{"product_id":"so-tender-games-instrumental-vinyl-7","title":"So Tender \/ Games (Instrumental) - Vinyl 7\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA. So Tender \/ B. Games (Instrumental)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSourcing rare records to reissue can involve meticulous research and years of digging, but then occasionally, Lady Luck smiles upon you. We probably would have never heard of the Medium Wave Band if Gary from Mr Bongo hadn't known Wolverhampton-based record dealer, Steve Ward. Whilst offering Gary some records for sale, he remembered he had a spare copy of an old 7\" single that he thought Gary might like. Steve didn't know much about the release, and it had \u003cstrong\u003enever sold on Discogs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Looking at the record itself, it was minimalist in appearance and information, there wasn't much to go on other than that it was from the Birmingham area. The mystery drew us in…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe A-side, 'So Tender’, is a late-night, jazzy slow-jam, with beautifully sultry, soulful female vocals which sounded vaguely familiar.  On listening to the B side, 'Games (Instrumental)’, you are rewarded with a superb example of \u003cstrong\u003eBritfunk \/ independent UK jazz-funk\u003c\/strong\u003e. The pulsating, bass-led dancefloor groove and sensibility is a sound reminiscent of productions usually found on labels such as \u003cstrong\u003eElite\u003c\/strong\u003e, but the 7” was not released on a label, it was a \u003cstrong\u003eprivate press\u003c\/strong\u003e by the band themselves. So who are the enigmatic The Medium Wave Band?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter some fruitful internet digging and correspondence, we got the answers. The band lineup featured Elliot Browne on guitar (lead \u0026amp; rhythm), Ron Lyseight on guitar (rhythm), Andrew Proverbs on keyboards, Tony Peart on drums, Paul Snook on bass, Linton Levy on saxophone, and surprisingly, the beautiful vocals we had been enjoying were those of Jackie Graham, aka the hugely successful UK vocalist, \u003cstrong\u003eJaki Graham\u003c\/strong\u003e. Maybe best known for her pop hit with David Grant, '\u003cstrong\u003eCould It Be I'm Falling In Love\u003c\/strong\u003e', but also featuring on the cult classic track '\u003cstrong\u003eFire In My Heart\u003c\/strong\u003e' by Escape From New York. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInfluenced by artists and bands including \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Benson, Ronnie Laws, Weather Report, George Duke, Azimuth and Chick Corea\u003c\/strong\u003e to name a few, the guys booked into a studio near the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and recorded the two tracks that make up this 7”. \u003cstrong\u003eOnly 200 copies \u003c\/strong\u003eof the original 7\" were ever pressed and were sold mostly in Birmingham at Summit Records by the band’s friend DJ Frenchi, as well as at live shows. Despite its limited distribution channels, the record received solid support from fans and those in the music industry, including \u003cstrong\u003eMorgan Khan\u003c\/strong\u003e of the influential record label, \u003cstrong\u003eStreet Sounds\u003c\/strong\u003e. DJ and journalist, \u003cstrong\u003eLindsay Wesker\u003c\/strong\u003e, reviewed the release and this led to the band travelling to London for several radio interviews. They played live shows across the country, including at the prestigious \u003cstrong\u003eRonnie Scott's\u003c\/strong\u003e in London, and supported both \u003cstrong\u003eShakatak\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eWeapon of Peace\u003c\/strong\u003e in Birmingham. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks to all those involved bringing this release into fruition and for solving the mystery behind a wonderful Britfunk and UK soul record that could have otherwise been lost in the mists of time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-gyCs0dZr9M?si=Jg5ptUemf_0qFyeq\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e \u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Agw8w7Ar9Mk?si=rXOwDcy3i2dFpnEy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Medium Wave Band","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl 7\"","offer_id":58738335449472,"sku":"MRB7224","price":6.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/1384\/1792\/files\/MRB7224TheMediumWaveBand_ShopifyMRB7224TheMediumWaveBand_Shopify_Square.jpg?v=1787213337","url":"https:\/\/vinylvers.com\/products\/so-tender-games-instrumental-vinyl-7","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}