This playlist is 82% vinyl friendly. Impressive.

The Gearbox MKII Transparent Turntable, made in Europe by Pro-ject to North London’s Gearbox Records’ specifications and retailing around £549. Plays at both 33 rpm and 45 rpm and in being equipped with Bluetooth it can also play through desktop speakers.

Just a thought… the transparent body showcasing the internals gives the impression of a drone looking down by a helipad onto a cityscape. 🙂

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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 138

It’s that man, Ian C again…

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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 – Angel Dust (Pier 84, New York, 1987) – Brotherhood, Defintive Edition boxset – Warner Music – 2024

A track that slightly passed me by back in the day but our heroes are sounding particularly on it here.

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03.51

THE SANDALS – Feet (Dust Brothers Vocal Mix) – 12″ – Open Toe Records – 1994

The Dust Brothers were the Chemical Brothers, in waiting – the name change needed due to an act with a similar name, if I remember rightly… and years before you could do a quick Google or Discogs search to see if anyone else has already used your chosen moniker. I took to a lot of these ’90s, tougher ‘progressive house’ dance tunes at the time.

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10.42

ARNOLD JARVIS – The Way U (Ricky Montanari Vocal Club Mix) – Promo only split 12″ – Freetown Inc – 1998

Moody and edgy stuff, a mix that didn’t surface at the time of the tune’s initial release and one that myself and Dave S (as Got-Ta-Scatta) quietly errr… ‘borrrowed’ from one time.

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16.13

DIALECT – Sitting in the Sun (Derrick Carter’s Winter Crazy Dub Reprise) – 2×12″ promo only – Distance – 1998

Snappy garage mix from one of the genre’s classier exponents. Not the US mid ’60s ‘garage’… obviously.

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19.48

SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL ’66 – Ye-Me-Le – 7″ b-side – A&M – 1970

Albeit a few decades after its release, I think I may have happened on this tune being performed on a US TV show and although it’s been well serviced on SM&B Greatest Hits releases through the years since, it quietly sat on the above UK 7″ where a stock copy is way harder to find than the promo. One of the lead female duo, Lani Hall was later to marry one half of A&M, Herb Alpert… and very coincidentally she’ll be back here later.

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21.52

JETHRO TULL – Alive And Well And Living In – 7″ b-side – Chrysalis – 1970

More 7″ b-sides and it’s easy to see how Ian Anderson’s vocal and storytelling fitted snugly into a ‘folk’ setting, though the band’s rock side throws in a strident passage or two. 🙂

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24.33

JONI MITCHELL – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns * – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, LP – Asylum – 1975

Maybe somewhere around the very late ’70s and certainly a couple of decades (at least) before the internet slowly helped to spread the anecdote that this song’s lyric was storytelling the life(style) of my boyhood hero, Jose Feliciano I got told the same from someone that knew Jose very well and a few years later I asked him myself and he confirmed as much. I’ve never seen Joni admit it’s the case, though.

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27.23

MIA DOI TODD – What If We Do? – Manzanita, LP – Plug Research – 2005

A track that’s made it to 41 Rooms before – though in a different take – and Mia’s been making albums constantly ever since.

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30.53

ROBIN GUTHRIE – Prayer – Download only – ?? – 2025

‘Prayer’, another little something that’s been uselessly gathering dust for a few years. It became orphaned when the scene that I wrote it for was cut (from a soundtrack back in 2018). Now it’s found a new purpose, that of cheering people up in these uncertain times. Every little helps, right? The photo, taken on my kitchen window here in Bretagne‘. – Robin, via Bandcamp / Discogs

A game of two halves from the ex-Cocteau Twin’er and I notice from a recent interview that anyone hoping on a CT reunion shouldn’t be holding their breath. He won’t see this but Mr G, I hope life is treating you well. 🙂

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33.03

ECHO and THE BUNNYMEN – Read It In Books (Original 7″ version) – 7″ b-side – Zoo Records – 1979

The enthusiasm of yooof as the Bunnymen launched their recording career… and a track that bounced between Ian Mac and his ex-Crucial Three colleague, Julian Cope and his subsequent crew, The Teardrop Explodes.

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35.57

JOY DIVISION – She’s Lost Control (Peel session) – The Peel Sessions 12″ EP – Strange Fruit – 1986

Recorded Jan 31, 1979 at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studio 4 for John Peel’s radio show and broadcast on Feb 14. A to be iconic track in an iconic setting.

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40.02

THE SOUND – I Can’t Escape Myself – Jeopardy, LP – Korova – 1980

The Jeopardy album has been well serviced here.

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43.43

THE KINKS – Till The End Of The Day – 7″ Pye – 1965

Even within the best of British ’60s pop/beat bands, The Kinks are maybe held in higher regard with a lot more listeners than with me but this was a highlight when I was backtracking and collecting from the ’70s. I even had the Pye white label demo 7″ back then.

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45.53

THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP – Somebody Help Me – 7″ – Fontana – 1966

Half a dozen or so singles in at this point and vocalist, Steve Winwood was still only 18!

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47.45

THE YARDBIRDS – Shapes Of Things – 7″ – Columbia – 1966

The Jeff Beck era and a track that suited vocalist, Keith Relf’s style more than most, I’d say. He was never a rocker of a vocalist.

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50.07

SMALL FACES – Lazy Sunday – 7″ – Immediate – 1968

Possibly at the top of the list of my ’60s bands and with an absolute fave of mine… and I certainly wouldn’t mind owning the acetate below… but I don’t.

UK 2-sided 7″ acetate…

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53.12

LANI HALL – Ocean Song – Sun Down Lady, LP – A&M – 1972

The lady returneth… and all is calm.

