Parka Avenue is 1 year old!

In the blogosphere, 1 year is nothing. So I'm not here to toot my own Fiamm scooter horn. But it is time for me to stop and reflect on the past year. For one, I wasn't sure if I would get this far but I'm glad I did. Judging from the number of readers steadily growing month after month, you can't help but be grateful.

When you write about a subject that people are so passionate about, you simply can't please everyone. When there simply isn't a standard definition of what is "Mod", you are bound to have critics. I don't see it as a point of contention but as a reason to bring a bunch of people with similar taste together, a platform to exchange ideas and form bounds. Besides, I don't pretend to know everything.

What I do know is that what this blog has brought me in the last year, far outweighs any of the negative comments. So when people ask me why I spend so much time and energy on what is basically a very public diary, this is what I tell them. Are you ready to hear the big secret? Parka Avenue is just an excuse to get in touch with amazing people from across the globe. So here you have it my friends, the hepcat is out of the bag!

Some of you I got to meet in person and became friends with. Others I hope to meet one day, a pint in hand. So this post is to thank you all personally.

First, I have to thank Eve Martel. She's the one who inspired and encouraged me to start. She's my soul sister, a veteran blogger and a very successful one at that. She's also responsible for coming up with the great Parka Avenue name.

A big shout out to the Montreal Originals and the Montreal Northern Soul Society: Frank, Steph V-Ginger, Julie, Steve, Charles, Chai, Magdalena, Claude and J-F. You guys always have my back.

A couple of my mates are in front but the rest have my back.

A huge thanks to Andre Desilets and the Skatton Club. You have given us countless hours of great music and entertainment. I am honored to be part of the Skatton Family. As Andre would say: "Dance & Dream my friends!"

A special thank you to Lee Modern, Shareen and Toby from the Mod Club Montreal. You have given me a second home. I truly enjoy every minute I spend with you and appreciate every time you let me behind the turntables.

Lee Modern and Parka Pat

A tip of the pork pie to Kier-La and David from Blue Sunshine, the best alternative movie theatre around. You have unearthed some true 60s gems on film for us. Keep up the great work and I'm looking forward to doing a Parka Avenue / Blue Sunshine collaboration in the near future.

A bump of the fist to the bands Le Chelsea Beat, Kid Sentiment, The Ray and The Outfit. You are keeping the Mod scene alive in Montreal. I see a lot of future nights in your company. I also hope to have many more conversations with Daniel Fiocco, Stephane Courval, Eric Boulanger and Christophe Schmitt. You are true gentlemen.

To Stephane Plante, Michel Alario, Eric Hauser, I see myself being friends with you for a long time. This blog is directly responsible for us meeting. We seem to have so many things in common it's scary. Speaking of this blog being the reason why we met, a warm salutation to Pierre Vaillancourt. Hope to see more of you in 2011. As for Sir Eric Colin, the best Mod DJ in Chicago, I hope I'll get a chance to give you a tour of my fair city sometime this year. To Alex and Scott in Ottawa, I hope I get to see you spin some wax very soon.

To Ben Shulman, my record pimp, you know more at 18 about music then I will ever know in a lifetime. You are responsible for most of the 45s I have in my collection and for my bank account being empty. Keep them coming my friend! Speaking of music oficionados, I enjoy every chance I get to exchange with Fraser Loveman of the 60s group The Modbeats.

Next are my virtual mates that I hope I will get to meet in the flesh one day. First is Ger O'Connell. He has the best scooter collection I have ever seen! We seem to see eye to eye on a lot of things, from scooters to fashion. He's very generous with his time and has helped me on numerous occasions.  A firm salute to Stephen Hughes and the whole Mod Generation community, one of the best Mod sites around. http://www.themodgeneration.co.uk/ I learn so much from this bunch of dedicated modernists. To Erich from Nashville, we have to continue representing North America proudly.

A raise of the glass to David Smith who has the best Northern Soul, Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae podcast on the net. http://davesmith.podomatic.com/ I never miss a show and you make walking the dog in the freezing Canadian weather an enjoyable experience. I'm sure that Dave will agree that the Twitter Mod Collective also needs an acknowledgement. Keep the faith!

Finaly, to my fellow bloggers, keep up the good work. You are a source of inspiration. For those of you who want to read quality mod friendly blogs, have a look at these.

