Wanda Jackson - The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice

US readers... read this. A documentary called Wanda Jackson - The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice will be on the Smithsonian Channel May 18th at 9pm Eastern. UK readers, be mightily depressed that you don't have access to American TV. We can only hope that someone sticks it online or something so we can all dig one of the most underrated artists in the history of rock 'n' roll music. Now, after watching this video, go and dig out 'Funnel of Love' and shimmy like your life depends on it.

Phil Spector cohort, Larry Levine, RIP

One of the most important people in rock 'n' roll history has joined the choir invisible. Engineer Larry Levine has died at the ripe ol' age of 80. Who is Larry Levine? Lemme tell you.

Larry is the man responsible for creating the ‘Wall Of Sound’ technique with producer Phil Spector.

Levine became Spector’s longtime recording engineer after the pair worked together on The Crystals’ ‘He’s A Rebel’, and they went on to work together on such classics as ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, 'Be My Baby', ‘You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling’ and ‘River Deep, Mountain High’. And that's only the tip of the iceberg ladies and gents.

Nom De Guerre x Oliver Peoples Roy Orbison sunglasses

Oliver Peoples Eyewear has teamed up with Nom de Guerre to produce these retro-styled sunglasses.

It's all about the 1950s, with the hand sculpted designed inspired by the eyewear worn by Roy Orbison in that decade.

Take your pick from dark mahogany or black, both retailing for £159.

Find out more at the Oki-Ni website

Via Retro To Go

Electric Roulette Top Picks

One of the joys of writing about the best music in the world is that you get to share it. Of course, you could see it as 'jamming our opinions down yer damn throat'... but either way, you get some good tip offs so we all win.

Naturally, this being the brink of summer, Electric Roulette folks have taken on a decidedly cheery frame, so maybe it's reflected in the tunes we're currently hoppin' to. You can be the judge I s'pose.

Anyway, enough jabberin', read over for ten randomly plucked treats from the trove... it's the top picks from May 2008.

100 Club Picture Show - music images through the ages

For three days, the 100 Club will open its doors through the afternoons to the public, offering you the chance to see the legendary club, as well as an exhibition of photographs featuring acts who have appeared at the club over the last 60 years.

Photographs from the club, spanning the last 60 years will include Jazz and Blues by Walter Hanlon, Terry Cryer and Chas McDevitt, The Punk Festival of 1976 shot by Barry Plummer, Ray Stevenson and Jill Furmanovsky and Rock and Indie acts by Paul Slattery, Dean Chalkley and Ross Halfin. That includes the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie Sioux, Metallica, Oasis, Humphrey Lyttelton, Gallows, Chuck Berry, The Damned, Primal Scream and The Horrors to name just a few.

An exclusive preview takes place on Wednesday 7th May from 6:30pm - contact the club for details. The main public viewing runs from Friday 9th May – Sunday 11th May, 12pm – 4pm. Entry is free.

100 Club website

Via Retro To Go

Review - Blame It On The Dogg (The Swamp Dogg Anthology 1968-1978)

Looking at this LP, it's not immediately obvious what it is. Doing a little assuming, I thought 'it's probably some underrated genius too long for his dues... producer... singer..." and basically, that line of thinking is pretty much true.

Jerry Williams Jr, or Swamp Dogg to his mates... and you...has many facets... soul singer, songwriter, producer... cool muvvafugger. Basically, since the mid 60s, Swamp has been responsible for creating some of the most inventive and innovative black American music that the world will ever see. Not that anyone toldya about it. Until now. 'Blame It On The Dogg' brings together hits and rarities from his early days as a staff producer and A&R man for various cool soul labels, up to and including the independently-financed sessions from the mid-70s that established him as one of the genuine greats of soul music.

Happy Birthday to Link Wray!

Link Wray... the one-lunged Shawnee mystical surf monster would have been 79 today.

And click over for one of my faves...

Interview with Mike and The Ravens

Some time ago, I interviewed a band of misfits called Mike and The Ravens. Now, the group, come from a time that me and you couldn't imagine. A world when rock 'n' roll was brand new... a world where some mop-top scousers hadn't decided to take over the world... yup, The Ravens were there at the first shoot of rock 'n' roll... and they wanted to make it louder and faster. Mike Brassard & Co were proto-garage... and boy, do I love 'em!

