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Hey there everyone! Thanks for clicking on the SSR newsletter again this week. It gets worse by the hour here in America so I won't try to keep up with the latest lawless and fascist moves our government is making, but suffice to say it's bad.

What to pick this week? We've had a bunch of cool new records and tapes come in this week along with some tasty used titles. If you hadn't heard, the store currently has a lot of in demand video game soundtracks and a whole bunch of pop punk records from the late 90s and early 00s. Not my bag personally, but a lot of people were geeking out hard on these over the weekend. Stop by and take a gander if you are in town.

The kind of early 2000s pop punk I like is the kind made by a band that I know many of you reading will know and love dearly. I'm talking about The Exploding Hearts, the terrific but tragically short lived band from Portland who effortlessly combined punk and power pop so well.

Again, I have Jeff here at SSR and our always homie Eric Chubb for turning me on to these guys. When a copy of Guitar Romantic came into the store, their first and only album, back when I started working here, we jammed it and I instantly fell in love with record. I'm not sure whether that was an original pressing or a reissue, but finally a couple of years ago the album was reissued in a remastered and expanded edition, and it's that version which I now have. Such a great record. So many hooks and earworm riffs and sing-along choruses. If they were trying to sound like a cross between The Clash, early Scientists and Buzzcocks, to name three potential influences, then they nailed it.

The story about the band is a tragic one though, and very sad. Poised on the brink of major success, everything came to an abrupt end when traveling home from a triumphant gig in San Francisco in late July 2003. They were involved in a horrific accident that took the lives of three of the band members. Adam, Jeremy and Matt were all still in their early 20s. My heart goes out to their family and friends and everyone else that knew them. I can't imagine how hard it was to hear that news, and I'm sure it hasn't got any easier. RIP guys. For the world they left behind we have this album, some singles and a great collection of unreleased mixes and demos plus hard to find singles collection called Shattered. That collection recently came into the store and I had to exercise my record store employee privilege and snag that bad boy. It's brilliant and has their awesome single (Making) Teenage Faces on it, which if you can find a copy will cost you a fair penny.

Luckily there is also video footage of the band available if you dig around the internet. These clips and the records will ensure they won't be forgotten. Their legacy will live on. If you already know then you know, but for those late for the party like me then I would highly recommend you seek out Guitar Romantic and Shattered asap in whatever form you consume your music. Obviously we all prefer vinyl, but until you can get yourself a copy go stream 'em.

I've had to write this on my phone as my computer decided to act weird, so I can't leave links, but you're all smart people and know how to use the Internet.

Okay, that's going to have to be it for me. Have a great week and see you next time.

Cheers - Dom

Hey, what’s up everybody? I hope you are all surviving out there in this very strange time. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find the joys in life when there is evil in the world causing so much pain and suffering. I know it’s always been that way, but I think it’s come as quite a shock to many Americans to see their own government do such unspeakable cruel things and quite so brazenly and openly and with such pride and assurance. Yesterday was May 4th, Star Wars Day for the nerds, and this prick we have as a leader posted a picture of himself with a red light saber. They can’t even get that right and think that they are the rebels and anyone non-Maga represents the Empire. Really? Have you watched the films? Have you seen yourselves in the mirror? Maga, Republicans and the Christian right are most certainly the Empire if you were going to use Star Wars as a metaphor. Like I said, strange times.

Today is Cinco De Mayo and I must imagine those same fuckwits I mentioned above will not be celebrating. No more cerveza, tequila or tacos for you guys now that you support a regime that is actively targeting the Latino community and blaming them for all the so-called problems the country is experiencing. Shameful. What do hateful white supremicist Christian Nationalists eat and do now? They hate the whole world, so what kind of food is left for them? What kind of music can they enjoy now? What kind of culture is left for them? They probably feel emboldened and powerful and think they can just plunder and appropriate at will, but those days won’t last long. It’s Springtime for fuckers right now alright.

Anyway, this morning on Worldy, the radio show I do with my partner Matt, we played a full two hours of cumbia, pop, rock and psych from Mexico and South America to sort of celebrate the day. The intention was to give a fun, fiesta like soundtrack to the day, but not necessarily making it all about Mexico. I think we achieved that, but we weren’t helped by the weather, which has been decidedly dark and overcast and not giving off tropical vibes. Although you do get the heavy rainstorms in the tropics, so perhaps it wasn’t so untypical. Anyway, once I got home and in out of the rain, the dark skies above didn’t really scream sunshine music. So I ended up throwing on a record that I haven’t played in a while, but absolutely love. It fitted the mood, and so that’s going to be my pick for you this week.

Modern English: Mesh & Lace 4AD 1981

I think everyone is aware of this UK band who had the worldwide smash hit single I Melt With You. That song appeared on their 1982 album After The Snow and could be found in any bargain bin for a fiver, although in recent years, as people have come to realize they are more than a one hit wonder, the price has rightfully gone up for a nice copy. Modern English are far from a one hit wonder band, but like a lot of MTV era UK bands, most people know them for that song. In all honesty, it wasn’t until the 1990s that I was made aware of the band having way more gems in their discography. My ex-partner at the record store I had an interest with back in England was a fan and introduced me to their first album and couple of singles, which immediately got my attention when he played them for me. The sound on these recordings from late 1979 through 1981, which ended up on the Mesh & Lace album and the singles Gathering Dust and Swans On Glass, are to my ears and many others, the more interesting.

At this point in their career, the band are much more post punk than pop and sound like a cross between Joy Division, Killing Joke and Wire, with some doses of Magazine, Tubeway Army and John Fox era Ultravox for good measure.

Yeah, for real. That’s the vibes you get from Mesh & Lace. It’s a great album with a dark and moody atmosphere, great songs, fantastic drum and guitar sounds and overall production. It took me several years to own a vinyl copy and, if I am remembering correctly, it was Daniel who gifted me this Canadian pressing. Sounds like the super cool kind of thing he would do. My memory is full of holes like Swiss cheese so I could be forgetting. Thank you Daniel. I probably already wrote about this record in a staff pick before. Woops. Oh well. Did I? Maybe. LoL. So good, it deserves a second plug.

Seriously though, if you dig that early 80s, slightly Goth/Darkwave sound then this is a record you should check out if you aren’t already aware of it. Honestly, while you are at it, you should give their other albums a second listen. After The Snow has several cool songs on it and so does their third 4AD album from 1983 called Ricochet Days. The Gathering Dust single is one of my favorite tunes of theirs and was always a good DJ spin at the Indie Disco.

I mentioned it took me a while to finally own a vinyl copy of Mesh & Lace, and that’s because you don’t see them that often in the bins, especially here in the States. A quick look at Discogs confirmed folks are willing to pay good money for a copy and for those early singles. A worthy investment if you see them at your local record shop.

Okay, the headache is starting, and deadline is approaching. I’ll sign off here, but thanks for reading and your support.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters? Good to be with you for another SSR newsletter. I’m writing whilst battling a severe headache, unfortunately. It is something that has just started being a problem. It’s my eyes and looking at screens that does it, so after five decades of perfect vision I am going to have to see about getting my eyes checked and glasses. So, writing anything this week is a struggle, and I will not be giving you all a long ass review on anything. It was so bad yesterday I couldn’t even go down the pub and celebrate Liverpool winning the league. I’ll make sure I’m with people for the final day and trophy lift, though. Fantastic win and I’m made up.

There have been a ton of cool records come through the store these past few weeks, both new and used. We also just got over Record Store Day and I have to say there were a lot of worthy releases this year. Depending on your tastes, of course. Mine are broad, so it cost me this year. I feel guilty and almost ashamed to brag about anything that I got because I really should not be spending so much on records. Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, I didn’t take anything that we didn’t get multiple copies of, and the last thing I grabbed was left unsold at the end of the day, so I didn’t feel like I took it from anyone that had lined up outside all morning. I can promise you we would not do that to you, our customers. That would be lame.

