Pop A to Z - Mix #3 - Soul Session!

While I continue trying to rescue my tunes from oblivion, how about a mix that I had whipped up before disaster struck? It's "Soul" in many of its permutations -- Gospel, Blues, R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk and even Jazz.

America's best roots music -- Can you dig it? (I knew that you could...)

1. I Want to Take You Higher - Sly and the Family Stone
2. He Ain't No Angel - The Ad-Libs
3. Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) - B.T. Express
4. Atomic Dog - George Clinton
5. I Don't Want to Discuss It - Delaney & Bonnie & Friends
6. The Old Landmark - Aretha Franklin
7. Rock 'N' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) - Handsome Boy Modeling School
8. Solid Rock - Russ Taff
9. Chili Hot - Us3
10. Serpentine Fire - Earth, Wind & Fire
11. I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) - The Ikettes
12. Get It Together - Jackson Five
13. Calhoon Road - The Karminsky Experience feat. Rory More
14. Very Expensive - L.A. Symphony
15. That Old Black Magic - Ike Quebec
16. I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll - Taj Mahal
17. Baby Please Don't Go - Ottillie Patterson w/Sonny Boy Williamson
18. Single Ladies - Pamplamoose
19. Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
20. Needle In a Haystack - The Velvelettes
21. Pass the Peas - Fred Wesley & The JBs

So begins the task...

(Thanks to Willard over at Never Get Out of the Boat! for the great graphic and the inspiration to take some time off...)

Before suffering dual hard drive meltdown this week, I had already planned to curtail new posts around Thanksgiving, in order to begin an onslaught of Christmas music posts. Shares among Christmas music fanatics such as myself were how I initially discovered so much other music available on these world wide Internets, and I felt compelled early this year to jump into the fray with my own offerings as a way to say "Thanks!" to other bloggers. My music collection ballooned incredibly over the past year, surpassing 130k files a few days ago, until my poor 1TB and 1.5 TB hard drives, which were in almost constant use for 18 months, collapsed under the bloat. And my last full back-up was September 1st [feel free to admonish me for not backing up more often...]

So while I haven't despaired of finding price-effective file recovery to rescue some of the truly collectible items, I'm taking this wake-up shock as a warning to be more diligent at cataloging and backing up my music. To that end, I'm going to devote my time for will likely be the next several days if not weeks to correcting the titling and tagging on the surviving files in order to more accurately assess what is actually gone for good. I'm planning to continue posting my weekly mixes and possibly the occasional album and I still intend to offer a no-frills "Christmas Album of the Day" post between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But you shouldn't expect to see the two-a-day posts in the near future. Thanks in advance for your support, understanding and good wishes...

Sounds of the Times - From The KPM & Conroy Music Libraries 1970 to 1977

A treasure trove of Brit sound library work -- most of it from the legendary KPM 1000 Series, plus assorted bits from the Conroy label as well! The work here leans heavily towards funky jazz -- those fuzzy, hard-driving tunes that always made KPM sides a key choice for action films and cop shows -- and which have made digging through sound library records such a delight all these many decades later! The compilers did a really wonderful job with this set -- creating a feel that's a bit different than the usual sound library collection -- because although funky overall, the package also features some jazzy moments too -- key cuts that are interspersed with the action moments to create a really fleshed-out sense of mood and feeling. Plus, the set list is huge -- 25 tracks in all, running for well over 70 minutes.

Soul for Sale (Keith Mansfield) KPM 1063 ‘Contemporary Colour’ (1970)
Block Buster (Johnny Pearson) KPM 1094 ‘Accent on Percussion/Construction in Jazz’ (1971)
Locomotion (Dave Gold) KPM 1122 ‘Move with the Times’ (1973)
Traffic (Alan Hawkshaw) KPM 1122 ‘Move with the Times’ (1973)
Tycoon (Keith Mansfield) KPM 1124 ‘Big Business/Wind of Change’ (1973)
Short Cut (James Clarke) KPM 1131 ‘The Trendsetters’ (1973)
Heavy Traffic (John Cameron) KPM 1131 ‘The Trendsetters’ (1973)
Speculation (David Lindup) KPM 1156 ‘Metropolis’ (1975)
Vegas to L.A. (Dick Doerschuk) KPM 1158 ‘Flamboyant Themes Vol.5’ (1975)
Before Summer Ends (Keith Mansfield) Conroy BMLP 145 ‘New Dimension’ (1976)
Tough Assignment (Chris Gunning) KPM 1171 ‘Impact’ (1976)
Challenger (Alan Hawkshaw) KPM 1170 ‘Sounds of the Times’ (1975)
Head in the Clouds (Johnny Pearson) KPM 1174 ‘Amusement’ (1976)
Breezin’ (Keith Mansfield) KPM 1188 ‘Contempo’ (1976)
Flight of the Phoenix (John Scott) KPM 1172 ‘Visual Impact’ (1976)
A Day in the Life (Steve Gray) KPM 1174 ‘Amusement’ (1976)
String Boogie (Brian Bennett/Alan Hawkshaw) KPM 1179 ‘Orchestral Contrasts’ (1976)
Speedway (Nick Ingman) KPM 1189 ‘Distinctive Themes/Race to Achievement’ (1976)
The Double Take (Steve Gray) KPM 1174 ‘Amusement’ (1976)
Tenderly Yours (James Clarke) KPM 1180 ‘Tender Emotions’ (1976)
Groovy Move (Keith Mansfield) Conroy BMLP 145 ‘New Dimension’ (1976)
Soul Foot Strut (Dave Gold) KPM 1194 ‘Big City Suite/Jingle Jangle Jingles’ (1977)
Bright Lights (Dave Gold) KPM 1194 ‘Big City Suite/Jingle Jangle Jingles’ (1977)
Gospel Truth (Keith Mansfield) Conroy BMLP 145 ‘New Dimension’ (1976)
Funky Finale (Dave Gold) KPM 1194 ‘Big City Suite/Jingle Jangle Jingles’ (1977)

