JOHN REED
talks mod, paul weller, stone roses, small faces, curtis mayfield

READY STEADY GO! SPOKE TO JOHN REED, THE MAN BEHIND THE CASTLE RE-ISSUES FROM THE STABLES OF IMMEDIATE, SUGARHILL RECORDS, and CURTIS MAYFIELD AND AUTHOR OF THE ACCLAIMED PAUL WELLER BIOGRAPHY, MY EVER CHANGING MOODS….

John Reed musical journey started in 1979 as a "dodgy Mod, scooterist, Northern Soul fan, record junkie living near Brighton, Sussex", in 1984 he became a student, turned into a bit of an indie kid and started DJ, including Djing for the Stone Roses in 1989.

In 1989 he became research editor at Record Collector and spent nearly 10 years working for the magazine. During that time he has written books on Paul Weller and sleevenotes "dodgy mod revival albums" amongst other things.

He is now Sequel Records Label Manager and his currently looking after exciting re-issues by the Small Faces, Curtis Mayfield, Sugarhill rap, Immediate rarities, 60s Pye Pop, Invictus Soul-Funk.

MOD

Ready Steady Go: When did you first get into Mod and what was the main attraction for you of the movement?

John Reed: "When I was about 11, a friend of my mum's gave me a Beatles album, With The Beatles, and the Stones' Big Hits compilation. It got me completely into the 60s thing. Then the Mod revival followed when I was 13 (in 1979) and it just seemed a logical progression. But I was into the 60s aspect first, Who and Small Faces and Kinks, etc. Then, say in 1980, I got into 'modern' bands like The Jam, etc. But it was just this whole world of 60s music that drove it. Later, I got into psychedelia and Northern Soul and never looked back. The clothes were cool (as opposed to me!), but that was always secondary for me, because later, when I left the bowling shoes behind (!), I stuck with the music".

RSG: What do you make of the strict conservative, elitist like 'rules' of Mod life. Part of it I find attractive and fairly harmless but another part of it I find slightly disturbing in some senses. As long as you dig the music that's fine by me.

JR: "Well, yeah, there's a kinda purist perfection that some of these guys are aspiring to. But it seems very restrictive. Then again, I love the enthusiasm and the dedication, just not the tunnel vision. Like, everything is defined on a sliding scale of 'moddiness', if you see what I mean. Whereas I think me riding an old scooter with a Sugarhill record bag is kinda mod, from a wider perspective. Mod should be more about enthusiasm and that hunger for the new - I'm saying I'm like that but it's more of a philosophy to aspire to than owning an original 60s shirt!"

"On one level, a Mod should be into the latest drum'n'bass 12" import. But then 60s scooters just look better than the new ones - so it's that mixture of old AND new..."

RSG: You got into it all around the feted Mod revival time. What was that era like at the time compared to the resurgent interest in Mod these days?

JR: "Well, I was the only Mod in my school and I used to get threatened with a beating from all the rude boys and skinheads. But by 1981/82, it had kinda flourished into a scene inasmuch as I got to know older guys. Also, it quickly became more of a scooter scene. I wasn't really aware of that split between mods and scooterists until much later. Down in the Brighton area, it just developed and we left the tonic trousers behind. Suits were just for occasional special club nights. Plus we all followed The Jam. But you were hearing 'new' old records every week, and picking up stuff at car boot sales, and although the high street was useless for clothes, second-hand stuff was easier/cheaper than now. Also, there was Carnaby Street, of course!

Today, it seems more accepted, more mainstream. Back then, we were ridiculed (and rightly so, sometimes!). But I dunno, are thousands of 14-year-olds getting into Mod now? It seems broader and less specific now but maybe it's my age. I guess first the Stone Roses and then Britpop created a new, vaguer Mod image?"

RSG: How did you get your break in the music business?

JR: "Well, I went to Brunel University in 1984 and left in 1989 (I failed a year). During that spell, I used to DJ a lot, both at discos (we didn't call them club nights then!) and for bands. Mod was left behind; I didn't realise that London still had a thriving scene but I wouldn't have been that interested, anyway. I still loved Northern Soul, etc., but I got really into the whole Indie scene - Creation Records, etc. Clothes: whatever was fashionable, from Doc Marten shoes to polo necks and what I'd call a public school haircut (a less severe wedge!)"

"So I was approaching the end of college and stood for the post of VP Communications (running the student paper and doing all the publicity material and so forth). But just as I started, a friend shoved the Record Collector ad under my nose and said something like, "You're the only sad fuck who ever reads this, why don't you apply?!" Which I did - and got the job of Editorial Assistant. I started in October '89".

RSG: What was it like working at Record Collector and what were the best moments of working on the magazine?

