Kevin Robertson - Why/D.C.B.A-25 (Ltd. 7")

 

 

The Byrds and Jefferson Airplane get a modern makeover on a new Fruits de Mer 7"

Seasons come and go, fashions and tastes change, but some things remain constantly awesome. A well-poured pint of Guinness, log fires in autumn, and quality time with good friends are all things guaranteed to lift my spirits. Other perennial touchstones for me include the music of the Byrds and new vinyl records. They're both things that I seek out whenever I'm in need of a mood-lifting boost. A joy then to hear this forthcoming 7" by Kevin  Robertson on the Fruits de Mer label, which features his take on The Byrds' song 'Why' as one of it's double A-sides. Kevin is the frontman of Aberdeen psych band The Vapour Trails but is flying solo on this vinyl release. His version of 'Why' is respectful to the original's tempo and feel and comes with wonderfully ripping psychedelic guitar breaks. Nice! I wonder of David Crosby has heard it yet. I'd like to think so.

The '60s revisited theme continues on the record's flip side with a cover Jefferson Airplane's 'D.C.B.A-25', a song about LCD no less. Now I'm not one to condone drug-taking, or indeed to condemn it. Whatever gets you through the night is alright by me, just make sure you stay safe folks! I have to confess that I'm not familiar with the original version, but Kevin's has plenty of 12-string jangle, harmony vocals, and hits the hotspot of slightly trippy folk-rock. And if you fancy having a go at the song yourself, the title gives away its chord sequence. How helpful is that! All in all this is set to be one of autumn's best 7" discs. The label has plenty more goodies on the way too, check out their upcoming releases via the links below.

Click here for Kevin Robertson on Twitter

Click here for the Fruits de Mer website

Click here for Fruits de Mer on Twitter 

Click here for Fruits de Mer on Facebook

Hobbit House Collective - 2 x 7"

 Latest Fruits de Mer double 7” featuring covers of Fleetwood Mac, Led Zep, and a new original track!

 

The latest release from what is surely now a nationally treasured institution. I’m talking of course about the wonderful Fruits de Mer Record label. It’s 14 years since they first pressed music onto vinyl, since when they’ve put out a veritable treasure trove of psychedelia, acid-folk, prog, krautrock and spacerock. Much of it highly collectable, all worth investigating.

The label’s most recent offering is this double vinyl 7” featuring long-time friends of the label, Crystal Jacqueline, Icarus Peel, The Honey Pot and The Locker Room Cowboys. Grouped together as the Hobbit House Collective they’ve put together four tracks that draw from the early ‘70s rock scene. Crystal Jacqueline does a brilliant version of Zep’s ‘Battle Of Evermore’ featuring stellar guest violin from Curved Air’s Darryl Way. Furthering the Zep love-in is The Honey Pot’s take on ‘Ramble On’.

Icarus Peel does a storming version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’, and to round things off there’s an equally impressive original track, ‘Wolfgang Does the Nurburgring’ by The Locker Room Cowboys. The latter is a four-minute instrumental featuring full-on guitar heroics, heavy organ, and conga drum groove. What’s not to like?! 

 

1. Crystal Jacqueline – The Battle Of Evermore (Led Zeppelin)

2. The Honey Pot – Ramble On (Led Zeppelin)

3. Icarus Peel’s Acid Reign – The Chain (Fleetwood Mac)

4. The Locker Room Cowboys – Wolfgang Does the Nurburgring (Icarus Peel) 

 

Click here for the Fruits de Mer website

 

The Fishheads – Pleasant Valley Sunday / Let's Get Together 7”

Fruits de Mer all-stars cover version single, just in time for Christmas!

 

We love a decent cover version here at HD, and here's a piece of 7” black plastic featuring two of them! The Fruits de Mer label have assembled an all-star band of their favourite acts to record versions of The Monkees' 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' and 'Let's Get Together', a song written by Chet Powers aka Dino Valenti, and covered by loads of people. Perhaps best known is The Youngbloods' version as featured on their eponymous 1967 LP.

The Fishheads feature Astralasia's Swordfish, Anton Barbeau, Crystal Jacqueline, Icarus Peel, John Chinn, Paul Chousner, Holly Bowler and more. Their version of 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' is a fairly faithful take, with that lovely folk-rock guitar motif and lovely layered harmony vocals. 'Let's Get Together' gets a spirited upbeat makeover, its communal cooperative vibe enhanced with suitably festive flute flourishes. In a just and fair world it would be a contender for Christmas number one. Unlikely I know but should you purchase this 7” single I suggest you play it loud in the run up to the big day.

As an extra incentive to purchase the mono-mixed vinyl, it comes with an accompanying CD featuring stereo mixes and a 40 minute mix by Swordfish that takes the songs as a starting point but branches out into new sonic realms. Well that certainly beats hearing Mud's 'Lonely This Christmas' for the millionth time while queuing at the checkouts in Tesco.  

