Mod/beat legends The Creation are back together for a gig - at London's 100 Club.
The date for your diary is 24th July 2008, running from 7:30pm until 11pm, with DJ support from Gary Crowley and Dave Edwards.
Tickets are a fairly hefty £20 and available from the link below. Or find out more at the 100 Club website.
Order tickets for the gig online
It's goodbye to purple and blue and hello to red, black and white as Modculture gets its first new design in around eight years.
As you can see from the image above, the new design is very different to the old one - although the site layout will be similar to the old one...at least for now. But we have removed all Flash code from the site - which has caused some problems to some users.
The new header and menu are the work of Swifty, best-known for Straight No Chaser magazine, Talkin' Loud, Blue Note, Mo Wax and various other projects you're probably familiar with - and it should be seen on the site from this weekend.
The downside is the number of pages on Modculture - so bear with us in the short term as the old design will mix with the new one. However, in the long term, it should herald in more new content and a new enthusiasm for the site.
Here are a couple of chances to see some jazz on the big screen, courtesy of The Barbican in London.
The classic film of jazz trumpeter-singer Chet Baker in his drugs-fueled '50s heyday, Let's Get Lost, is to be re-released on the big screen on June 6th. Made in 1988 by Bruce Weber, it features a series of interviews with Baker, his friends, families, associates and lovers, interspersed with footage of his early performances days.
And to complement this the Barbican is also screening for one night only the fictional 'Round Midnight. Bebop tenor sax player Dexter Gordon stars in Bertrand Tavernier's tribute to 1950s jazz, inspired by the lives of Bud Powell and Lester Young. Herbie Hancock provides the musical arrangements. This rare screening is on June 8th at 3.30pm, tickets are priced at £8.50.
See more at The Barbican film website here .
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 May to Thursday 22nd May.
Highlights of the week
Fast approaching his 50th birthday and with a new album due for release next month, Paul Weller seems to be all over the media at the moment. He appears on BBC 2's Later Live... with Jools Holland (Tues 20th, 10pm) performing tracks from his new 22 Dreams album, while BBC Radio 6 has a two-part special Sold on Song (Weds 21st/Thurs 22nd, 9.30pm) in which he talks to Mark Lamarr about his methods and sources of inspiration, as well as performing songs from his vast repertoire.
Other bits to look out for this week include a screening of Lindsay Anderson's cult 1968 movie If... (Film4. Tues 20th, 11pm), while on the radio BBC Radio 4 repeat The Blues Dance (Sat 17th, 3.30pm) a look at the world of the blues dance or Jamaican private club and screenwriter Kay Mellor explores the legacy of Shelagh Delaney's iconic play A Taste of Honey (BBC Radio 4. Thurs 22nd, 11.30am).
From the shop that gave us Ace Records comes a compilation of their favourite vintage rock, blues and soul numbers.
Rock On began life in 1971 as a stall in Portobello Road Market run by Ted Carroll. It eventually opened a second stall in Soho, before a third emporium - an actual shop this time - was launched in Camden in 1975. There it served over the years hundreds of thousands of customers, providing quality used records from the time of the birth of rock'n'roll. Carroll, who still works at Ace Records, felt it was time to compile an album that truly served the music and memory of Rock On (he even took tracklisting suggestions from former customers).
The compilation, also entitled Rock On, is available now from Amazon for £9.98 here. The tracklisting is below.
1. AMOS MILBURN - Chicken Shack Boogie
2. BILLY LEE RILEY - Red Hot
3. SLIM HARPO - Shake Your Hips
4. CHARLIE FEATHERS - Bottle To The Baby
5. VINCE TAYLOR - Brand New Cadillac
6. RAY SHARPE - Linda Lu
7. ROKY ERICKSON - Two Headed Dog
8. JOE WEAVER / DON JUANS - Baby, I Love You So
9. WAYLON JENNINGS - Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
10. THE IKETTES - Camel Walk
11.
