It's been a bumper year for discovering new old things

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These are all old tracks I've come to love this year.

May I | Kevin Ayers (1970)

For some reason, I've never had any Kevin Ayers records. This is just a perfect, snoozy song.

Just Enough | Ann Peebles (year?)

Courtesy of Tim Hopk1ns. My favourite kind of soul song, basically. Prisoners of love. Beautiful, subtle strings. And of course Ann's a treat.

Home Is Where The Hatred Is | Esther Phillips (1972)

One of many tracks I'm embarrassed about never having heard before. I think I'd heard Gil Scott-Heron do it, but this is better. Jesus, the poise. "Did you ever try to turn your sick soul out, so that the world can watch you die"

Why Can't We Live Together | Timmy Thomas (1972)

It turned out that this gloriously sparse, experimental slice of hippy soul was a big hit. I'm clearly not listening to the right oldies stations.

The Meeting Place | Wanda Robinson (1972)

1972 keeps on giving. An ILM recommendation from nordicskillz. Wanda was (is?) a black poet and on this, she tells the stories of the various characters populating a bar one night, of their secret meetings and thoughts, over languid flute and bar piano. Maybe it doesn't quite come off. Maybe it's a bit Del Amitri 'Nothing Ever Happens'. But maybe not.

Trying Girls Out | The Persuaders (1973)

Just because I knew needed to hear what the remix (well, totally redoing) of Jay-Z's 'Girls Girls Girls' was nicking. It's fucking brilliant. It's great to hear such a sweet-sounding apology for being a complete tart.

Hard Times | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (1976)

Love 'Sunshowers' too. I need to get more Dr Buzzard, clearly.

SSSingle Bed | Fox (1976)

A big UK hit in 1976! Noosha Fox is da bomb. I got the Best Of - loads of great stuff.

Dance & Shake Your Tambourine | Universal Robot Band (1976)

On Twitch's great Summer Camp Mix. Just the best. Why is this not famous? Maybe it is.

I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You | Alan Parsons Project (1977)

Err, yeah. The Alan Parsons Project. Prog goes disco funk, with alarmingly good results.

Nucleo Antirapina | Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera (1977)

Nate P4trin stuck this on his mega challenge of death 2xCD project. Amazing 8 minute 70s Italian cop film wig out. Sounds almost like some kind of proto acid house inferno. Awesome.

Magic Fly | Space (1977)

Next in the series of 'no idea how I haven't heard this before'. No.2 in the UK. Sounds just like the title suggests. I keep forgetting it's almost 30 years old. Strangely now sounding.

Victim | Candi Staton (1978)

A sort of sequel to 'Young Hearts Run Free'. She's older, wiser and badly hurt. "I became a victim of the very song I sing"

Disco Clone | Cristina (1978)

Well, the whole of the Ze Records Mutant Disco compilation really. I had no idea some people were so damn smart in the 70s.

My Time | Ann Steel (1979)

I don't really know what to say about this song. But you should get it.

There But For The Grace Of God Go I | Machine (1979)

I really had no clue at all about this era, did I? Jesus, this is great. Political disco. Dr Buzzard's August Darnell involved again. The righteous venom in the killer "Let's find a place they say, somewhere far away, with no blacks, no Jews and no gays" line.

Change Position | Brooklyn Express (1980)

This is one of those tracks that sounds so ahead of its time that I wonder if I've got a later remix. Supposedly 1980, anyway. Again, from Twitch's Summer Camp Mix.

Wanna Be Your Lover | La Bionda (1980)

Lauren's idea. Rocket ship electro fun. Everyone loves this. What genre would you call this?

You Can't Turn Me Away | Sylvia Striplin (1980)

A chance find on a cheapo compilation I picked up in Virgin. From Roy Ayers' Uno Melodic stable. Squelchy, sexy pouting glory.

Turned On To You | Eighties Ladies (1980)

Ditto. But more dreamy.

Ma Quale Idea | Pino D'Angio (1981)

Italodiscorap which again, everyone seems to love. Gareth's idea.

Remember To Remember | Rick Holmes (1981)

Downloaded after being recommended by Broheems. On the Uno Melodic compilation I still can't track down. A great roll call of some of the names that have made music so great. Including Rick Holmes.

Calling All Boys | The Flirts (1982)

I'll still waiting to hear the Bobby O track that I love as much as this. I haven't tried very hard, but it's a tough one to beat. Those minxes.

