Vinyl Finds #96: Pop, Blues, African, Gospel & Synthy Jazz Funk!

[@brianf8487]

Love that Boomtown Rats album. It's got Springsteen and Stones vibe but done super punk. Underrated for sure.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Definitely!

[@stevecarlsonvinylcommunity9147]

I have been trying to find that second Blondie album and bring it back int9 the collection but so far it has alluded me. Congrats on finding the Muddy album. His music is such a joy to listen to, it is so exciting. Nice find James, always cool to see some African albums.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Steve, I thought you would appreciate the Salif and the Black Mambazo. I was really delighted to find the Muddy record.

[@baggyhi-fi8628]

I love that Go Go’s album - really optimistic and breezy stuff. When I want to be cheered up it works every time.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Very true John, it is uplifting music. Sometimes a bit of angst in the lyrics, but they sort of disguise that (true of the second album also).

[@Paneeks1960]

Good Friday evening to you James. Do you shop near King Street or any of the castles in Lancashire? Ah. I used to play Muddy's 'The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll' to practice my lead guitar playing when I was younger. Any one of those songs from Hard Again are excellent for practicing lead guitar. That is one of his best albums. Super selections James~ Rob/Boston

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Rob. There is a very old castle in Lancaster where I live...it dates back at least nine-hundred years, and until a few years ago was the oldest working prison in the UK. Great to picture you tearing off lead blues licks to the sound of Muddy's Hard Again - very cool. Thanks Rob, always a pleasure.

[@robison5396]

I love Plastic Letters, I think it's probably Blondies' best album..new wave pop mixed with odd synth sounds from Jimmy Destri make for a really interesting album. Love Sail Away..and Randy finally records a version of his own song ' Simon Smith'..( much darker than the winking entertainer of Alan Prices' interpretation.). I need to hear some Bob James as unfamiliar. Well done for finding the Staple Singers..definitely tough to find. I have the 2nd and 3rd Rats albums, don't have the debut..there's some great songs like Neon Heart and Looking After No .1..need to get that. Go Gos debut is wonderful.. Nice finds James.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Rob. I don't think I've heard Alan Price's version of Simon Smith. As I said in the video, the version I remember was from the Muppets...I think Scooter performed it! Bob James is very 'nice', perfect evening music with a glass of something.

[@Bobmacca64]

Hi James. Cool video on some very good finds. I'm glad that you put a Serge Gainsbourg album on display on the shelf behind you. This guy is one of my all-time favourite music artists ever. And here in France he's a very well-known songwriter, singer, smoker, drinker, and provocateur as well. The things he said and did on live television in the 80's is the stuff of legend in France:)

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Bob. . The Serge album was a gift from a friend of mine in France a few years ago. A great sounding reissue, I keep meaning to check out his other records.

[@Bobmacca64]

@@jamesgriffithsmusic if I can give you an advice on which album from him to buy next, go with L'Homme À Tête De Chou from 1976. It translates to 'The Man With The Cauliflower Head' :) You can't go wrong with an album title like that:) But seriously it's a great album!

[@samglendenning9884]

Excellent pick-ups James; I also recently picked up ‘Beauty & The Beat’ by Go Go’s; such a good album; really great production to it 😀👌 I haven’t played ‘Plastic Letters’ in a while; but do remember it being super solid and I consider Boomtown Rats’ S/T debut to be very underrated; I went through a phase when I couldn’t stop streaming it few year back; would definitely revisit it again 🤩 Keep up the excellent work James; have a great weekend 😀🍿🎸🎶

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Sam. Agree about the Boomtown Rats debut being underrated. Catch up with you soon!

[@TheDukeDothDance]

Hey James. I’m late the Randy Newman party but I love that album. Perfect Sunday afternoon listening. I recently “the” staple singers record but alas I was on hols in the states. Happy Easter, hope you enjoy the long weekend

[@djtrishm]

Hello James! That Bob james needle drop sounded cool! Pinetop Perkins is cool! I like his style of boogie woogie Piano! Thumbs up! Trish

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Trish!

[@beatledavetherecordcollector]

Big Audio Dynamite, great band, very much overlooked nowadays,,saw them live a couple of times, fantastic, you have found some interesting finds, all the best, Dave

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

BAD live, wow bet that rocked.

[@beatledavetherecordcollector]

@@jamesgriffithsmusic yes, it was back in the day, , punk with samples, ahead of it's time in a lot of ways

[@goldthredz]

Love to see a variety of genres. Great video! Subscribed.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Bob. The Serge album was a gift several years ago from a video maker called Paul Deyris whose channel was called Docteur Robert. He gave up making videos sometime ago, which was a shame as his channel was fab. He also sent me a record by the French band Telephone, which is also fantastic.