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56.32

LUCY ROSE – Pale Blue Eyes – Download Only – Communion Records – 2025

Slow pop beats for now.

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59.29

MASSIVE ATTACK (feat TRACEY THORN) – Protection (The Eno Mix) – 12″ – Wild Bunch Records – 1995

Nothing radical done to the input of either the band or Ms Thorn. A classic sound, whichever which way.

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01.05.03

FOOTSHOOTER (feat ALLYSHA JOY) – Folding – Download only – ?? – 2025

Soulful, electronic d&b-style.

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01.10.18

DOCTOR BIONIC – Put The Work In – The Island of Doctor Bionic, LP – Chiefdom Records – 2025

Bouncy instrumental head nodder.

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01.13.01

NEW STREET ADVENTURE – Why Should We Do Anything? – Stubborn Sons, LP – Acid Jazz – 2017

With the band now into their second era, here it’s mainman, Nick Corbin’s social commentary consciousness during their first. 🙂

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01.16.17

PASKAL & URBAN ABSOLUTES (feat. PETE JOSEF) – Bits Of Me – Lux, 2LP – Sonor Kollektiv – 2013

European beats with class guest vocalist.

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01.19.28

JACANA PEOPLE (Feat TEMM) – Fall Again – Download only – ?? – 2025

Buckinghamshire, UK calling. ‘Caught halfway between city noise and rural British landscapes, producer-duo Jacana People meld bittersweet electronica with sprawling organic textures‘. – Bandcamp

And by including the voice of Temm, here on this track, more than the sum of its parts, I’d say.

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01.25.59

LUSCIOUS JACKSON – Naked Eye – Jukebox (promo?) only 7″ – Capitol – 1996

‘This US import is the first track from the girls’ new album and features perhaps the catchiest chorus this year. The original is bass-heavy pop with a breakbeat feel and this is accompanied by another five mixes ranging from beat heavy crunchers to tripped out instrumentals. Definitely worth catching. **** ‘ – Brad Beatnik, Record Mirror (Music Week). 2.11.96 

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01.26.38

ETERNAL – Sweet Funky Thing (DHL Mix) – Sweet Funky Thing – The House Promo 12″ – EMI / 1st Avenue – 1994

‘ ‘Juicy Fruit’ type wailing groin grinder in 98bpm Album, New York City Radio, 97bpm K&T Atlanta, K&T Southern and trickily unsteady 99(intro)-98.3bpm WBLF New York Radio Remixes, with (separately promoed) a gospelish strong romping 0-122.9bpm Una Clio Remix or just chorus prodded cantering 124bpm West End Master, monotonous throbbing Puff The Blunted Dragon, better bassily burbling 123.6bpm DHL Mixes‘. – James Hamilton, Record Mirror (Music Week), 29.10.94

I’m not even sure the Eternal girls are anything to do with the voices on here but it’s an urgent groove.

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01.31.04

STREET CHOIR – Rock Steady – 12″ – Street Choir – 2003

Most probably masked as it’s a less than legal release, but let’s hail the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, for it’s her Rock Steady that’s holding court here.

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01.35.55

RALFI PAGAN – Make It With You – 7″ – Fania / Wand – 1971

A David Gates and Bread tune, sounding vocally more ‘soulful’ than the very fine original?

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1.39.29

SPRINGFIELD – Different Sky – Unreleased – Late 1990s

Unreleased indeed, and from a Leeds-based duo. Only to hand to me right now is a short note and fully hand written lyrics to what looks like five newer tracks that followed Different Sky. In a short ‘A&R’ role I had at the time, I certainly remember talking to the male half of Springfield on the phone and I remember he mentioned the live audience applause on this track was actually lifted from a well known recording :)… but whose is now lost in time. I think the demo CD or tape with Differently and at least one other track is possibly around here somewhere but for now it’s the return of the tumbleweed!

Differently? A class track that I reckon, in the hands of a well established female singer/songwriter of the time (or maybe even now?), would have more than stood up for itself.

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1.43.30

JAH WOBBLE and JULIE CAMPBELL – Phantasms Rise – Psychic Life, CD only – Cherry Red – 2011

Another highlight from the album as I hint on the show, the feel of Julie’s approach slightly reminds me of Italian sometimes duo, Costume.

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1.54.00

WORKFORCE – Cut To Pleasure (Peel session) – Unreleased – 1986

Recorded Jan 5, 1986 and broadcast eight days later, I and Mick Lowe (Rorschach Testing) were in the throws of releasing the band’s second single, Back In The Good Books 12″ and getting some European dates together and even though this is the only John Peel session I ever attended I can’t remember next to nothing about it (extremely poor on my part), with my diary adding ‘London. Peel’s Workforce session. Viv and the lads (gave me) lift home.’

Drummer, Alan Fish had the foresight to acquire a reel of the session from the BBC, so here’s the cassette tape I copied the unedited session tracks to.

Early ’86 promo and tour poster

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1.51.39

DAVID SYLVIAN – Pulling Punches – Brilliant Trees, LP – Virgin – 1984

In a purer form (for 41 Rooms purposes, anyway) the track was also on a UK 12″ – the same ‘extended’ version as used on this, his first solo album after the Japan years.

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1.56.41

MRCY – Man – Volume 2, LP – Dead Oceans – 2025

How many peeps will kick this track off thinking something’s up with their player? UK duo, Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson with Latin’y soul jazz vibes and the most uplifting tune on this show, downloadable now but also on a coloured vinyl release coming in May.

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Show 139 will be here May 4.

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