Joe Jackson - Don't Ask Me (1982)

David Ian Jackson, known professionally as Joe Jackson, was born on 11 August 1954 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and was raised in the Paulsgrove area of Portsmouth, where he attended Portsmouth Technical High School. At age 11, he began learning to play the violin, but after a couple of years he switched to the piano, and convinced his father to purchase one for their Paulsgrove council house. He began playing piano in bars when he was 16, and at age 18 he won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Jackson's first band, Edward Bear, later renamed themselves Arms and Legs, and released two unsuccessful singles, then dissolved in 1976. Still known as David Jackson during his time with the band, he picked up the nickname "Joe" based on his perceived resemblance to the British television puppet character Joe 90, and at age 20 he legally changed his first name to Joe. After spending some time performing on the cabaret circuit to make money, he recorded a demo in 1978, which was passed to a record producer who signed him to A&M Records. Putting together a band which consisted of Jackson on vocals, Gary Sanford on guitar, Graham Maby on bass, and David Houghton on drums, they released their debut album, 'Look Sharp!' in 1979. It was a mix of rock, melodic jazz, and new wave, and it mined a vein similar to contemporaries Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, and it enjoyed wide critical success, with 'Is She Really Going Out With Him' hitting the Top 30 singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic. The same year Jackson released his second record 'I'm The Man', which followed a similar musical pattern, and despite receiving good, though not as strong, reviews, it did produce Jackson's biggest hit singles in 'It's  Different for Girls', peaking at No. 5 in the UK. In 1980 The Joe Jackson Band released 'Beat Crazy', and the band toured extensively until it broke up at the end of 1980. After The Joe Jackson Band disbanded, Jackson embarked on a solo career with the release of a cover of the Jimmy Cliff classic 'The Harder They Come', backed with two new original tunes. However, instead of continuing this singer/songwriting style he went in a completely different direction, recording 'Jumpin' Jive', an album of old-style swing and blues tunes, including songs by Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Glenn Miller, and Louis Jordan. 

He followed this in 1982 with the 'Night And Day' album, which was his only studio album to chart in the UK and US Top 10. Two singles were released from the record, with both 'Steppin' Out' and 'Breaking Us In Two' becoming US top 20 hits. By 1984, New York had become Jackson's home base, and he recorded 'Body And Soul' there, which was heavily influenced by pop, jazz standards and salsa, and it included the US No. 15 hit single 'You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)'. In 1985, Jackson played piano on Joan Armatrading's album 'Secret Secrets', including the single 'Love by You', and in 1986 he collaborated with Suzanne Vega on the single 'Left Of Center' from the 'Pretty In Pink' soundtrack. His next album, 'Big World', was his first in more than five years that included all-new songs, and it was recorded live in front of an audience that was instructed to remain silent while music was playing. Released in 1986, it was a three-sided double record, with the fourth side consisted of a single centring groove and a label stating "there is no music on this side". The instrumental album 'Will Power' followed in 1987, with heavy classical and jazz influences, and it set the stage for things to come later, although before Jackson left pop behind completely he released two more albums, 'Blaze Of Glory' in 1989 and 'Laughter & Lust' in 1991. In the late 1990s, Jackson expanded into classical music, signing with Sony Classical in 1997, and he released 'Symphony No. 1' in 1999, for which he received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2001. Since then he has reformed the pop band for the recording of the 'Volume 4' album, and he continues to record and tour, but for me his best period has when he was writing those classic pop songs like 'It's Different For Girls', 'Sunday Papers' and 'Fools In Love', and even the jazz albums have their moments, so this compilation collects together all the non-album singles and b-sides from 1978 to 1982, plus a criminally neglected John Peel session from 1979, and a live cover of Ramones 'I Can't Give You Anything', that they played live after supporting the band on the Detroit leg of that band's 1979 US tour.    

