Listen to tunes from ‘Summer Songbirds’ (KPM 1126, 1973, UK).

I was fortunate enough recently to find myself in front of a box of around twenty KPM Library records. This is fortunate indeed, as one only usually comes across these LPs in the realms of the online sales lists or auctions. They also happened to be mostly very good; a small collection, mercifully free from Scottish reels, ragtime piano, nationalistic themes from around the world and novelty comedy pieces. The man selling them came complete with a greengrocer’s demeanor, a fine set of butcher’s fingers and a desire to pile it high and sell it cheap (well, not that cheap, but hey, record dealers aren’t stupid).

On ‘Summer Songbirds’ we get to spend a side each with Tony Kinsey and Pete Winslow, during which we enjoy ‘warm vocals in harmony’ and ‘solo girl voice features’. I for one can listen to almost limitless amounts of ‘la la la lee’, ‘do do do dooo do do dooo’, ‘li li li lee lee li li’, ‘die dee die shoo dup ‘n’ day’, especially if it is pleasantly accompanied by swinging bossa and samba played by top London session musicians in shirt sleeves and pressed flannel trousers.

And hey, what a perfect soundtrack to what appears to be a glimmer of summer finally gracing the UK. Quick! Grab your sunniest records, get outside and have a scat picnic before the return of graphite skies and several months of on/off precipitation.