June 2010 - Reviews

[Moleskin]

So, do I win anything for being first to review? I think I know wherefrom my disc came this month, but I've been wrong before so am keeping schtum.

1. The disc opens with an excellent instrumental, lightly fuzzed guitars and imperious drumming. Echoes of surf music - Dick Dale not Tornadoes. And it's over quickly so you want more.

2. The Cramps - 'What's Inside a Girl?' To be honest this doesn't sound any better twenty-five years after I last heard it. It's too slow, or too self-conscious - they always struck me as a bit too pleased with themselves.

3. I think this is called 'Sophisticated Boom Boom', and it sounds like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, all rumbling bass and fairground organ; though I don't know its provenance.

4. Sun-style rock and roll. Very similar melody to 'That's All Right, Mama'. Is it called 'My Baby Rocks Me'? Great guitar solo and mumblety-peg singing.

5. This has a ring in the intro of Sun-era Johnny Cash but degenerates into a song about gang war. At least it's brief.

6. I ought to have heard this before, shouldn't I? Is it called 'Bird Dogging'? Nice wired guitar solo, plus the singer tells the guitar boy to play, which is always a winning scenario. A winner!

7. Sinisterly slow chording, the soundtrack to the Jets walking into the milk bar. Like the walking bass and primitive piano.

8. Lovely warm bass sound and melody picked out on the bass strings of the guitar. Harmony vocals - 'How Do I Say I Love You'? This is a great one.

9. A squeal and a clatter of drums with plenty of reverb, and then we're away. Fiddle after the chorus, partially discernable lyric - 'County of Grace'? Some preachifying through a loudhailer for the middle eight.

10. Something in a jazzier vein with a female singer. 'I've Been Abused' - she's got a great voice, the first time I heard it (in the car) I thought it might be an early Lulu track.

11. 'Rip It Up' in a very muddy rendition.

12. Another female vocal, this time hymning someone they call Killer, cause he kills the girls with his smile.

A disc of thrills and spills which is over all too soon - I'll try to get the dodgems to play it come Carnival weekend.

[Moleskin]

Forgot to say, there was a bonus disc which will be reviewed later...

[toomanyhatz]

OK, I'm second. Got a package from New Zealand after receiving a PM asking me to pick some random numbers, so I'm assuming these tracks were randomly generated from a list. The good news is it was apparently from a list of stuff I figured to like, but so much in my wheelhouse that it’s almost disappointing- I probably own most of this stuff and thrive on new introductions. Fortunately there were a few to be had, and with a few minor exceptions everything on it's quite excellent. Anyway, here's what I got:

1) Tim Buckley. Nice way to start.

2) Sounds vaguely like Can, but their jammier, more indulgent side. Takes a long long time to go not much of anywhere. My kingdom for a bridge!

3) Sugar ‘n Spikes. Beefheart. This rocks.

4) Some very cool post-bop. Ornette, maybe?

5) Very Billie Holliday influenced (but sounds white) singer, doing something called “Sweet Substitute.” Very nice subtle backing and great vocal performance. New-ish, maybe?

6) More jazz, this time more fusion-y. Led by trumpet, so I’m suspecting Miles Davis? Cool bass playing, particularly. A bit more show-offy all around than 4, though.

7) Wow, early synth followed by some off-kilter vocals and then an out-of-thin-air sax solo. What a wacky sound. I haven’t a bloody clue who this is, but it’s fantastic.

8) Marvin Gaye (I’m pretty sure). This is what 70s soul is all about. Heart-wrenching vocal, funky guitar, layered string arrangement. Beautiful.

9) Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk. I generally like them, and this gets a good trance going (I’m guessing there’s a trans/trance pun in there somewhere) but it’s also a bit too much in 2’s ballpark.

10) Vintage R&B (or a fantastic simulation) probably called “Keep on Eatin’ (Baby Till You Get Enough)." Low-down and nasty. I love it.

11) Some good almost supper-club jazz but it goes quite free too. Fantastic playing as well. It’s not the Coltrane Quartet- I distinctly hear at least 2 different horns here- but the playing’s at that caliber and I think I might recognize Coltrane and McCoy Tyner in there somewhere.

12) Some 90s grunge thing, not the most tuneful vocals in the world, but the spirit of it’s undeniable. I like this almost despite myself. Might be Nirvana, but I'd probably recognize Cobain and I don't here.

13) Another minimalist electronica thing, but this one’s fantastic. Very keyboard based, but rises and falls in waves. Terry Riley, maybe?

14) Marty Robbins, I presume? Love him.

15) Birds by Neil Young. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

So there you have it- short on surprises but even shorter on disappointment, and it does have two great things I don't know in 7 & 13. I'd love to know who these are, I'll definitely investigate further. Thanks to my sender who sequenced well as well (unless the sequence is randomly generated as well, but it turned out for the better regardless).

[Jumper k]

So, do I win anything for being first to review? I think I know wherefrom my disc came this month, but I've been wrong before so am keeping schtum.

1. The disc opens with an excellent instrumental, lightly fuzzed guitars and imperious drumming. Echoes of surf music - Dick Dale not Tornadoes. And it's over quickly so you want more.
Straight out of Arlington, Virginia, its The Alphabet Bombers with Berserker. One of the proliferation of heavily psychobilly influenced rockabilly revivalists of the past 5 years.

2. The Cramps - 'What's Inside a Girl?' To be honest this doesn't sound any better twenty-five years after I last heard it. It's too slow, or too self-conscious - they always struck me as a bit too pleased with
themselves.
Its the primitive sound and great riff that makes me want to shake my ass to this. Well grind would be a better description.

3. I think this is called 'Sophisticated Boom Boom', and it sounds like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, all rumbling bass and fairground organ; though I don't know its provenance.
Kid Congo Powers version recorded as The Knoxville Girls from the 1999 lp Paper Suit.

4. Sun-style rock and roll. Very similar melody to 'That's All Right, Mama'. Is it called 'My Baby Rocks Me'? Great guitar solo and mumblety-peg singing.
Back to the modern revival. Rip Carson and the Twilight Trio with Rock Me Right from the 2000 lp Stand Back!

5. This has a ring in the intro of Sun-era Johnny Cash but degenerates into a song about gang war. At least it's brief.
Gene Maltais and the Gibson String Band with Gangwar. The b-side to the 1959 classic 7" Raging Sea on the self produced and financed Lilac Records label. Its almost proto-garage rock. I love his voice and the Link Wray-esque geetar.

