The legendary session from members of The Outsiders, The Sound and Honolulu Mountain Daffodils. released for the very first time.
Overseen by Adrian Janes and remastered by Nick Robbins with sleeve design and artwork by Bi Marshall.
PRESSED ON ‘SPECIAL’ COLOUR VINYL.
In December 1978 Pete Williams, later to achieve cult infamy as Lord Sulaco of the Honolulu Mountain Daffodils, decided to realise a notion which he’d long kicked around with some of his musician friends. This was to record some original songs for which he - who had never been in a studio in his life – would provide the lyrics and sing. These friends were the Outsiders, at that time consisting of Adrian Borland (guitar, vocals), Graham Bailey (bass) and Adrian Janes (drums), plus an increasingly regular guest player in Bi Marshall (clarinet). (A year later, Janes having left, the Outsiders became the Sound.)
With no prior preparation other than Williams writing a set of lyrics (reputedly all based on newspaper stories), he then hired Elephant Studio in London for a day’s session. This was engineered by Nick Robbins, later to produce The Sound among others, but at that point at the very start of his career. This was no bad thing, since he was as open to the bizarre working methods of the Crazies (named after the George Romero sci-fi horror film) as they were innocent of their strangeness:improvise a song during one run-through, record it, and then move on to the next one, each to be created in the same way.
This extremely efficient method left enough studio time after recording six songs for the rest to head off for something to eat, while Williams scribbled lyrics for a final composition, ‘When We’re Dead’, which was recorded upon their return.
The surviving members (Bailey, Marshall and Janes) all recall this as one of the most enjoyable and relaxed sessions they were ever part of. The same experimental freedom and warped humour can also be heard in the albums Williams and Borland made as the Honolulu Mountain Daffodils a decade later.
Cassette copies of the resulting album were produced for all concerned, and it seems that there was an idea of making it more widely available in this format, but this was never to occur. It is only now that, with the original tape rediscovered, that the Crazies’ ‘A Simple Vision’, mastered by Nick Robbins, can at last be perceived by the wider world.
Cerca:george p
Best known as Hot Chip's clear-voiced frontman, Alexis Taylor also pursues a solo career as an introspective singer/songwriter, exploring distinct themes and ideas with each record. Today Alexis announces the release of his sixth and strongest solo album to date, Silence,
Partly about silence - and how we intersect with it, observe it, try to record it, and how we feel about it when it’s gone, as we remember it - the record is also about religion, transcendence, giving oneself over to something bigger than you, or beyond this world. “I’m not religious myself,” adds Alexis, “but the songs which deal with the idea of gospel music or religion, look at it from a distance (rather like the shaky hand-held lens through which we follow the action in Pasolini’s ‘Gospel According To Matthew’) and try to uncover its influence on music and on people in desperate circumstances.”
The genesis behind Silence started a few years ago with Alexis ruminating on silence as a subject and making plans to make a record of the sounds you hear in public spaces as people observe moments of silence. He then lost his own personal access to silence as tinnitus began in his right ear in 2019 at a Hot Chip show. As Alexis explains, “I started to think about what it meant to me to lose quietness, solitude, meditative head space - as that was no longer available to me.”
Mostly composed in enforced isolation, Silence is a beautifully rich and unexpected conceptual album that is also Alexis’ most accomplished solo record and one that has seen early comparisons with a notably eclectic range of artists including Mark Hollis, George Michael, Big Star, Epic Soundtracks and Maher Shalal Hash Baz. This record sees the first time Alexis has collaborated with Sam Becker (double bass), Kenichi Iwasa (horn, trumpet) and Rachel Horton-Kitchlew (harp), who due to lockdown had to work in isolation from Alexis. In one case Kenichi recorded musical passages which were then superimposed on songs he had never heard - in effect keeping the songs themselves silent from the playing until the mixes were played to him.
- A1: Versions Of The Truth
- A10: Break It All
- A11: White Mist
- A12: Out Of Line
- A13: Wretched Souls
- A14: Far Below
- A15: Threatening War
- A16: The Swell
- A17: The Final Thing On My Mind
- A2: In Exile
- A3: Warm Seas
- A4: Our Mire
- A5: Build A World
- A6: Demons
- A7: Driving Like Maniacs
- A8: Someone Pull Me Out
- A9: Uncovering Your Tracks
The Pineapple Thief, are one of the leading lights of Europe’s experimental rock domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord & reinforced by Gavin Harrison (King Crimson) on drums.
Following the release of their latest studio album ‘Versions Of The Truth’ in September 2020, the band were preparing to start the album’s live campaign, when like so many other artists, their plans were put on hold by the continuing global pandemic.
