Shake! Sixties Brit Mod Nuggets

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Modernists loved the latest R&B, blues and soul sounds coming from US cities such as Chicago, Memphis and Detroit and when British groups started playing their own interpretations in clubs and dancehalls they gained their own mod followings, their music remaining popular on the mod scene today.

Side 1 of this bespoke collection spotlights the British R&B scene and features a founding father of British blues Alexis Korner with the rare ‘Taboo Man’ alongside ace mod tracks from The Bo Street Runners, The Others, Mickey Finn and The Blue Men (featuring a youthful Jimmy Page on harmonica) and more.

Side 2 starts with British R&B groups developing their own sound by turning up their guitars, employing distortion, feedback and fuzz pedals to take the music in a new direction. Highlights include the Joe Meek produced ‘Crawdaddy Simone’ by The Syndicats (described as proto punk because of its ferocity), The In Crowd’s snarling ‘Things She Says’ and The Artwoods’ fuzz drenched mod favourite ‘I Take What I Want’ featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord on organ. Denny Laine (later of Wings) sings with The Moody Blues calming things down with some soulful beat.

Side 3 focuses on UK soul music – Rod ‘the mod’ Stewart backed by The Brian Auger Trinity takes on Sam Cooke’s ‘Shake’, the godfather of ska Laurel Aitken proves he’s also a natural soul man with his floor filling version of The Mar-Keys’ ‘Last Night’ and the amazing Barry St. John sings the funky ‘Gotta Brand New Man’. Popular club acts Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede would regularly bring the house down at mod clubs and also feature.

Side 4 includes mod club dancefloor smashes from The Spencer Davis Group and Rupert’s People (AKA mod group Fleur De Lys) while mod heroes The Action go psychedelic with ‘Look At The View’. A moonlighting Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds plays on John’s Children’s ‘But She’s Mine’ and there are brilliant singles revered by freakbeat and psych collectors such as Double Feature’s ‘Baby Get Your Head Screwed On’ and The Drag Set’s ‘Day And Night’.

Rarities from The Trendbender Band and The Union (featuring Elmer Gantry) appear on vinyl for the first time.

Tracklist

SIDE 1
1. The Bo Street Runners – Bo Street Runner (Single Version)
2. The Others – Oh Yeah
3. David John and The Mood – Bring It To Jerome
4. Mickey Finn and The Blue Men – I Still Want You
5. Ronnie Jones and The Night-Timers – I Need Your Loving
6. The Second Thoughts – Seventh Son
7. James Royal – Work Song
8. Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated – Taboo Man
9. The Trendbender Band – Unchain My Heart

SIDE 2
1. The Syndicats – Crawdaddy Simone
2. The In Crowd – Things She Says
3. The Boys Blue – You Got What I Want
4. The Rocking Vicars – It’s Alright
5. The Artwoods – I Take What I Want
6. The Favourite Sons – That Driving Beat
7. The Moody Blues – And My Baby’s Gone
8. The Stormsville Shakers – Number One
9. The Union – See Saw

SIDE 3
1. Rod Stewart – Shake
2. Laurel Aitken and The Soul Men – Last Night
3. Barry St John – Gotta Brand New Man
4. The Soul Brothers – Good Lovin’ Never Hurt
5. Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound – Ain’t Love Good, Ain’t Love Proud
6. J.J. Jackson – But It’s Alright
7. Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede – Something For Nothing
8. Wynder K Frog – Turn On Your Lovelight

SIDE 4
1. The Spencer Davis Group – Looking Back
2. Double Feature – Baby Get Your Head Screwed On
3. Scots Of St. James – Tic Toc
4. The Attraction – She’s A Girl
5. John’s Children – But She’s Mine
6. The Drag Set – Day And Night
7. Rupert’s People – Hold On
8. The Action – Look At The View