Some will tell you there's a mod revival in the offing. Others will know that the most enduring and secretive of British cults has never been away. Emerging in the late fifties/early sixties mods, with their attention to detail, obsession with style, cool and a fervent passion for soul, jazz, ska and R&B (that's good old rhythm and blues, not ruddy Destiny's Child) have been quietly doing their own thing ever since.
Yes, since the Sixties there have been commercially driven peaks - the 1979 revival was helped on by the Who film Quadrophenia, The Jam and Two Tone bands like The Specials, while Brit-pop's Blur/Oasis explosion (remember Menswear anyone?) was responsible for a huge surge in sales of parkas and Vespas.
Ultimately though, these revivals ended up in the lowest common denominators -third class tickets- who thought that being a mod was wearing Ben sherman shirts (not tucked in), Levis, white socks and loafers, getting tanked up, shouting 'we are the mods' and looking for a ruck. Meanwhile, the 'real' mods retreated further underground, taking their music, fashion and dance routines with them.
So why release this 'Ultimate Mod Collection' now? Why unleash this glorious collection -four CDs containing 100 classic hits and rarities from 1958-1967, essential tracks for the discerning mod jukebox- in 2001?
Whatever the reason it does seem curiously apt. There was a tribute gig to dearly departed Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott last week. Paul Weller's still going strong. The Jam have just re-released all their singles in two CD box sets and not a week goes by without the release of a northern soul compilation or a book on the subject.
Lovingly compiled and featuring a glossy and informative booklet with a track-by-track guide, 'The In Crowd' is more or less a portable do-it-yourself mod kit. Tamla Motown is covered with such gems as Marvin Gaye's 'Can I Get A Witness'; Martha & The Vandellas' '(Love Is Like A) Heatwave'; Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' 'Going To A Go-Go'; Jr Walker & The Allstars 'Road Runner' and The Miracles' 'Mickey's Monkey'.
The dirtier, less polished sound of Atlantic meanwhile is represented by Wilson Pickett's 'Don't Fight It'; Booker T & The MGs' 'Green Onions'; Otis Redding's 'I Can't Turn You Loose'; and Solomon Burke's 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love'.
The British acts covered are definitive mod outfit The Small Faces ('What'cha Gonna Do About It', 'Almost Grown', 'All Or Nothing') The Who ('Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere' and pre-Who outfit The High Numbers with 'I'm The Face') Spencer Davis Group with the blinding 'I'm A Man'; Chris Farlowe ('Air Travel') The Creation ('Biff Bang Pow') and The Action ('Baby You Got It').
There's ska from the like of Jimmy Cliff, The Skatalites and Eric Morris, blues from John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson and timeless classics from James Brown, The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, Erma Franklin, Len Barry, The Impressions and Fontella Bass.
On the lesser know front are offerings from The Birds (Not Byrds...this is an early Ron Wood combo) sixties Philadelphia rare soulstress Anna King, The Graham Bond Organisation (featuring Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, later to join Clapton's Cream) and little known Chicago outfit The Four Shells.
It's all pretty damned marvellous stuff and if the connoisseur notices glaring omissions in the tracklisting then not to worry: The people who put this together are welcoming suggestions for 'The In Crowd Volume Two'. Can't wait.
And while this is an essential collection, there is one little niggling doubt. Half the fun of the mod experience is searching through second-hand shops, car boot sales and the like for rare and special records... discovering artists and songs for yourself and not having it all served on a plate for you. Or is that just being a tad picky?
