News

Howdy, howdy Sorry Staters. I hope everyone is well and had a fun time over the Halloween weekend. We want to thank local folks who came and visited us and scooped a lot of the cool horror soundtracks and Halloween related records we filled the bins with. “Best In Show” award goes to one of our longtime friend David who turned up in a great costume. You may have seen his photo on our social media. Go check it out. David, if you are reading, we want to hook you up with something as a prize next time you come in to the shop.

I was sort of expecting to get into the autumn mood by now, but the weather has still been warm here in North Carolina. We’ve had one or two cooler days and Halloween Monday was a bit wet and dreary, but otherwise it’s still been t-shirt comfortable and sunny. Global warming much? As we get into November, that will change soon and with that in mind I was determined to find a fall weather mood type record that was new to me and that we had in the store for me to recommend to you all this week. What to pick was the question, and I had some ideas but then yesterday we received an order from one of our distributors that had a reissue of a record I was completely unaware of that, on reading the hype sticker, seemed to fit the bill perfectly. So, for my pick this week I would like to steer you towards Sad Lovers And Giants and their 1982 debut album called Epic Garden Music, originally released on Midnight Music.

In my, ahem, fifty-plus years on this spinning rock in space, I can safely say that no matter how much you know, you still know nothing. That’s particularly true with music and records. I own lots of records and have had even more and sold, touched, seen, and listened to thousands more over the years, but I am constantly reminded that I know shit. Just a fraction of all the great music that is out there. Since the birth of recorded music, each generation has had thousands of musicians and bands out there playing and making records. Some make it and some don’t. Some gain cult status and others remain known only to the few. These days in the post-everything internet world where information about anything is just a mouse click away, it’s hard to imagine a world where you had to get your news and information from wherever you could get it. For me, growing up in the late 70s and 80s, it was buying all the weekly music papers and listening to the radio that hipped me to new bands, etc. That and reading the backs of other records and, of course the absolute best way, going into a record store. Still, plenty fell between the cracks and was missed, and Sad Lovers And Giants was one of those bands that I missed during their heyday.

The hype sticker on this reissue described the band, who hailed from sunny Watford, England, as being somewhere between The Chameleons, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cure with a sound that utilized a lot of the same tricks as those groups. Cool, sign me up. Three of my favorite groups right there. If they can capture the mood of those guys, then I will like them for sure. I took the record home last night and have played it three times since, and obviously as I am writing about it now, I liked it. The comparisons to the aforementioned bands were an accurate one, and I would also throw in similarities to some of the deeper cuts from Modern English.

This reissue also tacks on some single cuts from the period that are a great addition. Those singles are quite tough to track down and get cheap. Most likely due to running time and trying to squeeze all the tracks on to one piece of vinyl, they did have to swap the last track of the album with a single cut and start the b-side of the LP with that last track from the album before the rest of the single sides. It’s a small niggle to have, but technically it isn’t the correct running order. Not to worry though, as having these single sides, as I said, is a great addition. You can hear even more aspects of the band’s oeuvre. One track, Lost In A Moment, brings to the fore the slightly jangly paisley psych sound they had and reminded me of the sort of guitar sound that Johnny Marr was using for The Smiths.

As Jeff and I were listening to the record here at the store today, he told me that he had a great LP compilation of the band’s singles, and as I was reading their Wiki page for their story, we discovered that when the band broke up after the second album, two of the guys went on to form The Snake Corps. Another band that I am not familiar with but naturally Jeff was, and he confirmed that you can clearly hear the guitar player is the same dude. We did a quick play test of a Snake Corps track to confirm. Apparently, there was a lot of back and forth with the band members leaving SL&G and then returning later at various points. These changes, the early split of the band just as they were getting a head of steam going, particularly in Europe, and the distribution difficulties that the label was having, go a good way to explaining why they never broke bigger. Over the years, more and more fans of this era of music have discovered them and they do have a strong following enough to warrant reunion shows and records well into the 2010s. They can count me as a fan now and I encourage lovers of moody UK 80s Indie to investigate. This reissue we have from Radiation is limited and on nice sounding white vinyl. Get to our webstore and snag yourself one or come visit us in person. Click here to listen.

On one last note: I wanted to acknowledge the passing of one of the last original rock ‘n rollers, the Killer, Mr. Jerry Lee Lewis. He was one hell of a character and may have made some questionable decisions during his lifetime, but you can’t argue about the great records he made. Those early Sun sides are part of the building blocks of Rock ‘n Roll. He carried on making good records throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s and switched to country music for a while. Those albums aren’t too bad, but if you need to listen to a great example of his power as a performer I would encourage you to check out his Live At The Star Club album from 1964 where he is backed by The Nashville Teens in a great rocking set. For those fans of the Killer, we have scored a box of gold colored 45s with his versions of Save The Last Dance For Me b/w Am I To Be The One. I like the latter tune. These 45s came out in 1978 and were wrongly rumored to have Elvis Presley duetting with Jerry Lee. This was not the case, but it’s a good story and the singer does sound a bit like Elvis. Come through and snag one—we’re selling ‘em cheap.

Okay, that’s me done and trying to meet the deadline. Thanks for reading and see you around these parts next time. Cheers - Dom

Hello everyone, how are you all doing out there? We are officially in holiday season and whichever one and way you celebrate, have a great one.

This week we are in Halloween mode and having some fun at the store by getting into the spirit of things. Jeff and Angela have added some spooky touches to the store and we’re getting ready to drop some Halloween and horror related records for our Friday used new arrivals for our locals. Anyone coming into the store in costume will get a spooky discount on records they buy, and everyone gets candy. Yay!

There was also another holiday this week, and that was the Indian Festival Of Lights called Diwali. The celebration of good conquering evil. Darkness replaced by light. The festival is spread over several days, but the high point was this past Monday. As the radio show I do was on Monday, my partner Matt and I did an all Diwali special and played nothing but Bollywood soundtracks and Indian music. Some newer things, but mostly classic 60s, 70s and 80s stuff. We had a lot of fun with it and if you enjoy the sound of the sitar and funky Bollywood beats, you might like to listen. Check it out here if you are so inclined.

Whilst pulling records last week to play for the show I found a cool compilation that I bought from Finders Keepers Records a few years back. It’s called Bollywood Bloodbath and was originally released in 2011, although in 2020 a limited reissue was pressed on color vinyl. It’s subtitled The B-Music Of The Indian Horror Film Industry and was conceived and compiled by label honcho Andy Votel, who also provides the liner notes. Most of the material is from the 1970s, but some tracks date back further and there are one or two from the 80s. Bollywood horror movies were a different beast altogether from their US and European contemporaries. They were still very theatric and featured over the top dance scenes and the music, although slightly horror themed, was not that creepy. Actually, kinda groovy and funky in places. Typical for Bollywood movies.