JR: "Well, it was nearly nine years, so that's quite difficult to summarise briefly. Nice people: I'm still friends with all the RC editorial. Three of us left in the space of six months last year. So it's quite a static atmosphere. No-one's 'proactive', an over-used word but fitting. So although I loved the mag, I found it frustrating because there was an inherent resistance to change: going colour for one!"

"I struggled with the writing at first, until we got Macs: at first, we had to write it out by hand and then type it up! But I got to write about my favourite bands and sharpen up the pricing and research of the discography's, which appealed to my 'anal' side!"

"The best moment was always when the mag came back and you saw not only your own work but that collective effort. But that was always tarnished by the drabness of the presentation! It's always the 'first time' thing, as well: the first article (the Wonder Stuff), the first interview (Inspiral Carpets), first Price Guide (1993), etc., first freelance sleeve-note (not telling!)".

RSG: Who have been the most inspiring people you have met involved with music and why?

"I met a few of my heroes - Paul Weller, for one, who's as sharp as a freshly pressed mohair suit. Also Ian Brown. I guess these were both just because they were icons. Difficult one, off the cuff. I started moonlighting for Mojo and they're kinda organic suck-it-and-see attitude opened my eyes to being more creative in terms of spinning ideas and not being afraid to change and develop ideas rather than sticking rigidly to something. So one idea would develop into another, in terms of feature ideas".

"But I was passively looking for another job for the last three years at RC. At first, I wanted to stay in publishing as a writer/editor. But after the success of the Paul Weller book, I decided my future wasn't in writing. I can string a sentence together, but it's not what I wanted to do".

"So I approached a couple of record companies to no avail. And then I heard about the Sequel vacancy, got the low-down from a mutual acquaintance and chased the job before it was even advertised. It took around eight months from my initial approach before I actually started last July. And I have to say I haven't looked back for a moment!"

RSG: What are the most rewarding aspects about working with re-issues rather than brand new releases?

JR: "Well, new releases is more complicated because it's such a moving target and the stakes are higher. Each step is dependent on the success or otherwise of the previous one. Whereas old catalogue kinda its there and the skill lies in presentation and timing. So we've done really well with our Sugarhill reissues because of (a) the 20th anniversary of hip-hop and loads of interest in old school rap, etc. and (b) because the packaging appealed to people".

"So it's far more rewarding than Record Collector because I'm actually driving all aspects of the label. So again, seeing the finished article is (usually!) a thrill, and then seeing it in the shops. But also the atmosphere at Castle is more professional and accepting. I tend to be fairly outspoken and a bit of a ranter but everyone has the opportunity to contribute, which is cool".

RSG: What is the blueprint for Castle music? Are you looking to specialise in a certain niche?

JR: "Well, Castle is ostensibly a Catalogue company - that is to say, old music. But in order to grow, you really need front line (new) acts. So Castle Music's plan is multi-faceted, I guess. But in terms of Sequel, we have redefined it, in relation to the other (mostly mid-price) catalogue label, Essential. So Sequel was always primarily a black music label but then you'd have Motorhead, while Essential picked up George Clinton. So we've refocused that. But the mid-60s stuff, like Immediate, is still Sequel, because it doesn't really fit Essential's 'rock' image. We're not really looking to specialise. Most of our releases are based around repertoire we own and repertoire we acquire, either ownership or licence. But naturally I gravitate towards the 60s/Mod/Soul/Funk/Psych end of the spectrum!"

RSG: Like most music fans, your life must be one long road journey of musical discovery. How did you first get into music, what did you first like and what have been the biggest turning points (influences) along that road for you?

JR: "OK, I mentioned the Beatles and the Stones. Soul music I discovered via a budget 3-LP set, The Roots Of Soul (which I've since lost), and then Neil Rushton's 'Out On The Floor Tonight' compilation. Yeah, I think that if you lose that thirst, then it's all over. That said, I do get fatigued and occasionally fall back on what I know, which is Stones/Who/Neil Young and 60s psych/Hendrix/Byrds and Northern Soul and Funk and Punk and the groovy end of jazz. Biggest turning points? Hearing a Creation Records compilation in 1985. DJing for the Stone Roses in early '89, hearing the Jesus & Mary Chain in '85, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine around '88, Oasis in '94, Public Enemy in '87. Paul Weller in '92 - and at Phoenix in '94 (?). Neil Young live (three times). Lots of other moments but I could go on forever".

THE STONE ROSES

RSG: Part of the reason I got so heavily into music was the impact the Stone Roses had on me from early on (after seeing Elephant stone on Transmission in late 1988). I see you have worked with the Roses and met Ian Brown. Can you tell us about your experiences of working with the Roses in the early days? What was the atmosphere like behind the scenes in those heady times?

