Modcast #301: Let's Go To The Beach

In the summer of 1982 I met my first real bonafide mods -- surfers every one of them. They were from Huntington Beach and during the day dressed like most surf kids, long board shorts and maybe a shirt. In the evenings and on weekends though they were decked out in much finer attire like three-button suits, Fred Perry polos, paisley shirts, pegged pants and pork pie hats. They were just a bit older, seemed much cooler, and certainly dated more girls than I did. I was smitten by the whole look and style. Ever since then I've had a soft spot for sun, sand and surf.

So, it's finally time to the shoot the curl with modcast #301. I'm serving up a whole slew of surf related sounds this week to kick off summer here in Seattle, and also to kick off the 9th season of Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World.

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The Beach Boys -- God Only Knows (1966)
Annette Funicello -- Bikini Beach (1964)
The Kingsmen -- How To Stuff A Wild Bikini (1965)
The Supremes -- Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965)
Dick Dale & His Deltones -- Secret Surfin' Spot (1963)
Jan & Dean -- Surf City (1963)
The Beach Boys -- Shut Down (1963)
The Sunsets -- Hot Generation (1967)
The Trashmen -- Surfin' Bird (1963)
The Barracudas -- Surfers Are Back (1982)
The Surf Raiders -- Kuk (1982)
The Pandoras -- Hot Generation (1984)
Jon & The Nightriders -- Rumble At Waikiki (Live At The Whiskey A-Go-Go) (1981)
Agent Orange -- Miserlou (1981)
Ramones -- Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (1977)
Sonic Surf City -- Sonic Surfer Boy (1989)
The Hitmen -- King Of The Surf (1978)


Barracudas -- Summer Fun (Top of the Pops 1980)



The Living Curl 60's Surf Film Trailer



Beach Blanket Boo Boo (Steve Martin, Carol Burnett)

Modcast #300: The Brill Building Sound (RIP Gerry Goffin)

[Update 6-19-14] Just heard the sad news that one of the Brill Building's greats has passed away. According to The AP: "Gerry Goffin, a prolific and multi-dimensional lyricist who with his then-wife and songwriting partner Carole King wrote such hits as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," ''(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," ''Up on the Roof" and "The Loco-Motion," died early Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 75."

It's been eight crazy years I've been producing the modcasts. When I started the show was pretty basic and the focus was on the music. The show is still pretty basic and the focus is still on the music. It seemed fitting to celebrate the eighth anniversary with a stroll through a musical treasure trove. The Brill Building.

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The Brill building is a big old art-deco thing that has one of the greatest music stories you could imagine. From the 1930s on the Brill Building has been at the center of American music; home to producers, writers, publishers, and musicians who all work and collaborate together.

“Expressing the optimism and outrage of the early civil rights movement, [the Brill Building catalog] amalgamated black, white, and Latino sounds before multiculturalism became a concept, much less a cliché, and integrated audiences before America desegregated its schools. It helped create a youth market – teenagers were a new breed of human being and a brand-new consumer category – and trafficked in teen idols from whom Justin Timberlake and the Simpson sisters directly descend.” -- Ken Emerson, Always Magic In The Air: The Bomp And Brilliance Of The Brill Building Era

The Brill launched the careers of the likes of Burt Bacharach, Paul Simon, Sonny Bono, Carol King, Neil Diamond, Paul Anka and many more. The Brill sound was made famous by Dionne Warwick, Lesley Gore, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, and many more. So, it seemed like as good a time as any to finally pay tribute to the Brill Building Sound.

Edwin Starr -- Twenty-Five Miles (1968)
The Crystals -- He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss) (1962)
Steve Lawrence -- Go Away Little Girl (1962)
Cristina -- Is That All There Is? (1980)
The Monkees -- Pleasant Valley Sunday (1967)
Boyce & Hart -- I'll Blow You A Kiss In The Wind (1969)
Paul Revere & The Raiders -- Hungry (1966)
The Rolling Stones -- She Said Yeah (1965)
Buddy Rich -- The Beat Goes On (1967)
Lesley Gore -- 98.6/Lazy Day (1964)
Annette Funicello -- Blame It On The Bossa Nova (1965)
Tom Jones -- Promise Her Anything (1965)
Paul Weller -- Needles & Pins (2005)
Evie Sands -- I Can't Let Go (1966)
Doris Troy -- Just One Look (1963)
Laura Nyro -- Stoned Soul Picnic (1968)
Cal Tjader -- My Little Red Book (1969)


BRILL BUILDING

Modcast #299: I've Got Your Number

From The Vaults: Modcast #164 Mod Men

Welcome to Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World. This week's show is brought to you by the letter Y as in Y chromosome. It's mod men week on the modcast. I've collected songs from mod men, some with undeniable mod street cred like Ray Davies, Steve Marriot, or Paul Weller, and to others like Mose Allison and Paul Heaton who I will go to my grave arguing are every bit the mod as any other man. Regardless of all that, you can't argue with the songs. It's another great mix, if I do say so myself.


It was hard to put together the list, partly because what I really wanted were established artists who were now doing solo work. It was easy for some of them. Then there were others, like Steve Marriot who I really wanted to put in the show, that I had to dig deep and still found them in a band situation, or guys like Mose Allison who have essentially been solo artists for their entire careers, I included them anyhow.

