News

Hi Sorry Staters. Fall greetings to you. Thanks for clicking on the newsletter this week. Plenty of exciting things that we must tell you about. New releases and upcoming shows keeping us all busy. Don’t even get me started with the state of the world and my own personal life.

We have been busy though, and I’m fighting the deadline to get my submission in for this week’s edition. As I don’t have the time and research done for a deep dive over one record or artist, I thought I would quickly highlight some records that we are stocking that I have been digging this week.

I have always admired the work done by the folks at Numero Group. They have released tons of great records over the past couple of decades. Be it obscure singles and albums, unreleased recordings, reissues of underground classics… you name it, they have done it. I have a good many of their compilations and reissues in my collection. The benchmark of quality is so high that you can pretty much buy any of their releases unheard with satisfaction guaranteed. I know I am sounding like their hype man right now, but I am not getting paid to promote them. I just like what they do. A recent addition of another distributor being used more often and with Daniel’s kind permission I ordered in a few of the Numero titles we hadn’t stocked before. It was a handful of newer and older releases in their catalog. Cool stuff like this soul compilation Beehive Breaks, which I’ll definitely be wanting myself. There are singles on this one that would cost you three figures easily if you could find them for sale. Nice packaging too.

If you are into cool old country, then you should check out Sanford Clark and his album They Call Me Country. Originally a series of singles released during the 60s but collected as an album it’s great. Highlight for John Scott and I is the song It’s Nothing To Me. A tune I had known for years but by another name that was covered by Johnny Winter and now more recently added to Billy Strings’ repertoire.

Lovers of sixties girl groups and sunshine pop might want to check out Margo Guryan and her album Take A Picture. Such a lovely record that begins with Sunday Morning and closes with a cool psych groover called Love at the end. Great stuff.

My main pick of the bunch is one that was recently introduced to me, and which sold out within minutes of me putting it out on the floor. It’s an Afro-Beat Disco record from 1979 by The Lijadu Sisters called Horizon Unlimited. They were twin sisters from Nigeria and released records throughout the 1970s, this being their fourth and final. Original copies or reissues of their records command top dollar, so it’s nice to have this one available at an affordable price. There was a Soul Jazz label compilation from 2012 that collects highlights from their discography, but even that is hard to find and not cheap. Might be time to get that one back in print again, perhaps. We should have this Numero reissue back in stock by the end of the week hopefully, but here is a taste to keep you going: lead off track Orere Elejigbo.

I’m going to try bringing in some other interesting titles like this, so watch the webstore for new additions, and of course if you are shopping in person at our store, just ask us for directions and suggestions.

Okay, that’s going to have to be it for this week. See you next time. Have fun exploring new music.

Cheers - Dom

Greetings Sorry Staters. Another week of world crazy and another week where the only thing that just about makes sense is music. I think I’d go mad if I was anywhere else than surrounded by records right now. My sanity owes a lot to having the privilege of being a part of the Sorry State family. Daniel might argue that his sanity is put into question with the weight of responsibility that comes with being the skipper of the good ship Sorry State, but he’s doing a brilliant job and we all love him so much. He takes such good care of us that it’s truly an honor and a pleasure to work here.

I’m sure one of my colleagues will write elsewhere this week about the new hot nugget from our friends Yellowcake titled A Fragmented Truth, but let me add my two thumbs up. I was really impressed with this one. The group has brought some new ideas into the mix with some interesting guitar stuff going on and other textures and sounds. Not that previous releases have been lacking, but this one really has progressed in leaps and bounds. Nice job folks. Go check it out and grab a copy.

At the store recently, several of the recent collection buys have had good blues records in them. Locals into quality blues have been snatching them up, but we still have plenty more bangers in the bins and a few that have yet to hit the floor. For those of you not within travelling distance to our store who might want to pick up a nice blues record, we have a few new reissues up on our webstore. I recently stocked a great collection by legend Otis Rush, which I would like to recommend to you today. It’s a nice gathering of his sides recorded in the 1950s for the Cobra label that also includes a few bonus cuts of alternative takes.

I’ve been a blues music fan for as long as I can remember. As a kid getting into Elvis, Johnny Cash and other rockabilly and country stars, it was an easy step to Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters et al. The blues had a baby, and they called it rock ‘n’ roll. Over the years, I have collected a sizable number of blues records (and CDs) covering recordings made literally over the last one hundred years. Although I like the older acoustic country Blues records, my preference is for electric blues, especially Chicago blues, that was cut between the mid 1950s and 1970s. If it gets funky like the stuff Lowell Fulson did, that’s great. If it gets psychedelic like on Muddy Waters’ Electric Mud album, even better.

In the 1980s I was a big fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan and he, along with another hero, Jimi Hendrix, both always mentioned Otis Rush and how big an influence he was on their style. Stevie went as far as naming his band Double Trouble after one of Otis’s Cobra singles. Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green and Eric Clapton were also disciples. With such heavy endorsements, I had to check out Rush and have picked up his records over the years as I found them. He has a lot of good ones. During the 1990s, he released a good modern blues record called Ain’t Enough Love Comin’ In, which included Small Faces keyboard man Ian McLagan. A few years later, when living in New York, I got the chance to see him play live, and he was great. Sadly, soon after, he suffered a stroke and retired from touring. In 2016, he appeared on stage in Chicago for a festival and although he didn’t play, he was honored by the mayor of the city who declared June 12th to be Otis Rush Day in Chicago.

With such a long career, I will leave you to pull up his Wiki page for full details. To summarize, though, he left his birthplace in Mississippi and followed in the footsteps of other Delta bluesmen and made his way to Chicago, where he formed his own band and performed in clubs around the city. Between 1956 and 1958 he cut eight singles for Cobra before they went bankrupt, and it is these recordings that form the core of his legacy. He moved to the Chess label in the sixties and cut a couple of sides for them and one for the Duke label. Towards the end of the decade, spurred by the blues revival on both sides of the Atlantic, he cut a killer record titled Mourning In The Morning at Fame studios for the Cotillion label, an Atlantic Records subsidiary, that had a nice soulful feel to it. I really like that one.

His style is a little different, and like my hero Jimi Hendrix he played left-handed with his guitar strung uniquely to give himself a distinct sound. Vocally, he’s a strong tenor and like a lot of singers learned his craft singing gospel in church and brings that into his sound.

His first single for Cobra was I Can’t Quit You Baby and could be said to have defined his style for the rest of his career. It was the label’s only national hit too, and of course would end up being covered by a certain rock band from England on their debut a decade plus later. Backing Otis on most of these Cobra sides were the cream of Chicago bluesmen, which included names like Willie Dixon and Little Walter. Ike Turner also features on guitar on many of the recordings.

It’s all killer stuff, and at the time only came out on singles. He didn’t record an actual album until the aforementioned one on Cotillion, released in 1969, but collected here on this edition you couldn’t ask for a better blues album.

Here at Sorry State, blues has historically not had many fans amongst the staff, but since John Scott began working here, I have found a buddy who loves it as much as I do. With his additional interest in country and bluegrass as well, I have found myself listening to and rediscovering tons of great records both familiar and new to me. We were jamming this Otis Rush collection the other day at the store, and it got the thumbs up from several of our customers, not least from our good friend Mike, who knows a thing or two about a good riff and solid axe work. Trust, if Mike gives a record the seal of approval you can buy with confidence. This is blues you can use.

