Drop The Biscuit

The Backroom Boys:

The start of another of our intermittent series. This time round, we’ll be casting an eye over and bending an ear to some of the folks who operate behind the scenes: producers, writers and arrangers (often as not, all three in a single package).

Occasionally, some of them (Spector, Meek, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lee Perry) achieved a level of recognition on a par with that of the acts they worked with, but the majority had to be content with the satisfaction of a job well done. (And the accompanying royalties, of course).

*******************************************************************************

First out of the starting gate, someone whose name many won’t recognise but who created several absolute classics at least one of which most will: Ed Cobb.

A bit of a chancer who effortlessly cantered across any number of styles, Cobb could never be called a great thoroughbred, but he was a stayer, effortlessly adaptable and adept at knocking out convincing genre facsimiles without breaking sweat.

After initial mid 50s success as 25% of West Coast WASP harmony quartet The Four Preps, he struck out on his own in 1960, scoring instant success with a run of stone-age themed instrumentals built to cash-in on the popularity of The Flintstones cartoon show.

This was soon followed by, let’s be kind and say “homages” to Johnny & The Hurricanes (Mad Goose), Martin Denny (Marooned) and Ray Charles (Mr Big C), before creating his first bona-fide classic, the deep-soul evergreen Every Little Bit Hurts, originally recorded by Brenda Holloway and subsequently reworked by everyone from Cilla Black to The Clash and our pick here, The Small Faces.

His next move was into up-tempo big city pop & r’n’b out of which emerged Gloria Jones’ Tainted Love (Classic number 2, though it’d take over 15 years to be widely recognised as such). 

After spending about a decade in comparative anonymity, Tainted was discovered by the mid-70’s Northern Soul scene before Soft Cell took the song into the stratosphere and Coil into the gutter; however, we’ve opted for Ruth Swann’s version from 1975.

In 1966, Ed took a successful punt on the emerging garage-rock scene, throwing open his stable doors to snarling San Jose punks The Chocolate Watchband and LA’s The Standells, and returned to the winner’s enclosure with the oft-covered Dirty Water and Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White (Classics number 3 & 4), only to make another about face a year later when offered the opportunity to give Liberace a contemporary make-over.

Eventually, he semi-retired and devoted much of his time to becoming a champion horse breeder.  Still, there was an occasional return to the studio where that ear for an inspired pastiche proved as keen as ever as per the country-rock-gospel of A Man Named Jesus and a tongue in cheek wink in the direction of The Eagles, Queen Of The Pizza Parlour.

Ed Cobb succumbed to leukaemia on Hawaii in 1999. His passing was noted more by the equestrian fraternity than the music community. After racking up 32 gold and platinum discs and numerous Grammy nominations, he deserves to be better known.

1 The Four Preps-Got A Girl

2 The Piltdown Men-Brontosaurus Stomp

3 The Beachcombers-Mad Goose

4 The Sound Breakers-Marooned

5 The Link Eddy Combo-Big Mr C

6 Little Ray-You Can’t Hurt Me

7 Ron Ellington-You Can Take Your Saturday Nights

8 Sandy Wynns-The Touch Of Venus

9 Brenda Holloway-I’ll Always Love You

10 The Small Faces-Every Little Bit Hurts

11 Ruth Swann-Tainted Love

12 Gloria Jones-Run One Flight Of Stairs

13 Ketty Lester-West Coast

14 Toni Basil-Breakaway

15 S.N & The Ct’s-The Pleasure Of Your Company

16 The Marvellous-Down In The City

17 The E Types-She Moves Me

18 The Standells-Have You Ever Spent A Night In Jail

19 The Senders-Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White

20 Billy Larkin & The Delegates-Dirty Water

21 The Triders-There’s A Storm Comin’

22 The Chocolate Watchband-Sweet Young Thing

23 Liberace-Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

24 Ray Pillow-A Man Named Jesus

25 100% Whole Wheat-Queen Of The Pizza Parlour

HOT ON THE HEELS…..PRESENTING MORE NEW SONGS, OLD SONGS, DEPENDING ON WHICH DIMENSION, TIME FRAME YOU SIT, STAND, RELAX IN?

