Artist: Delia Derbyshire & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop; Title: Dr. Who (Theme); Label: Decca; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: F.11837; Year: 1964; Country: UK.
Today's post celebrates the unsung genius of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - namely the late, great Delia Derbyshire, and the one tune that's indelibly linked & associated with her - namely the "Doctor Who" theme. And quite apt as the second half of the current series gets underway at the end of the month - 27th August according to the Facebook Doctor Who page. BBC One in the UK, and BBC America in the US.
Released on Decca in 1964 this still has to be one of innovative (as well as most recognizable) TV themes created - and one the first to be done through electronic means. Composer Ron Grainer's reaction was such for him to attempt to get Delia credited as co-composer, only to fall foul of BBC policy of not allowing company employees to profit from their creations, and the attitude of keeping the actual members of the Workshop effectively anonymous. (The other classic case in terms of Doctor Who being the designer behind the look of the Daleks Raymond Cuisick.)
Vinyl trivia for the B Side - as it features a Bert Berns produced (done whilst supervising the sessions for Them perhaps?) version of "This Can't Be Love" by Brenda & Johnny. Who were...?
Next up is the 1973 reissue of the "Doctor Who" theme - this time in stereo on the BBC's own label - RESL 11, and which this time does give the 'Realised by Delia Derbyshire' credit on the label (and on the 1976 reissue of this actually credited on the sleeve. Although somewhat ironic as she'd left the BBC by this point. The flip side of the has "Reg" composed and performed by Paddy Kingland - who fufilled a similar in the 70's at the Radiophonic Workshop as Delia had done in the 60's.
Valuewise - you're looking at £30 for a mint copy of the original Decca issue, £10 for the 1st issue of the BBC version in the Tardis picture sleeve, and £6 for the 1976 reissue in its picture sleeve.
Kind of sticking my neck out on this one a little bit - but if I'm wrong then so be it! Today's post is this 1963 EP from la belle Francoise. The lead track is "L'Amour S'En Va" ('Love Goes Away' for the non-french speakers out there) and is the song that she sung when she represented Monaco in that year's Eurovision song contest, and the thing that stands out is that her voice is stronger with the jazz-flavoured backing and production of Marcel Hendrix. Good, but not as excellent as the subsequent UK recorded material with Charles Blackwell - which Francoise rates as her best work of the 1960s. Side One's rounded off with "Je Pense A Lui" - English title 'Wonderful Dream' and again with the french translation penned by FH herself.
Side Two opens with the track that's the focus for this post - the excellent "L'Amour D'Un Garcon". Written by Bacharach and David as 'The Love Of A Boy' and released by Dionne Warwick (B Side to her 2nd single issue in the UK on Pye International) this version sounds like Francoise's being very close attention to the work of The Shirelles, and her phrasing is pure Shirley Owens (lead Shirelle). And here's my problem - after doing some digging I'm unable to come across a released Shirelles version of it - so whether they only cut a publishers demo, which Francoise subsequently heard (which would be ironic as Dionne Warwick famously started out doing demos for the bulk of Burt & Hal's tunes) is the best solution I can come up. The last track on the EP is a Francoise original "Comme Tant D'Autres".
Artist: Billy Bragg; Title: St. Swithin's Day/Between The Wars; Label: Go! Discs; Cat. No.:107 067; Year: 1984; Country: Germany.
Didn't realize until I heard it on the radio this morning that today is St Swithin's Day - and suddenly remembered I had the song of the same name in the collection. So here it is - as today's post.
This 1984 german 45 is the first one the Bard of Barking Billy Bragg put out as a single (UK record buyers would have to wait for the 'Between The Wars' EP issued later in the year). The song come his 2nd LP 'Brewing Up With Billy Bragg', and is a great poignant love song, and drawing on the fokelore tradition on what the weather will do for next 40 days dependent on how it is on 15th of July. Listened to this just before writing this and it still holds up as a great tune - just shows what you can do with only a voice and a guitar - and I remember during the mid 80's just how bad music had gotten with yer Spandau Ballet, and the over produced PWL drivel. Then this comes along like a complete (and very well needed) breath of fresh air.
