Thursday, March 6, 2025

VA - There's No Stopping Us Now - The Female Mods' Forgotten Story (Edsel Official CD Rip) (4CD Box Set) (2025)

 

K SPECIAL

VA - There's No Stopping Us Now - The Female Mods' Forgotten Story (Edsel Official CD Rip) (4CD Box Set) (2025)

'There's No Stopping Us Now: The Female Mods' Forgotten Story' a title that pays homage to one of The Supremes' many infectious floor fillers is a celebration of the inspirational women singers and groups who provided a brilliant and timeless soundtrack to an exciting moment in British pop culture.

Bringing together the queens of Motown and Stax, classy chanteuses from around the world, and some homegrown dancefloor divas, these 98 songs on four discs were not only a key component of the enduring Mod scene, but many of the performers, musicians, songwriters and producers were the audible and visible representation of a way of life that publicist Pete Meaden described as "clean living under difficult circumstances".

The origins of the male Mod style are well documented but female Mods were too often relegated to a supporting role, which makes the work of these singers, and musicians, plus the actresses, artists, designers, media figures, models and writers of the time all the more pioneering. Of course, female singers had been successful prior to the Mod era (among those included here, the great Dinah Washington made her recording debut in '44) but to add some context, in 2023 some sixty years after the original flowering of Mod nine of the 16 UK No. 1 singles were performed by or featured female artists. That compares to none of the 17 chart toppers in 1963.

The inspiration for this new collection came from the book Ready Steady Girls: The Female Mods' Forgotten Story, first published in 2016 as a (quickly sold out) compendium of first hand accounts by girls and young women drawn to the Mod way of life in the first half of the '60s, or the revival at the end of the following decade. In 2024 that book is being made available once again, and we have the opportunity to create a fitting musical companion piece to that volume's striking and original words and images. This stylishly packaged four disc set features female artists who went on to become household names (including a surprising number who found fame as actors), some one hit wonders, a few acts who only found their audience years later, and a selection of deeper cuts that should get nodding approval from the Mod cognoscenti of either sex. The extensive sleeve notes provide a track by track commentary, with informative details of the singer and the song.

An amazing package from start to finish - one that looks at the huge role played by a variety of different female artists on the UK mod scene of the 60s - both American artists and British ones, plus a few contributions from surprise European acts as well!

There's two key strains of sounds here that might not come as a surprise - plenty of work by American soul artists, and work by female singers in the UK beat group generation - who were often strongly influenced by the first batch of artists too - yet there's also some great entries from unique corners of the musical world too - bits of jazz and pop, and work that fits right in with the other artists - but which emerge with a nice sense of variety amidst the whopping 98 tracks in the set!


The whole thing comes in a cool 7" square package, with lots of very detailed notes - all inspired by the book Ready Steady Girls, with tracks by artists who include Candy & The Kisses, The Soul Sisters, Twiggy, Kiki Dee, Gillian Hills, Miss X, The Orchids, Nico, Ketty Lester, Julie Driscoll, Lydia Marcelle, Maxine Brown, Thelma Jones, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Sandy Wynns, Norma Tanega, P.P. Arnold, Millie, Goldie & The Gingerbreads, Little Eva, Ernestine Anderson, Barbara Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Kathy Kirby, Jackie Ross, Julie Felix, and dozens of others.

PLEASE NOTE: This is the COMPLETE official Edsel 98 track release ripped from my own personal 4CD box set and a replacement for the truncated version and home compiled versions you may have seen around the internet over the past few months.


Enjoy!

