The North East Beast

The Guys Who Came Up From Downstairs - Growth

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

I first heard his track on one of Craig Dishington's mixes. What a track. Craig's Grow Your Own club is well worth visiting Glasgow for and his mixes are always an education. I've ended up trying to find virtually every track off his mixes. I bought this minty copy off ebay and, to my surprise and delight, when it arrived it also included a poster, a signed sleeve and a message from one of the "Guys". Awesome!

Sandy Sarjeant - Can't Stop The Want

2012-01-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

This is such a cute record. Sandy was a dancer and featured in loads of sixties beat performances. She was the wife of Ian McLagan of The Small Faces and she produced this fine slice of beat pop herself. There is an awesome video of her performing this on German TV on youtube. Check it out.

Ray Sharp and The Soul Set - Earthquake

2012-01-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

Picked this up in Hova last year too. Two mint copies, side by side, for a couple of quid. Yes. Really hope to get back to Sweden this year. Lovely country. Lovely people. Shame the beer is so expensive.

El Pooks - Psychedelic Soul

2012-01-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

Everything about this record is right. From the band name, to the track title to the demented sound to the popeye kazoo solo. What's not to like.

James Chapman - Overtime

2012-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

It's hard to beat a bit of Gospel and this is the genre at its best. Pure soul. Glorious. Testify.

Young Jessie - Teacher Gimme Back

2012-01-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well, this was my most costly purchase of 2011. I've been after this for years. Young Jessie, born Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie, recorded a few singles with The Flairs and Blue Jays before going solo and working with Lieber and Stoller as Young Jessie. He joined The Coasters briefly in 57 but recorded his best material, in my opinion, shortly after including this monster in 61.This record is just pure joy. Love it.

Ronnie Hall - I'm Getting Nowhere

2012-01-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

This was another I first heard in Hova. It's taken me months to track down a copy but I finally found one just before Christmas. For me, it's up there with Mike Leslie "Right Or Wrong", a brilliant track despite the croonerish overtones.

J. J. Jackson - Oo-Ma-Liddi

2012-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

In June 2011 my buddy Bear and I headed to the record fair in Hova, Sweden. It was a great trip, brilliant to meet world wide vinyl junkies and to spend time with Jens, Oscar and Francesco. Sweden is an ace country and I hope to get back this year, budget allowing. We also got to visit Gothenburg and take a pilgrimage to the most holy of locations for all Dons fans - the Ullevi Stadium. Awesome.Anyway, this was one of the records that I heard for the first time on that trip and immediately tried to track one down when I got home.Apparently this was released on three seperate labels and it is an absolute monster.

Puzzle - Houla

2012-01-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Love this tune, still nice and cheap if you can find a copy.

Whisky David - Whisky

2012-01-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!Hope you had a good one and all the best for 2012.Here's a celebration of all the festive excess by one of life's winners.Whisky David, I salute you.Cheers to Sarge for passing this one over, it's ace.

Douglas Gibson With The Sweet And Sours - I Won't Leave

2011-12-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

This is one I got from my buddy James, quite possibly my favourite record of 2011. Such a brilliant record. Both sides are ace but this one is killer. Need to find a better copy as this one is a wee bit rough but it's surprising hard to come by.

The Most - Sea Of Misery

2011-12-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Man, I love this. Psych pop at it's finest. Great build up. Another one that instantly gets Helen dancing round the living room.

Steve Davis - She Said Yeah

2011-12-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

This is a most overlooked wee gem. You can still pick it up for £15 fairly easily. Great tempo and energy.

Brice Coefield - Cha Cha Twist

2011-12-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Another one the Detroit Cobras taught me... And another not quite as pristine as the seller indicated. Marvelous record too.

