7" singles club

...... extolling the virtues of the mighty 7" single


Fancy a Picasso? or maybe a Van Gogh? - that'll be a few million quid then.

On the other hand, you can still pick up a decent condition 7" single for as little as 50p.

Every 7" single represents hour upon hour of songwriting and recording and each captures a moment in time - a piece of culture local to wherever it was recorded. There are literally millions of them and if you find something you like, then you can look for more of the same.

'Vinyl is back in fashion'. No it's not. It's never been out of fashion. Ever since the technology was perfected in the late 40s or whenever, the 7" single has been the pure currency of rock and roll. Up until relatively recently, there isn't a hit song in existence that didn't come out on 7". Even now lots of artists are releasing songs on 7". The tradition continues and it's great to be a part of it.

'vinyl sounds better'. Yes it does. It sounds better because the tape technology used to record it suits it best - the two were designed for each other. No amount of digital remastering is going to improve a well recorded, well mastered. well pressed original. Oh and the labels - there are hundreds - a unique art form (not to mention the picture sleeves). If you really want to, you can put them all on an i-pod, but the real joy is flicking through them, picking them out and playing them - one at a time. Heck, if you play them to other people, you might become a disc jockey.

Right - lets get started

Gene Vincent - BE-BOP-A-LULA b/w WOMAN LOVE - Capitol 1956

Starting with a timeless classic from 1956 with an equally great B-side.

In 60s London, The Stones and just about every other English band did stodgy covers of the first black R&B records coming over from the US. The Beatles did rock & roll covers - Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Eddie Fontaine, Elvis, and of course Gene Vincent - can't remember whether they recorded Be-Bop-a-lula officially, but it was certainly one of their mainstays in Hamburg.

Cliff Gallup is deservedly heralded as one of the best rockabilly guitarists ever - fantastic sound, amazing phrasing and style - have a listen

Gang of Four - Damaged Goods b/w Love Like Anthrax + Armalite Rifle. Fast Records 1978

I used to like hearing John Peel tell the story of when he first heard Teenage Kicks. He was driving and he was so moved, that he had to pull over. I had a similar experience once, when I heard this on the radio. It was 1992 and I was at medical school in St Andrews. I felt rather out of place, not quite finding a niche between the posh yah students and the locals plus I was much older than the other students. Elias had just been born, my first lot of exams were imminent and it was a struggle. At the time, Mark & Lard did the late night slot and I was driving along one of St Andrews 3 main streets when they played this. I already knew the record well. Notsensibles recorded our first single and album at Cargo in Rochdale and in the foyer outside the control room, they had the sleeves of records recorded there on the wall and this was one of them. Sparse, spiky, visceral and magnificent. It reminded me of where I came from and where I belong - nothing much has changed. have a listen

John Lee Hooker - Cry Before I go b/w Mr Lucky - Bluesway

I have a few John Lee Hooker 7s & this is my fave - pure visceral gutsy R&B here it is

Jackie Wilson - I GET THE SWEETEST FEELING b/w (YOU'RE LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - Brunswick 1969

I suspect that the original US versions of this might have been on separate singles, as it's hard to imagine two such all time classics and mega-hits on the same single. I'm not a big fan of orchestration on records, but I adore this single - it's a gold standard - everything about it is perfect - the 60s Brunswick company sleeve, the lettering on the labels - everything. It's such a soaring upbeat happy record. 'Higher and Higher' is my favourite side - a fairly sparse backing until the girl singers and strings kick in. Jackie's voice is magnificent on both tracks - have a listen

I get The Sweetest Feeling was Taff and Fran's 'going out' record when they were teenagers. Now, it's the first record on the deck after midnight at our New Year's Eve parties - a simple 2 note piano riff, a drum roll and we're off ...hear it and be happy

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