The Pretty Things "Bouquets From a Cloudy Sky" Definite Deluxe Box-Set Out Now!

For over fifty years, The Pretty Things have proudly, unapologetically and righteously scorched their own, unique trail through contemporary music. A half-century (plus) of the raunchiest rhythm and blues, of punch-ups, dazzling highs and epic struggles, of innovation and exultation, lauded by their peers, vilified by authority, a crucial influence on successive generations of acts, The Pretty Things make it to the mid twenty teens with mojo intact and edge unblunted.

The Pretty Things created some of the most exciting and innovative records of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 2009, the band were awarded the Hero award at the Mojo Honours and the band have been name checked over the years by an array of artists ranging from The Clash and David Bowie to Aerosmith and the Ramones. Produced with the full co-operation of The Pretty Things to commemorate the band’s 51st anniversary, "Bouquets from a Cloudy Sky" presents all of the band’s official works plus rarities galore in a superb deluxe package. The "nastiest, loudest, most controversial and influential band the world has ever seen" has never looked or sounded better!

The Box Set includes:

• All 11 studio albums on CD in gatefold digi-sleeves, including 42 bonus tracks.

• 2 ‘Rarities’ CDs with 45 previously unreleased demos, alternate versions, live recordings, sessions and outtakes.

• 2 DVDs with new documentary Midnight To Six 1965 – 1970, produced by Reelin’ In The Years, plus S.F. Sorrow Live at Abbey Road, The Pretty Things on Film, promo videos and interviews.

• 10″ ‘replica acetate featuring ‘Defecting Grey’ full length demo and ‘Turn My Head’ (studio version), plus 2 other previously unreleased tracks.

• A lavishly illustrated 100 page hardback book featuring a comprehensive Pretty Things history by Mike Stax (Ugly Things), plus rare photos and memorabilia.

• Family Tree and testimonial posters tracing the band from Little Boy Blue & The Blue Boys and The Rolling Stones to the present day and featuring hand-written messages from Pretty Things past and present.

• Court case history - Excerpts from confidential legal files from the band’s battles to retrieve their rights and songs.

• Brand new art print by Phil May the original of which will be randomly placed in one lucky set!

"BOUQUETS FROM A CLOUDY SKY" is out now on the Madfish label and you can order it from their web-site here. For more information, upcoming tour dates and news on The Pretty Things please check out their official web-site here.

Dig The Fuzz Records - The 7" Vinyl Singles Club

Dig The Fuzz Records recently came to the Blog's attention and it certainly seems to be well worth delving into further. Here's some information from the label. "With a great sense of pride, we will shortly be presenting a prestigious selection of exuberant sounds from the tasteful talents that have bent our ears in recent times. The fuzz never really fizzled out and with vigorous endeavour and a salivating appetite for discovering new sounds, once more we strive to bring forth obscure and precious sounds closer to your ears. Our intrepid voyage into the musical abyss takes hold, searching for intensely explosive, enigmatic, exotic and exciting sounds in the subterranean styles of Freakbeat, Psychedelia, Garage, Punk, Stoner, Acid Rock, Dub, Electronica, Folk and whatever else disturbs the senses. Dig The Fuzz embraces every colour, creed and sexual direction from Uganda to Glasgow to Gogogogo n Madagascar. If we can find that illustrious ingredient to bends the senses, we will do our utmost to grant it a place on a round piece of plastic pressed with love...!"

All vinyl singles will be extremely limited to 199 to 250 copies, numbered and housed in a specially designed handmade sleeve. To guarantee collecting every limited edition numbered 45 at the special price of £4.99 each including additional music, free downloads, posters, flyers, videos, inside information etc. join the DIG THE FUZZ Singles Club for only £2.50 which you can purchase from the online store or via eBay. If you are not a vinyl collector the music will be available to download for £0.75 per track. If you are not interested in joining the Fuzz Club, each single will be £5.99 per copy dependent on what stock is available.

Here's a great video of one of the label's acts The Tribe with a cover of The Sparkles 60's Nuggets classic "No Friend of Mine".

