This playlist is 73% vinyl friendly. Not bad.

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From 2016, the TechDas Air Force One Premium turntable might well have been aimed initially at the present user of said plane, if features like vacuum clamping, pneumatic bearings, the Disc suction system and an impressive Wow & Flutter ratio of 0.03% (WRMS) were his or her thing and depending on the spec required it retailed at between $140,000 and $152,000. You read that right.

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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 151

Nearly as good as captured cinematically. A busy day in the life of Joni.

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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 – Sunrise (Writing Session Recording) – Low-Life, Definitive Edition box set – Warner Music – 2023

Yep, slower than the version most will know – either from the album or when played live, or indeed the equally vocal-less ‘Rough Mix’ take the band generously gave me for the Discreet Campaigns v/artist cassette that kickstarted the short-lived Rorschach Testing label – but it’s another where you’re practically hearing the band getting to grips with a rhythm and/or the shell of a song. My money’s on Hooky being the one who suggested the tempo should be taken up a notch or two.

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04.48

THE WAKE – The Calendar (demo) – Unreleased – 1983

Onwards to become The Torn Calendar but here it was one of three tracks demo’d (along with ‘Places’ {pre Send Them Away} and Rise and Shine) on a TEAC 4-track reel to reel the band borrowed from me. They certainly made far better use of it than I ever did. 🙂

The written lyrics given to Bedford’s Katie Possum at some point, along with her review in the local paper of the band’s second gig at Winkles… and that’s Stephen, my dog, Flanagan and Mac at my house the day before said gig.

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08.10

A CERTAIN RATIO – And Then She Smiles – Force, LP – Factory – 1986

It’ll be no surprise to those that know me that I’m a bigger fan of the ‘tougher’ earlier ACR but here Jez Kerr’s voice is so sublime over a more ‘reflective’ sound.

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11.59

THE OUBLIETTE – That’s Enough – Stream only – 2026

This is a complete first! Here – by complete accident – sits the first ever AI generated track to feature on 41 Rooms! And who knows re the video? It’s not an area I intend actively searching out, so expect them very infrequently but The Oubliette’s Youtube channel has a bucket load of tracks if you fancy your ’80s indie and darkwave-sounding tunes on the ‘artificial’ side.

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15.18

LOVELAND (feat RACHEL McFARLANE) – Let the Music (Lift You Up) (Full On Vocal Radio Edit) – 12″ – Big Beat – 1994

‘The Full On Vocal Mix, with its pounding piano and hackneyed lyrics, is undeniably old-fashioned and is about as cheesy as a lorry-load of Wotsits. But it comes with a guarantee to create absolute mayhem on all but the most elite of dancefloors. For those DJs who are more concerned about their own credibility than their audience’s enjoyment levels, there is also a much cooler garage-style remix from Olympic’s Bottom Dollar crew plus some deep and funky dubs‘. – Andy Beevers, Record Mirror (Music Week), 5.3.94

There are times when storming vocals, ‘less than critical’ lyrics and hands in the air are all you need… and this Big Beat belter had me smiling back then.

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18.30

MARCO BENEVENTO – Houdini – Glera, LP – Big Crown Records – 2026

A bit of a broken beat and summery, Latin thing going on here, like someone taking a late ’60s Sergio Mendes vocal snippet on a wild ride.

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20.59

MIDNIGHTROBA – Day’s Gon’ Come – Raise A Symphony, 2LP – Sonder – 2026

Roba El-Assawy has been heard far too infrequently since her days fronting Attica Blues.

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22.42

THE ISLEY BROTHERS (feat RONALD ISLEY and ANGELA WINBUSH) – Float On (Bad Boy Remix) (Instrumental edit) * – Floatin’ On Your Love, 12″ – 4th & Broadway – 1996

I cut out all the ‘bump and grind’ lurrrv thang lyrics, as it was the beats, bv’s and ad libs stuff on this mix that made me buy the 12″ in the first place. Oh, and Ronald Isley could always sound like he was just itching to break into Summer Breeze any second. No bad thing.

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24.31

HONEY DIJON (feat. JACOB LUSK) – Satisfied – The Nightlife, download only – Someothershit -2026

On first listen I briefly thought that Anohni (previously of Antony and the Johnsons) was on board here sounding soul sexy but it’s ‘competitor in American Idol’ (Season 10, apparently), Jacob Lusk quivering and sailing high on Ms Dijon’s production. African beat vibes sparkling all the way.

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28.32

THE YOUNG DISCIPLES – Apparently Nothin’ – 12″ – Talkin’ Loud – 1991

Early in the Gilles Peterson and Norman Jay’ label catalogue and one hell of a funky strut.

The wonderful Straight No Chaser mag was always a must read, even if a lot of the sounds and artists passed me by. I could still find tunes I’d never happen on anywhere else, unless I’d stood all day in London Soho’s Mr Bongo’s shop (or the likes) back in the day.

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32.55

RÓISÍN MURPHY – If We’re In Love – 12″ – Echo – 2005

Strut Part 2! Between her Moloko days and solo career the Arklow, Ireland girl is a regular of sorts at 41 Rooms. Not sure about that sleeve cover, though.

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37.20

CAN – I Want More – 7″ – Virgin – 1976

‘German experimental electronic artist makes the UK’s Top 30 singles chart’ shock, horror probe.

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40.34

FINITRIBE – Catch The Whistle – Promo 12″ only – Finiflex – 1993

First heard by me as a Tommy Vance-spoken ‘One FM exclusive’ on the Beeb’s lead radio station, though my mixtape forever played it slower than intended. Still rather it a tad pitched down. 🙂 Squelchy sounding snares were often the order of them days.