Since RSD there have been plenty of good new releases, I thought. I’m a big fan of The Liminanas, and their new album Faded is them at their best still, after a dozen plus years of solid albums and singles. This one features vocal guest appearances from Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream and also Jon Spencer, he of Blues Explosion. Kudos to adding another great cover of Louie Louie to the books. Sounding more like Serge Gainsbourg if he was having a go himself. Great stuff.

Daniel told me to check out Craneo, an L.A. punk garage band, and I liked the record a lot. Good time rock and roll riffs in the vein of Oblivians and The Dirtbombs, etc. and sung in Spanish. If that’s your bag, check them out.

Arriving the same day was another record Daniel said I might like, and that was Robert The Record. We got a few reissues of this one that originally came out in 1986. The record is credited to Robert, but is the work of ?Fog. They were from Auckland, New Zealand and were an arts collective also known as ?Fog Enterprises. The question mark is intentional and correct. Just like so much cool music that comes out of NZ, these guys sound familiar and have detectable influences, but also sound unique and ahead of the curve. The sound here is Alternative Rock with an Indie twist and some Post Punk for good measure. Hard to pigeonhole, which is always a good thing in my book. The reissue comes with a decent size booklet with interviews, photos and relevant info. I can see why Daniel appreciates this record, as there is a Fall-like approach to their music and the fact that they were members of an underground community. Always full marks for that. Investigate.

We had a cool midweek show this week where locals Paranoid Maniac and Scarecrow warmed the crowd up for Jail, visiting from Detroit, as part of their southern tour. A show they almost didn’t make, as their van broke down just a few miles out of town. Luckily, a hero who goes by the name of Larry swooped in and saved the day and helped the guys get to the venue on time to play a kick ass set. The lads dropped off a couple of copies of their long player, which we might already be sold out of, but go see them if they are in your town.

John Scott and I were jamming several of the reissues of South American Cumbia, Garage and Post Punk that came in this week. I would definitely steer you towards Mercenarias from Brazil if you like more experimental DIY Post punk. They were around in the 80s. We’ve had reissues of their stuff before and there’s a cool collection on them from Soul Jazz Records. The one we got in has a bunch of demos and live recordings.

Los Saicos from Peru recorded a handful of cool garage singles in the mid-1960s that sounded as if they could have come out of the Pacific Northwest and been part of the scene with The Sonics and The Wailers, etc. These recordings have been reissued before, but this edition comes with a nice booklet containing lots of unseen photos.

We will hopefully start to add more titles like this one from Vampi Soul, Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! It’s a banger start to finish and delivers exactly what the title promises. Like Los Saicos, all these artists are from Peru. You’ll never find half of these records as originals, so a compilation like this is essential.

Okay, I can barely look at the screen anymore. No joke. Damn stupid aging body.

There was one Record Store Day release that both John Scott and I had our eyes on and wanted, and that was the mystery-colored Easter Egg shaped vinyl limited to 1500, Peanuts’ The Easter Beagle. I mean, who wouldn’t want that? With a cool picture of Woodstock in his pad chilling and listening to his funny looking Hi-Fi as artwork, hell yeah! Anyway, with the internet already listing said record for $300 before the actual day and knowing it would be popular, JS and I did the right thing and did a little catch and release, making at least two people happy. There was also a full length of alternate recordings to Vince Guaraldi’s Jazz Impressions Of A Boy Named Charlie Brown album. That was cool. To ease the feeling of missing out on those gems, I went home and pulled out my Peanuts related records and put on one called Good Grief! It’s a nice collection of some of the more popular Charlie Brown themes and was released originally back in 1968, but kept in print throughout the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, though, this was one of only a few vinyl records where fans of the Peanuts specials could hear some of the themes heard on the shows. It wasn’t until the late 1990s and the CD reissue era when we could hear more of the music. More recently there have been a whole series of vinyl reissues of the various specials, which we have stocked, and I know I and John Scott have talked about here in the newsletter. You really need these for the tons of great music that are on them and all the cool photos and information that each came with.

So yeah, that’s all I got for you this week I’m afraid. Back to lying down in the dark for me.

See you around these parts or at the store next time you’re passing through.

Cheers - Dom

Hi Sorry Staters. Thanks for giving five minutes of your time to check in with us. It really is appreciated. It can sometimes feel like shouting into a tornado trying to write these things and connect with you all, but we know you love music so there’s always a chance that something one of us talks about will resonate with some of you. LoL. That’s our hope. Horses for courses and to each their own etc. etc. I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to evangelize over music and stuff without there being any rules or requirements to plug certain things. God bless Doctor D for creating this for us and for all of you past, present and future who are a part of it. It is special.

Not that any of us wants to turn our section of the newsletter to their personal diary, but we try to be honest here and tell you what’s going on with us and how that it is influencing our listening for that moment. I know I do, and I apologize if that annoys anyone. I missed last week’s newsletter because the last of my kitty cats passed away, which was a crushing loss for me. I have had a cat or four in the home for the past twenty-five plus years, and to be without one is horrible for me. It’s been a tough week, but made better by a mid-week punk show that was cool and some kind comments received from a couple of friends that missed me in the newsletter. That was nice and ties in with what I was trying to say before. Cheers for that.

Anyway, for this week because I was in sad boy mode, a loner folk record from the early 70s connected with me, and so I’ll quickly talk about that one and another record from the early 80s, this time that is a much punkier affair. Both though are private press records, and one offs, which is what connects them. Kinda cool.

Reid Abrams: A Speck Of Time. 1972. Abrams Music Association

This one came into the store during the week and was the only half interesting record in a pile of dusty bargain bin classic rock and pop fodder that I wasn’t really interested in buying, but for a buck a piece we can just about make it work. The Reid Abrams stood out amongst the rest as being worthy of a closer inspection. It wasn’t in top shape, but I’ve seen enough old private press loner and acid folk records to know that it might be something. Turns out I was sort of right. The record is somewhat collectable, and people have paid more than $50 for a nice copy, but $35 seems a more realistic price. I gave this copy a clean and took it home to listen to.

It’s a mixture of acoustic guitar instrumentals and vocal tracks that range somewhere between Neil Young and Nick Drake, with a dash of John Fahey and Bert Jansch for good measure.

Reid Abrams was American and from Denver but was clearly into the UK folkies of the time. If that kind of stuff is in your bag, then you would probably enjoy A Speck Of Time.

There isn’t too much information out there on the music career of Reid Abrams, but apparently he went on to become a top orthopedic surgeon. He was approached by a record dealer once who was informed that the record was a one-off private press on his own label in a run of three hundred. He recorded it as a teenager and it was his only record.

On a couple of the songs, he is backed with a second guitar and vocals from a fellow called Marc McKinnon, who also wrote the lyrics to one song. Otherwise, all music and lyrics are by Reid Abrams. On the title track he’s backed on vocals by an Alice Abrams. Not sure what her relation to him is. Wife? Sister? Regardless, it’s not a bad album, with some decent songs with decent lyrics and worthy of investigation if you see it out there in the bins. My favorite song is probably the lead song called Ambivalence. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a link to that one, but here’s title track A Speck Of Time and one that features that second guitar called Mothers Never Die.

Okay, this next one is from 1982 and credited to Soldiers Of Fortune, with the fantastic title No Wimps Or Posers (It’s The American Way).

Again, a private press record, this time on Slow Death Records, created for the band and this release. Also, a one off as far as I can tell. There’s not too much I can tell you about these guys as the internet didn’t turn up a lot. Perhaps one of you reading knows. My guess is they were from Southern California, but I could be way off. The record is a five track E.P., ranging from Dead Kennedys style punk to Cramps like psychobilly. There’s also some New Wave Talking Heads influence in there. That cross section might not be to everyone’s taste, but I like DKs and The Cramps, and I liked this record. Not going to change your life, but still cool and a good listen.

