1. LONDON IS THE PLACE FOR ME – LORD KITCHENER (HONEST JON1S)
Penned on the boat from Jamaica to the UK in the 1950s, this upbeat early
calypso ditty celebrates London in a way that is only possible if you have
never been. 3 years later he was writing tracks about his beautiful Jamaica.
Fabulous.
2. GRINDERMAN – NO PUSSY BLUES (MUTE)
All hail Nick Cave and his most recent side-project. On his latest outing,
Nick ditches the ballad and the piano and embraces, nay makes passionate
love to, the electric guitar in this angsty number about his 3lack of
action2. Monster.
3. SPIRITUALIZED – LAY BACK IN THE SUN (DEDICATED)
First discovered Spacemen 3 on John Peel1s Radio 1 show in the Œ80s and were blown away. So minimal and stripped down and edgy to the core. And then there was spin-off band: Spiritualized, which took the druggy festival sound
to a new level. Kick back, roll a joint and do what the title says…
4. OS MUTANTES – MUTANTES (POLYDOR)
Seminal Brazilian band – impossible to single out one tune, but this debut
album from 1968 inspired John Lennon and was apparently a massive influence on the 3psychedelic2 Beatles. Spectacular studio abuse and way ahead of its
time.
5. PAUL WELLER – KOSMOS – LYNCH MOB BONUS BEATS (GO!DISCS)
Brendan Lynch on production duty. A spare few hours in Sony1s flagship
studios London led to one of the most heavyweight druggy-dub mixes ever
recorded. Weller loved it and put it out.
5. TINARIWEN – MATADJEM YINMIXAN (INDEPENDIENTE)
Take a load of former freedom fighters from Niger, arm with guitars and
drums and unleash on sound-system. They are resident at a massive festival
in the Sahara dessert every year, for the return of the nomadic tribes. At
times they sound like Hendrix, Velvet Underground and Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan.
6. New York Dolls “There’s going to be a showdown” (Polygram)
Punk was a great influence on music, but apart from the Clash it was all a
bit white for us. It wasn’t the pistols – it was the dolls who were the
precursor to punk, and this is our favourite dolls song as it is glam punk
at its most overblown & also contains a good dose of retro Philly soul.
7. Paul Giovanni – 3Willow1s Song2 Trunk Records
From the soundtrack to the Wicker Man. Understated pagan folk song, with
just the most haunting melody. Brit Ekland is naked in much of the film, and
legend has it that Rod Stewart – her boyfriend at the time – tried to buy up
all the negatives so that he could have them destroyed.
8. O Donel Levy – Bad Bad Simba (Groove Merchant)
Recorded in 1973, but the sound of West London in 1990, this is the only
rare-groove record you will ever need. Guaranteed to get any party off the
ground. Makes you wish synths had never been invented.
9. De La Soul 3Not over till the fat lady plays the demo2 Tommy boy records
3 feet high & rising was the 3Sgt Pepper2 of the summer of love in the late
801s. This is from their underrated 2nd album, 3de La Soul are dead2.
Sampling Serge Gainsbourg has now been done so many times that it loses its
impact, but these guys were the first.
10. Baby Ford 3Children of the Revolution2 Rhythm King
Iconic track from the summer of love in Acid House1s heyday. At the time it
felt like a revolution, and sampled T-Rex, one of our favourite bands