1 SLADE-INTRO/WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT

2 NIGHT BEATS-THE NEW WORLD

3 CURTIS GORDON-ROMPIN’ AND STOMPIN’

4 BAUHAUS-THIRD UNCLE

5 FRONT 242-NEVER LOST FAUST

6 12345-HULLABALOO

7 CARRIE NATIONS-COME WITH THE GENTLE PEOPLE

8 HOOVERIII-WE’RE BOTH LAWYERS

9 JAMES STRANGE-YAO LAN GE

10 LAN GE-KA MEN

11 JOHN COOPER CLARKE-KUNG FU INTERNATIONAL

12 ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS-I DON’T WANT TO GO TO CHELSEA

13 STONEWALL-OUTER SPACED

14 AKKEZDET PHIAI-RAMNETNEMLEL

15 ELEKTRIK COKERNUT-JEEPSTER

16 BOW WOW WOW-CAST IRON ARM

17 NICO-CHELSEA GIRLS

She said come into the woods with me, I will show you a curiosity.

I will give you a magic box. And if you open it you will see everything 

that happens in the world, and everything that doesn’t.

1 Claude Cooper-Listen To The Sounds

2 Carl Sandburg-Gallows Song

3 Romantic Comedy Jingle

4 Broadcast-Tears In The Typing Pool

5 Martin Peter-Kill Gucci Punks

6 Meredith Monk-Totentanz

7 George Harrison-Under The Mersey Wall

8 Mort Garson-The Evil Eye

9 Guerilla Toss-Realistic Rabbit

10 Ash ra Temple-Day-Dream

11 Charles Manier-Hillbrent Crysula Pagoda

12 Alessandro Cortini-Stella

13 Barbour’s Plantation Singers-Down Lit Satan Git You

Diggin’ the crates again this week folks, with a slightly different ‘All That Jazz’. We’re steppin’ way back in time now. A broad variety of old time Jazz tunes (be prepared for some clicks an crackles along the way!) A mostly 7” selection, E.P’s etc…picked up mooching around charity shops and secondhand markets – And featuring the likes of Duke Ellington, Bix Beiberbecke, Woody Herman and Satchmo himself, Mr Louis Armstrong. (Actually, not too dissimilar to past ‘Orchestras’ mixes?). So sit back, close your eyes an roll back those years……..

1 DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA-MERRY GO ROUND

2 DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA-DOWN A CAROLINA LANE

3 BIX BEIBERBECKE-OSTRICH WALK

4 BIX BEIBERBECKE-WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS

5 DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA-I’VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING

6 DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA-RIDING ON A BLUE NOTE

7 THE BEARLE STREET GANG-FAT STUFF BOOGIE

8 WOODY HERMAN & THE NEW THIRD HERD-PERDIDO

9 WOODY HERMAN & THE NEW THIRD HERD-STOMPIN’AT THE SAVOY

10 LOUIS ARMSTRONG-BACK O’TOWN BLUES

11 LOIS ARMSTRONG-MACK THE KNIFE

12 BENNY GOODMAN-KING PORTER STOMP

13 BOBBY HACKETT-TIN ROOF BLUES

14 BOBBY HACKETT-FIDGETY FEET

15 JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS ORCHESTRA-THE HONEYDRIPPER

16 JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS ORCHESTRA-BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ

17 DEACON MCNEELY & HIS BLUE JAYS-DEACON’S HOP

18 BOBBY HACKET-ROYAL GARDEN BLUES

19 DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA-THE GAL FROM JOE’S

20 WOODY HERMAN & THE NEW THIRD HERD-BUCK DANCE

21 BIX BEIBERBECKE-KRAZY KAT

22 JIMMIE LUNCEFORD & HIS ORCHESTRA-BACK DOOR STUFF PT.1&2

IT’S DIFFICULT TO OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ADRIAN SHERWOOD AND HIS ON-U SOUND RECORD LABEL, ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THE 1980’S. SHERWOOD ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY DRAGGED REGGAE MUSIC INTO THE 80’S, GIVING IT A NEW LEASE OF LIFE, WHILST INTRODUCING IT TO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE. EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW RHYTHMS, INDUSTRIAL & SONIC DUB BEATS, KNOB TWIDDLING THAT WAS EVEN MORE ADVENTUROUS THAN KING TUBBY, ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY OR JOE MEEK!! THIS WEEK WE HAVE A FEW OF OUR FAVOURITE TUNES, THOUGH TO BE HONEST IT WAS RIDICULOUS TRYING TO PUT IT INTO AN HOUR. SO TURN UP  LOUD & HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND…

