5. (For John Hillarby)

One of the resons I wanted to do this series of mixes for friends on my own blog and not on a Mixtape site was that I wanted to do some mixes for people who didn't hang out on mixtape sites and who (shock, gasp) didn't even do mixtapes. One such person is Big John Hillarby. John, for those who do not know, created and ran the official John Martyn web site from the late 90s I think to the present day. More than that, he was a close friend of John Martyn at a time when both Johns needed one of those. I know that the loss of JM still eats at John H a lot, and I hope this little project does not hit raw nerves. It is presented with love.

I know there is a double album tribute in the works, but what I wanted to do here was to collect some of the more interesting and hopefully less well known covers of John Martyn songs that exist out there. To that end, I have avoided covers by Dr John, Beth Orton, Eric Clapton and America that whilst good (with one exception, eh Eric?) have been around awhile. I hope at least one or two of these might suprise you John, and I hope you can accept this in the spirit in which it is offered.

01 - Max Meazza & Pueblo - Solid Air (Feat. Gigi Cifarelli)
02 - Rosie Brown - Head And Heart
03 - Sarah Jane Morris - I Don't Wanna Know About Evil
04 - Grace Griffith - May You Never
05 - Christine Tobin - Go Down Easy
06 - Danielle Lubine - Bless The Weather
07 - Majoka - One Day Without You
08 - Brothers Of A Feather - Over The Hill
09 - Ian Matthews - Man In The Station
10 - Capercaillie - The Fisherman's Dream
11 - Steinski - Solid Air (Junk Mood Mix)

4. (For Retro Joe) Skimming The 60s - No Show In The USA

Here is my personal mixtape for the estimable Retro Joe. He is a very cool mixtaper with a special flavour that I wanted to try and capture a little of in this mix. I have been enthralled by his mixes on MTC and ZeRO, particularly the compilations with not so obvious chart collections from the past. I will also be indebted to him for being the only person to email in and request a song while my band were doing a live webcast last year.

Anyhow, what I did was this. I searched for classic, great, not so great and downright odd singles that charted somewhere in the UK Top 40 between 1960 and 1970. To the best of my knowledge (and I did do much more research than I normally do for a mix) none of these 45s charted in the Billboard Top 100. Anyway, RJ, I really have tried to come up with something a little out of my comfort zone, and hopefully a little in your image. Hope you like it!

01 - Migil Five – Mockin' Bird Hill – Mar 1964 – 10

I truly can't remember anything about this band worth relating other than that we had the 45 at home and I kind of liked it.

02 – Georgie Fame – Seventh Son – Dec 1969 – 25

By 1969, Georgie Fame had all but abandoned the rootsy R&B he once favoured with The Blue Flames, as far as single releases went anyway, but this was a delightful look back to that kind of feel.

03 – The Pretty Things - Don't Bring Me Down – Oct 1964 – 10

In the swinging Sixties, my big sister used to work at the Etam boutique on Oxford Street. One of her co-workers was married to Viv Prince, drummer with PT. He was something of a dick apparently, which has nothing to do with this rather splendid sub Stones track!

04 – The Shadows – The Savage – Nov 1961 – 10

So much of The Shadows output was also recorded and released by US instrumental band The Ventures. There is something about Hank B Marvin's reverby guitar that makes the Shads special for me though.

05 - Lulu – Leave A Little love – Jun 1965 – 8

I actually believe Lulu had a good voice and was capable of making good records. Not sure this is one of them though!

06 – Pinkertons Assorted Colours – Mirror Mirror – Jan 1966 – 9

I was only 9 when this was out, but I was an avid Top Of The Pops viewer even then, and I can't remember this at all. I found it by accident loitering on Napster one afternoon!

07 – Family – No Mule's Fool – Oct 1969 – 29

I still love Family to this day, Roger Chapman is a favorite vocalist of mine, but I confess I only found out this had ever been a UK Top 40 single as I researched this mix!

08 – Emile Ford & The Checkmates – Slow Boat To China – Feb 1960 – 3

We had quite a few singles by this lot at home, all on the Pye International imprint. My Mum and dad liked this one a lot, always played it, so it is redolent of happy days at home for me.