The flip side is the Billy Bragg anthem that is "A New England", and comes from his 1983 debut "Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy". I'd always found that title sliughtly puzzling till I read in an interview that it was the name he did his first solo gigs under after having got out of the army. The song was of course a hit for the late great Kirsty McColl - and had an extra verse written for her to bring it up to the 3 minute mark; and in the process making it more radio friendly. And it didn't do Billy Bragg's career any harm either!
Artist: The Temptations. Title: "Check Yourself"; Label: Miracle; Cat. No.: MIR 12; Year: 1961; Country: US.
Today I'm featuring this 1961 single from the Temptations issued on the short-lived Motown subsidiary Miracle. The label issued 12 single during it's lifetime stating with Jimmy Ruffin's 'Don't Feel Sorry For Me' - MIR 1, and ending with this one - MIR 12. The label wasn't scapped, but it's changed to name mainly to avoid confusion with Smokey's group to that which most music fans will be immediately familiar with - Gordy.
The A Side "Check Yourself" is very much in the style of the time - with traces of doo-wop, and showing the influences of the period - specifically the Drifters, and was the Temptations 2nd issued single (their first being 'Oh, Mother Of Mine' c/w 'Romance Without Finance' - Miracle MIR 5), and also pretty well as a N Soul tune. It's pretty much the same story with the flip side - "Your Wonderful Love". Which seems to have more of a proto-Soul feel to it. And again highlighting the impact of the Drifters, alongside that of Jackie Wilson too - not too surprising considering Berry Gordy's connection to the latter.
Have to say a big thanks to Soulful Kinda Music for their exhaustive discographies which were invaluable in checking/confirming the info on release dates and catalogue numbers - and a site well worth visiting in its own right:- http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net
Artist: The Beatles; Title: "Eleanor Rigby"; Label Parlophone; Cat. No.: R 5493; Year: 1976; Country: UK
Couple of Beatle curios for today's post. First up this "Gold" disc of the 1976 reissue of "Eleanor Rigby"/"Yellow Submarine". Which some enterprising soul decided to take a standard copy of this single and paint it gold. Still plays fine, and the reason for buying it was that it caught my eye - and as I seem to remember I only paid a fiver for it Reddington's Rare Records in Brum, when they were directly opposite Moor Street Station back in the mid 80's.
Artist: The Beatles; Title: "Love Me Do"; Label: Parlophone; Cat. No.: R4949; Year: 1982; Country: Ireland
The second disc featured today is this Irish issued copy of "Love Me Do" which I found in Dublin a few years back. The thing that immediately caught my eye is that label design is based on that used for the Beatles LPs issued in the UK from the late 70's through to the early 80's. That, and the publishing's credited to McCartney's company MPL Communications Ltd. I'm guessing this is the Irish equivalent of the 20th Anniversary release - although if anyone knows different then feel free to get in touch! And valuewise - £5 at a guess.
Been a bit since I posted on the blog - job-hunting if you must know. Still looking, so anyone out the blog-shere based in and around Manchester/UK Northwest looking for someone with a semi-encylopaedic knowledge of music then I'm available - contactable via the email here, and via Facebook!
Artist: The Miracles. Title: Bad Girl. Label: Chess. Cat. No. : 1734. Year: 1966.
Today's post is hails from the embryonic days of Motown - The Miracles "Bad Girl" released in 1959 on both Motown and Chess. The main reason being that like Barrett Strong's 'Money', Berry Gordy's fledgling label was unable to cope with the potential demand - hence the deals with other labels who could distribute over a wider area, rather than just the local areas; in the case of the Barrett Strong track via Anna records - run by the then Mrs Marvin Gaye - and in the case of this Miracles tune - via Chess. Catalogue for those interested on the original Motown 45 only issued locally to the Detroit area was G1 (or with money to burn at a N. Soul auction/record fair/ebay auction) or on the Chess version 1734, which they reissued in 1966 - which this pressing is, and worth around the £20 mark the last time I checked.
Songwise with "Bad Girl" what you get is the that point where Doo-Wop/R'n'B is making that transition into what we'd now regard as Soul - Smokey here co-writing with Berry Gordy - and subjectwise the guy's having his heart broken, but still trying to man enough about it so that the hurt doesn't show - at least too much!
The flip side is the rollicking "I Love You Baby" - again co-written by Smokey and Berry Gordy - and a fair hint of where Lennon and The Beatles drew a fair amount of their early influences/inspiration from. Of course it goes without saying - but it's going to be said anyway, that both of these sides are well worth checking out!
