Behold the maiden voyage of the good ship Soundr, making our our way out with a freshly pressed mashup from Mark Vidler and closing with a timeless treat from Christian Phillips - we navigate our way through classic AOR, surprisingly yacht and Nu Yacht. Minimum chat, maximum tunes. Climb aboard below...
The latest Podrophenia podcast is now up for download. Wherein we bring you, not *one* - but TWO world exclusives from Eight Rounds Rapid - an album track and an SFOB session recording
Reveal how to get involved with the new Lee Brilleaux biog... Bring you up to speed with the Eye-bombing phenomenon, splain what's On The Buzzes - and tell all about why SFOB George (6 foot 6 and robustly bearded) was shopping for dresses.
Get all the answers, plus a playlist of fine and funky tunes - from within the The Podrophenia Easy Listening Collection below in any format you like
Slip into your leisure slacks, dust down your satin smoking jacket - pour something long and clinky from the drinks cabinet, and let Podrophenia soothe you with two hours of tunes as we make our March return with an Easy Listening special...
It's a theme chosen by Alan McPhail. Expect a few new spins on some cheesier artists, and lesser known nuggets by lounge-core lovelies from Piley and self: safari suited singers getting on the good foot, country twangers going funky, divas doing disco - and a Northern Soul cover that out-stomps the original...
All this and a universally exclusive airing of an Eight Round Rapid track from the due-soon album. Slink your way to Ship Full of Bombs from 8 pm tonight or chip in with the chat hereabouts
One on the sub's bench Hugo Strasser's Schlager take on the Sabb's
A couple of weeks back I made one of my regular runs to London's most classic cafe, for a hook up with my Pellicci pal - the legend that is Jukebox Jimmy.
Jim is a genuine Jockney, moving from Glasgow to London in 1959. During the sixties, and through the seventies he buzzed about the pubs and clubs of the East End DJing at notoriously moody boozers such as The Blind beggar, The Hospital Tavern, Kate Odders and The Green Gate. Jim's also something of a musical purist, and an avid record collector (hard copies only - CD or vinyl, no digital editions here) still scouring around the capital, sourcing and storing away singles and albums from his favoured genres.
On this particular visit, I was joined by Blow Up pal - Paul Tunkin for a lunchtime chat with Jim and a roaring three-way rattle about on all shades of musical doings As a follow up JBJ. very kindly compiled and narrated a sixty minute CD of some cherished tunes for Paul and myself - with Jim splaining the background to the tracks, how he came to hear a tune, or what to look for in the song writing, vocals or arrangement.
So can I present to you the most personal of podcasts you're likely to hear - Mr Jimmy and 60 Minute Man
After a heavily extended summer break, Piley and the other one return for a one-off live Radio Podrophenia tomorrow. We'll be parked upstairs at The Railway from 9pm beaming and broadcasting our Podrophonic clatter around the interwaves via the medium of Radio Nova Lujon and Dave Jazzy Dawson's Wednesday night Soup Sessions.
The theme for this pop-up Podrophenia is 'shopping' - so, expect the usual grab-bag of - vintage and modern hits, bits and obscurities. And, possible run outs on themes that include: what have your ex-record outlets become. Shops on record sleeves. Any bits, bobs and banter you fancy bunging in your Podrophonic Basket would be massively appreciated
If you're about from nine this Wednesday, retune your listening ears below. If not, perhaps tell a pal to swing by and see what special offers Piley and I have got in store...
Thanks to a sharp-eyed spot from London Lee last week - tonight's Radio Podrophenia is built around a metropolis of popular song - inspired and playlisted from a selection of tunes and tracks populating the Song Map from Manchester based design collective - Dorothy
As well as roads and streets - expect to hear some uptown uptempo anthems celebrating farms, woods and parks - from Ella Fitzgerald, Solomon Burke, XTC and Lowell Fulsom. Right here at Chance Radio from 9 tonight...
If you missed last week's edition of the Podrophonic Alphabet - H. Feel free to take one and pass it on right here.. or on iTunes if you prefer Radio Podrophenia - H
Or if you you're a Facebooker - why not come on over and join our gang
No, no, not Dostoyevsky's doings - but the theme for tonight's Radio Podrophenia - Joe Loss, Sammy Davis Jr and Scroobius Pip all have criminal records that are up before the beak from 9 tonight on Chance Radio...
