Rich Beggar

Washed ashore on a lonely island in the sea is my latest guest, hip-hop lyricist, singer, songwriter, aspiring actor and radio personality Prem Sharma... aka Rich Beggar.

Currently presenting 'The Story SOUL Far on Soulstice Radio 24, Rich Beggar is no stranger to the world of radio, having appeared as guest artist, interviewee and talk panellist on many stations including BBC Radio 1, BBC Asian Network, Club Asia, Choice FM and UK Obsession FM. Using the pseudonym 'Just Prem', his first weekly radio show 'The Watershed Show' was broadcast on yesteryears folded Community Radio and  NTL Channel 8 - ACR FM.

Aside from radio, Rich Beggar is an accomplished singer, songwriter, rapper and live performer, with several recordings in genres of music ranging from Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Soulful House, D'nB and Asian Desi... receiving critical acclaim, laudatory reviews and chart topping success in the UK as well as Europe, Atlantic Stateside and Asian Music territories alike. 

When signed to Universal Music Group, Rich Beggar featured R&B vocals on the Indian No.1 smash hit 'Dil Jaania' - 'Bombay Bronx 2 album'.

Rich Beggar has recently featured on 'Global Music Unites' a digital-only album of exclusive tracks previously unavailable for download on any platform for release as a limited edition. 'Global Music Unites' brings together artists and musicians from the US and UK to raise funds for three charities - SOS Villages in Zambia,  Mission Direct (also working in Zambia) and The Hunger Project.

A freelance movie actor, Prem was credited as a 'Heavy' in the 2009 BIFA and BAFTA award nominated feature film 'Shifty' (also featuring on the 'Shifty Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' album alongside other guest artists :  Sway, Plan B, Riz MC & DJ Trax).  

Prem was also nominated for 'Best Actor' at the 7th Annual BFM International Film Festival for his debut acting role in the award winning short film 'mORALLY Speaking' made by award winning British Film Director, Lawrence Coke.

"My earliest recollections are of banging on any solid surfaces I could get my hands on around the house, trying to imitate the sounds of drums (be they American funk or traditional Indian) and drowning out loud vocals copying popular songs heard on the radio or from my mothers infinite Indian music cassette collection...  those good old grey and black BASF cassette tapes."

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Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home

"One of my favourite Luther Vandross (cover/per se) ballads and in my opinion it unashamedly and explicitly defines the sheer delicacy, intricacy, conviction, control & adroit key fundamental elements and embodiment of a ballad, with Luther giving the new listener, fan, peer or student a masterclass performance on how a ballad should be sung and ought to sound like. 

This track has Luther’s inimitable, flawless and dexterous trademark style, stamp, delivery and polished poise written all over it, proving ‘how’ and validating ‘why’ he was regarded as an unprecedented and highly gifted unique singer, vocalist and legendary Soul/R&B icon of 20th & 21st Century for many like myself and no doubt still will be for generations to come.

I’d been first introduced to Luther Vandross in early 80’s by my (then teenage) sister Sunita (notably; ‘Never Too Much’, ‘Forever For Always For Love’ & ‘The Night I Fell In Love’) sowing the Soulful seeds in my psyche during bedtime solitary Sony Walkman wayfarer nights. However, this track holds fonder memories of me beginning to appreciate Luther’s richness, value and the vocal art form that Soul/R&B music had to offer.

A time when I really stopped in my ‘disco/electro/hip-hop/pop/new romantics’ tracks, stood up and paid closer attention to it and caught the incurable SOUL BUG of wanting to listen & explore more and more authentic Soul music... not to mention attempt to emulate Mr Vandross at any given opportunity. 

I still vividly and laughably remember to this day when I was too young to attend his 1986 London Wembley Stadium 'Give Me The Reason' Album Tour Concert by myself or with friends, that I was sanctioned the ‘lame, yet better than nothing’ permission to stay up late on a school night to record it off the TV onto one of my mum’s precious hidden away BASF VHS Video Tapes. Thereafter, I would maniacally rush home in my lunch break (wolfing my sandwiches with one hand, can of Top Deck lemonade shandy clutched in the other, satchel round my shoulder… pegging it down road after road weaving crossroad traffic narrowly avoiding being run over by a Ford Cortina) back to an ‘empty house’ (while mum, dad & older siblings were at work) only to religiously re-enact the recorded BASF VHS concert in the living room with TV on full blast… equipped with my dad’s marble cone shaped Phillips screwdriver (my trusty makeshift mic) trying to hit n hone all the unreachable Luther notes, making Luther facial expressions and striking all the Luther poses & camp choreography.. all the while convincing myself 'I was Luther' and the 'Wall Mirror was my Wembley Stadium'. "

Glen Jones - Show Me

"Albeit a smash hit and his signature tune... this song is my absolute all-time favourite, heartfelt and most cherished of all Glenn Jones songs as it once again holds such fond and fun memories of my coming of age adolescence.