1 MAFIA-HALLELUJAH

2 THE TWINKLE BROTHERS/THE TREBUNIA FAMILY BAND-DON’T BETRAY ME

3 LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY-INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTER (JUNGLE REMIX)

4 ESKIMO FOX-DIGITAL

5 DOUG WIMBISH-LOGDRUM

6 SINGERS & PLAYERS- BREAKING DOWN THE PRESSURE

7 THE MISSING BRAZILLIANS-MEANDER

8 LITTLE ANNIE-BLESS THOSE

9 THE DUB SYNDICATE-MUST BE DREAMING

10 AFRICAN HEAD CHARGE-MANY GENERATIONS

11 VOICE OF AUTHORITY- FUH FUH

12 SKIP MCDONALD-HAMMERHEAD

13 MARK STEWART & THE MAFIA-JERUSALEM (PROTOTYPE)

This week we have a beautiful playlist from Graphic Designer, 

DJ & old friend of Drop The Biscuit, Danielle Blyde. 

An exclusive soundscape based on her fond 

memories of Oare Creek in Kent.

1 Come Wander with Me –  Jeff Alexander

2 When The Flowers Sing –  Arda Leen 

3 Wait For Now (feat. Tawiah) -Mary Lattimore Rework- The Cinematic Orchestra 

4 Walkin’ – Beaver & Krause

5 Cotton in the Clouds_(Original Mix) – Uone,& Western 

6 Polly – Gem Club 

7 If – Unloved

8 Geographic North – Takagi Masakatsu

9 lupines – makina

10 Quite lost in your sound –  Blue Ghost

11 Garden – Winter Family

12 I’ve been alone – Hollan

13 Cold Morning – Arda Leen 

You can also check out more of Danielle’s musical choices on soundcloud –

https://soundcloud.com/gasolinepavements

The concept being an eclectic mix of songs, soundscapes and playlists. Like oil and water.

OOH THAT’S INTERESTING SHE SAID, 

BETWEEN THE CRACKS.

A MOSTLY CONTEMPORARY PLAYLIST 

OF MOSTLY BEATS ORIENTATED 

OF MOSTLY ELECTRONIC 

(JAZZ? SOUL?CLASSICAL?) 

OFFERINGS

FOR MOSTLY ALL TYPES OF FOLKS…….

1 ALLESANDRO CORTINI-STELLA

2 OCHRE-GLASSMAKER

3 HARMONIOUS THELONIOUS-SKETCHES

4 TAMAR COLLOCUTOR, TENESHA THE WORDSMITH-YEMAYA

5 ARPANET-CHANDRASEKHARS LIMIT

6 AZU TIWALINE, CINNA PEYGHAMY-VIOLET CURVES

7 LADY BLACKBIRD-BLACK ACID SOUL

8 NALA SINEPHRO-SPACE 3

9 HARMONIOUS THELONIOUS-AYRANMAN

10 BLACK CLASSICAL-SISTERS BREW

11 TOM OF ENGLAND-IN YOUR TOWN

12 OCOEUR-CURRENT

13 JANE RUSH-DRIVIN’ ME INSANE

14 DENGUE DENGUE DENGUE-AMNATIVE

15 CHARLES MANIER-TRUEST COFFER

16 BLOTO-PROSTACTWO

17 BERGSONIST-AMAZON SNAKE CHARMING

18 HANIA RANI-BUKA LIVE FROM STUDIO 52

WE GOT MORE SOUL…………SISTER’S AN BROTHER’S, DOIN’ THEIR THING……

SOME JAZZ INFUSED SOUL, FROM THE LIKES OF EDDIE HARRIS AND JOE THOMAS, TO MR LOVER MAN ISAAC HAYES CLIMATIC HYPERBOLICSESQUEDALYMISTIC, TO THE BEAUTIFUL LAURA LEE STANDING UP FOR HER LOVE RIGHTS, ARETHA’S YOUNGER SISTER, NO THAT’S NOT ERMA! TO THE GOSPEL ENRICHED SOUL VERSION OF SPIRIT IN THE SKY (THE STOVALLS WERE THE BACKING SINGERS ON THE ORIGINAL 1969 NORMAN GREENBAUM HIT), A COUPLE MORE COVERS, SOME SOUL/FUNKY NUMBERS AND A FEW SOULFUL BALLADS, TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE WEEK…

