if there's a better compiler than Bob Stanley out there, I'd sure like to know...

Also otm about old music - I've hardly bought anything new this year and it's totally down to hearing something on comps.

srsy, "the trip" introduced some incredible songs to me.

Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs also compiled the two-disc Glen Campbell compilation The Capitol Years...anybody with a passing interest in Glen might consider this a one-stop shopping trip...also, Bob has compiled a number of girl-group collections, also for RPM...

Link: http://www.saintetienne.com/eclipse1

Is this the same Bob Stanley? He's a member of St. Etienne and wrote this article for the Guardian about an obscure movie doc about 60s London...

this looks good too:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-So-Fine-Pye-Girls/dp/tracks/B0009HL0OO/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/202-3189635-6772613#disc_1

Think harder. Folk Is Not a Four Letter Word, Prog Is Not a Four Letter Word, Vertigo Mixed, Welsh Rare Beat, Songs in the Key of Death, Music to Watch Girls Cry: unbeatable run there.

ps hiya arthur!

I have to say, though, that the Finders Keepers releases I own do not get into the rotation as much as, say, The Trip or Velvet Tinmine...

Mind you, I'm glad they do. The St Et The Trip comp is exceptional (will somebody tell me more about Mandy More?) and the Selda album which Votel's recently reissued is a thing of wonder.

Can't tell you anything about her, but here's a few titbits online about her LP:

- from a Q&A with Bob Stanley @ saintetienne.com:

"Ember Glance asks who the hell is Mandy More. Well, her mindblowing If Not By Fire appeared on The Trip. It's from an album called But That Is Me on Philips in 1972 (which includes a great cover of God Only Knows, an almost impossible feat!). I know she did a few equally intriguing non album singles including Coffee Cups which is very proto Kate Bush. Most of the album is, too."

- review @ the vinylvulture.co.uk forum:

"Mandy More – But that is me, Philips 1972
A beautiful and moving album, one I know nothing about. On playing it through I discovered that ‘If Not by Fire’ was familiar – featured on St Etienne’s Trip compilation. This is one of the 2 tracks which features some great electronic / moogy effects (freaking out at the end) and is mighty fine. But the album is so not a 1-tracker, it is one of those perfectly formed complete albums. A little like Melanie’s earlier LPs, but IMHO so much better. Mandy More has a great voice and the arrangements are gloriously baroque – strings, harp, layers of voices, piano – and great songs too. Highlights, if I must pick them are: ‘But That is Me’ (almost a single – catchy uplifting song), ‘Listen Babe’ (gentle grooving number), ‘Come to me Jesus’ (lush complex orchestral, with a great twisting and swelling ending); ‘If I smiled on Saturdays’ (catchy uptempo number featuring congas and melodica). For me the best is the closing number – a fantastic cover of ‘God only Knows’ – the moog comes back (or it might be guitar through effects) and the drums are funky even has a harmonica solo from Mandy! Produced by a certain Tony Hall, if that means anything to anyone.... Find this album if you can, you need it!"

related to xposts: can anybody tell me more about Esther Williams (not the swimmer who turned up on the cover of the first Blur LP, but the soul singer whose "Last Night Changed It All" appears on The Trip)?

I liked that Folk Is Not A Four Letter Word comp Votel did, and the welsh one he did with Gruff Rhys, but thought the prog one was just dreadful. Though I'd probably have dug the song selection if I was out at a club and those were the records a dj was playing. It didn't work so well as an at home listening experience for me.

those 2cd Virgin compilations were so beautiful.... i'm the only fan of "monster, robot and bugmen" compiled by simon hopkins and "jazz satellites" by kevin martin )and "kosmic kuruschi monster (vol.1, sigh....))? wish kevin martin would/could compile more...

Was going to say a similar thing but wanted to articulate *how* and not sure i can right now.

I've been waiting for eons for Vol. 2. Jazz Satellites Vol. 1 was a life-changer. Some key person at Virgin must've got sacked, because it seems like all those amazing comps stopped issuing forth about 5 years ago.

Check out this lineup for the unreleased second volume: http://wlt4.home.mindspring.com/adventures/articles/satellites.htm

talking of wire/tony harrington compiled comps, the wire 3cd box on Mute i think is really good, but have never seen reviewed or talked about. Check the tracklist:
http://www.discogs.com/release/125213

Anyway bored that downloading will actually be a pain for little (or big) records companies that will decide so that to issue comps, and the problems about it (licensing), it's no long useful and profitable (even if of unavailable music).

The Garbarek-Coltrane-23 Skidoo-Melle stretch on Jazz Satellites is one of my favorite sequences.

big list of comps here:
http://www.saintetiennedisco.com/compile.html

that there website is a great source, thanks to whoever is doing it!...hopefully, it will be updated over time...(off the top of my head, I can think of two omissions: The Bobbie Gentry Capitol Years comp and the liner notes for the Jasmine Minks Soul Station Creation comp...I think Stanley/Wiggs also did a Dusty Springfield comp)...

yeah, it's actually far from complete. anyone got something better?

psyched 2 read

http://thequietus.com/articles/13523-bob-stanley-yeah-yeah-yeah-interview

Yeah, mine arrives tomorrow.

I was just reading someone’s account of going to a birthday party as a kid and one of the parents brought over ‘Tiger Feet’ by Mud and said, ‘You’ve got to play this, nobody has a party without playing the current Number 1!’

Oh, I was actually that kid!

Tiger Feet was the Gangnam Style of 1974 I guess.

and then the Cat crept in.

Got this for my birthday!

Happy birthday!

Yeah, yeah. (yeah)

only skimmed it so far (it seems like a book that warrants skimming really), but yeah yeah yeah, his history of pop seems interesting, though it seems to have zero interest in recent pop, and its all a bit too much of a flash through pop, never really getting deep into it. inevitable i know, but, it felt like a very post-internet way of writing about music history (should probably sit down with it a bit longer first, its just that after all the amazingly positive reviews, i think i expected something a bit better. the faber book jon savage and hanif kureishi did seems a slightly better approach to what stanley is trying to do, if more skewed towards rock, stanley is more open minded, and more equal in his appreciation of diff genres).

ok, so you have skimmed it, and it seems not to have much depth, right?

Advice: start at page one and read it properly and don't skip chunks, then you should find it more rewarding.

For all that books that attempt to encapsulate the history of pop either tell me little I didn't know, or end up opaque to the point of being impossible to read, this book manages to be entertaining and informative.

The guy's got a problem with Neil Young, that's for sure.

i'm just getting into it -- obviously a very british perspective happening here. seems to be hitting its stride in the mid 60s.

i'm about halfway through and enjoying it. he wears his enthusiasms on his sleeve and he's most useful when describing things he really likes. he's funniest when describing things he doesn't. his chapters are skillful encapsulations and like mark g says it acquires depth as the stories accumulate.

note the u.s. edition is trimmed down by more than 100 pages but gains exclamation points in its title. i'm reading the u.k. version.

He's quite pro-Neil Young isn't he (y'know, having covered Only Love Can Break Your Heart and all that)? Patti Smith and Joe Strummer and David Crosby come in for quite a bit of stick if I remember correctly.

Best thing about the book are the little anecdotes he drops in about various artists, plus the chapters where he covers scenes I don't know much about. Any book with such scope is only going to scratch the surface but it's an excellent overview and he does a good job at joining the lines between scenes - like how disco developed for example. And there are always more obscure records in there as well as the obvious stuff.

