Black says of the song: “That was my attempt to write a song like The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy”, even though the song’s lyrics, “All I want to do is play you Northern Soul records, while you’re lying next to me until late in the night”, suggest a different inspiration.
“It’s a shame really, because we first played it live in 2013 and then the film Northern Soul came out so everyone will think I’m copying that, but I’m not”, says Black. “The truth is, I’m not even a massive Northern Soul fan. My special subject on Mastermind is the complete works of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. But one night, my wife and I listened to Blowing Up My Mind by The Exciters, and I decided to write a song about it. Any references in the song, like [legendary Northern Soul mecca] Wigan Casino, are a product of Wikipedia and Google”.
The song showcases the two main sentiments of The Boombox Ballads; the first been that this is Sweet Baboo’s naked attempt to emulate his heroes and secondly, that the resulting record reads as a love letter to a loved one.
On The Boombox Ballads, Sweet Baboo wanted to explore more what it was to be a ‘Singer’ as opposed to a ‘Singer Songwriter’, a term - that to him at least - seems to have picked up some negative connotations in recent years. With that in mind, there was a tentative channeling of Harry Nilsson and latter day Scott Walker (‘You Got Me Time Keeping’) in both his songwriting and by working with an arranger (Paul Jones) for the first time who helped him paint the most vivid accompaniments possible.
A native of the North Wales countryside, The Boombox Ballads follows Black’s Motorhome Songs EP, his 2013’s acclaimed Ships and 2010’s I’m A Dancer / Songs About Sleeping – both nominated for the Welsh Music Prize.
Sweet Baboo’s dry wit and melodic flair have seen him become a firm favourite with BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley (who has had him in session more than any other artist), and deservedly recognised as one of the country’s finest performers.
Following his spectacular show in London last month – where Stephen was joined by a string quartet and an all new band, Black has announced a full tour of the UK for autumn including London’s Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.
"Stoneground Words” was the first album in the UK to be released on her own label (Neighborhood Records) in 1972.
Regarded by many Melanie fans as her finest album.
The booklet includes all the photos that were part of the original album release.
Features two bonus tracks ‘Bitter Bad’ a 1973 single that was not featured on any album and ‘Seeds’ (Long Version) that includes her recitation of the ‘Gather Me’ Poem.
All songs were written by Melanie with the exception of ‘My Rainbow Race’ which is a Pete Seeger song.
Singles taken from the album were ‘Together Alone’ and ‘Do You Believe’.
UK music publication Melody Maker hailed this album as "the most sophisticated she’s made”.
Available for the first time on CD.
Track Listing:
1. TOGETHER ALONE
2. BETWEEN THE ROAD SIGNS
3. SUMMER WEAVING
4. MY RAINBOW RACE
5. DO YOU BELIEVE
6. I AM NOT A POET (NIGHT SONG)
7. STONEGROUND WORDS
8. SONG OF THE SOUTH
9. MAYBE I WAS (A GOLF BALL)
10. HERE I AM
BONUS TRACKS
11. BITTER BAD
12. SEEDS (INCLUDES ‘GATHER ME’ POEM)
"Madrugada” (Portuguese for Daybreak) was a 1974 release on Neighborhood Records.
Melanie was already known as a great songwriter and this album highlighted the fact that she was also a brilliant interpreter of other people’s songs. So along with six originals by Melanie we also have ‘Lover’s Cross’ (Jim Croce),‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ (Woody Guthrie), ‘Wild Horses’ (Jagger/Richards), ‘I Think It’s Going to Rain Today’ (Randy Newman) and ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ (Goffin/King).
Includes the Bonus Track ‘I Am Being Guided’ which was not available on the UK release.
Singles taken from the album were ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ a UK Top 40 Hit, ‘Love To Lose Again’ and ‘Lover’s Cross’.
The critics raved: "Madrugada contains a flawless rendering of Jim Croce’s ‘Lover’s Cross’ and is easily her most acclaimed album to date”.
"Melanie is at her best.. innovative and captivating”.
"Melanie never sounded better”.
"Superb…overwhelming powerful vocals… thoroughly enjoyable”
Available for the first time on CD.
Track Listing:
1. LOVE TO LOSE AGAIN
2. LOVER’S CROSS
3. PRETTY BOY FLOYD
4. WILD HORSES
5. I THINK IT’S GOING TO RAIN TODAY
6. WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
7. MAYBE NOT FOR A LIFETIME
8. HOLDING OUT
9. THE ACTRESS
10. PINE AND FEATHER
BONUS TRACK
11. I AM BEING GUIDED
"As I See It Now” was a 1974 release on Neighborhood Records.
Contains 9 Melanie originals plus songs by Bob Dylan, Jesse Winchester, Gus Kahn/Walter Donaldson and Ritchie Valens.
The bonus track ‘La Bamba’ is a rarity that was only released in Italy as a single.
The album features a host of great backing musicians including Mike Heron and Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band.
‘Chart Song’ was recorded live at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
Singles taken from the album were ‘Sweet Misery’ and ‘You’re Not A Bad Ghost, Just An Old Song’.
Available for the first time on CD.
