Discotheque

Hey groovers, we're back for more swingin' fun.

This latest mix Discotheque zooms in on early 60's American teen beat, with an emphasis on stomping dance tunes. I've also included some freaky fab hits of the time.

For the well initiated there might be too many super hits on this mix, but seriously, how many people have really heard these hits, except in the background on golden oldies stations and that's just the old folks. Most people under 40 have heard none of these tunes.

We start off with the super sounds of Little Stevie Wonder, getting the stomp groove down gloriously, for a teenager. Then we venture off into Phil Spector's magic kingdom as he leads Bobby Sox and the Blue Jeans through 2 minutes of some of the craziest stomp to hit the needle. And who is Dr Kaplan?

Along the way have some major legends ala James Brown, who deservedly appears twice (check out the proto-punk lyrics of 'And I Do Just What I Want'), plus other Motown legends Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and the Velvettes, who along with the Chiffons and the Shangri-las add some great girl group savvy.

Two of the tracks 'Hang on Sloopy' and 'I Want Candy' have been sourced from a massive compilation called 'Smash, Boom, Bang' on ACE Records. This is a compilation of some of the productions of producers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer. Three mavericks who helped change the music biz with their crazy caveman stomp. The adventures of these three includes the creation of an imaginary band 'The Strangeloves', taken from the then current Kubrick film. The Strangeloves took the Bo Diddley beat added some ethnic guitar, lots of clapping and stomping and created 'I Want Candy'. The pretend band (FGG and friends) dressed in animal skins and exotic attire and claimed themselves to be Australian. This was apparently because no one knew what Australians looked like and were thought to be exotic. It worked, the tune was a huge hit, later to resurface as a Bow Wow Wow single in the 80's

We get to hear David Saville introduce the voice, later to be known as 'Alvin the Chipmunk', Kim Fowley and Co. talk about giants and dinosaurs, we find out about Tommy James' attitude towards Hanky Panky, plus we get to do the 'Philly Dog' and 'The Jerk'.

How much fun can you have?

Enter the Discotheque

1. Little Stevie Wonder - Contract On Love - Motown

2. Bobby Sox and the Blue Jeans - Dr Kaplan's Office - Phil Spector Records

3. Shangri-Las - Sophisticated Boom Boom - Red Bird

4. Stu Phillips and Orchestra - Wild Party - Colpix

5. James Brown and the Famous Flames - And I Do Just What I want - King

6. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Do The Jerk - Motown

7. The Strangeloves - I want Candy - Bang

8. Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers - Emulsified - Epic

9. Enoch Light - Over, Under, Sideways, Down - Project 3

10. David Saville - Witch Doctor - Liberty

11. Tommy James and the Shondells - Hanky Panky - ABC

12. The Chiffons - He's So Fine - Laurie

13. The Olympics - Baby Do The Philly Dog - Mirwood

14. Jerry Long and the Teen Twisters - Take a Chance - Hi-Life

15. Hollywood Argyles - Alley Oop - Lute

16. The McCoys - Hang on Sloopy - Bang

17. The Velvettes - Really Saying Something - Motown

18. James Brown and the Famous Flames - Night Train - King