A genre-spanning 2CD mix of hit singles, slow
burners and lost gems, including the first-ever
official release of the preview pressing of 'Kick Out
The Jams' by the MC5. The 45s that defined 1968
and crystallised author Jon Savage's memories of
the year.
1968 began with business as usual in the pop
charts, but the year would see convulsive political
and social changes. This turmoil would be
replicated in the music industry, where the effects of
1967 were seen in a proliferation of musical styles
and social attitudes. The old days of a unified,
central Top 40 were gone, and in its place came a
new energy that transformed pop into rock, ska into
rocksteady and early reggae, and soul into funk.
Jon's selections for this year oscillate between soul,
funk, Americana, pop-psych and hard-edged rock.
With the loss of pirate radio after March, he heard of
many of these either by scouring the record bins in
central London or picking up tips from the music
and the underground press. Some are later
discoveries but the aim is to construct an ideal
playlist that simulates a top radio show, without all
the populist choices and extraneous filler - a more
radical and faster-moving soundtrack for an
inflammatory year.
