One thing I can tell you is you got to be free (The Beatles) #408 - 409

Ike and Tina Turner Come Together/ Honky Tonk Women (Liberty, LYK-3557, 1970)
Ike and Tina Turner I Wish It Would Rain/ With A Little Help From My Friends (Liberty, LYK-3136, ?)

Couldn't find any reference to the I Wish It Would Rain single so I'm not sure about its specifics like the year it came out and I think it's the A side - if I'm wrong, then it should have been. It's a great song with a great groove but...

...listening to Ike Turner play now comes with that yuck factor. I have huge respect for Tina but having read her autobiography there is no way back for Ike.

Given that, I tend to concentrate on Tina in her early incarnation as a part of the Turner regime and she is, of course, a riveting performer and a one in a million vocalist. A force of nature - from her unique female position she delivers Come Together as the sexually charged stream of consciousness that The Beatles could never carry off - even given their omniscient fabness.

Hidden gems: Honky Tonk Women? Tina knew how that felt and her powerful performance makes this song her own and a million miles away from the lewd country honk of The Stones.

For some reason With A Little Help...never takes off. The pace maybe? Not sure, but where she's brilliant with Come Together, she seems unsuited to the quirkiness of the Ringo Starr vehicle from Sgt. Peppers.

Ain't that sweet (Doris Troy) #407

Doris Troy Ain't That Cute/ Vaya Con Dios   (Apple Records, APPLE 24, 1970)

Like Jackie Lomax and Billy Preston, Doris was able to draw on an amazing array of talent during her Apple experience. 

Apart from George and Ringo the following superstar musicians were involved: Klaus Voorman, Billy Preston, Stephen Stills, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell are probably the most famous but plenty of others were also present.

Hard to make a bad record with that crew along for the ride. Doris, herself, is a top vocalist with a very distinctive soul voice.

Ain't That Cute (a Harrison/Troy composition) powers along thanks to the brass and in fact is the lead off song to her only Apple Records album - simply called Doris Troy.

I can't pretend I'm a huge fan though. I own it because of the Beatle George/ Beatle Ringo/ Apple Records connection. It's well done and everything - I just don't get it.

Hidden gems: Vaya wasn't on the original Apple album but has been added as a bonus track since. As with the A side, it's not a personal favourite; again, the feel of it doesn't connect with me. 

The takers get the honey (Robin Trower) #406

Robin Trower Too Rolling Stoned/ Too Rolling Stoned (Part 2)  (Chrysalis, K-6431, 1976)

I can not sit still while listening to this. It's impossible. I go into full on rock star pose, throwing guitar shapes and howling along like a man possessed.

Can't help it, the boy can't help it.

Robin Trower is a guitar rock god, okay! Forget the Hendrix comparisons - Robin plays guitar in his own inimitable style and this track from his 1975 live album is the real deal.

Weirdly the song is split into two parts like Eric Clapton's Layla single and Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well. Part two appears on the B side but this is all about the rock and roll shenanigans of the A side.

Hidden gem: The B side doesn't cut it as its own entity; the whole song needs to be heard complete. 

You've got the universe reclining in your hair (T Rex) #404 - 405

T Rex Get It On/ There Was A Time; Raw Ramp  (Parlophone, NZP 3405, 1971)
T Rex Jeepster/ Life's A Gas (Parlophone, NZP 3414, 1971)

Dirty and sweet!? Too much so for my dear old mum. When she heard this she knew it was a sexual healing that Marc Bolan was calling for. Me - not so much but even I knew what was going down on the raw ramp B side.

Get It On was, back in 1971, one of my first single purchases. That guitar hook had me instantly and the vocal tics furthered my interest. The slightly risque subject matter was also a draw card. Listening to it now I realise how amazing Tony Visconti's production was. Those drums!

Jeepster was more of the sexual same: "I'm going to suck you" doesn't leave a lot to the imagination. No wonder my mother frowned on this teenage pop stuff.

Hidden gems: More Bolan depravity on the B sides. There Was A Time is a great intro (those sweeping strings!) to the wonderful Raw Ramp - complete with a great false ending - let's get the electric boogie on indeed.

This is one case where the youtube video/sound fails to do justice to the magnificence of this sound. Dig out that old vinyl and turn it up!!

I breakdown (Trash) #403

Trash Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight/ Trash Can   (Apple Records, APPLE 17, 1969)

Trash (a.k.a. White Trash) were a Scottish band that found themselves releasing two singles on The Beatles Apple Records label. Lucky, lucky bastards!

I only have the one - their undistinguished pre Abbey Road take on Paul's Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight. It was produced by Tony Meehan - he of The Shadows fame.

Hidden gem: Trash Can - geddit? - starts out as a bit of a dirge but then has some nice prog organ flourishes and soulful vocals which hint at a productive direction. It proves Trash, erm, could, but as far as Apple goes it was a case of see ya, it's been real!

It's such a crazy squeeze (Toy Love) #402

Toy Love Rebel/ Squeeze   (Chrysalis, Z 10015, 1979)

N.Z. music has some wonderful blind alleys. Toy Love are a case in point. Toy Love were Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate's band in between The Enemy and Tall Dwarfs. They lasted barely two years. I didn't like either of those bookends but I could connect with Toy Love.

During my heady Auckland University years I was game for new sounds. Toy Love were pop punk in a good way and seemed to go with Patti Smith, Television and Talking Heads in my imagination.

Rebel was a different kind of N.Z. song in 1979. It was sneery (like punk) but smart and sarcastic as well. That was new.

Hidden gem: In some ways I prefer the B side with it's catchy new wave-isms.

The wacky video of Squeeze is very much of its time and I've included a great live clip from Auckland University's 1980 Orientation week, coz I'm part of the in crowd!

Rough fits in my hush puppy shoes (Pete Townshend) #401

Pete Townshend Rough Boys/ And I Moved   (Atlantic, 45 5425, 1980)

I have no idea what this song is about. Unhelpfully, Pete dedicated it to his children and The Sex Pistols but the lyrics are enigmatic to say the least.

Whatever it's actually about - he's a complicated bloke is our Pete, it's a great slab of Townshend patented guitar rock with a terrific singalong chorus. He knows how to write a classic 3-4 minute single!

I first came across this via music television in NZ. MTV didn't launch here until much later but we did have Radio With Pictures and this clip was clearly a favourite. I'm pretty naive and dense at times so I didn't pick up on the gay references at the time - instead I focused on Pete's/The Who branded aggression.

Hidden gem: If the A side could have easily fitted into The Who music wise (can't see Daltrey singing rough boys, I want to bite and kiss you though, can you?) the B side was foreign territory. It's also off the parent Empty Glass solo album and can only have been chosen because of its stark contrast to Rough Boys.