'Breakers To Break Up? (NME, February 4th 1978)

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Think Link by Tim Warren (KICKS No. 3, Billy Miller & Miriam Linna,1984)

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Lonnie Youngblood - The Sixties Soul Sides (WTS Soul No.9)

 

I created this compilation over a year ago, but it was held up in the pipeline for reasons I can no longer recall. In the late '60s, Lonnie Youngblood was at the height of his powers, moving away from the hard-driving R&B sax sound popularised by King Curtis and Junior Walker. He moves decisively from vocal R&B and punchy, horn-led dance records to funk-oriented new lands, leaving an indelible mark on the greasy soul scene through his releases on Fairmount, Silvertone and Loma Records. This brief yet explosive period established him as one of the era's most dynamic performers and while none of these singles reached the charts, his work on these labels between 1965 and 1968 is now widely regarded as a highlight of the era. Many of these recordings later gained fame thanks to Jimi Hendrix, who was unknown at the time. However, that has nothing to do with the material itself (but you'll definitely recognise the opening riff of "Go-Go Shoes", though). If you're a fan of James Brown, Little Richard or Wilson Pickett's late sixties recordings, you'll find yourself hooked on these tracks. Uncompromisingly funky and raw soul! 

Ron & Scott Asheton - Raw Power, Iggy & The Stooges 1972 - Photographs by Mick Rock

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Loop - Loop 1987 (White Trash Soul Real R'n'R No.23)

 

It's fair to say that Loop were Spacemen 3's rivals. They were probably the only band that could pose any kind of threat to them. Hailing from South London, these noise terrorists were one of the few bands to reference the nastier end of the '60s bad trip. Many have name-checked the drugged grandeur of The Velvet Underground or the minimalist industrial noise of The Stooges, only a handful succeeded. The flame keeper of Mary Chain's early steps is kept alive by these recordings. In fact, they often sounded like a more psychedelic version of Mudhoney. (During Loop's US tour, they had Nirvana as the opening act.) Less pop, more drone. And fuzz. I mean, FUZZ! When Spacemen 3 split, the Telescopes and My Bloody Valentine stole Loop's thunder. I guess they were always thought of as outsiders, even when they reached number one on the UK indie charts a few times and even made it into the general top 40. Maybe it's better this way. 

This is the soundtrack of a vast, toxic wasteland. Proceed at your own risk.