There's very little attention given to much post-Crazy In Love but you have to draw the line somewhere, even if I don't really agree with his drawing of the end of the Modern Pop era (I'm not sure I agree much with the concept in the first place).

Oh great, you made me go and get the book. Alright then: "Neil Young [...] had a definitive line in self-pity [...]: 'I went down to the radio interview, found myself at the microphone.' Poor lamb."

The stuff I knew about felt largely like potted music history, which made me suspicious of the rest. He seems to make the same point over and over--when rock and pop parted ways, it was bad. I guess the Abba chapter was good, but again, is any of that new?

Shifting gears back to the particular subject of the thread, his Croydon Municipal label he started last year has been consistently good fun. Emphasis on public domain pop and jazz from the fifties and sixties, various compilations with an emphasis on female singers. He's got a related blog site for it:

http://croydonmunicipal.blogspot.com/

But there's no official site for the label itself as far as I can tell. It's a Cherry Red sublabel and pretty easy to find through their site and other spots.

x-post

Christgau weighs in. I think there's also talk of the book on the ilm good books about music thread.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/anti-rockisms-hall-of-fame/

Discussing Bob Stanley's book. From July 2014

It took me hours just to get through the first chapter of this because I kept having to stop and cross-reference things on YouTube / Wikipedia. Really enjoyable though. I saw him do a talk last year (interviewed by old-ILX's own JtN) and he seemed incredibly charming and humble, and didn't seem too annoyed when the first question from the audience was about what he thought about jazz music.

this book is awesome for making spotify playlists. the one i pulled from the pre-beatles english rock and roll chapter is great.

If you search Spotify for Bob Stanley playlists, you'll find the crowdsourced playlists for Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

Much I love Bob Stanley and his work, I found the book tough going. His style too condensed and telegraphic to comfortably read at length. There's no-one more qualified to summarize the last forty years of Phil Spector's career in a single sentence (and btw he's great at this kind of thing) or the solo careers of the Beatles in a paragraph, but it's just too exhausting to go through page after page of such condensed history.

I read it on the bus for about a month. It works very well in 20-30 minute intervals.

Yes, every chapter is like an article in Mojo or whatever. Also it's too personal in terms of what he thinks is important. He is a true music nerd's music nerd and he's a master on historical details, influences, product minutiae, anecdotes, industry movers and shakers, who-did-it-first type claims etc. But to him every single scene is centered around the music. Fashion, economics, class and so on are given short shrift. So it's clear he sees a difference between "skeletal" and "spindly" guitar sounds but for fashion it's not more like "trousers got wider". eg. he sees no significance whatsoever in Dexys' coming out in Brooks Brothers suits (he's amazed it WAS a huge deal at the time), but vast significance in their lyrics. Or he quotes Joe Strummer "like trousers like brain" without attempting to put it in context or explain it.

Not that I think he really understands the Clash anyway - another complaint I have is that his likes and dislikes (particularly his quick disposal of so many US bands) are petty and personal and detract from the overall theme of the book which I think is supposed to be a comprehensive overview of how the history of popular music is currently dissected, pigeonholed and defined. Ultimately I think it tells us a lot of details about stuff that Bob appreciates (which, don't get me wrong, is very broad) but there's not really an overall point to it.

FInally got around to reading this, seems pretty fantastic so far. Read through the 80s chapters then went back to start from the beginning. Been buried in it for the past 48 hours, avoiding the Christmas relatives. Wonderful to read through alongside the Spotify playlists -- don't think I've been so engrossed in a music book since Revolution in the Head. There's lots of information here, but it never reads info-dumpy. And even when he gets it wrong (only a third of a page on Madness, dissing Langer & Winstanley), he writes without arrogance or Maconie-esque mateyness.

I got this book for Christmas. Stoked.

Finishing "Yeah Yeah Yeah". It reminded me of Nick Cohn more than anything else - this sort of conversational style, with a pinch of "hey others like it tho so I might be wrong!", more like talking to a friend than an attempt at canon building. This is the kind of music criticism I find easiest to take, these days, though it has its limitations.

So is Bob Stanley still doing his compiler work? I would've thought CD compilations (always one of my fav mediums) would've been totally slaughtered by streaming now, but Ace records for example still seems to be chugging along...

So is Bob Stanley still doing his compiler work?
Yep, his label Croydon Municipal is churning compilations out on a regular basis; the quality is consistently high.

http://croydonmunicipal.com

hmm, that website hasn't been updated for over a year (RIP websites) but there have been 2016 releases

i'm about 100 pages in. the bit about The Everly Brothers is incredibly exciting, shaping up to be the best music book i've read since Rip It Up And Start Again.

This one's up to date I think: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/label/croydon-municipal/

i liked yeah yeah yeah a lot - it's insanely ambitious but it's a really easy read and it pointed me in the direction of lots of stuff i'd never heard before

Thanks, definitley getting that "Songs For A London Winter" thing!

http://acerecords.co.uk/bob-stanley-and-pete-wiggs-present-english-weather

The autumnal sound of Britain at the turn of the 70s, looking out through wet window panes to a new decade with a mixture of melancholy and optimism for what might come next. With the Beatles gone and the pound sinking, a new and distinctive sound emerges, led by flutes and mellotrons. Available in 18-track CD and 19-track double LP formats. The LP version is pressed on 180g clear vinyl in heavy-duty gatefold sleeve.

http://acerecords.co.uk/cache/images/EnglishWeatherCD_72d_1_383_383.jpg

Nice. I spent a lot of last year getting a slew of his/their old comps so great to see a new one surface.

English Weather comp is so great, that moment right at the beginning of the 70s, the tipping point just before psychedelia turned into prog, is probably my favourite era of music I know very little about.

got the vinyl of that coming this week

For me, the timing of this comp is extraordinary. I'm currently selling a large collection of 45s, mostly from 1970 to 1974, and featuring a lot of this kind of stuff. In fact, a friend, when looking through the list a couple of months ago, commented that parts of it read like a shortlist for a Bob Stanley compilation. And now, here it is! Four of my collection are on there - Belle Gonzalez, Offspring, Camel, Prelude - and I'm already familiar with the Daevid Allen and Matching Mole tracks, too. (Shame he faded out the Allen just as it got to the three-minute Gilli Smyth "space whisper" outro, though!)

The T2 vocalist sounds a lot like Ray Davies.

Van Der Graaf Generator's "Refugees" is gorgeous. Also "Caroline" by Matching Mole, been a long time since a love song touched me that deeply.

The Daevid Allen track could work in a Balearic set I reckogn.

https://about.sainsburys.co.uk/news/latest-news/2017/01-11-2017-vinyl

I was totally ready to roll my eyes at this, but these compilations are great - as they would be, being Stanley compilations. Got the only copies I found in Camden Sainsburys - I gather they're selling pretty fast. I find it appealingly mad that Sainsburys' debut record release includes Sequent C by Tangerine Dream.

Tracklistings:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Coming-Into-Los-Angeles-A-Taste-Of-West-Coast/release/11098234
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hi-Fidelity-A-Taste-Of-Stereo-Sound/release/11098310

I asked Sainsbury's themselves where to find the stores that have these in stocks, they didn't know.

I asked a grain of sand where to find the beach; she didn't know.

Well, I've seen them in Heyford Hill (Oxford). I realise that might not help much.

Xpost that's beautiful man.

Nonxpost more useful than the message before yours..

Corporations are people, my friend.

Yes. I asked if there were 'vinyl stockists' (shud) in my locality, the person who replied said no. But if I was to try further afield, I should ring the particular store.

If you're really desperate message me.

