The Troggs - With a Girl Like You (1966)
16/12/2022
Greetings of the season and all that glitters my Santa’s Little Soundheads
Not getting festive with the tunage just yet, but in this fucking bitter cold and general world weariness, we need a pick me up.
And there’s no better than this minimalist belter from Hampshire’s finest proto punks, The Troggs.
Fronted by the ever wonderful Reg Presley, whose primitive howls of love from afar in those simpler times, will always just about be the best thing ever when played.
So lean, nothing complicated but killer riffs… that’s fucking rock and roll!
This is my absolute fave Troggs. It’s the life preserver when you’re fed up to the back teeth with bullshit. To cop from Madonna, it’s a ray of light.
I’ve had the idea off and on for eons to cover this, maybe it might happen… maybe I’ll leave it to be the pop perfection it truly is?
I hope Reg found all the clues he was looking for in the world of mysteries (UFOs, crop circles and ancient civilisations) when he left this planet, he deserved it… The fucker tore the shit out of Wild Thing and wrote this beauty amongst other classics.
That’s a legacy.
Ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba
RH X
The Gun Club – Ghost On The Highway (1982)
10/12/2022
Hola Soundheads!
What can be said about Jeffrey Lee Pierce?
Highly enigmatic, trouble to some, good company to others.
Whatever… he’s responsible for the fucking GUN CLUB.
That’s all that needs to be said.
This hybrid swampy blues punk rockabilly blast from the magnificent Fire Of Love album.
The whole album is a treat from start to finish.
Pierce apparently was very dismissive of it, claiming they took too much speed whilst recording it…Haven’t we all dear, haven’t we all.
Goddamn this fires on all cylinders an’ them some.
Personally, I don’t think they ever got the kudos that deserved.
Admittedly, they could be sloppy as fuck live, but I saw them once or twice when they burned and left no prisoners.
As much as I love Miami, the follow up album, this still has the slight razor sharp edge for me… but it’s a finely honed edge.
Boogie girls n boys… boogie!
Tipple Of The Week
The Moscow Mule (Rocket To Russia Hampson Edition)
You will need :
A good quality Vodka – which should be kept in the freezer.
A fiery Ginger Beer – Fentimans do a zippy one
A Fresh Lime
Lime Cordial
Ice
Seriously don’t bother with the copper mug, this drink is to be drunk at a pace, it’s not for looking at.
But you can get a Highball Glass and chill it beforehand.
So…
Get glass and throw in a good few cubes of ice.
Grab the cordial and splash a few drops over the ice, then swirl around the glass a few times.
Pour in 75ml/2.5oz of the very cold Vodka.
Top up with the Ginger Beer but don’t overdo it.
Take a whole slice of lime, cut into two. Squeeze one half of its juice into the rocket fuel and garnish with the other half.
Perfect for The Gun Club and if you own the original 7”, flip it over and boogie to Sex Beat as well!
Have fantastico weekends amigos!
Love n out
RH x
Perry & The Harmonics - Do The Monkey With James (1965)
02/12/2022
Howdy Heads of Sound,
The names Perry…
Perry and The Harmonics
An off kilter stomper that absolutely never fails to get the toes a tappin’
An imaginary tail spinner of James Bond being a frugger.
Taken from a whole album dedicated to the world of 007’s funky soul intrigue.
If this tasty blast got any funkier, it’d be illegal.
Funkier than a mosquito’s tweeter as they say.
If the Hammond doesn’t pull you in from the first note, then the sleezy breaks behind it will.
That cat with ten gold fingers indeed.
By the time the soulblaster sax wails, your in the world of soul espionage and there’s no escape.
10/10 for hip slingin’ in my book any day.
As it’s “the holiday season” I thought it ripe for Tipple Of The Week to accompany SOTW.
For a limited time only, here’s one of a selection of tongue tinglers that I think able to accompany said hot stepper tunage.
This week…
The Manhattan
You will need the following:
– Red Vermouth
– Angostura Bitters
– RYE Whiskey – you can use Bourbon, but I find it can make it a little less Dry and perhaps sweeter, but it’s all down to personal taste in the end.
– Woodford Reserve is my number 1 in the charts go to.
– Maraschino Cherries – Luxardo are the best, they really are… trust me.
– Martini style cocktail glass
– Cocktail shaker and strainer.
These measures are PER PERSON, so double up with company.
Get yer glass at the ready (chilled naturally)
Pop in 1 cherry with a drip of the juice.
Grab yer shaker with 2/3 cubes of ice in.
Splash a dash of the bitters in, I normally go for 2x per serving
75ml / 2.5oz of Rye
75ml / 2.5oz of Red Vermouth
Close the shaker and shake shake shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
Grab yer strainer and pour into the cherry ready glasses.
Voila!
You have got yerself a mean Manhattan.
It’ll get you doin’ the monkey with James in no time.
Adios amigos,
RH X
The Split Ends - Rich With Nothin' (1966)
18/11/2022
Far fuckin’ out…
It’s ‘66 and this fuzzgrinder from Tampa’s The Split Ends digs deep.
Why have four notes in a riff when you can blast ‘em with three?!
A good deal gone bad with his baby.
He sounds p.i.s.s.e.d PISSED!
Sour grapes?
Jealous?
Who tha fuck knows?
Classic tin pot production with percussion sounding like a bag of forks rattling aimlessly, but get yer ears on that riff.
Drenched in reverb and all the controls set for the heart of the stun.
That’s what Friday’s about brothers and sisters.
As that first post week G&T hits, grind the hips to this solid action blaster.
Uptightnouttasite
RH X
Low - Just Like Christmas (1999)
11/11/2022
Hey there
Not going to say much this week, understandably.
One of the greatest Xmas songs in decades, it’s up there with Phil, seriously.
RIP MIMI
RH X