The Style Council - Long Hot Summer

This tune started creeping up and resurfacing again last summer and I happened to run across a few copies of both the 12 inch and this mini LP. It's seems we're all kind of collectively wishing it was summer time again, and the fog and cold would burn off and turn back into summer. I could truly go for another long hot summer. I'm hoping putting this song out there will be some kind of effective 'rain dance' wishing for sun and warmth instead of rain.
I always loved this song. I can remember buying the picture sleeve 7 inches right off the racks at the record store. I was just a kid then. Even back then, buying this new project, this new direction for The Jam's front man felt a bit liberating and the whole thing was definitely intriguing.
Paul Weller was a face of the highest caliber. He definitely typified the modern day mod in his day. He not only fully endorsed soul music, but he stepped out even further from his winning power pop group The Jam to validate a peculiar niche of modern soul. He did so right smack dab in the middle of modern soul's strongest era. In addition to the 60's soul the group was so obviously inspired by, you could tell Paul and council member Mick Talbot were listening to 80's Marvin Gaye and the likes of groups like Loose Ends. To my conservative and square mod purist friends that can't handle things like synths and drum machine...give it a chance... you CAN handle it. Just like Paul Weller did. And quite well.
Shiddy ditty ditty de bop.

Long Hot Summer Video


The Style Council - Long Hot Summer

Marv Johnson - With All That's In Me

Had to dig this one up once I started reminiscing about the golden mod days. This was a favorite of mine to bump on the incredible powerhouse of a sound system at 330 Ritch St. in San Francisco. For a few years Kirk Harper, Kitty, Joe Silva and I hosted a 60's and 70's soul night there.  Back when I could fit into a 3 pc. suit and spun around and boogalued like nobody's business!

This is quite a thunderous stomper and a bit haunted like most of the stuff I really like. Sounded so good nice and loud. A great piano riff and some murderous backing vocal lines delivered by some unknown soul sisters that literally burn it up. This has that real early Ray Charles style swing to it and has been a difficult 45 to track down. One of my faves. Hope you enjoy.

Mr. Marv Johnson

Marv Johnson - With All That's In Me

Barbara Mason - Ain't Got Nobody

Back to the swing and finger snaps of a good Northern dancer. Hot off the wheels of another killer nite at Lower Bottoms. This was as easy pull straight from my box of unplayed stuff that I brought. Songs I didn't get around to playing. Funny how you can bring a small box of 45's and still NOT play everything in it. Let me say again, how much it is to spin amongst the LB crew. I totally dig each of the other DJ's styles. In particular, I love Bobby's acid drenched funk, Adrianne's sweet and groovy soul and Joseph aka Trick Baby's completely unpredictable style. Always a good time and like I've starting saying lately, this is the best combo of hipster and homeless with a crackin' sound system I've been to since our very own Sound Boutique club.

From start to finish Barbara Mason has had huge hits and a knack for writing perfect little soul pop tunes. She's penned killer oldies sound with 'Yes, I'm Ready' in 1965 and brought the boogie back with 'Another Man' in 1984. Just an example of how lengthy and prolific her career has been. I'm happy to report Barbara is alive and well. Still singing and knocking the socks off of soul fans all over the world. This is just a small offering from Barbara, and we'll delve into much more of hers in the future.

 I hope you'll enjoy this nice and smooth dancer from this legendary Philly soul queen.


Barbara Mason - Ain't Got Nobody

Tony Clarke - Ghetto Man

Tomorrow night is all about Oakland. My funk brothers, the keepers of the Lower Bottoms District in West Oakland, throw their massive wacky party that's a fine mixture of homeless and hipster. It's of course, simply called 'Lower Bottom's Funk and Soul' and is one thee best parties around.

I'm really glad to be back with this crew, I've missed them quite a bit, and I've got some really tasty tunes to get off my chest. This Tony Clarke smoker is one of them. Nothing new on most deep funk heads, but regardless a great tune. I just recently stumbled across another copy of this and decided to throw it in the box for this night.
Tony was a sincere entertainer, a freight train of soul, and put out a lot of steam from 1962 until his death in 1970. He put out about a single every year. I know Tony from his first single, which was also the first single I heard from him, entitled 'The Entertainer'. It was a smooth sweeper big on the mod and northern circuit released in 1965 on Chess. This single 'Ghetto Man' is worlds apart. It's from 1967 and on the Chicory label. Another big Northern and Mod favorite was his huge production and wicked dancer 'Landslide' also recorded for the Chess label. This gives you and idea of just how dynamic his short career was, and what an immense powerhouse he was.

Please look up Lower Bottom's Funk and Soul, and Revolution Cafe to come and join us this Saturday. They serve food. hint hint. And, the place is decorated like a 60's and 70's exploitation film from hell. The Boys at LBF&S have made it very important to play their tunes through the biggest loudest sound systems they can find, so if you enjoy hearing funk and soul LOUD...this is indeed the place to be. We'll be going very late, like we always do. So even if you've got other plans we're a good party to join up with on the late night tip. Sloppy seconds has never been so good.

Tony Clarke - Ghetto Man

Carol Fran - I'm Gonna Try

Here's a wicked, wicked little soul stomper. This gift of passionate soul magic by Carol Fran is lead by a sledge hammer snare and a few tickles of piano. The bold and beautiful brass ruggedly wraps up Carol's delicious voice. I love how this song starts from scratch and builds up into this frenzy, and then calms down, and fires up again. Just a brilliant 60's soul tune.