Wilthomer's Anorak Things - 60's Music, Fashion & Beyond! Well... the title says it all.


http://anorakthing.blogspot.com/

Félix's great blog on 60s Quebec Garage. It might be in French but the music clips are universal.

http://ventedegaragepodcast.blogspot.com/

Last but not least, a warm thank you to my Nikki. You have read every single word of this blog and  I appreciate your loving support.

Nikki and Steve behind me, watching my back.

This might of been a long post but it was necessary. I hope the next year will be as fulfilling...

Mods and Fred Perry: A long lasting love affair

When I was 16, I had a “clothes allowance”. I don’t remember how much it was in 1987 but it was enough to buy your average, off the rack, big mall, plain clothes. But at least I had freedom. I didn’t need my parent’s approval. I could make my own choices and start to forge my own sense of style. That was a great feeling.

Designer labels were pretty much out of my price range. That was until I got my first job working at McDonald’s after school and on weekends. It might have been minimum wage but at least I could start to afford the clothes that I really wanted. I was bringing home an average of around $120 every two weeks.

This is when I first met Fred. Fred Perry that is! I had seen Jimmy Cooper, in the film Quadrophenia, wearing the classic white, 2 button, pique polo with the blue piping around the sleeves and on the collar. Your classic Fred Perry look, a staple in any mod wardrobe. Quality wear made in England.

The shirt that started it all for me

My first Fred Perry - 1987

Most of you probably came accross the shirt countless times but for a young French Canadian living in Toronto in the 80s, finding a Fred Perry polo was harder than finding the Holy Grail. In 1987, you couldn’t simply Google Fred Perry on your computer. Finding the elusive shirt was more of a treasure hunt. It was thrilling and the reward would be that you had something unique and exclusive.

In the 80’s, Ralph Lauren and Lacoste were the labels you wanted to be seen in. Pastel colors were all the rage and you had to wear your shirt wide open, with your collar up in the air. I went against the tide with my shirt buttoned up and my collar firmly pressed. I didn’t care. I knew I was cool. I was in an army of one. I was a Mod.

I had found two small shops in Toronto who sold a very limited selection of the coveted shirt. One was on Queen Street West. I can't remember the name but that's where you found your basic Mod revival wardrobe.  You had a few Harrington’s, James Jacket's in black and red, your popular Bomber jacket, a rather large selection of Doc Martens and your imported and sought after Fred Perry's. I must have walked in the shop a dozen times to stare at my favorite piece of cloth before I actually bought my first Fred Perry. Today, you will find a store called Modraphelia on Queen Street West but I can't positively say it's the same store.

Another store, that I was aware of, carried the object of my desire. Situated on Yonge Street a few blocks south of Bloor, it was your typical cheap souvenir / concert t-shirt / rock poster / patches and pins shop. For some reason, it had a small section dedicated to really cool Mod clothes. Limited to only a few racks, this is where I also bought my first black gingham Ben Sherman button down. It was also the only place that you could find Carnaby Cavern clothes.

My father and I somewhere in Spain in 1988. I'm wearing my favorite Fred Perry at the time.

From that moment on, I never looked back. Fred has been part of my life ever since. Pieces from the latest collections, Japanese imports, limited edition shirts, special collaborations and 60s original pieces all rub shoulders in my closet.

The restoration of the Lambretta TV175 series 3 begins!

It's official; the Lambretta TV175 s3 has left the dining room for a complete restoration. Let the bleeding of the wallet begin! A friend has graciously accepted to take on the task of bringing it back to its former glory. He's a master of the wrench and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to everything that is Lambretta or Vespa. I think my baby is in good hands.

The customary "before" picture taken the day the scooter was purchased.

After careful consideration, I decided to go for an original stock look with a Mod twist. What is a Mod twist you ask? A few tastefully and minutely chosen authentic accessories will be added. My problem is that I tend to go for the rare and expensive accessories before I take care of the nuts and bolts. But I think I got that covered by having put aside some money for the restoration. The rest of my spending money is to feed my serious accessory addiction. I sometimes need a serious fix of prescription Vigano.

I know that some of you cringe at the thought that I might drill some holes in this surprisingly pristine scooter body but I might as well tell you now, I will. I won't do anything drastic or irreversible but I will add a crashbar here... an embellisher there...

