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.

Eric Burdon is getting it back on with WAR

Eric Burdon and WAR are to play a one-off reunion gig next week in London (that'd be April 21st). Burdon, who you'll know from The Animals, joined US funkers WAR as singer for two LPs in '70. Neatly, this gig coincides with a big reissue campaign by Rhino records. The one-off show will see Burdon play with WAR's Lonnie Jordan for the first time in 37 years. Not only that, but Eric and Lonnie are due to be interviewed on 'Later With Jools Holland' this Friday (April 18th) on BBC Two. Now, it's unlikely you've heard 'em, so here's a video.

Elvis Costello TV

I don't know if this is a great idea... or a completely rubbish one. For now, I'm sticking with the former. What's this idea then? That headline gave nothing away y'chump. Well, Elvis Costello is to host his own TV show called “Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...”.

The show will feature interviews and performances with well-known musicians and discussions with celebrity guests. Elton John's Rocket Pictures is co-producing the series and will appear in an episode but the full line-up has not yet been revealed. Costello said he would not be digging for salacious gossip: "I'd rather hear about a deep love or a curiosity that might be obscured by fame. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk in complete thoughts about music, movies, art or even vaudeville, then frame it with unique and illustrative performances."

The series will be broadcast in the UK on Channel 4... but there's no dates yet, so we'll keep 'em peeled so you don't have to.

The Count... potty mouthed puppet

You know we like our Sesame Street and Muppet related videos on Roulette (here and here)... well... here's the Count in particularly filthy mode. Dirty bugger.

With thanks to Sammy for the nod.

Later... with Jools Holland gets a make-over, new timeslot... stuff.

'Later... With Jools Holland' will return for a new series on April 1st... but with a new format. Sorta. Later... itself will be exactly the same and on at exactly the same time (Friday nights) but, to compliment this, we'll also get 'Later Live... With Jools Holland'.

This new show will be aired live in a primetime half-hour slot on BBC 2 on Tuesday nights... and Black Kids are amongst the artists performing on the first show. Of course, Black Kids are a band as opposed to me being all 1970s.

I've no idea what else is new, but I imagine the format will be the same... bands stood in a circle, all jamming the intro, Jools Holland talking outta his nostrils... good guests, bad guests, world music... you know the drill. It's Old Grey Whistle Test with bells on.

Animated Funk #239: Fat Albert

HEY HEY HEY! Fuzzed psyche-funk like Baby Huey used to make, Bill Cosby "coming at you" with "music and fun", and a gang of local wise-ass hoods headed up by some huge fat kid called Albert...perfect 70s-delia. The definition of old skool. (The Fat Albert pilot's music was by Herbie Hancock, - this hella-funkafied fuzz-jazz score was subsequently released as his 'Fat Albert Rotunda' LP.(PF)

"Burn, Baby, Burn!"

Potentially the best thing you're gonna see on telly all damn year, Motor City's Burning: From Motown To The Stooges has to rank as pretty definitive Electric Roulette TV - and you can catch it at 10pm this Friday or 11pm on Saturday on BBC4. Focussing on the devastating '67 riots and the impact this violent social upheaval had on the Deetroit music scene, any show that promisesThe MC5, The Stooges, militant-era Motown, Funkadelic and Alice Cooper has to be worth at least sticking a video in for. This would be a fascinating period of social US history anyway, but thanks to this incredible background of incendary garage rock 'n' soul,  burning down drug stores, putting whitey up against the wall and looting was never better soundtracked than it was here. (PF)

Brit Awards 2008: Hot Live Blog Action!

Last night in London there was a large music industry event known as The Mastercard Brit Awards 2008. Loads of people went. There was some live music, and some people were presented with awards for achievement in various fields. The Osbournes, from The Telly, were the hosts. Paul McCartney, who played bass in The Beatles, played three songs. And Kylie was there. And Doctor Who presented an award. Lots of people who attended the Brit School in London were there too. Infact, 96% of the people there attended the Brit School in London. I wasn't there. But the good thing was, they showed The Mastercard Brit Awards 2008 on telly,  which meant you could enjoy it at home, even if you didn't attend the Brit School in London. Over 'the jump' you will find my LIVE BLOG of the coverage, written LIVE, as it happened. It's like watching it yourself, but if you were me.

