Essential Summer Records

Saigon Fruit Bucket – 'Mackerel Flobbing.'
The corpse of Acid Jazz is given a good seeing to with this cardiopulmonary clamp of a tune. Think JTQ crossed with Extreme Noise Terror whilst on a kibbutz in Toxteth and you’re nearly there.

 Brainwash – 'Dog Food.'
Henry Rollins’ new band Brainwash captivate hearts and minds with this mellow even anodyne account of the struggle an everyman artist has to deal with when suffering for his art. ‘Giving up (dog) food for punk’, goes the chorus which will be bellowed out by social misfits with no girlfriends everywhere.

 Rufus and Imran Khan – 'Urinated Leather Keks.'
Tribute to Jim Morrison’s penchant for ‘ladies of the night’ and their greedy wiley ways. ‘Oi, Roxanne, you don’t have to put on the red light because you were only supposed to blow the Bloody Doors Off!’

 Sum Hook – 'Mickey Rouke’s Drift.'  Essential listening if you’ve ever considered entering your dog into Crufts. Slum Hook sing of the dangers Mickey Rourke faced when his poodle, Mr  Pumpkin won ‘best in show’ but was later kidnapped by the Gay Mafia. They broke into his apartment one evening, smashed his Vybz Cartel and Elephant Man records, and rearranged his lounge before kidnapping poor Mr Pumpkin.

 Mollusc in Silicone – 'Couple of Tits.'
Bootleg mash-up of Peter Andre’s ‘Insania’ and Brian McFadden’s ‘Real to Me’.

 Duran Duran – 'Live at Dudley National Express Coach Station.'
Simple, and as passé as Ugg boots.

 Scrimmage  – 'Honningsvag.'
Metaphorical trendsetting bruk-step with rawlplug Mongolian lamb bleats and flim-flam corn law future funk .

 Radio Bingo – 'Anti-chord.'
 A slimline surreal psychodrama-cum-road movie – cum- air vibration speaker membrane. Come-off it!

 Underwire – 'The Blaspheming Shaman of Skalagroft EP.'
 Just a sample from a Pat Metheny tune and the Shaman of Skalagroft spitting his tourettes flavoured rhymes over the mic. Favourites include, ‘Mary Queen of Scots Lost Her Head, the Twat’ and ‘Jehan Fouquet, 15th Century Painter and Pig Fu**er’.

Mr Fingers and Thumbs – 'A Rollerskating Jam Named Pan Pipes.'
Last year Mr Fingers and Thumbs was on everyone’s lips. Now he’s in everyone’s gloves, pockets and medieval implements of torture. All proceeds go to the Deep House Victims Minibus Appeal.

 Cant – 'Narwich Shite.'
 Indie jangler in tribute to Play Away and Deliah respectively

The Fickle Formula

The Electric Stag

All Time Top 100

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I was very kindly invited down to Coopers Cask in Hove to play my All Time Top 100 records, a nigh on impossible task. Here is the bio and records I played -

 "I’ve been collecting records ever since discovering ‘The Best of Top of The Pops 1978’ on the Hallmark label, under the Christmas tree that very self-same year. Whilst being blissfully unaware it contained anonymous cover versions of the hit singles, it was the sheer joy of owning a collection of music which could usually only be heard on the radio or watched on television. The Bermuda Dansette would be cranked up and side one would give way to side two and back again; this was augmented with the weekly Sunday teatime ‘finger-hovering-over-the-pause-record-button’ to produce nascent illicit C90 bootlegs! From dodgy cover version collections housed in slightly iffy Pickwick calendar girl covers, I moved onto buying seven inch singles and albums and that excitement of hunting down records is as strong today as it has ever has been.

My enthusiasm for playing records inadvertently moved me into the DJ world and I’ve been ‘playing-out’ for over twenty years now. From Sunday chill-out residencies to ‘banging’ Saturday night club sessions, I’ve always played the records which I care about and have never compromised on the quality. As one third of The Balearic Assassins of Love, I’ve been lucky to play records both as part of the collective and solo in some amazing places and to fantastic enthusiastic people.

The Balearic Assassins Of Love – a hirsute raggle-taggle collective of vinyl junkies who worship at the altar of sunrise and sunset like Kicker-shod party druids. Forever on an eternal quest to slay the dragon of segregation and the pigeon of hole they gather frequently and mix together musical forms as diverse as hypno Latvian Acid Skiffle and mystic Tibetan yacht rock to create that ecl*ctic, highly danceable, don't care ‘last day of the holiday’ feel. With DJ monikers such as Sherman, King Sunny Ade P and Keep It Wheel, they share a commonality with the Beastie Boys - had they been born on Spike Island and never rapped - with a freestyle expression that seamlessly binds sporadic vinyl inspiration through technical flair and copious amounts of alcohol.