For this evening's Radio Podrophenia - Piley and I are chipping in with tunes fitted around the theme of Night and Day..
Plenty of options and variations to pick from vintage bits from The Kinks, Lee Moses and Hugo Strasser with new tunes from Brit-pop revivalists Viva Brother and heavy level funkage from Kings Go Forth. It all kicks off from nine tonight.
If you've missed any back issues most of the Radio Podrophenia editions are now on iTunes, with a gallery of the goings on viewable at Piley's place.
A couple of nearly but not quites for tonight are....
Quickie pop quiz. What (or who) is the connection between these two tunes?
If you're a fan of the Italo spy-fi film genre you may be familiar with the long-shifting whispers about low budget cult-flick The Code Zodiac Tapes. Made in 1969 it received just a handful of European screenings before being shelved due to international wrangles over distribution rights.
Zodiac dropped out of circulation and with no sightings, leaked footage or dodgy copies filtering into the public domain since, it's been widely accepted that the film had become lost, wiped or stolen. However, canisters containing the original broadcast masters were recently discovered in the basement of an abandoned Riviera mansion. Damp, dust and neglect have left the film stock, shooting notes and script damaged beyond recovery or repair..
Thankfully a handful of production details, storyboards and publicity shots survived - along with some concept art for set designs (pleasure units, undersea casinos, moonbased pods and modules ) and some costume credits....
Hair by Laurence of Park Lane Wardrobe by Mr Hipster M.O.N.D.O Mobile by George Barris
Concept art by uncredited artist
More significantly the 16 track Ampex analogue master tapes of the Zodiac soundtrack were found to be salvageable. These tapes - and any scraps and snatches of dubbed dialogue - were taken to Shabby Road studios for digital restoration. Today the freshly mastered, previously unreleased Code Zodiac soundtrack receives it's international debut. A teaser trailer is available here along with an OST stream - but the full 19 track album is available as a limited-edition free download over at Budd Schifrin's site..
Keith Mansfield's composition Soul Confusion was originally used to score a deleted scene (scripted as - Scene 34: How does that grab you?) and has been included here as a bonus track
Warning: this post contains superhero imagery and geeky content from the start.
Typically I’ll try to handbrake most jabber and blab about my comic habits. But with just three posts in three years - hope you can indulge me with one more.
I've been a Bat-fan since the age of three, with some of my earliest reads still in the collection - although, it's a much lower-league legend, mostly unknown to non-comic fans, that I've constantly collected for over thirty years - Green Lantern. I won't bore you with his biog - there's a danger it may reduce down to nerdism - but it's all here should you fancy some backstory.
Almost all superheroes are icons directly or indirectly reflecting the climate of their time: from Superman in the 30s (farm raised immigrant becomes new world power) to Marvel's sixties super-types: Spider-man (the swinging sixties), The Hulk (nuclear mutation) Silver Surfer (space travel). Green Lantern is no exception. A superhero shaped by fifties sci-fi, jet age boom-busting, America's earliest space-racers and a young Paul Newman informing the looks of Lantern's alter ego Hal 'Highball'Jordan. Stylistically Lantern is Dr Who meets David Bowie : a focused, solo player but slight outsider and space cadet blasting through space epics and earthy adventures, kitted out in Gil Kane's glitzy, almost Ziggyish, white gloved jumpsuit.
From it's 1960 debut, The Green Lantern title middled along for almost a decade, until, in an attempt to resuscitate stalling sales and add some contemporary edge, Denny O'Neill (script) and Neal Adams (art) were drafted in from Batman/Detective Comics - having previously repositioned The Dark Knight away from TV's campy trappings, returning him to shadowy artwork, gothic plots and increased credibility and circulation.
