GET READY FOR THE COUNTDOWN (Various CD)

Get Ready For The Countdown - Mod, Brit Soul, R&B & Freakbeat Nuggets, 3CD Box Set

• 86-track box containing a bespoke mod-friendly mix of 1960s musical styles commencing with tough British R&B from The Pretty Things and The Graham Bond Organization, taking in key tracks by mod heroes Small Faces, The Creation and The Action, freakbeat from The Syn, soul from Mike Wade and Jon And Jeannie and ending with a jazzy Hammond workout by The Spencer Davis Group.

• A long awaited follow up to previous mod inspired Strawberry label compilations 'Halcyon Days' (2020) and 'I Love To See You Strut' (2022) plus the RPM collections 'Looking Back' (2011), 'Keep Looking' (2014) and 'Night Comes Down' (2017).

Familiar names such as Laurel Aitken and The Moody Blues are joined by cult favourites including The Artwoods (featuring future Deep Purple organist Jon Lord) and John's Children.

Eight tracks are taken from producer Joe Meek's legendary Tea Chest Tapes including a rarity from The Sorrows led by Don Fardon and previously unreleased recordings by mod groups The Riot Squad and The Birds Of Prey, R&B band The Classics plus two groups whose identity is unknown.

Other tracks issued for the first time here include cuts by The Fingers, Dana Gillespie and the Jimmy Henderson Set alongside first time on (official) CD rarities from The Kirkbys, The Athenians, My Generation, Kevin 'King' Lear Mike Wade, Magic Lanterns and Karl Stuart & The Profiles.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

1 THE PRETTY THINGS – Roadrunner

2 THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANIZATION – Long Tall Shorty

3 DAVID JOHN & THE MOOD - Pretty Thing

4 THE BETTERDAYS - Don't Want That (Single Version)

5 THE CLASSICS – You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) Take 4 (previously unreleased)

6 THE MOODY BLUES - Bye Bye Bird

7 THE STYLOS - I Wish You Would (previously unreleased)

8 THE MIKE COTTON SOUND - I've Got My Eye On You

9 UNKNOWN GROUP (Joe Meek Tape #734) – Night Train (previously unreleased)

10 RONNIE JONES WITH BLUES INCORPORATED - Night Time Is The Right Time

11 LAUREL AITKEN - I'm In Love With You Baby

12 THE ATHENIANS - Louie, Louie

13 THE WEB – I'll Try

14 THE LITTLE DARLINGS - Easy To Cry

15 THE SORROWS – Hoochie Koochie Man (Vocal Take 4)

16 GLENDA COLLINS & THE RIOT SQUAD - Can I Get A Witness (Take 1)

17 JAMES ROYAL - I Can't Stand It

18 JACK BRUCE - Rootin' Tootin'

19 THE WEB – Crawling Black Spider

20 THE LITTLE DARLINGS - Little Bit O' Soul

21 WYNDER K. FROG – Incense

22 THE SCORPIONS - The Nana Song

23 THE FINGERS - Can't Live It Down (previously unreleased)

24 KARL STUART & THE PROFILES – Not A Girl In A Million

25 TONY RIVERS & THE CASTAWAYS – Baby What You Want Me To Do

26 RAY HOFF & THE OFFBEATS – The Uncle Willie

27 THE HERD - She Was Really Saying Something

28 RICK AND SANDY - Lost My Girl

29 HERBIE'S PEOPLE - Sweet And Tender Romance

30 THE IN CROWD – I Don't Mind

DISC TWO

1 SMALL FACES – Get Yourself Together (Mono)

2 THE CREATION – Cool Jerk (Mono)

3 THE BOYS BLUE - Take A Heart

4 THE SESSIONS - Let Me In

5 NEIL CHRISTIAN – Countdown

6 THE ARTWOODS - Be My Lady

7 MIKE PATTO – Love

8 JOHNNY GUSTAFSON – Take Me For A Little While

9 THE CRYIN' SHAMES - I'll Keep Holding On

10 THE BIRDS OF PREY – City Lights (Early Alternate Version) (previously unreleased)

11 THE FAVOURITE SONS - Fortune Teller

12 MY GENERATION – Keep Left

13 THE OUTER LIMITS – When The Work Is Through

14 THE RIOT SQUAD – Outrage Take 7 (previously unreleased)

15 UNKNOWN GROUP (Joe Meek Tape 1446) – Let's Go Baby (Where The Action Is) (previously unreleased)

16 THE TOMCATS – For Your Love

17 THE MERSEYS – So Sad About Us

18 THE KIRKBYS – Keep Me Warm ('Til The Sun Shines)

19 THE MIRAGE – I Want Love

20 THE UNIT – Would You Believe What I Say

21 LIVING DAYLIGHTS - What'cha Gonna Do About It

22 THE MINISTRY OF SOUND – Get Outta My Way

23 MY GENERATION – Getting Out

24 NEIL LANDON - I've Got Nothing To Lose

25 THE HI-FI'S – Grade 'A' Girl

26 MIKI DALLON – Captain Man

27 DANA GILLESPIE - Like I'm A Clown (previously unreleased acetate version)

28 MARILYN POWELL – Showdown

29 PHILLIP GOODHAND-TAIT & THE STORMSVILLE SHAKERS – Turn On Your Love Light (Live)

DISC THREE

1 THE ACTION – Never Ever (Longer Stereo Mix)

2 DOUBLE FEATURE - Just Another Lonely Night

3 DON FARDON - Treat Her Right

4 DORIAN GRAY - Move On

5 JOHN'S CHILDREN - Jagged Time Lapse

6 THE SYN – Grounded

7 PLASTIC PENNY - Give Me Money

8 APPLE - Psycho Daisies

9 ELMER GANTRY'S VELVET OPERA - Lookin' For A Happy Life

10 THE ALAN BOWN - My Girl The Month Of May (Mono)

11 GENE LATTER - The Old Iron Bell

12 ALEX HARVEY – Curtains For My Baby

13 THE SPECTRUM - Headin' For A Heatwave

14 MIKE WADE - Two Three Four

15 THE CHANTELLES - Out Of My Mind

16 CARL DOUGLAS & THE BIG STAMPEDE - Let The Birds Sing

17 JON AND JEANNIE - Lovers Holiday

18 MACK KISSOON - Get Down With It (Incorporating Satisfaction)

19 ROOT & JENNY JACKSON - Save Me

20 KEVIN 'KING' LEAR - The Man In The Funnies

21 MAGIC LANTERNS - Baby I Gotta Go Now

22 JEANNIE DEE - Come See About Me

23 JIMMY HENDERSON SET - Bet You Didn't Know (previously unreleased)

24 SETH MARTIN - Look At Me

25 VAL MCKENNA – It's All In My Imagination

26 JIMMY POWELL & THE FIVE DIMENSIONS - Gonna Find A Cave

27 THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP - Alec In Transitland