RECOMMENDATIONS ARCHIVE

Current Recommendations

2008 April

2007 December | October | July | April

2006 December | October | July | May | January

2005 October | June | March

2004 October | July | April | February

2003 November | autumn | summer | spring | winter 02/03

2002 autumn | summer | spring | winter

2001 winter | autumn | summer | spring

2000 winter 00/01 | autumn | summer | spring

October 2005


I spent a long, hard month in Edinburgh . The weather changes every few minutes. You get four seasons in a day. My drinking was fairly irresponsible, and there was much socialising between the hours of 8pm and 5am . This, as you can imagine makes it real hard to find new music. Edinburgh has many charity shops, and most have records. These shops must provide rich pickings for the locals. But not much for me even though I tried digging on many occasions. Although I did buy an old techno LP which is mighty fine but that was from a proper second hand record shop and was delightfully undervalued. I also went to another record shop in Edinburgh, up the road from Bristo Square. It's an insane place. All the records are in those modular plastic stacking boxes. The stacks are six to eight boxes high. In fact the shop is so full of records that the walkways around the shop are maybe six inches wide and so you cannot turn around once you are in the shop. I reversed out quite quickly. Just before I left for Scotland, I was lucky enough to acquire part of a long lost TV library archive. 800 LPs in all. I’ve not had much time to start work on them yet, but a couple of the titles are mentioned below. This many library LPs will take me months and months to work through - as we all know what may seem to be crap can always turn out to have a magical oddity right at the end. Like most things in life I suppose.


TRANSMAT TWELVE: Yes, a Transmat 12”, all the way from Edinburgh . £2.99. Bloody bargain. Part of the legendary Relics set. This contains the track Kaotic Harmony, Derrick May and Carl Craig. To me this is like church music of the future. Maybe it’s something about the peculiar keyboard sounds used, all slightly off key. I don’t know, but it’s a blissful, sad and pensive thing that I really love. I never got a Relics originally, so to find this for me is a real treat. I like the Transmat logo too. Someone also told me recently there’s a film being made about the early Detroit techno scene. Could be good.

SOUL OF BOBBY - LAXMIKANT PYARELAL: I knew bugger all about this until I got it. Then I started finding out quite a bit. For a start, it appears that the Bollywood Strings studio is a no smoking area. Also, Laxmikant Pyarelal is two people, yes, one called Laxmikant, the other Pyarelal. And it’s a bloody difficult name to say and remember which ever way you look at it, not like Rodgers and Hammerstein which is dead easy. Anyway, this LP by “LP” is unlike most other hindi sco res. I tend to leave Bollywood scores out, simply because it is a wondrous and daunting minefield of countless recordings and I do not have the time or money to buy the thousands scattered in numerous secret warehouses in Greater London and The North. I digress. Right, these two knocked out 500 scores, and that’s just two of the many many composers out there so you can imagine the thousands up[on thousands of score pressed. But Soul Of Bobby is not your usual score, no, this LP has two suites, one on each side. It seems as if they have taken their score from the film “Bobby” (1973) and turned it into this ever changing, seamless masterpiece of eastern, western pop and classical sound. It is an unpredictable joy which I shall never tire of.

 


MUSIQUE POUR L'IMAGE NUMBER 9: I’m a big fan of this label. There is a big sexy section of the sleeves in the new Library book coming out late October. All the sleeves are by Robert J Hilton, about which little - apart from the obvious - is known. This is a little ten inch library, it’s theme running along the lines of speed and calm, which is why the lady of the front is both. A bunch of very talented French composers were at work here, including Vladimir Cosma, who later went on to score Diva. There are some awesome French jazzy moments here, including a happy-go-lucky number called Pebbles and Bubbles. And a bit of delightful, peaceful folk gets thrown in at the end. Super. Even came with the original greaseproof paper inner sleeve if you know what I mean.

HOT WATER - DENNY REED: I believe this guy was almost a teen sensation in the days of real pop teen sensations - circa 1960. Then it all went wrong, or rather it didn’t go that right. And by the sounds of side one of this single I’m not suprised. But the B side, Hot Water, is a little hooky hip swinging belter, with Denny being dead groovy telling this story about ruining his dads expensive car and a bunch of girls are hanging out with him and singing too, making it all even better. Issued here on Lee Hazelwood early independent label Trey, which I find quite interesting. Also interesting is the rumour that this is a Phil Spector production. Like wow.