On this collection, Votel has selected tracks that combine the over-the-top Bollywood sound with aspects that you would expect on a horror soundtrack. Weird synth sounds, screaming voices, odd time signature changes, crashing chords… they’re all here but never too much in all honesty as Bollywood vampires need a good beat to dance to. It’s still cool though, and the hours of viewing these old movies to find these choice nuggets were well spent by Andy Votel and I’m grateful to have this nifty collection of some of the best moments from these films on vinyl. There are some names in the credits that those of you who are Bollywood fans will recognize, like that of R.D. Burman and he along with all the other producers featured here really do work wonders in creating these sounds from, for the most part, humble and primitive studio setups.

If you are already familiar with the great label that is Finders Keepers and know who Andy Votel is, you might also know that he is a pretty good DJ, who has released several fab mixtapes over the years covering all sorts of genres that the label covers. He did one for the Bollywood Bloodbath release and mixed in tracks used for the collection with lots of other samples and sounds from the films. It’s a fun listen and should make sense of what I have been talking about and why I think it’s cool. Click here to enjoy.

I’ll let you return to your regularly scheduled Halloween programming now, but hopefully there are a few of you out there that might find this side of the Horror genre interesting and cool. Thanks for reading and your support. See you next time. Don’t eat too much drug laced candy.

-Dom

Greetings Sorry Staters. Thanks for clicking on the ol’ newsletter. I hope things in your lives are good or as well as can be. Difficult times for a lot of us, I know. Hopefully little distractions like music, film, books, sport etc. can help you get through your day as they do me. Lots of great stuff in all those departments. I’ve got too much music to listen to, too many films and TV shows to watch, too many books and articles to read, football matches to watch, and the list goes on. I’m sure you know what I mean. The perils of modern living and consumer culture.

So, this week I am behind deadline for the newsletter and trying to write this in the store as quickly as I can, but believe it or not we don’t sit around here all day playing records and eating bon-bons and are typically busy most of the time. Therefore, this one is going to be a short and (hopefully) sweet one from me.

The record that I would encourage you all to buy this week if you haven’t done so already is the 7” vinyl pressing of the previously released cassette of Personal Damage’s Ambush. We have had their demo here at the store on cassette and then the flexi disc pressing of that tape. The Ambush tape followed, and now for all of those that missed out on that there is a vinyl release. Check out what we had to say about the band here.

I think Daniel pretty much nailed it with that description. An L.A. punk band with a more classic 70s and 80s sound. More melodic, still driving but with a slower pace and with vocals clearly in the mix. This is the type of punk that I am drawn to and when John Scott was giving the 45 a rinse here in the store, my ears pricked up immediately. I feel like an idiot for not paying close enough attention to the cassette when we first got it, but having a vinyl release was a good call and I made sure I grabbed myself a copy. I can’t tell you much about the band and who does what, but they make a good noise. The sort of timeless, almost classic punk sound that could have come out in any one of several decades. Extra points are awarded for their choice of a cover of Peter Tosh’s Steppin’ Razor, which they handle nicely and might not have fared so well in lesser hands. Who doesn’t love a punky reggae party?

I also like the gang like backing vocals from the rest of the band. They add that classic touch to proceedings I feel. Favorite track(s) other than the Tosh cover are Prison Box and Shut Your Mouth (Close Your Mind). Take a listen and grab yourself a copy.

Lastly, as we were talking about reggae music with the cover of Steppin’ Razor, we have been picking up some good bits and bobs reggae and ska wise here at the store. Some heat for sure but also lots of good but not expensive records. Whilst sorting through some boxes of stuff designated for the bargain bin, I spied a late 80s album by Jamaican singer Owen Grey. He has been making records since the early sixties and had hits in the R & B, Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae styles. His heyday was the early sixties, so this record called Let’s Make A Deal from 1988 certainly isn’t considered from his golden era and I wasn’t expecting it to be great, especially as the production was mostly digital. Not that I am opposed to the digital era in reggae music, far from it. I developed a taste for that period from when I worked on the cruise ships in the late 80s and early 90s and my Jamaican cabin mates would be playing a lot of it. Anyway, this record isn’t that great to be honest, although not faulting the vocal performances from Grey. He still had his great voice intact, but there is a reason why this record averages around $5 on Discogs. The first side isn’t that exciting, and most of the second isn’t either, but there are two songs that I kind of like and so make owning the record worthwhile. On the songs called Members Only and Tick Tock they lean into the digital production fully and on these two songs end up with something cool. At least I think so. I’d link you to the songs if they were available, but sadly not right now. Find yourself a copy or come round my gaff one day and I’ll spin them for you. Not sure what else to say other than it always pays to check the bargain bins and to always make sure you flip the record and check the other side, even if the first side didn’t grab you.

Okay, that’s me done. Check out Personal Damage and have fun listening to your records.

Cheers and catch you next time - Dom

Hello there all you lovely Sorry Staters. How’s it going? Thanks for clicking on our newsletter and supporting us. I missed you last week as I was off sick unfortunately and feeling like complete crap. I do not do well when I get sick with flu symptoms and can barely function. Things might have been more bearable had I been able to binge watch TV and stream music etc, but last week my internet went out and couldn’t get repaired until just this past Tuesday. It was a combination of the passing hurricane and other factors that led to the delay in my being reconnected. Not to cry like a baby over first world problems, but man it sucks not having the internet. Especially when you are sick at home. It’s probably not a good thing that we rely on it so much, but that’s where we are at. Anyway, I tried amusing myself with playing records, but when you are lying sick on the couch covered in blankets and cats, getting up every fifteen minutes or so to flip a record doesn’t work. Of course, I could read a book and did try, but when I’m sick, I find it hard to concentrate and either kept having to reread the same page or nodded off. After a day or two like this, I couldn’t stand it and needed to watch a movie or something.

So, I searched my last remaining DVD archives and pulled out the collection of James Bond movies that I have. I used to have tons of DVDs and CDs, but most are now gone. Thankfully, I hung on to these classic Bond films. I have all the films starring Sean Connery and Roger Moore plus my personal favorite On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was the one-off starring George Lazenby. I f’king love everything about James Bond. Growing up when I did, the Bond films were easily one of the biggest movie series ever and each new one was a cinematic event. The older 1960s films were shown regularly on TV each year around the holidays and my Dad and I would always enjoy watching them. As a child I was a veracious reader and read all the Ian Fleming penned Bond novels. Just like the rest of the world, I had Bond fever. How could you not? To anyone of a certain age these films are almost part of our DNA now.

My Bond marathon included watching the extras that each DVD had, and I was surprised that there were a couple of mini documentaries that I hadn’t watched. Some interesting information about the making of the films and the people behind them. I also get a kick from watching the period TV and cinema ads and trailers. Takes you back.

One of the documentaries focused on the music made for the films and all those great title songs. The Bond music is great and a big part of the appeal of the films. Hard to pick a favorite really and not something I would want to be forced to do. Obviously the Monty Norman penned 007 theme is killer and all the John Barry composed music is such a part of the experience, but what made each new Bond film special were the opening titles created by Maurice Binder along with the new title song. Shirley Bassey belting out Goldfinger. Unforgettable. Nancy Sinatra singing You Only Live Twice, perhaps my favorite. Paul McCartney and Wings doing Live And Let Die, awesome.