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46.14

ZIN MIYAKEZAWA – A Sanctuary Of Twilight Filled With Tranquility * – Classical Music, Vol. 108- Instrumental BGM – Download only – Audiostock – 2025

BGM = Background music, but ‘Incidental’ sounds so much classier, don’t you think? I’m slightly doubting whether Zin Miyakezawa is a real human but either way A Sanctuary… brings to mind Richard Harvey’s Elegy (the theme from TV’s 1983 Shroud For A Nightingale) and to a certain degree, parts of Harry’s Theme – Terminus (Silent Witness, S10, E10), and as all three have now made it to 41 Rooms you’ll instantly remember them all, I’m sure. 🙂 You’re welcome, though a proper musician would tell me where exactly I’m right or wrong on all that.

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48.39

ROBIN TROWER – Bluebird – Robin Trower, 12″ EP – Chrysalis – 1977

With a lot more guitar here than is usually found on 41 Rooms, for me with any Robin Trower I heard back in the day it was always Jimmy Dewar’s vocals that I took to.

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54.07

KELELA – Idea 1 – Download only – Warp – 2026

A wash of a sound from the decade-long Warp label artist.

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57.23

CALLERS – Young People – Life Of Love, LP – Western Vinyl – 2010

Dark Folk, I reckon. When Sara Lucas’ vocal gets earthy and ‘gutteral’ and let’s loose. It’s a switch that used to get me with Liz Fraser, though her ‘switch’ sounded more polarised.

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01.01.01

THIS MORTAL COIL – Strength Of Strings – Filigree & Shadow, 2LP – 4AD – 1986

The first of two times vocalist Dominic Appleton fronted TMC, and I have to admit that I got the title wrong on the show. So, without time to correct it you got no title and I’d have better gotten away with it (or sounded less vague?) if there hadn’t been twenty five TMC tracks on the release, all with different personnel involved. Sod’s Law.

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01.05.11

DRY CLEANING – Sliced By A Fingernail – Download only – 4AD – 2026

And from the 4AD label in 1986… to their 2026 output and I’d be slight wary of anybody saying ‘Happy birthday’ in this tone to me.

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01.09.10

GNAG OF FOUR – He’d Send In The Army – Solid Gold, LP – EMI – 1981

Always saying it like they saw it.

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01.12.56

YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS – Cakewalking – Final Day, 7″ – Rough Trade – 1980

In a most understated manner they sort of made a statement when they appeared on BBC 2’s Something Else in late ’80. 🙂

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01.15.42

OSCAR FARRELL – Tripping Up In A Rush – I’ve Already Called, 12″ EP – dh2 – 2025

I might have to keep an eye and ear on this chap.

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01.18.40

CABARET VOLTAIRE – Sleepwalking (John Peel session track, 1984) – Radiation (BBC Recordings 84-86), LP – Get Back – 2001

Having earlier been Cakewalking, now we’re Sleepwalking. All part of the service. Though actually released three years earlier (but only on CD) the above Get Back-label vinyl release has been followed up in 2026 by a bootleg version. The people dictate… and I’ll be with them catching the very last CV gigs ever, near the end of the year.

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01.24.03

GIFT – Pinkhouse Secret Rave (Redux) – Download only – Self-released – 2026

A track from their 2022 debut album, Momentary Presence given a 2026 rework/remix, sorry ‘Redux’ and according to Discogs there are at least 33 acts called Gift! In this day and age – what with both the clamber for attention and the availability of info out there – you’d think…

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01.28.16

GANZHEIT – Bolt It Down (Why Work?) * – Summer Of ’84 (demo cassette only) – Self-released – 1984

Out of Bedford. Clattering and driving punk electronic stuff. From the same time-frame, this one reminding a bit of Portion Control, a band who’d played the town earlier in the year above.

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01.34.21

SUPER EXTRA BONUS PARTY (feat SORCA McGRATH) – Some Dark Forces – LovesVinyl Issue 02, v/artist 12″ – LovesVinyl – 2019

Ex-Ships vocalist sails over a Running Up The Hill-like drum pattern.

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01.38.30

TRACEY THORN – Easy – Out Of The Woods, LP – Virgin – 2007

On the quieter side, One of the ‘signature’ voices,

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01.41.49

BETH HIRSCH – Miner’s Son (Aquatic Mix) – 10″ – Artefact – 1997

Bang Bang’s mix sets Beth back a bit in the mix but if lesser known than Ms Thorn above, it’s yet another signature voice.

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01.46.43

JONI MITCHELL – Song For Sharon – Hejira, LP – Asylum – 1976

Epic storytelling in a single song.

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01.54.46

WAR (feat JOSE FELICIANO) – East L.A. – Peace Sign, 2LP – Avenue – 1994

This show had to be totally put together on the fly, between daily meet ups with friends back in Bedford and London, but the weather was brill right through and the piecing together ended up in the Leytonstone sunshine… even though that’s nowhere near East L.A. There’s a longer, more up front vocals version of the song where Jose also takes on the verses and given my JF leanings I could have placed that one here, but I actually like him ‘countering’ to War vocalist, Lonnie Jordan. Everything about Jose’s vocal when he first drops in here is why I first loved the man back in the late 60’s/early ’70s. I once reminded Jose of the track’s two versions and also (importantly) why I liked this one more… and maybe understandably he seemed a bit disappointed.

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Show 152 will be here June 7.

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