09 – The Small Faces – Whatcha Gonna Do About It – May 1965 – 14

My sister Janice used to go out with a mod who rode a Lambretta and the two of them were into all the mod bands, including this lot, The Who and The Kinks. This is the first record here that I feel is an utter classic. Stevie marriott's vocals and feedback guitar are over the top in the best way. A shame that this did not chart in the US, a crime it only got to 14 in the UK

10 – Billie Davis – I Want You To Be My Baby – Oct 1968 – 33

I have written a few things for a UK magazine called "Beat" that covers the musicians of the 60s and 70s that are still out there gigging, and Ms. Davis has often been mentioned in that regard. This is one of those records that reminds you of ten other records that are better, but it is ok.

11 – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound – Kites – Oct 1967 – 9

Confession time. I do not have the original single version of this, the version I have is of a BBC Saturday Club recording made at the time it was in the charts. I include it because it is a classic pop song of the time, over orchestrated, over ambitious, but really rather lovely!

12 – The Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road – Jul 1964 – 6

Another classic. Bloody loud guitar for a 1964 recording too!

13 – Jeff Beck – The Tallyman – Aug 1967 – 30

This is just weird. An odd subject, an odd song. I think this was the follow-up to "Hi Ho Silver Lining", but with none of that songs bubblegum appeal. Weird that nothing from the Rod and Ron Jeff beck Group period ever charted, especially as Mickie Most, a hit producer of the period, produced that stuff!

14 – The Equals – Michael & The Slipper Tree – Apr 1969 – 24

And weirder still, but anything Eddy Grant ever did was of some interest!

15 – Manfred Mann – Ragamuffin Man – May 1969 - 8

Some of Manfred Mann's later stuff was so introspective, and I think of more interest than the earlier successful poppy stuff.

16 – Jet Harris & Tony Meehan – Diamonds – Jan 1963 – 1

These guys were ex members of The Shadows who had this one huge UK hit and then just a few nearish misses. there is a hardness to this that The Shads did not have. Also, this must be one of the few UK chart records from the era to feature a drum solo!

17 – Wayne Fontana – Pamela, Pamela - Dec 1966 – 11

very awful, but I still like it for some reason!

18 - Cream – I Feel Free – Dec 1966 – 11

This was on the USA version of the first album which did chart in the USA at 39, but the single was never released there!

19 – Boris Gardiner – Elizabethan Reggae – Jan 1970 - 14

Just magnificent. It does exactly what it says on the can!

20 – Traffic – No Face, No Name, No Number – Mar 1968 – 40

A fine example of a great band doing something not so great. An awful vocal from one of the finest ever vocalists. Chris Wood's pretty flute at the end saves it a bit though

21 - The Hollies – We're Through – Sep 1964 – 7

One of three bands coming up who charted a fair bit in the USA, albeit in The Hollies case, lower down the chart. This didn't though, despite being as good as a lot of things that did!

22 – The Rolling Stones – I Wanna Be Your Man – Nov 1963 – 12

Written by the Fabs, played by the Glimmers, yet released before they broke in the USA. A very muddy recording, but I love Keef's intro!

23 – The Who – Substitute – Mar 1965 – 5

A true classic, very funny lyrics, just everything about this is right!

24 – The Swinging Blue Jeans – Don't Make Me Over - Jan 1965 – 31

I suppose their time at the top had really run it's course by the ti,me this came out, yet I love the impassioned vocal.

25 - Jethro Tull – Love Story – Jan 1969 - 29

One of my obsessions. I love the overall sound of this, which I guess is the point.

Ok, Retro Joe, hope you like this. It has given me a very pleadsant three hour diversion from not so cool stuff. Enjoy!

