musicology #238

inmodwetrust #5

(Tony Clarke - The Entertainer)

LISTEN

Focus and discipline are certainly two attributes hard to come by for themusicologist in these turbulent times. Lucky for me I have music as guide, companion, and trusted friend. Might sound strange but often feels like a dialogue between me and the sounds...anyway, enough of the butterfly mind and back to the theme.

This cut was recorded the year that 'mod' had well and truly arrived, (some would even say finished), 'tickets' were everywhere and leading up to, (and certainly beyond), the bank holiday tear ups the 'originals' were moving on. Elsewhere kids up and down the country were 'aving it large', (for the first time), as 'mod' was spoonfed to the nation and beyond. Modernists on the other hand turned their back and looked for something else to direct their trend setting and creative energies into. Which is not to say that some of the vanguards didn't stick with it and join in the 'fun'. Maybe for them it wasn't neccesarily about 'being first' it was also about 'being there', as perpetrators of 'the new breed' to take advantage of the opportunities that had arisen out of them revolutionary 'times'. I think it was the philosopher Hegel who wrote/said that Ideas are the prime movers of history and not social or economic forces and for themusicologist, 'Mod' was and to some extent still is an idea.

The musicology is courtesy of a cat named Tony Clarke who recorded this Mod classic for one of the other Big mod labels, Chess. Unfortunately I have been having problems hooking up my Turntable to the computer so It will have to be the CD remaster until I can replace it with the 45. hope you understand.