December's Picks

1. THE ASSOCIATION-"Looking Glass"
"Who's that standing there, who's that standing there, what's her name?  Does she still wear morning in her hair and smile the same?"
Hypnotic classic 1966 Association with all the usual ingredients: magic harmonies, top notch production and intricate musical arrangements (dig that fuzz guitar playing along with a trumpet).

2. PAUL McCARTNEY-"Too Many People"
You can fill what I know of solo Beatles stuff on a 90 minute CD-R.  Cheers to my friend Jennie Wasserman for sticking this in my brain where it's been for the past month and suitable for relief in this crazy world we live in.

3. THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP-"With His New Face On"
I've only just embraced the 60's S.D.G. Mk.II stuff (of the pop psych vein) and this one really blows my mind and is, in my estimation, far more enjoyable than covers of say, "Looking Back".

4. THE EYES-"Please Don't Cry"
Sometimes owning a lot of 60's stuff you forget the bands that were obscure back in the day but now seem as common as the Small Faces or The Creation.  Add The Eyes to that list.  I always loved this number because in the middle of their pop-art/Who tribute period they still managed to record a perfect beat group number like this in 1966.

5. THE FALLING LEAVES-"She Loves To Be Loved"
Classic British 60's r&b track, jazzy flute, bluesy guitar licks and laid back Mose Allison style vocals with soul. Parlophone (U.K.) January 22, 1965.

6. THE NARC TWINS-"Old Joe Mushroom"
Local heroes of sorts, in the early 90's these guys (a duo) were a studio only act who released a few cassettes.  To say they were psychedelic is putting it mildly.  The best comparison I can draw is the U.K. act Vibrasonic (before they went "surf") meets The Dukes of Stratosphear, but I think these guys were doing it longer than the former. The cool thing is all of their catalog is available now for free download which you can do here. I suggest you do.

7. THE BUMP-"Winston Built The Bridge"
Mondo obscuro 1969 track from a band from Detroit that sounds more U.K. '67, unearthed  by the good folks about Bam Caruso for Rubble Volume 20 "Thrice Upon A Time (Nothing Is Real)".  Totally lo if but quite good with a heavy dose of phlanging at the end.

8. JOE SWIFT'S INTERNATIONALS-"Bell Bottoms"
God bless the "Mod Jazz" CD series on Kent for bringing obscure little groovers like this to the surface with a driving beat, wonky sax, go-go organ and a bunch of cats yelling contemporary zany shit at each other while the band plays ..."uh she must be goin' down to the Trip A-Go-Go...she got them real hip bell bottoms on" etc. From "Further Adventures Of Mod Jazz".


9. THE JAM-"Running On The Spot"
I hate being "personal" here because this blog is all about music and it's ability to take one away from the world and it's harsh reality but I'm still reeling, seething and in some small way aching from the deaths of so many little innocent children in Connecticut last Friday.  I was running around the track at the gym the other day and this track came on my iPod gym playlist and lyrically it summed up how I feel in regards to all of it: the shooting, humankind, the armchair politicians who want to forward articles on what we should have done or what we should be doing and the naive sad fuckers who actually think their elected officials are going to make some sweeping change. I'm loathe to get up on my pulpit like so many FaceBook politicians but I've spent all of my adult life (from age 18 onwards) in some form of civil service be it the military or working for the federal government and people I'm here to tell you I don't think "the man" has your best interests at heart if big money isn't behind it.

I was hoping we'd make real progress -
But it seems we have lost the power
Any tiny step of advancement
Is like a raindrop falling into the ocean -
We're running on the spot - always have - always will

We're just the next generation of the emotionally crippled.
Though we keep piling up the building blocks
The structure never seems to get any higher
Because we keep kicking out the foundations
And stand useless while our lives fall down.
I believe in life - and I believe in love
But the world in which I live in - keeps trying to prove me wrong.

Out in the pastures we call society
You can't see further than the bottom of your glass
Only young but easily shocked
You get all violent when the boat gets rocked -

Just like sheep - little lambs into the slaughter
Don't fully grasp what exactly is wrong -
Truth is you never cared - still -
You get all violent when the boat gets rocked -

Intelligence should be our first weapon
And stop reveling in rejection
And follow yourselves, not some ageing drain brain
Who's quite content to go on feeding you garbage
We're running on the spot - always have - always will?
We're just the next generation of the emotionally crippled.

