Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - "The Best of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono (EMI)

Frederick Heath, better known as Johnny Kidd, is one of the first rock n' roll figures in England.  Him and his band of various players throughout the early years of the 1960s, The Pirates, were RnR authentic, but still British to the very core of their existence.  "Please Don't Touch" is the ultimate horny theme song, that to describe in one word,  is marvelous.    Although their one major hit is obviously "Shakin' All Over."  Canadian band 'Guess Who?' had a hit recording in America, and it was a song covered by The Who, and Pete Townshend is/was without a doubt a huge Peter Green of The Pirates fan.  Like another British rocker of the same period, one can trace the British accent of Johnny Kidd, which to my ears, makes the recordings unusual. 

As far as I know, Johnny Kidd never made an album.  All his recordings were 45 rpm singles, so this compilation is those singles, plus the b-sides.  A lot of the songs were written by Kidd, but also by a Gordon Mills, who became a powerhouse manager of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Gilbert O'Sullivan.  Johnny & The Pirates were half show-biz of the Music Hall world and one foot in the prototype of early rock.   Kidd/Heath was very much a product of his time and place.  Of course, we now think of Adam Ant and His Ants as being the sons of Johnny Kidd, due to the Pirate motif in his stage shows and publicity photos.   

There are many compilations of Johnny's hits or non-hits, but I think this "Best of..."  is an incredible collection of music by Kidd, and it is like peeking into a keyhole of the British world at the time of the early 60s before the Fab Four hit the scene.   In a field of teenage pop stars, Kidd and Billy Fury were the real deals.   It's rock n' roll, but clearly, it's BRITISH rock n' roll.  

Joe Meek - "The Joe Meek Story/The Pye Years" 2 x CD, Compilation, 1991 (Sequel)

Beside The Honeycombs CD that I bought in Japan, this compilation of Joe Meek's 1960s recordings was my introduction to the strange sounds and therefore the odd world of Joe Meek.  I remember buying the double-CD compilation out of curiosity more than anything else.  I was on one of my trips to Japan, and that at the time, was like going to another world.  Something like Meek made perfect sense at the time.   Knowing nothing of the man until I purchased this collection and read it's detailed liner notes, which was hard for me to re-fold in its packaging, was a life-changer.  Listening to the music on this package had a profound effect on me.  One, the sound was so eccentric, yet it's clearly pop or rock music, but with a twisted darkness as an aftertaste.  

The opening cut, Blue Rondo's "Little Baby" was a garage rock version of Roy Orbison, with an incredible echo like vocal that sounded like it came from either heaven or hell.  The other artist that made an impression on me is Glenda Collins, who had the perfect British girl pitch, but a sassy attitude. "It's Hard To Believe It" and "Something I Got To Tell You" are upfront, straight to the face, and a perfect match for Meek's experimentation and sense of romantic angst.  I have read that Meek at one time wanted to marry Glenda, but I suspect that would have been a tragic mistake.  "The Pye Years" is an excellent introduction to the Meek sound, especially with respect to the nod toward the British Invasion at the time.  Here you get instrumentals, but a strong leaning toward a beat rock sound.   His famous songs/works are not on this collection, but it's a very strong compilation.  Get and find it. 

Joe Meek and The Blue Men - "I Hear A New World" LP, Album, Reissue, Italy, 1991/1960 (RPM Vinyl)

"I Hear A New World" is a masterpiece.  When I first heard the album, around 1989, I was living in Japan, which at the time, was indeed living in a world that seemed so familiar to me through films and books, yet a new world.  Not saying that Japan is another version of outer space, but to my sensibility and aesthetic, it indeed was an out-of-space and mental landscape.   Joe Meek's half-exotica (or the space-age) and Musique Concrete, with a touch of pop melodies, is a strange hybrid of science and the imagination.