6. I ought to have heard this before, shouldn't I? Is it called 'Bird Dogging'? Nice wired guitar solo, plus the singer tells the guitar boy to play, which is always a winning scenario. A winner!
Right tune! Its Gene Vincent from the Born To Be A Rollin Stone collection. This was his attempt to take a new country/folk direction in the late 1966/7.

7. Sinisterly slow chording, the soundtrack to the Jets walking into the milk bar. Like the walking bass and primitive piano.
Link Wray with Ramble. From the 1973 Rockin' And Handclappin' With Link Wray And His Raymen LP.

8. Lovely warm bass sound and melody picked out on the bass strings of the guitar. Harmony vocals - 'How Do I Say I Love You'? This is a great one.
How Do I Say I Love You by the Regal Line. Barry the guitarist is a personal friend, this is from the 2005 lp The Road That Leads To Home. Sadly they are no longer playing together.

9. A squeal and a clatter of drums with plenty of reverb, and then we're away. Fiddle after the chorus, partially discernable lyric - 'County of Grace'? Some preachifying through a loudhailer for the middle eight.
Country Of Graves by the Legendary Shack Shakers. Off the 2004 lp Believe.

10. Something in a jazzier vein with a female singer. 'I've Been Abused' - she's got a great voice, the first time I heard it (in the car) I thought it might be an early Lulu track.
Wanda Jackson with Sticks and Stones. The Queen of Rockabilly indeed.

11. 'Rip It Up' in a very muddy rendition.
Buddy Holly recorded live.

12. Another female vocal, this time hymning someone they call Killer, cause he kills the girls with his smile.
Sparkle Moore with Killer. Stone classic.

A disc of thrills and spills which is over all too soon - I'll try to get the dodgems to play it come Carnival weekend.

Glad you found something to like. I enjoyed putting it together. I've been listening to a lot of rockabilly influenced revival bands lately and amongst the great amount of crap there are some good tight combos. I thought I'd intersperse a few on this disc. Can't beat the originals though

[Magilla]

OK, I'm second. Got a package from New Zealand after receiving a PM asking me to pick some random numbers, so I'm assuming these tracks were randomly generated from a list. The good news is it was apparently from a list of stuff I figured to like, but so much in my wheelhouse that it’s almost disappointing- I probably own most of this stuff and thrive on new introductions. Fortunately there were a few to be had, and with a few minor exceptions everything on it's quite excellent. Anyway, here's what I got:

Hi Dave, I was your mixer this month. The numbers I asked you to pick were page numbers from Tom Moon's 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die (Workman, New York, 2008). The book mainly recommends albums, but also anything from just one song to entire box-sets.
The pages are the ones with reviews of recordings I own and from there it was literally the "luck of the draw" what you'd get.
Once I'd got your picks I narrowed it down by taking away one if you'd chosen the same artist twice and various albums I thought you'd already be familiar with (Pet Sounds, Grevious Angel,VU & Nico, etc) though obviously several remained that you're still familiar with, sorry.
Unlike most such books / magazine lists, this one is alphabetical not chronological, hence Buckley first, Young last.

1) Tim Buckley. Nice way to start.

Tim Buckley, 'Morning Glory' from Dream Letter. Yep, great song, would've like to have included one of the several epics on this album, but space would not allow.

2) Sounds vaguely like Can, but their jammier, more indulgent side. Takes a long long time to go not much of anywhere. My kingdom for a bridge!

Can, 'Bring Me Coffee Or Tea' from Tago Mago. This was bit of a curve-ball, as I didn't want to give you one of the shoter songs at the album's start and obviously couldn't include either of the lengthy songs in the middle.

3) Sugar ‘n Spikes. Beefheart. This rocks.

Captain Beefheart, 'Sugar 'n Spikes from Trout Mask Replica. Yep, rocks superbly.

4) Some very cool post-bop. Ornette, maybe?

Ornette Coleman, 'Congeniality' from The Shape Of Jazz To Come.

5) Very Billie Holliday influenced (but sounds white) singer, doing something called “Sweet Substitute.” Very nice subtle backing and great vocal performance. New-ish, maybe?

Karen Dalton, 'Sweet Substitute' from It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best. It's a Jelly Roll Morton cover. I'm sure you know here story: part of the early '60s NYC folk scene, admired by Dylan, Fred Neil, etc, vanished into obscurity...
This is from her debut album and her second (and last) is the even better In My Own Time. She was very shy of performing and recording, so only ever recorded covers, but her voice and interpretations are excellent.

6) More jazz, this time more fusion-y. Led by trumpet, so I’m suspecting Miles Davis? Cool bass playing, particularly. A bit more show-offy all around than 4, though.

Miles Davis, 'Directions II' from The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions. The book recommends the entire box but I didn't want to go with a segment from the actual album, so went with this track.

7) Wow, early synth followed by some off-kilter vocals and then an out-of-thin-air sax solo. What a wacky sound. I haven’t a bloody clue who this is, but it’s fantastic.

Faust, 'I've Got My Car And My TV' from Faust / So Far two-fer. I'm delighted you like this! I didn't want to risk annoying you with 10 minutes of jarring industrial noise from their debut, so went for something more approachable from their second album. If you like this song, you'll love So Far, The Faust Tapes and Faust IV as they all contain lots of songs along these lines. (Their debut is really good, but is their most, ahem, "demanding". The Faust Tapes is superb, crammed with all sorts of oddball snippets, riffs and pieces like this).

8) Marvin Gaye (I’m pretty sure). This is what 70s soul is all about. Heart-wrenching vocal, funky guitar, layered string arrangement. Beautiful.

Marvin Gaye, 'Please Stay (Once You Go Away)' from Let's Get It On. Couldn't agree with you more.

9) Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk. I generally like them, and this gets a good trance going (I’m guessing there’s a trans/trance pun in there somewhere) but it’s also a bit too much in 2’s ballpark.

Kraftwerk, 'Trans-Europe Express' from Trans Europe Express.

10) Vintage R&B (or a fantastic simulation) probably called “Keep on Eatin’ (Baby Till You Get Enough)." Low-down and nasty. I love it.

Memphis Minnie, 'Keep On Eatin' from Hoodoo Lady, 1933 - 1937. A little blues goes a long way with me, but this is always a fun album, if nothing else.

11) Some good almost supper-club jazz but it goes quite free too. Fantastic playing as well. It’s not the Coltrane Quartet- I distinctly hear at least 2 different horns here- but the playing’s at that caliber and I think I might recognize Coltrane and McCoy Tyner in there somewhere.

Oliver Nelson, 'Butch And Butch' from The Blues And The Abstract Truth. A very under-rated jazz classic. No Coltrane or Tyner present, but there are obviuous connections: this was a '60s Impulse! release too, plus sometimes Coltrane sidemen Eric Dolphy and Paul Chambers play on it.