Here's a message from the label along with little bit of small-print stuff. "Your Help, Your Support, Your Social involvement and input, is much appreciated, valuable, very welcome and also very important to the development of this club and unsung underground new music and a kick in the cogs of the overly manufactured music machine. All proceeds from the sales of vinyl are solely used to produce the next release. So please get involved too, & join the Fuzz Club. Dig The Fuzz Records stress that by no way or means are you under any obligation to purchase anything if you join the club, this is totally against our ethics and you are welcome to take advantage of the freebies once you have paid the small fee and joined the club, so if you’re struggling financially enjoy the cubs free music, videos & websites. Membership is a one time fee only & stands valid as long as the club continues running (thanks to your good selves). The current single price (Especially being limited press) may alter due to price increases enforced on us by production increases or government Tax increases. However our aim is to keep the prices as low as possible so everyone can play!"

Here's a Dig The Fuzz Records promo video that will give you an idea of where the label is coming from - tune in and turn the volume up!

Check out the Dig The Fuzz web-site for more details on their upcoming releases...

Great West Groove at The Brewery Tap, Brentford - Raw Blues from the West Thames Delta! Photos and Review by Paul Slattery

The Great West Groove - Photo by Paul Slattery

The Brewery Tap in Brentford is one of those superb little pubs which has been offering live music for over thirty years and long may it continue. Having survived the eye of the developers who wanted to demolish it against massive local public opinion, it goes from strength to strength. Blues is at the heart of pop music tradition and to see the blues played this well is indeed a treat. The Great West Groove have been playing together for some time and they play with passion and humour. It's also played on acoustic guitars, electrified of course, the sound is intimate for a small room and echoes that of the first electric blues players who played in someone's front room. And that's just where we are, it's the front room of a pub and that is what makes it great. 

Bob Hokum - Photo by Paul Slattery

Bob Hokum's vocals seems to have been honed in Mississippi rather than Brentford, or the West Thames Delta as it's known round here and as he launches into Muddy Waters'  languid "I'm Ready", and you are momentarily transported south, and then off to Chicago with Bo Diddley's "Can't Judge A Book" which get things moving right along. The band really comes together on Bob's own song "Django's Ghost" brilliantly supported on acoustic fretless bass by a nimble-fingered Steve King, and on side drum and brushes by Paul White who just adds that subtle touch of percussion that this small room needs. Also superb mouth harpist Paul Stewart from 60's band "The Others" has crossed the river tonight and boy, can he play. Then we get "Highway Shoes" by Johnny G, "Why The Hell Wasn't I Born Rich" another Bob Hokum classic and then the first half is brought to a storming end with Blind Willie Johnson's "Nobody's Fault But Mine", Paul Stewart's mouth harp providing us with some great flourishes. 

The Great West Groove - Photo by Paul Slattery

Paul White - Photo by Paul Slattery

This is a pub room gig, so you got to give the band a beer break but this seems to quicken the pace when the second half starts with the Clovers "Your Cash Ain't Nothin But Trash" and then they fly through Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues", John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom", and Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" to rapturous applause and the sight of two couples whirling around the crowded bar! Well this is turning into a really great evening, the band are hot and the crowd love it. Bob's a great frontman, as good with the humour as he is with the guitar. I've never seen an acoustic electric bass before and Steve King's playing is a really unique style which adds so much to this bluesy sound. Guest Paul Stewart's mouth harp is truly mind blowing and Paul keeps the beat moving right along. 

Steve King - Photo by Paul Slattery

Paul Stewart - Photo by Paul Slattery

Then a couple of Bob's self penned blues numbers "All Play No Work" and the excellent "Gospel According to John Lee Hooker" bring proceedings to a temporary halt with wild applause, and the crowd just can't wait for the encores, so it's straight into one of my favourites, Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain". I've always loved those lyrics "...Well, the blue light was my baby, and the red light was my mind."  She gets on the train - he stays behind. Heartbreak which is often what the blues is all about, but it's not for long as the band crank into "Get Your Kicks On the A66", the Lake District version! This is really a truly great night, an intimate but thoroughly rocking gig in a small pub room - it really doesn't come any better for fans of live music. And big thanks too to Paul Stewart for crossing the river with his mouth harp. I can't wait to see them play again.

