Johnny Dick -The Warrior

Johnny Dick –The Warrior/ She Was My Babe –Albert Productions AP-10949 (1975 Aus)

Johnny Dick seems to have sat on many a rotating drum stool, having drummed with the Billy Thorpe’s Aztecs, the La De Da's and Stevie Wright among others. Check his bio above.
The Warrior was JD’s first and seemingly only solo outing. Produced by the mighty Vanda & Young team, The Warrior is a fine entry in the unrepentant, un-PC Red Skin Gimmick Glam sub-genre. More convincing than Adam and The Ants, once it gets going the chorus just rips. Oooh-Ah-Oooh-Oooh-Ah! (words of wisdom indeed...) Johnny Dick certainly raises my tepee!
More obscure Vanda & Young coming soon. Thanks to Luke of http://wallabybeat.blogspot.com/ for turning me on to this corker (check out the Sparkle and Beaut singles!)

Hear a full version of The Warrior

Linda Kendrick –Sympathy For The Devil

Linda Kendrick –Sympathy For The Devil/ He Wrote Me A Letter –Dawn DNS. 1063 (1974 UK)

Linda Kendrick –Sympathy For The Devil/ He Wrote Me A Letter –Pye PY 3106 (1974 French issue)

Sympathy For The Devil is an overblown but fun production by Lynton Guest and Jimmie Edwards (Stumpy, Washington Flyers). Although toned down lyrically, Linda’s version features a choir, lush orchestration along with neat harpsichord runs and Stonesian slide. There is also an edited demo version which in order to shorten the running time; cuts out the first verse thus emasculating its impact and flow. Linda later went all Plastic New Wave-y with her take on Stupid Cupid.

Hear a full version of Sympathy For The Devil

It Means Nothing To Me...

Oh...VIENNA
Just back from a jaunt through 3 former Eastern Block countries, ending up in Vienna where I got the opportunity to check out the record stores... And boy what a great city and the shops are full to the brim with vinyl!
Checked out 6 stores and five of them were great for finds. I would have needed more than my allocated 6 hours and I only scratched the surface in many of them.
The main shops of note were Moses Records, where they was a huge selection of cheap singles and the amazing institution which is Teuchler. The shop has existed as a family business for 60 years and the current owner Jean-Marc has been running it for 40 years. There are 1000s of singles and it took more about 3 hours to get through ¾ of them plus the stock in the shop represents only 30% of the vinyl they hold...the mind boggles. Scout Records also had a fine selection as did Music Und So. Those 4 shops also had very friendly staff and owners. Anyhow I ended up with nearly 50 singles, some of them still unheard (probably a fare share of turkeys...), some favourites –Stud Leather –Cut Loose (German pic sleeve), Matchbox –Rod, Tracey Dean plus some spares...

Only a few hours before I depart these shores again...stay tuned. The next review will be up in a couple of days

Badge –Sing Don’t Speak

Badge –Sing Don’t Speak/California Saga –Pagoda 256 (1973 Argentina)

Argentina? Yes, I have picked up a few interesting ones from this country as there were a clutch of Glam-tinted releases at the time. One particularity is that several of them were covers of the hits-of-the day –check out Albatross’s English AND Spanish cover of Abrazame Y Complaceme (c’mon...easy to work out...). Another particularity is that the Argentine 45 in fact often played at 33.3rpm! Although Argentina had a healthy underground scene, Glitter did not gain a strong foothold in Las Pampas, some like Norah had to move to Spain in order to fully accomplish their stomping mission (more on her soon). John Bright’s I’ve Tried It is suitably raucous, but its country of origin is uncertain as is Sunday's who released the splendid Hard Way To Go. Still, there is bound to be more to be discovered from Argentina and South America in general.
Anyhow Badge’s cover of Blackfoot Sue’s 2nd hit is pretty credible, it has a nice bouncing groove and the fuzz is fuzzy in a matchbox-kind-of- manner, and is on a par with the Italian Multiple Sound’s Ultra fuzzed up version (I need that one!!!). Badge released at least two singles as they also covered Blackfoot Sue’s Standing In The Road. It is still unclear if they ever covered Glitter Obituary...