Funny thing about this particular record is that it was sent to us as packing material for another record free of charge. That was cool. It wasn’t in top condition, but still definitely playable ,and when we looked it up and saw that it went for $15-20, Jeff ended up putting it out for a few bucks. It didn’t sell, so I took it home ‘cos I liked it and played the song American Dream on Worldy this week. So there. Ha ha. This one’s not on YouTube either and I don’t run a channel to upload it, so no link but keep an eye out for it or ask a friend to play it for you.

Okay, that’s all for now. We have a busy week ahead. It’s Record Store Day this coming Saturday and we’ll be preparing for that. Our list is up on our website. Personally, there are a few things I think are cool. Have a great one wherever you are and perhaps we’ll see some of you come through Sorry State on the day.

Cheers - Dom

R.I.P. Clem Burke

What’s up Sorry Staters? Cheers for checking in with us again this week. There’s quite a bit of news on new releases in this week’s letter. Not that there isn’t always, but with a couple of our own label releases in the mix, there’s plenty to get excited about.

I’ll just pick one thing that caught my eye this week, and that’s a cool 45 by L.A. punks Psychoactive. There’s only a few of these out there and we got a handful, so move quickly if you are into snappy ’77 style punk rock.

The single comes as number one on their own Psychoactive label and is issued in hand stamped and numbered paper sleeves in an edition of 200 and with a sticker. Mine’s number 19. Two tunes, Don’t Wanna Wait b/w Seditionaries.

Jeff and I were giving it a spin in the store, and I had mentioned that I had liked it a lot as it appealed to my taste in punk rock styles, namely that classic 77 sound well routed in rock and roll’s past. Jeff told me that wasn’t a coincidence as the band features Paul and Tsubasa from L.A. punk band Rough Kids. The very same Rough Kids that Sorry State had the honor of putting out their first couple of platters. No wonder the record sounded so seasoned and on point. Jeff also reminded me that Rough Kids have been backing T.V. Smith on his current Adverts tour. Very fucking cool. So yeah, there is plenty of pedigree in Psychoactive.

Whether they will stick with the name remains to be seen, as a quick google brought up several other bands with the same name around the world which they’ll have to contend with. Also, anything with “psycho” in the name brings up all kinds of results. But what do I know? I am certainly not giving unsolicited advice to the band. LoL. May the best Psychoactive win.

Talking of Rough Kids, I gave their The Black And White And Gray album on Dirt Cult Records a spin over the weekend and had a fun time listening to it. They really are a tight, sharp band with plenty of good tunes and riffs. Do yourselves a favor and check out their records if you aren’t familiar. We should have copies of at least their second I believe.

Okay, that’s about all my noggin can handle for this week as far as writing goes. Back to my other chores. Thanks for reading and supporting the scene.

Cheers - Dom

Hey everyone! Thanks for clicking on our newsletter. Hopefully, a few minutes reading about cool shnazz will distract from the doom scrolling. It’s been another bonkers week with more extreme weather events, economic upheaval and horrible hateful actions from the current regime here in the U.S. Thank God for music. We need it more than ever.

Whilst working with Jeff last week at the store we were listening to a bunch of different things and at some point, via YouTube suggestions, we found ourselves playing a few tracks by Californian garage band Public Nuisance. At first Jeff thought I was playing more from my favorite Arizonans, The Resonars, who totally nail that sixties sound. He wasn’t wrong in thinking that the recordings had a more modern feel to them, however Public Nuisance was indeed a sixties band and the tracks we were playing were recorded in the winter of 1968 and January 1969. They do sound great, full and powerful and loud and rocking. What’s even more astounding is that these tracks remained unreleased and virtually unheard until the early 00s. There have been lots of obscure records rediscovered over the years and lots of unreleased recordings such as acetates have had a second chance to reach appreciative ears, but there probably hasn’t been a group that had so much strong material as these guys, and had it remain unreleased for decades. The reason is a bit of a story, which is worth hearing, but more importantly for lovers of late sixties garage and psych. This is one set of tunes you need to hear.

Public Nuisance was from Sacramento, California and shared a similar story to countless other garage bands. They began as high school friends who, just like everyone else, got swept up by the British Invasion and Surf music. They were more Anglophile than most, and first started playing gigs as The Jaguars and mixed in more obscure British bands’ material into their sets. They were big Pretty Things fans. Throughout 1964 and 1965, they would play the typical teen dances and fairs up and down the valley, honing their craft. In early 1966, an opportunity to record came up and they cut two songs at Ikon in Sacramento and a 45 was issued under the new name of Moss & The Rocks. It’s a decent but typical teen folk rocker single and didn’t make much of an impact. Six months later, the band, bankrolled by one of their parents, travelled to Gold Star Studios in Hollywood and re-recorded the same two songs. They were released on the Chattahoochee label, but again failed to have much of an impact.

Soon after that, in the fall of 1966, the guys decided to change their name to Public Nuisance and continue in a heavier direction. Their image also changed along with the heavier sound, and they began appearing all in black with the hair getting longer on at least two of them.

The area had quite a few notable bands they would share stages with. The New Breed, Oxford Circle and Kak were locals and part of the scene, and Public Nuisance held their own alongside those groups besides opening for touring national acts like The Doors, who Public Nuisance opened for in July 1967 at the State Fairgrounds and by all accounts blew the headliners of the stage. Other big names the band opened for were Buffalo Springfield and Sonny & Cher, plus a set at the Fillmore East with The Grateful Dead on the same bill.

During the fall of 1967, the group made three trips to San Francisco where they recorded a bunch of tracks that supposedly had them sounding like a cross between The Seeds and The Pretty Things. Unfortunately, those tapes have been missing almost from the time they were made, and very few can testify to the contents of them, but judging by what was to come a year later it seems more than likely that they might be good.

Meanwhile, a friend of theirs, Gary Shiro, along with DJ Johnny Hyde, had a record label called World United that had released records from Oxford Circle and The New Breed. That label folded, but Shiro got The New Breed signed to famous producer Terry Melcher’s new label called Equinox, and it was through these connections that Public Nuisance were given the chance to record demos for Melcher’s consideration. Thus, in September and October 1968, the group travelled to Sound Recorders in Hollywood for two sessions. Melcher liked what they recorded and signed them in November. The band (now down to a trio) recorded a dozen new songs during December of that year and continued with sessions in January 1969. As strong as the demos are, it’s a testament to the band and their ambitions that they so quickly had even better fresh songs for what was intended as their debut album. Aided by engineer Eirik Wangberg, who really made them sound big and full and seasoned, the record was mixed and mastered and ready for release.

Here’s where the story comes to an abrupt halt. In August, the Manson murders took place. Sharon Tate and her guests were staying in a house that belonged to Terry Melcher. He had been Manson’s intended target, the lunatic being angry that Melcher hadn’t come through with a supposed record deal for Manson. Naturally, Melcher was scared shitless and went into hiding and along with that went all the projects and business that he was involved with. So, no more Equinox and no more record deal and album release for Public Nuisance. The guys soldiered on totally dejected for the rest of 1969 with a couple of different rhythm guitarists, but finally packed it in as the new decade dawned.

That might have been the end of their story and the world might not have heard them had it not been for the championing done by Joey D at Frantic Records, who for years was shouting from the rooftops about how great Public Nuisance was. It was through his efforts, along with other key names in the sixties garage psych world such as Alec Palao and the band themselves, that a super double album set titled Gotta Survive was released in 2002. The CD was out on Frantic, and the vinyl version was released via Shadoks Music, the fine German label that specialized in rare psychedelic reissues. That double vinyl release also came with a bonus 7” E.P. with the four Moss & The Rocks cuts.

