As technology gathers pace the punk DIY spirit of yesteryear seems such a long lost time ago. The buzz you got from vinyl, fanzines and word of mouth tip offs serve only to remind you of a nostalgic era long before t’internet, IPODs, CDs and MP3s came along.
Here at RSG! we feel it’s important to embrace new technology at the same time as keeping the old ethos alive. So, as much as we still love and desire vinyl, we treasure the fact that the internet is a unique facility for indulging our musical desires like never before.
In a world of fake celebrity and superfluous celebration for the non-talented it is both satisfying and inspiring to see small, independent labels like Rowed Out Records steadfastly keeping the spirit alive, releasing limited 7” singles from up and coming bands, whilst at the same time using technology to connect with like minded souls.
You can’t but help admire label boss Adam for his dedication to the cause. His mission is a pure labour of love, devoid of any selfish aspirations for fame and fortune. Of course, it would be nice to have a bit of dosh and gratitude along the way but that’s not the primary reason for wanting to stick your neck on the line and run your own label. It’s this grassroots level RSG! applauds. This label, like many other small, enterprising labels, represents the life blood of a music industry that never properly pays its dues to the people like Adam, whose obvious devotion to music and supporting others is beyond question.
Do yourself a favour and have a punt on one of Rowed Out records 7” singles and help keep the fire burning. In the meantime, we asked Adam to tell us about one his favourite 45s from his record collection and he has plumped a pure mod gem by the Eyes, ‘I’m Rowed Out’ –
“So good I named a record label after it!!” says Adam.
The Eyes - I'm rowed out (Mercury MF 881)
“There are many sounds from the 60s that will stay with me as they were the first records I got into as an 11/12 year old, 'Green Onions', 'Be My baby', 'Louie Louie' etc. and I still love the thrill of hearing something new from that period of music. Although 'I'm rowed out' is a blatant rip-off of The Who's 'I can't explain' is has stuck with me from the first time I heard it, which would have probably been in a London club in the late '80s ( I also remember top '90s mod band THE CLIQUE covered it). The intro is not as shrill as The Who's and the lyrics are a lot harder - it could have been written about a mod, the lyrics reflecting an attitude akin to a teenagers thoughts on living in the fast lane, sod the mediocrity”
“The opening lyric of "You got a grey suede coat and a soul like fire" sum up a mod's pilled-up attitude. It has parallels with The Kinks 'Dedicated follower of fashion' in creating a vision of some hip young thing lording it up around the London hot-spots”. “I named the second release on Rowed Out Records 'Soul Like Fire' as a tribute and the third release 'Join the tea set' is a lyric from another of their tracks - 'My degeneration'. Release #4 is entitled 'Do it for kicks' (from a line in 'Rowed out' - "You don't want money, you do it for kicks")”.“The Eyes are a VERY under-rated mod band, look at the back catalogue they left, they were ahead of their time, recording freakbeat monsters 'You're too much' and 'When the night falls' long before other bands took R&B and made it heavier”.“The record still gets plays in clubs now and is one of only a few British R&B tunes that can be heard between the US soul and R&B, proving it's longevity on the mod scene”.“A truly classic 45”.
For more information on Rowed Out records go to http://www.rowedout.co.uk/ or http://www.myspace.com/soullikefire
If you run your own label and would like to be featured in Ready Steady Go please drop us a line @ soulboy_69@yahoo.com
Labels: indie, mods, my favourite 45, rowed out records