The Great West Groove - Photo by Paul Slattery

They'll be playing at Ain't Nothing But in Kingly Street, London on Wednesday 18th Feb as The Robert Hokum Blues Band which is the same band but with the full solid electric guitar line-up and full drum kit, and the next evening 19th Feb at The Sussex Arms, Twickenham, as the Great West Groove. Checkout the Robert Hokum Facebook page for more news on upcoming gigs. 

You can also check out what Paul Stewart and The Others are doing at their Facebook page here. 

Thanks to Paul Slattery for the review and photographs. All photos copyright Paul Slattery 2015.

The Len Price 3 + "Pubmonkey" Movie Screening at The Railway Hotel Southend on February 27th.

Our favourite music venue, The Railway Hotel in Southend-on-Sea, will be hosting a very special event on Friday February 27th when they will screen the excellent black-comedy crime and booze-fest "Pubmonkey", followed by a live set by The Len Price 3. We first reported that The Len Price 3 were going to feature in the movie Pubmonkey back on the Blog here in November 2012, and after two and half years of filming, recording, editing and a lot of bloody hard work from Director Jean-Claude Deguara, Writer Jamie O'Hara and their team, which mostly consisted of an impressive number of family and friends, we finally got to see the completed film when we attended a private screening of the first ever showing of the movie at the British Film Institute on the South Bank along with the crew, cast and their families. It might have been a long wait, but it was certainly worth it, the film is a resounding success and testament to all those involved. I spoke to lead actor Phil Deguara after the screening and said how impressed I was that an Independent movie could look so impressive, "It's not really an Independent film" Phil said "as most Independents have some sort of financial backing and we didn't". The Len Price 3 provide lots of great songs along with incidental music to the film's soundtrack and also make an appearance too as featured in this video.

You can hear more about the fascinating story behind the making of the movie and The Len Price 3's involvement in our special Retrosonic Pubmonkey Podcast with the movie's writer/actor Jamie O'Hara and the LP3's singer and songwriter, Glenn Page. We are also very pleased to announce that the Podcast features unreleased incidental music from the movie's soundtrack. The promo video to "Swing Like a Monkey" above also features footage and characters from Pubmonkey and was performed during the last day of filming at the Antelope in Tooting, South London. You can listen to the Podcast below or download for free at our Soundcloud site or iTunes.

Check out the Pubmonkey Facebook page for regular updates, here's a trailer to give you a taster...

To book tickets please check the The Railway Hotel web-site or give them a call on 01702 343 194

Graham Day & The Forefathers & The Len Price 3: Exclusive Live Tracks Featured on Charity Compilation from The Half Moon Putney, Recorded at Last June's Retro Man Blog Night

We are very pleased to announce that Graham Day & The Forefathers and The Len Price 3 each have an exclusive live track featured on a brand new limited edition 12" vinyl compilation album called "Live from The Moon". Both songs were recorded at last June's sold-out Retro Man Blog night at The Half Moon Putney and I can assure you that they are blistering versions of much loved classics. All contributions on the album were recorded live at the venue over the past year from a mixture of their regular artists, such as Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Terry Reid and The Kast Off Kinks, John Bramwell (I Am Kloot) and some of their newer acts, including Du Bellows, Millers Daughter and the recently discovered Jazz band The Blue Mondays with all the proceeds of sales going to the Nordoff Robbins music therapy charity. Here's a brief explanation on Nordoff Robbins, but please do have a look at their web-site for further information on the great work that they do.

