12 months in the making, 12 weeks in the selling and the second annual Dig It Up Festival – the Hoodoo Gurus Invitational – is underway with Brisbane and Sydney down and Melbourne taking place Thursday 25th April and Perth Sunday 28th April. Invitations went out to, and were accepted by, Blue Oyster Cult, Buzzcocks, The Stems, The Moodists, Flamin’ Groovies, Peter Case Band and local bands in each state. While Dig It Up will see Hoodoo Gurus playing their second album Mars Needs Guitars amongst their other hits.

We asked head Hoodoo Guru Dave Faulkner to put together a little mixtape for us, only we didn’t get a little one, we got a great big one with a mixture of old soul, punk, folk, country, and more. So get ready to be musically educated.

The Flamingoes – I Only Have Eyes For You

“If I’m ever asked to name my favourite song I always choose this one. It’s a pop standard from the beginning of the last century and has been covered by any number of vocalists and jazz instrumentalists since then. I also love Doris Day’s version on the soundtrack of the 1950 film Young Man With A Horn (that film’s title was banned in Australia) but this incredible doo-wop version by The Flamingoes is simply startling. Someone once described this recording as sounding “like music from another planet” and that captures it perfectly for me: ethereal, timeless and truly “out there”.

The Undisputed Truth – Smiling Faces

“If I did a census on all the music I listen to at home I’m sure that soul and R&B would easily outweigh any other category by a two-to-one margin (if not more). When I say “R&B” I mean the real R&B, not the dreadful, half-baked pop dreck that is currently all over the airwaves. The Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of Norman Whitfield, one of Motown’s greatest producers, and they were the embodiment of “psychedelic soul”. “A smile is just a frown turned upside down…” Can you dig it?”

Hank Williams – Rambling Man

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“I was a late-starter when it came to country music. It wasn’t until someone turned me on to Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions recordings that I was able to find a path from rock’n’roll to rockabilly and from there, to pure country music. Now I worship Country of every style and genre: bluegrass, western swing, countrypolitan… a whole world of incredible music and artistry to discover. The three pillars of country are Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers (The Singing Brakeman) and Ol’ Hank, who is the man in question here. Hank was one of the greatest writers and performers – ever. ‘Rambling Man’ is one of his more lonesome-sounding songs. Equally haunting and devastating.”

New York Dolls – Jet Boy

“The Rolling Stones always put shit on the Dolls (even to this day) because, back in their day, the Dolls were younger, rocked harder, and were more glamorous and much cooler than the Stones – and this was the Stones when they were at their rockingest, coolest peak (just after Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street). The Dolls mixed together Chicago blues, Brill Building pop and snotty NYC street-kid culture and a ’70s camp sensibility, making themselves the toughest gang in town, musically speaking. They experienced too much too soon and soon burned out, leaving us all too little too late – but they were glorious while they lasted. Of course the Dolls LOVED the Stones, and so should we all, but it’s beyond silly that Mick and Keef are STILL jealous and haven’t forgiven them.”

Died Pretty – Douse

“I often name Doughboy Hollow as the best Australian album though maybe it has to split that award with The Loved Ones’ Magic Box. Whatever, it’s still a wonderful record and ‘Douse’ is the perfect opening track. Just like The Flamingoes song I mentioned earlier, there is something other-worldly about this song and the way it’s recorded. Buy this album immediately!”

The Velvet Underground – I Heard Her Call My Name

“Actually, you should buy ALL the albums that these songs appear on. This one is a distorted screamer from The Velvet Underground from their White Light/White Heat album. A difficult song to characterise… a migraine-inducing love song? The sound of a drug-fucked panic attack? I just think it’s beautiful.”

 Joni Mitchell – A Case Of You

“I could drink an ocean of you, Joni. Too often people neglect to mention her name when they start enumerating the greatest songwriters ever. She’s up there with Dylan in my book. Joni is a genius, pure and simple. Far too many are awarded that title and very few deserve it. She does.”