Eager to still perform & connect with their fans across the globe, in April 2021, The Pineapple Thief filmed an extravagant on demand live event entitled ‘Nothing But The Truth’ directed by band videographer George Laycock (Blacktide Phonic/Visual).
Bruce Soord explains” “The Pineapple Thief is equally about the studio & the stage, so it was hugely disappointing that we were unable to tour, especially as we were excited to be able to perform the
new album ‘Versions Of The Truth’ live for everyone. Being able to do this film, especially under the circumstances, was invaluable. We all knew we did not want to shoot a film of us standing on stage staring at an empty room. We wanted something special, something ‘cinematic’ so we have created something unique & something very, very special that I am proud to have been a part of. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Drummer, Gavin Harrison adds “Nothing But The Truth” is a highlight for this band in terms of captured performance.
The Pineapple Thief’s 2018 anthemic release ‘Dissolution’ garnered worldwide acclaim from both media & fans, earning them their first UK Top 40 album, #1 UK Rock & Metal album & #22 on the German album charts. It took them on two extensive sold-out European headline tours & their first ever tour of North America.
‘Versions Of The Truth’ raised the standard yet again by delivering, quite possibly, one of the most important rock albums of 2020.
‘Nothing But The Truth’ captures The Pineapple Thief at their very best performing songs from their illustrious catalogue including for the first time live, songs from ‘Versions Of The Truth’.
The release will coincide with the rescheduled UK & European live shows this autumn & continue into 2022 with more dates to be announced.
The soundtrack to ‘Nothing But The Truth’ will be released on a gatefold black vinyl double LP with an 8-page printed colour booklet.
- A1: The Only One I Know
- A2: Weirdo
- A3: Can't Get Out Of Bed
- A4: Jesus Hairdo
- A5: Just When You're Thinking Things Over
- A6: North Country Boy
- B1: Tellin' Stories
- B2: One To Another
- B3: How High
- B4: Forever
- B5: Impossible
- C1: Love Is The Key
- C2: A Man Needs To Be Told
- C3: Up At The Lake
- C4: Blackened Blue Eyes
- C5: Oh Vanity
- D1: My Foolish Pride
- D2: Come Home Baby
- D3: Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
- D4: Plastic Machinery
- D5: Totally Eclipsing
- E1: Polar Bear (Blackburn, King Georges Hall. November 1990 Bbc Radio 1)
- E2: Indian Rope (Reading Festival 1992 Bbc Radio 1)
- E3: Can't Even Be Bothered (Reading Festival 1992 Bbc Radio 1)
- E4: Can't Get Out Of Bed (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 Bbc Radio1)
- E5: I Never Want An Easy Life (If Me & Him Were Ever To Get There) (If Me & Him Were Ever To Get There)
- F1: Then (Glastonbury Festival 1995 Bbc Radio 1)
- F2: Here Comes A Soul Saver (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997)
- F3: My Beautiful Friend (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
- F4: The Blind Stagger (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
- F5: Sproston Green (Reading Festival 1999 Bbc Radio 1)
THE CHARLATANS proudly announce their (Covid) delayed release of their 30th Anniversary tour and a career spanning best of entitled “A Head Full of Ideas’ Released on Then Recordings through Republic Of Music. ‘A Head Full of Ideas’ sums up their remarkable progress from 1990 Manchester scene hopefuls to one of the UK’s most enduring and best-loved bands. The accompanying tour begins at Belfast, Limelight 22/11/21 and finishes in Aberdeen on 20/12/21.
The band have notched up 13 Top 40 studio albums - three of them number ones - alongside 22 hit singles, four of them top 10. The rollercoaster highs have been accompanied by some shattering lows, any which one of them could have felled a less resilient band, from nervous breakdowns to near bankruptcy and the deaths of two founder members.
Somehow, they have not just carried on but adapted and transformed. The classic Charlatans sound - driving Hammond organ, Northern Soul and house-influenced rhythms, swaggering guitars and Tim Burgess’s sunny yet somehow yearning vocal - is instantly recognisable. And in spite of everything they have been through their music is now more relevant than ever, The Guardian described their last album, Different Days as “one of their best ever”.
As well as a very limited 6 Vinyl box set, there will also be Limited Coloured Triple vinyl LP version and 2CD deluxe of the box set featuring the hits albums plus a bonus live album ‘Trust is For Believers’, and finally a CD or Double LP Vinyl of just the hits albums.
