What do the people think about the mod's and there music?

[tykecommie]

What do people think about the mods and mod music. I'm a big "The Jam", "Paul Weller" and "The Specials" fan? All are very political. Weller's lyrics are very marxist/left wing in places. He was inspired by writers like George Orwell. The Specials talked about many social problems in the 80's that are still relevant now like inner city deprevation, teen pregnancy just to name a few?

[Led Zeppelin]

I got the album Stanley Road by Paul Weller recently, and it's pretty good.

I didn't know he had a history of writing Marixst/leftist songs, I'll look into him more.

[jaffe]

Specials is a ska band (two tone)
I only know a few mod band from the 60'ies
and all you commies, check out the movement from denmark a marxist mod band.

[Bazza]

Most Mods listen to Soul, Jazz & R&B as well as 60s garage/psych and a touch of ska & rocksteady. That's what I like about Mod music, it has a very broad spectrum of sounds. However, I wouldn't really class The Jam as a Mod band same goes for The Who. It makes me cringe to hear people call Paul Weller the Modfather. :confused:

[Bazza]

I got the album Stanley Road by Paul Weller recently, and it's pretty good.

I didn't know he had a history of writing Marixst/leftist songs, I'll look into him more.

During his Style Council days Paul Weller was involved with Red Wedge who were a group of bands & artists who supported the Labour party. Others included Billy Bragg, Madness & The Communards.

For Wellers best political stuff you need to get a copy of 'Our Favourite Shop' by The Style Council.

[Bazza]

A half decent introduction into Mod music is the CD below which can be picked up pretty cheap.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YAPJXY51L._SS500_.jpg

1. Getting Mighty Crowded -- Betty Everett
2. Nothing Can Stop Me -- Gene Chandler
3. I'll Keep On Holding On -- The Marvelettes
4. All Or Nothing -- The Small Faces
5. Biff Bang Pow -- The Creation
6. Over Under Sideways Down -- The Yardbirds
7. Dancing In The Street -- Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
8. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart -- The Supremes
9. I Heard It Through The Grapevine -- Gladys Knight & The Pips
10. Fortune Teller -- Benny Spellman
11. Something Has Hit Me -- The Action
12. Light My Fire -- Erma Franklin
13. Big City -- The Artwoods
14. I Dig Everything -- David Bowie
15. Come Home Baby -- Rod Stewart w/ P. P. Arnold
16. Am I The Same Girl -- Barbara Acklin
17. Have More Time -- Marvin Smith
18. The Who Who Song -- Jackie Wilson
19. Yeh Yeh -- Georgie Fame
20. She's About A Mover -- Sir Douglas Quintet

[Pirate Utopian]

I like mod music, like The Who, The Yardbirds and The Small Faces.

[Bazza]

Or if you like 80s Mod music then this is a good comp. There wasn't any better Mod bands around in the 80s than The Prisoners & Makin' Time.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Oc4gr3s9L._SS500_.jpg

1. Honey - Makin' Time
2. Take what you can get - Makin' Time
3. Don't burst my bubble - The Prisoners
4. My babe - Fast Eddie
5. Falling for you - Long Tall Shorty
6. Bend don't break - Stupidity
7. Wish the rain - The Prisoners
8. I can't let go - The Kick
9. Sticks and stones - The Moment
10. Inside out (for your love) - The Scene
11. Dreams will come true - The Combine
12. Armchair politician - The Kick
13. I read a book - Stupidity
14. Trapped in time - The Reflection
15. I Don't Need No Doctor - Fast Eddie
16. Guilty - The Alljacks
17. Where the rhythm takes you - Makin' Time
18. Real thing - The Alljacks
19. All I want to be - The Reflection
20. Shake a tail feather - Fast Eddie
21. Shine on me - Long Tall Shorty
22. Stuck on the edge of a blade - The Kick
23. Don't you ever change - The Ambassadors

[gilhyle]

For Wellers best political stuff you need to get a copy of 'Our Favourite Shop' by The Style Council.

Beautiful song there about the Miners Strike. He also did a Red Wedge single for the Miners....not so good.

