What is Mod? Mr. Suave's Mod, Mod World is one of the web's original modcasts celebrating mod music, and mod-influenced music from past eras including soul, ska, garage, sixties R&B power pop, punk, britpop, acid jazz, lounge, easy listening and more. SEARCH
Cromm Fallon -- Out of Control (2019) Shanda & The Howlers -- She Don't Want A Man (2017) Bee Bee Sea -- Be Bop Palooza (2019) The Speedways -- Seen Better Days (2019) Subculture -- The Kids Don't Dance (2019) Car City -- Foolish Pride (2019) The Embrooks -- Don't Look at Me (2019) Jim Basnight -- Best Lover In The World (2019) Ex-Teens -- The New Victorians (2019)
Translator -- Gravity (1985)
The Chemicals -- Out Of My Mind (1984) (Check out Meanbean's other reissues)
The Crows -- Don't Play Around (1980)
The Reputations -- I Believe You (1980)
The Rousers -- Magazine Girl (1979) The Laissez Fairs -- Redundant Beacah (2019)
Everyone knows that jazz and soul played a big part in the early mod scene, and so of course did the blues. Mostly white British youth became enamored of delta blues belted out by black American musicians in the mid to late '50s. The sounds of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Slim Harpo, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Boy Williamson swamped London music clubs. A first wave of older players latched on to the music like Alexis Korner, Zoot Money, George Fame, Cyril Davies and Graham Bond. These early blues adopters took other younger musicians under the collective wings and mentored the future stars of the British invasion in rhythm & blues such as Long John Baldry, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Manfred Mann, Eric Burdon, Rod Stewart and more. It was these stars that the early mods embraced and turned into the icons of their burgeoning teen music scene. This then is the blues in the beginning of the mod era.
Cyril Davies & His R&B All Stars -- Country Line Special (1962)
Davie Jones & The King Bees -- Liza Jane (1964)
George Fame & The Blue Flames -- Do The Dog (1963)
The Steampacket -- Baby Baby (1965)
The Artwoods -- If I Ever Get My Hands On You (1964)
Spencer Davis Group -- Midnight Train (1964)
Them -- Don't Start Crying Now (1964)
The Rolling Stones -- I'm A King Bee (1964)
The Kinks -- Bald Headed Woman (1964)
The Who -- Daddy Rolling Stone (1965)
The Yardbirds -- A Certain Girl (1964)
The Birds -- Next In Line (1965)
The Pretty Things -- Big City (1965)
Downliners Sect -- Tiger In Your Tank (1966)
The Birds - That's All I Need You For (cameo in The Deadly Bees 1966)
Mick Jagger talks about Cyril Davies
Eric Burdon, Stevie Winwood, Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Rod Stewart (Steampacket) - I Feel Alright
In 1980 musical currents were steeped in punk, post-punk, power pop, and new wave. The Specials were riding high off the success of their debut album, and founder Jerry Dammers pushed the band to immediately record a follow-up, More Specials. But rather than continue the DIY, punked up ska and reggae they had mastered on their first LP, Dammers pushed for doing something entirely different, something new and contrary to the popular sounds of the era.
[Updated June 2025. For more modern exotica check out Modcast #582: Modxotica.]
In an interview in mid-1980 Dammers said: "It's time for 2-Tone bands to begin getting experimental. Some of the home-grown ska has started to become a cliche. We've got to start all over again." So he drove The Specials in hard left turn creating an album of easy listening, exotica, lounge music. And young mods like yours truly ate it up.
We didn't realize we were cutting our teeth on lounge music and that it was training us up for the coming cocktail revolution of the 1990s. There's no doubt that Jerry Dammers trained mods to like lounge, exotica, tiki and other incredibly strange music that we embraced decades later. So who are the people Jerry really trained? Who are the graduates of Jerry Dammers' Bootcamp? DJ Ken from The Shingles joins me in highlighting a few of Dammers contemporaries and his musical progeny.
The Specials - Holiday Fortnight (1980)
Beautiful South - Tonight I Fancy Myself (1990)
Colourfield - Thinking of You (1985)
Blur -- To The End (La Comedie, feat. Francoise Hardy) (1995)
Everything But The Girl - I Must Confess (1984)
Animal Nightlife - Love Is Just the Great Pretender (1985)
Buster Poindexter - Knock 'em Down Whiskey (1994)
Combustible Edison -- Blue (1994)
Love Jones -- Alcohol & Little Pills (2011)
Madness - Return of the Las Palmas 7 (1980)
English Beat -- Can't Get Used To Losing You (1980)
Supergrass -- Coffee In The Pot (2005)
Style Council -- Luck (1985)
Jerry Dammers -- Riot City (1985)
Jerry Dammers interview 2014
"It would never have happened without Jerry Dammers. It was Jerry Dammers made all that happen." The Specials / Jerry Dammers (2 Tone)
Herb Alpert -- Sneaky (2014)
Liquid Soul -- Equinox (1996)
Curly Hamner & Milt Buckner -- Bernie's Tune (1962)
James Taylor Quartet -- Man Of Mystery (1997)
Chet Baker -- Stella By Starlight (1989)
Stan Getz -- Barbara's Theme (1960)
Camaro 67 -- Voyager (2016)
Birds & Brass -- Sort Of Soul (1970)
Claus Ogerman -- Watusi Trumpets
Button Down Brass Band feat. Ray Davies -- The Odd Couple (1972)
James Clarke -- Double Take (197?)
Jack Constanzo & Don Swan -- Bei Mir Bist Du Schon/La Furiosa (1956/1960)
Sam Butera & The Witnesses -- I Love Paris (1958)
Little Big Horns -- Get Back (1965)
Enoch Light & The Light Brigade -- Swamp Fire (1964)
I've been pressed to impress myself of late. Got me a new suit, some new ties and have been upping the game with a bit more effort to step out with style. But, the music is still the same. So, here we go again with a great set of new music, along with a few older gems to round out the mix.
This week's modcast sort of came together by accident, as some of my best shows do. It didn't start out that way, but eventually as I was working on things the theme presented itself and I thought it would work pretty well. As you listen I'm sure it won't be hard for you to nail down what the theme is. No matter the theme it's a nice mix of funky, soulful, acid jazz goodness.
The Younghearts -- A Little Togetherness (1968)
Diana Ross & The Supremes -- Someday We'll Be Together (1970)
Al Green -- Let's Stay Together (1972)
Detroit Sex Machines -- Rap It Together (196?)
USN Port Authority Soul Band - Get Together (1971)
Monophonics -- All Together (2012)
The Untouchables -- Soul Together (1985)
Gazzara -- Keep Yourself Together (1995)
Mother Earth -- Very Together (1995)
The James Taylor Quartet -- Love Will Keep Us Together (1995)
The Style Council -- World Must Come Together (1989)
Brand New Heavies -- Keep Together (1994)
Lack of Afro -- Together At Last (2009)
The Charlatans -- Let's Go Together (2017)
US Navy Port Authority Soul Band -- Scoobe
East of Underground (US Arny Banbd) - Smiling Faces
You know when you're at a baseball game and as soon as you hear the crack of the bat you know it's a homerun? That's this show folks. Tons of great new music for you. So, get yourself a hotdog, some peanuts, and a cold one as you enjoy this week's modcast.
