SOUNDBLASTERS

SOUNDBLASTERS IS NOW ON AIR!!!!

2012-02-01T15:30:00.003+08:00

We have just began a streaming radio for Soundblasters! Please tell your friends and spread the word. Listen, enjoy and dance!

CLICK TO LISTEN

CLICK HERE TO JOIN GROUP

LEGENDARY WILD ROCKERS

2012-01-01T15:12:00.008+08:00

Let's start the new year right with this incredible compilation by Britain's top notch Djs, the husband and wife team of Keb Darge and Little Edith's "LEGENDARY WILD ROCKERS". Fuck 2011, reset everything! Stand up and dance!

DOWNLOAD

1. Dale McBride - Prissy Missy (2:21)
2. Darrell Rhodes - Lou Lou (2:15)
3. The Jiants - Tornado (1:50)
4. Mel Dorsey - Little Lil (2:24)
5. The Moonlighters - Rock-a-Bayou Baby (2:03)
6. Stormy Gayle - Flipsville (1:59)
7. Ron Thompson His Rowdy Guitar and the Brougham's - Switchblade (1:56)
8. Boogaloo & His Gallent Crew - Talk About a Party (2:36)
9. The Valentines - That's It Man (2:51)
10. Brother Zee and the Decades; The Decades - Sha-Boom Bang (2:27)
11. Kai-Ray - I Want Some of That (3:13)
12. The Carnations - Scorpion (2:11)
13. The Reekers - Don't Call Me Flyface (2:28)
14. Johnny Parker; The Zirkons - Oongawa (2:04)
15. Ronnie Cook; The Gaylads - The Goo Goo Muck (2:38)
16. Tarantula Ghoul & the Gravediggers - King Kong (2:19)
17. The Gee Cees - Buzz Saw (2:06)
18. Sonee West - Rock-Ola Ruby (2:17)
19. Carl Cherry - The Itch (2:27)
20. Kenny Smith - I'm So Lonesome, Baby (2:04)

Irie Sunday

2011-12-31T18:10:00.000+08:00

Start the New year Right

WHO'S NEXT?

2011-12-31T17:49:00.004+08:00

Cebu's pioneer ska band "WHO'S NEXT?" will represent and make their mark in Manila this January. Polish up your boots, wear them button downs and scoot your way to a night of skanking fun! The Southside Rudeboys are here!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T08:54:00.001+08:00

We've been busy for the past month 2 months. New posts will be available next year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

VESPA ATTACK 7!

2011-11-25T21:44:00.004+08:00

It's the time of the year again as the local scootering scene gather to celebrate and party the night away. Let's roll!!!

DEC 10, 2011

8:00 am to 9:00 am
MORNING CITY RIDE
Meet up at HOTROCKS LIBIS
(Route will be posted later)
Leg shield banners and Button Pins will be distributed to all participants

11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Lunch at MOA area by the Bay

5:30 pm on wards
EVENING ACTIVITY
Salo-salo at HOTROCKS LIBIS
As suggested, lets make this as OUR Vespinoy “Ves-Mas” Party
Everyone is encourage to bring their Exchange Gifts worth 300 pesos.
Drinks and Food KKB

Maroon Town - Urban Myths

2011-11-17T18:34:00.011+08:00

Maroon Town came from an era of late 80's ska scene or post 2Tone as we know it. Along with label mates The Hotknives, The Loafers, The Riffs and contemporaries such as The Braces have a sound of their own inspired by others. One of London's finest still going strong. it has been more than 14 years I think since the last album release. Urban Myths released thru Pama International proves that Maroon Town has not lost it's touch. If your not familiar with their sound - take traditional ska with a hint of 2Tone and a bit of toasting and Latin grooves. really effective. My favorite tracks - Ya Ya (Let Me tell Them), Wrekcless revisits Goodbye to the Empire from their 1989 EP "Pound to he Dollar" and Bullit skaing it straight just like The Skatalites would. You know the drill. Play this loud!

Ya Ya (Lemme Tell Dem)
Lion
Latin Moshpit
Wreckless
Bella Cosa
Are You Ready?
Watermelon Man
Bullit
Innocent Man
Clarendon Calling

Download

The Housemartins - Live @ the BBC

2011-10-30T19:17:00.010+08:00

The Housemartins were regular visitors to the BBC's Maida Vale studios, recording 7 sessions as well as having their Glastonbury and Nottingham concerts broadcast, containing most of the material recorded for the BBC from the beginning, up until the end of the band's brief but brilliant career. While most of the tracks included are session versions recorded for various BBC radio shows, the disc also features a number of cuts from the band's performances in Nottingham and at the 1986 Glastonbury festival as broadcast on the BBC. Enjoy!

1. Drop Down Dead - John Peel 21/07/85
2. Flag Day - John Peel 21/07/85
3. Stand At Ease - John Peel 21/07/85
4. Reverends Revenge - Janice Long 6/11/85
5. Shelter - Saturday Live 04/01/86
6. People Get Ready - Saturday Live 04/01/86
7. Over There - John Peel 06/04/86
8. Caravan Of Love - John Peel 06/04/86
9. Happy Hour - John Peel 03/06/86
10. Heaven Help Us All - John Peel 03/06/86
11. Pickin' The Blues (Peel Show Theme Tune) - John Peel 03/06/8
12. Mercy - Janice Long 11/12/86
13. So Glad - Janice Long 11/12/86
14. He Brought Me Out - Janice Long 11/12/86
15. Sunday Isn't Sunday - John Peel 03/11/87
16. Build - John Peel 03/11/87
17. We're Not Deep - Glastonbury 29/11/86
18. Me And The Farmer - Glastonbury 29/11/86
19. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87
20. The Light Is Always Green - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87
21. The World's On Fire - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87
22. We're Not Going Back - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87
23. Johannesburg - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87
24. Five Get Over Excited - Nottingham Concert 30/09/87

DOWNLOAD

Dusty Springfield in London

2011-10-29T10:04:00.012+08:00

Hello people, this is another post before the month ends. Halloween is just a day from today so this one is a good soundtrack for your party although most tracks here are into the slow and chill type trip. I will have more time to post records since I'm in between jobs for now. Enjoy!

1. Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
2. This Girl's In Love With You
3. How Can I Be Sure
4. Mixed Up Girl
5. I Will Come To You
6. I Only Wanna Laugh
7. A Song For You
8. Crumbs Off The Table
9. Let Me Down Easy
10. Who (Will Take My Place)
11. Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone
12. Yesterday When I Was Young
13. I Start Counting
14. See All Her Faces
15. Wasn't Born To Follow
16. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?
17. Love Power
18. I Think It's Going To Rain Today
19. Morning
20. Girls It Ain't Easy
21. Another Night
22. Come For A Dream
23. Sweet Inspiration
24. The Second Time Around

Download

And another one by THE WAISTCOATS - ALL THE RAGE!

2011-10-13T19:02:00.005+08:00

You're The One

Stand In Line

Until I Find Her

Jack's Day Off

Girl Of Mine

Judy

Entering The Black Hole

She Asks Of You

What You See

Hard Cash

I'll Come Back To You

Into My Eyes

Death Car

That's Your Problem

I'll Come Back To You (reprise)

DOWNLOAD

THE WAISTCOATS - "STARK RAVING MOD"

2011-10-10T20:14:00.013+08:00

The Waistcoats - a garage band from The Netherlands formed in 1993 is ripping and slashing in this album. The influences are obvious but they took the influences and added their own flavor to make it their own. This is a good introduction to those people who wants to know some of the musical preferences of the mod/ska or scootering scene. Enjoy and play this loud!!!

1.- What's in it for me?

2.- Little MGB

3.- She just satisfies

4.- Bongo time

5.- Shimmy all night long

6.- Can't explain

7.- Pickles

8.- You know he did

9.- You're wrong

10.- Walk that walk

11.- Unsatisfied

12.- Package

13.- On my way

14.- Little miss J.A.J

15.- Sookie sookie

Download

BATTLE FOR SEATTLE

2011-09-10T14:40:00.020+08:00

Reggae and Grunge - two different musical styles, two different genres that influenced millions.

Little Roy and Nirvana - who would have thought the musical styles of these artist can be made into one effective sounding album.

Last May of this year, Little Roy collaborated with Prince Fatty and Mutant Hi-Fi to record Sliver and Dive, two of Nirvana's early works. Early this month, an album of Nirvana songs was released called "Battle for Seattle".

I regularly tune in to BBC Radio 6, thru the wonders of internet radio. DJ Steve Lamaqc introduced and played "Polly" that night, I was really surprised and excited because I never thought a reggae version was possible and for it to sound good at the same time. The arrangement, the clarity of the recording, everything is right. Everyone behind this project had got it right. This album is an instant classic in my opinion.

The first batch of this album were burned together with other albums and archives when the London riots happened. The Warner Bros.? warehouse were incinerated by the rioters. Those dumb c*nts!

Well anyway, enjoy this album. Play this loud!

1. Dive

2. Heart-Shaped Box

3. Very Ape

4. Come As You Are

5. Sliver

6. Polly

7. On A Plain

8. About A Girl

9. Son of A Gun

10. Lithium

DOWNLOAD

Tighten Up - The Trojan Records Documentary

2011-09-10T09:37:00.003+08:00

This is a BBC Radio 6 documentary on the history of Trojan Records as narrated by film maker, DJ and founding member of Big Audio Dynamite - Don Letts. Learn, be educated and enjoy.

THE GO SIGNALS!!!

2011-09-10T08:40:00.002+08:00

I've been waiting for years for this. I am a big fan since the start. The Go Signals is one of the best in Manila. Labeling them as a Mod band is too constricting. Yes, the influences are there - Rickenbacker guitars, the roundel, the stance. They are more than that and you better see them play live. It's all set, the signal is up. Let's ROLL!

Suited and Booted!!!!

2011-08-09T18:52:00.008+08:00

This compilation is a good introduction to the musical preferences of the Mod culture from ska, rocksteady, reggae, 60's soul, 2Tone and a few Mod revival bands. I cant say that this is "the essential " compilation for the people whose new in the scene since most of the songs are readily available and and easy to find. But again, if you want someone to get hooked or introduce these great songs to friends, then this is one of 'em compilations. You Know the drill. Enjoy! play this loud and dance!

1. One Step Beyond - Madness
2. Message To You Rudy - The Specials
3. On My Radio -The Selecter
4. Tears Of A Clown -The Beat
5. Israelites - Dekker, Desmond & The Aces
6. Uptown Top Ranking - Althea & Donna
7. Skinhead Moonstomp - Symarip
8. Long Shot Kick De Bucket -The Pioneers
9. Nelson Mandela - Special AKA
10. Oh Carolina - Rico
11. Rude Boys Outa Jail - Neville Staples
12. Rudi's In Love - Locomotive
13. Let's Do Rock Steady -The Bodysnatchers
14. Big Seven - Judge Dread
15. Return Of Django - Upsetters
16. Too Much Pressure -The Selecter
17. There There My Dear - Dexys Midnight Runners
18. Gangsters - Special AKA
19. Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum) - Fun Boy Three
20. Town Called Malice (bonus track) - Paul Weller

Download CD1

1. You Really Got Me - Kinks
2. Too Much Too Young -The Specials
3. House Of Fun - Madness
4. Geno - Dexys Midnight Runners
5. You Need Wheels - Merton Parkas
6. Tainted Love - Jones, Gloria
7. Teams That Meet In Caffs - Dexys Midnight Runners
8. Louie Louie - Kingsmen
9. Lover Boy - Chairmen Of The Board & General Johnson
10. Seven Days Too Long - Chuck Woods
11. I'm On My Way - Dean Parrish
12. Dance Dance Dance - Casualeers
13. Lot Of Love - Homer Banks
14. Hanging Around - Mood Six
15. 54-46 Was My Number - Toots & The Maytals
16. Rub Up Push Up - Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
17. Rock Steady - Alton Ellis
18. Three Minute Hero -The Selecter
19. Ranking Full Stop - The Beat
20. That's Entertainment (bonus track) - Paul Weller

Download CD2

2011-08-02T09:58:00.001+08:00

Filipino Ska band "Neighbors" live at 6Underground. Enjoy.

Download

Vespa Club of the Philippines Grand Eye Ball

2011-07-25T21:20:00.003+08:00

Another mid year gathering and celebration of the local scootering scene presented by the Vespa Club of the Philippines. Another reason to go out,meet friends and buddies, ride, laugh, eat, win prizes, drink, dance and drink again!!! It will be held at Merjj Resto bar, Mother Ignacia St. corner Roces Ave. QC. The event will start at 7pm. Bands for the night are The Camerawalls and The Heavy Heavies with Soundblasters Djs Joneighbors and Teng aka Skunk providing the crucial sounds. See there!

Lloyd Knibbs Tribute

2011-07-17T09:16:00.006+08:00

This is our tribute to the late Lloynd Knibbs, it may be a few weeks late since our last post but it's never too late to give honor to a man who helped shape the ska, rocksteady and reggae world as we know today. This also goes to the surviving members of The Skatalites - The best Jamaican band in the world.

Ball of Fire

Scattered Lights

RIP Lloyd Knibbs

2011-05-19T21:50:00.002+08:00

We will have our tribute to the legendary Skatalites drummer after we're done with our 5th Vespa Jamboree this weekend.

Poly Styrene (Marianne Elliot-Said) 1957–2011

2011-05-09T10:24:00.005+08:00

On April 25th, 2011, Marianne Elliot-Said, better known to the world as Poly Styrene — the singer for classic UK punk rock band X-Ray Spex — died after a bout with breast cancer. Her third solo album, Generation Indigo, was released to shocked fans the following day. X-Ray Spex has stood the test of time and taste to stand out from the English punk rock mid-late ’70s era. Their initial handful of singles and debut album – Germ Free Adolescents – some 16 songs total – still stand as strong statements in a field of often now-faded thrashers.

