revised 22 January 2024 The Single - a 7, 10 or 12 inch
vinyl disc usually playing at 45rpm (revolutions per minute)
Using the weekly trade
publication 'The New Singles' (published by Francis Antony Ltd, East Hill,
St Austell, Cornwall) each week at least 20 of
the new single releases from the past are reviewed. We state the record label and
sometimes play the B side. On 3rd November 2018
we commenced with what was at the time the first issue in the collection - issue number
252 which I had picked up in Campkins Record Shop (note their rubber
stamped shop details in the above photo), Peterborough as an
avid 13 year old collector in 1968; playing the releases of 1st November 1968.
My teenage bedroom
Click on above thumbnail to see full
size image, circa 1969. Look carefully in bottom right corner and you will
see my embryonic collection of The New Singles leaflets - with a small box
on top of them (Boots record cleaning kit if you are interested), just
below the Parlophone single.
We plan to review
the releases week by week until we exhaust our cache of these
publications. Until October 2020 that would have been around July 2024
(for July 1974 releases). However, thanks to generous supporters of this
project, we now have ALL of these weekly lists dating from 1963 to 1986.
So far, as of January 2024, we have reviewed the New Singles for 1967,
69, 70, 71, 72, 73 and most of 1977. We're currently exploring
1968 (when I would reach 13 years of age in April). In 2025 we will probably go back to cover 1966...
It's a time consuming labour of love, and an education for those of us
who seek to revel in bygone days... click
here if you want to know more
In April 1972 I was just 17... at the record shops, at the gigs, listening to the radio, reading
the music press; Sounds, Melody Maker, Disc & Music Echo, New Musical
Express, Oz.... Les Newman, my co conspirator, would be 19 in
September 1972. Make a date each week as we take a trip down the tunnel
of time. In 1970 50 years ago would have been not long after the end of the
First World War. Somehow, our current '50 years ago' of 1968, 1969, 1970..
doesn't seem quite so long ago - although there was another war; this time
in Vietnam. Younger music enthusiasts and bands
are looking back fondly and embracing the music of the 60's and 70's. Yes, it WAS a
great time to be alive, a great time to be together. in 1970 RNI (Radio
Nordsee/North Sea International) and Radio Geronimo (via Monte Carlo) were
launched. The embryonic Glastonbury had taken place. Groove along now to 'Let's work together'
by Canned Heat released by Liberty records on 9th January 1970.
Originally black and white this clip had been here since 2018 but was
enhanced to colour recently and uploaded to this page on 22nd January
2024:
...oh, and by the
way, we don't just play the hits - we play the ones you may have only
heard once, or not at all. Some singles were used to showcase a new album
release - with no expectation of single sales. Often there were no 'stock'
copies released - just demo copies for media purposes. Occasionally a
single was hastily withdrawn. On average there were around 60 NEW SINGLES
released every week! This is NOT a chart show. Each week
reveals some fascinating finds. For instance, that unwieldy instrument the
mellotron, much loved by prog rock bands, found its way onto this 12th
December 1968 release, on the Revolution label - a very long reggae
version of 'Sitting In The Park' by Owen Grey & Maximum Breed (mellotron appears around
1:50)
60s/70s UK radio
wasn't just an endless rotation of top 20 hits alone... and nor should it
ever be...
Addendum, January
- March 1971. Industrial action resulted in the first ever Post Office
strike which lasted FOR SEVEN WEEKS. As a consequence just three issues of
the New Singles were printed in that period: 22nd January, 12th February
and 12th March. No list was printed for 29th January, 5th February, 19th
February, 26th February and 5th March 1971. To produce a reasonably
accurate reflection of what was actually released in the intervening weeks
we have referred to
www.45cat.com , Record Collector and Record Retailer...
Addendum, June
2022: As we play the new singles of 1977 we begin to notice 12" singles
being listed. It's not always obvious that the listing is for a 12"
single playing at 45rpm. It may also be that the 12" release is the ONLY
release available. We won't ignore them... The first example we know of
was The Congoes with Congo Man on BLACK SWAN BS1, released 10 June 1977.