 Equally at home playing downtempo sunset and woodsmoke campervan sessions to happy times hands-in-the-air hay-bale raves, the BAOL straddle all genres like a well-heeled Achillea colossus in smiley T-shirt and Day-Glo poncho. Formed sometime in the last century the BAOL have played a huge amount of parties never repeating a set or compromising on venue; a beach front Acid drenched Scout hut, an ex-communist Prague nuclear bunker, the Lord Mayor 's Carnival, The Secret Garden, Solstice Parties, Fundraisers, Primavera, strobe flecked Brighton basements, 10 hour sets on Hastings pier - playing on antique Citronic decks complete with ‘telephone handset’ headphones, as the crowd chilled out on deck chairs - Numerous North London clubs and Bars for the legendary FYE Brownswood parties where Xeroxed fanzines were produced and handed out, sunset/sunrise sets in beautiful Sussex fields – playing in cowsheds from caravans and horseboxes into fields- Voodoo Death Disco, Nottingham’s legendary Moog club for Soul Buggin’, Funk Spectrum, all night beach parties and Fawlty Towersesque hotel cellar bars, always with a smile and a laugh and a joke. Some people believe music is a matter of life and death, the Balearic Assassins of Love can assure you it is much, much more important than that.

Flying solo I currently hold down two monthly DJ residencies – The Dragon Bar and The Submerged Forest

Brian Eno – An Ending (Ascent). (‘Apollo LP’ EG Records)