I mentioned perhaps one my favorite of the films is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and part of the reason is the great soundtrack. The music for the ski chase scene is so good. As to is the title theme, although with this film they didn’t use a star vocal. However, Louis Armstrong sings We Have All The Time In The World, and it is used during the film. Composer John Barry states that song was his favorite too, and in no small part because it was Louis Armstrong singing and what a huge honor that was for him to have him sing a song he wrote. OHMSS also stars Diana Rigg, fresh from her stint on the classic TV spy show The Avengers. She’s great in the film and drives a nice Mercury Cougar convertible in several scenes. The car buffs amongst us always get a kick out of the cool ass cars used in Bond films.

Talking of cool cars brings me to the last of the films I watched during this recent marathon. The Spy Who Loved Me from 1977 featured a beautiful white Lotus Esprit that also doubled as a submarine in the film. Pretty cool. I have a particular fondness for this Bond film as it was the first one that I went to the cinema to see when it came out. I can remember very vividly going to the local community center in my hometown that screened films with my Dad and watching it. I didn’t have many opportunities to do cool and fun stuff with him, so this memory is a cherished one. As I was watching the film last week, I paid closer attention to the music. This score was produced by Marvin Hamlisch who gives it a sophisticated disco vibe. I didn’t care too much for the theme song, Nobody Does It Better sung by Carly Simon, although I have warmed to it over the years, but I did really enjoy the updated 007 theme titled Bond 77, that incorporates those funky disco sounds. As a piece of music, it worked well and made me pull my soundtrack LP to jam it a couple of times. For me, the best part of the soundtrack.

Not really a staff pick from me, but more a statement of love for everything James Bond and spy theme related. Over the years, I have collected the film soundtracks, but in addition, I love finding any of the knock-off records that came out in the wake of the movie success. There are tons of albums recorded by known and unknown artists all covering the Bond music in a host of different styles. There are some particularly good jazz ones out there. I probably have a good two dozen of these type of albums. Some better than others but all with something to offer. I’m always on the lookout for a new one. The most recent addition was one done by Johnny Pearson called Impressions Of James Bond that has him playing the 007 theme on piano in a jazzy style. I liked it. You can find this record in a variety of different covers and all cheaply. Most of these records aren’t expensive when you find them, and I have found most in thrift stores and record store bargain bins.

Thanks for the brief indulgence and keep an eye out for those Bond soundtracks next time you are out digging. There really is some great music to be found on them. See you next time.

-Dom

Hey there Sorry State gang, what’s happening? Another eventful week in the books and hopefully you all had a good one.

I’ll admit right off the bat that I got a little emotional on Monday. It marked the end of an era in history and made me feel homesick, something that I don’t tend to feel having lived outside of the UK for so long now. Although not officially so, I consider myself partly American, as I have been here more than half my life. Speaking to my mum, I could tell she was feeling the sadness. My sister ended up going to London during the week and took some amazing pictures of the sights there and she also went to Windsor on Monday and was amongst the crowd lining the route as the Queen’s hearse drove past.

Last week I spoke about the great new release of Charles Stepney music called Step On Step and this week I was able to play some tracks from that collection along with some of his other key productions and arrangements on the Face Radio show I do with my partner Matt. It felt good to be spinning records that day and to work out my emotions through the music. I think we had a good show, and it was very pleasing to get a thumbs up a couple of days later from no other than the daughters of Charles Stepney. That was cool.

Although it might appear that I only listen to cocktail jazz in my space-age bachelor pad, I do still listen to loud rock ‘n roll. This past week it was cool getting yet another version of The Heartbreakers L.A.M.F. to compare with my others, and I’ve been blasting that. This new one sounds good, and if you don’t have any version already in your collection, it’s worth picking up. However, that record is not “new” to me, and I needed something else. What better place to look than in the racks here at Sorry State. We had a UK pressing of Circle Jerks Wild In The Streets that somehow hadn’t been snagged, so I thought I would grab that. Not to be, as a customer beat me to it. No problem, there’s a nice reissue out with bonus live cuts and a cool booklet. Let’s find something else. Jeff had just listed a copy of China White’s Danger Zone EP and recommended it. I wasn’t familiar with the record from these California punks that came out in 1981. Gave it a few listens, and it was hitting the spot. Our Jeff knows his onions. Great, into my hold pile it went but only to see another smart customer spotted it on our webstore and bought it. Good for them, a canny choice.

So, two choices down and onto the next. Third times the charm, as they say. A while back, one of our good friends here at Sorry State had told me about the band Annihilation Time and how good their cover of Thin Lizzy’s Bad Reputation was. We had a copy here, and I put it aside along with two of their LPs. I’ll admit my hold pile here fills up, and over the weeks since putting those Annihilation Time records aside a few other more pressing purchases came up. So, fast forward to this week and needing that rock kick, it was time to break ‘em out. I blasted both albums plus the single in the store, and they hit the spot. Not trying to be a poseur I won’t tell you all about the band and their history like I know all about them, but I can tell you they formed in Southern California in the early 00s and have had a couple of line-up changes since their beginning. Their second LP simply tilted Annihilation Time II is considered a classic now and I can see that. It has shades of psychedelic music in with the mix of 80s HC and 70s punk. I like it and will probably buy a copy at some point but for me the first LP was the one I needed to buy first. I like the songs and directness of it all. Good stuff.

I’m late to this party so won’t blather on too much more. You are probably hipper to these guys than I am. I still haven’t heard the third LP they made for Tee Pee Records, but it’s on my list of things to look out for and play. Thanks to Mike for turning me on to them. Investigate if not familiar. Okay, that’s all I got for you. Go play some records and we’ll see you here next week.

Cheers - Dom

Hello everyone, out there in Sorry State newsletter land. Thanks for clicking on us and reading.

This past week has been a heavy one emotionally, hasn’t it? My country and much of the world are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Although not much of a monarchist myself, it is still a sad moment for the nation and feels very weird. She’s been a constant in the lives of several generations, and it feels like losing a family member. Not shockingly, like in the death of Princess Diana, but still with a sense of loss. I spoke to my mum over the weekend, and she was quite sad and was reminded of her mother’s (my gran) passing. Whilst we were talking, she told me a story that I hadn’t heard before. She told me that when the Queen was coronated, she had gone to London with my aunt, and they sat outside Buckingham Palace and got to see the newly crowned Queen come out onto the balcony. I thought that was cool to have seen her on that actual day.

Adding to the somber mood of the weekend was another 9/11 anniversary passing. As a New Yorker back then, I will never forget. I don’t need to say anything more, but suffice to say the memories of that day and the aftermath stir up all sorts of emotions. It’s hard to put it into words really, but certainly leaves me in a weird head space. No need to make any political comments here so I won’t other than to say it is truly sad to see how much the Maga crowd has disgraced the memories of all those that died that day.