So why was Poly Styrene awesome? She was a chubby, mixed-race (Somali/Scottish-Irish) teenage girl with braces in awkward, brightly colored clothes who could barely hold on to the tune. And despite the mentions of this by the critics of the time and later, and the insistence that she was the antithesis of a rock band front person, she was, in fact, the perfect front person for X-Ray Spex. She was just awesome. What she did was brilliant, and it was popular. X-Ray Spex were a chart success in the late ’70s: they were on Top of the Pops, and recorded sessions for John Peel.

Poly would go on to release some very different solo material shortly after X-Ray Spex broke up the first time around, before vanishing into a Krishna-tinged haze for a bit. X-Ray Spex re-emerged in the mid-’90s to release the little known album Conscious Consumer. The Spex did not get far after that after Poly was run over by a fire engine. Poly came back strong during the last decade with two solo albums, an X-Ray Spex reunion (the Roundhouse reunion show was released on CD/DVD in late 2009) and the holiday singles “City of Christmas Ghosts” with Goldblade in 2008 and “Black Christmas” in 2010. She will be much missed.

X-Ray Spex Live at the Roundhouse, London in 2008.

Revisit and remember Poly:

Germfree Adolescents

Conscious Consumer

Live @ The Roxy

Rocksteady by The Tennors

2011-05-04T19:41:00.007+08:00

I first heard the song "Hopeful Village" which was performed by LA ska band Hepcat on one of their live shows which we were able to get a copy off. as we all know Hepcat is one damn good band and their rendition of the song is pretty potent, simple yet affective and sweet to the ears. No mumbo jumbo and they stayed close to the original arrangement although their vocal harmonies is more soulful, but it doesn't mean that that the original is an inferior or lesser version. The song is best when interpreted or done by the composers and originators themselves. Ive been a fan of Jamaican music notably ska, rocksteady and reggae for many years now and there are so many that i have not heard of until now. There are so many things to learn and to listen to. It may take a lifetime to do it. Anyway lets focus on our featured artist for today - The Tennors.

The Tennors may be a footnote on Jamaica's musical history but they were one of the pioneers that heralded Jamaica's music industry. Founded by George "Clive" Murphy and the late Muarice "Prof" Johnson, they were known as "The Tennor Twins" at first and became "The Tennors" when they were joined by Norman Davies at which time Maurice became the lead vocalist of the group. They had their first cut "Pressure and Slide" recorded at the legendary Studio One studios of Coxsone Dodd which became one of the big hits of 1967 although they claim that they never received any royalties for the song. Rather than deal and continue recording with Coxsone, the group formed their own record label and singed many artist. with teh death of Johnson, teh group became a duo again anbd continue as songwriters. They offered the song "Ride Yu Donkey" to may artist but was turned down so they decided to record it themselves an became a hit in 1968.

They became a trio again when Ronnie Davies joined in 1968. Other singers who were in the Tennors included Nehemiah Davis, George Dekker, Howard Spencer, and Hilton Wilson. The trio backed singer Jackie Bernard on "Another Scorcher", and moved towards reggae with the song "Reggae Girl". This vocal group became one of the most outstanding in Jamaica, and their consistency earned them the title of best performers in the JAMAICA FESTIVAL of 1973 when they performed the song "HOPEFUL VILLAGE", later to be released on the now famous Duke Reid’s "Treasure Isle Label". THE TENNORS also found their international niche when many of their recordings became favorites around the world.

There are so many Jamaican vocal group and The Tennors hits me right on the spot. You know the drill. Listen, enjoy and be mesmerized.

01 Ride Yu Donkey

02 Weather Report

03 Another Scorcher

04 Baby Come Home

05 Want Everything

06 Good News

07 World Is A Stage

08 Give Me Bread

09  We Got Soul

10 Pressure And Slide

11 Grandpa

12 Massi Massa

13 Sufferer

14 Run Come

15 Hopeful Village

16 Cleopatra

17 Gee Whiz

18 Biff Baff (Traitor)

DOWNLOAD

It's the Time of the year again!

2011-03-27T20:02:00.003+08:00

One of the annual gathering of local scooterists in The Philippines. See you all there

2011-02-19T15:03:00.000+08:00

The Style Council - Live at the Dominion Theater '84

2011-01-26T09:37:00.005+08:00

Paul Weller 2006

Here was the new soul vision that Kevin Rowland had been promising five years earlier with Dexys Midnight Runners’ Searching For The Young Soul Rebels.

After the demise of The Jam, Paul Weller and his Style Council - a collective built around the nucleus of himself and Hammond player Mick Talbot - provided an exhilarating gateway into a cosmopolitan world of cappuccinos, coffee bars, Blue Note jazz and rare soul.

They were socialists, vegetarian, didn’t drink, wore cool rain macs, colourful knitwear, expensive footwear and made some of the most brilliant modernist music ever. They also sp

oke out against the corrosive issues of the day, even if it meant the threat of commercial suicide.

Their inaugural long player Café Bleu set their thrilling manifesto; throwing away the traditional pop rock rule book and casting aside Paul’s musical past, here was a deliberat

e attempt to confound expectation and shift the

spotlight away from Paul’s one time ‘spokesp

erson for a generation’ tag.

On this courageous mix of pop, soul, jazz, rap and funk Paul sang on only six of the 13 tracks, three of which - You’re The Best Thing, Headstart For Happiness and My Ever Changing Moods - just happened to be up there with his finest work.

The album also contained five instrumentals, it even kicked off with one, Mick’s Blessings, with Mick Talbot’s blatant steal from Billy Taylor’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.

“It was totally liberating,” enthuses Paul Weller today. “With The Style Council I had thrown off the shackles acquired with The Jam, I still enjoyed The Jam’s music, but this just felt like it was the right thing to do, the right time to do it and I was at the right age. When I first started talking about doing the collective with Mick I got this great big box of records and gave them to him to go away and listen to. I said, ‘you’ll see what I am looking to do from these.’ There were old soul and R&B albums in there and a bit of jazz too. It was a musical reference for him.”

Mick Talbot had first come across Paul Weller in 1976 and it had been his musical references that had attracted him then.

“I saw The Jam very early on, when they had a month’s residency at the Red Cow in Hammersmith. I thought, there’s a real Dr Feelgood vibe here. Paul had a bit of Wilko Johnson about him. The Jam didn’t deny their history like the other punks did, they didn’t make out that they’d been dropped here by aliens, that 1976 was Year Zero. They didn’t have many originals in their set, they covered Lee Dorsey’s Ride Your Pony, Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour, Who songs from the My Generation LP. They were touching base with records I already had. I could immediately relate.”

Three years later Mick collaborated with The Jam on their Setting Sons album - he contributed piano on a cover of Martha And The Vandellas’ Heatwave.

“I was in the Merton Parkas with my brother Danny,” Mick recalls. “Danny knew Paul and it was through him I got to play on the song. Danny had bumped into him, he’d heard our single You Need Wheels, he was honest about it, he didn’t like it but he liked elements of the B-side I Don’t Want To Know You, my 20 second piano break and he asked Danny for my number then got me to come along to the studio. He asked if I knew Heatwave, I did, he said do what you think and we put the track down live. I played a nice upright piano. The Jam were really tight, they knew the song inside out. It was pretty easy and we went off and had some spaghetti Bolognese after. It was very casual.”

Paul was impressed by Talbot’s cut and Talbot joined the band on stage at London’s The Rainbow on April 7 and 8 the following year as part of the venue’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

“After a few years had passed,” continues Mick, “Paul rang out of the blue and told me about his plans for a new band and I agreed to be part of this. Then Bruce suggested getting me in on the last tour too. But I had other commitments. I remember thinking what am I doing, Paul’ll get in another keyboard player, he’ll be the business and that will be it."

"This was late 1982, The Style Council didn’t exist as a band until Spring ’83 but we were working together in the period bookended by those last two Jam tours (A Solid Bond In Your Heart and Beat Surrender tour) – working on a couple of numbers, Solid Bond In Your Heart and Speak Like A Child and a few more ideas."

"Initially Paul was concerned because I was in The Bureau at the time, we’d split from Dexys Midnight Runners, and he didn’t want to break The Bureau up. But we’d already been dropped by Warners. I was on the dole and I was thinking maybe this is it for me because I knew how fickle the music business was. But The Jam split, that was all pretty hush hush at this time. I knew not many people knew about it and I was told to keep it under my hat but I knew it was going to break, there were murmurs in the press and I just thought when it does break I hope they don’t think it’s me opening my mouth.”

On October 30, 1982 The Jam delivered a hand written statement announcing their split.

For fans there was slight solace to be had in a performance on the first episode of Channel 4’s music programme The Tube on November 5 and a final tour in November and December, which culminated at Brighton Centre on December 11. That same day Paul appeared on the evening news discussing their demise.

“Everybody was shocked,” remembers Dennis Munday, The Jam’s product manager at the time. “Polydor were unhappy. The Jam were climbing the ladder, at the apex, no one knows where they would have gone next. The fans were unhappy. Some still are to this day. But there was a tremendous amount of pressure on The Jam to deliver, from the press, from the record company, from the fans and The Jam couldn’t go down the music avenues Paul was travelling. In some ways the split was inevitable. The Style Council gave Paul the chance to broaden his musical horizons. The Jam didn’t allow that.”

After all the attention Paul had garnered as their frontman, and the emotional turmoil caused by the break up, it was perhaps only natural that he would step out of the limelight and push the music to the forefront of his next project.

“He’d been a part of a regimented band which had a regimented sound,” comments Mick. “He felt hemmed in towards the end. He instinctively wanted to take the Council in a different direction to The Jam. He wanted the Council to be flexible. He wanted to put the songs we were working on in front of any kind of egos to the point where he didn’t play on some of the songs on *Café Bleu."

"He saw his role as more directional, in the filmic sense of directing, he’d get involved in the arrangements rather than the playing. He wanted to experiment, he talked about labels he liked – Motown, Immediate, Blue Note, iconic labels that had influenced him, he was very open but he was also in charge because at that time he was such a prolific writer, he always had a stream of ideas, he was never without a bag with a notebook in it, he was always scribbling down lyrics, ideas."

"When we first started he had two boxes of seven inch singles which were all relatively rare ’60s and ’70s soul, some northern, some funk, these influenced his writing on the early Style Council singles. By the time of Café Bleu we were trying to embrace jazz such as it is, we didn’t see ourselves as jazz musicians, we were musicians who liked jazz.”

“I wanted to get away from the rigidity of having a set band,” confirms Paul. “I needed someone to work off and Mick was the perfect person for that but I wanted to keep it open outside of that, I didn’t want it that the bass player always had to play bass on the track, the drummer always had to play drums. I wanted something looser so I could bring in the right person for the right track, which is pretty much what we did. We all hung out together too, we had a great time, it was a bit like the youth club the first few years of The Style Council.”

By the time of Café Bleu’s follow up, Our Favourite Shop a year later, the collective had gravitated around a core line up of Paul, Mick, drummer Steve White, singer Dee C Lee and bassist Camille Hinds. “It was a natural thing,” says Paul. “We’d been out on the road and had settled down to this nucleus of the four or five of us. It was a logical progression from playing live all the time. We’d become a very tight knit unit.”

Paul had first spotted Dee C Lee when she sang backing vocals on Wham’s Young Guns (Go For It) on Top Of The Pops.

“I liked the way she looked as a singer, the way she held herself on stage, she was unique. We’d had a couple of female singers in the Council and none of them had really worked out, but I had this thing in my mind, I wanted the Council to be like Steampacket, when they had Rod The Mod (Stewart) and Julie Driscoll on joint vocals, and I wanted a dual lead vocal like that. Dee came and sang on our second single, Money Go Round, and it clicked, she sounded different to all the other session singers we’d met.”

Teen sticksman Steve White, meanwhile, was introduced to Paul and Mick via their product manager Dennis Munday in May, 1983. White had been schooled in music by Bill Bruford and Bobby Orr - the former who drummed with Yes and King Crimson, the latter who backed the likes of Milt Jackson, Zoot Sims and Dizzy Gillespie - and had worked on Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook’s musical, Labelled With Love.

“Dennis was A&Ring another band on Polydor and I went and did an audition for them,” Steve White takes up the story. “I wasn’t right for them but their lead singer mentioned to Dennis that I was jazz influenced and a good player. He knew that was exactly what Dennis had been told to find for The Style Council.”

After Steve’s mum had called Dennis to check the audition invite wasn’t a wind up – “My friend, he’s now an engineer in Hollywood, he was a right sod, he used to phone up and pretend that people wanted to use me for gigs and my mum thought it was him”

Steve made his way to audition at West Kensington’s Nomis studios, only to find on arrival that Paul had already filled the drum stool.

“Nomis studios was the hub of the pop world at that time,” recalls White. “At any one time half of the chart was in there. When I turned up Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Culture Club were recording and aha were rehearsing there. Paul had a small office there and he would use the studios to rehearse."

"Dennis had told me the night before I was going along to audition for The Style Council but as soon as I got there I was told the position had been taken. Kenny (Wheeler) said he’d mention to Paul I was here anyway. Paul was like, ‘we’ve got someone, we’ve got someone,’ but I was insistent to Kenny. ‘I’ve come a long way to do this, please give me a go.’ He went back to Paul and related this and Paul let me in. He was getting his coat on, getting ready to go but asked me what I was into. I said jazz, so he said, ‘play a bit of jazz for me.’ I think a lot of young musicians would have gone in there and tried to play like Rick Buckler because they thought it would have got them the gig. Instead I did a bad Elvin Jones impression. He told me how they were doing a session the next day for the Kid Jensen show at Maida Vale, how he hadn’t written all the songs yet for it but told me to come along.”

