Something Old – Something New

Something New

Tronik and myself went to see Big Boss Man at Metro last week (unfortunately BBM didn't play due to the drummer’s Tonsillitis) but we did manage to catch Silvery’s high speed, high energy Victoriana vampings as well as shiny new Swedish band Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck’s debut UK gig - MWML seem to specialize in songs sketched in the neat clean lines of Scandanavian designs, blended with the muted toots of trumpets, trombones and the jolly melancholy of Nick Drake on a sunny day all finished off with a polite pop polish. But don’t just take my word for it - why not taste test one of their Scanda-pops below? Or check out their Myspace site

Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck - Let's Watch The Sunrise




Something Old

Bank holiday Sunday saw me shaking a leg and raising a glass at the Crocs 80-85 reunion along with assorted other ex Goths, Punks, Psychobillies and Blitz Kids (sort of fiends reunited - and on the Sabbath too!) How good was it to hear all the Crocs classics at club volume - as well as these period pieces I’d completely forgotten about...

Don Armando - I'm An Indian Too.



Don Armando - I'm An Indian Too.

Tuxedo Moon - No Tears



Tuxedo Moon - No Tears

Blue Rondo a La Turk - Klacto Vee Sedstein

Funky Friday - Worldwide Funk

Mondo Internationale - Teaser Trailer



I'm off on a Bank Holiday break at Matt's The Right Side Of Funky today, with a brand new mix 'Mondo internationale'

So what are Bank Holidays traditionally about then? Traffic and travel usually - and with that in mind I've tried to make 'Mondo internationale' a united nations mix of global groovers and tropical treats by blending acts from Nigeria, France and Jamaica with inter continental hops and stops at St Tropez, Broadway and Panama. Although there are earthquakes and a small splash of of bad weather on the way, hot pants are recommended as the temperature is generally hot, fiery and fevered with the final destination being Hawaii (5-0) for a hook up with Sammy Davis Jr.

The full itinerary is here if you fancy hopping onboard - think of it as an antidote to Eurovision

You can taste test my musical version of a Wimpy International Grill at the top of the page. Somehow I couldn't seem to squeeze these two tunes into this short haul shakedown

Asiko Rock Group - 'Lagos City'



Alan Hawkshaw - 'Expo In Tokyo'



There's another couple of outtakes here if you fancy completing the set

Favourite Shirts - Admiral Ringer

How badly do I want of these T Shirts? Enough to spend more hours than I really should scanning and scouring eBay for variations on the “Admiral ringer tee shirt” theme. I’d have to favour the sky blue flavour out of the three though.


And how about a manbag to go with it? - Perfect


So get your ringers on, have a quick freshen up with this - then it’s off here to shake a leg to tunes like…

Close Shave - Keith Mansfield



These pic's are taken from the 'Admiral 77/78 Season Catalogue', when Admiral were the Kings of club kits, and in case you’re wondering...

Yes - I do have the whole catalogue.
Yes - I will be scanning in the highlights

Funky Friday - Spliced Krispies

For as long as DJs and remixers have been recycling rock, rap and pop scraps into home made hybrids and patchwork tracks - I've been collecting them.

The King of cut and paste pop is Mark Vidler/Go Home Productions (the legendary 'Ray Of Gob' and 'Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head' are both GHP creations ) whose brand new booties 'Spliced Krispies' have been rocking my noggin for the past two weeks. And as if he's not busy enough making mashups and a full set accompanying videos, Radio One appearances, magazine features, podcasts guest spots and a new album - the Grand Master of Mashups himself Mr Mark Vidler is here, right here to give us some exclusive snap, crackle and pop on a selection from his latest tasty treats 'Spliced Krispies' -

"Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have A Finger Of Fudge"

OK, I was born in the original Summer Of Love (not the attempted ecstacy-fuelled 80's version), pre-Pepper by a month yet the smell of Strawberry Fields was still strong, if you get my drift. So...that means I grew up in the Seventies:

Space Dust, Planet Of The Apes, The Double Deckers, Krazy Comic, Horror Bags crisps, Top Deck, Space Invaders, Glam Rock, Punk Rock, New Wave, Mod Revival, Texan Bar, Curly Wurly, Finger of Fudge (got there in the end).

The Cadbury's Fudge jingle / TV ad appeared at the tail end of the 70's and well into the 80's, so if you're of a certain age you'll either remember it fondly or dismiss it for being a mild irritant. I guess I'm somewhere between the two camps but back in April when I started creating the "Spliced Krispies" album, I always knew I was going to 'doctor' it in some way. It's light and breezy feel (mostly a capella) and school boy charm was just crying out to be bastardised with something from another universe (in musical terms).