So, a rough week for me, which was made even more sad when I learned of the passing of another of my musical heroes, Ramsey Lewis. I found out soon after I finished my radio show, Worldy, on Monday. I’m bummed. Some of you may have read my recent entry in the newsletter where I talked about my love for him and his music. I can’t believe that he has gone. Like the Queen, he and his music have been there my whole life. It really makes you think about your own mortality. We all die sometime, of course, but it’s never nice being reminded about it. That is why we must celebrate the time that we are here and make the best of it. Trust me, I know that is easier to say than do when things are bleak, but we must try. I’m quite familiar with the blackness, despair and endless pain of life, so am grateful that I can seek comfort and sanctuary in my records. I will be celebrating not mourning Ramsey Lewis. His music will be there for me and so many others for as long as we are around to listen to it.

I obviously have a good selection of his albums myself and currently here at Sorry State we have several available also, so I have been listening to Ramsey a lot. John Scott has been digging the Sun Goddess LP, and I gave Daniel a copy of Mother Nature’s Son recently to listen to. That’s Ramsey Lewis covering The Beatle’s White album quite superbly. One of my favorite records by anyone. Ramsey Lewis recorded that record just a few weeks after The Beatles released their version due to the insistence of his producer Charles Stepney. Ramsey had covered Beatles songs before, but at first was reluctant to cut a whole album of covers. Stepney, however, was a visionary and great arranger and had respect for The Beatles and their producer George Martin and was convinced that songs from the White album could be arranged in a soul-jazz fashion. He was also an early adopter of the Moog synthesizer and his arrangements using the Moog helped elevate the songs to a new level.

Talk of producer Charles Stepney is timely as just arrived at my doorstep this morning and to us at Sorry State is a new double LP of music created by Stepney in his home basement studio in Chicago that is only now seeing the light of day. Without even listening to it, I know it must be my pick for this week’s newsletter. The collection is titled Step By Step and is released by International Anthem Recording Co. I pre-ordered my copy, but we are also stocking it here at the store. There was a limited gold vinyl pressing, however I elected for the black vinyl version as I find them easier to cue as a DJ. The music gathered is taken from 4-track reels of demos and compositional sketches created by Stepney sometime between the late 1960s and his premature death in 1976. He died of heart failure, leaving behind his wife and three daughters. It is his family that has kept these tapes preserved over the years and is largely behind this release. As you listen to the record, at various points his daughters can be heard narrating his story and giving their thoughts and memories about the recordings and their father. It’s a fascinating and intimate look at Stepney as both artist and family man. He plays vibes and keyboards on the tracks accompanied by drum machine and synth sounds. Some of the songs would later be fleshed out fully by their intended artists and some of them have not been heard before. Even though these recordings are simple and basic, they do not lack charm or substance. Far from it. Hearing them fifty years later is a gift of a musical time capsule.

Perhaps you haven’t heard his name before, but there’s a very big chance that some piece of music you have listened to has a connection with Charles Stepney. A lot of sample based hip-hop producers have used music he either wrote, arranged or produced. Just check A Tribe Called Quest for an example. You can obviously read more about his career if you care to, but all you really need to know is that Stepney was the staff arranger at Chess/Cadet and responsible for so many of the label’s great records from their incredible artist roster. We mentioned Ramsey Lewis already, but in no particular order he worked on records by The Dells, Terry Callier, Muddy Waters, Marlena Shaw, Minnie Riperton and her group Rotary Connection. It was with this last group that the Stepney magic is on full display. Listen to I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun to understand. Orchestral, psychedelic soul par excellence.

As any experienced crate digger will tell you, if you see the Cadet label and Charles Stepney’s name written in the credits, buy with confidence. His touch is as sure and golden as that of any of his contemporaries. He sits alongside Quincy Jones, Norman Whitfield, Thom Bell etc. and all the other great producers in the hall of fame. To those that know he is just as much of a legend.

Whilst living in New York I worked and became friends with a fantastic drummer who was named Ramsey after Ramsey Lewis. My friend Ramsey is the brother of a legendary rapper and one heck of a musician himself. He’s also a huge record nerd, and we bonded over our mutual love of old soul, funk, hip-hop and 60s psych and garage. The music of Charles Stepney was one of our favorites. When either one of us would find another record that he had worked on, we would share it with each other so the other would know and could look for it. I know Ramsey is feeling the loss of his namesake but also know that he’ll be loving this Stepney release a whole bunch just like I am and all the other Stepney fans out there.

Get yourself acquainted with his work if you aren’t already. It’s well worth it. Thanks for reading and see you next time. Cheers - Dom

Hey everyone! How’s it going?

It’s Thursday and time to throw words together in the hope of forming proper sentences that express my love for music, records and working here at Sorry State. I’ll give it a go.

This week I would like to mention a fellow record label whose artist roster I have been following for several years and one that I have a huge amount of respect for. It’s Big Crown Records out of Brooklyn, New York.

Big Crown was formed by Leon Michels and Danny Akalepse in 2016 after the demise of their previous label Truth & Soul. That label had been around for about a dozen years and came out of the ashes of another New York based label, Soul Fire. Soul Fire records was founded in 1999 and run by Phillip Lehman, a French American who back in the 1980s as a graffiti artist helped introduce graffiti culture and particularly tagging to France. A huge record collector, particularly old school soul and funk, he compiled volumes of obscure funk 45s on his Pure label. Before Soul Fire, he ran Desco records with Gabriel Roth aka Bosco Mann who went on to form Daptone Records and the Dap-Kings with Sharon Jones. The late 1990s and early 2000s were such an exciting time in New York, and these gentlemen all played a huge part in laying the foundations for the burgeoning retro soul and funk scene that has developed since. I feel very blessed to have been living in the city back then and in whatever small way helping to support the scene. Be it through buying the records and spinning them out, stocking them at the store I worked at, going to shows, etc. It was a lot of fun. I did meet Phillip Lehman a couple of times, although he won’t remember, and it was cool getting to talk music with him.

Leon Michels is not only a shrewd businessman but one hell of a musician, song writer and producer too. As a musician, he fronts his own band, El Michels Affair, and was also a founding member of The Dap-Kings with the aforementioned Gabriel Roth in addition to The Menahan Street Band and The Expressions with Lee Fields. He has played with Charles Bradley, The Wu-Tang Clan and The Black Keys to name three and produces most of the records the label releases.

I really like the records that have come out under the El Michels Affair name. One project that always hits the spot is their 2009 album of Wu-Tang Clan covers and samples called Enter The 37th Chamber, originally released by Fat Beats. If you haven’t heard this record yet hit the link and get on it. More recently, Big Crown released a second album titled Return To The 37th Chamber, which is just as dope and highly recommended. It has taken up a good amount of turntable time at home and at the store since I got myself a copy. Mostly instrumental, but some of the cuts feature vocals, including those of Lee Fields and Lady Wray, recreating elements of the original samples. It’s a super cool mix of hip-hop and soul. We have this one and other Big Crown releases in stock for your next order. I have written about the awesome Lady Wray in the newsletter before, and both of her Big Crown records are excellent. Another one that we stock here at the shop is the collaboration with Liam Bailey titled Ekundayo Inversions, a nice reggae inspired album that features the legend Lee “Scratch” Perry on a cut. The instrumental version of this album is worth seeking out if you end up digging it.