Track Listing:
1. YANKEE MAN
2. YOU’RE NOT A BAD GHOST, JUST AN OLD
SONG
3. RECORD MACHINE
4. EYES OF MAN
5. STARS UP THERE
6. DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’S ALL RIGHT
7. SWEET MISERY
8. MONONGAHELA RIVER
9. YES SIR, THAT’S MY BABY
10. AUTUMN LADY
11. CHART SONG
12. AS I SEE IT NOW
BONUS TRACK
13. LA BAMBA
"Sunset And Other Beginnings” was a 1975 release on Neighborhood Records.
Contains 8 Melanie originals plus great versions of Broadway and popular standards.
On her renditions of ‘Almost Like Being In Love’ and ‘Ol’ Man River’ rock critic Jack Kelly said "she lifts them bodily out of cliché corner with treatments so different and apt it makes you wonder why someone didn’t see the possibilities long before Melanie did”.
The bonus track ‘Beautiful People’ was recorded live at The Royal Albert Hall, London on 6th October 1975. It was released originally as the B Side to the ‘Almost Like Being In Love’ single.
Available for the first time on CD.
Track Listing:
1. PERCEIVE IT
2. ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE
3. LOVING MY CHILDREN
4. YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE / MAMA SAID
5. PEOPLE ARE JUST GETTING READY
6. OL’ MAN RIVER
7. I’VE GOT MY MOJO WORKING
8. WHERE’S THE BAND
9. DREAM SELLER (MEET ME ON THE CORNER)
10. WHAT DO I KEEP
11. SANDMAN
12. THE SUN AND THE MOON
13. AFRAID OF THE DARK
BONUS TRACK
14. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (LIVE VERSION)
Yuka & Chronoship was formed in 2009 by Yuka Funakoshi (one of the most distinguished female prog-rock artists in the world) and three experienced session musicians (Shun Taguchi, Takashi Miyazawa, and Ikko Tanaka). Via MUSEA (France), the band have released two albums in 31 countries.
The setting of the band’s third album is the Earth or the third planet from the Sun. "The Third Planetary Chronicles” is a grandiose concept album themed with scientific/technological revolutions in the human history: stone-age, Copernican theory, industrial revolution, and theory of relativity.
"Water Reincarnation”, the band’s first album released in 2011, is centred around the theme of perpetual and cyclic transmigration of water.
Their second album in 2013, "Dino Rocket Oxygen”, is comprised of three suites, and the album cover was designed by Roger Dean.
The band has been expanding their popularity with live performances overseas: Prog’ Sud 2013 (Marseille, France) and Festival Crescendo 2014 (Saint Palais sur Mer, France). In 2015, Yuka & Chronoship will appear at 2Dasy Prog+ 2015 and Veruno Prog Fes (Italy).
Track Listing:
1. BIRTH OF THE EARTH - COLLISION
2. STONE AGE
3. GALILEO I - AND YET IT MOVES ( E PUR SI MUOVE )
4. GALILEO II - COPERNICAN THEORY
5. BIRTH OF THE EARTH - MERGER
6. AGE OF STEAM
I. PASTORAL GARDEN
II. MACHINE CITY
7. WRIGHT FLYER 1903
8. ON THE RADIO
9. BIRTH OF THE EARTH - MAGMA OCEAN
10. E = C#M
11. I AM THEE ( AWAKENING OF CLONEROID )
12. BIRTH OF THE EARTH - EMBRYONIC PLANET
'COME & SEE ME is a double CD of 60’s female Beat, Mod, Northern Soul and Psych from the world’s greatest musical melting pot - Australia and New Zealand.
This collection is based on the successful RPM Records 'Dream Babes' series which ran for 8 volumes, and is a must have addition for all collectors of that series.
The accompanying 20 page booklet is bristling with colour and excitement to match the tone of the music. With rare photos and great stories, this is a detailed insight into a fascinating adjunct to the 60’s Femme Pop genre.
Whilst cutting their own sounds the ‘down under’ scene also naturally drew on musical influences from the US and UK. The cross pollination with the UK inevitable following the gigantic migration during the 50’s and 60’s, with two of the biggest names, Sandy Edmonds and Lynne Randell, born in Liverpool. Others went on to have further careers in the UK.
The tracks on COME & SEE ME are taken from a wide range of labels ; from the Aus-NZ branches of the larger companies such as Philips, CBS, EPIC, HMV , Polydor to the successful indies Festival , Impact, Viking , Astor ,Sunshine, Zodiac , Allied International, GO , Clarion and more. Yet via this collection mostly released outside Aus-NZ for the first time.
All tracks hard to find these days. 11 tracks also released on CD for the first time, with one more previously unreleased altogether.