Artist: Sharon Tandy & The Feur De Lys. Titles: Stay With Me c/w Hold On. Label: Atlantic. Format: 7". Country: UK. Cat. No.: 584124. Year: 1967.
Double header from Sharon Tandy backed by The Fleur De Lys is today's subject. Released in 1967 on red label Atlantic (via Polydor) the A Side gives you a rather excellent version of the Jerry Ragovay penned "Stay With Me" - and what you get here is possibly the best reading of the song I've heard, and avoids overcooking things - which the Walker Brothers and original Lorraine Ellison version are guilty of. The flip side is an absolute belter - and the song Sharon Tandy's probably best associated with - "Hold On". It's absolutely cracking bit of Mod/Freakbeat/Psyche and features some amazing guitar work from Bryn Haworth - the song had previously been done by the Fleur De Lys under their other guise as Rupert's People - and issued as a single on EMI Columbia - DB 8226, and the difference in the lyrics on this version are mainly down to the band playing it from memory on the Sharon Tandy session. A mint copy of this is currently worth around the £50 mark.
The song was an european hit, and then reissued in the UK as the A Side on Atlantic 584219 in 1968 with the classic psyche/freakbeat Julie Driscol flavoured "Daughter Of The Sun" as the flip side. This is another bit amazing stuff - again check out the Bryn Haworth guitar work. Valuewise a mint copy of this will set you back around £100.
For further Sharon Tandy - your best bet is the Big Beat compiltation 'You Gotta Believe It's... Sharon Tandy' - which features all above mentioned tracks, and a lot more besides. And which I seriously recommend checking out!
Artist: Francoise Hardy. Titles: If You Listen, La Question. Format: LP. Country: France and US. Year:1971.
Slightly different format for this post - as there are 2 LPs I'm focussing on - both issued in (or around) 1971 by Francoise Hardy. Firstly the "If You Listen" album which is to date the last full English language set of songs she's released - which of course doesn't include the track with Blur (the 'La Comedie' full french and half french/half english version of 'To The End'), and 'Revenge of the Flowers' done with Malcolm McClaren. The album was recorded at Sound Techniques in London - the very same studios used by Nick Drake and others on Joe Boyd's Witchseason rosta, and features amongst others Richard Thompson playing on a number of tracks. Other connections include sound engineer Vic Gamm who worked alongside John Wood on the Nick Drake stuff. The highlight of the album for me has to be "Bown, Bown, Bown" - co-written by a pre-Foreigner Mick Brown, who was part of FH's studio band during this period, after having fulfilled a similar for Sylvie Vartan in the mid-60's. And what's great about it - apart from FH being in very fine form as you would expect - is that very Nick Drake-y vibe to the whole thing, especially with the interplay between the acoustic guitars and the Robert Kirby styled strings. There's a french version of this which appears of Francoise's subsequent 1972 LP 'Et Si Je M'en Vais Avant Toi' which I presume was recorded at the same time as the english version (as well as the Portugese version!). And in common with a lot of the stuff translated into french - Francoise does the honours herself - as she did with the Bacharach & David/Shirelles song 'The Love Of A Boy' amongst others back in the 60's. And if anyone was listening to BBC Radio 2 back in January you would have me talking about it on Michael Ball's 'Sunday Brunch' show before they played the song - a great way to get this wonderful song out there to the wider audience it deserves.
Despite what been said about this set on some other Francoise Hardy related blogs, I have to differ. As it's one of those albums that subtly hooks you and gently reels you in without your consciously realizing it. And it has some great tracks on it in addition to one already mentioned. Including 2 by Beverley Martin "Ocean" and the rather excellent "I Can't The One I Want", and 2 by Buffy St Marie:- "Until It's Time For You To Go" and "Take My Hand For A Little While". Add to the version of "The Garden of Jane Delawney", and an enderaring version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" - which pretty much follows the Dusty template. And to round things off an slightly quirky version of ole Shaky's "Till The Morning Comes".
Alternate Cover
La Question 45
The second FH LP is another personal fave from this period "La Question" done with the Brazillain female flamenco guitarist Tuca - and again a pretty superlative set.
