Monday 16 June 2008

Cheesy Choonsday: Mathar

I kicked this semi-regular feature off a couple of weeks ago over on Planet Mondo, where as guest blogger, I posted 3 Cheesy nuggets by Peters and Lee, James Last and Henry Mancini... follow the link above if you missed 'em.


This week, Mathar. Not particularly rare to find, but you'll struggle to find a better piece of sitar big beat psychedelia than this!


Dave Pike was a jazz musician in the 50's and early 60's. In the late 60's he formed the Dave Pike Set and experimented with a more funky jazz sound, incorporating experimental sounds. The 1969 LP "Noisy Silence - Gentle Noise" featured the Sitar led track Mathar, which some 25 years later became a massive club favourite in the early BritPop\Cheesy Listening era. In 1994 the track was re-recorded by Indian Vibes (which was actually Paul Weller in disguise). Oddly, his version is now a much rarer item than the original.

They are both here for you to enjoy, get ya dancin shoes on....

Dave Pike Set:


Indian Vibes:



Piley

9 comments:

rockmother said...

Ooh - I have just gone on a 90's pre-mortgage/pre-child/pre-general everyday stress trip. I used to go to all the Outcaste Records bashes back in the day. Good stuff Piley. Been meaning to put some Dave Pike Set on a podcast for ages - you have just reminded me - thank you!

Mondo said...

Tip top twanging - I've been on a buzz for sitar hero stuff recently

The Lord Sitar album and Anadar Shankar 'Jumping Jack Flash' - check it outhere

Axe Victim said...

Another blinder - this boy is hot!

Piley said...

Thanks guys n gals (said with best Jimmy Saville impression..)

Don't know about you, but for me the Dave Pike version knocks the spots of of the other. I fail to see why Weller thought the track needed to be 'covered' anyways?? the original is flawless... DPS's has got such a cool, big beat feel, Wellers sounds a bit too fast and rushed for my liking.

More cheese slices coming up soon!

Piley

Anonymous said...

A great tune - I seem to remember hearing it as part of the warm up music for the Blur/Pulp/Corduroy/Supergrass (now thats a line-up!)gig at Ally Pally in, I think 95. Managed to track it down on Talkin Jazz vol 2 compilation. Actually, that whole album is well worth a listen especially 2nd track "Take Off Your Shoes To Feel The Setting Sun" by Wolfgang Dauner

Piley said...

jd - yet another odd coincidence between us (this is becoming a habit!). I too was at Ally Pally for that gig, and it was my mate wot played DPS... and I was standing right next to him when he did it!

Anonymous said...

That's amazing! Funny how paths cross...Isn't it incredible though that some tunes are just so damn good you can remember exactly where you were when you first heard it, even when its 13/14 years later? Its even better when someone else can add to the back story as well. Nice one.

Piley said...

I remember him playing 'south preservation society' for Blur's walk-on music too - these were the days when it was the original 60's soundtrack album or nothin' - think it kicked around about £100 a pop back then (gulp!).

Piley

ally. said...

that bloody weller and his cack handed covers - he really shouldn't be allowed near anything
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