Here is our list of titles that we will have in stock for Record Store Day 2024, this Saturday 20th April!

Some titles are marked as *LATE* because they haven’t arrived yet this week, and may not arrive in time for Saturday… but stay tuned as we will update if/when they do turn up!

~ Casbah Records’ Record Store Day List 2024 ~

100 Gecs – Snake Eyes (10″ Picture Disc)

101 Strings – Astro-Sounds From Beyond The Year 2000 (LP)

1975, The – The 1975 Live At Gorilla (2LP)

94 East Featuring Prince – The Legendary Recordings, 1975-1985 (3LPs)

Aggrovators – Dubbing at King Tubbys (2LP)

Aggrovators – Dubbing at King Tubbys Vol 2 (2LP)

Air – Kelly Watch The Stars WM France (12″ Picture Disc)

Alan Parsons Project, The – Pyramid ‘Work in Progress’ (LP)

Alborosie – Dub Pirate (LP)

Alison Goldfrapp – The Love Reinvention (2LP)

America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl – 1975 (2LP)

Anne Briggs – Anne Briggs Topic Records (LP + 7″)

Apocalyptica – Worlds Collide (Deluxe Edition) (2LP)

At The Drive-In – In/Casino/Out (LP)

At The Gates – Slaughter Of The Soul (LP)

Average White Band – Live At The Rainbow Theatre: 1974 (LP)

Azymuth – Jazz Carnival Far Out Recordings

Be Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Stephen Tayler mix) (LP)

Beat, The – Wha’ppen? (Expanded Edition) (2LP)

Bebe Rexha – All Your Fault: Parts 1 & 2 (LP)

Bebel Gilberto – Tudo (LP)

Big Country – Why The Long Face (LP)

Bill Evans Trio – Everybody Digs Bill Evans (LP)

Billy Bragg – Bloke On Bloke (LP)

Black Delta Movement, The – In Acetate (12″ EP)

Black Sabbath – Paranoid Sanctuary (LP)

Black Watch, The – The Morning Papers Have Given Us The Vapours (LP)

Blessed Madonna, The – Have Mercy EP (LP)

Bloc Party – The High Life (12″ EP)

Blue Aeroplanes, The – Beatsongs (Expanded Edition) (2LP)

Blues Incorporated – BBC Sessions 1962 – 1965 (LP)

Blues Pills – Birthday / Don’t You Love It (LP)

Blur – ‘Parklife’ (Zoetrope LP)

Bob Frank – ‘Broke Again–The Lost Recordings’ (LP)

[*LATE* Boogie Down Productions – ‘Poetry/ 9mm Goes Bang’ (7″)]

Boogie Down Productions – ‘Edutainment’ (LP)

Brian Poole & The Tremeloes – Twist & Shout Decca (7″)

Brother Jack McDuff – Ain’t No (2LP)

Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff (12″ EP)

Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (LP)

Caitlin Rose – The Stand In (LP)

Cannonball Adderley – Burnin In Bordeaux – Live in France 1969 (2LP)

Cannonball Adderley – Poppin in Paris: Live at the Olympia 1972 (2LP)

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – The Spotlight Kid (Deluxe Edition) (2LP)

Catfish & The Bottlemen – The Balcony (LP)

Celeste – Everyday (7″)

Charlatans, The – Indian Rope (12″ Pic Disc)

Charles Mingus – Reincarnations (LP)

Charlie Watts – Live At Fulham Town Hall (LP)

Cheech & Chong – Up In Smoke (LP)

Chet Baker & Jack Sheldon – Chet Baker / Jack Sheldon – The Lost Studio Album (LP)

Chills, The – The Lost EP (LP)

Chris Isaak – Beyond The Sun (The Complete Collection) (2LP)

Chris White Experience, The – The Best Of (LP3)

Come – Eleven:Eleven (Deluxe Edition) (LP + 7″)

Cramps, The – Ultra Twist (30th Ann.) (12″)

Cranberries, The – Bury The Hatchet (The Complete Sessions) (2LP)

Cure, The – The Top – 40th Anniversary Picture Disc (pic disc)

Daft Punk – Something About Us (Love Theme From Interstella 555 (12″ Single)

Das Koolies – Das Koolies Remixed (12″)

Dave Pike – The Doors of Perception (LP)

David Bowie – Waiting in the Sky (Before the Starman Came to Earth) (LP)

David Byrne & Paramore – Hard Times/ Burning Down The House (12”)

David Sylvian & Nine Horses – Snow Borne Sorrow (LP)

De La Soul – Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996 (LP)

De La Soul – Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996 (CD)

