Top 10 Stone Cold Soul Grooves

Hello friends! Well, it's been a while, huh? Yeah, sorry about that... side projects, side trips, and a day job have made it a little more difficult to sit down and think up moddy things to write about. Well, today, I'm taking the easy way out... with a Top 10 song list!

I'm a huge fan of soul music, especially the type that gets you off your feet. But man, I'm an equal fan of the mellow sounds, especially when I'm at home with the lights dim and a nice drink in my hand. Now, I've mentioned before my Top 10 mellow songs, more in a folk/country vein, but let's get into the slow soul grooves.

The following list is definitely not complete and there's a lot missing (i.e., Curtis Mayfield, The Temptations, Aretha), but I just wanted to get into what I was digging on today with a mix of old AND new soul sounds. So, relax, take a load off, and if you're able to, grab a glass of wine and mellow down easy as I present to you my Top 10 Stone Cold Soul Grooves (in no particular order, of course):

1.  The Superlatives - I Don't Know How (To Say I Love You) - Listen, when my wife first moved in with me, she brought a lot of things into my life: love, companionship, help with washing the dishes... and this amazing 45! As soon as she first stepped through that door and dumped her record boxes onto the floor, I dropped her suitcase, accidentally pushed her to the side, and delved into those boxes. And this song was the cream of that crop!

2. Solomon Burke - Fast Train - It's well known that Solomon Burke has a solid catalogue of amazing soul songs from the 1960s. But have you explored his work in the 2000s? Oh man, this song (written by Van Morrison!) is a strong example of an old soul moving his sound forward. Slow, sparse, with a steady build up, this songs hits just right. The rest of this album (Don't Give Up On Me) is highly worth checking out as well. Hey, if it's good enough for The O.C.'s Peter Gallagher, then it's good enough for you!

3. The Spinners - Bad, Bad Weather - Aw man... do I even need to write anything about this one? Come on... how can you beat a line like "now my little room reminds me of Londontown, when the evening sun goes down, and it's cold and misty and oh so foggy and it's hard to find my way around"?

4. Candi Staton - You Don't Have Far To Go - Another example of a 1960s soul star doing what she does best TODAY. That nice, steady, building beat is in full force on this song with great back-up vocals and strong horns. Can we all just forget that 1980s over-production on soul songs ever happened? Too many soul stars fell victim to that back then, but now, mistakes have been learned!  

5. Darondo - True - Uh huh, oh yeah... sometimes, you just need a little funk with your mellow groove. And it don't get much funkier than this Oaktown soul man's track. If you have that glass of wine in your hand, whatever you do DON'T get up and walk around! Otherwise, your hips might start shakin' and your back might be movin', and you just might spill that drink all over the place! 

6. Nick Lowe - Homewrecker - Yup, I'm including Nick Lowe on this list. Nick Lowe has written some amazing music over the years, but his greatest song, 'What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding', was featured on The Bodyguard soundtrack. Big deal, right? Well, the money he received from those royalties enabled him to not have to worry about selling hits again, instead concentrating on just making good music on his own terms. And songs like this are the result of that.

7. Donny Hathaway & June Conquest - I Thank You - Donny Hathaway put out one of my most favorite live soul albums, Live, back in 1972. But dig on this punchy number with June Conquest from a couple of years earlier. Once featured on the Derek's Daily 45 blog and for good reason... pure Chi-Town sweet soul!

8. Laura Lee - Dirty Man - Just a powerful song about a strong woman ridding herself of a cheatin' man. A strong Muscle Shoals backing help bring out the grit behind Laura Lee's voice as she kicks this fellow out onto the curb. Ladies, hopefully it doesn't happen to you, but if you are ever wronged, just take some inspiration from this song.

9. Sugar Billy - Super Duper Love - One of my most favorite soul songs, EVER. Slinking guitar licks, funky drumming, blasting organ, rolling horns, and Sugar Billy's unabashed declaration of love kill me every time I hear this. This is the kind of guy Laura Lee needs after that last song! Both parts are here for your pleasure.

