Drop The Biscuit

If you’re interested in getting the lowdown on the 1960s, or can’t remember, Joe Boyd was there and does remember. His account in ‘White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s’ is of a time when the

wind changed, a time when drugs, political activism and innovative music merged. Here’s a soundtrack from it to get you in the mood.

1 Soft Machine-Why Are We Sleeping?

2 The Purple Gang-Granny Takes A Trip

3 Pink Floyd-Flaming

4 Dr Strangely Strange-Dark Haired Lady

5 Fairport Convention-Eastern Rain

6 Incredible string Band-Koeeoaddi There

7 Nick Drake-One Of These Things First

8 Tomorrow-My White Bicycle

9 Mike Heron-Feast Of Stephen

10 Vashti Bunyan-Diamond Day

11 Fotheringay-Nothing More

12 Nico-Janitor Of Lunacy

13 Kate & Anna McGarrigle-come A Long Way

14 Richard & Linda Thompson-Shoot Out The Lights

15 Beverley & John Martin-Auntie Aviator

16 Dudu Pukwana & Spear-Joe’s Jika

And if this is the sort of thing you enjoy/tolerate, you might want to check out-‘UFO Tales’, ’14 Hours’ the ‘Soft Psych’ mixes, or a couple of the ‘Folk n Blues Club’ mixes? then again, you might be busy?

This week we’re delighted to welcome back Mr John Marchant. 

John has spent the last twenty five years as an artist collaborator, enabler and apologist – principally in New York and London. He once had to call the charming and talented director of the Pompidou specifically to call him an asshole. He recently started a clothing company with Derek Dunbar and Jamie Reid called Ragged Kingdom, and has a book on Reid’s Xerox-based artwork called Rogue Materials out in November 2021. 

This second mix is just as interesting as his first & equally as exciting, way back in July 2020. And in true DTB style, it features an eclectic mix of Classical, Gospel, Soul & post Punk………..

1 Veljo Tormis – How Can I Recognise My Home 

2 Leatherface – In The Ghetto

3 Bill Fay – Garden Song

4 Elin Manahan Thomas & Orchestra Of Age Of Enlightenment- Dido’s Lament, Purcell -When I Am Laid In Earth

5 Aretha Franklin – Precious Lord Take My Hand

6 Behaviour Red – Ke Ke Ke Ke Ke Ya

7 Eon – Electromagnetic Waves  

8 Beirut Slump – Tornado Warnings

9 Simone Kernes – Lamento Della Ninfa (Monteverdi)

10 Minty – Useless Man

11 Little Richard – What Am I Supposed To Do Without Jesus

12 Thomas Leer – All About You

13 Cristina – Things Fall Apart

14 Anne Peebles – I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down

15 Les Thugs – Waiting

16 Jeles Napok – Sralmas Vilag

17 Anthony Roth Costanzo – Amadigi di Gaula (Handel)

Finally got ‘round to reading the Steve Jones book-Lonely Boy, tales from a Sex Pistol. 

What a great read, with a forward by Chrissie Hynde. It’s honest, revealing & some quite surprising (?) bits ’n’ pieces. And especially refreshing to hear somebody else’s version rather than John & Malcolm’s. 

There was ton’s of stuff to choose from – from growing up as a kid, stuff the Pistols messed about with, leading right up to his Radio show. So here’s a selection of songs/artists that we found interesting.

Can’t wait for the Danny Boyle project………….Soon to be made into a six part television drama, directed by Danny Boyle, who describes the emergence of the Pistols as the moment that British society and culture changed for ever.

Goodreads- ‘Without the Sex Pistols there would be no Punk. And without Steve Jones there would be no Sex Pistols’.

1 Bill Haley & His Comets- Rock Around The Clock

2 The Flamin’ Groovies- Slow Death

3 David Bowie- Prettiest Star

4 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel- Mr Soft

5 Billy Fury & The Four Jays- Don’t Leave Me This Way

6 Sparks- Talent Is An asset

7 Alice Cooper- 18

8 Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers- Roadrunner

9 The Stooges- Loose

10 The Who- Substitute

11 Free- Mr Big

12 Groundhogs- Cherry Red

13 The Kinks- All Day And All Of The Night

14 Roxy Music- Virginia Plain-

15 Black Sabbath- Sweet Leaf

16 Eddie Cochran- Nervous Breakdown

17 The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Purple Haze

18 Mott The Hoople- All The Young Dudes

19 The Untouchables- Tighten Up

20 Edgar Winter- Frankenstein

21 Sly & The Family Stone- I Want To Take You Higher

22 The Small Faces- What’cha  Gonna Do About It

23 Hawkwind- Silver Machine

Diggin’ the roots of Soul again this week folks….with the ‘Roots of  MOTOWN and STAX’ .