CYRIL TAWNEY SINGS CHILDRENS SONGS...: Yes, children's songs specifically from Devon and Cornwall . And what a beard. What a beard. This is one of those folk LPs we all should own. Cyril died this year, April to be precise, but he had a full and fine life. I had no idea he was in the Navy and worked on submarines. Anyway, the great man has gone, but left behind an important legacy, one which will probably never get reissued. On this recording, one of the many kids folk LPs on Argo, many of the songs are trad and some were collected by Cyril from cornish locals. All manor of numbers are here including a cumulative song (like the maypole Wicker Man number), but for me the tricky game songs win out, and it must be mentioned that Cyril makes the finest goose, duck and piggy noises ever.

LEGEND OF THE LIVING SEA - WALTER SCHARF: The search for underwater music continues. And this is the OST to a Jaques Cousteau film. It has some quite spooky string sections, bowed bass I think, and some sweet little clow Fn fish darts too. It’s also amazing how the subtle use of vibes and tubular percussion equals water. I’ve not really got to total grips with this LP yet but the cover of what looks like a transparent sea snail is dead cool.

 


ELECTRONIK PERCUSSION POINTS ’70: This is one of many from the recent TV library haul. This is a weirdy one. Great title, and it’s the early 1970 Conroy LP cover, white with a green labelled record on the front. All music here composed by R. Quenzel. I know nothing of him, however his music is darkly insane. Simple percussive rhythms are set up, then bro ken down, and all the while bonkers electronics are dribbled over the top. It sometimes gives you the sensation of being at the dentist and sitting in your relaxing front room at the same time. A very different electronic library LP, and brilliantly produced.

FEELINGS: Yes, another one of the haul, and I have never ever owned this LP simply because it has always been well out of my reach financially and never in any collection of Library records I have found. I also missed out hearing the reissue and bootlegs, so it’s been interesting to find out for myself what all the fuss was about. Originally issued as a sexy easy listening album by the Italian label Carousello, Conroy repressed it as a library LP. Why I have no idea. It’s a peculiar mixture of wah wah, killer hip hop drums, big strings, some of it borders on quite sexy. There’s also this intense drummy sinister building one called Fearing Much, which is probably why it still goes for big bucks. Oh and I think the music is by Stefano Torrosi under two Pseudonyms. This may be a trophy LP but when I hear it I think of Heart to Heart. When they met, it was murder.

ONE NAKED NIGHT - CHET MCINTYRE: There is no way I am not going to listen to a soundtrack with this title and with a cover of a undressed woman behind a shower screen. I really like American showers, they know how to build bathrooms that lot. By the looks of it this is a quiet little label at work, called Vega, possibly even a private pressing. Good jazz too - and I have no idea who chet is - maybe he just made up the name to sound all jazzy. Who knows eh? I just put the LP on late at night and dream about girls in showers. Derek - got any suitable images, girls in baths will do...

 


MR & MRS: Let me stop you right now - this is not the Tony Hatch single on Pye. Oh no. This is the Derek Batey MR & MRS ALBUM. YES, ALBUM. HE MADE AN ALBUM. I was given this LP by Joel, who I did Dawn Of The dead with. He Dj’d at my friends recent wedding, and Joel brought this along for me. As a gift. What a guy. Between the two of us we believe this is a real rarity. Play the LP and it only improves in it’s terrifying shitness. Derek Batey is the nice guy of rubbish television, and now rubbish record making. I cannot believe this was ever made. Not only does Derek sing, he does monologues here too which even include a rhyming ditty all about playing the game at home. But it’s just for fun. Well no it isn’t any fun Derek. Neither is looking at the shocking images of you, your horrid gold watch, badly dressed wife Diane and pampered pooch Samantha. No one calls a dog Samantha. Issued on Look Records out of Huddersfield . I love it all.

:

RAGING BULL - THE SOUNDTRACK: It is 25 years since this film hit the screens. All the music for this masterpiece were compiled by the director, based on his childhood growing up in Little Italy. It has never been issued until now. It is unlike this site to write about anything even vaguely commercial but there are some pieces on this CD which are simply sublime, Scorsese is the master of film compilation if you ask me. Since this CD arrived at my home and I had to review it I’ve enjoyed it almost daily, it has just fitted into my life like a missing jigsaw piece, and works especially well if I am cooking pasta or beating up my wife to be or hitting her with tables and chairs and swearing a lot and losing my temper and generally hating everything. Scorsese is a massive fan of Powell and Pressburger. They are I believe his major influence. Which makes an unusually fine link to the next recording.