1 EDDIE HARRIS-IT’S ALRIGHT NOW

2 JOE THOMAS-EVERY BROTHER AIN’T A BROTHER

3 KELLEE PATERSON-I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE

4 DYKE & THE BLAZERS-WE GOT MORE SOUL

5 ANN SEXTON-YOU’VE BEEN DOING ME WRONG FOR SO LONG

6 THE NEW BIRTH-I WANT TO MAKE IT WITH YOU

7 SUGAR PIE DESANTO/ETTA JAMES-IN THE BASEMENT  (PT’S 1&2)

8 NANCY WILSON-(YOU GOT) THE POWER OF LOVE

9 CAROLYN FRANKLIN-CHAIN REACTION

10 LAURA LEE-WOMEN’S LOVE RIGHTS

11 JOE THOMAS-CHITLINS AND CUCHIFRITOS

12 ISAAC HAYES- HYPERBOLICSESQUEDALYMISTIC

13 LITTLE RICHARD-I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY

14 THE STOVAL SISTERS-SPIRIT IN THE SKY

15 NANCY HOLLOWAY-HURT SO BAD

Undercooked and over-Spectored, Let It Be closed the Beatles career on a downbeat. With George Martin largely absent for all but the title track, Lennon turned the production duties over to Phil S resulting in less than happy consequences and particularly infuriating McCartney over the unsympathetic treatment of The Long & Winding Road.

It’s status as probably the Fab’s weakest and least popular album can be gauged by the relative lack of cover versions -this was the trickiest mix to assemble and for the only time, we’ve included two tracks from the same act.

Nevertheless, we’ve managed to piece together the usual combination of well-known names (say hello to Boney M making their DTB debut), obscurities (California Poppy Pickers; Jawbone) and indulge in a spot of time-travelling as the Vipers Skiffle Group transports us back to 1957, via a b-side released just as a bunch of Liverpudlian tearaway skifflers calling themselves The Quarrymen were rehearsing for an upcoming gig at Walton Village Fete.

Fittingly, to close the circle, sat behind the recording desk as the Viper’s bashed out their version of the Liverpool folk standard Maggie May, was a rising young EMI junior executive named G. Martin…

1 Boney M-Two Of Us

2 Marisa Monte-Dig A Pony

3 Jawbone-Across The Universe

4 Frank Pourcel-I Me Mine

5 Laibach-Dig It

6 Clarence Carter-Let It Be

7 The Vipers Skiffle Group-Maggie Mae

8 Billy Preston-I’ve Got A Feeling

9 Helen Reddy-The One After 909

10 Cissy Houston-Long And Winding Road

11 Laibach-For You Blue

12 The California Poppy Pickers-Get Back

This week we’re delighted to have Artist & Sculptor Wilfrid Wood with us.

Wilfrid lives in East London. Where he works from home or from his studio in Hackney Wick

His musical tastes are both interesting & eclectic, just the way we like it!

1 GROUPER-SHE LOVES THAT WAY

2 BILL CALLAHAN-PIGEONS

3 BEEP-ARSHOLES

4 SHIRLEY COLLINS-LOCKED IN ICE

5 SUSUMU YOKOTA-WANI NATTE

6 EEFJE DE VISSER-ONGEVEER

7 OLIVER COATES-REUNIFICATION 2018

8 THE POGUES-THE OLD MAIN DRAG

9 BURNT FRIEDMAN & KONONO No.1

10 FRANCIS BEBEY-CATCHING UP

11 THE CRITICS GROUP-BILLY REILLY

12 PAVEL MILYAKOR & BENDIK GISKE-UNTITLED 2

13 RUSTEM QULIYEV-AMN TELLO

14 NUBSET & SYLARBOMB-GOLD MEDAL