Meek made this album after his odd career as an engineer for a large recording company, which mentally and aesthetically he didn't fit in.  He wrote and recorded "I Hear A New World" in a London apartment (Flat) in 1960.  Mostly made of tape reels and experimentation with speed, both slowing and speeding up the tape, as well as recording odd effects such as the toilet being flushed and so forth.   The Blue Men were a Rhythm and Blues outfit that had strange instrumentation when they added a Hawaiian steel guitar to their mix.  A weird mixture of Western and R n B and Meek had the genius even to advance that sound to another galaxy.   The leader of the band, Rod Freeman, helped Meek with his compositions by transforming it into 'songs.'  The Meek method was him humming the melody either in person or on a tape.  The fact that Meek was tone-deaf added more work for Freeman as the music arranger.  After that, it's Joe Meek 100%.

When I first heard these recordings in 1989, I thought it was music made by a madman.  Re-listening to the album very recently, I conclude that it's a remarkable piece of work.  Composition wise as well as how he brilliantly uses sound and shapes the aural like a magnificent sculpture in front of clay or steel.  The thing with Meek, since he did work independently by choice, away from the mainstream recording industry, he truly wanted to have hits and be commercial. He succeeds it at times, but he lived the life of an outside artist, due to his homosexuality (illegal in the UK during his lifetime) and temperament, which was on the violent side.  He eventually had no separation of home life and studio work, since he lived and worked in the same space.   The Meek world is one of a small apartment in Northern London.   The compressed sound he makes is not really of a world that is open, but in actuality very closed and almost locked up in a mixture of security concerns and paranoia.  "I Hear A New World" is although about outer-space, it is more in tune with Meek's life in London at the time.  Closed off from the mainstream culture, he invented a workspace where he can fully expose his demons, dreams, and sensuality.

"I Hear A New Year" if you were not aware that Meek did it, one would easily think it was a Pierre Henry piece of music in parts.  Total "Musique Concrete" that is both experimental and expressing a mood of otherness.  It is only when the melodies kick in that you realize it's a work by Meek, but still, the album is more avant-garde than a pop release. Especially for the year of its partly release in 1960.   Meek only released vol 1 on a 7" 45 rpm disc during his lifetime.

The one album that comes to mind while listening to this Meek album is Brian Eno's "Another Green World."  Both artists use the studio as a recording instrument, and both, I think could visualize another world through their sounds.  Eno's album was made in 1975, and although he never credits Joe Meek, I find it difficult to believe that he wasn't aware of "I Hear A New World."  Listening to both albums - side-by-side, "Another Green World" is the brother or sister (nephew or Niece) to "I Hear A New World."   Eno's world is more inner, and Meek's sounds are approaching the sky above and beyond, but still, both are a very contained and cut-off world of sorts. "Another Green World," I think is Eno's best album of 'pop' songs, and Meek's album is another masterpiece of its time and place.  For me, "I Hear A New World" due to the optimism of the space age, it's a painful work to look back on, considering Meek's suicide and murdering (or shooting accident) his landlady in his studio/living space.  

Screaming Lord Sutch - "Screaming Lord Sutch Story" Vinyl, LP, Album, Compilation, Unofficial Release,

I never feel that Screaming Lord Sutch came from the world of rock n' roll.  The legendary Lord I feel came from the theater and film world of Tod Slaughter.  A horror icon who traveled throughout the United Kingdom performing in Victorian-era macabre theater plays as well as appearing in borderline exploitation horror films. Theater of absurdity meets rock n' roll plus a dash of Tod equals Screaming Lord Sutch. 

Only one man can capture the intensity and eccentricity of Lord Sutch and that, of course, is Joe Meek.  Probably their most famous recording is "Jack The Ripper" which even out cramps The Cramps in horror rock.  If one has to compare Lord Sutch to another artist, Alice Cooper comes to mind, but Alice (and that band) strikes me as more intellectual.  Sutch is in one's face, and it's entirely music hall entertainment, but not in the tasteful sensibility.  

Meek brings the horror out of Sutch's visions into the 3D sound of its production.  Screams, laughter, and the savage rocking of the backing band, The Savages, of course, are remarkable then as well as now.  The membership of that band is a mystery.  Possibly Jimmy Page, but more likely Ritchie Blackmore (of Deep Purple fame) played guitar in the Meek recordings, but due to the insane world of Meek and company it is never obvious or explicit, which comes to this album or compilation of Lord Sutch cuts - "Story."

