Serious collectors might know that THE ACID JAZZ label is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary. The label began way back in 1987 when it was called Re-Elect The President – quickly changing to the niftier Acid Jazz to chime with the music tastes of the time.
To commemorate 35 years Eddie Piller and his team are busy reissuing essential formative albums on coloured vinyl. The latest LP to get the treatment is the JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET’S 1987 outing, ‘Mission Impossible’ . Organ grinder Taylor and his crew envisaged the album (their first full one) as a sort of film soundtrack or, at least, a homage to the genre. Thus they selected tune s that were familiar from TV and the cinema but they gave ‘em their own distinctive and, in places, punky spin. (Remember the band, then known as The Prisoners were originally signed to punk outpost, Stiff Records).
So, 35 years down the line you can once more enjoy spirited Hammond-led, soul-jazz flavoured takes on tune like ‘Mrs Robinson’, ‘Blow Up’ (from the classic 60s movie of that name), the Bond theme ‘Goldfinger’, a cover of Jimmy Smith’s ‘The Cat’ and, of course, the LP’s title track. There’s one Taylor original – a crashing ‘The Stooge’ and a version of the Michael Caine movie theme ‘Alfie’. This ‘Alfie, by the way, is the Sonny Rollins film theme – not the better known Bacharach/David song that was sung over the closing credits (trivia alert! – by Cher for the US release and by Cilla Black for the UK release).
The ’Mission Impossible’ album will be re-released on January 19th on clear red vinyl and it’s the first time since its original release that it has featured the original track list. Learn more/pre order @ https://www.acidjazz.co.uk/product/the-james-taylor-quartet-mission-impossible-red-vinyl/