O'Neill and Adams literally brought Green Lantern down to earth with a cultural bump. Adams documentary-ish artwork and O'Neill's protest tales teamed GL with the liberal, left-leaning Green Arrow for an Easy Rider style road trip through the America's underclass and dropped-out, drugged-up, counter culture. Alien invaders and space states were scrapped for teen drug addiction, ghetto poverty, political corruption and cult religious leaders - kick-starting the 'relevance era' in comics. Ultimately, these protest tales proved too worthy and weighty for DC's readership and the title was cancelled in 1972. Ironically, it's the O'Neill/Adams 'Hard Travelling Heroes' issues that have become high priced collectibles in the Lantern's back catalogue.
Green Lantern 76: expect to pay anywhere between £1000 - £2000 for a near mint quality copy
It’s a common plot and publicity device for super-types to be killed off only to be reanimated at some later date (in case you didn't know Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne died a year ago). Following three decades of hot runs, restarts, cancellations and the eventual death of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern was brought back from the dead, revived and ready for action in 2004. A reboot that has brought the title it's greatest levels of success and saturation in a fifty year history. Green Lantern The Movie is being filmed as I blog (scheduled for a June 2011 release). More significantly DC publishing clearly have grand plans and great expectations for Green Lantern - for the first time in seventy years, DC are deliberately positioning and putting some promotional focus on a character ahead of their traditional Holy Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Green Lantern has never really crossed over into the same cool, cultural or rock and roll referencing as Spiderman, Batman and Superman. As far as I'm aware the he's only been name-checked in one song. Historically you've probably heard his name countless times without realising. In Donovan's Sunshine Superman...
Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me
Un grand merci is due to Will from the wonderful World of Kane for pitching this sprightly slice of French library music onto my wavelength. Two minutes of high-kicking, fast-fizzing riffing, perfect for some sort of explosive show-opener coreographed for that lot atop the page - or someone who lives in a house like this..
Jack Arel is one of France's most prolific library composers, with pieces occasionally making UK TV screens soundtracking The Sweeney and The Prisoner. On the 27th of this month, a double CD set of Arel originals and remixes finally ships to these shores, having been released in France last year - you can test de goût a few and read his full history at the Jack Arel Myspace site
For more sons français, you really must get your mitts on Blow Up's Exclusive Blend Volume 3. A rue-rocking comp of hits, highlights and secoueur de jambe trawled from the vaults of France's Telemusic library, that includes this free-wheeling pépite from Bernard Estardy.
Hurrah for bank holidays and short weeks – in fact, I’m getting in the mood of the moment by giving myself the day off and handing over to Budd Schifrin – who has kindly rattled up an 8 track mix of the zingingest, swingingest selections, as free and easy as a Riveria affair. You can catch all of Budd’s mixes and imagined soundtracks at his blog… Jazz, Funk, Lounge and Library grooves.
Hi! I started my blog in February and this is now my 20th post. The posts relate to my love of jazz, funk, soundtrack, Latin and lounge/library grooves. All have a theme (such as cinematic vocals, electric piano, wah wah Latin grooves, mellow flute etc). When I was asked by Mondo to do a Funky Friday guest spot how could I refuse! I have been following his blog for some time and dig the mix of music and commentary.
For the mix, I have tried to give you a taste of each comp I have done so far (groovy or cinematic vocals, lounge/easy and soundtrack grooves). The theme which links them is ‘time’. (I am a bit obsessive when it comes to this topic being an avid vintage watch collector!)
The first track ‘Funky, how time can change the meaning of the word’ is a hilarious look at what ‘funky’ is/was! The next track ‘Holiday Time’ is a funky mellow lounge classic! It’s performed by Hildegard Knef. If you like this saucy German vocal then look out for the tracks ‘Berlin’ by Heidi Bruhl and ‘Easy Evil’ by Frits Kaatee and Jeanette Corde. However, if you’re not fond of ‘Ze German’ accent (Heaven forbid!), then try the Gian Franco Pienzio tune on my recent ‘Piano Party 2’ comp. It has a similar (but instrumental) vibe to ‘Holiday Time’. The next two tracks , ‘There was a Time’ and ‘Injury Time’ are great piano and sax tunes.
‘Time on my Hands’ is a beautiful cinematic vocal. It feels contemporary, like Tracy Thorn from Everything but the Girl could have sung it. I never would have thought it came from 1972!