At the time of this rediscovery of Public Nuisance, I was working at Rockit Scientist in New York City and can vouch that everyone was going nuts when they heard the music. We sold loads of the CD and vinyl version. It’s justified. The unreleased album and the previous demos are all so good. Banger after banger. It’s hard to pick a favorite. I know I was blown away. So too was Jack White, who would go on to reissue a version of the intended album on his Third Man label ten years later in 2012.

I’m the worst at trying to describe music and how it sounds, but also subscribe to the opinion that everyone should just listen and discover for themselves. You don’t need some journo telling you when to appreciate a guitar riff or drum roll or whatever. Suffice to say, there’s plenty to love and enjoy about Public Nuisance. If you dig sixties garage with an Anglophile influence, then these guys should be right up your street. Maybe you have been turned on to them already, but it has been twenty-plus years since the first rediscovery, so perhaps there are some of you out there not aware of them that will appreciate the steer. Either way, go check them out. Here’s a YouTube link to play the full CD release.

For the record, my favorite Public Nuisance songs are Gotta Survive, Love Is A Feeling, Small Faces and America.

Okay, deadline approaching. Happy listening everyone.

Sláinte – Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters! What’s cooking’? It sure is a messed-up world right now. Not that it hasn’t always been, but at least up to now we could all agree on what was up and what was down and whether the sky is blue, and grass is green. Not anymore. We’re truly in the upside down or Bizarro World. My anxiety increases daily. I’m just hoping that I won’t be affected negatively in my musical taste and will still be able to tell a good tune from a duff one, no matter what the genre.

These past few weeks have certainly found me spinning a wider variety of records for my listening pleasure. My recent revisit to my Sound Library records and particularly the section devoted to Italian recordings took me on some nice little journeys. I also found myself finally being able to appreciate some of the more adventurous tunes on records that I had previously found tough going. It really is true that you often must be in a certain place in life and have certain experiences and exposure to a wide spectrum of sounds to appreciate a particular piece of music. I would have never listened to half the stuff I do now when I was a teenager. Jazz Fusion? Progressive Rock? Are you serious? Do me a favor. Yet here I am this week playing some rare Italian Prog and digging it.

With that said, my pick for you this week is a record that came out in 1970 in Italy on RCA called The Feed-Back. Credited at the time as self-titled, it soon became known that it was a recording by Il Gruppo or The Group. They are the Gruppo D’Improvviazione Nuova Consonaza, an all-star collective formed in 1964 by experimental composers of the avant-garde. They had in their ranks Ennio Morricone, to throw a name out there that most will recognize. Their mission was to develop new techniques in playing and recording music through improvisation and experimentalism. Generally speaking, musique concrete, free jazz and modern classical are not my jams and this is what you’ll find on the majority of The Group’s recordings, but on The Feed-Back they got a little funky and hip and tapped into the “underground” sound. They weren’t young dudes though by 1970, with most of the players approaching their 40s or older.

The star of the show on the session was without doubt the drummer. Everything is built around his very upfront tight and groovy patterns. Many have compared the beats here to those on Krautrock records from the likes of Neu! And Can. That’s fair, but I wouldn’t want to say they were as good or better. It’s a journalistic kind of thing to say, but does fit. The drummer here was Enzo Restuccia, who was a session man at RCA Italiana and who frequently played on scores for Ennio Morricone, among others.

The rest of the musicians, including Morricone on trumpet, jam around the drum patterns. There’s guitar, bass and piano, along with various percussion to fill out the sound. Only three tracks and done within thirty minutes. It won’t change your life, but whilst it’s spinning it sort of hits the spot.

Original copies of this record fetch high price tags, which is understandable as it didn’t get a huge release back in 1970 and copies are scarce. The pedigree of the players behind the album certainly adds to the allure and brings more people into the chase, and because it has beats you also had producers and DJs on the hunt for it. I first heard a cut from the record years ago in a DJ set that this fellow was playing, and sometime after got a track on a compilation of rare tracks aimed at the DJ and collectors looking for beats and deep cuts. I pretty much gave up on ever finding a copy or being able to afford one if I did, and had forgotten about it. Fast forward to last year and whilst window shopping on Discogs I stumbled upon a guy in the US who had a reissue for sale at a very nice price. So, I bought it and am glad I did as even this reissue isn’t that easy to find stateside, and typically sells for more than what I paid for it. The repress was done by the fantastic Italian label Schema in 2014. They did a great job. Remastered from original tapes, it sounds fine to my ears, although I don’t have an original to compare it to. They did a nice job with the sleeve repro and even chuck in a CD copy for you to go digital. Cheers. An OBI is included with some brief notes and credits the musicians, which the original never did. I need to search for an English translation to the Italian liner notes, however. That might have been a nice touch as a small insert perhaps on the repress, but I quibble. The internet will have the translation somewhere.

Like I said, this won’t change your life, but if you have found that life has twisted your melon recently and you are partial already to some 70s prog and krautrock, then there might be something for you here. Either way, it’s a quick listen and still worth it and that’s my final answer.

Okay, deadline approaches. Back to listening to more Roy Ayers and New York Dolls records.

Cheers and see you next time - Dom

Hi Sorry Staters, thanks for clicking on our newsletter and checking in with us.

It’s been another crazy week and honestly what happened in the White House on Friday still has me in shock. Really? This is the America we live in now? Aligning with the dictators of the world. My God! To think of all the people who have given their lives for their country to protect democracy here and around the world only to have these horrible traitors act so shamefully. It is beyond comprehension. We are in a constitutional crisis in America and a third of the population at least seems to be cheering on as the place burns. Sad. Very sad.

With all that in mind, trying to think straight and write a pick for the newsletter is even tougher than normal. I honestly couldn’t even write home for money right now, but I’ll give it a go.

Just quickly first, a mention about a record that has been out for a few months now but was missed by me when it came to the store originally. It seems we had a color variant which sold out quickly and a black vinyl version which, although listed on our webstore, didn’t make its way to the store bins. Shame on us for missing that. Anyway, last week Jeff and I were talking about the popularity of the Alvilda record, and he mentioned he thought that another French language record we got in was just as good or even, dare he say, better. That was Coeur A L’Index from Belgium and their debut titled Adieu Minette. As soon as I put it on, I knew instantly that I liked it. Great C86 style DIY pop-punk which should easily appeal to fans of Chin Chin, Dolly Mixture and bands on Slumberland Records, just to give you a rough idea. As always, Jeff called it. If you were slow on the ball like I was, we still have copies on black vinyl in stock. Check it out.

Okay, for my main pick this week I had to go with a terrific collection of reggae and dub that is focused on the productions of Dennis Bovell. It’s called Sufferrer Sounds and is out on the Disciples label, a subsidiary of Warp Records in the U.K. The compilation concentrates on tracks that were produced and released during and around the time that Dennis Bovell was involved with the South London sound system known as Sufferer Sound in the late 1970s. It’s a wonderfully curated compilation and sequenced to play as an album almost, even though tracks are pulled from different releases. There are rare B-side version dubs, lovers rock beauties, powerful rockers and roots cuts, all with the genius production touch from Dennis Bovell. I think it is great and will certainly be one of my faves of the year, I am sure. I won’t go into a deep dive on Bovell here, as I have neither the time nor the brain power to do him justice, but Lord Daniel is a big fan also and I know he picked a Dennis Bovell record before for a staff pick here in the Sorry State newsletter, so perhaps pull that one up to read a more in-depth history. Suffice to say, if you have listened to a Slits record or watched the film Babylon or loved the dub poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson, then, whether you realized it or not, you have experienced the magic of Dennis Bovell.