Following on from the recently posted Doo-Wop playlist (Soultime Pt.5), which (we thought) rather cleverly ended with a tune called ‘Sincerely’ by the Moonglows, featuring one Harvey Fuqua – leading us nicely into this weeks spotlight on the roots of Soul’s  two biggest hitters- Motown & Stax. 

Before Berry Gordy set up Motown, the very same Harvey Fuqua, of Moonglows fame, (not just 

a great voice, but also a smart businessman & talent spotter too!)  along with Berry Gordy’s elder sister Gwen (they would later marry) set up Anna Records. As well as other offshoots Harvey Records and Tri-Phil Records. Discovering artist such as Marvin Gaye, Junior Walker, Johnny Bristol, Lamont Dozier, Joe Tex and The Detroit Spinners. 

So this week we’ll be featuring a selection of some of our favourite tunes from Harvey & Gwen’s recently (& highly recommended) released series of CD’s (Anna Pt.s 1 & 2, Harvey Records and Tri-Phil Pts 1 & 2) 

Altogether  a brilliant compilation- opening with Harvey himself, & the first few tunes being total MOD classic! It gives us just one small insight into the birth of Soul. It’s got shouters, screamers, pleaders and pure sweet soul ballads. as well as some of harvey’s doowop, blues & gospel roots…& if that’s not enough, you got Junior Walker blowin’, an i mean blowin’ his top!  As Harvey takes us seamlessly from Doowop to Soul (and sometimes back an forth!)

Harvey and Gwen would eventually sell their interests in all three labels (where most of their artists would follow them) and join Berry Gordy at MOTOWN.  And the rest, as they say…..…

And then finally we finish with a few tunes from the Satellite label, a small label started by Country Fiddle Player Jim Stewart in 1957, featuring such artists as Rufus and Carla Thomas and the Mar-Kays, which some Soul fans may already know? would eventually (in 1961) turn into the STAX label.

(Picture featured above-The Moonglows, featuring Harvey Fuqua and a young Marvin Gaye)

………enjoy!

1 Harvey-Come On And Answer Me

2 Shorty Long-Too Smart

3 The Merced Blue Notes-Whole Lotta Nothing

4 The Spinners-Itchin’ For My Baby

5 Harvey-Any Way You Wanta

6 Barrett Strong-You Knows What to do

7 Herman Griffin-Yes,No,Maybe

8 Bill Murray-The Bigtime Spender Pt.1

9 Joe Tex- All I Could Do Is Cry Pt.1

10 The Quails-Over The Hump

11 Junior Walker & The All Stars-Twist Lackawanna

12 Harvey & Ann-What Can You Do Now

13 Harvey & Ann-Will I do

14 Barrett Strong-Oh! I Apologise

15 Paul Gayten-Scratch Back

16 Ty Hunter-Everything About

17 Johnny & Jackey-Someday We’ll Be Together

18 Jordan Harmonisers-I Won’t Mind

19 Carla & Rufus-‘Cause I Love You

20 The Chips-You Make Me Feel So Good

21The Mar-Keys-Last Night

22 Carla & Rufus-Deep Down Inside

23 Prince Conley-I’m Going Home

24 Nick Charles-The Right Girl

25 Barbara Stephens-The Life I Live

26 Barbara Stephens-I Don’t Worry

Both chronologically and artistically, Rubber Soul is The Beatles’ pivotal album (and George’s favourite).

The moptop days are over: playing live is soon to be abandoned; the studio will replace the stage and tour-bus as their natural habitat; and Lennon has reached the ripe old age of 25.

As a result of all the above (and perhaps not coincidentally, the recent discovery of pot -introduced to them by Dylan; indulged in copiously during the filming of Help!) the boy’s musical and lyrical horizons are expanding. There’s another brace of compositions from George, Ringo gets his first writing credit and Uncle George Martin is starting to take on an increasingly important role, firmly cementing in place his reputation as “the fifth Beatle”.

That’s all with hindsight of course. To their contemporaries this was just yet another rich seam of fresh material begging to be energetically strip-mined.

First out of the blocks were The Beatles’ rivals from down the other end of the East Lancs Road, The Hollies whose cover of Harrison’s If I Needed Someone came out barely a week after Rubber Soul had hit the shops. Its composer, though, was less than impressed, churlishly dismissing their version as “rubbish”.

