David Carradine - Grasshopper (1975)

It was sad to hear of the death of David Carradine recently. Back in 1975, he had great success with the Kung Fu TV series and released this album of self-composed songs. At the time, to promote the album, he appeared on the UK chat show Russell Harty. After insisting that he and Harty should sit on the floor, he spent several minutes of the 'interview' tuning his guitar to the bemusement of his host. Eventually, he played the first track from this album.

This is from my own vinyl copy and comes to you with its original pops and crackles (though not many)

download

password in comments

Akvarium - Radio London

Boris Grebenshikov is the 'elder statesman' (for want of a better description) of Russian rock. Together with his group Akvarium, he has produced a huge canon of work from the early eighties to today. He and the band's influences have taken in a wide span of popular music from folk, rock and jazz to classical and world music. He is still an important figure in the Russian music scene and has worked with musicians from all over the world including the UK. Produced by Dave Stewart, BG released and album in English called 'Radio Silence' which was poorly received and not generally considered to be one of his better albums. A second English language album was recorded, but not released. While still not amongst his best, it is a big improvement on its predecessor and gives an idea of his style.

download

Ennio Morricone - 72 Metres

During a training mission, a submarine is damaged by a wartime mine and sinks. The survivors have to try to find a way to get help. This is a fine drama, with believable characterisations and some very good acting. The filming in the stricken vessel is gloomy and claustrophobic and, although not based on the Kursk disaster, the film gives a hint at the dreadful fate of its crew. The score was written by Ennio Morricone and is very difficult to find, often being sold at silly prices. Morricone dedicated the music to the memory of the Kursk submariners.

download

Twinkle Brothers and Trebunie Tutki - Higher Heights aka Twinkle Inna Polish Stylee

This is a colaboration between the Twinkle Brothers and the Trebunie Tutki Polish folk group. The result is a mix of Polish folk with a reggae backing. Most of the songs are sung in both English and Polish - one an interpretation of the other. Difficult to describe this well, but it's really worth listening to. Some of the songs can be found on compilations, but this original release is really difficult to find anywhere now.

Download

Ivan Kupala - Radio Nagra

This is the second album from the Russian band Ivan Kupala and it's another very good one. Slightly more emphasis on the beat here, but still a lot of folk.

Download

Glastonbury Fayre - Revelations

Limited edition released to recoup losses made at the festival in 1971. The album was released in 1972 and contained tracks donated by the artists involved. Many of the tracks here have seen no other release. It should be stressed that only the Gong set is from the actual festival. The Brinsley Schwarz, Marc Bolan, Pete Townsend, David Bowie and Skin Alley tracks are studio tracks, the remainder are live - but from other venues.

The album didn't sell all that well at its original price (£3.99) and was later selling mail order from Virgin records (at that time mainly mail order with only a handful of retail stores) heavily discounted.

Disc 1:
Side 1
1. Grateful Dead - Dark Star
Side 2
1. Brinsley Schwarz - Love Song
2. Mighty Baby - A Blanket in my Muesli

Disc 2
Side 1
1. Marc Bolan - Sunken Rags
2. Pete Townshend - Classified
3. David Bowie - Supermen. This is very different from the track on 'Man Who Sold the World', and was included on the Ryko disk CD of'Hunky Dory' as a bonus track. However, the mix is different from this original. The lead guitar is double tracked and there is more echo on the vocals, so the vinyl version remains here.
4. Hawkwind - Silver Machine. Not the single
5. Skin Alley - Sun Music
Side 2
1. Daevid Allen and Gong - Glad stoned buried fielding... This is a remastered version released recently. It appears to be identical with the original.

Disc 3
Side 1
1. Pink Faries - Do It
2. Pink Faries - Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out. These are listed wrong way round on the booklet.
Side 2
1. Edgar Broughton Band - Out Demons Out.

This is ripped from my own vinyl copy. I have taken out some bad pops on a couple of tracks to make them listenable, but there are some pops and static remaining (not too bad, though - I did try to look after my records). Look on it as a bonus - this is how music used to sound to most of us!

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Edward Woodward - This Man Alone

In 1970, Edward Woodward was starring in the popular TV show 'Callan', playing an agent of the British security services. This album of ballads was released and included a vocal song based on the theme from the series and using an image on the cover showing Woodward in character. The rest of the album is made up of songs unrelated to the show, all broadly dealing with themes of alienation and loneliness. 'The Tide Will Turn For Rebecca' was written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John and given to Woodward to record. Woodward's voice may be an aquired taste, but the album is rather well produced and quite a pleasant experience. Again, long unavailable, this is taken from my mint vinyl copy.

1. This Man Alone
2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
3. September song
4. Sound Of Silence
5. The Tide Will Turn For Rebecca
6. Today I Killed A Man I Didn't Know
7. The Way You Look Tonight
8. A Taste Of Honey
9. Scarborough Fair
10. Eleanor Rigby/This Man Alone

Download

Carl Davis and George Howe - We Were Happy There

There was a TV show called 'How It Is' broadcast around teatime on UK tv in the late sixties. John Peel the influential DJ was involved in presenting some shows, although it could have been in the second series which was shown later and called 'How Late It Is'. Anyway, one of them featured a brief floorshow from some artists dressed like public schoolboys, complete with boaters, and singing a song called 'We Were Happy There'. I was quite taken with it, but it was a few years later that I found my first copy of this album from which the song was taken.

It feels like a show, but whether it was ever performed or only appeared as this record I haven't been able to find out. The record is a mix of songs written by Carl Davis, who went on to be a prominent composer, and George Howe, who doesn't seem to have left a trail, and readings of poems and prose extracts by John Gielgud, the well known actor of the time.

This never seems to get mentioned in articles about Davis and has never been released since in any form.

I made this rip a few years ago and there is a little hum and a few pops, but not enough to spoil it too much. I now have an unplayed copy and may do another rip sometime but, meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this extremely rare recording.

Download

Rolf Harris - Seamus (Shamus) O'Sean

One of the first records I ever owned was this EP from Rolf. It was a tie-in with a TV show he had at the time, in which the leprechaun featured. I lost my EP years ago, but I found these tracks on an old twelve inch (together with other tracks that are easily available). The sound was poor with lots of surface noise but, using smorodina magic, I have made it very listenable.

Not sure about the spelling of Seamus which is spelt Shamus on the 12"?

1. Seamus O'Sean the Leprechaun.
2. A Smuggler's Life.
3. The Boat at the Bottom of the Sea.
4. A Leprechaun's Life.
5. Up the Hill We Go.
6. The Poacher of Ballyslapadashamuckery.

Download

Father Abraham in Smurfland

I was amazed that this has not come out on CD, so here is a rip from mint vinyl I recently acquired. It's a clean capture with hardly any surface noise. Probably the best smurf album with some rather touching songs. Included here is the original version of the Smurf Song in dutch.

1 The Smurf Song
2 Smurfing Beer
3 In the Mood
4 Why
5 Pinoccio in Smurfland
6 Christmas in Smufland
7 Dippedy day
8 Smurfing Tango
9 Hey ba ba ree bop
10 Do Smurfs Cry
11 The Magic Flute Smurf
12 Vader Abraham & de Smurfen - Het Smurfenlied

download

Allez Allez - African Queen and Promises

This is from vinyl - two discs from Allez Allez, a belgian group fronted by english singer Sarah Osborne. I don't think these have been released since 1982. On Promises I've included two mixes from 12" singles

African Queen

Promises

Ivan Kupala

This is the first album from Ivan Kupala, a sort of Russian version of Deep Forest. A mix of modern dance style music and russian folk. Rather good.

download