I was introduced to 'Show Me' by my older brother Rav (Ravi)... it featured on one of his Soul Searching Volume One album cassette tapes released by Jive back in 1987, which he so kindly passed down to me (that’s after him buckling to years of my begrudging, begging, bribes & blackmail) along with Volume Two that I still sentimentally own both to this day as priceless prized possessions.

I fell in love instantly with 'Show Me' from the intro adlibs and opening bar on verse 1; “I’ve been watching you just to see how far you would go”… His voice was (and still is) so uncontrovertibly rich, real, explosive, powerful, thick, pure and sure in tone, texture and timbre that it grabbed me straight away. Not to mention his dizzying heights high register falsetto that was humanly inconceivable and seismically off the Richter scale, insane and unimaginably achievable for my impressionable, pubescent and explorative ears at that time.

I would rewind, replay and imitate any of his falsetto parts with a loud squawk for hours on end until I realised my parents had been yelling “vill ju please shuuut uuup Prem” from downstairs, neighbours banging our bedroom walls with “turn it in’.. will ya!”, my underdeveloped deep voice more confused and abused than ever and my treasured Soul Searching cassette confiscated and hidden once again by my beloved browbeater brother leaving me bereft, blubbering and blue pining for its return back to the tape deck.

I have had the honour and absolute pleasure of sharing this story on a few occasions with Glenn Jones (or ‘The Ambassador of Voice’ as I’ve personally dubbed him) while swilling a few glasses of wine and discussing our favourite vocalist and songs. That on the last occasion, much to my delightful surprise, while rapping new material and then singing an impromptu 'Eye of The Sparrow' acappella backstage at one of his concerts, he serendipitously joined in mid-way all the way to the end until we both finished the very last note together with a jubilant and celebratory hi-five. It was definitely one of the most memorable moments in my life which I’ve jarred forever and cherish.

So this song would without a doubt would be one I’d regularly listen and sing along to on my deserted island and perhaps one with its eardrum piercing ultrasonic falsetto might even invite some unannounced game for me to hunt and feast on! "

Mint Condition - Pretty Brown Eyes

"Mint Condition is unquestionably my best-loved band of all time and will continue to be for many more years to come!

Those who know me well enough and long enough can testify that I’ve always been an ardent die-hard fan, loyal FOOM and staunch supporter of their sound, style, movement and almost underground cult following since their impacting debut “Meant To Be Mint” import album hit our UK shores & specialist stores back in 1991 on Perspective Records.

Their soulful Sheppard and crooning Chieftain; lead singer Stokley Williams is my most influential and revered (‘desert island’) vocalist of vocalist’s… given a choice to be stranded with only one vocalist on our planet, without any hesitation it would definitely be Stokley who I’d select and study under close aural observation and Stroboscopic analysis. His ‘Lyric Tenor’ (G2-G#5 3 Octaves & 1 Semitone) earth, glass & Wurtzite Boron Nitride shattering range, masterly command of pitch, vocal register, resonance, pupil dilating jazz scatting contortionism and breath defying control - coupled with each band member’s musicianship of an authentic animated unfeigned and uncompromising high calibre makes them an unsurpassable SOULsonic force and consummate ensemble yet to be second and reckoned with.

Their eclectic Soul, R&B, Jazz, Rock, Indie, Funk, Salsoul, Hip Hop, Soca sounding gumbo genre they single-handedly created, carved, coined and still cater for salivating Mint-Head’s on bended knees devotees like myself …“served over wild rice with a hint of mint sauce” – (as they so aptly describe it on their 1992 “From The Mint Factory” album’s “Gumbo” interlude). As for “Pretty Brown Eyes”… well it was just the first of their songs I heard that got me hooked in perpetuum after stumbling over it on a quotidian looking half snapped shabby cased TDK D60 muffled sounding cassette mixtape that my Soulboy friend Shyam lent me that he’d acquired from his hometown of Harrow, West London. 