Closer to home, fellow scouser, Mr Give Me The Moonlight himself, Frankie Vaughan, had a more creditable stab at John ‘n’ Paul’s rhythmically unorthodox Wait; while the mysterious Three Good Reasons imparted a Seekers-like folk-pop spin to Lennon’s brutal self-portrait Nowhere Men.

A couple of years later, came the by then obligatory progged-up assault, this time from Circus with an extended take on Norwegian Wood complete with jazzy sax and bluesy guitar breaks.

More significantly, as a response, perhaps, to the title, Rubber Soul marks the point when Black America beyond Motown began to sit up and really start taking the lads seriously, stimulating enduring feelings of respect as demonstrated by Black Heat’s funky opener recorded ten years on from the original.

Rounding things off, Nancy Sinatra spins the gender orientation of the nasty Run For Your Life, swapping misogyny for sass, and in the process reducing Lennon’s would-be- macho bluster to something more resembling the bleatings of a callow schoolboy.

As ‘65 turned into ’66, awestruck Fabs fans started to wonder what could possibly come next; nobody knew for sure, but all were agreed it was bound to be, er, revolutionary….

1 Black Heat-Drive My Car

2 Circus-Norwegian Wood

3 Bryan Ferry-You Won’t See Me

4 Three Good Reasons-Nowhere Man

5 Francois Fabrice-Les Garçons Sont Fous (Think For Yourself)

6 The Firesign Theatre/Harvey Avern-The Word

7 The Free Design-Michelle

8 Charles River Valley Boys-What Goes On

9 St Louis Union-Girl

10 Danielle denin-Je Lis Dans Tes Yeux (I’m Looking Through You)

11 Richie Havens-In My Life

12 Frankie Vaughan-Wait

13 The Hollies-If I Needed Someone

14 Nancy Sinatra-Run For Your Life

This week a brilliant but surprisingly sombre affair from London-based artist Theo Adamson.

An exquisite journey through history and heritage, his first contribution takes us on a slow dance 

around the globe; free fall in time.

1 Kate Bush – Hello Earth (Outro)

2 Kiyohiko Senba & His Haniwa All Stars – 奇妙な果実 

3 Paul Mark, His Orchestra and Voices – Mizuiro No Waltz

4 Dan English – Soft Petal

5 Jimmy Scott – Sycamore Trees

6 The Norman Luboff Choir – In the Gloaming

7 Like a Villain & Vantzou – From Below

8 Martha Skye Murphy – Found Out

9 Eartheater – Faith Consuming Hope

10 Arca – Madreviolo

11 Meredith Monk – Do You Be

12 Caterina Barbieri – Fantas Variation for Voices (feat. Evelyn Saylor, Lyra Pramuk, Annie Garlid & Stine Janvin)

13 Athanasios Argianas – Music Sideways (Canon for Three Voices)

14 Smerz – The Favourite

15 Oliver Coates – Rhyme

16 Gerty Molzen – Walk on the Wild Side

(Diggin’ the roots of Soul)   Doo-Wop

Delving into the roots of Soul again this week folks. We’re taking a closer look at the Doo-Wop & the Harmony groups of the 1950’s, and early 60’s. 

It would be impossible to overstate the influence the Doo-Wop groups of the 1950’s had on the development of ‘Soul’ music. And indeed many of the Doo-Wop groups like the Dells and Little Anthony and the Imperials were able to develop their sound to continue having hits throughout the 60’s. And other artists such as  Jesse Belvin, Marvin Gaye, Ben E King, Clyde McPhatter. Fankie Lymon, Eddie Kendricks, to name just a few, all had successful solo careers too.

So here’s a round-up of some of our favourite Doo-Wop tunes…..and although generally speaking we try not to repeat tunes here on ‘Drop The Biscuit’. In this case some will have definitely already featured, whilst others may possibly be new to the listener? 

1 The Danleers-One Summer Night

2 The Chimes-Once In A While

3 The Channels-The Closer You Are

4 The Jesters-The Plea

5 The Harp-Tones-A Sunday Kind Of Love

6 The Crests-Step By Step

7 The Charts-Deserie

8 Lee Andrews And The Hearts-Try The Impossible

9 The Scarlets-Dear One

10 The Velvets-I

11 The Paragons-Florence

12 The Del Vikings-Come Go With Me

13 The Channels-The Gleam In Your Eye

14 The Nutmegs-Story Untold

15 The Five Satins-To The Aisle

16 The Jacks-Why Don’t You Write Me?

17 The Capris-There’s A Moon Out Tonight

18 The Cleftones-Heart And Soul

19 The Mello-Kings-Tonite Tonite

20 The Jive 5-My True Story

21 Lee Andrews And The Hearts-Long Lonely Nights

22 The Dells-Oh, What A Night

23 The Moonglows-Sincerley

Picture featured- The Jive 5.

