Mod
By Dean Rudland
The mod is an important figure in the world of youth cults. Originally emerging from darkened Soho basements of the late 1950s, they have continued to reappear to such an extent that they are now a permanent fixture on the cultural landscape. In 2012 mod culture could claim the winner of the Tour De France and the leading actor in one of the year’s highest profile films. While the music associated with mod is now wide and varied, you have to look back to its roots as a club culture to see where its heart lies.
The original mod protagonists could be found listening to the sharpest late 50s jazzNew York could provide, and we pay tribute to this mythical beast with our “Mod Jazz” series, which now runs to seven volumes, each one full to the brim with a bluesy jazzy mixture heated up with a touch of Latin.
The mods then moved on to American soul and R&B. These sounds were initially brought to them by DJs such as Roger Eagle and Guy Stevens and then by sharp record labels – usually the UK versions of American greats such as Chess or Atlantic, but also Guy Stevens’ British Sue logo.
Mods went away for a few years but their legacy lingered on in Northern Soul and southern clubbing, before a revival based around the Jam and Quadrophenia led to a new generation of mohair-clad lovers of jazz, R&B and soul. It is this legacy that is touched on in compilations such as “Looking Good” and our “New Breed R&B” series.
The selection here would provide you with the backbone of a very good mod collection.
Selected releases
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Looking Good: Mod Club Classics
In the 1980s mod walked away from the sounds of the 1979 revival to touch on the spirit of their 1960s antecedents. They did this by mixing up the dance floor gems of that era with 1960s sounds. “Looking Good” collects 20 of those records.
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Mod Jazz
If the mythical night spot where mods danced to blues-inflected jazz had ever existed, “Mod Jazz” would be its soundtrack. A virtual jukebox full of 45s from the Prestige, Riverside and Fantasy labels, this original volume set the tone for the whole series.
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King New Breed Rhythm & Blues
The spiritual home of New Breed R&B, the great mod trend of the 2000s, is King Records. This almost perfect compilation pulls together the biggest dance floor winners from that source, including Mike Pedecin’s ‘Burnt Toast and Black Coffee’.
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Georgie Fame - Mod Classics 1964-1966
Mods usually adhered to the theory that originals were the best, except when it came to Georgie Fame. With his band the Blue Flames he was the king of the Soho all-nighter, and his choice of material was as sharp as his Madras sports coat.
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The UK Sue Label Story: The World Of Guy Stevens
With unmatched access to US imports, Guy Stevens left his mark on mod by championing rare soul and R&B. He took this knowledge with him when he headed up Island’s Sue subsidiary, making it the ultimate mod label.
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Memphis 60
Memphiswas a hot-spot for hundreds of great records which, if they had been known at the time, could have given Otis a run for his money. This compilation is mod music that the mods wouldn’t have known about.
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Kicks! The Best Of Oscar Brown Jr
Smooth-voiced jazz singer Oscar Brown is also one of the greatest writers of jazz song. His four albums for Columbia were all classics, most notably the first, “Sin & Soul”. This CD includes the very best of those albums.
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At The Club
Atlantic Records was a mod staple. With such guaranteed winners as Booker T, Solomon Burke and Wilson Pickett, it was always worth taking a risk on the more obscure artists, many of which appear in this wonderful set.
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Chess Club Rhythm And Soul
Chess Records was already a favourite for its blues output when it moved forward into the soul world. Issued in the UK on a black and gold label in beautifully designed house bags, their 7-inchers were immediate hits with mods.
