The essential guide to Mod on CD? Well very nearly anyway. The promotional material with this 4-CD set describes it as a "mod jukebox." I wouldn't argue with that. What makes this collection unique is that it combines the best, arguably, of British 1960s Mod music with the great songs that influenced it. Quite rightly, the majority of the tracks are the influences. These are a mixture of blues, soul, R&B and ska. They are the songs that 1960s Mods listened to. Many of them later formed bands and some of the tracks formed part of their act. Here we have Heatwave (covered by the Who), Twist & Shout and Money (well, the Beatles), Eddie Holland's Leaving Here (The Birds and the Who), Harlem Shuffle (the Action and later the Stones), Shame Shame Shame (Steve Marriott), The Monkey Time (the Action) and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Brenda Holloway's Every Little Bit Hurts was covered by both the Small Faces and the Spencer Davis Group.

There is a mix of the big hits by the well-known artists and the equally essential rarities and b-sides but the less well-known. Many of the songs included are very well-known today but others less so although these were the songs that had a huge impact on the likes of Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, Pete Meaden, Reggie King, Steve Winwood, etc. Some songs even make the CD twice by different artists. The title track is available in the Dobie Gray version as well as a piano instrumental version by the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Leaving Here has a version by its co-writer Eddie Holland as well as the Birds' superb UK version. Of course the Who have recorded it too. The Small Faces' debut single What'Cha Gonna Do About It is included as well as a song of the same name by Doris Troy but it's not the same song. Furthermore, the song on which this track was based, Solomon Burke's Everybody Wants Somebody To Love, makes the fourth CD. In a similar vein, The High Numbers' I'm the Face is included as well as its inspiration / model, Slim Harpo's Got Love If You Want It. 

Some artists are represented more than once. The Small Faces are on here no less than three times. Shake would arguably have been a good Small Faces track to include but that may have to wait for a volume 2 alongside the Sam Cooke original and the storming Otis Redding version in an ideal world. The great man himself only features once with I Can't Turn You Loose so hopefully more of him on volume 2. How about the version of Try a Little Tenderness  from Monterey? Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames are on twice including the number 1 hit Yeh Yeh. 

Even amongst the British artists there are some rarities that will be of interest to Making Time readers. Check out Glasgow's Poets with That's The Way It's Got To be and the Attack's We Don't Know. 

Naturally there are tracks that could have been included but to have even completed this 100-track compilation and securing the rights to the songs is no mean feat. The collection certainly cannot be faulted. Add to this the booklet that accompanies the set. This features an introduction by Paulo Hewitt followed by well-researched notes on almost all of the artists. The tracks are not in any particular order so it is not a chronology but more like a Mod jukebox or a night out at the Scene or the Flamingo. Put on your dancing shoes!

Essential Tracks:

• Yeh Yeh- Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames

• Leaving Here- The Birds

• Heatwave- Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

Track Listing:

1. The In Crowd- Dobie Gray
2. Can I Get a Witness- Marvin Gaye
3. Heatwave- Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
4. Cool Jerk- The Capitols
5. I Can't Stand it- Soul Sisters
6. See Saw- Don Covay
7. Rescue Me- Fontella Bass
8. 1-2-3- Len Barry
9. Too Many Fish in the Sea- The Marvelettes
10. All or Nothing- The Small Faces
11. Get out of My Life Woman- Lee Dorsey
12. Put Yourself in My Place- The Elgins
13. Devil with the Blue Dress On- Shorty Long
14. Piece of My Heart- Erma Franklin
15. Cry Baby- Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters
16. Don't Fight It- Wilson Pickett
17. Who's Cheatin' Who?- Little Milton
18. I'm The Face- The High Numbers
19. Air Travel- Chris Farlowe
20. Going to a Go-Go- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
21. When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes- The Supremes
22. Woman's Got Soul- The Impressions
23. Fingerpoppin'- Ike & Tina Turner
24. Think- James Brown
25. Green Onions- Booker T & The MGs

Disc Two

1. That Driving Beat- Willie Mitchell
2. The Right Track- Billy Butler
3. Helpless- Kim Weston
4. Roadrunner- Junior Walker & the All Stars
5. Tell Mama- Etta James
6. Twist & Shout- The Isley Brothers
7. Got Love If You Want It- Slim Harpo
8. Money (That's What I Want)- Barrett Strong
9. Boom Boom- John Lee Hooker
10. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide- Sonny Boy Williamson
11. Leaving Here- Eddie Holland
12. The Twist- Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
13. Ball of Fire- The Skatalites
14. Penny Reel- Eric Morris
15. King of Kings- Jimmy Cliff
16. A Certain Girl- Ernie K-Doe
17. Wade in the Water- Ramsey Lewis Trio
18. I Do Love You- Billy Stewart
19. My Girl- The Temptations
20. It's Alright- The Impressions
21. Lipstick Traces- The O'Jays
22. Love Has Gone- The Four Tops
23. It Will Stand- The Showmen
24. The Entertainer- Tony Clarke
25. How Sweet It Is To be Loved By You- Earl Van Dyke

Disc Three

1. Harlem Shuffle- Bob & Earl
2. I Can't Turn You Loose- Otis Redding
3. What'Cha Gonna Do About It- Doris Troy
4. Sitting in the Park- Billy Stewart
5. Yeh Yeh- Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames
6. The Monkey Tree- Major Lance
7. Mickey's Monkey- The Miracles
8. Walkin' Up a One Way Street- Willie Tee
9. Sock it to 'em JB- Rex Gavin & the Mighty Cravers
10. Stop her On Sight (SOS)- Edwin Starr
11. You Beat Me To The Punch- Mary Wells
12. Try It Baby- Marvin Gaye
13. Dancing in the Street- Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
14. Come On and See Me Baby- Tammi Terrell
15. Tune Up- Junior Walker & The All Stars
16. Can You Jerk Like Me? The Contours
17. Every Little Bit Hurts- Brenda Holloway
18. All for You- Earl Van Dyke
19. Hi Heel Sneakers- Tommy Tucker
20. My Babe- Little Walter
21. Kansas City- Wilbert Harrison
22. Shame Shame Shame- Jimmy Reed
23. Ain't Doing Too Bad- Bobby Bland
24. If Somebody Told You- Anna King
25. Image- Alan Haven

Disc Four

1. Anyway Anyhow Anywhere- The Who
2. Biff Bang Pow- the Creation
3. The Cruncher- Jay Jays
4. Leaving Here- The Birds
5. Almost Grown- The Small Faces
6. I Got You- James Brown & the Famous Flames
7. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love- Solomon Burke
8. Baby You've Got It- The Action
9. Lonely, Lonely Girl That I Am
10. Love's Gone Bad- Chris Clark
11. Hot Dog (My Baby's Comin' Home)- the Four Shells
12. Little Girl- Graham Bond Organisation
13. We Don't Know- The Attack
14. You Can't Sit Down- Phil Upchurch Combo
15. Bert's Apple Crumble- The Quik
16. In The Meantime- Georgie Fame
17. Got My Mojo Working- Jimmy Smith
18. Boogaloo Party- the Flamingoes
19. What'Cha Gonna Do About It- The Small Faces
20. I'm A Man- Spencer Davis Group
21. Hitch Hike- Marvin Gaye
22. Time is on My Side- Irma Thomas
23. That's The Way It's Gotta Be- The Poets
24. First I Look at the Purse- The Contours
25. The In Crowd- Ramsey Lewis Trio