The album is a lovingly put together bootleg, but even with liner notes, it gives no credit to Joe Meek, or any information regarding the recordings, or who plays what.  With the help of the Internet, I figured that Meek produces all except one cut.  For sure all the early trademarks of the Meek aesthetic is tattooed on these set of recordings.   Side one is devoted to horror, which is Lord Sutch's natural habitat, and side two is "rock."  The highlight for me is the demented version of "The Train Kept A Rollin" which is insane.  As for the others, they seem to be the blueprint for bands like the excellent Cramps to follow or connect their dots.  Punk rock in a garage rock manner, Screaming Lord Sutch plus Joe Meek was a brilliant team.  

Various Artists - "Jack Good's 'Oh Boy!'" Vinyl, LP, Album, UK, 1958/1978 (EMI)

The 'commercial' roots of British rock n' roll is all here on this album.  Jack Good, who is still alive at the age of 86, was a pioneer for rock n' roll TV.   His British show "Oh Boy!" was the first variety program devoted to British (pre) rock artists such as Cliff Richard and Billy Fury.  The show lasted for 30 minutes and it was packed with non-stop music.  No song lasted more than a minute, and it was like a variety show with an Amphetamine approach to its timing and management.  The other significant wrench is that Good allowed the audience to be part of the show, with the artists surrounding themselves with the audience, most if not all teenagers.  

"Jack Good's 'Oh Boy!" album is a live soundtrack to the show.  Listening to it now in 2017, it's a weird reminder of how rock was packaged almost 60 years ago.  Cliff Richard sings seven songs, but also includes the talents of the incredible John Barry Seven, way before his work on the James Bond films.  Other artists here are Vince Eager, Two Vernon Girls, and Neville Taylor & The Cutters.  The beauty and the essence of this recording are not really the music, but a snapshot view of British showbiz before the Beatles hit the scene.   Jack Good eventually made it over to America where he created the show "Shindig!" (1964-1966) which focused on the British Invasion at the time, as well as popular pop/rock acts.  

"Oh Boy!" is one of the first shows specifically made for the British teenage market.  It's interesting how the teenager became a vocal/social, and even more important, an economic model that fueled an industry.  The 'beat' cannot be ignored anymore!

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - "Greatest Hits" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1984 (Philips)

The annoying thing about this band from the British Invasion 1960s is their name: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (future reference for this piece DD-DBMT).  God knows what happens if one dropped out of the band, but reading the liner notes on this specific album, all their names are fake.  So in theory, the musicians can be replaceable, because anyone can be Tich.  The other problem I have is due to my memory, I can't recall the name of their band if I didn't have a piece of paper in front of me with their name on it.  I can remember up to Dave Dee, and I know there's a Mick somewhere there, but beyond that, memory failure.    On the other hand, they're one of my favorite 'pop' bands of that period.   Their music lacks any authentic feelings, and in fact is pure pop wallpaper music.  Which is often bad, but somehow DD-DBMT is brilliant at it. 

Their key element is that all their songs are written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, sometimes known as Howard Blaikley on liner notes or label credits.  They are also responsible for The Honeycombs (Joe Meek band), one of my favorite all time bands.   On one level, they're hack songwriters, but like DD-DBMT, they have a particularly brilliant zeal to their work.  And interesting enough, their songs for DD-DBMT are entirely different from The Honeycombs. I wouldn't think they were the same songwriters.  The Honeycombs are theatrical mood pieces, set to a pop medium, but DD-DBMT is almost goofy and clearly in their later years very much over-the-top productions.  

I first heard DD-DBMT watching an early performance piece on video by Gilbert and George.  They did a great dance to "Bend It," one of DD-DBMT's greatest songs.   It may have been a minor hit on American airwaves as well, but my memory (like remembering this band's name) is cloudy, but for sure the song made a huge impression on me through the talents of Gilbert & George.  I have three separate greatest hits collections by them.  Two are on vinyl, one on CD, and I also on my computer have their original albums issued in Japan about ten years ago.   The early DD-DBMT material was very straight ahead mod-like pop.  But very commercial with incredibly strong choruses.  Catchy as hell!  In a nutshell, superb 45 rpm singles. 