The Boiler | Rhoda & The Special A.K.A. (1982)

My ex-girlfriend had this on tape, faded out by an ex-boyfriend before it got too nasty. It's an amazing song, but maybe it was better faded out. It was obvious what was coming, but at least then you didn't feel bad about hearing the humour in Rhoda's story too.

Dance | Earth People (1990)

Just like, the ultimate dance track. Well, y'know, one of them. Chic's albums are out of print in the UK.

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life | Oli Max & DJ Shapps (1990)

From Douglas Wo1k's challenge CDR. 1990 is kind of cute.

Well that's all mine. Please add your own, with a little description if you can.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 6 September 2004 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, "May I". Love that song. Probably my fave Ayers track.

― Reed Moore (diamond), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

In fact, inspired by you Alba, I'm gonna throw on that great great BBC Whole World live record right now...

Oldfield, Bedford, Coxhill, WOW what a band

― Reed Moore (diamond), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

So I've peaked with Ayers?

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

this drummer, Mike Fincher, is pretty darn tasty too. I shouldn't have left his name off in that post above. God, Coxhill is so great on this recording. I love that man. He put on one of the greatest solo performances I have EVER seen. Empty Bottle jazz fest a few years ago. God bless him.

The version of "Clarence in WOnderland" on this live rec is really delightful...

― Reed Moore (diamond), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Alba, I think all Kevin Ayers records are pretty essential, at least up until Mananas. Assuming you like his "thing", of course; the sophisticated dandy layabout charmer. I'm a big fan. Shooting at the Moon is my favorite.

― Reed Moore (diamond), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks - I'll get there in the end.

Oh - and one more:

And You Need Me | Sandy Denny & The Strawbs (1969)

Recorded before her time with Fairport Convention and not properly released till much later, this is just a beautifully simple love song that's perfect for Denny's reedy voice. Should play over the end credits of something. Thanks Jerry the Nipper.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

A couple of old things that i like now:

Nazia Hassan - Aap Jaise Koi. Joyful, ridiculous Indian disco from the early 80's produced by Biddu who had already made hits for Carl Douglas (Kung Fu Fighting) & Tina Charles. Led me to Nazia's wonderful "Disco Deewane" LP and the Biddu produced "Star" soundtrack: so spangly and sweet you'll forget the meaning of the word kitsch.

Bappi Lahiri: where to start? "Kya Naam Hai Tera" is like a Travolta-Livvy duet on acid. When Kishore Kumar starts to yodel I burst into laughter every time. "Everybody dance with me" nicks the Inna Gadda Vida riff, adds synth burps, a relentless stomp and Bappi's own somehow less than suave exhortations. "Ramba ho ho ho" has a heavy bottom and keeps breaking into the synth/vocal refrain of I feel love.

― bulbs (bulbs), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Sounds terrific. Except the on acid thing.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

also I discovered Tyrants In Therapy: Three People (Nude Below The Waist) on that PartyKeller disc on Compost of all places! Actually that whole disc is good fun, leaving behind the "good taste only" tag i usually associate with Cmpst. The Tyrants in Therapy track is like electro made for disfunctional children.

― bulbs (bulbs), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

(yeah, sorry, the acid thing was just meant to suggest: this is hallucinogenically cerazzy)

― bulbs (bulbs), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

also, I want to second Alba on the Timmy Thomas track - how brilliant it is. With DRUM MACHINES in 1972. AMazing. Surely, along with Sly's Riot, one of the very first shots in that direction.

Also the Striplin. She is amazing. "You Can't Turn Me Away", what a song. Alba, were you able to scare up a copy of that "Uno Melodic Story" compilation, then?

― Reed Moore (diamond), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Nope. Reckless Records kept pretending to have a copy, but they don't.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:31 (twenty-one years ago)

i love that Timmy Thomas tune too. So spacious. Also the rhythm box/organ combo kind of reminds me of an organ we had when i was a kid.

― bulbs (bulbs), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Lots of stuff. Most of my most exciting musical discoveries these days are old things. (Is this in vogue now? I guess I will have to stop.)

That Joe Cuba version of "Oye Como Va" with Cheo Feliciano singing is a great discovery. It's cool to hear the rhythm get rearranged in his soneo. I haven't heard anyone else do that with that song (though presumably someone has).

I've heard it before, but I've never had a copy of Hector Lavoe's "Juanito Alamana," which is fantastic. Even without being told, it seems sort of obvious that it's a song that tells a story. It works really well as a song, but it's also been one of the pieces of music that has irresistibly made me dance around my apartment lately.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:58 (twenty-one years ago)

home is where the hatred is a Gil Scott Heron track btw.. i prefer his, but i dig esther's slick soul-funk version too..