THere is a great documentary around about The Who called Amazing JOurney where they talk about how some record company guy got them to dress up as Mods......but hell they took it seriously with all those Amphetamines and Quadrophenia. I think they really were a mod band cos their mid 60s music was really soul songs with a double time beat: thats what mod music was.

[The Douche]

Damn I thought I was gonna be the face in this thread, but no, you had to beat me to it bazza.

Anyhow, I'm about as mod as you can get and still be a skin. (and its finally getting warm enough to ride my new bike)

[tykecommie]

to us weller was and still is a god. Listen to his lyrics. Alot have hidden meaning especially in his jam days. A good book is "The Modfather, My life with Paul weller" by David lines. It's about him growing up as a young mod in the 80's and what weller and his music mean't. You go through all the emotions of growing up. He talks about the lyrics.

As a mod I listen to 60's beat music like the who small, the who, 80's mod like the Jam, Purple Hearts, Ska and Motown/soul. Like the gentlemen said earlier there's something for everyone (and every mood).

[Lector Malibu]

I have a huge appreciation for mod culture and music. Yes I was a skin in the 80's and carried that title for a long time. Really though I don't consider myself a skin anymore. I will go by the title mod though.

As I have to bolt out the door , i check this thread latter.

[Bazza]

Beautiful song there about the Miners Strike. He also did a Red Wedge single for the Miners....not so good.



'A Stones Throw Away' is a great song and one of the few by Paul Weller to feature no guitar at all in the song.

The single was 'Soul Deep' by The Council Collective and as you say wasn't really much cop. But for me the best song about the miners strike has to be this one by the Redskins -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zTZ3-LhC5R8

The song comes on after a short interview with Chris & Martin from the band.

[pave_the_planet]

ive always thought punks and skins looked cooler than mods. but i really dont know much about em.

i thought The Specials were a skinhead band...

[Lector Malibu]

ive always thought punks and skins looked cooler than mods. but i really dont know much about em.

i thought The Specials were a skinhead band...


The Specials were and remain a skinhead band. Actually the mod subculture inspired what we know as "skinheads" . Mod dress was actually the inspiration for alot of the skinhead dress and music.

I was actually a skinhead for about twenty years, give or take. Really though I no longer claim the tile as things have changed and there's more to life I guess.

As I said earlier though I really have an interest and appreciation in the mod culture and actually it is a title I will claim..

[The Douche]

I would call the majority of the members of the specials mod revivalists though.

[Lector Malibu]

I would call the majority of the members of the specials mod revivalists though.


Good point. As you probably know The Specials used to play as the Coventry Automatics, and they were all about the mod scene back than. Actually Walt P. Jacob, The Specials rude boy band logo was actually dressed as a mod when they were the Automatics.

[Bazza]

Good point. As you probably know The Specials used to play as the Coventry Automatics, and they were all about the mod scene back than. Actually Walt P. Jacob, The Specials rude boy band logo was actually dressed as a mod when they were the Automatics.

While The Specials played ska Jerry Dammers always said that the band were a Mod band. Just look at the recent article in Mojo magazine where Jerry says that Roddy Radiation had a problem been a rockerbilly in a Mod band.

As for Walt Jabsco, he is based on a photo of Peter Tosh from The Wailers. The only time he appeared dressed as a Mod was when The Lambettas copied the image for their 'Poison Ivy' single on 2 Stroke Records. The single was withdrawn after legal action and re-issued on Rocket Records.

http://www.thespecials.com/images/photos/history/toshtowalt.jpg
Peter Tosh & Walt Jabsco

http://2-tone.info/lgsa/lambrettas_front.jpg
The Lambrettas - 'Poison Ivy' single on 2 Stroke records.

[Lector Malibu]

While The Specials played ska Jerry Dammers always said that the band were a Mod band. Just look at the recent article in Mojo magazine where Jerry says that Roddy Radiation had a problem been a rockerbilly in a Mod band.


I'm not saying that The specials didn't have a mod influence. Jerry Dammers was also a skinhead at one point. The specials also had a skinhead following some of that can be seen in the clips below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06-Sl5dfd0

A message to you rudy (specials cover)

clips of rude boys, mods, and skinheads.