You can click here to see a great clip of Otis Rush from the 1960s playing his signature song live taken from the awesome American Folk And Blues Festival archives.

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

Cheers- Dom

Hi everyone. Thanks for clicking on our newsletter. Hopefully things are well with you. As you can imagine, we are still trying to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the terrible flood damage that our brothers and sisters here in the mountains of western North Carolina (and other places) endured last weekend. I’m sure you have seen the pictures and videos. It’s just terrible. So very sad. Our hearts go out to the residents of Asheville, Boone and all the other communities whose lives have been forever changed by this catastrophic weather event.

We all need to come together now and help in whatever way we can. Of course, the quickest and easiest way to help is to donate funds. As a former American Red Cross worker, I can vouch for the good work they do in disaster responses as one option for a donation, but there are many other charities and organizations that are out there helping, and I encourage and urge you to find one that works for you.

By the time you read this, I will have been a part of a twelve-hour marathon DJ event here in Raleigh that was organized to raise funds for the Kamala Harris campaign and to help with voter registration, but was tweaked in the aftermath of the storm to include raising funds and accepting donations of needed items for those affected by the storm. As I write before the event, I will assume that all went well, and that we raised a lot of money. Fingers crossed. If nothing else, though, I hope we provided a good time and much needed fun and a break from all the gloom and doom.

Back in the world of records and music, here at the store we are continuing to do our best to keep the bins filled with as many great records as possible. We have bought some good collections recently, filled with lots of cool and interesting records, and I have been enjoying learning about records I was unfamiliar with and nerding out on all the details. Often when going through collections we have bought, there are records that aren’t in the best of shape and not really fit for sale. It obviously doesn’t matter when the records are perennial bargain bin fodder to begin with, but it can sometimes be a bummer when you find a good record but beat to crap. I like to do my best to resurrect the ones that still have life in them. Sometimes a couple of passes on the vacuum cleaner can make all the difference. Also, I can still value a record if at least the key tracks play decently. As a DJ, you can get lucky that way. The money track plays fine whereas the rest has skips, pops, etc. Of course, sometimes the reverse is the case, and the only good cut will have a massive scratch over it. Anyway, I have been checking out some of these beaters and one that I thought was cool is a record that came out in 1967 on World Pacific Records by an artist known as Kali Bahlu. The album is titled Cosmic Rememberance.

It’s a real trip. The record is just four long tracks and isn’t easily classified, but is based on Indian sounding sitar music mixed with spoken word poetry and psychedelic elements. It’s the only record the female singer is credited with and not much is really known about her. The record label World Pacific had Ravi Shankar on their roster and released an album by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, so it kinda makes sense. Other label mates included Chet Baker, who was releasing Mariachi Jazz records. Ms. Bahlu has been described as a kindergarten teacher reciting verse to a class of hippies coming down from an acid trip. That’s just about right. LoL.

Her voice could be a little annoying to some ears, and that is the main “instrument” being heard over the gentle sitar and tabla backing. The poetry is a mix of space cadet wonderings and cosmic consciousness. You’ll either be charmed or annoyed by it. I’m not sure how many listens one would give this record over the course of owning it, but I enjoyed giving it a couple of turns on the ol’ rekkid player. The “best” track is probably the fourth and last called A Cosmic Telephone Call From The Angel Liesle And The Buddha. How’s that for a title? The forest children were definitely taken on a journey of cosmic remembrance.

The record comes in a great painted slightly psychedelic cover featuring Kali Bahlu and some of her pals and cosmic children. Inside the gatefold we get an essay from the artist explaining her thoughts regarding the album and a nice full-size photo of her looking very 60s girl cool.

I’m certainly curious about what else she did as an artist and what her story was after this record and before it. I shall try to find out, but for now we shall just have to leave it there. If mystical sixties hippie shit does it for you, then keep an eye out for this one next time you are digging through the bargain bins. Although having said that, it seems that folks will pay over $20 for a decent copy of this record, but it has been reissued and with a couple of bonus cuts, apparently. Click here for a sample.

Take away? Apparently, the Buddha drinks coffee.

Cheers everyone - Dom

Hi Sorry Staters, I hope you are doing well? Thanks for clicking on our newsletter again this week. It’s been quite the few weeks since we last graced your inboxes. We had a busy weekend at the store during the Hopscotch festival and hooked many of you up with some of the great records that Lord Daniel brought back from Denver. Not content with that, he hit the road again last week for an out of state record buy and came home with a nice haul full of all sorts of goodies. We’ll be working on that collection next week, and you’ll start seeing the highlights appear soon. Not that you need to wait to pay us a visit. Our bins are packed with great records right now and there are plenty more waiting to take their place.

This week I want to highlight a record that I am embarrassed to say had been sitting on my shelf here at the store for weeks without getting a spin. It was personally dropped off to me one day when I wasn’t working, and I feel bad for forgetting about it and not giving it any attention since then. Not that I would ever talk about a record out of guilt of not listening to it or because we are trying to hype it or something. This one is good, and I have been enjoying it.

It’s the second album from Silver Scrolls titled Mind Lines and released by Three Lobed Recordings.

Fans of local North Carolina heroes Polvo are probably already hip to Silver Scrolls as the band is made up of two members of that highly influential group. Namely singer and guitarist Dave Brylawski and drummer Brian Quast. In Silver Scrolls they are assisted by unofficial third member Greg Elkins, who besides mixing and engineering the recording is credited with organ and other incidental sonics. Brian Q also takes on bass duties and adds vocals and additional guitar. It’s a collaboration similar to their first album from 2020 called Music For Walking.

I am not a big fan of some of the genre tags that Polvo got lumped with. Honestly, nothing sounds more unappealing to me music wise than “Math Rock.” And “Post Rock” is not much better. No offense to any bands who fall into those categories. It’s my ignorance and lack of sophisticated taste that makes me feel that way. That being said, I’m not a complete luddite and can appreciate music with a progressive bent.

Looking across the internet, I found Silver Scrolls being tagged as Indie Rock, Pysch Rock, Post Rock and even Classic Rock, but thankfully no one seems to say you need a calculator and protractor to listen to Mind Lines. There are a lot of rock genres on the record. Not so that you would automatically classify it as one or the other, but rather if you enjoy listening to a variety of guitar-based music then you’ll recognize and appreciate and (one would hope) enjoy those on display here. It’s all done subtly though, and doesn’t bash you over the head with anything too obvious. Some songs have a classic kind of verse, chorus structure, verging on being catchy pop songs and the others have a more soundtrack kind of vibe. Then in other songs they rock harder. To my ears at least. For an old fart like myself, I can hear elements of Neil Young, Tortoise, Lou Barlow, 80s Alternative, Sub Pop, right through to more recent instrumental groups like Budos Band. It’s these, sorta, and a whole lot more. Call it what you want, but just don’t call it the M word Rock. One thing’s for sure, it’s American music. Sounds from the last fifty or so years filtered through the minds of the players and carefully arranged in a new but familiar fashion. And I would say done in an authentic to them way. These aren’t two dudes who think they’re in The Family Stone or playing Civil War Reenactment dress up as their favorite bygone musical style. It’s just them with no pretense playing some good tunes and riffs. Plus, they have a song called Indoor Cat. Nice one chaps.