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 6 September 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

This weird and wonderful Chrisma band -- did someone do an article on them or something? Released an album in 1977 and it's synthpunk sorta, though it's more accurate to say it's more like this strange prog-disco (that again!) hybrid filtered through an incipient new-wave catchiness. It's VERY good.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 September 2004 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Almost all of the records/cds I get are older releases. I've found a bunch of good jazz this year that are new to me, including the Art Ensemble of Chicago, a couple by Dewey Redman, Izipho Zam by Pharoah Sanders, Larry Young, McCoy Tyner and Eberhard Weber.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I too love "May I" by Ayers. The version on "June 1, 1974" is great. I can take him in small doses, but when I'm that red-wine-summer mood, nothing better. And big seconds on "Home Is Where the Hatred Is."

The thing I'm into right now is the Mer-Da album "Long Burn the Fire" from '72. Some of it is a bit sub-Hendrix but the best of it is kinda like the Intruders meet Sly (and Jimi) in a dark alley...

I'm also into Ben Webster seriously right now...Verve did a "Finest Hour" comp that contains a seriously brilliant Webster performance from '44 featuring Sid Catlett on drums, "Linger Awhile," that's one of the most amazing examples of jazz drumming and sophisticated arrangement, small-group, I know...

And the Pretty Things, I have been listening to them. The Marmalade's psychedlic shit too.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 01:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"Sol de Mi Vida" from Sabor Con Angel Canales (1975) just builds into an insanely great groove. Actually, the whole album is good. But this song really makes me smile.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

(But my favorite discoveries really have been a little less dominated by older things this year, largely thanks to discovering some current jazz I like.)

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The flip of "Why Can't We Live Together" is kinda cool, too -- "Funky Me," on the 'Miami Sound' comp that came out a year or two ago on Soul Jazz.

I was playing "Victim" for the first time while reading Alba's opening post!

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

If you liked Kevin Ayers "May I", then try "Town Feeling" (from Joy Of A Toy).

Esther Phillips: try "Disposable Society" (re-released on Coldcut's Lifestyles compilation).

Timmy Thomas: try Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information, which has just been re-re-released... there's more ahead-of-its-time drum machine sparseness to be found.

The Persuaders: forget Chrissie Hynde's cover - their original version of Thin Line Between Love And Hate is essential.

Dr Buzzard: try "I'll Play The Fool For You".

Universal Robot Band: "Barely Breaking Even" is about as joyously perfect as 80s groove gets.

"Magic Fly" - it's almost proto-schaffel, innit? Try The Rah Band "The Crunch" & Can "I Want More".

"Disco Clone" - that's Kevin Kline doing the narration, you know. "Is That All There Is?" is her classic, and "Things Fall Apart" is the best Xmas song Evah.

"There But For The Grace Of God Go I" - happy memories of the mid-90s cover by Fire Island.

Eighties Ladies: try The Jones Girls "Nights Over Egypt" or Sisters Love "Give Me Your Love". (This will then pump you up nicely for Labelle's astonishing cover of Cat Stevens "Moonshadow".)

The Flirts: never enough love for "Danger", though my Bobby O POO is still "I'm So Hot 4U".

Earth People: I thought their previous release "Reach Up To Mars" was even better - grinding!

Olimax & DJ Shapps: for more dreamy 1990 goodness, try Bocca Juniors "Raise (39 Steps To Heaven)", Culture Beat "Der Erdbeermund" (before they went euro), Ashley & Jackson "Solid Gold", Mr. Fingers "What About This Love", Tribal House "Motherland (A-fri-ca), Jay Williams "Sweat".

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 09:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Mike - you're da bomb too. The only things I have of those are 'Disposable Society' and the Cristina stuff. Kevin Kline, yes, I know - it's a great pop fact.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually the French version of "May I" that Ayers did ("Puis-je") is even better, if only for the silly monologue over the instrumental section which ends with the nod to Daevid Allen: "Vive le bananes"

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 09:37 (twenty-one years ago)

God yes, "Puis-Je". (Same backing track, mind.) The live version on June 1 1974 merges lyrics from both. "Fatigué et mal au queue" indeed..!

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The Boiler! Brrrrr! I heard it once. Never again!

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:05 (twenty-one years ago)

STOP PRESS.

