News

Hey guys! How’s it going? Spring is in officially here Stateside, and the weather has been heating up here in North Carolina, albeit with a few days of sudden cold and like last night some heavy rain and thunder. My poor cats and I were shaken out of our beds this morning by a thunderclap so loud it shook the house. With the warmer weather, I naturally think of tropical and sunny music to listen to. Reggae, Latin, Brazilian flavors all feature on the turntable. Being born and raised by the sea I have a soft spot for anything with a nautical theme or related to the beach. Thus, growing up I fell in love with the Beach Boys, surf music and any of the surf movies that sometimes would get shown on TV. There are surfing conditions at certain beaches along the UK coastline, but we were all dreaming about California and Hawaii. So, with that in mind, my staff pick this week is going to have a surf music theme.

A couple of years back, a record came through the doors at Sorry State that I immediately was attracted to. It was by Cosmic Sand Dollars and titled Requiem For King Dick. The cover featured a wipeout surf scene and proudly stated that the makers of this album were Ventura’s premier surfing combo, the title a clear reference to surf guitar legend Dick Dale. I was intrigued. I have amassed a decent surf music collection over the years and that includes original sixties acts as well as the eighties and nineties revival groups. I’ll check anything out that has a twangy guitar sound and good driving beat. Putting the needle down on this record, though, it became instantly clear that this wasn’t your typical surf album. Something much weirder was going on here. Lots of electronic manipulation of sounds and samples were being added to the mix. It sounded like if The Ventures had collaborated with early Moog music makers like Jean-Jacques Perrey or Morton Subotnick and been produced by Joe Meek. That’s a brilliant thing in my book. I listened to the record a lot and really liked it. I made it one of my best of the year and played tracks on the radio show I do where it was received enthusiastically by listeners.

Fast forward to recently and I was talking to Daniel in his office and noticed two other Cosmic Sand Dollars records leaning against a stack of albums. We were getting ready to order copies for the store he told me. Great, I say, count me in. Those two records were the albums released prior to Requiem For King Dick and are called Let’s Go Critical Density! and Let’s Go Insertion! There is a third titled Let’s Go Nuclear Woody! to complete the theme. That release, though, was apparently super limited so we couldn’t get copies, but you can bet I’ll be keeping a watchful eye out for one.

Daniel kindly allowed me to take the advance copies he had to listen to as equally kindly, main Sand Dollar, Jordan Darby, had sent me complimentary copies with our order. So, thank you very much for that. I am the last person to be tempted by freebies to get a review and I hope my genuine enthusiasm for these records doesn’t come across as some sort of payola.

Funny thing though. On those two earlier records, the label states 45 RPM and that sounds about right. I have lots of fun playing records at different speeds and pitches, but that does seem to be the correct speed. On the King Dick album though, the labels do not state speed and I have been playing the record at 33 RPM all the time. I now tried spinning it at 45 and some of it sounds pretty good that way. LOL. I’ll have to check a digital copy to confirm.

Both earlier albums confirmed what I loved about these guys. You can tell that they love the music. Familiar snatches of surf guitar riffs drift in and out of the sound, mixed in with the keyboards and electronics. It’s almost like listening to the radio up in space where years of sounds are all floating around together and exist at the same time and can be heard simultaneously. Past, present and future all together. Or something like that.

Kudos also to the cut-and-paste artwork aesthetic that reminds me of that used by early 80s dub experimentalists New Age Steppers. Musically a little different, but in some ways very similar. One was a modern update on dub reggae and the other on surf guitar music. Cool on both counts.

As a fan of these genres and instrumental music in general, I must declare these records all winners. I didn’t know I needed them in my life until I heard them, but am so glad that I have them. You too can join the Cosmic Sand Dollars and I as we surf our way through the cosmos with these albums sound tracking our trip. I think you’ll have just as much fun.

Check out the clips and investigate.

Thanks for reading and don’t wipeout baby.

-Dom

What’s going on everyone? I write to you today as Jeff and I listen to the theme from Rocky and Beetlejuice playing. Some 45s that were brought in yesterday. The Rocky soundtrack with music by Bill Conti is a goodie and not to be slept on. Anyway, I didn’t really have any kind of write up on a favorite album to share this week, but did want to quickly tell you about an interesting 45 that I have been playing.

The record is credited to Made For TV, the song is called So Afraid Of The Russians, and it was released on Conflict Records in 1983. Recorded in New York City and produced by John Cale who also is credited on guitar, synth percussion and transatlantic telephone. Cool.

As someone who grew up in the shadow of the cold war where drills were held in schools to prepare for nuclear attacks and the government was telling us how to protect and survive, I had a weird fascination with Russia. The 80s were the Reagan Gorbachev summits and Frankie Goes To Hollywood singing Two Tribes, CND protestors, the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, Russian spies and poisoned umbrella spikes. James Bond and Rocky all took on the might of Mother Russia. I later visited the country several times in the 1990s.

If you have watched the show The Americans, you’ll know what I mean. They did a great job of recreating that time in history for those too young to have lived through it themselves.

