Follow the link below to go to the page, where you can find the track-listing as well as listen, or simply use the widget:
Car Boot Vinyl Diaries
Thursday, 15 May 2014
The CBVD Cloudcast has landed!
The first ever episode of the Car Boot Vinyl Diaries Cloudcast has now been uploaded to the Mixcloud page. Here you can stream nearly an hour of me playing some of my boot sale and charity shop finds, strictly on vinyl and complete with crackles!
Follow the link below to go to the page, where you can find the track-listing as well as listen, or simply use the widget:
Follow the link below to go to the page, where you can find the track-listing as well as listen, or simply use the widget:
Monday, 12 May 2014
Car Boot Vinyl Diaries on the radio!
This coming Sunday (18th May) a selection of tracks from some of my favourite boot sale finds will be broadcast on Manchester's community radio station All FM 96.6. The wonderful Charity Shop Classics is on between 11am and midday, and DJ Gavin Hogg will be spinning a few of my finds as well as the usual fayre of charity shop vinyl, crackles and all!
Tune in via the station's website here then click on the All FM logo on the right-hand side to open the player. If you can't make it (maybe you're out car-booting on a Sunday morning!) each episode is uploaded to Mixcloud during the following week, where you can catch up with all 80 previous shows. Sunday's episode will be no. 83.
I do hope you can tune in.
Tune in via the station's website here then click on the All FM logo on the right-hand side to open the player. If you can't make it (maybe you're out car-booting on a Sunday morning!) each episode is uploaded to Mixcloud during the following week, where you can catch up with all 80 previous shows. Sunday's episode will be no. 83.
I do hope you can tune in.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Ooh La La
Formed in 1969 from the ashes of the Small Faces along with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart, rowdy bar-room rockers the Faces released four albums during their relatively short career. The final one was Ooh La La, which I picked up at a boot sale on Easter Monday for £2:
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| Faces - Ooh La La (1973) |
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| Rear cover |
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| Gatefold |
With Rod on the verge of leaving the band due to the success of his solo career, it's Ronnie Lane whose stamp is all over this record, particularly on Side 2, where he is credited with writing or co-writing every cut.
The front cover art is a Python-esque novelty with instructions to "squeeze top of album down". This makes the top-hatted feller's jaw drop to reveal a set of gnashers, and literally minutes of fun can be had making him laugh while his eyes roll. 70s album covers were so much more fun!
My top tracks - The title track of course, co-written and sung by Ron Wood:
and the album openers; Silicone Grown and Cindy Incidentally.
Next up, for £1 was Millie Jackson's 1978 album Get It Out'cha System:
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| Millie Jackson - Get It Out'cha Sytem (1978) |
It opens with the funky title track, which is then followed with the three-song suite of Keep the Home Fire Burnin'/Logs and Thangs/Put Something Down On It, where our Millie takes the fire/log/forest metaphors to the saucy max. A heartfelt cover of Dolly Parton's Here You Come Again opens Side 2. Sandwiched between this and Kenny Rogers' Sweet Music Man are three soulful ballads, two of which were co-written by Millie and her long-time collaborator and co-producer Brad Shapiro.
Get It Out'cha System reached no. 14 on the US R&B album chart. My top track:
Lastly, for 50p was Street Life by jazz- funksters the Crusaders:
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| Crusaders - Street Life (1979) |
By the time Street Life was released, the Crusaders had been around for 20 years. This album was their biggest success in terms of sales and is worth the admission price alone for the wonderful 11-minute disco-favourite title track featuring the vocal talent of Randy Crawford, the single version of which featured in 1997's Jackie Brown:
Friday, 2 May 2014
Gizoogle Dat Mutha
I got a few records at a boot sale over Easter weekend, but haven't listened to them properly yet, so in the meantime here's one of last year's posts put through the filter of Gizoogle:
http://www.gizoogle.net/tranzizzle.php?search=http%3A%2F%2Fcarbootvinyldiaries.blogspot.co.uk%2F2013%2F08%2Fzing-went-strings.html&se=Go+Git+Dis+Shiznit
It's da shiznit!
http://www.gizoogle.net/tranzizzle.php?search=http%3A%2F%2Fcarbootvinyldiaries.blogspot.co.uk%2F2013%2F08%2Fzing-went-strings.html&se=Go+Git+Dis+Shiznit
It's da shiznit!