Le reste est de l'histoire!!! "

Gary Taylor - Take Control

"I first discovered Gary Taylor in the fall of 1994 while studying at Kingston University in Surrey. At the time I was dating an overseas fine arts student, Deborah from Trinidad. While she was brushing her canvass and fervently yapping away in her colourfully oscillating thick Trini accent, I had one ear on mute and one eye inconspicuously fixated in the direction of my trustee tape deck’s pause & record button transitorily pressed down with my twitchy index finger by my side stealthily lying in wait on standby mode for any ephemeral soulful gems and bewitching biscuits to appear amongst the irksome and invasive vines of predictable poppycock bubble-gum diluted R’n’B drool that ‘was and still does’plague the radio (commercial compulsory popular playlist driven stations ONLY) for me to advance, attack & claim as a cassette classic.

Low and behold, a bolt from the blue and total game changer came along to literally whisk me off my feet and it took the form and title of 'Take Control'. From the attosecond of its opening signature slow-jam laden much favoured sound, gut winded kick drum & unusually echoed esoteric snare, I remember entering into an instant tunnel vision trance state and leaping off the bed in lightning-speed diving for the pause button like a death-defying goalie about to save a closing penalty shoot-out for the world cup final. The dive was a success (minus a superficial carpet burn to my knee & funny elbow crash into the corner of Deborah’s unforgiving mahogany oak wooden study desk) and I managed to record a momentous song which propelled my love for Soul Music into an even more deep-seated state and riveting realm that has since dictated and governed my sweet-tooth compulsion and passion for “mature meaningful grown-folk adult soul”.

Moreover, in stark contrast to my last two adored and admired vocalists, I find Gary Taylor’s voice to be more gentler, controlled, comforting, cosy, cushiony, affecting, poignant, patient, effortless, subtle, soothing, sensual, spiritual and even hypnotic to the point you forget your even listening to a singer singing a song on a CD, as he reaches so deep inside your own soul that you feel as if the internal monologues of your inner voice inside of you have now been given a vocal cord & tongue that’s managed to crawl from out of your ears and is now sat on the crown of your head audibly narrating the same sentiments your subaqueous sub-consciousness silently shares, thinks, analyses relates and feels, yet seldom ever announces or addresses them in such a categorically evocative, eloquent and articulate way that Mr Taylor manages to. His allusive lyrics, haunting chords,seductive synth effects and uniquely undertone stylised voice are like a 60 minute mawkish soul cleansing shrink session with profound, philosophical, reflective, infectious, mesmerising & uplifting holistic healing qualities that I always benefit from listening to GT. My all-time favourite lyricist/songwriter on planet earth... hands-down! 'Mature Adult Soul' at its very finest of the highest calibre anywhere to be found, heard, experienced and appreciated.

I wholeheartedly thank you and salute you Gary Taylor and let’s hope the long awaited 9th album (8 years in the waiting) 'Acoustic Therapy' is released before I’m stranded without a disc on Bill Fordham’s deserted island that silently awaits me! "

John Klemmer - But Are You Beautiful Inside

"I stumbled upon this stunning and sublime (yet equally sombre and sorrowful) sax solo, again back in the fall of 1994. It was the legendary transatlantic Soul & Funk DJ/Radio Jock Greg Edwards who played this very late into the night on his then ‘The Bridge’ show on Jazz FM. 

All I can succinctly say on this is that every second of John Kelmmer’s saxophone adds up to the sum total of my life thus far. For when I am no more and expire on either home ground soil or the sandy shores of a deserted island, I would wish this and only this to be played in my remembrance as a musical elegy."

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The 'Global Music Unites' album featuring Rich Beggar is available through iTunes and you can use the album cover link below to get it from Amazon :

Check out Rich Beggar's Story SOUL Far on Soulstice Radio 24 :

Catch up on the latest and past show podcasts from Prem's Rich Beggar Mixcloud site :

Also, well worth checking out is the Rich Beggar website :

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Mark Baxter

My latest guest to be washed ashore on a lonely island in the sea is writer Mark Baxter... a former shop and club owner with a passion for '60s clothing, Tubby Hayes and Millwall Football Club.

Whilst employed in a succession of admin jobs in the newspaper and property industry, Bax has also lead another life as a DJ, event organiser, managing musicians and writer. 

"My mentor in the world of writing is Paolo Hewitt. I first met Paolo properly in 2000. Since then we have collaborated on three books. The first, 'The Fashion of Football', was voted as one of the top 50 football books of all time by 442 magazine. 

Our second book, 'The Mumper', has been made into a feature length film, called 'Outside Bet' which hit the cinemas in the UK on April 27th 2012. Starring Bob Hoskins, Jenny Agutter, Calum MacNab and Phil Davies. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Our third book was published through Prestel in May 2012 and is called 'The A-Z of Mod' with a foreword by actor Martin Freeman

I have also had a local history book published called 'Walworth Through Time' written with Darren Lock. This looks at the area of SE17, and has sold extremely well locally. A second volume was published in June 2012 and a new third volume is due at the end of 2014

A six month exhibition based on our book The Fashion of Football run at The National Football Museum in Manchester til August 2013.