DR FEELGOOD - Back In The Night
12. DYKE & BLAZERS - So Sharp
13. THE FLAMIN' GROOVES - Slow Death
14. DON COVAY - It's Better To Have (And Don't Need)
15. FATS DOMINO - Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better
16. JERRY BYRNE - Lights Out
17. JOE TEX - You Little Baby Faced Thing
18. AUSTIN PITRE & EVANGELINE PLAYBOYS - Flumes D'Enfer
19. THE BELFAST GYPSIES - Gloria's Dream
20. PETER HOLSAPPLE - Big Black Truck
21. HUEY PIANO SMITH - Don't You Just Know It
22. THE SHANGRI-LAS - Give Him A Great Big Kiss
23. LINK DAVIS - Slipping And Sliding Sometimes
24. PEANUTS WILSON - Cast Iron Arm
25. RON HOLDEN - My Babe
26. KOKO TAYLOR - What Came First - The Egg Or The Hen?
27. MERCY BABY (DEE) - Marked Deck
28. LINK WRAY - I'm So Glad, I'm So Proud
Everyone seems to be designing a fashion range right now - even long-time DJ/broadcaster Gary Crowley, who has followed his mate Paul Weller by producing a footwear range - specifically the Gary Crowley Desert Boots for Ikon.
The above image probably doesn't tell you much, but in truth, there's only so much to say about a desert boot. Very much in the mould of your classic Clarks boot, the only difference is probably in the stitching and the 'button' logo on the side.
Colour options are a marked difference too - take your pick from ice, stone (in corduroy), dark brown, green or black - all retailing for £50.
Find out more at the Ikon Footwear website
London's Barbican centre is hosting a Best of Bond weekend over the weekend of 7th and 8th June, with the films shown based on the votes of the cinema's audiences over the past couple of months.
The winners have just been announced, with the four films being shown:
Saturday 7th June
6.00pm - From Russia With Love (1963)
8.45pm - Goldfinger (1964)
Sunday 8th June
6.00pm - Casino Royale (2006 - not the 'spoof' version from 1967)
8.45pm - Dr No (1962)
You could sit through the whole weekend if you wanted, but it doesn't look like you get a discounted ticket for doing so - admission is £8.50 per film, £6 for the unwaged.
Find out more at the Barbican website
Britain's dandiest crime investigator heads to DVD next month with the launch of Jason King - The Complete Series Special Edition.
As the name suggests, this is everything - seven discs with all 26 episodes complete and uncut, with Peter Wyngarde in the title role, mixing life as a crime fighter, author, playboy and late 60s clothes horse. Extras include a documentary, stills gallery, music suite and the TV play The Cross Fire starring Peter Wyngarde.
It's out on 30th June 2008, selling for £59.99. But watch out for a competition on this very site in the very near future.
The Perpignan Soul Weekender offers 3 days of rare soul, R&B and classic soul in sunny Perpignan, in the south of France. Taking place over the weekend of the 19th-21st of June, there is an extensive line-up of top DJs to give you maximum pleasure for your money. Below is the schedule, including DJs, times and costs.
Thursday 19th: Soul Aperitif
Wine tasting in a cafe, with local DJs + guests
7.30pm-10.30pm, free entry
Friday 20th: Soul Steppin
Party at the El Mediator, Avenue General Leclerc.
DJs: Liam Quinn (Belfast), Andy Bellwood (York), Paul Rockey (North Wales).
7.30pm-1.30am, 4 euros
Saturday 21st: Soul Night
Party on the 7th floor of the Palais Des Congres of Perpignan.
DJs:
Liam Quinn (Belfast), Thierry Steuve (Brussels), Tony Jackson
(Manchester), Maria Willingham & guest (Middleton), Paul Rockey
(North Wales), Chic (Manchester), Andy Bellwood (York), Steve Cato
(Manchester), and Chris Bearsoul Morgan (Manchester).
8pm-4am, 8 euros (includes free drink).
Wattstax film each evening.
Projection of Wattstax, the 1972 concert at the Watts Stadium in
Los Angeles, to the memory of the black riots of 1965. With Isaac
Hayes, the Barkays, Little Milton, Rufus Thomas etc.
Cine Rive Gauche, Quai Vauban.
7pm, 5 euros.
For more information on the weekend or to reserve tickets email lava-records@hotmail.fr.
The twelfth edition of the Great London Rideout scooter run takes place on Sunday June 1st.
The run begins in central London and ends in Southend, Essex. The start meeting point is The Inner Circle in Regents Park, with the run departure time of 10am. The ride out follows the tried and tested route, with a stop at the Dick Turpin pub on the A127, before on again to the Southend seafront. All those with scooters are welcome. London scooter clubs who are participating this year include Bar Italia S.C., South London Revival S.C., and Elms S.C., plus many more clubs from all around the UK with attend. Wolfy The Mod has organised some free live music entertainment at Chimmery's in Southend for afterwards. For information on that contact him via his Myspace page here .