Green Crystal Ties, Volume Ten - 60s Garage Band Flashback

Green Crystal Ties, Vol. 10: 60s Garage Band Flashback is where the Green Crystal Ties series was beginning to scrape bottom -- and maybe reached its full glory. On what other series from a major label could one possibly hope to find two Merseybeat-flavored demos by The Outcasts -- cut when they were still known as The Radiations -- and The Sting Rays? These boys may have been from the U.S.A., but they had the nuances down just right, in the playing as well as the singing and songwriting, and, well, hell, I'd have payed money to any dance they were playing. The Mad Hatters are a bit more conventional garage rock, shouters with a Yardbirds fixation but no set of pipes anywhere near the equal of Keith Relf (or even Chris Dreja, to judge by the evidence), but one will be no worse for having heard "Go Fight Alone" -- they do much better on the Dylanesque "A Pebble in the Sand." The Intruders, off of the Lone Star State's See Ell label, unintentionally crossed swords with the Velvet Underground on the appropriately titled "Temporary Insanity," while "The Lone Stranger" is too fragmentary to appreciate. And The Comets, out of North Carolina, are surprisingly strong stand-ins for the Rolling Stones on "The Last Time" -- considering that not one member was over 14, they do any amazingly good job of sounding like a pretty inspired college frat-band of the period, the lead singer even perfecting the U.K.-inflected stammer on the word "know." A lot of the cuts on this 18-track disc represent the cream of Collectables' foray into the vaults of Justice Records in North Carolina, and the tracks by The Englishmen, The Trees, The Marsadees, and others, will be familiar to those who have purchased those earlier releases devoted to those bands. The sound is more than decent and the annotation, such as it is, does tell what little is known about these groups, few of which ever got their work heard much beyond their hometowns and cities. -- Bruce Eder / AllMusic.com

1. Nothing But Love - The Outcasts
2. Something About You - The Outcasts
3. I'm Back in Line - The Sting Rays
4. You're the Reason - The Sting Rays
5. Go Fight Alone - The Mad Hatters
6. A Pebble in My Sand - The Mad Hatters
7. Temporary Insanity - The Intruders
8. The Lone Stranger - The Intruders
9. The Last Time - The Comets
10. Summer Is Here - The Englishmen
11. 96 Tears - The Englishmen
12. Do You Think About It Now (Feeling Groovy) - The Trees
13. The Only Life for Me - The Trees
14. Gingerbread Man - The Shades
15. The Back Shelf of Your Mind - George Washington & The Cherry Pickers
16. Girl Don't Change Your Mind - Eddie Cunningham & the Lone Rangers
17. Wipe Out - The Marsadees
18. Lonely Sea - The Marsadees

Green Crystal Ties, Volume Nine: The Great Lost Psychedelic Garage Bands

Recent reissues of this kind have scraped the bottom of the barrel for new material, pretending that groups that should've been permanently locked in their garages were overlooked geniuses. Many labels propagate this illusion further by including liner notes so full of unfounded exaggeration that even confident fans of the genre may start to believe the hype. Thankfully, Green Crystal Ties, Vol. 9: The Great Lost Psychedelic Garage Bands is instead a true find with appropriate and informative notes. The most "famous" bands in the collection are The Lemon Drops and The Human Expression, but even they are fairly obscure. "I Live in the Springtime," by The Lemon Drops, is a devastating piece of psychedelic pop, while The Human Expression's "Readin' Your Will" is a snarling number similar in message to "Kicks," a rarity in a time when music was intrinsically linked to the alleged benefits of mind-altering substances. The Kreeg's frenzied take of "For Your Love" out-raves the Yardbirds, and has to figure as one of the best-ever interpretations of the song. The Morning Dew combine The Beatles with early Status Quo with good results on "Sycamore Dreamer." And The Lemon Fog offer up some melodic gems with fat, McCartney-esque basslines on their two tunes. The only real disappointment on the disc is The Deep, who are hazy and horrendous. Many of the volumes in this series are a cut above similar retrospectives, but this one may just be the best of the lot. -- Brian Downing / AllMusic.com