Hear a full version of Sing Don’t Speak

Bear Brothers –Bondiago

Bear Brothers- Bondiago/Red Shoe Trucken- Dart ART 2023 (1973 UK)

Bondiago is an interesting Fuzzed up crossover semi-instrumental track which sits at the cusp of Glam, Prog and Pounding Discotheque fodder (1973 mode). There’s even a hint of Riders on The Storm in the keyboard motif. It all ends up sounding a bit like Galahad with bushy moustaches on the soundtrack of an obscure Spaghetti Western... On Red Shoe Trucken, the Brothers up the stomping, again the mix of genres is similar with chants and prominent Hammond and it’s all very hypnotically repetitive. Producer/song writer Keith Bonsoir, mainly produced Reggae and Disco, but also produced The Glammy Run For Your Life single by Bo –Jangle.
In Germany, where this record was released in a fine looking sleeve featuring the sprouting brothers themselves, the slides ended up being switched, but were they German as some have stated? Or a UK duo? Five years later the Bear Brothers would commit the collectable 12 inch Zsha Zsha Zsha, also produced by Keith Bonsoir, but Funky Disco does not warrant losing any more dead skin over ...

Hear a full version of Bondiago

Hear a full version of Red Shoe Trucken

Limonaya –Walk, Walk, Walk

Limonaya –Walk, Walk, Walk/Waiting For The Summer –CNR 141.286 (1974 NL)

Starting off like a near approximation of the Tigers on Vaseline, the track then turns into a mostly straight ahead rock affair. Not stupendous, but catchy and certainly a worthwhile addition to the eclectic CNR catalogue. Haarlem’s Limonaya featured ex Bintangs Ronald Krom with Rob ten Bokum , Rob van Donselaar and Aad Hooft, so I’m not too sure as to why only two band members appear on the sleeve. It seems that Walk, Walk, Walk was the only Limonaya release

Hear a full version of Walk, Walk, Walk

My Version is Better than Yours Part 12: Tim Moore vs. The Dirty Angels –Rock and Roll Love Letter

Tim Moore - Rock and Roll Love Letter/The Night We First Sailed Away -Polydor 2001689 (1975 UK)

Dirty Angels - Rock and Roll Love Letter/Same –Sire SAA 719 (1975 US)

OK, perhaps the Bay City Rollers had the best produced version, although the subtle chord change hook at the top of the chorus is kind of Rolled Over http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNLdOx5zcRs

The cover by the usually anaemic Records suffers from plodding drums (BTW, I am not completely down on The Records –Starry Eyes is a classic song best enjoyed in its album version due to the fine 12 string overdub).

But here we have the original version by Tim Moore. It is the longest version by far with a nice dense and compressed sound. The Dirty Angels cover oozes rock and roll attitude and a perfect US adaptation and a non-LP track to boot. If you don’t already know the Dirty Angels, their Tell Me is a Powerpop classic and is available on both their albums. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-eT-qk2efE

Whatever the version -Rock and Roll Love Letter is the perfect Powerpop tune!

Hear a full version of Tim Moore



Hear a full version of The Dirty Angels

Beadfreak –Crazy Motorcycle Freak

Beadfreak –Eve of Destruction/ Crazy Motorcycle Freak –Rotten Rat Records R-1001/1002 (197? US)

Note quite Uge, Wild Man Fisher or The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, but Beedfreak does his best to up the stakes on this Novelty biker number. The gravely atonal vocals, make the record stand out but also grate, making this a pretty much a one-off experience. A much better record would have ensued if the over present harmonica had been replaced by a fat fuzz...The Rotten Rat label’s address is in Brooklyn, so someone must have info on this release.
Eve of Destruction is also pretty much out there, but less so when considering that the gruff vocals are not a million miles away from Barry McGuire’s delivery, although eve of destruction comes out more like heave of destruction...Again someone/somewhere must be sitting on a few boxes of this one, still dreaming of a bright empty highway ahead...

Hear a full version of Crazy Motorcycle Freak

Hear a full version of Eve of Destruction

Paper Lace -So What If I Am

Paper Lace –So What If I Am/ Himalayan Lullaby –Philips 6000176 (1975 German issue)

I never thought that I would ever review a single by Paper Lace...but what if I am?
Looking like the outright winners from an all night Bavarian fisting competition, the normally clean and commercially viable Paper Lace tough it up on this non-hit outing from 1975. Rarely has a record sounded as much like its picture sleeve as this one. Obviously posed and contrived to gain entry with the Boot Boy crowd, So What If I Am is built upon a convincing stomp, with though guy vocals and silly synth bleebs sprinkled on top. It all ends up sounding rather marvellous and if it were not Paper Lace, this would be high on many a wants list, where it firmly belongs...Now if only they were sporting steel capped DMs under their elephant flares...