Irma Thomas - Ruler Of My Heart

2011-12-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

I adore this song. Pretty much perfection. I've been after it for a while so was delighted to spy a copy listed at NM and bid accordingly. Alas, as you can hear, it's not anywhere like a perfect copy. Bloody Ebay. It'll have to do for now though. Glorious.This is my first post with my ace new gizmo - a sound burger - given to me for Christmas from my loving wife. It should mean I finally get round to posting regularly again. Thanks Helen!

Strumpet

2011-11-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

Please bear with me here, not my usual post at all. Last night I stumbled on a bag of CD's from days gone by, before my vinyl addiction consumed me. In the bag I found a demo made by one of my first bands. I thought I'd post them up here for a giggle and just to remind the world that we existed. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Strumpet.
Strumpet:
Vocals - Elizabeth Brown
Guitar - Joe Whimster
Drums - John Chapell
Bass - Helen Castle (now Whimster)
Strumpet were four 16 year olds from Aberdeen. Enthusiasm over ability was very much our motto, indeed, Helen to this day has only picked up a bass 29 times in her life, and 15 of those were during our gigs. We had a gig booked before we'd had our first practice and we blundered though a 5 song set in about 10 minutes after just the one rehearsal (which was the first time Helen picked up a base and also when we recorded Shake Your Shoes below). Despite our total lack of talent, we were surprisingly popular, no doubt mostly due to two pretty schoolgirls and a shambolic set which was over in a blink of an eye. In our short existence, barely 12 months, we had some great gigs with some really fantastic bands - really under-rated local bands like The Needles, Maple and The Leap as well as the mighty Macrocosmica. Somehow, we also got to a Battle of the Bands final but due to a dubious voting system, we finished third (to be fair, we totally exploited the dubious voting system in order to finish third.). Alphabetty Records agreed to put out a single by us but alas we split up before we could record properly, though realistically its unlikely we'd ever be able to record properly due to our immense lack of talent or willingness to practice. First, Elizabeth left, we carried on as a three piece with me taking over the vocal duties and then uni arrived and we went our separate ways. That said, it was really good fun and it's a shame these four tracks are all we have to show for it (other than the memories and a handful of fanzine clippings). Good Times. Oh, and of course, a decade later, Helen and I finally got married having got together shortly after the band did, and I still haven't learned that elusive fourth chord.
One, Two, Fuck You
Our set opener.

Naughty Girl
Totally forgot we played this. Um, tuneful!

Shake Your Shoes
This was recorded the first time we played together, it's the first time Helen ever played bass, does it show!

The Case
Cover of the Magicdrive tune. Magicdrive were an ace band, hugely under-rated, should have been huge.

So, there it is, barely 8 minutes of Strumpet. Gone and forgotten.

The Carnaby - Jump And Dance

2011-10-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

That's most of the backlog cleared. I've picked up at least 100 odd 45's since my last posting in March so I hope to have some more good stuff up here soon (off to buy a new usb turntable today!). I'll sign off with another big fave. Simple but effective.

The Carnaby - Jump And Dance

Billy Garner - Your Wasting My Time

2011-10-10T03:33:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd posted this already but I can't see it up here. Billy Garner is the boy like. Rough, tough and raw.

Billy Garner - Your Wasting My Time

The Salt - Lucifer

2011-10-10T03:29:00.000-07:00

I love this but when I played it to a trusted dj partner he said "that's derivative, novelty, cod psych shite". Now, I can't actually argue with that, but hey, I still like it. It's just good fun.

The Salt - Lucifer

Dantalion's Chariot - Madman Running Through The Fields

2011-10-10T03:24:00.000-07:00

A Classic. The band were lead by Zoot Money, a million miles from his jazz/R&B norm. The band also featured Andy Summers, later of The Police.

Doesn't get much better...

Dantalion's Chariot - Madman Running Through The Fields

Limey and the Yanks - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

2011-10-10T03:20:00.000-07:00

My favourite version. Great two sider!