There's been a glut of UK female singers since the success of Amy Winehouse, and the best of the follow-up bunch seems to be Bristol-born Beth Rowley.
A graduate of Brighton's Institute of Modern Music, the 26 year-old fell under the tutelage of former Young Disciples vocalist Carleen Anderson. Her voice is unmistakably warm, rich, and soulful, betraying her childhood gospel/church roots and the many years experience she built up as a backing singer. The music she writes shows a variety of mid-to-late 60s influences: McCartney-penned Beatles songs, Motown and Atlantic soul, and the folk of Carole King and Emmy-Lou Harris. In 2007 she came to the attention of Universal's jazz imprint Blue Thumb, who sent her into the studio to record Little Dreamer, an album of original tracks alongside gospel standards like 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' and a rendition of Willie Nelson's 'Angels Flying Too Close to the Ground'. "I'm so obsessed with blues and soul", she says, "Whenever I sing, I close my eyes and think of Al Green".
The video for recent single 'Oh My Life' is below. Hear Beth on Myspace here. Beth's debut album 'Little Dreamer' is out on Monday the 19th, and can be purchased from Amazon here.
EMI Records are to release a Beach Boys singles box set covering their Capitol Records period.
U.S. Singles Collection: The Capitol Years 1962 - 1965 features eight previously unreleased mixes of singles amongst the 66 tracks across 16 discs. All the discs feature the original single artwork and will be packaged as individual digipacks, with the original and A and B sides, along with additional mixes and live recordings. All the tracks will also be made available to buy as downloads from June 16. The physical box set is something of a treat: it is packaged in a special 'telescoping box', and includes a 48-page hardcover picture book.
It is available to pre-order from Play.com at the wallet-worrying price of £74.99 here.
US Singles Collection tracklisting:
CD Single 1
'Surfin’ Safari', '409', '409' (Live)
CD Single 2
'Ten Little Indians', 'County Fair', 'Punchline'(Instrumental)
CD Single 3
'Surfin' USA', 'Shut Down', 'Surfin' USA'(Stereo mix), 'Shut Down' (Stereo mix)
CD Single 4
'Surfer Girl', 'Little Deuce Coupe', 'Surfer Girl'(Stereo mix), 'Little Deuce Coupe'(Stereo mix)
CD Single 5
'Be True To Your School', 'In My Room'(Mono), 'Be True To Your School'(Stereo), 'In My Room' (Stereo)
CD Single 6
'Little Saint Nick', 'The Lord's Prayer', 'Little Saint Nick'(Stereo), 'The Lord's Prayer' (Stereo)
CD Single 7
'Fun, Fun, Fun', 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love?', 'Fun, Fun, Fun'(Stereo), 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love?'(Mono)
CD Single 8
'I Get Around', 'Don't Worry Baby', 'I Get Around'(Stereo), 'Don't Worry Baby'(Stereo)
CD Single 9
'When I Grow Up To Be A Man', 'She Knows Me Too Well', 'When I Grow Up To Be A Man'(Stereo), 'She Knows Me Too Well' (Stereo)
CD Single 10
'Wendy', 'Don't Back Down', 'Little Honda' (Mono), 'Hushabye', 'Wendy' (Stereo)
'Don’t Back Down' (Stereo), 'Little Honda' (Stereo), 'Hushabye' (Stereo)
CD Single 11
'Dance, Dance, Dance', 'The Warmth Of The Sun', 'Dance, Dance, Dance' (Stereo), 'The Warmth Of The Sun'(Stereo)
CD Single 12
'The Man With All The Toys', 'Blue Christmas', 'The Man With All The Toys' (Stereo), 'Blue Christmas' (Stereo)
CD Single 13
'Do You Wanna Dance?', 'Please Let Me Wonder', 'Do You Wanna Dance?' (Stereo)
'Please Let Me Wonder' (Stereo)
CD Single 14
'Help Me, Rhonda', 'Kiss Me, Baby', 'Help Me, Rhonda'(Mono backing track), 'Kiss Me, Baby' (Stereo)
CD Single 15
'California Girls', 'Let Him Run Wild', 'California Girls' (Stereo), 'Let Him Run Wild' (Stereo)
CD Single 16 (Bonus Single)
'All Dressed Up For School', 'I'm So Young', 'Graduation Day'
The ever-excellent London mod night Hard As Nails has just announced its summer dates.
The across-the-board musical policy comes from a number of resident DJs - Andy Brazil, Macke, Clanger, Jim Cox, and Kerry Foster - meaning they won't all be DJing at each event, allowing more time for the guests to show their musical wares.
