Get a Heavy Soul...

The Heavy Soul fanzine has been on my radar a while but I'd never got round to getting a copy. Until that was I saw the review in the latest Modernist Society blog posting. Sounded like it had some interesting articles plus a CD all for a fiver plus postage (and of course associated with Rowed Out Records). I was not disappointed.

Quite deliberately, apart from the glossy front and back covers, Adam has given this a feel of the old 80s "cut and paste" 'zines. Anyone who produced flyers and the like back then will recall typing text, photocopying images and record sleeves and literally pasting them on to A4 paper and then copying into one page (after usually having to "tipex" round the shadows caused by photocopying the pieces stuck on the page). DIY it certainly was. So the fanzine has a basic structure but also benefits from having items stuck in the middle of pages as if to take up some blank space, and all the better to my mind for that feel. The photos and images aren't, as the web site says, like a "Sunday Times supplement". It looks like a labour of love.

So, content...

Features on the CCI reunion, The Moons, DC Fontana, Secret Affair - plus lists of new releases and reissues all in one handy location There are obviously ongoing articles on top 100 mod bands (how to start an argument in an empty room there I think), old gig reviews (this time a hairy Loafers gig from the late 80s) as well as updates on singles seen on eBay and releases on Acid Jazz, current vinyl on the turntable and of course the free 20 track CD taken from 45s only including Prince Buster, Harmonica Fats, Howlin Wolf, Orlons, Joe Bataan, Magnetics - worth the admission fee alone I'd say

Finally thanks Adam for bringing Timo Lassy to my attention, from the Five Corners Quintet:

Hit the Road Stax

Previously when discussing the Atlantic CD box set I made mention of the NME tape of the early 80s which showcased the Stax / Volt revue. I had every intention of digging out said tape, scanning it in and posting here. Unfortunately I can't put my hands on right now. However I did web trawl and found a site which had done something similar not only for that tape, but also all the other early NME cassettes and had added videos of the tracklisting The Stax / Volt one is here.

At about this time a school friend of mine let me loose on what I think was his older brother's record collection, or at least the 60s part of it. Bearing in mind at that time I'd really only just come across Tamla and Stax this was a veritable treasure trove. Luckily I was able to borrow a few at a time, tape them and play the hell out my faves virtually on a continuous loop. One of those was this beauty, which I really ought to play more:

Those little nuggets of black Atlantic labels opened up a whole new sound to me. Being unsure of my way in all things mod at an early age it took me a while to appreciate soul. Perhaps in my mind "soul" had become synonymous with "disco", and that was a definite no go area! It's thanks in part to these borrowed classics and cassettes like this that my ears were opened up to "a whole new plan" (that gem would come MANY years later!). It's time to play homage to those underplayed, undervalued tracks which I became perhaps just a bit TOO familiar with and which have been left languishing unloved at the back of the collection

Aah, memories. All together now..."1, 2, 3"

PS -  I really would recommend the rest of the blog detailing those cassettes. At the time of getting e.g. the Ace Case I thought some of the tunes sounded a bit too "rockin'". Who knew that in 30 years some of those sort of sounds would epitomise a new found interest in early RnB. Good Rockin' Daddy indeed, and on that note it's time to hit, git n split

Atlantic Soul Legends - 20 CD box set

"Legend" is a over used and often misapplied. There, I've said it. However in this case I believe it's wholly appropriate. Not only to the Atlantic label itself, responsible as it is for a whole raft of jazz, blues, RnB, soul and even later rock, but to the names on this set of CDs themselves. Cast your eyes down some of these:

• Ray Charles
• Booke T & the MGs
• Otis Redding
• Aretha Franklin
• Sam & Dave
• Rufus Thomas

etc., etc. etc. I well recall playing the legendary (that word again) "This Is Soul" reissue in the early 80s as a young Mod wondering what this soul stuff was all about. At a similar time the NME also released a cassette (!!) of the Stax / Volt revue of around 67 / 68 which also blew me away. I was hooked from then on.

So now we have hot of the press a box set containing 20 CDs of single album releases from some of these influential luminaries:



Apparently lovingly remastered in replica sleeves and pseudo-DJ box packaging this looks great. Add in some quality later soul from the likes of Donny Hathaway and raw hammond funk from Clarence Wheeler and the Enforcers (I've been known to drop "Right On" many a time) plus for the first time on CD the seminal early 70s soul LP from Sam Dees "The Show Must Go On" and this has been compiled by people in the know. Chances are you'll have many of these tunes, even the albums, in various guises - but this looks a classy put together selection with collectors in mind. At About £1-50 per CD what's not to like?

