Mighty Sparrow & Lord Creator: West Indies Federation 1962

In 1962 the short-lived West Indies Federation was dissolved after Jamaica decided on independence over federation. Many in the Caribbean though it was a case of sour grapes because Kingston wasn’t picked as the capital. The Jamaicans said it was because they wanted independence and The Federation was a financial burden on Jamaica. How do I know this? Through these two songs, both released in 1962. I knew nothing about the West Indies Federation or Jamaican independence until I heard these songs.
The first is Might Sparrow’s Federation. Trinidadian Might Sparrow was known as the "Calypso King of the World". He was clearly annoyed at the break up of The Federation and he layed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Jamaica.  Even going as far as to tell Jamaica “don’t behaviour like a blasted traitor”. The second track, Lord Creator’s Independent Jamaica, tells the story of Jamaican independence and how great it was to escape federation. It was officially adopted as Jamaica’s song to commemorate independence from Britain on 6 August 1962. It was the first release on the U.K. based label Island Records (Island 001).

Mighty Sparrow - Federation

Lord Creator - Independent Jamaica

Crazy Horse: Downtown 1971

 

In 1971 Crazy Horse were at a loose end. After being plucked out of obscurity two years earlier by Neil Young. When he changed their name from The Rockets to Crazy Horse and used them to record his second solo album (Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere). They then tour with him and recorded bits of his third album (After The Gold Rush).  Now they were unemployed again as the ever-restless Neil Young wanted to work with different musicians and had Cosby, Stills, Nash & Young commitments. They decided to capitalize on their newfound fame. Keeping the name Crazy Horse they recorded an album.

Downtown was the only single released - at the time - from the album. In different markets different songs were used as the B-side for example in France it was Crow Jane Lady. On the version I have its Dance, Dance, Dance. Although the mp3s are take from a CD not the vinyl. 

Downtown was written by the guitarist Danny Whitten and Neil Young. A version recorded live at the Fillmore East in 1970 appears on Neil Young’s 1975’s Tonight’s The Night.  The B-side Dance, Dance, Dance is sung by the drummer Ralph Molina. It was written solely by Neil Young. In 1975 he re-wrote the lyrics calling it Love Is A Rose and gave it to Linda Ronstadt to record. Neil Young’s own version appeared on his 1977 compilation album Decade.

Danny Whitten                        Guitar, lead vocals
Ralph Molina                                 Drums, vocals
Billy Talbot                                        Bass, vocals
Nils Lofgren                                    Guitar, vocals
Jack Nitzsche                                  Piano, vocals

Produced by        Jack Nitzsche & Bruce Botnick

Downtown
Dance, Dance, Dance

As a bonus here's the original 'I Don't Want To Talk About It.' Taken from the Crazy Horse album. It was written by guitarist the late Danny Whitten.
I Don't Want To Talk About It
And the Linda Ronstadt's 'Love Is A Rose'. To compare with Dance, Dance, Dance
Lind Ronstadt - Love Is A Rose

The Move: Brontosaurus 1970

Released in March 1970, the single Brontosaurus was a change of musical direction for The Move. After a string of psychedelic lite pop hits like, ‘I Can Hear The Grass Grow’ and ‘Flowers In The Rain, this had a heavier more aggressive guitar sound and growling vocals. Prior to the recording of this, they had toured with fellow Brummies, Black Sabbath. It was the first record with newest member Jeff Lynne. Lightnin' Never Strikes Twice was the B-side.

Brontosaurus

Lightnin' Never Strikes Twice

The Bangles: Self Titled EP 1982

The Bangles emerged from the early 1980’s Paisley Underground scene. Which was a loose collection of bands  (mainly from the L.A. area) that were influenced by 60’s psychodelic pop, it included The Dream Syndicate and The Three O'Clock. The Bangles were by far the most commercially successful band from that scene. They can boost to having four vocalists. All the members of the band could -to varying degrees- sing.  Originally called The Colours, followed by The Supersonic Bangs, then just The Bangs, before finally The Bangles.  This is their 1982 second release following the single ‘Getting Out Of Hand’. It features a cover of ‘How Is The Air Up There’, made famous by 1960’s New Zealand band The La De Das. Shortly after the release of this EP, Annette Zilinskas left to join Blood on the Saddle. She was replaced by Michael Steele who had played in a later version of The Runaways.

Susanna Hoffs                          vocals/guitars
Vicki Peterson                           vocals/guitars
Debbi Peterson                          vocals/drums
Annette Zilinskas                          vocals/bass

The Real World
I'm In Line
Want You
Mary Street
How Is the Air Up There?