10. Eli Reed - Am I Wasting My Time? - Another newer soul track, this time from young soul man, Eli Reed. A strong voice with great instrumental backing shine through on this one. 

BONUS TRACK: 11. Lorraine Ellison - Stay With Me Baby - Okay, I had to throw this one in there! I ain't even gonna talk about it. Let it speak for itself. (And afterward, compare it to the Terry Reid version to keep the awesome moving!)

Alright, that's it for today. Hope these songs hit the spot for you!

Casual Fridays #2: The Rolling Stones

Working to look sharp for a rare evening out on the town can actually be easy. The tough job is trying to look sharp on a daily, casual basis. Yeah, you might have your Friday night suit at your beck and call, but what does it matter if you spend the rest of your time in target t-shirts and jeans? Every Friday, I'd like to offer up some style inspiration for tightening up your casual look, because let's face it... sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a tie, but still want to keep it sharp.

Ah yes... finally, the clouds have come back to San Francisco after a week's worth of too much sun! In honor of this, let's get into some nice casual stylings for a cool, crisp day. Check out this great shot of The Rolling Stones, skirting a fine line between casual and formal:

From Time Is On Our Side.

This is my type of casual Friday wear! With the exception of Charlie Watts, looking dapped-out in long coat and tie, everyone else is playing it mellow with no neck wear. But, look at those tab-collar shirts all done up!

(Okay, side note: I made a total Mod fashion faux-pas a couple of weeks back. I wore a tab-collar shirt to dinner but thanks to the heavy San Diego humidity, I left the tab and top button undone. Didn't want to get that collar all dirty before putting on a tie for the evening, y'know? Well, I saw the photos afterwards and learned something valuable: TAB-COLLARS SHOULD ALWAYS BEEN DONE UP, EVEN WITHOUT A TIE! Otherwise, you're just looking sloppy.)

Anyways, what this photo shows is that you can totally rock a suit jacket, slim trousers, and a nice dress shirt and still look good without going the extra distance with a tie, pocket square, etc. No athletic wear here... no polo shirts... no desert boots, but still a relaxed casual cool look, especially during cool weather.

Of course, the final touch on their clothing choices: the leather coats... especially Brian Jones's 3/4-length! Today's Mod enthusiasts should take note: leather coats trump parkas every time!

Okay, let's end the post and start the weekend off with another great photo from this session:

From The Worley Gig.

Casual Fridays #1: Fred Perry Knit Polo

Working to look sharp for a rare evening out on the town can actually be easy. The tough job is trying to look sharp on a daily, casual basis. Yeah, you might have your Friday night suit at your beck and call, but what does it matter if you spend the rest of your time in target t-shirts and jeans? Every Friday, I'd like to offer up some style inspiration for tightening up your casual look, because let's face it... sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a tie, but still want to keep it sharp.
 
Okay, based on an email from a friend, I realized that I wasn't focusing much on casual wear. Honestly, I'm much more interested in the suit-and-tie look which is the original image of Mods that inspired me to get into this in the first place. Plus, we live in a world where everyone does casual because it's easy and takes no real effort.

As much as I love the detailed suited outfits of 1960s Mods, the flip side is that they also helped popularize t-shirts, sneakers, jeans, etc. And now, that's the predominant look the vast majority of people wear. (Only trade sneakers for flip-flops.) Yawn....

That said, you don't have to sacrifice style in an effort to be more casual and comfortable. Well, after little more than a year of Sharp Stylings, let's switch gears and dig on some Casual Fridays!

Let's start off by getting this out of the way now... Fred Perry. Too many times guys fall back on Fred Perry as the one casual look to sport other than a Who or Jam t-shirt. I know it's iconic, I know Mods in the 1960s brought it to the forefront of this culture, but fellas... it's a tennis shirt.

Oh sure, early on in high school, I coveted Fred Perrys. I was lucky enough to find a couple in thrift shops and I wore them. I once tried buying a new one at my local Puente Hills Mall, but walked out after seeing the $40 price tag. And that's when it hit me... why spend so much on a shirt that has no real style. Plus, the Fred Perrys I did have faded after a couple of washings. Why should I be concerned with this label?