So, on this track, So Afraid Of The Russians, the general theme is the Russians are spying on us and all the paranoia that causes. It’s a good post-punk type of production with added intercepted Russian radio messages for good measure. On the B-side, we are treated to a cover of Unknown Soldier by The Doors. All housed in a sleeve with a painting of the Kremlin or similar Russian architecture on one side and a guy wearing a gas mask on the rear. It’s all good stuff and of course still just as topical. The John Cale connection is cool and yesterday was his 80th birthday. His body of work is full of great recordings, and this is an interesting part of it. Check it out and see what you think.

Cheers- Dom

Greetings to you all and thank you for clicking on our newsletter. We always appreciate it.

So, before I say anything else I need to apologize for a typo in my piece from last week about pioneering country singer Linda Martell. Somehow my brain had me type her album title as Color My Soul when, of course, the correct title is Color Me Country. Oops. Too many titles about people coloring things. Lol. Our website has been corrected but if you read the link via email and noticed that, I apologize. As a follow up to the story on Linda Martell, it seems that a documentary is being made on her by family members and should be ready this year.

Okay, on to this week. Plenty going on in the world, obviously. Things to bemoan and things to celebrate. The bad shit is just going to keep happening, so let’s concentrate on the good things. For me the good things this week that have made me happy have been my team Liverpool winning the EFL cup this past Sunday. We beat Chelsea in a dramatic game that went to a full penalty shoot-out. That’s the first of four possible trophies we are still in the running for this season. On Tuesday, it was Mardi Gras and to celebrate the spirit of New Orleans and carnival my DJ buddy Matt and I had a fun time with our Worldy radio show over on The Face Radio. I didn’t get to eat any pancakes though, unfortunately. Back when my sister and I were kids our mum used to make us dozens each. Delicious. Good times. The number one thing for me to celebrate this week however is the pleasure and pride I have from working here at Sorry State. I can’t tell you enough about how great it is. Daniel is without doubt the best boss ever. Seriously. And my co-workers are equally brilliant. I learn something new from them every week. Thank you guys.

The other week in the newsletter, Daniel talked about the BBC App that allows you access to the wealth of great radio shows etc. that they broadcast. How fantastic is that? Being British, I was particularly pleased. Daniel mentioned he has been listening to Marc Riley’s show and as a fellow Fall fan and ex listener to the show Riley had with Mark Radcliffe in the 90s, I will be checking out his latest broadcasts. I loved that late night show he had with Radcliffe. Always great music, always hilariously funny and somewhat in the vein of John Peel. I remember being sad when they finished their show. I even taped the last week of broadcasts and still have those cassettes as they had some guest bands performing. Tindersticks being one of them, a bad I liked a lot and have had the pleasure of seeing a few times. When living in New York, I even met them one day whilst I was hanging out at Beggars Banquet.

Anyway, back to Marc Riley. Daniel mentioning him made me pull out one of my favorite 45s this week. It’s a single Riley made in 1983 called Jumper Clown. Released on In Tape, which was his own label. He released another single the same year called Favourite Sister, which I have also. The label would release other stuff from his band The Creepers in addition to names such as The June Brides, Gaye Bikers On Acid and the great Frank Sidebottom.

Jumper Clown is a brilliant rubbish record. Cheesy organ sound, drum machine beats and Marc’s deadpan vocal. To most ears it probably sounds crap, but there is something about it that just makes me smile. Most Fall fans will dig it if they haven’t already heard it.

I was gifted my copy by a very good friend of mine, DJ Kevin Wyzzard. He scoured every store in New York City to find me a copy. Kevin is a great friend and a fantastic seventies glam DJ. He turned on some famous people to glam music with his English Disco party. He and I also hosted a night called Freak Out! That party was more focused on sixties psychedelic, though. Kevin, like Daniel, is a huge Fall fan and I am sure the two of them would get on like a house on fire if they met. Thank you Kevo for finding me that record.

I have no idea what a Jumper Clown is, but the single is fun and has a picture sleeve showing some cartoon guy reading a newspaper sticking his tongue out saying blah, blah, blah. The b side is a tune called Violins, and that’s cool too. It’s not expensive but will make a good addition to any Fall fan’s record collection or even a non-Fall fan too.

That’s all I have for you this week. Thank you for reading. Have fun with records. Support your local record stores and we’ll see you next time. Cheers.

-Dom

Hey there, Sorry Staters. Just a quick one for me this week.

So, recently we bought a collection that had a lot of country music, specifically country rock related to The Byrds, Eagles and the whole scene connected to the Troubadour Club and L.A. canyons. This dude had all the side projects and related albums that key figures played on. He was a big Gram Parsons fan for instance, so look for those records hitting our bins over the next few weeks. In amongst the collection was a good amount of bluegrass also and I know Rachel has been having fun going through that part. The other day in the store we had a mini festival, playing some of them. I enjoy me some classic country and can take some vintage bluegrass every now and then.