Thanks, but I'm not too worried.

I'm a bit confused about these. I figure Stanley's usual target audience will already own, say, Forever Changes, let alone "Dedicated To The One I Love" or "What A Fool Believes", but a more casual type would be lost at sea with some of these other selections?

isn't the point that they'll be listening to similar sounding artists in the context of ones they know and like

Yeah, I guess that makes sense, and is good.

i'm guessing a 15 year old gifted with these by an uncle wouldn't know any of it? or not much at least.

i wish he'd do 80s and 90s comps as i find the 60s and pre punk 70s dull as owt. a Bob Stanley 80s synth-pop/indie-pop comp would rock.

How many 15-year olds do you know with a turntable to play them on?

those crosley portable turntables were all tha rage a couple of years ago

I don't know many 15 year olds but I'd guess half the teenagers I do know (NB: not many) have access to a turntable. Sample size: my friends' children. Other consideration: such children also have access to my friends' record collections, poor blighters.

yeah these are nice comps but i'm also wondering how 'useful' they are and who would want them, especially in the age of Spotify recommended playlists etc

These look like v. good compilations full of stuff that will sound great on vinyl and a good balance of familiar and unfamiliar stuff. Obviously the really familar stuff will be in lots of people's collections (probably on CD) and virtually all of it will be available on streaming services but that's not really the point is it?

i guess it's a bigger question of what purpose compilations serve in the age of streaming. I like having things on vinyl for all the usual reasons, so that's one thing. The familiar stuff has obvs been included to hook shoppers in with the hope of introducing them to the other stuff, but still it's an interesting thing to market through a grocery supermarket. I hope it works.

As a once-prolific buyer of physical-format music, I find that compilations are mainly what I look for these days, in the record store. (And lavishly-packaged box sets/reissues too, of course.) If I want to hear the latest album by, whoever, I can probably find it on Spotify, but the tracks on the more obscure comps (esp. the Stanley/Wiggs ones like English Weather, Tea & Symphony, Songs for Mario's Cafe, etc.), I'd be hard-pressed to find them all on any streaming service.

Yeah, I think it's possible to over-think this. They're nice compilations - had the LA one on at the weekend, it's a good end-to-end listen with some unfamiliar stuff (to me) in there alongside the familiar classics - clearly not meant to be a Soul Jazz / Light In The Attic-style archival deep dive. The design's nice, and Stanley's essay inside ties it all together very pleasantly.

Sainsburys clearly shifts enough vinyl for this to be worthwhile for them - but given that I suspect they're mainly selling either Mumsnet fare like Rag & Bone Man and Adele or expensive reissues of very very overexposed classics, this is a surprising toe in slightly more adventurous waters.

i like the cover designs.
very library styled.

I guess the target market is people who have just got their first turntable and are in an enthusiastic early buying phase + older people who have just bought a turntable again after keeping all their vinyl in the loft for a decade. They'll sell enough to people who are doing the weekly shop and just buy them on the spur of the moment, I guess.

> yeah these are nice comps but i'm also wondering how 'useful' they are and who would want them, especially in the age of Spotify recommended playlists etc

Merry Christmas, i got you a spotify playlist...

Yeah, I don’t really buy the argument that the comp is redundant in the age of the Spotify playlist, given that Spotify also has *whole albums* too and no one (on this thread at least) is saying these are obsolete too.

Don’t want to overstate the case for these Sainsbury’s albums, but a physical compilation can be a lovely thing.

you guys have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME about 15 year olds not having access to turntables?

http://theday.co.uk/arts/teenagers-are-leading-the-vinyl-revival
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/01/why-does-my-teenage-daughter-want-a-22-vinyl-record/
https://www.seeker.com/are-teenagers-keeping-vinyl-records-alive-1862002918.html
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/21/crosley-generation-record-player-has-the-kids-spinning
http://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-598-1200543
http://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-496-1198503

That somehow ties into my slightly snarky theory that a lot of teenagers will go crazy for vinyl until they actually have to move it all into/away from college.

So many Spotify playlists, even useful ones, are 250-tracks long with entire albums shunted in there and no thought to flow or confluence or anything else. Curation matters.

Spotify also has *whole albums* too and no one (on this thread at least) is saying these are obsolete too

*bursts in sweating*

For those looking for more Stanley curation goodness, I'm listening to his Soho Radio show on mixcloud, and it's pretty fucking solid (though the discrepancies in volume between the songs and his voice can annoy).

http://acerecords.co.uk/when-the-day-is-done-the-orchestrations-of-robert-kirby

New Robert Kirby comp compiled by Stanley.

Must have!

Love that Keith Christmas track. Had no idea Kirby was involved.

Comp looks great.

New Bob and Pete comp soon

A new project from @rocking_bob & @petewiggs due in May. More details shortly 👇 pic.twitter.com/7l7bAeIwXx

— Ace Records (@AceRecordsLtd) March 20, 2018

Ooooh!

wow at that sleeve.

Fantastic sleeve and title, yeah -- we have details:

http://acerecords.co.uk/bob-stanley-pete-wiggs-present-paris-in-the-spring

The events of May '68 are seen as a turning point in France's social history - pictures of the barricades are still potent images. Lines were drawn politically, culturally, socially, and pop music was not exempt.

“Paris In The Spring” is a collection of the new music, put together by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, that emerged from France between 1968 and the mid-seventies, an extraordinary blend of several previously independent strains – French chanson and yé -yé, American jazz and funk, British chamber pop - shot through with the era's underlying mixture of optimism, uncertainty and darkness. This is the first collection of its kind, released on the 50th anniversary of the Paris uprising.

Serge Gainsbourg – a jazz pianist with a chanson past and a pop present – was in a position to play a key role in soundtracking France in flux over the next five years. His “Histoire de Melody Nelson”, with its heavily atmospheric arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier, was the acme of this new, unsettling French sound. “Paris In The Spring” includes other equally dazzling Vannier arrangements (for Léonie) and Gainsbourg compositions (for Jane Birkin and Mireille Darc).

Prior to 1968, sixties French pop had been dominated by yé -yé, the country's unique brand of upbeat pop, a world of primary colours, mini-jupes and discotheques (a French invention, after all). Its stars either faded fast after May '68 or adapted to the new era: Jacques Dutronc (‘Le Métaphore’) and France Gall (‘Chanson Pour Que Tu M'aimes un Peu’) discovered a moody side that they had previously kept hidden, and Françoise Hardy released the Brazilian-influenced, after-hours classic “La Question”, from which we have picked ‘Viens’.

New bands like Triangle emerged, influenced by Soft Machine and Gong who became regulars on the Paris club scene. French library music from Janko Nilovic and film soundtracks (François De Roubaix, Karl-Heinz Schäfer) reflected the era's edginess. All are represented on “Paris In The Spring”, making it a continental cousin to Stanley and Wiggs's 2017 Ace compilation “English Weather”.