Junior Parker - Tomorrow Never Knows. (‘Love Ain’t Nothing But A Business Goin’ On LP’ Groove Merchant)
Nina Simone – Baltimore. (‘Baltimore LP’ CTI Records)
Map of Africa – Map of Africa (Instrumental). (12” Whatever We want Records)
Sub Sub – Past. (‘Coast EP’ Rob Records)
Pink Floyd – A Pillow Of Winds. (‘Meddle LP’ Harvest)
Vangelis O. Papathanassiou – Let It Happen. (‘Earth LP’ Vertigo)
Ultimate Spinach – (Ballad of The) Hip Death Goddess. (‘Ultimate Spinach LP’ MGM Records)
Smith and Mudd – Shulme. (‘12” Claremont 56)
Steely Dan – Black Cow (‘Aja LP’ abc Records)
Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves The Sunshine (‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine LP’ Polydor) 
Joni Mitchell – Edith and the Kingpin. (‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns LP’ Asylum Records)
Serge Gainsbourg – Melody. (‘Histoire De Melody Nelson LP’ Philips)
Fotheringay – The Way I Feel. (‘Fotheringay LP’ Island)
Seals and Crofts – Summer Breeze. (‘Summer Breeze LP’ Warner Bros Records)
Jonathan – Li Song. (‘Jonathan LP’ Bellaphon)
Gary Bartz – Celestial Blues. (‘Harlem Bush Music LP’ Milestone)
Silver Apples – Lovefingers. (‘Silver apples LP’ Kapp)
Yves Simon – Au Pays Des Merveilles De Juliet. (‘Yves Simon LP’ Victor)
Milton Nascimento – Saidas E Bandeiras N.o 2. (Clube Da Esquina LP’ EMI Odeon Brasil)
Arthur Verocai – Na Boca Do Sol. (‘Arthur Verocai LP’ Kindred Spirits)
Guru Guru Sun Band – Taoma (‘Hey Du LP’ Brain)
Love – Alone Again Or. (‘Forever Changes LP’ Elektra)
Donovan – Barabajagal. (‘Barabajagal LP’ Epic)
Fairport Convention – Come all Ye. (‘Liege and Lief LP’ Island)
Richie Havens – Here Comes The Sun. (‘Alarm Clock LP’ Stormy Forest)
Burning Spear – Slavery Days. (‘Marcus Garvey LP’ Island)
Dr John – Right Place Wrong Time. (‘I Been Hoodood LP’ Edsel Records)
Eugene Mc Daniels – The Lord Is Back. (‘Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse LP’ Atlantic)
Colosseum – Elegy. (‘Valentyne Suite LP’ Vertigo)
Iron Butterfly – Get Out Of My Life, Woman. (‘Heavy LP’ ATCO)
Joyce – Nome De Guerra. (‘Hard Bossa LP’ Far Out Records)
Dennis Wilson – River Song. (‘Pacific Ocean Blue LP’ Columbia)
Cocteau Twins – Aloysius. (‘Treasure LP’ 4AD)
Dead Can Dance – Black Sun (‘Aion LP’ 4AD)
The Advisory Circle – Everyday Hazards. (‘As The Crow Flies LP’ Ghost Box)
Max Essa – Panorama Suite. (‘12” Is It Balearic Recordings)
Kissing The Pink – Big Man Restless. (‘Kissing The Pink LP’ Atlantic)
Kraftwerk – Numbers. (‘Computer World LP’ EMI)
Joy Division – Disorder. (‘Unknown Pleasures LP’ Factory Records)
Wire – Outdoor Miner. (‘Wire Play Pop LP’ The Pink Label)
REM – Talk About The Passion (‘Murmur LP’ I.R.S)
The Smiths – The Headmaster Ritual (‘Meat Is Murder LP’ Rough Trade)
Secret Affair – I Am A Bullet (‘Behind Closed Doors LP’ I-Spy Records)
The Jam – Thick As Thieves (‘Setting Sons LP’ Polydor)
Rolling Stones – Monkey Man (‘Let It Bleed LP’ Decca)
The Groundhogs – Earth Is Not Room Enough (‘Who Will Save The World? LP’ United Artists)
The Slits – Typical Girls (‘Cut LP’ Island)
Gong – The Pot Head Pixies (‘Flying Teapot LP’ Virgin)
Hawkwind – Spirit Of The Age (Quark Strangeness and Charm LP’ Charisma)
Can – Halleluwah (‘Tago Mago LP’ Spoon Records)
Liquid Liquid – Cavern (‘Liquid Liquid LP’ Mo Wax)
Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses (‘Married To The Mob OST LP’ Reprise)
New Order – Thieves Like Us (‘12” Factory Records)
The Times – Manchester (12” Creation Records)
Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra – San Diego (Phil Mison Remix) (12” Aficionado Recordings)
Cerrone – Music of Life (‘The Golden Touch LP’ Malligator Records)
Mutiny – A Night Out With The Boys (‘A Night Out With The Boys LP’ J Romeo Records)
Laidback – Bakerman (12” Arista)
David Bowie – Kooks (‘Hunky Dory LP’ RCA)
America – Ventura Highway (‘Homecoming LP’ Warner Bros Records)
Mick Fleetwood – Super Brains (The Visitor LP’ RCA)
Mr Fingers – Can You Feel It (‘12” Chicago Trax)
Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance (‘12” Statik Records)
Penguin Café Orchestra – Music For A Found Harmonium (‘7” EG)
Tullio De Piscopo – Stop  Bajon (‘12” Blanco Y Negro)
Dubtribe Soundsystem – Equitoreal (12” Jive Electro)
Bob Seger – Get Out Of Denver (‘Seven LP’ Capital)
Neil Diamond – The Boat That I Row (‘7” Bang Records)
The Hombres – Let It Out (7” Eric Records)
The Cure – Inbetween Days (7” Fiction Records)
John Paul Young – Love Is In The Air (7” Ariola)
Fleetwood Mac – Sara (7” Warner Bros)

LINK =  All Time Top 100

And the 27 that got away!

The Stone Roses – Waterfall

The Swans – God Damn The Sun
Genesis – The Carpet Crawlers
John Martyn – Solid Air
The Bhundu Boys – Hupenyu Hwangu
Kate Bush – Nocturn
Fairport Convention – Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Joe Smooth – Promised Land
Rhythim Is Rhythim – Strings of Life
Bam Bam – Where’s Your Child
Labi Sifri – Bless The Telephone
Happy Mondays – Kuff Dam
T-Coy – Carino
The Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant
Rush – Cygnus X-1 Book II
Captain Beefheart – Zig Zag Wanderer
Marillion – Forgotten Sons
The Velvet Underground – Venus in Furs
Supermax – Ain’t Gonna Feel
808 State – Pacific 202
A Guy Called Gerald – Voodoo Ray
Nico – Heroes
Tommy Hunt – Loving On The Losing Side
The Fall – Jawbone and the Air Rifle
Nick Drake – Northern Sky
Half Man Half Biscuit – All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Camel - Rhayader