New Spins
ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW: ‘Wide Eyed And Legless’ (A&M AMS 7202)
Beautifully subtle swaying sophisticated semi-slowie, my own fave of the week, and hopefully ideal for those more romantic moments!
★ JH PICK
JUAN CARLOS CALDERON: ‘Bandolero’ (CBS 2726)
From last year like ‘El Bimbo’ and now re-issued after European and US success, this semi-hustling instrumental has a catchy melody and paradoxically fashionable sound – plus some Spanish guitar to snare the oldsters. Useful, and could click.
★ JH PICK
J.A.L.N. BAND: ‘Street Dance’ (Magnet MAG 44)
Already extremely popular, this UK recreation of the unavailable Fatback Band instrumental is full of pounding bouncy funk beat and John Kongos-type party noises.
★ JH PICK
PYTHON LEE JACKSON: ‘In A Broken Dream’ (Young Blood YB 1002)
Moodily magnificent slowie with early Rod Stewart vocals, as you all know it’s been a belated hit before.
★ JH PICK
FLEETWOOD MAC: ‘Man Of The World’ (DJM DJS 620)
And another old slow smash, once very big with rock crowds.
★ JH PICK
B.T. EXPRESS: ‘Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)’ (Pye 7N 25666)
The ‘Non-Stop’ band’s first hit, re-issued (with longer disco flip for the first time here) to cash in on their tour.
★ JH PICK
MERRY CLAYTON: ‘Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow’ (Ode ODS 66110)
Marvelous Merry wails through a fantastically funky bumpy rhythm structure. Another Natalie?
MATAYO: ‘Matayo’ (Rak 222)
Paul & Barry Ryan appear to be involved in this phoney Afro-funker, which doesn’t stop the rhythm being full of thumping bounciness. Are CCS and Hot Chocolate also involved?
LINDA RONSTADT: ‘Heat Wave’ (Asylum AYM 549)
Although lacking Martha & The Vandellas’ frantic energy, this slightly gentler but still similar reworking of their 1968 classic should be useful.
DR. MARIGOLD’S PRESCRIPTION: ‘March Hare’ (Route RT 21)
Re-issued heavy metal knees-up that could be the next ‘Jig-A-Jig’.
PAUL DAVIDSON: ‘Midnight Rider’ (Tropical AL 056)
Superbly produced with stereo effects and strings, this subtle reggaefication of Greg Allman’s tune could follow Bob Marley chartwards.
DONALD BYRD: ‘Black Byrd’ (Blue Note BNXW 7001)
The funky cut from early ’63 that gave the Black Byrd a brand new bag, this sparse chanter is out here at last on 45.
DEODATO: ‘Medley: Caravan / Watusi Strut’ (MCA 215)
Huge in NY discos, Eumir’s fast and funky instrumental combines the sinister Duke Ellington tune with his own galloping rhythm piece, which continues on the flip with possibly more impact.
IKE & TINA TURNER: ‘Delila’s Power’ (UA UP 36028)
‘Nutbush City Limits’ Part Two, which means it’s certainly powerful even if unoriginal.
EBB TIDE: ‘Give Me Your Best Shot, Baby’ (Parts 1 & 2) (Polydor 2001560)
Pete Wingfield vocal sound on a nice easy-rolling Philly group clomper.
MICHAEL JACKSON: ‘Just A Little Bit Of You’ (Tamla Motown TMG 1006)
Strongly arranged catchy hustler.
Import Picks
JIM GILSTRAP: ‘I’m On Fire’ (Roxbury RB 2016)
Although losing in the US to 5000 Volts, Jim’s multi-tracked version has a more hustling disco sound with schlurping hi-hats, and is already getting played in some clubs here.
SOUTH SHORE COMMISSION: ‘We’re On The Right Track’ (Wand WND 11291)
Ultra High Frequency’s near miss of a while back has been redone by Norman Harris, and it comes out smoother with a hustling Tom Moulton mix, Smokey Robinson-type warbling and stereo train effects. Here comes the Express!
WAYNE MIRAN & RUSH RELEASE: ‘Oh Baby’ (Roulette R 7176)
Synthetic strings and a gentle start lead into this lovely low-key hustler that’s got a melody that’ll nag its way clean through your brain. Mixed-down vocal and echoing harmonies complete the scene.
MIRACLES: ‘Love Machine’ (Parts 1 & 2) (Tamla T 54262F)
From their ‘City Of Angels’ concept LP comes the guys’ grittiest outing for ages, a grunting-introed fast thumper with staccato chanting and Jimmy Castor influences. Their voices are as pretty as ever and the beat don’t quit. Could be huge here.
