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Staying with some of the "bad boys" of The British Invasion. Wildly popular and influential in their native UK, The Pretty Things were relegated to the more-or-less/ also-ran category. And it stuck with them for the better part of their careers - which was a shame because it wasn't true. The Pretty Things were true originals and, as legend has it, The Pretty Things and The Rolling Stones were very much in competition with each other even to the point of members crossing over briefly into each others bands.

With all that in mind - here is the rundown of what's up on the player tonight.

The Pretty Things - BBC Saturday Club - Jan. 8, 1966

1. Sitting All Alone
2. Midnight To Six Man
3. Buzz The Jerk
4. L.S.D.

The end of the week is coming. Play this one loud and get ready for Friday Night.

One band I don't think I've ever featured on The Roundtable are The Rolling Stones. Not for any good reason. I assumed everyone knew their material by heart and anything I added would just be redundant. But since they actually have been around for fifty years, a lot of their material has probably not been heard lately, certainly from the early albums, when they were very much influenced by Chicago Blues and the Chess Records sound.

I admit this is my favorite period of the band. And even though much of the material they recorded on those first several albums wasn't penned by Jagger-Richards, it was still very exciting to listen to at the time.

One track they did write, which I'm featuring tonight, is off their 1965 album The Rolling Stones, Now! Recorded over a period of months and at several locations, including the famous Chess Studios in Chicago and RCA Studios in Hollywood. What A Shame is off the first side of the lp and it's vintage Stones, featuring Brian Jones on Lead Guitar and Ian Stewart on Piano.

Good times.

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Tonight it's early Rolling Stones, the 1964 period. This session (actually live radio appearance) comes by way of the BBC radio series The Joe Loss Show, recorded on July 17,1964. Unlike a lot of live appearances of this vintage, the screaming doesn't drown the band out and the audience doesn't drown the band out.

Everyone has a favorite period of the Rolling Stones - I confess, this is mine. Still very much entrenched in Chicago Blues, The Stones were getting huge at this point.

Here's the lineup of what's on the player:

The Joe Loss Show, July 17, 1964

1. It's All Over Now
2. If You Need Me
3. Confessin' The Blues
4. Carol
5. Mona

The sound is okay for the period. This is mostly likely one of those BBC sessions that didn't escape the eraser and we've had to rely on private enthusiasts who were hovering over their tape recorders at home in order to get this piece of history preserved. Thank god they did, otherwise a massive chunk of musical history would be missing. The irony is, during these early years of the British Invasion, it was deemed illegal by the British government to record anything off the air, even as a hobbyist. So the idea that someone would have faced jail time if they recorded this program seems a bit strange. But the cause of history is glad they did.

I have a particular fondness for that period of the 90's which gave birth to the movement known as Madchester. I always felt it was a surge of talent and a refreshing point of view and two of my favorite bands were busy butting heads in the press in the midst of it all.

Those two bands were of course Blur and Oasis and tonight's Roundtable features the inimitable Blur in one of a series of live recordings from their 1992-1993 period. As I said in other posts before, the fan loyalty was such that you were either a Blur fan and hated Oasis or you were an Oasis fan and hated Blur. To a degree, it brought back memories of the old press generated rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones - time was, you were compelled to love one and hate the other or you were no fan.

Not one to fall for hype, I could never find myself dismissing one band over another, because I found validity in what both were all about - and the same holds true for Oasis and Blur.

So, with that - here are three tracks by Blur from different sessions:

1. Charmless Man
2. Trouble In The Message Center
3. It Could Be You

Turn it up and get ready for the weekend - I understand it's only a day or so away.

(The Rolling Stones - 1971 with Mick Taylor, guitar - Heading off to France shortly)

Something to go along with your post-Thanksgiving weekend - a live concert (via the BBC) from Leeds University on March 13, 1971.

Aside from this being one of the last stops on their infamous "Goodbye To Britain Tour" of 1971, I don't think any other explanation is necessary other than turn up the volume and enjoy the show.