Track listing

01 You Got The Fever (b-side of 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?' 1978)
02 Don't Ask Me (b-side of 'One More Time' 1979)
03 Come On (b-side of 'I'm The Man' 1979)
04 One More Time (John Peel session 1979)
05 Fools In Love (John Peel session 1979)
06 Got The Time (John Peel session 1979)
07 I'm The Man (John Peel session 1979)
08 I Can't Give You Anything (Ramones cover, live Santa Monica 1979)
09 The Harder They Come (single 1980)
10 Out Of Style (b-side of 'The Harder They Come')
11 Tilt (b-side of 'The Harder They Come')
12 Enough Is Not Enough (b-side of 'Mad At You' 1980)
13 Knock Me A Kiss (b-side of 'Jumpin' Jive' 1981)
14 El Blanco (b-side of 'Breaking Us In Two' 1982)

Dr. Phibes And The House Of Wax Equations - Fusion Confusion (1993)

Dr. Phibes And The House Of Wax Equations were formed in 1989 in Crewe, Cheshire, and were made up of vocalist and guitarist Lawrence Howard King Jr., bassist Lee Patrick Belsham and drummer Keith York. The band's name was linked to American actor Vincent Price, who starred in the movie 'House Of Wax' and the two 'Dr. Phibes' films, and they played a mix of heavy psychedelic songs and instrumental. The band met whilst on a music course at South Cheshire College of Further Education in late 1989, and they released their first EP 'Sugarblast' in 1990 on the 50 Steel Street Records label, followed by their debut album 'Whirlpool' in 1991. A second EP, called 'Hazy Lazy Hologram, was released the same year, and all their records were greeted with both critical and public acclaim, leading to an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in 1992. The band also recorded sessions for the Radio One DJ John Peel in 1991 and 1993, as well as some tracks for Mark Radcliffe's late night Radio 1 show. Also in 1991 they released a Promo-only CD in France, which included one of the tracks recorded for John Peel on the flip. Two more EPs followed in 1992 and 1993, and that year also saw the release of their second album 'Hypnotwister'. Dr. Phibes' final live performance was in Manchester in 1995, shortly after which the band folded. Although they were a fairly short-lived group, I loved everything that they recorded, and so this mopping up exercise of their non-album b-sides and Peel sessions is as much for me as it is for you.  

Track listing

01 Fusion Confusion (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
02 I Am Forever (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
03 Neon Sundial (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
04 L.A. Woman (from the 'Mr Phantasy' EP 1991)
05 Argonaut (from the 'Mr Phantasy' EP 1991)
06 Psycho Killer (b-side of 'Misdiagnosedive' 1992)
07 All The Way Through Eternity (b-side of 'Misdiagnosedive' 1992)
08 Transparent Hung Up (John Peel session 1993)
09 Wait For The Gripper (John Peel session 1993)

Electric Light Orchestra - Secret Messages (1983) **UPGRADE**

Puffinrandy left a comment on this post the other say, saying that he loved the expanded album, but the one track that sounded out of place was 'Beatles Forever', as it sounded a bit slow when compared to the other tracks on the album, and ELO's output in general. He said that he'd used Audacity to speed it up by 20% and it sounded much more like you'd expect an ELO song to sound, and so I had to give it a try. To be honest, I was so thrilled to find the remastered version of the song some years ago that I took it at face value, and assumed this this was how it was supposed to sound, and so I just added it to the post as an upgrade. However, after listening to a speeded up version I just can't take the original remaster seriously any more. There were a couple of sections that I felt were a little fast, so I only increased the speed on mine by 15%, but the difference is astonishing, and you only need to hear both versions together just the once to realise which one you'll be keeping. I've replaced my upgrade in the folder as track 7, but I've also kept the original remaster as track 19, and a version at 20% faster as track 20, so do give all three a listen and let me know which one you prefer, and then you can just delete the ones you don't want.    

Track listing

01 Secret Messages
02 Loser Gone Wild
03 Bluebird
04 Take Me On And On
05 Stranger
06 No Way Out
07 Beatles Forever
08 Letter From Spain
09 Danger Ahead
10 Four Little Diamonds
11 Train Of Gold
12 Endless Lies
13 Buildings Have Eyes
14 Rock 'n' Roll Is King
15 Mandalay
16 Time After Time
17 After All
18 Hello My Old Friend

19 Beatles Forever (original remaster)

20 Beatles Forever (20% speed increase)

Raye - Scorpio (2018)

As mentioned in my previous post from Raye, in 2014 she signed a four-album record deal with Polydor Records, but the label refused to release an album from her during the seven years that she was signed to them. Throughout the contracted years, she dedicated her time to writing and creating demos for other artists, whilst releasing songs under her own name, and she also put together albums that she presented to Polydor, only for them to be rejected time and again by the label. One such album was to be called 'Scorpio', named after her birth sign, but unlike the previously-posted 'Dark Dance Songs', most of the tracks which were due to appear on the record have not surfaced online. Of the fifteen songs which were mooted for inclusion, only 'My Disco', 'Proud', 'Hide & Seek' and 'Undercover' have leaked, so I've added a further 10 songs from the same year to make up my version of the unreleased 'Scorpio' album, which should have appeared in 2018. 

