Category: news-1
A big thank you from Casbah Records!
A big thank you to all our customers who made it down to the shop yesterday and for all the good luck messages. Another winner, in fact one of the most enjoyable we’ve ever done. Massive thanks to the fab Spang Sisters for bringing us some great entertainment, it’s been a long wait for some live action and they were toppermost of the poppermost! A fab day all round, even the Gunners joined the party!
Congratulations to the quiz winner; in case anyone was wondering the answer to the question was; ‘Savoy Truffle’ by the Beatles. We managed to raise ÂŁ220 for our two good causes. Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket.
Round two on June the 18th.

âMissed by the Massesâ: Susan James, ‘Sea Glass’

Recorded in 2015 then reissued on vinyl in 2019, Susan Jamesâs âSea Glassâ is a Californian peach of a record which hasnât reached the audience it deserves. James teamed up with High Llama Sean OâHagan to help with the musical vision and arrangements and together they produced an absolute gem of a record. Susan herself calls the style a âCalifornia hybrid of melodic psychedelic folk rockâ and thatâs spot on! From the opening track âPoseidonâs Daughterâ to âHey Julianneâ weâre treated to some beautiful lilting melodies set against a subtle orchestrated backdrop that Iâm sure Brian Wilson would be very happy with. Echoes of The Free Design, The Poppy Family, Laura Nyro and the Beach Boys abound throughout and the harmonies and instrumentation are reminiscent of late 60âs Californian sunshine pop. Thereâs a limited aquamarine coloured vinyl out there at the moment and I strongly urge you to track down a copy, you wonât be disappointed!
DRACULA AD 1972: âThe count is back, with an eye for Londonâs young blood!â

âŚSo ran the rather lurid tag line from Londonâs billboards in 1972! The film was initially inspired by the story of the Highgate vampireâa media sensation of the time involving disturbed tombs and grave robbing in Highgate cemetery. Hammer films decided for Christopher Leeâs sixth and penultimate outing as the count that the franchise needed updating to the present. And so, with the help of some young fresh blood in the shapely form of upcoming starlets Stephanie Beacham, Caroline Munroe, and (straight out of âHairâ) Marsh Hunt, also ably assisted by Michael Kitchen and Christopher Neame, we have Dracula AD 1972!


The main thrust of the story is this: Neames character Johnny Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards) is a descendant of one of Draculaâs side-kicks from the 19th century. His mission is to bring Dracula back to life and in doing so gaining power and eternal life for himself. It just so happens that the group he latches onto includes Stephanie Beachamâs character Jessicaâthe latest in the line of Van Helsings. Alucard convinces âthe groupâ that he has a ânew wayâ; âthe ultimate kickâ to shake off this âtired scene, manâ! âŚA black mass, no less, in an old abandoned church! This is where it all starts to go horribly wrong for the kids⌠Various members come a cropper or are âturnedâ before Jessicaâs grandfather, an expert in the occult, gets involved (played byâyes, you guessed itâPeter Cushing). Cushing knows a thing or two about tackling vampires and he soon gets on the trail of Alucard before finishing off the count in time honoured fashion.