Limey and The Yanks - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

Limey and The Yanks - Gather My Things And Go

Injun Joe - Indian Priest

2011-10-10T03:08:00.000-07:00

I first heard this on the fab Song Songs Stuck In My Mind comp. I've ended up collecting almost everything from that record with the Fancois De Louville in particular a favourite. Apparently this is a Belgian studio project from an instro band called The Jokers. The flip is pretty cool too.

Injun Joe - Indian Priest

Injun Joe - Someone

Chris Carpenter - This World (Is Closing In On Me)

2011-10-10T02:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been months since I last posted on this blog. It's been a busy year. My laptop has been out of commission for ages, my job has changed, I'm running a football team and back playing myself and time has been a scarce commodity. That said, I've had some great record adventures this year, visiting the record fair in Hova and meeting a bunch of hardcore collectors, all of whom made me feel totally inadequate, I celebrated my 30th in Crete and met the delightfully charming Costas Opticalsound, I had a blast visiting some outrageously good record stores in Switzerland and I'm just back from the inspiring Double Sight weekend in Glasgow - huge thanks to all involved in that - ace music, cool bands and a stunning hotel made for an ace weekend. Anyway, I have a clutch of singles that I hadn't posted from months ago that I'll stick up today and then, hopefully, by next month, I'll be able to post some of my newer finds up. Hope you enjoy these and please do leave a comment, they're always appreciated...

I've not much to say on this track, I believe it was comped on one of the Le Beat Bespoke's, basically it's an ace brooding tune.

Muddy Waters - Tom Cat

2011-04-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a good couple of months vinyl wise. I've picked up a couple of long term wants and unearthed some new gems I'm delighted to have added to my collection. This is the best of my recent acquisitions though. I didn't realise it was on a 45 until I found this copy. The track was on the awesome Electric Mudd records, a must have record for, well, everyone. Untouchable.

Francois De Louville - Hot Pot

2011-04-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Can't understand why this isn't more sought after. It's an absolute gem. French psychedelic soul. Moody, cool and great on the dancefloor.

Ronnie Jones - In My Love Mind

2011-04-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Another nod to Jackie Hoodoo for this one. Superb fuzz soul. They just don't make them like this anymore.

The Guess Who? It's My Pride

2011-04-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

Heard a band cover this on youtube recently and it immediately made me want to be in a beat group again. Great energy and great fun. This features Randy Bachman of Backman Turner Overdrive fame.

The Cherry Slush - I Cannot Stop You

2011-04-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Such an atmospheric record this one. Genre and era defining. Takes me to a world I've only experienced through TV and cinema but it captures an essence.

Paul and Ritchie and The Cryin Shames - Come On Back

2011-04-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Joe Meek Monster.

Mark Leeman 5 - Blow My Blues Away

2011-04-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Amazing track this, the b-side to On The Horizon. Mark was sadly killed in a car accident before his career could take off but I think this, and a number of their other singles, show real potential. Great tune for the sunny spring mornings.

Ola And The Janglers - No No No

2011-03-14T03:02:00.000-07:00

First heard this, totally out of the blue, in an indie club in Glasgow a decade ago. It was totally out of kilter with the rest of the music that night and I have been after in for years before finally getting a copy. The band were Swedish and have a fairly extensive back catalogue but this is their peak. Mycket Fint!

Monica - I Don't Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You

2011-03-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

Great feel good record on the Toxsan label. I assume this has been sampled to death but I know very little about Monica, not even a last name. She recorded two singles for the label but then seems to have disappeared.

The Vestells - Won't You Tell Me

2011-03-14T02:49:00.000-07:00

60's Garage will always be a major musical love of mine. Along with the Pebbles collection, the Back From The Grave comps really were an education. Here's one from BFTG Vol 2. Frantic, rough and ready. Almost perfect!

King Coleman - Down In The Basement

2011-03-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Killer double sider. Another favourite of my page, King Coleman at his absolute best. Gritty, dirty and rawkus. Boss.

