:{WIKIPEDIA}:
“‘Gimme Little Sign’ is a classic soul music song by Brenton Wood. It was released in 1967 on the album The Oogum Boogum Song. It was written by Jerry Winn, Alfred Smith and Joseph Hooven. The most well known version is by Brenton Wood, which peaked at number 9 in the U.S., but it has also been a hit for Danielle Brisebois in 1995, also covered by the Sattalites, Hepcat, Mina, Don Dixon, Syl Johnson in 1979 on his album Uptown Shakedown and Peter Andre. Peter Andre’s version was his second single, released in 1992, which went on to win him an ARIA Award in 1993 for highest-selling Australian single of the year. It was also covered by Roberto Jordán and Cox in one Spanish version and by Los Straitjackets in another. Jay Dee aka J-Dilla remixed the song, which was released as a 45 rpm promo. The song was also recorded by Constant Meeuws singer from a Dutch group called Skateboard at the end of the 70’s and was produced by Rudy Bennett from the Motions.”
:{IS LOVING…}:
DOBIE GRAY: out on the floor [charger/black magic] //
album: sings for “in” crowders that go “go-go” [kent/gotham] // www.dobiegray.com //
:{DOBIE GRAY RIP}: 26th July 1940 – 6th December 2011
“US soul singer Dobie Gray, best known for his hit 1973 song Drift Away, has died aged 71. The news was announced on the singer’s official website, although no cause of death was given. Gray’s only UK chart hit was The ‘In’ Crowd which peaked at number 25 in 1965,” BBC Obituary.
My introduction to DOBIE GRAY came via a circuitous route in 1997, when ‘Out On The Floor’ was sampled by SPEARMINT for their equally marvellous single, ‘Sweeping The Nation’:
:{IAN LEVINE}:
“This is probably the single biggest and most acclaimed Northern Soul record of all time. Dobie is otherwise best known for his 1973 smash “Drift Away,” Dobie Gray was a versatile vocalist who could handle soul, country, and pop, not to mention musical theater. Gray’s origins are somewhat ill-defined; different sources alternately list his birth name as Leonard Victor Ainsworth or Laurence Darrow Brown, and his Texas birthplace as Brookshire or Simonton. His likely birth date is July 26, 1940 (though some sources list 1942 or 1943). Whatever the case, Gray grew up in a family of sharecroppers, and discovered gospel music through his grandfather, a Baptist minister. He also soaked up the R&B and country music of his surroundings, and in the early ’60s he moved to Los Angeles to seek his fortune.
Before adopting the name Dobie Gray, he recorded several singles under the names Leonard Ainsworth, Larry Curtis, and Larry Dennis. His seventh single, “Look at Me,” became his first chart hit in 1963, but his true breakout was a 1965 recording of “The ‘In’ Crowd,” whose Motown-style bounce distinguished it from jazzman Ramsey Lewis’ celebrated version. Gray hit the Top 20 with “The ‘In’ Crowd” and also had some success with the follow-up, “See You at the Go-Go”. “Out On The Floor” was not a hit in the US, and it was only years later that it became a cult classic. This period, spent mostly on the small, poorly distributed Cordak, Charger, and White Whale labels — was the most soul-oriented of his career.
It would be some time before Gray returned to the charts. In the meantime, he pursued a concurrent acting career, eventually spending two and a half years with the Los Angeles production of Hair. During his Hair years, Gray also sang with the band Pollution, which recorded two albums on Prophecy beginning in 1971. In 1972, Gray resurfaced as a solo artist on MCA, with producer/songwriter Mentor Williams in his camp. Gray promptly scored the biggest hit of his career with the Williams-penned “Drift Away,” which hit the Top Five in early 1973 and remains an oldies-radio staple today. The subsequent “Loving Arms,” written by Tom Jans, grew into a much-covered repertory item, recorded by singers from the realms of rock, country, and R&B.
Gray’s own sound was shifting more toward country as well, and when he moved to Capricorn in 1975, he recorded in Nashville with new songwriting collaborator Troy Seals (he eventually relocated there permanently). Gray’s popularity in Europe and Africa was growing steadily, and he managed to talk South African authorities into allowing him to play to integrated audiences during the apartheid era. Gray’s tenure in Nashville was marked by a commercial downturn, but his increased activity as a songwriter — mostly in a country vein — resulted in covers by the likes of Don Williams, Charley Pride, George Jones, and John Denver, among others. The disco-flavored “You Can Do It” became his final Top 40 hit in 1978, the same year he recorded the first of two LPs for Infinity.
When Infinity went bankrupt, Gray concentrated exclusively on songwriting for a few years, then re-emerged on Capitol in the mid-’80s as a full-fledged country artist. He made the lower reaches of the country charts with singles like “That’s One to Grow On” and “From Where I Stand,” but found it impossible to break through to a wider country audience, and again faded from view after two albums. In 1997, Gray released Diamond Cuts, a mix of new songs and re-recorded past hits. But “Out On The Floor” remains his most beloved soul anthem.”