I first had to settle on a color. The Lambretta TV175 series 3 scooters came in 5 colors between 1961 and 1964: Grigio Scuro (Dark Grey), Rosso Corallo (Red Metallic), Giallo Chiaro (Light Yellow), Bianco Nuovo (New White) and Azzurro Met (Light Blue Metallic). Some hidden evidence indicates that my TV used to be an attractive metallic blue. That would make sense since I suspect that the TV is a 1964 and that was the year they made the Lambretta in that color. I still have to research the serial number to confirm the year. A few parts of the scooter like the glove box, filter box, gas tank, flywheel shroud and cylinder shroud were all painted New White. The seat frame and latch were painted gloss black and the front dampers were Fiat Aluminum. So it is settled. Metallic blue it is!

The only part that was missing from the scooter is the ever sought after disk brake. I decided to go with the Scoot RS reproduction. From what I can tell from simply staring at it, it seems to be well-made.  It basically looks exactly like the original. I can't wait until I can actually test it!

Aside from the disk brake, a few other essentials were purchased like a dark blue seat cover from Scooters Originali. The seat looks stunning and seems to be a high quality item.

Of course, I couldn't write this post without mentioning a few accessories I picked up. First is a Lucas Stinger backlight. With a body a bit longer then your usual brake light, it gives it a sporty streamline quality. The lens is what sets it apart from your typical lens. With a red bullet sticking out from the middle of the lens, you can't mistake it with the classic version and it's guaranteed to attract attention.

Joining the Stinger backlight, on what will undoubtedly be a very long list of attractive aftermarket accessories, is a pair of aluminum NOS heel plates from the good folks at Scooter Emporium in London. I will publicly admit it. I love chrome! I love it when it shines. If it wasn't so bloody expensive, I think I would probably dip the whole scooter in chrome. So expect more of the shinny stuff in the coming months.

If you want to see the color options that were available when the Lambretta came out of the factory, have a look at this wacky Italian television ad called the Lambrett Twist. My model is a few years older then the ones featured in the ad.

11 classic Mod tracks for 2011

I felt honored to be asked by my friend, DJ Lee Modern, to be part of the Magnificent 11 at The Mod Club Montreal on 1-1-11. The concept is pretty simple: eleven Mod DJs, each playing 11 tracks to ring in 2011.

I'm not sure that all the members of this motley crew of DJs spent as much time as I did selecting the 11 tracks that were going to be played that night, but I had a great time tlast week narrowing the choices down. I know that a few of my compatriots simply showed up with a bunch of albums and decided what they wanted to play on the spot. That approach is as valid as any other and the mark of a good DJ is to know how to read a crowd and adapt.

I approached it a bit differently. Since I knew it was going to be the day after the biggest party night of the year and that the place was going to be relatively quiet, I decided to plan every track in advance. I thought to myself: "If I was to going play 11 of my all time favorite Mod tunes, what would they be?"

Well, the task wasn't as easy as I thought. First, I wanted to touch a variety of styles: soul, garage, Mod revival and a couple of French 60s tracks. Second, 45rpm was my medium of choice. Lets do this how it was meant to be! Third, I wanted to play classics with a few elements of surprise hidden in the set.

After much deliberation, I was able to complete the assigned deed and this is what I came up with:

1) Ooh Poo Pah Do - Skip Easterling

2) The In Crowd - Dobie Gray

3) But It's Alright - J. J. Jackson

4) Give Me One More Chance - Wilmer and The Dukes

5) Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones

6) It's a Mod Mod World - Squire

7) Biff Bang Pow - The Creation

8) Till the End of the Day - The Kinks

9) Ça Ne Tient Pas Debout (Whatcha Gonna Do About It) - Les Dinn's

10) Respect - Les Preachers

11) Tainted Love - Gloria Jones

As the first few DJs were doing their set before my turn behind the turntables, I hear But It's Alright being played. Well... there goes one! I had already prepared for the eventuality that it would happen so in came We Got A Thing That's In The Groove by The Capitols.

My set went smoothly and went by way to quickly. The French tracks that I had selected were my two surprises for the evening. First was Les Dinn's doing a cover of The Small Faces hit, Whatcha Gonna Do About It. My friend Michel, who knows a thing or two about French 60s groups, gave this 45 to me. (Thanks again for the gift mate!)