Monday, 13 January 2014
Life Is A Song Worth Singing
Teddy began his P.I.R. career in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in 1972. After a string of hit singles and albums he left the group in 1975.
His first four solo albums went platinum, and it's two of these that I was lucky enough to pick up at a car boot sale in the summer for £1 each.
His second solo album Life Is A Song Worth Singing is kick started with the danceable title track, and the tempo barely drops until it's time to turn over after the ecstatic exhortation to Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose and let Teddy's gruff baritone seduce you with one of his bedroom classics Close The Door. Another smoocher follows then one of my favourite songs, the Gamble & Huff-penned When Somebody Loves You Back brings things to a close.
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| Teddy Pendergrass - Life Is A Song Worth Singing (1978) |
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| Rear cover |
Teddy was well-known during his early solo career for his "ladies only" concerts and was the archetypal 70s black sex symbol (surely an inspiration for Lenny Henry's Theophilous P. Wildebeest!). Gone were the Bluenotes' tuxes and in were open-necked shirts or vests, with plenty of medallion necklaces.By now he'd become a huge star with a mansion, lots of expensive cars and many women at his disposal.
His next platinum album was named simply "Teddy" and was released the following year:
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| Teddy Pendergrass - Teddy (1979) |
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| Rear cover |
"Teddy" is a record of two halves. Side 1 is a wall-to-wall lurve-fest, opening with the wonderfully sexy Come Go With Me, then the follow-up to Close The Door in the shape of Turn Off The Lights. How could you resist? Two more slowies complete the side; the reflective I'll Never See Heaven Again and the pleading All I Need Is You, then it's back to the dancefloor for Side 2, my favourite of it's four tracks being the Philly groover Set Me Free.
Come Go With Me
All of Teddy's first five albums are essential for fans of Philly soul and there's much to like in those that followed, although these earlier ones have more danceable songs mixed in with the romantic ballads.
In March 1982 Teddy was involved in a car accident in which he suffered a spinal cord injury that rendered him quadriplegic. After a time away from the public eye while he underwent rehabilitation, he returned to recording and released albums from 1984 up until the 90s.
He died aged 59 from complications following surgery for colon cancer, after living with his disability for a staggering 28 years.
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| Theodore DeReese Pendergrass 1950-2010 |
Friday, 10 January 2014
Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
Towards the end of last summer I picked up this LP at a car boot sale for £1:
The Magnificent 7 is a collaboration between The Four Tops and the Supremes, and production was split three ways between the considerable talents of Clay Murray, Duke Browner and Ashford & Simpson. Diana Ross' split from The Supremes and her plans for a solo career were announced in November 1969. At the close of their final show together in Las Vegas on the 14th of January 1970, Jean Terrell was introduced as her replacement. The new Supremes first released the album Right On which charted well and was swiftly followed by The Magnificent 7.
All of the songs on the record are covers, e.g. Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic (perhaps best known from the 5th Dimension's version); Ike & Tina's River Deep, Mountain High which made for a successful single; and the dreamy, soulful For Your Love which was a 50s hit by writer and performer Ed Townsend (not the Yardbird's song of the same name, as Wikipedia states!).
There's also a cover of Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand) from Diana Ross' debut album of the same year - Berry Gordy certainly knew how to cross-promote!
The album as a whole often sounds more Vegas than Detroit, but with the dream pairing of Levi Stubbs' pleading baritone and the silky tones of Jean Terrell it doesn't fail to thrill in places.
The Magnificent 7 reached just no. 113 on the US Billboard Chart, but no. 6 here in the UK, perhaps as it was widely advertised on continental commercial radio. River Deep, Mountain High got to no. 14 in the US and no. 11 in the UK.
All of the songs from the album are available on a CD which also includes those from the follow-up The Return of The Magnificent 7 plus some unreleased tracks. It's called Magnificent - The Complete Studio Duets and is on Spotify here: The Supremes – Magnificent: The Complete Studio Duets
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| The Supremes & The Four Tops - The Magnificent 7 (1970) |
The Magnificent 7 is a collaboration between The Four Tops and the Supremes, and production was split three ways between the considerable talents of Clay Murray, Duke Browner and Ashford & Simpson. Diana Ross' split from The Supremes and her plans for a solo career were announced in November 1969. At the close of their final show together in Las Vegas on the 14th of January 1970, Jean Terrell was introduced as her replacement. The new Supremes first released the album Right On which charted well and was swiftly followed by The Magnificent 7.
 |
| Rear cover |
All of the songs on the record are covers, e.g. Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic (perhaps best known from the 5th Dimension's version); Ike & Tina's River Deep, Mountain High which made for a successful single; and the dreamy, soulful For Your Love which was a 50s hit by writer and performer Ed Townsend (not the Yardbird's song of the same name, as Wikipedia states!).