[@philharding3289]

Some great pick ups there! Love the Muddy album- yours looks in better nick than mine!

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Cheers Phil. I couldn't believe what decent nick it was in!

[@BluesGuyVinyl]

Hello James. Congratulations on finding a copy of Hard Again. A lovely album that, as you said, has so much energy. The Mud's first of 3 with Johnny on Blue Sky. I'm Ready and King Bee followed in '78 and '81 respectively. Very nice copy of The Staple Singers... they are wonderful. I like The Go-Go's and have both as well. Catchy tunes and nice harmonies. Well done. Cheers!

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Chris, thanks for the Muddy info. Don't think I have ever seen those other two albums you mentioned.

[@paulcurrant8177]

Lot of stuff I hadn't heard of, which is cool.

[@SteveWhitty1965]

Hi James, lots of great finds. Plastic Letters would be my favourite Blondie album. Boomtown Rats debut album is a great find as well. Lucky beggar finding Muddy Waters in Oxfam. Have a great week. Hopefully, catch up with you soon. Steve

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Steve. Quite a few people have said that Plastic Letters if their favourite Blondie. Muddy was my find of the year so far.

[@TheVinylOrchard]

Love that Blondie LP. Hard Again is fab. I always struggled with Boomtown Rats. Well Bob Geldof really. GoGos are great fun. Cheers James, Chris

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Chris. Yes I remember you saying you weren't too keen on the Boomtown Rats. I guess Geldof comes with a fair bit of baggage.

[@soundsfromthewestcoast9939]

Hi James, nice pickup of the Muddy Waters - those albums he did with Johnny Winter are really strong, but the one to get, if you haven't already, is the live album they did together which is superb. Cheers...Pete

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Pete, hope you are well. Thanks for the tip about the live Muddy album with Winter, I will have a look for that on Spotify.

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

salif keita - i recall you mentioning him before - i have this and a dozen other of his albums - the vocal mix of him wit the immaculate femae harmonies - one of the purest sounds from mali - moffou , folon and soro just soar with beauty

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks John. I will have to stream some of Salif's other records.

[@diffbrook1402]

Boomtown Rats were my first favourite group. There first 3 albums were great. After that, they lost their way. I believe the Mary in Mary of the 4th Form was Mary Robinson former President of Ireland.

[@RandallWeaver]

Hi James - Interestingly, I traded in that B.A.D. record a month or so ago. It is a good record, but I realized I hadn't played it for probably 20 years, and I figured I could let it go. Wow! Plastic Letters! That's a good one. I saw Muddy Waters open for Johnny Winter in 1977 or 78 - he was probably touring to support that album you showed. That's a cool looking label for Boomtown Rats; I've never heard of Ensign Records before. Thanks for showing the records James!

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Randy, great to hear from you. Amazing that you got to see Muddy. Ensign were quite a big label here in the UK back in the day, though I'm struggling to remember who else was signed to them.

[@MortenAastad]

Hi James That North Wales record shop was banging! Got to love B•A•D. One of the 2 or 3 first bands who’s discography I completed after I got back into vinyl 10 years ago. All second hand. I felt very good about that for some odd reason. Hardest was getting/understanding that Big Audio Dynamite mk. II as I did not know Kool-Aid and The Globe both were and weren’t two different albums, due to many songs being reworked but with the same exact titles apparently. So I decided the older Big Audio Dynamite was a different entity to stop my own confusion 😄 Never had, or seen (?) the Boomtown Rats debut either. Very nice catch that.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks! I don't know anything about BAD mark II.

[@MortenAastad]

@@jamesgriffithsmusic fairly short lived, very different members and more… dance?

[@FatCityVinyl]

I have Bob James' One and Two albums on vinyl and was listening to those again not terribly long ago...fantastic slices of jazz funk that have been heavily sampled...only other one I have by him is Touchdown which is slicker, more commercial but still enjoyable and contains the theme song to Taxi, a long running TV series that was popular here at the time, I can remember it being on the air. Suspect I have Soro on CD but I'd have to double check...you always seem to catch me out with things I have in the collection, but acquired in my feckless years of digging frenetically, exploring more and more music that has become rather forgotten in the shelves since...the Go Go's were quite the going concern for a couple of years there but not mentioned too much these days...some hits that sounded great on the radio but played even better on the newly minted music video format...the Staples are not commonly found here either, but I have acquired a couple of their key albums...Be Altitude and at least one other for sure...nice finds, all the best James!

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Doug. Feckless years of digging frenetically...I think I'm still doing that! I would love to get hold of the early Bob James albums on vinyl, though given that I have them on perfectly nice sounding CDs I'm not entirely sure why. I meant to mention the Taxi theme in the video - that's a show I keep meaning to check out properly as I only saw bits and pieces of it back in the day. I seem to remember always catching the last couple of minutes of it, and the closing theme, implying there was probably something on immediately after it that I was actually tuning into. Cheers!

