SIDEWINDER PLAYLIST - THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2016

Last night saw the latest instalment of Dave Edwards and Giles Plumpton’s Sidewinder Club in Islington. For over five years the first Thursday of the month has seen the backroom of the Wenlock and Essex has swung to the R&B, Blues, Soul, Ska, Jazz elements of the modernist palate.

Many thanks to Dave and Gilo for asking me back to spin a few 45s, always enjoyable, and cheers to those who cut a rug or took the time to say nice things about the sets; it goes a long way, so thanks. A few folk asked about certain records and if they’re anything like me they will have forgotten within five minutes so the sets are listed below to jog memories. The raw blues of Smokey Smothers appeared particularly popular, and rightly so.

Also guesting was London Mod DJ institution and exuberant ball of boundless energy, Ian Jackson, and original DJ from the old Ricky Tick clubs in the 60s, Martin Fuggles. Before fairly recently being coaxed back to the decks Martin’s DJing ended in 1967 and, very evocatively, now plays the exact singles he did between sets by Georgie Fame, Geno Washington, John Mayall, Zoot Money and the rest back in the day. Martin's sets are listed below and also see his comments at the foot of this. One difference now being these are transported in a proper record box rather than the small suitcase he used to tie to his scooter or stick in the back of his mini. In addition to being a lovely chap there are a couple of other things I like about Martin. (1) He always starts his sets with The Impressions, it’s his little tradition and a mighty fine one, and (2) the way he’d sticker his records with his name on – a common enough practice when taking hard earned treasures out of the house – and also add the date he bought them. For someone as equally nerdy about lists and dates this is especially endearing (see picture of Len Barry 45 above).

Anyway, all great fun. Remember, first Thursday of the month at the Wenlock & Essex, Essex Road, Islington, N1. Free admission.

2100-2130 Monkey Set 1

The Hammond Brothers – Thirty Miles of Railroad Track (Abner)

Lowell Fulsom – Talkin’ Woman (Kent)

Bobby Bland – Dust Got In Daddy’s Eyes (Duke)

Dick Holler – Mooba Grooba (Comet)

Marv Johnson – Come On and Stop (United Artists)

The Downbeats – Request of a Fool (Tamla)

Lloyd Price – Take All (Jade)

The Garden State Choir – Who’s Over Yonder (Simpson)

Hindal Butts – In The Pocket (M-S)

Cecil Garrett – Bearcat

Jimmy Nelson – Tell Me Who (Chess)

Ronnie Milsap – A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (Scepter)

2130-2200 Martin Fuggles Set 1
Impressions - It's Alright
Sam and Dave - Soul Man
Drifters - Sweets for my Sweet
Spinners - Sweet Thing
Temptations - Why you wanna make me blue
Slim Harpo - I'm a king bee
Googie Rene Combo - Smokey Joe's La La
Marvin Gaye - You're a Wonderful One
Blendells - La La La La La
Martha & the Vandellas - Heat Wave
Capitols - Cool Jerk
Brenton Wood - Gimme little sign

2200-2230 Monkey Set 2

Big Maybelle – Do Lord (Brunswick)

Artie Golden – Look Out (Sunshine)

Lonesome Sundown – I Had A Dream Last Night (Excello)

Grover Pruitt – Little Girl (Salem)

Lester Young – Wobble Time (Chase)

Lowell Fulsom – Love Grows Cold (Chess)

Smokey Smothers – I Got My Eyes On You (Gamma)

John Lee Hooker – Dimples (Vee-Jay)

Slim Harpo – I Need Money (Excello)

Freddy King – Now I’ve Got A Woman (Federal)

Dean Jones – Women (Valiant)

Chuck Reed – Females (Minaret)

Dick Jordan – I Want Her Back (Jamie)

Robert Moore – Harlem Shuffle (Hollywood)

2230-onwards Martin Fuggles Set 2
Impressions - You've been cheatin
Sam and Dave - You don't know like I know
Four Tops - Something about you
Junior Walker & All Stars - Shake and Fingerpop
Marvellettes Too many fish in the Sea
Ramsey Lewis Wade in the Water
Donnie Elbert - Little piece of leather
Chuck Wood - Seven days too long
C.O.D's - Michael
Soul Brothers Six - Some kind of wonderful
Wilson Pickett - In the Midnight Hour
Elgins - Heaven must have sent you
Darrell Banks - Open the door to your heart
Sugar Pie Desanto - Soulful Dress
Booker T & the MGs - Green Onions
Desmond Dekker & the Aces - 007
Temptations - The way you do the things you do
Gene Chandler - Nothing can stop me
Edwin Starr - Stop her on Sight (SOS)
Prince Buster - Madness
Kim Weston - Helpless
Isley Brothers - This old heart of mine
Len Barry - 1-2-3
Mar-kets - Surfers Stomp