A new novel called 'Elizabeth, Peter and Me' was published on November 18th 2013 on Mono Media Books."

Tony Bennett - The Best Is Yet To Come

"My exposure to music in the first place, would have been through my dad. On Sunday mornings, he would put on the songs as he got ready to go out for a few pints of the lunchtime and among the tunes I would hear back then ( I was born in 1962)  would be the 'pop' sounds of the mid late 60s, such as The Beatles and Motown with all the stops in between. 

However, he was also a well known pub/club singer in and around South East London where I grew up and he loved the likes of Sinatra/Tony Bennett/Eddie Fisher and especially Nat King Cole. I would often end up at his  venues with him as a kid and was soaked in the standards that he would sing. A group of his pals would always be there and one song that has stuck as a sort of anthem for those days is 'The Best Is Yet To Come' by Tony Bennett, a song I still love and one that reminds me of the old man immediately (Sadly he died in the year 2000).  I constantly thank him for that musical education."

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Giving Up

"I have a distinct memory of running around my school playground in the late 60's singing 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch' over and over again, and songs like that one and others from the Motown stable still get me every time to this day when I hear them. 

One artist who I'm particularly fond of is Gladys Knight who along with her Pips, made some crackers, one of which I'm having as track two. 'Giving Up' is a song I have seen them do live (from gig in Harlem in 1969 I believe) and everything about it, from the dance routine, to the suits The Pips are wearing, to the vocal performances are different class. Great song too."

The Jam - Butterfly Collector

"By 1979, I was finding myself immersed in the second generation Mod thing. We saw Quadrophenia at the cinema and then I was identifying with the sounds/look and ultimately the lyrics of The Jam. 

Paul Weller became like the older brother I didn't have and I read anything about him in print religiously and through that I picked up on his nods towards other music and his influences, like The Small Faces and The Who. 

When I think back to The Jam though, it isn't the obvious songs I remember however, like 'Going Underground', 'Tube Station' or 'Eton Rifles'. I seem to think more fondly of 'English Rose' and my third choice 'Butterfly Collector'. Clever lyrics that showed a deeper depth and a sign of what was to come from PW in the future."

Tubby Hayes - Dear Johnny B

"I was by now also discovering Jazz and Northern Soul, being often tipped off on a tune by older lads I was now dodging about with and I was buying as much as I could afford. 

I became a member of Ronnie Scott's Club when aged 23 I think and saw many of the jazz greats there and at other venues. People like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey.

Jazz takes care of my third choice and I've gone for a UK player. I just love the sound of our guys. Ronnie Scott himself was a tremendous tenor man. Phil Seaman was an amazing drummer and Stan Tracey was a genius on the piano (please check out 'Starless and Bible Black') But for me the true great to come from these shores is Tubby Hayes. 

I discovered Tubby on a Paul Murphy compilation album in the mid 80s and have steadily bought his vast back catalogue ever since. His ultimate album is 'Mexican Green' and the tune from that, that I used to play at full volume on my early shifts when I was working in a West End mail room is 'Dear Johnny B'. 

I am in the middle of making a documentary on Tubby to coincide with what would have been his 80th birthday in 2015."

Sam Fletcher - I'd Think It Over

"I always love hearing a new Northern track and I heard my final choice when I saw the play 'Once Upon A Time In Wigan' at The Greenwich Theatre a few years ago now. I knew a lot of the tunes in the show, but 'I'd Think It Over' by Sam Fletcher hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I love the simple but oh so plaintive arrangement and the sumptuous strings backing that great vocal. I NEVER grow tired of it."

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'Hello, my name's Vinny, Vinny Hawkins. I'm an old man now, in my seventies and live in sheltered housing, but when I was twenty-one in 1962, I was out and about, ducking and diving. One day I was dodging about in Soho back then and bumped into an Italian hotel porter mate of mine who told me about this world famous actress who was well known for being, shall we say, casual with her jewellery. Always leaving it all over the place she was. Anyway, up a drainpipe I go and I managed to get my hands on some of those gems. This was the best result I'd ever had. These beauties were worth a fortune and would be my pension. Only, things then went all wobbly on me. All going well and then bosh! My 'fence' has a death in the family with his old mum passing over and my gems seemingly going with her... I got my collar felt for a previous job that earned me a ten stretch and me and that jewellery parted company. When I left prison, I went straight, then retired and moved in here. But, fifty years later, those gems suddenly became important to me and I need to get my hands on them again. To do it, to get them back will involve grave robbing and cracking a safe, but you know what? I think I can do it... The question is, do you?' 