Fact 1: Mike D'Arbo (formerly of Manfred Mann) wrote the jingle.
Fact 2: I originally matched it up with Nirvana's "Teen Spirit".

Thank God I didn't stick with that idea though. It's one of those 'For every 5 gems, there's 50 shit ones' scenarios. So I continued trying to find Fudge a partner well into the wee small hours, fuelled by a bottle of Columbian Gallo and roast chicken (Hong Kong style), until Pet Sounds came calling from the corner of the room. It was purely accidental If I'm brutally honest. I was listening to 'Let's Go Away For A While' earlier in the week, so the CD was close to hand. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" seemed to good to be true. One of those 'goosebump' moments when I could hear that Fudge worked effortlessly with it...

I guess it's the one track that's getting the most attention since releasing "Spliced Krispies" to an unexpectant public in May. Chris Moyles (Radio 1 DJ) picked and played it 3 times on his breakfast show. Fair play, he gave 'The Vidler' and 'Go Home Productions' website a very massive plug, questioning my sanity for even contemplating the 2 songs together yet describing it as genius. The phone was hardly on it's hook that morning.
Funny what a 'finger of fudge' can actually do for you...

GHP - "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have A Finger Of Fudge"





"Grandstand Supreme"

Throughout March this year I was aquiring and listening to a hell of a lot of KPM Library Music, probably fuelled by my sudden 'trying to reclaim my youth' mood that was taking me back to the Seventies, so I was consuming a lot of Alan Hawkshaw, Keith Mansfield, Brian Bennett etc and dragging out my Blow Up compilation CD's, DeWolfe comps and TV Themes albums. I felt like I was living out an episode of every BBC / ITV production between 1973-1979. Very weird but very enjoyable at the same time, so it was hardly suprising that something would filter through and end up on the album. The full Grandstand theme is quite simply a work of art. It's probably Keith Mansfields' most well known. The addition of the Supremes is probably not too much of a surprise really. I think the surprise lies in how well the vocal fits
with the backing track at certain changes. It took a bit of editing and shuffling around but I think that my decision to leave the song length the same as the opening titles was right. In the end it was probably more a case of making the music to fit the video that I was creating at the same time. Funnily enough Moyles played this track on his Breakfast show as well...

GHP - "Grandstand Supreme"





"Finally, Did You No Wrong'"

I can't leave the Sex Pistols alone.They are my regular fix of energy and attitude, reference point and inspiration. See, I was too young to be a punk in 1976/1977. I was only nine years old and more into supporting my beloved Arsenal and playing with my Six Million Dollar Man doll than following bands or pop stars. I watched Top Of The Pops from a very early age (apparently) but never went out and bought records until I was 12. I can remember Gary Glitter, Slade, The Sweet, Suzy Quatro, The Bay City Rollers, Osmonds and T.Rex but I never indulged in the sacred plastic. Those bands seemed a bit cabaret to me at the time if I'm honest. Anyway, I witnessed the Pistols on the Grundy show and that definitely left an impression. Janet Street Porter's 'Punk' documentary for the London Weekend Show was another slice of legendary TV that I caught as well, but it wasn't until 1979 that I jumped right in and started buying the stuff.

By then the Pistols had run their course and the new wave was settling in but I bought 'Never Mind The Bollocks' and am still amazed to this day by it's awesome production and energy. It's the best album to put on when the sun is out and the windows are open. It's pretty well known that "Ray Of Gob" (Pistols vs Madonna) gave me the foot-up into the Music biz back in 2003, so I just felt like doing another one for a laugh and see what turned up. This one came about pretty quickly. In fact the video took longer to make because I spent so much time watching all my Pistols DVD's for source material...I mentioned elsewhere that I had to bolster the bottom end by playing the bass part and mixing it back in but I think the track works well enough now and it's quite strange how nicely female vox fit with a Pistols song.

GHP - 'Finally, Did You No Wrong'



All the best

Mark.

I'm sending out extra special soul salute to Mark for finding the time rustle up with a great bowlful of goodies of for my blog - so please speed on over to Go Home Productions and fill your boots with his boots..

Double Top

As I may have mentioned before - I am a terror for a bootleg remix...

So here are a couple of cut and paste cuties both formed from the same Caribbean cloth - using 'Double Barrel' as a musical bed and backdrop, with kittenish girl group vocals smoldering center stage.

McKay - Take Me Over



Soundhog - Double Freak



Think of this as a warm up for Funky Friday - which has an extra special guest this week.

This Week's 'To Do' List......

Learning at least three of the leg actions featured here..