10. THE PEDDLERS-"Tell The World We're Not In"
I picked up on this tune watching the creepy/seedy post Swinging London flick "Goodbye Gemini" and this was the opening title track.  I instantly recognized it as the Peddlers but was at a dead end of tracking the tune down. Luckily my pal Larry Grogan over at Funky 16 Corners came through with an MP3 as it's not on any of their CD comps (which all compile their CBS 45's, this one was on Phillips).  It's like a funky '67 Georgie Fame tune with some groovy organ and an underlying jazzy feel, perfect.  And check out the film it's quite good!

The Peddlers by Gered Mankowitz

My U.K. 60's "Mod" Top 200

I got an e-mail recently from a reader who stumbled upon my "Mod Top 200" and asked why I hadn't included anything British in it.  As mentioned in the original piece I'd left British and Jamaican tracks out as it would've gone to 1,000 easily.  Well I decided to put some time and effort into it and come up with my personal Top 200 British 60's "mod" singles.  The criteria being: the records were recorded by British artists in the 60's who either were mods or were loved by mods or made a 45 that was  released during that "era" or happened to have a song about mods or for mods (I've omitted Kim Fowley's "Rise Of The Brighton Surf"). I've skipped more "freakbeat" angled stuff (The Sons of Fred, The Koobas etc) and more commercial but still amazing acts (The Moody Blues, the Manfreds et al) from the r&b vein as well.  But it's been fun , hopefully there are no duplications.  All tracks were released on 45 in the U.K. in the 60's.