JR: "No, I didn't work WITH them at all. All I did was DJ for one of their gigs in early 1989. I was out of my face and just played my usual mixture of 60s and indie that I always played at gigs. I remember seeing the lads in the pizza place, which joined onto the venue, and thinking how smart they looked, in a 60s/Mod kinda way. I didn't talk to them, though. Anyway, they blew me away. I have never been so impressed by a band I'd hardly heard - though I'd bought 'Made Of Stone' that day, which reminded me of a more polished Primal Scream (as in 'Velocity Girl'). That was at Brunel University.

Anyway, in late 97 (I think), I interviewed Ian prior to his solo album. And he remembered me from the gig, which seems ridiculous, but there you go - he said, out of the blue, did you used to have long-ish hair, which I did (not long-long but bob-ish, if you see what I mean!). So meeting IB after all those years was fun, and he was a real gentleman, very softly spoken and very Mancunian in his demeanour (my girlfriend's from Manchester and there are certain gestures you pick up on that are very much from that area - well, just watch Liam!)".

RSG: What is your greatest regret about the Roses and their premature demise? Where do you think it all went wrong?

"I saw the Roses at Ally Pally and Spike Island, but both were a bit of a letdown, to be quite honest. I think they struggled to keep up with their own momentum - it was bigger than they were. The drugs set in and that was that".

RSG: Can you see a time when the Roses will patch up their differences and reform ala Happy Mondays (who went down a storm in Manchester the other week by the way)?

"I hope not. Let's move on. The Mondays are great but it's a circus act. It has no relevance to today and is as much a dewey-eyed revival as seeing The Action, as far as I'm concerned. Which is no bad thing, in isolation".

RSG: Ian Brown is a true icon. The face of the nineties, in my book. Having met the man, what do you make of him and of the largely unacknowledged impact he has had on a generation?

"Intelligent but intuitively, not academically, I would guess. I think he picks up some stuff from Rasta lads he hangs out with, but I'm only guessing again. Refreshingly free of the usual reference points. His favourite punk band were Slaughter & The Dogs! (did you read the piece I did in Record Collector?). Really into his Northern Soul. Favourite tune: "Lover" by the Delites".

THE SMALL FACES

RSG: The Small Faces sound as fresh as ever 30 years on and will probably sound fresh and vital forever. If such a band, at the height of their powers, were to appear now, they would sweep the board. What is it that, in your opinion, the Small Faces had that many of the bands on the current music scene would die for? This isn't some old timer getting all nostalgic even kids today, who know their music, are well aware that 30 years on, the Small Faces are as relevant as ever.

JR: "The Small Faces had in Marriott one of the great voices, as we all know, and a boundless energy which carried their music beyond its boundaries. Also, Marriott and Lane had songwriting skills far beyond their contemporaries - and I think that East End upbringing exposed them to the English song more than most people. I'm not just talking about the knees-up element: they intuitively understood that their music shouldn't disappear up its own arse! So they were never going to be Pink Floyd (and I like [early] Floyd) but they were also ambitious and creative enough to stretch themselves beyond teenybop and soul covers".

"Difficult to define a band's appeal. But it's that boundless energy and melodic depth and creative scope of it all, I guess".

CURTIS MAYFIELD

RSG: I am interested in your re-issue work of Curtis Mayfield's back catalogue, particularly the Impressions stuff. I have the albums 'the Young Mods forgotten Story' and 'This is my Country'. Where, in your opinion, does Curtis stand in the league of all time soul greats? What you think of his work with Impressions (in particular Young Mods)? What you feel is his best solo work? Please also let us have details of all the re-issues you are involved with?

"Curtis Mayfield is one of the few soul artists who has managed to inject his own spirituality into his music in such an effortless way. I'm not a religious person but you can't help but be lifted by Curtis's voice, which in turn was obviously one that was reared in the gospel church. His compassion and optimism are infectious, his subtle, near-falsetto voice always soothing, his lyrics always incisive, his songs always melodically deep".

"He could also funk it up like the best of 'em. So I wouldn't want to concentrate on one album. That period during which he left the Impressions for a solo career is certainly his most creative. The last couple of Impressions LPs were more varied and adventurous than the earlier ones, taking that group vocal soul sound into new territories, with new rhythms and instrumentation and what have you. And the lyrical message got more 'street'. But the Curtis album is the one for me: he seemed to take a leaf from early Funkadelic, adding that psychedelic feel, which I always love. Also Superfly, far and away the best Blaxploitation soundtrack. Genius. Listen to him every day. Also, Curtis/Live! was a revelation to me, hearing it remastered from the original tapes for our reissue. Few live albums are better!"