Track listing

01 All I See
02 Proud
03 Sorry Too
04 Undercover
05 I Can't Deal With This
06 Too Nice
07 My Disco
08 Jealous
09 Right Side
10 Hide & Seek
11 Dark Doors
12 All We Ever Do Is Fight
13 Let You Know
14 Way Too Young

Green Seagull - Millions Of People: The Best Of Green Seagull (2026)

Taking their name from a mis-heard Rolling Stones lyric, Green Seagull are the latest band to burst out of London's burgeoning neo-psych scene, with their harmony-laden baroque/freakbeat sound drawing on influences such as the Left Banke, the Kinks, and the Association. The band formed in 2016 when Paul Nelson (New Electric Ride) approached Paul Milne (Hidden Masters / Magnetic Mind) to work on some songs together. A shared enthusiasm for late-60s baroque psychedelia and 12-string jangle soon blossomed into a prolific song-writing team, and before long the duo had more songs than they knew what to do with. They were joined shortly after by Sarah Gonputh on keys and Elian Dalmasso on drums, and the newly-minted quartet set about recording a demo on an old 4-track cassette in their rehearsal room. These lo-fi recordings pricked up the ears of Mega Dodo Records head honcho John Blaney, who immediately signed the band for an album deal. Kicking off with the single 'Scarlet'/'They Just Don't Know' in June 2017, they followed that with November's '(I Used To Dream In) Black And White', which was issued on limited edition white vinyl. In 2018 they released their debut album 'Scarlet Fever', where the close harmonies and jangly baroque tints drew some obvious comparisons with The Kinks and The Electric Prunes, but also the streetwise edge found in The Coral or Inspiral Carpets. 2020 saw the release of their second album, 'Cloud Cover', which experimented with contrapuntal melodies and functional harmony patterns, resulting in an ambitious and stylistically broad venture that followed their widely praised debut. Their deeply entrenched love for 60's experimental eclecticism is clear in the playful psych adventure of 'Little Lady In The Amplifier', while 'This Wheel' is it's darker counterpart, with moody keys taking centre stage. The band's latest album is 'Smoke And Mirrors', which came out a few months ago, and which includes the singles 'Lightning Girl' and '(They're Coming For You) Barbara', which were released on 7" via Disques Rogue in late 2022. Channelling classic UK and West Coast psych vibes, Green Seagull continue to enchant us with their harmony-drenched chamber-pop, and in an effort to get this fine band some well-deserved recognition, here is a sampler of some of their best work to date. 

Track listing

01 Millions Of People (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
02 Scarlet (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
03 It's Too Late (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
04 First Snow Of Winter (Christmas single 2018)
05 Lay My Head (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
06 Walking (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
07 Simeon Brown (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
08 (I Used To Dream In) Black And White (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
09 This Wheel (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
10 Paradise Way (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
11 Remember The Time (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)
12 Dead And Gone (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
13 Mr Trouble (from 'Smoke And Mirrors' 2026)
14 Belladonna (from 'Cloud Cover' 2020)
15 Girls Are Coming Into Town (from 'Scarlet Fever' 2018)

Bon Jovi - River Of Love (1991)

Jon Bon Jovi began performing music live in 1975, when at the age of 13 he was playing piano and guitar in New Jersey with his first band, Raze. At 16, he met David Bryan and formed a band called Atlantic City Expressway, and then while still in his teens he played in the band John Bongiovi and the Wild Ones at clubs such as the Fast Lane and opening for local acts. By 1980, he had formed another band, the Rest, and opened up for New Jersey acts such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and it was at this time that he recorded his first single, 'Runaway', in his cousin's studio, backed up by studio musicians. By mid-1982, out of school and working part-time at a women's shoe store, Bon Jovi took a job at the Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin Tony Bongiovi was co-owner. He made several demos and sent them to record companies, though they failed to make an impact, and in March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres, both formerly of the band Phantom's Opera. With the addition of hometown guitarist Richie Sambora, who was recommended by bassist Such and drummer Torres, the band began playing showcases and opening for local talent, where they caught the attention of record executive Derek Shulman, formerly of prog rock legends Gentle Giant, who signed them to Mercury Records. 