1. TONY COLTON AND THE BIG BOSS BAND-I Stand Accused

2.  THE RIOT SQUAD-I Wanna Talk About My Baby
3. CHRIS BARBER'S SOUL BAND FEA. RONNIE SCOTT & BRIAN AUGER-Morning Train
4. WINSTON G.-Judge And Jury
5. THE BUNCH-You Never Came Home
6. THE WHEELS-Don't You Know
7. THE BLUE FLAMES-Orange Street
8. MAYNELL WILSON AND THE WES MINSTER FIVE-Hey, Hey Johnny!
9. ZOOT MONEY's BIG ROLL BAND-The Mound Moves
10.  THE HIGH NUMBERS-I'm The Face
11. THE RICHARD KENT STYLE-All Good Things
12. LISTEN-Everbody's Gonna Say
13. THE ARTWOODS-Molly Anderson's Cookery Book
14. THE QUIK-King Of The World
15. THE V.I.P'S-Don't Let It Go
16. GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAMES-Telegram
17. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-Like That
18. THE MIKE STUART SPAN-Invitation
19. THE ALAN BOWN SET-I Really Really Care
20. THE CLAYTON SQUARES-Come And Get It
21. KEVIN KING LEAR-Count Me Out
22. HAPPY MAGAZINE-Satisfied Street
23. THE HIPSTER IMAGE-Make Her Mine
24. THE UNIVERSALS-Hey You
25. EDWICK RUMBOLD-Come Back
26. THE SOUL AGENTS-Let's Make It Pretty Baby
27. TONY COLTON-Run Pony Rider
28. THE BO STREET RUNNERS-Baby Never Say Goodbye
29. THE UNTAMED-My Baby Is Gone
30. CHRIS FARLOWE AND THE THUNDERBIRDS-Buzz With The Fuzz
31. THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION-Wade In The Water
32. STU BROWN AND BLUESOLOGY-Since I Found You Baby
33. WYNDER K. FROG-Turn On Your Lovelight
34. THE ST. LOUIS UNION-English Tea
35. THE JOHNSTON MCPHILBRY-She's Gone 
36. MICKEY FINN AND THE BLUE MEN-This Sporting Life
37. THE ACTION-Land Of A Thousand Dances
38. THE APOSTOLIC INTERVENTION-Madame Garcia
39. THE EYES OF BLUE-Don't Ask Me To Mend Your Broken Heart
40. THE GASS-One Of These Days
41. THE SHOTGUN EXPRESS-Curtains
42. DUFFY POWER WITH THE GRAHAM BOND QUARTET-Farewell Baby
43. HAYDOCK'S ROCKHOUSE-She Thinks
44. HERBIE GOINS AND THE NIGHT-TIMERS-Cruisin'
45. BEN CARRUTHERS AND THE DEEP-Right Behind You
46. THE MEDDY EVILS-Ma's Place
47. THE QUIK-Soul Full Of Sorrow
48. THE GASS-The New Breed
49. THE UNTAMED-So Long
50. THE CLAYTON SQUARES-Imagination
51. JOHN MAYALL AND THE BLUES BREAKERS-Crawling Up A Hill
52. THE HIGH NUMBERS-Zoot Suit
53. BLUESOLOGY-Mr. Frantic
54. JACK BRUCE-Rootin' Tootin'
55. WYNDER K. FROG-Shook, Shimmy, Shake
56. THE BUNCH-Don't Come Back To Me
57. THE LOOSE ENDS-Send The People Away (People Gotta Go)
58. THE ST. LOUIS UNION-Think About Me
59. THE RICHARD KENT STYLE-Go Go Children
60. TONY COLTON-You're Wrong There Baby
61. THE PREACHERS-Hole In My Soul
62. DOUBLE FEATURE-Just Another Lonely Night
63. THE SMALL FACES-I've Got Mine
64. DAVE ANTHONY'S MOODS-New Directions
65. THE WHEELS-Call My Name
66. THE PETER B'S-If You Wanna Be Happy
67. THE DAVE DAVANI FOUR-On The Cooler
68. THE JOHN BARRY SEVEN-Seven Faces
69. JULIEN COVEY AND THE MACHINE-A Little Bit Hurt
70. THE MARK LEEMAN FIVE-Going To Bluesville
71. THE CHEYNES-Down And Out
72. THE BO STREET RUNNERS-Bo Street Runner
73. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-Round And Round
74. THE ACTION-Baby You Got It
75. THE WORRYING KYNDE-Call Out My Name
76. THE MANISH BOYS-Take My Tip
77. WINSTON G.-Bye Bye Baby
78. THE ORGANISERS-The Organiser
79. THE PERSUASIONS-La, La, La, La, La
80. DUFFY POWER-If I Get Lucky Someday
81. THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION-Tell Me (I'm Gonna Love Again)
82. BEN CARRUTHERS AND THE DEEP-Jack O' Diamonds
83. THE RAM JAM BAND WITH GENO WASHINGTON-Shake Shake Senora
84. THE AMBOY DUKES (U.K.)-High Life In Whitley Wood Part 1
85. TOMMY BURTON COMBO-I'm Walking
86. THE SOUL AGENTS-Gospel Train
87. THE SHEFFIELDS-Bags Groove (Skat Walking)
88. THE ARTWOODS-Goodbye Sisters
89. WYNDER K. FROG-Green Door
90. THE EYES OF BLUE-Heart Trouble
91. GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAMES-Preach And Teach
92. THE MIKE STUART SPAN-Still Nights
93. HAYDOCK'S ROCKHOUSE-Mix A Fix
94. A BAND OF ANGELS-Invitation
95. THE QUIK-Bert's Apple Crumble
96. CHRIS FARLOWE-Everyone Makes A Mistake
97. THE WILD ONES-Purple Pill Eater
98. TIMEBOX-Save Your Love
99. STONE'S MASONRY-Flapjacks
100. HERBIE GOINS AND THE NIGHT-TIMERS-Coming Home To You