 

Click here for the Fruits de Mer website.

 

 

Fuchsia - See Emily Play / Bike (Ltd. 7")

Barrett re-visited on a very limited 7" single. SOLD OUT!

It feels odd to be posting about a single that's not released until next month but has already sold out fo mail-order on pre-orders alone, but it's such a great single I felt I ought to mention it. The chances of getting hold of a copy may be slim (unless you want to pay over the odds on Ebay or Discogs), but hey, that's market forces for you! Check out the excerpt on the video below and read the FdM statement regarding the single. There's also a link to sign up to the label's mailing list so you won't miss out on any future intstant collectables.

Here's the official word from Fruits de Mer...

"Fuchsia's version of 'See Emily Play' was recorded specifically for the Fruits de Mer 'A Band For All Seasons' set; we got lots of great feedback and it was picked up on BBC 6Music.

Tony and the band were due to fly over from Australia to play the 18th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival in Wales and Tony went back into the studio to record 'Bike' for a festival-exclusive 5" lathe-cut; the lockdown blew that idea out the window so we offered the very limited run of lathe-cuts we'd had produced (about 50 copies) by mail order to FdM club members.

They were massively oversubscribed and a couple of copies have already found their way onto eBay, selling for £150-£250 a time. We decided the recordings deserved to be more than eBay fodder so we're putting them out in November on 7" vinyl with a total run of 400 copes worldwide.

We're sold out at FdM Towers on members club pre-orders alone, but you're welcome to email fruitsdemer7@hotmail.com to join a waiting-list as we might get a few extra from the pressing plant - or please go to Shiny Beast, who are our European distributors and handle non-uk orders as they will get their own supply, direct from the plant."
 

If you're not already on the FdM mailing-list, click HERE

'See Emily Play' b/w 'Bike' is released on November 9th.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

 

 

The Superstars - Metamorphosis + Finale (Ltd. 7")

Prog's not dead! Keyboard-led heavy sounds at 33rpm.

Whatever your favoured format, recorded sound is a beautiful thing. Thanks to that technological advancement we have access to, for all eternity, great political speeches, hisorical news bulletins, along with the recorded works of The Beatles, Emerson Lake and Palmer, The Sex Pistols, and Pinky & Perky. It's a vast library and like the universe itself continues to expand.

One small but very welcome addition to the sonic archives is this forthcoming 7" single on the Fruits de Mer label. The Superstars are an Italian band, currently working on their debut LP which is set for release next year. Judging by this taster 7" single it will be one to look out for. 'Metamorphosis' is included here in studio form and (on the B-side) as a live version. Fans of '70 prog-rock will find this very much up their street - keyboard-led and with an emphasis that leans more on rock than it does on prog. Heavy Hammond, virtuoso guitars, and a propulsive rhythym section combine to take you on an almost six minute journey complete topped with an intriguing spoken words addressing destruction and creation.

'Finale' has more of a synthy space rock feel to it, somewhat more experimental with textures and sounds and showcases a different side to the band that will no doubt be further explored on next year's debut LP. Recorded sound - ever-expanding and endlessly evolving. Keep listening folks!

'Metamorphosis' is on sale from the Fruits de Mer website from November 9th.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

 

 

Various - A Band For All Seasons (4CD)

Hugely enojoyable 4CD set of psych covers.

The promo of this set landed through my letterbox a few weeks back in the era now described as “pre-lockdown”. Since then the world appears to have shifted on its axis and we have this new strange reality. Given the gravity of the situation, what seemed important before the coronavirus crisis hit can now seem trivial, and it's tempting to put music in that box, along with football, luxury food items, and whether or not ITV is able to film Coronation Street. But, there's a counter argument - culture helps us make sense of the world, it keeps us sane, occupied, and entertained. That vital role should not be underestimated. Before the lockdown, I enjoyed listening to this set very much on my daily commute. Since then it's become something of a talisman to help me get through each day. I think you would enjoy it too.

Anyway I'll shut up about the coronavirus now and tell you about this compilation. Fruits de Mer released an amazing triple vinyl compilation a couple of years back. The Three Seasons featured 27 tracks, all covers of songs from the years 1967, 1968 and 1969. It sold out almost instantly so if you want a copy, be prepared to pay an inflated price via Discogs. The good news is that FdM released an expanded 4CD edition at the end of March under the title A Band For All Seasons: Songs From the Four Seasons of Love 1966-1969. The collection features a mind-blowing 61 tracks, many from HD-approved acts such as Moon Goose, Crystal Jacqueline, Schizo Fun Addict, Fuschia,Jack Ellister, Anton Barbeau and Nathan Hall. But that's just the tip of this iceberg.