If there’s one thing that is certain, nothing brings people of different cultures and backgrounds together more than music. Food being a close second. Because of my love of music and thirst for new sounds and chasing down connections, I soon discovered that in the studios when making music, particularly soul music and country, race had no place. It was about the music and how well you played or could sing that mattered most and not the color of your skin. A lot of white musicians played on soul records and plenty of black artists played country too, although you don’t hear about that too much. Everyone has at least heard about Charlie Pride and knows Darius Rucker, Lil Nas X, and that Ray Charles did country, but when it comes to female country singers, you must think for a second.

I’ve had a record in my collection for a while by a singer named Linda Martell called Color Me Country that came out on the Plantation label in 1970. It’s not bad and worthy of investigation for fans of the sort of country records that Plantation label mate Jeannie C. Riley was making. You know? Harper Valley P.T.A.

Martell was from South Carolina and was spotted singing county songs at a gig on an Air Force base. She was set up to record a demo, which made its way to Shelby Singleton, owner of the Plantation and SSR labels. He signed her up and recorded the one album with her and put out several singles. One called Color Me Father, which had been made popular by the soul group The Winstons, was a sizable hit. She is notable for being the first black female singer to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, and followed that up with over a dozen other performances at the famed venue. She was also the first black female singer to feature on TV show Hee-Haw, and for a minute was poised for potential stardom. Unfortunately, a fall out with her manager over money and a lawsuit he brought caused problems. Her label also told her they would give promotional priority to Jeannie C. Riley, who was taking off simultaneously. Martell left her contract and recorded demos to shop to other labels. Singleton at Plantation did not like this and basically blackballed her career in the music industry. This and the strain of performing in front of often abusive white audiences pretty much put an end to her career in country, although she stayed active as a performer for a couple more decades. In more recent years, her contribution to the world of country music has been acknowledged, and in 2021 she received the Equal Play Award at the CMT Music Awards.

As for the record itself? It’s not bad and the cover of Color Me Father is decent. A nice blend of a soul-ish vocal with country backing. Elsewhere songs such as You’re Crying Boy, Crying and I Almost Called Your Name are all the equal of quality county pop records that were being made at that time. I really like the Jeannie C. Riley records and if you do too, then you’ll enjoy the songs on Color Me Country, as I am sure they were cut by a lot if not all the same musicians. I always assumed that the record was a cheap one as everything else I have found on the label has been, but even those Jeannie records are climbing up in value these days, and a look at current Discogs prices show folks want Linda Martell now too. Have a listen to the songs I linked to, and keep an eye out for this one in your local record store bins.

Cheers everyone and see you next time.

-Dom

Hi everyone. How’s it going? Another crazy week for me and a day yesterday that had its highs and lows. Did you ever have one of those days when you felt you couldn’t win? That’s how I was feeling yesterday. Here are some highlights: burnt my toast, spilled my coffee, found my favorite sunglasses had a crack, tripped on a loose walkway board and sprained my ankle, had the bottom of two record boxes fall out from under me, got home to my cats puking on my door mat—welcome home daddy—washing-up bowl split and flooded my kitchen with dirty water, ruined my dinner because the spatula I used melted on the pan, burned my hand on the oven and then finally when I sat down to eat I noticed another cat had dropped a turd in the middle of the floor for me to look at while I ate. Blimey, I can’t win, I thought. Perfect inspiration for my staff picks this week. Time to pull out one of my favorite 45s, a 60s garage nugget that literally sums up that feeling.

The Monacles – I Can’t Win. Variety 1966/ Norton 2001

The Monacles were a Los Angeles garage band who put out a couple of singles in the mid 1960s, not to be confused with another band from Colorado who spelled their name Monocles. The single I Can’t Win is a great track and so is the flipside, a song called Heartaches For Me. For today’s selection, though, the A side wins out. Interestingly, the single was released twice in slightly different versions. An original will set you back at least a $100 and I have only seen a couple during my time. It also came in two different sleeves and in a yellow vinyl edition and black vinyl. My copy is the reissue that Norton Records put out in the early 00s. They reproduced one of the sleeves from the original and issued alternate takes of the single on yellow vinyl. I think they chose correctly, as these alternates sound better to my ears too. Billy Miller knew what he was doing. May he rest in power. Some of my fondest memories of my New York days were interacting with him and buying Norton releases and other records from him. Anyway, the song is brilliant, and I have kept it in my DJ box for many a spin at gigs and so it was easily to hand last night for a good blasting. How great is the healing power of music? I felt much better after hearing it and was ready to continue with the rest of my evening.

The rest of my evening consisted of watching my beloved Liverpool play against Inter Milan in Italy for a Champions League game. I had taped it earlier and had stayed away from news and social media all day to watch it without knowing the result. Great game, which we won by two goals scored in the second half by Bobby Firmino and Mo Salah. Fantastic stuff. Inspiring. No matter how bad you might feel in life, certain things can just lift you, and I’m so thankful for the joy received from loving the beautiful game. Our anthem is You’ll Never Walk Alone and hearing our supporters sing that along with some of our other songs in the San Siro stadium, drowning out the Italian crowd, was just what I needed.

