Website: Record Envelope

Here's one for the record collectors and indeed lovers of good retro design - Record Envelope.

Record Envelope is the work of top artist Kavel Rafferty, bringing together just about every factory record sleeve she can find. Yes, it's something for the label spotter, but more importantly, it's a great place to browse some great period design - and perhaps find some inspiration for your own graphics.

And if you have one that isn't featured, Kavel is more than happy for you to send over a scan.

Visit the Record Envelope website

Retro TV W/C 29th June 2007

Barry Murphy once more trawls the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 29th June to Thursday 5th July.

Highlights of the week

TV

Seven Ages of Rock - What the World is Waiting For: Indie Rock.Saturday 30th June. BBC 2. 9.00pm (Repeated Sunday 1st July BBC 1. 11.05pm)
Julian Rhind-Tutt explores the world of British indie music. The documentary focuses on the Smiths, the influences of "Madchester", iconoclastic artists like Suede, and the media's fascination with the rivalry between Britpop figureheads Blur and Oasis.

Radio

Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel. Tuesday 3rd July. BBC Radio 2. 10.30pm.
As part of Radio 2's season of programmes recalling the 1960s, Bob Harris explores the aftermath of a February 1967 drugs bust at the home of Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards. Responding to custodial sentences given to both Richards and Mick Jagger in late June, the traditionally Conservative The Times editor William Rees-Mogg criticised the penalty in an editorial titled Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?. The Rock stars were released promptly from prison, signalling an era of increasingly liberal attitudes to previously taboo, scorned and relatively unrepressed lifestyles. Contributors include Lord Rees-Mogg and one-time Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham.

Twiggy Mirror by Wendell Storm

Looking for some functional artwork? You need the Twiggy Mirror.

It was designed by Wendell Storm for Spazia, using a classic 60s Twiggy image imposed onto a mirror. Yes, a mirror - if you can avoid Twiggy's model glare, you can use it to check your appearance or to add a sense of space to a room.

Sized at 12-inches x 12-inches and in a brushed metal frame, it did retail for $250, but you can now pick one up for $199 (around £100).

Find out more at the Nova68 website

Via Retro To Go

Delon and Belmondo DVD boxsets

If you're a fan of classic or French cinema, you may be interested to know that two new DVD boxsets have been released featuring two of French cinema's leading men - Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Over at our sister site Cinedelica, both have been reviewed and rated - so if you're considering buying, head over there first. In fact, if you want to keep up with classic and cult film and TV, make sure you check the site everyday - because there's new reviews and features going up all the time.

Read the Jean-Paul Belmondo DVD boxset review

Read the Alain Delon DVD boxset review

Win Take My Tip CDs

Hopefully you've checked out our review of the Take My Tip: 25 British Mod Artefacts From The EMI Vaults CD. But before you rush out and buy one, wait a minute - because we have five copies to give away.

Just enter your details on the competition page and you could be listening to some obscure gems from the likes of Long John Baldry, Duffy Power, Chris Farlowe, Geno Washington, Rod Stewart and 20 more acts that I haven't time to list.

Good luck!

Enter the Take My Tip competition

Beat Classics DVD winners

The winners of the Beat Classics DVD sets have been drawn and are as follows:

Mark McNulty (Liverpool)
Eamonn Hughes (Belfast)
Anne Jennings (Wrexham)

Thanks to all who entered. If you didn't win, there's a new competition now live for Take My Tip CDs.

Retro TV W/C 22nd June 2007

Barry Murphy once more trawls the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 22nd June to Thursday 28th June.

Highlights of the week

TV

The South Bank Show - Marianne Faithfull: A Life in Song. Sun 24th June. ITV 1.10.45pm.
The Husky-voiced singer recalls a tumultuous life in which her fame as Mick Jagger's girlfriend was followed by heroin addiction, before her comeback album Broken Englishin 1979.

True Stories: Punk: Attitude. Monday 25th June. More4. 10.00pm
Don Lett's film explores the mid-1970s punk revolution that transformed youth culture and redefined popular music and fashion.

Radio

Angry, Sexy and Working Class (1/4) - Friday 22nd June. BBC Radio 2. 7.00pm
Christopher Eccleston explores the bleak, anti-establishment and often angry British films of the late 50s and early 60s that took inspiration from John Osbourne's 1956 "kitchen sink" stage hit Look Back in Anger. Contributors include Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan, Albert Finney and Shirley-Anne Field among others.

Squire albums reissued on CD

Hi-LO Records are re-releasing all the Squire albums on CD for the first time in original format, with original sleeve artwork. The first three, Hits From 3000 Years Ago, Get Smart! and The Singles Album are due out on July 2nd, distributed by Plastichead.com.

The albums have been re-mastered by Denis Blackham from the original analogue tapes and come with 12 page booklets with extensive sleeve notes and pics etc.The Singles Album has been extended to 17 tracks to include The Young Idea single and The Place I Used To Live 45.

