Funky Friday - Queen Of Soul

I really haven't got anywhere near as much Aretha as I should - so any tip offs, starting points and must have recommendations would be welcome.

'I Say A Little Prayer'
This has to be the most beltingest version of the Bacharach/David classic - where other readings drift dreamily along, Aretha's sensual celebratery take swishes, swoops, swings and has me bending at the knee and bulging at the eye everytime. Absolutely stunning - Listen out for the Gospel style 'call and response' touches on the "forever and ever" section

Magic moments are...

The spiralling "do" - 1:31
The bellowing "EVER, YEAH " - 1:46
The soaring "one" 2:10




'I Say A Little Prayer' was recorded for Aretha's appearance on the Tom Jones Show ( the highlights of Tom's sixties shows are available on DVD), where Tom and Aretha also tuck into a couple of dynamic duets and put the needles in the red with their super seismic lungbusting.

Tom Jones and Aretha Franklin - 'See Saw'


And finally a few nuggets...

Aretha Franklin - You Keep Me Hanging On (outtake)




Since You've Been Gone.mp3



An extra special salute goes out to Vince at Fufu Stew for this track..

Tighten Up Your Tie, Button Up Your Jacket (Make It For The Door.mp3

Pogo At The Disco

More evidence that a Punk and Disco combo can work as well as sweet and sour.

Go Home Productions - You Make Me Feel Like XTC.



Yes - that really is Steve (Sex Pistol) Jones and Olivia (sex symbol) Newton John.

No - It hasn't been Photoshopped.

Pop Fact - XTC's name for this generic Disco cymbal sound was 'Pea Soup'

Marco Solo

Yes boys, girls, bloggers and bloggettes - Mr Marco Pirroni formerly of The Models, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and The Ants and currently starring in his new project The Wolfmen will be appearing here - right here on the Planet Mondo blog next week - where we'll be discussing...

How do you promote a new band in the 21st Century?
What is the connection between Slade and The Wolfmen?
Were there any 'guilty pleasures' at the height of the Punk wars?

That's next week, but in the meantime why not lend an ear to one of their tunes

The Wolfmen - While London Sleeps


Or an eye to one of their sites...

The Wolfmen official website
The Wolfmen on Myspace

I was lucky enough to catch The Wolfmen's blistering debut gig at the Islington Academy last November, which you can read about here or have peep at here...

Funky Friday - French Fancies

C'est magnifique! - it doesn't get more glam than Brigitte Bardot.



Crème brûlée ! - it doesn't get more French than Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg cosying up on 'Bernie and Clyde'



La sauce est tout! - there's a bit more Bardot here if you fancy getting on the pied bon.

'St.Tropez' is probably better known as the theme from Channel Four's 'Eurotrash'

Brigitte Bardot - St. Tropez.mp3


Brigitte Bardot - Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas.mp3


Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg Bonnie and Clyde.mp3

Electric Blue

Of course Valentine's day is all about celebrating smoochy, smoochy kissy kissyness with some swoony tunes. But, what about the cheeky,sneaky,slinky moments of fun and tumbles too...

Here's a twenty minute minimix of saucy Romp 'n' Roll especially for clinks and clinches on Valentine's Day.

Tracklist
Agent Provocateur - Chinese Girl
Mylo – Muscle Car
Ethan -In My Heart(instrumental edit)
The "O" Medley / Silverscreen Shower Scene – (Soulwax Mix)
Felix Da Housecat - Choochie Coo
Mount Sims - Good Service
Peaches - I U She

Electric Blue - Mondo Minimix.mp3



L'il Louis - French Kiss.mp3



If you fancy something less full and fruity, why not pop on over to Channel Mondo where the mood is more Pepe Le Pew

Blue Monday - Johnny Adams

Had a hard week and a heavy weekend? Overdone the sipping and stodging?
Don't worry Johnny Adams is here with his soaraway Soul to soothe those jangled nerves.

Johnny Adams - Reconsider Me.mp3

Funky Friday - Kung Funk Kapow

If you were around (read - growing up) in the seventies, you'll remember the high flying, knuckle busting Kung Fu,Karate and Martial Arts explosion in the aftermath of Bruce Lee and 'Enter The Dragon'. Board breaking, neck chopping imagery was everywhere - from the Karate girls in 'The Man with the Golden Gun', the 'Kung Fu' TV series, Marvel comics characters like 'Iron Fist', and 'Karate Kid' in Whizzer and Chips to Kung Fu Crisps and pyjamas styled like 'Shang Chi Master of Kung Fu.'. So as it's the start of the Chinese New Year why not tuck in to some treats from this funky buffet, straight from the chop socky seventies.