But for some reason, little is known about this French quartet. The copy that I have is a Canadian pressing of the French label Riviera. Aside from that, this is the only photo of the group I'm aware of.

What is interesting is that the original version by the Small Faces was never officially released in Canada as a single. What I love about spinning a song like this one is when people on the dance floor react to the first few bars of the track thinking they are hearing their favorite London group and seeing their expression on their faces when they realize women are singing in French.

Another example of this is Otis Redding's Respect, popularized in 1967 by Aretha Franklin. I found a rare version of the hit performed by Les Preachers, a sixties Quebec group. It might not compare with the original but it's a refreshing take on it.

I decided to finish with something strong and a guaranteed floor filler. Gloria Jones was the perfect choice for the changing of the guards. My friend Eric B. was a great DJ to precede. I knew before he even dropped his first track that I would have a hard time leaving the dance floor.

Here's a little taste of how the DJ switch went.

I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity to man the turntables. It was such a wonderful way to start the new year. Happy New Year to all!

Baracuta, a Mod favorite

Baracuta has long been known for making the best Harrington jacket on the market. It's hard to argue with the ones who are credited with creating the first-ever Harrington in 1937. The G9 has been imitated the world over but never surpassed. With a long tradition of "Made in England" quality jackets, it's not surprising that Mods have adopted the look since the sixties. After the M-51 US fishtail parka, the Baracuta Harrington is not far behind in the list of must-have outerwear in the Mod closet.

But how many of you are familiar with the other "top of the line" products Baracuta has to offer? I have to admit that, before a few weeks ago, I never paid close attention to their clothing line. First, let's be honest, Baracuta products don't come cheap, in every sense of the word. For instance, expect to pay around £150 for your traditional Harrington jacket.

That was until I discovered their "deal of the day" promotion. I noticed one of their tweets on Twitter promoting it and decided to click on the link. I was directed to their website ( http://www.baracuta-g9.com/ ) and this jaw dropping sale section. We are talking serious discounts here folks!

For us quality and budget minded Mods out there, these types of promotions are well worth seeking out. I first selected this navy Baracuta shawl collar knitted cardigan. It's the perfect option for those cold Canadian winters. Wear it with a clean shirt and slim tie and instantly achieve the unmistakable Mod look.  It will also pair up perfectly with a checkered button down Ben Sherman shirt, a pair of dark blue Levi's and your classic suede Clarks desert boots for a more casual look.

Next came the Baracuta cyan blue, striped 4-button polo shirt. The stripes and light blue color gives it a definite sixties vintage feel. I also like the fact that it has 4 buttons. Am I the only one who thinks that we need more polos with more than 2 buttons?

Now for the "No-way-I-don't-believe-you-why-are-you-lying-to-me-you've-gotta-be-kidding-me-get-out-of-here-stop-pulling-my-chain" moment. I got both of these wonderful garments for £16 each. You read right. Now, usually when you find these types of deals, they will only have a very limited stock, in some unusual sizes. Not in this case! I wear a large and all I needed to do is let my finger do the clicking.

So the moral of this story is that those Mod friendly brands we all love are sometimes within our wallet's reach. And for those of you, who are not convinced that Twitter has things to offer, think again. Aside from this great deal, I also got a free, yearlong subscription to the Lambretta Club USA a few months back.

To follow Baracuta on Twitter, simply search for BaracutaG9com or to follow yours truly, type in ParkaAvenue.

A Mod Christmas

With the holidays upon us, I thought it would be fitting to present to you a couple of Mod friendly Christmas albums that will surely put you in a groovy festive mood. First up is a rare Christmas Garage compilation I recently discovered. Three obscure 60s garage bands from Quebec are featured on the album Noël Dans Le Vent. Les Loups, Les Intimes and Les Chantels sing the joys of Christmas in French. But the best part about this album is that all the songs are original. They might not be the best musicians you ever heard but at least you don't have to listen to another bad version of Rudolf The Rednosed Reindeer for the millionth time.

Most of the tracks are pretty slow so it might not be the first record you drop to get that holiday family gathering rockin'. It's more of a soundtrack for a quiet evening spent with your lucky lady lounging in front of the rolling log of a fake 70s kitsch fireplace.