The track used in this clip is..
DJ Z-Trip - 'All about the music'



And any five face actions from this gallery of gurning



Next week's 'To Do' list
Combinations

Funky Friday - Animal Crackers

Is it possible to build an audio ark, a musical menagerie, a funky farm, a zound zoo..

*goes on like this for several hours*

of animals celebrated in soul stompsters and sizzlers?

Well, for starters, here's a few beauties and beasties racing straight out of the traps...

If you only have the chance to check out one of these tunes Please. Please. Please check out the 'Funky Chicken' nugget, not just for the most eye blinding explosion of spectacular clobber ever seen at any single event.

But also the collective display of shaking, strutting and group frugging - it's like Heronymous Bosch flash mobbing..

Rufus Thomas - The Funky Chicken (from Wattstax)




Billy Preston - The Octopus



Los Gatos Negros - Hey Hey Bunny



Syko and The Caribs - Do The Dog



Bernard Purdie - Funky Donkey



Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog

Brazilian Wax

Really... who wants to be working on a day like today when you could be sitting and sipping in the sun. So, should you feel like popping some bottle tops for a splash of something soothing why not try these tunes as a musical mixer..

And speaking of mixes I'm working on a new comp' for Matt's The Right Side Of Funky blog ( you really should check out the new 'Quel Organ' Mix on there right now) which I'm trying to keep as tight as pair of snug fit Speedos but just can't seem to tuck these tunes into the tracklist...

Sergio Mendes and Brazil 77 - 'Superstition'



Patricia Marx - 'Menino'



Azymuth - Jazz Carnival

Funky Friday - Roman Holiday

It's a bank holiday!!! There's an end of term ambience and spring tingle in the air - so to kick-start this three day weekend, the super chirpy Suzy Pepper from the Roman Empress blog is here, right here - pushing the buttons and choosing the tunes for a Funky Friday May Day special......


Girls and Boys

Men and women go together like soya peas in a pod, like raw tuna in sushi, like onions in gravy. Sure men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but man, the need of a man for a good woman is as old as the hills. A man needs a maid (with a voice that will blast you backwards).

Well, sometimes, these things need highlighting, you know?

And by gum, with this formula in mind, these songs sound as urgent and exciting as anything the recording industry has produced. Imagine sweeping the floor and brewing some builder’s tea of the production studio when these sensational offerings were being smashed out - sure wish I’d been tea lady that day.

To explain, these are all carefully chosen songs to highlight how a woman’s voice can take an already fantastic male-fronted song to a whole new dimension. The singer is male and the backing singer/s is/are female.

Here’s five examples for you, four absolute stompers and one seering, soothing work of genuine beauty.

You have my permission to enjoy.


Watch Your Step (Bobby Parker)
Repeat back, ‘watch your step,’ with these womanly vocals, that’s all this song needs to make it an amazing pearl, even though Bobby Parker does great Tim Buckley-esque faltless falsetto.

Watch Your Step



Money (Barrett Strong)
The best things in life are free, but great backing singing is the order of the day here. The result is well-polished and clipped backing singing creating a new deal for Strong’s voice.

Money



Mama, I got a Brand New Thing (Undisputed Truth)
For the hawk-eared among you, this isn’t strictly a female only backing singer only. She does sing lead too in places, but her inclusion makes this one of the most impressive male/female parings I’ve ever heard. This song is really exciting.

Mama, I got a Brand New Thing




Get Ready For Love (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
I believe this is the greatest opening track ever recorded and Abbatoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus is in the top 5 of albums ever recorded. This had to be included. Warning - get ready - a bullet is about to go off in your brain and I don't want to be around to pick up the pieces.

Get Ready For Love




Poor Boy (Nick Drake)
Piquantly perfect, it’s no coincidence the supporting voice in this track makes this the stand-out track in what is already the finest Drake album. This song just floods into itself, maturing as the music progresses.

Poor Boy




So friends, please do reflect - a man just ain’t gonna do right - without a good woman by his side. These songs will join you in court to testify the fact.

This just leaves me to say I hope you all have a fab bank holiday weekend and please stop by either of my sites for a cuppa anytime.

Roman Empress xx

Midweek boogaloo - Angelic Upstarts

I was sixteen (and into punk) when I first picked up a guitar.

After three months of struggling with reefknot fingers, chords and calluses over songs like 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountains' and 'Blow The Man Down'- my 'Satellite' Strat-a-like guitar got shelved..

So what to do with these underage overachievers - give them a clap, or a clip round the ear?

Frank "Sugarchile" Robinson - Caldonia


Ray Charles and Billy Preston - Blueberry Hill


And for all out fun size fretboard meltdown it's Thomas McRocklin