VA - Get Ready For The Countdown: Mod, Brit Soul, R&B & Freakbeat Nuggets (2025)

Three CD 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.

Tracklist
1-1 The Pretty Things– Roadrunner
1-2 The Graham Bond Organization– Long Tall Shorty
1-3 David John & The Mood– Pretty Thing
1-4 The Betterdays– Don't Want That
1-5 The Moody Blues– Bye Bye Bird
1-6 The Classics (28)– You Don't Love Me
1-7 The Stylos– I Wish You Would
1-8 The Mike Cotton Sound– I've Got My Eye On You
1-9 Unknown Artist– Night Train
1-10 Blues Incorporated– Night Time Is The Right Time
1-11 Laurel Aitken– I'm In Love With You Baby
1-12 The Athenians (2)– Louie Louie
1-13 The Web– I'll Try
1-14 The Little Darlings– Easy To Cry
1-15 The Sorrows– Hoochie Coochie Man Vocal
1-16 Glenda Collins– Can I Get A Witness
1-17 James Royal– I Can't Stand It
1-18 Jack Bruce– Rootin' Tootin'
1-19 The Web– Crawling Black Spider
1-20 The Little Darlings– Little Bit 'O Soul
1-21 Wynder K. Frog– Incense
1-22 The Scorpions– The Nana Song
1-23 The Fingers– Can't Live It Down
1-24 Karl Stuart And The Profiles– Not A Girl In A Million
1-25 Tony Rivers And The Castaways– Baby What You Want Me To Do
1-26 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– The Uncle Willie
1-27 Herd– She Was Really Saying Something
1-28 Rick & Sandy– Lost My Girl
1-29 Herbie's People– Sweet And Tender Romance
1-30 The In Crowd (2)– I Don't Mind

2-1 Small Faces– Get Yourself Together
2-2 The Creation (2)– Cool Jerk
2-3 The Boys Blue– Take A Heart
2-4 The Sessions– Let Me In
2-5 Neil Christian (2)– Countdown
2-6 The Artwoods– Be My Lady
2-7 Mike Patto (2)– Love
2-8 John Gustafson– Take Me For A Little While
2-9 The Cryin' Shames– I'll Keep Holding On
2-10 The Birds Of Prey– City Lights
2-11 The Favourite Sons– Fortune Teller
2-12 My Generation (2)– Keep Left
2-13 The Outer Limits– When The Work It Through
2-14 The Riot Squad– Outrage
2-15 Unknown Artist– Let's Go Baby
2-16 The Tomcats (2)– For Your Love
2-17 The Merseys– So Sad About Us
2-18 The Kirkbys– Keep Me Warm
2-19 The Mirage– I Want Love
2-20 The Unit (5)– Would You Believe What I Say
2-21 The Living Daylights (4)– What'cha Gonna Do About It
2-22 The Ministry Of Sound– Get Outta My Way
2-23 My Generation (2)– Getting Out
2-24 Neil Landon– I've Got Nothing To Lose
2-25 The Hifis– Grade 'A' Girl
2-26 Miki Dallon– Captain Man
2-27 Dana Gillespie– Like I'm A Clown
2-28 Marilyn Powell– Showdown
2-29 Phillip Goodhand-Tait– Turn On Your Lovelight

3-1 The Action– Never Ever
3-2 Double Feature (2)– Just Another Lonely Night
3-3 Don Fardon– Treat Her Right
3-4 Dorian Gray (10)– Move On
3-5 John's Children– Jagged Time Lapse
3-6 The Syn– Grounded
3-7 Plastic Penny– Give Me Money
3-8 Apple (4)– Psych Daisies
3-9 Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera– Lookin' For A Happy Life
3-10 The Alan Bown Set– My Girl The Month Of May
3-11 Gene Latter– The Old Iron Bell
3-12 Alex Harvey– Curtains For My Baby
3-13 The Spectrum– Headin' For A Heatwave
3-14 Mike Wade (5)– Two Three Four
3-15 The Chantelles (2)– Out Of My Mind
3-16 Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede– Let The Birds Sing
3-17 Jon And Jeannie– Lovers Holiday
3-18 Mac Kissoon– Get Down With It
3-19 Root & Jenny Jackson– Save Me
3-20 Kevin Lear– The Man In The Funnies
3-21 Magic Lanterns– Baby, I Gotta Go Now
3-22 Jeannie Dee (2)– Come See About Me
3-23 Jimmy Henderson Set– Bet You Didn't Know
3-24 Seth Martin (2)– Look At Me
3-25 Val McKenna– It's All In My Imagination
3-26 Jimmy Powell And The 5 Dimensions– Gonna Find A Cave
3-27 The Spencer Davis Group– Alec In Transitland