One thing that unites Big Crown with other similar labels such as Colemine and Daptone is the love of old school soul and funk and particularly the medium that most of it was pressed onto, the 7” single. This fondness for the 45 is something that music lovers of all stripes share. Whether it’s soul, funk, punk, reggae, psych, garage or whatever else, the 45 it might be argued, is where the real meat and potatoes of any genre is to be found. It’s great to see so much new and old music getting out there in the form of a single and that there is still a section of the listening public that prefers it that way.

Talking of old music, Big Crown shines the spotlight on artists and records that deserve modern day attention too. They have released several singles and albums compiling the (mostly) 60s recordings of Sunny & The Sunliners, a Chicano group from Texas. If you like doo-wop, r & b and low rider sweet soul, this group is for you. Check out the song Should I Take You Home for a good example of their sound. The group was formed and fronted by Sunny Ozuna and achieved a modicum of success locally and nationally during the early 1960s. I personally wasn’t well versed in their material and so was grateful for the two volumes of music titled Mr. Brown Eyed Soul that Big Crown released. Highly recommended.

There’s plenty more to explore from El Michels Affair, not least their most recent release Adult Themes and plenty to explore on the label. We’ll be doing our best to keep some key titles in stock for you. As an independent label ourselves, we want to support as many others out there as possible and those that perhaps don’t fit into the punk and metal tag but are still releasing good music that we think you would like. That’s something that we are looking to explore more of in the future, and we’ll be letting you know all about it in these pages.

Until next time, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and keep on having fun with records.

-Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters. How’s it going? Good, I hope.

As per usual, records are coming at us thick and fast here at Sorry State. We’ve bought some good collections with lots of cool and interesting records. I don’t think I am alone amongst the crew when I say there were several that I wanted to buy. Often, I can scratch the itch by giving a record a spin at the store and that’s enough, but every now and then you just can’t say no to something when it crosses your path. Maybe because it’s rarer than rocking horse shit and you might not get another chance, or perhaps because it has special meaning to you, or now is just the right time. Whatever the reason, sometimes you must pull the trigger. That was the case with a collection that Daniel bought recently that had lots of tasty soul and funk titles. Some have hit the floor already and there is more to come. Amongst the records in this collection were two copies (one sealed) of Lee Dorsey’s 1966 album Ride Your Pony—Get Out Of My Life Woman. I had to snag the open copy, and that’s going to be my pick/brag for this week.

Lee Dorsey—Ride Your Pony—Get Out Of My Life Woman. Amy Records. 1966

Surprisingly, I did not own an original copy of this record. I’ve been a fan of Lee Dorsey ever since I first heard his breakout single Ya Ya, probably from the American Graffiti or Porky’s movie soundtracks many years ago. As my journey of musical discovery continued, I began picking up more tracks of his on compilations and the odd 45 that I would find. Labels like Charly in the UK and Line in Germany put out good compilations and reissues of his material and by the beginning of the 00s, Sundazed had joined in and reissued his records too. Picking up some of these over the years, I had my Lee Dorsey fix covered—for the most part. Of course, as most of you can appreciate, the more you get into an artist or band, the more you want to own their original records. Although gaining access to the music hasn’t been tough, finding the original records has become increasingly difficult and expensive. Thus, although I have seen copies for sale and worked at stores that had sold copies, I tended to pass either because the price was out of my budget, or the copy wasn’t that clean, etc. Finally, now in 2022, I feel the time is right to plonk down some dough on a copy.

A quick catch up on Lee Dorsey and his career. He was born in New Orleans, although he moved away to Portland when he was a child. He unsuccessfully tried boxing as a career, served time during the war in the navy, and returned to New Orleans, where he opened an auto repair shop, working on cars during the day and singing in clubs at night. This was during the late 1950s. Around the turn of the decade, he met A&R man Marshal Sehorn who got him signed to Fury records, and with the assistance of another local soon to be legend, Allen Toussaint, on piano, they came up with the breakthrough hit Ya Ya. There followed several singles, some minor hits, but not enough to keep Lee away from his daytime passion of working on cars. Just like Jeff Beck. Anyway, a couple of years later Dorsey got together again with Toussaint and this time everything clicked. Backed up in the studio by up-and-coming group The Meters—yes those guys—the hits came thick and fast. Ride Your Pony, Get Out Of My Life Woman were the two big singles and the title of the album. The New Orleans funk mixed with his lighthearted vocal style swept the nation. Follow up hits included Working In The Coalmine and Holy Cow, and a second LP that centered around these tunes was issued under the title The New Lee Dorsey. These records were released on the Amy label, which was distributed by Bell. At the end of the decade, Lee switched to Polydor, and again with Toussaint at the helm cut the Yes We Can album. The title song was a hit when recorded by The Pointer sisters, who added an extra Can at the end.

Dorsey semi-retired after that and spent most of the 70s working on cars at his shop. He made a guest appearance on a Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes LP in 1976, and this led to an album of his own on ABC called Night People in 1978. That record again had him working with Allen Toussaint, along with other notable New Orleans artists such as Irma Thomas. It’s not a bad record, but the fact that you can find a copy for under $10 should tell you a lot.

Dorsey still had enough “cool” credit in the bank to be asked to support several big names on concert tours in the early 1980s, including opening for The Clash on their 1980 US tour. He also toured with James Brown.

Sadly, Dorsey developed emphysema and passed away in 1986, aged just 61. His legendary status carried on, and as the 80s gave way to the 90s and beyond, any self-respecting DJ, producer, record collector and music enthusiast had to have his records in their collections. Especially as the status of The Meters grew, knowledge that they backed up Lee Dorsey only added to the desirability of his records. Rightfully so.

Anyway, it’s cool to finally own a nice copy of the Ride Your Pony album. I have always found the cover art interesting too. It sports a shot of a diverse bunch of kids set against a New York City backdrop. Although the music was made in New Orleans, and the urban imagery might be out of place, to me it adds to the allure. Particularly because I lived there for a while. Here’s a link to listen to the album. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Until next time.

-Dom

Greetings everyone. How was your week? All well, I hope.

This week I had a good humbling, learning experience with regards record collecting, proving that no matter how much you know, you really know nothing and to never assume the knowledge you have in your head is in fact correct. What am I talking about, you ask? I’ll tell you and make it my staff pick for this week.

So, anyone who has discussed music with me or flipped through the L section on my jazz shelf will know that I love Ramsey Lewis. I probably have several dozen of his albums, not counting singles. I love his early trio recordings from the late 50s and early sixties, his mid-sixties pop period, and the funk and fusion albums from the late sixties and seventies. They’re all great and because they sold well are easy and cheap to find for the most part. Any visit to the bargain bin of most record stores will turn up at least one of his records. If you see his name on the Argo, Chess or Cadet label and later Columbia, you can buy with confidence.

