Croydon Municipal: a new record label

Tomorrow sees the first release on the Croydon Municipal label, which will specialise in unearthing forgotten albums, lost 45s and 78s from the mid 20th century.

There is a bottomless treasure chest to rifle through - plenty of shonky enterprises are doing it badly, not enough are doing it well (an honourable mention here for the Elvis specialists Memphis Recording Service), so I thought it was about time I started a re-issue label and had some fun of my own. My aim is for Croydon Municipal to put the past back together in unexpected and exciting ways. Though, of course, I might also put out a collection of every American number one hit from the 1940s. It's all waiting to be done.

The first compilation is the fourth in the "Saint Etienne Present..." series. Songs for a Central Park Picnic is seasonal, and beautifully described in Kieron Tyler's review for the Arts Desk:

"This is the perfect compilation for days when heat brings an enervation so overwhelming it’s possible only to bask like a seal flopped on a rock. Songs for a Central Park Picnic’s 25 tracks capture moods of calm and wistfulness, something to help you take it easy. Yma Sumac’s swinging “Gopher Mambo” and Sammy Davis Jr’s “Bee Bom” are uptempo, but their relaxed groove won’t induce a sweat.

"The picnic kicks off with the definition of cool. On Vince Guaraldi’s “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” (right) notes peal from the piano like ice cubes plinking into a glass. The Paris Sisters’ “Yes I Love You” has the drifting, surreal beauty of a David Lynch contemplation. This is the sound of pre-Beatle America: not that of out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll, but of uptown, jazzy, Philadelphia cool and the beaches of the South. Lalo Schifrin and Henry Mancini rub shoulders with Southern country-soul pioneer Arthur Alexander (whose superb “Where Have You Been” is included) and beach music stars The Tams."

Songs for a A Central Park Picnic will be followed by a brace of albums in October after which there will be at least one a month including, I'm fairly sure, a festive collection in November - something sweet to soundtrack the wrapping of presents.  I'll keep you posted.