01 La Victime (Part 1) - Karl Heinz Schäfer
02 Hélicoptère - Mireille Darc
03 Les Aventures Extraordinaires D'Un Billet De Banque - Bernard Lavilliers
04 Roses And Revolvers - Janko Nilovic
05 L'Élu - Ilous & Decuyper
06 La Métaphore - Jacques Dutronc
07 Dommage Que Tu Sois Mort - Brigitte Fontaine
08 Les Gardes Volent Au Secours Du Roi (Alternate version) - Jean-Claude Vannier
09 Looking For You - Nino Ferrer
10 Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver - Cortex
11 Viens - Françoise Hardy
12 Couleurs - Léonie
13 Leslie Simone - William Sheller
14 Litanies - Triangle
15 Baleines - François De Roubaix
16 Encore Lui - Jane Birkin
17 Evelyne - Serge Gainsbourg
18 Le Bal Des Laze - Michel Polnareff
19 Lilith - Léonie
20 Ystor - Ys
21 Chanson Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Un Peu - France Gall
22 La Victime (Part 2) - Karl Heinz Schäfer
23 La Chanson D'Hélène - Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli

great cover, will buy

Awesone! I'd been picking up stray moments of this kinda stuff - that Nino Ferrer album that got spotlit in Aquarium Drunkyard, Léo Ferré's 1970 record w/ a rock group - and really welcome a curation of it. Roubaix is an all-time fave, too.

WANT

English Weather was really outstanding - it was probably my most played record of last year - so hopes are high.

There isn't a single song on English Weather that is any less than wonderful.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/De7xjRYWkAAoAk8.jpg

New Bob 80s synth comp. He couldn't clear Kraftwerk or Depeche he says on Twitter

Track list:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/De6hOOrXkAEiDeI.jpg

All gold.

There's also a Shadows / Hank Marvin / Welch & Farrar comp if that's more your bag.

Good to see some 80's deep cuts there. And Phil Lynott? Whynott!

He's good when he's exploring genres most people don't know about - showcasing the best stuff that's often never been reissued or available on CD or whatever. But I don't get why he's compiling for Sainsburys like this which are largely tracks that everyone knows in genres that have been comped to death.

I kinda agree but otoh people under 30 do buy vinyl and many would probably also be into this sort of primer (somehow only heard 'Videotheque' for the first time last year myself)

*puts now that's what i call music 1 on shuffle*

No way anyone under 30 knows Lawn Chairs or Peter Schilling or Bill Nelson or B Movie or some forgotten China Crisis and Buggles singles. Comped to death, really?

I guarantee a huge % of under 30s know these, at least in Europe. I know lots of under 30s who know this stuff inside out and back to front; a 24 year old friend of mine is an uber Bill Nelson fan. Also, Peter Schilling had a massive revival last year.

Anyhow, Bob is a compilation compling god but come on, this one must have taken 15 mins max. I hope Sainsbury's paid him handsomely.

Like he needs the money.

I'll Stan up for the Hank one, mainly because I'd asked him yonks ago about "Other Shadows tracks that are as great as" Stingray", (album tracks tend towards MOR safety) and he'd suggested some. Trouble is, not that they are rare as in pricey, but rare as in hard-to-find, there's not that many of those singles out there.

So, yeah I'm quite pleased about that one.

Gave Paris In The Spring a cursory listen - CD player's in the repair shop so I succumbed and bought the vinyl. A lot of Gainsbourg-adjacent stuff, as was to be expected, I get to feel smug about having played stuff off of Les Gants Blancs Du Diable on my radio show before I knew Stanley's championing it - he's got three tracks from it on here!

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/23/now-pop-compilation-100-that-s-what-i-call-music

Stanley's alternative 100th NOW compilation (with Spotify playlist)

Man, Stanley and Wiggs are on a roll with their late 60s themed comps:

https://acerecords.co.uk/bob-stanley-pete-wiggs-present-state-of-the-union-the-american-dream-in-crisis

has "4th of july" ever appeared anywhere else since the "good vibrations" box set? that song really is underheard

First time the Beach Boys' Fourth Of July has been on vinyl. Really happy with this one - hats off to @liz_buckley for making light of some very tricky licensing work! https://t.co/Iecrh6CUH9

— bob stanley (@rocking_bob) September 10, 2018

Handy reminder

FINALLY!! Out today. “Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present: State of the Union - The American Dream In Crisis”, available on CD and double vinyl. https://t.co/A3lMVyHPQa pic.twitter.com/gd6Luw9Q8W

— Liz Buckley (@liz_buckley) October 26, 2018

This is a fantastic compilation. Is there a sadder song than 'The Train' by Sinatra?

New interview with him via Pete Paphides on the Ace Records podcast, and the first question out of the gate is about putting together comps, so.

https://soundcloud.com/ace-records-ltd/the-ace-records-podcast-6-bob-stanley

This was posted about 10 years ago but I think it's complete at this point:
http://www.saintetiennedisco.com/compileb.html

I really need to check out most of these.

Yeah, got most of them. Happily so.

i've got all of those Saint Etienne compilations except for the London Winter one. Need to get Paris in the Spring and the new one. Plus there are so many others, including a bunch released via Croydon Municipal that aren't specifically Stanley-curated but bear his influence.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/label/croydon-municipal/

New one! Just in time for Brexit innit
https://acerecords.co.uk/three-day-week-when-the-lights-went-out-1972-1975

My copy arrived today! Have only listened to the first part so far, but it's ace.

the state of the union comp is great. looking forward to this one.

Yeah, I started off lukewarm on the concept of that one - songs about social strife from the 60's, yawn - the fact that it's mostly about how the squares and the olds reacted to that upheaval really makes it something special. That spooky Tokens track has been in my head for days.

Three Day Week is excellent and strongly aligned to my interests. I fear it may have niche appeal, but hope I'm proven wrong.

I think all of Bob Stanley's stuff for Ace is pretty niche. No bad thing obv!

State Of The Union is so good. This track is a bit on the nose (a common thread amongst the album's squares-doing-protest theme), and I don't think either waves or bombs go "zzzz", but it still kills me, such a simple concept.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wPbQoB_oU

I got my first working stereo system w/ record player in nearly 20 years and first thing I got for it was the 'English Weather' comp, it was a very good choice.

Wonder what this'll turn out to be...

Working on a compilation album with @rocking_bob ; )

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) June 10, 2019

Available for pre-order on Ace - “THE DAISY AGE”. De La Soul, Monie Love, Jungle Brothers! Happy, summer music, compiled by Bob Stanley. Available on CD, 2LP and exclusive daffodil-coloured vinyl edition via Rough Trade https://t.co/4rALue1G41 pic.twitter.com/v3Lwxn1Azn

— Liz Buckley (@liz_buckley) July 10, 2019

Cool

No PM Dawn but still, great idea.

I kept this Frosties box (with flexidisc attached) almost 30 years knowing it would come in useful one day. pic.twitter.com/VWd3PWdex3

— bob stanley (@rocking_bob) July 10, 2019

Tim Burgess posted a few days back saying he and Bob are working on a comp together, no indication of what it'll be yet.

Ah, duh, as I posted upthread! Anyway.

Did you know they pulled the town hall down?

No PM Dawn but still, great idea.

That is a compilation of good records but a bad Daisy Age comilation imo

I listened to a Spotify playlist of Three Day Week yesterday, filling in some of the gaps via YouTube. Released in March, it's barely been mentioned on this thread. Sadly, it's not very good - too many raggedy, tossed-off B-sides - and thematically it doesn't live up to the claims made for it in the blurb. At best, it's a moderately interesting one-off listen, but you wouldn't want to return to much of it again.

Xpost

Curious to know what you think should be on it.

Hard to extract four sides under the umbrella of Daisy Age, Who Me? would have been a better KMD cut though.

I don't think it's missing "Delasoul" as that's like having a mersey beat comp and having the Beatles on, it's not really needed.

I'd have added "Wear your love like heaven" Definition of sound, but hey.

Clearly its not missing de la soul at all. Ach.

too many raggedy, tossed-off B-sides

A selling point!

no he said raggeDy

I must insist

Bit odd not having any Arrested Development on it but I suppose they're seen as a bit naff

Fu-Schnickens would have worked in there somewhere too, imho.

they're on the vinyl version but not the CD

You're all just moaning about copyright and budget issues though surely?