Oldies mean success
THE EVIDENCE grows each week to show that I’m not alone in having more success with oldies than newies.
Phil James (PJ Discotheques, Dover) writes that “Nowadays most of my gigs seem to be wedding / socials where the music is MOR / white like yourself”.
Oldies that PJ uses at every gig include GEORGE McCRAE: Rock Your Baby, MUD: Tiger Feet, CLIFF RICHARD: Do You Wanna Dance, ROLLING STONES: Get Off My Cloud, THE BEATLES: I Saw Her Standing There, GLEN MILLER: In The Mood, and – but of course! – CHUBBY CHECKER: Let’s Twist Again.
So, for all you similarly inclined MOR jocks, here’s another special segue sequence which is guaranteed to work. Be warned, you’ll need to be an extremely fast worker to do it, as some of the records are only on for a few seconds! Choose your moment well and pay attention to the pacing.
First verse only of SWINGING BLUE JEANS: Hippy Hippy Shake (HMV, from 1963), cut on the beat into DAVE CLARK FIVE: Glad All Over (Columbia, 1963).
About halfway, cross fade so that it sounds like the same record into BEATLES: She Loves You (Parlophone, 1963), then near the end of that cut into GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS: I Like It (Columbia, 1963), starting right at the vocal.
Almost immediately, cut after “and your mama ain’t there” into the vocal start of – gulp! – LITTLE JIMMY OSMOND: Long Haired Lover From Liverpool (MGM, 1972). On the beat after “LA” and before the first chorus, cut into KEN DODD: The Song Of The Diddymen (MfP FP 26, found amongst kiddies discs in such as Smith & Sons).
You should cut into this immediately after the “D-I-D-D-Y” and then fade it out after the first verse, under the intro to HENRY HALL: Teddy Bear’s Picnic (WRC SH 172, LP thru EMI), let this last for as long as seems appropriate before cross-fading into WOMBLES: Remember You’re A Womble (CBS 2241). In point of fact, I personally use the Ger man version just to confuse people, Die Wombles Sind Im Kommen (CBS 2544, import)!
From there you’re on your own, although an alternative to the Wombles is SHIRLEY TEMPLE: On The Good Ship Lollipop (Pye 7N 25664), just in case you’ve started a nostalgia sequence by doing all this.
. . . And where to get ’em
HERE ARE some more shops and places where you can get old records.
As I’ve said previously, I’m hoping to build up a list that covers just about every oldie shop in the country, and when I have more names, the list will be run off and you can write in for a copy. In the meantime, here’s a few to be getting on with:
Ian Rogers (Telstar Disco Road Show, Kingsbury, London NW9) infos about three that he uses:-
Sellanbys Stall, South Harrow Market (opposite tube station), open Tuesday to Saturday, with good cheap oldies and recent hits.
The Route Of Wax, 38 Broadway Parade, Crouch End, N8, with great pop, R ‘n’ R and soul oldies from 60p.
Past And Present Records, 2A Hatfield Road, North Watford (Watford Junction station), with excellent oldies, imports and disco-slanted newies.
Roving rock-a-billy collector Mr A. Griebler infos about places that might be of interest:-
The Collectors Record Shop, 41 Harcourt Road, Brockley SE4.
East Street Sunday Morning Market (8.30 to 1.00).
dj hotline
Capital Radio’s Roger Scott gets great reaction at gigs to JOHN ASHER Let’s Twist Again (Creole), with many dancers forming circles and taking turns to twist alone in the centre!
Evidently Creole’s phones have been ringing ever since last week’s Asher review, there’s so much interest in the Twist.
Les Aron (Bali-Hai, Bognor Regis) says that CHUBBY CHECKER’s original is his most popular oldie anyway, while Jay Sawers (Butterfly Discos, Stevenston) notes a definite upsurge of Twist mania, with packed floors of happy Twisters.
Meanwhile Leslie J. Chester (Eltham) and Sammy Southall (Triple-S-Discotex, South Wales) both suddenly chart ELVIS PRESLEY: Jailhouse Rock (RCA)!
Barry Kingston (Brighton) has imported EDDIE DRENNON: Let’s Do The Latin Hustle (US Friends & Co) at number one . . . Chris Sang (Hove) raves about JIM CAPALDI: Love Hurts (Island), and along with Les Aron and Ashley Eastly (Ashley’s Disco, Dyfed) is another convert to MAXINE NIGHTINGALE: Right Back Where We Started From (UA).
Alan Gold (Brighton) and Steve Day (Chingford) both tip JOE DASSIN: Africa (CBS), and Steve opines that LINDA G. THOMPSON: Ooh What A Night (Magnet) is even better than her work on SILVER CONVENTION: Fly Robin Fly (Magnet).
