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 mix is below if you fancy hopping onboard

Mondo internationale

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

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

Mellow Monday - Jackie Mittoo

Mellow - but on the bright side of blue, and just the thing for a blazing hangover

For all we Know



Alone Again Naturally



Telstar



Followed by a 'hair of the dog' down at the Rovers

corrie (not Jackie Mittoo)

There's some uptown uptempo Jackie Mittoo here

And as a late addition here JM's downtempo dub version of.....

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Funky Friday - One Brain

Well it could have gone several ways today...

Funky Drummers or Keyboard Kings - but in the end it had to be Eno a Go Go, as my sparky crackle and buzz for eighties electrickery seems finally, to be earthing itself.


And also the fact that I just haven't been able to shake off these two tunes this week. So the only way to really excorcise them (just like the 'Jezebel Spirit') is to cast them out and log them in the blog.


Ali Click (The Grid Trance Mix-Long)

Of the six remixes backing Eno's early nineties single 'Ali Click', this is the best of breed, with Eno's spitfire-syllable tongue twister lyrics being spliced into a spluttering stutterguts staccato attack then set against a non stop stomper of deep space dark arts dance grooves and mewing moogs - it's like R2 D2 DJing on the Death Star..

Ali Click (Trance Mix-Long)



Strong Flashes Of Light

'Strong Flashes' highlights just how invaluable Eno was as a sonic stylist for the Talking Heads ( as the soundscapes got bigger so did the suits ) only the Professor Pat Pending of pop could take a two chord turnaround then re spray and layer it with waves of phase into a shimmering synth shuffle that's all angular clang, chattering typewriter rhythms, bubbling barking bass and jerky New York new wave funk..

Strong Flashes Of Light


Strangely but not surprisingly (it is Eno after all) both of these tracks only ever achieved B side and outtake status

If you fancy something for stress down Friday, why not flick over to the other side for a gorgeous Eno synthy soother..

"Brian's mood is gradually changing. He orders all his friends into another room, closes the door, he sits alone on the wooden floor, visible only by the dim light shining from the bathroom. He talks to himself." Ali Click - ( Trance Mix - Long )