Down In The Basement

Crazy Feelin'

Big Maybelle - That's A Pretty Good Love

2011-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Long term favourite of this blog, Big Maybelle belting it out as per usual. My copy is pretty beat up but with this amount of energy it doesn't matter too much. "I ain't much to look at and I won't win a prize, but when it comes to good loving, I'll open your eyes". I don't doubt it.

Back At The Control Tower - McNuggets Special!

2011-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I got my 15 minutes (nearly 45 actually!) of fame at last. Appearing on the fantastic Black Diamond radio show, Back At The Control Tower with my good buddy Oscar Askin, I shared a bit of Scottish Beat with the wider public. Oscar hosts his show, featuring the best of pretty much everything on a Monday night from 8pm til 10. You can listen here: http://www.blackdiamondfm.com/ - You can hear my feature below, it was a blast and I hope I can get back on again soon.

The McKinleys - Sweet And Tender Romance

2011-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

There is something about acetates. Ok, the sound quality is often gash but they just look amazing. Like a proper artifact! The McKinleys were something of a rarity in the Scottish scene, they were female. Apart from Lulu, arguably Scotland's biggest export of the period, there doesn't seem to have been a huge amount of Scottish lassies heading south for fame and fortune. I think this is a great version of Sweet And Tender Romance. It builds and builds and the guitar break is killer.

The Vikings - Bad News Feeling

2011-03-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

Great track from The Vikings here. Hailing from Perth they released their one single on the fantastic Alp label. It's been a week of Scottish Beat for me, see the McNuggets Radio Show above, and this and The McKinleys acetate are two new editions to my growing collection of Scottish 60's output. Good stuff!

The Scenery - Thread Of Time

2011-02-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

This features a pre-Mott The Hoople Ian Hunter but frankly, that's irrelevant. All that matters is that this is a near perfect record. This is the most expensive purchase I've made to date but it was worth every penny. Another long term want ticked off. Cheers Damien!

The Haigs - You've Got It

2011-02-19T13:58:00.000-08:00

It's been a good year for chalking off long term wants already in 2011 and this is something I've been after for a good while. I know shockingly little about the band (I'm sure Lenny can fill us in?) but I do know that this is boss.

The Virgin Sleep - Love

2011-02-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Doesn't seem to be much to tell about this lot. They started out as Themselves in 66, changed name to The Virgin Sleep and signed to Deram, releasing this first and then a handful of other tracks before splitting in 68. It's a nice wee slice of Eastern tinged psych.

Jimi Hendrix - Hush Now

2011-02-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Lesser known Hendrix track (or at least, I hadn't picked up on it until fairly recently). Love the design of the sleeve. Amazing track too.

Darrow Fletcher - Young Misery

2011-02-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

Superb song, superb lyrics, superb vocals. Darrow Fletcher's finest moment.

The All Night Workers - Why Don't You Smile Now

2011-02-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

Another favourite. This was an early tune penned by Lou Reed and John Cale. Bloody Marvelous!

The Eyes - You're Too Much

2011-02-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

Monster! The Eyes should have been huge. So many great tracks, so little recognition. This is probably my favourite of theirs but if you haven't heard their other tracks hit youtube and check out I'm Rowed Out, Immediate Pleasure, When The Night Falls and pretty much anything you can find. Awesome band.

The Riddles - Its One Thing To Say

2011-02-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Super cool. First heard this on the superb YouTube channel by Sergio The Walrus, check him out. This is all about the atmosphere. Another one you should be able to pick up for around $10. A steal!

The Fifth Estate - That's Love

2011-02-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Starting with a couple of brilliant cheapies this month. You'll pick this up for $5 no problem. The Fifth Estate originally released as The D Men and produced a couple of pretty decent singles. As The Fifth Estate they had a reasonable but of success but for me, this is far and away their best track. Perfect garage pop.

Rick McClennan - Frozen Sunshine

2011-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

Belter of a tune here. There are two versions of this record, one on Quad and this one with loads of orchestration. Love it.

