2014 Mix 01 (March/April 2014) Reviews

[Walk In My Shadow]

Could hardly have been anybody but you, Paul.

*slaps forhead* of course it was Horton Heat

So. Bellwether and the Latin Playboys go on the to buy list.

And yes, George Soulé. I already liked him from those Country got Soul comps.
I'm off to Amsterdam for three days tomorrow and I've already located online a reasonably priced copy of Let me be a man in one of the shops there. Let's hope it's still there on Monday.
Coincidence? I don't think so.

Thanks man!

[fange]

I became the recipient this month to a mix meant for someone else but I have really enjoyed it and I wouldn't have known it wasn't done for me. Some of the songs on the sendspace download were labeled so some of the mystery was taken away but it doesn't really make that big a difference. Label or not most of this was new to me and I wouldn't have guessed it. I liked almost all of it and there were some real standouts.

Hi again, Nick. Really glad you liked a lot of these tunes even the mix wasn't initially made for you!

(1) Done by a group called the Tube Tops this was an enjoyable slice of indie pop/rock that went down easy but wasn't really a mix standout. I like it but not as much as most of the rest.

Tube Top was a couple of the less famous guys from the Posies with a couple other not famous guys. I like their one-off album a whole heap, good late-90s indie pop.

(2) The Ikettes with a great little R & B number. I have heard cuts by them before but not this one. I know they were Ike Turner's girl singers and were pretty much screwed over and underused by him. I like this a lot. I will have to investigate what albums of theirs are available.

It's a cracking track, isn't it, from a comp. of U/A (United Artists) 60s and 70s tracks. The mix of righteous soul and funky groove is spot on, I think.

(3) A cover of the Temptations The Way You Do The Things You Do. Done well with a lot of feeling and energy and almost as good as the original. Good selection.

A bit of an obscure group and cut - The Underdogs were a white garage rock-type group from Detroit, and were signed to Motown, but never really got going apart from a couple of lost songs like this one, which is from a Motown obscurities comp. set. I love the mix of styles here.

(4) The group sounds familiar but I can't place them or even the era. Layered production with effects, a good track that runs maybe a little long but enjoyable nonetheless. Not my ususal sort of thing but I liked it more with each play.

An Aussie group here (I'm a Melbourne boy myself, in case you didn't know), called 78 Saab, doing one of their first singles. Saw them live many times, a personal fave group who could write some great hooky tunes. Their production was never hard enough for me on record, but love the guitar tone here.

(5) This is great, the Chambers Brothers with All Strung Out. Great song, I liked this a lot. I don't remember ever hearing it before but I've only had one CB album in my life. Another great selection.

Wonderful, ain't it.

(6) This is right up my all-girl pop punk alley. A real highlight of the mix, I love this sort of thing. I am really curious about the reveal on this and will probably buy whatever album this is from.

Another Aussie group, Bloods, with their recent single. I love a good girl punk sound, hooky and hard, though the drummer here is a guy.

(7) Familiar sounding, 80's new wavish, I don't like this as well but part of that is that it follows two outstanding cuts. Not bad but not my kind of thing.

If you can believe it this is Ed Kuepper of The Saints fame, showing a more new wavey/poppy indie side of his musical make-up. I love the flute, and the lyrics always make me smile.

(8) Good funk tune, from a group I never heard of but it is a good song. It's amazing the funk jewels you can find from these obscure groups. I'm a funk fan and am always looking for stuff like this. Good one.

Oh yeah, I'm always hunting out Funk comps. for gems just like this one by The Love Experience, a little known SF outfit. Full of fire and energy.

(9) Labeled as Be Bop Deluxe, I have heard these guys before but not this tune. Kind of British art rock, done well, but not a favorite. Maybe it's my American ears. Again, not bad at all but I probably wouldn't listen to an album of this.

Yep, arty/glammy/slightly progressive early 70s British rock. This is from the BBD first LP.

(10) Labeled as the Whatt Four it sounds like 60's era psych rock which is not a bad thing to me. I really like this sort of thing. Well executed. They probably don't have any full albums but if they do I might have to look for it. Thanks for including this.

Not sure if they ever made a full album, this cut is from the LA edition of the Nuggets series, one of my faves from that set. That fuzz guitar is catnip for me, and the balance of pop and tough elements on this one is right up my alley.