What's most noticeable is the stripped down sound and arrangements of the songs - especially when compared to overdone/overcooked arrangements on FH's late 60's stuff - the worst offender I can think of being the 1968 'En Anglais' LP where you're struggling to hear the vocals over the sea of strings. This thankfully doesn't. The thing that immediately struck me when I first heard this (and still does) is that it's pretty apparent that FH had heard Nick Drake's stuff - and "Oui Je Dis Adieu" wouldn't sound out of place in either 'Five Leaves Left' or 'Bryter Layter'. And of it's generally thought to be the case that a joint project between Francoise and Nick Drake was in the planning stages when he died in 1974. (As to whether anything was recorded is a matter of conjecture for another post at another time.) The other highlights here have to "La Question" itself the albums opener "Viens" and "Bati Mon Nid".
Artist: The Velvet Underground. Title: White Heat (EP). Label: AEB. Format: 7"EP. Country: UK. Cat. No.: AEB 100. Year: 1976.
Today's platter under the spotlight is this 1976 EP from the Velvets - feat. 4 tracks that would later surface on the officially released 'VU' and 'Another View' LPs in the mid 80s - but here they are as they first appeared. And it's the first of the Velvet's records that I was intent on getting - in this case found in the Plastic Factory in Brum and which cost me about a fiver, if memory serves. The sleeve's one of those where you can spend sometime identifying/recognising who's on it - all 4 four Velvets plus Nico you can have for starters - the rest you can find for yourselves! Valuewise worth around the £20 mark with its condition.
Side One is devoted to the rather excellent "Foggy Notion" - and just goes to show that Lou Reed was capable writing something that didn't deal with the crash-life lifestyles on the habitutees of The Factory and approaches being a comparatively straight-forward pop song, and as such more akin the Velvets' third LP. Not surprising as it from the 1968/9 period and features Doug Yule in as replacement for John Cale.
Side Two opens up with "Temptation Inside Your Heart" which is that strange beast a Cale era Velvets' track that sounds like he and Lou Reed are actually having fun in the studio - which this tongue-in-cheek Motown/Martha & The Vandellas tribute is without a doubt - ironic because it's pretty much the last thing the Welsh One did with the Velvets' before being sacked by Reed. Next up is the delightfully quirky Mo Tucker showcase that is "I'm Sticking With You" - and I have to admit I prefer the slightly knackered sound quality here to the pristine quality on the officially released version on 'VU'. The final track is another good on in the shape of "Ferryboat Bill" - again from around 1969 and officially issued on the 'Another View' LP.
Today's post is request from erstwhile Playhawk drummer 'Ook the Duke, even though he has this vinyl platter under discussion today - Julian Cope's 1985 "Sunspots" taken from the slightly strange 'Fried' LP - and a fairly accurate description of the state of the Arch-Drude's brain cells around this period. The song itself is one one the more accessible tracks from the album, and only has hints of the somewhat frazzled state the listener found him in on the rest of the album - including the 'Fear' era John Cale style visceral angst that is 'Run Run Raynard'. And it really shouldn't come as any surprise that Mercury/Phonogram dropped him from their rosta - you can almost picture some record company exec fervently hoping that this time they'd get something that sounded more like The Teardrop Explodes - only for this to arrive and then weeping into his filofax in despair as a consequence. Back to the music - the flip side of the 1st single gives you the somewhat more tripped out mushroom-influenced 'I Went On Chourney'.
Record two has on it's A Side "Mik Mak Mok" - another trip through the frazzled brain of Mr Cope. The final track is the rather good "Land of Fear" - which would've have a great single in its own right. This is the second version recorded - the first/demo version can be found as the uncredited bonus track in the 'Sunshine Playroom' 12" where you can hear Star Wars starting/or finishing on the TV in the background. The 3rd is the final track on 1999's '20 Mothers' album.
After this Julian kinda sorted himself out and signed with Island - and in due course produced the outstanding 'Peggy Suicide', then parted company with them after some choice comments about Bono/U2 and a certain Axl Rose in particular. And now follows his own unique path which includes checking out a stone circles or other such neolithic sites or phenomena, delivering lectures on such and still releasing the occasional record when he feels like it.
Artist: The Circus. Title: I'll Always Love You. Label: Jambee. Fomat: 7". Country of Issue: US. Cat. No.: JP-1007. Year: 1960s.
