This playlist is 87% vinyl friendly. Impressive. 

B&O Beocenter 7700…

If I remember rightly, back in the ’70s when me and my mates were getting beyond the Dansettes of our parents’ time, Bang and Olufsen was a bit too expensive. That didn’t matter much with me. I just didn’t like the sleek, minimalist look. My mate, Tom (see playlist end) would have said ‘Not enough knobs and lights… ‘ 🙂

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Any track marked * has been given either a tiny or a slightly larger 41 Rooms tweak/edit/chop and the occasional tune might sound a bit dodgy, quality-wise. On top of that, the switch between different decades and production values never helps in the mix here. 🙂

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Lyric of Playlist 127…

‘And the prize goes to… ‘ The mind of David Byrne.

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00.00

(Intro) THE FLAMINGOS – Stars (Edit) – Unreleased demo – 1983. Episode #1 for info.

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00.41

NEW ORDER – Ecstasy – Power, Corruption & Lies, LP – Factory – 1983

For me, one of a few NO instrumentals that could have neatly kicked off a gig but never got played anywhere in a set… or indeed anytime.

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04.55

THE WAKE – Uniform – Harmony, 2LP re-issue – Factory Benelux – 2013

Though first included in 2001 on the Harmony & Singles CD only compilation James Nice put out on his LTM label before his above vinyl compilation. Taken from a John Peel session, broadcast in July ’83, with Bobby Gillespie still in the band (just) and a couple months before the first of two gigs the band did in Bedford at Winkles before that year end.

Rare promo shot of The Wake including Bobby Gillespie.

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10.23

LITTLE NEMO – L’Heure D’Hiver – Turquoise Fields, LP – Lively Art – 1990

French new wave…

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14.34

THE CURE – Boys Don’t Cry – 7″ – Fiction – 1979

The exuberance of youth… not to mention the prolificness, whereby it swerved being included on the band’s debut album.

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17.05

THE SLITS – Instant Hit – Cut, LP – Island – 1979

Girls doing it for themselves.

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19.43

AU PAIRS – Tongue In Cheek – Sense and Sensuality, LP – Kamera – 1982

41 Rooms faves, Lesley Woods and crew shuffling and slinky.

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22.42

ESG – You Might Be The One (Album Mix) – What More Can You Take? CD only – ESG Records – 2017

They were no less interesting the second or third time around.

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25.34

ATHLETES OF GOD (feat LADY BLACKBIRD) – Don’t Wanna Be Normal – 7″ AA side – Foundation Music – 2023

Out of Sheffield and the production work of Richard ‘Parrot’ Barratt, a Record Store Day, Limited Edition, Orange. Vocalist, Lady Backbird reminds me of Rae & Christian front girl, Veba. High praise in these parts.

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28.50

SAULT – Fearless – Untitled (Rise), 2LP – Forever Living Originals – 2020

A collective that seems to work in mysterious ways – eleven albums and mini albums in the space of four years being just one of them – and with the ‘lifts’ in Fearless feeling so euphoric this could easily have been a show ender.

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32.29

BENCH – Manic Suspension – 12″ – Oxygen Music Works – 1997

Yep, a definite comparison to London Elektricity’s brand of soulful drum and bass.

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37.04

RONI SIZE REPRAZENT – Watching Windows (Ed Rush & Optical Version 2), 12″ – Talkin’ Loud – 1998

The remixers take the original into serious drive mode, getting to 41 Rooms first in the process.

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43.32

SANDOZ – Digital Lifeforms – Digital Lifeforms, 12″ EP – Intone – 1993

For a a few years after their releases Richard Kirk’s quality EPs under this name could be picked up for near original prices and being a fan and friend of the late great man I did just that… but somehow missed this one. Price-wise, it’s now the most sought after and the one copy on Discogs will cost you €150.

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50.58

DEFINITION OF SOUND – Moira Jane’s Cafe (E-Smoove’s Groovy Mix) – 12″ – Circa – 1992

Reminds me of daytime KISS FM in London, when released. Sunshine seems to spring to mind. 🙂

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56.51

ADDIS BLACK WIDOW – Innocent (Album Version) – 12″ promo only – Breakin’ Bread – 1995

Laidback, in a De La Soul and PM Dawn sort of way? Whatever, I didn’t hear this at the time.

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01.00.53

LENA (FIAGBE) – You Come From Earth – 7″ – Mother Records – 1993

Just the year before, Tasmin Archer and her Sleeping Satellite had come out of nowhere to top the UK Top 40 but even with Radio 1 playlisting this beauty of a song… sadly stalled at #69. Nowt as queer as folk.

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01.04.08

CLYDIE KING – The Thrill Is Gone – 7″ – Imperial – 1965

She released music in her own right for two decades but was maybe equally well know in the industry as a backing singer of very high regard.

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01.07.26

IRMA THOMAS – Some Things You Never Get Used To – 7″ – Imperial – 1965

I can’t remember but maybe hearing this tune is why I bought her 1983 Kent label compilation, Time Is On My Side on release and though back here at 41 Rooms I had no idea Some Things… was both the same year and label as Clydie K above, it just sounded right to follow.