(11) Proggy instrumentation of a recent vintage I would guess. I don't listen to a lot of synth but this isn't bad. Don't know if I could do an album but this proved itself to be a grower on repeated listens.

One of the best known Aussie groups of the 80s, The Church, with one of their biggest singles from the 'Starfish' LP. Marty Willson-Piper is a guitar god in my eyes, and the whole group were terrific.

(12) Another modern sounding song, more pop/rock than anything else. I also liked this one the more I heard it. I think it's the modern layered production that I don't listen to a lot that throws me more than the players or the song.

This is Cardinal, the group made up by Richard Davies and Eric Matthews, most famous for their self-titled record from '94. They got together again to release their 'Hymns' LP recently, and this track is from that album, good stuff.

(13) This was labeled the Forresters who also sound like a pretty recent vintage. A good song, I like the horn accents and the general production on this. This one and the previous track (Love Like Rain?) are two I might investigate further.

The Forresters is a little known recent Aussie group, who released an album of fine country-tinged rock a couple of years ago but made few waves even Down Under. Goes down very smooth and love the feel and guitars.

(14) Townes Van Zandt "Standin'." I've just gotten into TVZ the last couple of years and I keep coming across great tunes like this. His best stuff is really good but I didn't really connect with him until relatively recently. I've mostly been listening to his boots so this is a bigger band than what I've heard. Good one.

One of fave TVZ cuts.

(15) This is one of the few I would have guessed, labeled or not. That distinctive voice can only be Bobby Gentry. The first few listens this sounded really close to her big hit but I came to see the individual charm of this song. It might be time to check out some of her albums.

This is a classic, I think, in every way. I'm not a fan of all Bobbie's stuff, but there is something magical in this tune that transcends time and fashion, a true gem.

Thanks mixer for an enjoyable listen. I will be looking forward to the reveal and I'm sure that, once again, I will be giving Amazon some more of my money. Good job.

Cheers! Don't hesitate to drop a line if you want a follow up to something.

1. Tube Top - What You See
2. The Ikettes - I'm Just Not Ready For Love
3. The Underdogs - The Way You Do The Things You Do
4. 78 Saab - Sunshine
5. The Chambers Brothers - All Strung Out Over You
6. Bloods - Into My Arms
7. Ed Kuepper - Real Wild Life
8. The Love Experience - Are You Together For The New Day
9. Be-Bop Deluxe - Rocket Cathedrals
10. The Whatt Four - You're Wishing I Was Someone Else
11. The Church - Reptile
12. Cardinal - Love Like Rain
13. The Forresters - Outtamyhead
14. Townes Van Zandt - Standin'
15. Bobbie Gentry - Fancy

[Duncan]

Right, first off, massive apologies for how long this took me to review. Poor form indeed. I'm usually pretty good at getting these done in good time, but I've been fannying about a lot recently - and also rather carelessly and dispiritingly closed the wrong tab the last time I tried to write the review and lost everything.
Anyway, my sloppiness is certainly no reflection on how much I enjoyed the disc. I've probably played it more times than every previous mix over the years. Lots of big arrangements, wonderful 60's OTTness, Pepperisms, baroque pop, psych dabblings, and other assorted treats are contained within - so right up my street.
Grovelling and Mix Club shame out of the way. On with the show.


1. Great late 60s pop track with a big arrangement and high production values. I love how record companies were happy to throw loads of cash at songs like this back then. For the first few seconds I was almost convinced that the vocals were actually somehow Meatloaf, but quite obviously they're not. I probably should know who this is, it was likely quite a big hit, but I have no idea.

2. A similar vintage to track 1 and equally as good. What a voice. This probably charted quite well too. It's amazing how much stuff from this period I still have to discover.

3. Ah, well I don't need to discover this one. It's the thoroughly lovely Iveys with Maybe Tomorrow. This one was almost certainly not a hit, but it deserved to be.

4. This one could well be my favourite on the disc. Warbly hippyish nonsense. In and out in two minutes. Fab.

5. This has to be those Gibb boys. There's not really much to the song but the rhythm really gets inside your head. It kind of makes me want to march theatrically around the house. Great stuff. I only have one Bee Gees album (1st) and I don't think that it's from that one. I should really investigate further.

