“Ye Ke Ye Ke” or “Yeke Yeke” was the first African single to sell over a million copies. Not an inconsiderable feat in a pre-internet age! Mory Kante is a Guinean kora harp player and singer, who released “Yeke Yeke” in 1987 on the album Akwaba Beach. The song is a frantic, euphoric afro-disco cruise, with…
20/06/2018: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by Amy Winehouse
The Shirelles’ 1960 original is richer and warmer. Dusty Springfield’s 1964 cover is much more lively. But Amy Winehouse, with her unique Jazz singers’ croon,…
19/06/2018: “My Mind Went Blank” by DJ Screw feat. Point Blank
DJ Screw will go down in history as the man who perfected the “chopped n screwed” method of playing hip hop records slowed down, and…
18/06/2018: “Brothers In Arms” by Dire Straits
The album Brothers In Arms is one of the best selling albums of all time, selling over 30 million copies. In the US it is 9…
17/06/2018: “What’s A Girl To Do” by Fatima Yamaha
It’s easy to be suspicious of techno songs that are over 5 minutes or so in length. Is it a masterfully crafted piece of gradually…
16/06/2018: “Lola” by The Kinks
“Lola” was released in 1970, and was subsequently banned by the BBC and by Australia. The BBC had banned it because it uses the brand…
15/06/2018: “One Step Beyond” by Madness
The original Jamaican Ska is great stuff, albeit often pretty rough round the edges. It was an important movement that laid the foundation for reggae…
14/06/2018: “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz and Joao & Astrud Gilberto
Without a doubt, this is the most famous song to emerge from Brazil’s Bossa Nova scene. Bossa Nova is essentially a Brazilian take on Jazz,…
13/06/2018: “As I Am (Todd Edwards Remix)” by Sound of One
I love garage music if it’s the right kind. The cheesy pop 2 step of the early noughties is a world away from the diverse,…
12/06/2018: “Fisherman Dub” by Lee “Scratch” Perry
Scratch Perry is something of a mad genius. His whole style can be a bit incomprehensible. But the prodigious output that Perry and his studio…