K

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Track lists

CD1

01 Aretha Franklin - Respect 2:27

02 Erma Franklin - Big Boss Man 2:56

03 Doris Troy - You'd Better Stop 2:23

04 Dusty Springfield - Can I Get a Witness 2:45

05 Martha and the Vandellas - Nowhere to Run 2:58

06 Dinah Washington - Soulville 2:20

07 Carla Thomas - Something Good (Is Going to Happen to You) 2:33

08 Inez & Charlie Foxx - My Momma Told Me 2:47

09 Thelma Jones - Stronger 2:46

10 Etta James - I'm So Glad (I Found Love in You) 3:07

11 Betty Everett - I've Got a Claim on You 2:28

12 P.P. Arnold - If You See What I Mean 2:13

13 Billie Davis and the LeRoys - Whatcha Gonna Do 2:41

14 The Exciters - Do Wah Diddy Diddy 2:26

15 Lydia Marcelle - It's Not Like You 2:02

16 Brenda Holloway - When I'm Gone 2:05

17 Maxine Brown - One Step At a Time 2:03

18 Mary Love - Think It Over Baby 2:58

19 Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You 2:35

20 The Cake - You Can Have Him 3:03

21 Lesley Gore - California Nights 2:49

22 Sharon Tandy - Love Makes the World Go Round 2:33

23 Mary Wells - What's Easy for Two Is So Hard for One 2:55

24 The Velvelettes - These Things Will Keep Me Loving You 2:27

25 The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love 2:51


CD2

01 Ketty Lester - Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid 2:16

02 Helen Shapiro - Fever 2:26

03 Dionne Warwick - Another Night 2:27

04 Cilla Black with George Martin's Orchestra - I've Been Wrong Before 2:11

05 Julie Driscoll - I Know You Love Me Not 3:26

06 Nancy Wilson - Where Does That Leave Me? 2:31

07 Baby Washington - That's How Heartaches Are Made 2:44

08 Barbara Lewis - Baby I'm Yours 2:32

09 Dee Dee Sharp - My Best Friend's Man 2:51

10 Timi Yuro - You Can Have HIm 3:02

11 Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles - You Forgot How to Love 2:24