“I was just blown away by his youth and versatility,” remembers Paul. As was Mick.

“Steve was very persuasive about being heard, he was good, he had a feel for things, he had a lot of enthusiasm, the confidence of youth and the talent to back it up. He seemed wise beyond his years in his playing. That Kid Jensen session was a baptism by fire and he really shone, we didn’t have to draw him a diagram, we’d say what we wanted and he’d do it. We thought he sounded a bit like Al Jackson (of Booker T And The MGs.)”

Having shied away from any identifiable tag in The Jam, Paul now proudly wore his political beliefs on his sleeve. Royalties from second single, Money Go Round were donated to Youth CND, which the Council had played several benefits for (as had The Jam previously). Paul was also a keen supporter of animal rights and in his role as the joint president of the United Nation’s International Year Of Youth in 1985, backed the National Youth Trade Union Rights campaign against “industrial conscription”, calling for the right to supplementary benefit for teens who refused to join YTS schemes and for the protection of youths placed on such schemes.

Their October 1984 single, Shout To The Top, a Number 7 hit, was a glorious celebration of worker solidarity pinned to a jubilatory Philly soul-esque backdrop engineered by Jay Mark, with adverts for the single screaming, “Make no mistake/This is all class war/Fight back/Shout To The Top!”

Their next single, Soul Deep released under the moniker of the Council Collective, who also featured UK soul singer Junior Giscombe (he’d had a Number 7 hit with Mama Used To Say in 1982), Motown star Jimmy Ruffin, Vaughn Toulouse and Dizzy Hites raised money for the miners strike – the Council had already shown their commitment by playing fund raising shows for the miners before its release. Its B-side, A Miner’s Point further explored the struggle through an interview with two miners conducted by journalist Paolo Hewitt.

“It wasn’t a time to be non partisan,” reflects Paul. “It was too serious a time, too extreme. I wasn’t waving the Labour party flag but the socialist red flag that’s for sure. In The Jam I didn’t want to be a part of any movement. But this was different. Thatcher got into power in 1979, and from the Falklands war onwards, that was her wielding her power, the trade unions were being worn down, we had the miners strike, there was mass unemployment, there were all these issues, you had to care and if you didn’t you had your head in the sand or didn’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself. You couldn’t sit on the fence. It was very black and white then. Thatcher was a tyrant, a dictator.”

Steve: “It was the last stand of the traditional working class man. The traditional working class doesn’t exist anymore and that was down to that pivotal time. That’s not to say it wasn’t time for reform but that was like open warfare to show all working people in this country that we (the Conservative party) hold the power, we can turn the police on you, we can get the Metropolitan police to go up to South Yorkshire and beat the crap out of you and that was Thatcher’s message to the working classes, Don’t mess with me."

"In the early days of the miners’ dispute, there were people who had their benefits stopped. They didn’t have anything to eat at the end of the week. We got asked to raise some money and we did. It all went wrong when the taxi driver (David Wilkie) died. That painted the whole thing in a much bleaker light and it made us feel collectively that we were out of our depth here.”

The miners strike raged for one year – from March 1984 to March 1985 and quickly elevated into a symbolic battleground for the Tory government and the working man/woman; simply put Margaret Thatcher after identifying the National Union of Miners (NUM) as the heart of the Labour movement, went all out to crush it – mid strike she referred to the miners as “the enemy within” - and in her heavy handed attempt to abolish nationalisation and the unions, she caused mass unemployment, poverty, and decimated communities.

The flame was ignited on March 1, when the National Coal Board (NCB) led by anti-trade unionist chairman Ian MacGregor announced the closure of pits - the first Yorkshire’s Cortonwood Colliery – on the false grounds of unprofitability. He then threatened the future of a further 20 and 20,000 jobs. On March 12, the president of the NUM Arthur Scargill declared a national strike. By the end of the month further unions - NUR, TSSA, ISTC, TGWU, NUR and EETPU - were showing their support.

The government retaliated to this show of worker solidarity by withdrawing miners’ state benefits, leaving their families to survive on handouts and donations and soon many were starving and forced into poverty. Unsurprisingly tempers flared – in Orgreave, near Rotherham there were violent clashes between the miners and the police, the latter who were bolstered by forces drafted in from around the country.

As miners struggled in difficult conditions, some drifted back to work during the cold winter months and when in November, a taxi driver, David Wilkie was killed taking strike-breaking miners to work in Merthyr, South Wales – the result of two strikers lobbing a concrete block from an overhead bridge – defeat seemed inevitable.

Mick: “Soul Deep seemed like a simple thing to do until all the violence occurred. It’s easy to see these things in black and white but there is a lot of grey. When we were immersed in Red Wedge, when we were working with politicians we got to see what a slow moving beast politics is. It was like wading in sludge trying to get anything done. I’m pleased we supported the miners, highlighted their plight because it was a crunch time but once we got involved in Red Wedge, well what quickly dawned on us were people were coming to see the bands and not taking the message in."

"Then we’d get to a press conference in the Midlands, and you’d find you weren’t talking to the NME but a political correspondent from a broadsheet. There would be us, a few blokes out of Madness, Junior Giscombe, no one’s got a consensus of opinion and we’re asked, ‘What’s Red Wedge’s policy on Ireland?’ It’s hard enough to answer this question now when things are more stable, but back then everyone just looked at each other, and I just thought, Is this why I collected and jammed along to all those soul records? On the positive side I’m pleased we tried. It’s easy to be cynical in hindsight but at the time you felt you needed to stand up and be counted and I’m proud that we did that.”

Recorded in September, Soul Deep took just two days to put together and released in December, it made Number 24, with proceeds from sales going to the organisation Women Against Pit Closures and David Wilkie’s widow.

The Style Council’s follow up single, Walls Come Tumbling Down was equally forthright, passionate and dedicated to socialism. Defined by its anger and bile with Weller’s opening lines, “You don’t have to take this crap” pinned to a pounding Northern soul beat, it made Number 6 in May, 1985 and proved once again that you could successfully marry politics to exhilarating pop. It also hinted at what was to come next. With its lyrics steeped in socialist conviction, and its captivating soul pop sensibility, not only is its parent LP, Our Favourite Shop Weller’s most political work, it is one of his most exciting too.

Work had tentatively started on the album in February 1985. Steve: “Although it wasn’t set in stone. We would get a call or be gigging and Paul would say I want a couple of days in the studio, it wasn’t rigid, like, ‘we start the album now’, it was more, ‘let’s go in and knock some tracks down. It was a very creative time.”

“It helped we didn’t have to worry about studio time or costs,” explains Paul, who had bought Stanhope House, the old Phillips Studio at Marble Arch in 1983 and had been using it as his engine room for The Style Council after renaming it Solid Bond Studios.

Paul: “We’d go in everyday almost like a nine to five, no one was pressurising us, no one was looking over our shoulders, we could go in and work away. It was like a HQ for us, a base, we could experiment, but when we wanted time out we could play some tunes, have a cup of tea, walk around Oxford Street."

"It wasn’t until recent years that I appreciated what it was and where it was. The Walker Brothers and Dusty Springfield had recorded there. I didn’t think about that at the time and when we took it over we even had the same desk, which you’d pay a fortune for now. We foolishly after Our Favourite Shop got rid of it and got a new state of the art SSL desk and ended up sounding like every other band.”

Steve: “It was like a social club. Because it was in such a lovely position, we could sit outside on the lawn and drink tea. Kenneth Williams would walk past, Ava Gardner too. Kenneth would say good morning to us dressed in his blazer, college tie and chinos.”

Production duties fell once more to Pete Wilson who had previously produced The Jam’s The Gift and then The Style Council’s Café Bleu. Pete had first met Paul when as Polydor’s house engineer he had recorded Jam demos in the late ’70s.

“It was a relaxed set up,” states Pete Wilson. “With The Jam when I took over from Vic Coppersmith Heaven on production, they were hugely successful, they had tours lined up, album deadlines to meet, there were huge expectations and pressure on them. With The Style Council no one knew what to expect. After Paul acquired Solid Bond studios, he was doing demos all the time, and demos would turn into songs. He thrived in that atmosphere.”

The 13 track album opened, like Café Bleu before it with a tune led by Mick Talbot. The soulful Homebreakers was a direct attack on Thatcherism and the savage effects of its policies.

“I’d been working on the music and was la la-ing the melody over the top of it and Paul suggested I sing it,” remembers Mick. “He came up with the lyrics - they reflected what was going on in my own family at the time. My dad had been made redundant after 35 years of working for the same firm, my brother was in the same print union and was about to be made redundant too. Paul had soaked this up and the lyrics reflect that. It was a bold move opening the album with me singing, a bit of a surprise for the listener!”

'Come To Milton Keynes', the album’s second single may only have reached Number 23 in July 1985 but it was, nevertheless, one of Weller’s most poetic and powerful social commentaries. “We used to chase dreams, now we chase the dragon,” he sings. Predictably it caused controversy – Paul had never stepped foot in Milton Keynes and its residents weren’t happy with his critique of their town.

“I was reacting to all the new towns that were springing up,” says Paul. “There was an advert on TV, ‘Come to Milton Keynes’ yet the reality was totally different. Concrete shopping malls where kids would wander around aimlessly, smack was massive in the ’80s. It was never about just one town, but was concerned with the underlying soullessness, which had been covered up with a belief in monetarism, greed and selfishness and on the street smack. It was a metaphor for the general wearing down of society. Of course the city was up in arms, the local paper had a piece on the front page about it.”

The string laden 'A Stones Throw Away' was another of the album’s standouts; lyrically returning to the plight of the miners, it was drenched in stirring John Mealing arrangements.

Mick: “It’s a beautiful song, John was so easy to work with. He wasn’t bamboozled by our quirks, the fact we used funny demos and weird sounds. He was flexible and adjusted to our work patterns. He was keen to give us what we wanted and he did.”

Contrastingly 'Internationalists was blazing and loud; their rousing rallying cry, a call for unity and uprising with its title a reference to the political anthem, Internationale. “I’d read Robert Tressell’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists early on,” recalls Paul, “which had influenced my view of politics. Coming from a reactionary working class background it opened up my mind to politics.”

The third single culled from the album, 'The Lodgers' was another pertinent assault on the Tory party and saw the band back inside the Top 15 in September 1985 while the Steve White penned 'With Everything To Lose' pulled apart YTS schemes.

Steve: “I wrote it in an hour, over the backing track that we had used for 'Have You Ever Had It Blue' for the Absolute Beginners’ soundtrack. I had been on a fund raising march opposing youth opportunity schemes. I was so angry about what was happening to guys my own age, how they didn’t have any rights when they took up these schemes, how they got injured and some got killed because of the dangerous jobs they were given to do. I took the words in sheepishly, showed them to Paul, he said they were really good, took them away and scanned them so he could sing them.”

'A Man Of Great Promise' was Paul’s ardent eulogy to his school friend Dave Waller who had died from a heroin overdose in 1982. Paul had already paid homage to him in 1978’s All Mod Cons songbook, “Dave, your words fill me with new hope for the modern world, whilst your words on decay and destruction have the foresight of a person a 1,000 years old. There are those who are held in high esteem who do not deserve it in light of you.”

“I still play that sometimes. I was really saddened by his death,” reflects Paul. “It was inevitable though because he went down that path. He was a friend from the old days, he was much more literary than me, I was only reading the NME then, but he was a real talent as a writer and poet. He’d point out lyrics and meanings in Dylan and Donovan songs that I hadn’t picked up on because I was only listening to the music then.”

Perhaps the only song to disappoint is 'The Stand Up Comic’s Instructions'. Nevertheless, it is a noble attempt to tackle racism built around Lenny Henry’s fierce lampooning.

“I still think it’s a brilliant idea,” says Steve. “To get a black comedian to talk about that racist, Northern, working men’s club tradition. We did a Saturday night TV show presented by Lenny on LWT. He came on stage and started singing with us on 'You’re The Best Thing' and Paul hooked up with him later.”

Mick: “That was bizarre, it was a message that kind of worked. He was keen to be involved and it was us having a go at the mainstream. Alternative comedy was just an infant then – Jim Davidson, Bernard Manning they were immensely popular. We’d grown up playing working men’s clubs and it opened us up to the narrowmindedness that bred in some of them.”

The gatefold cover artwork was as bold as the album inside. Encapsulating everything that was special to The Style Council, it harked back to the inner sleeve of The Jam’s All Mod Cons where Paul had amassed objects which held meaning to him. But here Paul and Mick took it a step further literally creating their own favourite shop.

“Paul had come up with the album’s title,” remembers Simon Halfon, the sleeve’s designer. “His initial idea for the cover was to go to gentlemen’s outfitters in Woking and take a picture through the shop window of all their favourite things. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, so Plan B was to recreate the shop on a set. Photographer Ollie Ball built the set and then we all made lists of what we’d like to go in there. Paul said, we’ll do it next Tuesday, don’t forget to bring your stuff in. Ollie took the shot. It was as simple as that.”

“For some reason we picked a Sunday to go down to the shop and of course it was shut. Then we decided it would be better to build our own shop. We were like two old queens me and Mick,” reminisces Paul. “We were always out shopping. We got a lot of suits made up, we were like two old birds at a jumble sale, we were both mad for clothes. I think we looked the dogs’ bollocks. I saw what I was wearing as an extension of mod, even my mad hairstyle was. That was an amalgamation of the Perry boys up north, with the soul boy thing and these older middle aged French birds from Paris, and that geometric ’60s look.”