Do NOT try this at home! Leaving you rare vinyls in front of the fireplace will result in a few choice expletives.

My favorite tune has to be Noël Étrange (Strange Christmas) by The Chantels. Clearly the most talented group of the bunch, the song recounts the struggles and perils of shopping at the last minute on the eve of Christmas. It's one of the more upbeat tracks on the album and a little garage gem through and through.

An honorable mention should be given to Les Intimes and the track Nous Allons Nous Amuser. There attempt at having horns in the song is almost laughable but it will go perfectly with those jelly cranberries in the form of a tin can.

Second is the 1968 release of Soul Christmas on Atco records. With familiar Soul greats like Booker T. & The MG's, Otis Redding, King Curtis, Clarence Carter, Carla Thomas, Solomon Burke and William Bell, it's hard to go wrong. This one is sure to please the whole family and have Aunt Gigi dance along in the living room.

A few Holiday classics have been given the soul treatment like The Christmas Song by King Curtis, White Christmas by Otis Redding and Jingle Bells by Booker T. & The MG's. Even if Otis Redding is one of my favorite performers, nobody will ever surpass Bing Crosby's version of White Christmas.

So it should be no surprise if I say that my favorite tracks are original songs. At the top of the list is Back Door Santa by Clarence Carter. With a very familiar intro, it's the perfect mix between a true soul floor filler and a holiday classic.

I will take this opportunity to wish all the faithful readers of this blog a heartfelt Happy Holidays. I hope the jolly fat guy in the red tonic suit left you some nice scooter goodies, a few rare vinyls and a couple pieces of cool clothing.

May your days be Mod and bright, and may all your Christmases be white...

Parka Avenue talks to Fraser Loveman, frontman of the 60s group The Modbeats

When you think of Mod music from the sixties that came out of Canada, The Modbeats are THE reference. They came out of the unlikely small city of St. Catharines, Ontario in the Niagara region. That didn't stop them from making a lasting impact on the thriving North American garage and psychedelic scene of that era.

Rare photo of The Modbeats given to Fraser Loveman by Ian Sinclair

Fraser Loveman, lead singer for The Modbeats, was not only in the midst of it all but also helped shape the landscape. He was there! This guy has seen it all! And he has a record collection of around 50 000 records to prove it!

Fraser Loveman in his stunning white suit bought on Carnaby Street

The Modbeats LP came out in '67. On the cover, it boldly states "Mod is... The British Modbeats". So it was only natural that I would ask him what he viewed as Mod. He didn't start by reciting the usual "smart clothes, Italian scooter, Motown" rhetoric we usually reserve for people that are not part of the in-crowd. Instead, he gave a nuanced and insightful way of looking at things. "All of the music that the Mods attached themselves to was already here in North America. In England, they liked American music and here we liked British stuff. Today, people are living out what they think it was rather than what it was. The Modbeats during the sixties went way past the traditional Mod ethic and we expanded our look and sound."

I have to admit that I never looked at it that way before and it does make sense. I think we sometimes idealize the way things were and the way things are somewhere else. It's true that in the sixties, North Americans were all about the British Invasion and at the same time, the English had a romanticized version of the American Soul scene. According to Fraser, Mod means "cutting edge, new and modern". It's hard to argue with that logic. His father, James Loveman, was The Modbeats manager. He certainly was a big influence on the band and had a reputation for being one of the few honest managers around. “Make a splash. Be flamboyant. Be different. Don’t fit in.” was the family motto.

Joe Colonna, Greig Foster with James Loveman in the back

As for the "British" that was added in front of their name on the album, that was purely a record company stunt, trying to cash in on the British Invasion wave. In fact, Red Leaf Records had them record the entire album in less then 2 days. This explains in part why there's no original material on the album. Even if Fraser had a bunch of songs under his funky belt, they were rushed into production and they never got the opportunity to have a few original tracks immortalized. He has a clear memory of the photo shoot for the album cover: "The cover shot was taken behind Beattie's stationary on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines. The funny thing is we usually went barefoot but it was so cold that we did agree to boots. Unfortunately, our pants looked way too short!"

Even if they never had a chance to record their own material, they had quite a reputation for being a band to see live. A 1967 Billboard article states: "The live performance was much louder than they sound on disk" and "[...] they are a highly professional outfit."