New comp done with Tim Burgess

https://acerecords.co.uk/tim-burgess-bob-stanley-present-tim-peaks-songs-for-a-late-night-diner

Gotta say that's a really interesting net being cast there -- very ILMish in certain ways.

There's something called "Tears of technology" coming up, I believe..

Tea & Symphony enhanced reissue on Ace, now available to pre-order
https://acerecords.co.uk/tea-symphony-the-english-baroque-sound-1968-1974-1

Better to say 'alternate' rather than 'enhanced,' I'm looking at my old copy and there are a number of tracks on that that aren't on this one.

"New and improved" is how it's described on the site. The first version went out of print pretty quickly, I certainly was never able to find a copy. Glad I'll be able to check that box off now. Has been something of a used-bin holy grail search for me.

Yeah, hold on, this is almost a totally different release using the same name.

Here's the original via Discogs:

1 –John Kerruish Time To Wander

2 –Graham Gouldman Nowhere To Go

3 –Jon Plum Alice

4 –Vigrass* Stop

5 –Kate Strange Girl

6 –Lea Nixon Off To Find A New Land

7 –Honeybus For Where Have You Been

8 –Eddie Addenbury* Captain Jones

9 –Nimbo Maisie Jones

10 –Almond Marzipan Summer Love

11 –Les Payne Very Well

12 –David Reilly Nothing Else To Say

13 –Lori Balmer Here Before The Sun

14 –Consortium Copper Coloured Years

15 –Marc Reid My World Turns Around You

16 –Roger Charles Watching The Boat

17 –The Tremeloes Till The Sun Goes Down

18 –Graham Gouldman Growing Older

19 –Steve Elgin Seductress

20 –Julian Brooks Justine

21 –Junior Campbell If I Call Your Name

22 –Quiet World Of Lea & John* There Is A Mountain

23 –The Humblebums Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway

24 –Tuesday Sewing Machine

And the new one:

01 Pictures - Ray Brooks
02 I Can't Let Maggie Go - The Honeybus
03 Off To Find A New Land - Lea Nixon
04 Alice - Jon Plum
05 When The City Sleeps - Bombadil
06 Fading Yellow - Mike Batt
07 Say You Don't Mind - Colin Blunstone
08 The Seventh Hour - Gordon Waller
09 Mary Jane - Erasmus Chorum
10 Shapes And Shadows - Tandem
11 Please Believe Me - Nirvana
12 Forever Autumn - Vigrass & Osborne
13 Oh Girl - Richard Henry
14 Very Well - Les Payne
15 You're Lovely - Sunchariot
16 Pollution Song - Mike Sedgewick
17 Epitaph (When Times Were Good) - Bill Kenwright
18 Coathanger - Clifford T Ward
19 The Race - Christopher
20 Closing My Eyes - David McIvor
21 Lifetime - The Bliss
22 Two Sugars - Matthew Bones

There's only three specific tracks in common, at least on the CD version of this new one! I won't complain for that reason, but if you're hoping for a true repress with extras of the original, that's not what you're getting.

Hmmm, that's odd. Why not just tack on a "Vol. 2" at the end?

Of all the Stanley/Wiggs comps out there, this is the one that just cannot be found, at least at a decent price. I wonder if it got issued w/o officially acquiring the rights to some of those tracks - maybe that's why it disappeared so quickly and completely?

Maybe? I always figured it was label collapse. (I did spend a pretty penny getting my copy a few years back.)

I wondered that too, but their other comps of that genre/era (Early Morning Hush, Gather in The Mushrooms) came out on the same label and seem to be readily available, not cheap but not $$$ either.

Here’s that ‘Tears of technology’ 80s synth comp that Mark G referred to upthread.
https://acerecords.co.uk/bob-stanley-pete-wiggs-present-the-tears-of-technology-1

Nice range, and a whole lotta obscurities to boot (to me at least). Another one to order!

That Turquoise Swimming Pools (David Balfe and I think Troy Tate?) song is great, glad to see it available on CD

Meantime, got the new Tea & Symphony today and the issues/questions raised are addressed by Bob in the liners, at least:

The first TEA & SYMPHONY collection was released back in 2007 on the now-defunct Sanctuary label. It was the first official compilation of its kind, but the sudden demise of the record company meant it hardly made it into the shops (this compilation has four tracks in common with its ancient ancestor)....To the delight of people who thought the mine was exhausted, previously undiscovered gems by the likes of Matthew Bones, Erasmus Chorum and Les Payne continue to be unearthed.

Well, that 'splains that! Still leaves the original issue on my holy grail list...

... And now, everyone else's too

My Tears of Technology arrived today along with a card announcing the next comp he and Wiggs doing -- Occasional Rain, which based on the title, font choice and photo is some sort of sequel to English Weather.

Would have guessed a symphonic-soul comp based on that title, but I suppose that's not exactly their wheelhouse. And I also guess that someday soon Stanley and Wiggs will do a comp with "wheelhouse" in the title.

Dunno if Stanley has a wheelhouse, as a compiler. Recent releases include Baroque Pop, Glitter Rock and DAISY Age Hip-Hop, I don't think Symphonic Soul would be too much of a strech.

First glimpse of Occasional Rain?

In this time of financial hardship all I ask is that @rocking_bob and @petewiggs stop releasing brilliant compilations through @AceRecordsLtd pic.twitter.com/CO3jlj00cu

— Andrew Male (@Andr6wMale) March 4, 2020

Yep

https://acerecords.co.uk/bob-stanley-pete-wiggs-present-occasional-rain

Mott's "Waterlow" is so pastorally out of character for those hustlers, and really wonderful.

English Weather is like the ultimate comp for very early January, the sadness of the party being over, excited there's a sequel.

really wish the vinyl versions of these weren't so expensive, i would pick up a bunch but £29 is just too much

The Rough Trade shops edition of The Tears of Technology is cheaper than the standard edition (at £24.99) and you get a bonus track. Very limited though so you’d need to be quick.

Thread-adjacent: Saint Etienne have been releasing playlists on Spotify. Listening to the first one right now and it's brill.

are these playlists on the page for the band, or under some other account?

Yeah, they don't turn up on Spotify US on the band's page...

I third a request for being navigated/pointed in the right direction for these

#1 Hannah and Her Sisters:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1W3IFQSThNbmwbDs2wkSRL

#2 Picnic at Hanging Rock:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dqpFvVJO1yVcEetltNtqO

Thanks!

Sorry, should have noted. It's under a Saint Etienne account but not the band's account.

It's interesting finding those personal accounts from artists. Kelsey Lu makes some good playlists

https://open.spotify.com/user/kelseylu69?si=F2MBHMeOR2CAfMNU3xl2gA

Sorry, should have noted. It's under a Saint Etienne account but not the band's account.

Sorry -posted in error (but I am noting these, thanks).

