Quiet Storm

Quiet Storm is slow, lovey dovey soul ballads. Baby-making music, music to make love to. So, basically this is a few albums that I put the best tracks together from.

Azizi released Trouble on BMG Arista in 1991 to little acclaim. Midnight Lover was a reasonable single for the time but Don't Say It's Over (produced by Phil Bodger for Slam Jam) was my fav from the album.

Barabra Weathers released her self titled album on Reprise in 1990. Fav tracks from the Ex Atlantic Starr vocalist's album were Barbi Doll, Our Love Will Last Forever, The Master Key & this track. Anywhere produced by Maurice White for Kalimba (EW&F)

Billy Always released Watch Out on CBS Epic back in 1988. The album contains the immortal sleevenote "A very warm and special thanks to... Aretha Franklin (Thanks for the sandwiches!)" Apparently, they're related? Two particularly fine songs from this album made it onto my CD but Emergency Love is my very favourite!

Dee Dee Wilde released No Way Out on 4th & B'way in 1988. It had 4 tracks that I liked all of which made it onto the CD. I guess the title track is my fav.

Robbie Mychals arrived in 1990 on Alpha International, he didn't stay long and the album sleeve notes give no clues as to where he came from except "James L. Dabney 1910-1985 The builder of my foundation" One Mile From Paradise had a hint of New Jack Swing but enough substance to also stand on its own.

Betty Wright released 4U2NJOY onto an unsuspecting public in 1989 via Jet Star and herewithin are the 4 standout tracks for me with the title track once again, being my fav. Probably because it appeals to my filthy mind?

The other tracks here are just as important,
Firestarter by Tease is a classic, Don't Say No by the Manhattans is from Too Hot To Stop. Heaven by Keith Patrick is the best track from his self titled album that spawned A Night To Remember. Night Games is from Bobby 'Blue' Bland's 'Come Fly With Me' album and To Be Immortal by Oran "Juice" Jones is a bit of a wildcard. Incorporating that wicked bassline from Donald Byrd's Dominoes to deliver a few words of wisdom, 'Juice' manages, for me anyway, to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

It's more like a sampler album really but.... It's good. Download, burn & press play!

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Size: MB

Ezekiel 25:17

This is a interesting mix, 71 minutes of relentless party time cheese. Invite your friends over for a Bar-B-Q, sink a few cold ones and, at the appropriate time, press play. After a frenzied bout of air guitar you might try playing 'Name That Movie' as we move swiftly through a plethora of juke box favorites. The last 20 minutes are my most successful cut'n'paste session to date. Totally manic!

By the way, I stole Destiny's Child from the Soulwax mix and the Mr Oizo mix is from an unknown source, the rest I brutalised myself?

Samuel L. Jackson - Ezekiel 25:17
Dick Dale & The Deltones - Misirlou
The George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad To The Bone
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
Reef - Place Your Hands
Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
Booker T & The MG's - Soul Limbo
Bad Manners - Lip Up Fatty
The Beat - Ranking Full Stop
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
The Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky
The Chammps - Tequila
The Kingsmen - Louie, Louie
Blondie - One Way Or Another
The Pretenders - Chain Gang
Joss Stone - Super Duper Love
Swing Out Sister - Am I The Same Girl
Laura Greene - Moonlight, Music & You
Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anna Maria
Gypsy Kings - El Mariachi
EZ Rollers - Walk This Land
Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City
Castaways - Liar, Liar
Stone Roses - Fools Gold
Robbie Williams - Man Machine
10cc - Dreadlock Holiday
Destiny's Child - Independent Women
Booker T & The MG's - Green Onions
Maceo & The Macks - Across The Tracks
Bobby Byrd - Hot Pants (I'm Coming)
Huey 'Piano' Smith - Don't You Just Know It
Louise - Stuck In The Middle With You
Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat
Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina

The download link is here: Download
Filename: Ezekiel 25-17.rar Size: 81.75 MB

Altogether Now

Go West - We Close Our Eyes
Bon Jovi - It's My Life
Queen - Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right To Party
Blondie - Heart Of Glass
The Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon
Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes
Icehouse - Hey Little Girl
A Floc Of Seagulls - Wishing (Photograph Of You)
Soft Cell - Bedsitter
Depeche Mode - Everything Counts
OMD - Enola Gay
Spandau Ballet - Instinction
Duran Duran - Planet Earth
Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Blur - Song 2
5,6,7,8's - Woo Hoo Song
The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You
Boo Radleys - Wake Up Boo
Randy & The Rebel Rousers - Happy Days
McFly - Five Colours In Her Hair
Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out
T Rex - 20th Century Boy
Sha Na Na - Born To Handjive
The Blues Brothers - Gimme Some Lovin'
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Soft Cell - Where Did Our Love Go
Merry Melodies - The End

The download link is here: Download
Filename: Altogether Now.rar Size: 91.65 MB

Southern By The Grace Of God...