Specials cover of long shot kick de bucket and Symarip's skinhead moonstomp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlWxvlQ8Zy4

bunch of skinheads get up on stage an dance.


As for Walt Jabsco, as it's been over twenty years so I'm not surprised I got his name wrong.

Call me crazy but I still think I have seen another Walt Jabsco image before. And I'm not surprised I got confused on The Lambrettas 45 as it looks exactly like an original 2 tone 45.

[Bazza]

As for Walt Jabsco, as it's been over twenty years so I'm not surprised I got his name wrong.

Call me crazy but I still think I have seen another Walt Jabsco image before. And I'm not surprised I got confused on The Lambrettas 45 as it looks exactly like an original 2 tone 45.

The 'Sent From Coventry' Specials/2 Tone book gets Walt's name wrong all the time, calling him Walt Jabasco.

There's been a few bands that have ripped off Walt Jabsco over the years. The Lambrettas are the most well know but there was also The Charlie Parkas and a few others. Link Records also used a
Character that was based on Walt called Rocksteady Eddie.

Taking of books about 2 Tone/The Specials, 'Wheels Out Of Gear' is well worth getting hold of. As it deals with the whole political music scene of the late 70s/early 80s.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M27F5SKSL._SS500_.jpg

[Bazza]

Any fans of The Strike on here?
They were a left wing Mod band who sounded like a cross between The Jam & The Clash.

Here is a video of the title track from their second album -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n0qfzvcIrsc

[leftclick]

Is there an identifiable sound or themes, or is it just whatever mods happen to like? I like the Who and love the Jam, but I'm not a mod and can't understand what makes them different from other non-mod bands.

[Lector Malibu]

Is there an identifiable sound or themes, or is it just whatever mods happen to like? I like the Who and love the Jam, but I'm not a mod and can't understand what makes them different from other non-mod bands.

Modern fashion played a crucial role in the Mod sub culture. Also a hearty appreciation for drugs, mostly pills.:rolleyes: And of course and obsession with scooters. Some of the popular scoots where Lambrettas, G.S.'s and Vespas

Some Mod music themes were:

R&B

Blues

Jazz

rock

Soul

mow town

and even some reggae

When you combined the music , the fashion and the lifestyle you had an element that was modern.

[The Douche]

Is there an identifiable sound or themes, or is it just whatever mods happen to like? I like the Who and love the Jam, but I'm not a mod and can't understand what makes them different from other non-mod bands.

Those bands, and for the most part all "british invasion" are modrock or influenced by it, or a watered down version of it etc.

But, at least, in my mind, true mod music is not mod rock, its soul.

[Lector Malibu]

Soul was huge in the Mod scene. Speaking of Soul, any Northern Soul fans here?

I don't know too much about it. Any good starting points

Bazza?

[tykecommie]

Yes I'm a huge fan of mod music including northern soul. Try Modculture.co.uk northernsoul.co.uk The song by Duffy "mercy" is very northern soul based sound. Just put northern soul in your search engine and theres loads.

[Lector Malibu]

Yes I'm a huge fan of mod music including northern soul. Try Modculture.co.uk northernsoul.co.uk The song by Duffy "mercy" is very northern soul based sound. Just put northern soul in your search engine and theres loads.

Thanks ! I watched the Duffy video , not bad. Modculture looks fantastic and well put together. I'm gonna check it out more.

[Bazza]

Soul was huge in the Mod scene. Speaking of Soul, any Northern Soul fans here?

I don't know too much about it. Any good starting points

Bazza?

There's loads of Northern Soul compilations out there. Best ones are normally on the Kent & Gold Mine labels, avoid anything on the Hallmark label though as the tracks are normally re-recordings.

This 3 CD is a good starting point for 60s & 70s Northern souls tunes. Not too keen on the 70s Northern Soul myself but I love the 60s stuff.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Northern-Essential-Floorfillers-Various-Artists/dp/B000IHY16O/

[Bazza]

Then there is this comp which has all the old classics on -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Northern-Soul-All-Nighter-Ever/dp/B000HKD8L6/