The battle of Britpop via The Weakest Link

This is barely news. I'm just warning you in advance. This is one of those articles that is, on the surface, so unlike music news that you'll think 'why the hell is he tellin' us this crap?' Well, basically, it's an exercise in being a snide where I get (you can join in too in the comments section) to be snidey to people in Britpop bands. Just so you know.

Anyway, the bosses at TV show, The Weakest Link wanna make a Britpop special and are trying to poke the flames (more like a white plume from an old bonfire really) of the Oasis/Blur rivalry. Imagine that! Anne Robinson giving Noely G a load of grief... "so Noel, you wished AIDS on Blur...". According to another website producers are in talks with Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn and Alex James to get them stood on the podiums and answering trivia questions. However, they're all still doing alright for themselves, so let's have a look at the bands who are far more likely to feature.

There Are Twenty Million Women Wearing Kinky Boots

The 60s. A time of things happening, haircuts, 'change', people walking around, and buildings. Like the famous saying goes: if you can't remember the 60s...it's probably because you weren't born then, or were at least really young, and maybe remember the 70s more, and have a soft spot for Tiswas, which I'm sorry, still looks crap every time they show a clip of it. Lots of people like The 60s, don't they? Especially mid-60s 'Swinging London' MOD FREAKBEAT PSYCHE CARNABY STREET sorta 60s. I bet you know somebody who's 'into' The 60s. The sorta cats who dress like the models on New Untouchable flyers and listen to Birds 45s on their dansette record players. Buy an ipod you losers, it's 2008.

Steve Martin And The Toot Uncommons: King Tut

Generally, Comedy + Music = Really Bad Idea. But if anybody was gonna make it work, bone fide banjo wizard, ex 60s LA folk scenester & Wild & Crazy guy Steve Martin was always a safe bet. You remember Steve Martin, don't ya? Used to be God. Did The Jerk, LA Story, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and a buncha great comedy records. Now makes spectacularly lame movies. Anyway, here is in the late 70s with a really funny song, which I bought on 7" today, and that's all the reason I need to share this video with y'all. Dig!

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Everyone in the world loves The Wire... now you can love the LP too

You lot have been rattling on about this show called The Wire. It seems like everyone loves it... man... I ain't got Sky or anything like that... but I still feel bad. You ain't got Sky! Man, buy the DVD! I know... I know... quit shovin', I'm getting 'round to it man.

Seeing as I know nuthin' about the show, my synapses have been jarred by the soundtrack to the show, which is to get a UK release through Nonesuch records on January 21.

'The Wire: “…and all the pieces matter.” - Five Years Of Music From The Wire' includes all versions of the show’s opening theme song - Tom Waits’ ‘Way Down in the Hole’, as well as versions by The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Neville Brothers, and DoMaJe. 

The deluxe collection from The Wire also includes several tracks of dialogue from the show. The CD booklet also includes essays by writer George Pelecanos and hip-hop journalist Jeff Chang. Track listings for both are below are overleaf.

Roosevelt Franklin's 'Alphabet'

Inspired by our Sesame Street Records post, here's a great video of Roosevelt Franklin's super-fly 'Alphabet', an irresistible slice of laidback Stax styled Muppet-funk from 1969. 'O' is for outta-sight.

( For more Sesame Street Funk, check out the Eleven Counting Cheer and Walk at youtube)

Beat Girl showing on BBC4 as part of Pop Britannia season

The BBC's latest themed season, Pop Britannia, got off to a decent start last night, with a look at the early Brit pop scene of the 1950s, as well as a couple of cheesy Cliff pop movies - Espresso Bongo and the Young Ones.

This next week looks even better, with a rare showing on the once controversial Beat Girl movie (with killer John Barry soundtrack), a documentary on 60s and 70s pop and a couple of Bowie gems - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and the BBC's own Cracked Actor film (where Bowie goes from goth to white soul boy).

Want a taster of Beat Girl? See the intro below. The full film is on at 7:40pm on Friday 11th January on BBC4.

Via Cinedelica

Get ready for Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox pt2... The Osbournes are hosting The Brits

Award ceremonies... they're a bit pointless aren't they? I mean, the only people who really look forward to these things are the people who own HMV, music industry types... and coke dealers. Well, you can add The Osbournes to that list as they're hosting next year's Brit Awards.