Hear a full version of So What If I Am

My Single collection

I have been attempting to somehow manage my record collection a bit better by entering my main single collection onto an Excel spread. There are 2 main tabs, the main one with Glam, Bubblegum, Powerpop and a few Punk singles and the one I am currently updating with the Garage Punk and Girl Group singles.
Please note these are not spare singles that I am selling or trading, but you are welcome to have a perusal. Please let me know if there are any glaring omissions on the Glam/Bubblegum section which I must own!
Also if there are any particular reviews you would like to see based on the spreadsheet, I will consider these requests, but I have to be in the right mood!
The link to download the spreadsheet is at the top of my links.
But you can also access it through the link above

Not sure why I have 15 Reparata (with/or without Delrons)...

I used to buy records, then I started to collect them, now I just accumulate...

Have fun!

My Version is Better Than Yours Part 11: P.J. Hollywood vs. Dominik -Rocket

P.J. Hollywood –Rocket/Telephone –Movie Play SN 20.917 (1974 Spanish issue)

Domink –Rocket/Telefon –Music Records 13576 (1974 German issue)

Or a case of my Rocket will go higher than yours...But both versions use the same backing tracks (produced by Peter Weinkauf) and both issues have the same B side, so not too sure of the story here.

Prior to the work he was most famous for –Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Tina Turner, etc...Pete Bellotte released the stomping Moonshiner on Decca using “Tracey Dean” as his pseudonym (check out: http://crazeekids-music.blogspot.com/2008/10/tracey-dean-moonshiner-1974.html ) ...and now potentially this version of Mud’s Rocket.

This Spanish sleeve actually features the same photo that was used on the cover of Moonshiner and his proud moustachioed look is on a par with his sometime partner Giorgio Moroder...Could it be that the Spanish art department just borrowed the photo from the Tracey Dean sleeve and that there’s no Bellotte involvement here?

Anyhow much is less known of Teutonic love God Dominik ( or was he a front?). His version uses the same backing track, but it’s kind of a blast to hear it in German. Below you will find both the German and English Dominik versions. The English version was released in France on Eurodisc, so the choice is yours if you have the time and inclination...Although the conclusion may be that both English versions are pretty much the same apart from the end edit, so is it just a case of with or without a moustache?

Next someone will tell me that Peter Weinkauf is in fact Pete Bellotte...then I will really be confused!

Hear a full version of P.J. Hollywood’s Rocket

Hear a full version of Dominik’s Rocket (in German)



Hear a full version of Dominik’s Rocket (in English)

Tiger –The Bomb + Tigers on Vaseline –The John Scene

Tiger –Hot Amsterdam/ The Bomb –Philips 6012 376 (NL 1973 )

Ladies and Gentlemen...time to unleash this one...here is the third Tigers on Vaseline single and in particular the more Proto than Punk –THE BOMB. Yes more Punk before Punk featuring singer Arthur Kolkert’s Eccles impersonation over a super charged guitar onslaught supplied by producer Boudewijn de Groot ...and it’s only the B side! Would you believe it also features a timbales break?...Hot Amsterdam finds the Tigers in Jacques Brel meets Liza Minelli pre-war Cabaret mode....It seems like anything went in Hot Amsterdam...

Beryl sighs cos her eyes won’t turn out a surprise,
It’s her husband who’s topping the show!
He looks smart, Super-Tart as his mother would snarl,
Suffragette of the ever-go-round,
Airport macs deal in sacks, giggling monotone tupes,
by the same time Bill does the custom-desk,
But a way of life opens when he’s lost in the dozen
Of all Factor Maxed Angels of Hell!

What?????? The lyrics even puts The Frenchies’ Lola Cola or Dillinger’s Coming to shame...

Oh yes and there’s more as I have reinstated the missing sound file of the incomparable The John Scene (see original review here: http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2008/12/tigers-on-vaseline-john-scene.html ) and added the B side, the lunacy which is What My Hairdo?
Could someone please confirm that their first single What You Will/ Alabama Shake actually exists!!!!