Dead By Sunrise – Out Of Ashes (2LP)

[ *LATE* Dead Horse – TheDead Horse Tapes – Blown Away (LP)

Def Leppard – Live At Leadmill (LP)

Delia Derbyshire – Inventions for Radio (6CD Box)

Dexys x Dutch Uncles – Dance With Me (12″)

DITZ X Heavy Lungs – DITZ X Heavy Lungs Live at The BBC Alcopop! (12”)

Divorce – Heady Metal (12”)

Doctor Who – Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction (zoetrope pic disc)

Dolores O’Riordan – Are You Listening (2LP)

Don Carlos – Pass Me The Lazer Beam (LP)

Donna Summer – “Many” States Of Independence (LP)

Doors, The – Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968 (3LP)

Doors, The – Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968 (2CD)

Dr John – The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968–1974 (2LP)

Dream Syndicate, The – Sketches for the Days of Wine and Roses (LP)

Dub Syndicate – Mellow & Colly ( LP+CD)

Durutti Column, The – Vini Reilly (LP)

Earl Hooker – There’s a Fungus Amung Us (LP)

Elaine Brown – Seize The Time – Black Panther Party (LP)

Electrafixion – Burned (LP)

Elton John – Caribou (2LP)

Emma Bunton – A Girl Like Me (LP)

English Teacher – Live At The Brudenell Social Club (12″)

Ennio Morricone – Allonsanfan OST (LP)

Ennio Morricone – Come imparai ad amare le donne OST (LP)

Ennio Morricone – Storie di vita e malavita (LP)

Ennio Morricone (feat Joan Baez) – Sacco e Vanzetti OST (LP)

Even More Dazed And Confused (Music From The Motion Picture) – Even More Dazed and Confused: Musicfrom theMotion Picture (LP)

Everything But The Girl – At Maida Vale (12”)

Faces – The Complete BBC Sessions (2LP)

Fall, The – A Country On The Click (Alternative Version) (LP)

[ *LATE* Family Underground – For The Love Of You/Everybody Knows (7″)]

Farm Dogs, The – Last Stand In Open Country (2LP)

Fatboy Slim – Everybody Loves A Remix (12″ Zoetrope)

Feso Trombone – Freedom train (LP)

Fetty Wap – Fetty Wap (2LP)

FFRR – FFRR Sampler Vol. 1 (ORIGINALS) (1LP)

Field Music – Binding Time (12″)

Fields of the Nephilim – Burning the Fields (LP)

FIZZ – Live At Middle Farm (LP)

Fleet Foxes – Live On Boston Harbor (3LP)

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (LP picture disc)

[*LATE* Flirtations, The – Still Sounds Like The Flirtations]

Foghat – Live In New Orleans 1973 (2LP)

Frank Turner – Girl From The Record Shop’ // ‘All Night Crew’ (7”)

Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Live at Levitation (12”)

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (LP)

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib – Pinata (LP)

Fun Boy Three – Extended (LP)

Future Sound of London – ISDN (CD)

Future Sound of London – ISDN (2LP)

Future Sound Of London, The – From The Archives (LP)

Gabriels – EP Live From London 2023 (12”)

Galen & Paul – Uno Mas (12″)

Garbage – Lie To Me (LP)

Gene Clark – No Other Sessions (50th Anniversary of No Other) (2LP)

Gene Clark – The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982 (2LP)

Gentle Waves, The – Swansong For You (LP)

George Harrison – Electronic Sound (LP Zoetrope)

George Harrison – Wonderwall Music (LP Zoetrope)

Gil Scott-Heron / Brian Jackson Winter in America (LP)

Goat – The Gallows Pole: Original Score (LP+7″)

Goblin / Gianni Dell’Orso – Virus OST (LP)

Gorillaz – Cracker Island (Deluxe) (2LP)

Gotan project – Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre) (10″)

Grapefruit – Around Grapefuit (plus London Session) (LP)

Grateful Dead – Nightfall Of Diamonds Grateful Dead/Rhino 4LP, 180g black vinyl

Grohl, Benante, Ian – The Regulator (7”)

Groove Armada – White Light (2LP)

Groundhogs, The – Black Diamond (LP)

Half Japanese – Our Solar System (LP)

Harmonia – Musik von Harmonia / anniversary edition (2LP)

Hawkwind – Live Seventy-Nine (LP)

Herman Kelly & Life – Dance to the Drummer’s Beat (LP)

Hives, The – Lex Hives and Live From Terminal 5 (2LP)

Hives, The – Black and White Album (LP)

