SHANGHAI - HARLEM DANCER

                                        BROWN SUGAR had a sister who moved on up to HARLEM:

                             

                          '' It was a cold grey day in Harlem, the rain was pouring down 

                            As I shivered past the doorway, where the hookers and the priest stood around 

                            It was a hobo on the corner, he laughed and began to shout 

                            See the crazy chick right down the street man, she really givin' out ''

SHANGHAI were a mid 70's BRITISH BLUES ROCK BAND formed by veteran guitar hero MICK GREEN and drummer Peter Kircher. The band released a self titled LP on the WARNER BROS label in '74 featuring the vocals of CHUCK BEDFORD and a follow up on the UK independant THUNDERBIRD in '76. The lineup had changed for the second LP '' FALLEN HEROS '' . Bedford was replaced by former ' REBEL ROUSER ' CLIFF BENNETT and a second guitarist BRIAN ALTERMAN was added. The band promoted the album on THE OLD GREY WHILSTLE TEST and toured as support for STATUS QUO, but quickly Fragmented. GREEN reformed THE PIRATES { the group he is primarily associated with } and BENNETT sadly quit the music business completely

 

Neither of their LP's have been reissued in any form and copies of the original vinyl pressings are now coveted by fans and collectors. The non LP '' HARLEM DANCER '' was one of their more interesting tracks and stands up well today. A FUNKY BLUES ROCK number in the BAD COMPANY / STONES mould that sneaked out on the B-SIDE of '' CANDY EYES '' { a track from '' FALLEN HEROES '' } . It's a real mover and one that really defines the term DISCOTHEQUE ROCK!

RAY BURDIS AND FLINTLOCK - I HATE ROSLA

''I Hate ROSLA, I Hate ROSLA
The Raising Of The School Leaving Age''

''From When I was 14,I used To Sit And Dream
Another Year To Go And I'll Be Working
They Gone And Raised The Age,Another Year To Go
A Year In This Prison Camp,Oh No!''

RAY BURDIS was a familiar face on UK TV during the mid to late 70's,often playing characters that were 'A Little Bit Lively'.The working class Londoner was one of the first pupils to attend THE ANNA SHEER DRAMA SCHOOL in ISLINGTON when it was founded in 1968.The school was set up to enable disadvantaged children to find a way into acting.It's reputation grew rapidly and it was soon supplying actors for the stage and screen.

In 1975 actors from the school were enlisted to write and perform in the TV show YOU MUST BE JOKING.the program featured topical and satirical sketches,news items and live music from a semi professional pop group FLINTLOCK.All the performers {apart from one presenter,JIM BOWEN} were teenagers and the brash and informal style of the show was cutting edge for it's time

FLINTLOCK performed as a self contained unit and as a backing band when the presenters sang satirical songs.One of the most memorable of these was ''ROSLA'',a song about the recent rise in the age that teenagers could legally leave school.The number with it's 'shouty' vocals and 'unmannered' playing prefigures the DIY PUNK sound of THE DESPERATE BICYCLES by a couple of years



Burdis continued to dabble in music and formed the PUNK/METAL band GREAT BRITISH HEROES the following year.The band were part the LONDON 'NEW WAVE' scene and played at venues like THE ROXY,THE NASHVILLE and THE ROCKGARDEN.A 7'' single was recorded for LIGHTNING RECORDS in 1978,but was withdrawn before release



Ray quit the band shortly after to concentrate on acting.He continued to act in Film and TV and went onto produce and direct

BOB WELCH - FRENCH KISS

Bob Welch was the son of a movie producer, born in Los Angeles in 1945 and raised in Beverly Hills. In the early 60's he studied in Paris and hung out with local musicians before returning to California in the middle of the decade to join multiracial group THE SEVEN SOULS. After the group folded he returned to Paris and formed another group HEAD WEST, before joining FLEETWOOD MAC in 1971.He recorded 5 LP's with the band, but left before the recording of their breakthrough self titled LP in 1975

Welch had contributed a lot to FLEETWOOD MAC in terms of performance and songwriting, so it wasn't difficult to land a record deal for his next project PARIS ,a hard rock power trio in which he was joined by ex-Jethro Tull bassist Glenn Cornick and former Nazz drummer Thom Mooney. The band released two moderately selling LP's in 75' and 76,but split soon after. Songs from an aborted 3rd LP would appear on the 1st Bob Welch solo release, the sublime rock/disco fusion FRENCH KISS in September 77'.The first 45 that was pulled from it ''EBONY EYES'' took off and the LP reached #12 on the Billboard album chart at the start of the following year



The LP is literally crammed with gems and stands as one of the greats of the the late 70's.It's follow up THREE HEARTS in 79' replicated the format, but was less successful artistically and in terms of sales. Bob continued to record, but nothing reached the peak of FRENCH KISS. Tragically he took his own life in 2012 while suffering from serious pain following spinal surgery

FRENCH KISS - SIDE ONE,TRACK 3 - HOT LOVE IN A COLD WORLD


FRENCH KISS - SIDE ONE,TRACK 6 - OUTSKIRTS


FRENCH KISS - SIDE TWO,TRACK 3 - CAROLENE


FRENCH KISS - SIDE TWO,TRACK 4 - DANCIN' IN OUR EYES

RAY BURGESS - LOVE FEVER

An AUSTRALIAN GLAM ROCK 45 that owed much to the UK GLITTER sound of ALVIN STARDUST.The song was written and arranged by VANDA & YOUNG who were also doing good business with the likes of STEVIE WRIGHT,WILLIAN SHAKESPEAR and AC/DC

Ray promoted the single with appearances on the TV POP SHOW 'COUNTDOWN' and it gave him a TOP 10 hit in 75'

THE HUSH - GET FLARED!