British By A Twist Of Fate

Here is a selection of damn fine tunes that you might find in a collection of Southern Rock music. For those that have never come across this genre of music, let me elucidate. Those that recognise my lack of knowledge, might wish to cast aspertions on my character. That's what the comments are for, feel free to expand, correct or just berate me (alternatively, you may wish to say "Nice mix Mick!").
In the late Sixties the Rock Music that we think of as 'Classic' filtered through, after a long and arduous journey, to an area of this globe that, musically speaking, we generally consider to be 'Country'. From a non-political viewpoint, some of the folk in this area were bored with the 'Grand Ol' Opry' and were looking for an alternative style. This new electric guitar imbued music seemed like an interesting starting point?
Groups like the One Percent, Hammer, Alice Marr, The Moving Sidewalks and The Hour Glass, had been inspired by the international phenomenon called The Beatles, were exploring the new players such as Cream's Eric Clapton and a new black sensation going by the name of Jimi Hendrix. Frank Zappa actually sacked one of the guitarists in his band, The Mothers Of Invention, for having the audacity to put forth an idea for a song, 'Willin'. His loss was our gain.
In general, the rules regarding Southern Rock suggest that the bands should have roots in the South.  That's about it really, the music stretches from the Blues, through Country and Rock, to Jazz including all stops in between. On those grounds, I'm hoping that my choices here will be appreciated?

Driving South - Maybe You Can Put That Right
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ain't No Good Life
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Hitchhikers Hero
Stillwater - Rock 'n' Roll Loser
Henry Paul Band - Wood Wind
Marshall Tucker Band - Fire On The Mountain
Henry Paul Band - Grey Ghost
Charlie Daniels Band - Orange Blossom Special
The '78 Superjam - Cocaine
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Breakdown
Sea Level - Nothing Matters But The Fever
ZZ Top - Crunchy
Marshall Tucker Band - Long Hard Ride
Molly Hatchet - Gator Country
Blackfoot - Foxchase
Gregg Allman - Come And Go Blues
Rickie Lee Jones - Easy Money
Lowell George - What Do You Want The Girl To Do
Little Feat - Straight From The Heart

The download link is here: Download
Filename: Southern.rar Filesize: 93.09 MB

Gregg Allman's performance of Come And Go Blues is apparently taken from The Allman Brothers: Brothers of the Road '82 DVD, and seems to be an outake from a TV appearance that I found on YouTube, check the clip coz it's longer and has more improvisation before the song. Any info (date or story, etc?) would be appreciated. I will be investing in the DVD.

The '78 Superjam is available (in the right circles) as a bootleg CDR. It seems to be the remains of the Lynyrd Skynyrd group with a lot of friends having a good time. Recorded in Doraville, Georgia in August 1978 and in attendance are Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Billy Powell, Artimus Pyle from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Richard 'Dickey' Betts of the Allman Brothers Band, Charlie Daniels & Taz DiGregorio of The Charlie Daniels Band, Mike Duke & Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie, Robert Nix of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Outlaws, Bonnie Bramlett & Lenny LeBlanc. I downloaded my copy from Skynfan's Guide To Rock n Roll and if you have any interest in this music, I suggest you do the same while it's available. Thanks Skynfan, quality blog!

InSite: 'cause an effect'

Lotus Eaters: First Picture Of You
Nick Heyward: Warning Sign
Spandau Ballet: Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
Elton John: Too Low For Zero
Grace Jones: La Vie En Rose
Sade: Hang On To Your Love
Paul Young: Everything Must Change
Tina Turner: What's Love Got To Do With It
Scritti Pollitti: The Word Girl
Orange Juice: Rip It Up
Wah!: Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)
General Public: Tenderness
Tears For Fears: Pale Shelter
Nick Heyward: Blue Hat For A Blue Day
Jam: The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow)
Paul Young: No Parlez

More 80's Music but some real classy tunes in amongst this lot. If you don't recognise them then you need to hear them. Download and enjoy!