“It was a Mr Benn like fantasy,” says Mick. “You’d walk into the shop and come out the other end with everything that means everything to you, every book you want, every record, every poster. We brought in half our attics, and there are loads of things I know are there that you can’t really see in the finished photo. It became such an obsession."

"It was Paul’s George Best coat hanger, his Brigitte Bardot picture and record player. I provided the Twiggy coat hanger, the Otis Redding T shirt, Tony Hancock scripts, George Bernard Shaw book and Up The Junction. There’s a pair of brogues there, a red towelling pair of socks, in the ’70s they were very sophisticated, they’re tucked away behind the cabinet but we know the right pair of shoes and socks are there for a certain era. It’s a real reflection of what we were like."

"Paul, Dee, my missus and me went on holiday once and the flight got delayed and Paul and I bored our respective partners with our nostalgia fests, we’d talk of the clothing around when we were 11 or 12, and records from 1969 to ’71. Our shop is a real reflection of such discussions.”

Simon contributed the Another Country and A Hard Days Night posters, the customised ghetto blaster, the Terry-Thomas and Michael Caine photos and the Billie Holiday poster.

“We loved the cover art, we were all fans of Bernard Buffet’s Verve work.”

The Homo birthday card had been created for Paul by friend and designer Peter Barrett, there was also a Gary Crowley Capital Radio sticker stuck on the till.

The album also came with an inside portrait of Mick and Paul which referenced David Bailey’s shot of Lennon and McCartney (which featured in their shop mock up) and was taken by photographer Nick Knight while the actual packaging mirrored The Beatles For Sale album where the vinyl went inside a sleeve pocket.

The sleeve also featured quotes from Tony Benn, US comedian Lenny Bruce and Oscar Wilde’s Man Under Socialism. “It was a tribute to everything we loved,” says Simon.

On its release 'Our Favourite Shop' hit the top spot in the UK. It was the only Style Council album to do so. Its follow ups, 1987’s 'The Cost Of Loving', Weller’s attempt to create a “modern American soul sound like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis” only reached Number 2, the brave 'Confessions Of A Pop Group' from the following year, a mix of velveteen Debussy influenced piano suites and soul ballads, just Number 15, while their intended follow up, 'Modernism: A New Decade' went unreleased until 1998.

Paul: “I had a total belief in The Style Council. I was obsessed in the early years. I lived and breathed it all. I meant every word, and felt every action. Our Favourite Shop was its culmination.”

“With Our Favourite Shop we were like, here’s the message, if you like it, you like it,” says Steve. “When things were becoming bubblegum, with the concept of Rio and dancing in the sand and sticking your head in the sand, which was the message of the day, we had a band that went no thanks and we were still successful.”

Concludes Mick: “It’s a lyrical testament to where the country was at that time while musically we realised our strengths and played to them. The potential was always worth the risk with The Style Council. Sometimes we tried to punch above our weight and it came off, sometimes it didn’t. It wasn’t that we didn’t know what we were doing, it was a question of not standing still. Some experiments spectacularly failed, they just went boom! Others we surprised ourselves with and that’s what kept The Style Council inspiring. Our Favourite Shop was one of the ones that worked.”

Lois Wilson, MOJO Magazine

Article borrowed from http://www.paulweller.com/stylecouncil.php

This live set is taken from BBC Radio 6 Chris Hawkins show. Long Live BBC Radio 6

1. Meeting Over Yonder

2. My Ever Changing Moods

3. It Just Came to Pieces in My hand

4. Mick's Up

5. Here's One That Got Away

6. Up for Grabs

7. Dropping Bombs on the White House

8. Long hot Summer

9. Money Go Round

10. Speak Like a Child

11. Headstart for Happiness

12. Hanging on to a Memory

Download

2010-11-10T19:35:00.003+08:00

The sweet sound of Motown as personified by Diana Ross & The Supremes. The Jam has covered "Back in My Arms Again" early in their career, Madness had their rendition of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" which was included on their "Dangermen Sessions" cd, "Can't Hurry Love" covered by Phil Collins - giving their respect to Motown's most successful vocal group. You know the drill, play this loud and dance to this!

1. Where Did Our Love Go

2. Baby Love

3. Come See About Me

4. Stop! In The Name Of Love

5. Back In My Arms Again

6. Nothing But Heartaches

7. I Hear A Symphony

8. My World Is Empty Without You

9. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart

10. You Can't Hurry Love

11. You Keep Me Hangin' On

12. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone

13. The Happening

14. Reflections

15. Love Child

16. I'm Livin' In Shame

17. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me

18. Someday We'll Be Together

DOWNLOAD

Another Cup of Coffee

2010-11-10T19:20:00.003+08:00

Sophomore album launch of one of the most hard-working, dedicated and talented group of men within the ska, rock-steady and reggae community. They are everywhere! COFFEE BREAK ISLAND. Nuff said.

BOSS REGGAE!!!

2010-11-01T18:50:00.004+08:00

Skinhead reggae from Trojan Records, you can never go wrong on this one. Play this loud!

1 . Dry Acid - Upsetters

2. Vampires - Upsetters

3. Don't Trouble Trouble - Maytals

4. Pee Pee Cluck - Pioneers

5. Foey Man - George Dekker

6. Reggae Pressure - Hippy Boys

7. Hold You Jack - Derrick Morgan

8. Lock Jaw - Dave Barker

9. Biafra - Crystalites

10. Dynamic Pressure - Music Specialists

11. Swan Lake - Cats

12. Children Are You Ready - Versatiles

13. Dolly House On Fire - Reggae Boys

14. Good Time Rock - Hugh Malcolm

15. Movements (The Joe Gibbs Way) - Count Matchuki & The Destroyers

16. Derrick Top The Pop - Derrick Morgan

17. Look Who A Bus Style - Meditators

18. Barbwire - Nora Dean

19. Hold Down - Kingstonians

20. What A Fire - Ethiopians

21. Bangarang - Stranger Cole & Lester Sterling

22. People's Choice - Winston Williams

23. Lee Van Cleef - King Stitt

24. Birth Control - Lloyd Charmers

25. Jesse James - Laurel Aitken

26. Do The Raggay - Maytals

27. Check Him Out - Bleechers

28. Long Shot - Pioneers

29. Love Up Kiss Up - Termites

30. Rooster - Tommy McCook & Jeff Barnes

DOWNLOAD

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS

2010-09-30T20:46:00.001+08:00

MANILA SOUL ALL NIGHTER 2

2010-09-29T00:21:00.000+08:00

Deep Beats 60's Northern Soul Vol. 1

2010-09-04T13:53:00.006+08:00

This is Deep Beat's first excursion into the netherworld of Northern Soul presenting 23 all time classics from several legendary labels and producers both American and British. Completing this collection is perhaps the greatest of all Northern instrumentals' Father's Angels stupendous "Bok to Bach". Awesome tunes! Grab 'em quick!

Traclklist:

Purple Haze - Jones, Johnny & The King Casuals

Baby Boy - Hughes, Freddie

Tryin To Find My Woman - Courtney, Lou

There Was A Time - Chandler, Gene

Who Who Song - Wilson, Jackie

Marble And Iron - Douglas, Carl

Our Love Is Getting Stonger - Knight, Jason

What About The Music - Harner, Billy

Boc To Bach - Father's Angels

What Love Brings - Bernard, Kenny

Everything's Gonna Be Alright - Arnold, P.P.

Scrub Board - Trammps

Ton Of Dynamite - Crocker, Frankie 'Loveman'

Soul Improvisations - McCoy, Van

Goodbye Nothing To Say - Javells

Bring Him Back - Starr, Stella

Stop What You're Doing To Me - Playthings

What About The Music - Billy Harner

I Get The Sweetest Feeling - Wilson, Jackie

Love Makes A Woman - Acklin, Barbara

I'm Gonna Miss You - Artistics

Stay Close To Me - Five Stairsteps

Hold Back The Night - Trammps

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

Deep Beats- 60's Northern Soul, Vol. 2

2010-08-28T18:10:00.010+08:00

This second compilation from Deepbeats is very much in the same vein as the first and just like its predecessor it also concentrates on sixties releases. My personal favourites are 'Turning my Heartbeat Up' by the MVP's, 'One in a Million' by Maxine Brown and 'Livin' the Nightlife' by The Charts. The Adam's Apples track 'Don't Take It Out Of This world ' is also quickly growing on me.

Thanks to Shane Cosgrove for this brilliant gem!

This one's for you, mate!

Track Listing:

First Choice - This Is The House Where Love Died

The MVP's - Turning My Heartbeat Up

Al Wilson - Help Me

Leon Young Strings - Glad All Over

Billy Harner - Sally Saying Something

Chris Farlowe - Don't Just Look At Me

Chuck Jackson - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

Adam's Apples - Don't Take It Out Of This World

Wayne Gibson - Under My Thumb

The Charts - Livin' the Nightlife

Linda Jones & the Whatnaughts - I'm So Glad I Found You

Jackie Wilson - I'm So Glad I Found You

The Shirelles - Last Minute Miracle

Maxine Brown - One in A Million

Billy Thompson - Black Eyed Girl

The Devonnes - I'm Gonna Pick Up My Toys

Carmen Taylor - You're Puttin' Me On

Marvin Smith - Have More Time

Curtis Blandon - In The Long Run

Tony Lamarr - Just In The Nick Of Time

Young Holt Unlimited - California Montage

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

DAPTONE GOLD

2010-08-17T19:39:00.012+08:00

Daptone Records is a funk and soul indie label formed by Gabriel Roth and Neal Sugarman and based in Brooklyn, New York. Daptone Records brings that classic funk & soul with roots as deep as the genre’s heyday. This album is an odyssey through the label’s premiere acts, an overview of just what they’ve been working on creating for the past decade.

I don’t care who you are, what this album represents is an impressive feat of talent and perseverance. By their own hand, recording their

blend of funk, soul, and afrobeat acts on vintage equipment, in a studio they built themselves out in Brooklyn’s Bushwick, this label elevates appreciation of classic sound to the level of worship.

Both the sheer amount of talent on the label and their ability to generate innovative and creative material shines through on the album. Stuffed with rare cuts and clocking in at over 80 minutes, each of the larger acts has three or more tracks, while less well-known combos/acts get some much-needed exhibition.

Their headliner, a powerhouse act that underlines this neuvo funk endeavor, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings continue to excite and produce mountains of memorable tracks, to say nothing of their shows. Having the most songs on the album, I was excited to hear the tracks that were new to me, while enjoying the selection of those cuts I had come across before.

The other acts are just as pleasing; Budos Band, an instrumental only funk and soul group with an impressive number of members is a local favorite, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens take soul out of church and to your ears, while Lee Fields’ hardest man workin’ vibe had me aching all the way alongside him. I was equally impressed with the Antibalas track, an act that I was happy to see settle at the label.

The rawest, funkiest, most soulful label since Stax went under - Daptone Records - released one of the best collection that really earns the title. It's all good: jaw-dropping instrumental and vocal talent, tight arrangements, sterling recording. Less than a minute into this retrospective from Brooklyn's Daptone Records, the wonderfully named Binky Griptite welcomes you to ''four solid sides of soul,'' and that serves as an excellent indication of how out of step the label is with the MP3 era. Many of the tracks are funky instrumentals that feature horns, rhythm and lead guitar providing that Daptone sound that really is just simply gold. Defiantly check this one out!

1. Introduction by Binky Griptite

2. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “I’m Not Gonna Cry”

3. The Budos Band “Up From The South”

4. Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done”

5. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?”

6. Lee Fields “Could Have Been”

7. Antibalas featuring Mayra Vega "Che Che Cole Makossa"

8. The Budos Band “Budos Rising”

10. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Got A Thing On My Mind”

11. Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band “The World”

12. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Make It Good To Me”

13. Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. “Stand Up”

14. Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Is This”

15. Binky Griptite with the Sugarman Three “A Lover Like Me”

16. Menahan Street Band “Make the Road by Walking”

17. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Tell Me”

18. Sugarman & Co. “Down To It”

19. The Dap-Kings “Nervous Like Me”

20. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Giving Up”

21. The Budos Band “Ghostwalk”

22. The Gospel Queens feat. Cynthia Langston “I Need You To Hold My Hand”

23. Binky Griptite & the Mellomatics “The Stroll Pt. 2”

24. Sharon Jones & Lee Fields “Stranded In Your Love"

DOWNLOAD

MANILA ALL NIGHTER

2010-08-16T21:10:00.003+08:00

Nuff said! Be there or be square!

Long Time

2010-08-01T21:23:00.003+08:00

Hello friends, it's been a long time that we had our last post. We've been busy with our day job. We'll update and upload new materials possibly next week. Cheers!

KEB DARGE IS REALLY BACK!!!

2010-06-07T20:35:00.005+08:00

Funk, Northern, Mod, Rock-a-billy and Ska.......can you ask for more? Friday June 11, 7PM at Ten02 bar Timog Q.C. you have to be there to taste the true and authentic sound of Keb Darge, considered as one of the most important figure in the Northern Soul and Funk scene in the U.K.

Opening up the night will be Steady Movin' Beat, Neighbors and Juan Pablo Dream. No jukebox music, just pure pleasure and madness. See you there or Keb will kick the hell out of you.....PUSSY!

STYLE COUNCIL LIVE IN MELBOURNE '85

2010-05-09T22:16:00.008+08:00

Another wonderful set from The Style Council. This is a direct soundboard recording thus resulting in a very good overall sound. You know the drill ladies and gents.