12 Sonny & Cher - Little Man 3:21

13 Ernestine Anderson - Keep An Eye on Love 2:10

14 Joy Marshall - The More I See You 2:51

15 Nico - I'm Not Sayin' 2:50

16 Julie Felix - I've Got Nothing But Time 2:48

17 Barbara Lynn - You'll Lose a Good Thing 3:04

18 Kim Weston - A Little More Love 3:01

19 Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours 3:14

20 Tammi Terrell - Come On and See Me 2:22

21 Jackie Ross - New Lover 3:02

22 The Toys - A Lover's Concerto 2:39

23 The Shirelles - Too Much of a Good Thing 2:52

24 Kathy Kirby - You're the One 2:18


CD3

01 Lesley Gore - You Don't Own Me 2:32

02 Dodie West - Goin' Out of My Head 2:09

03 Kiki Dee - (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am 2:35

04 Gillian Hills - Look At Them 3:01

05 Francoise Hardy - All Over the World 2:32

06 Twiggy - Beautiful Dreams 2:57

07 The Honeycombs - That's the Way 3:00

08 Dick & Dee Dee - Thou Shalt Not Steal 2:00

09 Glenda Collins - Baby It Hurts 2:23

10 Dana Gillespie - Pay You Back with Interest 2:52

11 Louise Cordet - Two Lovers 2:30

12 Sandie Shaw - Girl Don't Come 2:12

13 Petula Clark - I Know a Place 2:44

14 Lulu - Can't Hear You No More 2:14

15 Susan Maughan - Call on Me 2:36

16 The Caravelles - New York 2:26

17 Julie Grant - Can't Get You Out of My Head 1:54

18 The Shangri-Las - Right Now and Not Later 2:37

19 The Dixie Cups - People Say 2:42

20 The McKinleys - Sweet and Tender Romance 2:09

21 The Orchids - I've Got That Feeling 2:31

22 The Breakaways - He Doesn't Love Me 1:57

23 Polly Perkins - The Girls Are At It Again 2:00

24 Miss X - Christine 2:48


CD4

01 The Chiffons - One Fine Day 2:09

02 The Ronettes - Baby, I Love You 2:49

03 Little Eva - Keep Your Hands Off My Baby 2:32

04 The Crystals - I Wonder 2:57

05 Candy and the Kisses - Keep on Searchin' 2:29

06 The Ad Libs - The Boy from New York City 3:08

07 The Soul Sisters - Good Time Tonight 2:57

08 Brenda Lee - What'd I Say? 3:09

09 Goldie and the Gingerbreads - Please Please 1:54

10 Millie - Sweet William 1:46

11 Derrick & Patsy - Troubles 2:30

12 Norma Tanega - Bread 2:43

13 Irma Thomas - Breakaway 2:45

14 The Shondells - My Love 2:11

15 The Sapphires - Evil One 2:07

16 Madeleine Bell - I Really Got Carried Away 2:16

17 Elkie Brooks - Something's Got a Hold on Me 2:43

18 Cleo Laine - Don't You Pass Me By 2:46

19 Aretha Franklin - Baby, I Love You 2:42

20 Sugar Pie Desanto - I Don't Wanna Fuss 3:22

21 Fontella Bass - Recovery 2:32

22 Dee Dee Warwick - Worth Every Tear I Cry 2:05

23 Sandy Wynns - The Touch of Venus 2:38

24 The Marvelettes - Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead 2:31

25 The Supremes - There's No Stopping Us Now 2:57

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BB LUCKY DIP #400

BB LUCKY DIP #400

Lucky Dip's will be a mystery gift to those who choose to pick them up. 

Be quick. No re-uploads.


Today's topic: MIXED BAG


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Wednesday, March 5, 2025

VA - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues [2003] 12 x CDs

BLUES

VA - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues [2003] 12 x CDs

The "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" series features a diverse collection of blues music, showcasing a range of styles and artists that have shaped the genre. From the early Delta blues of Robert Johnson and Son House to the electrifying Chicago blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, this series covers the full spectrum of blues music. Bessie Smith, known as the "Empress of the Blues," brings powerful and emotive vocal performances, while Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' offer a blend of traditional and contemporary blues with elements of folk and world music. The virtuosic guitar skills of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix add a rock-infused edge to the blues, while Eric Clapton seamlessly blends blues, rock, and pop throughout his career. B.B. King, with his soulful voice and iconic "Lucille" guitar, delivers heartfelt and expressive blues, while The Allman Brothers Band incorporates blues elements into their Southern rock sound. J.B. Lenoir, known for his socially conscious lyrics and high-pitched voice, provides a unique perspective on the Chicago blues scene.

This series offers an in-depth look at the rich history and diversity of blues music, highlighting the contributions of these legendary artists and their enduring influence on the genre. (B)

Artist included in this post are:

  • Allman Brothers Band
  • B.B. King
  • Bessie Smith
  • Eric Clapton
  • J.B. Lenoir
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Keb' Mo'
  • Muddy Waters
  • Robert Johnson
  • Son House
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • Taj Mahal

This is PART 1

PART 2 next week...

