Lost & Found

What it is with bloody cats? 
No sooner has one been found... 

...than another little bleeder goes missing:

I didn't take either of these pictures. Neither did I make this video:

Or this one:

2-Tone: One - BBC: Nil. TOTP 18th Dec 1980

I've just finished reading Horace Panter's book Ska'd For Life. The subtitle is 'A Personal Journey With The Specials', and a bloody good read it is too. It gives a great insight into how it felt to be part of one of the greatest bands of all time; the band that led the 2 Tone revolution - the best thing to happen to British music since The Beatles split & stopped inflicting their pretentious pap pop on the world. 

Ok, I know I'm biased. I also know some folks will think I'm blaspheming by slagging off the Beatles. I'm forever hearing & reading how influential they were, how important they were, how revolutionary they were and so on, and on, and on ad infinitum. I can conceded all those things but the fact is I just don't like them. No need for me to justify that; music is subjective - get over it! 

Sorry, I digress. Back to The Specials & Mr Panter's fine book. As well as his take on the 'bigger picture' of the band's all-too-brief career, there's some cracking little anecdotes. My favourite has to be him & The Beat's Dave Steele swapping places to mime their way through performances of Do Nothing & Too Nice To Talk To on Top of the Pops. I was going to copy out the text from the book & put it here but I've just read the copyright bit at the front & thought better of it - I'd hate to be sued by a Special! Anyway, grab a copy of the book if you fancy a decent read & here's the clips from TOTP with the Horace & Dave Cultural Exchange Scheme in full effect!

Footnote: Horace Panter is now an artist. Now I'm a complete Luddite when it comes to paintings & art but I really like his paintings. Check out the Horace Panter Art website. You can also follow @horacepanterart on Twitter.

SFR Soundsystem 21012012

Playlist for tonight's show. The usual mix of new & old ska but with a soulful groove to get the show going. Been listening to a lot of Japanese ska this week & played a few J-Ska tunes in the show. My show usually goes out at 8pm but I started at 11pm tonight. Not used to concentrating at that time of night - hence it being somewhat chaotic in places (my excuse & I'm sticking to it!) Hope you enjoyed listening.

1. Soul Shakedown Party - Bob Marley & the Wailers
2. Green Onions - Byron Lee
3. Soul Finger - Roland Alphonso
4. Time is Tight - The Heptones
5. Ska Champion - The Determinations
6. Smart Boy - The Akrylykz
7. Kingston Affair - Dave Barker & the Selecter
8. Bangin' on the Wall - The Communicators
9. Pipe Down - The JB Conspiracy
10. Fuck You too - Dubfound
11. Ten Commandments - Prince Buster
12. Tommy's Rocksteady - Tommy McCook & the Supersonics
13. Midnight Ska - Reggie Msomi's Hollywood Jazz Band
14. Sadness - Oi Skall Mates
15. On The Town - Madness
16. Stand Down Margaret (dub) - The Beat
17. Bankrobber - The Clash *
18. Good One Go - The Amphetameanies
19. Sammy dead - The Simmertones
20. The Ballad of Lloyd Knibb - Bombskare
21. Addis Ababa - The Skatalites
22. Drum Song - Sound Dimension
23. Duck Soup - Drumbago All Stars
24. Tribute to Drumbago (AKA Last Call) - The Dynamites
25. Ten Commandments From Woman To Man - Prince Buster
26. Rough & Tough - Stranger Cole
27. Reggae 69 - Boss 501
28. Body bag - Los Furios
29. Your Boss DJ - Dice The Boss
30. Dollar in the Teeth - The Upsetters
31. Mars Invasion - The Soulsteppers
32. Annie Pama - Bunny Lee All Stars
33. Bigger Boss - Ansel Collins
34. Bellevue Special - Don Drummond
35. Loosen Up - Rude Bones
36. Four Seasons of the Year - King Edward Allstars
37. Down Beat Stomp - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

* The Clash song was not on my original playlist - my niece requested and although I don't do requests once I've set the playlist, it was her 18th birthday so I made an exception! I had planned to play Friday Night, Saturday Morning by The Specials. However, while listening to it the thought occurred to me how well Bankrobber sat with Stand Down Margaret; the banks are robbing us blind & we have a Maggie clone in number 10 and God knows I want him to stand down (or at least keep his thieving mitts off my pension!)