TALES OF HOFFMAN - OFFENBACH : Whilst in Edinburgh , to my delight I discovered that the film festival is also on as well as The Fringe. And the three film festival cinemas were all on my rented doorstep. Therefore I revelled in much celluloid, including a magnificent Powell and Pressburger retrospective. This included films I have never seen before and also this baby - The Tales of Hoffman. Well it’s not a baby at all, coming in at 140 minutes. There is no dialogue, just sung stories, and it’s an opera ballet musical thing. I was spellbound for most of this movie, not simply from a musical point of view but also from a performance and bonkers art direction. A feast for the eyes and ears, I came out of the cinema, went home and lied down. The music, by Offenbach is weirdly familiar, and the whole soundtrack was issued on the Ace of Clubs label in 1959 as a two LP set. Once back from Edinburgh the hunt was on to find this set which I knew I’d seen years ago in an old box under a stall at Portobello but left it there as I wasn't that keen at the time. Well maybe I am ready for it now and in a funny way I must be as I found the set in London Town , got it home and it has been played nearly everyday since. When I bought the LP I had a chat about the composer - Thomas Beecham, who incidentally had a whole section just to himself in the shop. It is the opinion of the cravat and brooch wearing assistant I bought it from that he was theee man, and his conducting adds an air of subtle gentleness unobtainable by anyone else to recordings. Like Dizzy Rascal I replied

THE BORROWERS - ROD MCKUEN: I have been hunting this thing for a long while, but I have no idea quite why. I quite like Rod Mckuen, I have never seen this film but it’s one of those soundtracks pressed on a vague label that you never ever see, and in quad only, which is bonkers. It’s a worthless piece of crap really but I have wanted it and when I found one I didn’t hear it for two months. Couldn’t be arsed, it’s crap I thought. Well it isn’t. When I finally got round to listening to my odd delight I found this to be sweet, super, quite lovely too. American folky weird with tinges of Vashti and even Rosemary’s baby. Only in places though. Great record.

FOLK CELEBRATIONS - JEAN-PIERRE SABAR: More from the big TV library coup, this is a bizarre library label. I know very little about it except that it is called “Bagatelle”. Each Bagatelle issue comes in two colours, one of which is always black, and they all have this rude drawing on the front of naked ladies dancing. This is a green and black issue called Folk Celebrations, which by the looks and sounds of it is merely an excuse to create 12 tracks with no folk on it but instead takes influence from places where folk live. If you know what I mean. It includes Îbits from Bolivia , Macedonia , Bahia and Venzuela. It also includes the track Vai-Vai, which is so totally faultless in a warm bossa nova vocalee way I just cannot believe how totally perfect it really is.

EVEN MORE DIRTY FAN MALE: The old Dirty Fan Male CD has been redesigned. It now has boobs on the front. It will probably now not get as lost as it used to in shops. I might be wrong, but it’s too late now. Anyway, that's not important right now. We have recorded another 66 tracks, a further 66 letters with new voices. I have listened to this lots, there are some new classics to be heard. I have no idea whether I will issue it or not yet. More news may well follow.

PARTICLES - BASIL KIRCHIN: Our dearly departed musical friend has left his final LP with me. It has many elements of Basil, past, present and future. I have no idea quite what to do with it yet as I have to listen to it a lot more before we go any further and I’ve decided. Some of it is quite shocking, even for Basil, but there are elements of totally beauty there too. I am still listening and more news will follow.

TEMA AMORE: This must mean Theme Love. Yes, all about love. You see the mad thing about this TV library archive thing is that I went all the way up North to collect this large load of library records. It was a bit of a gamble as I had no idea what was going to be there, if anything at all. And when I arrived there were loads, and I mean loads of 78s. KPM 78s. Bosworth 78s. Chappell 78s. Hundreds of them all looking for a skip or a home. In amongst the piles of these were piles of 33rpm pieces, Conroys, Chappells, and then in amongst all these were some bizarre Italian LPs. It seems as if some bloke in Manchester in the early 1970s was importing obscure Italian library LPs and sending them to big TV companies as new library music they could license. This is one of those babies, still with his odd Manchester sticker on. The second I laid eyes on this baby it was indeed love. Artwork done in chalk, very thick sleeve card, all music by Alessandroni using the name Gisteri and boy oh boy what a humdinger. I am still very much in love with this baby, it has jazz, classical and wordless filmic elements and everytime I hear it I hear something else.

LISTEN WITH FRIENDS
Send your 'LISTEN WITH FRIENDS' images to Derek