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Limited 2LP : Red & Blue Vinyl
4CD
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In 1979 as a 15-year-old Eddie Piller was perfectly placed to be at the epicentre of the Mod revival. An inquisitive passion for music, a family connection to Mod royalty The Small Faces, and an attitude that saw him travelling his home city, then the country and then the world to take in the sounds that were emerging. In the years since, Piller has been a legendary figure within the music industry setting up and continuing to own the ground-breaking Acid Jazz label, signing multi-platinum artists such as Jamiroquai and The Brand New Heavies collaborating on compilations with Martin Freeman and as an award winning broadcaster even setting up his own Totally Wired Radio station. However, this four CD box set is the first time he has looked back on the movement that was to be his starting point.
Mod is a sixties youth movement original built on sharp clothes, American soul music and nights on the town, that has never really died. The originals added young British groups to their likes and then moved on, but their influence echoed on through the 1970s in Northern Soul clubs, and in the sixties influenced bands of the pub rock era. When punk arrived, it was supposed to sweep away the past, but instead the Sex Pistols were covering the Small Faces. The Clash brought in Mod DJ Guy Stevens to produce London’s Calling, The Buzzcocks sounded closer to the Hollies than The Ramones and in The Jam’s Paul Weller there was a musical and sartorial nod to the past of The Who, The Beatles and pop art arrows.
Weller had spent the 1970s becoming obsessed by mod and saw punk as having a similar youthful energy to the era he had missed by being born a decade too late. For others Weller’s style proved an inspiration, and as the Jam broke through in late 1978, they saw a wave of bands follow in their wake, and they themselves influenced others to form their own groups. But there were other things. In bleak late 70s Britain the glorious optimism of the 1960s looked bright and shiny, and as it was only a decade or so in the past, it was easy to pick up original records, clothes and books for pennies, and as you bought these you met other like-minded souls who did the same. For those a little too young for punk, it was a community of gigs, scooters, clothes, bands and records, and for many it developed on through.
Eddie never stopped being a mod and has a unique perspective having now lived through four decades of being intimately involved in the music that has emerged from the mod scene. In our four CD box set, and its 2LP edited version Ed guides us through some of his favourite music from the scene. He guides us through a plethora of bands whose influences include The Who, The Kinks and the Jam, to sixties soul and R&B, those with an eye on psychedelia. The records have a vitality and a certain stylish swagger to them, that marks them out as mod. In the deluxe booklet, Piller has written a 5000 word note describing what it meant to him and has granted access to his own scrapbooks from his many years of gig-going from which pages and memorabilia are reproduced.
Eddie Piller’s Mod Revival is a personal appraisal from the founder of The Modcast, on what mod explosion of the late 70s and 80s means to him.. It is not only a great listen, but probably the only box set you will ever need on the subject.
Tracklist
2LP
Side A
1. THE JAM - I GOT BY IN TIME
2. SECRET AFFAIR - LET YOUR HEART DANCE
3. PURPLE HEARTS - FRUSTRATION
4. THE CHORDS - THE BRITISH WAY OF LIFE
5. LONG TALL SHORTY - FALLING FOR YOU
6. TEEN-BEATS - STRENGTH OF THE NATION
7. MADNESS - THE PRINCE
Side B
1. THE DIRECTIONS - THREE BANDS TONIGHT
2. LAMBRETTAS - GO STEADY
3. BACK TO ZERO - YOUR SIDE OF HEAVEN
4. SMALL HOURS - CAN’T DO WITHOUT YOU
5. THE CIRCLES - OPENING UP
