Wild Honey, the 1967 album which “Country Air” appears, was initially panned by music critics, which tells you all you need to know about the sheer…
Tag: 60s
14/12/2020: “Dr Kitch” by Lord Kitchener
Before reggae, before ska, before soca, there was calypso. Calypso directly descends from the musical styles brought over from African due to slavery. It blends…
11/12/2020: “Guns Of Navarone” by The Skatalites
The original version of this is a bombastic theme tune for a 1961 film – as you might guess, that film is called ‘The Guns…
01/12/2020: “Ain’t Got The Love Of One Girl (On My Mind)” by The Ambassadors
This one is absolute soul gold. Hanging on at the end of the 60s, the song is dusted with heartbreak, stained with regret. It’s a…
31/10/2020: “Fu Man Chu” by Desmond Dekker
This is surprising weighty for a song of its time. The tone is a lot darker than much of Desmond Dekker’s work. Released in 1968,…
24/10/2020: “A Love Supreme Part 2 (Resolution)” by John Coltrane
Is A Love Supreme the best Jazz album ever recorded? It depends what your personal preferences are, of course, but I think there’s a lot in its…
17/10/2020: “India” by John Coltrane
You can never be too sure what you’re going to get with John Coltrane. It can be soft, smooth Jazz, crazy discordant free Jazz, experimental…
28/09/2020: “Mellow Yellow” by Donovan
While researching this song, I learnt two important facts. One: Donovan is Scottish. Not sure why I didn’t know that, but there you go! Two:…
21/09/2020: “She’s My Baby” by The Mojo Men
Raucous. 60s raucous, but undeniably, unquestionably, unshakably raucous. That fuzz bassline is a centrepiece of the track. Probably why Kanye West chose to sample it…
20/09/2020: “Man Next Door” by John Holt
This is one of the classic reggae riddims. It’s heavy, sticks in your ear like gorilla glue, and has been covered by acts such as…