Between playing my Monacles 45 and watching the game, I spied another single whose title seemed almost too perfect. It is titled The Show Must Go On, and the artist is Terry Collins. It was released on the Kwanza label (a Warner Brothers label) in 1973. I picked up this single recently and hadn’t got around to playing it yet. Shameful, I know. I’m sure other record nuts know how that can happen, right?

The tune is a nice soul ballad sung from the singer’s perspective to his daughter and family who miss him because he is always on the road performing. Hence the song title. It’s a long song too, almost six minutes. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much about Terry Collins other than he released several singles in the 1970s and may also have been a Gospel singer. I don’t know. I found it quite moving and inspiring, and it fitted in with the theme and mood of my day. Not quite the same stylistically as the Monacles single, but a good follow up. The world keeps spinning and the show must go on.

Perhaps after hearing these two songs, you may feel as enriched as I am. Or maybe not. Music can be a communal or individual experience and will have different effects on folks depending on so many factors. But yesterday, for me, these tunes did the trick.

Have a great week everyone and I’ll see you next time.

Cheers - Dom

Hey there everyone. How are you?

I always seem to start my staff pick off with a little too much personal information and an apology it seems, so I will not do that this week, but suffice to say the hits keep on coming.

Fortunately for me, I have records and music to soothe my soul and this week has seen me pull out an old favorite which I feel duty bound to steer you towards this week as my staff pick.

In times of stress, sadness, pain and uncertainty, we all find comfort in the familiar and with something that brings us great pleasure. There are many ways we can do this, but for us music heads, nothing beats playing a great piece of music from one of your favorite records. The record I am suggesting for you this week has been with me for over two decades now and it has never failed to hit the spot each time I hear it. I wasn’t sure what to write about this week, but had a CD playing in the car and a cut from this album came on. It sounded great as always and took me to my happy place and perhaps it may do the same for you when you hear it.

The record is by jazz pianist Les McCann and titled Invitation To Openness and was released in 1972 on Atlantic Records. My exposure to the album came during my first few months of living in New York after moving there in 1998. I can’t remember who it was that turned me on to it first, but whoever it was did me a solid. I was aware of Les McCann and had some of his other records, but as with many artists I was only just beginning to dig deeper into their discographies. I was told the record had great drum sounds on it, that it was a little trippy and had a great mood to it. That and the fact that it wasn’t expensive was enough for me and I bought it. When I got home and played it, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Perhaps still expecting more of a Soul-Jazz sound, albeit funky what I instead got was indeed a slightly trippy, spacey record with a definite mood and yes, great drums. I fell in love with it on first play and each subsequent listen keeps improving the experience. The actual record jacket itself is cool too. Thick cardboard gatefold and almost all black except for the text for artist and title, label logo and catalogue number and a photo taken by McCann of what looks like a sunset through some trees. Inside the gatefold are notes on the selections by the artist along with two essays by the producer Joel Dorn and author Ron Neal. All great stuff.

Reading the personnel list soon makes it apparent why this record sounds so good. The musicians are all legends. McCann played piano, electric piano and a Moog synthesizer that was brought into Atlantic studios especially for the recording. He is joined by Yusef Lateef on tenor sax, oboe and flute. Cornell Dupree and David Spinozza play electric guitars, Bill Salter is on bass and sitting on the drummer’s seat is none other than Bernard Purdie. So, no wonder I was told it had great drums. Filling out the sound is Ralph McDonald on percussion with Buck Clarke adding African drums. There is also a harp, and that is played by Corky Hale.

Arrangements by McCann and produced by Joel Dorn. Dorn’s credits are too long to list, but he had been producing records for Atlantic since 1963, starting with a Hubert Laws session that resulted in the hit album The Laws Of Jazz. As for this album, he writes in the liner notes that he felt Les McCann cared deeply about it and was personally involved in all aspects of its creation. He notes Les had wanted to play and record like this for a long time and that it was a shame it took him so long as the music turned out so well.

McCann’s notes on the song The Lovers, which takes up the entire first side, give you a pretty good idea of where his head was at and rather than me trying to explain, it’s best to quote the man himself.

“Once I had a dream to live and love and this dream became music. It touched all the beautiful feelings I have searched for or known. Each sound was a color, and each color was a warm feeling, and my heart kept the tempo. The musicians who have helped make this music possible have dreamed, lived and loved also. I love to listen to this music with openness and without thought or images. I turn the lights down and the music up and I find joy in the different places it takes me.”

There’s not much you can add to that is there? He said it perfectly and especially the part about the lights down low and the music up.

That track that he is describing, The Lovers, slowly builds and you must be patient and just allow the music to do its thing. Around the five-minute mark is where you’ll first be rewarded, and from that point on, you’ll be along for the ride. The music is “free,” but the rhythm section holds it down and allows the others to do their thing and in turn keeps the listener engaged. Unlike other free records that sound like the musicians pushing their instruments down a flight of stairs mixed with the sounds of honking geese, this record has a much more appealing sound. The drums we already mentioned are ace. The keyboards are dope 70s sounding and the electric guitars rocking out in a Larry Coryell style.