- A1: The Only One I Know
- A2: Weirdo
- A3: Can't Get Out Of Bed
- A4: Jesus Hairdo
- A5: Just When You're Thinking Things Over
- A6: North Country Boy
- B1: Tellin' Stories
- B2: One To Another
- B3: How High
- B4: Forever
- B5: Impossible
- C1: Love Is The Key
- C2: A Man Needs To Be Told
- C3: Up At The Lake
- C4: Blackened Blue Eyes
- C5: Oh Vanity
- D1: My Foolish Pride
- D2: Come Home Baby
- D3: Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
- D4: Plastic Machinery
- D5: Totally Eclipsing
- E1: Polar Bear (Blackburn, King Georges Hall November 1990 Bbc Radio 1)
- E2: Indian Rope (Reading Festival 1992 Bbc Radio 1)
- E3: Can't Even Be Bothered (Reading Festival 1992 Bbc Radio 1)
- E4: Can't Get Out Of Bed (Glasgow Tramway, Sound City 1994 Bbc Radio 1)
- E5: I Never Want An Easy Life (If Me & Him Were Ever To Get There) (If Me & Him Were Ever To Get There)
- F1: Then (Glastonbury Festival 1995 Bbc Radio 1)
- F2: Here Comes A Soul Saver (Hultsfred Festival, Sweden 1997)
- F3: My Beautiful Friend (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
- F4: The Blind Stagger (Delamare Forest, Cheshire 2007)
- F5: Sproston Green (Reading Festival 1999 Bbc Radio 1)
- G1: C'mon C'mon (Demo Version)
- G2: Sleepy Little Sunshine Boy (Demo Version)
- G3: Dardanella (Demo Version)
- G4: So Oh (Demo Version)
- G5: Always On My Mind (Demo Version)
- H1: Everybody Ha Ha (Demo Version)
- H2: Commuter Computer (Demo Version)
- H3: Crystal Eyes (Demo Version)
- H4: Polar Bear (Demo Version)
- H5: I Need You To Know (Demo Version)
- I1: Plastic Machinery (Sleaford Mods Remix)
- I2: Nine Acre Dust (Chemical Brothers Remix)
- I3: So Oh (Brian Jonestown Massacre Remix)
- I4: Tellin' Stories (The Go! Team Remix)
- J1: Trouble Understanding (Norman Cook Remix)
- J2: My Beautiful Friend (Jagz Kooner Remix)
- J3: Hey Sunrise (The Orb Remix)
- J4: You're So Pretty, We're So Pretty (Lo Fidelity Allstars)
- K1: Indian Rope (Demo)
- L1: The Only One I Know (Demo)
THE CHARLATANS proudly announce their (Covid) delayed release of their 30th Anniversary tour and a career spanning best of entitled “A Head Full of Ideas’ Released on Then Recordings through Republic Of Music. ‘A Head Full of Ideas’ sums up their remarkable progress from 1990 Manchester scene hopefuls to one of the UK’s most enduring and best-loved bands. The accompanying tour begins at Belfast, Limelight 22/11/21 and finishes in Aberdeen on 20/12/21.
The band have notched up 13 Top 40 studio albums - three of them number ones - alongside 22 hit singles, four of them top 10. The rollercoaster highs have been accompanied by some shattering lows, any which one of them could have felled a less resilient band, from nervous breakdowns to near bankruptcy and the deaths of two founder members.
Somehow, they have not just carried on but adapted and transformed. The classic Charlatans sound - driving Hammond organ, Northern Soul and house-influenced rhythms, swaggering guitars and Tim Burgess’s sunny yet somehow yearning vocal - is instantly recognisable. And in spite of everything they have been through their music is now more relevant than ever, The Guardian described their last album, Different Days as “one of their best ever”.
As well as a very limited 6 Vinyl box set, there will also be Limited Coloured Triple vinyl LP version and 2CD deluxe of the box set featuring the hits albums plus a bonus live album ‘Trust is For Believers’, and finally a CD or Double LP Vinyl of just the hits albums.
- A1: Gone Dead Train
- A2: Performance
- A3: Get Away
- A4: Powis Square
- A5: Rolls Royce And Acid
- A6: Dyed, Dead And Red
- B1: Memo From Turner
- B2: The Hashishin
- B3: Wake Up, Niggers
- B4: Poor White Hound Dog
- B5: Natural Magic
- B6: Turner's Murde
Starring James Fox as a British gangster on the run who finds refuge in the home of reclusive ex-rock star Mick Jagger, Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg's PERFORMANCE is one of the great cult movies of the 1970s. The film's soundtrack, produced by Jack Nitzsche for Warner Bros., is equally noteworthy. Needless to say, the Rolling Stones connection is strong; the Jagger-sung single "Memo From Turner" was co-written with Keith Richards, and vocalist Merry Clayton (famous as the duet partner on "Gimme Shelter") appears on three tracks. Several up-and-coming WB artists also make key contributions, including Randy Newman (the raucous "Gone Dead Train"), slide guitar virtuoso Ry Cooder and Little Feat leader Lowell George. Like the film itself, the PERFORMANCE original motion picture soundtrack offers a fascinating glimpse at one of the most exciting eras in rock.