Whilst Hammer purists at the time (and some even now) are decidedly lukewarm about the film, citing its cringe worthy use of hippie speak and blatant attempt to appeal to younger hip audience, for the student of Sixties/Seventies pop culture thereâs much to enjoy here! The first scene set in the 20th century features a party with the American band Stoneground (they replaced the Faces who were first choice) playing some funky rock to the assembled âkidsâ and some rather shocked oldies! Thereâs some full-on seventies gear on show: hot pants, frilly shirts, crushed velvet, floppy hats⌠the lot! Thereâs even the groovy surroundings of the Cavern coffee bar in the Kings Road where the group hang out. This was situated at 372 Kings Road and was still a cafĂŠ up to recent times. Alucadâs flat (72 Hollgate Place in Notting Hill), where he takes Marsha Hunts character Gaynor for some late-night action, is all 70s decadence. And then thereâs the music⌠Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann wrote the score, a funky brass laden gem, plus you have the aforementioned Stoneground, and for the Black Mass scene the far out âelectric storm in hellâ by Delia Derbyshireâs White Noise can be heard (on reel to reel tape, of course). Best of all though is the dialogue! Christopher Lee was appalled when he read the script and you can see why. However, watching it now thereâs a certain period charm to be enjoyed, as long as you like your horror with a large helping of cheese!
Hereâs a few choice examples:
Alucard to Gaynor as he puts a record on: âThey were really zonked when they made thisâ
Gaynor: âyeah, arenât they alwaysâ
Alucard at the black mass: âDig the music, kidsâ
Van Helsing to the police inspector: âThere is a satanâÂ
Inspector: âOf course, otherwise we wouldnât need a police force, would we?â.
Â
Gaynor: Is this the place Johnny?âÂ
Alucard: âYeah, why donât you drop in for a bite?â
The film has now reached cult status with some fairly prominent fans amongst them, notably horror writer Kim Newman and U.S. director Tim Burton. Itâs what most people would describe as âso bad, itâs goodâ and I can see that. But I adore it! Itâs probably up there in my list of top ten films, not just horror films, but all-time greats. A few years ago, I managed to get my DVD copy signed by Caroline Munroe, which was a thrill and, hey, it was released on the 28th of September which is my birthdayâThat must mean something!
Here’s the trailer:
Casbah’s Top Four ‘Unhip’ Albums That We Love

This month sees the publication of an excellent new book entitled 100 Unhip Albums That We Should Learn to Love. Seeking to reappraise formerly ignored or derided albums, it makes the case for the unfashionable with examples from Van der Graaf Generator to David Essex, 10CC, Wings, and beyond. A refreshingly new idea, we thought, so by way of tribute, here are some of our choices ripe for critical makeover!
1. Cat Stevens â Foreigner

Upon itâs release in 1973, Foreigner was greeted by the critics with a mixture of polite indifference and outright hostility. The NMEâs Roy Carr called it âone of the worst pieces of maudlin tripe pop music has had to sufferâ. Harsh words indeed as, listening to it now, it has blossomed and has a great deal to offer. Four albums of mainly acoustic catchy folk-pop had set the template for success both artistically and commercially. But when Stevens announced that the next album would be recorded without regular producer Paul Samuel Smith, with sessions musicians, and in Jamaica, alarm bells began to ring! Upon its release, sales peaked and began to fall away as the new intense and serious style was not what the people were used to. Cat wasnât quite as cuddly anymore! However, the music is played superbly by crack session players including Bernard Purdie & Phil Upchurch, and it has a free, loose, funky vibe, much in keeping with its Jamaican backdrop. Standout tracks âSweet Blue Loveâ and the finale, âHeaven Must Have Programmed Youâ, would have graced any of his previous works. Image result for cat stevens foreigner With the next album Buddha and the Chocolate Box, Stevens went back to the tried-and-tested set-up and with it gained the expected commercial success, but Foreigner is at least a pleasant interlude, and at best a brave artistic statement. Just for a moment, he was a honky cat that was a funky cat!
2. Linda Lewis â Woman Overboard
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When the Raft label folded in the early 70s, it left Linda Lewis high and dry and without a contract. Three albums of charming folk-soul-pop had given her a loyal following and critical acclaim but âRock-a-doodle Dooâ apart, they achieved modest commercial success. So, when Arista got Lewis to sign on the dotted line, they were determined to market her as a pop-disco diva with her high vocal range as her gimmick. This meant Lewisâs own songs were pushed into the background, onto B sides, in favour of cover-versions of soul classics and newly written pop fayre. Woman Overboard was released in 1977 and was very much a compromise between Lewis and the label: plenty of silky-smooth soul, pleasant though not particularly inspiring. What it does have are three outstanding songs, all completely distinct, which makes it a must-have for fans! First up is âBonfireâ, written for her by ex-squeeze Cat Stevens, which sadly only just dented the top 30. Next, thereâs a beautiful version of âThe Moon and Iâ from Gilbert and Sullivanâs The Mikado. This girl could handle opera with the best of them, and even though itâs a slightly less formal rendition, itâs not going to cause Arthur Sullivan any swivels in his coffin! The standout for me is her version of Familyâs âMy Friend, the Sunâ. Itâs a sweet autumnal acoustic, a shimmering masterpiece that still gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. So if you see this album, with its sexy 70s disco diva cover, languishing in a bargain bin, do yourself a favour â liberate it and give it a home immediately!
3. Eric Clapton â Thereâs One in Every Crowd
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The follow-up to Ericâs bestselling comeback LP, 461 Ocean Boulevard, came as something of a disappointment to âSlowhandâ followers, who thought the new laidback Clapton was but a parting phase. This is about as laidback as it gets without actually falling over! After the opening two gospel-flavoured tracks, one of which, âSwing Low Sweet Chariotâ, was rendered in a relaxed cod-reggae style, listeners could be forgiven for not pressing ahead with much enthusiasm. But Side 2 reveals three of Claptonâs most endearing compositions from this period: âBetter Make it Through Todayâ is a touching, heartfelt prayer to self-preservation, presumably inspired by the recent therapy and cure of his heroin addiction. Next up, âPretty Blue Eyesâ and âHighâ are vintage badge-esque melodic, bluesy pop songs that Clapton excelled at writing during the late 60s and early 70s. Itâs not a masterpiece by any stretch but does contain some absolute gems and is definitely worth reinvestigation. Plus, itâs got a very cute dog on the coverâŚ
4. Rod Stewart â Smiler