12) Some 90s grunge thing, not the most tuneful vocals in the world, but the spirit of it’s undeniable. I like this almost despite myself. Might be Nirvana, but I'd probably recognize Cobain and I don't here.

Pavement, Silence Kit' from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Grunge ?

13) Another minimalist electronica thing, but this one’s fantastic. Very keyboard based, but rises and falls in waves. Terry Riley, maybe?

Steve Reich, 'Pulse' from Music For 18 Musicians. Along with Riley, Conrad, Glass, etc, one of minimalism's greats. Hell, of of modern classical's greats, IMHO. This album and Different Trains are probably the best two introductory albums to Reich, should you want ot investigate further.

14) Marty Robbins, I presume? Love him.

Marty Robbins, 'Running Gun' from Gunfighter Ballads. Yeah, he's cool.

15) Birds by Neil Young. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

Neil Young, 'Birds' from After The Goldrush. Wonderful song.

So there you have it- short on surprises but even shorter on disappointment, and it does have two great things I don't know in 7 & 13. I'd love to know who these are, I'll definitely investigate further. Thanks to my sender who sequenced well as well (unless the sequence is randomly generated as well, but it turned out for the better regardless).

Sorry there was too much you already knew, but really glad you liked Faust (especially)and Steve Reich. If you want to *cough* for either, just say so. Whenever I draw you next I'll assemble a bunch of hopefully less familiar songs.

TRACKLIST:

1) Tim Buckley - Morning Glory, 3.43.
2) Can, Bring Me Coffee Or Tea, 6.47.
3) Captain Beefheart - Sugar 'N Spikes, 2.29.
4) Ornette Coleman - Congeniality, 6.44.
5) Karen Dalton - Sweet Substitute, 2.43.
6) Miles Davis - Directions II, 4.51.
7) Faust - I've Got My Car And My TV, 3.51.
8) Marvin Gaye - Please Stay (Once You Go Away), 3.27.
9) Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express, 6.52.
10) Memphis Minnie - Keep On Eatin', 2.37.
11) Oliver Nelson - Butch And Butch, 4.35.
12) Pavement - Silence Kit, 3.00.
13) Steve Reich - Pulse, 5.26.
14) Marty Robbins - Running Gun, 2.12.
15) Neil Young - Birds, 2.33.

[Cosmic American Girl]

That was an awesome idea, Grant!

[Lemon Yoghourt]

I received a disc with 13 tracks, all with female singers and mostly with the classic girl group sound. I love it and the timing is great becuase I bought the 'One Kiss Leads to Another' boxset and I'm slowly working my way through it.

1 - 'Lipstick and High Heel Shoes'? I liked this it opened the disc well. Great backing vocals.

2 - Continues in the same vein but the lead vocal is stronger I think and maybe a better song. The strings sound great. I love this.

3 - This one starts with male backing vocals but with the a 'rawer' female lead. This song is brilliant as well, it chops and swirls around to great effect.

4 - Cry Baby. I've definitely heard this before. A nice soulful vocal over the piano. There is a great restraint here I think, and the song benefits here.

5 - Possibly my favourite song on the disc. Its so fluid, flitting between verse and chorus, but ends rather abruptly. Good guitar lines as well.

6 - A great version of Baby Please Don't Go. There is nothing to dislike here, great intro, vocal and a nice change into a bluesier sound.

7 - The blues theme continues here. The horns sound great.

8 - Another great song and a contender for my favourite track. The organ, horns and possibly a flute sound great flitting in and out of the song. What a voice.

9 - And again, this is great as well and goes perfectly after the last track. The chorus is joyous. Love it.

10 - They just keep coming here, I really am loving this disc.

11 - This sounds a little like Bettye Lavette's recent work I think, it has a modern'ish feel to it anyway. It might be due to the run of tracks here but I couldn't really get into this one.

12 - A more traditional girl group sound here and it sounds great. What a sweet voice.

13 - A slower song to finish. It sounds so sweet, I really could listen to these voices/vocals all the time just now. Its almost hynotic. Great closer.

I apologise for the brevity of the review but I'm busy later and for rest of the week, and I've sat on this too long. Thanks for this, the timing really is perfect. My favourite Mix Club disc for quite some time. The covers go well with the mood of the disc.

I'll review the Bonus disc in the appropriate thread later but rest assured I really like that disc as well.

What a package. I love it.

[T. Willy Rye]

My June disc is right up my alley. I think I might have felt the breath of my mixer on the back of my neck as I posted this month, he/she seems to know my tastes exactly.

Track #1- Great opening track. I’ll say west African, love the combination of congas and horns. Wonderful!

Track #2- Funky bass line, then all the other ingredients for one stone cold jam come in- the guitar with a nice wah pedal effect and then some groovy piano. This is the shit. Some obscure regional funk; could be Tulsa, could be Oakland, but definitely solid.

Track #3 Superb soul, don’t know who- probably should, but love it just the same. Great plaintive vocals-love the highs he’s able to hit.

Track #4- This must be some southern fried funk, probably New Orleans. All the makings for a soul food feast. Your love is so good? Another excellent track!

Track #5- Wow! What an amazing vocal performance. I don’t know why or how I don’t know this, but thank you for introducing me. When he pleads that he’s lonely, I fear for his future.

Track #6- When I’m Gone by Brenda Holloway. Another gem!

Track #7- Another nice piece of Rand B that I don’t know. The chorus-Too late, your love is gone. Seems like this band could have paved the way for bands like the Spinners. Like it a lot.

Track #8-Maybe a little later than the previous song- more emphasis on the groove. Like that busy guitar and I’m not usually one for the orchestrated strings, but I like them here probably because there are so many other nice touches, like the horns coming in strong.

Track #9 is Sir Victor Uwalfo. Obodo Eyo (Ekassa 12). Love him, but it cuts off half way through and that’s all I get to hear.

Really curious about what comes next, though 8 1/2 killer tracks ain’t bad. Thanks mixer.

[NickC]

I received a disc with 13 tracks, all with female singers and mostly with the classic girl group sound. I love it and the timing is great becuase I bought the 'One Kiss Leads to Another' boxset and I'm slowly working my way through it.
Hi Rocky. I had the pleasure of compiling your June mix. I recently noted from one of your posts that you had bought, and where enjoying the boxset. As this stuff is my speciality, I decided to let you hear a bit more of what was currently flicking your switch.

1 - 'Lipstick and High Heel Shoes'? I liked this it opened the disc well. Great backing vocals.
The very essence of the girl group sound. Valentine & the Sweethearts with their '63 release Lipstick & Highheel shoes.