Side two is a touch more traditional sounding, drawing on his roots in Jazz, Blues and R n’ B music although still very funky and groovy with Les getting to have fun with the Moog synth and all the musicians getting to show what they got. Just two tracks that combined equal the twenty-six-minute side one. The songs are titled Beaux J. Poo Boo, which was the name of an album McCann made back in 1965 for the Limelight label and Poo Pye McGoochie (and his friends). Not sure who they are but they sound like they might be fun.

I would recommend this record to anyone, but especially to those that enjoy 1970s Jazz Fusion and funk. Its reputation is solid, and it is seen as a landmark album. Perhaps not super obscure to seasoned heads, but an album that continues to find fresh and appreciative ears as the years go by. You should be able to pick up a copy easily and it shouldn’t cost you much. Whenever I see one, I always try to put it into someone’s hand. My copy is a white label promo pressing which has now been played a few times but still sounds good. I should buy another copy myself at this point next time I see a nice one.

Check it out and see what you think. Don’t forget to turn down the lights and the music up. Thanks for reading and see you here next time.

Cheers - Dom

R.I.P. Betty Davis

Hey there everyone. How’s it going? Good, I hope. I’ll be honest, things have been a little tough for me of late, but I’m not here to moan to you all about my life and that’s certainly not why you are reading the ol’ Sorry State Newsletter. What I will say is that finding the joy in things has been difficult and it’s especially difficult finding the words to describe records. I’ve struggled to find the right inspiration and then subsequent words to articulate how certain records make me feel etc. I may or may not be suffering from depression and general anxiety blah, blah, blah, but I do still listen to music. Lol. All day long, really. Records truly are my salvation. My best friends who are always there for me. Although sometimes finding the right one to play to suit the mood can take effort. I stare at thousands of records and can’t find one to play. And I do have thousands. Another aspect of writing about records that I struggle with is the feeling that it’s all been said before and better by someone else. Sometimes within the Sorry State collective. I’m not a natural writer and often stare at a blank screen for a good while trying to come up with just a single sentence. In addition, I’m not a bragger and don’t like to flex that much about records I own. Not that I have a collection full of crazy rare and big-ticket items, but I have a few. Being a DJ also trained me to keep my cards close to my chest, as it were. You can’t give away all your secrets. Of course, in this internet information age nothing is a secret anymore but there was a time when the only way to hear and know about stuff was to go to events, visit record shops, read music magazines, exchange information with fellow nerds and make a bit of an effort. Getting to even hear rare records was a task, let alone owning them. Now you can hear something for the first time and a minute later know everything about the record and possibly even buy a copy. All from the comfort of your own commode. I’m veering into old man shaking his fist at the sun territory here, but you get the point.

With all that being said, I would like to talk about records with you. I have been playing a CD compilation in the car this week and it’s one of my favorites. It probably has repeat played a half dozen times. The tunes themselves have been some of my most loved of the genre for years since first discovering them. The collection is called Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults and I would like to recommend it to you as my pick for this week’s newsletter. The CD collection came out in 2004 in the US with a CD and vinyl edition seeing a UK release the following year. Subsequently, for Record Store Day in 2016 a vinyl repress was made but with not nearly as fetching cover art. The original CD cover even sports a rotating pinwheel as a nice touch. Note the UK vinyl edition is titled differently. It’s called My Mind Goes High there.

For those of you unaware, this collection compiles twenty-four singles (mostly) that were released on Warner Brothers, Reprise and their sub-labels in addition to others that have since fallen under the WEA umbrella. The tunes all came out in the golden mid to late 1960s era and are almost all by American artists. Musically, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Provides 24 awesome psychedelic pop nuggets. As it is a legit compilation and not a bootleg, it also provides the tunes in excellent sound quality and the liner notes by Andrew Sandoval are detailed and informative with plenty of artist photos, label scans and other related artifacts. Not that I am necessarily opposed to the odd grey area psych and garage compilation. They can be the only way to hear some rare sides. This one though is beautifully put together in the grand tradition of the original Nuggets compilation. If you dug that one, then you’ll dig this one.

My interest in music from the 1960s has always been present. After all, I was born then but during the 1980s and 1990s it seemed like the flood gates opened with so many obscure and unknown records being made available through compilations and getting talked about in music papers and magazines and within the scenes that played these records. Every day, it seemed that a new artist and record was introduced to folks like me who were like sponges, eager to soak as much in as possible. Over the years of collecting, I became aware of most of the artists on our collection here and have even got my hands on about half of the twenty-four tracks. Some of them, though, are rare and quite expensive. Based on a multitude of reasons that cause such things. Each one has their unique story. Among the obscure acts and records represented here, there are some recognizable names that most should know. The Monkees being the most obvious. Their contribution comes from their psych movie Head with the Porpoise Song. Another popular group on here is The Association who had a string of pop hits and albums during the 60s. Their sound was safe for the most part, but they were capable of interpreting slightly darker and edgier material. The song chosen for this compilation is titled Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies and it’s great. I’ve had it as a DJ spin for years as it is easy and cheap to find and always surprises people when they hear it and find out who it is. The song incorporates some interesting instrumentation, and the lyrics are a step above the usual found in pop songs.