Occasional maxi singles had already been released with several tracks
and played at 33rpm. We played them from the early 1970's listings and
will continue to play 33rpm singles in 12" form...
contact: chrisb*@*towardtheunknownregion.com
please remove *asterisks* when emailing
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Chris Bent
(a.k.a. Chris B) can be heard on CWR 1476 (webcast:
Carillon Wellbeing
Radio ) from Coalville on 1476Khz every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from
6.00-8.00 in the evening and...
on Radio Seagull four times every
week (that's 12 hours). On Friday and Saturday at midday and midnight UK time we head Toward The Unknown
Region with an eclectic mix of recent releases and those tunes that may
have escaped your attention. Electronica, Psychedelia, Folk, Prog,
World... and, when the time vortex is open, we trip back to those
Alternative Sounds of the 60's and the 70's
BROADCAST ONE
on Radio Seagull
online3 hours from 12 noon
(UK time) Saturday
repeated midnight (UK time) Saturday into Sunday
morning
on
various AM frequencies in the Netherlands
BROADCAST TWO
on Radio Seagull
online3 hours from 12 noon
(UK time) Friday
repeated midnight (UK time) Friday into Saturday morning
on various AM frequencies in the Netherlands
OLD NEWS:
Waxed Oop by Fast n Bulbous
Sure 'nuff and yes I do?
"Captain
Beefheart's music is the quintessential 'outsider art music' of the
second half of the 20th century. Despite the fact that he retired
from music over 25 years ago, his music resonates more strongly than
ever as an influence on contemporary music. Fast 'n' Bulbous offer a
unique slant on the songbook of one of contemporary music's most
idiosyncratic musical figures. The band features seven great,
well-regarded musicians drawn from the rock and the jazz worlds:
co-leaders guitarist Gary Lucas (who was in the final incarnation of
Beefheart's Magic Band) and saxist/arranger Phillip Johnston (of the
Microscopic Septet) as well as drummer Richard Dworkin, and baritone
saxist Dave Sewelson (both also of the Micros), trombonist Joe
Fieldler (Ed Palermo Big Band and Satoko Fujii's big band), bassist
Jesse Krakow (of Time of Orchids and Doctor Nerve) and trumpeter Rob
Heinke (also of Doctor Nerve). With a strong, creative line-up like
this, you know that you will be getting something more than just a
'cover band' and you indeed are. Heartfelt, exciting and it both
rocks and swings!\
As with their first
album Fast 'n' Bulbous take on a fascinating selection of songs from
the Beefheart songbook covering albums from Safe As Milk through to
Ice Cream For Crow.
The familiar tunes are redefined for a brass section and Don's voice
is echoed by horns as the band grapple with the mysteries of the
Beefheart rhythm and add their own compelling improvised
embellishments taking the songs to a new place. And it's all done
with an obvious love of the music and a sense of fun." –
beefheart.com
"...a perfect fit
for hungry Beefheart fans the world over...Fast 'n' Bulbous have
painstakingly retooled the Captain's best-known works as big-band
instrumental compositions. The results are fairly staggering...this
collection is a masterful reinterpretation of rock's Grand
Surrealist's best work. Brilliant!" – The Big Takeover
Your host...
Chris B.
Your host...
Chris Bent at Radio
Monte Carlo tx site
Album
of the Year 2008 There is an awful lot of good new music around so I hesitate to
suggest that album of the year for 2008 is a collection of rare recordings
from Albert Ayler, who actually died in November 1970. This 10CD
limited edition deluxe box set with book and goodies was issued in 2004
and it took until December 2008 for the Unknown Region to obtain a copy. Albert
Ayler Box Set - Holy Ghost - grab it while it's still available. Of
course, the album of the year could just be the Fast Camels with their
Magic Optician CD.
