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Fancy a denim jacket with real heritage? You need the Lee 101J 1966 jacket.
This is a replica of the Lee 101J from 1966, made famous by The Beatles, who wore these very same jackets in that year for a Scandinavian photo shoot. The jacket is made from premium Japanese denim and has an adjustable waist, two button-fastening chest pockets and the Lee tab on the chest pocket.
Yours from Oi Polloi for £159.99.
Find out more at the Oi Polloi website
Via Retro To Go
Barry Murphy returns once more trawl 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 30th November to Thursday 6th December.
Highlight of the week
Brazil, Brazil - Tropicalia Revolution. BBC 4. Friday 30th November 9.00pm (Repeated Saturday 1st December 10.00pm)
The second programme in the series covers the military era in Brazil, from 1964-85, and discusses the role that musicians played in leading the fight-back – and how they suffered as a result. The era began with the left-wing protest movement headed by singers like Nara Leao, that was matched against rival styles that ranged from the passionate singing of Elis Regina to the rousing pop songs of Jorge Ben – with television song contests developing into a battle-ground between supporters of different styles.
All this changed in the late Sixties, with the emergence of the experimental tropicalia movement, determined to shake up Brazil just as military hardliners took control of the government. The programme chronicles the careers of the tropicalia stars, from Os Mutantes to Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, who were both jailed and exiled to Britain (and includes never shown footage of them both performing at the Isle of Wight festival). It describes the military censorship campaign against such leading musicians as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, and even Jorge Ben. And it shows how black musicians in Bahia state responded by developing new, and often militant black styles like samba-reggae.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the release of Miles Davis' seminal Birth of The Cool LP, Jean-Paul Séculaire from Right On! is launching a new night dedicated to the sounds of 'real' jazz - think bebop, cool, hard bop, soul-jazz, Latin, funk and blues, all from his collection of original vinyl LPs and 45s.
Home Cookin' is the name of this Sunday session at popular mod haunt Filthy MacNasty's, where you can drink and make merry as well as sampling the pie and mash from the newly fitted kitchen. Best of all, it's free to get in.
Date: Sunday 9th December 2007
Time: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Admission: FREE
Venue: Filthy MacNasty's
Address: 68 Amwell Street, London EC1R 1UU
Tubes: King's Cross / Angel
Just out in time for Christmas is a two-disc DVD set of The Who's finest moments coupled with rare footage of the band and band members - Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who and Six Quick Ones. And we have three DVD sets to give away.
Directed by Paul Crowder, Amazing Journey tells the story of the band through the music, footage, new interviews with the band, celebrity fans and musicians, plus recently-discovered concert footage, kicking off with I Can't Explain and ending with the band's most recent tour and recordings. There's also an additional Six Quick Ones disc, which focuses on each individual band member, the mod scene, the pop art movement and more rare footage - including film of the band as the High Numbers at the Railway Hotel - the earliest footage of the band known to be in existence.
If you want to be in with a chance of winning a set, just enter your details following the link below. The winners will be drawn just before Christmas.
Those nice fellas at The Flipside managed to secure not only the use of a print of Smashing Time, but also a personal appearance by the delightful Rita Tushingham! In case you haven’t run across this little belter of a film before, I’ll summarise:
Two girls from the North of England, Yvonne & Brenda, come down to London in search of ‘The Scene’, which they’ve heard is located somewhere around ‘Carnaby Street’ and we follow their hapless journey from the drive of St Pancras Station, forty years before the glittering refit that transformed it into a sight worth seeing, but here, begrimed with eighty years of soot, and in disrepair, to Camden Town, the result of asking a drunken gentleman of the road the way to that more fashionable street in W1, all the way to that dreamy thoroughfare of fashion, to the more upmarket of West London’s boutiques, fashion shoots and Yvonne’s thwarted pop career, then the long walk back to St Pancras and home.
Barry Murphy returns once more trawl 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 23rd November to Thursday 29th November.
Highlight of the week
BBC4 launches it's Brazil, Brazil season on Friday 23rd November with the start of a three part series which explores the evolution of Brazilian music. The series starts in the days of slavery, when an estimated 4 million Africans were forcibly moved to Brazil, and traces the development of samba from the poor black areas of Salvador and Rio, where it was initially banned, to its fusion with European styles and its move to the mainstream.
The first programme, titled Samba to Bossa, follows the career of samba's most successful and glamorous international star, Carmen Miranda, and the growth of the samba schools that dominate the Rio carnival. It traces the fight-back by musicians from the poor Northeast, who used a rival style, forro, to sing about the harsh realities of their lives, and shows how politics helped the development of a sophisticated new samba-jazz fusion, bossanova, from the Fifties, that was to bring international success to Joao Gilberto and Tom Jobim. The programme ends with the military coup that ended the optimistic, easy-going bossa era.