Okay, new comp announced focusing on Thom Bell's production work:

https://acerecords.co.uk/ready-or-not-thom-bells-philly-soul-arrangements-productions-1965-1978

01 Here I Go Again - Archie Bell & The Drells
02 I Can't Take It - The Orlons
03 You've Been Untrue - The Delfonics
04 Look The Other Way - Lesley Gore
05 Tick-Tock - Connie Stevens
06 What I See - Three Degrees
07 Moody Woman - Jerry Butler
08 What Kind Of Lady - Dee Dee Sharp
09 Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love) - The Delfonics
10 I Wanna Be A Free Girl - Dusty Springfield
11 It's The Same Old Love - The Courtship
12 People Make The World Go Round (Single edit) - The Stylistics
13 Back Stabbers - The O'Jays
14 One Man Band (Plays All Alone) - Ronnie Dyson
15 Do You Remember Yesterday - The Intruders
16 I'm Doin' Fine Now - New York City
17 Life Is A Song Worth Singing (Album version) - Johnny Mathis
18 Something For Nothing - MFSB featuring Thom Bell
19 Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - The Spinners
20 You Make Me Feel Brand New (Album version) - The Stylistics
21 Close The Door (Single edit) - Teddy Pendergrass
22 It's Gonna Take A Miracle - Laura Nyro & Labelle
23 Track Of The Cat (Album version) - Dionne Warwick

Bob Stanley’s sleeve notes - with a rare exclusive interview with Bell himself - and a wealth of rare photos are icing on the cake.

Thom Bell did "Moody Woman"? Blimey, never knew that. And "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" is ALL TIME.

Moar!

"Saint Etienne Present Songs For The Fountain Coffee Room" is due: 31 July 2020 👍 pic.twitter.com/dY6TaZJzeM

— Ace Records (@AceRecordsLtd) June 4, 2020

English Weather sequel as good as the first one so far.

Back to the diner theme!

https://acerecords.co.uk/saint-etienne-present-songs-for-the-fountain-coffee-room

https://acerecords.co.uk/cache/images/CDCHD-1575_1200_1200.jpg

The latest in the popular “Saint Etienne Present” series – soundtracks for places both real and imaginary. This time, Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have put together a selection to fit a bar in mid-70s Los Angeles, the kind of place where Warren Beatty and Julie Christie might meet in the afternoon for a secret rendezvous between shooting scenes for Shampoo.

--

01 Only Love - Bill Quateman
02 Where Are We Going? - Marvin Gaye
03 Get Closer - Seals & Crofts
04 Tell Her She's Lovely - Batteaux
05 One Way Or The Other - The Fifth Avenue Band
06 Lilly (Are You Happy) - Daryl Hall & John Oates
07 Love Is The Answer - Utopia
08 Oh Honey - Delegation
09 Easy To Love - Leo Sayer
10 A House For Sale (Single version) - Millie Jackson
11 Tin Man - John Edwards
12 Thunder In The Afternoon - Bobbie Gentry
13 Save It For A Rainy Day - Stephen Bishop
14 Love Don't Come No Stronger (Than Yours And Mine) - Jeff Perry
15 Hollywood - Boz Scaggs
16 A Love Of Your Own (Album version) - Ned Doheny
17 Natural High (Single version) - Bloodstone
18 Hickory - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
19 Touch Me Baby (Reaching Out For Your Love) - Tamiko Jones
20 Sunshower - Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

Ah missed Jeff's post there. Well a double notation, then!

Ooooh, my kind of thing. That Jeff Perry track is a particular favourite, I’ve played it out many times.

Good to have the track list, Ned. This looks like a must buy.

"Natural High" I remember, the others I couldn't approximate the tune or.

Friend of mine who knows Bob took him to the actual spot named, thus the title. Apparently it's amazing.

It never rains but it... um, never rains

Bob Stanley presents "76 In The Shade" is due 31st August ☀️ (link in bio) pic.twitter.com/HkgXONJmT0

— Ace Records (@AceRecordsLtd) July 7, 2020

Great! He had mentioned this was coming down the pike in a recent Ace podcast interview.

The months without rain and airless days and nights might not have been something out of the ordinary in the Algarve or the south of France, but it was without precedent in Britain. The Summer of 1976 has remained a benchmark for long, hot summers – there may have been scorchers since, but none have seemed quite as relentless or enervating. The country melted into a collective puddle. “76 In The Shade” probably wasn’t anyone’s real life soundtrack of the year – that could have included Bowie’s “Station To Station” and Abba’s “Greatest Hits”. Instead, Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley has put a compilation together that sonically evokes the summer of 1976 itself, its sweet heat and almost narcotic lethargy.

01 Walking So Free - Spike Janson
02 Sugar Shuffle - Lynsey De Paul
03 Miracles (Single version) - Jefferson Starship
04 Get Out Of Town - Smokey Robinson
05 I'm Mandy Fly Me (Album version) - 10cc
06 Stoned Out - Simon Park
07 Nothing To Remind Me - Cliff Richard
08 Discover Me - David Ruffin
09 You're The Song (That I Can't Stop Singing) - Hollywood Freeway
10 You Are My Love - Liverpool Express
11 Liquid Sunshine - John Cameron
12 Not On The Outside - Sylvia
13 Stay With Me - Blue Mink
14 Wild Mountain Honey - Steve Miller Band
15 Fallin' In Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
16 Flowers - The Emotions
17 Montreal City - Azimuth
18 Rock'n'Roll Star - Barclay James Harvest
19 Miss My Love today - Gilbert O'Sullivan
20 Music - Carmen McRae

Surprised not to see 'Oh Lori' by Alessi on that compilation - released on a 1976 album, although not a hit single until 1977.

lol dude needs to slow down!

There was a curious exchange on Twitter where someone suggested that Bob makes all these compilations but actually spends his evenings listening to the Lighthouse Family.

"I don't get it," replied Bob.

I was bemused he engaged, to be honest.

This is out today... almost forgot to mention it! Actually suits the weather. Didn’t see that coming. pic.twitter.com/qCVDYIzQ16

— Saint Etienne (@bobpetesarah) July 31, 2020

Yeah, I was streaming this over the weekend and it sounded wonderful.

When Bowie and Iggy escaped LA to go interrailing in the mid 70s they heard a new European music that was largely devoid of Anglo American rock influence. In Berlin one of their favourite haunts was Cafe Exil - this is it’s imaginary soundtrack. Out in December. pic.twitter.com/udkClxv7ev

— bob stanley (@rocking_bob) October 5, 2020

Track list:

https://acerecords.co.uk/cafe-exil-new-adventures-in-european-music-1972-1980-1

would buy for the cover alone

I already know and adore Jan Hammer Group "Don't You Know", the rest look intriguing.

Allegedly a new one on the horizon called Choctaw Ridge Country Fables but no details yet.

The Cafe Exil comp is fantastic, really does take you on a journey.

Drunk thought: I wonder how long Bob (and collaborators) spend compiling these?

(I'm not really sure how widely he can draw from?)

I did discuss an idea with him (online) which happened about 2 years later. I don't know if he'd already thought of it before, but.

anyone else stuck between not wanting to buy CDS any more but finding it hard to justify £29 for the LP? :-(

I’m not quite at the ‘no more CDs’ stage but yeah the price is driving my format choice in the case of these Ace comps

New comp done with Tim Burgess

https://acerecords.co.uk/tim-burgess-bob-stanley-present-tim-peaks-songs-for-a-late-night-diner

Finally picked this one up at the end of last year and it's so great - concept/execution etc. Hadn't given ISAN much thought for 15 years but in context it's perfect.

The second CD of The Trip *still* gets a monthly airing, pretty much

I've managed to avoid paying £29 for the doubles, but yeah.

One on ebay was £12, because the seller "was expecting something else" when buying it. Nm, his loss, my gain (it's great - the three-day-week one).