OK, this is Album of the
Year 2008:
The Lovers "Pardon My French"
Featured extensively in the
25 Jan 2009
show
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2007
On Planet Earth the Album of the Year for 2007 could well be Robert Plant
and Alison Krauss with their collaboration on Raising Sand. In another
universe, as we head Toward The Unknown Region, it would undoubtedly be
The Songs Of Albert Ayler performed by a collective of musicians known as
Healing Force.
Cuneiform Records
give us the hard sell, "Seven major figures from the art-punk, free-jazz,
brutal prog, improvisational and modern jazz world come together for a
ROCKING tribute to the unfairly ignored, misunderstood and vilified late
period works of Albert Ayler."
Producer and guitarist for Healing Force, Henry Kaiser, writes: “Albert
Ayler's later works (Love Cry, New Grass and Music is the Healing Force of
the Universe) seem to be generally reviled. Through meditations, dreams,
and visions, the players on this project were given the message to once
again attempt to send the people of earth a message of love, peace, and
spiritual understanding. We selected a representative set of tunes for
this material and essentially let it play itself through us. We hope you
will be as surprised as we still are by the results of this invocational
experiment. We hope you will like this record.”
Chris McGregor's
Brotherhood Of Breath have a
couple of albums available on Cuneiform Records: Click on the above pix to hear sample
tracks Toward The Unknown Region, courtesy of the Geronimo archives, has
exclusive access to the
Chris McGregor Memorial Concert recorded at the 100 Club, London,
on Mon 30th July 1990.
Also on Cuneiform, the
amazing FAST 'N' BULBOUS
Aficionados of Captain Beefheart will instantly
recognise Fast 'n' Bulbous as a phrase uttered on the
Trout Mask Replica album. Guitarist Gary Lucas, Magic
Band member in the latter Beefheart musical years, has
gathered together a fine set of musicians, including
jazz saxophonist and improviser Philip Johnson, and
presents us with 'big band' versions of classic Don Van
Vliet hits from the past. The horn section replaces
Uncle Don's inimitable vocals... Listen out for their
superb renditions of 'When Big Joan Sets Up' and 'Kandy
Korn'.
Meanwhile, click on the CD cover to hear a sample from
this album>>>>>>>>>>>
2CD
compilation from Klaatu - alternate takes, demos and unheard
symphonic mixes.o at
www.klaatu.org
Electronic Erotica with guest appearances from
Brian Molko,
John Cale, Jean-Louis Murat, Cozette, Alison Shaw and Lian.
Initially a France only release, this sensual collection from Trash
Palace received a brief UK release in 2004 and has subsequently been
withdrawn. Catch it if you can.
Moving sideways to
Electronic Exotica, in the great tradition of duos such as Sparks
and Erasure, imagine the original 60's Nirvana picking up White
Noise and crashing headlong
into Soft Cell...
Neveroddoreven from
I Monster
is a great collection of songs.
Jem
Griffiths from Wales is finally tasting the fruits of her thoughtful
sampling and downright excellent composing skills.
Toward The Unknown Region will be continuing to feature
Celtus and
Karnataka Let's not forget our friends,
the
Radio Caroline band in
Baltimore, Maryland. It is they who have kindly recorded the
Chris B jingles that can be heard at the start of each hour
The announcements you hear in the programmes are voiced by
Amy Bargeron
Talis Kimberleywho, with Rika Koerte, sang her heart out for three hours from midnight
in an earlier
programme. Recently Talis again performed live on air for us with
'Divine Strumpet'. Click on 'GALLERY'
button for pix. <Talis MM chapter III> Going back in
time, the playing of tracks from Manfred Mann Chapter III (just two albums
released in 1969 & 1970) has provoked a significant amount of interest. I'm
pleased to report that these are now available on CD with bonus tracks. Well
worth buying at just £9.77 + VAT from
www.manfredmann.com where
you'll need to
click on the Earthband links to find these elusive Chapter III albums.
in an old (deconsecrated) Police station..
Check out
baroque cds
where many of the tracks played in 1970 on Geronimo can be found