Supermax 'Fly With Me'

Supermax 'Fly With Me'

Cosmic rock tip from 1979. Supermax were an Austrian group formed in 1976 who fused spacey synth disco with dub, rock and other assorted influences to create a pretty unique sound. Supermax were the first multiracial band to tour South Africa. Despite regular death threats they played 21 shows, causing quite a political stir in the process and earned lead man Kurt Hauenstein "no-entry" status to several countries as a result.

Hot Chocolate 'Bump And Dilly Down'

Hot Chocolate 'Bump And Dilly Down'

Hidden away on the B-side to a distinctly average single called 'Changing World' off Hot Chocolate's debut album 'Cicero Park' is this little funk excursion, featuring cool organ squiggles and the Brixton outfit's notoriously tight percussion elements. Quite what to "bump and dilly down" means doing is anyone's guess.

Son Seals 'Hot Sauce'

Son Seals 'Hot Sauce'

Searing blues guitar heat from one of the unsung heroes of the discipline. If you're going to embark on a 'curry challenge' (ask in the comments section for rules and regs) then this is the kind of tunage you need to to help focus and pass the finish line.

The Gaturs 'Gatur Bait'

The Gaturs 'Gatur Bait'

Butt-kicking swamp-funk in the vein of fellow Bayou inhabitants The Meters. Seriously laid-back and heady grooves primed for the lengthening evenings ahead. Willie Tee leads the charge on this one with amphibious keyboard riffs that are guaranteed to bring out the alligator smile in you.

Donnie & Joe Emerson 'Give Me A Chance'

Donnie & Joe Emerson 'Give Me A Chance'

A taster from the very recent vinyl-only compilation of cosmic oddities compiled by Light Sounds Dark and Psychemagik called 'After The Void'. There should be a few copies still floating around if you're quick and its a worthy investment containing everything from crazed proto-techno drum tracks from unknown German synth pioneers, to the above selection. The cover of Donnie & Joe Emerson's 'Dreamin Wild' gives absolutely no indication of the quality held within, rather its the type of cover you laugh out loud at, then study a bit closer, and then avert your gaze from rather sheepishly and slightly repelled.

Jr. & His Soulettes 'Thing, Do The Creep'

Jr. & His Soulettes 'Thing, Do The Creep'

Preposterously gifted and funky young family from Oklahoma led by Harold Moore Jr. (aged 10) on guitar and backed up by his sisters Vinita Marie (9) on bass, Denise Marshall (7) on drums and Jacquelyn Marshall (6!) on waw-waw organ. This 1971 LP is a holy grail for funk collectors. Allegedly almost all of the original 300 copy run of the album were damaged beyond repair when they were shrinkwrapped on a meat packing machine in a classic DIY effort that went tits up.

Terry Reid 'Live Life'

Terry Reid 'Live Life'

Terry Reid's career was littered with what-if's and he is probably most famous for turning down an offer to be lead vocalist in Jimmy Page's new band after The Yardbirds - basically an embryonic form of Led Zeppelin. Aretha Franklin commented in 1968: "There are only three things happening in London, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Terry Reid." High praise indeed. For more info on Terry including extensive biographical notes by dusty, bearded rock gnomes check out The Terry Reid Temple website.

Larry Jon Wilson 'Melt Not My Igloo'

Larry Jon Wilson 'Melt Not My Igloo'

Got turned on to the brilliance of LJW whilst watching Heartworn Highways - a docu-film about country music featuring Townes Van Zandt, Steve Young and Guy Clarke among other outlaw country musicians, which itself comes highly recommended. Check out Larry in action on a clip from the film here performing 'Ohoopee River Bottomland'. Not only does he come across as an extremely good lad, but his awesome barritone voice and soulful take on Southern rock, occasionally laced with driving funk undercurrents on three consistently good albums from the seventies, makes it hard to understand why he wasn't more widely lauded for his efforts. Here he warns of Eskimo gravy being pretty cold. Thanks for the heads-up Mr. Wilson.

Steve Cropper, Pop Staples & Albert King 'Opus De Soul'

Steve Cropper, Pop Staples & Albert King 'Opus De Soul'

With ingredients as strong as they were for this particular brew of jam, the results were possibly in danger of canceling each other out. Fortunately this wasn't the case as the young Steve Cropper (of Booker T & The MGs and Blues Brothers fame) gelled with head honcho of The Staples and bluesman Albert King for a rare old, 3-way guitar jamboree.

Earl Hooker 'Two Bugs In A Rug'

Earl Hooker 'Two Bugs In A Rug'

Earl Hooker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi as first cousin to John Lee, but moved to Chicago at the age of one. He spent the lion's share of his productive life playing blitzing, shit-hot guitar as a session man in the studio and on the road. There are scarce few recordings of Earl, but this album (called 'There's A Fungus Amung Us' due to advancing Tuberculosis in the bluesman in the early '70s) represents some of his best sides. The entirely instrumental album features a ragged patchwork of steel slide guitar, rugged rhythm section, stabbing organs, and sax, which serve to knock the edges off an underlying blues framework to create an altogether more funky and amiable monster. The slightly incongruous sleeve artwork by cult cartoonist Robert Crumb adds to the ramshackle charm.

Eric Burdon and War 'Magic Mountain'

Eric Burdon and WAR 'Magic Mountain'

Despite being released in 1976, this album contains live recordings of the band captured between 1969 and 1971. Probably made available for contractual reasons, the material is nevertheless highly enjoyable, with long interpretations of 'Paint It Black' and 'A Day In The Life' taking up one side of the record. Magic Mountain sounds like the place to be. According to the old saying, what goes up must come down, but this basic law of gravity clearly didn't get in the way of Eric's vision in the making of this song.

Dennis Coffey Trio 'Let The Sunshine'

Dennis Coffey Trio 'Let The Sunshine'

Instrumental-ish funk rock cover of 5th Dimension's Liberty single 'Aquarius/Let The Sunshine' for a grey, wet start to February.