6. This one builds up quite nicely. I love the thump thump beat and the big brass blow-out toward the end. The vocals aren't as strong as the the previous five, but it's hardly a big deal-breaker. Nice.

7. A funky mid-tempo stomper. It sounds familiar but I can't place it. One of the advantages of me pissing about and not reviewing this mix in a prompt fashion is that this has had time to grow on me loads. I enjoyed it the first few plays, but it seemed largely forgettable. Now fully lodged inside my head and I can't wait to check out what else these guys have done. Groovy organ.

8. This kind of has a blue-eyed Northern soul thing going on. Toe-tapping goodness.

9. This is the unmistakeable Dusty. It goes without saying that the vocals are effortlessly amazing. I love how the track goes from delicate to explosive and back again.

10. This sounds very much out of time with the rest of the disc. Certainly nothing terrible, but I'm not keen on the production (the cheesy backing vocals and sax sound in particular) and it's a little bit MOR for me.

11. This is great though. Sweet, charming, crisp girl pop. I dig the little brass touches.

12. Ah, well I know the song but not this particular version. I think I still prefer Tom Rush's original, but there's plenty to like here, especially what I can only assume to be Walker's dulcet tones and the big, daft guitar solo toward the end. The production is a bit syrupy, but I like it anyway.

13. I don't think I've heard the track before, but the Wall of Sound and the smooth vocals would suggest that this is those Righteous Brothers, or something very similar. I love the bit where they let loose after the talky bit. Very good.

14. I'm not too sure about this one. It's not a bad way to close a compilation but it's just a bit too easy listening for my tastes.

Thanks a bunch. A very thoughtfully produced mix with a lovely coherence throughout. I look forward to the reveal (if you haven't completely given up on me).

[Walk In My Shadow]

No worries, Duncan. I was quite late myself.

I'm in Amsterdam at the moment but will give you the reveal later this week.

Just know that the theme of the mix was "Overorchestrated Sixties Pop".

But you guessed that already

[The Fish]

I’ve picked up one of the stray mixes this month for review, so this was not originally intended for me, but it matters not as T Willy’s taste manages to hit the spot with me as often as not. Alas this was another mix where despite the MP3 info being stripped out some tracks somehow identified themselves when played through windows media player – may have to look into that, not that it distracted from my enjoyment.

1) Well you know when the needle hits the groove on a T Willy mix, the funk is coming to town. This one identified itself as Ray Barretto, which kind of surprised me as less of a latin vibe here. Indeed it sounds more like JB meets Sly. Great start.
2) This one is unidentified but appears to be more of the same. Mainly instrumental but the one vocal line “Hey mamacita I’ll have a dozen of those hot tamales” would seem to display its Hispanic origins. Never quite breaks loose. The bass line holds a steady groove throughout and it’s the guitar that adds the detail. Nice.
3) Well I know this as Fatboy Slim but I guess this is the original. The cover was OK Not a massive fan but although this is fine and arguably “better” and “purer” it suffers from having heard the cover first and whilst I can appreciate what is going on here it isn’t suddenly converting me to the song itself.
4) I like this just fine and yes it does have the soul, but soul at its finest should have a bit of light and shade. This is a bit harsh at times, even though she can sing for sure i.e. suffers from “Joplin syndrome”
5) And 6) Well we seem to be taking the train out of funk town and heading for garageland. This stuff can go every which way for me. I mean it’s hard not to like the basic sound, but a lot of it can start to sound like you’ve heard it all before. I like both of these well enough but it’s the first of the two that really takes off for me with that great fast and frantic guitar
7) Da blues and how !! Not far removed from a basic Chicago juke style, but both the guitar and vocals here lift this up to the very top level. Terrififc.
8) Slowish soul, pepped up with great arrangement . Also terrific
9) Another that identifies itself – Lee Fields and The Expressions. Another pretty good soul track.
10) Dust My Broom but not Elmore. Actually this is another that identifies itself as JB Hutto. Actually I’ve been meaning to check this guy out as I have a fair few Hound Dog Taylor CDs and I knew this guy had a similar fast and furious guitar style. Another winner.
11) The Saints. I guess this passed me by first time around. Only The Clash really survived for me from the first wave of punk (Apart from stuff likeThe Ramones obviously which I count as a different species). I really got on the bus in the years that followed when the tunes arrived (Skids, Buzzcocks etc) but I can get with this.
12) Another one identified. This actually reminded me that I have the first Civil Wars album but have yet to get the second
13) Well we’re on safe ground here. Love this Country soul stuff. Larry Jon Wilson I think,
14) Tells me this is Nick Waterhouse. Seen this a few times on BCB and there seems to be a bit of a buzz. Not quite getting that here, but this track is enough to maybe want to hear more.
15) This is apparently Neneh Cherry who I know nothing of apart from Buffalo Stance which I liked well enough. This one though isn’t doing a lot for me although I didn’t hate it.
16) 50s/60s soul sound with a slight reggaeish beat and a Drifters feel. Like it well enough even if it’s not oushing the wow button.
17) My second favourite singer called Bettye.
18) Nice jazz funk workout. Has that cop show theme feel, and I mean that in a good way.
19) “Well no one told me about her” is what I found myself singing about two seconds in. And there the similarity ends although this ended up much closer to Santana than the Zombies. Latin tinged jazz funk, with some great lines on electric piano ?? The kind of thing that gives noodling a good name. Loved it.