If you want to know more about the band or indeed the reissues, check out the band's website or their MySpace site.

Squire website
Squire on MySpace

60s In Colour canvas art

Torn between some photography or some art on your wall? You should check out this rather smart canvas art by 60s In Colour.

60s In Colour is artist/photographers Brian Bignell and Diane Thornton, who have used their skills to produce colourised effects from Brian's original black and white photographs of well known sixties groups and solo artists taken during the period 1963 - 1966. The results are shown in the above images of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Roger Daltrey. And if they don't appeal, there's a number of other acts to choose from.

Prices vary dependent on the canvas size you want, but typically start from £58.

Find out more at the Back2thewall website

Via Retro To Go

Aertex Ben Sherman-style shirts

We have previously mentioned the Aertex range of polo shirts (including that Weller-related top), but new in is a range of Ben Sherman-style shirts - although they're obviously not called that.

From the photos on the website, it's clear they're pitching them to a mod and skin-friendly market. But what isn't clear is the cut - I'm guessing it's a little more generous than an original 60s shirt or indeed the ones you might have made. The design here is called Baxter, using 100% cotton Royal Stuart tartan for a short sleeved shirt with button-down collar and single chest pocket.

It retails for £39.99.

Check out all the shirts at the Aertex website

Lambretta / The Who clothing range

No, this isn't a joke - Lambretta Clothing has teamed up with The Who (well, the remaining two members) to launch a 60s-inspired clothing range, as well as re-creating items worn by the band and an exact copy of the US army fishtail parka that appeared on the Quadrophenia album cover.

The Tribute Collection covers 16 styles and includes a parka, a jean and a range of t-shirts and sweatshirts - the usual rubbish basically, but featuring graphics relating to The Who.

The Iconic Collection, if subject to any kind of manufacturing quality control, could be interesting, but I wouldn't hold your breath. These are garments re-created from items worn by the band in the 60s, which is claimed to include "Keith Moon's fine gauge knitwear", a collection of vintage-styled shirts and matching ties, as well as that parka and Pete Townshend's Union Jack blazer.

The Tribute gear will be in the usual Lambretta stores, the Iconic range "will target high profile stores that do not normally stock the main Lambretta collection". Make of that what you will. It's all out in the autumn.

Lambretta Clothing website

Retro TV W/C 15th June 2007

Barry Murphy once more trawls the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 15th June to Thursday 21st June.

Highlight of the week

On an otherwise poor week for TV, Film4 are showing a series of French film noir by Jean-Pierre Melville, often regarded as the godfather of the Nouvelle Vague. Bob Le Flambeur (1955) (Tues 19th.11.05pm),  Le Doulos (1962) (Weds 20th 12.25am) The Red Circle (1970) (Thurs 11.20pm).

Atlantic Blues 1949 - 1970

If you're into your vintage blues - or want to hear more, it might be worth checking out Atlantic Blues 1949 - 1970, a limited edition (and numbered) four CD boxset featuring the pick of Atlantic's blues output.

Atlantic Blues features 80 tracks culled from the label's first four decades, featuring virtually every style of blues imaginable, including Professor Longhair, Leadbelly, Jimmy Witherspoon, Champion Jack Dupree, Esther Phillips, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Blind Willie McTell, Joe Morris, Joe Turner, LaVern Baker, Jimmy Yancey and T-Bone Walker

It's sold in a sepia-toned 12-inch x 12-inch box that includes a booklet filled with extensive liner notes and rare photos. It's sold via Rhino Handmade and limited to 3,000 copies, retailing for $79.98 (around £40).

Find out more at the Rhino website

John Smedley sample sale in London

That purveyor of classic knitwear, John Smedley, is having a sample sale this week in London.

The date for your diary is Thursday 14th June 2007 and the venue is London College of Fashion, John Princes St (off Oxford Circus), London. It kicks off at 10:30am and runs until 6pm.

Happy bargain hunting!

See the latest John Smedley range

Retro TV W/C 8th June 2007

Barry Murphy once more trawls the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 8th June to Thursday 14th June.

Highlights of the week

Louie and the G-Men - Tuesday 12th June. BBC Radio 2. 10.30pm
Steve Van Zandt celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic rock standard Louie Louie. The programme features archive input and recordings from Richard Berry and members of the Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Wailers and other acts indebted to the song. Followed by:

All Singing, All Dancing, All Night - (1/6) - Tuesday 12th June. BBC Radio 2. 11.30pm
Return of the Northern Soul series in which Stuart Maconie spins classic recordings of the genre and the latest recordings. The series opener features Northern Soul guru Kev 'the writs in the post' Roberts who was a DJ at the famed Wigan Casino in its 1970s heyday.

Suburban 100 by Paul Weller

Paul Weller has a book out in September - and it's called Suburban 100.

