Review: The second BBC bank holiday Beatles special From Us To You was recorded on February 28, 1964, at BBC Piccadilly Studios and it aired a month later on Easter Monday, March 30. Hosted by DJ Alan Freeman, the set featured The Beatles' debut performance of 'You Can't Do That,' which had been recorded just two days earlier. Initially considered for their next single, it was later placed as the B-side to 'Can't Buy Me Love,' which came in March of that year. Bonus tracks included here from the August 1964 show are 'Boys' and 'Long Tall Sally,' which serve to highlight the band's evolving repertoire and their energetic live performances during this period.
Review: The Beatles' EP From Us To You #3 captures a 1964 BBC session that encapsulates the band's early charm and infectious energy. Featuring a whopping ten tracks, it was recorded in the BBC's Paris Studios in Regent Street, London and fact fans will note that 'Honey Don't which was later included on the album Beatles For Sale and sung by Ringo, here features John on the vocals. Elsewhere the EP captures the band's irresistible melodies and tight harmonies with three of the tunes originally penned by the band's favourite rockabilly star Carl Perkins. Each song is a testament to The Beatles' enduring influence on popular music and overall serves as a timeless reminder of the band's unmatched creativity which continues to this day with new AI-produced singles that the much talked about one earlier in the year.
Review: Initially put forward as a potential Beatles single during the mid 1990s 'Anthology' period but shelved due to objections from George Harrison, 'Now and Then' has been trailed as the iconic band's 'final single'. It's re-emergence now in finished form (it was completed partially using AI, but also some studio trickery by Giles Martin) ties in with the reissue of the band's two 1973 'best of' compilations (the so-called 'Red' and 'Blue' collections). Like their two singles of the 90s, it features Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison finishing off an early 70s John Lennon demo, with a little help from producer Jeff Lynne. It comes backed with a freshly remixed, 'proper' stereo version of their debut single, 'Love Me Do', thus completing the band's musical journey once and for all.
Review: Billed as "the last Beatles song", though originally stemming from a solo piano home demo recorded by John Lennon in 1979, 'Now & Then' was first considered to be used as the band's third reunion single for their 1995-96 retrospective The Beatles Anthology, following 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love'. Shelved for decades before eventually being completed by Lennon's surviving bandmates, the recording now finally sees the light of day, on a variety of limited double A-side 7" vinyl complimented by the band's debut single 'Love Me Do', as well as this CD single and retroactively being included on the tracklist for the upcoming half-speed remaster of their 1967-1970 Blue Album compilation. With additionally penned lyrics from McCartney, and Lennon's voice extracted from the original demo recording using the same AI-backed audio restoration technology that was commissioned by director Peter Jackson for his acclaimed 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back, this is one final slice of audible greatness.
Review: There are as many opinions on 'Now & Then' as there are people, but regardless of your own thoughts on this revived Lennon sketch there's no denying the arrival of the final Beatles single has been one of the major musical events of 2023. Collectors and completists, meanwhile, of which we gather The Beatles have more than a few, will be trampling on top of each other to get hold of these Japanese editions of the single.
Heroes: Santiago Chile September 1990 (Jesse Zotti extended version) (7:01)
Heroes: Santiago Chile September 1990 (Jesse Zotti instrumental) (10:11)
Review: The Icons label presses up tracks in numerous different genres from legendary artists from across the years on nice coloured vinyl. This one is an orange 12" from the iconic David Bowie who was on tour across the world in 1990 when he stopped in Chile for one particularly stand-out night. That evening amongst many other classics in his set was 'Heroes' which features here as a live recording from the night first as a Jesse Zotti Extended Mix and then on the flip as a Jesse Zotti Instrumental. Two great versions of a great track.
Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich mix By James Murphy For The DFA) (10:23)
The Informer (4:34)
I'd Rather Be High (Venetian mix) (3:51)
Like A Rocket Man (3:26)
Born In A UFO (3:06)
God Bless The Girl (4:02)
Review: This extra EP came as part of a follow-up box set released in the November of the same year that David Bowie released The Next Day, his post-ironic album that cemented the starman's return to the limelight after a mild heart attack in 2004. Almost a decade of recovery and recording went into the album; this tidbit of outtakes and rarities from the album features everything from a collaboration with Steve Reich and James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) to a new version of 'I'd Rather Be High'.
One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death (feat Amy Lee) (3:54)
Review: Everything about Bring Me The Horizon is stadium scale. Heavy metal proudly wearing deathcore and emo patches, from unapologetically direct lyrics through power chords and a vast timbre that makes each track feel ocean deep, fans of the Sheffield outfit will find them on as ferocious form here as at any point in their near-17 year career together.