Greig Foster in his fabulous suit from Carnaby Street

Rob Jeffrey

 A lot of those wild shows were done in a club named The Castle in St. Catherines. "This place was better than anything they had in England or the U.S. A man named Ron Metcalfe ran it. Two stages, two dance floors, a snack bar, a coffee club where folk singers played and the greatest kids any band could hope to play for. It held over a thousand people and was usually packed Fridays and Saturdays.” recalls Fraser. A lot of well-known acts made the trip across the border to play The Castle. Mod favorites like The Marvelettes were amongst them.

The Modbeats at The Castle in 1966

The Modbeats playing The Castle in 1966

The Modbeats also shared the stage with a few sixties greats like The Barbarians, JB & The Playboys, The Byrds, The McCoys, The Four Tops and The Rascals.

Image artists roster circa 1966

The good news in all of this is that The Modbeats have been known to still do concerts in the Niagara region every once in while. So I still have hope that I will one day see them live.

If you want to stay up to date with all The Modbeats activities, make sure to visit their Facebook page and their website.

http://themodbeats.ca/site/

The Modbeats Facebook page

The Modbeats in 1965

The Modbeats in 1966

To hear one of my favorite tracks from the LP, check out the link below and enjoy.

Somebody Help Me - The Modbeats

I want to thank Fraser Loveman for his generosity, kindness and for providing all the great photos seen in this post.

A few Mod rarities

I thought for a long time that it was impossible to find good stuff at a reasonable price at record conventions. I'm slowly changing my mind. The thing is, I love the feeling of finding a rare 45 at a garage sale and paying 1$ for it. But how often does that really happen? And if you are lucky enough to find that obscure garage LP you've never heard of before, it's usually in poor condition.

Record conventions do the sorting out for you so you are usually left with la crème de la crème. The adage "somebody's trash is somebody else's treasure" sometimes also applies. You might put your hands on a valuable early ska Studio 1, Prince Buster or Coxsone single just because the majority of the collectors around you are only interested on Japanese Kiss releases.

I did find a few rare oddities at the last two record conventions I attended. The Pop Montreal record fair was held during the festival of the same name. Aside from a few more "common" albums like The Bar-Kays - Soul Finger, Valerie Simpson's Exposed, Al Green's Gets Next to You, I was very happy to put my hands on decent copies of two of the more influential sixties Quebec garage band Les Sinners and Les Lutins. I sometimes see them priced at up to 150$ each in record shops. So you can imagine my surprise when I only paid 20$ for both of them. It goes to show you that there are deals to be made at record conventions.

On the 7" front, 5$ was well worth the price I paid for this 4 track  2004 release from French Mod band  Les Dragueurs . The attractive record sleeve and white vinyl record was enough to convince me to buy it.

A few weeks later the Record and CD Convention of Montreal was held once more. I always wondered if it was worth paying a few extra dollars to walk in an hour before everybody else. My friend Michel, a veteran record collector and music aficionado, suggested I should do so. The seasoned crate digger was already head first in a box when I arrived.

I joined him as he was going through rows of early Quebec artists 45s hoping to come across some very desirable obscure sixties garage groups. He was flanked by another knowledgeable collector/blogger, Félix B. Desfossés aka DJ Pâté who was looking for the same thing.

As I was patiently waiting for my turn, I decided to go through the rows of English speaking artists. That's when I stumbled upon a single by The Beau-Marks. They were one of the rare groups from Montreal that had an international hit in the early sixties with Clap your hands. The song was recorded in a basement studio only a few blocks away from my place. The single, not particularly rare since it was a big hit, was 5$. There was one thing about the record that I hadn't noticed before Félix graciously pointed it out after he made sure I was going to buy it. All the members of the group had signed it! Not bad for a few bucks!

I should say that Félix is THE reference on Quebec garage rock on the web. You should check out his blog Vente de Garage. It's extremely well researched and even if it's entirely in French, there are tons of clips to listen too.

http://ventedegaragepodcast.blogspot.com/

Another 45rpm that would certainly qualify as a rarity is the mint copy of Mod Socks by the Cleveland, Ohio group The Grasshoppers. The bass player and vocalist for the band, Benjamin Orr, later became one of the key members of the successful group The Cars.