The title track Hallucinations comes from a guy called Baker Knight and it’s a brilliant cut, perfectly setting us up for the music to follow. He was a song writer mostly, penning songs for Ricky Nelson and Dino, Desi and Billy among others. His career began back in the 1950s however, when he fronted a rockabilly band. By the time of cutting Hallucinations in 1967, he was in his mid-thirties.

Also on here is a track from Kim Fowley called Strangers From The Sky about aliens that has a part that sounds eerily similar to the Close Encounters theme. John Williams had to have heard this and been influenced, whether consciously or not. Take a listen and see what you think. I know Fowley isn’t a great human being and cancelled, but you can’t argue he was behind a ton of great music.

Ending out the set, we get the cut Smell Of Incense from The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. A great group with a great name and so many fab tunes to their name. We recently got a copy of their first LP here at Sorry State, a nice mono promo actually. I love these guys and I heartily recommend you look into their story and music. Incense was covered by the band Southwest F.O.B. who had a hit with it.

There isn’t a duff track on here and you’ll have a lot of fun listening to the rest of the collection and discovering some new personal faves. Good luck trying to find originals of some of these records and if you do, be prepared to cough up the dough. Some are well into the three-figure territory by this point.

Thanks for reading and remember it’s a nugget if you dug it. I stole that line from the liner notes. Lol. See you next time. Peace - Dom

Howdy folks and thanks for reading the ol’ Sorry State newsletter this week. Can you believe we are almost through the first month of the year already? Here at SSR the time has been flying by as usual. So many great records coming through, new and old, it is impossible to keep up and play them all as much as I want. Such a problem to have, right guys?

With such extensive knowledge and understanding of all things punk coming from my amazing colleagues here, I feel that they always have your bases covered. Therefore, I try to throw some different stuff at you. Much in the same way as Rachel does. I think the two of us share an interest in the odd and weird but also in the old school pop and mainstream stuff of mid-twentieth century music. We are both big fans of our Bargain Bins here. So, this week I was working on some more of the Veola McLean collection. This week’s batch contained more Gospel albums, some Nina Simone albums, lots of guitar-based jazz and a nice sprinkling of common and obscure soul and funk titles. All great stuff. Some cheap and some expensive. Those locals will see a lot of this hitting the bins this and next week. I’ll also be endeavoring to keep topping up the bargain bins so make sure you look below and at the counter display.

I was struggling to think of anything to write about this week, as my mind has been occupied by some personal shit. Blah, blah, blah. However, on Monday this week I made time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My DJ partner, Matt Pape, put together a thoughtful and interesting show for Worldy honoring Dr. King. I would recommend taking a listen. He did a nice job mixing vintage speeches with music and spinning appropriate and related sides in-between. He and I unfortunately are observing Covid protocols right now whilst the surge is on and he is in recovery from his surgery. Looking forward to getting back together and doing our show live together again.

From the Veola McLean collection, we have several great records of MLK speeches and there have been a whole bunch of very informative and interesting records she had on all things civil rights and Black American history. Definitely check out what we still have left if you come by shopping. I played one of the MLK ones that I also own a copy of, and it is that that I would steer you towards this week for my pick. It’s titled …Free At Last and was released on Gordy, the Motown label. One side has his “I’ve Been To The Mountain” speech from April, 3rd 1968 and the other side has a sermon titled “The Drum Major Instinct” that he gave in February earlier that year at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. It is such an incredible piece, proving beyond doubt how great an orator he was. He sums up the issues plagued by America and the world at large so brilliantly and even provides his own eulogy, which will literally bring you to tears when you hear it. If you have not heard this sermon or even if you have before, I encourage you to take a listen. In this time of false idols and self-serving politicians, his words ring just as strong now as they did that back day.

1968, the year of Dr. King’s assassination, was the year of my birth. I chose quite a time to come into the world. The air was thick with revolution and unrest, not unlike the present. Sad how we have made little progress in so many areas of our society. However, it was also a fantastic year for music. While I was listing some of the Veola records, I put on a compilation she had called Billboard Top R & B Hits. It has some of my favorites on it including cuts from The Delfonics, The Temptations, The Impressions, The Miracles, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye, among others. It finishes with one of my all-time faves, The Dells doing Stay In My Corner. What a class song. A rerecorded version of a tune they cut three years before. The held note at the end is spine-tingling.