Next up is ‘Time’ by the Ju-Par Universal Orchestra. It’s a wonderful breezy vocal track, funky and easy. ‘Time to Love’ is a gentle flute gem with great orchestrations. Finally, ‘A moment in Time’ ends the mix with a great summer sounding orchestral tune with wah wah guitar!
I hope you enjoy the mix, remember - we have all the time in the world!!
Following in the tradition of festive specials Piley and I bring you a bumper edition for the Christmas Podrophenia : 10 tinsel tunes, 8 celebrity messages (can you spot them all) and 2 special guests as Marmite Boy and Coops join us for a sleigh ride through cyberspace..
Brian Setzer, Sufjan Stevens, Shonen Knife and Barbara Streisand are a few of the tunes hand-picked for the playlist. While in other news there's a cracker consumer test, possibly the most miserable Christmas song ever, retromania with Burley aftershave, Ronco adverts and Avon Boosters. A Wood Watch update and find out which one of us has, ermm, 'fiddler's fingers' ~ I say!
It's perhaps rowdier than our usual poddies as assorted other halves, 2 Mini-Mondo's and 1 Tiny Piley add some background clatter to the goings on ..
Serving suggestion - play it while you're writing or delivering cards, wrapping prezzies, enjoying a glass of egg nog (what is egg nog?) or trimming the tree. Whatever you're doing fill your boots and raise a glass ~ or is it fill a glass and raise your boots? ~ for Christmas.
I'm dedicating this post to the memory of Guitar Hero Number One - Les Paul 1915-2009
104 weeks in the muddling making, 327 posts in the posting, more tracks and typos than I care to count and 2 DMCA takedowns all add up to one piece of Mondo-shaped bloggery and cyberspace scrapbooking that passes it's two year mark tomorrow.
For my first anniversary, I made this mix of goodies gathered from other blogger's blogs. But this year, and I guess you could call it an indulgence ("it's an indulgence" they chorused)I've harvested and hand picked a few scraps and selections (as well several nuggs I've been meaning to blog) from my own online allotment, sonic pantry and various guest mixes which you may have missed and blended them into a minty fresh mix 'Two's Next'
So a thank you goes out to all old pals, new chums, long-haulers, regular readers, chippers in, commenters, blog-rollers, Feedburner subscribers and those silent anonobods who peep but never speak - so let's raise a glass and here's to another year.. Two's Next Mix
Gimme Shelter - Merry Clayton The Sunshine Of Your Love - Spanky Wilson Maggie's Farm - Solomon Burke He Don't Love You (And He'll Break Your Heart) - Levon & The Hawks Cruisin' - Herbie Goins & The Nightimers Lay This Burden Down - Mary Love I Surrender - Bonny St. Claire Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - The Funk Brothers Reach Out I'll Be There - Lee Moses The Day Will Come Between Sunday & Monday - Kiki Dee So Called Loving - David Essex Stop Breaking My Heart - Tom Jones Walk A Mile In My Shoes - Brenda Lee Soul Thing - The Keith Mansfield Orchestra Word to the Mic - DJ BC Ticket To Ride - The Fifth Dimension Soul City - Jean Jacques Perrey Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas - Brigitte Bardot A Shot In The Dark - The Joe Loss Orchestra I'm A Man - Wynder K. Frog Mary Mary - The Strangers Midnight To Six Man - The Pretty Things Get Out Your Rock And Roll Shoes - Crocheted Doughnut Ring Hey Hey Bunny - Los Gatos Negros Like a Rolling Stone - The Soup Greens Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler - Wild Billy Childish And The Blackhands Soul Town - The Motherhood Did you know? The 'Planet' in PM is taken from a New York Dolls song. I wanted to use Mondo as a blog title, but couldn't seem to team it with anything until Lonely Planet Boy by the Dolls popped into play. Bingo! PS - Word Mag readers, see if you can spot me on this month's letters page
Stardate 1968 - Ken Pitt, David Bowie's manager of the time, had become aware of sizeable hit 'Comme d'Habitude' doing brisk business in France. Anticipating that an English language version could provide Bowie with a much needed breakthrough, got him to refit the lyrics and demo the song.However Pitt had been pipped to the rights by Paul Anka who had recently rescripted for the song for Sinatra as 'My Way'.