Can't you read the signs?

I first came across this tune when I was idly searching the web for tunes that had been sampled by Fat Boy Slim. I'm not the world's biggest fan of Fat Boy (or FBS, as I'm sure he's known to acronym-loving trendy yoof types) but I do like a lot of his tunes. He's often sampled snatches of tracks that I consider classics; the Just Brothers' Sliced Tomatoes & Take Yo' Praise by Camille Yarborough being two that spring to mind immediately and what he produces is certainly a cut above most sampled efforts. 

So, anyway, I was listening to Fat Boy's Don't Let The Man Get You Down and looked up where the sample came from. It's from Signs by the Five Man Electrical Band, a bunch of late 60's / early 70's Canadian hippies singing about being frustrated by 'the man' and his signs telling them what to do & what not to do. I like it - the lyrics are clever, the tune catchy & I've got some sympathy with the sentiment.

I also think it's got some relevance today. The hippy era of flower-powered idealism seems to have given way to a  more cynical and apathetic world view from the majority of people, yet there are still those who rail against 'the man' and his life-restricting signs. The majority of internet users will blissfully carry on posting pic's of their lunch on Twitter ("nom nom"; possibly the most nauseatingly pointless tweets you will ever read), or spreading gossip & flirting on Facebook. There are many, however, who are tweeting, posting, virtually screaming against SOPA - 'the man's' latest attempt at getting us to follow the signs & behave ourselves. 

I'm no expert on SOPA; lack of time and a similar lack of intellect prevent me from understanding the complete legal implications of the Stop Online Piracy Act being pushed through what passes for 'justice' system of America. But it does seem to me that if this bill is passed, what I'm doing here - sharing a bit of music with you - will be illegal. The bill seems designed to prevent people from sharing, not just targeting those who make money out of ripping off record labels & film studios through piracy, but also those of us with a passion for music or film and who just want to share that passion with like-minded people. I've knocked up a few videos from time to time and put them on YouTube; not to make money (I have resisted their repeated invitations for me to 'monetise' my account) but just because I've found & enjoyed something and wanted to show it to others. Does that make me a criminal? I don't think so, but 'the man' pushing SOPA would disagree.

The really ironic thing about it all in my opinion is that the people who seem to be pushing hardest for this bill are the very people who have been getting rich for decades by ripping off bands, actors, writers and the public. I try not to be too pessimistic, but I've got a feeling that there's too much big money behind this bill for the protests of internet users to hold any sway, but I would urge you to sign the petitions, tweet & post your objections, involve your online friends and acquaintances, but above all, don't stop sharing. The bands who made the music we love didn't make it to line the pockets of record company executives - they made it for us.

So let me share these two with you - my small act of defiance against SOPA!

SFR Soundsystem 14012012

No special theme for tonight's show - just great ska, dub & reggae all the way! Played some of the newer music I've heard & enjoyed recently plus tons of old faves.

1. The Brass Action - Kiss My Brass
2. The Harmonians - Music Street
3. The Victors - Reggae Buddy
4. The Bullets - Hotter Reggae
5. Lee Perry - Dub Revolution
6. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Night Nurse
7. Pama International - Justified Dub
8. Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra - Guns Fever (rough mix from new album)
9. Madness - Razor Blade Alley
10. The Cundeez - One Step Beyond
11. Bang the Skillet - Life Is Good
12. The Upsessions - Ease Up Adina
13. Bazzookas - Indewegger
14. The Supatones - Mice In The Cellar
15. Jimmy the Squirrel - Music We Throw
16. Catch-It Kebabs - Nazi Paparazzi
17. Nora Dean - Barbwire
18. Prince Buster - Pussy Cat Bite Me
19. Dave Barker - Wet Version
20. Max Romeo - Melting Pot
21. 2 Tone Runts -  It's Not Funny
22. The Specials - Why?
23. The Scarletz - Messed Up
24. 1 Stop Experience - Mentally Ska'd
25. Urkel & the Winslows - Joyride
26. Five Iron Frenzy - Fistful Of Sand
27. The Pietasters - Anj Gil
28. Ed Rome - March
29. Urang Matang - Boy Are You A Man Yet?
30. Bad Manners - Sally Brown
31. Mr Symarip - Wang Yu
32. John Holt - Ali Baba
33. Jackie Mitto - Sidewalk Doctor
34. Desmond Dekker - Music Like Dirt (Intensified)
35. Toots & the Maytals - Night & Day