6. THE MERTON PARKAS - FLAT 19
7. FAST EDDIE - SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
Side C
1. Dexy’s Midnight Runners - DANCE STANCE
2. THE TRUTH - CONFUSION (HITS US EVERY TIME)
3. THE UNTOUCHABLES - FREE YOURSELF ( 7" Version)
4. MAKIN' TIME - HERE IS MY NUMBER
5. James Taylor Quartet - ONE WAY STREET
6. THE CLIQUE - WORMIN'
7. THE STEP - LET ME BE THE ONE
Side D
1. THE PRISONERS - THE MORE THAT I TEACH YOU
2. THE TIMES - I HELPED PATRICK McGOOHAN ESCAPE
3. SQUIRE - DOES STEPHANIE KNOW
4. SMALL WORLD - LOVE IS DEAD
5. THE ONLOOKERS - YOU AND I
6. SPEEDBALL - NO SURVIVORS
7. THE CIGARETTES - THEY'RE BACK AGAIN, HERE THEY COME
4CD
1. The Jam - I Got By In Time
2. The Jolt - I Can’t Wait
3. The Inmates - Dirty Water
4. Purple Hearts - Frustration
5. Teen-Beats - Strength Of The Nation
6. The Chords - The British Way Of Life
7. New Hearts - Only A Fool
8. Speedball - No Survivors
9. The Circles - Opening Up
10. Back To Zero - Your Side Of Heaven
11. The Cigarettes - They're Back Again, Here They Come
12. The Users - Kicks In Style
13. Long Tall Shorty - Falling For You
14. Beggar - Don’ Throw Your Life Away
15. The Mods - One Of The Boys
16. The Nips - Gabrielle
17. The Fixations - No Way Out
18. Untamed Youth - Untamed Youth
19. The Leepers - Paint A Day
20. Terry Tonik - Just A Little Mod
21. The Accidents - Blood Spattered With Guitars
22. The Two-Tone Pinks - Look But Don’t Touch
23. Les Elite - Get A Job
CD 2
1. Secret Affair - Let Your Heart Dance
2. The Step - Let Me Be The One
3. Small Hours - Can’t Do Without You
4. Dexy’s Midnight Runners - Dance Stance
5. The Bureau - Let Him Have It
6. Nine Below Zero - Pack Fair & Square
7. Madness - The Prince
8. The Akrylyx - Smart Boy
9. The Media - South Coast Rockers
10. Dolly Mixture - New Look Baby
11. Squire - Does Stephanie Know
12. The Little Roosters - I Need A Witness
13. The Directions - Three Bands Tonight
14. Lambrettas - Go Steady
15. The Merton Parkas - Flat 19
16. Hidden Charms - Run For Your Money
17. The Crooks - Modern Boys
18. The Name - Fuck Art Let’s Dance
19. The Reaction - I Can’t Resist
20. The Killermeters - Why Should It Happen To Me
21. The Colours - The Dance
22. The Sets - Life On An Li
23. The Donkeys - What I Want
CD3
1. The Long Ryders - Looking For Lewis And Clark
2. Scarlet Party - 101 Dam-Nations
3. Mood Six - Hanging Around
4. The Onlookers - You And I
5. The Same - Movements
6. The Times - I Helped Patrick Mcgoohan Escape
7. The Prisoners - The More That I Teach You
8. The VIPs - The Quarter Moon
9. The Scene - Something That You Said
10. Solid State - Train To London Town
11. Small World - Love Is Dead
12. Sema 4 - Up Down And Around
13. Variations - Fight Back
14. 007 - Can You See Me
15. The Gents - The Faker
16. The Amber Squad - Can We Go Dancing?
17. Dr & The Medics - Round And Round
18. Heartbeats - Go
19. The Clues - No Vacancies
20. The Risk - Good Together
21. Little Murders - She Lets Me Know
22. The Kick - Stuck On The Edge
23. Statuto - Rabbia&Stile
CD 4
1. The Truth - Confusion (Hits Us Every Time)
2. Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5
3. Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught The Train
4. The Untouchables - Free Yourself
5. Makin' Time - Here Is My Number
6. Reflection - All I Want To Be
7. Five Thirty - Abstain
8. James Taylor Quartet - One Way Street
9. Daggermen - Ivor The Engine Driver
10. The Moment - Sticks & Stones
11. The Blades - Revelations Of Heartbreak
12. Fast Eddie - Shake A Tail Feather
13. Corduroy - E Type
14. Mother Earth - Stoned Woman
15. The Clique - Wormin'
16. The Rage - Come With Theones That You Know
17. Strangeways - All The Sounds Of Fear
18. Studio 68 - The Other Me
19. Dance Stance - The Other Side Of Paradise
20. Stupidity - Bend Don’t Break
21. E Types - She Changes
22. The Mads - The Mods Are Back In Town
23. The Elements - Caught In A Storm