101. THE ST. LOUIS UNION-East Side Story
102. THE MEDDY EVILS-Place Called Love
103. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-One Mint Julep
104. THE HIPSTER IMAGE-Can't Let Her Go
105. THE SMALL FACES-Grow Your Own
106. THE ALAN BOWN SET-Baby Don't Push Me
107. THE UNIVERSALS-Green Veined Orchid
108. THE CHEYNES-Goin' To The River
109. THE UNTAMED-Once Upon A Time
110. THE BLUE CHIPS-Some Kind Of Lovin'
111. JOHN LEE'S GROUNDHOGS-I'll Never Fall In Love Again
112. CHRIS KERRY-The Seven Deadly Sins
113. THE GNOMES OF ZURICH-Hang On Baby
114. MIKE PATTO-Can't Stop Talking About My Baby
115. THE FALLING LEAVES-She Loves To Be Loved
116.  CLIFF BENNETT AND THE REBEL ROUSERS-Baby Each Day
117.  ZOOT MONEY'S BIG ROLL BAND-Big Time Operator
118.  THE EXCEPTION-The Eagle Flies On Friday
119. THE BRIAN AUGER TRINITY-Kiko
120. THE EYES OF BLUE-Supermarket Full Of Cans
121. THE DAVE DAVANI FOUR-The Jupe
122. THE PLATFORM SIX-Money Will Not Mean A Thing
123. GEORGIE FAME-No Thanks
124.  ROBERT PLANT-I've Got A Secret
125. THE BO STREET RUNNERS-Get Out Of My Way
126. THE ACTION-Twentyfourth Hour
127. THE RICHARD KENT STYLE-I'm Out
128. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-I Don't Wanna Know
129. WINSTON G.-Cloud Nine
130. MICKEY FINN AND THE BLUE MEN-Tom Hark
131. THE HIPSTER IMAGE-A Little Piece Of Leather
132. HAYDOCK'S ROCKHOUSE-Cupid
133. THE TRIBE-Love is A Beautiful Thing
134. THE BLUE ACES-That's Alright
135. HAMILTON AND THE MOVEMENT-I'm Not The Marrying Kind
136. KENNY AND THE WRANGLERS-Who Do You Think I Am?
137. THE RIOT SQUAD-Gonna Make You Mine
138. TONY COLTON-Lose My Mind
139. THE SHEVELLS-I Gotta Travel All Over
140. REY ANTON AND THE PRO FORM-Premeditation
141. ROD STEWART-I Just Got Some
142. THE UNTAMED-I'm Asking You
143. THE CLAYTON SQUARES-There She Is
144.  GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAMES-El Bandido
145. ZOOT MONEY-Zoot's Suite
146. CLIFF BENNETT AND THE REBEL ROUSERS-Three Rooms With Running Water
147. THE LOOSE ENDS-Taxman
148.  THE BO STREET RUNNERS-So Very Woman
149. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-Soul Serenade
150. THE V.I.P.'S-Straight Down To The Bottom
151. THE HABITS-Elbow Baby
152. TONY COLTON AND THE BIG BOSS BAND-Further Down The Track
153. THE LLOYD ALEXANDER REAL ESTATE-I'm Gonna Live Again
154. THE BRIAN AUGER TRINITY-Tiger
155. THE WES MINSTER FIVE-Railroad Blues
156. WYNDER K. FROG-Sunshine Superman
157. TONY KNIGHT'S CHESSMEN-Surfer Street
158. THE CHECKMATES-It Ain't Right
159. THE MOQUETTES-Right Sting Baby But The Wrong Yo-Yo
160. THE SMALL FACES-Almost Grown
161. THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION-Lease On Love
162. THE PARAMOUNTS-Don't Ya Like My Love?
163. GEORGIE FAME AND THE BLUE FLAMES-Like We Used To Be
164. JOHN MAYALL AND THE BLUESBREAKERS-Crocodile Walk
165. THE FALLING LEAVES-Not Guilty
166. HAMILTON KING-Ain't It Time
167. DUFFY POWER-Tired Broke And Busted
168. THE PLEBS-Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
169. THE PETER B'S-Jordell Blues
170. THE UNTAMED-Just Wait
171. WINSTON G. -Cloud Nine
172. JACK BRUCE-I'm Gettin' Tired (Of Drinkin' And Gamblin')
173. JULIEN COVEY AND THE MACHINE-Sweet Bacon
174. A BAND OF ANGELS-Cheat And Lie
175. THE PREACHERS-Too Old In The Head
176. TONY COLTON-I've Laid Some Down In My Time
177. THE ACTION-I'll Keep Holding On
178. LINDSAY MUIR'S UNTAMED-Trust Yourself A Little Bit
179. THE SOUL AGENTS-Don't Break It Up
180. THE WORRYING KYNDE-Call Out My Name
181. THE COCKTAIL CABINET-Breathlyser
182. THE WHEELS-Road Block
183. THE CIRCLES-Take Your Time
184. THE LOOSE ENDS-That's It
185. THE RIOT SQUAD-Anytime
186. MIKE PATTO-Love
187. LISTEN-You Better Run
188. THE MEDDY EVILS-It's All For You
189. THE CHEYNES-Respectable
190. KEVIN "KING" LEAR-Mr. Pearly
191. THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION-Love Comes Shining Through
192. THE BUNCH-You Can't Do This
194. DOUBLE FEATURE-Come On Baby
195. THE REMO FOUR-Sing Hallelujah
196. GEORGIE FAME-Bend A Little
197. THE GASS-Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
198. THE SENATE-Can't Stop
199. TIMEBOX-Soul Sauce
200. THE WES MINSTER FIVE-Shakin' The Blues