Hear a full version of The Bomb

Hear a full version of Hot Amsterdam

Hear full versions of The John Scene and What My Hairdo

Pax –All The Way To Memphis

Pax –All The Way To Memphis/Baby I Love You –Reca RS 2059 (197? DK)

Let’s stay in the rotten state of Denmark for this one. Tiger, Walkers, Children, Zig Zag Band or Mabel were not alone as I now bring you Pax... Apart from their accents, these bands definitely had something going with their neat and clean hair. Yes they rocked out, but their stylist and a bottle of good conditioner were never far behind. So let’s hear it for Carl Erik Simonsen, Dan Olsen, Jan Ploug, Michael Johansen and Claus Johansen. At first I was hoping that this was going a miss titled cover of Mott’s All The Way From Memphis, or even better an answer song. Well perhaps it is, I’m not too sure, but it’s a straight ahead rockin’ little number spruced up with some Glammy HEYs and those peculiar lo-fi synth beeps... No great production values here though, as we are talking small label, but All The Way To Memphis is a perfunctory rock tune that still fits right in on Purepop...although The Walkers have nothing to really worry about. So -what else is there in ol' DK?

Hear a full version of All The Way To Memphis

Tiger – I Love You

Tiger – I Love You/Jeannie –BASF 05 15574-3 (1975 DK)

I Love you was the second (and last?) single from Denmark’s Tiger. It is taken off their fine LP Superman’s Band and although not quite as life affirming as their first single Crazy, it stands firmly on its own merit in its quirkiness and general pizzazz. The Toy-like synth combined with the near-Bolan twinned with Steve Harley vocals and minimal DIY arrangements, makes this one charming little keeper. Nifty sleeve eh? They certainly had it down pat in Denmark in 1975...

Hear a full version of I Love You

Zakatek –Get Your Gun

Zakatek –Get Your Gun/Gotta Runaway –Bell 1335 (UK 1973)

Preposterous and overblown ode to the plight of the red man as only an English middle class white woman could write. Get Your Gun makes The Garnets' Indian Uprising sound positively credible and insightful!
This was Lenny Zakatek’s second single after being discovered by Linsey De Paul and it packs an incredulous punch. Dig the arrangement, sentiment, and spoken interlude... what an opus. Lenny is still playing these days, but I can’t quite imagine him singing this one as an encore, then again I could be wrong...

Hear a full version of Get Your Gun

Thanks to Ram for the photo of Lenny. Taken from the German issue of the single...

Stonehenge –Stonehenge

Stonehenge –Stonehenge/Groundunder –Bumble GE 118 (UK 1972)

The heavily Hammond infused Stonehenge is at the cusp of Library, Prog and Heavy Rock with a certain hum-along quality over a Proto Boogie/Glam chug with the intro’s crashing chords returning strategically throughout the track. Not quite Witch Hunt by Frog, put pretty cool in its obscurity. The B side is another instrumental written and produced by De Wolfe regular Barry Stoller (AKA Rhett Stoller) who wrote the Match of The Day Theme! Groundunder is Nice ‘n Heavy and highlights his dual octave guitar arrangement. Bumble is a fun label to collect with its mix of novelty and outright pop items. Barry Blue (Green) was involved with at least two releases on the label which are worth seeking out: Tank and Cartwright.

Hear a full version of Stonehenge

Hear a full version of Groundunder

Blood Chains –Suzie

What with the Divshare sound clip issues and having recently picked up a second copy, here is a good occasion to rediscover this single by the mysterious Blood Chains. The A side is a Roger Holman/Simon May composition. Since my original review (September 2006), I would say that my appreciation of it has increased by quite a few notches...or perhaps my quality threshold has dropped in the last 4 years...? You'll be the judge –see the original post below. More Holman/May coming next...

Blood Chains – Suzie/Tired Guy Of The Road –Telefunken 6.11740 (1975 German issue)

With a name like Blood Chains you could expect visions of dripping ripped flesh being torn apart by Cenobite hooks…but then again I sometimes have “high” expectations! But no, you will have to make do with a trio of dorky teens frolicking on swings. It’s a pretty good record, Suzie is medium-paced stomper with a good T. Rex-style lead doubled by sax. There’s an underlying Rubber Bullets rhythmic synth, but the production is a bit weak and the track never really takes off. The B side is more like a rockier Flintlock track (or a wimpier Jook). Once again the potential is not fully realised and the group certainly don’t live up to the promise that their name may suggest. This is a German issue, but the group and production team seem to be English.

Hear a full version of Suzie

Hear a full version of Tired Guy On The Road

Feather –Stupid Girl

Feather –Stupid Girl/You Got Troubles –Sam Sam 0352016 (1975 Bel)

Welcome to one the most sought after “Punk before Punk” singles and one the more successful attempts to fit in with the Neo Stones/ NY Dolls ethos. It certainly sits nicely next to the Streak singles and Hollywood Brats LP. Apart from the A side being a spirited run through of the Aftermath cut, the B side has obvious Stones inflexions in terms of the riff and slide. Both sides are cut loud and proud and sound as good now as they were intended to then.