1. It Happens Everyday - The Lemon Drops
2. I Live in the Springtime - The Lemon Drops
3. Open Up Your Mind - The Nunchez
4. Readin' Your Will - The Human Expression
5. Everynight - The Human Expression
6. For Your Love - The Kreeg
7. I'm Over You - The Kreeg
8. Sycamore Dreamer - The Morning Dew
9. Our Last Song - The Morning Dew
10. Walk on By - The Outcasts
11. It's All My Own Bizarre Dream - The Penthouse 5
12. Pink Ether - The Deep
13. Psychedelic Moon - The Deep
14. Mystic Cloud - The Pagens
15. Summer - The Lemon Fog
16. Lemon Fog - The Lemon Fog
17. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Smokin' Bananas
18. Wait Wait - Smokin' Bananas

Get Smarter - 60s Instrumental Grooves from Around the Globe!!!!

A great selection of instrumental grooves from around the globe: there really isn't a better way to describe Get Smarter: 60's Instrumental Grooves from Around the Globe. Already a firm favorite with DJs and others in the know, the original vinyl comp merits a wider listening audience via a good CD release. So here you have it: a super-cool mix of '60s instrumental singles that will be promoted to press and radio stations worldwide. Eighteen killer tracks of freaky go-go-phased Hammond wig-outs, groovy party rave-ups, trippy psych weirdness and laid back lounge-influenced funky pop-jazz. Includes the bongo-driven beat-surf rocker "Pinball" by The Van Doren Hawksworth Collection, the keys-dominated funk-shuffle of Julian Covey & The Machine's "Sweet Bacon," and the great, guitar-fuzz R&B soul of The Bad Boys' "Black Olives." More bang for your buck with detailed notes on each band in the accompanying full-color booklet.

1.Tony & The Mulestation - Isbergues 2 AM
2. Les Merseys - Freakout!
3. The Nilsmen - Le Winston
4. The Beatstalkers - Baseline
5. Jerry Allen - I was a Persian Fly
6. Slamcreepers - Slightly
7. David - Sleppin’
8. The V-Rangers - What'd I say
9. The Johnny Harris Orchestra - Here Comes The Boot
10. The Reg Guest Syndicate - Underworld
11. The Bad Boys - Black Olives
12. The John Schroder Orchestra - Nightrider
13. The Underground Set - Archipelago
14. The Wild Ones - Come On Back
15. Julian Covey & The Machine - Sweet Bacon
16. The Mohawks - Pepsi
17. The Artie Scott Orchestra – Watermelon Man
18. The Van Doren Hawsworth Collection - Pinball

Jack Arel - Originals & Remixes: Chappell Recorded Music Works

Another great library music composer retrospective, Jack Arel: Chappell Recorded Music Library Works from Vadim Music showcases the cream of the French composer's groovy, easy and cheesy listening tracks that he (and collaborators Pierre Dutour and Jean-Claude Petit) produced for the Chappell Music Library back in the 60s and 70s. But listen; not only do you get 25 of the original library tracks, you also get a superb selection of remixes from guys such as Count De Money, Luke Vibert, Shawn Lee and Marc Collin! A superb package; folks reading this in the UK will even recognise the original version of the "You've Been Framed" theme tune on it as well! -- MovieGrooves.com

CD 1 - The Originals
1. Shore of Sumatra - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
2. Jungle Soul - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
3. Strange Galaxy - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
4. Ahmedabab Theme - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
5. Planification - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
6. Game Trap - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
7. Walking Together - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
8. Strange Valley - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
9. Bienvenue Mister Jones - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
10. De Paris à Liverpool - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
11. Riffs and Blues - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
12. Objectif Rythme - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
13. L'Amour et L'Enfer - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
14. Berkenhead School - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
15. Bonsoir - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
16. Train Bleu - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
17. Sundown - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
18. Visit To Florida - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
19. Water Sun - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
20. A Tire D'Ailes - Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit
21. Sideral Rhythmic - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
22. Picture of Spring - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
23. Picture of Summer - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
24. Picture of Autumn - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour
25. Picture of Winter - Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour



CD 2 - The Remixes
1. The Night Squad - Danny Wild & Goldfinger
2. Enter The Ironman - Count De Money
3. Drugstore Party - Le Tone
4. Space Limousine - Villeneuve
5. Crime And Redemption (Part 2) - Curtis
6. Groove Hell (Prince Fatty's Dub) - Axel And The Farmers Vs Prince Fatty
7. Chicago Girl - Barth
8. Jungle Soul (PPO Version) - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra
9. Crystal Abyss - Telepopmusik
10. Digital Catwalk - Swayzak
11. Watch The Skies - Marc Collin
12. Voodoo Hymn - Turzi
13. The Watchman - Bang Bang
14. Electric Railman - Mowo!
15. Loco Robo - Luke Vibert
16. Shoot The Wings - 25 Hours A Day
17. New York Assault - Poni Hoax
18. Nautilus Journey - Guy & Zab