2 - Continues in the same vein but the lead vocal is stronger I think and maybe a better song. The strings sound great. I love this.
Solo artist now, and as you say, a stronger vocal. This is Marie Gladness and Cops & Robbers.

3 - This one starts with male backing vocals but with the a 'rawer' female lead. This song is brilliant as well, it chops and swirls around to great effect.
This is from '63 and its Barberra Redd with he northern soul ace I'l Be All Alone.

4 - Cry Baby. I've definitely heard this before. A nice soulful vocal over the piano. There is a great restraint here I think, and the song benefits here.
I tried to follow the same path that the boxset steps into, so here we have Gloria Jones with a track from her '70 album Vixen. Its Cry Baby.

5 - Possibly my favourite song on the disc. Its so fluid, flitting between verse and chorus, but ends rather abruptly. Good guitar lines as well.
You have good taste. A much underated band, who are best remembered for one track..Venus. This is the fantastic Shocking Blue from the Netherlands, with Who Save My Soul. I included them here because I think Mariska Veres is as much a part of the girl group sound as anyone else here.

6 - A great version of Baby Please Don't Go. There is nothing to dislike here, great intro, vocal and a nice change into a bluesier sound.
A rare one this. Rose Mitchell. There are very few times when a cover can stand up so well against the original. This is one of those times.

7 - The blues theme continues here. The horns sound great.
An old favourite of mine. When I stuck the Jones track Cry Baby on, I couldnt get this out my head. Based on its association with the Waters/Depp film, Cry Baby. This is the amazing Sister Wynona Carr with Please Mr. Jailer.

8 - Another great song and a contender for my favourite track. The organ, horns and possibly a flute sound great flitting in and out of the song. What a voice.
This is Pat Hervey, with the single Pain. She has that Wanda Jackson vibe going on. Very strong.

9 - And again, this is great as well and goes perfectly after the last track. The chorus is joyous. Love it.
Back to '63 again, and a more traditional theme. Henrietta & the Hairdooz and You've Got A Lot To Learn.

10 - They just keep coming here, I really am loving this disc.
More of a RnB feel, this is Miss LaVell and Stop These Teardrops from '59.

11 - This sounds a little like Bettye Lavette's recent work I think, it has a modern'ish feel to it anyway. It might be due to the run of tracks here but I couldn't really get into this one.
Probably the most modern track its a cover of the Bobby Bland track Lead Me On. This is by the 70s chanteusse Gwen Mcrae.

12 - A more traditional girl group sound here and it sounds great. What a sweet voice.
Thought i'd bring the mix back to where we came in. This is from '65 and its Angie & the Chiklettes with Tommy. So many of these records where based around boys names.

13 - A slower song to finish. It sounds so sweet, I really could listen to these voices/vocals all the time just now. Its almost hynotic. Great closer.
This is another group more familiar to northern soul circles, having a hit with This Love (that im giving you). This is actually a '56 B side though, and its Is This Really The End by The Joytones

I apologise for the brevity of the review but I'm busy later and for rest of the week, and I've sat on this too long. Thanks for this, the timing really is perfect. My favourite Mix Club disc for quite some time. The covers go well with the mood of the disc.

I'll review the Bonus disc in the appropriate thread later but rest assured I really like that disc as well.

What a package. I love it.

Im pleased that it hit the spot, and I hope it added to, or complemented the feel of the Girl Group..boxset. No need to revue the bonus, pm me with your guesses and i'l pm the tracklist.

1. Lipstick & high heel shoes - Valentine & the Sweethearts
2. Cops & robbers - Marie Gladness
3. I'l be all alone - Barbera Redd
4. Cry baby - Gloria Jones
5. Who save my soul - Shocking Blue
6. Baby please dont go - Rose Mitchell
7. Please Mr. Jailer - Sister Wynona Carr
8. Pain - Pat Hervey
9. You've got a lot to learn - Henrietta & the hairdooz
10. Stop these teardrops - Miss LaVell
11. Lead me on - Gwen Mcrae
12. Tommy - Angie & the chicklettes
13. Is this really the end? - the Joytones

[Duncan]

My June disc is right up my alley. I think I might have felt the breath of my mixer on the back of my neck as I posted this month, he/she seems to know my tastes exactly.

Track #1- Great opening track. I’ll say west African, love the combination of congas and horns. Wonderful!

Track #2- Funky bass line, then all the other ingredients for one stone cold jam come in- the guitar with a nice wah pedal effect and then some groovy piano. This is the shit. Some obscure regional funk; could be Tulsa, could be Oakland, but definitely solid.

Track #3 Superb soul, don’t know who- probably should, but love it just the same. Great plaintive vocals-love the highs he’s able to hit.

Track #4- This must be some southern fried funk, probably New Orleans. All the makings for a soul food feast. Your love is so good? Another excellent track!

Track #5- Wow! What an amazing vocal performance. I don’t know why or how I don’t know this, but thank you for introducing me. When he pleads that he’s lonely, I fear for his future.

Track #6- When I’m Gone by Brenda Holloway. Another gem!

Track #7- Another nice piece of Rand B that I don’t know. The chorus-Too late, your love is gone. Seems like this band could have paved the way for bands like the Spinners. Like it a lot.

Track #8-Maybe a little later than the previous song- more emphasis on the groove. Like that busy guitar and I’m not usually one for the orchestrated strings, but I like them here probably because there are so many other nice touches, like the horns coming in strong.

Track #9 is Sir Victor Uwalfo. Obodo Eyo (Ekassa 12). Love him, but it cuts off half way through and that’s all I get to hear.

Really curious about what comes next, though 8 1/2 killer tracks ain’t bad. Thanks mixer.

Ach, sorry about that, and it was all going so well...

I've sent you a replacement. If it gets there reasonably quickly and you have time to finish me off (so to speak) then great, but no worries if not, I'll just post a reveal whatever when next month's starts.

[Oscar]

How we supposed to review stuff when the fooball's on? I think we should make plans to cancel our June and July 2014 mix club exchanges.

[Heilan Coo]

Right, I'll admit that I adopted the crash position when listening to this disc - I knew who my mixer was from the handwriting and the postmark, so I was fully expecting to be exposed to some R***s W********t. Imagine my relief to discover that it was lisping ninny-free and quite enjoyable into the bargain :

1) It's Pavement or Stephen Malkmus and a song I've not heard for ages and always liked, but annoyingly not one that I can recall the title of. This seems to be a slightly different version from the one I recall, with extra added twangy guitar. Great start.

2) Don't recognise this at all, this one's right out of my ballpark. Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, strings, foreign language vocals. Nice enough, though.