Thanks Eric

[Walk In My Shadow]

I've probably played it more times than every previous mix over the years. Lots of big arrangements, wonderful 60's OTTness, Pepperisms, baroque pop, psych dabblings, and other assorted treats are contained within - so right up my street.
Grovelling and Mix Club shame out of the way. On with the show.
As said, an Overorchestrated Sixties Pop mix.

1. Great late 60s pop track with a big arrangement and high production values. I love how record companies were happy to throw loads of cash at songs like this back then. For the first few seconds I was almost convinced that the vocals were actually somehow Meatloaf, but quite obviously they're not. I probably should know who this is, it was likely quite a big hit, but I have no idea.
Starting with a bang, the biggest of them all: Barry Ryan with Eloise.
2. A similar vintage to track 1 and equally as good. What a voice. This probably charted quite well too. It's amazing how much stuff from this period I still have to discover.
Duo called The Marbles but the song wqs written by the Bee Gees..
3. Ah, well I don't need to discover this one. It's the thoroughly lovely Iveys with Maybe Tomorrow. This one was almost certainly not a hit, but it deserved to be.
Yes indeed The Iveys later morphing into Badfinger.
4. This one could well be my favourite on the disc. Warbly hippyish nonsense. In and out in two minutes. Fab.
Dutch one hit wonder Bojoura with Everybody's day. Produced by Golden Earring's George Kooymans.
5. This has to be those Gibb boys. There's not really much to the song but the rhythm really gets inside your head. It kind of makes me want to march theatrically around the house. Great stuff. I only have one Bee Gees album (1st) and I don't think that it's from that one. I should really investigate further.
Indeed the Bee Gees with Spicks and Specks. Their first single I ever heard.
6. This one builds up quite nicely. I love the thump thump beat and the big brass blow-out toward the end. The vocals aren't as strong as the the previous five, but it's hardly a big deal-breaker. Nice.
Golden Earring themselves with one of their early hits.
7. A funky mid-tempo stomper. It sounds familiar but I can't place it. One of the advantages of me pissing about and not reviewing this mix in a prompt fashion is that this has had time to grow on me loads. I enjoyed it the first few plays, but it seemed largely forgettable. Now fully lodged inside my head and I can't wait to check out what else these guys have done. Groovy organ.
Grapefruit with Deep Water. Ended after two LP's.
8. This kind of has a blue-eyed Northern soul thing going on. Toe-tapping goodness.
My favourite Love Affair with A day without love.
9. This is the unmistakeable Dusty. It goes without saying that the vocals are effortlessly amazing. I love how the track goes from delicate to explosive and back again.
Dusty indeed.
10. This sounds very much out of time with the rest of the disc. Certainly nothing terrible, but I'm not keen on the production (the cheesy backing vocals and sax sound in particular) and it's a little bit MOR for me.
Wally Tax solo, after leaving the Outsiders. Sweet hit in the Lowlands.
11. This is great though. Sweet, charming, crisp girl pop. I dig the little brass touches.
The Toys - A lover's concerto. Never heard of again.
12. Ah, well I know the song but not this particular version. I think I still prefer Tom Rush's original, but there's plenty to like here, especially what I can only assume to be Walker's dulcet tones and the big, daft guitar solo toward the end. The production is a bit syrupy, but I like it anyway.
The Walker Brothers.
13. I don't think I've heard the track before, but the Wall of Sound and the smooth vocals would suggest that this is those Righteous Brothers, or something very similar. I love the bit where they let loose after the talky bit. Very good.
Indeed, the Righteous Brothers with Soul & inspiration.
14. I'm not too sure about this one. It's not a bad way to close a compilation but it's just a bit too easy listening for my tastes.
This is from Belgium and was a hit in the UK. The Wallace Collection with Daydream.