3. (For Ian Backer) Happy, But With A predilection For Grumpiness

01 - The Buzzcocks - Everybody's Happy Nowadays (Live)
02 - Wayne County & The Electric Chairs - If You Don't Want To Fuck me, fuck off
03 - Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - The Past Sure Is Tense
04 - Dan Arborise - You'll All Get What's Coming To You
05 - David Alan Coe - Living On The Run
06 - Fairport Convention - Autopsy
07 - Florence & The Machine - My Boy Builds Coffins
08 - Freddie King - The Sky Is Crying
09 - Funkadelic - Brettino's Bounce
10 - Green On Red - Jimmy Boy
11 - Jackie Wilson - I'll Be Satisfied
12 - James Brown - Mama's Dead
13 - Jarvis Cocker - Fucking Song
14 - John Hammond - Your Funeral, My Trial
15 - John Lee Hooker - Goin' Mad Blues
16 - John Martyn - Amsterdam
17 - Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - I Wanna Be Loved
18 - Josiah Altschuler - Crow Jane
19 - Kevin Coyne - Dog Latin
20 - Lambchop - Mr Crabby
21 - Murray Head - Boy On The Bridge
22 - The Pogues - Streams Of Whiskey

This one goes out to the intrepid Antipodean explorer, Mr Ian Backer, aka Sledgbrainerd, etc, etc.
I thought he might appreciate a mix made whilst i was comparatively happy but which left lots of room for grumpiness and other less than great feelings to creep in. What can I tell you, to my disgrace I actually enjoy sad music, murder ballads, tetchy musical attacks, etc etc. I have a feeling Ian does too. A fair few of the selections here have appeared on mixes I have done on ZeRO in the last year or so. I know that site is mostly beyond ian's purview, so I happily include them here. Track 18 for instance turned up on a round table murder ballad collection, but it is so wonderful and unusual (how many such genre songs do you know of accompanied by plucked cello?) that I include it here. One song of note is 16, which is I think one of only two murder ballads John Martyn recorded, and certainly the only one he wrote. The James Brown track is one of those songs you would only play if you wanted to be miserable I think. After hearing this collection end to end just now, I felt pretty good so I guess I am just weird. In a very good and fine way, I think the recipient of this mix might be too. Enjoy it mate.

Next up: Retro Joe. (A clue, it might include 60s songs that were hits in the UK but not the USA)

2. (For Nancy) The Other Side Of The Sky

Here is the second in my series of individual mixes for friends. For my friend Nancy, I have gone with a mix of old and contemporary female vocalists and writers.

01 - Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good
02 - Astrud Gilberto - A Certain Sadness
03 - Bonnie Raitt - God Was In The Water
04 - Cyndi Lauper - early In The Morning
05 - Duffy - Hard For The Heart
06 - Etta James - Don't Cry Baby
07 - EBTG - Another Bridge
08 - Morcheeba - The Sea
09 - Florence & The Machine -Between Two Lungs
10 - Goldfrapp - Believer
11 - Jefferson Airship - Someone To Love
12 - Joan Armatrading - Love And Affection
13 - Joni Mitchell - Black Crow
14 - Koko Taylor - Gonna Buy Me A Mule
15 - Laura Nyro - Let It Be Me
16 - Mavis Staples - Down In Mississippi
17 - Rumer - Aretha
18 - Tracey Chapman - Material World
19 - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 100 Days & 100 Nights
20 - Susan Tedeschi - Learning The Hard Way

I don't have too much to say about this mix, a collection of favorite female vocalists and writers from today and yesterday. There are a few things to be said though. The Rumer track, "Aretha", is probably my favorite original song of 2010, even though I only heard it for the first time on the last day of that year, courtesy of the Jools Holland show from the UK. Rumer has an incredible voice, somewhere between Feist and Karen Carpenter, which to my warped mind is a fantastic combination. There is a smattering of all time favorites too, particularly the Morcheeba classic, "The Sea" which usually is there or thereabouts in my constantly evolving all time top twenty tracks. A male voice does have the impertinence to chime in on the Cyndi Lauper track, but as it is BB King, I will allow it. One of the disappointments of 2010 for me was that two albums I was really looking forward to, the second albums by Duffy and also Sharon Jones were, for me, deeply flawed. I have included the one Duffy track I like from the new CD, as well as my favorite cut from Sharon Jones first album. Nancy gets a sendspace link for this one, but if anyone else wants one, they have to answer a simple question. Who whispered the title of this mix at the beginning of what song, and who was he quoting. That's it!

1. (For James) Extra Guitar, Hold The Vocals

This is the first of a series of mixtapes I plan to do in the coming weeks and months aimed at individual friends, some from the mixtaping community, some not. First up, James Allard.

