The Smiths - The Draize Train

The whole Smiths back catalogue has just received a much-needed remaster treatment by Johnny Marr. Included on the mega boxset edition is this particularly fine instrumental gem. A lot of Smiths fans (and indeed (probably) Morrissey himself) would like to ignore the fact but the band could lay down a pretty fantastic groove when the mood hit them. Here's a brilliant example with Rourke and Joyce (the most underrated ryhthm section in rock) perfectly complementing Johnny M's licks and synths (?!) on this very rare B side.

Nacht Und Nebel - Beats Of Love (Special Mix)

Recently covered by Villa (and splendidly remixed by Mylo) here's Beats Of Love by its original creators Belgian Electro-New Wavers Nacht Und Nebel. This special remix was a smash all over Continental Europe in 1984 and a massive record in the Belgian New Beat clubs. It's also a bit of a proto-Balearic classic!

4am

Making a rare foray into the literary world with a fantastic new book with a distinctly musical flavour from a first time author.

Set in the early 90's, 4 a.m. from Brighton resident Nina De La Mer, is the story of two best friends who are Army chefs at the Ballingfostel base in Germany by day but by night they leave behind the sweaty camp kitchens to enjoy the highs of Hamburg's rave scene and its attendant ecstasy culture.

This cracking read inspired me to dust off a few rave classics, raid the bathroom cabinets for some Vicks and, erm, 'ave it!

Free music - Papua New Guinea

Mc Lyte - Cha Cha Cha

Dope on plastic.

Dynastie Crisis - Le Corbeau Et Le Renard

Fantastique bit o' French funk rock from '72 - kind of inadvertently invents rap, too (what year was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, again?)! Thanks again TOTP 1976 for inspiring this (long story!)

Yacht - Utopia (Miracles Club Remix) Free Official Download

Am still spinning (or should that be streaming?), Yacht's bonkers-but-great newish LP Shangri-La so a new (ish!) slew of remixes for single Utopia is more than welcome. Those kind folks at DFA Records have made the remix from Portland, Oregon Psych-Housers Miracle Club available for free download via Soundcloud. There are lots more streamable goodies from the label's Soundcloud page.

Utopia (The Miracles Club Remix) by DFA Records

Champ's Boys Orchestra - Tubular Bells (Murky Boy Edit) + TOTP

Recently, BBC4 in the UK have been showing, week by week, entire episodes of Top Of The Pops from 1976. Now, while there are many fine records from '76, you do tend to sit watching willing for Punk to happen and drop the proverbial bomb on all the light entertainment fare. Was watching this week's installment the other day though and up popped this absolute GEM! A mash-up (probably the first ever) of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells with the bassline from the previous year's dancefloor revelation/salvation Love To Love You Baby, French (?) disco collective Champ's Boys Orchestra mould Oldfield's synthline into the perfect get-down for Britain's long hot summer of 76 (and not-so-hot 2011!).

Here's Murky Water's ace edit and the actual piece of TOTP footage including 'interpretative dance' from the short-lived Pan's People replacing Ruby Flipper troupe during that scorching summer.

Champs Boys Orchestra -Tubular Bells (Murky Edit) by Murky Waters