We have several here at the store as I type this. I thought that I pretty much had everything of his that I needed to own bar perhaps one or two titles. I always check for condition upgrade copies or maybe a stereo or mono variant that I don’t have whenever I am in a store. One title that I always see is a collection called Golden Hits from 1973. I have always assumed that it was a straight-ahead collection of his hits from the previous decade and that because I have all those records, I didn’t need it. Oh, how wrong I was. Yes, the album is a collection of older hits, but these versions are newly recorded versions. Normally when you see a “hits” collection and the words “newly recorded with one or more original members” the rule of thumb is to avoid. That’s worse than “electronically recorded to re-produce stereo”. However, with Golden Hits what we have is Ramsey Lewis with his new rhythm section consisting of Morris Jennings on drums and Cleveland Eaton on bass, who together were in the middle of a fertile funky fusion period and releasing some really good records. I can recommend any of the albums Ramsey Lewis recorded, but those between 1968 and 1976 are all particularly good. He embraced the changes in the culture, the switch to amplified and electric instruments and the move to more Afro-centric music. Along with Herbie Hancock and other progressive jazz players, Ramsey fully utilized the sounds capable from the new electric pianos such as the Fender Rhodes, incorporating the use of multi-plex and wah-wah pedals to imitate the funky sounds of an electric guitar. These new sounds are used to full effect on the reinterpretations of the tunes selected here, making the versions of The In Crowd, Hi-Heel Sneakers and Wade In The Water sound quite different to the originals and much more contemporary sounding. Highlights are many, but the version of Hang On Sloopy is good and almost unrecognizable, and the take on Slipping Into Darkness allows the musicians to stretch out and deliver a real gem. I quite like the tracks Carmen and Delilah that close side one and open side two, respectively. These two covers taken from an opera and film musical really show off the bass work from Eaton and with added percussion and effects are nice slow burners.

I really can’t believe that after all these years I hadn’t noticed the true nature of these recordings. I’m such an idiot. All I had to do was read the title correctly and flip to the rear sleeve to the liner notes, and all would have been revealed. As I said at the top, sometimes you think you know something, but in reality, you don’t. I had assumed the wrong thing and that became my truth. It wasn’t and as a result I had deprived myself all these years from a record that I would enjoy. I guess never too late. I’m taking it as a positive. Now I have a “new” Ramsey Lewis album to enjoy. Bonus. You can’t beat finding a new to yourself album by one of your favorite artists, can you? Particularly if it’s good. You also can’t beat a bargain bin record that punches way above its weight. I know I’ve said that many times before, but I’ll preach that until my dying day. There are several records by Ramsey Lewis that if they had come out on a private label by an unknown artist would now be commanding top dollar based on the musical content. These records were hits however, and because they sold millions are now cheap and easy to find. Those already onboard the Ramsey train know what I am talking about, but for the rest of you, do yourselves a favor and scoop these records up when you see them. Some of my favorite albums, in no particular order are, Sun Goddess, Goin’ Latin, Funky Serenity, Back To The Roots, Mother Nature’s Son, Maiden Voyage, Them Changes, Another Voyage, Upendo Ni Pamoja, Wade In The Water, The In Crowd and Hang On Ramsey. I could go on. Even his couple of Christmas records are good jazz groovers. Ramsey was an incredible musician himself and he had the best playing alongside him. His initial trio was Eldee Young on bass and Isaac “Red” Holt on drums, who themselves later formed their own group, Young Holt Unlimited. Their places were taken up by Cleveland Eaton on bass and Maurice White on drums. White later left to form Earth, Wind & fire and the drum stool was occupied by Morris Jennings. Maurice White came back to produce the Sun Goddess album for Ramsey, and Earth, Wind & Fire play on the record. That’s a nice soul jazz record. It reached number one on the Billboard soul charts in 1974.

Anyway, Ramsey Lewis is brilliant. Up there with Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, to name two other American icons. You’ll always get a top-notch performance from him, and he is still at it. Over eighty albums along, several of them gold and with three Grammy wins so far, he has had quite a career. Hang on Ramsey!

Thanks for reading. See you next time - Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters! How are you all? It’s been a while. The long, hot summer is almost over. Time has flown past it seems. So much has happened in the world at large and in all our lives, it’s hard to keep up. Of course, the big event here in the Sorry State universe was Scarecrow’s European Tour. I’ll leave Daniel, Jeff and Usman to catch you up on some of their tour highlights. They definitely have stories. We’re all very proud of how well Scarecrow were received and how the tour went in general. They’re so cool. It sure is nice having them back at Sorry State Towers. We missed ‘em.

Even with half the team touring, business kept going back home. Records, new and old, have been flowing through the store at quite a rate. If you follow our Instagram posts, you’ll have an idea and certainly if you have visited the store itself you would be left in no doubt. Through our hustle and blessings from the vinyl gods, all sorts of interesting and cool records have come our way. Collections, large and small, are constantly being worked on to make sure we can bring you not only the rare gems but also the staples that should reside in any decent collection. In addition, all the certified bangers, cool, expensive, and hard to find stuff, we also naturally get in a lot of common and cheap records as well. Our bargain bins are always full of good records for less than $5, so no matter your budget you should always be able to find something. Assuming you have a non-blinkered approach to music appreciation, that is.

Personally, I’ve had another summer come and go without much to report. No vacations or beach trips or much “fun” at all, really. I must say that I do get my fun quota from work, though. Listening to music, dealing with records and the interactions with folks at the store is fun. For the most part. Lol. Anyone who has worked retail, a record store and the service industry know what it’s like. Anytime you deal with the public there’s the x factor that will always keep things interesting. For us in record stores, the x factor is, what will be in the box of records that this person is bringing in? Will there be something cool? The randomness and unexpected are what keeps me willing to get on my knees and dig through boxes of dusty records in the hope of pulling out that something special. Never stop digging, as they say. I’ve found many a great record wedged in between a classical LP and a Chuck Mangione. It doesn’t happen all the time but enough to make me want to check the worst looking, musty smelling, hand blackening pile of records just in case.

The vinyl gods smiled on me recently when they sent in a guy who had a bunch of 45s to sell. They were all pop singles from the late 60s through early 70s, which although not bad songs are hard to sell for very much these days. The modern record buyer seems less interested in 45s, especially without a picture sleeve. Typically, we pass on buying records like that, but they were all clean copies, and I did spy a couple that I knew and wanted, so I made him an offer and he accepted. At pennies on the dollar, it was a good deal, and I snagged a couple that made me happy.

The two that interested me were by Ann Margret, the Swedish American actress and singer who for most rock fans is known for her starring role opposite Elvis in Viva Las Vegas from 1964. That was my introduction to her and in that film, she comes close to stealing the show from Elvis, which not many others can claim to have done. Over the years, I would investigate other soundtracks from movies she was in and check out singles and albums when I found them. Most don’t offer much musically for me, but there are several gems in her catalogue here and there. Notably, the songs she cut with Lee Hazlewood in 1968 that resulted in the album The Cowboy & The Lady released on Hazlewood’s own LHI label the following year. That album has accrued almost cult status in recent years due primarily to the huge interest in Lee Hazlewood and his productions. The album was cut in Nashville and meant as a genuine country record and although it can be argued that Ann Margaret’s vocal style doesn’t quite suit the genre, the songs are decent, and Hazlewood does a good job of trying to recreate the magic and atmosphere of the hits he scored with Nancy Sinatra during the previous two years. For whatever reason, the record buying public didn’t agree, and the planned second record never got recorded. Ann Margret returned to her film and TV career and Hazlewood moved to Sweden for further adventures.