Because Bon Jovi wanted a group name, Pamela Maher, a friend of Richard Fischer and an employee of Doc McGhee, suggested they call themselves Bon Jovi, following the example of the other famous two-word bands such as Van Halen. This name was chosen instead of the original idea of Johnny Electric, and although Pamela's suggestion was met with little enthusiasm, two years later they hit the charts under that name. With the help of their new manager Doc McGhee they recorded their debut album, 'Bon Jovi', which was released in January 1984, and their first hit single, 'Runaway', reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1985, Bon Jovi's second album, '7800° Fahrenheit', was released in 1985, and three singles were taken from it: 'Only Lonely', 'In And Out Of Love' and the ballad 'Silent Night'. The album peaked at number thirty-seven on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by RIAA, but while the album did not sell as well as the band had hoped, it allowed Bon Jovi to get out on the road touring again, headlining venues in Japan and Europe, and undertaking a six-month run of U.S. tour dates supporting Ratt. 

After two moderately successful albums, the group changed its approach and hired professional songwriter Desmond Child as a collaborator, and with Bruce Fairbairn producing Bon Jovi moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1986, to spend six months recording a third album. They named it 'Slippery When Wet' after visiting a strip club in Vancouver, and when it was released in August 1986 it spent eight weeks atop the Billboard 200. The first two singles from the album, 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'Livin' On A Prayer', both hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and 'Slippery When Wet' was named 1987's top-selling album by Billboard. Determined to prove that the success of 'Slippery When Wet' was not a fluke, Bon Jovi released their fourth effort, 'New Jersey', in September 1988, which peaked at number one in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. The album produced five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Bon Jovi the record for the most Top 10 singles spawned by a hard rock album. 

The band then mounted another worldwide tour that continued throughout 1989 and 1990, visiting more than 22 countries and performing more than 232 shows. The exhaustion of recording 'Slippery When Wet' and 'New Jersey' back to back and going on highly paced world tours took its toll, and by the end of the tour, the bandmates were exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. Following the final tour date in Mexico, and without any clear plans for their future, the members of the band simply went home, and during the time they took off from the scene, they retreated to their own projects and showed no desire to make another album. We know that by 1992 they were back working together on their fifth album, 'Keep The Faith', but this is a good point to take a breather and collect together some of the tracks that they recorded for those first four albums that didn't make the cut. There was only one unused track from '7800° Fahrenheit', but the sessions for 'Slippery When Wet' and 'New Jersey' were more prolific, and with the addition of their contribution to the Elton John tribute album 'Two Rooms', which has been praised as one of the better tracks from the album, we have a nice collection of hard to find and unreleased recordings by the early Bon Jovi.  

Track listing

01 Game Of The Heart ('Slippery When Wet' out-take 1986)
02 River Of Love ('New Jersey' out-take 1988)
03 Never Enough ('Slippery When Wet' out-take 1986)
04 Seven Days ('New Jersey' out-take 1988)
05 Lonely In The Night ('Slippery When Wet' out-take 1986)
06 Edge Of A Broken Heart ('Slippery When Wet' out-take 1986)
07 We Rule The Night ('7800° Fahrenheit' out-take 1985)
08 Borderline ('Slippery When Wet' demo 1986)
09 Levon (Elton John cover 1991)
10 House Of Fire ('New Jersey' out-take 1988)
11 Deep Cuts The Night ('Slippery When Wet' out-take 1986)

Rock Comix - Rock 'n' Roll In Comic Form (1990)

As a little departure from the music that I post on the blog, here are some rock-based comics that I've collected over the years. In many ways comic books and rock and roll have been natural bedfellows, with both having cultivated their own youth subcultures and underground followings. In 1976 Jethro Tull released their 'Too Old To Rock 'n Roll: Too Young To Die' album, which featured a gatefold sleeve including a comic strip by DC Comic's Dave Gibbons, but the first band to really harness the medium was KISS, and little wonder as they were pretty much a cartoon parody of a band anyway. In 1977 they made an appearance in issue 12 of 'Howard The Duck', before bagging their own title later that year, with a 40-page Super Special presenting the band as superheroes in their own adventure, battling Dr. Doom. Being KISS, they had to go over the top, and so each member of the band had some blood drawn by a nurse, and this was mixed with the ink used to print the first run of the issue, making these copies now very collectable. Not far behind was another artist who included theatricality and horror in his shows, and so in 1979 Alice Cooper made his first comic book appearance in a tale loosely based on his album 'From The Inside'. Cooper was involved with the creation of the script, which included characters who were subject of some of the album's songs, such as Nurse Rozetta, Millie And Billie, and Jackknife Johnny. 

