Capital of vintage soul

I’ve been immersed in music lately. Soul music in particular. Funnily enough, I found a photograph of the Soul Immersions dive boat that was used by the press at Antigua Race Week when I was writing my latest post for The Dabbler - the name seems curiously appropriate...

Anyway, I was totally won over by the Soul Revue at Vintage 2011 last weekend.






Ex-Rose Royce diva Gwen Dickey’s rendition of Love Don’t Live Hear Anymore was outstanding. And Percy Sledge’s performance of Lighter Shade of Pale was sublime – though a curious fact is that even he doesn’t know what the song's title actually means.










Then there was the Average White Band’s brilliant Hamish Stuart, who’s composed so many amazing tracks, mostly for other (more famous) artists… And the Flirtations’ shimmering rainbow dresses certainly added to the flavour of the ‘70s vintage soul vibe.
























I’ve also discovered a fantastic new radio station recently. The Soul of London plays, as the name suggests, soul – along with R&B, funk, gospel and even a little bit of reggae. They seem to get the balance of old school and new stuff just about right – and they’ve got a great website too, with a useful selection of videos.

Talking of which, here’s a ShopCurious recording from the Vintage soul revue of Gwen Dickey singing Wishing on a Star.

Are you?

Iconic decade of design revisited

'Retro style and design' is currently the name of the game. I certainly enjoyed travelling back to yesteryear for a blast from the past with a modern day twist, when I read a this ‘fab’ new book.

Dominic Lutyens and Kirsty Hislop have really captured the Zeitgeist of the seventies in their glossy tome – 70s Style and Design. Focusing on the key trends of the era, their book is a visual demonstration of just how vitally important the period was for the creative arts.








From pop art, post modernism (so that’s what inspired those chairs?) and derivative timeless style (think la Belle Epoque, The Jazz Age and the Surrealist movement) - to the origins of eco-friendly cool: this beautifully illustrated coffee table style bible of the 70s has them all.







With curiously appropriate 1970s style pull out pages, the colourful volume is a roll call of pivotal designers – and not just of fashion, but a lifestyle. Yves St Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Bill Gibb, Biba, Laura Ashley and Fiorucci to name but a few – many of whom, as individuals or labels, are now making a comeback.
















By the way, if you’re a lover of ‘70s style and design, check out the vintage shoes new in at ShopCurious, including the design shown left, from Biba (soon to be reborn at House of Fraser), and a highly collectable pair of de Havz by stalwart style leader of the ’70 and ‘80s scene, Terry de Havilland.




Anyway, as I was saying, if you'd like to see‘70s illustrations, magazine photos and some of the most amazing art, architecture and design of the day, this book is a must.

Of course, for all 40-60 somethings who lived through the decade, it’s essential reading and will bring back fond memories of peace symbols and liberation – both for women and men - plus platform shoes, floaty dresses, punk style piercings and uncontrollably contagious disco fever.





























The ‘70s was a decade of many incarnations all rolled into one, and was hugely influential in terms of interiors and design. I think a similarly eclectic mix of styles is something we’ve also experienced over the past decade…

Do you?