> Hadn't given ISAN much thought for 15 years but in context it's perfect.

that track is about 23 years old (which is about 8 years older then i'd've guessed) was a single in '98

Think I first heard it on the excellent Blue Room mix cd that came with the October 2002 edition of Muzik magazine

https://www.discogs.com/Chris-Coco-Rob-Da-Bank-The-Blue-Room-70-Mins-Of-Lazy-Space-Grooves/release/63182

ISAN are worth keeping up with. I like this from last year: https://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-picked-and-placed-nowhere

Thanks - will investigate. I've just realised how much ISAN product there is from the past 20 years...

Cafe Exil also now acquired and is a joy

Another favourite from a few years back is: https://acerecords.co.uk/saint-etienne-present-songs-for-the-carnegie-deli. You sense he could churn these out in his sleep, but the hit rate here is incredibly high and it's low-key glorious throughout

I think my very favourite Bobcomps are those where he's trying to evoke an incredibly vague ill-defined mood, rather than the sort of 'primer in genre X' ones. But maybe they're all this really, to some extent

My favs of this recentish crop that I haven't seen receive much acclaim: State Of The Union (the squares react to the social changes of the 1960's, in a liberal rather than reactionary mold - semi socially conscious tracks from Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis) and 76 In The Shade (very much in that vague mood setting technopolis mentions, just these lazy, hazy grooves from all sorts of mid 70's sources).

I'm super jealous of Bob Stanley, and dig what he does.

Is there really almost anyone else who gets to do what he does, these days? Make comps (not like Numero does, of mostly-unheard, primary-source stuff, but of good stuff of all levels of known-ness) that get pressed into physical media? I've got a few dozen Musicophilia mixes I'd love to see go legit like that...

Oh hello

I'm working on a compilation of 98bpm tracks, all from 1990/91 - hypnotic, post -acid, neo-psych (at least that's how I hear it), ... does this sound even have a name? Things like this by One Dove... it'll be beautiful. https://t.co/nnxDVJXpZH

— bob stanley (@rocking_bob) April 13, 2021

street soul revival is firmly underway!

is that track Stanley posted street soul?

I feel like I should know the answer to this ... but is there significance to 98bpm?

Was a bit of a thing at the time

http://www.oakenfoldmixes.com/press-articles/mixmag-october-1995

In 1990, Paul Oakenfold bailed on house music. "The scene split, the scene went rave and I didn't feel comfortable with rave music. The noises were more cheesy and we were more song-oriented. Where I wanted to go was keep the energy and go downtempo. We'd be caning it for four years, we were ready to go out on a different vibe.
"That's the kind of person I am musically. I could have made a fortune out of being a big rave DJ - I played all those Biology's and Sunrise's - but it wasn't about that for me."
So began his 98bpm movement, a combination of dance grooves, indie rock and hip hop that ended up finally reappearing as indie dance with old Future regulars, the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses, at the helm. And on his releases as Movement 98, top slowed up groovers like 'Joy And Heartbreak'.

Thanks groovypanda.

I was trying to work out in my head if there would be a particular physical sensation related to it. It's sort of top of resting heart rate or maybe bottom of moderately exercising heart rate in a young un'.

"Joy And Heartbreak" is such an incredibly perfect song

Anyway, to answer your question, Jon Savage's latest collection 1972-1976 is one I'm currently on. It might be because it's the only correct reissue of the Faust polydor 7" of "So Far", um, so far.

Waltz Darling doesn't fit genre-wise but the BPM and the era work just about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOGX-x9UlLs

New from Ace Records: ‘Chocktaw Ridge’, compiled by Bob with Martin Green
https://acerecords.co.uk/choctaw-ridge-new-fables-from-the-american-south-1968-1973

Best songs from Elvis' 60s movies. That's what a colleague of mine reckons will be a Bob Stanley compilation project in the future.

Followed by the best songs from Cliff Richard movies.

Lol

A guy's gotta pay the rent.

remembered the 98bpm chat earlier this week and the mention of a compilation being put together.
well, it has just been announced :

https://acerecords.co.uk/fell-from-the-sun-1

He has an Oh Brother I haven't heard yet too. JUst getting the John Leckie one starting at the moment.

So that new comp is about out -- meantime Bob had a few separate single-artist/producer comps out over the past few months as well:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/the-more-things-change-film-tv-studio-work-1968-1973

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/looks-like-stormy-weather-1969-1975

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/psychedelic-soul-produced-by-norman-whitfield

Loving 'Fell from the Sun' and adding more tracks to it. It's like a bit like a sequel to this all-time great "Volume 1" comp that never had a volume 2:
https://i.discogs.com/gxfEk4ZuG1E1cB4JfwPdaPZKsWIf5PHjNTBCsIvByOE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0NDUz/NS0xMTc3NTg5OTU2/LmpwZWc.jpeg
https://www.discogs.com/release/144535-Various-Classic-Balearic-Mastercuts-Volume-1

I wish Movement 98 "Joy & Heartbreak" was on it, it would slot in perfectly

Fell from the Sun is so good. Just spent a pleasant Saturday morning listening & reading the sleevenotes (status: fully ascended Mojo dad) which have a nice 'Rock Family Trees: Chart Show edition' feel.

(Feeling old moment - realising we're twice as far away from this stuff as this stuff is from his 76 in the Shade comp.)

Two thirds through Let's Do It and the one big complaint I have so far is the lack of coverage of Latin music, which was surely very influential to this period (enough for Bing Crosby to record "South America, Take It Away"); so far the only references to it I've seen in there are a British bandleader claiming to have lived in Brazil and Duke Ellington recording a latin novelty song, which is shown as evidence that he was in a creative slump. Hoping he'll give Bossa Nova its due at least.

There's also a bit of a problem in making it about both US and UK pop. I get why he does it - UK pop is underexplored and a book solely about it would sell less - but it's really not fair, these huge developments in the US and then every time it goes back to Britain the scenario feels much the same as anywhere else in Europe (in fact I think histories of pre-Rock French and Italian Pop might have more juice!).

Excellent points, Daniel. I read it over the summer and if memory serves, there's a paragraph at the very beginning, possibly in the foreword, about how there was clearly a story to tell about non-English-speaking pop but for the purposes of the book he'd restricted himself (and his comprehensive research) to UK/US pop.

I think that's fair and certainly a book on all pop worldwide in the pre-rock era would be far too daunting, but it doesn't imo let him off the hook for the latin thing, as the influences of mambo, latin jazz and bossa nova to give just a few examples were huge on English speaking pop of that time.

New punk-era compilation, Winter of Discontent, about to drop:

https://acerecords.co.uk/winter-of-discontent

Post-punk rather than punk.

More goodness on the way: https://acerecords.co.uk/tribal-rites-of-the-new-saturday-night

That looks pretty solid!

Yeah, these things just keep getting better and better. Wonder if Ace has a Bob Stanley Plan you can sign up for.

Looks amazing.

Is there a site where all these Saint Etienne/Bob Stanley comps listed? It's tough to keep up!