During my first year of college, my buddy Jon B. convinced me that I was on the right track. He admitted to me that he was more of a (Munsingwear) Penguin shirt fan because of the detailing on the collars, the contrasting piping, and the more 'vintage' look. Although I never bought Penguin, I did have to admit that they looked way cooler than Fred Perry tennis shirts.

Another main reason why I abandoned the FP look was that during my first year of college I was able to find affordable 1960s polo shirts at vintage shops! Knitted 3-button collars, varying stripes and designs down the front... these shirts blew away Fred Perry AND Penguin for me! Plus, these shirts set you apart from the other 5 guys wearing the same-styled Fred Perry shirts. Vintage polos were the way to go... until you stopped finding them in shops and the ones you did wear stopped fitting as well (thanks Freshman 15).

Well, guess what? All these years later and I'm coming back into the Fred Perry fold. You know why? Long-sleeve polos like this:

This is sharp! This is my kind of casual! No tennis shirt here, just a well-done knitted 3-button long-sleeve polo with contrasting piping down the chest and around the cuffs and bottom. Let's zoom in on that collar:

This is the type of collar I used to find on those vintage polos I mentioned above! John Smedley has the monopoly on this style, but Fred Perry's a strong contender with this take on it. A simple, subtle look that works for those days when you want to be mellow but still keep it stylin'.

Unfortunately, I don't know how easy these are to find anymore and I couldn't find a link that wasn't sold out of them. But if you're able to find one, snatch it up!

Or, if commercialized cliché Mod is more your thing, then there's always something like this:

Really?

Sharp Stylings #53: Batik Suit Jacket (Tiki Oasis 2012)

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

A quick one today, folks, as I'm packin' up for Tiki Oasis 12 happening this weekend in San Diego, CA.

Gonna be straight with you, I'm NOT a tiki guy. I'm pretty ignorant of that whole scene, but I do like the tiki-esque art (Shag, Derek Yaniger, etc.), the drinks, and some of the wood-carved pieces. I'm mainly heading down to have a good time with friends, listen to some good music, and dig on something new to me.

So, in honor of the event, dig on this nice batik suit jacket in the image below:

Image from the Film Noir Buff forums.

Pretty appropriate for a weekend of tiki, I think! I'll be packing up my green batik jacket for the trip, but that's probably about as festive as I'll get.

Maybe I'll see you there!

Mod Gone Wrong? (Olympics Edition)

On one hand, there's this:

... and this:

But on the other hand, there's this:

This guy's pure, exuberant joy while riding on the back of that scooter as part of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games reflects the pride I'm sure most Londoners must have been feeling during the ceremonies, and that's enough to melt any sarcasm left in my heart.

So, I'll let Willy Wonka take it away:

2nd MOD MALE Contest Winner and Weekly Blog Roundup: 8/13/2012

First off, thanks to all of you who shared your awesome stories about getting into the Mod thing or whatever it was you are obsessed with. I love reading those stories, especially when they vary so much in how we reached those discoveries.

Well, yesterday, right before Mods were brought to the attention of world-wide mainstream audiences thanks to their Olympic debut, I put all the names of the contest contestants into a bowl and had my friend Sarah B. blindly reach into the bowl and pick a winner. This was witnessed by me, my wife, and our friend Andy P. to make sure no shenanigans were involved.

AND THE WINNER IS:

ALLEN BELL!!

Allen, you win a copy of Robert O'Byrne's 'The Perfectly Dressed Gentleman,' illustrated by Lord Dunsby. I will reach out to you later today to get your mailing address. Use this book wisely and take in some great tips!

For the rest of you, I have runner-up prizes of fantastic blog posts to read! YAY! Enjoy your winnings!