The event, like last year, will be televised live... which means we could end up with another toe-curler. Imagine Sharon getting one of her surgeon baps out for shock value, whilst Ozzy mumbles and swears, slumped to her left. The crowd won't mind though... they'll all be too busy rimming The Klaxons and egging Amy Winehouse on to a premature death. Maybe they should rebrand the awards as The Caligula Excuse? Didn't he die during some event of 'dramatics and games' event?

Kick-Ass Band Name Motherlode Uncovered: Take Your Pick!

Everybody knows the first thing you need to do when forming a band is to come up with a KICK-ASS NAME. Before you write any songs, before you learn to play an instrument, shit, before you own an instrument, you need a kick-ass name. I mean, you get a bunch of mates together and say "Oh, it doesn't really matter what we're called at this point, let's just call ourselves Keane" - what have you got to aim for? You'll end up sounding like Keane! You need a name to inspire you, a name which demands you make music kick-ass enough to justify it! But coming up with a kick-ass name isn't easy. Infact, it's the hardest thing in the whole world. The junior band namer is facing down the barrel of 60 years of used up band names. I mean, are you really gonna come up with a better band name than The Grateful Dead? Or The Velvet Underground? Shit, whydoncha quit right now?

NO! DON'T quit right now! 'Cos I've discovered THE MOTHERLODE OF KICK-ASS NEVER-USED-BEFORE BAND NAMES. DOZENS of 'em. Suitable for any genre. Band names so incredible that the mind struggles to comprehend the overwhelming kick-assness of the 'em. And where did I discover this mythical haul? Why, dear reader...IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

A tribute to Germany's Beat Club

In the UK, we had the likes of Top Of The Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Tube - in Germany, they had The Beat Club.

Running from 1965 to 1972 and transmitted from Bremen, the show gave airspace to a host of top talent and emerging artists, from both home and abroad. And its rich archive is packed with performances  from the likes of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Black Sabbath, Small Faces,Kinks, Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk. Oh yes - and it was hosted by Brit DJ legend Dave Lee Travis in the late 60s.

The Beatles' Help! film to see first ever broadcast this weekend

The Beatles' bonkers 1965 film 'Help!' is to be broadcast on television for the first time ever, this Sunday (November 25). The newly restored film now has a swish 5.1 soundtrack and will be on the box on BBC4 at 7pm.

Basically, the feature follows the Fab Four around as they are chased from London to the Austrian Alps to the Bahamas, after Ringo takes possession of a sacrificial ring. If you liked the TV series of The Monkees, then you'll love this. Not only that, but you get to watch the band performing 'Ticket To Ride'. Also, keep an eye out for the intermission... it's piss funny.

The new Special Edition double-disc DVD features the restored version of Help! digitally restored. The second disc includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary of The Beatles on the film set, as well as a documentary about the restoration process of the 60s film.

More details are available from the band's official website here: www.thebeatles.com

Boots Number Seven cosmetics ad - Ernie K. Doe

If you're in the UK, you might be familiar with the latest Boots Number Seven cosmetics ad. However, you might not be familiar with the fine vintage soul tune that's playing in the background.

That tune is Here Come The Girls by Ernie K. Doe, with backed by the legendary Meters. I could be wrong, but I don't think you can pick it up as a 45. But you can download the MP3 from the SoulJazz Records website or you can pick up the excellent New Orleans Funk 1960 - 1975 album, which is available from the same label on LP set or CD.

Or if you just want to see the ad, watch it below...

International War On Simon Cowell

I know it's gonna piss off a few indie kids to open this page and find The Cowell rasp-berrying them, but what the hell, you can't expect the Electric Roulette team to be super hellafied bad-ass dons of untouchably hip record collecting cool 24/7, shit, we gotta take a break from listening to all 9 CDs of The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1958-1968 Box Set back to back sometime, and this bein' the case you cats is just gonna have to get used to us occasionally wading in the murky waters of ...(enormous clap of thunder etc etc) MAINSTREAM POP MUSIC! WHA HA HA!

From last night's X-Factor -

Simon Cowel:"You're not fighting a war, you're a bloody girl group!"