Here you go: http://www.saintetiennedisco.com/index2.html

he's got a new Bee Gees bio out which sounds quite good

Various Artists
Latin Freestyle New York / Miami 1983 - 1992
Ace

Another stunning compilation compiled by Bob Stanley. Latin Freestyle was a dizzying, passionate, ultra- modern music. It was the aural equivalent of a can of thirst-quenching Quatro or a Spanish Harlem dance-off, and it became the electronically constructed bridge between disco and house. Freestyle grew out of the electro sound of the early 80s, combined clean staccato rhythms with morse code synth hooks, and topped them off with emotive, usually female, frequently Latina vocals. There was plenty more going on besides: proto- house piano lines, Cuban percussion, high emotion and synth hooks to die for. Put together and annotated by Bob Stanley (who also compiled the acclaimed The Daisy Age and Fell From The Sun), Latin Freestyle is the first compilation to cover the whole gamut of Freestyle from its early 80s breakthrough to its early 90s revival. So many classics... Lisa Lisa made the UK top ten with the 808 joy of ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’. Stacey Q’s cosmically great ‘Two Of Hearts’ came out in 1986, while 1987 saw the likes of Company B’s ‘Fascinated’ and Exposé’s ‘Point Of No Return’ become huge UK club hits. Today, Freestyle is a scene with a solid collector’s market, and rarities like Janelle’s ‘Don’t Be Shy’ sell for hundreds of dollars. It’s a classic summer soundtrack, finally condensed in one Ace Records compilation – Latin Freestyle.

I approve. Some good choices in there. Interesting that he went with "Let's Go" by Nocera which is slightly less known than her "Summertime, Summertime," but I love both. He went with all female singers, which is a choice. There are two or three Cynthia tracks I'd pick before "Thief of Heart," but there are no losers here.

I would have a hard time choosing only that number of tracks for an all-encompassing freestyle comp, even going with just one track per artist.

Looking again at his 16 selections on this comp, I think my own freestyle comp would include exactly eight of those 16 tracks. And then I could come up with eight better ones.

Alfred to thread. I know he’s posted a best of freestyle list here.

How's the Bee Gees book?

I was kind of thinking "It's Bob! Maybe I've just not really got the Bee Gees and this might convince me otherwise?" but the excerpt in the Guardian didn't convince me to part with money.

I enjoyed the Bee Gees book a great deal, their story is unusual and interesting, sometimes bewildering and sometimes sad. I thought I knew a bit about the Bee Gees but didn't know the half of it. IT looks like a thick book but it skips along at a pace, there's a lot of Bee Gees to get through. I am pleased that he gives proper attention to the brothers' production work in the 80s.

Bob observes at the start that the Bee Gees have never really been a fashionable name to drop, haven't been the subject of much of a critical re-evaluation (compared to The Beach Boys or The Kinks, both of whom have had periods in and out of fashion). He doesn't ever really get to why he thinks that is, aside from a few observations about how they never really fitted in to the pop world, and often seemed to shy away from any kind of cutting edge. I'm quite glad the book doesn't give a direct answer to that question, but I'd pay to read Bob music on why the Bee Gees seem immune to being a cool name to drop.

Thanks Tim.

Thanks Tim.

London A To Z is great grey sky listening. The blurb on the John & Beverley Martyn track unpleasantly flippant if you've listened to the Andrew Hickey podcast ep on the artists tho.

A friend recently gifted me Tribal Rites on CD. It’s excellent, particularly the second half. As I’m currently working on a project with the veteran DJ Greg Wilson, I told him about it and he was v.excited by the track listing, particularly for the Sons Of Robin Stone track. So that’s a strong expert endorsement for you there!

Man I've been slack on catching up on the various comps in general. Had missed London A To Z for instance.

Meantime, the other day I'm shopping in Amoeba and I noticed these two comps from him that I had missed completely! (Which of course I bought immediately.)

https://acerecords.co.uk/folk-funk-beyond-the-arrangements-of-john-cameron

https://acerecords.co.uk/incident-at-a-free-festival-1

The latter one is in series with English Weather and Occasional Rain, this time being 1972.

Next up is a Cafe Exil sequel:

https://acerecords.co.uk/fantastic-voyage-1

Plus a really interesting one to me, a Lou Christie comp focusing on 1967. (I keep being very surprised at how Christie barely factors into wider 60s retrospections -- was he too much of a flash in the pan in the end?)

https://acerecords.co.uk/gypsy-bells-columbia-recordings-1967

Thanks for the head's up, Ned! I too have lost track of these comps, which is a shame because I almost invariably enjoy the hell out of them.

I own 76 In The Shade, Occasional Rain, Three Day Week, English Weather (my fave), Paris In the Spring, Tears of Technology, and State of the Union. Aside from this latest batch, are there any other crucial ones I'm missing, aside from Cafe Exil (which I can never seem to find)?

Having gotten them all I can't be truly objective but per the new John Cameron one, gotta give credit to his very interesting producer/arranger overview choices -- the Thom Bell and Norman Whitfield comps arguably work in more familiar territory but they're solid overviews (Bell's own thoughts in the liners are great), but the Robert Kirby one was really striking, a way to open up a view into a lot of 70s UK folk-and-related work I wouldn't have really assayed otherwise.

Meantime I've just now noticed that that 'A Taste Of' series he did for Sainsbury's, which I thought was vinyl only, did have at least some CD issues as well so I may have to start tracking those down.

They sure are coming in thick and fast these days. My hometown record store always has a great compilation section, and when I was just back for the holidays I picked up the Cameron and Free Festival ones, as well as Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night. Still on the hunt for London A-Z and the Latin Freestyle one. Also got the new Bobby Gillespie weepy ballad comp, also on Ace.

Meantime I've just now noticed that that 'A Taste Of' series he did for Sainsbury's, which I thought was vinyl only, did have at least some CD issues as well so I may have to start tracking those down.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, December 30, 2023 6:14 PM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Curious. I've never seen the CDs (and only fleetingly saw the vinyl) despite shopping in Sainsbury's regularly. I don't recall the track listings for the ones I saw being that interesting??

(I might be being unfair/grumpy in that assessment).

"Cafe Exil" is my favorite comp of the last number of years, such a great ride. Very excited about the sequel even if its tracks are far more familiar than CE.

The Sainsburys releases were basically "here's a basic ass selection with a few hidden gems snuck in", which is honestly very fair considering the target audience (it ain't us). Would still have picked them up if they had them at my local ofc.

Sounds a reasonable assessment.

"Fell From The Sun" is decent though shocked to discover that One Dove's Fallen wasn't as good as I remember (at least in the version on here).

Compiling some tracks recently [the ones on the Tarwater thread] and being a bit indecisive on the track-listing, I found myself wondering "What would Bob Stanley do??"

"Fantastic Voyage" is another top tier compilation, lives up to the title!

Here's the next one: Thom Bell - Didn't I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969 - 1983

https://acerecords.co.uk/thom-bell-didnt-i-blow-your-mind-the-sound-of-philadelphia-soul-1969-1983

That’s…weird. He already did a Thom Bell comp a few years back! Hell it’s linked on that page. Is this a complementary set?

This is the sequel to “Ready Or Not”, Ace’s first acclaimed compilation of the late Thom Bell’s productions and arrangements.

Clarity!

Bob has been busy again. https://www.acerecords.co.uk/tomorrows-fashions-library-electronica-1972-1987

Bob has been busy again. https://www.acerecords.co.uk/tomorrows-fashions-library-electronica-1972-1987

I used to own hundreds upon hundreds of these albums. I sold a lot on eBay ages ago, but probably still own several hundred, and I still have CD-Rs of many of those I sold.

The one track on here I really love is John Cameron’s ‘Northern Lights’. For some reason it always evokes for me not the northern lights but gazing out on the River Thames at night, in the 1980s or early 1990s, at somewhere like Battersea. There’s an ominousness to it or a feeling of lost time, or something. That's what goes through my head anyway every time I listen to it.

A lot of the others have aspects to them that I like, but things I don’t like as well. Sometimes the drums and bass sound a bit like jazz funk, but a bit plodding, not sprightly. Then there are certain chord changes that I find annoying. You can hear the loosely prog rock background of some of these composers and the changes they use are not always to my taste.