Results for “mod jazz”

Urged on by rare soul collector Gilly, who had solved the Northern Soul mystery of “What was the identity of the singer who recorded the Rose Valentine cover-up ‘When He's Not Around’?” (as played on acetate by Richard Searling in the latter days of Wigan Casino), Ace Records went ahead and purchased the tapes and rights to the work of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton. Gilly told me how Dave had been an original member of Motown’s Funk Brothers, had played guitar on ‘Reet Petite’, ‘Boom Boom’ and ‘Please Mr Postman’, had recorded the Chalfontes for Mercury and had run the Topper label. He also said there were some great unissued numbers that Dave had copied onto a reel for him to get played on the Northern Soul scene.

I was not that knowledgeable about the Wigan cover-up, but I realised it made a great story and would create much interest. After Dave’s untimely death, I visited his widow Alice and listened to some of his tapes. I thought they were worth gambling on. At the time I could identify only one full CD’s worth of material with a few spin-offs for other compilations. We shipped the tapes back to London, allowing us the luxury of time to fully explore the material.

Our first “Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers” CD featured most of the tracks that had drawn us to the catalogue. In further researching the tapes we began to discover unheard gems such as ‘Who Are You Trying To Fool’ by Little Ann (the true artist on that Rose Valentine cover-up), a recording later described by Ian Levine as the best non-Motown Detroit soul production. The rare soul collecting scene continued to view Dave’s work favourably and records such as ‘Sweep It Out In The Shed’ by Tobi Lark, Dottie & Millie’s ‘Talkin’ About My Baby’ and James Lately’s super-rarity ‘Love, Friends And Money’ went from strength to strength. Then the rare funk scene exploded and Dean Rudland was able to compile a BGP CD of late 60s and early 70s grooves. Additionally Dave’s jazz productions on himself and his tight band came out as the unreleased “Soul Suite” LP he had hoped would make his name in the late 60s. Dave’s jazz background also led to several of his tracks featuring in our “Mod Jazz” series and there were some excellent modern soul recordings from artists such as of Gil Billingsley and James Carpenter.

Meanwhile, we had been sitting on many unmarked tapes. Every few years we would haul a couple of boxes up from our storage facility, don the headphones and plough through several days’ worth of recordings. These varied from poorly copied old jazz radio shows to fully produced versions of songs Dave was trying to get to Motown’s Jobete Music publishing company. Tapes for some incredibly rare 45s eventually turned up, along with odd acetates, allowing us to release a third volume of “Detroit Dancers” and a new volume of funk, followed by a general “Detroit Soul” CD.

The EU then joined in the fun with a request from the Finnish company Timmion to issue an LP of Little Ann’s recordings. The faux 60s album was a great hit, particularly among the younger soul demographic, and it led to a similar project on O.C. Tolbert, who also cut enough tracks for a very impressive Kent CD of his own.

That one mythical 1966 recording that remained embedded in an old acetate was responsible for eight great CDs and we’re still counting. From small acorns, mighty oak trees do grow, and we’ve not even started on the gospel tapes yet.

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. 

2012

The Fame catalogue rolled on, as did the Songwriter and London American series, Mod Jazz and New Breed danced on and there were more cute EPs and cuddly 45s. So all of the flowers in the Ace garden were being well tended.

There was a new compiler on the block, looking like he was ready to bop. Ian Saddler, a record collector who specialised in Louisiana music created a new series. The first release was “Boppin’ By The Bayou”. Essential to making the series work was accessing the seminal rock’n’roll and R&B recordings made by JD Miller out of Crowley. While Miller provided Excello with a huge amount of their catalogue, he was also responsible for a lot of great rockin’ rhythm and blues sides that he didn’t sell on. With a big helping hand from John Broven, a deal that had been sought for many a year was finally put together. Before long, the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal was doing a pretty good impersonation of the Bayou. Vince Anthony & the Blue Notes’ ‘Watch My Smoke’ was not just one of the great tracks in the deal but could well be the byword for the alacrity with which the series expanded.

While the physical world is in lockdown we're working to meet your listening needs over on Spotify and Deezer.

Release date: 04/09/2020

Rationals: Punchy garage and blue eyed soul from the Ann Arbor group that should have ruled the world. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Mirwood: From1965-1968 Mirwood produced the best uptempo Northern Soul dance records, bar none. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Goldwax: The ultimate label where soul and country meshed and made musical magic. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Release date: 13/08/2020

Funky Blues: The blues never died and in the late 60s and early 70s some of the best musicians mixed in contemporary funk to create an explosive fusion. Here are 24 of the best cuts. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Doo Wop Girls: Female vocal groups from the Golden Age of American Rock’n’Roll. (Compiled by Mick Patrick)

Millie Jackson: An incisive introduction to one of the greatest soul singers, a snapshot of her finest work recorded for the Spring label. Southern soul deepies, funky dancers and disco grooves.