Number 15 fell off during the transfer but it would've been a Petula Clark song.


Thanks a bunch. A very thoughtfully produced mix with a lovely coherence throughout. I look forward to the reveal (if you haven't completely given up on me).

[Walk In My Shadow]

01. Barry Ryan – Eloise
02. The Marbles – Only one woman
03. The Iveys – Maybe tomorrow
04. Bojoura – Everybody’s day
05. Bee Gees – Spicks and specs
06. Golden Earring – Just a little bit of peace in my hear
07. Grapefruit – Deep water
08. Love Affair – A day without love
09. Dusty Springfield – I close my eyes and count to ten
10. Wally Tax – Miss wonderfull
11. The Toys – A lover’s concerto
12. Walker Brothers – No regrets
13. Righteous Brothers – Soul and inspiration
14. The Wallace Collection – Daydream

[T. Willy Rye]

I’ve picked up one of the stray mixes this month for review, so this was not originally intended for me, but it matters not as T Willy’s taste manages to hit the spot with me as often as not. Alas this was another mix where despite the MP3 info being stripped out some tracks somehow identified themselves when played through windows media player – may have to look into that, not that it distracted from my enjoyment.

Yeah, I did intend it for TG, but thought there would be enough here for you. Glad this proved mostly true.

1) Well you know when the needle hits the groove on a T Willy mix, the funk is coming to town. This one identified itself as Ray Barretto, which kind of surprised me as less of a latin vibe here. Indeed it sounds more like JB meets Sly. Great start.

1 Yep, Ray Barretto and some of the guys at Fania did explore this 70s blaxploitation (as you mention 70 cop show) terrain, mostly with pretty sterling results. This is Together.

2) This one is unidentified but appears to be more of the same. Mainly instrumental but the one vocal line “Hey mamacita I’ll have a dozen of those hot tamales” would seem to display its Hispanic origins. Never quite breaks loose. The bass line holds a steady groove throughout and it’s the guitar that adds the detail. Nice.

2. Some Latin and a little New Orleans. Got this from the Charly collection of Toussaint related vehicles. This is the Primates with Hot Tamales Part 1

3) Well I know this as Fatboy Slim but I guess this is the original. The cover was OK Not a massive fan but although this is fine and arguably “better” and “purer” it suffers from having heard the cover first and whilst I can appreciate what is going on here it isn’t suddenly converting me to the song itself.

3. Maybe the groove is wearing out its welcome a little here. Camille Yarbough with Take Yo' Praise..

4) I like this just fine and yes it does have the soul, but soul at its finest should have a bit of light and shade. This is a bit harsh at times, even though she can sing for sure i.e. suffers from “Joplin syndrome”

4. I wonder how Tina Turner would like to hear herself described as suffering from “Joplin syndrome” Ike and Tina with A Fool in Love

5) And 6) Well we seem to be taking the train out of funk town and heading for garageland. This stuff can go every which way for me. I mean it’s hard not to like the basic sound, but a lot of it can start to sound like you’ve heard it all before. I like both of these well enough but it’s the first of the two that really takes off for me with that great fast and frantic guitar

5. is the Third Power with Persecution and agree with you about the guitar. This is from a comp called “It's All Gone Heavy.”
6. Well, I also love this one. I think it's a little more original than 5 if not quite as satisfyingly electric. “A Question of Temperature” by Balloon Farm

7) Da blues and how !! Not far removed from a basic Chicago juke style, but both the guitar and vocals here lift this up to the very top level. Terrififc.

7. Good spot. This is Lee Shot Williams from Chicago. The misogynist lyrics make me cringe, but it's hard to look past that guitar.

