Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 42

The Four Tops: Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over (Casablanca, 1982)
From their crucial early-80s period (ahem), this is actually a choon, a gently-orchestrated piece of fast-approaching-middle-age, lover-man jazz-soul balladry that, if you took all the vocals out, would sound exactly like the sort of studio-created, session-musician-heavy pop that used to fill the soundwaves when BBC2 was off the air during the afternoon. Jesus, I used to love that stuff. Butter-soft, driving-gloves-wearing, deck-shoe-tappin', old-school-Radio-2-listening, super-adult-contemporary business. There's a lot more of this sort of thing here, you'll be thrilled to know.

Kathryn Williams: Cream Of The Crop (One Little Indian, 2010)
Now, I'll tell you this for nothing, Ms Williams' new record doesn't exist much on the interquizz yet - it's out in February, I think - but it's bloody great. It is both jazzual and folkish, it is also as relaxed as a bastard. This track has Milt Jackson-like vibes on it and it makes you want to lie on your back with the curtains closed watching reflections from the low lights roll across the ceiling. You see, it's so good it's making me write absolute balls... Check back here soon for more details (probably).