:{THE RED ALERT}:
“Blake Hazard (the lady of the band) was living in Boston, making music. John Dragonetti was doing the same under the name Jack Drag, which was, it seems, him and his projects all at once. I asked if one day, in Boston, John had set eyes on Blake and said ‘Boy, I’d like to have a complicated relationship with that woman’ (you’ll see).
“No, that came later,” answered John, laughing, “I mean, we had mutual friends, and Boston is a pretty small music scene.” “We had mutual band mates,” Blake added. “Yeah, just a lot of friends in common, I had this band Jack Drag for quite a few years, and the fellow that I played bass with played with Blake.” Blake smiled. “I heard a lot of John’s music too, a particular record he did called ‘Aviating’ I really liked, and I had a lot of songs ready to be recorded, and so I approached John. He agreed. So we worked on that, a couple songs at first, and then we thought okay let’s do the record, and then we started falling in love.”
But obviously the story doesn’t end there and, though now there is a happy ending, there were bumps to come. John continued: “When we met, we each had our own projects, but we also kind of like couldn’t be apart, and so Blake was like ‘I’ve got a European tour coming up, yeah be in my band’ It was just awesome.”
After touring they moved to Los Angeles, and soon afterwards broke up. They were living in different places, but were both still recording their own music in the studio John had at his place. Somehow, they wound up hearing what one another had been making: songs about the break up. This new understanding led them to get back together, and eventually get married. As a wedding present, one of their friends mastered the tracks for them, and that became [debut album] ‘Declare A New State!’”
:{RCRD LBL}:
“Sharon Van Etten has a voice and songwriting prowess that could steal any show, and her newest slice of solo glory finds her leading a band featuring The National’s Dessner brothers, Matt Barrick from The Walkmen and Doveman’s Thomas Bartlett. “Serpents” is recorded with lush sonics, leaving her to emote over guitars that twang, scream and chug. What else would you expect with this class? Find more on her upcoming Tramp, which arrives February 6 via Jagjaguwar.”
:{IS LOVING…}:
REIGNS: the mounds [monotreme] //
album: the widow blades [released 24th october 2011] // www.reigns.net //
After POLINSKI and M+A, the Monotreme Records live frenzy unwittingly continued at Saturday’s marvellous Daylight Music, in the equally wonderful Union Chapel. I was unaware of REIGNS and had no idea they were on the same label, but they’re also rather fine. ‘The Widow Blades’ is their fourth album and, live, they ploughed a broad post rock furrow, whilst deviating into other areas. If you want to cut to the chase, you may be able to live without the first 6.5 minutes of ‘The Mounds’ - but the remaining THIRTEEN minutes are great. Towards the slightly bluesy conclusion, it somehow reminds me of IT’S IMMATERIAL’s 1986 single, ‘Driving Away From Home (Jim’s Tune)’:
But, may have more in common with GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR’s ‘The Dead Flag Blues (Intro)’:
“Wessex duo Reigns release their fourth long-player on Monotreme Records.
Whilst growing up in the country, Reigns Operatives A & B, from an early age became aware of the bizarre, yet inconclusive, fate of a woman from a neighbouring village. It took some years (and a great deal of wading through a seemingly endless stream of local conjecture) for them to ascertain that the woman in question was Millicent Blades: a middle-aged widow who had disappeared during the blizzard of 1978, vanishing somewhere between the villages of Tup’s Fold and Tone Gulley. Nothing was found of her save a set of interrupted footprints and a pile of clothes – all turned inside out.
The intervening years have provided much in the way of outlandish theories pertaining to her disappearance but very little in the way of answers. In a possibly futile attempt to reverse this situation and still haunted by the stories they heard as children, Operatives A & B went back to the area to document her final journey across the countryside. Using equipment selected purely on the basis of portability and resistance to the elements (with perfect synchroni- city, their week of recordings coincided with the heaviest snowfall since 1978), they recorded at all the key locations that the widow visited (or is thought to have visited) on her final, fateful day: including, amongst others, her house and that of her physician, an Anderson shelter (home to a vagrant who was briefly suspected of her murder), a former tea room that she had frequented since the fifties, a disused tannery, and (for the climactic 20 minute closer, “The Mounds”) an excavated series of barrows; the approxi- mate location of her disappearance…”
:{IS LOVING…}:
LITTLE DRAGON: little man {tycho mix} [peacefrog] //
FREE download: rcrdlbl.com //
original on album: ritual union [released 25th july 2011] // little-dragon.net // www.tychomusic.com //
:{RCRD LBL}:
“This remix of Little Dragon’s “Little Man” by Tycho is immediately intergalactic. Electronic drums go all kraut with a rapid robotic beat and singer Yukimi Nagano hovers over everything with soulful confidence. There’s oscillating arpeggios and dry choral backgrounds that add a gaseous element that makes you think the track is barely there. We assure you it is.”