'Elizabeth, Peter and Me' is published by Mono Media Books and is available from Amazon and other major booksellers...  follow the link below :

Mark continues to PR for Bar Italia, Threadneedle Tailors, Delicious Junction Footwear, Gibson London clothing, John Simons Apparel Company, Gama Clothing, Peckham Rye clothing and Nicholson and Walcot 'Hand Made In London'. He also specialises in Brand awareness through the use of social media on various short term contracts.

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Vincent The Soul Chef

I am honoured to have Baltimore's Vincent The Soul Chef as my latest guest castaway, washed ashore on a lonely island in the sea.

Who is The Soul Chef ?

"I'm just a cratedigger who broke into the game way too late as I've said many times before. Although my musical education began with a stack of 45's given to me by my mom and uncles some four decades ago, there are still so many more lessons yet to learn. That first box of records I got as a kid brought so much joy for many years until I finally wore them out...

...and then I started to buy my own records.

I would spend my weekly allowance buying the latest soul 45's from the local department store. It was a ritual that would serve me well for many years to come. Whenever I would go to someone's house, I would always ask if they had records. If they did, I would gravitate toward the collection and study them like textbooks, looking at all the information contained on the labels and covers. I soaked it all up like a sponge, waiting for the golden opportunity to go to the stores and buy my own copies of what I saw.

...then I needed a quality record player.

My mother gave me her old Panasonic. It was a start, but then my uncle came home from the service with his amazing Pioneer components which he still owns to this very day. He boasts about the fact that he hasn't turned them off in decades and they still perform as good as they did when he first took it out if the box way back in the 70's. I would beg him to let me use it, but he said no. Being young and stupid, I would sneak a play or two in when he wasn't home. Of course I got caught, and I got in trouble to boot...

...the education got serious.

I learned those lessons well. I saved my money and bought some better equipment, and of course, I bought more records. At this time, MTV was a brand new invention which opened my eyes and ears to a wealth of new sounds... I learned about New Wave, and surprisingly, I went back in time and discovered the classics, rock and jazz to be specific . My taste in music matured, and subsequently my record collection grew. Even better, the public library turned out to be a valuable reference point where I could borrow lots of vinyl and make good use of the "try before you buy" credo. Eventually, I got a part time job which allowed me the luxury of buying way more records than my small bedroom could handle comfortably. I didn't care though, I wanted the records, and they sounded great on my equipment. Of course, as luck would have it, I had to have better. I started to learn how to mix records like the Hip Hop DJs I saw on television. Sadly, I only had one turntable at the time, but that would soon change...

I bought my first kit...

I started off with two mismatched decks, a cheap mixer and a reasonably powerful system, most of which was secondhand or donated. My taste in music had continued to evolve by this point. I had all the tools necessary to do it just like the personalities I heard on the radio, and I also frequented the nightclubs too, so I quickly became fascinated by watching the DJs up in the booth... I discovered more new and exciting genres, especially Gothic and Alternative, thanks to the circle of friends I hung out with at the time. Compact discs were also coming into their own, so as luck would have it, I grew a huge collection quickly. It didn't hurt that I had landed a dream job working at a record store! I learned about even more different types of music as a result of that experience; it certainly helped that I could afford buying all these new sounds because I got a great discount.

When digital recording became affordable...

I immediately bought a machine. I had been making cassette tapes for over a decade by this point. Tapes sounded great, but when I heard my first mini disc recording... WOW! I could manipulate the recordings after they were done to make them sound just right, too?!? Before, if I made a mistake on a tape, I had to start over. That was so frustrating. I am so glad that someone took the time to develop the technology that would carry me into the new millennium and the future...

Here is where all of my hard work finally pays off...

I finally learned about the power of computer technology, and how to use that power to make my music sound even better by restoring scratchy records and creating high definition audio files, and that subsequently led to crafting high quality mixtapes. That elevated my game in ways I couldn't have imagined just a few years prior, Surprisingly enough, the internet also gave me the opportunity to come full circle, meaning that my music tastes evolved to the point where I rediscovered the old sounds that I loved so much as a kid. That of course is largely due to the countless number of blogs that I had found and continue to follow wherever possible... Not only was I able to restore most of the old records that I destroyed back in the 70's, but I was privileged to meet a whole lot of good people from every corner of the globe who have the same common goal as I do.