Today's post features a hybrid genre I'm a bit of a fan Psychedellic N. Soul - and the choice today has to be the best example I can think of - The Circus' take on "I'll Always Love You", which Jock Mitchell in Scarborough put me onto, and then gave me the record the last time I saw him - thanks and much appreciated. I reckon this has to have been released around 1966 - though of course it could a year or so either side - but it certainly sounds like it's from '66. The arrangement sticks pretty close The Detroit Spinners original - apart of course from the fuzz guitar solo mid-through, and I did notice that the song's credited to Mickey Stevenson and I Turner - although the latter should be Ivy Jo Hunter. The only other Pysche/N. Soul crossover I can think of the Seeds' seminal 'Pushin' To Hard'.
The flip side of this Circus offering is "Away From This World" and is more straightforward beat/garage type track. And apart from the it's penned by Kevin Murphy and produced by Jordan Miller & Morrie Parker- that's pretty much all I've managed to find out about this single, although whether this the same Circus responsible for the full on Pysche/Garage wowness that is 'Bad Seed (You're A Bad Seed)' I'm not sure. Even a search on the excellent Garagehangover blog draws a blank. Though of course that's not going to stop from continuing to look - and if anyone out there has any additional info please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Artist: T.Rex. Title: 20th Century Boy. Label: T.Rex Wax Co./EMI. Format: 7". Country of Issue: UK. Cat. No.: MARC 4. Year; 1973.
A bumper batch on today's post - first up this 1973 offering from T.Rex. The A Side is the rather good "20th Century Boy" - and possibly his best known song at the present (revived to a great extent after being featured in a Levi's ad a few years back) - and posted as a thanks to the Playhawk boys who did a cracking version in their live set on Saturday night. The B Side gives you "Free Angel", which a okayish bit Glam Rock.
Artist: The Rolling Stones. Title: Satisfaction. Label: Decca. Format; 7". Country of Issue: Germany. Cat. No.: DL 25 000. Year: 1965.
Next up is this German pressing of the Stones classic - which I think I picked up in Brum about 5 years ago - only think to really add is that the title's shortened to just "Satisfaction" - rather the the longer 'I Can't Get No...'
The B Side is "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" is pretty much filler material - first surfacing on their 3rd LP 'Out Of Our Heads'. With Mick & Keith using their Nanker and Phelge psuedonyms for the writing credits.
Artist: The Rolling Stones. Title: Mother's Little Helper. Label: London. Format: 7". Country of Issue: Canada. Cat. No.: L.902. Year;1966.
Third up is this rather good Canadain double-header from the Stones - feat. 2 tracks from the 1966 'Aftermath' set. The A Side side serves up the album's opener the excellent "Mother's Little Helper" - just check out Brian Jones on what sounds like an electric sitatr, and the whole thing in general really!
The flip side is another piece of greatness in the form of "Lady Jane" - and don't for one moment let the tune lull you into a false sense of security, as one listen to the lyrics will leave in no uncertain terms as to the subject matter - class distinctions (which where still there to a level in the mid 60's - though rapidly crumbling fast, although it didn't stop the powers that be from trying to make an example of Mick & Keith).
Artist: Tyrannosaurus Rex. Title: Debora. Label: Old Gold. Format: 7". Country of issue: UK. Cat. No.: OG 9234. Year: 1982.
1982 reissue of these 2 tunes from Tyrannosaurus Rex - both originally issued in 1968 on the UK golden oldies Old Gold imprint. The A Side label would lead you to believe that is a reissue of the 1968 single from Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine-Took - but actually it isn't. What you get here is in fact the LP version from 'Prophets Seers & Sages' - which is the rerecorded and the palindromic retitled "Deboraarobed" - quite appropriate as the track is looped back itself half-way through. And good bit psyche-folk as good as anything the likes of the Incredible String Band or the original Nirvana produced around this period
The flip side is the 1968 version of "One Inch Rock" - itself rerecorded for the first T.Rex LP. Though that version is a lot rockier, as by that point Bolan had moved on from the Tolkien inspired pysche-folk of this period to that curious beast now known as Glam Rock.
Artist: Aretha Franklin. Title: La Casa Que Jack Construyo. Label: Atlantic-Hispa Vox. Format: 7". Country of origin/issue: Spain. Cat. No.: H - 364. Year; 1969.