Before the Cowboy & The Lady LP was released, two singles came out and these were the two that I snagged. Across the four sides, Hazlewood experimented with several styles of music, pop, country and psychedelic. It was that last style that produced the winner. The song called It’s A Nice World To Visit (But Not To live In) is a cool fuzz guitar garage psych tune that rightfully has been the song sought after. For a good while, the only way to hear it was from the original 45, but in recent years it has appeared on compilations and expanded album reissues. Light In The Attic, the Seattle based reissue label did a great job a few years back with their handling of the Lee Hazlewood catalogue. They put out his albums and compilations that rounded up all those stray singles. I probably don’t need to tell any of you how cool Lee Hazlewood is. His story is well documented elsewhere but certainly do yourself a favour and investigate if you are not familiar.

Anyway, after years of knowing about this tune, it was great to finally get a copy. It would have been cooler to have found it twenty years ago to include in DJ sets when interest in garage and psych tunes was peaking and I was out spinning more often, but I did get to include it on the Worldy radio show the other week. For those unfamiliar with this record, you can click here to check it out. The title of the tune alone sums up probably how a lot of us are feeling these days, right?

I’ll leave you with just that nugget this week. If it was old hat for you, my apologies, but hopefully it will send you down some rabbit holes of exploring. Side note: if you haven’t watched Viva Las Vegas or the Nancy Sinatra TV special, add both to your viewing queue. Both are fab prime technicolor 60s essentials. I think the music is cool but if nothing else the fashion and cars definitely are. Happy watching. Until next time.

-Dom

Greetings friends. Thanks for checking in with us here at Sorry State Towers. Hopefully your summer is going well. We had a brief reprieve from the oven like temperatures over the weekend here in Raleigh but are back in the 90s again this week. Each year I say this will be the summer I get to the beach or take a vacation, but that hasn’t been the case for several years sadly. My last trip abroad was eight years ago when I returned home for my father’s funeral. For various reasons I have not been able to get back since then, but this year I am going to make it happen. It seems like everyone I am close to is over in Europe this year or has been or will be. Not least, of course, are our own fellow Sorry State heroes who have either just and/or will be blowing minds from European stages. Hopefully some of you over there will get a chance to see them play. Anyway, I am both happy and anxious about my visit and can’t wait to see my family and the ol’ homestead.

As I write this, I am literally surrounded by boxes of records from collections that we have recently bought and are processing. There is so much good music that I could close my eyes and randomly pull any record, and it would be worth checking out. There’s something here for everyone. New, old, rare, common, you name it. As much as I get excited about seeing rare and expensive records, I get just as much pleasure from the cheap and common stuff too. Perhaps more so. Often, it’s in the bargain bins that I find records that give me the most pleasure. Either because they are proven winners or because they introduced me to something new. It’s easier to take chances on the unknown when it only costs a few bucks. We do our best here at Sorry State to put good records in our bargain bins and folks aways come away rewarded from taking a dig. When you work in a record store, the perks are to get access and first dibs on stuff that comes in. That is obviously very cool, but can be expensive. I have chosen between eating well and having a record many a time I can assure you. There is also a part of me that doesn’t want to be taking too many good records even if I could afford to. We sure as hell snag a lot of cool shit here, but we are not the kind of store where the cool stuff never hits the bins. If you follow our social media and see the Friday New Used Arrival drops or come in and shop, I think you can attest to the fact that there are indeed good records to come in and see, touch, smell, listen to and take home.

As I have been collecting records for several decades now, I have plenty to pick from for these staff picks or to post on social media. I tend not to want to brag about things that I have found or own. I don’t like to show off or to make someone else feel bad because they don’t have it. I’m also embarrassed by the percentage of my income that goes towards these records and feel that I should keep that to myself. I can’t help it though. I’ll always be digging and will be probably cueing up a record the day I keel over. That or I’ll be buried under a falling shelf of records. Hopefully not. All I know is that I have loved music and records all my life, and they are a huge part of my existence. The biggest joy is being able to share my passion with fellow music lovers. Whether that’s amongst friends spinning tunes at home, out at an event DJing or here at the store. You can’t beat selling records right off the turntable.

Last Saturday was Record Store Day 2 for this season and although a smaller drop, we still had a good crowd of folks come through. The day began sweetly for me as one of the first customers was a little girl making her first vinyl purchase. She bought the Paul McCartney single. Coincidently, it was Sir Paul’s birthday, and I had a copy of Ram playing on the turntable. I thought it was an adorable moment. I loved that another generation of music fans were still being touched by Paul’s magic and getting into buying a record at the local store. There is hope for the future. Regardless of what she bought, she was beginning her relationship with records, and that was a beautiful thing. It was a bright moment in a world that can often seem quite rotten and made me feel that I was doing a job worthwhile.

Talking of jobs, I need to get on with that. My staff “pick” this week is just to encourage all of you to continue your love for music and records and, whenever possible, to share that love with those around you. Personally, this week I have been having fun in the soundtrack section. I pulled a couple of children’s records that I will quickly mention. The first one is the soundtrack to the Disney film The Rescuers released on their Disneyland Records label in 1977. This one is quite dear to me. My sister and I had this record back when it first came out and we played it over and over. Listening to it was like being in a time machine. I was instantly transported back over forty years to our family home where up in our converted attic bedroom we used to play the album on our old record player. It was a weird feeling, but a good one. I remembered almost every word. In fact, I sent a photo to my sister, and she answered back quoting parts of the adventure. She hadn’t forgotten either. As Disney cartoons go, it’s not a bad one to be honest and a lot of fun. The characters were voiced by Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor and Geraldine Page, among others, and there are songs sung by Shelby Flint. It was great having a copy of this back in my collection after all these years. I treasure it as much as anything else I own that is cooler, rarer, and way more expensive. It’s the memories that are attached to it that could never be activated or feel the same from a digital download or internet stream. God bless records.

The other nifty thing I pulled and have been having fun with is one called Space Songs by Tom Glazer and Dottie Evans. The record was part of a series called Singing Science Records released on the Motivational Records label in 1959. It’s great. The songs were taken from Ballads For The Age Of Science by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer and are about the stars, planets and moon and the future of mankind in space. Striking a balance of entertaining and educating is not easy and hard not to sound condescending. Kids might be kids, but they are not suckers and can still tell a good record from a bad one. This is a good one. There’s music and clever songs with the scientific information. Back in the late 1950s it was the Space Age, and we were rightfully thinking about what was beyond our planet earth and knowledge of science was cool. Despite the recent step backwards in accepting science here in this country and asshat millionaires building rocket ships, science is still the future for mankind. Hopefully soon our teachers can get back to teaching kids and kids can get back to learning stuff like science instead of how best to avoid being shot or having some angry parent screaming at them for wanting to learn history or for having two dads. But that’s a rant for another occasion and place. On the back of the album jacket, they show other records in the series, and I shall be keeping an eye out for them. They all seem interesting and worth picking up.

