Vital signs

Look. There. Did you see it twitch? Give it a prod. Yes, I think it's still alive.

Just. But it's not very well, is it?

For the first time since this blog was born I have missed marking it's birthday. Now all I can do is to say that yesterday this blog was 14 years old. Perhaps it just wants to act like a surly teenager and not say very much!

In fact I had intended to post yesterday but jet lag took over. I realise now that this is the first post here this year. There are some mitigating circumstances. I can't explain its silence in January, but Mrs Darce and I have just returned from a near five week holiday in New Zealand, so that would account for the continued silence here since early February. It seems we can count ourselves lucky to have completed our holiday without disruption, and in managing to slip back into the country a couple of days ago with no travel hiccups. It looks like the whole world is shutting down now. I say we slipped back into the country, but it actually took just shy of 40 hours from the moment we left our last accommodation in NZ to head for the airport to the point we arrived home and collapsed on our own sofas. And, as I said, that was without hiccups or delays. Time in the air on two flights (we travelled via Singapore) was over 23 hours. Right now we are saying never again.

The holiday was basically a giant road trip from the top of NZ's North Island to its southernmost point on south Island. With six friends. In the end I think we did a bit too much moving around and driving. We saw some stunning scenery along the way, but I have to say I was left feeling a little underwhelmed. North Island and parts of South Island are suffering drought at the moment so many parts are looking brown rather than green which didn't help. But also I think we underestimated the amount of travelling that is necessary to actually take in all the best bits. We spent a lot of time driving from A to B and maybe not enough time actually in any one place and getting a sense of it. I know where I would like to spend more time now, but the expense and sheer length of air time to get there means I probably won't be going again.

This blog, of course, shares a birthday with Candi Staton. It is now generally documented that Candi was born in 1940, which means she became 80 years young yesterday. I can only wish belated birthday greetings to her this year. Candi has recently overcome breast cancer and is touring again. She will be appearing at Glastonbury again this year as it celebrates (all being well) its 50^th year. A real trooper.

This is from her second 45 which would have been knocking around the US Soul charts when the first festival at Worthy Farm happened in September 1970...

The Feel It Mini Advent-ure: Door 24

It's Christmas Eve! Another Feel It Advent-ure is over, already (albeit after a late start!). I know it's a cliché, but the days and years seems to go by quicker and quicker.

Although not the typical thing you would hear around here I couldn't resist posting a little of this EP today, a festive find in a second hand shop just 24 hours ago. It truly is enchanting.

The noise between tracks is a coin drop. These were not played on the average musical box you might have found on a lady's dressing table, but in disc musical boxes (I'm not sure I knew there was such a thing). Some were made for public places and were essentially “juke boxes”. The boxes were in the Roy Mickleburgh, of Bristol, collection. Mickleburgh's musical instrument shop was established in 1903 and is still trading today.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Enchanted Carols , released in 1966 on a Saydisc EP: 

Silent Night (played on a Polyphon 9 1/2” disc).

Good King Wenceslas (played on a Polyphon 22” disc with a glockenspiel attachment).

PS: I managed to fix my turntable. It got worse before it got better, I lost a channel altogether. But it seems OK again now.

The Feel It Mini Advent-ure: Door 23

It's Christmas every day for Lee Rogers. Unfortunately now I may have to wait until the new year to get my turntable fixed. It has developed a loud hum that I can't seem to fix. Some sort of earthing problem on the cartridge connections possibly.

So here is the picture of the 45 I had lined up...

... but I can only offer you a YouTube of it

Lee Rogers - You Won't Have To Wait Till Xmas  1965    

PS: You can easily wave bye bye to a couple of hours at a time listening to Soulhawk's channel on YouTube. A fantastic selection of soul music. 

The Feel it Mini Advent-ure: Door 22

Nothing too racy late on a Sunday night...

Karin Krog, Warne Marsh, Red Mitchell - Speak Low 1980

(Nice jumper)*

*EDIT: I mean Karin's attire, not the record!

The Feel It Mini Advent-ure: Door 21

If you are a regular here then you may know I have featured June Conquest before. In fact coincidentally the last time I posted a 45 of hers was exactly one year ago today. This may well be the last time I do feature her as her recorded output was meagre. But it was certainly a case of quality not quantity.

Here she is on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label, it's first ever release from February 1968. Curtis would soon secure a national distribution deal for the label with Buddah but this 45 predates that deal and therefore it would have likely only got plays in the Chicago area. The release number – 8543 – is an odd number to have on a maiden release, it is thought it may have been the street number of the label's address. The other catalog number on the label CT-68-001 would seem to indicate this was the first ever track laid down at Curtom, the other side (the A side) bears CT-68-007. The only other two local releases shown on 45cat bear the numbers CT-68-005 , 006 , 008 and 009. CT-68-003 and 004 appear on the Thomas label (The Amazers) as does CT-68-010 and 011 (Saxie Russell). I wonder what happened to CT-68-002?

June Conquest – What's This I See 1968

The Feel It Mini Advent-ure: Door 20

I wish you a Funky Friday.

Jesse Johnson – Kickin' The Habit 1972

The Feel It Mini Advent-ure: Door 19

Around the world in a morning: Jamaica - Lebanon - Brazil – Switzerland - France - Zummerset.

Back in July I found a box full of singles and EPs from all over the world in a chazza (all in mint condition too). Heavy on the German unfortunately but it was well worth a detailed perusal. I would have taken a punt on a few more but at £1 a pop I limited myself to six which I was very happy with.

I can't begin to describe how great the Beirut EP is and it probably is my find of the year. This was one of a series of Musical Souvenirs released on Philips back in 1960. The back cover lists the other cities and countries covered in the series: London, Tyrol, Scotland, Ireland, Vienna, Budapest, Amsterdam, Yugoslavia, Paris, Rome, Naples, Switzerland, Madrid, Berlin. I can't help thinking, in fact I'm sure, I found the real jewel in this series.

The EP features two tracks each from Rinda and Souad Hashem. Philips also issued the two Rinda tracks on a single in Finland of all places.

Playing this again just now has reminded me I really need to hunt down more of this style of music but finding it on vinyl will no doubt prove difficult!

The EP is so good I'm treating you to two of the four tracks.

Rinda– A Smile Please  1958

Souad Hashem – The Land Of My Dark Lover 1958