I donât know what it is about 1974 but this seemed to be the year that established artists delivered albums that the critics dismissed as not up-to-scratch. Prime example was Rodâs Smiler. It has all the ingredients of previous smash hit sellers: âEvery Picture Tells a Storyâ and âNever a Dull Momentâ with the (or most of the) Faces backing him up, a âMaggie Mayâ/You Where it Wellâ-style single & co-write with Martin Quittenton in âFarewellâ, and some cracking cover versions in Sam Cookeâs âYou Send Meâ, Berryâs âSweet Little Rock âNâ Rollerâ, the obligatory Dylan cover (which is better than the original) âGirl From the North Countryâ and a couple of top-grade, top-mates contributions in Eltonâs âLet Me Be Your Carâ and âMine For Meâ from Sir Lord of Macca! What it also has, however, is a slightly dodgy sleeve design with Rod resplendent in his 19th-century silks and satins facing out from an antique mirror laid on top o f a tartan cloak. A bit too Scottish for most of us (especially as he was from North LondonâŚ). That apart, thereâs much vintage Rod to enjoy here, so ignore the sleeve art and dig in!
23rd March 2020 – Takeaway Service Compulsory!
Sad to say that for obvious reasons we now feel compelled to shut the shop as of this evening for an indefinite period (hopefully not for too long!). We will be loading as much stock as we possibly can onto our Discogs page, including new releases and plenty of new additions to our vintage vinyl as well- so please keep checking out our facebook page for our top picks! If you see anything you like then you can buy directly from our Discogs [https://www.discogs.com/user/CasbahRecords], or get in touch with us and pay by paypal or card and we will post it out to you. When the sun does rise again, we’ll see you all again in person. In the meantime, please keep buying our records, because we are nice people!

Black Friday RSD event!
Hey there pop pickers! We’ll be stocking a cool selection of limited releases for the Black Friday mini Record Store Day event. Here’s a run down of some of the artists we’ll have:
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SLIPKNOT, LOU REED, ALICE COOPER, THE DOORS, THE JB’S, THE HOLD STEADY, HERBIE HANCOCK, MILES DAVIS (two different titles), NAS, EDAN (U.S 60’s psych/soul), KINGS OF LEON, PEARL JAM, ELVIS, JEFF BUCKLEY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, HENDRIX, JOE SATRIANI, ARCADE FIRE, U2, THE COMET IS COMING, JAMES BROWN, PAUL McCARTNEY, ROYAL TRUX, ALBERT HAMMOND JR, BUFFY SAINT MARIE, NICK LOWE, T. RUNDGREN, FREDDY KING, BILL EVANS, STEPPENWOLF, WILLIE COLON, IAN & SYLVIA.
COMPILATION TITLES/VARIOUS ARTIST TITLES include: ‘More Oar’ , ‘Jingle Workshop’, ‘ File#733: U.F.O’ Motown Rarities compilation’, Daptone label’s ‘Rhythm Showcase’.
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We’ll open at 10.30am as usual. Same rules as RSD proper apply (first come first served, one title per person, etc.). We’ll also have a poster in the window with the above and how many copies we’ve got of each. If you want more detailed info on the titles released you can go to the RSD website here (https://recordstoreday.co.uk/news/posts/2019/record-store-day-black-friday-to-take-place-29th-november/). Also, unfortunately the Zappa and the Madonna titles have been cancelled as they were not going to be ready in time.
See you down at the front, eager pop pickers!!
Ten Films That Inspired Tarantinoâs âOnce Upon A Time in Hollywoodâ
In honour of the ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’ soundtrack to the Tarantino film, which was released last week, and in celebration of our new window display inspired by the film, here we have collected our pick of the Ten films that inspired ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’… Enjoy!
1. Cactus Flower
Frothy Rom-Com featuring Walter Matthauâs straight, middle-aged man romancing and seeing life anew from Goldie Hawnâs fresh, flower child perspective. She also happens to work in a groovy local record store (which is, from our point of view, worth watching for this fact alone)!
2. Easy Rider
All-time great hippie outsider film that spawned a thousand biker films in its wake⌠and probably the most popular wall-art of the decade! With an absolute killer soundtrack, it explores some of the darker aspects of American Sixties society. Featuring two standout performances by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.

3. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Classic film from 1969, set in amongst Californiaâs professional class turmed swinger circle, featuring Elliott Gould, Robert Culp, Dyan Cannon and Natalie Wood.

4. Wrecking Crew
Third and probably the weakest of the Matt Helm trilogy, starring Dean Martinâs over-the-top macho spy and adventurer. Quite a lazy film, luckily saved by Sharon Tateâs sparky character, which features her fight scene as curated by then marshal arts coach Bruce Lee.
5. Model Shop
One groovy soundtrack, featuring the band Spirit! Portraying the seedier side of Sixties Los Angeles. Directed by French legend Jacques Demy, who also directed the ground-breaking films âUmbrellas of Cherbourgâ and âLolaâ.
6. Hammerhead
One of the few British films that have made it onto Tarantinoâs list of name-checked movies, and for good reason. A tough and gritty British thriller with an international conspiracy theme, featuring a host of British stalwarts including Judy Geeson, Diana Dors and Peter Vaughan. A hard one to track down and rarely screened, but worth the effort as it is a real gem!

7. Enter The Dragon
Bruce Lee was catapulted from Hollywood TV star/fight coach to stardom with this marshal arts classic! Need we say moreâŚ

8. The Valley Of The Dolls
Probably Sharon Tateâs best acting performance! The film depicts three women who are all trying to make it in show business. When they finally do, they discover that it is not all that it is cracked up to be, with Tateâs character resorting to making porn in order to make ends meet. An exposĂŠ on the pitfalls of the Hollywood dream.

9. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
All time classic Spaghetti Western by Sergio Leone, with Clint Eastwoodâs poncho-wearing hero shifting cigars from one side of his mouth to the other in every other close-up, all whilst dealing with a host of Mexican bandits and wrong-uns out to get him. Featuring the classic Morricone score (the essence of which seems to crop up in most of Tarrantinoâs films) and epic, nerve-crunching shoot-outs.
10. Beyond The Valley of The Dolls
Similar in theme but a million miles away in style and content from the Valley of the Dolls! This is a story of a girl band travelling out to California to make it big on the Pop scene, journeying through the highs and lows of sixties counterculture. Featuring some amazing clips with The Strawberry Alarm Clock and a host of quotable lines, not least âthis is my happening, and it freaks me out!â
It’s All In A Name
Hard to imagine it these days, but back in the late Sixties and early Seventies many artists had a cushy little sideline performing hits of the day for compilations on budget labels such as Top Of The Pops, Saga, Rediffusion and Hallmark. There was also a craze for making uncredited guest appearances on friendâs records, mainly due to record company rules at the time. Was that not Mick Jagger in the background on Carly Simonâs ‘You’re So Vain’? Isn’t that Rod singing lead on ‘In A Broken Dream’ by Python Lee Jackson? John & Paul sang on the Stone’s ‘We Love You’; Clapton played
Roy Wood of Wizzard was, at the time of his huge hit ‘See My Baby Jive,’ dating TV and pop singer Ayshea Brough. Ayshea sang backing vocals and performed with them on Top Of The Pops, (sadly now wiped by the BBC). Roy then wrote, played on and produced what was essentially a Wizzard track for Ayshea called ‘Farewell’. Even the dream combination of Wood, Harvest Records and Panâs People couldn’t get her a hit though!