Expect to hear well known psych-pop tracks getting a modern makeover along with lesser known gems that will open up new avenues of discovery. If, like myself you missed out on the pychedelic era by being born too late, this compilation will take you down musical rabbit-holes you never even knew existed and be introduced to a globe-spanning array of current bands who are not only enthralled by music from the late-'60s but use it as a starting point to take their own music to new and exciting places. Also included is a 24 page booklet to aid your enlightenment. Joy doesn't even begin to describe. A quick look at the FdM website tells me it's now sold out via their mail-order, though you should hopefully be able to track down a copy via secondary sellers.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

Click over the jump below to see the full tracklisting.

Various – Sunny Spells (Ltd. Col 7” EP)

Four song EP out now! A taster for Fruits de Mer's epic 3CD compilation set for release next spring!

One of the finest compilations from recent times must surely be Fruits de Mer's The Three Seasons – Songs from 1966-68, featuring all your favourite psych-friendly bands covering their most-loved '60s tracks. If you missed it first time round, the good news is the label is releasing an extended 3CD version next year. Re-titled The Four Seasons 1966-69 it will contain all the tracks that made the original 3LP set such a joy, along with a bunch of new recordings. As a taster of things to come this four-song 7” extended player is available from the label as of right now. The artists featured are Chad & Jeremy, Schizo Fun Addict, Hanford Flyover and Us And Them. 
 

Sixties legends Chad & Jeremy give us an acoustic re-recording of 'Rest In Peace', a track originally featured on their 1967 album Of Cabbages And Kings. Schizo Fun Addict offer up a dreamy psychedelic take on 'Dedicated To The One I Love', a classic track originally by the Mamas and Papas. Hanford Flyover are a new band to me, as is the band they've chosen to cover (Neon Pearl). On the strength of their track on the EP, a stately and elegant slice of folk-rock, both bands warrant further investigation. You can find out more on Hanford Flyover via their Bandcamp page. Regular readers of this 'ere blog may be familiar with Swedish duo Us And Them. For this record they've recorded a fabulously mellow version of Neil Young's 'What Did You Do To My Life?' 

I know we've only just put the clocks back but spring ain't that far away. And with the promise up a new compilation from FdM there's something else along with warmer days and brighter nights to look forward to. Bring it on!

TRACKLISTING

1. Chad & Jeremy – 'Rest In Peace'

2. Schizo Fun Addict – 'Dedicated To The One I Love'

3. Hanford Flyover – 'Just Another Day'

4. Us And Them – 'What Did You Do To My Life'

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

Jack Ellister – When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease/Supernaut (Ltd. 7”)

Double A-sided 7” covering songs by Roy Harper and Black Sabbath!

Odd juxtapositions, you just gotta love 'em! Whether it's a Public Enemy/Anthrax collaboration, 'Long, Long, Long' following 'Helter Skelter' on The Beatles' White Album, or even Mel Smith and Kim Wilde putting out a Christmas single, sometimes putting incongruous ideas, genres or artists together can yield surprising results. This new 7” by Jack Ellister is a case in point. On one side you have a lovingly heartfelt piano-backed reading of Roy Harper's most famous song. Flip the record over and there's a version of a Black Sabbath album track ('Supernaut' from Black Sabbath IV). While the Harper track is suitably sentimental and elegiac, the Sabbath cut is a space-race inspired heavy-riffing juggernaut, featuring distorted bass guitar, lead synth lines and clattering drums played by Jack's brother Tomasz. Somehow in an inexplicable way the pairing works. For me, being the sentimental type, the Harper cover edges out as favourite but I'd encourage you to have a listen and pick your own winner.

Oh one more thing before I sign off - there's an lovely back-story to the recordings on this single as told by Jack on the press release which I feel is worth including here...

"The grand piano used on 'Cricketer' belonged to my grand father in Torun, Poland.
In 1990/1991 my father took me and Tomasz to Poland to get it over to Germany. We had to smuggle it out because it was forbidden to transport instruments across the border, as they might be valuable collectible items or state property. We did it in two turns using an old Mercedes 9-seater. On the first trip we took the inner metal works and mechanics out and hid them under lots of other stuff. On the second journey a month later we got the wooden frame, which appeared like a sort of cheap big wardrobe when not inspected properly. Luckily the wooden outer parts fit into the lift in Stuttgart and didn't need to be carried up the stairs to our flat on the 6th floor where we lived in at that time. It was great to have it around and we used it a lot on early recordings.
 

My brother Tomasz was then made to play classical music on that thing for about seven years, and he recorded me playing 'Cricketer' in the living room in Stuttgart (not the same flat) just before it went back to Poland for good, together with my parents.

'Supernaut' is one of those Sabbath tracks that doesn't seem to belong to their obvious classics, but for me it somehow earned itself a special place in their canon. Tomasz sent me the drums recorded in his cellar studio/rehearsal space and I added all the rest at home."

Click here for Jack Ellister's website.

Click here for Jack Ellister on Facebook.

Click here for Jack Ellister on Twitter.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.