• The Parka Avenue discusses the love of Sta-Prest trousers. 
• Derek's Daily 45 offers a nice tribute to recently-passed away Carl Davis, Chi-Town soul man.
• Sweet Jane's Pop Boutique delves into some Biba for you.
• Ivy Style offers a great piece on Chet Baker. 
• The Trad shares memories of first getting into Fred Perry.
• An inside look into the rare Mods monthly magazine of the 1960s!
• As mentioned before, Fred Eagle showcases his love of current Mod happenings.
• The Anorak Thing digs into and on some Donovan.  
• Oh man... I might be part of only a handful of Mod enthusiasts who actually enjoys Southern rock. Let Voices of East Anglia show you the way too.
• The Jab showcases another great Bay Area classic restaurant, Casa Orinda. 
• Geez, the Parka Avenue's been busy lately. Get inspired with some double-breasted suit action.
• A Modernist gets into some more good design with this piece on Alvin Lustig. 
• And finally, start your week off with this great musical selection from DJ Soft Shoe, one of L.A's 50 Most Stylish Men!

Have a great week, all!

Sharp Stylings #52: New Faces

Okay, the Mod Male giveaway drawing for Robert O'Byrne's The Perfectly Dressed Gentleman has ended. However, I will NOT be announcing the winner today. I got caught up in other things last night! But I will announce the winner on Monday. Suspense! Now, on to today's post.
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We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

Wow, 52 Sharp Stylings posts... that's a whole year! (Well, there've been 53, really, since I miscounted at 39... doh!)

Over the year, I've spent too much time getting down on Mod stuff I don't care for (as in yesterday's post). But my intention was always to balance those posts out with these Sharp Stylings posts that just focused on good style for us to get inspired by. I never wanted these to be limited to straight-up 'Mod' looks, either. Heck, I even featured one of the guys from True Blood, early on, along with a Gossip Girl guy. But the point of those was to notice the detailing in their outfits and take ideas to incorporate into your own look.

On the Mod Male Facebook page, reader Jose D. made a great comment: "The church of Mod is a broad one..." I know it's been said before, but this comment resonated with me because it's important to keep in mind that many people approach this thing in different ways.

Some people out there are still content with walking around in jeans, desert boots, and a Jam t-shirt, saying things like, "we are, we are, we are the Mods," and, well, that's their thing. Others are more interested in casual Fred Perrys and a pair of Adidas, and that's their thing. Others are way more interested in decorating their scooters with lights and mirrors than investing in their own wardrobes, and that's their thing. Not mine, but to each his own.

Then, you see an image like the one below and it gives you hope that there are younger people getting into the Mod thing and pushing forward the fashion/style aspect of it. Check this image out from Dean Chalkey's The New Faces documentary:

So much of this works for me and what's even more important is that these guys each have their own individual identity within the 'look.' Different hair styles, different cuts of suits, different shoes, different detailing. Each person seems really invested in the look he or she has put together. And, at least in my eyes, they don't necessarily look like stereotypes. There's just a great mix'n'match feel with this photo.

That, to me, is one of the most fun things about the Mod thing. I'd be so bored walking into a club and seeing people in the same parkas, the same Merc suits, or the same desert boots. But if I walked into a club and saw people like in the photo above, I'd be checking out the individual detailing of what they had going on. "Aw man, check out that guy's striped jacket. Sweet! Oh wait, I'm digging on that dude's 3-piece suit. But look at how well that guy contrasted his tie and pocket square!" And so on and so on. (And yes, I know you'd probably be checking out the Mod gals. But hey, I'm happily married so I don't need to!)

Years ago, we used to check out the websites for various German, Italian, and Spanish Mod clubs. My buddies and I would take notes on the different colors, patterns, and cuts of clothing the Mod guys wore in those photos. This was the stuff we obsessed over! Unfortunately, 10 years later many of those sites seem to be defunct so I can't link to them. But the Mod guys over there really put a lot of effort into looking slick in his own way.

Sure, there are a lot of guys out there happy in their target t-shirts. And that is what most not-in-the-know people think of when it comes to the Mod thing. But, there are so many others out there who also get more excited over a tailoring detail done on a shirt, the type of fabric used in the making of a jacket, or the simple touches of Ivy stylings. I see these guys going back and forth on internet forums, appreciating the finer aspects of attention-to-detailing.

These are my people!