Through Kaleidoscope Eyes:Tambourine Days: The Definitive Story Of Kaleidoscope And Fairfield Parlour-by Peter Daltrey

"Tambourine Days: The Definitive Story Of Kaleidoscope And Fairfield Parlour"-by Peter Daltrey

Kaleidoscope, the U.K. variety, have long been one of my favorite British 60's psychedelic bands ever since "A Dream For Julie" and "Flight from Ashiya" first sprang from the grooves of Bam Caruso's "The 49 Minute Technicolor Dream" in 1985. The band amassed 5 singles and two LP's before becoming Fairfield Parlour and releasing two singles (one under the moniker of "I Luv Wight"), one LP and one E.P. Their debut LP "Tangerine Dream" ranks up their with "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" and Caravan's eponymous debut as one of my favorite U.K. psych albums of all time.  When I discovered that their lead singer Peter Daltrey had penned a book chronicling his career I jumped at it.  Perhaps too quickly.

He was a mod before you was a mod:Peter Daltrey 1965

With that said the band's lead singer (and co author of all of their tunes with guitarist Eddie Pumer) has quite a tale to tell based on the band's career (which began in 1964 as The Sidekicks and then The Key who in turn became Kaleidoscope).  My first complaint is the book is rather slim.  My second is that the photo reproduction quality in several, if not half of the photos is atrocious, as if they'd been plucked (pixelated) from thumbnails on the web. I'm sorry but  $37.17 (actually I just checked my credit card statement and it cost $48.50 with shipping) for a soft covered 6" x 9" book is enough with high quality photos, but with these poor reproductions, well the book would have been better served without them.

Bitching and gripes out of the way (not yet) I liked Daltrey's writing style but feel I'm no closer to learning more about Kaleidoscope than I was before I read an interview with him in a zine 20 years ago (was it "Bucket Full Of Brains"?) where he divulged that all their whimsical psych tracks were composed not on L.S.D., but in the guitarists bedroom after a bit of Chinese and copious amounts of cheap red Spanish plonk! Initially I was blown away but it seems that the period leading from their debut 45 "Flight From Ashiya" to the LP "Faintly Blowing" lasted but a few pages. Fairfield Parlour receive just a bit more space than Kaleidoscope, but then it's downhill for me. In fact at least a quarter of the book is devoted to listing his discography (he has evidently been quite prolific as a solo artist these past 15 years).

The book's numerous appendixes (including an essay on their day trip to France to mime "Flight From Ashiya" and "Holidaymaker" on TV among them and a touching piece on the funeral of bassist Steve Clark, tragically run down and killed on Chelsea Bridge in 1999) make up for the brevity I guess and there's a few interviews with Daltrey (obviously conducted via e-mail or mail) but I'm left feeling that for my money I really didn't get what I paid for. Maybe I'm still in a state of euphoria after reading the amazingly well put together Action book., maybe I'm just old and grumpy.  Or maybe, I'm just a consumer who when paying a large price for something so small, expects great things from it.
Interested parties can order the book direct like I did from here.