Back to this collection. The label has done a great job in the sound restoration and the pressing is a good one. I have been cranking it at home and at the store and can testify to the top job done by the mastering engineer. These cuts potentially have never sounded so good. Many of them are rare and hard to find (and expensive) so it’s a blessing to have them compiled here. For those wondering how things might have played and sounded at Sufferer Sound with DB at the controls all those years ago, this is a fantastic approximation. Comes with liner notes and a few photos along with track-by-track recollections from Dennis himself. Killer stuff and essential for all lovers of 70s dub reggae. I’m loving the dub version of Take Five and Angelique’s Cry with the DB version that closes out the album. Beauty and toughness combined.

Okay, short and to the point this week. Thanks for reading and supporting music and the arts.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters? How’s the weather where you are? Unfortunately for us here in the south, just a few inches of snow, cold weather and ice can shut down the whole place. Unlike our friends in the north where it’s business as usual. As a result of the recent storm, we had to remain closed for a couple of days and stay home, but it gave us all a chance to catch up on some record listening, book reading, film watching and to get some rest. That’s at least how I spent my snow days, besides taking care of my poorly kitty cat. Oh, and I got to watch a couple of football games on TV live, which is always a bonus. Not that my team quite got the result we were looking for, but enough of that for the time being.

A big part of taking care of the cat involves sitting down on the couch with a blanket over my legs and her curled up on my lap, often trapping me there for long periods of time. Ideal for watching TV and reading, but a bit of problem when I want to listen to records and need to get up every twenty minutes or so to change the record. One of the advantages of vinyl, right? I have often had to throw on a CD or switch to streaming something from the internet. Again, not such a bad thing as I have loads of radio shows and podcasts to listen to. There simply isn’t enough time to listen to everything, watch everything and read everything in my queue. To that point, I was determined to have a good dip into a book that has been patiently waiting for me since I picked it up a while back. I have been enjoying reading it and would like to recommend it to you all for my pick this week in the newsletter. Be warned though, reading it will cause you to fall down many rabbit holes and could end up costing you a small fortune. The book is called Unusual Sounds—The Hidden History Of Library Music. It was written by David Hollander and published in 2018 by Anthology Editions.

At this stage, 2025, Library Music isn’t exactly a secret anymore. I’m sure many of you are aware of these records, but for a time they were hidden from general public consumption, only known by industry insiders and then later by progressive producers and DJs looking for new beats and samples yet to be mined. The 1990s saw a renewed interest in these records made twenty or thirty-plus years prior, as retro culture got into full swing. By the turn of the millennium, Library records were fetching good money on the collector’s scene as more and more people got turned on to them and realized how good they were. Producers looking for beats and samples other than from their parents’ James Brown records found a whole new frontier of discovery in Library music. DJs wanting to stand out and play stuff that others didn’t have would also be on the hunt for these elusive gems. There would be boutique stores opening that catered to just these types of customers. The Sound Library in New York is a good example. Although they, of course, stocked lots of cool records other than Library music, the emphasis was on servicing producers and DJs, hence the name of the store.

Fortunately, during this period of reappraisal in the late 90s and early 00s, there were a few labels reissuing some of this great music. Mostly as compilations, but occasionally whole albums. This was when I got hip to it. I gobbled up as many of them as I could find. As a DJ on a budget, I was already into collecting soundtracks as they were a great source for lesser heard tracks and unusual sounding stuff, so these compilations of cool sounding music were ideal for me. Over time, even these reissues have become valuable and collectable. I’m glad I got the ones I did and have kept hold of them. Not as cool as owning the originals, but still cooler than not having anything and not hearing the music.

So, what are Library Music records? They are records of stock music created expressly for the use in film, radio and television. Each one would have music to suit different moods and situations and were aimed at producers and productions that didn’t have the budget to hire their own composers and musicians and to pay for studio time. These recordings were ready for use off the shelf at a fraction of the cost and came pre-licensed. The heyday for these records was the mid-1960s through the 1970s. There were many different production houses, publishers and labels and several became very successful financially and produced extremely high-quality music that was above and beyond the mainstream and much more progressive. That’s why, decades later, the world is still catching up. Although North America had some Library music houses, they didn’t catch on as in Europe, due mostly to performance rights and objections from musicians’ unions. The big centers for Library music were France, Italy, Germany and the U.K., each bringing their own unique regional and cultural take on whatever musical style was being invoked.

As these records initially were not for public consumption, they mostly came in plain covered sleeves with perhaps a color scheme and/or company logo and title. On the back were the list of cues (usually with titles), their length and a brief description of style. If you were a producer looking for appropriate music for your production, you could easily listen and choose the right cues from the records, with the idea being that you then purchased those from the Library House, who would dub you a tape of your selections. The records themselves were purely a demonstration sample tool and were often returned to the library or discarded. However, as time went on, most music libraries began issuing these records with cover art of some sort. Usually something simple to obviously suggest the type of music within, but sometimes with imaginative and wonderful images that truly spark the imagination. Occasionally some of these records were made commercially available to the public, but even those are tough to find.

Obviously in the book the author gives a much better description than I am giving, and his introduction chapter is perfect. There’s a great foreword by George A. Romero, who writes about his use of library music for his classic genre defining film Night Of The Living Dead, and throughout there are incredible full color reproductions of some of the best library record cover art, along with photos of many of the key players, etc.

The author sets out the chapters with each concentrating on a particular country’s libraries. He chose British, German, French, Italian and North American libraries as being the main players, and each country chapter has a brief history of their respective labels/libraries along with some pictures of the records they produced. The artwork is so cool and often stunning on these records, and it’s great to see them reproduced in the book. There is a definite acknowledgment from the author that other countries had good music libraries too, many of the eastern European countries, for instance, and Brazil also. There’s a final chapter displaying film posters and advertising for TV shows which have famously used library music. Some are very well known and recognizable and others more obscure. Again, great color reproductions which are so fun to look at.

During his introduction chapter, the author talks about doing his best to visit many of the library houses that still exist or to contact whoever may still have ownership of now defunct ones. Many have been swallowed up by bigger companies and are owned in name only. He speaks of the still massive amounts of music that has barely seen the light of day since first being made years ago, and how a lot of it is getting saved and digitized, but that a lot isn’t and is either rotting away on magnetic tape or, in many cases, has already been dumped. He tells of arriving at a British library to discover that they had dumped master tapes just the week before. So now the only place that some of this music may exist is on those original vinyl records and, as was mentioned before, these were often thrown out too. It goes to explain how prices for many of these records are through the roof and in a league of their own when it comes to rare records and big number price tags. Again, I’m so glad to own the few I do, even if they are mostly reissues. It’s sad that music, just like film and television, hasn’t been preserved and, in some cases, has been lost forever.

Not that I have ever had the dough to buy expensive originals, but even if I did the opportunity rarely presents itself. You can trust me when I say that you hardly ever see these records. Maybe for a brief period back in the day if you knew what you were looking for and could dig in major cities around the world where they were likely to have been circulated, you might have found a few. Certainly, at record shows or stores that knew what they were doing, you wouldn’t get them cheap. However, there’s always stories of people finding them in the wild, which is cool. I recently saw that Noble Records here in North Carolina had scored complete runs of many major music libraries as part of an even larger collection they bought. So cool. I’m so happy for them and so jealous. I am not sure whether they have been put out for sale in their store yet though, and am almost afraid to know if they have. Not that I get that way often, but if you find yourself in the Charlotte area you should check out their store. They do a great job.

As I have been typing this, I’ve been spinning a cross section of my library records and trying to see whether I prefer any production house or country. The short answer is no, but I love the Italian stuff from the 1970s a lot. The UK houses like KPM, Music DeWolfe and Themes International are all ace too and supplied tons of groovy, cool music. I love a good cop show theme and there are so many cool ones throughout these libraries. I also love that lush space-age bachelor pad sound and easy listening kind of vibe and there is so much virgin timber of this ilk to be found on library records. If you like the vibe of Air’s Moon Safari or any Stereolab record, which I absolutely do, then you should start investigating these types of records. As I have been playing the few records I pulled from the shelf, there’s one thing I can say for sure: there are tons of cool sounding beats and head nodding potential samples to jam on.

