Yes it's that time of year again another 365 days older (or 366 on a leap year obvs). In previous outings we've covered ever-cherished soul favourites, teen nights out and even look a likes..
So by way of change, thought this year could be the time to introduce a tick list of hits and highlights found over the past 12 months, by way of a 24 track a mix of mostly new tunes and a tail-end sprinkling of vingate bits - all of which were new my old ears this year.
It's that man again, ol' Ludwig van Mondhoveen. Another music fan with a birthday on the 16th and soft spot for a rooster-do and outsize burns.
If we've crossed paths outside of the blogosphere, you'll know there's some resemblance between Ludvico and myself. But does this mean I've got a perma-crosspatch expression and late onset deafness to look forward to in me twilight times? Ho hum!
Fittingly - as a treat for today, those top rockers The Wolfmen have given me the official Wolf-thumbs up for posting their version of a long lost Velvet Underground tune I'm Not A Young Man Anymore. With the cherries a'top of the Birthday cake being...
It's a world exclusive and something you won't hear anywhere else until the album's released next year.
It's the Courtney Taylor-Taylor remix..(yes that Courtney of The Dandy Warhols)
It's Mrs Mond's birthday today - she's loves a bit of disco and a little spot of Dolly. So what say we fuse the two in one camp and funky bundle topped with a big blonde bow. Take your partners for some 12" disco-jiggery and a special dedi' to my endlessly patient, ever-glowin' birthday lovely...
For the first time - EVER. I'm lumbered with working on my birthday. I never work birthdays - it's just not done is it? And, really, shouldn't they be public holidays anyway?
Historically it's booked off and I'll indulge in one full day of lazing and loafing broken only by a trip to Wah Hing for a lunchtime special (L3 - sweet and sour chicken with rice). But, due to some annual leave confusement, I'm here in the office. Ho hum.
Hopefully I'll be able to swing a late(ish) start, an early(ish) finish and an extended trip to Orbital or Gosh comics with spot of Denmark Street window shopping in between.
So what do we do for tunes? Perhaps a few about someone I share birthdays and barnets with...
See Friday the 16th, It's where I spent the evening of my 18th birthday
So another birthday rolls round like a bad penny, or to be specific - the 25th one since my 18th (ouch!). And, considering it's the Silver Jubilee of possibly my booziest of all birthdays - I've still got a fairly full recall of the day..
*Cue plucked harps, wobble vision and screen melts*
Which included getting my first Walkman (Saisho, not Sony), some 'as requested' LPs from the parents - 'Let's Stick Together' Bryan Ferry, and a glamtastic comp' 'Ballroom Blitz' were a couple. Hoovering up the Tennents Extra on the commute to art college, rounded off with a few 10 O'Clock vodkas in 'The Refractory' with Paul TMarmite, Bleech, Lil and Mrs-PM-To-Be (although we were just classmates at the time ) then hoofing along to the lipsmacking, non-stop, snog-a-longa-Christmas that was, the end of term Tech' tear up..
Following a quickie drop-in at my dull-as-dumplings former sixth form disco, I don't know why I went, how I got there or even got in (it was an over subscribed sellout, and I was totally ticketless), but Hanoi Rocks were playing at Crocs, just a short train hop away. Before the gig I only had swift shrift for H.Rocks - but Snakes Alive! The Rocksy rockers put on one of the most explosive shows ever seen at the venue, and I came reeling out a complete convert.
Hanoi Rock - 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. Filmed at The Marquee 19/12/1983 - three days after Crocs.
Their albums are lightweight wishy-washy affairs, but live and in action they packed more wallop than a one inch punch, and for me, are still topped only by The Damned's Crocs show a few days later...
But as it's my birthday (and I'll sigh if I want to), and being on a micro glam-buzz at the mo', I'm treating myself to a couple of tunes from the crypt that fit the mood of the moment...
The Damned tag-teaming with Motorhead as Motordamn on The Sweet's '73 shuffler
Should you happen to be at Crocs reunited next week, and see someone wearing mostly this - give 'em a tap on the shoulder and let's raise a glass and shake a leg together..
Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo, but this week FF is different for the following reason..
It's my birthday this Sunday, so I hope you'll allow me the indulgence of loading up the A and B side my favourite Northern Soul single EVER by Luther Ingram
A - 'Exus Trek' B - 'If It's All The Same To You'
I only stumbled across these tracks six months ago, but the moment I heard them it felt like I'd known them all my life and I've had to play them at least once a week ever since. The A side 'Exus Trek' is a glorious Northern Soul stomping instrumental, but flip it over and it's even better on the B side. A vocal version of 'Exus Trek' with heartfelt lead vocals and haunting backing vocals - and for me THE perfect Northern Soul song (I really can't understand why the vocal take was tucked away on the B side)
There are few other tracks constantly in flux and contending for second place on my Northern Soul playlist..
Bobby Fuller Four - 'Magic Touch' The MVP's - 'Turnin' That Heartbeat up' The Younghearts - 'A Little Togetherness' 'Love is Like an Itching in My Heart' - The Supremes
But Luther Ingram is always there in pole position.
I don't know much about Luther Ingram except that his greatest hit was '(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right' and he appeared at Wattstax, - but I do know that 'If It's All The Same To You' and 'Exus Trek' are the distilled essence of Northern Soul and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