WOAH. Hold the phone. You mean this isn't 'War Factor'? These people aren't competing to win an 18 month extended tour of duty in Helmand Province? So what's this Boot-Camp they keep talking about? It's just Simon Cowell's 36 room mansion in Beverly Hills? Are you kidding? Seriously, there's no war at all? It's just a regular talent show? I'm not gonna sit here watching that! I've been through all this before with 'Dragons Den!' There wasn't a single dragon in the whole damn show! (Paul Fuzz)

The Silent Way Of Joe Zawinul

Joe Zawinul: A Portrait, 9.00pm tonight, BBC4

Pioneering jazz keys player Joe Zawinul, who passed away aged 75 on September 11^th this year, wrote the all-time classic soul-jazz groove ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’ for The Cannonball Adderley Quintet and the blissful ambient swell of ‘In A Silent Way’, recorded with Miles Davis on his LP of the same name: both are peerless, landmark jazz works. His work with Davis during the ‘In A Silent Way’ / ‘Bitches Brew’ era pushed jazz into an entirely new space, wiring his Fender Rhodes through fuzz boxes and wah-wah peddles in search of The New Sound, embracing the out-thereness of acid rock and entrancing a generation of hippie rock music fans in the process.

Old Stone Face Vs Bozo Dionysus: In Defence Of The Lizard King

"I am the Lizard King. I can do anything." 40 years ago today, the Lizard King, aka Mr James Morrison of Los Angeles, California, lead vocalist of acid rock group The Doors, demonstrated how one of the things he could 'do' was ignore broadcasting regulations. Having cheerfully agreed to a request by the Ed Sullivan Show team that he change the lyrics of  'Light My Fire' from 'Girl we couldn't get much higher' to the 'Girl we couldn't get much better', Jimbo did exactly the opposite during the live broadcast and cooly delivered the original lyric, as he had always planned to. Dig Robby Krieger's knowing smirk as Jim grabs the zeitgeist.

Dr Feelgood- She Does It Right

Aaaah! The joys of YouTube! All the way from 1975 and looking like Jack Regan and George Carter's favourite band, here we have Dr. Feelgood rockin' and rollin' a room full of Geordies with She Does It Right. Go Wilko, go!

Surf Band Make News Irrelevant Shock!

Anyone eager for the facts in the case of US astronaut Lisa Nowak and the attempted kidnapping of her love rival Colleen Shipman, hampered in their interest by the debilitating problem of actually finding news reports a little deadly and dull, fear not, as popular American music artistes the Phantom Surfers have swooped to the aid of all attention deficient beat fans. Thanks to these helpful masked men, you can now watch the video below and tap your feet to the tuneful ditty, happy in the knowledge that you are really keeping abreast of current affairs. Felon fanciers wishing to befriend the Jealous Astronaut can do so here at MySpace. Shy, solitary types can just check out the website.

Music on TV: Soul Britannia, BBC4, 9pm, Friday

BBC4, Friday at 9pm sees another instalment of Aunties 'Britannia' series. Previous covering Folk (in Folk Britannia), the Beeb is now looking at the influence of black music on these shores with the mouthwatering Soul Britannia. The show is tied in with a series of gigs at the Barbican in London which will see various members of killer Brit funkers, Cymande, getting together and whipping up a storm.

Soul Britannia kicks off with a look at soul in 50's/60s Britain, and features contributions from Van Morrison, Eric Burdon and Tom Jones who get all misty eyed at the 45s which made their way to Britain back then. It also looks at the influence of ska and northern soul on the mods of Britain. This is a show worth staying in for. 

Peter Cook as Eric Daley on 'Clive Anderson Talks Back'

As a huge fan of Peter Cook, I was thrilled back in the early-1990s when he turned up on 'Clive Anderson Talks Back' four times in one show, playing four different characters, each interviewed by Anderson. I've cherished my VHS copy over the years, but was delighted to find all four interviews on YouTube a few days back.

One of Cook's characters that night was 'rock legend' Eric Daley, who talked to Clive about The Corduroys (Daley's first band back in the 60s) 'Ethiopian sound', the 70s supergroup Ye Gods (who can forgot the classic "I Love It"?), his time 'drying out' in the Henry Ford clinic, a failed film career and his anchovy farm.

Shame that Cook's death prevented the much-mooted Ye Gods reformation planned for 2004. How I would have loved to have seen Blind Tony Tintin up on that stage again...

Enjoy!