The Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You (Motown, 1965)

Dark Motown misery-pop genius.

I'm not proposing to make a habit of it but this is such a great song that posting remix, cover and original in succession doesn't seem indulgent (to me, anyway).

Enjoy.

Download The Supremes 'My World Is Empty Without You' (Motown, mp3) (Divshare)

Jerry & The Medicine Men 'Medicine Man Part II' (Lo Recordings, 1965)

Horn-led funky monster 45 action.

No idea whether this is an authentic piece of funky Northern Soul action or a pastiche. The compilation that brought it to me is billed as '21 Rare Funk 45s' so I can only assume it's a genuine nugget of crate-digger's delight.

It's a delicious, energetic, horn-driven monster that bursts straight out of the traps and is hand-tooled for the discerning funk-friendly dancefloor. The drums are frantic but syncopated, the horns deliciously arranged, perkily riding over the breakbeat fantasticness of the rhythm. It calls to mind Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez's 'Can You Handle It' from a few years ago.

Irresistable.

Looks out-of-print to me, but the chaps track it down, the tracklisting is awesome.

Download Jerry & The Medicine Men 'Medicine Man Part II' (northern soul funk mp3) (Mediafire)

The Stan Tracey Quartet 'Starless And Bible Black' (Columbia, 1965)

Sublime, dark brown jazz from the 60s Brit Jazz school. I was introduced to this by Gilles Peterson's excellent 'Impressed' compilations, the song coming in on a rumble of drums and a rolling piano line, sax entering and building the mood. The rumble then stops, leaving a clearing of crisp, perky bass and spare piano in which the sax can express itself a little more freely.

The tune displays such poise and elegance, it's almost ponderous but maintains an self-confident momentum all the same. Little flourishes of piano, bass and drums build out the sound and keep the focus shifting constantly.

The song and the sound keeps evolving, shifting between moods and displaying some gorgeous interplay before returning to the opening section and drawing to a close.

And then you put it back to the start.