Groove On 19

It’s Bella’s radio show for the lockdown …

Get yer party shoes on, because Episode 19 is going to be a real cool, swinging time! We jump right into it with ‘Asteroids’ by the Peter Moore Orchestra, which is that song from the beginning of adverts in the cinema. Then we roll into some swinging soul jazz from organist Big John Patton called ‘The Turnaround’ from his 1965 album Let ‘Em Roll. More jazz is next, firstly a vocal piece called ‘The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free’ by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet and then a cover of the Beatles ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ by pianist Ramsey Lewis.

From soul jazz to soul, and the brilliant ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ by Solomon Burke, which was later covered equally brilliantly by the Blues Brothers. We go from a lesser-known original to a better-known cover with The Coasters 1968 hit ‘Love Potion No.9’, which was first recorded by The Clovers in 1959.

We go from soul to rock and roll now, firstly with ‘Warm Love’ by The Burnette Brothers, a rollicking rockabilly tune from 1958, and then the outright classic ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ by Jerry Lee Lewis. Newer rock and roll comes in the form of ‘Blue Green Olga’ by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, from their 1999 album Acme. Amazingly JSBX manage this hard-hitting standard with no bass player! Sweden’s surf guitar band The Langhorns are next with ‘Las Vegas First Fight’ from sadly their last album, 2003’s Mission Exotica. Then it’s time for ‘Tight Pants’ by Iggy & The Stooges from 1972, which they later re-recoded as ‘Shake Appeal’ for their landmark album Raw Power.

Originally recorded in 1957 by Dale Hawkins, The Rolling Stones’ 1964 version of ‘Susie-Q’ is from their imaginatively-titled second album, Rolling Stones No.2. It’s followed by New Orlean’s pianist Huey ‘Piano’ Smith & His Clowns and their joyous track ‘Don’t You Just Know It.’

Library music and cop show funk next. First is ‘Following You’ by Pierre Dutour et son orchestre, recorded in 1969 and found on the 2001 Strut Records compilation Music For Dancefloors: The Cream Of the Chappell Music Library Sessions. Then it’s ‘Hot Wheels (The Chase)’ by Badder Than Evil, whose only release was the soundtrack to the 1973 film Gordon’s War.

Next are three stunning songs in a row. We begin with ‘I Want To Take You Higher’ by Sly & The Family Stone, from 1969’s Stand!. One of the most prominent and earliest multi-racial, multi-gender bands, no record collection is complete without at least their greatest hits. Similarly important to any collection is Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The final track from that essential album is the stunning ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’. Last of the three is ‘Message From A Black Man’ by The Temptations, a song they sadly found too radical to ever play live, which contains the incredibly powerful line “No matter how hard you try you can’t stop me now.”

We return to soul jazz for two tracks from Blue Note Records. ‘Move Your Hand’ is by jazz organist Lonnie Smith, who should not to be confused with jazz keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. ‘Family Affair’ by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson is a Sly & The Family Stone cover that was not released until the 2001 compilation Blue Funk.