Colin King (Sale) and Paul Roxy (South Normanton, Derbyshire) use THE TRAMMPS: Scrub Board (Buddah), which although flip to Sixty Minute Man is in fact the backing track of Hold Back The Night!
Jon Taylor (Crocker’s, Norwich) opines that GIL SCOTT-HERON: Johannesburg (Arista) could be another South African Man.
Only “half-and-half’ about Reggae music, Ray “Rosko” Robinson (Tiffany’s, Leicester) reckons even so that a grower is BIG YOUTH: Big Youth Dread (Lucky).
Clem “RAF” Ord (Rockln’ Soul Disco, Marham, Kings Lynn), a DJ who really enjoys MOR gigs, has been plugging DR FEELGOOD: Back In The Night (UA) for ages and can’t see how it hasn’t hit.
GARY TOM’S EMPIRE: Drive My Car (Epic) is big for Dave Singleton (Rainbow, Eccles).
Malcolm Crow (Cottonfields Disco, Redcar) gets ’em raving to reels and jigs by JIMMY SHAND and to such as DENNY CHRISTIAN: Roll Out The Barrel (Sonet).
SEVEN SEAS: Super Jaws (Jayboy) showing up strongly for Peter Greig (Route 66 Discos, Plympton) and Steve Day, amongst others.
I’ll be playing all the hits from 1961 at the Lord Nelson in London’s Holloway Road next Wednesday, November 5, which should be good post-firework listening!
star tip
THIS WEEK’S star tip comes from Jay Jay Sawers (Stevenston, Ayrshire) who pulls ’em into his weekly gigs at Daltry’s Hotel De Croft by awarding the complete current Top Ten as prize in an oldies competition.
The winner is the first person to guess the titles and playing order of five oldies already chosen by Jay Jay from a circulated list of ten.
Jay Jay reckons that good prizes and competitions help build audiences at residencies, and that at this sort of location as well as at mobile gigs there is a sudden boom in oldies, which are even overtaking soul in popularity.
Guaranteed floor-fillers for him are ARCHIES: Sugar Sugar (RCA), MONKEES: Daydream Believer (Bell), HOLLIES: I Can’t Let Go (Parlophone), SEARCHERS: Sugar & Spice (Pye), and BEACH BOYS: Then I Kissed Her (Capitol).
UK Disco Top 20 – November 1, 1975
01 03 Drifters – There Goes My First Love – Bell
02 06 Esther Phillips – What A Diff’rence A Day Makes – Kudu
03 01 David Essex – Hold Me Close – CBS
04 04 Dee Clark – Ride A Wild Horse – Chelsea
05 13 George McCrae – I Ain’t Lyin’ – Jay Boy
06 07 Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug – Island
07 05 Natalie Cole – This Will Be – Capitol
08 11 Trammps – Hold Back The Night – Buddah
09 02 Four Seasons – Who Loves You – Warner Bros.
10 10 People’s Choice – Do It Anyway You Wanna – Philadelphia Int’l
11 14 Art Garfunkel – I Only Have Eyes For You – CBS
12 09 Fatback Band – Yum Yum (Gimme Some) – Polydor
13 — Maxine Nightingale – Right Back Where We Started From – United Artists
14 16 KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s The Way (I Like It) – Jay Boy
15 re Faith, Hope & Charity – To Each His Own – RCA
16 — David Bowie – Space Oddity – RCA
17 re Hello – New York Groove – Bell
18 re Leroy Brown – One Woman Man – EMI
19 — Gloria Gaynor – Do It Yourself – MGM
20 — Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – Change With The Times – Avco
james’ top ten
1 I LOVE TO DANCE LIKE THEY USED TO DANCE Bing Crosby (UA)
2 LOVE IS THE DRUG Roxy Music (Island)
3 I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU Art Garfunkel (CBS)/Dick Powell (UA)
4 IN THE MOOD Joe Bob’s Nashville Sound Company (US Capitol)
5 ROCK AROUND THE. CLOCK Sydney Thompson (BBC)
6 THERE GOES MY FIRST LOVE Drifters (Bell)
7 I’M ON FIRE 5000 Volts (Philips)
8 TRUE LOVE Harvey Smith (Handkerchief)
9 LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS Sparks (Island)
10 I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT Biddu (Epic)
BREAKERS
1 LOVE HURTS Jim Capaldi (Island)
2 DARLIN’ David Cassidy (RCA)
3 RIDE A WILD HORSE Dee Clark (Chelsea)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 