Groove On 25
It’s episode twenty-five of Bella’s radio for the lockdown …
Episode 25 starts out with a big swinging blast from Dean Martin, on his 1960 single ’Ain’t That A Kick In The Head’. It’s followed by the nineties, firstly ‘Miss Modular’ from
Anglo French avant-pop group Stereolab’s album Dots and Loops and then ‘Casino “Sans Pareil”’ by breakbeat trip hoppers The Wiseguys, from their debut album Executive Suite. Also from that decade is ‘Voodoo Lady’ by Ween.
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Next are four track from 1971. First is ’Groovy Spirit’ by Jamaican keyboard legend Jackie Mittoo, then ‘Pop Boutique’ by The Fritz Maldener Trio. Maldener was a German pianist and composter, who recorded this for a UK music library. It’s followed by ‘Need Mo’’, a jazz fusion burner by the Incredible Jimmy Smith, from I’m Gon’ Git Myself Together and then ‘L.A. Woman’ by The Doors, from their classic album of the same name.
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‘That’s All Right’ is the debut single by Elvis, Scotty and Bill, recorded on July 5th 1954. Amazingly, for something that could be regarded as the birth of rock ’n’ roll, there are no drums here. Another landmark single is ‘Killing Floor’ by Howlin’ Wolf, a defining moment in Chicago blues, recorded for legendary label Chess Records.
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We stay in the sixties for ‘Phoenix City’ by The Skatalites, a band that can be fairly argued as having been the originators of ska. Then it’s ‘Poison Ivy’ by Atlantic Records rhythm ’n’ blues band The Coasters and ‘When I Come Home’ by Birmingham’s blue-eyed soul band the Spencer Davis Group. Finally we have the quintessential sixties group, the Beatles, and ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ from the soundtrack to their 1965 film Help.
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Next we go on a bit of a rollercoaster ride. It begins in Sweden with Radio Jazz Gruppen Spektrum playing ‘I Leksakslandet’ on a virtually lost 1973 album called Nocturne. The ride then slips into ‘Binary Sunset’ by John Williams from the 1977 soundtrack to Star Wars and ends with ‘Dirty Boots’ by avant garde rockers Sonic Youth, the opening track from their 1990 album Goo.
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The far out sounds continue on ‘Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum Allah’, by avant garde tenor saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, another rollercoaster ride that lasts a full fifteen minutes. The episode ends with a traditional southern US folk song, ‘Midnight Special’, sung by actress, guitarist, and civil rights activist Odetta.
Sonic Youth and Pharaoh Sanders, Stewart you’re spoiling us!