Kudos to all involved in the recording, mastering and manufacturing process too. My “Mental Clarity Red” vinyl sounds great. I’ll post a link here for you to take a listen and in the meantime bug Daniel and the band to drop off a copy or two for the store so you guys can grab one. Hopefully they haven’t sold out already. Thank you BQ for bringing me a copy.

A quick addition to mention before I go. We just got in the first vinyl pressing of the 2003 album called Boomslang from Johnny Marr & The Healers. This great album was the first real steps Johnny made towards establishing himself as a solo artist. It only came out on CD at the time and the project didn’t last too long. They played a few shows, and I was able to catch the New York appearances. The album is like a lost 90s Brit Pop album that, had it come out five or six years before 2003, would easily be held in much higher regard. Perhaps now with 90s Manchester nostalgia peaking and Johnny’s solo career in full steam more people will get hip to this record.

The deluxe reissue comes with a second disc of extra tracks that were recorded at the time but didn’t make the cut for the album or were used as single B-sides. There’s no filler there (other than the chunk of vinyl debris that was in my copy and scratched my record as I removed it). If you are a fan of Johnny’s guitar playing, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Okay, back to work. These records won’t price and clean themselves. Cheers and thank you as always for your support.

-Dom

What’s the story Sorry Staters? Are you doing okay out there? We’re glad to be back with another newsletter. Lots and lots going on as usual. There are new titles on our label upcoming and several highly anticipated releases on other labels that we will be sending your way asap. Not content with the number of used records we were sourcing from the immediate area, Daniel travelled to Denver last week and brought back a nice collection of Indie Rock, Pop Punk and Alternative albums. We’re working as fast as we can to have them ready for the Hopscotch Music Festival weekend that is just around the corner. Not that we are short of great used records to offer you currently should you walk in the door. It warms my heart seeing the joy in your eyes when you come in the shop and snag that prize. That’s what it’s all about. There are few things in life that can inspire, satisfy, unify and save us as well as music does.

The big news (for some) in music this week was the announcement of the Oasis reunion. The brothers have buried the hatchet and next year will see a series of concerts across the UK. Tickets went on sale this week and a few people I know were lucky enough to score theirs. Good luck to all hoping to get in. If things go well with these shows, then there is no reason to assume that other countries won’t get dates. Love ‘em, hate ‘em or could care less, there’s no arguing that the band has a global fanbase and after fifteen years since they split, people are eager to see them. Again, some of you reading may be thinking why? Especially here in the US where the band, definitely and not maybe, has their haters. As a Brit living in America more than half my life, I can see both sides of the argument over the merits of Oasis. Are the later records that good? Not so much, but the first two albums and the singles and B-sides released during those first few years are good. They’re way better than just good of course, and to many are rightly considered great and cherished records. Perhaps you had to be around at the time and tuned in to all the happenings, but as someone who did witness the 90s firsthand, they were a big deal. The impact Oasis had on the music scene in Britain cannot be underestimated. The Britpop years were fun times for the most part, and Oasis were central figures during those heady mid-90s years.

Although I was working on the ships and out of the country for most of the time, I was always catching up on the news in the music press and had friends send me videos of TV shows where bands would perform. The early hype about Oasis was real and organic and happened because people who saw them instantly knew that they were different, with a clear star in their frontman, Liam. Any time I was on leave I would try to see as many shows and concerts as possible, and managed to catch Oasis live during those first couple of years. The first time was in a small pub venue where Liam and Noel had a ruck on stage, as I remember. Next was at their Earls Court shows, which were a lot of fun. That was at the height of Britpop and their popularity. The atmosphere around those shows was amazing. I missed going to Knebworth, the big outdoor gigs, and after that didn’t get to see them until years later in America. The very last time was in New York, but that time I only got to say hello to them at the stage door. I was friendly with the guitarist in the support band, and he had promised me a ticket and came through, but didn’t make it a plus one for the missus. I was trying to get another ticket and waiting when Oasis pulled up. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get both of ourselves past security with just the one ticket and so I gave it to a girl who was also there ticketless. My good deed. The wife and I went and had dinner instead, I think.

Going back to those early years and the 90s, one thing I remember was how music was bringing people together. A lot of the tribes were coming together and blending. We were all listening to a lot of different things and turning each other on to new and old stuff that we were hearing. I know my world view definitely expanded in the 90s, and that was due in no small part to all the different music genres I was being exposed to and the cultures and places and people that music came from. It was cool doing so much travelling then and working alongside so many different nationalities of people. I took full advantage and soaked up as much knowledge and experience as possible. Wherever I was in the world and whoever I was with the one thing, if nothing else, that we could communicate on was music. Many of my treasured memories from this period are centered around music. I’m sure that’s the case for most of us. It’s no surprise that the announcement of the Oasis reunion and shows has been met with such interest as nostalgia for the 90s is still running high. I think in no small part because of the shit show of the last few years that we have all had to live through. People are yearning for a time of togetherness and freedom and being able to party and to have fun however they want. Like the line lifted from the film Wild Angels and used by Primal Scream for Loaded: “We wanna be free. And we wanna get loaded. And we wanna have a good time. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”

It was a time of togetherness back then, at least among some of the youth cults that had been so separate up to that point. Perhaps it didn’t last long, but for a while it seemed that punks and mods and soul boys and rockers and ravers and heads could have a good time together. Not that Oasis represented all these audiences. They were themselves, but their spirit and swagger was something that anyone could see was cool and so lots of different people liked them. It got a bit laddish and boorish from the audience side of things fairly quickly unfortunately, but you are always going to get knobs in any scene. However, the atmosphere of excitement around the band through those early years was real and something that can’t be bought or manufactured. It helped that they had some good tunes to go with the look and attitude. Say what you will about the later records. It can’t be argued that the first two albums and those singles weren’t bangers and anthems. If the likes of Rock ‘N’ Roll Star, Columbia and Cigarettes & Alcohol don’t get you fired up, then you need to check your pulse. Songs like Slide Away and Live Forever were instant classics. Then there were all the non-LP sides that came out on B-sides or stand-alone singles. Literally enough good songs to make an entire album. The Masterplan collection stands as just a good an album as Definitely Maybe or What’s The Story Morning Glory.

Interestingly, their 5th single, Whatever, that came out before Christmas 1994, didn’t make it to the Masterplan album. I always liked that one. Released between the two albums, it is a classic slice of Britpop featuring a singalong chorus and a string quartet section which became almost de rigueur for a minute back then. Lyrically, the song is uplifting and positive and actually more apt for today’s times than then. The B-side (It’s Good) To Be Free continues the theme and makes for a good pairing. My 12” copy adds on Slide Away from the debut album and the CD single also included the Noel acoustic song Half The World Away that later would be used for the theme to the TV show The Royale Family. A very funny show that featured the sadly departed Caroline Aherne, a fabulous comedic actress who passed away too early from cancer.