Holly Humberstone – Into Your Room (with MUNA) (7″ Single)

Horace Andy & Sly and Robbie – Livin´ It Up (LP)

Howlin’ Wolf – Live in Europe (Bremen, 1964) (LP)

Ian Hunter – Ian Hunter Defiance Part 2: Fiction (2LP)

Ipanemas, The – Samba Is Our Gift (LP)

[*LATE* J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E. – Strong Island (7”)]

Jamiroquai – Live At BBC Maida Vale: 2006 (LP)

Jane Weaver – Quantify / Deep Perelle (7″)

Japanese House, The – ITEIAD Sessions (12”)

Jeff Buckley & Gary Lucas – Songs To No One (2LP)

Jeremy Gluck with Nikki Sudden & Rowland S Howard I Knew Buffalo Bill (LP)

Jessie Ware – Tough Love 10th anniversary (2LP)

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (2LP)

John Lee Hooker – I’m in the Mood (LP)

John Lennon – Mind (12” Luminous vinyl)

John Lennon – Mind Games (12” Black “audiophile” vinyl)

[*LATE* Johnnie Mae Matthews – I Have No Choice/ That’s When It Hurts (7″)]

Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band – Anda Jaleo (LP)

Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band Perlas (LP)

Josh Wink – Higher State Of Conciousness Erol Alkan remix (12”)

Jowe Head – The Other Side Of The Forest OST (LP)

Kate Bush – Eat The Music (RSD Edition) (10”)

Kate Nash – Back At School b/w Space Odyssey 2001 (7”)

Katy J Pearson – Katy J Pearson & Friends Presents Songs From The Wicker Man (12”)

Keane – Live at Paradiso, Amsterdam (29/11/2004) (LP)

Kenny Dorham – This Is The Moment: Sings And Plays (LP)

Kim Wilde – Special Disco Mixes (LP)

King Kong – Repatriation (LP)

Kirsty MacColl – Titanic Days (LP)

Kristin Hersh – The Clear Pond Road Sessions (LP)

Kristin Hersh – Hips & Makers (LP)

La Roux – Trouble In Paradise (LP)

Ladytron – Light & Magic (2LP)

Lamont Dozier – The New Lamont Dozier Album – Love and Beauty 50th Anniversary (LP)

Laufey – A Night At The Symphony (2LP)

Leaf Hound – Grower Of Mushrooms (LP)

Lee “Scratch” Perry – Skanking With The Upsetter (LP)

Lemonheads, The – The Hotel Sessions (LP)

Lightning Seeds – All I Want / Pure (10”)

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage (LP)

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You (LP Zoetrope)

The Liminanas & David Menke – Heureux Gagnants OST (LP)

Linda Ronstadt – The Asylum Albums (1973-1978) (4LP Box Set)

Little Richard – Right Now! (LP)

London Grammar – The Remixes (2LP)

Lora Logic – Pedigree Charm [Deluxe Edition] (2LP)

Lowell George – Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here (Deluxe Edition) (2LP)

Lulu – James Bond – The Man With The Golden Gun (LP Picture Disc)

Madness – Embarrassment (12”)

Maisie Peters – The Good Witch (Deluxe) (LP)

Mansun – Little Kix (LP)

Manu Dibango – Manu 76 (LP)

Marc Bolan & T. Rex – Zinc Alloy (50th Anniversary Zoetrope Picture Disc)

Marianne Faithfull – Faithful Forever (LP)

Mark Knopfler – The Boy (12”)

Matching Mole – Matching Mole (LP)

Mavis Staples – Have A Little Faith (2LP)

Mic Geronimo The Natural (LP)

Michael Schenker Group – MSG (Expanded Edition) (LP)

Mike Oldfield – Hergest Ridge 50th Anniversary (LP)

Miles Kane – Miles Kane & The Evils (10”)

Militarie Gun – Life Under The Sun (10”)

Monty Python – Live At Drury Lane 50th Anniversary (LP)

Morcheeba – B-Sides & Beats (LP)

Morrissey & Siouxsie – Interlude (12”)

Motley Crue – Supersonic and Demonic Relics (LP)

Motorhead – Remorse? No! (2LP)

Mr.Big – The Big Finish – Lean Into It Live (LP)

Mudhoney – Suck You Dry: The Reprise Years (LP)

Nancy Sinatra – How Does That Grab You? (LP)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – F*#!IN UP (LP)

Nerina Pallot – Love Will Tear Us Apart (10”)

Nico – At the Live Inn, Tokyo ’86 (LP)

Nightmares On Wax – Carboot Soul (25th Anniversary Edition) (2LP)