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Track lists

CD01

1 Allman Brothers Band - Trouble No More 3:48

02 Allman Brothers Band - Done Somebody Wrong 4:16

03 Allman Brothers Band - Stormy Monday 8:50

04 Allman Brothers Band - Can't Lose What You Never Had 5:51

05 Allman Brothers Band - Statesboro Blues 4:13

06 Allman Brothers Band - One Way Out 4:57

07 Allman Brothers Band - Hoochie Coochie Man 4:57

08 Allman Brothers Band - I'm Gonna Move to The Outskirts of Town 9:19

09 Allman Brothers Band - Dimples 4:59

10 Allman Brothers Band - Need Your Love So Bad 4:04

11 Allman Brothers Band - You Don't Love Me 19:16


CD02

01 B.B. King - Three O' Clock Blues 3:02

02 B.B. King - Everyday I Have The Blues 2:49

03 B.B. King - Sneakin' Around 2:07

04 B.B. King - How Blue Can You Get? 2:42

05 B.B. King - Don't Answer The Door 5:11

06 B.B. King - Paying The Cost to Be The Boss 2:35

07 B.B. King - The Thrill is Gone 5:26

08 B.B. King - Ain't Nobody Home 3:15

09 B.B. King - Don't You Lie to Me 6:13

10 B.B. King - Inflation Blues 4:14

11 B.B. King - Playin' With My Friends 5:19

12 B.B. King - I'll Survive 4:51


CD03

01 Bessie Smith - A Good Man is Hard to Find 3:02

02 Bessie Smith - I Ain't Goin' to Play No Second Fiddle 3:21

03 Bessie Smith - Me and My Gin 2:51

04 Bessie Smith - Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan) 3:08

05 Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues 3:11

06 Bessie Smith - 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do 3:29

07 Bessie Smith - Careless Love 3:24

08 Bessie Smith - The Yellow Dog Blues 2:58

09 Bessie Smith - Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl 2:51

10 Bessie Smith - Down Hearted Blues 3:27

11 Bessie Smith - Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out 2:59

12 Bessie Smith - On Revival Day (A Rhythmic Spiritual) 2:56

13 Bessie Smith - Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair 3:23

14 Bessie Smith - Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer 3:30

15 Bessie Smith - Back Water Blues 3:16


CD04

01 John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - All Your Love 3:35

02 John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - Steppin' Out 2:30

03 Cream - Rollin' and Tumblin' 4:44

04 Cream - I'm So Glad 4:01

05 Cream - Spoonful (live) 16:46

06 Blind Faith - Sleeping in The Ground 4:47

07 Howlin' Wolf - Rockin' Daddy 3:48

08 Derek and The Dominos - Have You Ever Loved A Woman 6:54

09 Eric Clapton and Duane Allman - Mean Old World 3:53

10 Derek and The Dominos - Crossroads (live) 8:36


CD05

01 J.B. Lenoir - Eisenhower Blues 2:52

02 J.B. Lenoir - Korea Blues 2:55

03 J.B. Lenoir - Mama Talk to Your Daughter 2:25

04 J.B. Lenoir - Sitting Down Thinking 3:00

05 J.B. Lenoir - Give Me One More Shot 2:19

06 J.B. Lenoir - Natural Man 2:35

07 J.B. Lenoir - Don't Dog Your Woman 3:14

08 J.B. Lenoir - Low Down Dirty Shame 2:26

09 J.B. Lenoir - If You Love Me 2:51

10 J.B. Lenoir - Don't Touch My Head 2:18

11 J.B. Lenoir - Mama, What about Your Daughter 2:30

12 J.B. Lenoir - When I am Drinking 2:40

13 J.B. Lenoir - Five Years 1:47

14 J.B. Lenoir - Good Looking Woman 2:07

15 J.B. Lenoir - Voodoo Boogie 1:58


CD06

01 Jimi Hendrix - Red House 3:50

02 Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile 15:00

03 Jimi Hendrix - Come on (Let the Good Times Roll) 4:09

04 Jimi Hendrix - Georgia Blues 7:58

05 Jimi Hendrix - Country Blues 8:26

06 Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train a Comin' 6:57

07 Jimi Hendrix - It's Too Bad 8:52

08 Jimi Hendrix - My Friend 4:37

09 Jimi Hendrix - Blue Window 12:52

10 Jimi Hendrix - Midnight Lightning 3:06


CD07

01 Keb' Mo' - Soon as I Get Paid 4:37

02 Keb' Mo' - Come in My Kitchen 3:15

04 Keb' Mo' - Don't Try to Explain 3:57

05 Keb' Mo' - I'm on Your Side 5:18

06 Keb' Mo' - Henry 3:39

07 Keb' Mo' - Am I Wrong 2:19

08 Keb' Mo' - A Letter to Tracy 4:10

09 Keb' Mo' - Love in Vain 3:04

11 Keb' Mo' - Every Morning 2:58

12 Keb' Mo' - Dangerous Mood 4:59

13 Keb' Mo' - It Hurts Me 5:27

14 Keb' Mo' - Crapped Out Again 2:32

15 Keb' Mo' - Love Blues 3:03

16 Keb' Mo' - Peace of Mind 4:11


CD08

01 Muddy Waters - Country Blues, Number One 3:26

02 Muddy Waters - Burying Ground Blues 2:33

03 Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied 2:42

04 Muddy Waters - Rollin' & Tumblin', Part One 2:59

05 Muddy Waters - Rollin' Stone 3:07

06 Muddy Waters - Louisiana Blues 2:54

07 Muddy Waters - Long Distance Call 2:40

08 Muddy Waters - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man 2:51

09 Muddy Waters - I Just Want to Make Love to You 2:51

10 Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy 2:57