'Rock 'N' Roll Comics' launched in 1989, and was a comic book series published by Revolutionary Comics, which was notable for its unauthorized and unlicensed biographies of rock stars, told in comic book form but well-researched and geared to adults, often with adult situations (nudity, drug use, violence, etc.). Some musicians featured in the comics, like Frank Zappa and Kiss, were supportive; while others, like the New Kids On The Block, considered the comic akin to a bootleg recording and sued the publisher. Publisher Todd Loren's legal victory in the U.S. District Court established that unauthorized comic book biographies were entitled to the same protections as other unauthorized biographies. In 1990 Led Zeppelin were the subject of one of their titles, and it also included a 'mini-comic' titled 'Crossroad', based on the legendary Robert Johnson story of his bargain with the Devil. Despite all these artists featuring in comic books in the 70's and 80's, they weren't the first band to get their own comic book, and of course that accolade has to go to The Beatles, who featured in the comic book adaptation of their 'Yellow Submarine' film in 1968. So dig out some music by these artists and settle back to read these comics based on their lives and adventures.

Track listing

01 KISS - Marvel Comics Super Special Part 1

02 KISS - Marvel Comics Super Special Part 2

03 A KISS History

04 Alice Cooper - From The Inside

05 Led Zeppelin - Rock 'N' Roll Comics

06 Led Zeppelin - The Story Of A Legend

07 Crossroad

08 The Beatles - Yellow Submarine

Soulseek hint - comix

Tami Lynn - World Of Dreams (1972)

Gloria Brown was born in Gert Town, New Orleans, Louisiana, and attended school with Allen Toussaint and Ellis Marsalis Jr. She sang in church choirs, and with visiting groups such as the Clara Ward Singers, as well as in a school production of Show Boat. She also sang gospel music on WMRY radio shows, and after substituting for an absent performer and being discovered by local musician Alvin "Red" Tyler, began performing rhythm and blues songs in local clubs. Taking the stage name Tami (or sometimes Tammy) Lynn, she was heard by Allen Toussaint and Harold Battiste, and signed for AFO Records, cutting her first single 'Baby' that same year. She became lead vocalist for the AFO Executives, making a strong contribution to their 1963 album 'A Compendium', but when AFO ran into difficulties and the team moved to Los Angeles. Lynn tagged along, although things didn't work out and she moved on. In 1964, she was working in New York, when Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records offered her a contract with the company, and her first recording there was a song written and produced by Bert Berns, who was responsible for a string of pop hits. 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You' was released in 1965 on the ATCO label, but the record made little impression, which was a shame, as the b-side was written by Lynn under her real name, and is worth a listen. A few years later she moved back to the West Coast and teamed up again with Harold Battiste, where she found work as a backing singer, supporting performers that Battiste was producing, including Sonny and Cher, and King Floyd. She sang backing vocals on Dr. John’s 'The Sun, Moon & Herbs' album, which was recorded at Atlantic’s Criteria Studios in Miami in 1971, and she crossed paths with Jerry Wexler again, when he asked her to record a new version of the song 'Mojo Hanna' that he liked, from the AFO Executives 1963 album. 

The resulting Cotillion Records single was strong and funky, but it failed to sell, and by then Lynn had been working for over ten years and still the big break hadn’t come. Then, out of the blue, her luck changed, when UK record producer John Abbey listened to 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You' and thought that it might appeal to the Northern Soul scene in England. He suggested to Atlantic that he would like to release the single on Mojo Records (a subsidiary of Polydor Records) in the UK,and Atlantic went along with the idea, and the single climbed to number four, spending over a year on the UK Pop chart. The success of the single may well have opened the door to another opportunity that came along in 1971, when Lynn was hired to sing backing vocals on the Rolling Stones album 'Exile On Main Street'. With the exposure of the single and the Stines connection, Abbey wanted to build on her UK break-through and decided to go to the USA to organise the recording of an album. He chose Malaco Studios in Jackson, Mississippi, and enlisted the help of producer Wardell Quezergue, with the songs on 'Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone' ranging from soul to pure pop, and it included the UK hit single, plus the Wexler-inspired 'Mojo Hannah'. The album was released in 1972 on the Cotillion label, but it failed to make an impact, and so Lynn went back to the session work and performing live, although she did release another album, titled 'Tamiya Lynn', in 1992. She died in Florida on 26 June 2020. This collection includes those early singles, the original 1965 recording of 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You', a 1965 promo single, two tracks from a rare French EP, and some singles and b-sides from her 1972 album.   