If you're still hungry for more head over to Fu Fu Stu, where red hot Soul sizzlers and mixes are always on the menu.

'Enter The Dragon' Trailer


Jim Lee followed up his 'Enter The Dragon' role with the head cracking 'Black Belt Jones'

'Black Belt Jones' intro


Fleamarket Funk has a super duper Dennis Coffey rework of the 'Enter The Dragon' theme for download

And Lalo Schifrin's original score is a widescreen winner.
Enter The Dragon.mp3



Finally an early proto Acid Jazz track from 1974 that snapshots the Bruce Lee/Jim Lee period as perfectly as a Polaroid.

100% Pure Poison - Windy C.mp3

Mid Week Mashup - Soundhog

If Mark Vidler/GHP is the Mozart of mashups, then Soundhog is the Beethoven of bootleg remixes, with a darker dynamic to his fast and furious bastard pop.

This 8 minute extract from his 'Superchunk' mix is a collection of component parts that really shouldn't fit together, but have been pieced into pick n' mix musical mosiac so stunning that it outshines any of the originals. The shift from Destiny's Child/'Old Grey Whistle Test' theme to Liberty X by way of Primal Scream and onto Breakbeats backing the retro riff from 'John Craven's Newsround' is pure mashup magic.

Here's the track list for this clip

Area Code 615 - Stone Fox Chase
Destiny's Child - Bootylicious
Primal Scream - Loaded
Liberty X - Got To Have Your Love
Donovan - Barabajagl
Elizabeth Knight - excerpt from 'How To Give Yourself A Stereo Checkout'
John Baker (BBC Radiophonic Workshop) - New Worlds
Martin Rushent - excerpt from 1985 'Micro File' interview
Renegade Soundwave - Biting My Nails

Here's the track

Radio Soundhog Vol.2 - The Superchunk (extract)



The full unedited Radio Soundhog Vol.2 - The Superchunk is here

Soundhog's website has a walloping load of goodies, greatest hits, mix tapes and various radio sessions. So get on over and fill your booties.

Electro And Retro At Blow Up Metro

What a tip top night at Blow Up on Saturday..

The mighty Baltic Fleet - with their walloping wall of synth sounds - like Bowie's 'Berlin' period meets Boards of Canada pumped on Red Bull.

The shiny new Silvery and those infectious high octane hurdy-gurdy anthems.

The funktastic Bongolian dishing up non stop grooveadelic delights.

And ....I even got to spin a few winners between the bands. Marvellous.
A couple of the tracks I was hoping to fire up, never quite made it - so here they are now.

I'd had 'Hard Luck (Again') lined up in my head to play but because of a momentary memory meltdown thought it was called 'Billy's Third' and fired that up by mistake. Whoops.

The Undertones - Hard Luck (Again).mp3



And this little winner was lined up for later, but it turned out to be too scratched to play. Ooops.
Albert King - Cookin' Catfish.mp3


Umm the above link seems to be dead - probably worn out from being downloaded 7500 times - so here's a working one

Funky Friday - Funky Music, Funky Moves

Blimey O'Riley, it seems like a lifetime since we got on the good foot here on Planet Mondo, but there's plenty of tasty treats on offer today.

Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings franticly funky rework of - 'I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)' - orginally a Psych Rock groover by the First Edition featuring Kenny Rogers - set to a display of spectacular fruggery.

A crazy ace clip of the First Edition, performing 'Condition' with Kenny Rogers looking for all the world like a gripping hands Action Man.

And a stunning bass masterclass, with a home made vid' of a 'have a go hero' playing the bassline along to MVP's Northern Soul stomper 'Turning My Heartbeat Up. If you don't know 'Heartbeat', it's a simmering starter that goes through the gears to an eventual giddy tizz and fireworks finale. I'd never noticed the bass run on 'Heartbeat' until watching this clip, seeing it in almost isolation is stunning.

If you've only got time for one clip, to quote James Brown "please, please, please" watch the bass vid.



In the mood to bust some moves like these? Then get on over James Brown dance class here at the marvellous Landcroft House blog.


Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).mp3


Doesn't Kenny Rogers looking like one of these ?.


The First Edition - I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).mp3


I really could watch this all day.


The MVP's - Turning My Heartbeat Up.mp3

There's also some footage of a Northern Soul dancer set to 'Heartbeat'
here but I find the over use of slo-mo doesn't really suit the mood.