No2 in our ‘cut out and keep’ series of guest blogs is another beauty by Dave Heatley, the man with his soul finger on the pulse. Enjoy!

First Word

Hello, there you are, where have you been? Hurry up It’s cold out here. He’s away so I’m opening up Alan’s Sweetie Shop of Sounds. Of course I have the key. Let’s get in quick, it’s baltic. Door’s a bit creaky, a touch of oil on the hinges will fix that. In we go, after you. Well this is cosy, a couple of comfy chairs, there’s his battered but comfortable tasseled fez, his velvet padded dressing gown and a pair of those curly toed slippers favoured by pantomime artists. No, I don’t think he’d mind if you popped the fez on…..oh it suits you, you look quite the rakish music lover. Stick a brew on and we’ll get to it. You want something stronger? There’s a well stocked drinks cabinet in the corner by the framed photo of Bowie and Ronno. Yes, I’ll have one too…. a large one please. Ice? It’s in that small fridge over there with the Ian Hunter fridge magnet front and centre. Come on, let’s get listening.

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Together – Sault (2022)

Sault are a London-based collective headed by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Inflo. The collective includes vocalist Cleo Sol who has released four albums of her own – all worth investigating. Sault have released eleven albums since 2019’s debut 5. These releases cover jazz, gospel, neo-soul, afro-beats and reggae. Together is taken from their album 11 released in 2022, on the same day they released a classical instrumental album Air.

Their live debut didn’t materialise until 2023 with guests including Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka. Sault’s latest offering Act of Faith was released in 2024. Prolific (they actually released five albums on the same day in 2022), they are constantly surprising with their changes in musical direction from album to album. Definitely on my watch list for future live performances and well worth seeking out their albums if you haven’t heard them before.

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You Goin’ To Miss Your Candyman (Live) – Terry Callier (2001)

Terry Callier, who was born in Chicago, Illinois and was a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield. His 1968 debut LP came with the title The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier and then in 1971 he produced, wrote songs for and played on The Dells LP Freedom Means. Over the next couple of years Callier went on to release the folk/jazz/soul albums Occasional Rain, What Color Is Love and I Just Can’t Help Myself before giving up on music in the early 1980s to concentrate on a course in computer programming and later a degree in Sociology.

He was dragged out of retirement by Eddie Piller of the Talkin’ Loud and Acid Jazz record labels as Terry’s songs were getting a lot of plays at UK clubs on the burgeoning Acid Jazz scene. His first post-retirement LP in 1998, Timepeace, is a genuine classic containing the wonderful Lazarus Man. Four further studio albums followed until Terry’s death at the age of 67 in 2012.

Not only were there albums but also collaborations with Urban Species, 4Hero, Paul Weller, French harmonica player JJ Milteau and Beth Orton. But it was a series of gigs in the late 90’s that I will fondly treasure, specifically at Camden’s Jazz Cafe. It was packed out, hot and the crowd was in thrall to TC’s rich voice, wonderful songs and a great band including Scots guitarist Jim Mullen and the amazing percussion player Bosco D’Olivera. I have chosen this track from 2001’s recording Alive, recorded at the Jazz Cafe to give you a flavour of those gigs. As the great Gil Scott-Heron said “Everyone should own a Terry Callier album”.

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Put Your Hands Up – James Taylor Quartet (2024)

Hammond Organ genius James Taylor started off in Medway garage rock/mod band The Prisoners who debuted with the album A Taste Of Pink in 1983. Other albums included The Wisermiserdemelza and The Last Fourfathers.

They split in 1986, guitarist Graham Day going on to form The Prime Movers, The Solarflares and The Gaolers. Bassist Alan Crockford eventually formed The Galileo 7 while James Taylor set up The James Taylor Quartet in 1987, initially with Alan Crockford on bass.

Aligned with the emerging Acid Jazz scene of the late 80s and early 90s, JTQ became known for their gripping, sweaty live performances incorporating funky organ-driven versions of Whole Lotta Love, 2001 Theme, Mission Impossible, Blow Up and Starsky and Hutch, all available on their album Whole Lotta Live.

The Prisoners played a reunion at The Roundhouse last year and blew the roof off the venerable old building, ably supported by The Inspiral Carpets. Possibly inspired by this reunion the latest JTQ album Hung Up On You returns to those garage/psychedelia and mod roots and for the moment at least moves away from JT’s acid jazz/cinematic style.

It is an envigorating listen and I have chosen to playlist Put Your Hands Up for its power pop/mod sensibilities and catchy sing along chorus. It sounds like it could have been made in 1978, to be honest.

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Celebrate (The Day After You) – The Blow Monkeys [with Curtis Mayfield] (1987)

Well it certainly is snug here in Alan’s music emporium. There’s an old briar pipe set casually on an occasional table. Alan doesn’t smoke it, he uses it merely to gesture with and make salient points regarding Mott’s body of work. The dear old place may look like a small corner shop from the outside but inside it’s like the Tardis.

