British Soul Vol. 3, Part 5

The final post of 2013; I'm not going to do a rundown of the year (that'll come later) but carry on with part 5 of the series that has kick-started my blog back in to my corner of the web after another fallow year.

I have to fess up that this is a new one on me that I found whilst researching for some more trax for this compilation. I thought I had pretty much run the well dry with Tom with pretty much all of his LP's and 7"s on Decca passing through my collection over the years. I have said this before but I am baffled by how anyone may have had the chutzpah to spin this at a Northern night ( and I understand they have!). I mean there is no way you can cover up Tom Jones' voice! This I kinda like in that the tune was played on it's own merit of being a good tune (maybe not the 'Delilah' trumpet parping away in the background) and I'm sure would be much more at home on the floors of Antwerp or Eindhoven than in the North of England (more on those crazy popcorn peeps at a later date). And so here is another addition to the Tom canon...now to find one of these bad boys: Are charity shops open on New Years Day?

Tom Jones- City girl

It's the end of the year...

And so on to my last visit to Densville for the year. Yup things have took a little bit of a beating on 2009 with the slip ups along the way but I promise to fix that. There's also been the arrival of Den Jnr to take me away from my corner of the net and a dropping off of burlesque/ cabaret. I put this down to the fact of the lack of new acts/ performers that have blown me away. Yup, there's plenty of them out there but very few doing anything new or interesting...Anyway, enough of my yacking: let's boogie with Tom, Charlie & Billie

A rare visit to these pages to one of my heroes- Tom Jones. I only discovered this by accident having snaffled it up (using the old adage that any Tom Jones single is worth buying to check out the flip side...) from one of my cheapo sellers recently. I was familiar with Jerry Reed's daft ode to Elvis which features the annoying fade out (Jerry never seems to know how to end his songs...) but somehow Tom's version slipped me by 'til now.

Tom Jones- Tupelo Mississippi flash

Another one that arrived at Chez Den on Christmas Eve was a double Charlie Rich album. 'I can't go on' being a new one on me that up to now is the stand-out track. This Youtube clip also features 'Dance of love' covered by non other than Tom Jones. I've also recently snagged a copy of 'Mohair Sam' by Peggy Lee but we'll save that for another day...A nice beat ballad type tune on this one that I can imagine the freaks flipping their straightened barnets over if it was by Johnny Obscure on a white label promo...Anyways, check out the 'white feather'!

Charlie Rich- I can't go on

A great mid-sixties promo from the ever striking Billie Davis. If you could open a tin that said sixties girl singer this is what you'd find inside. She has a look of Sandie Shaw and arguably churned out better singles at her peek than Sandie's Chris Andrews' efforts which often leave me cold. If you like this one seek out ' I want you to be my baby' and 'Tell him' but avoid 'Billy sunshine' like the plague. I'm putting that one down to Jet Harris' influence!

Billie Davis- Watcha gonna do

The big sound of the century

Den brings you a mixed-bag this week with some doo-wop, girl group & blue-eyed soul; alongside more Twin Peaks & the fantastic Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey…So tune in your ear-trumpets and give your peepers a treat with Den…


Den seems to remember hearing this on a film soundtrack a few years ago, it could have been “After Hours”…Anyway, this brings thoughts of sitting at a bar stool nursing some giggle water after been bumped off with some wooden nickels by some bear cat. A copasetic, grand, soaring doo-wop tune that blows away any blues that may linger. This one does it for Den every time. What more can you say when the label declares "The Big Sound Of The Century". Take it away, Leon...

The Blue Jays- Lover's Island



Den has only just tuned his ear trumpet into this late sixties girl group side from 1969. It’s a sweet, organ-led tune with a fine back beat from the skin-beater. It has a fine cover as well with The Goodees chomping down on over-sized lollipops. Den needs to get his deerstalker and pipe out and try to track this slab of premium vinyl down… Warning though cats & kittens the lyrics may be smuttier than first thought after one or two listens! If Den was forced at gun point to pick his favourite "Goodee" he'd go with the second one (hidden inside the 'O'), although, she is about the only one who you can fully see her coupon...

The Goodees- Double shot of my baby's love

In the world of Den you can never have too much Tom Jones. The album “Along Came Jones” has been sat snuggly on the shelf for a good few years without too many plays and Den was drawn to this expecting a pumped-up soul version of the Merseybeat staple but instead found this Gordon Mills penned beat-ballad monster after seeing Tom on Jonathan Ross the other week. Raid those charity shops while you can to get your biscuit-snatchers on any Tom vinyl you can find (I’d say 1971 is a good cut off point for the end of the classic era). You can always rely on a good cover from Tom and this is no exception with TJ sporting a fine red shirt...

Tom Jones- Some other guy

Den has just reached the end of his Twin Peaks marathon (“Fire walk with me” withstanding) and feels a little emotional that the ride is over! He had to post a video and was spoilt for choice but plumped for the black lodge. Den goes crazy for the flooring in there…very nice! I bet you can’t get that in B & Q. Whilst you’ve got the trolley check out this blog…

The Black Lodge


And finally a male-female duo for the first time in Den’s world- Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey. Den is oozing with praise for these two from Trixie’s barnet to the monkey’s crazy Prince Charles-like ears. This is a fantastic twist on the standard fan-dance and the second clip is sheer genius. It boils your ham bone so to speak…Anyway, load up your rockets with glue, until the next-time I’ll be seeing you!


Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey Fan Dance

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