Sam Cooke – Cupid

“Only 33 years old when he died, Sam Cooke had 30 U.S. Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964, and a further three after his death. As well as being blessed with an incredible singing voice and a dynamic stage personality, he was also one of the greatest songwriters to grace the pop charts, with many of his songs becoming “standards”. He was a helluva gospel singer too.”

The Beatles – And Your Bird Can Sing

“I grew up listening to my big brother’s record collection and as a kid I was obsessed with two albums in particular: With The Beatles, their second album, and Revolver, their seventh. To this day I can probably “hear” every note and nuance in my head if I give the album an imaginary spin. This is one of Lennon’s songs from Revolver featuring some cool dual-guitar leads from George.”

The Ramones – Rockaway Beach

“The Ramones changed my life. Before they came along it seemed like music was being overrun by a horde of dull, earnest, “worthy” artists that I knew I was supposed to like and I never understood why I didn’t – until The Ramones came along and and gave me a measuring stick. The Ramones took everything I loved and boiled it down to it’s essence – then they supercharged it to a new raw potency. It wasn’t just my life they changed, The Ramones changed EVERYONE’S lives (yours included). The term “re-inventing the wheel” is usually reserved for someone who wastes time trying to find an alternative to something that already works perfectly well HOWEVER The Ramones definitely re-invented the rock’n’roll wheel, taking pop music back to its forgotten roots while at the same time pushing it way past where anyone had ever been before. Absolute originals, perfect in every way. One of the greatest groups ever – and there are none better.”

Suicide – Frankie Teardrop

“Like The Ramones, Suicide are one of the most pure, truly original artists to ever walk the earth. No-one had ever sounded like them before and millions have been inspired by them either directly or indirectly via the artists who have followed in their wake. Suicide were two people: Martin Rev, who was credited as playing “Instrument” and Alan Vega (“Voice”). Add tape-echo and ear-splitting volume to the equation along with Alan Vega’s confrontational stage performance (at times he would literally attack – and be attacked by – members of the audience) and you have a recipe for a very disturbing and, for some, an inspiring experience. The Sex Pistols? Pshaw! These were the real revolutionaries.”

The Beach Boys – Feel Flows

“People are right to heap praise on the prodigious talent of Brian Wilson, one of those rare musical geniuses I talked about earlier, but they often fail to notice the incredible contributions made by his brothers Dennis and Carl (though Brian himself does). Dennis Wilson was in many ways the soul of The Beach Boys (being the one true surfer in the band) while Carl Wilson was its heart. Brian’s songs were undisputably brilliant but Carl’s voice added a magic to them that can’t be replaced. Carl also wrote some amazing songs himself and ‘Feel Flows’ comes from the glorious Surf’s Up album, a record with which Brian had only marginal involvement. It’s sad to ponder the loss of Carl’s generous spirit from The Beach Boys’ sound.”

The Cramps – Sunglasses After Dark

“Another band that changed my life and a direct influence on the early Gurus. I was lucky enough to catch their original line-up live in NYC when I was 21 years old and they blew my mind, to say the least. I was already getting into rockabilly around that time but The Cramps’ raw bluesy, psychedelic, gothic take on primitive rock’n’roll was (and remains) a revelation. ‘Sunglasses After Dark’ sounds like Link Wray fused with The Seeds. Abandoned, psychotic – beyond good and evil.”

Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Prayer

“If you don’t like Aretha Franklin then you have no right to claim to possess a shred of musical taste. I really mean it – stop reading now and fuck off! Now, for the rest of us, here’s an incredible Burt Bacharach & Hal David song taken to undreamt-of heights by the Queen Of Soul. She makes it sound so easy.”

The Philadelphia All Stars – Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto

“I’m a huge fan of Philly Soul and this band was a studio creation made up of the cream of Gamble & Huff’s studio talent. I picked this one as a great way to finish off my small selection of tracks for your Mixtape pleasure. I could write a list like this every day for the rest of my life and still barely scrape the surface of all the great music I’d like to talk about. I mean, I haven’t even mentioned Roxy Music or Sly Stone or Gene Vincent or James Brown or Billie Holiday or… you get the drift. Anyway, this is Philly Soul – no further explanation is necessary. As with everything in life, the truth is in the groove.”

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