A couple of years ago, a couple of records sneaked out starring the Ravens. First up was the Heart So Cold (Vol1) which featured killer skate tunes from the “North Country 60’s Scene”, then the no-filler of ‘Nevermore’ comp of Mike & The Ravens cuts. With the Raven’s classic line-up of Mike Brassard (vocals), Steve Blodgett (rhythm guitar), Bo Blodgett (lead guitar), Brian Lyford (bass), Peter Young (drums) readying a brand new album, I thought I'd dig up the old interview to share with you.

The Greatest 100 Greatest List Ever

Stumbled across this whilst flagrantly abusing internet privileges at work - The Detroit Metro Time's "100 Greatest Detroit Songs Ever", an untouchably hip Top 100 compiled by the Deetroit rag's staff late last year. Convention dictates that Top 100 Records Lists a la Mojo Magazine, Q Magazine, The Guardian Guide et al lists are arbitrary, predictable, dull etc etc - this list, however, is dynamite from top to bottom. Tons of Psyche-Soul (Black Merda, Funkadelic, Dennis Coffey), Motown (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves), garage rock (Stooges, ? & The Mysterians, MC5), plus the occasional groundbreaking techno or hip-hop track...a genuinely fascinating journey through the Motor City's back catalogue, and a forceful reminder of how consistently this city has produced incredible music since the mid 1900s. Go dig! (Also in the Detroit Metro Times this week: "Road Rage - Mayor and council skirmish over Livernois makeover".) PF

Has black music lost its soul?

Estelle, currently hauling the nutrasweet-soul of 'American Boy' around the world, has attacked the state of the music industry. She said: "I'm not mad at 'em - but I'm just wondering, how the hell is there not a single black person in the press singing soul? Adele ain't soul. She sounds like she heard some Aretha records once and she's got a deeper voice - that don't mean she's soul. They keep trying to tell me in the media what soul music is and I'm like, we KNOW what soul music is."

Fair enough, Adele isn't soul music, she's Coldplay with breasts... but this little rant got me thinking. Where is all the black soul music? Now, before we begin, let me determine what I think soul music is... or rather... what soul music isn't. Soul music isn't about histrionics. Soul music isn't about a floor length mink coat. It ain't diamond earrings and showing opulence. Soul is something almost undefinable... something that can stir you and, when the mood takes, force you on to a dancefloor. Of course, I'm biased toward soul that sounds like it came from the fifties, up to the seventies. Since then, soul and funk seems to have lost it's way, and now, the nearest thing we have to that golden period is a couple of pop singers and the grooves found in certain hip hop joints. 

Previously unreleased Nina Simone protest tracks to get online release

I don't care that much for Nina Simone's early stuff, preferring the more angsty protest 'n' funk Nina ('Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter' is surely one of the finest soul records ever made... don't know it? Click here). Anyway, good news is that a compilation of previously unseen live performances and interviews with Nina Simone is due for online release today (April 8th).

'Protest Anthology' features live renditions of 'Strange Fruit', 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black' and 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free'. Digital distribution company, The Orchard, will release the five-part series on iTunes. The full listing of 'Protest Anthology' can be found if you read over.

As much as I dislike download only releases, this looks to be a decent addition to Nina's back catalogue and maybe, if it sells well, we'll see a 'full' release.

Link Wray, 'Rumble', 1958

You're gonna spend a whole lotta time this year bein' reminded of the fact that 2008 is The 40th Anniversary Of 1968, and how 1968 was the year of Rock 'n' Revolution or whatever and it's some whole big deal for baby-boomer media execs. I'm here to tell ya 1968 sucked. 40th anniversarys suck. 50th anniversarys are where it's at. That's why I'm all about 1958. If they'da jus' sent Link to 'Nam he woulda had the whole sorry mess sorted in the flash-whip of a motorcyle chain. 'Cos who needs revolution...when you can RUMBLE. (PF)

Win Kent's latest vintage soul release - New Breed R&B With Added Popcorn

Just launched by Kent is a real treat for fans of late 50s/early 60s R&B - New Breed R&B With Added Popcorn. And we have five copies of the CD to give away.

