{"title":"Makin' Time","description":"\u003cp\u003eGroup from Wolverhampton, England\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"rhythm-the-complete-countdown-recordings","title":"Rhythm! The Complete Countdown Recordings","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe original outfit of the Charlatans' bass player. But it would be the wrong way of looking at it, because Makin' Time were unique in their own right. In the mid-80s the mod revival scene had left a distinct trail behind it. On the one hand some pined for the power pop guitar chords of the Jam, the Purple Hearts and Secret Affair, but others had followed the more soulful line typified by the Style Council. Some felt that this lead to over smooth anodyne music but Makin' Time took a classic rock band format - Martin Blunt on bass, Fay Hallam on organ, Mark McGounden on guitar and Neil Clitheroe on drums - and added to it soulful influences. This is the first reissue of this material, culled from the band's three singles and album for the Countdown label. The songs stand up for themselves, whilst the booklet has the group's story told by Chris Hunt, now an experienced journalist who regularly works for both Mojo and Q, but at the time an early champion and friend of Makin' Time who published his own fanzine 'Shadows and Reflections'. Chris talked to all four members of the band for their reminicenses on those times (it is, we believe, the first time that Martin Blunt has agreed to this in years), and provided access to the photographs that 'Shadows and Reflections' had had taken at the time by their photographer Caron Malcolm. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ace","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50437955322187,"sku":"1126077","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8bda70eb-f215-4308-974a-2453c7ecdb19_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726936702"},{"product_id":"rhythm-and-soul","title":"Rhythm And Soul","description":"\u003cp\u003eLargely remembered today at the first group of future Charlatans main man Martin Blunt, Makin’ Time emerged as a breath of fresh air from the 1980s mod scene. Younger than the revival bands that had gone before instead of watered down punk their music was a glorious mix of power pop and 1960s pop and soul. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSigned to Eddie Piller and Maxine Forrest’s Stiff distributed Countdown label it was seen as a possible contender for pop crossover. The album that emerged was the vibrant and exciting \u003ci\u003eRhythm and Soul\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe band was fronted by the bob-headed, strong voiced organ playing Fay Hallam and guitarist and vocalist Mark McGounden, and these two along with Martin Blunt provided a strong set of self penned songs. A dynamic band live \u003ci\u003eHere Is My Number, Feels Like It’s Love, Only Time Will Time\u003c\/i\u003e and the other self penned numbers were already fan anthems by the time they were recorded.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Acid Jazz","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50500465230155,"sku":"1129301","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50500466016587,"sku":"1104088","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d4bf0775-c805-42a0-bbf2-13a57747d20a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727777665"},{"product_id":"honey-take-what-you-can-get","title":"Honey \/ Take What You Can Get","description":"\u003cp\u003eCountdown Records (via Acid Jazz) release the label’s first 7” single in over 30 years. And what could be more apt than the single that never was by label favourites Makin’ Time?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced by The Truth and 9 Below Zero’s Dennis Greaves and Mick Lister, this was to have been the West Midland group’s debut single for Countdown. Featuring the group’s original members, it remained unreleased when that line-up changed and Countdown’s parent label Stiff decided in a change of direction, aiming the group at the pop charts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing two highlights of their early live set - the Fay Hallam composed \u003ci\u003eHoney\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTake What You Can Get\u003c\/i\u003e, written by Martin Blunt. The 7” comes in an exclusive Countdown sleeve so make sure to get your copy now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Acid Jazz","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50501612208459,"sku":"1115012","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/b95f5e3d-bdca-4831-8357-ab1e2cb88a39_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727785603"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_c60008e3_thumbnail_4096_e9491114-6d85-43ed-9dec-91b6d8c9b901.jpg?v=1726936682","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/makin-time.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}