My final listening enjoyment that I wanted to share with you is a record that Veola had from Muhammad Ali called Ali And His Gang Vs. Mr. Tooth Decay. It’s a novelty record for kids that was aimed at teaching good dental and eating habits. It features Ali along with Howard Cosell, Ossie Davis and Frank Sinatra. There is a story about Ali and his gang fighting the evil Mr. Tooth Decay that is funny and entertaining. Unfortunately, the copy we have is kinda beat up, but the cover is cool and you can listen to it on-line, which was what I did. I grew up in the era when Ali was champ and in my opinion he was and will always be the greatest. Any opportunity to hear him is one worth having. You should listen to the story if you have some time and want a laugh.

Alright, that’s all I got for you. Plenty to investigate should you feel so inclined. Thanks for reading and take care of yourselves. Until next time - Dom

Happy New Year to all of you out there in Sorry State land. Here we go for another attempt at 2020, version 3. I’ll try and stay positive and believe that this year will be better, but based on my personal circumstances and the news so far already this year, I doubt it. Prove me wrong world, prove me wrong.

So, like many folks, I am dealing with life issues, setbacks, health problems, etc. etc. and finding the time and ability to enjoy things has been hard. Music really is my salvation and so working here at Sorry State has been a godsend. Record shops are my church. Writing about records I like here in the newsletter is an absolute pleasure and a privilege and I am very grateful. I’m also lucky to have a great DJ partner in Matt over at the Face Radio and doing our humble show each week has been the highlight of my year. I had a couple of DJ gigs and maybe one or two social interactions when we thought it was safe to come out of hiding over the summer, but otherwise it has been Sorry State and home for me almost exclusively. Again, let’s hope this year is different and a lot better.

That all being said, 2021 was still an amazing year for music. So many good songs and records were released last year. Our own Sorry State Records label put out nine releases total last year. Not bad considering all the industry problems with manufacturing going on. Per tradition, everyone involved in music typically puts out their best of the year lists around this time and we at SSR are no different. So here are some records that I enjoyed taking home in 2021. My selections are made up of new releases, reissues that came out this year and a few older things that I scored.

Okay, so in no order of ranking or anything else, here we go.

Albums:

Durand Jones & The Indications: Private Space – Colemine

The third album from these guys. One of the top contemporary soul bands around. This record sees them taking a more modern, cosmic disco approach to their songs. The sound is later 70s inspired now with more songs about love than protest. I wouldn’t mind betting this will be the soundtrack to plenty of baby making. Their label, Colemine, is up there with the like of Daptone in releasing terrific new soul, r n’ b and funk. I missed them when they played in our area the last time and hope I get a chance again.

Gruff Rhys: Seeking New Gods – Rough Trade

Another solo album from Welsh hero Rhys. You may know him from his band Super Furry Animals. I enjoyed this record a lot. It had a lot of the pop glam 70s sort of sound that he employed with SFA and was another concept album, something which he does so well. This time about a volcano. Fair enough.

Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime – Matador

Tuareg guitarist’s debut on Matador is a world psychedelic treasure. This was one of our top records of the year over at Worldy. Saharan blues and rock songs about African politics, human rights, and life. If you are familiar with the group Tinariwen, then you will know what to expect. Just imagine them with a guitar slasher like Moctar’s hero Eddie Van Halen and you’ll get the idea. Each listen to this record gets better and better.

Paul Weller: Fat Pop (Volume 1) – Polydor

The Modfather’s pandemic lockdown record and number sixteen in his solo career. Following on quickly from the previous year’s On Sunset album, which he was unable to tour, Fat Pop is more a collection of songs than an album proper, but it works just the same. For people of a certain age like myself, Paul Weller can do no wrong and although there may have been the odd song or two from his solo records that had the feeling that he was stuck in a musical cul-de-sac, the last few albums and especially the experimental soundtracks he has done have all been cool. I love the man and this latest batch of tunes felt and sounded good to me. The songs Cosmic Fringes and Glad Times are worth the price of admission alone.

E.P.s:

Cochonne: Emergency – Sorry State

Local heroes Cochonne graced our label this year with a terrific mini-LP. Their first and only vinyl 12” release is a smart set of five post punk songs sung in English and French. If you like bands like Kleenex and Wire, then this should be right up your alley. We are very proud to have helped in the release of this record. When I played some of it at a DJ gig for the Hopscotch music festival last September (I had a test press) it caused several people to approach and ask who it was. Usually a good barometer.

Smirk: E.P. – Total Punk

Also, in a post punk vein but with a little more of an American Garage feel are L.A. based Smirk. They put out a full length on Feel It Records, which is cool, but I preferred the songs on this mini-LP a bit more. Mostly up-tempo, poppy songs with jittery and anxious guitar sounds kept moving by propulsive drum and bass. Smirk is the brainchild of Nic Vicario and kind of a solo project, but he formed a band to play out live with and first-hand accounts of their shows have all been positive. Seven quick tracks, of which I like the one called Imaginary Harry the best.

