Monday 21 April 2014

Niebiesko Czarni - Niebiesko Czarni (1966)


"On the list of Poland's big beat groups the Blue-Blacks take undoubtedly the top spot which they owe both to the immense interest they have been arousing with our youth and to their success abroad.
When in the summer of 1962 during the Festival of Young Talents in Szczecin a group of lanky boys in blue black jumpers appeared on the festival platform nobody could have foreseen what a major role they were to play in the festival and that its cup, intended for the best group, would go to them.
Since then there have been several new additions to the group, alterations of style, they have had successes and failures and with all that they have been progressing constantly. They were the first in Poland to make use of electric guitars, having replaced the traditional double bass by a bass guitar, first to introduce the electric organ. They were the authors of the slogan 'Polish youth sings Polish songs@ and would pick up folk tunes which they regarded as inspiration for pop music in general and of big beat in particular.
The Blue-Blacks have often represented Polish pop music abroad, among othere in France (1963), in Sweden (1964) and in Hungary (1965). Their biggest success was in Paris where they played in the world famous music hall L'Olympia.
....Over the last few years the Blue-Blacks have recorded a considerable number of discs.  One of their songs, by the way, 'Do You Remember Me Yet' bought from them and recorded (with her own lyric) by the great Marlene Deitrich.
As we've already mentioned, their style undergoes a constant evolution and is now completely different from that only a year ago.  But on the whole its main features are stormy dynamics and strong expression as well as a consistent introduction into their pieces of modern tone colour, of the sort prevailing with the top groups abroad.
On this disc you can find both their older peices and the quite recent ones.  They are mostly their own compositions, which puts the Blue-Blacks among the most ambitious groups of this type."
Fabulous freak-beat tunes from behind the Iron Curtain.  The group have a raw sound reminiscent of the early Kinks and they boast a great line up of guest singers.

Check it out:


Tracklist:

01     Hej Dziewczyno Hej    
02     Smutny List    
03     Żegnaj Karnawale    
04     Komandosi    
05     Zostały Mi Tylko Twoje Listy    
06     Czy Będziesz Sama Dziś Wieczorem    
07     Niedziela Będzie Dla Nas    
08     Idzie Dysc    
09     Ach    
10     Nie Lubię Kłamać    
11     Maria Elena    
12     O Ile Nie Pamiętacie - Posłuchajcie    
13     Taka Była Moja Dziewczyna    
14     Chciałeś Wszystko Zmienić    
15     Zabawa W Ciuciubabkę

Get it HERE.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Matilde Diaz - 25 Años



"Again quite recently...I went with a friend one Sunday to the 'flea market' at Saint-Ouen (I go there often, in search of those objects that can be found nowhere else, outmoded, fragmented, useless, almost incomprehensible, perverse in short, in the sense that I give to the word, and that I like)" Andre Breton, Nadja

This piece of black vinyl, carrier of sounds and ideas, was picked up recently at a local flea market, certainly I would not have found it anywhere else.

Matilde Diaz was a Colombian singer, and the wife of band leader, Lucho Bermudez, who is band leader on a number of the tracks on this LP.  With her husband, Matilde Diaz was partly responsible for spreading Colombian music, and particularly the Cumbia rhythm, across the continent.


Tracklist:

01 Carmen de Bolivar
02 San Fernando
03 Salsipuedes
04 La Muerte de Pedro Castro
05 Mosaico
06 El
07 Santa Maria Tiene Tren
08 Rie
09 Viva la Fiesta - Ay Mi Llanura
10 El Secreto de Mi Voz

Get it HERE.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Soul Jewels Vol 1: Let's Do It Over


Deeper than deep, wider than wide...
Every beautiful song on this album shines like a diamond, refracting light into a spectrum consisting of varying shades of blue.
I am hugely grateful for my local boot sale which continues to introduce me to incredible lost sounds.  I hope you all find something special on this wonderful album.



Tracklist:

01     Bobby Powell     Our Love    
02     Ted Taylor     How Do You Walk Away From Fear    
03     Joe Valentine     I Can Stand To See You Go    
04     The Wallace Brothers     I Stayed Away Too Long    
05     Bobby Powell     In Time    
06     Fontella Bass     To Be Free    
07     Ted Taylor     Strangest Feeling    
08     Toussaint McCall     Nothing Takes The Place Of You    
09     Joe Valentine     A Woman's Love    
10     Toussaint McCall     I'll Do It For You    
11     Bobby Powell     I'm Not Going To Cry Over Spilt Milk    
12     Fontella Bass     I Want Everyone To Know    
13     Ted Taylor     Friendship Only Goes So Far    
14     Bobby Powell     Hold My Hand    
15     The Wallace Brothers     My Baby's Gone    
16     Toussaint McCall     Let's Do It Over

Get it HERE.