- Saturday June 7th DJs Rob Messer, Southern Sam, Jim Cox, Clanger, Macke
- Saturday July 26th DJs Mik Parry, Andy Pollard, Jim Cox, Clanger, Andy Brazil
- Saturday August 30th DJs Mark Thomas, Warren Boogaloo, Kerry Foster, Macke, Andy Brazil
UPSTAIRS @ CLOCKWORK
96-98 PENTONVILLE RD, LONDON N1 9JB
9pm-4am, £8 entry
Visit the club's Myspace page here.
If you're on the look out for mod-styled clothing and accessories in South Wales, you need to get yourself to the newly-opened Mojo King.
Owner Paul Reeves (who also co-runs Cardiff's Fabulous night) has used redundancy money from his previous job to set up the store in the Roath area of Cardiff, offering the likes of Soul of 65, Gabicci, Fred Perry, Aertex, Baracuta, Warrior and Ikon, along more obvious items like parkas, desert boots, sta-prest and retro bags and accessories.
The range is mostly for men, but some female items are carried too. You'll find the shop at:
Mojo King
Unit 1, Wellfield Court Arcade
Wellfield Road
Roath
Cardiff
CF243PB
Telephone: 029 20499968
Open Tuesday to Saturday 9.30 to 5.30 (but closed on Cup Final Day). No website as yet, but you can get an interior shot of the shop over the page.
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 May to Thursday 15th May.
Highlights of the week
BBC 4 broadcast The Music from Mad Men night on Friday 9th May, featuring a new biography of Peggy Lee (9pm), Kings of Cool: the Classic Crooners (10pm), and The World of Nat King Cole (11.50pm). The other bit of TV that looks at all interesting this week is Love Music Hate Racism 08, a look at the evolution of the Rock Against Racism movement (channel 4, Friday 9th,12.25am).
Radio wise, the most interesting listing to be found this week is on Radio 4 (Tuesday 13th, 1.30pm)
The Blues Dance - a look at the world of the blues dance or Jamaican private club in the history of black Britain. Johnnie Walker presents his own tribute to Dusty Springfield in Icons Revisited (BBC Radio 2. Tuesday 13th.10.30pm) and the world of public information films is celebrated in The Archive Hour - The Terrible Truth (BBC Radio 4. Saturday 10th. 8.00pm)
We're trying to clear out a backlog of music reviews right now (amongst other things), with two new reviews just online.
First up, the Le Beat Bespoke 3 compilation - or the album of the even if you prefer (although its actually rare 1960s garage/psych tracks rather than track taken from that particular event.
Secondly, the expanded and reissued Stoned Woman by Mother Earth, which no has six additional tracks and new liner notes. If you like the sound of it, don't forget you can still win one from us by clicking here.
Finally, if music is your bag, you can get news, reviews and snippets every single day from our 'across the board' music site - Electric Roulette.
Bournemouth has a new late-night soul event in the form of S.O.S.
Having begun promoting nights locally in 2006, the S.O.S. team have secured a regular slot at the 500-capacity Opera House in the town, with the next event scheduled for Saturday 31st May. On that occasion soul band DC Fontana are playing live, while guest DJs manning the decks will be Rowly, Warren Boogaloo, Steve Lyons, and Emma Cox.
S.O.S., Saturday 31st May
@ The Opera House, 570 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH1 4BH
8pm-4am, £10 entry
Future dates: 6th September, 1st November
For more info visit the S.O.S website here. To buy tickets visit the venue, or ring 07934 483756.
A trailer showing off Neil Young's long-awaited Archives Volume One has been made available to watch through YouTube.
Young demonstrated earlier this week, at an IT conference in San Francisco, some of the features of Archives. The first release in the Archives series focuses on 1962-1972, and is packaged as an interactive 10-disc Blu-Ray collection of material, including hundreds of tracks of music, photographs, letters and other memorabilia. This period covers his early bands, his time in Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and first few solo albums. It is also hoped that it will include the unreleased material he recorded at Motown studios, which has yet to see the light of day. Some of his fans will be forced into updating their home entertainment systems in order to be able to play Archives on the new Blu-Ray format.
The first Archives volume (of an estimated five) is scheduled for release this Autumn, via Sun Microsystems/Reprise/Warner Bros. Have a sneak preview below.
Ex-Small Face Ian McLagan is going back on the road in the UK and Ireland, promoting his latest album under the Bump Band name.