The download link is here: Download
Filename: InSite.rar Size: 93.98 MB

The 80's Groove Mastermiks Dance Party Volume 2

OK, so you get the idea then, I take a full measure of good quality 80's Groove, add a big pinch of cheesey 80's chart soul, stick it through my virtual 'blender' and end up with a 80's Groove 'Smoothie'

Don't worry about the 'lumpy bits' though, just swallow them, It's all good.... even when it's bad?

So here's Volume 2, more of the same. Not as smooth as Vol. 1 but more inspired at times. Check out New York Eyes, Trapped & Big Mouth (Tom Browne has not yet threatened legal action although one of his fans threatened physical violence).

Anybody wishing to hear the original tracks used in this mix, let me know and I'll dig them out.

• Princess - After The Love Has Gone (Chief Inspector Mix)
• Wally Badarou - Chief Inspector (Precinct 13 Dub)
• Nuance - Love Ride (Latin Rascals)
• Masterdon Committee - Funk Box Party (Pt 1 & 2)
• DSM - Destiny (Instrumental)
• Midnight Star - Curious
• Grandmaster Flash - Larry's Theme
  
• Harlequin 4's - Set It Off (Beats)
• Colnel Abrams - Trapped (Dub)
• Sherrick - Just Call (M&M)
• Aurra - You & Me Tonight
• Sybil Thomas - Rescue Me
• Kremicle - No News (Club)
• Aleem - Get Loose (Dub)
• Nicole & Timmy Thomas - NY Eyes
• Whodini - Big Mouth (Acc)
• Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica (NY)
• Viola Wills - Dare To Dream (London)
• Mtume - Juicy Fruit

The download link is here: Download
Filename is: Mastermiks Dance Party Vol 2.mp3 Filesize: 72.58 MB

Chaos

An 80’s waltz through testosterone fueled meglomania!

This is an interesting mix that I had a lot of fun making. It begun life as a cassette tape (again) but then I found a whole host of soundbytes that seemed to make themselves comfortable in the music. I've forgotten where I got them from but there's lots of JFK along with Churchill, Reagan & Clinton, William Shatner, a word from Charles Manson and a few newsreel audio clips.

• Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Two Tribes (Annihalation Mix)
• Rolling Stones: Undercover Of The Night
• Paul Hardcastle: 19 (Extended & Destruction Mixes)
• Kate Bush: Army Dreamers
• Human League: Lebanon (12" Version)
• Nena: 99 Red Balloons (Club Mix)
• Nik Kershaw: Wouldn't It Be Good (Special Extended Remix)
• Tears For Fears: Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Disconet Mix)
• Ultravox: Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (Special Remix)
• Fiction Factory: Feels Like Heaven (Extended Remix)
• China Crisis: Working With Fire & Steel (Fire & Steel Mix)
• Heaven 17: Crushed By The Wheels
• Thompson Twins: You Take Me Up - Machines Take Me Over

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Chaos.rar Size: 92.1 MB

Pop Love

Back in '84, when I put this together, I was feeling a bit sloppy. Two decades later and I still think Phil Collins should've been left off, probably Alison Moyet too. Still, it meant a lot at the time so why change it?

• Alison Moyet - Where Hides Sleep
• Judie Tzuke - Stay With Me Till Dawn
• Phil Collins - One More Night
• Elton John - I Guess That's Why (They Call It The Blues)
• Gary Moore - Falling In Love With You
• Prince - Delirious
• Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf
• Belouis Some - Imagination
• A Flock Of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
• Tears For Fears - Head Over Heals/Broken
• Big Country - Wonderland (Extended Version)
• Spandau Ballet - I'll Fly For You (Long Version)
• Paul Young - Tender Trap
• Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
• Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire
• Howard Jones - Hide & Seek
• Don Williams - I Recall A Gypsy Woman

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Pop Love.rar Size: 91.83 MB

Fish For Life

This is a compilation that came about before the After The Fire album. I ended up making an album of this too.