Anyway, with all the Oasis talk going on this week I thought I’d listen to some of their records that I have in my collection. I haven’t pulled them off the shelf in a while, I’ll be honest, but I enjoyed playing the first two albums and those early singles. The nostalgia washed over me big time. Was it really that long ago? I also gave a spin to their demo tape recordings that I have on a bootleg LP. That legendary tape with the image of the Union Jack flag swirling down a plug hole and with the Oasis name over the top contains confident versions of songs that would be massive and a couple that never made it to proper recorded versions. It’s to their debut as the Spunk album was to the Sex Pistols and their Never Mind The Bollocks album. Kinda.

I ‘ll leave it there. No need to go on any more about a group that everyone knows and that probably half of you reading our newsletter don’t care for. That’s okay. For those that do like them and were trying for tickets, I hope you got lucky.

Cheers all. See you next time.

-Dom

What’s up, Sorry Staters? I hope you are all well. It’s been another week with plenty going on in the news and here on the East Coast of America we have had to deal with Hurricane/Tropical storm Debby that just passed through. We didn’t get hit too badly here in Raleigh, just lots of rain, but other parts of the state experienced tornado touchdowns and damage from the wind and rain. We certainly hope that any of you along the storm path were not affected badly.

I’ve been completely submerged in the Olympics again this week and have really loved watching the events and catching the great atmosphere in the crowds. Paris has done a fabulous job and there has been so much to cheer for and enjoy no matter where in the world you live. Being here Stateside, the coverage is obviously slanted towards Team USA, but I have been happy to see some medals going to Team Great Britain as well. I sadly didn’t get to any of the pre-season friendly games that Liverpool played over here. I know, not a real fan, but I at least got to watch them on TV. We won all our games too, and in front of record crowds. Only a fortnight away from the beginning of the English Premier League, so that’s exciting.

Anyway, with all this sport to watch, my listening time for music has been reduced significantly from normal. Thank goodness I work in a record store so that at least for the hours spent here I can get my fix. Even being here eight plus hours a day isn’t enough time to get through all the things I want to check out, whether it’s new stuff or old records. I do my best.

You would think that when someone works in a record store, they would be able to get their hands on any release that they wanted. That’s not always the case. A store can’t deal with every label and distributor out there, and when things must be imported from overseas, it sometimes makes it cost prohibitive. The point being that I have lots of records that I would like to get for myself and the store, but can’t always find for a decent price. Occasionally I’ll check our one stop major label distributor and see whether on the off chance they have random titles. Such was the case this week as I was able to order a copy of a record I had been keeping eyes out for, but hadn’t seen available for sale locally or from US sellers online. I’d like to make it my pick for this week and if you end up being curious and dig it and want one too, I am hoping that Sorry State can bring in a few copies for you guys. The record is a reissue of a 1992 album that only saw a cassette and CD release at the time, which finally got a vinyl release a few years back. I’m talking about the band Ffa Coffi Pawb and their album titled Hei Vidal.

Who the hell are they you ask? What language is that? It’s Welsh, and the band features future members of Super Furry Animals and Gorgy’s Zygotic Mynci. Formed in the late 80s by teenage friends Gruff Rhys and Rhodrii Puw in Bethesda, Wales over a love of 70s Glam, Krautrock, Power-pop, and Shoegaze, the band would release a couple of cassette albums before Hei Vidal, but it was on this third where everything gelled. Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals main man) would say that they were influenced by all the B’s—Bolan, Bowie, Big Star and Badfinger—sounds of the 70s that SFA would perfectly blend a few years later with their debut on Creation. On Hei Vidal, they are almost there and the album now in retrospect serves as almost another SFA album. A pre-quill if you like. That title and their name especially are little inside jokes. Translated, their name says Everybody’s Coffee Beans but said phonetically in Welsh it reads as Fuck Off Everyone. Nice one. The album title is more clever word play and references Vidal Sassoon hair guru and Gore Vidal the TV pundit, both names in the news and popular culture at the time.

The album came out on Ankst, an independent Welsh label that would go on to release SFA’s first couple of singles. However, some funny business with a song publisher who apparently disappeared meant that the album remained out of print for years until a compilation CD in the early 00s gathered this and other Ffa Coffi Pawb tracks together. This 2021 pressing is its first time on vinyl. As I don’t listen to CDs that much (only in the car), I had not listened to this in years, and it was quite refreshing to hear it again and especially on wax. Clear vinyl no less.

Musically, it still stands up. Even if you are not a Furries fan or a Gruff solo follower like I am, I strongly believe that there is plenty for anyone to enjoy here. Regardless of whether you understand Welsh, these are great songs with mature levels of songwriting from the young fellows. The playing is also accomplished and shows clear signs of the great stuff to come later when Gruff and the rest of SFA hit their stride. Two perfect examples of songs that sound like fully formed Furries tunes are Dilyn Fy Nhrwyn and Colli’r Goriad. Gruff’s unmistakable vocals and harmonies along with the glam sounding guitar make it very clear who you are listening to. Assuming, of course, that you are familiar with SFA and their music. If you aren’t, I can only advise you start checking them out. As anyone who reads our newsletter regularly knows, I am a fan and will gladly talk anyone’s ear off about how great Super Furries are and what a generational talent Gruff Rhys is. A Welsh national treasure who deserves an MBE or something from the King for all his contributions to music and culture. At the very least, a plaque on his house saying Gruff Rhys lives(d) here.

You can click here to listen to the record and check back with us next weekend if you liked it, as we should have a copy or two. Thanks everyone.

Cheers - Dom

Hey there everyone. How’s it going? Are you enjoying your summer? Or winter for those readers on the other side of the equator. There’s certainly been plenty of news and sport to keep us occupied besides the music we’re listening to.

Firstly, I was shocked and saddened by the news out of Southport, Merseyside this week. Any violent attack is a tragedy, but when it’s kids, it truly is shocking. Even more sick was the violence afterwards when far right fucks hijacked the vigil all hyped up on conspiracy and fear mongering. Dumb shit fascists exist in jolly old England just like they do in France and here in the US. Fuck all of them.

Currently, I am trying to catch as much of the Olympics as possible. It has been great so far. So glad I’m not a fuckwad far right Christian Maga loon because if I was, there would be nothing to enjoy watching the Olympics as it’s all about things they hate. Different cultures, nationalities, religions, sexual identities, you name it. All the things they are against. Still, they have Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan and Chachi to keep them entertained. Losers.

My Liverpool FC are currently stateside too, which is cool. I unfortunately haven’t been able to attend the games this visit, although I was holding out for a possible ticket to the game in South Carolina. At least I have been able to catch the matches on TV. It’s all friendly, pre-season stuff, but a good opportunity to see some new signings and younger lads play. Looking forward to the start of the new season which will be upon us before we know it.

Cool new records continue to get released and I’m currently really liking the new Peace De Resistance record. It ticks a lot of boxes for me. Not to oversimplify the artistry going on in the record, but if you dig 70s era Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, then you should give this one some consideration. We are very excited to be the exclusive US distributor for this slab. Get yours now.