Track listing

01 Baby (single 1963)
02 Where Can I Go? (b-side of 'Baby')
03 World Of Dreams (unknown year - possibly 1967)
04 I'm Gonna Run Away From You (single 1965)
05 The Boy Next Door (b-side of 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You')
06 Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out (promo single 1965)
07 Trouble Child (b-side of 'Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out')
08 At The Party (from the French 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You' EP 1966)
09 Run Away (aka 'You My Love') (from the French 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You' EP 1966)
10 Light My Fire (unknown year - possibly 1971)
11 Mojo Hannah (single 1971)
12 How Many Tears (b-side of 'Mojo Hannah')
13 That's Understanding (single 1971)
14 One Night Of Sin (b-side of re-issue of 'Mojo Hannah' 1971)

The Higsons - Music To Watch Boys By (1985)

Post-punk/funk outfit The Higsons formed in 1980 at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and were named in honour of frontman Charlie "Switch" Higson. The roster of musicians also included guitarists Terry Edwards and Stuart McGeachin, bassist Colin Williams and drummer Simon Charterton. Honing an energetic, funk-influenced approach clearly indebted to the Talking Heads, the group's first recordings were on the 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation album in 1981, and they issued their debut single 'I Don't Want to Live With Monkeys' on the Romans in Britain label the same year. The band then formed their own label, Waap Records, to issue the not-coincidentally-titled 'It Goes Waap!!' single in 1981. After resurfacing in 1982 with their 'Conspiracy' single, the band signed to the famed Two Tone label for 'Tear The Whole Thing Down', followed in 1983 by 'Run Me Down'. They returned briefly to Waap for 'Push Out The Boat', and then signed to Upright Records for 1984's 'Music to Watch Girls By', the debut single from their one and only album, 'Curse Of The Higsons', which had finally appeared that year. The group's quirky, bleak sense of humour clearly impressed kindred spirit Robyn Hitchcock, who recorded the tribute 'Listening To The Higsons' on his 1985 live effort 'Gotta Let This Hen Out!', but beyond a devoted cult following, the band never experienced anything approaching commercial success, and in the wake of 1985's 'Take It' single they dissolved. Charlie Higson left the music business to join comedian Paul Whitehouse in writing and starring in the BBC comedy sketch show 'The Fast Show', as well as writing a series of James Bond novels, while Terry Edwards joined Gallon Drunk in 1993, fronted his own band, and enjoyed a busy and far-ranging career as a session musician. Although The Higsons only managed to release one studio album in their lifetime, they recorded many other tracks which appeared as singles and their b-sides, and so here they all are collected together in one place, along with a few choice John Peel session tracks, as a reminder of one of the few famous bands to come from my hometown.    

Track listing

Disc I - 1981-1982
01 My Love Is Bent (At Both Ends) (from 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation 1981)
02 We Will Never Grow Old (from 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation 1981)
03 I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys (single 1981)
04 Insect Love (b-side of 'I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys')
05 The Lost And The Lonely (single 1981)
06 It Goes Waap!! (b-side of 'The Lost And The Lonely')
07 Got To Let This Heat Out (b-side of 'It Goes Waap' 12" single 1981)
08 Surrender (John Peel session 1981)
09 A Dash To The Shops (John Peel session 1981)
10 Crash (John Peel session 1981)
11 Tear The Whole Thing Down (single 1982)
12 Ylang Ylang (b-side of 'Tear The Whole Thing Down')

Disc II - 1982-1985
01 Conspiracy (single 1982)
02 Touchdown (b-side of 'Conspiracy')
03 Round And Round (Pub Mix) (b-side of 'Push Out The Boat' 1983)
04 Put The Punk Back Into Funk (Parts I & II) (b-side of 'Run Me Down' 1983) 
05 Attack Of The Cannibal Zombie Businessmen (John Peel session 1983)
06 Music To Watch Boys By (single 1984)
07 Lying On The Telephone (b-side of 'Music To Watch Boys By')
08 Clanking My Bucket (b-side of 'Music To Watch Boys By')
09 Take It (single 1985)
10 I Walk The Land (b-side of 'Take It')