Today's offering is this 1969 Spanish issued single from Aretha. The A Side gives you her version of the rather brilliant "The House That Jack Built"("La Casa Que Jack Construyo"), and until a fortnight ago I'd always assumed that this had been written specifically for Aretha. It wasn't. The original is by Thelma Jones - issued on Barry in the States in 1968 - and Soul City over here in the UK a year later (possibly as an attempt to cash in on the success of the Aretha version), and more funk based that the better known Aretha version.
The flip side gives another classic bit of Aretha in the form of "I Say A Little Prayer" - Spanish translation/title being "Rezo Una Pequena Oracion".
And of course the great thing about these european issues is that they come in picture sleeves - which UK singles didn't properly have until well into the 1970s - and the rear lists/shows the other Aretha Franklin 45s already issued in Spain up till that point.
Artist: Lou Johnson. Title: (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me. Label: London. Format: 7". Country of of issue/origin: UK. Cat. No.: HLX 9917. Year: 1964.
Today's dig from the collection spotlights this '64 offering from Lou Johnson. The A Side is the original version of "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" - and a UK hit for Sandie Shaw. The song was penned by Burt Bacharach & Hal David and (like most of their songs in the 60's) demoed by Dionne Warwick - whose own version was issued in 1968. The backing vocals are the so-called super sessioners - namely Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston, and you can certainly hear Doris Troy and Dee Warwick on this one. Bacharach was intent on pushing this version as a potential hit here in the UK even bringing Lou Johnson over to promote the song, only for it be gazumped by Sandie Shaw's manager Eve Taylor getting her signing's version out before the Johnson original - a practice common with UK acts issuing their cover before the US original versions. And guess who had the hit?
The flip side is a rather good N. Soul flavoured track in the shape of "Wouldn't That Be Something". Although not having quite the dancefloor impact of Lou Johnson's subsequent 'Unsatisfied' issued the following year, this is still a bit of good 'un. Valuewise, a mint copy of this is worth in the region of £25.
Artist: David Bowie. Title: Yassassin. Label: RCA Victor. Format: 7". Country of issue/origin: Netherlands. Cat. No.: PB-9417. Year: 1979.
Dutch issued single from Bowie's underrated 1979 LP 'The Lodger' and the last of the trio done with Brian Eno & which received pretty much zilch in the way of promotion from his record company (and one of the reasons Bowie gave from parting company with RCA in the early 80's). But perhaps RCA's decision was coloured by the shock reaction to the video for the lead single from the album 'Boys Keep Swinging'. The A Side is the rather good "Yassassin" - turkish for long live (in case you didn't know), and the best description is Turkish reggae. And inspired by Bowie's stint in the turkish quarter - Neukoln itself a track on the previous LP.
The flip side is the excellent "Repetition" and a very hard hitting song about the subject matter's shortcomings - Johnny. And Johnny's frustrations taken out on that person closest to him - his wife. No wonder then that the song became a favourite of the feminist new wave bands of the late 70's - The Au Pairs recorded a version on their '79 album and featured it in their live set.
Artist: David Bowie. Title: "Heroes". Label: RCA Victor. Cat. No.: 20629. Format: 7" EP. Year: 1977. Country of origin/issue: Australia.
Just in case anybody's wandered across this post thinking it may cricket related - I can confirm that this blog doesn't do sport - less o' course it's Liverpool stuffing Scumchester Utd 3-1 like they did on Sunday! Anyway... here's today post which features this Aussie EP from Bowie which gives three versions of the classic Eno co-written wowness that is "Heroes".
Side One kicks off the original English version. It's followed by "Heros" - which is the French version - and to be honest it's the least successful of the 3. Whether this was done as an oblique tribute to the bard of Brussels Jacques Brel (one of Bowie's own heroes/influences) I'm not sure.
Side two of the EP offers up the brilliant German version "Helden" which works the best - and here the influences are kind of obvious - Kraftwerk, plus Bowie was living in Berlin at the time - as you are no doubt aware! The proceedings are rounded off nicely with Bowie and Eno's tribute to the co-founder of said Kraftwerk Florian Schneider in the wonderful form of "V2-Schneider".