The bubblegum pop song ‘You’re Ok With Us’ that accompanied the TV commercial for ‘Us’ underarm deodorant was sung by David Essex. This was released as a single before Essex-mania well and truly took hold.
All this led to much debate in the school playground, especially when it became known that certain popular superstars had been moonlighting in their pre-fame days and earning a few extra quid by doing session work for covers LP’s. These records were hugelyÂ

Elton John was the king of the cover version around 1970, before ‘Your Song’ hit the charts. There are some fabulous versions of songs like ‘Spirit In The Sky,’ ‘Yellow River’ and âBaby Loves Lovin’â to be found on Top Of The Pops and the Chartbusters labels. These records are much sought after by Elton fans and can still be found at boot sales and charity shops for

This trend continued in the Rock underground scene, too. Thin Lizzy made a whole album of Deep Purple covers under the name of Funky Junction. Sixties Freakbeat band The Eyes made a tribute to the Rolling Stones on the Wing label under the nom de plume of The Pupils (get it?). The budget album of Raga pop by Sagram, ‘Pop Explosion Sitar Style’ on the Windmill label, was in fact the Acid folk band Magic Carpet. They, along with singer Alisha Sufit, went on to make a much sought after self-titled album on the Mushroom label.


Space Rock band Hawkwind did their super-fan sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock
There’s
“The Ones That Got Away”
Jessie Baylin, ‘Strawberry Wind’
New West Records, 2018.
I’m as guilty as anyone of letting Strawberry Wind slip under the radar! It should have been in my albums of the year, without a doubt. I was playing it through the other day and it’s an absolute gem of a record. Full of hooks and great melodies. Tracks like ‘In The Summertime’ and ‘Dream Catcher. invoke a woozy classic Sixties pop mixed with easy/bacharach style. The general vibe is of childlike wonderment at the world and if you appreciate Carole King, The Carpenters, sunshine pop you’ll absolutely love this!
“I Can’t Believe We’ve Still Got These!”
Here we celebrate some cult underground gems and some plain old classics, which for some inexplicable reason are still around…
The Sallyangie, ‘Children Of The Sun’
A must have for any fans of British acid folk from the halycon days of the late Sixties. Recorded by brother and sister Sally and Mike Oldfield, this LP has some stunning melodies and guitar playing. Sally Oldfield’s vocals are beautifully sung in a ‘she could only be from England’ style and the guitar playing from brother Mike, indespersed with some lovey flute garnishes, are as exceptonal as you’d expect!
Not available on CD at the moment, so even more reason to snap this one up on glorious gatefold vinyl.
We have a UK original gatefold laminted sleeve on the Transatlantic label, 1969 issue. The sleeve is in excellent condition with just some light creases and foxing. The record plays great and only has a very minor bit of background noise on the quieter moments. Dreamy!
Here’s a taster of the record!
Steve Tilston, ‘An Acoustic Confusion’
Some lovely period artwork draws you into this album straight away. Looks great and itdoesn’tdissapoint. The songs are acoustic and melodic in a wistful folky style. Steve’s vocals are not a million miles away from Nick Drake and Al Stewart, particularly the latter. Any fans of those two should be keen as mustard to pick this one up.
We have a UK original pressing from 1971 on the Village Thing label. The sleeve and record are in near mint condition. A fab copy!
Here we have “I Really Wanted You”, one of the tracks from the LP:
Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band, ‘Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band’
You can’t fail to be intriged by the stunning artwork and by the cult Argo label- anything on Argo is at worst incredibly interesting! This is very much in the Trad/medieval folk rock genre. A really unusual sound. It was put together by a combination of music ensembles: St George’s Canzona (a Derby-based folk band), The Druids and Trevor Crozier’s Broken Consort. Add some seasoned Jazz players to the mix and what could go wrong!
I’ve never seen it for sale or sold this album in my thirty-odd years of buying and selling, so it’s a real rarity.
We have a UK original from 1973 on the Argo label. Sleeve in excellent condition as is the vinyl. Dreamy!
Here’s “Past Time With Good Company”, for a taste of Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band!