[@FatCityVinyl]

@@jamesgriffithsmusic Yes, same here, I seemed to catch either the beginning or ending of Taxi, but never really checked out a full episode.

[@gorvo31]

Hey James, Fine variety of finds overall. Am very curious to hear more of 'Soro' the way you describe. Have been a Bob James fan for ages. Nice one for sure there. Just played his 'Ivory Coast' LP last night. A "stinking cold" sounds like the worst kind to have.... 🙂 Happy spin-age as always

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Carm. I wonder if 'stinking cold' is a Brit-only expression! Nice to hear you are a Bob fan, I will see if I can listen to 'Ivory Coast' - sound intriguing.

[@philgascoigne5467]

Great eclectic finds James! Love that BAD album, bought it on cassette, back in the day, way ahead of its time. Possibly influenced Jesus Jones? Thanks for posting, have a great Easter😊

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Jesus Jones...there's a name we don't hear about much anymore. I don't think I've ever listened to one of his records, though I had a friend back at sixth form college who really liked him (them?).

[@gatefold33]

Plenty there that it would have been rude to leave behind James. Nice Randy Newman and Go-Go's finds. Not got any Bob James but hear him talked of a lot - I guess you need to tread carefully with his catalogue...cheers Dale

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

I thought the eighties version of Bob James would be a bit dodgy but it was surprisingly good......not sure how far you can delve into his eighties catalogue without coming unstuck though. Thanks Dale.

[@johnbellamy3406]

There's a reason why Big Audio Dynamite records are always "in really really nice condition". They don't get played much. It's music that hasn't aged well at all IMO. Hard Again. Nice. Now that is a great record. Hark you buying a gospel record. You'll be in a quire next! The Boomtown Rats don't get much love on the VC do they. I wonder if we'd even remember who they were now if Bob hadn't have invented Live Aid. I have a few of their albums. Ah the Go Go's. That's an album I put on when I want to cheer Angelina up. She always sings along to it. I don't think the version of Our Lips Are Sealed by Fun Boy Free is a cover version because the song was actually written together with Terry Hall. Great album though. Cheers

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

I know what you mean about BAD, but I still enjoy them. A lot of the sounds they use have come around again. Nice to hear Angelina enjoys the Go-Gos.

[@6758pasi]

Hi James. I think Muddy made three albums for blue sky. I never bought any more than that one. Don't know why. I think it's great. I'm surprised to hear that African music got airplay over there on the strenght of Graceland. Over here African music only got a tiny bit of airplay when a Finnish guitarist Hasse Walli teamed up with Senegal band Asamaan. I saw them live once. Interesting finds Boomtown Rats, Blondie, Randy Newman, Ladysmith Black Mambaso, Go Go's. Not sure can you call Our Lips Are Sealed by Fun Boy Three as a cover since it was written by Terry Hall and Jane Wiedlin although he was in Specials at the time. btw. can you explain to me what kitchen sink production means? I've never understood what it's supposed to refer to. Pasi

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Good point about Terry Hall and 'Our Lips are Sealed'. Interesting info about African music in Finland.

[@diffbrook1402]

Go Gos Our Lips are sealed was co written by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall about their affair..Hall was about to get married to his girlfriend at the time. You should check out Go Gos "God Bless the Go Gos." Very punky, with a song co written with Green Day Billy Joe Armstrong.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi, yes I knew about Terry's involvement in the song but for some reason it slipped my mind! Liking the Squeeze-related email address.

[@gavinjohnson8951]

Alright James, did you find the Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real LP out in the wild, or is it a reissue? That's one hell of a find if you found an early press.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Hi Gavin. Just a reissue sorry - a nice one though, from Light in the Attic. I got it about six or seven years ago. I do have another Louvin Brothers album as an OG though, a record of some early radio broadcasts they did.

[@Thevinylscavenger]

Hmmmmmmm 'niiiiiiiiice' jazz club etc. well it sounded ok though i have always disliked 80s production except in the errrrrr...... 1980s 😅 that track reminded me of Mory Kante Yeke yeke. Nice to see you evoking the Louvin Brothers behind your head with some candles. One was not quite as good as his brother it appears. What happened to Bob after live aid? Difficult to follow. The great song of indifference was quite jolly but he ended up doing tv productions no? Hope to catch up with you real soon take care, Martin.

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

Thanks Martin. Bob definitely carried on after Live AID. When I saw him back in 2001 or thereabouts, he was promoting a very melancholy album he'd made about the death of Paula Yates. I felt a bit sorry for him having to perform that music in the chicken diner at the jazz festival.