How Is The Air Up There? 80 Mod, Soul, RnB & Freakbeat Nuggets From DownUnder (CD)

2018 three CD collection. Inspired by The Looking Series collections on RPM of UK '60s Nuggets, we now look in the world mirror at New Zealand. The country furthest from the UK and in this context the country most like the UK. For the latest in the RPM/Frenzy Music collaborations, we explore the mid-'60s club scene and the various classic singles tailored for that scene. After a brief love affair with Beatle-esque pop - New Zealand was visited by The Rolling Stones (twice), The Pretty Things, The Kinks and Manfred Mann in quick succession. These groups reshaped the musical landscape down under as Kiwis fell in love with the grungier callings of R&B and later soul - with both genres reigning supreme on their recording and live front - right up until the Sgt. Pepper period. Included in this collection are 80 recordings from over 50 of New Zealand's well known - and lesser known acts spanning 1965-1969. 19 tracks are on CD for the first time; six tracks are previously unreleased. As well as the local HMV, RCA and Philips labels we have the cream of NZ's own labels as sources including Action, Impact, Zodiac, Allied International and La Gloria. A stunningly detailed booklet accompanies the package with biogs of all the artists plus many rare photos, including actual club interiors, and memorabilia courtesy of New Zealand's leading authority Grant Gillanders. For any '60s collector this is a fascinating snapshot of a mirrored scene, and for those outside of Australasia probably a first chance to own a copy of many of the recordings. Even for those inside that territory well over half the recordings on the box have not been available for decades.