Kent Records - 30 years young

I'm probably not the only one of my generation for whom Kent opened up a world of rare 6Ts and Northern Soul (and 70s!), from "For Dancers Only" through to "Mecca Magic" and beyond Kent have given me untold hours of musical pleasure. So the following release on the 30th anniversary of that seminal first release is scheduled for later in October - entitled Kent 30:

As is customary with Kent releases there will be a selection of ultra rare / never released alongside some quality tunes which will probably now be classified as oldies. It includes evergreen faves such as "The Magic Touch" and "It's Torture". Some of my personal faves are Chuck Jackson "Millionaire", Johnny Maestro "Steppin' Out" and O C Tolbert "Shootin High". This looks to be, a bit like the purple vinyl of Kent 50 many moons ago, a quality summary of what's gone before in the annals of Kent Records

Cheers Mr Croasdell (and others) for introducing me to some top notch music over the years, both by way of your releases and when I used to frequent the 100 Club. From those days in the late 80s / early 90s here's another one of my face mid tempo tunes but done by Lou Johnson rather than Roy Hamilton, also on this CD - enjoy:

Connecting with us

Chances are if you're reading this you're already aware of All Our Yesterdays and how to find us. But if by any chance you're not, we've been running 60s mod soul / RnB / beat / hammond type events in Norwich (UK) since November 1994. We're currently based in the "underbelly" (cellar bar) at the Rumsey Wells pub every two months.

Apart from this blog we have a web page (which I hope to overhaul in the not too distant future), a Facebook page and new Google+ page (still being developed). Please drop by to say "hello", whether in person or virtually

So you can run from us, but you can't hide

Modernist t-shirts down under

Whilst casually browsing Google+ I came across this site offering designs of an Australian t-shirt company (Google+ page), some of which look pretty good. See for example the Maximum RnB, if you don't mind paying 18 quid for a tee (plus postage and maybe import tax presumably). I've not seen the quality myself but some of the designs look pretty neat and are a bit different from the usual fare available online - stand out from the crowd!

Other "mod" related designs are available too. I'd be interested to hear if anyone's used this site and what the quality, delivery etc is like

Dawn of Northern Soul

I just picked up a link to this forthcoming CD from Outta Sight entitled The Dawn of Northern Soul due for release at the end of October. Looking through some of the write up and track listing this is more in the vein of the quality Kent CDs featuring RnB and early soul rather than four to the floor Motown-esque of some CDs. I wasn't there but I'm not sure how many of these tunes wold have featured at Wigan (but maybe the Twisted Wheel?)

What we have here is more early RnB, dare I say post Rock n Roll style gaining favour over the recent  decade and certainly featuring a whole lot more on Steve and my playlists. Here is that listing:

1. Big Maybelle - I've Got A Feeling

2. Danny Owens - You're A Little Too Late

3. Grover Mitchell - That's A Good Idea

4. Marie Knight - To Be Loved By You

5. Varetta Dillard - That's Why I Cry

6. Sherri Taylor & "Singin'" Sammy Ward - Oh Lover

7. H B Barnum - How Many More Times

8. The Wanderers - Somebody Else's Sweetheart

9. Lula Reed - Puddentane

10. Barrett Strong - Misery

11. Little Jimmy Griffin - If Things Don't Change

12. Terry Timmons - Got Nobody To Love

13. Billy Gales - I'm Hurting

14. Freddie Gorman - Just For You

15. Jeanette "Baby" Washington - Let Love Go By

16. Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner's Orchestra - You Ain't The One

17. Charlie Baker - You Crack Me Up

18. Betty James - I'm A Little Mixed Up

19. Willie Wright & The Sparklers With Jesse Anderson - I'm Gonna Leave You Baby And I'm Goin' Away To Stay

20. Buddy Ace - This Little Love Of Mine

21. Betty O'Brien - She'll Be Gone

22. Maximilian - The Snake

23. Ernie K - Doe - A Certain Girl

24. Joe Tex - Boys Will Be Boys

25. Sidney Barnes - Wait

26. Goria Lynne - You Don't Have To Be A Tower Of Strength

I've loved "A Certain Girl" for decades since first hearing it on an LP I borrowed from Forest Hill library in London in the early 80s as my exploration of soul began to expand. The LP was Ooh Poo Pa Do Early 60s Soul 60-65. Also on there was the mighty Leon Hayward "She's With Her Other Love", which I eventually got on a white Imperial! That really must feature in my sets again:

Happy hunting and if anyone gets the CD and fancies posting a review please do so. I also see there was a previous CD in a similar vein The Age of Northern Soul which includes Laverne Baker and Jimmy Ricks "You're The Boss" - worth the admission fee alone!

'Cos the modern girls are here...

Local shop Mod One is producing a calendar to raise funds for a local young girl in need of care and specialist treatment. They have a new Facebook page dedicated to taking pre-orders / sponsorship and general support. Featuring local mods / scooterists please lend it your support

https://www.facebook.com/TheModErnGirlsCalendarPreOrderPage

So in the meantime here are the Modern Boys...

Revising layout

It's been a very long while since we've updated this. I hope to start adding new content soon an am just playing around with the new look and feel of Blogger to make it look a bit better. It should also be mobile -enabled (woo hoo!)

Thanks

Phil