8) Slowish soul, pepped up with great arrangement . Also terrific

8. This is the one I keep coming back to. The arrangement is where it's at. When those backing vocals come in against the horns during the chorus. Love the hand claps. Fred Hughes with “Can't Make it Without You.”

9) Another that identifies itself – Lee Fields and The Expressions. Another pretty good soul track.

9. Pretty good? Damn Lee Fields is putting his heart right out there for you to do with you please. Alright he's sounding a little like a gravelly Al Green, but damn I'll take that every damn time.

10) Dust My Broom but not Elmore. Actually this is another that identifies itself as JB Hutto. Actually I’ve been meaning to check this guy out as I have a fair few Hound Dog Taylor CDs and I knew this guy had a similar fast and furious guitar style. Another winner.

10. His record Masters of Modern Blues is worth a try.

11) The Saints. I guess this passed me by first time around. Only The Clash really survived for me from the first wave of punk (Apart from stuff likeThe Ramones obviously which I count as a different species). I really got on the bus in the years that followed when the tunes arrived (Skids, Buzzcocks etc) but I can get with this.

11. I've only recently caught on to their stuff and I don't really listen to much from this period anymore, but the Saints are scratching some hard to reach itch lately.

12) Another one identified. This actually reminded me that I have the first Civil Wars album but have yet to get the second

12. 'm not sure how much I like the album, but this track almost sounds like a good White Stripes song with a pretty great female vocalist.

13) Well we’re on safe ground here. Love this Country soul stuff. Larry Jon Wilson I think,

13. You've got it. This one makes me smile. Kinda makes stalking endearing.

14) Tells me this is Nick Waterhouse. Seen this a few times on BCB and there seems to be a bit of a buzz. Not quite getting that here, but this track is enough to maybe want to hear more.

14. Yeah, I know what you mean. It's pretty good, but not as life changing as someone like Sharon Jones.

15) This is apparently Neneh Cherry who I know nothing of apart from Buffalo Stance which I liked well enough. This one though isn’t doing a lot for me although I didn’t hate it.

15. Fair enough. My attempts with contemporary are not always as successful as my pursuits of the past.

16) 50s/60s soul sound with a slight reggaeish beat and a Drifters feel. Like it well enough even if it’s not oushing the wow button.

16. Drifters feel definitely. This is Bobby John with Jimmy Thomas, Stacy Johnson, & Vernon Guy (who any of those people are beats me) from an Ace comp. New Breed Blue with Black Popcorn.

17) My second favourite singer called Bettye.

17. That effortless funky groove just kills me.

18) Nice jazz funk workout. Has that cop show theme feel, and I mean that in a good way.

18. No explanation necessary. 70 cops show is where I live.

19) “Well no one told me about her” is what I found myself singing about two seconds in. And there the similarity ends although this ended up much closer to Santana than the Zombies. Latin tinged jazz funk, with some great lines on electric piano ?? The kind of thing that gives noodling a good name. Loved it.

19. Totally, but like you say kinda takes another route. A little Santana yes, maybe a little War., but for me a little less self indulgent than Santana.

Thanks Eric

You're welcome, Paul! Let me know if you'd like to sample anything further. Happy to put it up on sendspace.

Track Listing:

1. Together- Ray Barretto
2. Hot Tamales Part 1- The Primemates
3. Take Yo' Praise- Camille Yarbough
4. A Fool in Love- Ike and Tina Turner
5. Persecution- The Third Power
6. A Question of Temperature- The Balloon Farm
7. Hello Baby- Lee Shot Williams
8. Can't Make it Without You- Fred Hughes
9. Still Hanging On- Lee Fields and the Expressions
10. Dust My Broom- JB Hutto and the Hawks
11. One Way Street- The Saints
12. I Had Me A Girl- The Civil Wars
13. The Truth Ain't In You- Larry Jon Wilson
14. It's No. 3- Nick Waterhouse
15. Naked- Neneh Cherry
16. I'm Comin' Home- Bobby John
17. Wille and Laura Mae Jones- Bettye Swann
18. Head Start- Bob Thiele Emergency
19. Quienes Que Resovedo- Bronx River Parkway

[The Fish]

Thanks Eric.

For the record I love Ike and Tina. I guess when you know it's Ike and Tina you kind of expect the overblown element to the vocals (part of what makes them great). Just goes to show what blind listening can throw up.