musicology #376

Modernist #4

(Mary Wells – You Beat Me To The Punch)

LISTEN

As the the theme moves into the second half I would just like to add that as far as the music is concerned I am resisting the urge top throw down obscure cuts from the period in question purely because the chances of them being played back in the day were almost non existent. The fact is that the rare pieces that have come to light over the last 20 years would NOT have been available to the cats who were exposing the music of America and even Jamaica in and around London’s clubs and venues. Not even Guy Stevens or Sammy Samwell would have had access to pieces on such labels as One-Derful, Butane, Witch, Cortland, Sar and the like so as much as I would LOVE to expose them here It’s not my intention to impress anyone with the lesser known cuts rather it’s to lay down pieces that were actually played in places like The ‘Ly, Scene, Disc, Flamingo, Disc, Tottenham Royal, Streatham Locarno etc so if that’s a dissapointment to some then, (in the words of Lord Creator), ‘Such Is Life’…..

With that in mind today’s slice of the Modernist pie is another classic from the Tamla Motown stable that shook up some of the London venues mentioned above. A response to Gene Chandler’s majestic ‘You Threw A Lucky Punch’ from yet another ‘Mod/ernist’ Icon Mary Wells who went on to feature heavily between 1962-1964 and along with The Marvelettes blazed the trail for the inclusion of the ladies in the male dominated world of Modernist musicology.

musicology #170

alternativesoundtrack2..Quadrophenia #2

(Buster Brown - Fannie Mae)

day two of the selection and after setting the scene, (no pun intended), with one of the great Mod classics Jimmy finds himself having a clean up at the Public Baths…now there’s a blast from the past…young bloods these days can’t even begin to imagine how common it was right up until the 1970’s to have your weekly bath down at the local swimming pool, (nowdays known as ‘Leisure Centre’)

part of what I really enjoy about Quadrophenia is the way it depicts how life was for the working class. which really began to change, (for the worse), during Thatcher’s reign as we were sold into rising debt and subsequently wage slavery with the ‘carrot’ of becoming ‘better off’.

my belief is that today’s society is a backward step. Health, Education and Security are all in a spiraling decline as the businessmen and politicians wait like stinking vultures to carve up the ‘institutions’ that were meant for the people’s welfare. It won’t be long before business is in charge of all the areas mentioned above as whoever is in charge tries to remind us that it’s ‘for our own good’ .. believe me it won’t be. as always the Poor and Needy will be raped and pillaged by the Rich and Greedy.

so..back to the film.

‘Jimmy’ is having a relaxing soak in the bath when the opening lines to Gene Vincent’s ‘Be Bop A Lula’ come floating over the cubicle wall… being a ‘Mod’ he takes this as a personal affront and makes his feelings known. leading to a vocal altercation that is about to step up to a confrontation until the two parties make visual contact and realise they are, what sounds like, friends. as we now know the ‘mods vs rockers’ fighting pitched battles and being sworn enemies is a myth overcooked by the media to sell newspapers.

if the truth be known it was more likely to be mods fighting mods over age old territorial rights or who ‘owned’ a particular corner of a dancehall.

the tune that follows is an example of the music that was appreciated by both mods and rockers, (music is a great leveller), another stomping piece of Rhythm & Blues, (released in 1959), that was played in early mod venues in London by the likes of original DJ’s such as Sammy Samwell and Guy Stevens.

Tony Blue this one’s yours. hope it brings back fond memories of being young, free and disengaged.