Following on from the first two volumes, this latest episode is a mix of rarities and recent dancefloor fillers on the mod and soul and indeed popcorn scenes. Amongst the 24 tracks appearing here are rare gems like Mr Dynamite's Sh'Mon, Eugene Church's Jack Of All Trades, The Charmaines' I Idolize You, album compiler Ady Croasdell's floorfiller Oh Baby Don't You Weep by Luther Ingram and Gladys Tyler's Someone Else Has Taken My Place - which has only been heard on acetate when DJ Roger Banks has played it in the rare soul clubs.

Expect a full review soon, but in the meantime, you can enter the competition, which is hosted over at our sister site, Modculture.

Enter the New Breed R&B With Added Popcorn competition

Jack White and Bob Dylan do Hank Williams

White Stripes honcho Jack White has ratted on a project that he's working on with Bob Dylan. The project, co-ordinated by Dylan, is to complete a series of songs left unfinished by country legend Hank Williams at the time of his death in '53.

White has been one of a number of musicians approached by Dylan to work on completed lyrics and music for the songs, with other artists involved now revealed to include Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson.

White has now recorded a now ‘finished’ version of the incomplete Williams song “You Know That I Know” at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios, with engineer Joe Chiccarelli.

Speaking to MTV News, White stated: "[Bob] came upon, somehow, 20-25 unfinished songs by Hank Williams, just the lyrics, no music, and he started to ask people if they would finish these songs. He did one, asked Willie Nelson to do one, asked me to do one, and I think Lucinda Williams and Alan Jackson are on it too. I think it might come out this year. It's a cool record.”

White appeared with Dylan last September, when Bob played a two-night stint at Nashville’s Ryman Theatre. On the first night they performed together on the first ever live version of “Meet Me In The Morning” from Blood On The Tracks... and others. You can see Bob Dylan and Jack White getting it on over the page...

RIP Teo Macero, 82, Record Producer

Somewhat belatedly, sad news reached us over the weekend that Teo Macero, one of the all-time great record producers, has passed away in Riverhead, NY, aged 82. Macero's introduction of 'modern-classical' avant-garde cut-up techniques to the jazz world represented a great-leap-forward for the genre, and his contribution to Miles Davis' revolutionary electric experiments of the psychedelic era is immeasurable. Pain-stakingly cutting and splicing tapes to create collages of Miles' freak-outs, his work on seminal recordings like In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew, Get Up WIth It and A Tribute To Jack Johnson altered way jazz music was recorded forever. Macero was uncomfortable with Columbia's extensive Miles 'Complete' reissues, regarding the original LPs as definitive and believing that releasing the hours of endless noodling jams he used as his source material damaged the 'illusion' of those final cuts. Despite Macero's understandable reservations, I would still recommend the box-sets of all of those LPs listed above (especially the stunning psyche-fuzz-funk of the Jack Johnson set - hear clips here), if only because they allow you to truly appreciate the extent to which Macero shaped these studio vamps into the stunning records they became. Electric Roulette bids a heavy-hearted farewell to a true innovative genius of modern music. (PF)

Late Junction: 50 Years Of The Radiophonic Workshop

Hey, look - a cross-media 'tie-in'. Further to our deification of electrosonic soundcadet Delia Derbyshire last week, tonight's Late Junction (BBC Radio 3, 11.15) is a '50 Years Of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop' special, giving you the perfect  opportunity to dig on some of the epochal analogue experiments Derbyshire & Friends conducted at the famous noise labs. Expect music from Doctor Who, Benjamin Britten, distorto-horrorscapes, tape-manipulation-a-go-go, Fredrick Bradnum's seminal 1957 spoken word piece 'Private Dreams & Public Nightmares', the sound of the universe dying etc etc.  Music this weird / wonky / nightmarish is rare indeed on regular radio, so I suggest you listen in, though you may suffer brutalising night-terrors as a consequence. At least you get some good music, right? Usually if you want to guarantee an evening of brutalising radio-related night-terrors you have to catch five minutes of the Jo Whiley show.

Electric Roulette Hero #1: Delia Derbyshire

In an industry where the word 'hero' is usually  prefixed by 'guitar', and generally translates as 'drunk, preening misogynistic buffoon who has made a pile of cash schlepping his way around the world churning out Chuck Berry knock-offs and taking drugs', our sense of what constitutes true heroism has been almost entirely eroded. Therefore I have selected  Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001) as our first Electric Roulette Hall of Famer primarily because during her life she exhibited genuine heroic qualities, and because her achievements remain relatively unsung. And because she was really cool.