3) Another cracking choice - The White Stripes : "The Nurse" from Get Behind Me Satan. I'm a fan of their later albums, especially the gonzo cymbals action on this track.

4) Now, wait. I know this. Don't tell me....it'll come to me in a second...something about the lyrics. It's Daniel O'Donnell, isn't it?

5) "I know what boys like, I know what guys want". Actually, this could be Daniel O'Donnell. Allegedly.

6) Now this one caused a lot of confusion when I heard it. I couldn't for the life of me place the vocal in this one and then after two minutes, the penny dropped....Terry Hall! Live at the Bingley Social Club! £3 on the door, members £2! Bingo and buffet from 9pm! Casio-tastic!

It had grown on me a lot by the end....Fun Boy Three, I'm guessing?

7) No sign of Spock. "Where's Captain Kirk" by Spizzenergi, proving that not everything related with Star Trek is deathly dull.

8) Biggest surprise of the disc - I was beginning to think I was the only one on BCB who'd give them the time of day! Big goofy grin for this one...."guilty" pleasure time. Sleeper : "Dress Like Your Mother". Braw!

9) Cover of Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk To Fuck". 60s lounge-tastic. Makes me think it might be Nouvelle Vague?

10) Yeah, this ain't Daniel O'Donnell. NWA : "Real Niggas Don't Die". I hear Mike Read was a big fan.

11) You know, the real joy of something like Mix Club is that every so often it'll throw you a curveball and deliver you something you'd never have normally expected to like. This disc has taken that one step further. A miracle has happened, people. This is the first - and perhaps only ever - time I will listen to a track that contains Kasabian that won't make me want sit to the corner, rocking back and forwards on my heels, sobbing and chewing lead.

"LSF" but with a funk backing. Horns and everything! So good, I listened to it twice without feeling I had to pour bleach into my ears to remove any lingering Kasabian traces from my eardrums. Don't know who it is, though!

12) A typewriter solo? What manner of prog hell is this?

13) Final track starts off with synths a-plenty, but I had to admit that my heart sank a little when a saxaphone wafted in. Not to worry, it didn't intrude too much. But you know, I quite like this. References to Hiroshima and intercity trains. The vocal reminds me of Pete Doherty for some reason, but I'm sure as hell it isn't him. Interested to find out who this is.

Overall, really enjoyed this. Had I not known who the sender was before I listened, the clues would have all fallen into place as the disc went on. I don't think it could have been from anyone else.

Well done, Caswell!

[Minnie the Minx]

Why thanks Coo! And no Rufus in sight, you see, I can manage it every so often.

So, your list was

1. Pavement - Father to a Sister of Thought

I had never even heard this until this SF trip and Baron turned me on to it big time. Marvellous stuff innit?

2.Youssou N'Dour - Allah

I thought you needed a bit of Islam in your life

3. The White Stripes - The Nurse

Indeed you are correct. When the mad drums kick in - well, life doesn't really get much better than that does it?

4.Wayne County and The Electric Chairs - Fuck Off

Nothing personal, Lee.

5.The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like

Tits and beer, generally

6. Terry Hall - Thinking of You

I bloody love Terry Hall, I do - and I like to share the love around

7.Spizzenergi - Where's Captain Kirk

Well spotted Batman! Cracking little tune this innit

8.Sleeper - Dress Like Your Mother

Oh aye - we will keep our Sleeper love secret, Lee. Nobody understands

9.Nouvelle Vague - Too Drunk to Fuck

You're a clever lad. I'm running out of songs, me

10.NWA - Real Niggaz Dont Die

I wanted this at my 40th but thought of the faces of the bar staff

11.Mark Ronson - LSF

Yes. You like Mark Ronson Lee. Can you hear me? You like Mark Ronson. BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

12. Leroy Anderson Orchestra - Typewriter

You have Slider to thank for that - he put it on my IPOD secretly. Mind you, I love it, and I thought it would make a welcome change from Rufus

13. Ultravox - Hiroshima Mon Amour

Worlds most underrated band as far as Im concerned. It's John Foxx, not Pete Docherty, but what the heck.

Glad you enjoyed Lee.

Now, did you ask me for some more Rufus?

[Lemon Yoghourt]

I received a disc with 13 tracks, all with female singers and mostly with the classic girl group sound. I love it and the timing is great becuase I bought the 'One Kiss Leads to Another' boxset and I'm slowly working my way through it.
Hi Rocky. I had the pleasure of compiling your June mix. I recently noted from one of your posts that you had bought, and where enjoying the boxset. As this stuff is my speciality, I decided to let you hear a bit more of what was currently flicking your switch.

1 - 'Lipstick and High Heel Shoes'? I liked this it opened the disc well. Great backing vocals.
The very essence of the girl group sound. Valentine & the Sweethearts with their '63 release Lipstick & Highheel shoes.

2 - Continues in the same vein but the lead vocal is stronger I think and maybe a better song. The strings sound great. I love this.
Solo artist now, and as you say, a stronger vocal. This is Marie Gladness and Cops & Robbers.

3 - This one starts with male backing vocals but with the a 'rawer' female lead. This song is brilliant as well, it chops and swirls around to great effect.
This is from '63 and its Barberra Redd with he northern soul ace I'l Be All Alone.

4 - Cry Baby. I've definitely heard this before. A nice soulful vocal over the piano. There is a great restraint here I think, and the song benefits here.
I tried to follow the same path that the boxset steps into, so here we have Gloria Jones with a track from her '70 album Vixen. Its Cry Baby.

5 - Possibly my favourite song on the disc. Its so fluid, flitting between verse and chorus, but ends rather abruptly. Good guitar lines as well.
You have good taste. A much underated band, who are best remembered for one track..Venus. This is the fantastic Shocking Blue from the Netherlands, with Who Save My Soul. I included them here because I think Mariska Veres is as much a part of the girl group sound as anyone else here.

6 - A great version of Baby Please Don't Go. There is nothing to dislike here, great intro, vocal and a nice change into a bluesier sound.
A rare one this. Rose Mitchell. There are very few times when a cover can stand up so well against the original. This is one of those times.

7 - The blues theme continues here. The horns sound great.
An old favourite of mine. When I stuck the Jones track Cry Baby on, I couldnt get this out my head. Based on its association with the Waters/Depp film, Cry Baby. This is the amazing Sister Wynona Carr with Please Mr. Jailer.

8 - Another great song and a contender for my favourite track. The organ, horns and possibly a flute sound great flitting in and out of the song. What a voice.
This is Pat Hervey, with the single Pain. She has that Wanda Jackson vibe going on. Very strong.