Firing on all cylinders and then some, from 'Dear Diary' onwards it's a classic case of pissing off the parents and turning things up to 11. Then ravaging the mic in a cannibalistic frenzy. A sign of the times, tracks like 'Itch For The Cure (When Will We Be Free?)' And 'Obey', the latter featuring a guest appearance from YUNGBLUD, reflect increasing use of rave and drum 'n' bass nuances in the metal world right now, while 'One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest...' closes on dark, dramatic opera.
Review: The Psychedelic Breaks & Beats label isn't hard to get the measure of - they make their MO pretty clear in their name after all. It's a fairly safe bet you won't have heard the kind of obscure wonderments they dust down from the history of funky nuggets on the far out fringes, and so it goes on this opening gambit - a split 7" from Capprells & Soul Brothers Band and The Inner Thumb. The Capprells were a Pittsburgh-based family group who released a string of singles in the 70s, all of which are hard to come by but with 'Close Your Eyes' quite possibly being the pick of the bunch, still carrying a little of that 60s magic and more than deserving of a fresh airing on this release. On the flip we get 'Soul Submarine' by The Inner Thumb, an appropriately deep-diving joint originally released on the Soul Ecstasy soundtrack in 1999.
Review: This new series brings forth a fusion of late 60s/early 70s Funky Rock Breaks from around the world, promising dancefloor action for Hairy B-Boys and Head-Banging Breakers alike. Side-1 kicks off with 'Good Thing Going (Put It On A Record),' blending guitar riffs, big beats, rock vocals, and rap phrases to ignite any party atmosphere. On the Side-2, 'Whole Lotta Drugs!' delves into the wild world of groupies and illicit substances, featuring an obscure brassy cover of a classic rock track with added beats and samples for a backstage after-party vibe. Released on limited edition purple and black vinyl, this series delivers a high-octane soundtrack for the upcoming festival season.
Review: Pressed for the first time on 7" vinyl, two killer rock club tracks from the legendary Colloseum, track 1 and 2 from their sophomore 1969 album 'Valentyne Suite' - 'Elegy' and 'The Kettle'.
The powerful and up-tempo 'Elegy' is a funky love song, with steaming guitars and heavy groove, an absolute home run of a funky club banger. On the flip is the 'The Kettle', featuring a heavy rock groove that the attentive ear will recognise as sampled by Fatboy Slim for 'Ya Mama'.
Review: Deep Purple have been rocking long enough to have written a song in response to the infamous Montreux Casino fire, which nearly killed Frank Zappa, forever changing his vocal range, in 1971. By the time that smash hit single came out - complete with arguably rock & roll's most iconic riff - the band were already on their sixth studio album. Skip forward 51 years after the track came out, alongside the Machine Head album, and we're still writing about Ian Gillan, Roger Glove, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride. In a lot of ways, our thoughts are still the same. That blues psychedelia at work here, and the work still sets a benchmark for heavy rock and proto-metal. Of course, both canons have evolved and developed since their inception - which Deep Purple had a big hand in - but when you're faced with the pioneers and their new single, they rarely sound this complete.
Review: Sheffield rock royalty Def Leppard build momentous hype for their upcoming tour alongside Journey with the release of their brand new single 'Just Like 73'. Written in collaboration with Rage Against The Machine axeman Tom Morello, the banger comes complete with an absurd music video of computer generated de-aged models of the band and a parachuting Morello making their way to Earl's Court to perform for a massive crowd of adoring fans. Elaborating on the experience, the guitar guru stated - "I had a blast rocking a solo on 'Just Like 73.' I played 'Rock of Ages' in my college cover band almost 40 years ago and here Def Leppard are still killing it in stadiums with a brand-new tune that's one of their best." Pressed on limited 7" wax with an alternative version on the flip, the Leppard evidently still have plenty of sugar in the petrol tank.
B-STOCK: Record is slightly warped, otherwise in excellent condition
The Tinker & The Crab
Wear Your Love Like Heaven
Review: ***B-STOCK: Record is slightly warped, otherwise in excellent condition***
A pair of classic Donovan tracks get pressed up to this new 7" from The state51 Conspiracy. They are taken originally from his seminal double album A Gift From a Flower to a Garden and come in a beautifully printed new sleeve with golden details and limited to just 500 copies. Both are mixed in mono and first is the delicate falsetto of 'The Tinker and the Crab' with is Americana overtones and light flute motifs next to the acoustic guitar strumming and 'Wear Your Love Like Heaven' is another lushly layered folk rock sound.
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