Bowie's recording titled 'Even A Fool Learns To Love' remains unreleased, although some years later Bowie responsed to the incident by writing his own 'My Way' inspired torch tune - 'Life On Mars'.
Given this then, it's not too much of a stretch to see how the song became a cover in the Streisand songbook - where she pretty much sticks to the script, but on the moments she does wander off on a warble (2:20 onwards) - it works. Barbra Streisand - Life On Mars
If you were wondering where's Captain Kirk (geddit) during Friday's post - he's here, public speaking Pulp's anthem for the average into a pulse-pumping peasant's revolt.
Well I’m off t’north for a few days break – between Holmfirth and Huddersfield in fact. So being the season when buds bloom and blossom and the sap starts to rise, thought it may be time to snapshot the outdoor action by way of a new Lazy Sunday mix ‘April Flowers’. Bedding together a sequence of sunny delights, spring breaks and chirpy numbers for your breezy listening pleasure
Telepopmusik - Genetic World Moderato - Him Danmass - Happy Here (Vocal Edit) Abraham - Magpie Kinobe - Grass Roots Horizon Evolved Monkey - Naked Lady Josh Rouse - Under Your Charms Kevin Ayers - May I The Noveltones - Left Bank 2 The Frank Cunimondo Trio - We've Only Just Began Piero Piccioni - L'italia Vista Saint Etienne - Sun In My Morning Mother Earth - Apple Green Lennie Hibbert - Village Soul Norma White & Brentford Disco Set - I Want Your Love Bill Cosby - No One Can Love Arty Fufkin - All I Need's A Smile (Lily Allen vs Air) Go Home Productions - Marvins Not In Love (Marvin Gaye vs 10CC) Jellyfish - Russian Hill XTC - Chalkhills And Children
See you in a week's time or thereabouts, and I’ll leave with you two other seasonal sounding nugg’s..
The Wolfmen Nothing To Say (Moulder Monitor Mix) A softly wafting version of the original - you can catch the full basket of Wolfie alt.versions here – including one by ex-Ants producer Merrick/Chris Hughes and Depeche/Numan/Bloody Valentine mixer Alan Moulder
Evolved Monkeys - Like The Tsunami Something loose and luscious from the Evomons – mixing the taste of sunshine honeycomb harmonies with the Tao of Bruce Lee
A few months after we'd moved in together, Mrs PM and I bought a soft top 'Jeep' - not a real Jeep you understand - no, no a Romanian version - the Dacia Duster 'Roadster'. Sleek as breezeblock, and tough as a Tonka Toy. Spring and summer weekends were spent spinning around country lanes with the roof off, and pitching a tent somewhere rural. Although the Roadster could be hopelessly unreliable to the point of near fatality, and any sunny fun was always tempered by moments like: screaming down a hillside in the Brecon Beacons, a lead-foot on the brakes, the smell of steaming brake pads,and no slow down as a high altitude hairpin bend blurs towards you.
A handful of top-off tunes soundtracking our Duster days came from Corduroy's debut album Dad Man Cat, and if there's any track completely that captures the swing of spring it's.....
Or this from the first Frank album I picked up - Sinatra at the Sands. Arrangments by Quincy Jones, and backed by The Count Basie Orchestra.. it is for me, still the definitive Sinatra performance.. Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young (live at the Sands)
Remember the 1972 smasher 'Popcorn' by Hot Butter - a track that galloped along at the speed of the space race, sounding like Donna Summer on Skylab, Cosmonaut pop and the future unfolding around your very ears.
Well, did you know it was actually a cover? A cover of a track already three years old, and taken from Gershon Kingsley's 1969 album 'Music To Moog By'...
Never one to miss a contemporary pop-trick (like the local Marching Militaire, or Brass Band that screech out refits of cinematic hits) Herp Alpert, had himself a wallop at Popcorn
Goodbye to bubbling, fat analogue sounds, sine waves and Moogadoodledoo . Hello to the soothing muted toot of the Tijuana Brass, the tropical lapping of steel drums and the soft plod of xylophonic pop...
Both varieties are below - so, why not try a taste test and see which you flavour you favour...
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