What's interesting about the compilation album I'm writing about now, are the songs on side two.  All are made later in their careers and very ambitious in sound and scope.  Still, entirely in the pop medium, but kind of koo-koo in theory and sound wise.  "Zabadak" and "Legend of Xanadu" are ridiculous.  Which is a big aspect of their appeal or specialness.  Fake exotica with a crazed production, it's a hard piece of work to avoid or ignore.  One of their greatest songs is "Last Night in Soho," one of the best, if not THE most fantastic song regarding that part of London, and its nightlife.   My advice is to track down the greatest hits albums (I think there are many editions throughout the world) and swing with the songs.  Pure ear candy. 

Sandie Shaw - "Sandie Shaw" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1965 (Reprise)

The greatest British Yé-Yè singer ever.   A pop vocalist who had/has a look that shook the United Kingdom.  Wearing no shoes on stage, or in her publicity photos, she is no hippie, but a Juliette Gréco for the teenage set, and of course, in a British sense.   Her main creative partner is Chris Andrews, a man I know little about, except that he made recordings under his name, which is pretty fantastic.  Yet, his work with Sandie Shaw is remarkable.  His "I'll Stop at Nothing," "Talk About Love," "Girl Don't Come" (great song title), and others made Sandie a classic artist, along with her distinctive vocal style.   And Robert Wyatt recorded a version of his "Yesterday Man."

Back to Sandie Shaw, the pure pop here is not sugar coated, but it is full of emotion.  She's classic 'girl-pop' with a vengeance.  "Girl Don't Come" has menace.   One of my favorite pop records to come out of the British Invasion.   Now, reading the title, it has sexual overtures, but in fact is about a woman who won't show up. Still, unusual phrase.  And perhaps it's a duality, but not sure how songwriters thought out their song titles in the 1960s.  Still, this is Sandie Shaw's first American release, and it's classic British girl pop.   Sassy, sexual, tender, and for those who love The Pretenders, a must-have.   

Marianne Faithfull - "Summer Nights" b/w "The Sha La La Song" 45 rpm Single, Vinyl, 1965 (London)

I have always been attracted to Marianne Faithfull's "Summer Nights."  It's a song about a feeling or a seasonal change.  Her approach is folk but filtered through a London aesthetic that was happening at the time.  The harpsichord is the first instrument one notices, and the chorus of the 'at a cafe' with the hand claps gets me all the time.  It's a beautiful record on many levels.  And so short.  Only one minute and fifty seconds.  It comes and goes, like a strong crush on a girl you see walking down a street.  Also, the pitch and speed march on, it's not a song of reflection, but manic intensity.  The chorus is a relief of the tension.   I have read somewhere that The Smiths used to cover this song as part of their live act, at the beginning of their career.  Now, that I would love to hear.  

The Honeycombs "I Can't Stop" b/w "I'll Cry Tomorrow 45 rpm vinyl single, 1964 (Interphon Records)

The Honeycombs, if truth to be known, is my favorite band.  Over the years I collect their recordings, which is not a lot.  They only did three albums, and that includes a live album made and recorded in Tokyo.  The brilliance of The Honeycombs is the combination of great songs with brilliant production by Joe Meek.  "I Can't Stop" should have been a mega-hit around the world, but alas, it never reached the heights "Have I The Right."   Nevertheless, it's a masterful song with a driving beat and chorus.  The b-side for me is the super treat.  A song by Meek, "I'll Cry Tomorrow" is superb drama and I get goosebumps hearing Honey's (the female drummer) backup vocals during the chorus.  

The Zombies - "The Zombies Greatest Hits" Vinyl, LP, Album, Compliation, Mono, 2017 (Varése Sarabande)

A limited edition (3000 copies) of the old fashioned greatest hits album.  The Zombies are an exceptional band with two wonderful songwriters in their midst (Rod Argent and Chris White) as well as the breathy pop-perfect vocals from Colin Blunstone.   Jazzy in that London Soho mode, The Zombies are the perfect soundtrack to a wine bar around 11:30 at night.  I can smell the tobacco from the grooves on this album.   The early hits "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" are here of course, but the surprise track for me is "Indication."  Incredible song.  It is a bridge from their old early 60s sound to the "Time of the Season" era.    And there is not a song better than "Imagine the Swan."  It's not a surprise that an audience picked up on them.  They're too good to be obscure.  