Ann Peebles song is actually '(You Keep Me) Hanging On'. I thought Tim might have got the title wrong, as I was unable to find anything about it on the net.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooh, I am currently in love with a Nina Simone version of the Rodgers & Hart number 'He was too good for me' from a concert in 1962, which I came across while looking for the Simone song that's used at the end of 'Before Sunset'. It sounds like a musical expression of that Beckett line 'I can't go on. I'll go on' - right from the beginning, you think that there's no way Nina is going to get to the end of the song, so halting and enervated is the performance... but something in the stately grace of her voice gets her through.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

That first Dr. Buzzard LP is a total classic start to finish, one of the most charming albums ever made.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

I Don't Know Enough About You | Peggy Lee (1946)

Oh. Oh.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 14 November 2004 14:39 (twenty years ago)

In Every Dream Home A Heartache - Roxy Music
View from a Bridge - Kim Wilde
...

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:02 (twenty years ago)

Sergio Mendes - "Magalenha"
Dusty Springfield - "Spooky"

― carlozz, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:34 (twenty years ago)

finally got round to hearing comus, and i like the herald a lot.

mort garson was the big discovery for me this year, i'd heard him before, but not properly

the trees lp, from 1972, is a thing of wonder, a christian folk lp, but pretty intense and lysergic, rather than happy clappy. freaky acid commune feel. i thought it sounded rather british, but they were from new york

sensation's fix, motoriky italian prog from 74, is nice, kind of a christian bruhn feel with the synths

terry durhams 1969 lp is good, but not as good as the well known title song

andre popps po...po...popp! or whatever its called, from 1960, is graet 50s exotic pop, some very inventive arrangements

steve and stevie - merry go round, great baroque soft pop, from melbourne 68, the guy went on to write for christina aguilera!

fabio frizzi, nick garrie, year one, dorothy ashby, bobby brown have all been good too

― *@*.* (gareth), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:58 (twenty years ago)

and oriental sunshine, a norwegian softpsyche band, their lp is nice

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:59 (twenty years ago)

'Guess who I saw in Paris' - Claudine Longet (langourous ultrafrenchpop, if only for the bit where she can't get over the sight of her paramour in the street "with his thumbs 'ooked in his belt, looking all of 17")
'Surround yourself with sorrow' - Cilla Black (the foghorn voice meets its match on a foaming Mersey of melodrama)
'I love my wife' - Frank Sinatra (FS touchingly bewildered in the seventies: "if someone's rating dreams, then most of mine I guess are double X")
'The way you do' - Frida (feather-light post-ABBA solo single, conjured up by Bryan Ferry. The lp includes an early Pal-from-Roxette song, 'Threnody', based on a Dottie Parker poem)
'I wanna be your lover' La Bionda (hypnotically lonely cosmic eurodisco, like Stephin Merritt working with Bobby O)
'Something we got' The Minx (my treadmill hit of the year, a kind of saucy girl group Sly Stone jam - but I know nothing about it. Can anyone enlighten me?)
'Silberstreif' - Michael Rother (like Hank B Marvin gone krautrock)
'Hilly Fields (1982)' - Nick Nicely (early 80s psych-pop hymning the much-missed, by me, Brockley park)
'Loneliness remembers (what happiness forgets)' - Stephanie Mills (the perfect Bacharach/David song)
'The revolutionary spirit' - The Wild Swans (thrillingly ramshackle jangly melodrama)

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 11:34 (twenty years ago)

Hmm. That La Bionda track was on Alba's initial post and I had evidently forgotten where I got it from.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 11:49 (twenty years ago)

>>I Don't Know Enough About You | Peggy Lee (1946)
>>Oh. Oh.

I just wanted to second that with an additional "oh."
And she wrote it herself, didn't she?

Another great PL song from about the same time: Sugar

― Dr Benway (dr benway), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 11:57 (twenty years ago)

Locust St introduced me to 'I Don't Know Enough About You' - an mp3 blog I'd recommend to everyone.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Yes Locust St seems to be v good. Many of mine I got via the great mp3 blog of the guitarist from Call and Response: http://dreamchimney.com/tracks/comments/tracks.php?dir=sorcerer&from=&to=

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:09 (twenty years ago)

thx for all the recommendations, I'll have to check this stuff out.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:32 (twenty years ago)

They did more than one album; I think there were 2 as "Chrisma"; I have one as "Krisma" as well, and I know there's at least one more; maybe two. Vangelis's brother produced and played on the first one you mentioned, and Vangelis himself either produced or co-wrote one their second (I think) single. I have a middle-period single of theirs produced by Hans Zimmer, too, weirdly enough.

― Pangolino again, Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:20 (twenty years ago)

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