experience (featuring internationally renowned Rod Stewart tribute Stan Terry) - The Faces Story presents the very best of these three amazing groups whose inextricably linked histories weave a narrative through the most dynamic and creative period in British popular culture.

Over two and a half hours, The Faces Story recreates the sights, sounds, energy and excitement generated from ’65 to ’75 by the exceptional talents of Marriott, Lane, McLagan, Jones, Frampton, Ridley, Shirley, Wood and Stewart, also known as...

The Small Faces – for any discerning mod, the very finest home-grown group to come out of the sharpest youth cult ever spawned in the UK, and an outrageously talented band to boot. Hugely influential even now, almost 45 years after they split, the Small Faces left us with such classic tracks as All Or Nothing, Here Come The Nice, Tin Soldier, Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday amongst many others.

Humble Pie – formed by singer Steve Marriott after quitting The Small Faces, and with Pete Frampton on guitar, Humble Pie, along with Led Zeppelin, took the new, hip sound of ‘white man blues’ to an entirely different level. Reworking R&B standards and writing original material with astonishing power and exquisite musicality, Humble Pie left all but the very best of their contemporaries standing, and blew audiences away wherever they took the stage. In no time at all, they were established as one of the major league rock acts in the US, where they dominated the arena and concert hall circuit throughout the early 70s thanks to blistering belters like Thirty Days In A hole, Four Day Creep, Big Black Dog, Hot ‘n’ Nasty, Black Coffee and their lava-hot version of Ray Charles’s I Don't Need No Doctor.

The Faces – picking themselves up and dusting themselves down after the shock of losing their virtually irreplaceable lead singer, the three Small Faces left behind – Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan and Ronnie Lane – recruited Ronnie Wood on guitar, and then a certain Rod Stewart on lead vocals. Like we said, Steve Marriott was virtually irreplaceable, not utterly irreplaceable! Rod’s husky vocals and sublime song-writing talent, matched by that of Ronnie Lane, coupled with the raunchy playing of the band, produced an awesome repertoire of incredible songs and created one of the finest and most entertaining live acts of the early 70s. Not content with producing such terrific tracks as Three Button Hand Me Down, Cindy Incidentally, Stay With Me, Ooh La La, Debris and Miss Judy’s Farm, The Faces also backed Rod on numbers he put out as a solo artist, including massive monsters like Maggie May, Reason To Believe, You Wear It Well, Mandolin Wind, Gasoline Alley and way too many more to mention.

THE FACES STORY – a trilogy of performances compressing the very best of three these amazing acts into one sensational show. Our advice to you is: DO NOT MISS!

Review: The Strypes at The Institute in Birmingham by Sam Dix


There was a rock ‘n’ roll revival as talented teenagers The Strypes played to a packed Institute in Digbeth.

A noticeable divide in the audience was hard to ignore – those at the age where they would be enjoying a half term break from school the next morning, and those who looked like their parents.

But that is what is special about The Strypes, an appeal that crosses generations, and for good reason. Classic rock, bluesy guitars and plenty of harmonica, but with enough youthful energy to restore your faith in the future of live music.

Fronted by enigmatic Ross Farrelly, who kept his dark sunglasses on for the entire set, and with each member so technically gifted at their respective instruments, they are instantly likeable and enviable in equal measure. It’s hard not to be excited about a band in their position.

A top ten album, a recent support slot with Arctic Monkeys and with famous fans such as Sir Elton John and Noel Gallagher, the Irish teenagers have achieved more before their 18th birthdays than most will in their life.

The attention is deserved. Kitted out in smart suits, their music is as sharp as their attire. A racing 90 minute set, rarely pausing for banter or breath, saw the band play hits from their debut album Snapshot as well as covers of The Specials, The Ramones and a particularly raucous version of The Kingsmen’s Louie Louie.

But it was their own songs that showed off their talents the best, each one performed with a refined self-confidence and obligatory guitar solo or two.

And while the 12 bar blues nature of the songs led to a similar pattern emerging, a few of the songs did sound remarkably similar and the encore lingered a little, the sheer musicianship was enough to carry it through.

Wilko Johnson: “Imagine Roger Daltrey saying to you, ‘I’ll sing whatever you like.’ So I took advantage…”


Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey reveal all about their new collaborative album in the upcoming issue of Uncut, dated April 2014 and out on Friday (February 28).

The Who’s Daltrey and Johnson, who revealed last year that he is suffering from terminal cancer, release the punchy Going Back Home on March 10 through Chess.
 
“Finding out Wilko’s condition,” Daltrey tells Uncut, “I just said to him, ‘You choose the songs and I’ll have a go at singing whatever you throw at me.’ It was all done in a real rush. But so much modern music is over-polished and this album has a freshness. Fast, three-minute R’n’B songs. No bullshit. Just great songs.”

“Imagine Roger Daltrey saying to you, ‘I’ll sing whatever you like’,” says Wilko Johnson. “So I took advantage…”

For a review of the album and a full interview with Johnson and Daltrey, check out the new Uncut, out on Friday (February 28).

Photo: Andrew Naughton

BREAKING NEWS: The Mark Three to play the IPO Festival at The Cavern, Liverpool, on Sunday 2nd June

  The Mark Three's stage times for Sunday 2nd June are: - 5.15pm The Cavern Pub 7.00pm The Cavern Club