The Royal Pacifics - Telstar Twist / Gypsy Beat 7" (Hi-Tide) 

This was one of the best 7" releases of 2021 - two Joe Meek covers wrapped in a retro styled sleeve. The content doesn’t disappoint at all - they’ve done a masterful job with “Telstar”, giving it a twist beat while retaining all the cool otherworldliness of the original. Flip it over and you’ve got “Gypsy Beat”, originally done by The Packabeats, is perhaps even better - it definitely improves on the original. While I’ve always dug the original, it sounds kinda flat and dated compared to this new version by The Royal Pacifics. Most of it is the production, yet while this cover is very faithful to the original, I’d argue that the Royal Pacifics are slightly better musicians, which just makes this new version pop.

Tracks: Telstar Twist - Gypsy Beat