(Mick Talbot, Dee C. Lee & Paul Weller. Drummer Steve White not present)

1. Big Boss Groove

2. Shout To The Top

3. See The Day

4. With Everything to Lose

5. Down in the Siene

6. Mick's Up

7. Our Favorite Shop

8. Homebreakers

9. A Stone's Throw Away

10. My Ever Changing Moods

11. It Just Came to Pieces In My Hands

12. Walls Come Tumbling Down

13. Long Hot Summer

14. When You Call Me

15. Luck

16. Move On Up

17. You're The Best Thing

18. Money Go Round / Streght of Your Nature

19. Internationalist

DOWNLOAD

Keb Darge gig is cancelled

2010-04-21T18:58:00.003+08:00

Keb Darge will not be able to come here in Manila because of the volcano eruption in Iceland that resulted to a massive ashfall all over Europe cancelling all flights to and fro from the affected countries including the U.K. This happens, we have no control over Mother Nature. Let's just pray that Keb and his family are all safe. See you in June Keb. Cheers

"...no flights till Monday. I'm sorry, but we'll have to cancel the gigs this time. I am fully booked in Europe now until the 8th of June. We would have to re-schedule for the weekend of the 11th to 13th of June... " - Keb Darge

PAUL WELLER'S VINYL CLASSICS

2010-04-18T19:38:00.008+08:00

Paul Weller's love of soul, funk and jazz music is well known, as is the fact he is an avid collector of vinyl, whether it be singles or full albums and he has amassed a vast collection of quality recordings over the years. He was invited on to BBC Radio 2 as a guest DJ and recorded 3 shows (I think) back in 2001. The shows are presented here for your pleasure and trust me on this, they're well worth it and show fascinating insights into Weller's tastes in music and to what influences him. Essential listening to all Paul Weller fans or not. Three volumes of crucial sounds for your soul.

DOWNLOAD

STRETCHING OUT!!!

2010-04-12T20:50:00.013+08:00

There's no need for some fancy introduction to this band. Just the name itself commands awe and respect, carries more weight than anybody else - THE SKATALITES.

In 1983 Herbie Miller, manager of Peter Tosh brought the original Skatalites (minus the late Don Drummond) back to Jamaica from all over the world to perform at the 1983 Jamaica Sunsplash.The Skatalites had broken up 18 years earlier, after their short career of two years (1963-1965). Personal disagreements, conflicts and animosities had driven these inventors of Ska and master musicians to seek their own future as individual artists.

Miller, who became their manager, owned a nightclub in Kingston, Jamaica called The Blue Monk Jazz Gallery. Here, after 18 years of separation they reconciled their differences, (for a time), and rehearsed for Sunsplash '83 and performed live at the club before a crowd of local fans, friends, and fellow musicians.There were no restrictions on the length of sets, no barriers on solos or improvisational experiments, and no recording studio limits on how long each song should last. They stretched out, played out, and had a joyous 18th anniversary celebration and reunion. Miller recorded the rehearsals and nightclub performances and captured for history all the spontaneity, fire, electricity, and good fellowship of that unique moment. Re-grouping after twenty years and in great form performing to a live and appreciative audience. There may have personal differences in the past but the band seemed to thrive on these frictions. When they met for rehearsals, all the old friends and close buddies came out and with them the numerous pipes, filling the air with the good aroma of ganja.

Following the release of "Stretching Out" as a cassette only album, it went on to become a collectors item and at the same time served as a call for the band's readiness to emerge as a working unit. A few years later, this album was re-issued a double disc album with five bonus tracks and at present, the album is also being sold in vinyl in two volumes. More than two decades after re-grouping, the originators of Ska reign supreme. They still continue to tour the world with the remaining original members together with their worthy continue the legacy of the greatest Ska band in the world.

All songs were recorded live using a TEAC 2 track tape deck and on a Sony cassette deck on June 27, 1983 at the final rehearsal for Reggae Sunsplash and on July 17, 1983 as The Skatalites performed in concert.

Band line up:

Tommy McCook- Tenor Sax
Roland Alphonso - Tenor & Soprano Sax
Lester Sterling - Alto Sax
"Dizzy" Johnny Moore - Trumpet
Jackie Mittoo - Piano
Jah Gerry - Guitar
Lloyd Brivitte - Acoustic Bass
Lloyd Knibbs - Drums
Lord Tanamo - M.C. and Vocals.

Guest Musicians:
Arnold Breckenridge - Trumpet
"Bubbles" Cameron - Trombone
Cedric Brooks (Special Guest) - Tenor Sax Solo on "Tear Up"

Disc 1

1. Freedom Sounds

2. Bridge View

3. Latin Goes Ska

4. Tear Up

5. Guns Of Navarone

6. Man In The Street

7. Come Dung

8. Big Trombone

9. Ska Ba

10. Road Block

11. Eastern Standard Time

12. Confucius

Download

Disc 2
1. Lee Harvey Oswald
2. Black Sunday
3. Mood For Ska
4. Fidel Castro (#1)
5. El Pussy Cat
6. Four Corners*
8. Exodus*
9. Old Fowl*
10. Fidel Castro #2*
11. Welcome Back Home*
*BONUS TRACKS
DOWNLOAD

BAD MANNERS - SKINHEAD!

2010-04-07T20:44:00.010+08:00

Bad Manners.......there's nothing bad with this band. As one of the foundation of the British ska revival during the late 70's, they have peddled their own kind of ska to the skanking youths of Britain and around the world. Bad Manners became the novelty favorite of the UK pop scene during those times because of the bald and outsized frontman with a big tongue known as Buster Bloodvessel (Douglas Trendle) on stage antics. Just like their North London ska mates "Madness", their song is not heavily political as compared to the The Specials and The Selecter.

The tunes and the lyrics of their songs are more pop attuned, though there were some songs that stabs the British establishment. Bad Manners is still very active and doing the rounds in England, playing in different scooter rallies, colleges and their own music festival "Badfest." One of the foundation of the British Ska movement and one of the best and the baddest - Bad Manners! Play this loud!

1. Pipeline

2. Skinhead Girl

3. Stampede

4. Non Shrewed

5. Johnny's Knee

6. Skinhead Love Affair

7. How Big Do You Love Me

8. Baby Elephant Walk

9. Big Five

10. Rock steady Breakfast

11. Mafia

12. Viva La Ska Revolution

Download

LIVE JAM

2010-04-06T22:33:00.008+08:00

There were only three official live albums by The Jam - the first was "Dig The New Breed" released in 1983, the featured album today "Live Jam" released 1993 and "The Jam at The BBC" released a few years ago. All live tracks on all albums are recorded between 1977 to 1982 with the exception of the bonus 3rd cd that was included on Live BBC release which was recorded full in concert at the Rainbow theater in London, April 1979. From an angry young mod to a more soulful and RnB inspired young man. For the rest of us, there is LIVE JAM, the closest thing available to actually being drenched in Paul Weller's sweat. While LIVE JAM concentrates mostly on the Jam's more soulful later years, it does not skimp on earlier favourites such as "Modern World" and "Mr. Clean". However, it is in the later, more nuanced material that LIVE JAM truly shines. Somehow the obvious tension in the band(Foxton and drummer Buckler vs. Weller) led to truly transcendent versions of "Down in the Tube Station At Midnight" and "Town Called Malice". This live album is a lasting testament to a brilliant band. Pure power and one of the best and influential band from England.The Jam - they are fucking brilliant. Fire and Skill! Play this loud!!!

The Modern World
Billy Hunt
Thick as Thieves
Burning Sky
Mr. Clean
Smithers-Jones
Little Boy Soldiers
The Eton Rifles"
Away from the Numbers
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
Strange Town
When You're Young
'A' Bomb in Wardour Street
Pretty Green
Boy About Town
Man In The Corner Shop
David Watts
Funeral Pyre
Move On Up
Carnation"
The Butterfly Collector
Precious
Town Called Malice
Heat Wave

DOWNLOAD

THE ROOTS OF ELVIS PRESLEY

2010-04-06T20:12:00.007+08:00

When Elvis Presley recorded That's All Right Mama on 5 July 1954 he changed the face of music forever, though he couldn't know it at the time. Of course his music did not appear fully formed out of nowhere and he barely wrote a song in his life. That's All Right Mama had been recorded by its author Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup nearly ten years earlier in Chicago and is just one of 21 recordings that provided source material for the aspirant rock and roller to be found on this instructive collection.

Elvis was equally at home with hillbilly, gospel and blues music, as well as mainstream pop, and it was his amalgamation and assimilation of these influences that led to the creation of rockabilly and to his incendiary success.

The earliest recording is the Jimmie Rodgers version of Frankie And Johnnie from 1929, which had been recorded by Mississippi John Hurt the year before for Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music, and the most recent included here, although he continued to cover contemporary material throughout his career, is from 1950, by Ivory Joe Hunter. He went on to become a friend of Elvis' and wrote several songs for him, such as My Wish Came True. Elvis's musical tastes were wide and while few would argue with the merits of Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys or Wynonie Harris, some might query his love of Old Shep by Red Foley.

One of his rare composer credits turns up on Love Me Tender, alongside that of Vera Matson. This comes from the film of the same name about the American Civil War, starring Elvis, and so it was fascinating to discover that it had been adapted from a Civil War poem from 1861 which had been set to music as Aura Lee, and recorded by many artists including the Shelton Brothers in 1937.

Other CDs in this series have been sparse on information but, apart from a lack of composer credits, the sleeve notes here break down every track with pertinent details (a couple of songs are written about that do not appear on the final version of the CD). No serious student of Elvis can afford to be without a thorough collection such as this.

DOWNLOAD

CLASHED!!!

2010-03-26T13:06:00.010+08:00

I just discovered this band a few weeks ago. I was a little skeptical at first because there were so many bands that has covered "The Clash" without doing any justice to the song and to the band itself. This album is a split between Clash songs and reggae cuts that were covered by The Clash. After listening to AML, they really made sense - The Clash, a punk band incorporated reggae into their music when they released their first album in 1977. They had their own take on reggae and gave it a "Clash" treatment without losing the spirit and weight of JA's music, and then Germany's Anger Mangement League came along giving new life to the songs of John Mellor and Co. It makes perfect sense for the AML to re-visit The Clash's first batch of punk songs via The Upsetters.

There are hints of The Upsetters dub feel, Operation Ivy/Rancid punky reggae and The Agrrolites' dirty reggae in this album but I have to stress that they are not imitating these artist. AML are no copy cats as far as I'm concerned. This is AML second release by way of Jump Up records of Chicago. The AML's Clash covers aren't revelatory, but they're damn good and fun--and a good a reason as any for you to have this album.

01 London's Burning

02 Janie Jones

03 White Riot

04 Career Oportunities

05 Garageland

06 1977

07 Bring It Back

08 Why Why Why

09 New Blue Hat

10 My Only One

11 Mr. Hyde Park Dub

12 Police and Thieves

DOWNLOAD

The Specials and 2Tone documentary BBC6

2010-03-25T00:52:00.004+08:00

Thanks to a high speed connection, I'm now a regular listener of BBC Radio 6. There rumors that BBC6 will be taken off the air. I hope this will not happen. They happen to have good shows and documentaries. One particular favorite DJ is Steve Lamacq although Paul Sexton is presenting this 2Tone documentary. You'll only have 7 days to listen to this. This goes for all Ska fans around the world. This is to us. Quality education from BBC Radio 6.

Click here to listen

Larry Ethnic Meets The Wailers

2010-03-22T14:48:00.007+08:00

This one is a good find. The Wailers backing up some of Jamaica's prominent vocalists. This album consist of reggae versions of some popular songs during that time. Released in 1975 featuring the ever heavy and sticky Wailers providing the back beat to the soulful singers. Lovers reggae all the way.

Melinoco : Aston Barrett

Backing Band : The Wailers

Drums : Carlton Barrett
Bass : Aston Barrett
Rhythm Guitar : Bob Marley
Lead Guitar : Ronnie Bop
Synthesiser : Ron Elliott
Organ : Wire Lindo & Winston Wright
Piano : Aston Barrett & Pablo Black
Percussions : Carlton Barrett

1. Jackie Paris - Once In My Life

2. Barrington Spence - Falling In Love For The First Time

3. Jackie Paris & Dennis Brown - Day Dream Believer

4. Barrington Spence - Tears On My Pillow

5. Dave Collins - My Heart Cries Out

6. Junior Delgado - Really For A Reason

7. Dave Collins - Get Ready Here I Come

8. The Chosen Few - Chain Gang

9. Sydney Rogers - People Living In Glass House

10. Junior Delgado - Reaction

11. Dave Collins - The People Band Wagon (Hitch Hike)

>DOWNLOAD<

WORK, REST AND PLAY!

2010-03-21T23:53:00.007+08:00

Finally we're able to upload more music after a few weeks of trying to fix the problem. I decided to put up "The Nutty Boys" after all the trouble I've experienced the past few weeks and what a good way to start the week is by presenting one of the best British band of all time - MADNESS.

"Work, Rest and Play" was released on April 30, 1980 and reached the British charts at No. 6

The EP was headlined by "Night boat to Cairo" which was taken from their debut album "One Step Beyond..." After the release of their "My Girl" single, the band felt that they have exhausted good materials from their debut album and should not release any more singles from it. Stiff Records Head Dave Robinson disagreed and a compromise was made and the band decided to release an EP instead featuring "Night Boat to Cairo" and three new songs,and"Work, Rest and Play" was the result.

The EPs success was largely due to "Night Boat to Cairo" which is the carrier single and had an accompanying video to boot. Madness was accused of being racist becuase all members are white and supported the far right whites or the British National Front or NF for short. Some of their shows were disrupted by racist skinheads/boneheads violence which were common during the 2tone years or any 2tone gigs at the time. Chas Smash was qouted by NME in 1979 saying " We don't care if people are in theNF as long as they're having a good time." This was quoted to add to the speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the National Front, although the band members denied those allegations. The fourth track of the EP "Don't Quote Me On That" was the direct answer to NME which painted the band as racists. How can you be racist if you dig Jamaican Music?