Speaking of which, a few years ago I saw Dr Who naked…..unfortunately we had 2nd row seats. It was Sylvester McCoy in a play at The Thorndike Theatre in Leatherhead. What dear old Dame Sibil would have made of it I dread to think (she’d probably have had to be revived with smelling salts) but suffice to say I have never been able to look at a sonic screwdriver in the same way since. The following ‘post-McCoy’ morning, I certainly pushed my chipolatas round the breakfast plate in a more contemplative manner, I can tell you.

On a happier and less wrinkly Dr Who themed note, I had the pleasure of seeing The Blow Monkeys at Cadogan Hall in December. A career retrospective. One of the guests was Peter Capaldi who admirably covered Bowie’s Drive-In Saturday with the band. Weller was supposed to guest on a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up but was unfortunately ill on the night. Support, Ian Prowse, stepped in for Weller and did a sterling job.

With this in mind I have gone for the 1987 single by The Blow Monkeys with Curtis Mayfield, Celebrate (The Day After You) as my fourth selection.

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Cardiff Bay (Live) – Martyn Joseph (2011)

In a world currently in thrall to grifters, criminals, genocidal madmen and kleptocrats it’s comforting to know that people like Martyn Joseph are making heartfelt, uplifting accoustic music like this.

I have seen Martyn live on a number of occasions and whether it’s a crowd of 15,000 or 150 he always manages to draw each and every person present into his orbit of warmth and humanity. Have a look at YouTube for his 2010 performance at Cropredy. He plays On My Way just him, accoustic guitar and the crowd on the chorus. I was there, in fact you can see me and my pals near the front totally in the moment. It had been a drizzly day but the sun peeked out from behind the cloud for his set.

A few years ago my brother in law, Kev, went to see MJ at The Inn at Lathone in Fife. After the gig Kev was chatting to MJ in the bar and expressed his disappointment that he hadn’t played Cardiff Bay, from his 2004 album Evolved. MJ rectified the situation immediately, taking his guitar from its case and singing the song there and then for Kev. I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who would make that kind of effort.

I’ve been remiss lately in catching Martyn Joseph live. Given the state of the world at the moment I think it’s time for me to spend some time in his company and get some of that warmth and love.

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Liquidator – Harry J Allstars (1969)

To the final track. It’s at this point that I concede that I’m never going to get the last song right as there’s so much music and so little time. I often wonder in an idle moment, mainly while stepping in for Alan, what percentage of music ever made I have listened to. Today as before I have to admit defeat and say that I don’t have a f@&#ing clue!

Harry J Allstars were formed in Jamaica by producer Harry Zephaniah Johnson. They went to number 9 in the UK charts in 1969 with this instrumental on the Trojan label. The musicians on this track include Carlton and Aston Barrett who would later go on to be the Wailers rhythm section in the mid 70s. An album of the same name was released around the same time and as well as Liquidator it also included rock steady/reggae instrumental versions of hits of the day, My Cherie Amour, Je T’aime and even the Beatles’ Don’t Let Me Down.

Liquidator always takes me back to the early 1970s when I first started going to the football. It was always played at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground (and at a few other grounds too) when the teams ran onto the pitch. In fact, I believe it still is to this day). The thing I remember from then is the decaying state of the grounds, the smell of fried onions from the burger vans pervading the air, the old fellas in cloth caps and the smell of pipe smoke. The old boys and pipe smoke are long gone but the fried onions are still part and parcel of the matchday experience. I also love the smell of a freshly printed match programme….. Maybe I’m on my own with that.

Liquidator also brings back so many memories of youth club discos. Me and my pals in sta prest trousers, loafers and Brutus or Ben Sherman button down check shirts with a 3 finger collar dancing to it and other songs like Long Shot Kick The Bucket by The Pioneers, Double Barrel by Dave and Ansell Collins, as well as Slade, T.Rex and Bowie. The girls lining the walls or dancing round their handbags always seemed surprisingly unimpressed with our dance stylings. Their loss we said to each other, but actually, I’m not so sure.

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Last Word

Anyway that’s it. Time to turn the lights off in Alan’s Sweetie Shop of Sounds. Have you washed up those glasses? Well done, one last look round…..oh and take the fez off you can’t wear that on the bus home, people will stare.

And you seem to have a 1960s retro snack, probably a twiglet, caught in you hair. At least you have hair. Well, cheerio then, no I’m not getting the bus I’m going to get a ride on that passing milk float, he goes past our door and the missus asked me to pick up a pint of gold top. Ta Ra!!

DH

So, that was Dave’s fantastic choice of tunes – next week, Stuart Gillies curates his debut collection. Don’t forget all the tunes from the last two years are on the Master Blog at the link below.

WeekInSoundMaster

AR

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