01 - The Allman Brothers Band - Don't Want You No More

A natural opening number for Allman Brothers shows since day one, highlighting
the talents of the three original front men, Gregg Allman on keys, and Duane
Allman and Dickie Betts on guitar. This track exemplifies their blues rock
style, but also the jazz band sensibilities with which they approached playing.

02 - Bert Jansch - Anji/Worksong

Davey Graham's "Anji" had been a staple of the "Les Cousins" London folk scene
of the Sixties, and many folkies on the circuit were still playing it when I
started attending venues like The Black Bull Folk Club, Whetstone in the early
Seventies. I love Bert's version though, more than the S&G one or even the
original.

03 - Canned Heat - Hill's Stomp

A Henry Vestine led instrumental shuffle from the early 70s. Canned Heat were
maybe past their best by the time this was released, but there has always been
something special about this track for me.

04 - Chuck Berry - Guitar Boogie

Not known for his instrumentals, but this really showcases Berry's great and
I think undervalued technique.

05 - Django Reinhardt - Naguine

I came to Reinhardt by the back door. I saw a show by his old colleague Stephane
Grappelli, and the Django part was shared by two guitarists, Martin Taylor and
Diz Disley. because of what I heard that night, I went back to the original
Django recordings, and they have been with me never since.

06 - Earl Hooker - Drivin' Wheel

An underrated guitar genius. All there is to it.

07 - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Rude Mood

You can't say that SRV is underrated. His was the talent that launched hundreds
of less talented guitar players who failed to pick up on how diverse and far
ranging his style was. I love the exuberance of this particular cut.

08 - Eric Clapton - Slunky

Not perhaps the first instrumental to come to mind when you think of EC, but
I love the frenzied sloppiness of this. It does kind of sound like the
"groovy" music that would be playing in a disco scene from a bad late Sixties
movie. You can almost see Tony Curtis or Roger Moore moving past mini skirted
"go-go" dancers carrying drinks as this plays. Well, I can anyway!

09 - Fleetwood Mac - Albatross

I remember a comment from someone on "Zero" saying that he would be ok with
it if he never heard this again. I maintain the reverse position. It is, and
always will be my favorite piece of music. It played at my Mum's funeral, my
Dad's too, and it will play at mine. Peter Green crafted something so
spiritual with this song, and it is ALWAYS with me.

10 - Frank Zappa - Variations on The Secret Carlos Santana Chord Progression

So some fun, trite but rather splendid nonsense to follow Albatross. Not as
great as he himself may have thought he was, I always find something new to
enjoy when I hear Zappa.

11 - Freddie King - Boogie Fuck

Not one of the classic King instrumentals, instead a slightly manic late model
jam that featured in his live shows. You can find some superb extended
footage of Freddie playing this on Youtube.

12 - Grant Green - Brazil

A friend back in London gave me a Grant Green CD for my birthday about ten years
back. There is a lightness and joy to his playing I hadn't quite found elsewhere
and it is safe to say I am now a fan.

13 - Jimi Hendrix Experience - Drivin' South

I love Hendrix like this. A BBC radio recording from early on in 67, Jimi
jamming and improvising as only he could.

14 - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - The Stumble

The second of three examples of Peter Green's exquisite guitar work. Anyone
would think I had been obsessed all these years!

15 - Link Wray - Jack The Ripper (Live)

Now this is so nasty and dirty you expect it to steal stuff from your fridge and
then cough up blood on your carpet. (No, I know, only I think that!) If Nick
Cave had been a pioneer rock guitar player from the late Fifties, he would have
sounded like this.

16 - Peter Greenbaum - Apostle

Greeny again. There is a rather nice version of this with strings, but I prefer
this stripped down affair.

17 - Pink Floyd - Any Color You Like

I know Gilmour does not kick in with the guitar till almost halfway, but I love
it and I suspect Mr Mirage does too!

18 - Santana - Europa

Santana's very dreadful rock covers album from 2010 tarnished what I thought
was an untarnishable copy book, but a live spot on the first ever George
Lopez show showed Carlos still had what it takes. Think of him this way.

I know that Jim shares my love of the electric guitar, so in trying to make a mix he would like, I decided to cover some classic and almost classic guitar instrumentals that meant something to me, many of which have been with me before Larry King was a boy! next up, a collection of women who sing, with my friend Nancy in mind.