Thursday, November 22, 2007

Basement Crates: 25 & 26

Yargo: Bedtime For Rio (London, 1987)
Yargo were one of the first bands I really loved that I knew precisely nothing about. All I was sure of was that they were from Manchester, I loved the track Bodybeat and that Basil Clarke - that's him over there - had a really fantastic voice. They were a bit jazz, a bit reggae and a bit indie and, in 1987, that was more than enough. Later, I went with a few friends to see them at Dingwalls in Camden. I remember it for two reasons:
1. I wore a cap-sleeve New Model Army t-shirt, not a sight often seen at a Yargo gig I'm sure.
2: I got so drunk the bouncers didn't even want to let me in. Then, when I did get in, I nearly got chucked straight out again for, well, messing about... Oh the shame...

Anyway - they were great! Now, sadly, there's nothing on You Tube, Wikipedia or Myspace. Basil did a great one off single in about 1993 that I have somewhere, other than that, there's almost nothing.



Lewis Parker, Supa T, Braintax & Profound: Easter Island Heads (SSR, 1999)
Londoner Lewis Parker is a bloody genius and this, fairly obscure track, from a fairly obscure compilation (I think) neatly shows why. For one, it's absurdly funky. For another one, the production (by Braintax) is fatter than a fat woman's fat bits on a particularly fat day of an otherwise hugely fat month. For another, the rappers are all straight from the top drawer. Look, just have it, listen to it, enjoy the lyric about having a "coke'd up twat yapping in my ear" and tell me it's not fantastic... And it is! So don't bother even trying...

8 comments:

davyh said...

My mate Wayne Da Soul Boy has long trumpeted this to me. Do you have? Do you like?

Rob said...

Oh yes - and this is even better...

Anonymous said...

Lewis Taylor or Lewis Parker? Make the mind up.

Mind you Lewis Taylor is good too.

Rob said...

Good point Dan - though that LTaylor album is still great...

James Franco said...

Loving this, but not as good as Dooley O.

Rob said...

James: that is a tune, you're right...

James Franco said...

More of Dooley O on here then please.

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit late here but I remember Yargo. They were really fabulous on The Tube once, with people moving amongst them with bright lights. Basil was a fantastic singer. I don't know if they were ahead of themselves (just before Madchester) or behind themselves (post post punk). They were a bit too unique either way.