11 Muddy Waters - Trouble No More 2:41

12 Muddy Waters - Rock Me 3:12

13 Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working 2:52

14 Muddy Waters - You Shook Me 2:44

15 Muddy Waters - You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had 2:56

16 Muddy Waters - The Blues Had A Baby and They Named it Rock and Roll 3:35


CD09

01 Robert Johnson - Walkin' Blues 2:30

02 Robert Johnson - Come on in My Kitchen 2:51

03 Robert Johnson - I Believe I'll Dust My Broom 2:59

04 Robert Johnson - Stop Breakin' Down Blues 2:17

05 Robert Johnson - Traveling Riverside Blues 2:41

06 Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues 2:39

07 Robert Johnson - From Four Until Late 2:24

08 Robert Johnson - Sweet Home Chicago 2:59

09 Robert Johnson - Hellhound on My Trail 2:36

10 Robert Johnson - Kind Hearted Woman Blues 2:51

11 Robert Johnson - Malted Milk 2:22

12 Robert Johnson - Ramblin' on My Mind 2:52

13 Robert Johnson - 32-20 Blues 2:49

14 Robert Johnson - Love in Vain 2:22

15 Cassandra Wilson - Hot Tamales (They're Red Hot) 1:41

16 Robert Johnson - Last Fair Deal Gone Down 3:45


CD10

01 Son  House - My Black Mama, Pt. 1 3:07

02 Son  House - Preachin' Blues, Pt. 1 3:04

03 Son  House - Dry Spell Blues, Pt. 1 3:12

04 Son  House - Levee Camp Blues 3:47

05 Son  House - Walking Blues 6:41

06 Son  House - Special Rider Blues 3:07

07 Son  House - Pony Blues 4:15

08 Son  House - Death Letter 4:21

09 Son  House - Pearline 4:33

10 Son  House - John The Revelator 2:31

11 Son  House - Preachin' Blues 5:45

12 Son  House - Empire State Express 3:41

13 Son  House - Levee Camp Moan 9:30

14 Son  House - Grinnin' in Your Face 2:06


CD11

01 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Slide Thing (live) 3:04

02 Stevie Ray Vaughan - All Your Love I Miss Loving (live) 6:13

03 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride and Joy 3:39

04 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Dirty Pool 5:01

05 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood 5:21

06 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Hug You, Squeeze You (live) 3:49

07 Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Things (That) I Used to Do 4:54

08 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Honey Bee 2:42

09 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Give Me Back My Wig 4:07

10 Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying (live) 7:20

11 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Look at Little Sister 3:08

12 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Empty Arms 3:04

13 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Come on (Part III) 4:31

14 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love (live) 6:36

15 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Mary Had a Little Lamb (live) 6:11

16 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Leave My Girl Alone 4:16


CD12

01 Taj Mahal - Leaving Trunk 4:48

02 Taj Mahal - Dust My Broom 2:37

03 Taj Mahal - Corinna (From "The Natch'l Blues") 3:02

04 Taj Mahal - Chevrolet 2:38

05 Taj Mahal - Going up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue 3:37

06 Taj Mahal - Statesboro Blues 2:57

07 Taj Mahal - She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride 3:28

08 Taj Mahal - Checkin' Up on My Baby 4:55

09 Taj Mahal - Bound to Love Me Some 4:28

10 Taj Mahal - Queen Bee 4:39

11 Taj Mahal - You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond 4:55

12 Taj Mahal - Fishin' Blues 2:55

13 Taj Mahal - Six Days on the Road 3:00

14 Taj Mahal - Freight Train 4:43

15 Taj Mahal - Ain't That a Lot of Love 4:01

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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

William Onyeabor - William Onyeabor [2014] (9 x CDs)

WILLIAM ONYEABOR

William Onyeabor - William Onyeabor [2014] (9 x CDs)

William Ezechukwu Onyeabor, was born outside Enugu, a small, rural town in Eastern Nigeria (26 March 1946 - 16 January 2017).  HEwas a Nigerian funk musician and businessman. His music was widely heard in Nigeria in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite his success, he remained an enigmatic, private, and reclusive figure.  

William Onyeabor was born outside Enugu, a small, rural town in Eastern Nigeria, he created his own genre of African electronic funk in the late 70s and early 80s, making music completely unique for his time. Today, he is reaching cult status among a growing list of admirers, including everyone from Damon Albarn and Hot Chip to Carl Craig and Madlib, with some likening him to the Kraftwerk of West Africa, or a precursor to LCD Soundsystem.