Occasionally here at Sorry State we may feel as though we haven’t had as many “good” used record buys as we would like, but just like waiting for buses, eventually several turn up one after the other. That seems to be the case right now as we sit on so many good used records. Each week Jeff ponders what to tempt you with for our Friday used arrivals drops. The bins are almost too full right now. Those making extra pocket money mowing lawns or life guarding this summer should beeline to the store and get to digging.

A couple of collections that we bought recently also came with compact discs. We don’t sell them in our store (mainly space reasons) but have begun listing them on our webstore. If you are into CDs and looking for titles that are tough to find on vinyl and, in some cases, on any format, you might see something you need in the weeks to come as we add more titles. One of the collections had a cool four CD set that the British music magazine Mojo put out in the early 00s called Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers and I would like to make that my pick for you this week.

For those that read Mojo, you’ll be more than aware of the quality of writing that has gone into each monthly issue. I used to be a regular subscriber and had every issue from number one. When I moved from the UK to America, sadly my paper collection didn’t travel with me. I had tons of old Record Collector, Mojo, NME, Sounds, Melody Maker and so on in my parent’s loft that my Dad was worried would fall through the ceiling and so took to the dump one day. Sigh. Something that he did on more than one occasion with my old stuff. I would regularly come back from stints working on the ships to find he had decided to throw out my shoes or t-shirts or whatever else because he thought I didn’t need them anymore. LoL. In fairness, it was their place and if I needed to keep my shit I guess I should have bought my own house to store it all in. Anyway, I digress. Suffice to say, I dig Mojo magazine. Their cover mounted CD was always good, especially when it had a certain theme or when they would do a covers one.

For the Acid Drops set they made a special four CD box which was sold separately from the magazine. They selected 72 tracks of 60s UK Psychedelic music and included a few known names, but mostly kept it to the obscurities and the type of records that would set you back a good amount of dough to score as an original. The set came with a nice booklet that had information about the tracks and the bands, and photos and essays from Jon Savage, the music journalist of choice for project. Whilst in New York I was fortunate to have met Jon as he travelled there frequently, and he would invariably pay a visit to the store I worked in. Top, top chap.

The music on this set spans the years 1965 to 1969 and has a few names that you’ll be familiar with. The Who are on there, so is Syd Barrett. The Kinks are there along with The Small Faces and The Hollies. So are Traffic and Spencer Davis Group and one or two more well-known groups. After that, the compilers dig a lot deeper and include a host of rare records that only the hard-core sixties head would be familiar with. By the early 00s I was fully into the rarer side of sixties psych, beat and garage and was working at a store whose owner, a Greek American, knew more about UK psych records than most people around and basically built his store around that focus. My time working at Rockit Scientist was a genuine learning experience, and like college for record collecting. I learnt so much from John and got to hear, see and handle so many cool and rare records. I also got to meet many of the country’s top dealers of psych and garage who, when in town, would always stop by the store for a chat, shop and to sell us records. John would get some amazing stuff from these guys and gals, and occasionally I snagged one or two for myself. By the time this Mojo set came out, I was aware of almost all the songs on it and so probably didn’t feel the need to buy one. It also wasn’t the only compilation of such sounds available, and with the CD era still in full swing, rare music from the 60s and 70s was seeing the light of day faster than most could keep up with it. I believe around about the same time the famous Nuggets set had been expanded into a four CD box and a second volume had also been released, which concentrated on the British Empire. I couldn’t recommend those collections more highly for those with a thirst for sixties psych and garage. Nuggets even went into a third set that focused on the second-generation garage and psych groups from the late 70s and early 80s. That’s a good one also.

On the Acid Drops collection, each of the four discs has its own name. We begin with Down To Middle Earth, then to Gandalf’s Garden, moving on with Mushroom Soup and finishing with Roundhouse Ghosts. UK psychedelic records could be heavy like their American cousins, but tended to take inspiration from whimsy and Lewis Carroll poems rather than political turmoil and revolution. So, throughout the set there are plenty of very British sounding records. The perfect soundtrack for looking at old Victorian photographs or reading Alice In Wonderland. Not that there aren’t some heavier sounding records here. Check out The Accent and their Red Sky At Night, which for 1967 was on a par with anything Cream and Hendrix etc. were doing. That cut might have been comped a few times, but it is a killer tune. By the time this set was put together, there had been a good dozen plus years of obscure sixties records getting the compilation treatment. The Rubbles series is essential, so are the Chocolate Soup For Diabetics sets and many, many more. What Acid Drops has over many of these is superior sound quality. As much as possible, original tapes were used and the whole set was remastered at Abbey Road. I own plenty of compilations that are needle drops, where the music is taken from actual records. Original master tapes were either non-existent or inaccessible to the compilers depending on how legit they were. Not that that stops actual record labels releasing music taken from records because they don’t have the master tapes anymore. That happens more often than you would think. If the consumer knows what they are getting, it isn’t so bad, but often that information isn’t forthcoming.

I could go on for pages and pages telling you about each of the seventy-two tracks here, as they are all winners in their own way. However, I feel part of the fun of listening to music is discovering it on your own terms. Those curious about this genre of music should just let it play and take note whenever a track comes up that you like and then explore that group or artist and learn what they were about. Having the liner notes of course helps, but nowadays in 2024 the internet is a lot more than it was back in 2001 and makes falling down rabbit holes a lot easier.

I’ve added YouTube links above for each of the discs so that you can begin your trip. Sugar lumps and herbs are highly recommended but not entirely necessary. Bon voyage and have fun.

Cheers - Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters, what’s up?

We’re crankin’ along here at SSR trying to get through another week of either unbearable heat or heavy thunderstorms. Today as I write it’s coming down so hard, I could have sworn I saw Noah and his Ark sail by. Honestly, I’ll take the rain when it cools things down over the triple digit temps any day. God, I must be British, always talking about the weather. Ha.

So, a quick correction and disclaimer before I go any further. Last week in the newsletter Dr. D wrote in his stellar piece on the mighty Only Ones that I had instructed him on how the Spooky Tooth album Ceremony was the only Tooth record worth F’ing with. That was true for Daniel, but not for other folk and not my opinion on the merits of other Spooky Tooth records. Their first couple of albums are fine late 60s blues rock and before they were Spooky Tooth, the guys were in a cool Mod band called The V.I.P.’s, who released a few singles, including the nugget Straight Down To The Bottom. That band transformed into Art, who released a great psych album on Island called Supernatural Fairy Tales in 1967 that as an original will set you back some change. So yeah, I dig Spooky Tooth, have nothing against them, and think they’re fine musicians and people. Just didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea. LoL.

Okay, moving on. Just like buses, you can wait forever for a good collection call, but then they come three or four in a row. That has certainly been the case of late and local customers are being treated to some terrific records hitting the bins, with plenty more waiting in the wings. Several of our locals and indeed the staff are currently shopping their kidneys around. I’ll probably mention something cool that I picked up at some point, but tend not to like to brag and flex about records I’ve scored, ‘cos you know? Instead, this week I just want to make you’ll aware of a fun little reissue that we recently stocked.