The Green Telescope - Thoughts Of A Madman (1988)

The Green Telescope were a garage beat band from Edinburgh, Scotland, who formed in the early 80's, and consisted of Lenny Helsing on guitar and vocals, Bruce Lyall on organ and Colin Blakey on bass. Before any records were made, Blakey left and was replaced by Alan McLeann, and the group then added a drummer in Gavin Henderson, although Steve Fraser temporarily took over from McLeann, playing bass on the three tracks the group recorded for the 1985 Psycho label compilation, 'The Waking Dream'. Those three compilation recordings had gained them something of a following, and in January 1986 they redorded a session for the Andy Kershaw radio show. Following this the band released their debut single, 'Face In A Crowd' b/w 'Thoughts Of A Madman', on Wump Records, and featuring new drummer Mal Kergan. Later the same year they released four new songs on the 'Two By Two' EP, which was released by Imaginary Records. In 1988 they contributed their take on Syd Barrett's 'Scream Thy Last Scream' for the Imaginary Records tribute album 'Beyond The Wildwood', but this was to be their last recording as The Green Telescope, and they disbanded shortly afterwards, immediately regrouping as The Thanes Of Cawdor, and then later shortening that to The Thanes. Under this name they released their first album, 'The Thanes Of Cawdor', in 1987, and this saw them win support slots with the Soup Dragons and Primal Scream, and become one of Scotland's best and most respected bands. To hear how they got to that stage of their career, here is everything that The Green Telescope recorded in the late 80's.  

Track listing

01 Face In A Crowd (single 1986)
02 Thoughts Of A Madman (b-side of 'Face In A Crowd)
03 Turnin' Out (from 'The Waking Dream' compilation 1985)
04 Can't Step Off The Path (from 'The Waking Dream' compilation 1985) 
05 I'm A Living Sickness (from 'The Waking Dream' compilation 1985)
06 Two By Two (from the 'Two By Two' EP 1986)
07 A Glimpse (from the 'Two By Two' EP 1986)
08 Make Me Stay (from the 'Two By Two' EP 1986)
09 Thinkin' About Today (from the 'Two By Two' EP 1986)
10 Scream Thy Last Scream (from 'Beyond The Wildwood' tribute to Syd Barrett 1988)
11 Who Knows? (Andy Kershaw session 1986)
12 X+Y=13 (Andy Kershaw session 1986)
13 Try To (Andy Kershaw session 1986)
14 Horror Asparagus Stories (Andy Kershaw session 1986)

King Sunny Ade & His Green Spot Band - The Master Guitarist Vol. 2 (1971)

As promised, here is the second volume of 'The Master Guitarist' series from King Sunny Ade and His Green Spot Band, also from 1971. 

Track listing

01 Ile Labo Sinmi Oko
02 Dr. Sehindemi / Oshodi Lo'Lepetedo / Late Rex Lawson / Aiye E Ma Ma Pacor

Flyte Reaction - Astral Storm: The Best Of Flyte Reaction (2001)

In the wake of the 80s psychedelic revival that unearthed gems such as Robyn Hitchcock’s Soft Boys, Paul Roland, and The Bevis Frond, a young guitarist from Cambridge was noticed by cult magazines such as Bucketful Of Brains, and was praised by them. Mick Crossley, under the moniker of Flyte Reaction, debuted at the court of the Frond in 1991 with a real ode to psychedelia, 'Songs In A Circle', which was acclaimed by critics, and which managed to create an avid following. The next year Splendid Records was formed in order to release 'Strawberry Lip Salvation', and then in 1993 they followed it with 'Spectral Footwear', and in 1995 with 'Create A Smile', which was beautiful poppy psych with that warm analog home-recorded feel. Unfortunately the interest in psychedelia began to fade, and so Crossley went out in style by signing to Nick Saloman's Woronzow records and releasing his best album, the excellent 'Sensilla'. It mostly alternates between slow, folk-infused, psychedelic pop songs and uptempo, rollicking jams, and with the first category Crossley excels, as on 'Swim Around The Moon' and the R.E.M. meets Captain Beefheart 'Observatory Crest', while 'Flow' finds a quiet, philosophical groove, and 'Let It Go' is a heart-filling, nostalgic anthem. Generally it strays a little from the feel of their previous albums into purer pop, but still very much in a psychedelic vein. After a lengthy hiatus, Crossley returned in 2015 with a 500-copy limited edition CD entitled 'Magnetophon Distances', only to disappear again immediately afterwards. To introduce you  to this best-kept secret of the neo-psychedelic scene, here is a collection of some of the band's best work from the five albums recorded in their first decade.  