Noah Kahan – I Was/I Am (LP)

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Magic Secrets #2 (7”)

Northside – Chicken Rhythms (LP)

Notorious B.I.G., The – Ready To Die: The Instrumentals (LP)

Offspring, The – Splinter (LP)

[*LATE* Olafur Arnalds – ..And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness (LP)]

Olivia Dean – Live At The Jazz Café (12”)

Olivia Rodrigo & Noah Kahan – Olivia Rodrigo “Stick Season”/Noah Kahan “Lacy” (7”)

OMD – Bauhaus Staircase Instrumentals (LP)

OMD – Junk Culture Companion (LP)

Orb, The – The Holloway Brooch (An Ambient Excursion Beyond The Orboretum) (LP)

Orbital – Orbital (LP)

OST / Barry Gray – Stingray (7”)

OST / Barry Gray – UFO (7”)

Other Two, The – Tasty Fish Remix EP (12”)

Outsiders, The Calling on youth – One to infinity demos & early songs (LP)

Paramore – RE: This is Why (Remix Album) (1LP Red vinyl album)

Paramore RE: This Is Why (Remix Album) (2LP red & white)

Parliament – Osmium Deluxe Edition (LP)

Pat Thomas featuring Lalo Schifrin – Desafinado (LP)

Paul Weller – Soul Wandering / Rise Up Singing (7”)

Pearl Jam – Dark Matter (LP)

Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! – Heart as Big as Liverpool (Heart-Shaped Vinyl)

Pharoah Sanders – Harvest Time (収穫時期 – Radio Edit) / Love Will Find a Way (7”)

Piero Umiliani – L’Arcangelo OST (LP)

Pixies – Live From Red Rocks 2005 (2LP)

Prefab Sprout – Lions In My Garden (12”)

Prince Buster – Back To Where It All Began – The Blue Beat Years (2LP)

Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Chants On U (2LP)

Propaganda – Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse (Volume 1)/The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (LP)

Pulp – Intro The Gift Recordings (LP)

Queen – Cool Cat (7”)

Queen Latifah – Nature of a Sistah (LP)

Ramones – The 1975 Sire Demos (Demos) (LP)

Ras Allah – Heaven is my roof (LP)

Replacements, The – Not Ready for Prime Time: Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, January 11, 1986 (2LP)

Residents, The – LEFTOVERS AGAIN!? AGAIN!?!?! (LP)

Richard, Cam and Bert – Somewhere in the Stars (LP)

Richard O’Brien / OST – The Rocky Horror Show (original Richard O’Brien demos) (LP)

Richmond Fontaine – Winnemucca (LP)

Ringo Starr – Crooked Boy (EP)

Roches, The – The Roches (LP)

Roger Waters – The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux (Picture Disc)

Rolling Stones, The – Live At Racket, NYC (LP)

Rolling Stones, The – Rolling Stones (LP)

Royal Flush Ghetto Millionaire (LP)

Royal Trux – Royal Trux (LP)

Schoolly D – Saturday Night! The Album (LP)

Scott Walker – Tilt (half speed master) (2LP)

[*LATE* Sex Pistols – The Filth & the Fury OST (LP)]

Shed Seven – Changed Giver (LP)

Sia – Colour The Small One (LP)

Sinead O’Connor – You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart (12”)

Siouxsie & the Banshees – Nocturne (2LP)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Live in France: The 1966 Concert in Limoges (2LP)

Sisters of Mercy, The – Body and Soul / Walk Away (LP)

Sleater-Kinney – This Time / Here Today (7”)

Slits, The – In the Beginning (2LP)

Slum Village – Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) LP

Soft Cell – Non Stop Extended Cabaret (2LP)

Sonic Youth – Hits Are For Squares (LP)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Remixes (LP)

Soundtracks & Head – Daga Daga Daga (LP)

[*LATE* Space Lady, The The Space Lady’s Other Hits (LP)]

Sparks/Noel – No. 1 Song in Heaven/Is There More To Life than Dancing? (2LP)

Spoonfed Hybrid – Spoonfed Hybrid (30th Anniversary) (2LP)

SRC – SRC (LP)

Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution (LP)

Steps – Deeper Shade Of Blue – The Remixes (Zoetrope Picture Disc)

Steven Wilson – Harmonic Divergence (LP)

Suede – Autofiction: Live (LP)

SUN RA – AT THE SHOWCASE – LIVE IN CHICAGO (LP)

Sun Ra – Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC (2LP)

Sun Ra – Pink Elephants on Parade (LP)

Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic (B-Sides & Besides) (LP)