Vince Guaraldi: It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown

This is the long-awaited issue of the music and cues used for the 1969 TV special created by Vince Guaraldi and his crack group of musicians. There’s a lot to like here if you are a Peanuts fan as I am and if you love the music that went along with the Charlie Brown specials. You’ll recognize the big tunes such as Linus and Lucy, but you’ll also notice the different arrangements and musicianship going on with these takes. The most obvious is the use of flute on the recordings, which is makes them sound even jazzier. Growing up in the 70s both my sister and I loved Peanuts. We had Snoopy dolls, figures, all the comic book collections, and like everyone else watched the TV specials each year. The Christmas and Halloween ones get shown often, but the summer special sometimes gets overlooked. I have a few of the soundtrack records in my collection and at Christmas time here at the store, we almost can’t have enough copies of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I didn’t have this one though, as I believe it is the first time the music has been officially released. There was an RSD pressing earlier in the year, but now a more widely available version on blue vinyl is out there. Although there are thirty-two tracks on the album, it plays at 45 RPM and doesn’t outstay its welcome. The package includes a four-sided insert full of great information about the music and the special and there are plenty of cool images from the show. Well worth it for fans. I just picked my copy up so haven’t read them all yet. Instead of repeating them here parrot fashion, I’ll let you guys read them for yourselves.

Okay, short and sweet this week, but hopefully somewhat appropriate for the time of year. Have a great summer for those north of the equator and we’ll see you around here next time. Cheers - Dom

Hey what’s up, Sorry Staters? I hope you are all doing well. I know it’s a crazy world out there right now. Elections, sporting tournaments, you name it. Plenty to keep us busy and distracted by. This weekend is also a holiday here in the US; we are celebrating our possible last Independence day. At the same time, we’re experiencing brutal heat waves with the triple digit readings returning. Please people, do not leave your vinyl, kids and dogs in the car.

We recently bought a big collection from an industry guy who, between the late 1970s and early 1980s, must have acquired every promo copy of a new release going. He had all sorts of special promo only 12”s, 10”s and white label pressings. We’ve been pricing them up and selling them over the past couple of weeks. After we had made a couple of passes, I went through again looking for good bargain bin titles and for anything that we might have missed. Among the many decent records I found and brought to the store were a bunch of cool compilations. They were mostly label sampler promo type things and contemporary to the period i.e., late 70s/early 80s. I liked the Urgh! Soundtrack compilation, which had almost all of the artists who appeared in the film. The film itself consisted of just live footage shot at various venues and locations around the world in 1980. There was no narration or talking heads, just the live footage. As for the acts themselves? There isn’t a bad one on there, really. For me, the weakest selection was the very first cut by The Police (which isn’t so bad), but after that you get a ton of great live versions of good songs by good groups. I don’t think it will cost you a lot to buy. This collection had three copies, and I sold two as I was playing it in the store. The third I kept for myself. LoL.

From the same collection was another cool compilation that Columbia records put out in 1982 called Psychedelic Dream. It featured a mix of songs from bigger name bands that Columbia and Epic Records had released in the late 1960s, but also included lesser-known names and songs from records that didn’t sell so well and were, by the 1980s and beyond, quite rare and expensive. So in amongst the stuff from The Byrds, The Great Society, Spirit and The Hollies, you get some cool cuts from the likes of Kak, United States Of America, July, and The Head Shop. Those last four wouldn’t see their records being reissued until years later. So, if you were a punter back in 1982 and took this one home, it probably set you on a quest to track down these more obscure releases. The July album is one of my favorite U.K. 60s psych albums and so to get a couple of cuts from it on this comp was cool. The album jacket sports a third eye graphic with neon colors and cryptic lettering which might mean something and comes with a brief essay of nonsense which ends with, “The secret message lies written in chalk as the rain comes down on the other sidewalk.” Alright. Cool. There’s a track listing and production credits, but no more information. I’m not sure how well this sold and you don’t see it talked about as a cool must have in the same ways that folks talk about Nuggets, for instance, but even if it only draws from a couple of major labels, the track selection is decent and it’s a good listen. Jeff and I gave it a rinse in the store and enjoyed the play back.

Staying with the late 1960s and psychedelic music comes a great reissue of an obscurity from 1969. It’s Twentieth Century Zoo and their album titled Thunder On A Clear Day that originally came out on the Vault label out of L.A. The band themselves were from Phoenix, Arizona and were originally called The Bittersweets, but changed their name on arriving in L.A. to record and being informed that there was already a group on the east coast who had the same name. Apparently, the new name came from a remark made by a girl tripping on acid at one of their shows. The group had put out their first couple of 45s on the local Caz label. These two singles and a couple more that Vault released and then the album in 1969 are the band’s entire output. The album is a nice mix of heavy bluesy psych in a similar vein to Blue Cheer, The Savage Resurrection, The Litter’s Emerge album and of course Led Zeppelin, who were ruling the underground rock circles at the time with their first two albums. The songs that have a more garage-psych sound are the ones that interest me most. Years ago, Sundazed Records put out a 45 that compiled the two A sides from their first two singles, You Don’t Remember and Love In Your Face, plus the B-side of the second, a cover of Tossin’ And Turnin’. It’s been a fave in my collection since buying it. Those two A-sides get included on the album, but I believe they were rerecorded or edited. They sound close, but from what I have read were recorded at different studios. Certainly, the earlier versions didn’t have the sound effects that the album version has. This current reissue adds the B-sides from the two Vault singles whose A-sides are already included on the album, but either due to space, taste or publishing rights does not include the Caz label single B-sides, of which the cover of Tossin’ And Turnin’ is one of them. It’s a shame because the song has some wicked fuzz leads and solos. Otherwise, though, you get the bulk of their best material.

An original of this record has always been tough to see, let alone afford, and for that reason there have been several bootleg pressings put out over the years and a legit CD version, again from Sundazed Records, which has a bunch of unreleased tracks that might have ended up on a second TCZ album had they had opportunity to release one. Although their record was critically well received, and they did tour and play good size venues with the likes of the MC5, their career was cut short when lead guitarist Paul “Skip” Ladd was drafted. The band attempted to find a replacement, but those attempts failed and after a final single release the group officially disbanded in 1970. There’s a good interview with Skip that you can read here.

Take a listen to the tunes here, which includes those singles and B-sides, and snag a copy from us if you dig it. I know I will be.

Cheers - Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters, how’s your summer going? Enjoying those triple digit temperature heat waves? Perfect for vinyl records, right? So, we’ve been away from your inbox these last few weeks, but with good reason as half the staff make up three quarters of Scarecrow and they were of course on tour in Scandinavia with our favorite Swedes Vidro. No doubt their sections of this newsletter will entertain you with stories of that adventure. The rest of us here at Sorry State are so proud of the band and we hope that some of you reading could catch them at these shows.

Back here at Sorry State the wheels kept turning and the records kept coming as well. As any of you who follow our socials and order from us online or shop in the actual store can testify, there have been some damn good records coming through here. We work hard sourcing these gems for you and although not alone in this endeavor, I think we do okay at it. I’ve worked at some good stores and probably like you all, have visited some great ones across the world too, but I can honestly say I have seen just as many cool ass records come through here as anywhere else. I’m proud, happy and honored to be a part of Sorry State and absolutely nothing makes me happier in a professional sense than when a customer scores a record that means something to them. Whether it’s an expensive collector type record or just a $5 bargain bin record, it doesn’t matter. If they are happy and will enjoy the music, that’s all that matters. In all the jobs I have done in the past, this is the one that gives the most satisfaction as far as providing goods and service is concerned. It means way more than providing a nice cocktail or a steak dinner to someone. Music means more. It’s the most important part of many people’s lives and so when someone leaves here with cool shit that they love it’s the best feeling.