Onyeabor's songs are often heavily rhythmic and synthesized, occasionally epic in scope, with lyrics decrying war. Onyeabor himself and female backing singers provided vocals. In the 2010s, some of his songs appeared on various compilations, most frequently his biggest hit, "Better Change Your Mind", which appeared on Africa 100, World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing – The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa on Luaka Bop, and Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970's Funky Lagos on Strut Records.

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Track lists

CD1

01 William Onyeabor - Something You'll Never Forget 10:06

02 William Onyeabor - Ride on Baby 6:30

03 William Onyeabor - Crashes in Love 6:29

04 William Onyeabor - Heaven & Hell 4:02

05 William Onyeabor - Jungle Gods 4:03


CD2

01 William Onyeabor - Something You'll Never Forget 8:41

02 William Onyeabor - Ride on Baby 6:07

03 William Onyeabor - Crashes in Love 6:05

04 William Onyeabor - Heaven & Hell 3:54


CD3

01 William Onyeabor - Beautiful Baby 8:26

02 William Onyeabor - Better Change Your Mind 8:22

03 William Onyeabor - Atomic Bomb 8:00

04 William Onyeabor - Shame 5:50

05 William Onyeabor - I Need You All Life 6:44


CD4

01 William Onyeabor - Tomorrow 6:07

02 William Onyeabor - Why Go to War 9:04

03 William Onyeabor - Love Me Now 7:04

04 William Onyeabor - Fantastic Man 6:32

05 William Onyeabor - Try and Try 3:35


CD5

01 William Onyeabor - The Way to Win Your Love 7:27

02 William Onyeabor - Poor Boy 8:17

03 William Onyeabor - Body and Soul 10:08

04 William Onyeabor - I Believe in God 8:21


CD6

01 William Onyeabor - Tell Me What You Want 9:08

02 William Onyeabor - Great Lover 6:36

03 William Onyeabor - Love is Blind 7:51

04 William Onyeabor - I've Got Love 7:40


CD7

01 William Onyeabor - The Moon and The Sun 9:20

02 William Onyeabor - Papa Na Mama 6:49

03 William Onyeabor - Hypertension 7:58

04 William Onyeabor - Politicians 7:13


CD8

01 William Onyeabor - Good Name 10:08

02 William Onyeabor - Let's Fall in Love 7:19


CD9

01 William Onyeabor - When The Going is Smooth & Good 12:53

02 William Onyeabor - This Kind of World 6:05

03 William Onyeabor - Anything You Sow 7:59

04 William Onyeabor - Everyday 5:37

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Monday, March 3, 2025

VA - Mercury Records, The Mercury Jazz Story [1995] (2 x CDs)

MERCURY RECORDS

VA - Mercury Records, The Mercury Jazz Story [1995] (2 x CDs)

Mercury's jazz division had two distinct and important fathers. John Hammond brought his expertise and connections when Mercury bought Keystone Records in the late 1940's. And Mercury was the issuing company and distributor for Norman Granz's pre-Norgran/Verve recordings. Although both Hammond and Granz had departed Mercury by the mid-50's, they established the company in the jazz world.

Mercury, under its Emarcy label, released LPs by many important post-swing and bebop artists including Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Clark Terry, Dinah Washington, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughn, Maynard Ferguson, Jimmy Cleveland, Herb Geller and others. By the early 1960's, Mercury was releasing jazz under the flagship label and was an early leader in the new stereo sound releases.

Highlights of the early and mid-60's included albums by Quincy Jones, Buddy Rich, Cannonball Adderley, Charles (then called Charlie) Mingus, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Max Roach and others.

In the early 1950's, Norman Granz started his own record company, Norgran, which later became Verve. In an ironic twist, both Mercury and Verve are now owned by Universal Music Group and Mercury's jazz library falls under the Verve division. Since the early 1990's, Verve has reissued many Mercury jazz titles on CD, often taking care to use original master tapes and including session material not included on the original LPs.