Supergrass – Kiss Of Life Is 20 (10”)

Sylvia Telles – Princess Of Bossa Nova! Amor De Gente Moça (Musicas De Antonio Carlos Jobim….E Mais!) (2LP)

Talking Heads – Live On Tour (2LP)

Team Sleep – Team Sleep (LP)

Telescopes, The – Editions (LP)

Telescopes, The – Growing Eyes Becoming String (7”)

Television – Live At The Academy NYC 12.4.92 (2LP)

Temples – Sun Structures (2LP)

[*LATE* The Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun/ Troglodyte (Cave Man) (7”)]

Thin Lizzy – Live at Hammersmith 16/11/1976 (2LP)

This Is The Kit – Live at Minack Theatre (LP)

Todd Rundgren – Todd (2LP)

Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual (7”)

Tom Tom Club – Genius of Love Remix Album (LP)

Travis Biggs – Solar Funk (LP)

Tricky – Angels With Dirty Faces (LP)

U2 – Atomic City – Live from Sphere Island (10”)

UB40 – UB45 (LP)

Ufo – Lights Out In Tokyo – Live (2LP)

UK Subs – UK Subversives (Fall Out singles collection) (2LP)

Ultravox – Steven Wilson Extended Re-mixes (12”)

Unwritten Law – Blue Room (30 Year Anniversary) (LP)

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – Punk 45: Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Young (2LP)

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – 300% Dynamite (2LP)

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – Studio One Rude Boy (2LP)

Various – Andy Smith’s Northern Soul Essentials (LP)

Various – Los Nuggetz: Garage & Psyche from Latin America (LP)

Various – DJ Koco – Brazil 45 Vol.5 (5×7″ boxset)

Various – The Bristol Roots Explosion (LP)

Various – Blue Note Re:Imagined (2LP)

Various Artists – Murder Was The Case Soundtrack 30^th Anniversary (LP)

Various Artists – A Tribute To NEU! (2LP)

Various Artists – The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake – The Singles Collection (7″ box set)

Various Artists – Penrose Showcase Vol.II (Picture disc)

Various Artists – The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed (LP)

Various Artists – Nashville Goes Fuzz (LP)

Various Artists – Lost In Translation (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2LP)

Various Artists – Ripples Presents… Psychedelic Sunshine Pop from the 1960s (2LP)

Various Artists – Hillbillies In Hell: Whiskey Is The Devil (LP)

Various Artists – Heated Garage: Toasty Treasures from Minnesota’s Kay Bank Studio (LP)

Various Artists – Psyché France vol. 9 (LP)

Various Artists – Soho Scene 57: Jazz Goes Mod (LP)

Various Artists – Pale Shades of Grey: Heavy Psychedelic Ballads And Dirges 1969-1976 (LP)

Verve, The – No Come Down (LP)

[*LATE* Village Choir, The – Along The Beach PT1/ Sweet Hot Lips (7”)]

Vince Guaraldi “It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown” (12”)

Wailers, The – The Best Of The Wailers (LP)

Weeknd, The – Live at SoFi Stadium (3LP)

Who, The – Story Of The Who (2LP)

Wilco – The Whole Love Expanded (3LP)

Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages (2LP)

X-Press 2 – Muzik X-Press/ London X-Press (12”)

X-Ray Spex – Conscious Consumer (Picture Disc)

X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents (picture disc)

Yardbirds, The – Psycho Daisies – The Complete B-Sides (LP)

Yardbirds, The – 5 Live (LP)

Yellowman – Zunggugungzuguzungguzeng (LP)

Yes – Yale Bowl ’71 (LP)

Young Fathers – DEAD (10th Anniversary Edition) (LP)

Yusef Lateef – Atlantis Lullaby – The Concert From Avignon (2LP)

Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Numbers (LP)

Yusuf/Cat Stevens Izitso (LP)

Read on for G’s latest fascinating finds from the World Wide Web!

CULT CLASSIC:  ‘MAGIC LADY’ MANDY MORTON & SPRIGUNS

Every now and again you stumble on an album that’s so good that, once discovered, you have to ask yourself “where has this been all my life and why didn’t I know about it?” In this instance, I’m referring to ‘Magic Lady’ by Mandy Morton & Spriguns. As a teenager growing up in the 70s, I was drawn to the folk rock of Fairport Convention, Pentangle, John Martyn etc and then, later on, to all sorts of underground gems by the likes of The Trees, Mellow Candle, Vashti Bunyan, and of course the fabulously named Spriguns Of Tolgus. However, for some reason this album that came out in 1978 eluded my attention. Maybe because New Wave and punk bands were so all-consuming that my attention to what was happening in the folk world had wavered somewhat. Another reason may have been that, as it was a private pressing on the Banshee label and only 1000 copies were pressed, there would have been little chance of this making it into the racks of my local record shop—or even the main chains of the time. Little or no music press coverage meant that this definitely slipped under my musical radar.