Dave Davies - "Dave Davies Hits" Vinyl 7" EP, Limited Edition, 2016 / 1967 (BMG)

Someone was pumping genius air into North London around 1966 or 1967 because Dave Davies and his older brother Ray Davies took that air and made incredible recordings.   I don't know if this was a marketing plan from the record label at the time, or Dave actually wanted to do solo recordings, but as far as I know these are Kinks' records.   The four songs above are written by Dave and lead vocals by him as well.  For most, these songs were placed in the Kinks' Something Else" album, but it's interesting to hear this EP out of that context or landscape. 

"Death of a Clown" is Dave's commentary on his role as a touring musician, who is consistently on the move from one world to the next.  It's a great song and a great record.  "Susannah's Still Alive" I believe is a very personal song about a child produced by Dave and his girlfriend at the time, and he was kept away by the girl's family.  Or is that an urban rock story?  Another great piece of work.  In fact, Dave Davies is probably just as brilliant as Ray, and his world fits in the Ray landscape, but just an additional voice in the narrative.  "Funny Face" has always been a fave of mine as well.  Ray is telling a story, but Dave's work is always on a personal level.  Musically he is not that far off from Ray's work.  So, it fits organically in the Kinks' world. 

I bought this EP in Tokyo at a great music shop called "Pet Sounds."   It's a neighborhood store in the Meguro area of the Metropolis.  Not a large store by any means, but hard not to purchase something from there.  

Kenny Graham - "The Small World of Sammy Lee" Vinyl, LP, Album (Trunk Records) 2014

For a guy who lives in Los Angeles, I'm obsessed with the subject matter of 1960s London, especially the years before the Fab Four (Beatles) hit the scene. One of the key figures in that time was an entertainer, songwriter, performer Anthony Newley. An inspiration to a young David Bowie, Newley struck me as an eccentric artist. But that thought is mostly due that I'm an American, and the British, even though we share a language (of sorts), our cultures are distant apart. Nevertheless, there is an obscure film made in 1963, "The Small World of Sammy Lee," starring Newley as a nightclub owner in Soho London, who owes money to his bookie. He has a certain amount of hours to find that money, and there we have "The Small World of Sammy Lee."

The other interest in this little narrative is the soundtrack to this film. Composed by British Jazz musician Kenny Graham. I know one other Graham recording, and it's "Moondog and Suncat Suites." An album that is a mixture of Graham's compositions as well as songs by the great New York City composer Moondog. If that is not odd enough, that album is engineered by Joe Meek! The thought of Meek was working on Moondog's music ... It is mind-blowing.

Johnny Trunk, the brains and power behind Trunk Records, is a Kenny Graham fan. He located this 'lost' soundtrack through Graham's daughter, who had it stored away in her attic. Trunk found a box that said "Sammy, " and five years later, he has this release on his label. "Soho at Dawn," the opening cut for this album, and I presume the film, is a beauty. It smells like Soho at that time of the day, and I get a sense of a chill as if I was walking a Soho street. The rest of the album is just as cinematic with evident jazz touches. Still, it's very focused on its theme of urgency, yet sadness at the same time — a moody work.

There is not a whole lot of information on Graham. Just a handful of vinyl releases through the years, and although he seems to be a man at the right spot and time, his place in history appear to pass him by, which is a shame. I have also read that he wrote essays about music, and was very much an anti-rock n' roll guy. Yet, he was intrigued with electronics, and I have a feeling that, in an aesthetic sense, must have worked will with Meek. "The Small World of Sammy Lee" doesn't have that much information on it, with respect to who played what on the album. Was Meek involved? I doubt it since it was recorded in 1963, and I think at that time, it was the height of Meek doing what he's famous for. On the other hand, it's wonderful to have this obscure and slightly eccentric album in my hands and through my ears.