We bring yyou Madness - you know the drill. PLAY THIS LOUD!!!

1. Night Boat to Cairo

2. Deceives The Eye

3. The Young and The Old

4. Don't Quote Me On That

>DOWNLOAD<

IT'S THE TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!!

2010-03-10T23:22:00.005+08:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
FILE YOUR VACATION LEAVES!
MAKE EXCUSES OR TELL HALF-TRUTHS JUST TO BE ON THIS EVENT!

'CUZ ITS GONNA BE ONE HELL OF A PARTY!

VESPA JAMBOREE 4
ANGONO ROUND UP 2010

APRIL 24, 2010 (SATURDAY)
at the HAUNTED KUBO, Angono, Rizal

Party starts 11am onwards!
Eat, Drink and Rock 'til you drop!!!

FOOD, DRINKS, MUSIC, GAMES, RAFFLES AND SURPRISE PRIZES!

TERA NA!!!

Click here for directions

Click here for past Vespa Jamboree pictures

SEARCHING FOR THE YOUNG SOUL REBELS

2010-03-02T19:07:00.010+08:00

Dexys' surfaced in the late 1970s, Kevin Rowland formerly of punk act The Killjoys found his partner in Kevin Archer and the rest of the gang collective that made up the band. Nodding to Stax and Northern Soul they had total conviction and essentially played a punk version of Stax stuff. They briefly flirted with Two Tone, before rejecting them, and soon after Rowland began baiting the press with his own essays.

Amid their first few years, when they all looked like something out of 'Mean Streets' and 'Raging Bull', they produced one of the greatest debut albums with this, 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels.' This is the album most often picked out by music critics, but that overlooks the fact 'Too Rye Ay' (1982) and 'Don't Stand Me Down' (1985) are equally fantastic, if not greater!!

The band were sharp as anything, they had the songs, they had the style and at one infamous point, they had the master tapes! The 11 tracks form a classic sequence, this is one of those albums that I have to play all the way through - of course there are highlights, 'tell me when my light turns green' seems to me one of those classic Dexys songs that define them as a band (the other I'd say is 'Let's Make This Precious'). Opener 'Burn It Down' (formerly 'Dance Stance') is punk Sam & Dave, audaciously sampling 'Smoke on the Water', 'Holidays in the Sun' & 'Rat Race' before Rowland hollers "FOR GOD'S SAKE! - BURN IT DOWN!!!" The namechecking of Irish cultural figures would have an effect on later releases by The Pogues and That Petrol Emotion...(The Undertones' 'It's Going to Happen' was apparently a Dexys-tribute). The cover nods to Rowland's Irish roots, something more fully detailed in 1985's 'My National Pride (formerly Knowledge of Beauty).'

The teams that meet in the caffs' is a fantastic instrumental, while 'seven days too long' feels like a twist on a Northern Soul stomp - 'love part one' would start a kind of spoken word interlude track that would recur on subsequent releases. & then there are the fantastic singles the scathing 'there there my dear' and #1 'Geno' - whose videos are also found on this reissue.

Rowland sacked most of the band shortly after - though with Mick Talbot, this line-up reformed a few years ago for a tour - the DVD of which is well worth tracking down. The next Dexys' record was very Van Morrison, though songs like 'Show Me', 'Let's Make This Precious', 'Until I Believe in My Soul', & 'Old' weren't that far away (I guess people write off that album cos of 'Jocky Wilson Said' & 'Come on Eileen'?). Dexys were in a world of their own and this debut from 1980 is as classic as it gets - the kind of record no one should be without.

1. Burn It Down

2. Tell Me When My Lights Turn Green

3. The Teams That Meet in Caffs

4. I'm Just Looking

5. Geno

6. Seven Days Too Long

7. I Couldn't Help It If I tried

8. Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire, It Doesn't Apply

9. Keep It

10. Love Part One

11. There, There My Dear

>DOWNLOAD<

TROJAN BATTLEFIELD

2010-02-15T15:05:00.009+08:00

This interesting and generally quite valuable 24-track collection pays richly deserved tribute to Theophilous Beckford, a keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and producer who exerted a significant influence on the development of ska and rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica. His name is not as famous among modern audiences as those of Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid or Lloyd Daley, but his heavily blues and R&B-based songs were very popular in Kingston and his studio and instrumental skills were in heavy demand. The best tracks on this compilation are, in fact, those that feature Beckford himself singing his own compositions in a smooth, refined style -- note in particular the gently sung but lyrically brutal "Mr. Down Pressor," a not very subtle stab at Beckford's former boss, Coxsone Dodd. Other fine tracks include "Old Flame," which features the vocal talents of one Frederick Hibbertt (who would later perform under the name Toots, as leader of The Maytals) and two early tracks by Basil Gabidon(who would later be one of the founding members of the legendary British reggae band Steel Pulse). Less inspiring are the harmonica stylings of Charlie Organaire and two rather amateurish efforts by The Charmers.

The blues and R&B based tracks are ska in its earliest form - soon after The Skatalites came along and everything became more different and technical at the same time but that's a different story. Taken as a whole, though, this is an enjoyable and valuable document of the work of one of reggae's forgotten heroes.

01. The Carmers - I´ll be there
02. The Carmers - You are the one
03. Frederik Hibbert - Old flame
04. Charlie Organaire - Go home
05. Winstom Samuels - I´m so glad
06. Winstom Samuels - She´s gone
07. Shenley Duffus & Annete Clarke - Don´t worry to cry
08. Theo Beckford - Now that you´re dead
09. Karl Walker - But officer
10. Lloyd Clarke - I love you most of all
11. Lloyd Clarke - Oh what a love
12. Karl Walker - Riding the crown
13. Lloyd Clarke - Love me or leave me
14. Basil Gabbidon - You got rich
15. Basil Gabbidon - Jamaica is mine
16. Theo Beckford - Trojan battlefield
17. Charlie Organaire - Merry twist (boogie)
18.: Unknown vocalist - Drink rum
19. Theo Beckford & The King Pioneer allstars - Naked Earth
20. Theo Beckford - Mr Down Presser
21. Theo Beckford - Snappin is Back
22. Theo Beckford & the king pioneer allstars - True musical
23. Chenley Duffus - Saturday Night Boogie
24.: Karl Walker & The Pioneer King Allstar Fight the battle

DOWNLOAD

KEB DARGE IS BACK!!!

2010-02-14T23:43:00.023+08:00

First, a little background on our featured artist for today Scottish DJ Keb Darge. He is Possibly the most famous DJ of the genre mentioned and holds a legendary status among his peers, in the Northern Soul and Funk scene in the UK and the person credited for the genre of "Deep Funk".

He began his career joining disco dance competitions in Northern Scotland and was a regular dancer on Wigan Casino on their regular Northern Soul All Nighters. Soon after, he was spinning 45s at Wigan right beside the casino and around Scotland. He moved to London at age 22 and left his DJ life to start as a regular joe in London. Music promoters approached and asked him to play sets and get back to DJing. He obliged and helped push the Northern Soul scene in England.

After a while he sold off most of his Norther Soul records after a divorce in 1987 although there were still records that he considered as "junk music" that he purchased in the US in search of obscure and rare soul and R&B music which, in time will be christened as "Deep Funk".

He met fellow funk collector and latin percussionist Matt Cotgrove aka "Snowboy" between 1992-93 in London. Keb and Snowboy decided to put up their own "deep funk" night in an old reataurant but failed after a few months because of the rising popularity of "House Music" in the UK at the time. Well, shortly after that they were able to hold a weekly residency in a strip club called Madame Jojo's at the Soho district of London and soon after closed down their strip nights and becoming a full fledged music club. Today Keb still holds his funk nights every Friday called the "Legendary Deep Funk". He has also released several compilations of deep funk tracks through BBE Records most notably "Funk Spectrum" and "Keb Darge's Deep Funk" compilations. He has also released another compilation with "The Modfather" Paul Weller called - Lost and Found: Real R&B and Soul.

And now, Keb Darge is back in the country to spread the gospel of Funk, Northern and Rock-a-billy in to our shores again. The Event will be held at Marben and Myra Romero's club TEN02 Bar and Resto on the 25th of April featuring the local and rockin' sounds of Bembol Rockers and Pusakal and Soul pushers Juan Pablo dream. Presented by Bisikleta Productions, Rookie Records and Soundblasters. Dress sharp, leave your politics behind and dance to this!

(official poster for the event)

This is one volume of Keb's compilation for your musical enjoyment.

01. The Golden Toadstools - Silly Savage
02. B O Junior - Coffe Pot
03. T J And Teh Group - Blues For The Bs
04. James Polk And The Brothers - Power Struggle
05. Aalon Butler And The New Breed - Gettin Soul
06. Googie Rene - Firebird
07. The Fabulous Firebird - Psycho
08. Carleen And The Groovers - Can We Rap
09. Ricky Calloway And His Nt Express - Get It Right
10. Billy Paul And The Upsetters - Sissy Walk
11. Leon Gardner - Natural
12. Bad Medicine - Trespasser
13. Rappers - Krunchberry Beast
14. Joe Washington - Blueberry Hill
15. Society - Society
16. The Blenders - You Got It All
17. Beverly Crosby - That Didnt Stop Me
18. Harris And Orr - Spread Love
19. Ramsey And Co - Love Call
20. Sons Of The Kingdom - Modernization

DOWNLOAD

THE METRO MANILA DANCEHALL AUTHORITY!

2010-01-27T00:59:00.011+08:00

Milagros Dancehall Collective was founded in 2003 at the crews first Makati residence in Milagros St. Dancehall reggae was the common denominator that brought the boys to form the band.Dancehall was the music that reigned on their PC at home, and artists like Yellowman, Lt. Stitchie, Mad Cobra, Bounty Killer, Beenieman, Elephant Man, Sean Paul, Lady Saw, Red Rat and Damien Marley constantly reverberated throughout the whole apartment building. As such, dancehall figured prominently when the idea of coming together and forming a band came up.

"First off, it has to be made clear that we are not a dancehall band in the sense that we play strictly dancehall. The name Milagros Dancehall Collective represents: 1) where we’re from 2) the music we were all into when we decided to play together 3) how we see our merry troop -- a loose collection of friends who just happen to kick ass onstage, he he. Jamaican dancehall artists don’t even use live musicians on their CDs. If we were hard pressed to give a category to our music, it would still fall under reggae. It’s still very much rooted in the Jamaican sound, but what makes it different is probably our whole mindset when it comes to being a band and making music. We have a very strong “original-material-takes-precedence” work ethic. In fact, we have never actually rehearsed a Bob Marley piece as cover song material. We want to be known for our original stuff as opposed to being “that band which does a mean version of Santeria by Sublime.” Know what I mean?

When it comes to our sound, we incorporate a lot more hip-hop and guitar-driven rock into our live sets than most reggae groups do. We also don’t use a horn section simply because we’re not going for the festive, island mood. We’ve also started using music samples to bulk up the sound. We’re just continually experimenting, searching for ways to push the envelope and sail farther away from everybody else out there." as narrated by Robert Martinez aka Robby Ranks.

The members of the Collective currently in the performing lineup are: Caio Cadiz (Caioman) on keyboards and backup vocals; Macky Macaventa (Burnie Mac) on bass; Rob Martinez (Robbie Ranks) on vocals; Sappy Saplala (General Sappy) on lead guitar and backup vocals; Al Sese (Emperor Alphonse) on the drum kit; and Carlos Tirona (Caloy) on rhythm guitar. (Members on performing hiatus are: Mike Cruz, who did keyboards and musical direction and is currently based in Auckland, New Zealand, and Vince Chacon, currently a grade school teacher in Jakarta, Indonesia, who did percussions.) Though MDC boasts a lineup of experienced musicians, the group also manages to sound totally fresh. Nuff said. Play this loud!

(MDC performing at SaGuijo)

(Sunscreen by MDC)

1. Nice an' Sweet

2. Rasta Love

3. Baby Gal

4. Watch Me Now

5. Milagros Dance

6. Drop It

7. Collective Rock

8. Sunscreen

9. Tolus

10. What You Want

11. Me Name Is

>DOWNLOAD<

MANNY PACQUIAO LAMBRETTA

2010-01-24T22:10:00.004+08:00

This Italian Lambretta will be presented on the 28th of January Thursday at Eastwood, Libis together with the regular set of Mod/Soul band Juan Pablo Dream. Everyone is invited

(picture courtesy of fellow scooterist Tops Martin during VCOP's inagural ride)

Click here for more info

Click here for more pictures

COFFEE BREAK ISLAND

2010-01-22T21:42:00.015+08:00

" Coffee Break Island is one of the well-known bands emerging in the Manila ska scene. The band was formed in Quezon City in 2001. CBI's sound is a mix of ska, reggae, soul, punk and a bit of rock & roll. Inspired by The Specials, The Clash, Hepcat, Toots and The Maytals, The Police, Sublime, Bob Marley and many others - this band made a niche of their own, pushed boundaries and defied expectations with their music, proof of which are the original compositions made by the evolution of sound experimentation. " This introduction was taken from their website http://coffeebreakisland.com/

This is the band's present line up - Paul Puti-An (vocals/guitar), Jun Nogoy (drums / back up vocals), Romel Manuel ( bass) and Raffie Miranda (keyboard). CBI started as a side project back then because allof the members belong to different ska and reggae bands in Manila. Jun Nogoy was with Manila's premiere ska band Put3ska, Paul and Romel were with Snubhouse if I'm not mistaken.