The Poor - She's Got The Time

2011-01-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is the original version of the mod classic by The Afex. This one is available for a fraction of the price though. Well worth looking out for.

The Association - Along Comes Mary

2011-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

This was a top ten hit for The Association in 1966. Love the lyrics - "When we met I was sure out to lunch/Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch". Brilliant pop.

The Luvvers - Most Unlovely

2011-01-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

The Luvvers, pre-Lulu. Great two sider.

The Models - Bend Me Shape Me

2011-01-23T13:52:00.001-08:00

This was the original version of the hit. This version was recorded by a group made up of Vogue models and some mad producer. What a combination. Some of the effects in this are insane.

Bimbi Worrick - Long Time Comin'

2011-01-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

And another. Only heard this for the first time a few weeks ago. Brilliant record, great vocals and superb production. I know nothing about Bimbi but she had a fair set of pipes on her.

Ten Feet - Shoot On SIght

2011-01-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Mod belter. What a tune.

Giorgio and Marco's Men - Baby I Need You

2011-01-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Giorgio and Marco were two brothers from Wolverhampton. They released a couple of singles including this awesome cut on the tiny Electratone label. To me this sounds like The Age of Understatement by The Last Of The Shadow Puppets. Great record.

Johnny And The Copycats - The Pain OF Love

2011-01-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Cheers to Lenny for this one. A fantastic slice of Scottish Beat. What more can you ask for?

The Blue Effect - Sun Is So Bright

2011-01-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year folks! It's been a while but I'm finally online again! Sorry for the delay in service but hopefully you'll enjoy some of the records I've added to my collection over the last couple of months. I'm gonna start off with The Blue Effect, a superb slighty-delic band from the Czech Republic. This Ep was a Christmas present from my sister, cheers Soph!

Solomon Burke - Home In Your Heart

2010-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sleep easy big man.

The Shangri-Las - It's Easier To Cry

2010-10-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

I first heard this, like the Solomon Burke track above, via The Detroit Cobras. The Cobras turned me on to so many great records and their track selection, on the first coupla records especially, was superb. As with the Solomon track though, I prefer the original versions. Everything about this record is perfectly imperfect.

Alex Harvey - Midnight Moses

2010-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Alex Harvey was some boy. This is a great record and much of his early stuff is really under appreciated. There is an awesome live version of this on youtube and a brilliant interview with him discussing The Blues. Some boy.

Dave Davies - Creeping Jean

2010-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is the b-side to his single "Hold My Hand" released in 1969. This was his fourth solo single and its flop, coupled with the lukewarm reception of his earlier singles resulted in his album getting shelved until Pye issued it in the 80's.

Bobby Darin - Me and Mr Honer - Long Line Rider

2010-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Couple of great Bobby Darin tracks here, not enough attention is paid to this period in his career and as a result these tracks are easy to find for a coupla quid and well worth the price. Both were released on the Direction label, Long Line Rider in 68 followed by Me and Mr Honer in 69. Me and Mr Honer is my favourite, absolutely love that song.

Me and Mr Honer:

Long Line Rider:

Arnim Hamilton - Pepperman

2010-10-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

This was released on the fantastic International Artist label and it's a really nicely put together slice of pop. Can't find anything out about them though.

Hopscotch - Look At The Lights Go Up

2010-10-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of the finest records to come out of Scotland in the 60's. I was delighted to finally pick up an original a couple of months ago.

A Selection of Dutronc...

2010-10-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

This guy deserves a lot more airplay. Some fantastic tracks in his archive. Here are just a few.

Hippie Hippie Hourrah:

L'Idole:

Sur Une Nappe De Restaurant:

Bobbie Gentry - Mississippi Delta

2010-10-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

This was Bobbie's first single and it was a big hit in 1967, topping the charts for four weeks. It was the flip side "Ode To Billy Joe" that got the airplay but this is where the real action is. Great voice.

