Mike Cotton Sound

On the Brink is a collection of 20 previously uncomped and absolutely superb UK instrumentals from the '60s and early '70s, assembled by legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Presenting session men discovering sitars, orchestras getting into the freaky side of things, hip theme tunes, Hammonds, fuzz and brass. Somehow sophisticated and cheesy simultaneously, these acts created their own musical world of Chelsea apartments, mini-mokes, dark velvet bespoke tailoring and the dolliest birds this side of Battersea Bridge. Welcome to the soundtrack of your own unmade Swinging London movie. Artists include: Mike Vickers, the Jim Sullivan Sound, the Shock Absorbers, Wynder K. Frog, Rita, Offside, the Les Reed Orchestra, David Smith, the Keith Mansfield Orchestra, the Dave Davani Four, the Fidd, Ken Woodman's Piccadilly Brass, the John Schroeder Orchestra, Trax Four, the Mike Cotton Sound, Lee Mason and his Orchestra, the Vic Flick Sound, the Chris Barber Soul Band, Brian Bennett and Stanley Myers.

Devoted to the hybrid of '60s mod, British Invasion, and psychedelia known as "freakbeat," the series That Driving Beat ran to five volumes in the first decade of the 21st century. This five-CD box set brings them all together, presenting around 150 rarities from the 1963-1967 era, most of them British (a few items from Continental Europe are also thrown in). Pinpointing who this should be recommended to is tough, because any passionate collector of freakbeat is already going to have some to a lot (but almost certainly not all) of it. At the same time, it's likely too much for the novice, for whom single-volume comps with a higher percentage of killer cuts make far better initiations. But make no mistake: this certainly is good value if you like the style and don't have the majority of the contents, and not just for the sheer quantity of the material. Odd tracks like the Poets' "That's the Way It's Got to Be" and Him & the Others' "She's Got Eyes That Tell Lies" aside, there aren't that many absolute undisputed monsters of the genre here, most of it's at least decent, and good percentage of it is quite good.

Mojo Magazine is a great newspaper, but the compulsion to repeat certain genuflections sometimes tends to get on the nerves, especially when it comes to Who (number 261 of August 2015), but which shines with quintessential Britishness. However, the umpteenth cover for the performers of the song referred to in the title brings with it this CD which, subtitled '15 Tracks Of '60s Beat-Filled Teenage Mod Angst' lines up a handful of groups (almost) never rose to fame, but who well represent the spirit of their times in a sort of minor Nuggets: all English, with one exception, give life to a fluctuating program in quality, but overall very entertaining to listen to. Given the period, the common denominators are still blues and rhythm 'n' blues, albeit reworked from different points of view, as the initial Don't Bring Me Down of the only big name on the bill, namely the Pretty Things, immediately makes clear. Even closer to overseas models is Bo Street Runner, an eponymous song for a group in which a young Mick Fleetwood was a member, then we move towards sounds with a greater dose of pop starting from the revival of It's Not True by the New Zealanders Larry's Rebels.

Three CD box containing a bespoke mod-friendly mix of 1960s musical styles commencing with tough British R&B from The Pretty Things and The Graham Bond Organization, taking in key tracks by mod heroes Small Faces, The Creation and The Action, freakbeat from The Syn, soul from Mike Wade and Jon And Jeannie and ending with a jazzy Hammond workout by The Spencer Davis Group. A long awaited follow up to previous mod inspired Strawberry label compilations 'Halcyon Days' (2020) and 'I Love To See You Strut' (2022) plus the RPM collections 'Looking Back' (2011), 'Keep Looking' (2014) and 'Night Comes Down' (2017). Familiar names such as Laurel Aitken and The Moody Blues are joined by cult favourites including The Artwoods (featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord) and John's Children.

Three CD box containing a bespoke mod-friendly mix of 1960s musical styles commencing with tough British R&B from The Pretty Things and The Graham Bond Organization, taking in key tracks by mod heroes Small Faces, The Creation and The Action, freakbeat from The Syn, soul from Mike Wade and Jon And Jeannie and ending with a jazzy Hammond workout by The Spencer Davis Group. A long awaited follow up to previous mod inspired Strawberry label compilations 'Halcyon Days' (2020) and 'I Love To See You Strut' (2022) plus the RPM collections 'Looking Back' (2011), 'Keep Looking' (2014) and 'Night Comes Down' (2017). Familiar names such as Laurel Aitken and The Moody Blues are joined by cult favourites including The Artwoods (featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord) and John's Children.

Three CD box containing a bespoke mod-friendly mix of 1960s musical styles commencing with tough British R&B from The Pretty Things and The Graham Bond Organization, taking in key tracks by mod heroes Small Faces, The Creation and The Action, freakbeat from The Syn, soul from Mike Wade and Jon And Jeannie and ending with a jazzy Hammond workout by The Spencer Davis Group. A long awaited follow up to previous mod inspired Strawberry label compilations 'Halcyon Days' (2020) and 'I Love To See You Strut' (2022) plus the RPM collections 'Looking Back' (2011), 'Keep Looking' (2014) and 'Night Comes Down' (2017). Familiar names such as Laurel Aitken and The Moody Blues are joined by cult favourites including The Artwoods (featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord) and John's Children.

Three CD box containing a bespoke mod-friendly mix of 1960s musical styles commencing with tough British R&B from The Pretty Things and The Graham Bond Organization, taking in key tracks by mod heroes Small Faces, The Creation and The Action, freakbeat from The Syn, soul from Mike Wade and Jon And Jeannie and ending with a jazzy Hammond workout by The Spencer Davis Group. A long awaited follow up to previous mod inspired Strawberry label compilations 'Halcyon Days' (2020) and 'I Love To See You Strut' (2022) plus the RPM collections 'Looking Back' (2011), 'Keep Looking' (2014) and 'Night Comes Down' (2017). Familiar names such as Laurel Aitken and The Moody Blues are joined by cult favourites including The Artwoods (featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord) and John's Children.

Keeping The Faith / 28 Stompin' Northern Soul Classics consists of Northern Soul classics from the late '60s until the early '70s, including artists like Jimmy James, The Sapphires, The Showstoppers, and Kim Davis. Many of the tracks on this compilation are the rare grooves that those original fanatics of Northern Soul would have hunted down relentlessly and paid big bucks for had they found them.