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01.10.09

DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES and THE TEMPTATIONS – I’ll Try Something New – 7″ – Motown – 1969

The Miracles’ 1962 original (and importantly Smokey Robinson’s very own work), so you can’t argue with ‘the boss’ in these sort of situations – but I just might. Here the song is taken on by a couple of label mates and after The Miracles’ and Kiki Dee’s takes it becomes the third version to rock up on 41 Rooms. To my ears, Kiki’s version, although the last released (in 1974), sounds the most natural and easier flowing version, whereas both Smokey’s and the Supremes and Temptations’ versions took the melody slightly more around the houses than was really needed. That would have been understandable if they were following after Kiki’s version… but they weren’t.

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01.12.19

BEN WESTBEECH – Inflections – There’s More To Life Than This, 2LP – Strictly Rhythm – 2011

Caught this on one of Gilles Peterson’s BBC6Music shows. Soulful vocalist working in the beats arena.

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01.17.49

IZO FITZROY – Give Me The High (Live, studio) – Youtube – 2023

I’m in the country but sadly not in Bedford when she and her old skool soulful songwriting touches down at Esquires on May 10, playing off the back of her 2023 album, A Good Woman. A slot on a recent Later With Jools… show performing the above tune did it for me.

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01.21.31

TALKING HEADS – Psycho Killer – 7″ – Sire – 1977

We’re all just guests in David Byrne’s head.

Anyone for the time we nearly got early Talking Heads to Bedford, UK?

On a scout around online a few years back, and with what info seemed available at the time, I thought the idea of Talking Heads even having been potentially booked to play in Bedford back in 1977 (and at the cabaret venue, the Nite Spot!?) seemed pretty unlikely but having done a search in more recent times it appears it really did nearly happen.

For those that never graced the place, the Nite Spot was an easy ‘in’ for a change of scenery late drink – especially as freebie tickets weren’t hard to come by for quiet/mid week nights – and myself, mates Dave ‘Dobber’ Lewis, Phil Harris and three others just happened to be there on Oct 20. The layout of the place was ideal for seeing a band. An ex cinema (it sloped downwards, in a slight amphitheatre kind of way, to a clear as day stage) but now ‘Cabaret’ themed, it supposedly had the longest bar in Britain. My diary for the night says ‘disco rubbish’ (damning of the night, not the genre in general :)) and I was home and in bed by 11.30 but I can’t now remember what exactly I made back then of the listing on the flyer/ programme I grabbed (see below) for Talking Heads to have been there on the same night.

The band’s first ever UK gigs had been a handful supporting The Ramones in April ’77 but dates in their own right were then intended for the Autumn – with the Greyhound in Croydon on Oct 9 certainly provisionally booked. Everything for the UK would however then be shifted to early in ’78 but judging by set lists of gigs they subsequently did play in October (in the US) we’d have definitely got large chunks of the just released Talking Heads: 77 album (including Psycho Killer) plus Take Me To The River (no need, the Nite Spot was right on one – the Ouse!) and others.

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01.25.45

FORMAL SPPEEDWEAR – Bunto – Download only, for now – 2024

Sounding uncannily like David Byrne’s mob to me.

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01.29.28

EYELESS IN GAZA – Clear Cut Apparently – Photographs As Memories, LP – Cherry Red – 1980

Jagged punk folk from 41 Rooms faves.

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01.30.53

GNAG OF FOUR – At Home He’s A Tourist – 7″ – EMI – 1979

And not many off their Entertainment debut album that haven’t now made it to 41 Rooms.

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01.34.23

LES PANTIES – Porkshop – 7″ – Fantomes Records – 2011

300 hand numbered, white vinyl and thirty years on post punk. Still a dreadful band name.

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01.37.02

ULTRAVOX – Dislocation – 7″ b-side – Island – 1978

The John Foxx era is the only true Ultravox… even if the later hits might suggest otherwise. 🙂

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01.39.37

MOTHERLOVERS – Ring My Bell – Unreleased – 2020’ish

Although an album or two’s worth of Motherlovers’ takes on a good few others’ past glories were on Youtube they’ve now disappeared. I must ask…

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01.43.00

DJ SHADOW – What Does Your Soul Look Like (Pt 1) – 12″ – Mo Wax – 1995

Classic period Mo Wax?

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01.48.20

CABARET VOLTAIRE – Haiti – The Crackdown, LP – Virgin / Some Bizzare – 1983

Not on the setlist for their gig/my promotion at Bedford Boys Club in ’83 but The Cabs in the slow and instrumental lane is fine with me.

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01.50.40

4 HERO – Planetaria (Hefner Remix) – 12″ b-side – Talkin’ Loud – 1999

The leftfield beats Hefner, not the indie one adding a dreamy touch. Trip hop’py.

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01.57.03

BLACK SABBATH – Laguna Sunrise – 7″ b-side – Vertigo – 1972

Due to its A side (Tomorrow’s Dream), this was certainly on my 7″ shelves when I was in my late teens, though not a band to be heard too often on 41 Rooms aside here and now when I’d realised this show was due to upload on May 5. It would have been the birthday of my very good but now departed mate, Tom Locke. Indeed, along with the band’s Evil Woman 7″, which I definitely did sell him back in the ’70s, this 7 might have gone in the same direction. We were very good friends for nearly fifty years, so this one’s for him.

Tom. RIP.

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Hopefully June 2, 2024 for show 128. 🤞

Dec x