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.

Much of the music I upload onto my blog I also add to my YouTube account and indeed a lot of music I don’t blog ends up there too. In many ways it’s a little simpler and less time consuming uploading music to YouTube and the feedback is better too. So subscribe to my YouTube channel or just keep visiting (the link is always up there on the top right) for a busier experience.

Jamaica Band – Sticky Fingers

Bugs Bunny – The Bunny Hop

Ashton, Gardner, Dyke & Co – Delirium

If you’re familiar with Syl Johnson’s ‘Is It Because I’m Black?‘ (you really should be) then you should be familiar with this too. ‘Soul Heaven’ by E Rodney Jones & Friends was a spoken word tribute to deceased greats Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Roy Hamilton, Billy Stewart, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong, which reused the Syl Johnson backing track. Whilst the a-side is interspersed with snippets of all the aforementioned artists music the b-side is an untouched ‘Is It Because I’m Black?’ instrumental.

Fairly tough to find on vinyl but available to all on Superfunk Volume 4 where you can find a considerably less battered version than mine.

E Rodney Jones – Soul Heaven (Instrumental)

Wallifornia Soul from Laid Back on Vimeo.

As I mentioned before there have been a fair few vinyl related videos cropping up online of late but few (if any) are as fascinating and inspiring as Belgian vinyl maven Jean Roger who details several decades of digging. Superbly put together by the Laid Back crew (I hope there’s more like this coming); be sure to check out their superb radio player and check out JR playing records and being interviewed (in Belgian) on Laid Back radio.

Paul Morley’s doing great stuff on The Guardian website at the moment. Lots of video/audio interviews going up with the likes of Goldie, soundtrack king Daniel Pemberton and lots of disco goodies going up at the moment too.

Paul Morley Showing Off

A record that I know little about and part of the reason I’m posting is the hope learning more about this band. What I do know is they were predominantly a reggae band; they released one twelve inch, one ten inch and one seven inch none of which are easy to find (or cheap).

‘Beauty’ is a gorgeous slice of UK soul with such a beautifully constructed rhythm track (love that guitar); it makes me wonder if they recorded anything else like this. If you know any more or if you’re a band member please comment or contact me via my website.

Denym – Beauty

A great thread over at Soulstrut had me digging through my collection for records to blog. Here’s two for now although no doubt there will be more to come.

To be honest most Shakatak music leaves me cold but this laidback funk jam from their debut ticks all the right boxes.

Shakatak – Toot The Shoot

Easily my favourite Sade track; that bassline, that deep funky groove, those vocals….just sublime.

Sade – Paradise [Extended Remix]

Bonus vid: not my favourite Kandidate track (I’ll save that for a later post) but the shirts, the haircuts, the dreamy feel and the over emotional miming make for some hypnotic viewing.

It took me years to find this album after being introduced to the UK bandleader’s rather excellent version of ‘Light My Fire’ on a ‘Phase 4′ sampler LP. Whilst the tracklist isn’t hugely inspired, the arrangements and playing are spot on with much covered ‘Spinning Wheel’, ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ and the aforementioned ‘Light My Fire’ all hitting the right spots. That said it’s the less likely cover of 5th Dimension’s ‘Don’t Cha Hear Me Calling To Ya’ which really dazzles.

Ted Heath – Don’t Cha Hear Me Calling To Ya

Ted Heath – Spinning Wheel

From my own tape archives this is an appearance of two of hip hops most important DJs on Tim Westwoods then relatively new Radio 1 Rap Show (he moved over from Capital Radio a year earlier). Kool Herc and Jazzy Jay play classic breaks, funk, soul and old school hip hip cuts. Westwood also interviews and there’s a brief Stick-E & The Hoods (remember them?) interlude in there too.

Download Part One

Download Part Two

First aired on the superb Prince Paul / Peanut Butter Wolf “Be Our Valentine” podcast. Now there’s a full on Eighties kitsch Alyssa Milano stalking video.

You’re So Precious from Folerio on Vimeo.

Not sure if Peanut Butter Wolf has a future planned for Folerio but as tongue-in-cheek outsider art goes this is pretty great.