In addition, Mosaic Records in Stamford CT has issued several box sets spotlighting the Mercury and Verve recordings of various artists including Max Roach, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Buddy Rich. (Wikipedia)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Gene Ammons - Idaho 2:53

02 Muggsy Spanier - Feather Brain 2:54

03 Dinah Washington - I Cried for You ( Now It`s Your Turn to Cry Over Me) 2:28

04 Paul Quinichette - I'll Always Be in Love With You 3:03

05 Ben Webster - The Iron Hat 2:58

06 Paul Gonsalves - Don't Blame Me 3:20

07 Art Blakey - Eleanor 2:54

08 Art Madigan - Moroccan Blues 3:07

09 Helen Merrill - 'S Wonderful 3:13

10 Erroll Garner - I've Got to Be A Rug Cutter 2:21

11 Gerry Mulligan - Demanton 5:36

12 Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Flossie Lou 4:03

13 Max Roach - Love Letters 8:57

14 Cannonball Adderley - Hoppin' John 4:40

15 Max Roach - My Old Flame 3:37

16 Sarah Vaughan - Three Little Words 3:45

17 Eddie South - I Hadn't Anyone Till You 3:33

18 John Coltrane - Weaver of Dreams 5:36

19 Conte & Pete Candoli - Willow Weep for Me 4:31

20 Buddy Rich - ( Back Home Again In) Indiana 3:18


CD2

01 Charles Mingus - Take The 'A' Train- Exactly Like You 3:38

02 Quincy Jones - The Midnight Sun Will Never Set 4:35

03 Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxaphones 2:27

04 Coleman Hawkins & Sol Yaged - I Can't Get Started 4:32

05 Pete Rugolo - Struttin' With Some Barbecue 2:26

06 George Wein - Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine) 4:38

07 Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina - Scrapple From The Apple 4:49

08 Julius Watkins - Mood Inidgo 3:05

09 Terry Gibbs - The Big Cat 4:29

10 Roland Kirk - 3-In-1 Without The Oil 2:34

11 Art Farmer - Raincheck 3:42

12 Art Hodes & Truck Parham - Washboard Blues 2:40

13 Woody Herman - El Toro Grande 5:00

14 Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry - Squeaky's Blues 3:29

15 Art Blakey - Waltz for Ruth 5:46

16 Lee Konitz - Blues for Bird 5:42

17 Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin' High 6:05

18 Paul Bley - Kid Dynamite 3:15

19 Jimmy Smith - Sometimes I'm Happy 4:46

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VA - Mercury Records, The New Orleans Sessions 1950 - 1953 [2007] (2 x CDs)

MERCURY RECORDS

VA - Mercury Records, The New Orleans Sessions 1950 - 1953 [2007] (2 x CDs)

The Mercury New Orleans sessions began with William B. Allen, who owned a radio supply store at Orleans and North Robertson streets and also distributed Mercury records in New Orleans. In late 1949 Allen talked to Mercury’s main office about recording black artists in New Orleans. “He had impressed the people in Chicago in knowing something about it and having something to offer,” recalled Murray Nash, Mercury’s primary Southern A&R (artists and repertoire) man of the time, “and they sent me down there to check it out.”

Allen acted as Mercury’s talent scout. He didn’t have to look very far, as his business was on the border between the French Quarter, where George Miller & His Mid-Driffs often performed, and the black Treme district, where Professor Longhair and Alma Mondy played the’Caldonia Inn,’ though one or two of the Mercury artists were chosen from an audition at the ‘Club Desire,’ a swanky black nightclub in the middle of a poor Upper Ninth Ward neighborhood a few miles to the east of the downtown area on Desire Street, likely after Nash, who usually recorded country music, arrived from his home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Before signing with Mercury in 1948, Nash had been a successful distributor and A&R man for RCA Victor, where over the course of a decade his many achievements included the creation of several innovative distributing practices, persuading producer Steve Sholes to sign Hank Snow, and the recording of the original version of Tennessee Waltz by Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys (after Sholes had rejected the song), Nash would later recommend the song to Mitch Miller, the pop A&R man at Mercury, for either Patti Page or Eddy Howard to Record. Of course, Miller recorded the song with Page and the rest is pop music history – perhaps (an alternate story suggests that ‘Billboard’ writer Jerry Wexler, having liked Erskine Hawkins’ pop cover version, recommended the song to Jack Rael, Page’s manager).

In early 1950 Murray traveled to one of his favorite cities, New Orleans, where segregation was obvious. “New Orleans was divided and there was a regular black section, and they had their clubs and businesses,”sremembered Nash. “Whites normally didn’t go into the colored section at all.” Nash and Allen went to segregated black clubs and had to stand behind the bar to watch the artists. On one memorable night Allen enjoyed a black hairdresser’s convention at a nightclub, watching women wearing hairdos “three or four feet” above their heads!