Limited edition 180g blue coloured vinyl + 1 bonus track.
“January 4, 1956: Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Richie Powell and
George Morrow met up in a New York studio to record At Basin Street, which
would be the group’s final album. That summer, Clifford Brown and Richie Powell died in a tragic car accident. This final testimony is one of the most exciting
records from a quintet which was like very few others.” - Jazz Magazine
“Each arrangement is worked to a point that actually propels the soloists, gives
them - and Brown particularly - maximum lift. These are classics of modern
jazz.” - Penguin Guide To Jazz
“Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street reemphasizes the loss jazz suffered when Clifford and Richie Powell died. Energetic, full-bodied jazz. Thoroughly recommended.” - John A. Tynan, DownBeat”
- A1: Bt Express - Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) ('Til You're Satisfied)
- A2: Uncle Louie - I Like Funky Music (Feat Walter Murphy)
- A3: Thomas Stewart - Bump & Hustle Music
- A4: Brenda George - What You See Is What You're Gonna Get
- A5: All The People - Cramp Your Style (Feat Robert Moore)
- B1: The Soul Searchers - Think
- B2: Clarence Reid - If It Was Good Enough For Daddy
- B3: George & Gwen Mccrae - The Rub
- B4: Lee Dorsey - Give It Up
- B5: Robert Parker - Get Ta Steppin
- B6: Aaron Neville - Hercules
After two years in the making, Tambour Battant delivers its new album "Galore", 13 tracks that outline the contours of genres and reinvent them. Very eclectic sounds makes this new album: from Brazilian-flavored tracks with the artists Flavia Coelho and Faktiss to heavy-weighted Trap beats with Miscellaneous (of Chill Bump) and Jman. On the other tracks, the duo takes us on an electrifying ride that will pleased all the lovers of heavy bass and powerful kicks. As its name suggests, this new album "Galore" is distinguished by its profusion of styles and influences.
For the original artwork of this new album "Galore", the duo appealed to Pablito Zago, a famous street artist / illustrator who brings his style rich in colors and collages to this album more than explosive!
- A1: Low Country Blues
- A2: I Feel So Bad
- A3: The Sky Is Crying
- A4: Brother Booze
- A5: Mean Black Snake
- B1: Nobody In Town
- B2: Somebody Will Know Someday
- B3: Window Of My Eyes
- B4: Stranger
- B5: Blues Is A Bad Habit
- C1: One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer
- C2: More Than I Could Ask For
- C3: The Devil Made Religion
- C4: Dancing Bear
- C5: Just For Fun
- D1: Rambling On My Mind
- D2: Just Can't Quit You
- D3: Five Long Years
- D4: Once In A Liftime
Ten years after of the passing of Dutch blues singer Harry Muskee on
September 26th 2011, the Cuby + Blizzards Foundation presents the very
last encore of the legendary blues band.
Internationally Cuby is best known for The Window Of My Eyes, which, apart
from being a national chart hit in Netherlands, was also featured in the
soundtrack of the George Clooney film “The American”.
Sound engineer Ed Roose delved into his archives and came up with a memorable live album. One more time Grolloo Blues with Harry ‘Cuby’ Muskee, whom
we miss but who shall never be forgotten.
National blues lovers cherish his body of work, which is now complete.
Harry Muskee - Vocals Erwin Java - Guitar Helmig van der Vegt - Piano & Organ Herman Deinum - Bass Guitar Hans Lafaille - Drums Horns: Mikl s F rst Bert
Pfeiffer Peter van Soest Wouter Schueler
- 1: Half A Hundred Years
- 2: It's The Same Old South
- 3: I Do What I Must
- 4: There You Go Again (Feat. Lyle Lovett)
- 5: My Little Baby
- 6: Paycheck To Paycheck
- 7: Word To The Wise (Feat. Bill Kirchen)
- 8: That's How I Remember It
- 9: The Photo
- 10: I Love You Most Of All (When You're Not Here)
- 11: The Wheel Boogie
- 12: Take Me Back To Tulsa (Feat. George Strait And Willie Nelson)
- 13: The Letter That Johnny Walker Read (Feat. Lee Ann Womack)
- 14: Bump Bounce Boogie (Feat. Chris O'connell, Katie Shore, And Elizabeth Mcqueen)
- 15: Miles And Miles Of Texas
- 16: (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 (Feat. Leroy Preston, Johnny Nicholas, And Ray Benson)
- 17: Marie (Feat. Willie Nelson)
- 18: Spanish Two Step (Feat. Johnny Gimble And Jesse Ashlock)
- 19: The Road Will Hold Me Tonight (Feat. Emmylou Harris And Willie Nelson)
Asleep At The Wheel is celebrating their 50th Anniversary with the release of Half A Hundred Years. The nineteen tracks feature original band members, current band members and guest artists. The special guest artists are Lyle Lovett, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris.
