Martin Freeman rejoins Eddie Piller for another 'On The Corner' comp

Along with being a fine actor, Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman is also a fan of dancefloor jazz, funk, soul and yé-yé swingers.  

Here's the scoop...

After a five-year break, Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller return with their latest compilation: ‘On The Corner’ (out October 23 via Acid Jazz Records). While their two previous collections have shone a spotlight quite specifically on jazz and soul, the latest iteration takes a more panoramic approach, taking in those loves, but adding in some British mod stomp, neo-library music and some French yé-yé, as Martin says in his notes.

Martin is of course the multi-award-winning actor famed for The Office, The Hobbit, Sherlock and The Responder, but also for his deep love of music, which brought him to us with these compilations. On this volume he has chosen well, with obscure cuts from Santana and neo-soul from Kadhja Bonet, and Indo-funk from Ashal Puthli. These sit alongside jazz from Gary Burton and Buddy Rich as well as favourite soul 45s, all topped with the wonderful stew of Traffic’s ‘Medicated Goo’.

Eddie founded Acid Jazz Records in 1988 and even before then was a well-known and successful DJ. His sides show the excitement that he still finds in discovering and playing music. Opening with the synth-led Main Theme from UK cult film The Long Good Friday, he selects beautiful soul and jazzy disco, before entering the world of Brit-Funk with cuts by Hi-Tension and Light Of The World. He brings it home via Ace’s ‘How Long’ and some Brian Auger, which sets us up for the Ye-Ye beat of Jacquelin Taieb and Jacques Dutronc.

Showing our modernist roots, the album comes sharply dressed in its Dean Chalkley-photographed Unknown partnership sleeve on Double LP or CD, with notes by both Ed and Martin. The perfect end-of-year present to yourself or the one you love. Watch Eddie Piller's pitch right here. Check out a few audio clips following the tracklisting below. 

Martin Freeman & Eddie Pillar - On The Corner

1. Big Time Operator – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

2. Needle In A Haystack – The Whispers

3. Light Of Life – Santana

4. Vibrafinger – Gary Burton

5. Space Shuttle – Buddy Rich

6. Please Open The Door – Little Charles & The Sidewinders

7. Higher Ground – Doug Carn

8. Procession – Kadhja Bonet

9. Funky Mule – Ike Turner

10. Right Down Here – Asha Puthli

11. Top Brass – Matt Berry*

12. Medicated Goo – Traffic

13. Main Title Theme From Long Good Friday – Francis Monkman

14. I Can’t Keep From Crying Baby Sometimes – The Deidre Wilson Tabac

15. Too Late – Mandrill

16. Wounded Woman – Sandra Wright

17. I’ve Got To Come In – Jean Battle

18. Don’t You Worry Baby, The Best Is Yet To Come – Bessie Banks

19. Don’t Walk Away – General Johnson*

20. Hi Tension – Hi Tension

21. Time – The Light Of The World

22. How Long – Ace

23. Rope Ladder To Th e Moon – Julie Tippets and Brian Auger

24. 7th Du Matin – Jacquelin Taieb

25. Le Responsible – Jacques Dutronc

*2LP Only. Note CD has a different running order

Fleur De Lys' cover of The Who's "Circles" kicks off new Countdown 7" series

Eddie Piller's Countdown label is launching their mod classics 7" series with a freakbeat gem from the legendary Fleur De Lys.  

Here's the scoop from Acid Jazz HQ...

With the first release in our new Countdown ‘Mod Classics’ 7-inch single series - The Fleur De Lys' iconic cover of The Who’s ‘Circles’ - now in stock and set to ship next week, we are getting super excited about the future of this series.

Each record will be presented in a classy new Countdown bag, with a circular ‘chequered flag’ monochrome geometric sleeve. Our second title will be announced next week, and over the coming months we will be unveiling a series of astounding cuts on limited 7-inch vinyl. These will include titles by The Action, Mighty Baby, Shyster, The Mike Cotton Sound, Maxine and The Bo Street Runners.

The Fleur De Lys version of ‘Circles' comes backed with the band’s never-before on 7-inch cover of the Temptations ‘You Got To Earn It’ and is pressed in a run of 500 units on white vinyl. 

Fleur De Lys emerged from the vibrant Southampton scene with a love of Soul and R&B, and were signed to the Immediate label by Tony Calder, who had connections on the South Coast. Their first single was ‘Moondreams’ (produced by Jimmy Page no less), before their incendiary take on ‘Circles’. It proved to be their final release on Immediate, before they signed with Frank Fenter. 

The Pete Townshend song ‘Circles’ was originally slated as The Who’s follow up to ‘My Generation’, before getting caught up in legal matters. The Fleur De Lys version was released to take advantage of The Who’s misfortunes, but it was rush-released and failed to chart. It remains one of the finest slices of the Pop Art Mod sound, and is as fresh today as it was then. 

‘You’ve Got To Earn It’ is from a tantalizing, lost session from 1966 which also included takes of The Impressions ‘Amen’ and Don Covay’s ‘Sookie Sookie. All that survived from the session was an acetate of this amazing cut, found by group member Gordon Haskell, from which this side derives. It was originally released as the title track of the first Fleur De Lys compilation on Acid Jazz in 2013. It has never before been available on 7” vinyl. 

Now is the time to order the Fleur De Lys single, as these won’t be coming around again any time soon. Get it while you can via Bandcamp right here. Have a listen to both sides below. 

Rare Afro-funk album by IPA-Boogie reissued by Acid Jazz Records

The re-release of IPA-Boogie's sought-after 1978 debut album is part of the Acid Jazz's roll out of the Albarika Store treasures.

Here's the scoop...

The Acid Jazz label's exclusive licensing agreement with Albarika Store – the legendary record label that defined the sound of Benin and influenced the entire region of West Africa and beyond – begins an exhaustive look at the archive which will present the label in a way that ensures its historical importance is recognized. 

The first releases will be a series of super-rare and in-demand original albums to be reissued on vinyl. Transferred from the original tapes and mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, they are presented with beautiful artwork and packaging to match the sonics. This is the music as it should be heard. 

IPA-Boogie – is a super rare LP from 1978 that almost never surfaces in good shape. Today even average condition copies can command £500 to £1,000 on the collector's market and for good reason. These are the only known recordings by this obscure band and present the listener with some of the finest Afro-boogie, Afro funk the extensive catalogue has on offer. Get a copy of the IPA-Boogie reissue via Bandcamp right here. Check out "Get The Music Now" and "Jesus Kese Me" below.