A Very Avery Dozen

I'm constantly fascinated by and drawn to Daniel Avery's music, whether his own creations or his reworkings of other artists. Daniel is experiencing a particularly productive period with the latter of late, so much so that it's hard to keep track of it all. 

Last week's release of Out Of My Reach by Jehnny Beth was the latest addition to a dizzying and varied collection of Daniel Avery remixes. 

So, as a post-cum-shopping list, here are twelve remixes from the last couple of years, and mostly from the last 12 months. Many of them are available to buy in digital format, but I've also included links to the artist's own store or Bandcamp page so you can have a rummage around their catalogue whilst you're there. 

1) Out Of My Reach (Daniel Avery Remix): Jehnny Beth

2) Atom Bomb (Daniel Avery Nuclear Summer Remix Edit): Fluke

3) The World’s Biggest Paving Slab (Daniel Avery Remix): English Teacher

4) DRONE:NODRONE (Daniel Avery Remix): The Cure

5) Wait And Wait (Daniel Avery Remix): MOTO SOLO

6) Hallelujah (Daniel Avery Remix): Happy Mondays

7) Be Enough (Daniel Avery Remix): Acopia

8) Powerless (Daniel Avery Remix): Woomb

9) Endless Deathless (Daniel Avery Remix): Just Mustard

10) Carry The Blame (Daniel Avery Remix): Demise Of Love

11) kisses (Daniel Avery Remix): Slowdive

12) Weak In Your Light (Daniel Avery Remix): Nation Of Language

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Owe A Lot To A Dead Man’s Cock

Someone wisely advised not to rely on the first line of a song as the inspiration for blog post titles. However, when the above is the opening line of the opening song of Robyn HItchcock's new album, The Confuser, it would be remiss of me not to!

The Confuser actually came out a month ago yesterday and it was Monday's posting of the video for Wasted, the album's closing song and fifth single, that grabbed my attention.

So, for my benefit as much as yours, here are all five videos in tracklist order, with links to buy the album from the official website or Robyn’s Bandcamp site

Robyn's on tour, including UK dates in September and October. 

It's polka time!

 

 

 

Di Culture Alltah When Oppression Scatta

Happy birthday to Linton Kwesi Johnson, born 24th August 1952.

Following on my LKJ post a couple of Fridays ago, here's 47 minutes of his words and music to celebrate his 74th birthday.

Dennis Bovell is inevitably by his side, as well as an early collaboration with Misty In Roots, and 21st century team ups with Manu Chao and, perhaps surprisingly, Alan Wilder aka Recoil and Paul Marshall for a Talk Talk tribute album.

Whether poetry in motion or dub in excelsis, Linton Kwesi Johnson has been an important part of my education, and I'll always be grateful for that.

Here's to you, LKJ.

1) Want Fi Goh Rave: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1979)

2) Time Fi Dub: Linton Kwesi Johnson (2002)

3) Bass Culture: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1980)

4) Politik Kills (Dennis Bovell Remix): Manu Chao ft. LKJ aka Linton Kwesi Johnson (2008)

5) Man Free (For Darcus Howe): Poet And The Roots (1978)

6) Poems Of Shape And Motion: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1998)

7) Shocking Dub: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1980)

8) Di Great Insohreckshan: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1984)

9) Inheritance (Cover of Talk Talk): Recoil ft. Paul Marshall & Linton Kwesi Johnson (2012)

1978: It Dread Inna Inglan EP: 5

1979: Forces Of Victory: 1

1980: Bass Culture: 3

1980: LKJ In Dub: 7

1984: Making History: 8

1998: More Time: 6

2002: LKJ In Dub Volume Three: 2

2008: Politik Kills EP: 4

2012: Spirit Of Talk Talk: 9

Di Culture Alltah When Oppression Scatta (47:42) (GD) (M)

Sunday Dubby Sunday

Time to paws and relax with some sunny Sunday sounds from the last half-century.

A mix of familiar and unfamiliar, old and new, borrowed and blue, the common theme is that this top notch dub, perfect for soundtracking a day of doing as little or as much as you like.

Notably fewer complaints from the neighbours when this is booming from the Casa K sound system, too...