Graham Day & The Forefathers at The Half Moon Putney by Paul Slattery

"Nordoff Robbins is a national music therapy charity dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and adults across the UK. We use music therapy and other music services to help a range of people with a range of challenges such as autism, dementia, mental health problems, stroke, brain injury, depression and life-threatening or terminal illnesses, such as cancer. All of the people we help have one uniting factor - music dramatically improves their quality of life. We provide professional Masters training for music therapists, along with various short courses and workshops which are open to everyone interested in learning more about music and well-being. Our Research work is building the evidence for music therapy and helps us inform and train the practitioners of the future. We work with people of all ages - babies, children, adults, those nearing the end of their lives; everyone can be reached through music. No one course of music therapy is the same, because all the individuals we work with are unique. Our work is all about the relationship between the individual and the music". 

The Len Price 3 at The Half Moon Putney by Paul Slattery

Many thanks to Carrie and all the door and sound staff at The Half Moon Putney for helping make our Retro Man Blog nights so successful and enjoyable. Please keep an eye out on the Blog for news on our next gig which is promising to be very special indeed...! You can see the feature about the Retro Man Blog gig where the tracks were taken from in our Blog Archive here.

You can order the album from The Half Moon's web-site or give them a call on 0208 780 9383.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Exclusive and previously un-seen Paul Slattery Photos Part 1: Slussens Pensionat

The Soundtrack of Our Lives at Slussens Pensionat by Paul Slattery

Ebbot Lundberg, the ex-Soundtrack of Our Lives front-man, has just announced a Scandinavian tour with his new backing band The Indigo Children to promote his forthcoming solo album. The tour kicks off in Gothenburg on March 26th and takes in various cities including Stockholm, Malmo, Bergen and Oslo. For a full list of dates and further information please check out this link.

Ebbot Lundberg by Paul Slattery

To celebrate this news I thought I'd publish some of Paul Slattery's excellent photographs from our Blog reports on the last two nights at Slussens Pensionat in Orust back in 2012. These photos didn't make the features but I think you'll agree they are just too good to be stuck away unseen in the Blog's basement. To see the original features please click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Fredrik and Ian work out the set list backstage - Photo Paul Slattery

Martin Hederos by Paul Slattery

Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm by Paul Slattery

Ian Person by Paul Slattery

Fredrik Sandsten by Paul Slattery

Mattias Bärjed by Paul Slattery

Ebbot Lundberg by Paul Slattery

The Soundtrack of Our Lives by Paul Slattery

Ebbot amongst the crowd by Paul Slattery

With thanks to Paul Slattery, Hans Selander, Robert and Vibeke and all at Slussens Pensionat. Don't forget our special Retrosonic Podcast episodes with Ian Person and Mattias Bärjed which are available to download for free at our Soundcloud site. We also have a Soundtrack of Our Lives Fan's Facebook group which you can join here to share photos, videos, memorabilia and stories.

All photos are strictly copyright Paul Slattery and may not be copied or shared without permission.

Le Beat Bespoké 10 "A Decade of Delights" Easter Weekender Thu 2nd/Fri 3rd/Sat 4th/Sun 5th April 2015

Le Beat Bespoké the annual indoor festival promoted by newuntouchables.com returns over the Easter weekend at 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street in London. New Untouchables run regular club nights and gigs throughout the year spotlighting 21st Century Modernist & Sixties inspired underground music culture. They are also responsible for releasing a series of excellent and much sought after Compilation LPs with selections from DJ Dr Robert, picked from the dance "floorshakers" of various NUTs events that compliment this wonderful, inclusive happening.

Some bands that have appeared at previous Le Beat Bespoké events over the years include: STAX feat Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Eddie Floyd, The Sonics first ever show outside the USA, Arthur Lee & Love, The Undertones, The Strypes, Billy Childish, Eli Paperboy Reed, The Horrors, King Khan & The Shrines, Buzzcocks, Pretty Things, Arthur Brown, Jim Jones Revue, James Hunter, The Remains, The Fuzztones, The Flirtations, The Poets, The Sorrows and Chocolate Watchband to name just a few. However, the live music is only part of what makes Le Beat Bespoké such a wild and unique event. For your dancing delight there will be a dynamic DJ line-up from all across Europe armed with explosive sounds that are sure to melt your heart and mind. Have a good look around the Le Beat Bespoké website at the program which features band news, music, videos and photos, DJ playlists, event podcast, market and record fair information plus travel and accommodation tips.