Andre Williams to bring sleaze bucket blues to the UK

Once, in a record shop somewhere, on a Saturday afternoon, I watched the guy behind the counter squirm as a chap who called himself 'Pinky' asked to listen to some Andre Williams' LPs. The record shop man blushed as Andre's filth poured out of the speakers to a buncha people all shuffling nervously around the new chart releases. Every time I think of Williams, I think of that moment.

With that, Andre Williams will bring his blues to the UK for a coupla rare shows later this month. Sadly, he won't be playin' bucket o'blood joints. ‘The Black Godfather’ has, as well as having his own hits, written tracks for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ike and Tina and Funkadelic. The Black Lips and the White Stripes love him too.

And youda thought that Andre was an interesting enough name... but his real name is Zefferey. Serious. Anyway, enough trivia... if you wanna catch him bringing the sleaze in the UK, read over for dates and places... there might just be a tune to dig as well...

Ten random 45 buys for a quid each

Over the weekend, me and the girlfriend met up with a mate and went to a record fair. After finding out that I was within spitting distance of getting in, then turning down a wrong street, being sent on a wild goose chase by a police man and the sign bearers not pointing their boards in the right direction, I finally got there and started to dig. I bought some expensive bits... but I don't wanna tell ya 'bout them as that's a bit anal... but I will tell you about the 10 records I got for a pound each. One pound for a 45? Yep... this guy was sellin' stuff at car-boot prices... which shows you that you don't have to spend moneymoneymoney to get some killer 45s.

So, read over to see what I bought...

Twistin Rumble!! Instant Party Soundtracks

Parties! According to Hollywood, Bacchanalian orgies of booze, plastically enhanced blondes and overweight bozos shaking their ample guts to Louie Louie. Back in the real world, neverending nightmares populated by desperate students braying over the finer points of He-Man cartoons, unknown randoms vomiting into bowls of Doritos and gatecrashing packs of feral chavs intent on rape, pillage and ultraviolence.

And then there's the soundtrack to these hellish gatherings. The students would like nothing better than to slit their wrists to The Smiths, the rare record snob is sweating to play that fantastic 45 of Nepalese prog he picked out of a skip at the back of Oxfam, whilst the knife wielding chavs have surrounded the stereo, plugged in their phones and are baiting the room with a sanity shredding spew of sped up Chipmunks soundalikes.

Carole King's Tapestry gets Legacy treatment (which means loads of bonus tracks)

I feel guilty for liking Carole King's Tapestry. It's probably becuz I hang around a load of garage punk sorts who only like things filled with fuzz and shouting. However, chances are, there's about 300 Carole King compositions in your collection. Aretha Franklin. Yep. King wrote for her. The blissed out psych of The Porpoise Song? It's her again! So with that explanation, I'll soldier on.

A new edition of Carole King's '71 album Tapestry will see release in April bolstered by live versions of its tracks recorded in '73 and '76. The first disc of the two-CD set includes the original album in remastered form plus the bonus studio cut "Out in the Cold."

Original producer Lou Adler also supplies track-by-track commentary in the liner notes. Disc two rounds up album tracks in sequence, taped in 1973 in Boston and Central Park, plus at a 1976 show at the San Francisco Opera House. 15 weeks at No. 1, 22 million copies sold worldwide... not normally things we crow about on these pages... but for an LP that features It's Too Late, Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, I ain't gonna argue.

The story of Chess Records to hit the big screen

For me, Chess Records is the most iconic of all Americas record labels. Motown, Sun and Stax are more famous, but the real deal lies is the rooks and checkmates. There's so many amazing Chess releases... Muddy Waters, Etta James, Rotary Connection, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley... hell... Rocket 88 (regarded as the first rock 'n' roll single ever) was a Chess piece!

And now the label, established by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess is to hit the big screen. The movie, titled Cadillac Records (presumably something to do with the Chess brothers famously selling records from the boot of their car way back when), will see Beyoncé playing the role of Etta James and Adrien Brody playing the role of Leonard Chess. Who gets to play at being Muddy? A certain Jeffrey Wright.