The Aardvarks - Subconscious Train of Thought

2010-08-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Life affirming stuff.

Lee Dorsey - Four Corners

2010-08-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lee Dorsey has featured fairly regularly on this blog. I just love pretty much everything in his back catalogue. This has such a great tempo, perfect for a summer evening. Love it.

Rosetta Hightower - Big Bird

2010-08-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic version of Eddie Floyd's beast, later covered by The Jam. This one is slightly harder to find and I prefer it, just. What about you?

Eddie Floyd - Big Bird

2010-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

What a superb cheapy here on Stax. Great sound, I especially love the guitar. Shouldn't sting more than £5. Bargain.

Varetta Dillard - Just Multiply

2010-08-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

What a great record! I'm just putting together a mix for friends wedding and this has such a wide appeal. Lovely production, great vocal and that Dirty Dancing soundtrack feel that guarantees a busy multi-generational dancefloor on these big occasions. Varetta has some other great records that I've only just discovered but I'll hopefully be adding a few more of her records to my collection shortly.

The Clique - Splash One

2010-08-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Clique do The Thirteenth Floor Elevators.

Tony Jackson - Cause My Baby

2010-08-07T00:52:00.000-07:00

Tony Jackson started out in The Searchers but much of his best work came as a solo artist. This is a slice of stomping moodiness.

Ram Inn Junction - Kwela Kwela

2010-08-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

I picked this up a couple of months ago. I love the energy. A nice cheapy.

Fenwyck - Mindrocker

2010-08-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another of my early favorites from the first garage comps I picked up in my teens. It's a couple of minutes of sunshine pop that never fail to cheer me up. Fenwyck was a project lead by Pat Robinson, who later found success as a country songwriter. This record failed to trouble the charts and Fenwyck were a short lived experiment but this is well worth repeat listens.

Scots Of St James - Tic Toc

2010-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

Few records have evaded my clutches as long as this one. Since first hearing it, crouched round a dusty record player in the incomplete Tunnels, I've been desperate to add this to my collection. It's singularly responsible for my interest in Scottish Beat Music. It's always remained just out of reach and the price continues to rise. A big thank you to Jim Sandison for securing me this pristine copy of perhaps the greatest record Scotland has ever produced. Effortlessly cool.

Astral Projection - Rosa-Lynn

2010-07-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Me and the missus have been loving this track recently. I picked it up on a whim for a few quid and it's such a cool wee track. Definitely a not to every ones taste type record but I never seem to tire of it. Great psych pop.

Chris Clark - Loves Gone Bad

2010-07-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Until recently I only knew The Underdogs version of this song. Chris Clark provides the killer take though. Stomping 60's soul.

Albert King - Cold Feet

2010-07-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Also known as the Velvet Bulldozer, here's Albert King kicking back and having some fun in the studio. The boy sure could play guitar and he cuts a mean figure, standing six foot five, Flying V dwarfed in his giant hands, shrouded is swathes of dark smoke from his pipe Very cool guy.

B.B King - Chains And Things

2010-07-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

BB King doing what BB King does best. Fantastic stuff...

Betty Lavette - Let Me Down Easy

2010-07-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

This one's from 1965. Brilliant soul. It's pretty much the definition of soul in fact and no wonder after releasing this she was picked up to join the James Brown Revue. Classic Stuff.

Sixto Rodriguez - Sugar Man

2010-06-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sticking with the psych-folk theme here. I first heard this on the Come Get It I Got It comp and was totally smitten. I got CGIIGI in 2002, around the time I started buying vinyl and this track became something of a holy grail for me, I wasn't even sure it was on a 45 for a couple of years. I finally added it to my collection last month and it's just a perfect single.