My interest was eventually piqued by an online listing for an impossible amount of money—we’re talking Declan Rice transferring to Arsenal proportions here (well, not quite!). Also, I discovered that the title track was dedicated to Sandy Denny, who had very sadly passed away a year before. For a private pressing it’s an amazingly commercial sounding record, lyrically compelling and with a bountiful supply of memorable melodies. ‘Music Prince’ could have been a chart hit given its hooks and the esoteric nature of the top 30 in 1978. The title track as already mentioned is a touching tribute to Mandy’s heroine Sandy Denny and sets the tone for the whole album. There’s a classic stunning ballad called ‘Ghost Of A Song’ that echo’s Denny’s timeless ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’ and the spine tingling ‘Witchfinder’ would surely have unnerved Vincent Price’s loathsome Matthew Hopkins (The Witchfinder General) enough to send him running back to whatever Puritan hellhole he came from! 

If you don’t have the best part of a grand to stump up for an original copy, you’ll be happy to hear that the Guerson label will be reissuing it on vinyl in July and it’s also currently available on the ‘After The Storm’ Mandy Morton CD box set (via the Grapefruit label) from this very boutique. The vinyl reissue will be available to pre-order from us as well!

Clink the link here for more about Mandy’s early life—she’s a Beatles fan as well and she worked in a psychedelic boutique in Cambridge (could it be any more perfect?)—the genesis of the album, her inspirations and the idea behind the striking artwork. 

Recorded in 2015 then reissued on vinyl in 2019, Susan James’s ‘Sea Glass’ is a Californian peach of a record which hasn’t reached the audience it deserves. James teamed up with High Llama Sean O’Hagan to help with the musical vision and arrangements and together they produced an absolute gem of a record. Susan herself calls the style a “California hybrid of melodic psychedelic folk rock” and that’s spot on! From the opening track ‘Poseidon’s Daughter’ to ‘Hey Julianne’ we’re treated to some beautiful lilting melodies set against a subtle orchestrated backdrop that I’m sure Brian Wilson would be very happy with. Echoes of The Free Design, The Poppy Family, Laura Nyro and the Beach Boys abound throughout and the harmonies and instrumentation are reminiscent of late 60’s Californian sunshine pop. There’s a limited aquamarine coloured vinyl out there at the moment and I strongly urge you to track down a copy, you won’t be disappointed!

…So ran the rather lurid tag line from London’s billboards in 1972! The film was initially inspired by the story of the Highgate vampire—a media sensation of the time involving disturbed tombs and grave robbing in Highgate cemetery. Hammer films decided for Christopher Lee’s sixth and penultimate outing as the count that the franchise needed updating to the present. And so, with the help of some young fresh blood in the shapely form of upcoming starlets Stephanie Beacham, Caroline Munroe, and (straight out of ‘Hair’) Marsh Hunt, also ably assisted by Michael Kitchen and Christopher Neame, we have Dracula AD 1972!

The main thrust of the story is this: Neames character Johnny Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards) is a descendant of one of Dracula’s side-kicks from the 19^th century. His mission is to bring Dracula back to life and in doing so gaining power and eternal life for himself. It just so happens that the group he latches onto includes Stephanie Beacham’s character Jessica—the latest in the line of Van Helsings. Alucard convinces ‘the group’ that he has a ‘new way’; ‘the ultimate kick’ to shake off this ‘tired scene, man’! …A black mass, no less, in an old abandoned church! This is where it all starts to go horribly wrong for the kids… Various members come a cropper or are ‘turned’ before Jessica’s grandfather, an expert in the occult, gets involved (played by—yes, you guessed it—Peter Cushing). Cushing knows a thing or two about tackling vampires and he soon gets on the trail of Alucard before finishing off the count in time honoured fashion. 