Meanwhile, around the world, so much is happening. Let’s leave politics and war aside for the moment and rather revel in other things that bring us happiness. For sports fans there’s lots to cheer about and watch this summer. Ongoing as I write are the Euros and Copa America for the football fans and the Olympics are about to begin too. Certainly, for football (soccer) fans in the US it’s a good couple of months because you might well have one of your favorite teams or players in a stadium near you. Manchester City will be here in Cary, North Carolina, playing Celtic for a pre-season game. My Worldy DJ partner Matt is excited about that. My Reds will be in South Carolina, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. As of now I don’t have tickets, but who knows, perhaps I’ll make it to one game.

For the radio show these past couple of weeks, Matt and I have been spinning as much music as we can from countries involved in the tournaments. Whilst going through my French section for a selection or two I pulled out an Air 12” to play on the show. This 12 has the songs Casanova 70 and Les Professionals on it and came out in France a year before their classic debut album Moon Safari in 1997. I remember having to special order it as an import. Air, along with other French artists at the time like Kid Loco and Etienne De Crecy, were starting to get a lot of attention and I was all over it. Moon Safari remains one of my favorite records from that time. Shortly after I moved to New York City in 1998, Air came over and played a great concert at the Town Hall, which I attended. Also, around the time of Moon Safari’s release they visited the BBC and recorded a DJ set for the essential mix program. I recorded it and still have those tapes somewhere. They played a lot of cool stuff and set me on the search for a whole bunch of records. What is great about the Casanova 70 12” is that there are two mixes by British producer Brendan Lynch of the title track, who beefs up the drums and adds some samples, noticeably from the Aphrodite’s Child 666 album. They sound great from the loud cut pressed into the 200g vinyl. My favorite of the two mixes is The Secret Of Cool. Take a listen here. Brendan Lynch is one of my favorite producers. He has made some terrific dubs and mixes with Paul Weller and Primal Scream to name two of the bigger names he has worked with. For Deejays, his name on a mix is guaranteed to give a little something extra and that special touch is nicely applied to the Air track. For a few years, this 12” was rarely out of my record bag for gigs. I haven’t spun it recently and so it was fun busting it out for Worldy and even now it gets folks asking about it.

If you check your local listings, you might be lucky to catch Air live, who are out there currently performing Moon Safari in its entirety.

In other cool record news—no doubt one of my colleagues has picked the new record by The Dark called Sinking Into Madness, but let me jump on the praise bandwagon and steer you towards this monster slab of hardcore punk metal thrash awesomeness. These guys could be described as an L.A. punk supergroup as they have in their ranks members of Tozcos and Personal Damage. That should be enough to get your interest alone, but do yourselves a favor and check them out.

I’m still loving the New Town Dream album from Neutrals. So many great tunes on the album. It’s a bit of an easy comparison, but imagine The Jam crossed with Television Personalities and Belle And Sebastian and you’ll be in the ballpark. If those bands do it for you, then I think you’ll like Neutrals.

Okay, back to work. There are more records that need pricing, cleaned and to be listened to. The biggest challenge I have each week is trying to listen to all the ones I want to. Just not enough hours in the day. Sigh.

Thanks for checking in with us and have a great July 4th weekend next week.

Dom

Hey there everyone. I hope everyone is doing okay. Enjoying your post-verdict weekend, I hope. I haven’t been around these pages for a couple of weeks for which I apologize. Life has been kicking me in the nuts of late and when the darkness takes over it is very difficult for me to function fully and alas getting a staff pick together before deadline didn’t happen. Without turning this into a Dear Diary entry or a therapy session all I will say is that I lost a very close friend last week and that along with another friend of the local scene here passing and another friend having a health scare had me questioning my own mortality and grieving over the loss. Then if I start looking at the state of the country and the world I really fall into a downward spiral of despair. Tough times for poor, marginalized and sensitive people out there.

Anyway, meanwhile back in the world of music and records here at Sorry State, there is always something cool and fun to take your mind off your troubles. Thank the heavens for music. I don’t know where to begin as so much has come in recently to check out. I’m digging the Neutrals album New Town Dream a lot. If you have been following these guys, you’ll know all about their updated take on UK post-punk and DIY aesthetics but for anyone new to them, this second LP is a great place to jump in.

Not new but newish is the return of Britpop group Kula Shaker with their new album Natural Magick. I always had a soft spot for these guys back in the day and liked their 60s Hammond organ groovy sound and mix of Indian flavors. A little bit hippy perhaps and probably way too poppy for most of you punks, but this new album sees the original lineup back and sounding great with some decent tunes on the record.

Another Britpop era artist that hasn’t stopped making new music is Blur’s Graham Coxon, and last year he made a record with Rose Elinor Dougall who was in girl group The Pipettes, under the name of The Waeve. The sound is a blend of 70s inspired folk and prog with some Krautrock moments in a sort of cinematic pop fashion. I’m still getting caught up on the record as we just got it in, but can recommend you investigate.

Here at Sorry State, we are always working hard to make sure we have one of the best selections of used records for shoppers to browse through at our store. Each week our used new arrivals drop is met with great anticipation by our loyal local friends and those of you out on the socials. One of the ways that we get good records is from you are friends and customers. Y’all have good taste, but sometimes need to downsize or trade in for something new and we always welcome helping in that regard. This past week one of our regulars and longtime supporter of us and the local scene brought in a few records to trade, and I later went through them after Jeff had processed them. There was one by the group Servotron which I had to snag. I’ve had this record in my Discogs cart for a while now, but hadn’t pulled the trigger as the price was a tad high once tax and shipping had been factored in, and I generally always try and see whether I find things in local stores or indeed when they come to us. So, thanks David for saving me a few bucks and getting this record onto my turntable.

Servotron were a band active in the mid to late 90s and were based in Athens, GA. They released a string of singles, an E.P. and two full length albums. Their sound was a science fiction inspired blend of new wave, synth-punk and garage, all based around the concept of them being robots. Each group member assumed the identity of a different robotic lifeform and collectively they used the form of music to disseminate their ideas. Live performances and interviews had them stick rigidly to this mock ideology. They preached robot domination and machines revolting against human oppression and encouraged humans to replace their weak bodily flesh with cybernetic enhancements. They dubbed this ideology the SRA (Servotron Robot Allegiance). Cool. I’ve wanted to replace parts of my broken body with bionic robot parts for years. I mean it worked for Steve Austin.

Servotron weren’t the first band to use this type of schtick as their gimmick. The obvious comparisons are to Devo and Kraftwerk and to the lesser known Zolar X. That last band were a cool L.A. band from the 70s who dressed like aliens and spoke in their own alien language and played a Glam Rock sound. Servotron owe a little to all of these forbearers and to the local scene that they came from. You can hear some B-52’s in their sound. For lovers of quirky pop that’s a good thing, right? Dotted across single B-sides are some choice covers including Genetic Engineering by X-Ray Spex and Electric Avenue by Eddie Grant. I haven’t got any of these 7” s yet, nor the 10” E.P. Spare Parts, but will be keeping a look out.