On Saturday 29th December the Sweet but Deadly collective celebrate a great year of dos by holding an end of year party in new underground venue - The Cellars in Newington Green (N1).
10 DJs from all over Europe, with 2 rooms of music ranging from rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, ska and reggae, to rockabilly, surf, beat, garage, and psychedelia. And to add a some special Swedish seasoning to the mix, raucous 3 piece 'rhythm’n’booze' garage rockers The Branded fly over to play a live set.
Venue: The Cellars, 125 Newington Green Road, London
Doors: 10pm-6am Admission: £7 before midnight, £10 after. Cheap advance tickets are available from www.ticketweb.co.uk.
Christmas is coming early in Derby with the Christmas Special of Bert's Apple Crumble.
Expect a night of uptempo soul, funk, ska & dancefloor boogaloo on Friday 14th December 2007, 10pm - 2am at Susumi, The Wardwick, Derby City Centre. Admission is £3 B4 11pm, £4 After (NUS £3)
Resident DJs Craig Simpson & Dom Cater are joined by a top-notch guest in the form of Dean Rudland (BGP, Acid Jazz, Ace, Blue Note Records), a man responsible for some of the finest soul, funk and jazz compilations out there - check your collection - his name will be in it.
If you happen to be in the Hastings area on Friday 7th December, it's worth checking out C.A.F.
After a short lay-off, the night is back, offering Classic & Rare Motown, Rhythm & Blues, Club & Northern Soul, Funk & Hammond Heavy Dancefloor Jazz, courtesy of Ian 'Rowly' Rowland, Southern Sam and a guest DJ. All on original vinyl obviously.
It's free entry and it's at Bar Cherrybomb, Robertson Street, Hastings, 8pm until 2am.
With the New Untouchables starting a new club night starting at the Epicurean Lounge on 19th January 2008, another one ends.
FAB opens it's doors for the very last night this Saturday 24th November. The last night features the Actionettes dance troupe + DJs Dr Robert & guests Niamh Lynch & Pat Long, spinning Underground 60s dance gems from 9pm until 3am at The Venue, 229 Great Portland St, London W1 (Opp Gt Port tube station).
Admission is £8.
I've just had word that a real lost gem is coming to DVD - The London Nobody Knows.
Dating from 1967, this documentary is headed up by James Mason, who takes a look at the 'underside' of the city, including many places long since demolished. It's due for release on 3rd March as part of a package that also includes Les Bicyclettes De Belsize, a 1968 short about a young man who falls in love with a model, filmed around the Hampstead area of London.
More details on the package when we have it. In the meantime, enjoy a clip of The London Nobody Knows below:
Via Cinedelica
We mentioned this a while back, but just to remind you, Smashing Time is showing at the NFT in London this Tuesday - and we've just had it confirmed that Rita Tushingham will be introducing the movie.
It is showing as part of a mini tribute to the recently-departed George Melly, with Smashing Time (scripted by Melly) showing on the first night - the classic swinging London movie, with Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave heading down to Carnaby Street from 'up north' for money and modelling careers. Fame and fortune finally arrives unexpectedly - but is it really what they want?
And if you want more Melly, a second screening features Melly on the Telly, the pick of the man on the small screen, including Milligan 'N' Melly (1973), Recollections (1985) and It's Your Funeral ( 2001)
Smashing Time shows on Tuesday 20th November at 6:15pm and Melly on the Telly at 8:45pm, both at NFT 1.
If you happen to be in the north east over the weekend of 23rd - 25th November, it might be worth picking up tickets for the Boss Sounds Reggae Festival in Newcastle.
The event is promoted by Newcastle’s ‘Jumpin Hot Club’ in association with Trojan Records which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. The line-up is pretty impressive, including Prince Buster, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Alcapone, as well as some top-notch DJ support from the likes of Massive Attack’s Daddy G, Trojan Sound System and Rob Da Bank.
There's also Jamaican food and photographic exhibitions around the venue. See the website for full details and running order, with tickets available to order here.
Last week I caught The Draytones live at the 100 Club - and was very impressed.
A three-piece band with obvious 60s influences, but without the covers and cliches. They've had two singles out so far and a new album on the 1965 label is due out in early 2008 - with predictions of great things off the back of it.
To get an idea of the band, check out The Draytones MySpace page or watch the video below for the excellent Keep Loving Me 45. And if you like what you hear, they're currently touring all over the UK.
Good news for anyone on the look out for a new Gabicci top - new designs are now available for 2008 and you can buy them directly from the company online.
The designs above are from the new Gabicci 'G' range, based on vintage Gabicci items. There's around eight short-sleeved knits and 11 long-sleeves, alongside other items, including shits and t-shirts - the latter being pretty hideous to be honest.
