Do You Wanna Be In The Show? A Tribute To The Jetset
Title
Do You Wanna Be In The Show? A Tribute To The Jetset
Record Label & Reference Number
Twist Records (cat no. TWISTUS5)
Sent by
Bazza
Everyone Wants To Be Part Of The Jetset - Do You Wanna Be In The Show?
It's very hard for me to contain my excitement upon receiving a copy of the long awaited Jetset tribute - "Do You Wanna Be In The Show? - A Pop Tribute To The Jetset" (Twist Records - TWISTUS5). The Jetset are a band who blended the best parts of the 60's (surf, beat, mod and soul), 70's (sugary Pop) and 80's (Mod Revival) to create a legendary band of Epic POP proportions. Whether it was the charm of the Monkees and the cool striped pants, the jetsetmobile or their playfulness or their exceptional ear for a great Pop song, with influences from the Beatles, the Monkees, the Motown soul, Mod and Beat to Vaudeville - this band had it all - The LOOK, The SOUND, The EXCITEMENT. They should have been massive and a tribute to them is long overdue.
Thankfully this tribute (http://www.myspace.com/thejetsettribute) was put together by real fans like Bart Mendoza of The Shambles and Manual Scan (he also provides brilliant liner notes), and Mark Gallez (The Risk) and folks who understand the music and the emotions behind the songs to give this tribute a real authentic sound and feel (and it is released on a great label Twist Records - http://www.twistrecords.co.uk/ - who have already done an exceptional job with a Squire tribute a short while back). The tribute includes some stellar bands and even people who have played with them, making it an absolutely amazing listen - here is a few comments on the bands and songs, in no particular order:
Rinaldi Sings (http://www.rinaldisings.com/) are an excellent choice to include, not just because he does a wonderful version "Do You Wanna Be In The Show?", which alone is worth the price of admission but also because Steve Rinaldi was a label mate with Paul Bevoir and The Jetset on Chris Hunt's fabulous Tangerine Records with the band The Moment (and he still records for Tangerine).
The Eddies (http://www.theeddies.net/news/index.htm) do a marvelous version of "Colour My World" and Dean and Dale are not new when it comes to covers, having done many exceptional covers already of songs by The Times, The Shambles, Squire, and more, always adding their own touch with a real punch and a flair.
The Shambles (http://www.theshambles.net/wuznew.htm) are actually experts when it comes to a great cover - they can capture the original feel of a song without being just a carbon copy, and although I am not sure how they continue to pull it off (it must have something to do with their hearts being in the right place and their skill and precision being second to none), having lost track of how many tributes they have been on, it is always a pleasure to hear them do a cover.
Jeremy (http://www.jamrecordings.com/) has been around for ages and has so many albums out it is a bit scary when you listen to them and they are all impressive - a real talent. His cover of "Every Little Moment" is pure magic and the perfect song to listen to while you slip into a daydream.
The Che Men (http://www.myspace.com/chemen) allow the reggae groove of "Wednesday Girl" to come out and create a beautiful mod reggae cover. Bazza being no stranger to great music having played in numerous bands including Strawberry Mynde and doing a mod radio show.
Joe Mendoza with The Spring Collection also recreate a fascinating rendition of "The Other Side Of Joe", which was a great choice as he inspired the song title. Pick up any of The Spring Collection releases and you will not be disappointed.
Tetters Plays Pop are another band I quite like who can be traced back to links to The Threads, a relatively unknown mod band who put out some great music and a band I really loved, so it is nice to see them included here with a fab cover of "Vaudeville Park". I think you will be hearing these folks again, possibly on a Times tribute.
Cola Jet Set's Spanish cover of "The Man Who Lives Upstairs" is a pure dreamy Pop confection and although I know very little about them, other than they have releases on the ace Elefant label in Spain, I see their name around a lot these days and after hearing this song I can see why.
Richard Fairclough (www.myspace.com/richardfairclough ) does a great version of "Mr. Maybe", Richard having played with a reformed Jetset and Squire and also plays with Paul Bevoir and many others.
I'm going to stop here as I am running out of time but want to say for the record that the bands I have not said much about are equally impressive and each have a story of their own - there is not a bad track on this compilation and it is a worthwhile investment for any Pop or Jetset fan. Come join the Jetset and be part of the show ...
Review by Wally (The Beautiful Music: http://www.thebeautifulmusic.com/)
Do You Wanna Be In The Show? A Tribute To The Jetset