The Girobabies - Bus Stop Apocalypse

When I hear a pretentious wine poser sniffing their plonk & saying 'I'm getting oak, vanilla & hints of Gaviscon' I wonder if I'm missing something; all I could ever smell was wine. Besides, when was wine for analysing & not just for drinking? Sniffing the stuff & pontificating is missing the point, some things are just better being ingested & enjoyed. The Girobabies new album is one such thing. Sniffing wine, all I get is wine - listening to Bus Stop Apocalypse, all I get is The Girobabies. There may be hints of other bands in there but if you listen with the intention to analyse the influences & make comparisons you're missing the point.

This isn't an album to listen to when you're in love with the world & haven't a care. It probably isn't one for the car stereo, unless you feel your driving could do with a harder, more aggressive edge to it. This is music for the days when the lies & deceit of politicians have you mad as hell, when the garbage being spewed from your telly is making you wretch, when working for some faceless pricks with no souls has you reaching for the scotch, when the pretentious wine sniffers of this world makes you want to punch someone. 

It's not often you listen to an album first time & know exactly where it fits in with the rest of your music; this has gone straight in next to Joy Division & Killing Joke on the playlist reserved for those dark moods that need feeding & that I don't want to get lifted out of. It's fair to say this won't get played as often as some albums, but when I'm in the right mood for Bus Stop Apocalypse it'll be played loud and repeatedly. Recommended - have a listen for yourself.

SFR Soundsystem 07012012

Tonight's show seemed to go down well, I certainly enjoyed it! But then I'd enjoy sitting playing tunes for 2 hours even if nobody else was listening. Played an hour of ska covers - categorically proving that anything can be improved by ska - even a Phil Collins song can sound good with the application of ska! Also played some cracking new tunes; huge thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions & to the bands who sent me tunes to play. Enough waffle, here's the list:

1. Bombskare - Mean Mr Mustard / Polythene Pam (The Beatles)
2. The Beat - Can't Get Used To Losing You (Andy Williams)
3. Reel Big Fish - Take On Me (Aha)
4. The Busters - Don't Worry Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)
5. The Moon Invaders - All I Have To Do Is Dream (Everly Brothers)
6. The Trojans - Keep On Running (Spencer Davis Group)
7. Prince Buster - Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd)
8. Rico - Take Five (Dave Brubeck)
9. The Pyramids - Telstar (The Tornados)
10. The Ska-Dows - Apache (The Shadows)
11. The Scofflaws - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Ennio Morricone)
12. The Riffs - Peter Gunn Theme (Henry Mancini)
13. Bombskare - I Feel Fine (The Beatles)
14. Ska Daddyz - Hotel California (The Eagles)
15. Streetlight Manifesto - Me & Julio (Paul Simon)
16. Smoke Like A Fish - Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple)
17. Save Ferris - Come On Eileen (Dexys)
18. Crunch - Fur Elise (Beethoven!)
19. Little Roy - Come As You Are (Nirvana)
20. Reel Big Fish - Another Day In Paradise (Phil Collins)
21. The Simmertones - Dr Who Theme
22. 1 Stop Experience - Headless Chicken
23. Too Spicy - Ruthless Killah
24. Jimmy Cliff - Guns Of Brixton
25. Bum Ruckus - What's Your Sign
26. The Maytals - Monkey Man
27. Dirty Pikies - Work In Progress
28. Fighting Evil Is Cool - Life In Magazines
29. 1 Stop Experience - Didn't Listen
30. The Nomarks - A Place In The Sun
31. Stop Press! - A Man Called Rich
32. The Begbies - Off The Cuff
33. Sandollar Sound - Crop Circle
34. Sir Lord Comic - Lon Chaney
35. Sonic Boom Six - For The Kids Of the Multiculture
36. The Specials - Racist Friend

Thanks to all who listened in. If you missed it you can get the podcast or stream it on the SFR mixlr page. Please check out some of the links - there's some cracking new ska out there & these bands deserve to be heard. Any tips of other bands you'd like to hear on SFR gratefully received as always. Cheers, Rich