She Was A Big Freak

Yesterday I had a feeling I haven't had in a while, one that I believed that I had buried deep inside me, but one that clearly remains integral to my being. Walking past a second hand book store, I saw a big pile of vinyl, just waiting to be thumbed. And although I don't have a record player, and my precious collection is 5345.8 miles away, I still felt that urge. After a nice lunch, we returned to find the book store closed for the day. Grrrr. So my impulse remains unfulfilled.

It did set my mind to thinking about some of the great charity shop finds that I was lucky enough to lay my grubby mitts on. There was the time I found an original Kraftwerk Autobahn, albums by Fela Kuti, Prince and The Fall, a Blue Monday 12", and the Muppet Movie soundtrack in a Sue Ryder on Wembley High Road. Wherever you are Peter Mohammad (his name was written in tiny letters on the labels) I salute your eclectic taste. And the time I found a load of late '80's hip hop albums in a Cancer Research shop in Ruislip. The elderly lady behind the counter told me that her friend had just dropped off some of her sons old things, stuff that she didn't think he wanted any more. Those two words "didn't think" induced a feeling a guilt and solidarity as I remembered how my Mum had given away my Star Wars figures when I was a teenager, because she assumed I no longer wanted them. She was wrong. This feeling of solidarity lasted about 3 seconds, before it was swiftly replaced by euphoria.

One of my greatest finds wasn't even vinyl, nor was it in a charity shop. It was a dirty CD, in a Cash Converters somewhere in north west London. In amongst the many free-with-a-magazine CD's, promo CD singles, and free-with-a-magazine software CD-R's, I noticed this:


I had no idea who Betty Davis was, but there was something about the cover that attracted me. Maybe it was her amazing silver boots or maybe it was the gigantic and extremely impressive 'fro, whatever it was, it was enough for me to look at the back. There I found the song titles which were really the clincher:

Your Man My Man (mp3)
If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up
Anti Love Song
Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes
Game Is My Middle Name

There was something different about these titles, the whole thing seemed exotic, so I took a punt. And luckily I was right about this one. Betty Davis took funk deeper and nastier than anyone else as ever managed, more than George, Sly or even James. She made it really nasty, as if to listen to her music meant you had to be prepared to get into those grooves, role your sleeves up and get working. The album is phenomenal, and was followed by the equally fine, They Say I'm Different, from which this track comes:

Betty Davis - He was A Big Freak

She released three albums in all, but none of them sold, so she disappeared. I didn't even know if she was still alive, until I found her first radio interview in 30 years. You can listen to her talk about her amazing life which includes a marriage to Miles Davis, a 'friendship' with Jimi Hendrix, a modelling career, and being a DJ.

And please go buy the recently reissued first two albums here.

Electroma

Anyone who has read this blog more than once will know that I have a slight obsession with Daft Punk, and I am finding that this obsession is growing despite the fact they haven't released a record for more than two years. Not to say they haven't been busy, there is the huge Kanye West single Stronger, the everlasting tour, and their new movie, Electroma. I was going to write all about said movie, which I watched a couple of weeks ago, but then the Guardian wrote this and the Observer Music Monthly wrote this, thus saying everything I wanted to say but with like proper words and that. So instead I'll simply say that it's a very strange, dialogue-free, grotesque, possibly pretentious, beautifully shot, very slow and bizarre movie with no music by Daft Punk in it. Suffice to say, your mum probably won't like it. I did, and I would encourage anyone who doesn't mind watching films where not a lot happens to see it.

It does have some very fine music in it, Eno standing out in particular, along with this beauty:

Todd Rundgren - International Feel

Remain In Light

Here in the great Talking Heads giveaway, we have reached what is generally regarded as their finest hour, Remain In Light. It's hard to argue with this opinion, as the album contains Once In A Lifetime, everybody's favourite Talking Heads song. The enormity of this song tends to overshadow the fantastic album tracks, such as Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve. If you don't have it, you need it. Real bad. Right now.

Talking Heads - Fela's Riff [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Unison [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Double Groove [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Right Start [unfinished outtake]