9 - And again, this is great as well and goes perfectly after the last track. The chorus is joyous. Love it.
Back to '63 again, and a more traditional theme. Henrietta & the Hairdooz and You've Got A Lot To Learn.

10 - They just keep coming here, I really am loving this disc.
More of a RnB feel, this is Miss LaVell and Stop These Teardrops from '59.

11 - This sounds a little like Bettye Lavette's recent work I think, it has a modern'ish feel to it anyway. It might be due to the run of tracks here but I couldn't really get into this one.
Probably the most modern track its a cover of the Bobby Bland track Lead Me On. This is by the 70s chanteusse Gwen Mcrae.

12 - A more traditional girl group sound here and it sounds great. What a sweet voice.
Thought i'd bring the mix back to where we came in. This is from '65 and its Angie & the Chiklettes with Tommy. So many of these records where based around boys names.

13 - A slower song to finish. It sounds so sweet, I really could listen to these voices/vocals all the time just now. Its almost hynotic. Great closer.
This is another group more familiar to northern soul circles, having a hit with This Love (that im giving you). This is actually a '56 B side though, and its Is This Really The End by The Joytones

I apologise for the brevity of the review but I'm busy later and for rest of the week, and I've sat on this too long. Thanks for this, the timing really is perfect. My favourite Mix Club disc for quite some time. The covers go well with the mood of the disc.

I'll review the Bonus disc in the appropriate thread later but rest assured I really like that disc as well.

What a package. I love it.

Im pleased that it hit the spot, and I hope it added to, or complemented the feel of the Girl Group..boxset. No need to revue the bonus, pm me with your guesses and i'l pm the tracklist.

Thanks Nick. I'm really enjoying these discs and they definitely add to the enjoyment of the boxset. I'll pm you soon about the bonus disc.

[Minnie the Minx]

Going to listen to mine tonight - many apologies dear sender, time has flown.

[bhoywonder]

I like it when people put the tracklisting at the end of the reveal.

[beenieman]

Four discs this month. The primary disc has a cover titled radio and that’s you get. A radio station from the70’s. A lot of tracks but it includes the ads etc

Track 1. Nope it’s not the only halfway decent thing Captain Beefheart ever did. He’s not that good. Getting reception for the radio.

Track 2. Jazz rock to kick off. Sounds like David Clayton-Thomas and Blood Sweat & Tears but I’d guess one of the second tier jazz rockers of the time. That’s not a put down

Track 3. “KFRC San Francisco”

Track 4. “Treat Her Like a Lady”. I know that Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose did this but this is someone else. This is way more funky & jazz oriented. Very James Brown influenced.

Track 5. Bob Seger when he was a rocker. Rambling Gambling Man. Maintains the funky sound.
I was just thirteen
When I had to leave home
Knew I couldn't stick around
I had to roam

Track 6. Now for some English sounds. “Things go Better with Coke”. From the Bee Gees (the announcer told me).

Track 7. “Western Union Man”. The Five Americans had the hit but I’m unsure if its them. So many great songs from back then are never heard anymore. I like the line “Taliban just had to say”. Perhaps I misheard? Great great track.

Track 8. 9 second break.

Track 9. “Everybody Plays the Fool”. Main Ingredient had the hit but again I’m uncertain if it’s them. I’ve heard the song a zillion times too.

Track 10. Ravi Shankar which some good advice

Track 11. “Just Dropped In To See what Condition My Condition Was In”. The first Edition with Kenny Rogers when he was cool. He’s always been good.

Track 12. An ad for the wah wah pedal from those Electric Prunes. That wah wah pedal sure makes a difference. Everyone’s using it. Even Herman’s Hermits.

Track 13. Poppy Family? I have a friend who plays them a lot and I know this is a track of theirs. He’s Canadian.

Track 14. Hit Radio WKIC

Track 15. now this is a favourite. Can’t mistake it from the best bars. Malo “Sauvecito” One of the first 20 or so albums I ever owned and I long ago upgraded to CD. Jorge Santana was the man. Shame he never got to Woodstock. It’s still one of my favorite albums. Thank you.

Track 16. My mind’s a blank. I know the song but it’s probably decades since I heard it. I’ll Google the lyrics later.

Track 17. Another interlude. Spencer Davis likes his grape shakes.

Track 18. Gonna put it in the Want Ads. Honeycone? If this had been on Motown everyone would still know this song. As good as Motown ever got. Well up there!

Track 19. I don’t think I’ve ever heard this. A hit that never crossed the Pacific I guess. A nice pop song. “I Love You” may be the title!

Track 20. Pete Townsend selling the US Air force. Abbie Hoffman should have kicked him off the stage at Woodstock given the mood of the times.

Track 21. Hot Smoke & Sassafrass. Bubble Puppy was it? This turned up on a Mojo disc a while back.

Track 22. Another radio station tuned in.

Track 23. One of the best tracks on the disc and I swear I’ve never heard it before. A great find whoever it is.

Track 24. One of those funky little instrumentals that just hit out of nowhere back then. Young-Holt Unlimited or someone like that. Stuff like this used to top the charts when I was a lad.

Track 25. A fresh radio station comes on board but they still play the good tunes.

Track 26. Chairmen of the board “Pay it to the Piper”. See my comments on Honeycone. A great song lost in the past cos it wasn’t on Motown.

Track 27. Beefheart? My ears hurt! Just kidding, I know it isn’t Beefheart. I might edit this track out though.

Track 28. Crykle “Red Rubber Ball”. I once started a thread on this. Starfish, rollercoaster’s. They don’t write them like this anymore. A Paul Simon composition too. Funny New Zealand story. The government funded 5 years or so ago a Maori TV station. They went offshore to recruit and got a Canadian who they thought was great. However once the press saw his CV they got suspicious. He told them they couldn’t check out his credentials as much of it was sealed from when he was a secret agent. But he did reveal he’d been a professional hockey player in the NHL and that he’d written this song! He spent a few months running the station before going to jail.

Track 29. Nine second interlude.

Track 30. Jefferson’s theme? “Movin’ On Up”. Who sang this?

Track 31. Station ID.

Track 32. Another that’s not familiar to me. Not every American hit crossed over here you know. I’d have liked to hear it then though. A lovely little melody. “It’s 1900 yesterday”

Track 33. Let’s catch the Iron Butterfly!

Track 34. Another that I doubt I’ve ever heard. Another fine pop tune.

Track 35. 4 seconds for Pittsburgh radio.

Track 36. Nassau gone funky. The Beginning of the End. I like the bit where each of the players gets a chance to star.

Track 37. another 4 second station ID.

Track 38. Box Tops “Neon Rainbow”. Better than Big Star. My BCB sacrilegious comment for the day.