Frank Sinatra Writes For Creem Magazine

"Rock and roll is the most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has ever been my displeasure to hear...It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phony and false. It is sung for the most part by cretinous goons and by means of its almost imbecilic reiterations and sly, lewd - in plain fact dirty - lyrics."

- Frank Sinatra, 1957

Have you ever in your whole life ever read a better advert for rock and roll music? This is sheer gonzo brilliance.  Lester Bangs was a rank amateur compared to this guy. Dig those crazy adjectives; "brutal, ugly, degenerate, destructive, cretinous, imbecilic, dirty..." Anybody with halfa pulse reading this in button-down apple pie Madison Avenue 1957 musta been like: "hey, pops, you don't have to tell me twice! You had me at 'degenerate!'  Just tell me where to sign!"

Ike Turner... probably died because he took some drugs

Every two-bit rag and e-zine is reporting on this, so we might as well climb aboard the bandwagon as well. Basically, it looks like Ike Turner died because he took a load of coke. There you go. Now you know.

This really isn't a surprise is it? I mean, we all knew that Ike was two things... 1. A genius and 2. A bad lad.

Rock star dies after a life of debauchery? No shit! Jeez. I never knew man! Those people in entertainment take coke? Hell! And for those of you going "HA! Dead wife beating fuck!", can I advise that you go and throw away all your Beatle LPs too? Cheers.

Anyway, there you go, the man who may have invented rock 'n' roll dies high.

Coming soon: Le Beat Bespoke 4 in London - headlined by The Sonics

Easter is coming and with it Le Beat Bespoke 4.

Yes, back for a 4th year (and to coincide with the Le Beat Bespoke 3 album) is the three-day event in central London (21st - 23rd March 2008), headlined by legendary garage band The Sonics - the band's first-ever European appearance. Much of the supporting bill has yet to be announced, with Austria’s The Staggers and The Jaybirds, UK bands the Good Time Charlies and The Excellos, The Phantom Keys and Los Chicos from Spain and Sweden’s The Branded the only names listed so far.

As well as the bands, there's the club nights, with everything from garage, psych and rockabilly to soul, ska and jazz, along with go-go girls, cult cinema, an all-night bar, a large retro/vintage market, art exhibitions and a scooter run.

More details announced soon. In the meantime, you can book tickets here.

Find out more at the New Untouchables website

eBaywatch... Elvis 10inch boxset of 24 Number Ones!

Ah. The King. He's been busier than Tupac lately. That said, I haven't seen any tracks of Elvis 'duetting' with some lame-ass R'n'B singer... I mean, I think Presley knew what real R'n'B sounded like...

With that, on eBay, is a bloody bargain. For 99p (at the time of press) you can get your hands on a box set of tens, all his number ones... all 24 of 'em! The vendor says that "when the set was first released there was a limited run of 10,000 copies made , but due to demand there was a further second run of singles released. The set for sale are all from the first run so are very collectable". So there! Let me point out that it's up to you to see if this vendor is reputable and all that... if you get stung, you can't go blamin' us. You're one of those people on the no win - no fee ads aren't you? Go on... shoo... Click here to make a bid

Go dig the Norton 20th Anniversary Show featuring Mary Weiss from the Shangri-Las, Kim Fowley, Ronnie Spector, Roky Erickson, Robert Plant and some killer tunes!

Norton Records... man... they kill me. Prime slabs of primitive rock 'n' roll leaving you foaming and fitting on the floor. Surely that's what music is all about? That demented rush that makes your leg jerk against your will... Norton Records have been making me involuntarily spasm for too damn long.

Now, they're makin' me go green with their superb 20th Anniversary show. Presented by Dave the Spazz (you wouldn't take him home to meet the folks wouldya?) who takes us on a wild journey of garage and surf and anything else that takes his snotty fantasy. Still... it's a garage podcast... heard it all before right? Wrong. This podcast has an interview with Mary Weiss from the Shangri-Las (who we should all refer to as Mary Shang from now on), plus calls from Kim Fowley, Ronnie Spector, Roky Erickson, Deke Dickerson, The Alarm Clocks, Dale Hawkins, Robert Plant, Sam the Sham & ? from ? and The Mysterians. Are you for real?!?! If you wanna listen to 3 hours of the finest gonzoid rock 'n' roll, click here.

