Candi Staton – In The Ghetto

Due to truly awful toothache (getting a filling on Friday morning) - I’ve been out of commission for a couple of weeks. Shit, I even had to miss Diddy Wah’s Elvis night the other week. Absolutely gutted… I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to getting that darned filling and regaining my preferred chewing area.

OK, so here’s a record I had lined up to play at the Elvis night. I hope someone played it in my abscess / absence…

Ruth Brown – Sure ‘Nuff

I had a great time spinning tunes at Diddy Wah at The Haggerston on Friday night - thanks all who came down to shake a tail feather and have a drink or three with us.

Adam - Mister Diddy Wah himself - really liked one particular ditty I played, so I thought I’d share it here on the blog this week. It’s a Ruth Brown ditty, released in 1961 on Atlantic, called Sure ‘Nuff. It was actually one of Ruth’s last records for Atlantic and she seems to be trying to cut a different kind of record to her earlier Atlantic sides. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Carole Bennett – Haunted Lover

I’m rather delighted to announce I’ll be spinning some vinyl discs of the 7″ dusty variety this Friday night at Diddy Wah’s regular shindig over at The Haggerston pub on Kingsland Road. I happen to know that Mr Diddy Wah himself is partial to a spot of Belgian Popcorn so I know he’ll like that I’m posting up this - a classic of the genre: Carole Bennett’s 1957 ditty, Haunted Lover on Capitol. If you don’t already look at Adam’s brilliant Diddy Wah blog - check it out immediately: http://diddywah.blogspot.com/

And come along this Friday to The Haggerston, 438 Kingsland Road, Dalston. DO IT!

Little Johnny and The Rumblers- Riot In Cell Block Number Nine

Cracking 1964 cover of Leiber and Stoller’s Riot In Cell Block Number Nine - which was originally recorded by The Robins ten years earlier. In this version, some killer sound effects, sleazy sax and raucous backing vocals all conspire to make you beleive it really was recorded in a riot!

A. C. Reed - Boogaloo Tramp

Can’t remember now where I picked this up - but the label name, Nike, and the colours really appealed. Actually, I’d quite like a pair of Nike’s in these colours… The track name also appealed because I spin all of the records posted on this blog at The Boogaloo in London once a month at our regular (every third Saturday of the month) night, Gerry’s Joint. AND, when I first gave this a spin, I wasn’t disappointed - it’s a killer funky cut with really upfront drums, organ, horns and some great sax playing by none other than A.C. Reed himself! The flip – Talkin’ Bout My Friends – is a little slower but no less brilliant. From 1966, enjoy!