Super Furry Animals: Ice Hockey Hair E.P. – BMG

This one is a reissue that came out for Record Store Day. Originally released in 1998 on Creation as a stand-alone release between second album Radiator and third Guerilla. The title track in its full-length version and the song Smokin’ are SFA classics and a perfect example of their sound. That sound? Think early 70s Beach Boys mixed with ELO, Queen, Wings, Bowie and doing techno and you’d be some of the way there. I loved this band and saw them countless times in small venues, large ballrooms and on festival stages over the years. This reissue was welcome as the original 12” vinyl had been tough to find.

Singles:

Axnér: Got The Look – Axnermusic

Just making it into the end of 2021 comes this fantastic and fun disco pop record. A duo consisting of one half of London’s Disco Freaks Chris Davies and Swedish singer Julia Axnér making their debut here with a modern take on the 70s sound ably assisted by Chic drummer Ralph Rolle to add a touch of class and authenticity to proceedings. 2022 should be good for them if they have more goodies like this tune in their locker.

Dorothy: I Confess/Softness – Sealed Records

This single is a reissue of a 7” that originally came out in 1980 on Industrial Records, Throbbing Gristle’s label. It has proved to be a popular seller here at Sorry State. You can read about it and get our take here. The B-side has the money track, a great cheesy synth sound mixed with a tougher disco beat that sounds more like now than it did then. Sealed Records do a nice job with the packaging and finding these nice obscure gems.

Bobby Harden & The Soulful Saints: Feels So Good – Dala/BQE Records

I’m a little biased on this one as my friend and skipper over at the Face Radio, Kurtis Powers is behind the release of this record. Although technically released in 2021, the vinyl 7” is just now getting ready to ship. We’ll allow it. This is another great slab of contemporary soul that could have come out any time in the last fifty years. It’s that timeless. Bobby Harden is no fresh newcomer either. He has paid his dues similar to the likes of Charles Bradley, Lee Fields and Sharon Jones and was lead vocalist for the original Blues Brothers Band. This is the follow up single to the smash song Runnin’ (To Get To Your Love) which was their debut and they should follow this up later in the year with a full-length LP. Soulful Saints are the Brooklyn based housed band for Dala Records and do a fine job backing Bobby. For fans of Daptone, Colemine, Big Crown and other similar labels.

Sial: Zaman Edan – La Vida Es Un Mus

Singapore’s Sial offer a unique take on the modern hardcore punk sound. We’ve been fans of theirs at Sorry State, carrying previous singles and album. I like the conceptual element to the record. The title translates as Age Of Craziness and is referring to broken promises made by the state to minorities. The record is psychedelic with dark moody synth ambience and a deathrock vibe underneath the blistering guitar sounds. Not normally my go to sound but these guys are doing something different, and I support that. Plus, it’s damn good.

Personal Record Scores:

I tend not to brag and flex too much about records that I have added to my collection for several reasons but there has never been a time in my life when I haven’t been buying either records, tapes, or CDs. Never got into the downloading thing. There is no doubt that I have more than an average collection with a few rare items, but I buy a lot of my stuff for DJ use and so I’ll buy an average record because it has one or two good tracks. I obviously prefer minty clean copies but don’t mind some light wear, especially if it means getting a record cheaply. Being on a tighter budget these days has kept me away from the big-ticket items, although occasionally I have to pull the trigger and go for it. Luckily, working here at Sorry State has helped feed my vinyl addiction as I’m getting access to lots of bargain bin shit and Lord Daniel gives us a very generous discount. With the pandemic ongoing I haven’t been visiting other stores, although there may have been a little online buying earlier in the year with my tax refund. Here’s a few records I was happy to score.

Arica: Audition – Arica Institute Inc.

This is an interesting find. The Arica Institute was a hippy commune that set up in Chile and made several records. This one has spoken word instructions on meditation and body movement with cool free jazz shit going on in the background. There are plenty of passages of music without the guru talking that are interesting. This is a double album and came out in 1972. Copies are hard to find but worth looking out for.

Ray Barretto: Charanga Moderna – Tico

There’s not much to go wrong with a Ray Barretto record is there? This one is a nice Tico Records title I had been hoping to find eventually. Cool Latin stuff with a cut that can be heard in the film Mean Streets. Nice.

Il Balletto Di Bronzo: Ys – Polydor

Finding original copies of records by this Italian progressive group is not easy or cheap. I have a reissue of their first album called Sirio 2222 from 1970 and when a nice clean copy of their second Ys from 1972, albeit a 2nd pressing, came in the store, I had to get it. This record rules. Italians doing Krautrock basically. This causes some debate amongst collectors. Some people love the record and others do not. Keyboard led prog concept records aren’t normally my go to either but there is something about this one that I like. Whatever. I was happy to get a copy.

Ronnie Foster: Cheshire Cat – Blue Note

This was a nice one to find. A great funky jazz album on Blue Note. I have been lucky to find a few of his albums and was stoked to add this one to my collection. Foster played organ and keyboards and released a series of nice albums on Blue Note beginning in 1972 with Two Headed Freap which has been in demand by DJs and producers for years. Cheshire Cat came out in 1975. For fans of Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.