Bebop legend, Frank Morgan, RIP

Like anyone who has ears, Frank Morgan, who has passed away at 73, was knocked into a cocked hat when he heard the hardasnails bebop of Charlie Parker. Taking up the alto sax as a teenager and desperate to play... and be... like his idol, Morgan learned fast and was soon dubbed The New Bird.

Such was his hero worship of The Bird, that not only did he dig the sounds and stylings, but also, the wildly destructive lifestyle, becoming addicted to heroin when he was 17, despite Parker's evident disapproval. "He was very disappointed when he found I was using," said Morgan, "I thought he would be extremely happy." Morgan climbed quickly, before dropping like a stone into a world of crime, which saw a series of time in the clink, spanning three decades. "I became a hardcore drug addict and a criminal. I was a very good criminal. I did it with gusto,"

After this, he kicked the habit and got on with doing what he did best. After rejuvinatin', Morgan had a stroke which looked to lay his playing to rest, but not defeated, he continued to tour before kidney failure and The Big C felled him.

Five Christmas albums with a retro twist

Sick of Slade? Bored of Band Aid? Don't despair - we have a selection of five retro Christmas albums, packed full of great tunes to soundtrack the festive period. Any that we've missed? Let us now below.

1. James Brown: Funky Christmas (Polydor)

The hardest-working man in showbusiness is no longer with us, but his festive favourites are. This is a compilation of all the man's Christmas work including tracks from his 1966 LP, Christmas Song and his '72 recording, Hey America - a mix of self-penned tunes, covers of early 60s R&B Christmas tunes and some full-on festive funk - typified by Soulful Christmas - classic JB, but with a seasonal message (and available a couple of years back as a limited vinyl 45). Get the party started for a ridiculously cheap £3.98.

More about the CD at Amazon.co.uk

2. Various Artists: Seasonal Favourites volumes one and two (Double Crown)

Guaranteed to liven up any party are the Seasonal Favourites volumes one and two albums, available from Double Crown Records. It's Christmas music, but with a twist - as you might expect from  a surf/garage/rockabilly label. If you want to know how much of a twist, check out the two tracks below. And if you like what you hear (and want indie/garage versions of Merry Christmas (War Is Over) and Little Drummer Boy in your collection), you can order both online from Double Crown for a bargain £6.59 each.

Frigg A-Go-Go - Santa Claus Go To The Ghetto (MP3)
The Lunatics - Rocknuts (MP3)

Ike Turner RIP

Ike Turner, half of one of the most volcanic rock and soul acts ever, has died at 76. Ike's influence on music is unparalleled as he was there... there at the sessions for the first ever rock 'n' roll records ever made (Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston) writing and distorting his guitar to create the fuzz we all love.

Scott Hanover, a spokesman for Thrill Entertainment, which managed his career, said yesterday: "Ike Turner passed away this morning. He was at his home." He lived in San Marcos, California, outside San Diego. Hanover did not give the cause of death.

Ike gave a leg up to luminaries such as Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James and Otis Rush, showing that Ike was more than just a musician, but also a dynamite A&R man. Of course, Ike is best known for his turbulent relationship with Tina Turner, who as a pair, created incredible soul, rock and funk numbers that could strip your skin away from your body with biblical force. Click over to see the great man in action...

Buddy Guy to come and play in England

Buddy Guy, one of the kings if Chicago blues, will invade England for three live dates next year, touching down in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

George "Buddy" Guy is a five-time Grammy Award-winner and a huge influence in modern music. Think I'm lying? How about Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton being huge fans in their informative years?

Ever the showman, Guy is known for playing his guitar with drumsticks, or running into the audience whilst still jamming. Wanna see him? Read over for dates and places... and a nice video

Website: Tittyshakers

What is a Tittyshaker? A girl on a bike flying down a cobbled street? A Blue-Tit in a tumble dryer? Well, no. The Tittyshaker is the sound that "makes you want to tear off your shirt and shake your titties" grinding to the frantic beat of the ‘Monkey’ or the ‘Dog' or the 'Shing-a-ling' or the 'Push and Pull'... in short, it's the sound of sleazy rock 'n' roll!