Feather was an Alan Ward and Mike Butcher studio project –Here is detailed information as supplied by James D of the essential Worthless Trash website:

Alan Ward and Mike Butcher were both were working as studio technicians at Morgan Studios in Brussels when they recorded this single. Both previously worked at Morgan's UK studio in London in the early 70s. Alan Ward was also the singer with Bastard which also featured a pre-Damned Brian James.

Bastard moved to Brussels around 1974 but broke up the following year. It was then that Alan Ward and Mike Butcher (who by now had also moved to Brussels) recorded the Feather single with Alan Ward on vocals and Mike Butcher on guitar with two local musicians playing bass and drums. Rollerball’s Savage Eyes came next, recorded late '76 and released only in Holland in 1977. The other musicians on the Rollerball record were two brothers Alex (bass) and Pascal (drums). The Rollerball single has recently been reissued by Sing Sing: http://www.singsingrecords.com/home.php

As Elton Motello, Ward then wrote Jet Boy Jet Girl and Pogo Pogo with Lou Deprijck and Yves Lacomblez (Yves was also the brains behind Silex Pistols by female duo Too Much). Mike Butcher played guitar on Jet Boy Jet Girl and Pogo Pogo which were also used as the backing tracks for Plastic Bertrand's Ca Plane Pour Moi. Butcher played guitar on both Elton Motello albums and co-wrote most of the material with Ward.

Jet Staxx was Mike Butcher's solo alter ego, two singles were released: I'm Gonna Be The Best Guy and French Girls. He sang, played guitars and bass, and produced the records (with help from Alan Ward). Pascal from Rollerball played drums. Both A sides were Butcher/Ward compositions with the B sides credited solely to Butcher...

Phew!

Hear a full version of Stupid Girl



Hear a full version of You Got Troubles

Susan Lynne –Don’t Drag No More

Susan Lynne –Don’t Drag No More/ In His Car –Capitol 5201 (1964 US)

And now for something completely different...

I begged him to not drag anymore
But he sped off in a roar
I knew he'd head off to dead man's curve
Just to prove he had the nerve...

Don’t Drag No More is the perfect Surf/Car/ Girl Group Sound crossover. It can be seen as the prelude and answer song to Deadman’s Curve...and it is expected that the guy did not heed his girlfriend’s plea, so another Teenage tragedy was bound to ensue. Unless I misunderstood the concept and the girl in question is in fact tired of her beau wearing her underwear prior to going down the strip...
The lyrics are killer, how can you resist a line like “Won’t you put your keys away for me...?” The backing track is totally great and probably features Wrecking Crew regulars. The B side is also classic in a more subdued and gooey “In My Room” mode.
Written and produced by record executive Artie Kornfeld (he also co-wrote Deadman’s Curve BTW) Artie is/was quite the mogul and was also of the main instigators of the original Woodstock Festival. From the Brill Building to Woodstock and beyond, the man has quite a story to tell...You can check it out here http://www.artiekornfeld-woodstock.com/index.htm

Baby Please...

Hear a full version of Don’t Drag No More

Divshare Server Failure

Hi
More than half the sound files on the site have gone astray...I believe I am not the only blog with this problem (Proudfoot -you also have some sound files missing) . Divshare has been a great service -it's easy to use, storage space is ample and they promise that your files will be "online forever". Plus it's free...

I contacted Divshare Support and this is the reply

"We experienced a server failure which has resulted in the loss of a
small number of files. Currently our recommendation is that affected
users re-upload any files which are missing. Please accept our
apologies for the interruption of service. We are continually working
to improve the DivShare service and have already taken steps to ensure
this does not happen again"

This ticket got a low priority

In my case it is not a "small number of files". By my estimate we are talking about 250 sound files on two Divshare accounts. I only have perhaps 50 of the missing files on my current laptop, which means I would have to re-record 200 singles.

Now it's very incovenient to say the least and I wonder if the files are truly lost. If they simply replaced the hardware, the content should still be there. Is anyone a premium client (ie pays for the service)? Were the files reinstated for these customers?

I would have no issue upgrading to a full account, but can anyone who uses Divshare, please let me know what your situation is and perhaps a more concerted approach could be taken, or perhaps you have set a precedent and your files have been reinstated.

Thanks!