Release date: 17/07/2020

Mellow Cats And Kittens: Cool Cats, Crazy Cats, Top Cats, Hot Cats and Mucho Mellow Cats (and Kittens)! Strictly the Hippest R&B Anywhere. (Compiled by Tony Rounce)

James Carr: Possibly the greatest voice in Southern Soul with his definitive work. It doesn't get any better than this. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Disco Grooves, Dancefloor Moves: The sound of the dancefloor, from proto-disco moves and the roots of modern dance to full on hands-in-the-air classics. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Release date: 03/07/2020

Female R&B: Three dozen feisty examples of early 60s female R&B. (Compiled by Mick Patrick)

Rock'n'Roll: Thirty top-notch rock’n’roll floor-fillers from the 50s, 100% guaranteed to please your ears and treat your feet. (Compiled by Mark Lamarr & Tony Rounce)

Breaks, Beats and the Birth of Hip Hop: The roots of hip hop taking in block party classics, jazz, funk and other beats. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Release date: 19/06/2020

R&B: A Playlist that's a Party - the Rockin’est 1950s Rhythm & Blues selection you’ll ever need! (Compiled by Mark Lamarr & Tony Rounce)

Vocal Groups: An Ace Street Corner Serenade Special! 1950s Black American Vocal Groups, Doo-Woppin’ what they do best. (Compiled by Mark Lamarr & Tony Rounce)

Teen Pop: Clean-cut pop rockers and teen ballads from the late 50s and early 60s. (Compiled by Mick Patrick)

Release date: 05/06/2020

Southern Soul: The sublime Sound Of The Soulful South – Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Miami and more. From deep to dancers, and definitely much more besides! (Compiled by Tony Rounce)

Sister Soul: Sweet Girls, Deep Girls, Southern Girls, Northern Girls, Funky Girls, 60s Girls, 70s Girls – but always 100% Soul Girls! (Compiled by Tony Rounce)

Gil Scott-Heron: Politics as art and poetry with cross generational impact.  Gil’s formative work is as relevant today as it was when it was recorded. (Compiled by Dean Rudland)

Release date: 22/05/2020

Doo Wop: Rockin’ n rollin’, mambo, strollin’, and some real cool school doo wop from the finest sharp-dressed Californian vocal groups of the 1950s. (Compiled by Roger Armstrong).

Big City Funk: 'Sunroof top, Diamond In the back..' the sound of a cruise through mid-70s New York, Chicago or LA. Heavy grooves, funky horns and power to the people. Discos are getting started but they're the gritty kind. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

Northern Soul: Timeless rhythms from geniuses of black music. Laid down in the 60s but still moving heart and feet today. (Compiled by Ady Croasdell).

Release date: 08/05/2020

Street Funk: Take an ounce of James Brown, a pinch of the Meters, and little more Dyke & The Blazers, then stir well. Real funk for party people, obscure 45s, hidden LP tracks and discoveries from old tape reels. Guaranteed to move your feet. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

Surf Instrumentals: Boss instro sounds from the early 60s surf, drag ‘n’ hotrod scene – let there be twangin’ guitars, poundin’ drums and honkin’ saxes! (Compiled by Mick Patrick).

Release date: 24/04/2020

Girls with Guitars: A collection of guitar-wielding all-girl bands, drop-dead female frat rock, garage girls and axe-centric she-pop from the 60s. (Compiled by Mick Patrick).

Where the Girls Are: A cornucopia of heartrending 1960s Girl Group sounds from all corners of the USA. Think castanets, anguished teenage sirens, Svengali-esque producers and mini-sonatas about dreaming, dancing and boyfriends (sometimes deceased). Get the picture? (Compiled by Mick Patrick).

Mod Jazz: Razor-sharp soulful jazz, Latin beats and a touch of the blues for the ultimate Soho basement party. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

Funk Soul Sisters: Heavy funk and breakbeat soul from the coolest singers on the block. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

Spiritual Jazz: Progressive jazz for the mind and the soul. These 70s greats help you to find your spiritual centre. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

Funky Jazz: Funky organ, blaxploitation themes and acid jazz grooves from the hippest players on the scene. (Compiled by Dean Rudland).

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