Track 39. The Hells Angels are on their way. Ad for a movie. Goofy gals too. I’m tempted to try to rent it.

Track 40. The voice is familiar but not the song. Heavy Soul.

Track 41. You can’t do a disc like this without the Grass Roots. Another band that should be cherished more than they are. “Time for Living”

Track 42. Station ID.

Track 43. Tin Tin “Toast & Marmalade for Tea. Was this a Bee Gees composition or just a take on their sound? I can’t remember this important stuff anymore.

Track 44. The McCoy’s support the Heart Fund

Track 45. small Faces “Itchycoo Park”. A great choice to close with.

Track 46. Radio tunes out.

I’ll be playing this a lot. It was hard work to review but very much appreciated. While I genuinely enjoy almost all the discs I receive this is one of the first I can see myself compiling.

Thanks.

And I know it took a while to review but give me a little time to see if I can do the others (gasp). But don’t lose the track lists!

[Magilla]

Track 28. Crykle “Red Rubber Ball”...Funny New Zealand story. The government funded 5 years or so ago a Maori TV station. They went offshore to recruit and got a Canadian who they thought was great. However once the press saw his CV they got suspicious. He told them they couldn’t check out his credentials as much of it was sealed from when he was a secret agent. But he did reveal he’d been a professional hockey player in the NHL and that he’d written this song! He spent a few months running the station before going to jail!

I remember that fiasco but I was unaware of that exact detail. Classic !

[dgs]

Thanks to the creator of my June mix, I have taken my time with this review (mostly due to watching the world cup) and on the whole it has been a very enjoyable collection of tracks.

1. Instrumental number to start with but which contains airy female vocals in the mix. This has a very gallic feel to it and judging by the instrumentation it would not surprise me if this were a track by AIR.

2. Like this one a lot. Very simple acoustic guitar and then Spanish female vocals. I would guess that this has to be either Juana Molina or Babel Gilberto. I am more inclined to go with the former as Babel Gilberto is a bit more latin than this and this track has the former written all over it.

3. This one is well weird but in a good way. A collage of guitar sounds which add together and build as the track progresses. It is almost like an acoustic Mogwai in the way it starts low and builds to loud. I have a feeling that I really should know this one and look forward to the reveal.

4. More rocky as we move onto track 4. This has a very nice and loud keyboard riff that runs right through it. Vocals remind me somewhat of Placebo, but it isn't. I enjoyed this one also.

5. Change of pace with track 5 and a much more atmospheric and cinematic soundscape emerges. I love the multit-racking on this with the acoustic low in the mix surrounded by feedback and electric guitar fx and low bass which hides the melody of the acoustics but which adds an etherial feel. Nice one. Reminds me of a track by the boxhead quartet which unfolds in a very similar style.

6. A more rock orientated track at no. 6. Didn't really click with this one it has a very 60's feel to it but the production is more modern. Okay but not for me.

7. Keeping the rock going, I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous one. The vocals were annoyingly familiar without being able to pin a finger on who it was.

8. This is the stuff that the mix club compilations were made to provide. Someone must have been following my love of the modern classical because this one falls right into that genre, after a piano start we fall into the deep tones of cello and strings, achingly beautiful with a wee touch of the celtic in there. The piano plays a simple melody which blends with the strings. I know the melody and can't wait for the reveal. For some reason I can see Lord of the Rings in this....

9. Marked contrast to no. 8 this one has pure dead good effected Glasgae vocals. Don't like this, I think it's the pure dead good effected vocals that put me off.

10. Difficult to describe this one, after a rawkus start it breaks right down to a driving beat with a kind of spoken vocal with soulful backing vocals. Drives along at the same pace with funky guitar low in the mix and big fx cutting across things. Fun number, interested to know who it is.

11. Simple folky start to track 11 which should have a wonderful gaelic female vocal over the top of it. Doesn't though and it is a pleasant enough instrumental, could be someone like Davy Graham.

12. Another 60's sounding track to finish off with, the vocals sound to be passing through some form of processing unit. Twas alright.

Thanks for the mix, some tracks that I will be awaiting the reveal on with interest.

[beenieman]

Track 28. Crykle “Red Rubber Ball”...Funny New Zealand story. The government funded 5 years or so ago a Maori TV station. They went offshore to recruit and got a Canadian who they thought was great. However once the press saw his CV they got suspicious. He told them they couldn’t check out his credentials as much of it was sealed from when he was a secret agent. But he did reveal he’d been a professional hockey player in the NHL and that he’d written this song! He spent a few months running the station before going to jail!

I remember that fiasco but I was unaware of that exact detail. Classic !

He was a fabulist. I checked out the details this morning. I'd thought my memory of his being in the secret service was faulty. His claim was that his CV could not be checked out as he was in the witness protection programme!

Davy claims his academic record was adjusted as part of witness protection program: Davy twice bankrupted in Canada. This was his explanation when his academic qualifications were found to be falsified.

... He said he was placed in a witness protection programme, under which he retained his birth name but had financial and academic details "wiped out".
...
"This is due to an international forensic audit assignment undertaken by me in mid-1980s. To facilitate my assignment I was given protection that included 'adjusting my background' so that any linkage to my real name could not be made. This unfortunately included my financial and academic history."

Here's the full story which is still one of the funniest in New Zealand's recent history:

Checks, lies and videotape - the John Davy saga
By Louisa Cleave 5:02 AM Wednesday May 1, 2002



HERALD INQUIRY - When John Davy was confronted with the false claims on his CV last week, he knew immediately what to do - invent a new story.

There was a good reason no one at the British Columbia Securities Commission knew about his claims to have worked there as a member and adviser, he told board chairman Derek Fox last Friday.

He had been doing "highly confidential work", which was a secret even to most of the commission's staff.

The Herald understands that Davy told the board he was part of a witness protection programme because his work had involved catching fraudsters for the commission.

It was enough to keep Fox vigorously defending him for another day - "Everything you have raised so far has [been] shown to be incorrect," Fox told the Herald on Friday - even though Finance Minister Michael Cullen had by this stage ordered a Treasury investigation.

But by Saturday Davy's house of cards was collapsing. His MBA degree from the Ashland School of Business at Denver State University turned out to be a fake.

Further Herald inquiries had established that the university did not exist, except as a name used on counterfeit credentials sold over the internet.

Fox flew from his Mahia home to confront Davy in Auckland and sacked him on Monday after he failed to provide a reasonable explanation.

By then the scope of Davy's deceit had become even clearer.