Sixto's story is a pretty great one. In reality, he released two largely unnoticed albums and got a job outside music when he lost faith in pursuing the dream. Little did he know that his debut, Cold Fact, had become a platinum hit in South Africa. His label there had lost contact with him and in the absence of any fact on his where abouts various rumours began to circulate including that he was in jail for murdering his lover or that he'd committed suicide on stage.

It wasn't until his inclusion on CGIIGI that the truth was discovered and Sixto was able to start reaping the rewards from his obvious talent.

Maxine Sellers - Some Kind Of Fever

2010-06-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

More great folky-psych, not dissimilar to the Estelle Levitt post last month. Again, I'm afraid, I know nothing about the artist.

Ann-Margret - Someday Soon

2010-06-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is the second Ann-Margret track I've posted. I still haven't heard nearly enough of her work. This has a great rhythm.

The Outsiders - Touch

2010-06-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Holland's finest band? Strong contender anyway. Wally Tax and his band of rebels absolutely nail it with this. One of my all time favourites.

Robbi Curtice - Soul Of A Man

2010-06-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in service folks, been busy with work and then absorbed in the World Cup.

Hopefully quality will make up for quantity with tonight's posts.

First up is "Soul Of A Man" by Robbi Curtice.

Blackrock - Yeah Yeah

2010-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Great psych funk from a band I know nothing about. This is uber cool and no doubt sampled dozens of times.

Chris Clark - Do Right Baby Do Right

2010-06-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

No, not the former Aberdeen FC utility player, the six foot, platinum blonde soul singer signed to Motown. This track was penned by Berry Gordy and is an absolute corker.

Little Boy Blues - I Can Only Give You Everything

2010-06-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Another classic garage cut.

Michael and the Messangers - Romeo and Juliet

2010-06-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Classic Nuggets Garage Pop.

Estelle Levitt - All I Dream

2010-05-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Brilliant bluesy, funky, folk. A touch of a self medicated Nancy Sinatra in the vocals. Perfect for a lazy Sunday.

Tina Charles - Bobo's Party

2010-05-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Tina went on to become a successful disco artist by the mid 70's but career started in the late sixties and this was her fourth single release in 1970. She appeared in the first series of "The Two Ronnies" on UK telly and later, in 1975 provided the backing vocals to Cockney Rebel's hit "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)".

The Hollies - Hey Willy

2010-05-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

The Hollies had loads of great tracks and plenty of hidden gems, not least King Midas In Reverse as posted last month. This is a great glam stomper from 1971.

The People's Choice - Let Me Do My Thing

2010-05-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

Great Philly Funk. Another nice cheapy.

The Truth - Hey Gyp

2010-05-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

My favourite version of this Donovan "hit". The Gyp of the title is Donovan's buddy, the sculptor Gyp Mills, not that it really matters. What does matter is that this has a great, relentless, driving beat from start to finish. Great use of two chords.

Johnny Hallyday - N'Y Crois Pas

2010-05-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Found this one on a Circles comp from the fantastic Expo67 (http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/). Well worth a fiver, the two I've got so far really are the bees knees. French beat at it's very best.

Susan Barrett - Chico's Girl

2010-05-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Massively eerily spooky version of The Girls Classic.

Marsha Hunt - Hot Rod Poppa

2010-05-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Marsha Hunt has had quite a life. Born in Philadelphia she moved to the UK in 66 living in Edinburgh and London. Her career not only includes some great records but she's also been a model, actress, novelist and activist. She married Mike Ratledge of Soft Machine in 67 in order to secure a visa. She had an affair with Mick Jagger and they had a daughter, Karis, in 1970. Brown Sugar is said to be written about her. These tracks came out on a great two sider on Polydor in 69.

Hot Rod Poppa:

Walk On Gilded Splinters:

The Attack - Any More Than I Do

2010-05-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

Brilliant Mod Beat from 67. This is the bside to Hi-Ho Silver Lining. Great guitar sound.

The Flavors - Dancing In The Streets

2010-05-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Nice little version of Dancing In The Street with a cool key change. Nice cheapy.