Today's offering from the vinyl vaults is this 1972 single from Marc Bolan - and a prime example of what happens when an artist gets famous. Namely their previous label shoves stuff out to capitalize on their former signing's new found fame (after getting a better deal from where they currently are) and in some cases (like here) issuing previously unleased stuff. The downside of which - as happened here also, is that the artist concerned and/or their current label then issues an injunction to stop said material from being issued - and in the process producing an instant collectors item. Especially if you happen to be called Marc Bolan.
These 3 tracks were produced by Marc Bolan's then manager Simon Napier-Bell, who was also in charge the Yardbirds - as well as nominally John's Children, and subsequently Wham in the 1980s. They date from around 1966 and just before Bolan was hooked up with John's Children, and before the band moved from Columbia to Track. The A Side gives you "Jasper C. Debussy" which was done with a full band and features Nicky Hopkins on piano. The flip side has Bolan solo on guitar and opens with his the single issued on Parlophone - the rather wonderful "Hippy Gumbo". It's followed by another bit of greatness in the form of "The Perfumed Garden Of Gulliver Smith".
This like the parent album - then titled 'Hard On Love' were scheduled for release in 1972 - before the plug was pulled by Bolan and EMI - the album eventually issued in '74 retitled 'Marc - The Beginning of the Doves'. But this single wasn't - and with the picture sleeve will set you back £50 for a mint copy. I got my copy for a fiver in Reddingtons old shop in Brum opposite Moor Street station, and initially thought it was issued in 1974 like the album - only to discover it was unreleased from 2 years earlier, and worth around the £25 as the sleeve's seen better days.
One thing to add - is who the hell (apart from Simon Napier-Bell and that bloke in Doncaster who runs the Marc Bolan appreciation society) thought it was a good idea to track these recordings an add new backing to them - and fucking them up in the process? Made the mistake of buying the 'You Scare Me To Death' single when it came out in 1981 and swapped it the next day in Woolies for I think the then current Siouxsie & The Banshees offering.
Artist: The Beatles. Title: Day Tripper. Label: Odeon. Format: 7" EP. Country: Spain. Cat. No.: DSOE 16.685. Year: 1966.
Today's offering is this 1966 Spanish issued EP from The Beatles. Side One opens up with Lennon's drug related/inspired "Day Tripper"; which was the top side of the original double A Side. And shows the boundaries being pushed both lyrically as well musically - just check out the guitar work in particular. Next up is what was the flip side on the original UK and US single (and perhaps also elsewhere in the world) - "Can Work Out"and another of McCartney's songs about his partner/girlfriend of the time Jane Asher.
Side Two opens with a belter of track in the form of the hammond driven wownesss that is "I'm Down". It has to be one of the best of McCartney's Little Richard inspired tunes - and of course originally seeing the light of day on the flip side of the 'Help' 45. The final track is the obligatory Ringo track that usually best avoided on Beatle LPs (sorry to all the Ringo (don't call me by me stage name) Starr fans - but it does tend to be true) in this case the version of "Act Naturally" that surfaced on side two of the 'Help' LP.
I've included a scan of the rear of the sleeve - and you can see that the spanish translation of the titles are included (which should've also been mentioned in connection with the Mexican EP in the previous post). And Odeon also list all the other Beatles EPs they'd already issued up to this point.
Double header from Sharon Tandy backed by The Fleur De Lys is today's subject. Released in 1967 on red label Atlantic (via Polydor) the A Side gives you a rather excellent version of the Jerry Ragovay penned "Stay With Me" - and what you get here is possibly the best reading of the song I've heard, and avoids overcooking things - which the Walker Brothers and original Lorraine Ellison version are guilty of. The flip side is an absolute belter - and the song Sharon Tandy's probably best associated with - "Hold On". It's absolutely cracking bit of Mod/Freakbeat/Psyche and features some amazing guitar work from Bryn Haworth - the song had previously been done by the Fleur De Lys under their other guise as Rupert's People - and issued as a single on EMI Columbia - DB 8226, and the difference in the lyrics on this version are mainly down to the band playing it from memory on the Sharon Tandy session. A mint copy of this is currently worth around the £50 mark.
For further Sharon Tandy - your best bet is the Big Beat compiltation 'You Gotta Believe It's... Sharon Tandy' - which features all above mentioned tracks, and a lot more besides. And which I seriously recommend checking out!