The Herald has obtained Canadian records showing that a John Brian Davy, born in Ottawa on October 4, 1950 and who later lived in Whistler - personal details matching those supplied by Davy - was bankrupted in 1980 and 1993, owing $13,500 and $65,880 respectively.

Other basic checks have shown that his resume, sent out to prospective employers last August, is riddled with false claims - from sporting achievements to his roles with major conferences, including Expo 86 and Globe 90 in Vancouver.

Davy claims to have spent 10 years from February 1988 to April 1998 working in some of the most cosmopolitan cities - London, Paris, Geneva and Vancouver - for a company called International Business Partners Inc.

However, Herald inquiries place Davy in the Canadian ski town of Whistler (population 9800) during the early to mid-1990s.

He operated an accounting business from a bedroom in a modest home.

The Herald has spoken to professionals who dealt with Davy, and who played sport alongside him.

A lawyer, whom the Herald has agreed not to name, recalls seeing two degrees hanging on Davy's office wall.

"I remember standing there and looking at them and thinking it was odd that they were from different places but were both printed on exactly the same paper," he says.

The lawyer was in the office to retrieve the files of one of Davy's clients. He had been hired after the businessman discovered he was facing penalties of tens of thousands of dollars for tax returns handled by Davy.

"He always stuck in my head," said the lawyer. "He's a little strange, and I remember driving him home once and he was singing at the top of his voice. He said he'd had a career as a professional singer. That song Red Rubber Ball was on the radio and he turned to me and said, 'I wrote this'."

Red Rubber Ball was a top five hit for 1960s group The Cyrkle. It was written by Paul Simon.

The lawyer had limited dealings with Davy after he began representing the former client. He wrote to Davy asking for information about his procedures and his letter was faxed back with 'F*** YOU' written in bold, black marker across the top.

Whistler accountant Robbie Thorn also knew Davy and took on some of his clients.

The men refereed social grade ice hockey games together, after taking a one-day training course.

Davy later claimed in New Zealand that he had been a National Hockey League referee, but Thorn found his skills with the whistle "very poor".

Dave Crowther, the former referee-in-chief of Whistler minor hockey, told the Vancouver Sun yesterday that Davy was a "terrible" on-ice official.

"This guy had the most unusual grasp of reality I've ever seen anywhere," Crowther said. "The funny thing about him was he really believed his own story, even though you knew quite well it wasn't true."

Davy had been given responsibility for handling the referees' payroll, but Crowther soon asked for it back.

"He could not reconcile the monthly referee assignments as to who worked."

Thorn took over some of Davy's former clients and found his fellow ref uncooperative during a review of their accounts.

He asked Davy to explain his accounting procedures and how he had arrived at figures which made no sense to the experienced accountant.

"I didn't see any grasp of any basic accounting procedures.

"With John it was difficult to get that information, and we realised after a while that he had just made things up. They [the financial records] were fairly inventive."

Mr Thorn said that in some cases it took three years to straighten out clients' finances.

"I'm sure almost every accountant in Whistler has heard of him or dealt with the aftermath."

In between refereeing NHL hockey games, Davy also claimed to be a former Canadian fencing champion - which was news to the Canadian Fencing Federation yesterday.

High-performance director Danek Nowosielski said the federation had no records of a national champion called John Davy.

"I've been in the sport for over 20 years. The name doesn't ring a bell at all."

Nowosielski said he had talked to other people active in Canadian fencing for the past 30 years, including national champions of the 1970s, and they had never heard of Davy either.

Davy continued to live in Whistler until about 1995, while local accountants worked through his clients' accounts. Then, residents say, he simply disappeared one day.

The next confirmed account of Davy comes from Saudi Arabia about 1999.

A New Zealand man who was in Riyadh says he played softball with Davy and knew him socially.

Davy's CV says he was CFO and director of HR and IT for Al Babtain Leblanc Telecommunications Systems at this time.

The Herald has so far been unable to contact the company to check his position.

The New Zealand man, who did not want to be identified, said Davy was living in one of the more expensive housing compounds.

"I think he was fairly well paid. I thought [his work] was more on the financial side but he never talked about it.

"To be quite honest, he always seemed to be trying to fit in.

"He never struck me as a sort of person who would have a high-pressure, high-profile job."

He said Davy was living with a blonde woman, possibly an Australian, who worked as a nurse at the King Fahd Hospital.

Davy's resume states he moved from Saudi to Hong Kong for the job with Asia Pacific Investment Advisors.

It is not clear whether that was where he met his present wife, a Filipina with two children. The children, aged 12 and 15, are living in the Philippines.

His next stop was New Zealand, for a job with Intercom3000 in Auckland. The struggling IT company hired Davy in June last year and he soon discovered the magnitude of his job.

Staff who worked for Intercom3000 said they were taking money from their own bank accounts to try to keep the company afloat and save their jobs.

When Intercom3000 went under, creditors say it had debts of more than $600,000.

Director Eric Anderton left town and Davy told the creditors, who have since spoken to the Herald, that his boss was seeking new investment finance in Costa Rica.

Anderton is still in Costa Rica, and Intercom3000 was placed in liquidation last week.

Landlord Martin van Zonneveld, who leased his Eden Terrace premises to Intercom3000, says he is owed $94,000 in rent.

Van Zonneveld says that around August last year he arrived at the office to find it stripped of its furniture and filthy. There was mess everywhere - beer bottles, food wrappers and rubbish.

He contacted Davy and they met at his Birkenhead home. It was there that van Zonneveld found the boardroom table from his office. The chairs had been sold.

Davy told his landlord that Anderton was in Costa Rica and "on the verge of signing a deal which would allow them to pay the rent in full".

As former Intercom3000 employees turned to Davy for wages owed and creditors contacted him about unpaid debts, he set his sights on finding new work.

He sent recruiting agencies and prospective employers a CV which stated that he had "just completed an interim assignment as CEO for Intercom3000".

"My mandate was to realign the corporate structure, finance and auditing protocols and relocate the office to San Jose, Costa Rica.

"Additionally, I was responsible for the setting-up and execution of the parent company and its subsidiaries' off-shore banking facilities.

"Having successfully completed my mandate, my wife and I would like to remain in New Zealand."

But as Davy tried to keep up appearances, Intercom3000's financial problems were spilling into his personal life.

On August 24 last year, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services repossessed a vehicle on which Davy owed $3000.

Then $4962 owed to Frontline Finance for household goods was written off on March 13 this year - the day before his appointment as chief executive of Maori Television was announced.

The Herald understands that Davy moved from the Birkenhead home of an Intercom3000 employee into his present Kohimarama home soon after getting the job.

He is paying $975 a week to rent the house, which has a swimming pool and is worth more than $500,000.