The album is called Never Say Never and it's released on 7th July 2008 on the Proper Records label. It's described as 'beautiful and emotionally raw' and features all new material. The tour will play at several small venues - so ideal to get things signed and a photo or two I guess.
If you want the full schedule, read on over the page.
German beatsters Monkeeman has a new album out on the market - the first release in the UK. Not only that, the band are playing in UK - at the excellent International Pop Overthrow in Liverpool.
If time and money is precious, you can check out the band at the MySpace site via the link below. Or if you like to spend your money on clobber, the band have arranged for a free EP to be given away with every clothing order with DNA Groove.
Which sounds like great value to me.
Monkeeman MySpace site
The latest installment of Detour Records' mod band compilation is set for release shortly.
Takin' A Detour Volume 4 is an 18 track CD featuring contemporary, mod-related bands from around the world, with each act contributing two tracks. This volume sees appearances from freakbeaters The East End (Russia), '79 revivalists The Itch (UK), power-poppers The Cokes (Japan), punk-pop group The Nailclippers (also Japan), '60s poppers Camera (USA), The Fadeaways (Japan), psych-rockers The Parascopes (Austria), mod rock from the awfully-named The Unremarkables (UK), and finally indie-mod hybrid Weird Scene (UK). A wide-range of styles are represented here, which helps show the mod/scooter scenes' strength in diversity.
Takin' A Detour Volume 4 is released on the 9th of June and can be purchased from the Detour website here. You can email Dizzy from the label here.
Following the success of the first event, details of the 2nd 1970 Reggae Soul Revival weekender have been announced.
Taking place on the weekend of the 11 and 12th of July at the Sugar Lounge in Margate, the big news this year has to be the appearance of Derrick Morgan alongside George Dekker. They will be duetting on many classic skinhead reggae anthems, as well as performing their solo songs. Weekends DJs include Brian Kelson, Phil Bush, Mark Wilson, and Oxford Paul. Weekend tickets are priced at £20 and available from the venue here .
1970 Reggae Sound Revival
11-12th July 2008
@ The Sugar Lounge, Mansion Street, Margate, CT9 1HE
8pm-3am on the Friday (£6), allnighter with live acts on the Saturday (£15). Free Sat daytime event (open decks, stalls)
For more information on the event you can phone the organisers: Phil on 07796 988633, or Brian on 01952 604251.
If Mojo and Uncut don't cut it, you'll be pleased to know that the latest issue of Shindig! magazine has hit the shelves.
The May/June issue features Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory talking about the Dukes Of The Stratosphear (with the albums about to be reissued), a look at San Francisco in 1966, a feature on American power pop band Blue Ash plus a critical look at the reformations of both The Sonics and The Zombies amongst other news, review and features.
You can get a subscription online at the website or you can now pick it up in WH Smiths in the UK or Barnes & Noble in the US.
Shindig! magazine website
Another night in Stockton, this time a newly-launched night going by the name of Monkey Train.
The music mix is ska, 60s R&B, soul & reggae, with DJs Paddy M (Tighten Up, Set the Tone), Johnny and guests. It kicks off on Saturday 7th June at the Georgian Theatre, running from 8pm until late. Tickets are £3 in advance, £4 on the door.
For more information check out the clubs MySpace site or if you have any questions or fancy a guest DJ spot contact monkeytrain@hotmail.co.uk.
We have mentioned the Magic Bus night before - and if you've not been down, here's an added incentive for you. You could win a Savile Row suit.
How? Well, Magic Bus at the Cock Tavern on Friday 13th June will feature special guest DJ William Hunt of Savile Row alongside Eddie Piller, Ivor Jones, Johnny Valatone and Dean Rudland. And there's a dancing competition with the prize of a bespoke Savile Row suit from William Hunt - male or female suit.
Flyer above, but if you can't see it, the address is The Cock Tavern, East Poultry, Smithfield Market, London EC1 (20 yards from Fabric), running from 9pm until 2am, £5 on the door.
YouTube continues to dig up some great musical treasures of the past - including this one of the Spencer Davis Group.
The track is a rough 'n' ready live version of I'm A Man, taken from a Finnish TV show. Great stuff...
Interesting interview in the Daily Mail (of all papers) with actor Martin Freeman, talking about his 'mod' leanings, his career, his record collection and his thoughts on just about everything else.
Luckily for those of us who don't buy the newspaper, the full interview is online - and you can view it via the link below...
Modern Life is returning to its soulful home, bigger and better than ever on Friday 23rd May.