That brings me to right here and now. After close to seven years of blogging, learning and sharing, here (www.fufustew.com) is my lasting contribution to the cause; a hopeful legacy that I am extremely proud to have built from scratch. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy the content found within the pages as it is truly a labour of love."

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"Call me an armchair DJ, yes. Call me a lover of music, definitely. I've been collecting music in many and varied formats seriously since I was fifteen, but my real education began when I was five. I've told that story more than once, and will tell it again in its entirety very soon. For all intents and purposes, and to seriously limit myself to five records, I will try to choose one tune from each decade that just floored me and changed my life."

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Got Myself A Good Man 

"In the 70's the one disc that got me started on my quest would have to be 'Got Myself A Good Man' by Gladys Knight & The Pips. It was just one of the many 45's that were handed down to me by my mom and uncles back in 1973. The funk that emanates from this side still just does things to my soul after all this time. The other side may have been the hit ('The Nitty Gritty'), but good God almighty... "

Cocteau Twins - Lorelei

"In the 80's, the amount of music I was exposed to was so varied that it is really hard to pinpoint just one tune. New Wave and Goth permeated my very being during this period, so I will have to choose one of my all time favourite tunes featuring my all time favourite singer, Liz Fraser. At that time the Cocteau Twins were basically all I listened to, so 'Lorelei' has to be the obvious choice. From arguably their best album 'Treasure'."

Spanky & Our Gang - Like To Get To Know You

"In the 90's, I met a woman who introduced me to what we now know as golden oldies. The local station at the time forced me to spend a grip on reissue 45's, all of which I still treasure to this day. The one that stands out above all the rest has got to be Spanky & Our Gang's "Like To Get To Know You". It could have also been "Pretty Ballerina" from The Left Banke, but that would go against the format... "

Rotary Connection - Respect

"At the turn of the century, I was still enamoured by the oldies, but it was then that I discovered and started to acquire Rotary Connection albums and 45's. Without a doubt, the most important track from this grossly underrated Chicago outfit has got to be their cover of Otis Redding's 'Respect'. This version fits in right nicely with the Neo-Soul tunes that were also dominating my listening time, and rightly so since I still contend that the late Minnie Riperton is the unnamed godmother of the movement."

Lyman Woodard Organization - Creative Musicians

"Finally we come to the present day, and my current collection of rare Funk and Soul 45's are basically all I play anymore. There's no conceivable way that I can narrow it down to one favourite track from the assortment of records I've bought since 2003, but if it were an all or nothing decision, I would have to choose 'Creative Musicians' from The Lyman Woodward Organization. Hands down, it is the embodiment of what makes rare funk 45's so appealing in my opinion, plus it has such a wonderful organ groove... "

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If you have enjoyed Vincent's distinctive music choices, then you will love picking up on his mixtapes... click on the banners below to visit some of his excellent sites :

The Soul Chef's Fufu Stew on Mixcloud

The Fufu Stew Blog

Vincent The Soul Chef on Facebook

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Martin Fuggles

My latest guest to be washed ashore on a lonely island in the sea is the legendary Ricky Tick DJ, Martin Fuggles.

In May 1962 Martin Fuggles cut his DJ teeth at The Carlton Ballroom, Slough when Lou Preagar, dance band leader and the owner, asked him to take on the second half of the ‘Sunday Marathon’ as the afternoon DJ, Phil Jay, had another commitment in Hounslow in the evenings. Then in April 1965 he took a significant pay cut (from £3 to £1 a night!) to make the prestigious move to the Ricky Tick.

From its early beginnings in a dark and smoky back room at the Star and Garter in Windsor (where a then unknown band called the Rolling Stones played many times in late 1962 and 1963), the Ricky Tick became an iconic part of the rhythm & blues and mod scene in the mid-60s. 

In April 1964 the club moved to Clewer Mead, the ‘jewel in the crown’ - a big, rambling mansion by the river on the outskirts of Windsor. It was renowned for its unique décor – black walls with large white faces in outline – and was one of the places to go, drawing audiences from many miles away. It even had its own boutique known as the Boutick!

All the top British rhythm and blues acts appeared at the Ricky Tick including (in no particular order) Cyril Davies, Alexis Korner, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, The Yardbirds, Graham Bond, The Stormsville Shakers, Brian Auger, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Moody Blues, Ronnie Jones and the Nightimers, Manfred Mann, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, Zoot Money, Herbie Goins, Downliners Sect, Chris Farlowe, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds, Spencer Davies, The Animals, The Action, Alan Price, Shotgun Express, Amboy Dukes and The Who.