One series of library and soundtrack reissues I like is called Easy Tempo. They pick from Italian library records and have released several volumes of great music. I like the Italian stuff because they are well produced and recorded and because they tackle all sorts of genres. You get cool jazz, funky cop show themes, weird electro and horror stuff, poppy easy listening and even takes on Brazilian samba and Afro-Latin sounds. At the store, John Scott often plays from a YouTube channel where a dude offers needle drops of a lot of the Easy Tempo titles, so they are available to check out. It’s cool knowing he digs them as much as I did when I first heard them years ago.

I could drone on for much longer and still not do this genre proper justice. I guess the basic point is if you have a love for film and television and always wanted to know what the music was that soundtracked the night club party scene or the trippy druggy scene or the zombie attack scene in one of your favorite cult films or shows, chances are it was music sourced from a music library. Even the famous intro music to The People’s Court is library music, shared with a 70s UK TV show called The Hanged Man and used in several other TV shows and sampled in music. That piece, called The Big One, was composed by Alan Tew and his is a name that turns up again and again on UK produced library music. Growing up, I loved the 70s UK cop show The Sweeney, and they used library music to soundtrack the action. Perhaps that’s where my interest began? One of my favorite records is a double set that came out a while ago, which collects a lot of the best cues used for the show. It’s great.

Before I sign off, a quick couple of additional library music recommendations. For more Italian grooves, check out one called Souno Libero on the Irma label. One of my faves. There’s a nice set of mostly French library recordings called Space Oddities which is great, especially volume two. That one’s put together well and concentrates more on psychedelic and progressive type stuff, but keeps it groovy at the same time. A label in Germany called Show Up did a nice series of compilations from the Themes International library, picking some of the best funky cop show type cues. That’s called Dramatic Funk Themes. I have three volumes and they’re all ace. British label BBE has a couple of volumes compiling music made for the De Wolfe library called Bite Hard and they are worth seeking out also.

Just the tip of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to library music. As I said previously, there has been so much music made. Some of it has been reissued, some of it remains on those original records still left barely heard by the greater listening public, and sadly some of it has been lost forever as the master tapes are gone, taking with them music that didn’t even make it to an actual record. But that’s the case in the regular music world too. There are countless examples of songs, tunes, takes, even whole albums that never saw release at the time for whatever reason and remained on old reels of tape for years, sometimes being discovered later and finally getting appreciation, but sometimes not. Regardless, because of the nature of its creation, covering all aspects of life, there will always be a piece of library music to suit your mood. If you enjoy instrumental music (mostly) and dig soundtracks particularly, then the world of library music awaits you. Enjoy your journey.

Before I go, a reminder that we got a ton of brilliant titles in last week. Even with snow days we (Jeff mostly) were busy behind the scenes opening boxes and getting stuff up on to our webstore and in the bins of the shop. I’m excited about the Dark Entries label new comps, especially the second volume of 80s Mexican synth-pop called Back Up Dos. I’m very excited about getting a vinyl pressing of Diamond Jubilee, the Cindy Lee album from last year. That’s one of my highlights from 2024 and it’s still growing on me, and it has been great to connect with the record in physical form. We got in a bunch of cool reissues of seminal and more obscure albums too, covering everything from country through jazz to punk. Look at the webstore or pop into the store in person, where of course you will find much more. Some titles, like the dub albums from Scientist, sold out immediately, and others may be close to selling out, but we’ll be restocking what we can as quickly as possible. The stock notification alert is your best friend if you are looking at a title that shows out of stock.

Okay, that’s enough for now. I’m out of here. Cheers everyone.

-Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters! Thanks for checking us out this week. We hope we find you well? It’s been another full and exciting week here at Sorry State. We continued to put more of the great records from our recent big collection purchase into your hands. Folks have been loving all these nice clean promo copies, especially all the copies still in the shrink with the hype stickers. You’d need a time machine to go back and find fresher looking copies. Still plenty more being added to the shop bins and our online stores.

This week saw the delivery of test pressings for the second Fugitive Bubble record, and we are all buzzing. It sounds great. Nice job, guys. Judging by responses from customers hearing it in the store, we think it should be a hit with a lot of you out there. Fingers crossed.

I was happy to finally get my hands on a copy of the Alvilda record, which has proved to be a hot nugget. Congratulations to the band and their label Static Shock on the hit. If you are still needing a copy for yourself, I believe we have secured more, and they should be with us soon. Keep an eye out and click on the notification update button by the record description on our webstore so you don’t miss out.

My personal listening has again been taken up with checking out more of the jazz albums we purchased in that big collection. This week I added a box of Pablo Jazz titles to our inventory, and although these 70s era jazz dates aren’t considered as desirable as some others, there is plenty of gold to be mined in these records. I am a huge Dizzy Gillespie fan and he cut some great progressive records for Pablo. He was an originator of the fusion of jazz with Afro-Cuban sounds and thirty-plus years later, he was still ahead of the curve. I have long been aware of how hip and funky Dizzy was in the 70s. His records on Perception are terrific, but for whatever reason I hadn’t heard all these later 1970s recordings. I’d highly recommend checking out one called Bahiana and another titled Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods. Both are terrific and feature wonderful playing from Dizzy and the assembled musicians. John Scott and I played one in the store that featured Dizzy alongside Lalo Schifrin, the wonderful pianist and composer from Argentina who has a resume as long as both my arms, but will be recognized as being the composer of soundtracks to films such as Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Enter The Dragon and for the original theme to TV show Starsky And Hutch. He has a ton of good records that typically incorporate Latin rhythms and styles, and he often gets funky. The one we listened to is called Free Ride and it was cut in early 1977. Worth checking out.

A lot of the best stuff we get at the store comes from the discerning taste of you, our friends, who will occasionally sell or trade with us. This week several interesting pieces came to us this way, and I thought I would stray from my jazz picks and talk about one record I had to pluck from a collection I was processing. It’s a repress of a record called Yes It Is, by Rockin’ Horse, that was originally released in the UK back in 1971 on Philips. This repress was done by a Spanish label a few years back. I can’t comment on how legit or not it may be, but they did a decent enough job, and it sounds fine. No extra bells and whistles, just a close repro of the original.

I was aware of this record from a CD reissue about twenty years ago and because by that time I was a fan of the main players and artists behind the album, namely Jimmy Campbell and Billy Kinsley. Both are from Liverpool and are rightfully considered legendary among those who dig 60s Merseybeat, Pop and Psych. Billy Kinsley is best known for being a member of the Merseybeats and then with band mate Tony Crane in The Merseys, who had a hit with the song Sorrow, later covered by David Bowie. Jimmy Campbell began with the beat group The Kirkbys, named after their locale in Merseyside. They put out a cracking song called It’s A Crime that demands top dollar on the collector’s circuit. I made do with a repro at DJ gigs in the past and always enjoyed spinning it out. Campbell later formed a psych group called The 23rd Turnoff, again a nod to their hometown. When driving up north on the M-6, Liverpool was the 23rd turnoff. Get it? Anyway, they released a nice pop-sike single called Michael Angelo that should have been a hit and a whole bunch of other songs that didn’t see the light of day until years later. There are a few different LP, CD and 7” EPs out there that gather up all these recordings. I have a CD which is cool, but it would be nice to pick up one or two of these other versions as there are improved fidelity and alternates on one or two songs.

Jimmy and Billy formed Rockin’ Horse in 1971 and put a band together to record just this one album. Label Philips also issued two singles. The group was purely a studio creation. Kinsley had been working for Apple Records, recording with Jackie Lomax and George Harrison, and was keeping busy recording cover versions of hit songs for the popular Top Of The Pops budget series of albums. The idea behind Rockin’ Horse was to say goodbye to the mop top sixties and usher in a more rocking seventies.