This is the second in RPM’s series of collaborations with Frenzy Productions in New Zealand following the Larry’s Rebels album. Created and Produced by Aus-NZ music expert Grant Gillanders. Grant’s ‘Quin-Tiki’s’ collection is currently no.1 in the NZ album charts.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
1. When You Walk In The Room - SANDY EDMONDS
2. The Rebel Kind - THE CHICKS
3. Saturday Date -TONI McCANN
4. He's Ready - THE CLEVEDONAIRES
5. Someone Cares For Me - THE FIELD TWINS
6. Be My Baby - JOY LEMMON
7. Come And See Me - SANDY EDMONDS
8. No - TONI McCANN
9. Hard Loving Loser - GWYNN OWEN
10. See You Sam - APRIL BYRON
11. What Am I Doing Here With You - THE CHICKS
12. Stranger In My Arms - LYNNE RANDELL
13. Let's Take A Stroll With Allison Durbin Ad -
ALLISON DURBIN
14. Yo Yo - ALLISON DURBIN
15. Soul Time - SANDY EDMONDS
16. Ambush - MARIA DALLAS
17. Bad Reputation - THE EXECUTIVES
18. That's When Happiness Began - GWYNN
OWEN
19. You're Messin' Up My Mind - JUDY JACQUES
20. That's A Hoe Down - LYNNE RANDELL
21. Working On A Groovy Thing - ALLISON
DURBIN
22. Hey, Beach Boy - DONNA GAYE
23. Do You Want To Dance - THE CHICKS with
PETER POSA
24. I Am A Ginger Group Girl ad - ROCHELLE
VINSEN & THE PLEASERS
25. I Wanna Swim With Him - ROCHELLE VINSEN
26. He's My Boy - CATHY HOWE
27. Little People - YVONNE BARRETT
DISC TWO
1. You Were Born For Me - THE TUNESPINNERS
2. Moving In A Circle - THE EXECUTIVES
3. Sunshine River - GEMINI
4. I Think I Just Lost Out - LYNNE PIKE
5. You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies - FIA
KARIN
6. Society's Child - JUDY STONE
7. You Won't Forget Me - THE CHICKS
8. Heaven Is The Place - JUDY DONALDSON
9. The Proud One - THE NEWFOLK
10. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - JANICE
SLATER
11. There's A Scarlet River Running - THE
VALARIA VENGERS
12. Leave Me Alone - RONNIE AND DOUGAL
13. You've Done Your Best - THE TUNESPINNERS
14. High Flying Bird - MAGGIE HAMMOND
15. Midnight Bus - BETTY McQUADE
16. Go Laddie - MAGGIE HAMMOND
17. A Lone Time Comin' - THE CHICKS
18. I'll Forgive You, Then Forget You - DINAH LEE
19. Jet Girl Ad - ALLISON DURBIN
20. I Have Loved Me A Man (version 1) - ALLISON DURBIN
21. I Can Hear The Picture - JUDY DONALDSON
22. Given Time - LYNNE PIKE
23. Beat The Clock - THE SHEVELLES
24. Quiet - MARCIE JONES
25. I Love How You Love Me - THE FAIR SECT PLUS ONE
26. Come On Down - DINAH LEE
27. Clings The Thing Ad - DINAH LEE
28. She Would Not Fade - SCRA feat Sheryl Black
Esoteric Recordings’ REACTIVE label is proud to announce the release of the first volume of an official bootleg series by the legendary TANGERINE DREAM. Formed in Berlin in September 1967 by Edgar Froese, Tangerine Dream are simply one of the most important groups to have emerged on the German music scene of the late 1960s / early 1970s. Always guided by the genius of Edgar Froese, Tangerine Dream developed a sound based on the use of synthesisers and keyboards, first revealed on their marvellous "Alpha Centuari” album in 1971. In Britain, John Peel soon began to promote the band on his influential radio show which ultimately led to Tangerine Dream becoming one of the first acts to sign to Richard Branson’s newly established Virgin label in 1973. Tangerine Dream’s music would influence a whole host of musicians who followed in their wake, such as Julian Cope.
Featuring recordings made at Reims Cathedral, France in December 1974 and at the Mozarthalle, Mannheim, West Germany in October 1976, this 4 CD set (with over four hours of music) has been compiled with the official approval of Tangerine Dream and features two concerts that were voted as some of the finest bootlegs in existence in a recent poll of fans.
The concert at Reims Cathedral has gone down in Tangerine Dream history as a legendary event. The music performed by Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann was exemplary, although the circumstances surrounding the staging of the concert led to a ban on further performances in Cathedrals by The Vatican. The concert at the Mozarthalle in Mannheim is another fine example of the excellence of this incarnation of Tangerine Dream on stage.
This official 4CD clamshell boxed set has been re-mastered from the best available sources and includes an illustrated booklet with a new essay.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
REIMS CATHEDRAL, FRANCE - 13TH DECEMBER 1974
1. REIMS SET ONE
DISC TWO
REIMS CATHEDRAL, FRANCE - 13TH DECEMBER 1974
1. REIMS SET TWO
DISC THREE
MOZARTSAAL, MANNHEIM, GERMANY – 31ST OCTOBER 1976
1. MANNHEIM SET – PART ONE 2. MANNHEIM SET – PART TWO
DISC FOUR
MOZARTSAAL, MANNHEIM, GERMANY – 31ST OCTOBER 1976
1. MANNHEIM ENCORE – PART ONE 2. MANNHEIM ENCORE – PART TWO