CBI is one of the best, potent and hardworking band that I know. We knew all of them before forming this band because we used to play alongside other ska/reggae/skinhead bands on the early days of Club Ska and the regular Ska nights at Club Dredd at EDSA and Mayric's. Since then we've been friends and drinking buddies with this great band. Paul's husky and soulful voice, Romel's engaging bass lines, Jun's effectiveand sticky rimshots and Raffie's liquid keyboard licks make this band standout from the rest . This sekf titled album was released last 2007 independently and a 2nd album will be released this summer. See them live and you'll know what I mean. Play this loud. RESPECT!

( Party Song - one of the bands earliest and well known compositions)

(2nd official video from their album. This video also features Arnold Morales of Urban Bandits, Put3ska and Tsunami Tsunami)

01 Hoy!

02 Gahaman

03 Big Trouble

04 Don't Fool Around

05 Pakikinggan

06 It's Gonna Be Alright

07 Let You Go

08 Sweet Lovin'

09 I Long For

10 You'll Be Mine

11 I'm Down

12 She's So Fine

13 Party Song

14 Hoy Ulit!

>DOWNLOAD<

MOJO Mod Club Party

2010-01-16T16:33:00.009+08:00

Another scorcher from MOJO magazine back on their June 2005 issue. Hammond lickers, some Brit soul and R&B in this musical plate. Enjoy and play this loud!

1. Amen Corner - Expressway to Your Heart

2. The Contours - Just a Little Misunderstanding

3. Billy Preston - Billy's Bag

4. Rod Stewart & PP Arnold - PP Arnold

5. Timebox - Beggin'

6. The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble

7. Tony Jackson Group - Fortune Teller

8. The Animals - I'm Crying

9. The Birds - Leaving Here

10. Ike & Tina Turner - I Can't Believe What You Say

11. Jimmy McGriff - All About My Girl

12. Phil Upchurch Combo - You Can't Sit Down (Parts 1 & 2)

13. The Small Faces - Get Yourself Together

14. Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours

15. Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts

>DOWNLOAD<

THE CHANGING MAN

2010-01-12T18:06:00.010+08:00

Mojo Presents The Changing Man (2008 UK 15-track compilation CD only available with the June issue of the Mojo magazine, featuring three lost Paul Weller classics including Are You Trying To Be Lonely? by Paul & Andy Lewis andLeft Right & Centre by Lord Large featuring Dean Parrish (one of the first tracks Paul wrote). All choice cuts, nothing is left unturned. We will serve you more in the future. RESPECT! Play this loud!

01. Lord Large feat. Dean Parrish - Left Right & Centre

02. Small Faces - Get Yourself Together

03. Graham Coxon - Click Click Click

04. World Column - So Is The Sun

05. Andy Lewis & Paul Weller - Are You Trying To Be Lonely

06. Mother Earth - Mr Freedom

07. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Small Axe

08. Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle

09. Richie Havens - Handouts In The Rain

10. Declan O’Rourke - Galileo (Somone Like You)

11. William Bell - My Whole World Is Falling Down

12. Hamish Imlach - Black in The Colour

13. Dinah Washington - September In The Rain

14. The Steple Singers - (It Takes More Thab) A Hammer And Nails

15. Washington Phillips - Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There

>DOWNLOAD<

BELOW THE BASS LINE

2010-01-11T12:57:00.014+08:00

The man who taught Bob Marley how to play the guitar has finally got his just rewards. "BELOW THE BASSLINE" is a brilliant example of Jamaican Jazz in it's purest form. Ernest Ranglin has fast fingers for someone in his 60's. He has also mastered the technique of feathering the guitar strings with beathtaking precision. Add to this; an uncanny ability to comunicate such rich emotion through his music, and you have one sensational piece of music. This disc is testimony to his great love of Jazz, and his birth right Jamaica. Smooth, charming, and rhythmic. This is music you can either kick back and listen to, or get up and dance to. With "Below the Bassline", Ernest Ranglin has demolished any generation gap he may have had with the young or the old. This music is for everyone. Contagious to the last note.

Every reggae/ska enthusiast should own a copy of Below the Bassline, study it, live it, examine it, and realize its contribution to the music world. The expert musicianship on this album is top-notch. Monty Alexnader's piano playing will have you humming licks and tappin toes. And Ernest Ranglin, the uncrowned king of reggae guitar, adds dimensions of spice, fluidity, and maturity to enveloping bass-lines and funky drumming. The last tune on the album, is one of the best, roots roots roots.anyone who knows anything about the elements of reggae, the roots of ska, and the foundations of jazz should be honored to own a copy of Below The Bassline

This album makes really your day or night! It's honest. It has a lot of emotions, travelling mood and a lot of guitar magic-riffs. An Ernest Ranglin's classic. RESPECT.

1. Congo Man
2. Surfin'
3. King Tubby Meets The Rockers
4. Satta Massagana
5. 54-46 (Was My Number)
6. Ball Of Fire
7. Black Disciples
8. Bourbon Street Skank
9. None Shall Escape The Judgement
10. Nana's Chalk Pipe
11. Below The Bassline

>DOWNLOAD<

90's GRUNGE

2010-01-05T19:57:00.030+08:00

Hello people, it's been a long time since our last post. A month to be exact. Skunk was busy with his art and putting up art exhibits in the city. I found a new job last November after 8 months of doing nothing and have been busy since then and of course, we celebrated the holidays.

This is our first post for the year 2010. Who could have imagined that there are still no flying and transforming cars, giant mechas, 2 stroke scooters are being phased out and gasoline is this fucking expensive in 2010. Well, enough of this rant. Let's start the year right.

I'm here in my room, enjoying a pint of Guiness draught my cousin from Washington sent me (bless you, Jerel) and a bag of Cheetos while thinking of the words to say here. Well actually he sent me a Guiness 6 pack and I've been saving it until I get better from this 2 week cough and cold spoiler. But I thought, what the hell! I'll have two draughts tonight! It tastes creamy and toasty at the same time, it's great. I'm pretty sure that Guiness is a lot better served in a Guiness tulip glass straight from the tap.

Now, to start the year - we have two live shows from two bands from the so called "grunge scene" of the 90's.

First off, we have Pearl Jam. Formed in Seattle Washington in 1990.They released their debut album "Ten" in 1991 and in my honest opinion, their best album ever. This 1992 band line up includes Eddie Vedder (vocals), Jeff Ament (bass), Stone Gossard (rhthym guitar) and Mike McCready (lead guitar) and Dave Abrruzzese (drums). The set list is mostly from their debut album, one from the movie "Singles" (State of Love and Trust) in which they also had a cameo.

My Pearl Jam was so overused, I listened to it before i go to sleep, while making my homework, before going to school and while cleaning the house and the broomstick as my guitar - setting up the volume really loud and absorbing everything.

Pearl Jam

June 18, 1992

Volkshaus

Zurich, Switzerland

01 Intro

02 Oceans

03 Even Flow

04 Why Go

05 Jeremy

06 State of Love and Trust

07 Improv (Love You Hate You)

08 Black

09 Alive

10 (I'm Not Crazy) Once

11 Footsteps

12 Deep

13 Leash

14 jam (Shower the People) (Brass in Pocket) (Meaningless)

15 Porch

16 Crowd

17 Suggestion

18 Garden

19 Rockin' in the Free World

>Download<

Stone Temple Pilots beginnings can be traced back to a 1986 Long Beach, CA Black Flag concert where Scott Weiland met Robert DeLeo and began discussing their girlfriends. They both realized that they were dating the same woman and developed a bond and eventually broke with the girl. Soon after Weiland and deleo formed a band. There were personnel changes until settling to Erik Kretz on drums and Robert's brother Dean DeLeo on guitar. They built their fan base in San Diego, California and released their first album "Core" in 1992. The band was harshly criticized as "Grunge" imitators most notably as a 2nd rate Pearl Jam copy cat. Inspite of negative reviews from music critics, STP continued to gain and attract fans. When I first heard their single "Plush" in '92, I really thought Pearl Jam released a new single. Scott Weiland's voice has a similar timbre to Eddie Vedder during that time and if your not familiar with their respective songs, you'll surely mistook one singer to the other. STP released their second album "Purple" in 1994 and the single and radio friendly "Interstate Love Song" became number one on the charts. Scott Weiland was arrested for drug possession in 1995 and it was the beginning of Weiland's drugs and alcohol issues. STP disbanded several times and Weiland joined ex Guns and Roses members to form Velvet Revolver in 2003. Weiland left Velvet Revolver in 2008 and reunited with Stone Temple Pilots.

This concert was held in Connecticut with the band promoting their 2nd album "Purple. The last four songs are taken from their debut album "Core". Enjoy and play this loud!

Stone Temple Pilots - 1994-08-25 - New Haven, CT

(Interstate Love Songs Bootleg)

01. Vasoline

02. Silvergum Superman

03. Crackerman

04. Lounge Fly

05. Meatplow

06. Still Remains

07. Midnight Roundup

08. Pretty Penny (Acoustic)

09. Creep (Acoustic)

10. Andy Warhol (Acoustic)

11. Army Ants

12. Big Empty

13. Interstate Love Song

14. Plush

15. Unglued

16. Dead & Bloated

17. Sex Type Thing

>Download<

Mods and Rockers event is OFF

2009-12-11T01:38:00.002+08:00

The scootering community was having difficulty reaching the folks of the vintage motorcycle scene. Scooterist participation was called off. The rockers/vintage motorcyclist may not be ready for this kind of gathering.....maybe another time.

MODS VS. ROCKERS

2009-11-26T22:56:00.003+08:00

When: December 19 2009

Where: Metrowalk OrtigasTime: 8:00 pm

Another event for the local motorcycling and scootering community. WE ARE THE MODS! WE ARE THE MODS! WE ARE, WE ARE , WE ARE THE MODS!

VESPA ATTACK 5: BULLET PROOF

2009-11-20T12:53:00.003+08:00

It's the time of the year again for the local vespa/scootering community to be one. Let's Go!!!
Click here for the schedule of activities.

THE HOUSEMARTINS LIVE @GLASTONBURY '86

2009-11-07T11:07:00.014+08:00

This is a great set by "The 4th best band in Hull". Great sound recording, all clear and crisp. The Housemartins was formed by Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore in 1983. Cullimore answered an ad by Paul in the papers that said "Trombonist needs street musicians around the city". They recruited Ted Key on bass and Dodger on drums which was replaced by Chris Lang. The lineup changed over the years - Ted Key left in 1985 and replaced by Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) and Chris Lang was replaced by Hugh Whitaker and then was replaced by Dave Hemingway.

They broke into the mainstream by way of the single "Happy Hour" in 1986 that reached #3 on the British charts. At the end of 1986, they got their on #1 single the a capella version of "Caravan of Love" though some some fans rejected this style from the band and accused them of being sell-outs although a cappella material had always been part of the band's repertoire.

The band released two albums - "London 0 Hull 4" in 1986 and "The People Who Grinned Themeselves to Death" in 1987, both under Go Disk Records. "London 0 Hull 4" was re released as a de luxe edition with a bonus disc. I hope I could get a copy of this edition cd in the future. The Band split in 1988 and the members still remained friends and worked on each others projects. Norman Cook will enjoy success in Beats International and as a DJ known as Fatboy Slim while Paul Heaton, Dave Hemingway and Sean Welch formed "The Beautiful South".

The Housemartins sounded as good as their recording with a mix of Marxist ideologies and Christian beliefs thrown in. You know the drill - play this loud and enjoy!

(From left: Dave Hemingway, Paul Heaton, Norman Cook, Stan Cullimore)

1.Think For A minute

2. Heaven Help Us All

3. Over There

4. Sheep

5. Were Not Deep

6. Anxiuos

7. Me And The Farmer

8. Happy Hour

9. I'll Be Your Shelter

>DOWNLOAD<

REVOLUTION ROCK: A CLASH JUKEBOX

2009-11-01T14:19:00.010+08:00

Much of what made the Clash the greatest of all punk bands was their embrace of the rebel music that predated them -- channeling the sounds and spirits of reggae, rockabilly and classic R&B, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones created a deep, far-reaching attack bolstered by a rich understanding of the same rock & roll establishment they sought to destroy. Compiled by Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Revolution Rock: A Clash Jukebox assembles 21 vintage tracks that profoundly shaped the band's music, some resurfacing as covers on their albums or in their live sets. Time has done nothing to diminish the power and intensity of songs like Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves," Toots & the Maytals"' "Pressure Drop" and Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee," and it's a sad commentary on contemporary music that the protest spirit so potent throughout Revolution Rock seemed to die with the passing of Joe Strummer. Paul chooses songs with a "Clash connection", that is, original versions of songs the band may have played or attempted in their early years.

Trojan is a longstanding, quality label that has undergone such a rebirth over recent years, it’d make any reggae fan cry tears of joy. This is a great compilation and one you won’t regret nestling in your collection to be pulled out in time for your next party where it truly deserves to be heard.

01. Roadrunner - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
02. I Can't Control Myself - The Troggs
03. Israelites - Desmond Dekker
04. You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover - Bo Diddley
05. Dead End Street - Kinks
06. King Of The Road - Roger Miller
07. Pop Goes The Weasel - Anthony Newly
08. Brand New Cadillac - Vince Taylor and His Playboys
09. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
10. Police & Thieves - Junior Murvin
11. Pressure Drop - Toots and The Maytals
12. Time Is Tight - Booker T and The MGs
13. Something In The Air - Thunderclap Newman
14. I Fought The Law - Bobby Fuller Four
15. Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
16. Wrong 'Em Boyo - The Rulers
17. Revolution Rock - Danny Ray
18. Dance Crasher - Alton Ellis
19. Armagideon Time - Willie Williams
20. Junco Partner - James Booker
21. Look Here - Mose Allison

DOWNLOAD

MOONWALK: SKINHEAD ANTHEMS FROM TREASURE ISLE

2009-11-01T10:33:00.007+08:00

Rare rocksteady and early reggae cuts from Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label. This is a more soulful and vocal centered compilation of rare and classic songs from Reid's music vaults, less scratchy compared to the "dirty reggae" of '69. A must have for all - skinhead or not. Enjoy!