Okay, I have blathered on enough and barely said anything. Thank you for your indulgence if you read this far. Enjoy your week ahead and listening to your records. Whatever they may be, if they make you feel something, then they are special to you and worth having.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up everyone? I trust you are doing well out there. Summer is here officially, although we’ve had some three-digit temperature days already this year here in North Carolina. Hopefully you are keeping cool. Of course, if you are reading this in the southern hemisphere then this probably won’t apply to you. In which case, I hope you are keeping warm. Lol. Enough about the world’s weather patterns and let’s get on with this.

Some weeks I feel like I could write about anything and everything and other weeks I struggle to pick just one. That’s just down to me and my moods and how the ol’ noggin is feeling. Generally, I prefer to go with whatever I am feeling at the time, although I sometimes have things in mind for a future staff pick. This week it’s a combination of the two. I have wanted to mention my regard for this band here in these pages for a while and today whilst looking through a box of records we bought over the weekend for something to play in-store I found one of their records in it. As the record played, it seemed like now was the time.

The group in question is SRC from Michigan, USA who were active for about five years during the late 1960s through to the early 1970s. They were a part of a very flourishing scene in southeast Michigan. The teen bands of the area were influenced by the British Invasion but the tougher end of the spectrum and of course the sounds of Detroit and Motown. The members of SRC served their apprenticeships in various local bands, notably The Fugitives and The Chosen Few. The former being the house band at premier teen hangout The Hideout. There is an LP of bands that played the Hideout and some notable names such as Bob Seger and The Last Heard, The Pleasure Seekers (with a young Suzi Quatro) to name two groups put out early singles on the Hideout label. The other notable label at the time releasing new band sounds was A-Square run by local impresario Jeep Holland and it was he that put the members of The Fugitives together with Scott Richardson, lead singer from The Chosen Few. The band’s name at first was The Scott Richard Case, formed by shortening the singer’s name and adding the last of the guitarist. Jeep Holland taught the band a lot about stage presence and being in a band, and was instrumental in exposing the group to some of the hot new sounds coming from across the Atlantic. He had the band record a cover of Cream’s I’m So Glad before it hit in the US and as a result The Scott Richard Case scored a sizable local hit with their cover.

The group were popular with the local audiences as they covered the best of the new rock ‘n roll from the US and UK acts as well as their own material. They also had the flash Carnaby Street stage threads to go with it, famously making special trips to New York City to buy clothes. Eventually, though, the groups’ ambitions to play their own music clashed with the ideas of Jeep Holland and they parted ways. Through their new manager and producer, they were introduced to Capitol Records and scored a multiple album deal. The name was shortened to simply SRC and their debut album was released in the autumn of 1968.

That self-titled album contained all original compositions and combined the band’s interest in Eastern music, poetry and philosophy with good Detroit style rock. The album was a local hit and entered the Billboard charts for a few weeks and the lead single called Black Sheep was a definite highlight. Ex-manager Holland was a little peeved at losing the band, understandably as he had seen Bob Seger and The Rationals go to Capitol also. As a response, he released an earlier SRC cover version of The Pretty Things’ Get The Picture credited to The Old Exciting Scott Richard Case. I like their version of the tune and you should check it out. If you see the compilation on A-Square whilst digging in your local store, I highly recommend you pick it up. You’ll get these early SRC sides along with a ton of other cool stuff from the likes of The Rationals and MC5.

With the success of the first album came a decent advance from Capitol to record the follow up. With this cash and money earned from gigging, the band invested in building their own studio at their band house and were thus able to spend more time practicing and recording than if they had to rely on outside studio time, etc. The resulting album was titled Milestones, and came out in the spring of 1969. The record did well, better than the first, and gained the band fans abroad as well. Radio DJ John Peel was a big fan. His support helped the band get exposure in the UK to the point where EMI considered their records worthy enough to be released in their European markets. I like this record. There’s pop, psych and rock songs in equal measure. All originals apart from a medley of In The Hall Of The Mountain King with Beck’s Bolero, a feature of their live shows. I have always enjoyed Jeff Beck and Beck’s Bolero is a great tune. SRC cover it well. Highlight of the record, though, for me, is the song Up All Night, a total ripper. A true Detroit rock gem. The tune was released as a single but got buried in the aftermath of a backlash against songs with supposed drug references. Shame, it’s such a banger. Finding a copy of the 45 took me a while, but I’m so glad to own one. I love it. If you only bought Milestones for this song, it would be money well spent.

As far as finding their records, it has never been too easy, though. The first one is considered their “best” and most psychedelic and contains the hit Black Sheep, and thus is the most in demand. Copies do turn up but expect to pay a little for a nice one. The second, Milestones, sold well and strangely is not so in demand and thus can be picked up at a cheaper cost. We have one priced quite low in the store currently for a canny local. The third, Traveler’s Tale, released in 1970 was not well received and the lack of sales make it harder to find now and so prices are a little higher on this one. It’s not a terrible record and does have a couple of good tunes but key to its failure must come down to the fact that original guitarist Gary Quackenbush (his real name, his brother Glenn played piano in the group) left and was replaced by Ray Goodman. Goodman wasn’t a bad player, but Quackenbrush’s guitar sound was a major part of the SRC sound. He came back to the band after the failure of Traveler’s Tale and plays on the sessions for the group’s unreleased fourth album. They were dropped by Capitol and spent most of 1971 fulfilling touring dates and trying to find another deal. They released a one-off single on their own Casino label and briefly changed their name to Blue Scepter and released a single on the Rare Earth label. However, they reverted to SRC for gigs they had during 1972. Throughout this latter period, they were managerless, without a label, and broke. By early 1973, they played their last gig and disbanded.

Interest in the group stayed dormant for many years, but as the 60s psych and garage revival gathered steam in the 1980s and 1990s people began talking about them again and looking for their records. My first exposure was from a 1986 Bam Caruso compilation that I picked up in the 90s and from other sets that included some of their songs. It was the tune Up All Night though that cemented my love for this band. It really is up there with the best of them. If they had only cut that one 45, they would still be legends. I do own this record but spent half the night trying to find my copy. At the time of writing, I still haven’t located it. I have a less than perfect filing system at home. Lol. But it’s there, somewhere. Whilst digging though I did find my Bob Seger System 45 of 2+2+?, another classic, also on the Capitol label, and highly recommended. That and a reissue of The Pleasure Seekers single What A Way To Die, which features a young Suzi Quatro with her sisters. So not a waste of time and you should take a listen to those records if you don’t know them. The video link to the Pleasure Seekers tune is worth watching.

Okay, that’s enough from me. Blah, blah, blah. Thanks for reading and hopefully one or two of you out there share my love for this type of stuff. Have a great week and summer and we’ll see you around here next time.

Cheers - Dom