Or here's the whole lot as a .zip
The Bangles Self Title EP

The Specials A.K.A. - Gangster 1979

In 1979, out of nowhere (Coventry actually) appeared this single by the multiracial The Specials A.K.A.. They seemed to act as a counterpoint to the racist element creeping into music via some in the Oi/Skinhead camp. Although their sound was based on Jamaican Ska and Rocksteady, it seemed fresh. You could dance to it and not just the pogo. There was a degree of musicianship that was frowned upon in punk. But it still had the energy of punk.

This was the first release of 2 Tone Records. The reason The Selecter appeared on the flipside is because The Specials A.K.A. had used their entire recording budget (£700) on recording Gangsters and didn’t have a B-side. The instrumental The Selecter had been recorded two years earlier in 1977 by Coventry musicians Neol Davis, John Bradbury and Barry Jones. John Bradbury was now the drummer in The Specials A.K.A.. When Gangsters took off, Neol Davis set about forming a band under the name The Selecter. The Specials A.K.A. (soon changed to just The Specials, before the A.K.A. was again readded in 1981) were one those seminal bands that inspired a musical moment and legions of imitators.

Terry Hall                                                                vocals
Jerry Dammers                                                keyboards
Lynval Golding                                rhythm guitar, vocals
Neville Staple         toasting, backing vocals, percussion
Roddy Byers                                                    lead guitar
Horace Panter                                                 bass guitar
John Bradbury                                                        drums


The Specials A.K.A. - Gangster
The Selecter - The Selecter

***Warning The Selecter track was recorded of off vinyl. Some Surface Noise.***

As a footnote, here's the original song Gangsters was based on, Prince Buster's 1965 hit Al Capone.

Prince Buster - Al Capone

Cane Slide: Two Songs 1996-7

 Cane Slide are one of the greatly undervalued New Zealand bands.  Centred round songwriter, filmmaker and skateboarding legend, Andrew Moore. They were part of the mid 1990s Auckland lo-fi, DIY sloppy pop scene that included Cabbage Bomber and Gaunt Pudding. Cane Slide released two albums (Sloppy Pop Wars and Stop Look Listen), two EPs (Lunatic Fringe and Tone Down) and two singles (Kamikaze and Shoes) and were also featured on two compilations (Dollar Mixture and the Boss TV album). They have played gigs with amongst others Pavement, Pollyanna, The 3ds, Superette, and The Tufnels.

Andrew Moore                                        Vocals, Guitar
Boyd Thwaites                                                      Bass
Nicola Rush                           Drums on Lunatic Fringe
James Stephenson    Drums on Change The Channel

Change The Channel is from their first album Sloppy Pop Wars. It was released on Humbucker Records in 1997. Lunatic Fringe is off of the EP of the same name. It was self-released (Cane 002) in 1996.

Cane Slide: Change The Channel
Cane Slide: Lunatic Fringe

Marvin Gaye: Wie schön das ist (How Sweet It Is) 1964

 

In the mid 1960s Motown decided to get some of its artist to dub different language version of their American hits for non-English speaking markets. Barry Gordy never missed an opportunity to make money. This one's Marvin Gaye doing 'How Sweet It Is' in German' Note it's out on CBS, not Motown or even Stateside. 

Wie schön das ist

No Tag: Oi Oi Oi 1982

New Zealand band No Tag were part of the early 1980’s West Auckland hall punk scene with the likes of The Mormons, The Plunket Boys, Red Cross and Vicious Circle. Playing gigs in hired halls such as the Owairaka Hall, Mount Roskill Municipal Hall, and the Mount Albert Primary School Hall,  as most venues  banned punk bands from playing. Manly due to the behaviour of  crowds they attracted. In the true tradition of punk, these gigs were organised by fans or the bands themselves and promoted by self-designed photocopied posters. No Tag were the only band from that scene to release a record.  This is their 1982 debut EP, release on Propeller Records (Rev21).  They also released an album. The arm and tattoo  -yes, its a real tattoo- on the cover belongs to the drummer Carl.

Andrew Boak                        Guitar
Paul Van Wettering              Vocals
Carl Van Wettering              Drums
Gary Sullivan                          Bass

No Tag
Mistake Identity
Legalised Dogs

The Privitives: The Ostrich 1964

This is the single by Lou Reed and John Cale’s pre-Velvet Underground band, The Primitives. Lou Reed wrote The Ostrich while working as an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records in 1964. It was a cash-in on the ‘dance craze’ records like The Twist and Monster Mash. It was a minor hit. They also wrote a B-Side for the All Night Workers. For the recording Lou Reed tuned all the strings of his guitar to the same note (which sounds like D to me). He used the same technique on a few of the Velvets recordings like Venus in Furs. Sneaky Pete is the rarely heard b-side.