Many American guests also appeared including Stevie Wonder, Ben E King, Rufus Thomas, Lee Dorsey, Arthur Alexander, Lou Johnson, Solomon Burke, Patti LaBelle and her Belles, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Larry Williams with Johnny Guitar Watson, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Inez and Charlie Foxx, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Little Walter, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimmy Reed, Howling Wolf, Roy C, Prince Buster – and even the Rock n Roll legends, Bill Haley and his Comets and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Martin mainly played at the Ricky Tick ‘HQ’ at Clewer Mead then at The Thames Hotel but he also appeared at other Ricky Tick venues in the Home Counties. Martin retired in July 1967 when the Ricky Tick closed and his records were left to gather dust.

After meeting Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson a couple of years earlier to provide some input to his excellent book, "Mods: The New Religion" which was published recently, Martin finally gave in to Paul’s persistence and powers of persuasion and agreed to make a guest appearance at a Ricky Tick Special Club Rude! on February 17^th 2011. After a couple of records Martin felt like he’d gone back in time... although the idea of cueing in records was an alien concept! 

Having got a taste for it again, he now gets behind the turntables whenever he can playing the very same records that he played back in the 60s at the Ricky Tick. He can be heard at various Old Soul and Motown Nights and Ricky Tick revival events.

The Crickets - That'll Be The Day

“In the 4^th and 5^th year at senior school (years 10 and 11 in new money, I think) I sat next to John Eyre in Geography. This was quite an honour and privilege as John was one of the ‘In crowd’ that nearly everyone else looked up to while I was the youngest in the year. One day he sat there tapping the desk and ‘singing’ That’ll be the Day. I went out and bought the record on the strength of that! So began my adulation of Buddy Holly and the Crickets. 

Interestingly Buddy’s name did not appear on the label of the record although Peggy Sue in his name was out at the same time. John and I went to see them at the Kilburn Gaumont State on March 2^nd 1958. Still the best concert I’ve ever been to although recent Impressions gigs have run it very close.”

The Impressions - It's Alright

“To me this record is the epitome of the Ricky Tick. Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions at their very best although there were a lot of other great records by them that I used to play and I’ve Been Trying runs it very close. 

A year or so before I came out of retirement, Smiler had persuaded me to go along to a Club Rude! night to meet Brian Lovegrove who used to go to the Ricky Tick back in the day. Brian started to tell me about the records that I had in effect introduced him to and this was the first one he mentioned. It just had to be the first record I played when I started again on that fateful day and I now nearly always open one of my sets with it.”

Major Lance - Sweet Music

“I often used to play Major Lance’s Um Um Um Um Um Um (no British covers for me!) at the Ricky Tick. One evening a guy called Ray Isaacs (although everyone knew him as George) asked me to play the other side. I loved it from the first hearing and still do. 

I still haven’t worked out what some of the words are! Does it matter? No, of course it doesn’t. It’s just a great track. Sweet music indeed!”

Ace Spectrum - Don't Send Nobody Else

“Since I retired in 1967 a lot seems to have happened in the music scene including something called Northern Soul. As part of my voyage of discovery of what happened since,  Brian and I went on a Soul Cruise with our other halves last year.

Apart from a few early Motown tracks I didn’t recognise most of the tunes that were played although I was very surprised to hear Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharohs and Out of Time by Chris Farlowe. Ricky Tick tracks certainly but Northern Soul? They certainly got a reaction on the dance floor. 

There was one other track that I heard 2 or 3 times that caught my attention – this one. It took a bit of detective work to find out what it was then I had to resort to eBay to get a copy from the States... the only record I bought last year, but I’m glad I did!”

Beth Neilsen Chapman - All I Have

“And now for something completely different! 

For several years during the late 90's and early 00's I used to have a 40+ mile drive to work. I often used to listen to Terry Wogan in the mornings mainly to hear what interesting names he and his correspondents could come up with. He and his producer, Paulie Walters would occasionally play an interesting record and then I heard this one. 

Such a melodic song and meaningful lyrics. More country than anything else but for me there’s something soulful in her voice. I’ve since seen Beth in concert several times and never been disappointed. 

A perfect song to close your eyes and listen to on a deserted island!”

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You will be wanting to experience the sounds of the Ricky Tick - on vinyl - for yourself, won't you ?

So check out Martin's site for the dates of his Soul & Motown Nights and Ricky Tick Revivals with a click on the banner below :

You can also hear Martin guesting on Peter Sinacola's excellent Night Train Show on Soulstice Radio : 

Why not join Martin with Peter Sinacola and Paul Anderson at the Night Train Road Show : 

Now read all about Martin, the Ricky Tick, the music and the faces in Paul Anderson's classic mod bible...  'Mods : The New Religion'

Available now at Amazon, Waterstones and all good booksellers.

