La Formule Du Baron (CBS - 1969)

 All right all right, this one is not a that much hidden French deviant groove gem. It has been already pretty much blogged about and is famous all around the world among beat diggers, break fanatics, rare groove connoisseurs, euro groove fanatics. Bernard Estardy, to compose it, used his studio as a proper instrument and it's probably while La Formule Du Baron sounds that much unbelievably cool, still up to date and good. Some would still today sell a testicule or a kidney for that sound and that level of inspiration. The funniest thing is that Bernard Estardy, seconded here by Etienne Roda Gil, is well known to have churn out and produced thousands of cheesy pop songs for French worst and most famous singers. Nearly 99% of his work is absolute unlistenable garbage (the guy is well known to be featured on literaly hundreds records) while  the 1% left is pure genius. So enjoy his genius side and let's forget all the rest. In fact, The reputation of La Formule Du Baron is so high that even if it has been often reedited, this record is still complicated to find for a decent price whether on CD or vinyl. 

Download => La Formule Du Baron

This Are Two Tone (2 Tone Records/Chrysalis - 1983)

Jerry Dammers started 2 Tone Records in 1979. With a strong visual identity (the iconic Walt Jabsco logo, created with Horace Panter and designer John "Teflon" Sims, the black-and-white check patern) and an excellent roster consisting mainly of Jerry Dammers own The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, 2 Tone strong imprint on British society  of the early 80's cannot be dennied. Its mix of ska with post-punk flashes was at first the soundtrack of the fights against racism, Maggie Thatcher and its reactionary rethoric. The skinhead movement fell then into fascist brutality and hooliganism. This Are Two Tone gives you one of the best insight available on 2 Tone catalog and features absolute classics like The Special's Gangsters, Rudi, A Message To You, Ghost Town, The Selecter's On My Radio and Too Much Pressure, Madness' Madness or The Beat's Tears Of A Clown cover.

Download => This Are Two Tone

Pucho And His Latin Soul Brothers - Yaina (Right-On Records - 1971)

Yaina is a Latin classic. In fact, it's Harold Jazzbo Alexander flute trickeries that largely steal the show and make the real worth of this instrumental album and make it fall into the " classics" category. It starts with an excellent  jazz funk Rolling Stones cover, You Can't get Always What You Want, that was not on the first original release of album but is on this 1996 Ubiquity reedition.  Then you can find the eerie anti war Cease The Bombing and burn up the dance floor with Chitterlings Con Carne, its cries at the beginning  and the flute that answers to the guitar. Those are the three stronger cuts of the album but the rest of it stays very solid.

Download => Pucho And His Latin Soul Brothers - Yaina