"Return of the Instro-Hipsters" 2009 - Vol 3 - Roaring Blue

Of all the Psychic Circle series, I love the instro-hipsters the most. Leaving the music aside for one moment, the cover art stinks. The typography is fine but the image featuring Spock jnr and Lulu's ugly sister is so unsexy and last minute. Unlike Past & Present's Mind Expanders, the audio quality is just fine and the sleeve notes are excellent. The set is varied enough to please most, if not all, fans of the many sub genres of the post Beatle 60's and early 70's era...
...Mod sounds come from Jimmy Nichol on 'Roaring Blue' which is the younger brother of 'The Husky'. The 4 Instants, of which there were several, were a session band that recorded one album for Society (a subsidary of Saga - check out my review of 'Swinging London' for more info) give us a tasty hammond led groove in the shape of 'All About My Girl'. TV theme aficionadas will thrill to Des Champ's cover of Dave Grusin's TV 'It Takes A Thief', and though comped many times before Cyril Stapleton provides the definitive version of 'Department S.' Anyone who bought EMI's 'Soho Lounge Heat' which featured tracks composed by Dennis Farnon for Boosey & Hawkes sound library, will instantly recognise the name The New Cavendish Orchestra - they played all over it. Here they are again with another Farnon composition 'Theme Number One' and if memory serves it's not on Soho Lounge. Speaking of library composers, Keith Mansfield nods in with the infectious 'Boogaloo' and features Alan Hawkshaw on organ and some discrete vocals from an unknown female backing group. Incidentally, 'Boogaloo' was comped on RPM's 'All You Need Is Keith Mansfield.' More library, this time from Electric Bird aka Simon Park of Eye-Level fame - 'Stoned Out' was recorded for the De wolfe Sound Library and sounds like the title says stoned out. The Underground were in fact most of Blue Mink - being this is a comp of instros, you won't hear Madeline Bell, but for your money you do receive a track worthy of the title 'Beat Party.' One of the comps stand-outs is Otto Bekker's super, trippy, sitar groovy 'Santana'. The Duke Of Burlington's '30-60-90' is typical of the sound and style found on late 60's Italian soundtrack and library music. The Dutch cover the Dutch as Casey & The Pressure Groups take on shocking Blue's 'Venus' - nothing special admittedly, but it always brings a smile to my face. Oddly, Rajah nicks the Venus riff for 'Deadeye Dick' which otherwise sounds like a UK TV cop theme. Shake (he liked the bard!) Keane from the Caribbean was a flugelhorne player, poet and pal of jazz legend Joe Harriott - 'Make Like Shake', (a close cousin of 'Under My Thumb' by The Stones anybody?) is an immediate dance floor classic, and if you haven't heard it already, you'll wonder why. Just some of the cool grooves waiting for you.
In short if you like the 2 previous volumes from Psychic Circle, not forgetting the original series found on Past & Present, you'll love Roaring Blue. And worth checking out, if you haven't already, are the 2 volume Mind Expander comps from Past & Present.
Special praise goes to the in house compiler Nick Saloman who must never sleep!
trax:
1. Roaring Blue - The Sound of Jimmy Nicol 2. It Takes a Thief - The Des Champ Orchestra 3. Round Up - Clubman 4. 30-60-90 - The Duke of Burlington 5. Venus - Casey & The Pressure Group 6. Santana - Okko Bekker 7. Boogaloo - The Keith Mansfield Orchestra 8. Beat Party - The Underground 9. All About My Girl - The 4 Instants 10. Deadeye Dick - Rajah 11. Junction Blues - Ram Inn Junction 12. Make with Shake - Shake Keane 13. My Friend Jack - Monty Babson 14. El Pussy Cat - The Johnny Howard Band 15. Stoned Out - Electric Bird 16. Ladies Wear - The Jim Doherty Trio 17. Theme from Department S - The Cyril Stapleton Orchestra 18. Trans-Love Airways - Big Jim Sullivan 19. J.C. Greaseburger - The Stormsville Shakers 20. Theme Number One - The New Dance Orchestra