Fran's Blog

Many moons ago my ambition was to work on A&R for a record company. Way back in 1996 I decided to apply to some record companies to do work experience. Acid jazz, one of my favourite record labels of the time answered my call and I spent a few weeks working in their warehouse and offices in Hoxton Square. Life began at this point. I ended up going to the Blue Note on the guest list and helping on radio shows run by Eddie Piller who is a bit of a hero of mine. I spent many years going back to them to see how everyone was until I started working, then it became trickier.

Anyway, in this magical time, there was a programme launched to try and get some great talent into the company. One day I stepped into Ed’s office and he had just been listening to a demo tape of a group called Torino. I thought it was a new Jamiroquai track, it was really very good. I went to some live shows by them to promote the band at nights like The Magic Bus. It was exciting. Then, they disappeared. I’ve never quite been sure about the full story, but I think the singer 2E left and there was a cock up with the master tapes leaving the original demo that I had heard with 2 songs. I always listen to these songs and think what could have been. Searching for them usually brings up some other lesser group with the same name. Oh well.

Torino – Sun is on my mind: [audio:http://blog.whoisfrancisgilbert.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/14-Sun-Is-On-My-Mind.mp3|titles=Torino Sun Is On My Mind]
(15 years of lost and found rarities)

Torino – It don’t bother me: [audio:http://blog.whoisfrancisgilbert.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/10-It-Dont-Bother-Me.mp3|titles=10 It Dont Bother Me]
(Totally Wired Series 2 Vol 2)

Anyone who has had the pleasure of speaking to me about music while drunk has most probably heard my rant about disco. The short story: disco has gone from the classy days (to sordid days) in the 70s to (a lot of the time) just pure tack. Of course every music form has its tack, but people sometimes hear me say “I play disco at my night” and they immediately think “IT’S FUN TO STAY AT THE YYYYMCA”, and not much else. That’s a big reason why we started our night Better Days almost 6 years ago, to start the classy side of disco, and other forms of old music again. The disco that is good music, associated with class and good times. But that is a whole other story. My point is, while music becomes classic, it can lose the class, and also the meaning it had in those times.

Retro has a tendency to become tacky. A lot of things from the 70s or any other decade are difficult to re-create without seeming out of place or out of time. Some get it right though. I recently went to see Raphael Saadiq at the Jazz Cafe who laid on a great performance from his new album “The way I see it” where he has taken an influence from the Motown days of old and very very slightly updated it. To the point where it looks great again. See what you think below.

Raphael Saadiq – Love That Girl from Artists Den on Vimeo.

Right, over the last several posts I’ve got well into the tech. I still am, but there is so much more to this world. So, back to some soul.

One of my favourite music blogs is called Soul Sides, it covers more than just what its URL suggests. It delves into funk, prog rock etc. and is well worth a look. Today they posted about a fairly little known artist called Donnie. He’s been around for quite a while now. I heard about him in about 2001 on the then Jazz FM soul show. He sounded like Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway (he even started singing at his church, like so many others). I managed to get my hands on some early releases of his music (which had different production for most songs) and managed to get to a gig at the Jazz Cafe in Camden. I waited for an album, and about a year later it finally reared up as a release on Giant Step records (later signing to Motown).

This boy has some serious talent. It took a few listens to fully appreciate. But the album just keeps giving, even 7/8 years later. It’s very socially conscious, but intelligently so. You can hear samples at: http://soul-sides.com/2009/05/donnie-soul-brother-from-another.html. His album “The Colored Section” is also on Spotify.

For so long now I have been listening to disco. It was the first form of music to be made with clubs in mind, DJs would play it and it brought people together.

There have been a few groups set up to sound similar to 60s funk and soul (Sharon Jones & the Dap kings and The New Mastersounds, to name a couple), but none for the 70s as yet.

Anyway, something that lacks from a lot of music nowadays is the money spent. In disco, there would be whole orchestras created for any kind of music to make a rich sounding type of music. Disco was big for this, but there are few people who use a whole orchestra any more.

Anyone who knows me will know, despite my geek lifestyle, I am also a soul and funk nut. I’m pretty sure a lot of geeks like this sort of music, but it’s not usually attached to the geek brand I guess.

I watched “In pursuit of happiness” over the weekend, which I thought was a fantastic film, especially as it was based on a true story, you really wanted something to go right for this guy and Will Smith pulled off the serious roll perfectly, hopefully, long gone are the typical black quips like “I’ve gotta get me one of these” that he is now known (and sometimes hated) for.

1995, what a year for music, for those of you with a penchant for hip hop, it should mean something. Beats Rhymes & Life was about to be released, and a group called the Pharcyde released Labcabincalifornia, produced by the late, great Jay Dilla. I loved this era of hip hop, it just felt right.

I’ll try and not post too many videos from last.fm, but this, apparently directed by Spike Lee, but I have no back up for that, is remarkable, it looks a bit strange until you realise the whole thing is backwards, not the story, the whole thing, shot, backwards, serious fun.

Another music thing for you. I’ve just been sent an email from the lovely people at last.fm to say they have just started to put video on their site with a customised email of the bands I’ve been listening to. Fantastic. It re-introduces me to a lot of bands/singers I have been listening to recently, especially Moses Mayes. I stumbled across this group while looking for a band like Jamiroquai. And hell are they funky. I just had to post this video to give you a taste. It starts slow, but builds into a funk off (about 3:39 in), and what a funk off it is. I also like the fact they’re in a tiny studio barely fitting the band, bassist typically calm as he holds the fort. Enjoy, more groups like this please.

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” as the saying goes. And essentially it’s true, unless you’re signed to a record label. I’ve heard nightmarish stories of groups such as Boney M and certain others (Small Faces I think) not getting a dime for their work because of a dodgy contract.

Now I could be wrong here with the history etc. but if it is true about bands getting not very much and/or getting screwed, no wonder bands like Radiohead are starting to do exactly this, screwing their record companies. Getting a full cut of what they should courtesy of t’interweb. And here is the article:
Radio head offers new album

Good on you lads. I know I’d pay good money for groups I like, I already do. Maybe its time for record companies to start changing their business models rather than suing people and screwing their bands.

After my post on Seasick Steve and Ty, I thought I’d continue a write up on who else I saw at The Big Chill who has made me spend more of my hard earned cash on music.

Crazy P who hail from Nottingham, right here in blighty. Fantastic live, and really damn good on CD, vinyl or download (will they abbreviate this to dnld, dwnld or something so we can have CD, LP, DNLD? please?). I have been listening to their latest album “A Night On Earth” a lot recently. It’s difficult to say who they sound like, but here goes. Think a more sane Moloko I guess it the best description. It’s relaxed, or dancy, depending on your mood. Recommended. Some of their stuff has been remixed to some good house classics so chances you’ve heard some of their stuff without noticing.

I’ve started turning my musical tasting sights to the blues. There is so much out there though, do I wade right in with the obvious? Or go straight underground? I don’t know.

I saw a guy called Seasick Steve at The Big Chill festival this year (when people introduce him, it sounds like C-16, beware). He’s played there before, but this year was my first time there. An old guy came on stage and played some seriously good blues, hobo style, and was very funny. In fact, part of his set he played with a 3 string guitar, and still sounded great, he even brought out a 1 string instrument he made (diddley bow) and played that. For his drum, he had a box with a microphone in it (Mississippi drum machine) and yes, it sounded like a drum. Excellent stuff.

His album “Dog house music” is great, but it doesn’t come close to his live act.