Tracks 1 - 11 are new songs featuring the original band members. Tracks 12 -16 are old songs featuring the current band members and Asleep At The Wheel alumni. Tracks 17 - 19 are songs from the vaults that have never been released and track 14 features the current and the two previous female band members.
- 1: Some Humans Ain't Human
- 2: Glory Of True Love
- 3: My Darlin' Hometown
- 4: Crazy As A Loon
- 5: Morning Train
- 6: Long Monday
- 7: The Moon Is Down
- 8: Taking A Walk
- 1: Safety Joe
- 2: Clay Pigeons
- 3: She Is My Everything
- 4: Carousel Of Love
- 5: That's Alright By Me
- 6: I Hate It When That Happens To Me
- 7: That's How Every Empire Falls
- 8: Bear Creek Blues
- 9: Other Side Of Town
- 10: Dual Custody
John Prine’s Grammy Award-winning album, Fair & Square, is available on vinyl for the first time in over sixteen years. There are three special double LPs: standard black, opaque green and a limited amount of “Irish Edition”—green and orange vinyl with a matte jacket featuring embossed lettering.
Originally released in 2005, Fair & Square won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 48th Grammy Awards and achieved the fastest rise to number one in the history of Americana radio. The record marked Prine’s first album in nine years, following 1995’s Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings. Rolling Stone declared Fair & Square “an excellent set of songs full of rootsy warmth and unpretentious wit,” while The Washington Post praised its relatability: “this low-key masterpiece arrives not just as a reminder of Prine’s cleverness and mischievous wit but also as a confirmation of his deeply human values. These are values rooted in the enduring mystery and majesty of everyday, ordinary lives.”
Prine is a four-time Grammy winner and Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, a seven-time Americana Music Award-winner, a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient and member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Since his debut in 1971, Prine released over 18 albums and has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others, while drawing effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and more.
- A1: Freedom Ft. Jack Tyson-Charles
- A2: One For The Trouble
- A3: Recipe For Love Ft. Jack Tyson-Charles
- A4: Coco
- A5: Brown Sugar Ft. Herbal T
- A6: The Gypsy Ft. Jack Tyson-Charles
- B1: The Contender
- B2: Missing Me Ft. Jack Tyson-Charles
- B3: No Guts No Glory
- B4: Making It Right Ft. Juliette Ashby
- B5: On The Road Ft. Jack Tyson-Charles
- B6: Here We Go Again Ft. Wax,Herbal T,Eom
A Wide ranging, eclectic and progressive musical outlook has always been the Lack of Afro approach. His latest material follows suit as he harnesses disparate musical styles ranging from funk, soul and hip-hop to create a contemporary yet vintage musical escapade of superb songs.
On his 4th studio album for Freestyle Records, the influences, sounds and musical textures are more eclectic than ever. Below, Adam talks us through some of the his favourite moments on 'Music For Adverts'.
First out of the box is the steaming funk killer Freedom: This time around I knew I didn't want an intro or a skit to start the album - I needed a strong, heavy opener - I had the melody for the chorus floating around in my head. It was then just a case of working with Jack Tyson - Charles on the rest of it and getting the vibe that the song required.
Long time Lack Of Afro collaborator Herbal T features on Brown Sugar: I had an idea of doing a disco track with an emcee on it, which you don't really hear often. This is actually the first time I've sung on a Lack of Afro track, adding my backing vocal warblings on the choruses! Special shout to George Cooper for the howlin' Hammond solo at the end too.
Of the gritty instrumental No Guts, No Glory Adam explains: I wanted to include 3 instrumentals as I always have a soft spot for them & it's what people know me for. The 'choir' was recorded by layering up my own voice in different octaves, nothing is auto-tuned, its all real. The studio allows me to do stuff like that but I could never sing live - I'll leave that to the proper vocalists.
'Proper vocalist' Jack Tyson - Charles again features on The Gypsy, which as Adam explains uses the classic song format to great effect: One of my favourite LOA tunes to date, Its in keeping with the album mission statement of wanting to write 'proper songs' instead of just grooves.