Some great tunes here though, the Extended Dance mix of Loving The Alien and WAX's excellent Unabridged mix with it's false start. The Below The Belt mix of Flesh For Fantasy shows how sex can be used to great effect while the Blue mix of Touch Me shows how you can take something that should work and get it wrong! I think the Disco Mix of West End Girls is just Shep Pettibone's mastermix with 25 seconds removed, I don't miss it. Mancrab is a Roland Orzabal project that disappeared with the mists of time. I would love to find the 12" version of the song.

• Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
• David Bowie - Loving The Alien
• Godley & Creme - Cry
• Level 42 - The Chant Has Begun
• Mancrab - Fish For Life
• Cindy Lauper - True Colours
• Roger Daltrey - After The Fire
• Billy Idol - Flesh For Fantasy
• Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body)
• Power Station - Some Like It Hot
• Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie
• Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
• Captain Sensible - Glad It All Over
• WAX - Bridge To Your Heart
• Timbuk3 - The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Fish For Life.rar Size: 91.18 MB

Slade

OK, while I'm on the 70's, I may as well post a bit of Slade. Slade were my band when I was a lad. I was 12 when Coz I Luv You was performed on Top Of The Pops and I was hooked. Back in the early 80's a guy I worked with told me that Slade had taken The Reading Festival by storm and I was back out buying the missing singles. It's always been a bugbear to the fans, that Slade never performed a ' final concert' before splittin up in 1991.



When I first realised Slade were on the internet this was one of my first reads. I love this daydream about the 'farewell tour', pure fantasy of course but, if only? Last year I was fortunate enough to play the music in between events at Sladefest 2007 (yes, really! It's an anual event in Wolverhampton) and as a challenge I tried to recreate the dream gig.

This is how it came out?

Rock 'N' Roll Preacher
We'll Bring The House Down
Them Kinda Monkees Can't Swing
How Does It Feel
So Far So Good
Let The Good Times Roll
One Eyed Jacks With Moustaches
The Soul, The Roll & The Motion
Gudbuy T'Jane
Far Far Away
Don't Blame Me
We're Really Gonna Raise The Roof
Burning In The Heat Of Love
It's Alright Buy Me
All Of The World Is A Stage
My Oh My

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename:  Size: 77.53 MB

If you like it, pop over to Bilston on Easter Sunday and hear it on the big system?

Blues & Soul Top 100

In 1984 Blues & Soul Magazine held a poll with their readers to determine what the best ever Soul & Dance songs were. Although the chart is now a quarter of a century out of date, I think most people with an interest in real Soul music would agree, not much here that needs changing?

Click the chart for a larger readable pic, it'll open in a new window.

Here to start you off, the All Time Top 12.

No. 12 The Fatback Band - I Found Lovin' 1984
No. 11 Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing 1982
No. 10 Luther VanDross - Never Too Much 1981
No. 9 Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody 1983
No. 8 Lamont Dozier - Why Can't We Be Lovers 1973
No. 7 The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze 1974
No. 6 Marlena Shaw - Yu Ma / Go Away Little Boy 1969
No. 5 Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On 1973
No. 4 Teena Marie - Portugese Love 1981
No. 3 Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight 1983
No. 2 Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Joy & Pain (Live) 1981
No. 1 Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On 1971

The download link is here: Download
Filename: BS Top 12.rar Size: 80.57 MB

Songs Of Praize

This strange collection originated from 1979 when Variations hit the market. You will probably recognise it as the theme to the South Bank Show. I was going through a pretentious phase at the time and pooled all the 'classy tracks from various genres. It works well, I think?

Purple Rain was added later but the King Curtis rendition of Harlem Nocturne was originally the Lounge Lizards version which I have sadly, been unable to find?

Dedicated to Karen, the family's real 'muso'.

Genesis - Horizons
Ultravox - Vienna
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Paganini's Caprice
(Theme pts. 1 - 4 & Variation No. 9 & 23)
Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme
Shakatak - Easier Said Than Done
Rah Band - Falcon
Chic - Savoir Faire
Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai
Hazel O'Connor - Will You
Rolling Stones - Angie
Pink Floyd - Great Gig In The Sky
Genesis - I Know What I Like
Supertramp - Long Way Home
Peter Gabriel - Salisbury Hill
Prince - Purple Rain
Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream
Simon & Garfunkel - For Emily
King Curtis - Harlem Nocturne


The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Songs of praize.rar Size: 91.35 MB