My introduction was through first album No Room For Humans which came out in 1996 that I picked up last year sometime, and now I have the second album from 1998 titled Entertainment Program For Humans (Second Variety). Having listened to the first album more times it is at the moment my preferred of the two, but I’m sure I’ll be digging the second just as much.

With all the recent talk about AI, now seems a perfect time to get into a band that was all about this type of stuff, albeit from a 90s viewpoint when the internet was still a toddler. Also, as I mentioned the idea of replacing decaying body parts with robot parts doesn’t sound so bad to me. With all due respect to anyone who has lost limbs in accidents or in war. I certainly am not making light of their experience. I’ve just always been a sci-fi guy and did love the Six Million Dollar Man as a kid.

There is a live performance on YouTube which I’ll leave a link to here. Check it out to see the robots in action and to catch some of the banter between them and the crowd. It’s quite funny.

No time for a deeper dive as I have to catch the deadline, not that I know too much more about the band other than two of the members were in Man Or Astro-man?, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with things very much. Also of note is that the band did record a session for John Peel, which was broadcast on the 21st of May 1997, and features a typical great introduction from John. Check it out here.

Okay friends, all the best. We’ll see you back here when Scarecrow return from their European adventure. Godspeed to them and thanks to you all for your support and for loving music as much as we all do.

Cheers- Dom

R.I.P. Kevin and Christopher.

What’s up Sorry Staters? Today, as I write, it’s May 4th, so, May The Fourth Be With You. As a Star Wars fan, I thought it appropriate to make my staff pick thematic with the day. So, let’s discover Patrick Gleeson’s Star Wars on Mercury Records from 1977.

First off, this is not a hard to find or pricey record by any means. I found mine cheap in a bargain bin, but as with many similar records it punches above its weight. The current Discogs median is just $5, to give you an idea. But don’t ever let that put you off being curious about a record’s worth. I’ll throw up many $1 records as examples of music that is far superior to a lot of junk that gets passed as music these days and has the nerve to charge punters $50 plus for the pleasure of owning it. But the price of new records is a discussion for another time and place.

Back to Star Wars. I went to the opening weekend screening of the film back in 1977 as an eight-year-old kid and went back several times over the course of that summer. Over the years, I watched the original trio of films many times over, in all their versions. I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of the prequels when they first came out, but have warmed to them over time. I’d say the same about the sequel trilogy, although I have only seen each of those just the once. Not being a Disney subscriber, I still have not seen the Mandalorian series or any of the other animated Star Wars universe films and shows. Whilst living in New York, I had the opportunity to go to the premiere for one of the prequel films, which was more memorable for me standing in line with the nerds because that was when Triumph the Insult Comic Dog filmed a great segment having fun with some of the folks there. None of my party were dressed in costume, so were spared the potential ridicule, but we were thrilled to see Triumph and his handler Robert Smigel doing their thing as we were big fans. Around about that time Smigel had his TV Funhouse show on Comedy Central, which only ran for a season, but was comedy gold in my opinion. Seek it out if you can. Anyway, all this to say that I like Star Wars and honestly any sci-fi TV series or film set in space. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Who, you name it and I’m probably into it. A big part of the enjoyment for any of these has always been the music and, as I have mentioned many times in these pages, I am a big soundtrack fan and collector. Hence me naturally being drawn to this version of the Star Wars music.

So, the first thing to say about this record is that it is not a simple note-for-note rerecording of the original John Williams score by someone trying to make a quick cash in. There were a few of them in the wake of the film’s success and sci-fi in general. My record collection has several such examples. A lot aren’t that bad. Most people know the one by the artist known as Meco and his Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. That’s a good one and again easy and cheap to find if you’re into this type of stuff. The Patrick Gleeson version was recorded in July and released in August 1977, just two months after the release of the movie. Gleeson wasn’t responding to the movie like the average movie goer and fan; he had anticipated the release ever since George Lucas began discussing its production back in 1975. In fact, Gleeson, confident in his ability and knowledge of synthesized music, put himself forward to be the one who would score this new movie for Lucas. Obviously, that task fell to John Williams and the LSO after Williams was recommended to Lucas by his directing pal Steven Spielberg. But the idea of Gleeson being the one to produce the music wasn’t just wishful thinking on his part. Over the previous eight or so years, he had made a name for himself within the music industry for his pioneering use of synths and electronic music. Gleeson was an English professor at San Francisco State who had been dabbling in early electronic music during the mid 1960s. In 1968, partly in support and sympathy of protesting students, he gave up his position to become a full-time musician. After hearing Wendy Carlos’s pioneering record, Switched On Bach, he took some money his dad lent him and bought a Moog synthesizer. Soon after, he founded the Different Fur Recording Studio, which initially provided a space for him to record music for independent film and low budget television. Within a short time, his reputation brought him to work for a lot of musicians, particularly in the jazz field, who were experimenting in future sounds for their music. The biggest name being that of Herbie Hancock, who hired Gleeson to set up synth pads for him to use. On meeting Gleeson and seeing him at work, Hancock asked him to play on the recordings rather than teach him how to play the synths. Gleeson ended up joining Hancock and his band for the recording of Crossings and then Sextant, and would appear at some live gigs playing the synth patterns live, something that was very new back then. Through his work and success with Herbie Hancock, Gleeson would make connections with lots of similar minded musicians, including Charles Earland and Eddie Henderson, who utilized his synth work on their albums.

In 1976, Gleeson released an album called Beyond The Sun, which was an electronic take on Holst’s The Planets. The album, with liner notes by Wendy Carlos, was nominated for a Grammy. So, with all this behind him, Gleeson released his most commercial album the following year with the Star Wars record. On the album, the songs are based on the John Williams originals but given a much different treatment. In places, the themes are recognizable, but in others not so much. Also, although much of the music was created using synths, humans are utilized throughout. Particularly drummers, and some damn fine ones, too. Billy Cobham and Harvey Mason are two names that any 70s jazz fusion head should be familiar with. There are also vocals provided by a singer named Sarah Baker (who I couldn’t find much about) and the early use of a Lyricon (a synthesized wind instrument) played by Lenny Pickett, who would later lead the Saturday Night Live Band.

The album comes with a two-sided insert with notes from Gleeson explaining the technical details of the recordings along with his thoughts on the project. He says himself that he thought he was the one who should have scored the film, although he doesn’t knock the work of John Williams and understood why Lucas went the direction he did. Gleeson would eventually fulfill his ambition to score music for a Star Wars project when, in the 80s, he contributed to the Ewoks TV show. His resume is full of notable work, be it for soundtracks or contributing to other artist’s albums. If you start to look, you’ll see his name popping up in the credits of a lot of records. If Herbie Hancock thought he was cool and smart, then you know he must have been.

Okay, gotta catch the deadline. Go check this one out whether you’re a Star Wars fan or just a lover of interesting electronic music. Or both. Here’s a link.

Cheers - Dom