- A1: Claptone - Zero
- A2: Earth N Days - I Wanna Know
- A3: Matt Samuels, Ridney & Errol Reid - Now That We Found Love
- A4: Gettoblaster - H O U S E (Feat Missy)
- A5: David Morales, Dj Spen & Carla Prather - I Got The Love
- B1: Jodie Harsh - My House
- B2: Future Kings Vs Moya - Something New
- B3: Pansil - Read My Mind (Get Out My Head) (Get Out My Head)
- B4: Mike La Funk & Kelsey Gill - Back To You
- B5: Ben Rainey & Lewis Roper - Rapture (Feat Lauren Carter)
- C1: Kideko - Feel It (Feat Sain-Lee)
- C2: Sammy Porter & George Mensah - Ain't Nobody Else (Feat Charlotte - Secondcity Remix)
- C3: Md Jones - Tear It Up
- C4: Joey Mccrilley - Come Together (Danny Rhys Remix)
- C5: Dosem - Right Time (Mark Knight Remix)
- D1: Eat More Cake - Heat Of The Night (Tcts Remix)
- D2: Request Line - Have We Met
- D3: Chicane - 8 (Circle) (Circle)
- D4: Ellie Sax - Don't Lie To Me (Ridney Remix)
- D5: Amarnu & Shazz Man - Lonely Clouds
The popular #Ibiza compilation series returns on July 2nd with its fifth installment, #Ibiza 2021. The album brings together tracks and remixes from some of the world’s biggest names in dance music, including Claptone, Chicane, Sammy Porter, David Morales, Secondcity and Mark Knight. The collection also presents the hottest breakout tracks set to grace the island this year, including Gettoblaster’s recent Beatport number 1 ‘H O U S E’, and Jodie Harsh’s current UK radio hit ‘My House’. Radio promo: Jodie Harsh - My House: Playlisted on BBC Radio 1 (B-List) / No.1 in UK Upfront Club Chart. Other promo: Claptone - Zero: One of the biggest DJ names in Ibiza with his Masquerade parties at Pacha, Claptone moves up to No.41 in this year’s Top 100 DJ’s global rank. Zero is the first single from his upcoming third album.
Helen Merrill's recording career has spanned six decades. On Lilac Wine, released in 2003, the eminent jazz singer applies her magnificent voice to a collection of songs that she had never previously recorded, with the exception of ‘Lilac Wine’ – a song she first recorded in the '50s and revisits here. As throughout her long recording career, Merrill is surrounded here by first-rank musicians such as George Mraz (bass), Torrie Zito (piano, keyboard, arrangements) and Lew Soloff (trumpet). Merrill's singularly swinging style remains as potent and vibrantly spellbinding as ever.
- A1: Ghetto Priest - Hercules (North Street West 'Late Night Tales' Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- A2: Prince Fatty &Shniece Mcmenamin - Black Rabbit
- A3: Wrongtom Meets The Rockers - Dub In The Supermarket *Exclusive Remix
- A4: Gaudi Meets The Rebel Dread Ft. Emily Capell - E = Mc2 *Exclusive Track
- A5: Rude Boy - Superstylin' *Exclusive Remix
- B1: Capitol 1212 Ft. Earl 16 - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Full Vocal Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B2: Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - All I Do Is Think About You (Far East Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B3: Zoe Devlin Love Ft. Tim Hutton - Caroline No
- B4: John Holt - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Mad Professor 2021 Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B5: Cornell Campbell - Ital City Dub *Exclusive Remix
- B6: Matumbi - (I Can't Get Enough Of) That Reggae Stuff (Dennis Bovell Remix) *Exclusive Remix
- C1: Gentleman's Dub Club Ft. Kiko Bun - Use Me (Ben Mckone Dub)
- C2: Black Box Recorder - Uptown Top Ranking
- C3: Obf - Sixteen Tons Of Dub
- C4: Yasushi Ide - Ain't No Sunshine (Space Dub Mix) *Exclusive Remix
- D1: The Tamlins - Baltimore
- D2: 15 16 17 - Emotion (Dennis Bovell Remix) *Exclusive Remix
- D3: Ash Walker - There's Nothing Like This *Exclusive Track
- D4: The Senior Allstars - Slipping Into Darkness
- D5: Easy Star All-Stars - Within You Without You
- D6: Khruangbin - Dern Kala (Khruangbin Dub Mix) *Exclusive Remix
Born in Brixton, a child of the Windrush Generation, Letts’ slippery and unorthodox career is somewhat hard to define, without taking a few detours around London, New York and Jamaica. He began his working life managing the dauntingly hip Acme Attractions on Chelsea’s Kings Road, where he made a mark with his attitude, dress and, especially, the pounding dub reggae that vibrated the shop’s walls. His first gig as a DJ at the short-lived Roxy in Neal Street, became mythical for turning a generation of punks on to reggae. They in turn hipped him to their DIY ethos resulting in his reinvention as a filmmaker. This led to a shed-load of music videos (Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Clash, Bob Marley) not
to mention documentaries on the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, George Clinton and Sun Ra.