:{IS LOVING…}:
TOM WAITS: back in the crowd [anti-] //
listen: hypem.com //
album: bad as me [released 24th october 2011] // www.tomwaits.com //
The beautiful second single from the new TOM WAITS album, ‘Bad As Me’, sees him follow a melodic path familiar to much earlier work, including his 1973 debut, ‘Closing Time’. Simple, effortless production and beguiling Spanish guitars soundtrack Tom’s voice; like a big, friendly bear, absentmindedly singing to himself, whilst rifling the bins for leftover food.
:{ANTI-}:
“‘Back in the Crowd’ is a romantic ballad featuring the Spanish Tinge guitar work of both David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and long time collaborator, Marc Ribot. Crooned in his best “Jim Reeves-meets-Elvis tenor” Waits’ describes his richly intimate performance “as an old fashioned jukebox tune for a slow dance with your girl (or guy).” Adding to the romance, Hidalgo beat out a Latin clave rhythm using his wedding ring on the side of his Jarana (a traditional 8 string guitar from Vera Cruz).”
Anyone else hear occasional echoes of JOHN LENNON’s ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’?
Top quality squelch and, perhaps, a more human side of dubstep.
:{UPDATE}: FLUX PAVILION has been longlisted for the BBC’s Sound Of 2012:
“Northamptonshire producer Flux Pavilion takes his place on the Sound of 2012 longlist following a metoric rise from relevant unknown to dubstep’s brightest hope in the past twelve months. Pavilion, real name Joshua Steele first made music at the age of 13, and cites Rusko, Basement Jaxx and The Prodigy as key influences in his professional journey.
His pseudonym comes from a group Steele formed in his younger years with Shaun Brockhurst, a.k.a. Doctor P,the title combines Flux, a flow of energy with Pavilion, a place for entertainment. Steele concentrated on his studies, completing a course in Commercial Composition before forming Circus Records with Doctor P and fellow producer DJ Swan-E.
Recent success began as FP’s remix of DJ Fresh’s Gold Dust made its way around the world’s clubs before track Bass Cannon was catapulted into public conciousness by keeping Chris Moyles awake during his Comic Relief radio marathon in March. It wasn’t long before producer Shama Joseph was sampling Flux’s I Can’t Stop on Jay-Z, Kanye West collaboration Watch The Throne and Zane Lowe was hailing Pavilion as his Record of the Week. 2012 is sure to be massive year for the man from Towcester.”
:{IS LOVING…}:
M+A: liko lene lisa [monotreme] //
FREE download: soundcloud.com //
album: things.yes [released 7th november 2011] // www.ma-official.com //
They were also great live, playing with label-mates, POLINSKI, at The Windmill Brixton and presided over, as always, by ROOF DOG. I’ve highlighted ‘Liko Lene Lisa’, because it’s a FREE download [and very nifty] but, live, my favourite track was the sunny delight of album opener, ‘Yeloww’.
:{MONOTREME RECORDS}:
“We are so very excited and happy to welcome M+A to Monotreme Records! M+A is Michele Ducci,19, (vocals, instruments) and Alessandro Degli Angioli , 22, (instruments) from Forli, Italy. They create brilliant sunny electronic pop music with rather unusual vocals, evoking comparisons to The Postal Service, Panda Bear, Phoenix and Tunng. Their excellent album ‘things.yes’ will be released worldwide on the 7th of November.”
:{M+A}:
“We listen to music to understand what we do, and we do music to understand what we listen to. We record everything at home, in a mansard to be more precise. The “home-made” policy corresponds to a definite aesthetics, particularly with regard to a pop range. It’s like a scene from a thriller movie where, at the very crucial moment, there’s a shot of the director and his assistants while setting up the play set. So yes, we do make pop, but with the unpretentious intention to thrill. Our band is made up by two components, not merged in a unique identity, but rather coexisting. Sticking to the common sense of the word, we never really felt like a group. With its naivety and brutality, M+A plainly represents our initials just to make the whole thing more tangible and real. It’s two people moving forward parallel one another, though with countless meeting points.”
:{COVER ME}:
“Judging from their press photos and bio (Facebook interests: lipstick, peppermint, Carnegie Hall), the Bandana Splits would seem to be taking the ‘50s-retro vibe mined by groups like Dum Dum Girls to its Happy Days extreme. That’s true to some extent, but the trio of Dawn Landes, Annie Nero, and Lauren Balthrop is up to more than rehashed nostalgia. Their debut album brims with pop smarts and cotton-candy harmonies that sound just as fresh in 2011 as they would have in 1961.
Take their new cover of “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” a tune it’s hard to imagine the Fonz cuing up on the jukebox. The trio recorded their harmony-rich version of Morrissey’s hit to celebrate reaching 1,000 Likes on Facebook. It sounds like the Andrews Sisters via Manchester.”
