Classic 45s

I'm switching tack this week to present some ace 256k MP3s directly mastered from classic 45s.

I don't have no kick against no particular format if truth be told, don't prefer mono to stereo, analogue to digital. But there are cases where the original 45 mix or pressing kills! - straight from fresh tape, mastered and cut by people whose work has added so much to the joy of life.

So I give you, with apologies for crackles and for some VG+ rather than M copies -

The Byrds - Lady Friend

From the 1990 box set on, there's been a nice clear stereo version of this masterpiece freely available. You can hear Hugh Masakela on it. Yet, it didn't seem to blow me away as it had on the Original Singles vol 2 LP I bought in 1984. When I got this Columbia pressing from Ebay it really let me know I hadn't just grown bored of the track - which is my number 2 favourite single after the Cookies' I Never Dreamed - I just hadn't been hearing it quite as it had been intended.

In mono the guitars and drums merge into a hurried clatter, David Crosby's heroic vocal is pushed right out in front, and the supporting voices merge with his to give him added strength.

Nice to have an actual one time heavy doper on this unfortunately named blog too.

The Kinks - Til The End of the Day

The Yardbirds - Evil Hearted You

The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown

Come and take me on Allen Klein. I'll walk into court playing Breakin The Law by Priest. Then commit suicide as they have urged me to, backwardsly, so many times before.

Listen to the bass ring and boom on this one. Great cut.

The Cryan Shames - Sunshine Psalm

A rip off The Byrds' I See You to be sure, but come on - what a blast! Superbly produced by mystery men Jim Golden and Robert Monaco.

More 45s next week!

Cuts w/e 8 September

Prince – Dinner With Delores

Off the now-deleted contractual obligation funk rock ear torture that was Chaos and Disorder, this little surprise is one of Prince’s cutest songs. One day I will compile an Cute Prince comp for fans of White music. He can do anything and I love him.

http://www.box.net/shared/gh5b3pgxv2

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Armando Trovajoli – Bada Caterina

Although I’m not usually easily distracted by sexy kittenish singing – I’ve been hooked all year on the (mystery to me) singer’s “Oh no!” and “Oh yes” purrings on this soundtrack cut. The film was 1966’s Adulterio All-Italiana, this is from one of Beat at Cinecitta volume 2, one of many, many comps of this stuff you can and will pick up at www.moviegrooves.com

http://www.box.net/shared/l1vr0zkzag

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Sloan – Right or Wrong

Never Hear the End of It by Canadian stars Sloan is my album of the year by a country mile. 30 songs, most of them aces, all of them good, all segued together. I just genuinely like it, I don’t care if it’s `Great’ or `great’, I just want to crank it up and sing along. A reviewer on amazon.com called it an `ever revealing power pop treasure trove’ – and I can’t do better than that.

With too many highlights to mention, and no one song being particularly representative of an album where all four guys pitch in their best ever songs, here’s one by Jay Ferguson, my fave Sloan, which has a lovely piano break, makes all the right moves, and doesn’t waste a second of its 2 minutes.

Power pop rock should be the biggest music in the world, like it was in the 1970s. It’s been weakened by sloppy indie practitioners, let’s face it. Sloan at their best are total AM radio naturals, and a real rocking band. I wish they were one of a hundred groups filling pop charts that people cared about with this kind of power pop magic with 4 boss singles and a album masterpiece every single year.

http://www.box.net/shared/gxv1cdt49b

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John Barry – The Girl With the Sun In Her Hair

Everyone knows this one from childhood TV. I hereby pledge that these postings will not overlook the bleeding obvious. This particular shiny remaster is from new cheapo box set Themeology. I’m the last kid on the block to get `into’ John Barry. Well, I did buy Midnight Cowboy in 1988 from the soundtracks stall (how I’d love to go back there now) in Manchester’s Corn Exchange. But that was that.

http://www.box.net/shared/ox0bi1fp38

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Jaibi – It Was Like A Nightmare

From Dave Godin’s Deep Soul Treasures Volume 3, or was it 4. The killer line is about “the real me, deep down inside.” Is there any such thing as the `real’ anyone? Are we just social constructs? In the world of deep soul, these are stupid questions. The nightmare - the real you, your real feelings ground down by reality and circumstance. No! NO!!! NO!!!!

http://www.box.net/shared/a02g46t4v0

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