In the ’80s, he was part of Mick Jones’ new venture, Big Audio Dynamite and his innovative use of samples were a core part of their sound. Listeners of his weekly 6 Music radio show are taken on a musical safari that moves seamlessly between time, space and genre. It’s not called Culture Clash Radio for nothing. So this latest bulletin from Letts HQ is merely one angle of a multifaceted personality, his take on the JA tradition of the cover version.
The history of Caribbean music owes a debt to R&B as many of the early island releases were cover versions of US 45s. Ska’s breakthrough commercially, Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’, was originally recorded by Barbie Gaye in ’50s New York. Cover versions became quite a thing in Jamaica and Don, following in that tradition, has dug deep with a selection of interesting dubbed out covers including thirteen exclusives.
“A disciple of sound system, raised on reggae n’ bass culture my go to sound was dub. Besides being spacious and sonically adventurous at the same time, its most appealing aspect was the space it left to put yourself ‘in the mix’ underpinned by Jamaica’s gift to the world - bass. But that’s only half the story as the duality of my existence meant I was also checking what the Caucasian crew were up to not to mention the explosion of black music coming in from the States. That’s why this version excursion crosses time space and genre, from The Beach Boys to The Beatles, Nina Simone to Marvin Gaye, The Bee Gees to Kool & The Gang, The Clash to Joy Division and beyond. You’d think it impossible to draw a line between ‘em but not in my world. Fortunately, the ‘cover version’ has played an integral part in the evolution of Jamaican music and dub covers were just a natural extension.”
There’s a diverse mix of classic and new, with legendary figures like John Holt, The Tamlins and Cornell Campbell, mixed in with British veterans Mad Professor and the irrepressible Dennis Bovell, while (relatively) young striplings Kiko Bun, Emily Capell and Prince Fatty deliver the goods, with laidback Texan groovers Khruangbin also offering an exclusive bass heavy-delight.
The song choices are diverse, from French dubsters’ OBF’s renditions of ‘Sixteen Tons’, the miners’ paean popularised by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s, to Ash Walker’s refix of Omar’s ‘There’s Nothing Like This’ and ‘All I Do Is Think About You’, immortalised by the ill-fated Tammi Terrell and preserved here by Quantic (the latter two both exclusives). Being a Rebel Dread compilation, there’s a cover (by Wrongtom Meets The Rockers) of The Clash’s ‘Lost In The Supermarket’ while Don’s exclusive, naturally, is a rendition of Big Audio Dynamite’s debut hit, ‘E = MC2’.
“Truth be told I’ve wanted to work with the Late Night Tales crew from the get go. We’re talking nearly two decades such was the allure of their musical aesthetic typified by curators like Nightmares on Wax, The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Trentemoller, Khruangbin and countless others. Now being as old as rock n’ roll (born in ‘56) and having nearly 20 years of Culture Clash Radio under my belt I figured I was tooled up to musically juggle with the best of ‘em. But I wanted to carve out a space that was distinctly my own - something that reflected my musical journey and the culture clash that’s made me the man I am today.”
Originally from Philadelphia, invited to New York by Miles Davis, playing at Antibes in 1960 with Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy, here is trumpeter Ted Curson in 1971... in Paris. With him, a legendary trio: Georges Arvanitas (piano), Jacky Samson (double bass) and Charles Saudrais (drums). A new transatlantic alliance in the service of jazz of all kinds: classic, modal, fusion and even free... Pop Wine is – between Coltrane and Miles with a nod to roots in the club the Caveau de la Huchette – an explosive cocktail but which leaves no stains!
In 1960, trumpeter Ted Curson played with Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy on stage at the Antibes jazz festival. Eleven years later he was in Paris to record one of the gems of his discography, with a hard-hitting French trio: Georges Arvanitas (piano), Jacky Samson (double bass) and Charles Saudrais (drums).
Arvanitas was also someone who had travelled widely. Originally from Marseille, he had accompanied visiting American musicians in Paris before moving to the States. It was when he came back that the charismatic trio was created with Samson and Saudrais and who recorded, in 1970 on Futura, the unforgettable In Concert and then, the following year, Pop Wine with Ted Curson.
Pop Wine: don’t be fooled into thinking you are going to hear jazz musicians trying to play pop after uncorking too many bottles. For, although the album occasionally tends toward fusion, it is first and foremost a wonderful jazz recording; and a recording with enough fizz to make your head spin!