Whilst Hammer purists at the time (and some even now) are decidedly lukewarm about the film, citing its cringe worthy use of hippie speak and blatant attempt to appeal to younger hip audience, for the student of Sixties/Seventies pop culture there’s much to enjoy here! The first scene set in the 20^th century features a party with the American band Stoneground (they replaced the Faces who were first choice) playing some funky rock to the assembled ‘kids’ and some rather shocked oldies! There’s some full-on seventies gear on show: hot pants, frilly shirts, crushed velvet, floppy hats… the lot! There’s even the groovy surroundings of the Cavern coffee bar in the Kings Road where the group hang out. This was situated at 372 Kings Road and was still a café up to recent times. Alucad’s flat (72 Hollgate Place in Notting Hill), where he takes Marsha Hunts character Gaynor for some late-night action, is all 70s decadence. And then there’s the music… Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann wrote the score, a funky brass laden gem, plus you have the aforementioned Stoneground, and for the Black Mass scene the far out ‘electric storm in hell’ by Delia Derbyshire’s White Noise can be heard (on reel to reel tape, of course). Best of all though is the dialogue! Christopher Lee was appalled when he read the script and you can see why. However, watching it now there’s a certain period charm to be enjoyed, as long as you like your horror with a large helping of cheese!

Here’s a few choice examples:

Alucard to Gaynor as he puts a record on: “They were really zonked when they made this” 
Gaynor: “yeah, aren’t they always”
 
Alucard at the black mass: “Dig the music, kids”

Van Helsing to the police inspector: “There is a satan” 
Inspector: “Of course, otherwise we wouldn’t need a police force, would we?”.
 
Gaynor: Is this the place Johnny?” 
Alucard: “Yeah, why don’t you drop in for a bite?”

The film has now reached cult status with some fairly prominent fans amongst them, notably horror writer Kim Newman and U.S. director Tim Burton. It’s what most people would describe as ‘so bad, it’s good’ and I can see that. But I adore it! It’s probably up there in my list of top ten films, not just horror films, but all-time greats. A few years ago, I managed to get my DVD copy signed by Caroline Munroe, which was a thrill and, hey, it was released on the 28^th of September which is my birthday—That must mean something!

Here’s the trailer:

This month sees the publication of an excellent new book entitled 100 Unhip Albums That We Should Learn to Love. Seeking to reappraise formerly ignored or derided albums, it makes the case for the unfashionable with examples from Van der Graaf Generator to David Essex, 10CC, Wings, and beyond. A refreshingly new idea, we thought, so by way of tribute, here are some of our choices ripe for critical makeover!

1. Cat Stevens – Foreigner

Upon it’s release in 1973, Foreigner was greeted by the critics with a mixture of polite indifference and outright hostility. The NME’s Roy Carr called it “one of the worst pieces of maudlin tripe pop music has had to suffer”. Harsh words indeed as, listening to it now, it has blossomed and has a great deal to offer. Four albums of mainly acoustic catchy folk-pop had set the template for success both artistically and commercially. But when Stevens announced that the next album would be recorded without regular producer Paul Samuel Smith, with sessions musicians, and in Jamaica, alarm bells began to ring! Upon its release, sales peaked and began to fall away as the new intense and serious style was not what the people were used to. Cat wasn’t quite as cuddly anymore! However, the music is played superbly by crack session players including Bernard Purdie & Phil Upchurch, and it has a free, loose, funky vibe, much in keeping with its Jamaican backdrop. Standout tracks ‘Sweet Blue Love’ and the finale, ‘Heaven Must Have Programmed You’, would have graced any of his previous works. Image result for cat stevens foreigner With the next album Buddha and the Chocolate Box, Stevens went back to the tried-and-tested set-up and with it gained the expected commercial success, but Foreigner is at least a pleasant interlude, and at best a brave artistic statement. Just for a moment, he was a honky cat that was a funky cat!

2. Linda Lewis – Woman Overboard

When the Raft label folded in the early 70s, it left Linda Lewis high and dry and without a contract. Three albums of charming folk-soul-pop had given her a loyal following and critical acclaim but ‘Rock-a-doodle Doo’ apart, they achieved modest commercial success. So, when Arista got Lewis to sign on the dotted line, they were determined to market her as a pop-disco diva with her high vocal range as her gimmick. This meant Lewis’s own songs were pushed into the background, onto B sides, in favour of cover-versions of soul classics and newly written pop fayre. Woman Overboard was released in 1977 and was very much a compromise between Lewis and the label: plenty of silky-smooth soul, pleasant though not particularly inspiring. What it does have are three outstanding songs, all completely distinct, which makes it a must-have for fans! First up is ‘Bonfire’, written for her by ex-squeeze Cat Stevens, which sadly only just dented the top 30. Next, there’s a beautiful version of ‘The Moon and I’ from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. This girl could handle opera with the best of them, and even though it’s a slightly less formal rendition, it’s not going to cause Arthur Sullivan any swivels in his coffin! The standout for me is her version of Family’s ‘My Friend, the Sun’. It’s a sweet autumnal acoustic, a shimmering masterpiece that still gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. So if you see this album, with its sexy 70s disco diva cover, languishing in a bargain bin, do yourself a favour – liberate it and give it a home immediately!

