Cocktails and Records

Timebox
Soul Sauce

Yes, after a period of laziness and well, just not listening to anything remotely suitable for the slot, Song of the Week is back.

Back with a 60s Southport take on a Latin jazz tune by Cal Tjader. If you listen to the music and ignore the photo above, you won’t be surprised to know that Timebox had a residency at the Whisky A Go-Go in 1965 and were an  trendy mod group for five seconds. They supported The Small Faces and even almost had a hit with their version of Beggin’.

All up, they didn’t have much success and other than a handful of Northern sound-a-like stompers and pretty psych rip-offs they er … weren’t all that great actually. But this is pretty catchy. Really.

‘Soul Sauce’, Timebox, 1967 from Beggin’ 1967-1969: the Sound of London’s Mod/Club Scene

And you can hear more of Timebox over at Left and to the Back

Orriel Smith
Tiffany Glass

I strongly suspect that several regular readers will already own this piece of ‘fuzzy felt folk’, but it seems to fit the icy weather and the glacial mood that I am in.

And shock discovery for the day: did you know that Orriel Smith now uses her exquisite soprano to record albums of er, operatic chicken impersonations?

I love this world.

‘Tiffany Glass’, Orriel Smith from ‘Now we are Ten’, Trunk Records, 2006 but originally released as a single in 1968.

Kay Martin and Her Body Guards
The Horizontal Twist

Yes, it’s time for my yearly concession to Christmas. May this er, sleazy little number by Kay Martin (who is apparently not featured on the cover of the album from which the track is from) put a festive spring in your stride. And if that’s not enough, you can just re-listen to last year’s selection.

Merry Christmas everyone and see you on the other side.

 ‘The Horizontal Twist’, Kay Martin and Her Body Guards, 1962

Loretta Lynn
One’s on the Way

I don’t have much to say about this fabulous tune other than:

1. contraception is a wonderful thing
2. you can’t beat a bit of pedal steel guitar 
3. Loretta Lynn was the first lady of country.

‘One’s on the Way’, Loretta Lynn, 1971

No, it’s not just one song this week, it’s a suite!

But they’re not here. They’re over at Planet Mondo’s - who has been foolish kind enough to offer me a guest spot this Funky Friday.

So get over there now, and as the good man himself would say, fill your boots.

Steve Reich / Pat Metheny
Electric Counterpoint

So after dining with June Brown/Dot Cotton we went over to the Royal Festival Hall for a dose of hypnotic, shimmering and mind bending genius from composer/musician Steve Reich with Bang on a Can and the London Sinfonietta.

Considering that Steve Reich was responsible for one of the best gigs I have ever been to in my life at the Barbican a few years back, I approached with some trepidation – would he deliver? Could he possibly be as good as last time? Could he heck. The man is a legend.

The centrepiece of the gig was the 58 minute long ‘Music for 18 Musicians’, a pulsating experiment in phasing and rhythm. Fortunately for you, I don’t have 58 minutes of web space so I’m sharing instead one of my favourite shorter pieces by Steve Reich, ‘Electric Counterpoint’.

Steve Reich originally composed this piece for Pat Metheny in 1987 and the track is made up of 11 layered guitar parts and 2 bass (beat that 10cc). Guitarist Mark Stewart played ‘Electric Counterpoint’ on Saturday night and I cannot tell you just how good one man and 12 tracks on a hard drive can sound live.

I suspect that some readers may be put off by the thought of ‘contemporary classical’ but if you are in any way a fan of Brian Eno, Mike Oldfield, The Orb or any other ambient chancers, then you need to listen to this.

‘Electric Counterpoint’, 1st movement: Fast, Pat Metheny, 1987

Stephen Duffy
Wednesday Jones (dixie)

This track is from a compilation of  Stephen Duffy tunes from that decidedly odd period in his career where he insisted on being known as ‘Tin Tin’.

The self-penned liner notes tell the sorry tale of young Stephen: 19 year old manages to leave soon to be mega-famous band (Duran Duran) at precisely the wrong moment, but writes catchy song in bedroom (’Kiss Me’), it’s good and gets him attention and Madonna likes it too, it goes to the top of the charts and he goes on Top of the Pops, he’s the next bright young thing and great things are expected with that brand spanking new three album deal (for Virgin/10), they’re wanting some more chart topping synth-pop gold and er, he comes up with this. Needless to say, the record company don’t like it. And neither do the record-buying public. In fact, they don’t seem to like anything he does. Stephen describes these early pre-Lilac Time efforts as ‘the years I tried to forget’.

And he’s right, we probably should forget most of it – except this strange little number, because it’s actually a great pop tune in a perverse kind of way.

‘Wednesday Jones’, Stephen Duffy, 1986 from They Called Him Tin Tin

Colin Blunstone
Say You Don’t Mind

You all probably know this lovely tune written by Denny Laine, but I’d completely forgotten its existence till I heard it one disturbingly early morning on the radio recently. Let me tell you, Colin Blunstone’s distinctive, wistful voice combined with those fantastic string arrangements create a melancholy mood which is perfect for chilly, pre-dawn still autumn mornings. Not that I recommend that you test that out for yourself obviously.

‘Say You Don’t Mind’, Colin Blunstone, 1972

France Gall
Jazz à Gogo

After too many days in internet hell, both at work and at home, I am giving in and leaving it all behind. Well, for a week or two anyway.

And what better way to mark an imminent trip to France than with a bit of 60s cool from France Gall. From her light skimming vocals to some seriously frantic skatting, this is the fab jazzy 60s pop you probably didn’t know she was capable of. Forget Eurovision and ‘Poupée de cire, poupée de son’, c’est du jazz à gogo!

Right, I’m off to Nikwax my walking boots. See you in a few weeks.

‘Jazz à Gogo’, France Gall, 1964

Lou Christie
Lightnin’ Strikes

On the weekend I found a bit of paper on the dresser with a name and song title hastily scrawled across it. This isn’t unusual as I often leave myself notes if I’ve heard something particularly good on the radio, but this time my main thoughts were ‘Lou Christie? Who?? What on earth is this?’

Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, I tracked the song down and bang, of course remembered straight away. ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’ was on Sound of the Sixties one morning on Radio 2, a sunny Saturday morning where I sat on the edge of the bed, doing nothing, just staring delightedly out window being sucked in by that chorus.

I can’t believe that I hadn’t heard ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’ before (it was a big hit), let alone forgotten hearing it that morning.

Thank heavens for little bits of paper.

‘Lightnin’ Strikes’, Lou Christie, 1965