This old-skool reggae tune comes not from Jamaica but a Japanese production outfit – and features a toaster from Brazil. 

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Ronnie Spector was already a star with The Ronettes when Phil Spector launched his new label with her first solo single under the name ‘Veronica’.

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Roy Buchanan was overlooked rather than underrated as a guitarist. No one who heard him could fail to have been impressed by his talent.

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Guitar legend Mick Ronson performed this magical instrumental, showcasing his unique style, with the Hunter-Ronson Band shortly before his death.

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Rarely has a band changed direction quite so radically, frequently and successfully as The Thompson Twins.

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I’ve never been able to make up my mind whether I like the Lambrini Girls for their shouty punk energy or hate them, probably for the same reason.

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Isaac Hayes is such a natural star: muscular and shaven-headed with a deep and surprisingly sensitive voice, underpinned by funky, lavishly orchestrated jams.

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‘Allo… When this came out half a century ago we all went around copying Ian Hunter’s greeting that kicks off his debut solo single Once Bitten, Twice Shy.

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WhoMadeWho are a Danish trio from Copenhagen with an ever-evolving array of diverse musical influences who began in the mid-2000s.

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Obviously there’s no ‘good’ way to die but to lose your life in a house fire, as Jill Sobule has done, must rank among the most unfortunate and unpleasant of all. (more…)