''Come On,Get Em' On
A Pair Of Flares,Long And Strong
Far Out,Look Just Right
Wear Em' Everyday And Night''

''GET FLARED'' was issued as a one sided promo record for the AUSTRALIAN jeans company COLONIAL in 1974.The Hush were from SYDNEY and played in a HARD ROCK/GLAM BOOGIE style that another local band:AC/DC would later conquer the world with

The band were starting to hit big down under and their first studio LP ''GET ROCKED'' had just been released.This promo single contained a reworked version of the albums title track

The Hush went from strength to strength after this.Their version of LARRY WILLIAMS ''BONY MARONIE'' hit the No.1 spot in Australia the following year and the group established themselves as a major live draw with a string of top selling LP's

DENIM DISCO MIXCLOUD PAGE

All of the Denim Disco Mixes are now available on MIXCLOUD:
https://www.mixcloud.com/DenimDisco/

THIN LIZZY - NIGHTLIFE

NIGHTLIFE was the forth LP by Irish Rockers THIN LIZZY,released in 1974 and the first to feature guitarists BRIAN ROBERTSON and SCOT GORMAN.It's worthy of closer inspection despite the fact that it contains none of their hits and tracks from it are rarely included on 'best of' CD's.The cover art by JIM FITZPATRICK depicting a BLACK PANTHER in front of a US CITY SKYLINE give a clue to the contents:A Lizzy LP that shows the influence of R 'n' B,SOUL and FUNK more than any before or after it

The LP kicks off with ''MOTHER MARY'' a classic melodic lizzy song,followed by a CHICAGO BLUES influenced number in the form of NIGHT LIFE.Third up is the hard riffing killer''IT'S ONLY MONEY''



The tempo drops down for Track 4:''STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU'',PHIL LYNOTT singing a duet version with Scottish soul singer FRANKIE MILLER.The next ''FRANKIE CARROLL'' clocks in at just over 2mins and it's a shame the song wasn't expanded and built upon a bit more.Turn the record over and you have a genuine highlight in the form of ''SHOWDOWN'' a FUNK ROCK track that features an awesome BASSLINE,slick WAH-WAH GUITAR parts and SOULFUL FEMALE BACKING VOCALS



The instrumental ''BANSHEE'' could have been great if it had gone beyond the fade at 1.25.Perhaps it was left that way deliberately as the CELTIC MELODY works as an introduction to the next track ''PHILOMENA'',a song Phil penned for his mother.''SHA-LA-LA'' rocks hard and includes some great string bending guitar lines and dynamic drum fills from BRIAN DOWNEY.The icing on the cake for this fine album comes in the form of ''DEAR HEART''.SOUL influences to the fore again:A CURTIS MAYFIELD like GROOVE from the BASS and DRUMS ,topped with a masterful Lynot vocal and SWEET STRINGS



Track List:
1. She Knows 00:04
2. Night Life 05:20
3. It's Only Money 09:18
4. Still in Love with You 12:07
5. Frankie Carroll 17:51
6. Showdown 19:56
7. Banshee 24:31
8. Philomena 26:00
9. Sha La La 29:43
10. Dear Heart 33:12

Released - 8 November 1974
Produced by - Phil Lynott, Ron Nevison

HEAVY METAL KIDS - RUN AROUND EYES

An early example of ROCK REGGAE from GARY HOLTON's HEAVY METAL KIDS.Released on their 1974 Debut LP.It shoulda been a single...It coulda been huge.DAVID BOWIE copped a good earful during the recording session at OLYMPIC STUDIOS and it may well have inspired THE STONES to have a stab at Reggae on their BLACK AND BLUE LP



SHE LOOK AT ME AND SYMPATHIZE
HER STARE CUT THRU ‘FORE I REALIZE
THEY JUST SPARKLE AND A TINKLE
AND I’S ALL EYES
THEN THEY TROUBLE MY MIND
AND I’M HYPNOTIZED

SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES
(OH YES SHE HAS)
SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES


I TOOK A BOOK AND LOOK IT UP NEED TUITION
IT ONLY LEAD TO CONFUSION
I ONLY BELIEVE IT’S ILLUSION
THEN I GET NOWHERE NO SOLUTION


SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES
(OH NO IT’S NOT)
SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES


WHEN SHE’S ON THE MOVE HER EYES ROTATE
IF YOU HAVE A DATE WELL DON’T BE LATE
WHEN SHE TELL YOU WHAT TO DO TOO
YOU DON’T DEBATE
CAUSE THE EYES THAT YOU LOVE
YOU BEGIN TO HATE


SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES
(OH YES SHE HAS)
SHE GOT RUN ROUND, RUN ROUND RUNAROUND EYES