Shake and fingerpop to the sounds of Tamla Motown, Atlantic, freakbeat blue eyed soul, ye ye, Hammond mod, 60s britpop and Northern. Dress neat and be ready for sharp beats as DJ Grant Schofield and his team (guest DJs include Chris Arthur).
There's a live band too - Edinburgh-based five-piece combo Modus, recently signed to Hammondbeat Records. The night takes place at the Stockton Arc, running from 9pm til late, with admission £8 (£6 concessions).
Arc website
The classic Rolling Stones 1969 tour documentary Gimme Shelter is to be released on DVD this summer.
The film, directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicles the Stones' infamous tour which ended up with the chaotic Altamont Free Concert. The stellar supporting cast includes Ike and Tina Turner, Jefferson Airplane, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Gimme Shelter has had the full colour and sound restoration treatment, and comes accompanied with a lavish 40-page booklet with photos and essays on the Altamont show. Extras include directors' audio commentary and backstage footage of the Stones at Madison Square Gardens in New York.
Gimme Shelter is set for release by Warner Home Video on August the 11th.
A new film about the birth of rock'n'roll, Honeydripper, is shortly to be released in the UK.
Directed by American independent cinema stalwart John Sayles, it stars Danny Glover and is set in Harmony, Alabama during the 1950s. The Honeydripper's focus is, we're told, about 'the complexities and shifting identities of American sub-cultures'. Glover's character Tyrone Purvis owns blues joint The Honeydripper Lounge and its' future depends on a show by Guitar Sam. But when he doesn't show Tyrone is determined the show will happen, and drifter Sonny Blake may just be the answer to his prayers...
The film is notable for featuring many blues artists, including Mable John, Arthur Lee Williams, Keb' Mo', and Eddie Shaw. Honeydripper is on UK general release from Friday May 9th. Visit the official movie site here. The trailer is below.
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 May to Thursday 8th May.
Highlights of the week
Jean Seberg was only 17 when Otto Preminger plucked her from obscurity—and a pool of over 18,000 casting hopefuls—to star in his controversial retelling of the Joan of Arc epic Saint Joan (BBC 4, May Day Holiday 5th 10pm). The actress, an enduring female style icon who inspired a million pixie cuts, led a short and tragic life. Hounded by the FBI, she suffered a miscarriage and on every subsequent anniversary of her child's death she attempted suicide. She had been missing for two weeks when she was found dead in the back seat of her car in a Paris suburb on 7th September 1979. She had taken a massive overdose of barbiturates, and had been dead for eleven days.
Allen Toussaint is set to play a rare show in London.
The New Orleans singer, songwriter and producer par excellence will play the Mojo Club on Monday August 4th at the Roundhouse in Camden. Since the mid-50s Toussaint has been lending his hand to some of the most memorable R&B and southern soul songs, working with Lee Dorsey, Benny Spellman, Dr. John, The Meters, Irma Thomas, and many more. He also worked in the fields of rock and pop, collaborating with amongst others The Band, Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney. He recently finished producing London-based blues singer James Hunter. Except to see one or more of these stars joining Toussaint onstage during the performance.
Tickets for the show (which will probably sell out quickly, so we don't advise you hang around) cost £27.50 and are available from Aloud here .
A book telling the story of the Immediate Records label has just been released.
Immediate Records was formed in 1965 by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and his business partner Tony Caldor. It very quickly established itself as the coolest label around, releasing a host of excellent singles and LPs in not just the mod vein but featuring pop, rock, blues, psychedelia, folk and soul too. However by 1970 the dream was over and the label disbanded. 'Immediate Records: Labels Unlimited', written by Simon Spence, tells the fascinating story behind this brief label that burned so brightly. It features plenty of records sleeve photographs and other memorabilia from the time that fans will no doubt pore over with delight.
Immediate Records: Labels Unlimited (Black Dog Publishing) is out now in paperback and available for £18.95 from Amazon here.
An '80s mod revival club has started up in Belfast.
Bought to you by members of the Solid Bond Scooter Club (who formed last year), '80s Mod Revival Club is a monthly affair starting on June 7th and then runs every first Saturday. DJ Paul Williams brings you the best of mod revival, ska, northern soul, new wave, and Motown. Admission is £5 entry.
'80s Mod Revival Club
1st Saturdays from June 7th, £5 entry
@ The Pavilion Bar, Ormeua Road, Belfast
For more on the night and the scooter club visit the Sold Bond website here.