The weekend gets underway with the superb Wolf People headlining Thursday night with songs from their three highly rated albums. For those who are not familiar with the band, if you like the bluesy psychedelic sounds of Cream, early Jethro Tull and Traffic then you will love Wolf People. The second day of Le Beat Bespoke 10 is billed as an "8 hour Technicolor Dream" which features a triple bill with Glenn Campbell’s Misunderstood, Peter Daltrey's Kaleidoscope and The Loons. Expect to hear all your favourite Misunderstood tracks performed live for the first time since 1967. After a fantastic performance in Islington eighteen months ago you can see Kaleidoscope on the 229 stage again so expect yet another magical performance. The Loons played at the very first Le Beat back in 2005 and will play songs from all three of their brilliant albums including the must-have "Love's Dead Leaves" which was produced by none other than Ebbot Lundberg of The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Evoking the wildest trips of the ’66 Sunset Strip, The Loons, from San Diego, California, have been playing their smart, inventive brand of psychotic beat music for almost twenty years. Lead singer Mike Stax also runs the legendary Ugly Things Magazine, Anja Stax plays bass, Marc Schroeder and Chris Marsteller are the guitarists, and Mike Kamoo is their drummer and producer. Shindig Magazine described them as “a perfect pairing of Love-influenced garage-psych and British underground in the mould of the Pretty Things, played with preternatural style and ability,” and The Sunday Experience raves that The Loons “pack in more soul savvy psych blues in three and a half minutes than most bands do in a lifetime.” The Loons’ fourth album, "Inside Out Your Mind" will be released by Bomp Records in early 2015. After the live show finishes at 11pm the freakout continues until 4am with DJ Dr Robert and special guests. If that wasn’t enough there will be two more rooms of partying including an authentic R&B room featuring guest club night the POW WOW.

With lots of new interest in 2015, Saturday afternoon will be a 14+ show so the new breed can dip their toes in. NUTsMAG will host the afternoon session which features two brands new bands, firstly Fogbound from Spain, who you can hear in Episode 13 of Retrosonic Podcast, and then The Magnetic Mind plus DJ’s. The Le Beat Bespoke Market and Record Fair is where you can spend or earn some serious cash with dealers and customers from all over the World. The evening's live music comes from Wild Records, one of the coolest record labels in the world today who have even had a film made about them called "Los Wild Ones". The "Wild Records Revue" features two of the label's finest artists flying in for your dancing and listening pleasure, Gizzelle and the Rhythm Shakers.  After the live show finishes at 11pm the fun continues until 6am with three rooms of partying. In the main room Cosmic Keith & guests will keep things rockin’, while the beat basement features Dr Robert & guests spinning sounds from the underground and guest club night RNB123.

The grand finale is London’s favourite club night the ‘Crossfire Allnighter’ which has three rooms of musical magic and a live performance from one of the young rising stars on the European scene today Les Grys-Grys. If you like your mid Sixties Pretty Things, Downliners Sect or the Dutch Outsiders you are gonna love these five wild young guys from Montpellier. They shook the Blues Kitchen and the Volks in Brighton last summer to their foundations; this is not for the faint hearted. Their youth (average 22) also belies their abilities, both as musicians and as exponents of a form that many have attempted, but few mastered. These guys know their music history inside out, and their incendiary live show is something to behold! They have released one sold out 45 on State Records so far with much more to come. The first two dates in the UK at the Brighton weekender and Zoo Zoo in August 2014 were a huge success, don’t miss an opportunity to capture this fearsome fivesome live before they go massive. In the main room Ady Croasdell & guests spin Northern Soul oldies in the true all-nighter tradition while Dr Robert & guests spin sounds from the underground in the beat basement after Les Grys-Grys and guest club night Mousetrap.

Please keep a check on the Le Beat Bespoké web-site for regular updates and news on what will be going on over the weekend. Hopefully we'll be able to get along to at least one or two of the days and will be sure to report back on what promises to be an excellent weekend of high quality entertainment. Please check out this video to give you an idea on what to expect...