The album has been described as a continuation of the sound of Abbey Road and Let It Be by The Beatles and a missing link between Badfinger, The Aerovons and the power pop sounds of later 1970s groups. It certainly has that vibe, and if that’s what floats your boat you’ll find plenty to like here. I know the term power pop can turn some people off, but there is enough pedigree and good songwriting to make this an enjoyable listen. I’m obviously biased to begin with, having known and liked the artists previously, and am not afraid to say I like The Beatles and Badfinger and the like. But it really is a decent record. Naturally, it sunk without trace on release and its creators had already moved on to other ventures. Jimmy and Billy were part of the backing band for Chuck Berry’s European tour and then began working on their separate projects. Kinsley formed Liverpool Express and had success, particularly in South America.

Campbell released more solo albums. He had previously recorded an acoustic folk record at the tail end of the 60s for the Fontana label and after Rockin’ Horse had a couple of good ones on Vertigo and again Philips. I remember whilst working in the store in New York a guy selling us a box of sealed copies of Jimmy’s album Half Baked, which was cool. I like the song Green Eyed American Actress from that record, which has a bit more of a groove to it compared to the more folky and pop sounds of the rest of the album.

Whilst looking online for information about Rockin’ Horse. I discovered that an unreleased song called Lonely Norman had been issued as a reissue single recently. It’s a good tune and features Eddy Grant of The Equals on lead guitar. I shall have to find myself a copy of that at some point, I think. Meanwhile, there is plenty to enjoy for me on the album. Opener Biggest Gossip In Town is a great Beatlesque pop song. Closer Julian The Hooligan is a cool rocking one, and the love song Don’t You Think I Ever Cry is terrific also. Honestly, there isn’t a duff tune on the whole record. Jimmy Campbell writes most of the songs, with Billy Kinsley penning the remaining, making it an all-original song affair.

I’ve added a few YouTube links to some tunes for you to check them out. It doesn’t appear that the whole album is available, although I could be wrong. Regardless, these four songs should give you all you need to know and a decent taste of what to find on the rest of the album should you care.

Thanks for reading and a big thank you to Jordan who sold us his copy. I’m going to have to snag this copy, but it seems like the reissues are cheap and easy to find, although an original might set you back a little more.

Cheers - Dom

Greetings all in Sorry State Newsletter land. It’s Super Bowl Sunday as I write, not that I have much interest in that, other than perhaps the halftime show. Earlier today I was left feeling flat as the Reds got knocked out of the F.A. Cup by Plymouth Argyle. Good on them for having their day. The prospect of giant-killing has always made the F.A. Cup a compelling competition. There’s not much like it. So, for Liverpool another chance at the quadruple has ended for this season. LoL. Still three more trophies to play for, and even if you don’t win anything, surely it’s better to be in with a chance than none. Unless you revel in misery, of course, which some do, but most of us who support a team want them to win.

Anyway, back to the Superbowl halftime show, which will have featured Kendrick Lamar performing. We sold a few copies of his new one over the weekend and I took a listen. I like the Spanish/Latin influences on it. I had a chuckle with some customers in the store, talking about how this will hopefully drive the Maga crowd mad as now that they are fully out as racists and hate Spanish-speaking people, they won’t be able to like any of it. Hell, they can’t like anything now. No Taco Tuesday for Maga now. No anything that can’t be claimed to be completely “white.” That doesn’t leave an awful lot left, does it? Certainly, music wise, the Maga record shelves will have to be very bare going forward as 99.99% of all music we enjoy has roots or influences or is played on instruments that came from people of color. Enjoy your a cappella barber shop quartet music you fuckers, because there’s not much else left for you.

For the rest of us who aren’t asshats and can appreciate people of all colors, creeds, religions and nationalities and who find that diversity enriches rather than dilutes, let’s continue and talk about some music. I spent another week adding more records to our system that we scored from the collection I mentioned last week. There is still much more great stuff to add, but so far, we have been delighting our local shoppers with the quality and the array of titles hitting the bins. This past weekend, Jeff put together some of the Rock and Metal highlights and backed them up with tons of solid copies of so many classics. It was like a field day for our shoppers, and I was psyched to see people so excited about their pick-ups. Look out for more next Friday. I expect a lot of the Jazz, Blues, Reggae and Soundtracks will feature.

I’ve been enjoying checking out so many records from this collection that I was unfamiliar with and refreshing my memory on those I was aware of. For my pick this week, it’s a combination of the two: an artist that I have loved for many years and a couple of records by him I didn’t have. I’m referring to the jazz legend Cal Tjader. Master of the vibraphone and a decent drummer also, he is best known as being the most famous non-Latino Latin musician. Born to Swedish parents in St. Louis and raised in the Bay Area of California, he spent thirty-odd years as a successful musician before passing away suddenly in 1982 from a heart attack whilst touring the Philippines. He was only 56.

His resume is long and includes his beginnings with Dave Brubeck, being a part of George Shearing’s band and embracing the Latin Jazz sound that was exploding in the early 1950s. During his time in New York, he met up with the likes of Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo and soon after formed his own group, The Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet and began a long run of releasing quality albums on the Fantasy label. These records all feature top notch Afro-Cuban musician talent and really cook in places. The 1960s saw Cal switch to Verve Records, where he enjoyed his most successful period. The album Soul Source from 1964 was huge and was probably my first exposure to his music years later. The title track was a cover of a Dizzy Gillespie tune and where the term “Salsa” was coined to describe the new Latin sound.

I can’t rave about how good Cal Tjader is enough and always pick up any record that has his name on it. For a while, you could pick these up cheaply and easily, but that’s getting a little tougher now for certain titles. These records are known for being cheap heat. Records that punch way above their weight. I would add the likes of Herbie Mann and Ramsey Lewis into this camp, too. Artists that were popular and sold loads of records, but always kept the quality high, especially when it came to picking the musicians who played on their albums.

After all the success of the Fantasy Records period, a time that also saw Cal help save the Monterey Music Festival, which obviously a few years later hosted Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Otis Redding and Janis Joplin for those famous shows, and then the Verve Records era where he really took off, Tjader joined fellow musicians Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo to found Skye Records. That label only lasted a few years, but put out great records by all three of them and others, particularly the awesome soft-psych gem by Wendy & Bonnie. Come the mid-1970s and Tjader found himself back on Fantasy and there released some tasty Jazz-Funk albums. The two I picked were from that time. One called Amazonas from 1976 and the other titled At Grace Cathedral released the following year in 1977.

Amazonas features terrific playing from the Brazilian group assembled for the session by producer Airto Moreira and of course great work from Cal himself on vibes and marimba. George Duke is also on hand to help with arrangements and song writing duties. So, there is pedigree a plenty. The album was recorded in L.A., but has a strong Latin and South American feel, is funky in places and sounds great. I’m digging the cut Mindoro the most.

At Grace Cathedral is a live album recorded at the San Francisco church in May 1976 and was a benefit for the hungry. Cal was a replacement for the intended Vince Guaraldi who, like Tjader would later, had just recently passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. Vince and Cal were close friends, and the recording is dedicated to Guaraldi, who played there himself years earlier. The album is a good one and starts strongly with I Showed Them, followed by a Milt Jackson tune called Bluesology and then on side two opens with a nice medley from Black Orpheus, a nod to Vince Guaraldi, who released Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus back in 1962, also on Fantasy Records. As with Amazonas, the musicians playing on this date are all outstanding. Long time Tjader associate Pancho Sanchez excels on the congas and Lonnie Hewitt adds some nice electric keyboards. Rob Fisher plays bass and Pete Riso is on drums.