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Mose Allison -- Seventh Son (1962)
David Bowie -- Love You Till Tuesday (1967)
Manfred Mann -- 5-4-3-2-1 (1964)
Steve Marriott -- Money Money (1964)
Graham Coxon -- See Saw (2006)
Paul Heaton -- I Do (2008)
Adrian Holder -- Goodbye Tuesday (2006)
Paul Bevoir --It's Gotta Stop Somewhere (1992)
Liam Gallagher -- Married With Children (1994)
Ray Davies -- Other People's Lives (2006)
Paul Weller -- Broken Stones (1995)


Ray Davies - 20th Century Man



The Jetset (Paul Bevoir) -- Wednesday Girl



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Modcast #298: Flashback to '94

Just like some girls' mothers, some years are bigger than other years. One of the great mod friendly years in musical history happens to be back 20 years ago, Before the internet, before MP3s became ubiquitous, back to when vinyl was still dead, CDs ruled the musical universe. Before ipads, pods or phones. Hell John Major was still in 10 Downing street and things were just about to really get wild. 1994 brought us lounge music, pop punk, Britpop, and acid jazz. Now I'm bringing 1994 to you.

Interested in more Britpop? Check out Mod Essentials III: The Britpop Invasion.

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Combustible Edison -- Cadillac
These Animal Men -- Who's The Daddy Now
Sleeper -- Twisted
Elastica -- Stutter
Oasis -- Live Forever
Blur -- End Of A Century
Green Day -- She
Weezer -- Buddy Holly
The Offspring -- Come Out And Play
Pizzicato Five -- Sweet Soul Revue
Stereolab -- Ping Pong
Corduroy -- Don't Wait For Monday
The Beautiful South -- Good As Gold (Stupid As Mud)
Swing Out Sister -- Don't Let Yourself Down
The Night Trains -- Lovesick
Pulp -- Babies


Oasis - Shakermaker (Live, 1994)


Pizzicato Five -- Baby Love Child

Modcast #297: The Weekend Starts Now

Weekends make life worth living, and this modcast is going to make your weekend that much better. I've got lots of brand new music for you, as well as some older and deeper cuts. Start living better by listening now!

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The Rifles -- Under And Over (2014)
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings -- Stranger To My Happiness (2014)
Nick Pride & The Pimptones -- Take Care Of My Love (2014)
The Allergies -- Special People (2014)
The Zags -- Tatoo (2014)
The Men -- BBQ (2014)
The Idle Gossip -- All I Wanna Do Is Dance (2014)
Paradise -- Pictures Of Matchstick Men (2014)
Spearmint -- Isn't It Great To Be Alive (1999)
The Red Button -- Gonna Make You Mine (2007)
Oasis -- She Is Love (2002)
Slim Gaillard -- Selling Out (1986)
The James Taylor Quartet -- Good Thing (2006)
The Fratellis -- Whisky Saga (2013)
The Offspring -- One Hundred Punks (200?)


"It's a Love Thing" Live Session - Nick Pride & The Pimptones featuring Beth Macari



The Idle Gossip - On My Way



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Modcast #296: The Swingin' Sound of Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street in the 1960s was the fashion, style and musical center of the universe; and where mod made its most artistic impact. The bands of the British invasion were the kings of Carnaby Street, The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks, Small Faces, all of them were there. You know all of them. But there was another similar sound.

It was the swinging sound of sixties London. It spawned an entire style of music that was easy listening, soulful, swinging, jazzy, cinematic; in short lounge music for lack of another genre moniker. That Carnaby sound was the inspiration for this week's show. I hope you're feeling groovy, baby.


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The John Schroeder Orchestra -- Agent Double-0-Soul (1966)
Low Fidelity Jet Set Orchestra -- Groovy Motion (2009)
The James Taylor Quartet -- Music To Watch Girls By (1997)
Corduroy -- Follow That Arab (1996)
Les Humphries Singers -- Mandrake (1969)
Stan Getz -- Marrakesh Express (1971)
Alessandro Alessandroni -- Spyscrapers (1977)
Roy Budd -- Getting Nowhere In A Hurry (1971)
Gert Wilden & Orchestra -- Beach Party (197?)
The Leading Figures -- Artistry in Ryhthm (1967)
John Barry -- Beat Girl (1961)
Pete Moore -- Catwalk  (1970)
Piero Umiliani -- Notte In Algeria (1963)
Garry Blake & His Orchestra -- Do It Again (1968)
David Holmes -- Trapdoor Man (2007)
Johnny Lytle Trio -- The Village Caller (1963)


Gert Wilden -- I Told You Not To Cry



Expo 67: Go Go Dancing in Ontario Pavilion



Carnaby Street - We're Going To Have A Smashing Time



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Modcast #295: Singing About The Ladies

It's all about the ladies this week in the mod world. I mean, it's always all about the ladies in my world, except when it's all about the cocktails. I was about half way through putting the show together when I realized all the songs had one thing in common. They all had a woman's name in the title. So, I figured what the hell it's as good a theme as any and I rounded out the set list with more songs about girls. Pretty good mix too, if I do say so myself.

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The Decibels -- Allison (2004)
Elvis Costello -- Veronica (1989)
Material Issue -- Diane (1991)
Pixies -- Allison (1988)
Green Day -- Amanda (2013)
Little Murders -- What's The Matter With Mary (1980)
Squire -- Does Stephanie Know (1981)
The Jam -- Liza Radley (1980)
The Jetset -- Judy's Toybox (1986)
The Move -- Stephanie Knows Who (1968)
The Standells -- Eleanor Rigby (1966)
Boyce & Heart -- Alice Long ( You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)(1968)
The Darling Buds -- Mary's Got To Go (1988)
The Lolas -- Me & Barbara Stancyck (2006)
The Cheesedogs -- Rita Jenrette (1981)
The Dogs -- Shakin' With Linda (1982)


Material Issue -- Diane


The Dogs -- Too Much Class For The Neighbourhood



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