3. Eric Clapton – There’s One in Every Crowd

The follow-up to Eric’s bestselling comeback LP, 461 Ocean Boulevard, came as something of a disappointment to ‘Slowhand’ followers, who thought the new laidback Clapton was but a parting phase. This is about as laidback as it gets without actually falling over! After the opening two gospel-flavoured tracks, one of which, ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, was rendered in a relaxed cod-reggae style, listeners could be forgiven for not pressing ahead with much enthusiasm. But Side 2 reveals three of Clapton’s most endearing compositions from this period: ‘Better Make it Through Today’ is a touching, heartfelt prayer to self-preservation, presumably inspired by the recent therapy and cure of his heroin addiction. Next up, ‘Pretty Blue Eyes’ and ‘High’ are vintage badge-esque melodic, bluesy pop songs that Clapton excelled at writing during the late 60s and early 70s. It’s not a masterpiece by any stretch but does contain some absolute gems and is definitely worth reinvestigation. Plus, it’s got a very cute dog on the cover…

4. Rod Stewart – Smiler

I don’t know what it is about 1974 but this seemed to be the year that established artists delivered albums that the critics dismissed as not up-to-scratch. Prime example was Rod’s Smiler. It has all the ingredients of previous smash hit sellers: ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ and ‘Never a Dull Moment’ with the (or most of the) Faces backing him up, a ‘Maggie May’/You Where it Well’-style single & co-write with Martin Quittenton in ‘Farewell’, and some cracking cover versions in Sam Cooke’s ‘You Send Me’, Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Rock ‘N’ Roller’, the obligatory Dylan cover (which is better than the original) ‘Girl From the North Country’ and a couple of top-grade, top-mates contributions in Elton’s ‘Let Me Be Your Car’ and ‘Mine For Me’ from Sir Lord of Macca! What it also has, however, is a slightly dodgy sleeve design with Rod resplendent in his 19th-century silks and satins facing out from an antique mirror laid on top o f a tartan cloak. A bit too Scottish for most of us (especially as he was from North London…). That apart, there’s much vintage Rod to enjoy here, so ignore the sleeve art and dig in!

Sad to say that for obvious reasons we now feel compelled to shut the shop as of this evening for an indefinite period (hopefully not for too long!). We will be loading as much stock as we possibly can onto our Discogs page, including new releases and plenty of new additions to our vintage vinyl as well- so please keep checking out our facebook page for our top picks! If you see anything you like then you can buy directly from our Discogs [https://www.discogs.com/user/CasbahRecords], or get in touch with us and pay by paypal or card and we will post it out to you. When the sun does rise again, we’ll see you all again in person. In the meantime, please keep buying our records, because we are nice people!

Hey there pop pickers! We’ll be stocking a cool selection of limited releases for the Black Friday mini Record Store Day event. Here’s a run down of some of the artists we’ll have:

*********************

SLIPKNOT, LOU REED, ALICE COOPER, THE DOORS, THE JB’S, THE HOLD STEADY, HERBIE HANCOCK, MILES DAVIS (two different titles), NAS, EDAN (U.S 60’s psych/soul), KINGS OF LEON, PEARL JAM, ELVIS, JEFF BUCKLEY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, HENDRIX, JOE SATRIANI, ARCADE FIRE, U2, THE COMET IS COMING, JAMES BROWN, PAUL McCARTNEY, ROYAL TRUX, ALBERT HAMMOND JR, BUFFY SAINT MARIE, NICK LOWE, T. RUNDGREN, FREDDY KING, BILL EVANS, STEPPENWOLF, WILLIE COLON, IAN & SYLVIA.

COMPILATION TITLES/VARIOUS ARTIST TITLES include: ‘More Oar’ , ‘Jingle Workshop’, ‘ File#733: U.F.O’ Motown Rarities compilation’, Daptone label’s ‘Rhythm Showcase’.

***********************

We’ll open at 10.30am as usual. Same rules as RSD proper apply (first come first served, one title per person, etc.). We’ll also have a poster in the window with the above and how many copies we’ve got of each. If you want more detailed info on the titles released you can go to the RSD website here (https://recordstoreday.co.uk/news/posts/2019/record-store-day-black-friday-to-take-place-29th-november/). Also, unfortunately the Zappa and the Madonna titles have been cancelled as they were not going to be ready in time.

See you down at the front, eager pop pickers!!