Are either of these albums the essential Cal Tjader? Perhaps not. Those ones from the 1950s and 1960s are probably the place to start, but for lovers of good Latin inspired 70s fusion, these are highly enjoyable records to check out. Give ‘em a listen if that is your bag.

Okay, deadline approaching… I need to cut things off here. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you around these parts next time or even better in the store itself.

Cheers - Dom

Greetings to you all. Thanks for taking the time to read the Sorry State Newsletter. It’s greatly appreciated and hopefully you get some useful information out of it and a brief distraction from “other stuff” that is going on. Music and the arts in general are especially important right now and have real power to unify, to soothe, to entertain, to inspire and to communicate truth. For our small part, it is an honour to pass on information and to highlight cool shit that you might like.

Writing for the newsletter is fun and a privilege, but in the company of my colleagues can be a little tough sometimes. We boast some bona fide credentials and talent amongst the team, and attempting to pen anything as interesting as theirs is always a challenge. Speaking for myself only, but I really struggle to pull the words out of my head sometimes, and can stare at a blank screen for a while. Partly because my head is full of too many other “life” things, which makes it difficult for me to concentrate, and partly because I love music and the artists that created it so much that I don’t want to do a poor job talking about something (especially if others have done it way better) or simply “phone in” a review of a record or whatever. Believe it or not, it matters to me. As it does all of us here. You don’t work at a record store and small label thinking you’re going to be super rich. If anything, it’s the complete opposite. As Daniel says, a vow of poverty. I have committed to that philosophy over the years and have chosen records over almost everything else in my life. Clearly that has been to my detriment, but at least my soul got to take in some killer shit, and hopefully I enriched other peoples’ souls by sharing and passing on knowledge of good stuff. Whether that’s been as a DJ or as a shopkeeper, the goal has always been to evangelize and pass on and to keep alive quality human artistic expression. I’m happy to play a minuscule part in that and always will.

One of the best and most exciting parts of buying and selling records is when you score a great collection. Sorry State (touch wood) has historically had good luck with that, but we’re always looking for the next cool pick up. The holiday period cleared out the bins significantly at the store and we needed replacements. I love seeing our compatriots at other record stores picking up cool collections, but admit to getting envious sometimes. So, it was a blessing from the vinyl gods that delivered a large collection to us just recently. From the collection of a music industry insider who worked from the mid 1970s through to the late 1990s and acquired, multiple in many cases, promo copies of records he was involved with. We have tons of (mostly) un-played promo copies of cool Jazz, Rock, Pop, Country, Classical, Soundtracks and more besides, which we will work on pricing and getting into the store and listing directly to our online channels as well. The store saw the first fruits of that collection hit the bins last Friday and will see more to come over the next few weeks, but many titles will go straight up online, so make sure to scan our listings. A lot of these will be sealed or unplayed copies too.

Over the weekend, I filled up a few boxes of more potential sellers for the store, but because we got busy with other things they remained in the trunk of my car, and I ended up bringing them home. The temperature has been in the 60s this weekend, so there are no worries of them being too hot or cold. However, I brought them inside just in case. That gave me a chance to pull out one or two that I didn’t know and that looked interesting to check out. The perfect way to spend my Sunday between watching the football. I only had time to listen a few of the many cool records and have gone with something new to me for my “pick” this week. I could have easily picked one of several more obviously cool and known titles. There are loads of those in this collection, and many that come with a price tag reflecting their desirability. But instead I’ve gone with a cheaper one. I have a soft spot for records that aren’t too expensive but still pack a punch and provide for some good listening. Also, like Daniel, I don’t mind having lower grade copies of records that would otherwise be a lot more expensive. If the vinyl is mostly clean and decent and plays without major noise and/or skips, I’m okay. Certainly, jackets don’t have to be spotless for me. Obviously, I prefer a nice copy without damage, but I can live with a seam split or some writing on the back, etc. Just no mold from moisture exposure. I can’t do that. The copy I am about to talk about is decent, has a punch hole and plays well. I only pulled jazz records from the collection, so if that’s not your bag, you can be excused. LoL.

Up is pianist Rupert Cobbett and a record he released in 1976 called Sensitive Cat on the independent Soul Deep label out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

I was drawn to the title first. I consider myself a sensitive cat and have a poorly sensitive cat at home currently. Then there was a cartoon sketch on the back of the jacket depicting a cat playing keyboards with the black keys spelling out progressive. Cool. That and the nature of the Soul Deep private label intrigue coupled with the photo of Mr. Cobbett on the cover and the dedication to the “Jazz Freaks” of the industry on the back all shouted out to me to drop the needle and see what sounds came out of the speakers. I’m happy to report a winner. Not an out and out classic or an essential banger, but a decent record that would appeal to anyone who likes 70s Jazz Funk and electric keyboard led music. I was a little skeptical as the first track began as it sounded mainstream, and I was fearful this might be a lame cocktail lounge record. This song called Just One Reason was hyped on the front cover as being a hit single. I don’t know about that. Maybe on the Holiday Inn bar scene it was. LoL. Although at halfway through that song, I heard some cool percussion and signs that there might be better to come. The second track, On Three Legs, quickly proves that to be the case. Producers might want to get their samplers out for elements of this track. There were some tasty beats in parts, and the piano playing was top-notch. Rupert has the chops to be spoken about alongside big names like Ramsey Lewis and Herbie Hancock when it comes to this particular period of piano based jazz.

The rest of the musicians on the date are allowed to demonstrate their talents as the album continues. The third song, Ultra Wave, gives both the drummer some and the bassist space to groove and show what they can do. Side one ends with my favorite cut so far. Called Seven Heaven, it has an Afro-Funk sort of groove going on and would appeal to fans of groups like Cymande and War, or perhaps even Mandrill. Not as heavy or overtly funky, but the song has a nice groove to it and features some tasty flute work.

Side two opens with Bad Rooster and more tasty drums that surely have been sampled (or need to be) and progresses in a Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard on CTI records sort of fashion. The drummer keeps the groove going throughout and would make Steve Gadd proud. As the song gets into a bit of a breakdown, this sweet synth sound comes in. Really cool.

The next song, Play The Game, gets into a Latin Funk light type of groove. There’s some more tasty flute and bass parts and consistent percussion and drums.

They lose me a little on the third track called Ballad Acoustics, as they take their foot off the gas a little, but it’s still a nice track in the vein of something Vince Guaraldi might play on one of the Charlie Brown TV Specials soundtracks that I love so much. Beautiful piano playing and deft bass lines.

The album closer is called What It Is, and is the only song with vocals. The song has a Caribbean sounding vibe to it and doesn’t quite fit in with everything that proceeded it. It isn’t that bad of a song, but it isn’t that great either, and seems to be an odd addition. I wonder what the thought process was behind including that, and whether it was recorded at a different time to the rest of the album.

So yeah, there you have it. Worth checking out and keeping an eye out for if you like the type of Soul Jazz that labels such as Muse or Black Jazz were releasing at the same time. You can click here for a link to listen to the song Seven Heaven and get a taste.

Rupert Cobbett released a second record on the same Soul Deep label, his own I believe, the following year in 1977 called Peaceful Morning that’s in the same vein as Sensitive Cat. Looking at Discogs, it seems like people are paying good money for a copy of that one, and the same might be said about the first one now too, although the median on that one is still at $20. I think tracks from the second album have been sampled and compiled on to mix tapes, which has raised their profile and hence has more people on the hunt which, in turn, raises the price.

I’ve checked that album online and liked it too. Maybe I’ll find a copy in this current collection we are still going through. There might be one. If he had the first, why not the second? It would make sense. Keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy listening to Sensitive Cat with my sensitive self and my actual sensitive kitty cat.

Cheers everyone. Thanks for reading and supporting us and supporting everyone else that is trying to put the good word out and do good things. We’re in this together. It’s going to be rough, but if we find community in music and other interests, then we might just make it. Keep the faith.

-Dom