There's also a cover of Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand) from Diana Ross' debut album of the same year - Berry Gordy certainly knew how to cross-promote!
The album as a whole often sounds more Vegas than Detroit, but with the dream pairing of Levi Stubbs' pleading baritone and the silky tones of Jean Terrell it doesn't fail to thrill in places.
The Magnificent 7 reached just no. 113 on the US Billboard Chart, but no. 6 here in the UK, perhaps as it was widely advertised on continental commercial radio. River Deep, Mountain High got to no. 14 in the US and no. 11 in the UK.
All of the songs from the album are available on a CD which also includes those from the follow-up The Return of The Magnificent 7 plus some unreleased tracks. It's called Magnificent - The Complete Studio Duets and is on Spotify here: The Supremes – Magnificent: The Complete Studio Duets
Friday, 27 September 2013
Magic In The Air
Philadelphia pop-soul vocal trio The Three Degrees began life in 1963 , releasing several singles and eventually their first album Maybe with Roulette Records in 1970. It would be their work with Philadelphia International's Gamble & Huff, however, that would see them achieve their greatest success, with two high-charting albums and a slew of top 40 singles including the smashes When Will I See You Again and T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia) [with M.F.S.B.].
I recently picked up the 1980 compilation double album Gold at a boot sale for £2:
Sides 1 through 3 boast the cream of their output from 1973-77, encompassing their time at P.I.R. and Epic, while Side 4 is a set of live material including cover versions of songs by Stevie Wonder and Elton John.
(This release is not the one of the same name and year on K-Tel, which contains a side of Ariola material).
After leaving Epic, the trio (whose members changed frequently over the years) joined Ariola Records and released the Giorgio Moroder-produced New Dimensions in 1978, a copy of which I found this summer, also for £2:
Side 1 comprises a 17-minute continuous mix of three songs: lead single Giving Up, Giving In, segueing into Falling In Love Again then Looking For Love. This energetic disco suite blends familiar Philly strings with motorik rhythms and synthesisers, resulting in a refreshed Three Degrees sound more in keeping with the dancefloor fashions of the time.
Side 2 continues in this vein for the first song The Runner, then slows down for Woman In Love, the highest-placing single which peaked at no. 3 in the UK. The pace picks up again for final track Magic In The Air, a mid-tempo, more traditional Three Degrees song, devoid of Moroder's overt electronics.
Here are the girls miming artfully to Giving Up, Giving In:
I recently picked up the 1980 compilation double album Gold at a boot sale for £2:
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| The Three Degrees - Gold (1980) |
 |
| Rear cover |
 |
| Inside gatefold |
Sides 1 through 3 boast the cream of their output from 1973-77, encompassing their time at P.I.R. and Epic, while Side 4 is a set of live material including cover versions of songs by Stevie Wonder and Elton John.
(This release is not the one of the same name and year on K-Tel, which contains a side of Ariola material).
After leaving Epic, the trio (whose members changed frequently over the years) joined Ariola Records and released the Giorgio Moroder-produced New Dimensions in 1978, a copy of which I found this summer, also for £2:
 |
| The Three Degrees - New Dimensions (1978) Dresses by Zandra Rhodes |
 |
| Rear cover |
Side 1 comprises a 17-minute continuous mix of three songs: lead single Giving Up, Giving In, segueing into Falling In Love Again then Looking For Love. This energetic disco suite blends familiar Philly strings with motorik rhythms and synthesisers, resulting in a refreshed Three Degrees sound more in keeping with the dancefloor fashions of the time.
 |
| Inside gatefold |
Side 2 continues in this vein for the first song The Runner, then slows down for Woman In Love, the highest-placing single which peaked at no. 3 in the UK. The pace picks up again for final track Magic In The Air, a mid-tempo, more traditional Three Degrees song, devoid of Moroder's overt electronics.
Here are the girls miming artfully to Giving Up, Giving In:
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