Medina Records

I’ve been uploading a number of my mixes onto Mixcloud. All of these are already available in downloadable form here but if you just want to stream or are part of the Mixcloud community then check them out.

I’ve long been fascinated by RA Records ever since I stumbled onto
Peter Rice’s web page on the label a few years back. RA were housed in Paignton (near Torquay) in Devon and even though it’s less than 100 miles from where I’m sat I rarely see anything RA shaped in my travels. So finally landing something in a local record shop which is actually a great record and not that dreadful Sid Gately record I keep finding (well, twice) is a joy.

Sharon Whitbread (who’s possibly responsible for one other record released in 1976 on Pye – will investigate) provides the albums vocals whilst ‘Fred’ (who’s real name is apparently Tony Heart) provides guitar. Sharon who was just 15/16 years old when she recorded this LP with ‘Fred’ (then aged 17) was clearly a big Buffy Sainte-Marie fan as she borrow Buffy’s wobbly vocal inflections and also covers Sainte-Marie’s ‘Must I Go Bound’.

The two standout tracks for me are ‘Lazeras’, a traditional American work song (usually know as ‘Po Lazarus’) that was also covered by Buffy Sainte-Marie. This is a similar take to Buffy’s with an added laidback funky bass guitar and backing vocals from RA’s Faraway Folk. The second is a version of British folk singer (and father to Kirsty) Ewan MacColl’s ‘Gypsy Song’ which adds bass, drums and a horn section into the mix and like ‘Lazeras’ it wanders into what I shall lazily label as ‘folk funk territory’.

Sharon Whitbread And Fred – Lazeras

Sharon Whitbread And Fred – Gypsy Song