RICKY TICK CLUB, WINDSOR. COLLECTION OF FLYERS 1965-1966

Following the recent post mentioning the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor, Monkey Snr. has very kindly given me these old flyers.  They are shown in order from July 1965 to September 1966.  It seems incredible now to imagine wandering along the River Thames in Royal Berkshire to catch the likes of Solomon Burke and Bo Diddley.  No need to buy a ticket, just stroll in.  Monkey Snr. saw Graham Bond and Georgie Fame.  I would have gone every week.  Also, I love that some of the flyers were picked up from David’s Record Shop in Slough, which was the same place DJ Martin Fuggles bought his records to play in the club. Thanks Dad.  

MONKEY'S SUNDAY SWING #2: WE ARE THE MODS, WE ARE THE MODS...

The M word has featured heavily during the last ten days or so, here's a look back.

I can’t recall the last time I saw a club advertised as a mod club and The Sidewinder in Islington doesn't, but that’s what it is.  Tucked away in a fabulous club room within the Wenlock and Essex, Essex Road, N1 on the first Thursday of each month it manages to be a relaxed affair yet still entice people on to the illuminated dancefloor with its soul, jazz and R&B soundtrack.  The highlight for me there this week was chatting to Martin Fuggles, who was the DJ at the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor during the mid-60s.  There were a number of Ricky Tick clubs but the Windsor one, in a mansion by the river, is regarded as the main one, and the one replicated in the film Blow Up when The Yardbirds tore it up.  Martin would DJ on two turntables built inside a gold painted piano, a playlist dominated by the Motown, Atlantic and Stax releases he’d purchase each week from a stall in Slough. Martin said he’d been reintroduced to the mod scene a couple of years ago and was now enjoying trying to catch up on what he’d missed and seeing how things had developed in his absence.  He still has all his old records but had lost interest in music once Pink Floyd had come along, saying if that was the future of music he wanted no part of it.  We chatted about what sounds were popular at the time and I asked him about The Impressions, to which he pulled a great OH MY GOD, THE IMPRESSIONS sex face.  This was exactly the reaction I’d hoped for.  He often began his sets with “It’s Alright” and would buy half a dozen extra copies of their records to sell down the Ricky Tick.  He also said that their gig at the Barbican last year was the second best gig he’d ever been to (one behind Buddy Holly and the Crickets).  The group are playing at the Jazz Café in London next month and if at all possible you must go.  To read me becoming all emotional about the Barbican night click here.  Naturally I tried digging for info about The Action but although he knew they’d played the club he couldn’t remember anything in particular about them.  Damn.  Martin certainly considered himself a mod back, complete with scooter, but soon learnt “you needed four wheels if you wanted to pull the better birds”, and carry your records of course.  It was fascinating chatting with him and hopefully he’ll be on at Sidewinder in the future.  His Ricky Tick site has more news and more posters like the one shown above.  The next Sidewinder is on Thursday 5th July.        

The launch party at the Fred Perry shop in Covent Garden for The A-Z of Mod book by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter was a swinging affair with some well-known scene faces in attendance and even Phil Daniels popping by.  Luckily for him by the time I’d had enough to drink to recite chunks of Quadrophenia  – because he would have loved that – he’d disappeared.   It wouldn’t be right to review the book in detail as it was a birthday present for Mrs Monkey by Monkey Snr so try the one in The Guardian and work it out for yourself.  There’s a picture of Mrs Monkey and her sister in the book adopting their usual Kray twins stance - looking like they’d slash your throat with their haircuts if you stood too close. On the off-chance they read this I should add they aren't quite as menacing in real life. 

Also in Mrs M’s birthday haul was The Treasures of The Who by Chris Welch, a hardback, boxed book containing memorabilia inserted into the pages.  There are some great reproductions of Marquee contracts, posters, flyers (cool one from the Goldhawk “Beat” Club where The Who played Good Friday 1965 and The Boys played on Saturday), an early letter to fan from Roger Daltrey and a postcard from Keith Moon.  It sells for twenty five quid but was a lot cheaper in Fopp or a bit cheaper from that on-line retail place.  

On the subject of Keith Moon, keep your eyes open for a summer publication of Full Moon by Dougal Butler.  Original published in 1981 by Moonie’s personal assistant, with Chris Tengrove and Peter Lawrence, it's utterly hilarious in places and terribly sad in others.  I remember tears of laughter streaming down my face when I first read it when published as Moon The Loon.  Find out more at Full Moon The Book.