I remember initially laying his down at the Ivy Room in Albany, California. Not long after scoring this 45, I played it at Soundboutique. Quite some time ago, and maybe father back than most can remember, or even know about for that matter, the name of this blog represented a Thursday deejay dance night at the Ivy Room. Those were seriously good times and the owners truly gave us the freedom to play what we wanted. This tune packed the floor the few times I played it, and we had prosperous run for that night. I'll always remember my conversation with the owner when we played Prince and AC/DC in the very beginning when the club was still empty and he said 'I think this is great...keep on doin' it' with a laid back satisfied look. They really did let us branch out and play what ever the fuck we wanted to. It was pop, commercial, underground, hip hop, soul, funk, rock, electro, nu-wave...whatever. Anything you could think of. Whatever our guest DJ's felt like playing. As long as you could dance to it. And, yes a lot of stuff like this Carol Fran 45. After all, I was involved so you could always count on a soul fix. We knew the owner had our backs when he paid to replace the blown sub woofer after our roasting of it with 'Under Mi Sleng Teng' by Wanye Smith.
That sub sonic bass is brutal even on a set of Meyers!

Carol Fran - I'm Gonna Try

Julian Covey - A Little Bit Hurt

From hard rock to hard organ blazin' mod soul. This little slab of boogaloo swingin' action has been in my mod 60's soul box ever since Alec Palao played it when we DJ'ed together many years ago. It's a hand clap groove with the simple addition of bass and piano. Once the organ sets in, it's hell fire to spark with mod shing-a-ling dance moves.

This track, a double breasted pin stripe suit and some talcum powder and you've any mod committed to the dance floor like nobody's business. It's a little over 2 minutes of pure fire.


From this heavy rhythm guided groover it's easy to tell that Julian Covey was a drummer. Julian's real name is Philip Kinorra. He's played with British organ and groove kingpins Graham Bond and Brian Auger. Right along side McDuff and McGriff, Graham and Brian ushered in my introduction to organ, fresh from the mod days right into acid jazz and rare groove. Hard to deny the underbelly of a Latin groove with that bad ass conga and stand up bass. In fact it's a hybrid of true Latin soul that somehow meets Spencer Davis' 'I'm A Man' somewhere in the middle.


I'm a little bit hurt by just what a monster tune this is. Hope you agree.


Julian Covey - A Little Bit Hurt

The Metros - Since I Found My Baby

It's funny, the first thing that came to mind for me when I posted "Since I Lost My Baby' by The Temptations was this tune. While the Tempts are hugely well known, the opposite can be said for The Metros. Although they were lesser known, the influence of the budding Motown sound is clear. From the sharp arsenal of instruments and the full production, you can tell Motor city had it's affect on The Metros.

This tune from their 1967 RCA LP "Sweetest One" is a marvel of a tune and a smokin' hot soul dancer. I've been wanting to retread or back step into my DJ material from my years as a mod. No tune better exemplifies the sound that I was into at that time. It's an essential northern soul tune. I like to call it secret agent soul. It's slick, smooth, polished and ever so deadly. Reminds me of the crisp 'big boy' sound system at 330 Ritch Street back when Kitty, Kirk Harper and I (and frequent guests) would DJ the soul nite called 'In and Out' once a month. Things like this tune always sounded so incredible on that huge sound system. Although, I was mostly known for playing funkier and more southern type stuff, I had my moments of glazing the soul donuts too. I was just as happy to button the fourth button and break out the talcum power when it came to numbers like this. It was a great period for me, expanding my interests in 60's and 70's club soul, be it funky or northern, pop or underground.

The Metros were Percy Williams, James Buckman, Robert Suttles, and Arthur Mitchell. All incredibly talented vocalists. Produced by Jack Ashford (Hotel Sheet) and Joe Hunter, also known as the Pied Piper production team. This song also features a young guitarist known as Dave Hamilton. Sadly this was their only full length LP, and only book cased it with a few 45 releases. They formed in 1966 and quickly separated late the next year.
Too Bad, The Metros had such great potential. 

That's two 'Since I ____ My Baby' tunes in one week! But, I'll spare you all from my horrific 'blanked my baby' jokes. Just glad that now, what was once lost, is now found. Cheers.

GO METROS!


The Metros - Since I Found My Baby

The Temptations - Since I Lost My Baby

Speaking of slow burners, here's one from the emperors of sweet soul. I haven't listened to this for a great length of time. Probably since my mod days back when we constantly played The Actions' version. I had been thinking about Motown lately as I had just watched the Tammi Terrell special on 'Unsung'. The Tammi Terrell story is simply an incredible one, and you should do whatever you can to see it.

Just today I came across this LP, 'Temptin'' by The Temptations at a thrift store. It has all the classic elements of Motown production..  clean and crisp piano, elegant strings, drums that crackle like a great northern soul storm, and topped with a silvery coating of vocals. It's a great underplayed song. Just a genius, sincere and heartfelt tune about bitter loss.

I actually give The Action a lot of credit for doing a fine cover of this song. They had the chance to do it over, giving it strength in new parts of the song. But, the Tempts are still kings in my book and no one can hold a flame to the arsenal of beautiful music they put out. This being just another fine example of what they and the Motown squad had to offer in 1965.


The Temptations - Since I Lost My Baby