Prices vary for the short-sleeved knitwear from £50 to £70, with the long-sleeved knitwear retailing for around £75.
For fans of 60s psych pop, The Zombies' Odessey & Oracle is regarded as a classic - even if it doesn't get the same column space as the likes of Sgt Pepper's..., Forever Changes or Pet Sounds.
It's now 40 years old and to celebrate, the original members are playing three shows in London. The first half of the show will feature Zombies hits (like She's Not There for example), with the second half a run-through of the original Odessey & Oracle album, including the stunning Beechwood Park and the classic Time Of The Season.
The shows are at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire from March 7th - 9th 2008. Tickets are on sale now. If you can't wait, you can always go and buy the album.
Tickets from the Ticket Web website
Barry Murphy returns once more trawl 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 16th November to Thursday 22nd November.
Highlight of the week
Kenny Everett: Licence to Laugh. ITV 1. Sunday 18th,10.00pm.
His was a unique talent, even though "Cuddly Ken" occasionally got sacked for pushing the boundaries. It's been nearly 30 years since he burst onto ITV with his groundbreaking Video Show, but he already had legions of fans thanks to his radio work. Some of the biggest names in comedy, music, television and radio pay warm tribute in this definitive portrait of a comedy genius who died 12 years ago, and whose work continues to inspire entertainers today.
We featured it some time back and now it's available to buy - but only in very limited quantities.
Designed with input from the band, the Fred Perry Dead 60s Harrington jacket is available in two colour ranges, both with a reverse tartan design, but in a choice of black or white, with two-button fastening at the neck, black lining and stretch cuffs and waist.
You can get one online if you are quick (only following the link below), but if you happen to be near a Fred Perry store, give them a call, as they were due to get some in too. It's priced at £115.
In 1968, the Gola Harrier trainer was designed by Fred Dilley as an all-rounder for virtually any sport. And with 2008 approaching, Gola has reissued the Harrier in a special 40th anniversary edition.
Originally available in just white and green, it went on to be released in 200 colour combintations and a few style changes. The 40th anniversary shoe will be faithful to the original design and in the colours you can see in the image - for both men and women. And to add that special touch, they will be sold in the original box design, each containing a leaflet about the shoe.
The shoes retail for £45 as of today from Cazual, postage free.
Ska legend Prince Buster with the Delroy Williams Junction Band at The Fairfield Hall, Park Lane, Croydon this month,
Expect him to rifle through the classics on November 23rd, with doors open at 8pm. Tickets are on sale at £21.50 advance + booking fee. You can find out more at the Fairfield Hall website.
If you happen to be further north, Prince Buster is also part of a very strong bill at the Newcastle Boss Sounds Reggae Festival, which takes place on November 25th 2007. You will find more details of that event here.
Captain Hammond's debut release is the limited edition promo EP Cosmic Candy! with the lead song taken from the forthcoming Hammondbeat album 'The Origin of Captain Hammond' (HBR010).
Captain Hammond is the brainchild of Mother Earth's Bryn Barklam, with Greg Boraman and Pete Collison of Reverend Cleatus & The Soul Saviours on drums and guitar, all promising a mix of Hammond-heavy cosmic rock, gospel, 60s R&B, and Northern Soul.
The EP is limited to just 200 and is available to order now, with a release date of November 27th.
Find out more and listen to the music at the Hammondbeat website
If you happen to be doing some Christmas shopping in Paris, you might want to drop in at the Move On Up Christmas Extravaganza.
It's on Saturday December 22nd, running from 9pm until 6am, with live appearances from Pussydelic, Smash and Les Playboys (pictured) until midnight, followed by DJs including Mr Pal (Bag o Grooves), Christophe B (Underground Soul from la Rochelle), Ol' Stark (Modaction) and El Superfreak (Soul Sauce) spinning rare soul, freakbeat, French jerk, early funk, latin and jazz.
It's at La Fleche D'Or, 102 bis rue de Bagnolet, PARIS 20eme (Metro: Porte de Bagnolet ou Gambetta). Admission s free.
Find out more at the Mod Action website
Ever watch an old film and wonder where they were filmed? Well, if they were in London, you can pretty much guarantee it will be in the London Film Location Guide by Simon R.H. James.
There's 276 pages and around 750 films featured, with a significant number from the 1960s. If you want to know more, the book is reviewed over at our cult film site Cinedelica. And if you like what you read, it's available to buy now.
Read the full review over at the Cinedelica website
The 6Ts Allnighters are back at the 100 Club on a regular basis, with the nights running from 9pm until 6am in 2008, with membership no longer required.
For your diary, the dates are:
January 19th, March 8th, April 12th, May 17th, July 5th, August 16th, September 20th (29th anniversary night), October 25th and December 6th.