The Ostrich
Sneaky Pete

Toy Love Gig Poster 1979

A gig poster from New Zealand band Toy Love. From 1979 when cut and paste meant scissors and glue. It's photocopied not printed. The Island of Real was an "all ages" venue on Airedale street in Auckland. I have never heard of the support act.

Rudi: Big Time 1978

 

Rudi were one of Northern Ireland’s first and best punk bands. Formed in Belfast in 1975 as a covers band. When punk started infiltrating Northern Ireland in 1976. The members of Rudi got it straight a way. They started writing two and half minute, fast, punk/power pop gems. Early on, they wore boiler suits on stage, stolen by drummer Graham Marshall from his employer. The Undertones have cited Rudi’s live shows as an influence of them. Their played with the likes of The Buzzcocks, The Outcasts, Stiff Little Fingers and even shared the bill with another young (at the time) Irish band called U2.
This is their debut single. It was released May 1978 on Good Vibrations. No.1 was the b side. Didn't anyone point out to them that Big Time is a song criticizing fame and the flip side is song  about chasing fame? Still, who cares both are great songs.

Brian Young              Guitar/Vocals
Ronnie Matthews      Vocals/Guitar
Gordon Blair                           Bass
Graham Marshall                 Drums

**Warning recorded off of old vinyl. Surface Noise**

Big Time
No.1

The Original 'How Is The Air Up There?' by The Changin' Times 1965

Firstly, sorry about the quality of this mp3. Its taken from a pretty messed up vinyl copy. It is a very rare recording. If anyone has a cleaner version please send me an email. The La de das’ 1966 version of this song is rightfully coincided legendary in New Zealand. This is the original version from 1965 by The Changin’ Times. I know nothing about them I can’t even find a photo of them.

**Warning! Recorded off of old worn vinyl. A lot of surface noise**

The Changin' Times - How Is The Air Up There

The Couch: Self Titled 2004

The Couch were a band that gigged around Auckland New Zealand in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was born from the ashes of another Auckland band, Gaunt Pudding. Live its three members use to swap instruments. Playing different combinations of drums, bass, guitar and/or keyboards. The lead vocals were also shared amongst the band. These tracks are taken from their self-titled 2004 album. Most of the tracks on the album were recorded at Arch Hill Studios. The rest down the hill in a shed on Bond Street.

Mark Anderson                        Bass, Vocal, Guitar, Keyboards
Craig Van Kan                                          Drums, Vocals, Bass
Karl Tchernegovski    Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Drums
                                                  

Persons Following
Inside Out
On Loan

Queen Street Riot. 7th December 1984

This is a poster from New Zealand’s most infamous concert. 10,000 people turned up and it turned ugly. Six million dollars worth of damage was done in two hours. At the time, the Police blamed Dave Dobbyn. Truth was, after the 1981 Springbok tour the Auckland Police had adopted an it’s “us against them bastards” altitude. Any pub or club goer at time would have had at least one story of bad Police behaviour to tell. The riot was a reaction to three years of heavy handed policing not Dave Dobbyn's remakes. After the Commission of Inquiry into the riot Police training methods were changed.

The Gremlins: The Coming Generation EP1966

The song The Coming Generation was a big hit in New Zealand through the late winter and early spring of 1966. It reached as high as number 2 on the New Zealand Hit Parade. It even achieved that rare feat of an UK release. It was also that other rarity in the 1960s, a New Zealand band having a hit with a self penned song. It was co-written by the singer and main songwriter for the band, Glyn Tucker.

The Gremlins were an Auckland based band. Who were formed only a matter of weeks before recording The Coming Generation. It was a Loxene Golden Disc Award finalist in 1966 but lost out to Maria Dallas’ Tumblin’ Down.

 The Coming Generation was released by Zodiac Records on their Viscount label. It was available both as a 7” single  (Z451256) and a 7” five track EP (EPZ136). The single was backed by ‘That’s What I Want’ which was not on the EP version. 

Glyn Tucker (credited as Conway)               Lead Vocals
Paddy McAneney                                         Lead Guitar
Peter Davis                                              Rhythm Guitar
Ben Grubb                                                   Bass Guitar
Roger Wiles                                                        Drums

Produced By Gary Daverne

Side One
The Coming Generation
The Only Thing On My Mind

Side Two
My Word
It’s Easy To Say
Man’s Gotta Be A Man

* MP3s are for personal listening only.