From all indications – the releases of the records and mentions of the recording in the media – the first sessions were probably held in February 1950. Likely because of economic considerations – seven artists recorded in marathon sessions over two nights – the recordings were made at National Recorders in the Godchaux Building on Canal Street, instead of at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M studio. The songs were recorded primarily on 33 1/3rpm acetates. “That’s all they had at National at the time,” says Cosimo Matassa. “Two engineers from WWL and another guy named Ray McNamara, an organist, owned National. They got all of the aircheck business from WWL (radio)… They weren’t around a terribly long time after that.”

The musicians on the session were George Miller’s Mid-Driffs, including Miller on bass, Lester Alexis on drums, Alex ‘Duke’ Burrell on piano, and Leroy ‘Batman’ Rankin and Lee Allen on tenor saxophones. Alexis recalled that former Paul Gayten sideman Jack Scott, husband of Jewel King of ‘3×7=21’ fame, played the guitar.

“He (Allen) knowed how good we was,” claimed Lester Alexis. “He wanted to invest some money. So he used Fess, Alma and all them recording and we backed all of them up… We started playing early that night and recorded all night, man. We ate and drank and everything (in the studio).”

In April 1950 ‘Billboard’ reported, “Murray Nash did his first Southern blues and rhythm waxing, cutting Roy Byrd and his Blues Jumpers, New Orleans group, and Alma Mondy, blues singer… (www.louisianamusicfactory.com)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Miss Lollypop's Confession 2:43

02 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Love Troubles 2:36

03 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Baby Get Wise 2:33

04 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Just as Soon as I Go Home 2:52

05 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Street Walkin' Daddy 2:43

06 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - A Job for A Jockey 2:30

07 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - Still My Angel Child 2:37

08 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - No Stuff for Me 2:25

09 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - I Need You Baby 2:46

10 Alma Mondy (Alma Lollypop) - You Done Me Wrong 2:31

11 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Byrd's Blues 2:45

12 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Her Mind is Gone 2:37

13 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Bald Head 2:30

14 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Hey Now Baby 2:47

15 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Oh Well 2:25

16 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Hadacol Bounce 2:59

17 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Longhair Stomp 2:44

18 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Been Foolin' Around 2:58

19 Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair) & His Blues Jumpers - Between The Night and Day 2:43

20 Theard Johnson - I Walk in My Sleep 2:24

21 Theard Johnson - Lost Love 2:29

22 George Miller & His Mid-Driffs - Boogie's The Thing 2:44

23 George Miller & His Mid-Driffs - Bat-Lee Swing 2:48


CD2

01 Little Joe Gaines - She Won't Leave No More 2:26

02 Little Joe Gaines - Snuff Dipper 2:50

03 Dwine Craven - Mercury Boogie 2:37

04 Dwine Craven - New Way of Loving 2:40

05 Silvertone Singers - Bye and Bye 2:49

06 Silvertone Singers - What Are They Doing in Heaven Today 3:04

07 Silvertone Singers - Call on Jesus in Secret Prayer 3:00

08 Silvertone Singers - Rest From Labor 2:59

09 Pat Valdelar - Keey Your Hands on Your Heart 2:48

10 Pat Valdelar - Baby, Rock Me 2:42

11 Ray Johnson - Boogie The Blues 2:47

12 Ray Johnson - House of Blues 2:40

13 Ray Johnson - I'll Never Let Your Goe 2:45

14 Ray Johnson - Smilin' Blues 2:28

15 Herbert Moore - Something's Wrong 2:15

16 Herbert Moore - Five Long Letters 2:48

17 Alma Mondy - Miss Lollypop's Confession 2:49

18 Alma Mondy - Love Troubles 2:16

19 Alma Mondy - Just as Soon as I Go Home 2:46

20 Roy Byrd - Her Mind is Gone 2:53

21 Roy Byrd - Hadacol Bounce 2:55

22 Roy Byrd - Longhair Stomp 2:41

23 Roy Byrd - Between The Night and Day 2:37

24 George Miller & His Mid-Driffs - Bat-Lee Swing 2:53

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