Unknown Acetate: Guitar Love/ Let Me

Unknown Acetate: Guitar Love/ Let Me –EMIDISC (UK 1974?)

It’s total mystery time here, so the hunt is on for any clues. Guitar Love appears to have been the planned A side and is a strange Country/Glam hybrid with an Eli Culbertson-like vocal interspersed with some typical 1974 HEYs. The real killer is the B side Let Me. The Neo Elvis inflections are less present, replaced by more of a Leader of The Gang type delivery with pseudo gregorian chants. The track is a great Fuzz Glam Cruncher reminding me a lot of The Boston Boppers' Did You Get What You Wanted (Could there be an Eddie Seago connection here?). It’s Catchy, loud and Fun with great guitar licks – what more could you want?

Hear a full version of Let Me

Hear a full version of Guitar Love

Thanks to Pooka who has rightfully linked this to the B side of the superlative Off Down The Road by TAG. Guitar Love was written by Brian Keith and Jeff Daniels...here is the TAG version of Guitar Love. Very similar, but slightly different...

Hear a full version of TAG's Guitar Love

The Rousers –Rock ‘N Roll Or Run

The Rousers-Rock 'N Roll Or Run / Get Out Of My Show-Torso 101.507 (1980 NL)

Along with De Cylinders, The Rousers were the Prime Dutch Powerpop purveyors from the cusp of the 80s. Rock 'N' Roll Or Run was the short, sharp and sparkling opener of their Swarte artwork-ed first LP. Both their first single Magazine Girl ( 1979) and Rock 'N' Roll Or Run are top notch classics, combining an Undertones-like drive with lush harmonies and super catchy chord progressions. The Rousers released two albums then split with the De Jong brothers later reappearing as The Thought. I look forward to hearing more of their stuff ...

Hear a full version of Rock 'N' Roll Or Run

Billy J. Kramer –Blue Jean Queen

Billy J. Kramer –Staying Power/Blue Jean Queen –BASF BA 1006 (1974 UK)

10 years on from the big time, Billy J. Kramer reacquaints himself with Ex Dakota and Pirate Riff Master Mick Green (then with Shanghai) for this odd solo release. Staying Power is a commercial 50s throwback as expected, but the B side Blue Jean Queen finds Billy moving on from Little Children to lusting after Teens in a similar manner to Harpo, Ken Khury or Miki Anthony...Music-wise, it’s a sturdy Glam influenced rocker with an unexpected tempo shift where Billy gruffs it up rather unconvincingly in juxtaposition with the glossy backing vocals.

Hear a full version of Blue Jean Queen

Fat Daddy –Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll

Fat Daddy –Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll/ Roxeen –BL 289 (1976 Aus)

This is the 2nd and last release from the Melbourne Sharpie favourites (first single reviewed here (http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2009/02/fat-daddy-roll-daddy-roll.html). Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll starts off with a hint of Cheap Trick/Artful Dodger on the intro, the track then gallops into full-on Aussie Boogie mode with lead vocals sung behind clenched teeth. Thank god there no “funky” involved here except for in the title. There's a good use of cowbell ¾ of the way through underlining a modicum of lunacy. The B side is as good if not better, as it chugs along in meaty fashion without any sense of complication and a hint of flange.

Hear a full version of Fat Funky Rock ‘n’ Roll

Hear a full version of Roxeen

The End of an Era...

Yesterday saw the closure of the shop that was once known as Plastic Passion which had opened its doors in the early 80s. About 20 years ago or so, the two partners split the shop down the middle into two camps; creating Minus Zero (Bill Forsyth) and Stand Out (Bill Allerton).It was a strange situation, especially at the beginning when both shops had pretty much the same stock. At times, in order not to show any favouritism, I sometimes discovered a new release in the shop(s) and ended up buying it somewhere else in order not to offend either of the Bills...In the 90s, the choice became easier. Minus Zero was at the forefront of the 90s Powerpop renaissance whilst I saw Stand Out as the embassy of 60s Psych and Garage Punk, although there was some overlap, this cleared things up in my mind and helped to ease my conscience. The Bills were always welcoming and Plastic Passion was the perfect meeting place when friends visited from overseas. Also it was the place to hook up with Jesse Hector as he was always there propping up the counter on Saturdays...Where are we going to go now? Certainly not Intoxica or Rough Trade! A sad day for sure, Plastic Passion was one of a kind and a paradise for record collectors, but life goes on...

.............................................Bill Forsyth ......................................