For fans of Las Vegas Grind and, strip joints, B-movies and burlesque sounds, you need to pay a visit to www.tittyshakers.com. This site, filled with sexy curves, throbbing gearboxes and, most importantly, a 'juke joint' page filled with MP3s and sleeves of saucy rekkids that'll have you scurrying to eBay in search. Wait until you hear the incredible 'Crawlin (The Crawl)' by Unthouchables. You'll be derobing within seconds of the sordid horns.

Click here to visit Tittyshakers

Mof

Atlantic Soul 1959-1975 CD boxset

Those fine people at Rhino Handmade are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Atlantic Records with a series of 4-CD boxsets devoted to the labels musical styles, including this forthcoming Atlantic Soul 1959-1975 CD boxset.

Opening with Ray Charles' Come Rain Or Come Shine and closing at the dawn of the disco era with The Trammps' Hooked For Life, the 82-track collection takes in R&B, soul, funk, gospel, Philly and much more besides, including the likes of Brother Ray, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, The Coasters, Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett through to less mainstream acts like Judy Clay, Baby Washington, and the Soul Brothers Six.

Compiled by R&B expert Billy Vera (himself an Atlantic artist), it all comes in a sepia-toned 12'' x 12'' box that includes a booklet filled with extensive liner notes and rare photos. And it's limited to just 3,000 copies, all numbered. If you want one, you can pre-order from Rhino for a price of $79.98 (around £40).

Find out more at the Rhino Handmade website

Cliffmaster R And Lethal B Meet Little Baby J Up Town

"Hey there guys. I'm Cliff Richard. Check out my book over there. I'm Single Minded. This is a pun, a pun which works on literally two levels. The first level it works on is the level of me being single, or a 'bachelor boy', ha ha. The second level is the level of me being a single-orientated pop musician, known for racking up Top Ten hits on 45, 8-track, and more recently, tape-cassette.

But I'm not here to talk about how I've sold over 250 million records, had 14 Number Ones and more Top 10 UK singles than any other artists. I mean, even with those sorta stats I bet some of you kids probably still think I'm a bit 'square', huh guys?

'Sure do. Well not 'square' exactly. More just really shit.'

Oh. Anyway, what I'm here to talk to you about is...CHRISTMAS! YEAH! I'ma get my shmaltz on and my bland on, 'cos Xmas is when the Cliffmeister gets biz-zay! I've had so many Christmas hit singles y'all oughta call it Cliffmas! Yeauh boyy! Lets take a look back at some those Cliff Crackers from back in the day...

Art Kane: Visionary Portraits 1958 - 68

January sees the start of an exhibition of work from one of rock's finest photographers under the name Art Kane: Visionary Portraits 1958 - 68 at the Snap Galleries in Birmingham.

Kicking off his photographic career with a portrait of 57 of the worlds most famous Jazz musicians for Esquire in 1958, Kane went on to snap just about anyone worth capturing for the next two decades in his own individual style -  The Rolling Stones (pictured here), Bob Dylan, The Who, Cream, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa - they're all here.

Alongside the iconic images (Sonny and Cher underwater - the inspiration for that Nirvana sleeve 25 years later for example), there are new photographs too - including unpublished Art Kane studio portraits of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey from the mid-sixties. And if the images catch your eye, limited edition copies will be available, each fully authenticated by Jonathan Kane on behalf of the Art Kane estate.

Art Kane : Visionary Portraits 1958 - 68 runs from 12th January to 12th March 2008. For further details or directions to the gallery, check the website.

Find out more at the Snap Galleries website

Via Retro To Go

Official singles chart celebrates 55th anniversary

When was the last time you checked the charts? Well you should at least reminisce about the times you did as, today, the Official UK Charts celebrates a musical and cultural landmark: the 55th anniversary of the first ever singles chart.

In the early days, the chart was a simple telephone poll of a few record shops. Today, the Official Charts Company electronically contacts over 6,000 traditional and online retailers to create the largest, most accurate, weekly market research survey in Europe... but that's all a bit boring isn't it?

The first chart – a Top 12 – appeared on 14th November 1952 in New Musical Express with Al Martino’s ‘Here In My Heart’ taking the pole position. Al Martino – the American octogenarian crooner, who is still touring the US, said of achieving the first ever UK Number One “I was pretty elated. I had no idea that I would be the first number one record charter in Great Britain. I guess that’s really a feather in my cap, isn’t it?” However, some real dross followed...