(I think we may have recommended before? a lot of these tunes featured here were on a fantastic Doo-wop compilation LP out in the 1970’s called  ‘Doowop Doowop’ so if you come across it, we would strongly recommend you grab it fast!)

This week fellow pilgrims we have the second mix from artist & friend Georgie Hopton. 

Quite different from her first mix- ‘Georgie’s Deep Joy’ way back in March 2015, 

but equally as brilliant………enjoy the weekend.

1 Kent Nagano-Offenbach, Les Contes d’Hoffman, Act 3 Entracte

2 Hilary Hahn-Jean Sibelius, Violin Concerto In D Minor

3 Steve Reich-Pendulum Music

4 Luc Ferrari-Les Emois D’aphrodite

5 Hollie Poetry-Turn On (Bricks)

6 Pierre-Laurent Aimard-Musica Ricercata No.7 Cantabile, Molto Legato

7 Pierre Fournier & Ernest Lush-Stravinsky, Chanson Russe

8 Anne Sexton- What’s That

9 Ursula K. Le Guin & Todd Barton-Heron Dance

10 The Balanescu Quartet-Bella By Barlight

11 Niccolo Paganini-Caprice For Solo Violin, Op.1

Help! Was a step forward from the doldrums of Beatles For Sale. Though Lennon wasn’t feeling any more cheerful- the title track was his most explicit cry of pain yet, and then there was the cryptic, Dylan-saturated You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away- it featured only two covers and George was back with a brace of contributions.

As ever, the material proved malleable enough to easily accommodate whatever stylistic interpretation others chose to impress upon it.

While Continental acts, who continued to regard the boys as loveable moptops, changed little beyond translating the lyrics into their native tongues, Americans had different ideas. The Sunshine Company transformed Harrison’s I Need You into a shimmering psychedelic bliss-out; in the 70’s, former Greenwich Village folkie Tim Rose followed Joe Cocker’s Help From My Friends example to the letter with a tortured reading of You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away; and proto-Metal quartet Vanilla Fudge applied their “slow-it-down, amp-it-up, stretch-it-out” aesthetic to Ticket To Ride.

And so,on to Scrambled Eggs, or Yesterday as it became better known. A song ranking only slightly behind Happy Birthday To You in its ubiquity.  We could have filled several ‘casts with different versions of this alone but settled on Eyes Of Blue a Welsh R’n’B turned prog combo who also went the full Fudge route and gave us a preposterous version which for reasons known only to themselves chucks in a few bars of The First Noel.

To come down to Earth and round matters off, we head back to the Cavern with a version of Dizzy Miss Lizzy from local rivals King Size Taylor And The Dominos.

Next time, things start to get a little strange……

1 The Damned-Help

2 Renee Martel-Un Certain Soir (The Night before)

3 Tim Rose-(You’ve Got To) Hide your Love Away

4 Sunshine Company-I Need You

5 The Ray Hamilton Orchestra-Another Girl

6  Five Man Electrical Band-You’re Gonna Lose That Girl

7 Vanilla Fudge-ticket To Ride

8 Buck Owens-Act Naturally

9 Bryan Ferry-It’s Only Love

10 Les Faux Frères-Une Fille Pour Deux  Garçons (You Like Me Too Much)

11 The Mirza Men-Tell Me What You See

12 The Dillards-I’ve Just Seen A Face

13 Eyes Of Blue-Yesterday

14 King Size Taylor And The Dominos-Dizzy Miss Lizzy

This week we continue with the drummers beat! another fairly modern selection of repetitive & often trancelike beats & of course another nod to the guy’s from Can & Neu!

MOTORIK Pt.2

1 Automatic-Highway

2 Josefin Ohrn & The Liberation-The State (I’m In)

3 hooveriii-Control

4 Mmoss-War Six

5 The American Analog Set-Like Foxes Through Fences

6 Ultravox-Can’t Stay Long

7 Turing Machine-Yeah C’mon

8 Barbara Manning-Stammtisch

9 Josefin Ohrn & The Liberation-Rushing Through My Mind

10 Trees Speak-Those Who Know

11 Stereolab-Changer

12 Cave-Wuj

13 Hookworms-Deu