I received a sampler of it in the post yesterday (pictured right) and some information on the title. Basically, it's a lyrics book, with Weller picking his 100 favourite from all eras, all arranged thematically and with each featuring a "commentary" of sorts by the man, putting each in context.

It will be available in hardback with 256 pages and a specially commissioned cover by Sir Peter Blake. The sampler is certainly interesting - especially the words of description on the songs featured in it. I'm guessing the finished article will be quite an impressive thing - very "coffee table" too!

It's available from Thursday 6th September, with a recommended price tag of £17.99.

Two London events for June

If you're in London over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd June, there are two events happening that you might want to try out.

On the Friday is the West One R&B Club at the Social, promising R&B from Dave Edwards, Mark Ellis and Liam Hughes - and it's free admission.

On the Saturday, you can check out Hit Back! at the Phoenix, where a strong line-up will be spinning R&B, Soul, Rhythm & Soul, Ska and Mod Jazz for the £5 entrance fee.

For full details and flyers of both nights, check out our events section.

Dangerman - Special Edition box set

Aaah...Patrick McGoohan. He might well have made some dodgy film and TV appearances in the latter part of his career in the US, but he makes up for it with some classic Brit movie appearances and with the leading role in two 60s TV classics - The Prisoner and Dangerman, which is set for a DVD reissue as Dangerman - Special Edition box set.

McGoohan stars as British spy John Drake, sent to locations too tricky or dangerous for 'normal' spies. Hence the show's name. Well written, smartly directed and with the usual smattering of well-known faces, it returns as a box set featuring all 47 episodes over 13 discs, along with special features including a still gallery, script archive and an exclusive 176-page book.

Available from 30th July 2007, it should retail for around £79.99.

Find out more from the Network DVD website

Via Cinedelica

Take My Tip - 25 British Mod artefacts

EMI has a new 'Mod' themed compilation in the shops - this time going back to source for  Take My Tip - 25 British Mod artefacts from the EMI vaults.

It's the first in a series of albums from the new Zonophone offshoot, which will focus on British music from 1963 - 1969. Whether half of these tracks really come under the 'Mod' banner is open to question, but there's plenty of beat and Brit soul rarities here for a budget price (25 for £6.99) so even if you skip a few, it's not bad value.

We'll have a review here soon and hopefully a few to give away. Keep reading for the full tracklisting. And if you like what you read, it's released on 4th June 2007.

More on the album at Amazon.co.uk

Ben Sherman limited bowling shoes

Target alert! Yes, another limited edition product from Ben Sherman, producing an "authentic style" bowling shoe (which always seem to be in demand by someone) - then being unable to resist slapping a target on the side.

If that appeals to you, these are limited to just 700 pairs each worldwide and effectively look every bit the real bowling shoe, with the red, white and blue colour scheme and full lace-up. And they also come with a free BS-logo bag.

Whether you like these will obviously depend on your stance towards targets and bowling shoes. If you're positive about both, they retail for £55.

Find out more at the Cazual website

Into Tomorrow in Bristol

The Into Tomorrow night in Bristol has two confirmed dates for June, each promising 60s Motown, northern soul, ska, hammond, boogaloo, US garage, beat and Mod dancers from DJs Leon & Dean.

Details are:
Friday 22nd June @ The Park, 37 Triangle West, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1ER, 9pm - 3am with free admission.

Friday 29th June @ The Elbow Room, 64 Park Street, Clifton, Bristol, BS1 6JN, 9pm - 3am with free admission.

For more details, email theperks@blueyonder.co.uk.

Retro TV W/C 1st June 2007

Barry Murphy once more trawls the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 1st June to Thursday 7th June.

Highlights of the week

Seven Ages of Rock (3/7) - Blank Generation: Punk Rock - Saturday 2nd June. BBC 2. 9.00pm (Repeated BBC 1 Sunday 3rd 11pm)
It's 1975 and rock music is about to get shock treatment. Punk's story is the tale of two cities - New York and London - at a time when both were in crisis. New Yorkers like Patti Smith, Richard Hell and the Ramones, and London acts like the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Slits took rock back to basics to create a new kind of music in which young musicians were in control.

Making the Monkees - Sunday 3rd June. Channel 4. 10.00pm.
Credited as the first manufactured pop group, the Monkees, four unknown actors on a kids' TV show, sold more records in the USA than the Beatles and Elvis combined in 1967, and their TV show and tunes have a cult following to this day. But Behind the smiles and bubblegum pop songs lay a cut-throat business venture fuelled by money, ego and the ambition of some of the biggest names in Hollywood. This is the inside story of the group's rise and fall.

Film: The Harder They Come (1972) - Sunday 3rd June.BBC 2. 12.10am (Mon am).
Classic cult crime drama starring Jimmy Cliff. A young, Jamaican arrives in Kingston to break into the music business, but finds himself drawn into a world of violence and corruption.