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Guida de Palma

I am honoured to have washed ashore on a lonely island in the sea, Singer, Songwriter and Tonmeister, Guida de Palma as my latest guest castaway.

Portuguese born, and classically trained Guida de Palma was only sixteen when bass legend and fallen angel Jaco Pastorius hopped on stage to join her during her very first gigs in Paris. Blessed by this almost divine collaboration, Guida went on singing her way onto various stages across Europe. With her crew of Latin Funketeers, she played support to such top performers as Cab Calloway, Defunkt and Gilberto Gil.

Freshly arrived in the UK, Guida featured on the British Electric Foundation's 'Music Of Quality And Distinction' album alongside prestigious names like Tina Turner, Terence Trent d’Arby, Lala Hathaway and Chaka Khan.

She also joined Californian sax player Ronnie Laws for his European tour, culminating in Montreux Jazz Festival’s rapturous closing night.

Also involved in production, Guida, a certified sound engineer, assisted legendary producer Juni Morrison of P Funk and Ohio Players fame in recording tracks with George Clinton. After working with Dodge City Production, DJ Dorfmeister, Dzihan & Kamien, DJ Disciple and Boyz from Brazil, Guida has evolved from a pure live performance mindset to one of club culture.

Besides her commitment to Jazzinho, Guida also has sung in other bands like Da Lata. She is also the featured vocalist on numerous other albums including Nathan Haynes and Kyoto Jazz Massive. 

Jazzinho (which means “sweet little jazz”) is a mix of Soul, Jazz and Bossa Nova. It is Guida's musical persona.  "A part of me is the vocalist Guida de Palma, another part is the musician interested in production, arrangements and that’s my band: Jazzinho. Guida de Palma exists on her own. Jazzinho is the collective part of my work, my team."

Guida’s first album 'Jazzinho', released in 2003, is a fusion of jazz, Brazilian, '70s FM soul, and any other sound that evokes the image of congas and sequins. Guida produced much of this album with her husband, Stephan Chalangea, joined by Da Lata mastermind Chris Franck, who wrote several of the songs.

The second album, 'Atlas' was released on Adrian Gibson’s label Freestyle in 2006 and produced in London by Ed Motta. Alongside Jazzinho, the list of special guests features seventies legends like vocalist guitarist Hamish Stuart of Average White Band fame, analogue keyboard wizard Max Middleton from the Jeff Beck Band and Free Jazz flugelhorn veteran Harry Beckett. The album also features a remix by Nicola Conte.

Their latest album is 'Veludo' a blend of bossa and samba infused sounds that are both introspective and joyfully outgoing. The first track, 'A Seed In You', was an instant hit with Jazz FM in the UK and features Guida duetting with soul legend Leon Ware... a big fan of Jazzinho and sparked their collaboration which ws released in advance of the rest of the completed project. 'Veludo' is a compact collection of eight enticing original compositions firmly rooted in the traditions of Brazilian music sung in both English and Portuguese with musicians who have played extensively with names like Clapton, Winehouse, Incognito and the Brand New Heavies. The second track from the album,'Abraço da Bossa' has been remixed by Bluey, the man behind Incognito and has just been included on the recently released box set 'Brazil Beats'.

Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness

"This was part of my dad's vinyl collection. He made us 'feel' what he sang. Later on it made me reflect on the importance of the interpretation, the 'living' the lyrics, the building the vocal delivery of a song."

Djavan - Faltando Um Pedaço

"As a young adult I was a huge fan. I still am. This particular song is one about love, passion and pain. I saw him live trying to sing it and weeping each time he tried. It took him three times to finally manage to sing it and the entire crowd wept with him. Powerful and moving."

Archie Shepp -Steam

"My introduction to Jazz came with Archie Shepp and 'Steam', the studio version by Joe Lee Wilson off the album 'Attica Blues'. Hauntingly beautiful strings and a poignant message."

Joyce - Feminina

"This is a wicked song by Brazilian musician Joyce. She's plays a mean guitar and sings effortlessly. It talks about a slice of life in a day of a woman."

Chaka Khan - Be Bop Medley

"Of course, Chaka Khan, 'Be Bop Medley'. This blew me away! Her powerful vocals blowing like a horn section! Produced by Arif Mardin !"

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If you haven't heard 'Veludo', then do yourself a favour and order a copy now. 

Available as a download, a CD or 180 grams audophile vinyl LP... click on one of the links below :

You want to keep updated on Guida de Palma and Jazzinho, right ? Then follow the link below to the website :

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