Sunday, March 29, 2009

Reinstated Sound clips

This weekend, I have replaced over 100 sound files that were previously graciously hosted by Lou of http://pop45.blogspot.com/
They are now, thanks to Lou's help, all on Divshare. I think you should now have access to over 300 sound clips or complete songs, so go back and jump head first into the archives...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Castle Farm –Hot Rod Queen



Castle Farm –Hot Rod Queen/ Jewels of Fire -EMIDISC Acetate (1972 UK)

With a title like Hot Rod Queen, it’s difficult to go wrong and this track is all you would expect it to be with a high octane delivery and exuberant performance at the crossroads of Junkshop Glam and Punk’d out Boogie. Castle Farm were from the Romford area and it appears that they only released one single (Hot Rod Queen/ Mascot) on their own Farm label. Both sides of the released single were recorded at Tangerine studios in London, but this acetate has the rampant dual guitar fuelled Jewels of Fire instead of Mascot as its B side. So the question is…is the version of Hot Rod Queen presented here the same as the A side of the released version? The released version can be found on something called Cosmorama: Blow Your Cool Vol 2. If anyone has that comp, could you please compare the tracks and get back to me with the answer –thanks!

Hear Hot Rod Queen!



Check out Jewels of Fire!



Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sweeny Bean –Rock ‘N’ Roll Wedding


Sweeny Bean –Rock ‘N’ Roll Wedding/Overcoat –Sonet SON 2028 (1971 UK)
Rock ‘N’Roll Wedding is a dead simple and fun primitive Boogie workout. It reminds me of The Farm’s Fat Judy, but in a slightly tamer, less PC threatening mode. Fat Judy loses weight and gets hitched? Still the Moonshine had to be on tap all the same. I have absolutely no clue on the background for this one . I am hoping that they named themselves after the infamous Scottish Cannibal clan leader Sawney Bean (http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Scotland-History/SawneyBean.htm ) and that some typo gremlins sneaked in somewhere, but it could just be the name of some backwater moonshine brew...

Listen to a full version of Rock ‘N’ Roll Wedding


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Ant-No Road Goes Your Way


Ant-Banana Pie/ No Road Goes Your Way –Pye 7N45332 (1974 UK)
Somehow following in his dad’s footsteps, but not quite...Bygraves Junior also showed up on Pye, but musically Anthony was more tuned in to the times and didn’t require hands in quite the same manner.... His 2nd release (as by Anthony Bygraves) -Painted Lady was a fine Glam single which found its way onto Glitter From The Litter Bin, but this release was his first venture on the label. The A side Banana Pie is pure Trad Dixieland Big Band Rock ‘N’ Roll, but the B side really has something special going for it. It’s got some cool and loud Wah Wah interjections, effected camp lead vocals and a very bizarre orchestrated arrangement. The track doesn’t really know what it wants to be, but somehow would have fitted on the soundtrack of Phantom of The Paradise, if Beef had in fact been Roast Beef but slightly on the pink and underdone side...

Listen to a Full Version of No Road Goes Your Way


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet: The tracklisting



Hi all
It's been two years in the making, but the compilation that Jos De Groot and I have been preparing is about to be released (with a 52 page full colour booklet!!!).

It's coming out on Excelsior on the 20th April, and is being launched at the Utrecht Fair on Saturday 18th. I will be providing more details of the launch event soon, but there will be some way cool stuff happening there...

Anyhow here is the tracklisting, hopefully it will be the first volume in a series...


Booby Trap - Kelly, Grace & Sally

Catapult -Let Your Hair Hang Down

Lemming -Father John

Heart-Lovemaker

Dump-Annabelle

Long Tall Ernie And The Shakers -Motor Man

Amsterdam-Mary Lou

Bonnie St. Claire & Unit Gloria-Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet

The Heavy Dwarfs-Moeder Natuur

Left Side -(like a) Locomotion

Black Fire-Do It

Smyle-She Means A Lot To Me

The Rockets-Rock And Roll Drummer (Part 1)

Plastic Feet-Big Blond Baby

Cardinal Point-The Grand Pretender

Melody-Stepping Stone

BZN-Sweet Silver Annie

Cherry Van Gelder-Smith-Goodbye (Guitarman)

Hank The Knife And The Jets- Guitar King

Zingara-Girl, Girl, Girl

Serpentine-Powerful Jim

Hans van Hemert-Because of the Cats

Pantherman-Pantherman

Bonnie St. Claire & Unit Gloria-The Rock Goes On

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Jordan Parker Review –Ginger Bread Man


Jordan Parker Review –Ginger Bread Man/Tell Her –Sire 45-4115 (1969 US)

Ginger Bread Man is an obscure, but totally wonderful tough Bubblegum creation. It has all the obvious trappings of the genre with its instant hook, driving beat and organ break, but the performance has a real edge with snotty Jagger-like moves as well as featuring some neat rough and ready crunchy guitars. Tell Her is a sprightly uptempo number which is nearly as good as the A side so the single is a definite two-sided winner. I can’t find any info on the band, but I have been led to believe that members of the band went on to form The Hopple Street Exit, so my guess is that they were probably from the Cincinnati area...

Listen to a full version of Ginger Bread Man



Here is the background on the band. Thanks for the information!

Jordan Parker Revue was a four piece group originally made up of two sets of brothers from the Dayton , OH , area. Their first single was a UMAC production on Night Owl Records: “Man of the Hour/Mardi Ellen” writers H. Urschel (aka Jordan Parker) & Eric Smith, respectively. The band tracks for this single were recorded in 1967 at UMAC Studio, Miamisburg , OH ; however, if I recall correctly, the vocals were re-done at Chess Studios, Chicago.
Sometime in 1968 one of the brothers decided to leave the group and was replaced on drums by one of the band’s producers. There was a brief association with Calvert/Marzano, who recorded JPR at ODO Recording, NYC, but no record deal resulted. “Ginger Bread Man” (writers Urschel/Albert) on Sire Records was the groups’ second single, released in Oct. 1969, produced by Opus 65. All tracks for this record were done at Jewel Recording, Mt. Healthy, OH (there was also a mix done w/Richard Gottehrer at Bell Sound, NYC, but it is unknown if this or the Mt. Healthy mix made it on to the record).
JPR's “third” single, if you will, was an unaccredited performance on “Monday Morning Man” (Urschel/Albert) by Trudi on 20th Century Fox Records, released in 1970; this was also recorded entirely at Jewel Recording & produced by Opus 65. Actually, by this time Jordan Parker Revue had ceased to exist under that name but had been wholly absorbed into Trudi & Hopple Street Exit, a seven piece band that was formed when JPR merged with a group featuring Trudi & her husband (also one of JPR’s producers). Hopple Street became a popular local act in Dayton , OH , & there was a second Trudi & Hopple Street single (“Together/Hang on to Your Heart”) released on Counterpart Records, but by then there was only one remaining JPR member in the band.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

David Alexander –Love, Love, Love


David Alexander –Love, Love, Love/ Missy –Rare Earth RES 112 (1974 UK)
Kicking off with some loud pounding drums swamped in reverb, Love, Love, Love then develops into a semi-Stonesian rocker more often than not recalling Rockmore Williams (Lady Rock). David Alexander has a strong voice with some cool snarly moves and inflections sometimes recalling Roy Loney (check out how the way he sings the word “City” –just like the Groovies’ City Lights). Both songs and production are by studio wizard Phil Cordell (Springwater / Dan The Banjo Man), but not sure which David Alexander this one is, perhaps he was the Welsh dude behind Taste The Wine on Penny Farthing that same year? A cracking song and performance in any case…

Hear a full version of Love, Love, Love