There are five tracks in total: Quartier Latin reminds us a little of Olé Coltrane (Curson, like the saxophonist, is originally from Philadelphia), Flip Top where the trumpet and piano play out a chase scene through the streets of Paris, Pop Wine where funk and cool jazz meet on the barricades of black and white, L.S.D. Takes A Holiday which breaks out in a style close to free jazz, and finally Lonely One, with the impression that ends this unclassifiable album. Unclassifiable, unless we decide to elevate Pop Wine to the rank of a great vintage.
- A1: We Don’t Look In The Mirror
- A2: Painting
- A3: Goodbye Old Town
- A4: Doodle Book
- A5: If God Made Everyone
- A6: Weekend
- A7: Professor Perplexity
- B1: George’s Tower
- B2: I Don’t Want To Leave England
- B3: The Winning Side
- B4: Mistaken Identity
- B5: The Union
- B6: The New Torch Song
- B7: Here Comes The Dawning Day
Ocean Colour Scene came to be one of the biggest bands in the mid-90’s UK indie/rock scene
with the release of their second album that went multi-platinum accumulating a large and loyal
following.
• ‘Painting’ is the band’s 2013 album and is release on vinyl for the very first time
• 14 tracks pressed on 180g White vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve. Singles
include ‘Doodle Book’ and ‘Painting’
Cut is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1982. It is one of their most popular releases to date, as it contains the international hit “Twilight Zone”, written by guitarist/vocalist George Kooymans. “Twilight Zone” reached No. 1 in both the Netherlands and Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, while also reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Over the last few years, NuNorthern Soul has established a number of traditions, most notably annual releases that provide a snapshot of the label’s output while also considering their suitability for certain seasons. Perhaps the most popular is founder Phil Cooper’s Summer Selections series, which each year showcases warm and sunny gems mined from a range of forthcoming releases.
The 2021 edition of the sampler, the third in total, may well be the best yet. Six tracks deep and as subtly varied as you’d expect, the entertaining set features tracks from a mixture of exciting newcomers, experienced producers and long-time members of the NuNorthern Soul family.
To kick things off, Cooper introduces us to Marshall Watson, an American producer who later in the year will release two five-track EPs on the label. ‘A Door To The Sky’, which will feature on the Sunsets On Larkin Part 1 EP, is sumptuously sun-kissed, with delay-laden electric guitar textures and sparkling electronics reclining over a tactile electronic groove.
LOVA’s ‘Echoes of Memories’, the track that follows, recalls the atmospheric, synthesizer-sporting new age Balearica popularised by Quiet Force in the late 1980s. The Italian producer was signed after bringing a USB stick of productions to one of Phil Cooper’s gigs in Ibiza; his Gypsophilia EP will be one to check when it drops later in the year.
Gusk’s ‘Sketch #4 - Anafi Nights’ is seductive and exotic. It’s a crackling and atmospheric musical painting that daubs starry stabs and yearning melodies atop a bubbly, lo-fi drum machine beat. It provides a perfect snapshot of the Greek musician’s Mediterranean Sketches EP, which gathers together home recordings made between 1997 and 2003.
Arguably even more immersive and enveloping is ‘Aqua Blancas Sunrise’ by Tambores En Benirras, the musical project of Cumbrian selector DJ Gripper. A slow-burning delight full of intricate musical flourishes –think drifting female vocalizations, Indian-influenced percussion, twinkling pianos and haunting clarinet motifs the track is one of the many highlights on the Barrow in Furness based producer’s forthcoming debut album for NuNorthern Soul.
To round things off, Cooper has chosen to offer-up cuts from two very experienced artists. George Solar (real name Georg Boskamp) is an Ibiza-based German producer who has been collaborating and releasing music since the late 1980s. ‘Infrared’, his contribution to Summer Selections 3, is a languid and glassy-eyed slab of slow-motion Balearic dub. His Los Ra-yos Del Sol EP will be one to look out for later in the year and is his debut solo release.
The sampler’s final missive fittingly comes from long-time friend of the family B.J Smith, a regular contributor to NuNorthern Soul releases who has reunited with Huw Costin – a vocalist he previously worked with on Smith & Mudd releases for Claremont 56 for a double A side single due later in 2021. ‘Sun When You Come’ is as warming and hazy as you’d expect and features Costin’s emotive, reverb-laden vocals and mazy electric piano solos rising above a suitably horizontal groove. It provides a stunning, sunset-ready conclusion to another superb set of Summer Selections.




