And there's one more allnighter for this year on December 1st, 9pm - 6am with Butch, Mick Smith, Keith Money, Ady Croasdell and special guest Karl Heard.
Find out more at the 6Ts website
If you happen to be in London this coming Thursday, get yourself to Filthy McNastys for a charity event with a top-notch line-up.
It's in aid of the British Thyroid Foundation and sees live and unplugged appearances by Chris Pope (The Chords), Dave Cairns and Ian Page (Secret Affair) and RT3. There's also DJ support from Dave Edwards and Eddie Piller.
Admission is officially free (as this is a private party), but this is a charity event, so a contribution of £5 for the charity would be appreciated. It all runs from 7pm until 11:30pm on Thursday November 15th.
Filthy McNastys, 68 Amwell Street, London, EC1
(nearest tubes re Angel, Kings Cross or Farringdon)
If you happen to be in York on Friday 7th December, it might well be worth checking out There Was A Time.
It's at Dusk, New Street, York city centre, running from 8pm - 2am with free entry. DJs are resident Soulmaster Jay and special guest Andy Lewis and Barry Forth, all spinning a mix of classic and obscure Northern Soul, Mod, R&B, jazz, latin and ska.
Barry Murphy returns once more trawl 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 9th November to Thursday 15th November.
Highlight of the week
Not very 'retro', but usually very good - The Mighty Boosh returns on Thursday 15th November (BBC 3 10.30pm) with a new third series. Now working in Nabootique, Naboo's second-hand shop in Dalston, Vince and Howard are left in charge when Naboo and Bollo go on the chief Shaman's stag do. Everything is fine until the evil Cockney Hitcher pays a visit, summoning Elsie Queen of Eels and demanding protection money.
A bit late in the day, but if you are able to get to Barcelona next week, you might want to check out The Boiler rhythm ’n’ soul club.
It's on November 10th 2007, wth guest DJs Leon Oddsocks (Bristol), Thierry Steady Go (Brussels) and Alvaro 'Dimples' (Leon), alongside residents Jordi Duró, Alberto Valle & Cristina Alonso.
Venue details are The Jazz Room, Carrer Valmajor nº 33 / Plaça d’Adrià, Barcelona, with the night running from 23:30 - 05:00, admission 10 Euros.
If you can't make that, future dates are January 12th 2008, March 8th 2008, May 10th 2008 and July 11th & 12th 2008 (Boiler’s 5th Anniversary).
Interesting to see Marks & Spencer now offering a made-to-measure service for shirts online.
Admittedly, this seems much more simplified than proper shirt tailoring, you choose your quality of shirt, your material from the store's selection, the fit (including slim fit) , your detailing and then you add your own measurements.
Price-wise, it seems reasonable, with the cheapest type of shirt on offer for £30 - not bad for custom-made in the UK. Although it would be interesting to see a finished example before making a firm judgement.
Looking to kit your room out with targets? Next has just the thing with its mod-themed bedroom.
This is a child's bedroom, but you can get a double version of the bed linen from the website. Everything else is suitable for big or small kids, with the mod-patched lined curtains for between £45 - £70, mod patches large target stickers for £25, the mod patches cushion for £12, the bed linen set for between £35 and £45, the throw for £40, target playsack for £50 and the target rug for £30.
For a better view of the bed linen see over or check the Next website for detailed descriptions of each item.
Oki-ni has teamed up with Fred Perry for a new limited edition range of clothing for autumn/winter 2007 - based on a vintage Fred Perry shirt for Action Man.
That shirt featured an oversized logo - seen here now on the Fred Perry Little Big Action Man range, a selection of items featuring a slimline fit and 1950s-style logo. First up is the the Little Big Action Man Polo Shirt (pictured here), made of 100% cotton heavy pique with press stud buttons and wide tartan green tipping. It has no top stitching to give a cleaner finish and retails for £75.
The Little Big Action Man Track Jacket is also made in 100% cotton heavy pique with no top stitching, an oversized zip and ribbing on the sleeves, collar and waistline. That's £100. Finally, the Little Big Action Man Tennis Jumper is a heavy gage cable knit with wide ribbing and a tartan green 50s laurel. That sells for £195.
See images of the latter two items over the page - and if you want any of the items, they will be available from Oki-ni from Thursday 8th November.
Barry Murphy returns once more trawl 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 2nd November to Thursday 8th November.
Highlight of the week
On an otherwise very slow week for any interesting retro TV, BBC 4 show George Melly's Last Stand (Wednesday 7th November 9.00pm) a new documentary following the musician and his wife on what would be his final tour before his death last July, culminating in a performance at the 100 Club, 60 years after he began his career there.