"We have reissued the following Curtis/Impressions releases as 2-CD sets":

• SUPERFLY/SHORT EYES
• CURTIS/GOT TO FIND A WAY
• ROOTS/SWEET EXORCIST
• BACK TO THE WORLD/LOVE
• CURTIS LIVE!/IN CHICACO
• THIS IS MY COUNTRY/YOUNG MODS FORGOTTEN STORY
• CHECK OUT YOUR MIND/TIMES HAVE CHANGED
• FIRST IMPRESSIONS/LOVING POWER
• FINALLY GOT MYSELF TOGETHER/PREACHER MAN

RSG: You are currently involved with re-issuing a lot of Immediate records back catalogue. The Small Faces were the most successful band at the label but the recent re-issues show the label to have a diverse, rich and captivating roster whose different sounds collectively paint pictures of a long lost innocent past. Listening to these records in 1999 what do they mean to you? How do you think Immediate would have developed had the label not run into financial trouble?

JR: "Well, I think that 60s music is fairly timeless. But it's also the whole image and packaging and presentation of Immediate that I love. So the Mark Murphy album is strong for what it is: a jazz vocal album. But in the context of Immediate, it's more interesting. Chris Farlowe, properly anthologised, was great fun to work on. A few of his vocals are too histrionic, but there was a good job to be done there. Some great tracks hidden away on B-sides, etc. Immediate's 'financial trouble' was a symptom of wider problems with the management, which you'll know about. Immediate was the Heavenly of its day: great ideas, very hip and trendy, but probably never gonna grow beyond a certain size. Movers and shakers don't always become the millionaires! So I don't think Immediate had a future, really. Its demise was pre-destined!

You see, the whole familial set-up sounds charming but no-one got paid. So it's riddled with hypocrisy. Which in itself epitomised the Swinging 60s, I guess! But there's some great music in there - and some total tat!"

RSG: Immediate label boss Andrew Oldham record his own orchestrated versions of Rolling Stones songs. The Andrew Oldham Rolling Stones songbook is the one that the Verve took the infamous sample for Bitter Sweet Symphony. Are you going to release that at all, I am sure there would be a massive demand for that album on the basis of that sample? I know the original is almost impossible to find.

JR: "No, that track ('The Last Time') was on The Rolling Stones Songbook, which was issued on Decca. Dorian (who until recently worked there) has been planning a reissue for some time, but Alan Klein is involved, so he may not have granted clearance or whatever. You can get the track on a See For Miles Oldham compilation, which is what I play it from, on the few occasions I DJ!"

RSG: What are your current musical favourites and what bands are you pinning your hopes on to take music into the millennium?

JR: "Because I'm now a father and also spend far too much time in the office, I don't have a lot of time to check out new sounds. I try and listen to Ross Allen on GLR, who plays cutting edge dance stuff, old and new. But I'm normally knee-deep in the latest Sequel reissue, from a crash course in Sugarhill rap to sunshine harmony pop from the Pye vaults to rare Invictus recordings to some welcome surprises from the Rockin' Berries! But Belle & Sebastian I love. Fatboy Slim obviously. Got into him quite early. Mercury Rev: again, the early stuff more. Delta had potential. But then I said that about the Gyres!

RSG: As a record company boss, what album from the past would you have loved to had been involved with and overall in charge of unleashing it onto an unsuspecting public?

JR: "I think Oasis would have been fun to work on. Nirvana's Nevermind. The Sex Pistols, Love's Forever Changes, the Velvets' first album. All the classics, really. Paul Weller's comeback would also have been worthwhile!

RSG: Are you involved with the Todd Rundgren re-issues? I am a fan (love something/anything) just wondered what you make of the man, pure genius or pure plagiarist? Brian Wilson's love child in my book - not so sure on the rockier side though. Are you a fan of the Nazz? I love them! They were cool looking dudes don't you think!?

JR: "I'm not a fan of Rundgren, post-Nazz. Steve Hammonds drives those reissues on Essential. I like the odd track: in fact, I defy anyone to say they dislike ALL his stuff because he's so diverse. Stone Roses used to cover Nazz's "Open My Eyes". I'll admit that I don't have the Nazz albums, though - one day, one day!"

RSG: The Nazz albums are a must! What new stuff can we expect from Castle in the near future?

JR: " Watch this space...! More Invictus and Curtom material, Sugarhill, and a whole lot more".

Thanks John for talking to Ready Steady Go! For further details on Castle releases don't forget to check out the castle music web site at www.castlemusic.com. John Reed is the author of the best selling Paul Weller biography, My Ever Changing Moods. Available to purchase here from Amazon.