01.- Bluebirds Flying Over - Silvertones
02.- Moonlight Lover - Landis, Joya
03.- Moonlight Groover - Wright, Winston
04.- Hey Girl - Melodians
05.- Sweet Soul Music - Gladiators
06.- If You See Jane - Yardbrooms
07.- Remember That Sunday - Ellis, Alton & Phyllis Dillon
08.- Love Up Kiss Up - Termites
09.- Black Coffee - McCook, Tommy
10.- Mother's Tender Care - Ethiopians
11.- Those Guys - Sensations
12.- My Girl - Adams, Glen
13.- I Wish It Would Rain - Techniques
14.- Lonely Night - Melodians
15.- Ali Baba - Holt, John
16.- Ease Me Up Officer - Jarrett, Winston
17.- Lipstick On Your Collar - Dillon, Phyllis
18.- You Were To Be - Gladiators
19.- Darling Please Return - Barons
20.- My Desire - Yardbrooms
21.- Moonwalk - Wright, Winston
22.- Boom Shacka Lacka - Lewis, Hopeton & The Chosen Few
23.- Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday - Sensations
24.- Hopeful Village - Tennors
25.- Moon Invader - Wright, Winston
26.- Angel Of The Morning - Landis, Joya

DOWNLOAD

THE STYLE COUNCIL LIVE @ GOLDIGGERS '84

2009-10-10T19:13:00.006+08:00

The Style Council playing for BBC Radio. Enjoy!

The Style Council

Goldiggers Chippenham 10th March 1984

(BBC Sight And Sound In Concert)

1.Intro - Pete Drummond

2.Meeting Over Yonder.

3.My Ever Changing Moods.

4.Speak Like A Child.

5.The Whole Point Of No Return.

6.Le Depart.

7.The Paris Match.

8.Party Chambers.

9.Money Go Round.

10.Headstart For Happiness.

11.Hanging On To A Memory.

12.Dropping Bombs On The White House.

13.Long Hot Summer.

>DOWNLOAD<

PICKING UP THE PIECES

2009-10-09T20:33:00.001+08:00

See you on Sunday.

Dodick Baello (+)

2009-09-30T16:34:00.006+08:00

>DOWNLOAD<

[Angono Vespa Roundup 1- Bertcontrol, Joneighbors, Junembryo, Skunk, Totong, Dodick (+)]

[Kenneth, Totong, Dodick (+)]

[Skunk, Totong, Jenny, Dodick, JunEmbryo]

[Dodick (+) and Totong ]

Last weekend was the most frightening, shitty and heartbreaking days of our lives. Typhoon "Ondoy" (international codename Ketsana) brought havoc and a month worth of rainfall in the Philippines mostly on the central part of Luzon. It's all over the news. We appreciate all the help everyone is providing the country. Our area was one of the worst hit last Saturday, but it was nothing compared to the other affected areas like Marikina, San Mateo Rizal, Pasig, Cainta, Taytay and many other places.

Last Sunday morning Jun Balbin a very good friend since elementary and a fellow scooterist sent a text message that another friend of ours from Marikina drowned last Saturday on the day of the typhoon. He was into selling vaccines and he was trying to save the medicines when the floodwaters raised and trapped him and and their trusty house help on the first floor of their house. We had just celebrated his birthday two weekends ago at their residence with fellow scooterist. We had fun, beer was overflowing and a delicious spread was provided to us guests.

Dodick Baello also known as "Sky" in the local Vespa community was also one of the first scooterist to welcome us in to the scene, member of Euroscoot and was also an adopted Angono Scooter Boy. This is for you. Godspeed.

JIMMY SMITH - MONSTER

2009-09-22T13:59:00.005+08:00

The sound of the Hammond B3 organ is one of the most recognizable sound in rock, pop and jazz. One of the originators of jazz organ playing is Jimmy Smith. Originally he played piano but switched to electric organ in 1953 after hearing Wild Bill Davis, another pioneer of jazz organ. He bought himself a Hammond organ, rented a warehouse to practice in and after a year emerged with revolutionary sounds and techniques in playing the electric instrument. Soon after he was signed to blue not and made around 40 sessions in eight years. The band setup during his years with Blue Note was a close knit ensemble of musicians mostly a quartet with the Bebop style of playing hanging in the air. After moving to Verve in 1962, the production value changed with big bands supporting the great Mr. Smith

The Hammond organ is known as a church instrument but Jimmy made it popular in the world of jazz and beyond. The Hammond organ is also particularly associated with the amplifier/loudspeaker called the Leslie speaker that produces the fuzzy and wavy sound of the instrument/amplifier combination. In late 50's and early 60's, Modern Jazz found its way to England and was embraced by the R&B loving youths and Jazz clubs of London. Soon after, the Mod movement emerged taking with them the music of Black America - R&B, Modern Jazz and Soul with the spice of Jamaican ska blasting wherever they go. Mr. Smith has embedded his techniques and improvisation in the Mod scene and inspiring musicians to dip their hands into playing the hammond organ in their musical consciousness. His influence can still be heard on many funk and acid jazz records and there are so many bands particularly in England that is sloely dedicated in playing and making music around the fuzzy, edgy and wailing sound of the Hammond B3 Organ.

The Graham Bond Organization, The Quick, The Small Faces, Mick Talbot, The Selecter, The Link Quartet, Leslie Overdrive,The James Taylor Quartet, Trio Valore, Joey DeFrancesco, and us owe Jimmy Smith big time.

(9th studio album for Verve Records 1962)

1. Goldfinger (Part I)
2. Goldfinger (Part II)
3. St. James Infirmary
4. Gloomy Sunday
5. Theme From "Bewitched"
6. Theme From "The Munsters"
7. Theme From "The Man With The Golden Arm"
8. The Creeper
9. Monlope

>DOWNLOAD<

SKA VA VOOM!!!

2009-09-18T00:00:00.005+08:00

I can't think of anything to say today. Just enjoy the scorching set of ska from Studio One. Nuff said and respect!

Delroy & Paulette - Dance The Ska
Winston & Bibby - Trouble
Lord Creator - Rhythm & Blues
Lord Brynner & Norma - Malika
Bongoman Byfield - Marcus Garvey0
Charlie Organaire - Rude Boy Charlie
Jackie Opel - You're Too Bad
Lee Perry & The Wailers - Man To Man
Stranger & Ken - Artibella
The Wailers - What's New Pussyca
The Skatalites - Full Dread
The Jamaicans - Chain Gang
Norma Frazier - Everbody Loves A Lover
The Gaylads - Emanuel Road
The Skatalites - King Solomon
The Wailers - Put It On
Lee Perry & The Soulettes - Rub & Squeeze
The Wailers - Rude Boy
Lee Perry & The Wailers - Pussy Galore
The Skatalites - James Bond
The Gaylads - Lady With The Red Dress
Lee Perry & The Soulettes - Doctor Dick
Roy Richards - Jamaican Memories

>DOWNLOAD<

HAUNTED HOUSE: THE SKINHEAD 7S BOXSET

2009-09-17T23:21:00.002+08:00

One of the best re-issues by Trojan Records. Classic and sought after 45s of Skinhead Reggae during the peak of the Skinhead movement in England. Skinhead Reggae at its best. Put on your braces, lace up your boots or brogues and wear your best button down shirt. Dance to this - Trojan Skinhead.

One:
1. Tea House - Opening
2. Pama Dice - Brixton Figh
Two:
1. Haunted House - Upsetters
2. Double Wheel - Upsetters
Three:
1. Skinheads A Bash Them - Claudette
2. Walking Thru Jerusalem - Corporation
Four:
1. Black Panther - Sir Collins & The Black Diamonds
2. I Want To Be Loved - Sir Collins & The Black Diamonds
Five:
1. Skinhead Revolt - Joe The Boss
2. Tony B's Theme - Joe's All Stars
Six:
1. Skinhead A Message To You - Desmond Riley
2. Going Strong - Music Doctors
Seven:
1. Kick Me Or I'll Kick You - Cimarons
2. Grandfather Clock - Cimarons
Eight:
1. Bronco (aka Django Shoots First) - Lord Comic & The Upsetters
2. Uncle Desmond - Mellotones

>DOWNLOAD<

CLEAR, CRISP AND THUMPING DUB!

2009-09-17T17:08:00.009+08:00

Dub is an art form, it really is. The idea of taking a track and cutting it down to the barest possible elements, and keeping those elements shifting, is minimalism taken to something of an extreme.It's the ultimate groove, relaxing, psychedelic, strange. "Dub Over Dub: 27 Dub Extravaganza", this 27-cut compilation, featuring the mixing board talents of Errol Brown, High Note's main engineer and is also considered one of the pioneers of dub. High Note is one of the reggae labels in Jamaica during the seventies. This is a classic example of doing it right -- in other words, a lot of fun, no filler, no boredom. The mastering is likewise excellent, giving the dubs a crisp edge.

Recorded at Treasure Isle Studios and Channel One, Kingston, Jamaica. The music is performed by the High Note house bands, which included Sly & Robbie, Bobby Ellis, Earl Lindo and other major musicians of the era.

The complete line up of musicians are as follows - Bertram "Ranchie" McLean (guitar, bass); Radcliffe "Duggie" Bryan, Willie Lindo (guitar); Headley "Deadley" Bennett, Herman Marquis (alto saxophone); Cedric "Im" Brooks, Dean Fraser (tenor saxophone); Clive Hunt, David Madden, Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Vin "Don D Jr." Gordon, Nambo (trombone); Ansel Collins, Earl "Wire" Lindo, Harold Butler, Winston Wright (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare (bass); Sly Dunbar, Micheal "Mickey Boo" Richards (drums); Uzziah "Sticky" Thompson, Harry Powell, Count Ossie (percussion).

Turn up the volume and the bass and drown in this wonderful extravaganza!

Disc 1:

1. Sly Special
2. Revolution Chapter One
3. Jah Caught Them Dub
4. Falling In Dub
5. Woman Iron Rock
6. Black Cat Version
7. Over Dub
8. Dub Outta Control
9. Dub And Harmony
10. Love Dub
11. Strictly Roots
12. Su Su Mouth
13. Forward In Dub
14. Downtown Rock

>DOWNLOAD<

Disc 2:

1. Lion Dub
2. Dub In Peace
3. Phase One Special
4. A Living Dub
5. Sky Nation Skank
6. Peace And Inity
7. Dub It In A Dreamland
8. Chatty Dub
9. This Yah Dub
10. Winning Version
11. Dub Walla
12. Ital Dub
13. Socialist Dub

>DOWNLOAD<

MOD FAVE RAVES Vols. 1 & 2

2009-09-11T17:08:00.015+08:00

Scootering has been an integral part of the Mod Scene since the beginning up to the present and with the Mod Scene comes the essential soundtrack of the movement. The original Mods of the late 50s and early 60s England were into Modern Jazz , American R&B, some Jamaican Ska and Soul by way of Tamla Motown, Stax and Chess labels. I got first interested into soul during the old Ska nights at Mayric's where Put3ska's old Brit manager Shane Cosgrove spins these soul gems in between sets, of courese there were old skinhead reggae favorites and ska in his playlist but more often, Soul was the dominant sound every time he's there.

These two compilations are collections of staple sounds from Tamla Motown records preferred during the early 60's mod scene.

(a Series 3 Lambretta SX 200 Special or SpecialX200 on the cover. Top of the line Lambretta. Production run - from January '66 to Jan '69)

1. Money (That's What I Want) - Barrett Strong

2. Too Many Fish In The Sea - The Marvelettes
3. Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes
4. 6x6 - Earl Van Dyke

5. Leaving Here - Eddie Holland
6. I'll Always Love You - Detroit Spinners
7. Can You Jerk Like Me? - The Contours
8. One Way Out - Martha & The Vandellas
9. One More Heartache - Marvin Gaye
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight & The Pips
11. Number One In Your Heart - The Monitors
12. Baby I Miss You - Tommy Good
13. All For You - Earl Van Dyke
14. He Was Really Saying Something - The Velvelettes
15. First I Look At The Purse - The Contours
16. Going To A Go-Go - The Miracles
17. Baby Don't Do It - Marvin Gaye
18. Hitch Hike - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
19. Hey Harmonica Man - Stevie Wonder
20. Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway

>Volume One<

(VBB2 Vespa 150 "Sportique" is the first vespa to have a 4 speed gearbox. Production run is from 1960 - 67)

1. Soul Stomp - Earl Van Dyke
2. Come On Do The Jerk - Miracles
3. Motoring - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
4. Just A Little Misunderstanding - Contours
5. I'll Keep Holding On - Marvelettes (The)
6. I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops (The)
7. Just Ain't Enough Love - Isley Brothers (The)
8. I Know I'm Losing You - Temptations (The)
9. Just Walk In My Shoes - Gladys Knight & The Pips
10. Function At The Junction - Shorty Long
11. Take Me In Your Arms - Kim Weston
12. You're Gonna Love My Baby - Barbara McNair
13. I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying - Miracles
14. Tune Up - Junior Walker & The All Stars
15. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - Supremes (The)
16. Heatwave - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
17. Little Miss Sweetness - Temptations (The)
18. Helpless - Kim Weston
19. From Head To Toe - Chris Clark

>Volume Two<