Track listing

01 Celestial Sphere (from 'Songs Within A Circle' 1991) 
02 Fruit Bat Tropicana (from 'Create A Smile' 1995)
03 Astral Storm (from 'Spectral Footwear' 1993)
04 Water From Your Well (from 'Sensilla' 2001)
05 New Sunrise (from the 'Succour' compilation 1996)
06 Riverside (Inside You) (from 'Strawberry Lip Salvation' 1992)
07 Sunflower Sweet (from 'Create A Smile' 1995)
08 Soul Within (from 'Songs Within A Circle' 1991) 
09 Shape Of Me  (from 'Spectral Footwear' 1993)
10 Seremony Of The Sea (split single with The Ectomorph 1991)
11 Let It Go (from 'Sensilla' 2001)
12 Inner Spaceman (from 'Strawberry Lip Salvation' 1992)

Easterhouse - Coming Up For Air (1989)

Easterhouse was formed in Stretford, near Manchester by Ivor Perry, and named after the Easterhouse area of Glasgow. He invited his brother Andy Perry to join him in order to improve the lyrical content of their songs, as he was intrigued by communism, and inspired by Bob Marley's direct delivery of political content. His political stance reflected the perspectives of the then active Revolutionary Communist Party, with particular regard to Irish politics, and with the addition of Mike Murray on rhythm guitar, Gary Rostock on drums, and Peter Vanden on bass, the line-up was complete. They played one of their first gigs on 30 August 1983 at Dingwalls in London supporting The Smiths, after Ivor had convinced Morrissey to let them have the opening spot. They released their first single 'Coming Up For Air' on their own Easter Rising label in 1985, and followed this with the 'In Our Own Hand's EP on London Records the same year, before signing to Rough Trade for the rest of their career. Their singles on the new label,, 'Whistling In The Dark' and 'Inspiration', were both Top 5 independent chart hits, and their energetic first album, 'Contenders', featuring their signature song, '1969', and has been compared to The Chameleons, New Model Army, and The Smiths. It met with modest success in the band's own country, but unsurprisingly it failed to leave much of an impression in the U.S. Ivor Perry, whose occasionally contrasting ideals and ideas had been at odds with his brother's, left the group after 'Contenders' to join fellow ex-Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon in the Cradle, while Murray, Rostock, and Vanden would eventually leave as well, with Andy Perry bringing in drummer Dave Verner and guitarists Steve Lovell, Lance Sabin, and Neil Taylor to replace them. All the shakeups delayed the making of second album 'Waiting For The Redbird', which wasn't released until 1989, and which was reliant on a more contemporary and programmed sound, giving it a more stilted atmosphere. As a result, it has aged poorly, although ironically the 'Come Out Fighting' single charted higher in the States than any Smiths effort, cracking the Billboard Hot 100 at number 82, and reaching the Top Ten of the modern rock chart. Shortly after the album's release, the group broke up for good. Although they only released two album in their five year career, there were enough fine songs tucked away on the b-sides of their singles to make up a third, and this collection of them will remind us of what a great band they were. 

Track listing

01 Coming Up For Air (single 1985)
02 Endless March (b-side of 'Coming Up For Air')
03 Evening Watch (Richard Skinner session 1984)
04 Man Alive (b-side of 'In Our Own Hands' 1985)
05 One More Time (b-side of 'In Our Own Hands' 1985)
06 Ain't That Always The Way (Apocalypse) (b-side of 'Whistling In The Dark' 1985)
07 Confrontation (b-side of 'Whistling In The Dark' 1985) 
08 Inspiration (single 1986)
09 Easter Rising (b-side of 'Inspiration')
10 Johnny I Hardly Knew You (b-side of 'Inspiration')
11 New World In The Morning (b-side of 'Come Out Fighting' 1989)
12 My Revolution (b-side of 'Waiting For The Red Bird' 1989)
13 Still On The Roof (b-side of 'Waiting For The Red Bird' 1989)