But the major score for the day was not one, but two copies of the only LP released by the Canadian group The British Modbeats. Caught in the British Invasion wave that was sweaping the nation at the time , the band was actually from the small town of St. Catharines, Ontario. The Modbeats released an album in 1966 on Red Leaf Records. I don't think you can get any more obscure than that!

Why 2 copies, you might ask? One of the records is a bit rough with a few scatches but the cover is quite nice and it was signed by all of the band members on June 28th 1967. Plus it came with a couple of newpaper clippings about the band. The other album simply plays great.

The album cover is a thing of beauty. Even if they look more psychedelic, with their bell-bottoms and paisley shirts, than proper mods, I did see an early photo of them wearing suits. The music itself is actually quite good. The downside is that they only recorded covers. The good news is that more then 40 years after they seperated, they are apparently back together! And this time around, they're performing original material. I really hope I get a chance to see them live one day.

You can get more information about The Modbeats through their website.

http://themodbeats.ca/site/

They even have a Facebook fan page!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Modbeats/130175844559

If you have scored an unsual Mod record lately, let us know in the comment section.

A little Northern Soul for the Mod on the run: Part II

When I first started buying music, you couldn't do it by simply clicking on your computer mouse. You actually had to walk into a record shop. The first LP I ever bought with my allowance was a Kiss album. (How things have changed!)  I was in 4th grade and I bought it in a small shopping mall, two blocks from my house. Every few weeks, my best friend Francis and I would pool our money together and buy a new album.

But it was in high school that I bought my first portable music player. After a few months of delivering newspapers, seven days a week, at 5:30 in the morning, I got enough cash to buy myself a brand new Sony Walkman. Yes, total freedom! Long live the cassette tape!

If you think about it, it was quite revolutionary. You could listen to your choice of music, anywhere you wanted. I remember when I first put the headphones on. It felt like I had the band right in front of me. Aside from the headphones, that you would have to replace every few months, the sound quality was remarkable.

I was independent. I could listen to MY music and nobody could tell me to turn it down. Since "nostalgia" is my middle name, I recently tracked down my faithful silver Walkman WM-4 on eBay and bought it again. I just learnt that Sony has finally discontinued the Walkman after 30 years in production. I didn't even know that they still sold them! You can read an online article about it here:

http://www.geeksugar.com/Sony-Cassette-Walkman-Discontinued-11599034

The mighty cassette was equally a very cool thing. You could make copies of your favorite albums and pass it along to your friends. That is how I discovered The Who, The Specials and Bob Marley. My friend Greg had made me copies of those albums.

Since I reignited my love for vinyl, I've been looking around for funky portable turntables. (See part 1) The latest addition to the collection is the Sound Burger. Made by Audio-Technica, it came out around the same time as the Walkman but it was, compared to the portable cassette player, a commercial flop. Who would want to deal with cumbersome LPs and a needle skipping when you could simply walk around with a bunch of cassettes?

This record player might not be an audiophile's first choice because of its average sound quality but it makes up in the practical department. I have since brought it with me at a few record conventions, flea markets and record shops. It has practically paid for itself by preventing me from buying a bunch of crappy records. On the flip side, it has allowed me to discover unknown artists that I would have normally glanced over without a second thought. Plus, it hits 10 on the cool scale. Just the name itself is enough to evoke a reaction or conjure up a smile.

Expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a mint example in its original box. Mine came without headphones but it did have the seldom-missing white screw at the back. The screw prevents the clamp from opening when it’s not in use. If you put your hands on one with the screw, make sure you take it off before you use it or you risk breaking the turntable. I have heard of it happening. The record player also comes in vibrant colors like yellow or red, reminiscent of the 80's.

With vinyl records making a comeback full force, Crosley came out with their modern version. It has the advantage of having a USB connection so you are able to transfer your precious vinyl collection to your computer, a wireless radio connection and integrated stereo speakers. Currently retailed at 149$, it's quite a steal.

For more info, check out the Crosley website here:

The Crosley Revolution

I bought a pair of inexpensive speakers for the Sound Burger that plugs in the headphone jack and it has proven to be very popular at parties or on my rooftop terrace. All you need is a good selection of northern soul, garage, ska and a stable surface.

The Sound Burger remains the perfect companion for the Mod on the run...