1) Rock In Dub: The Roots Radics ft. Gladstone Anderson (1982)

2) Dub Spring: Alien Dread (2017)

3) Secours Dub: Muflon Dub Sound System (2013)

4) Heart Beat Dub: Sly, Robbie & The Revolutionaries (1975)

5) Dub Of Correction: Jonah Dan / Alpha & Omega (2003)

6) Ariwacumbé ShaunVox Dub (Remix By Mad Professor): Frente Cumbiero (2010)

7) Iron Bar Dub (Album Version): Linton Kwesi Johnson (1980)

8) Go On Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom (2023)

9) Step It Up in Dub: King Tubby & Friends (1979)

10) Rasta Dub: Horace Andy (1977)

11) Harmoniser Dub: Dennis Bovell (1976)

12) Dub Of CCTV (Wolsey White Dub) (Remix By Gran Tourismo): Hard-Fi (2006)

1975: Hardcore Dub: 4

1977: In The Light Dub: 10

1980: LKJ In Dub: 7

1982: Radical Dub Session: 1

1994: Dub Gone Crazy: The Evolution Of Dub At King Tubby's 1975-1979: 9

2003: Decibel: More Cuts And Dubs 1976-1983: 11

2003: Spirit Of The Ancients: 5

2006: In Operation: CCTVersions: 12

2010: Frente Cumbiero Meets Mad Professor: 6

2013: Rassemblement: 3

2017: Conquering Dub (Expanded Edition): 2

2023: Reset In Dub: 8

Sunday Dubby Sunday (46:39) (GD) (M)

What Do You Mean, This Music Has Needs?

An hour of music created or remixed by Kris Needs, topped and tailed with his collaboration with Wonder Schneider as Secret Knowledge and Delta Lady.

[Apology: I'm currently experiencing technical issues, more sleeve notes to follow!]

1) Sugar Daddy (Original Full Length Version By Kris Needs, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): Secret Knowledge (1993)

2) Anything You Want (Volume Vocal Mix By Kris Needs & Leftfield): Delta Lady (1993)

3) Rockers Dub (Remix od 'Rocks' By Kris Needs): Primal Scream (1994)

4) Toxygene (Kris Needs Up For A Fortnight Mix) (Full Length): The Orb (1997)

5) King Of My Castle (Beef Injection Mix By Kris Needs & Matt Schwartz): Wamdue Project ft. Gaelle Adisson (1998)

6) Now Is The Time (Secret Knowledge Overkill Mix By Kris Needs): The Crystal Method (1996)

7) Swamp Fever (Delta Scream Mix By Primal Scream): Delta Lady (1993)

8) Ooh Baby (Vocals Mix By Kris Needs & Ben Watkins): Secret Knowledge (1993)

This Music Has Needs (59:27) (GD) (M)

And if this doesn't quite fulfil your needs, then dive into Side 1 and Side 2 of my 1996 Secret Knowledge mixtape.

Never Mind The Ballads, Here's The Proclaimers

But It Is by The Proclaimers nails it, a blistering, brilliant, un-tinted unstinting critique of the global shitshow that we're all bit part participants in.

The video is also excellent, revisiting the world that John Lennon Yoko Ono dreamed of in their song and video Imagine, back in 1971.

"The spirit of 85-year-old John returns to find the hypocrisy of Western countries and the tragic and sad world it is politically now." 

Only director Douglas Mackinnon achieves this through the art of puppetry, adding another layer to the song's meaning. 

Forty years on from their debut, a single by The Proclaimers arguably shouldn't be this good. But it is.

Today's post is dedicated to Stuart, for a friendship that's lasted even longer.

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

Injustice rising, de-civilising

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

Our collective conscience

Is proven nonsense

Every minute of the day

I’ve watched these years of decline

Now I’m an old man

I’d like to say things would get better

I don’t think that I can

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

When did we decide to aid a genocide?

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

Causing hunger, following warmongers

To the deepest pits of hell

We talk of barbarism

Like we left it in the past

While we elect malignant scoundrels

Each one as bad as the last

We lecture others on morality

While wi’ the deil we sup

We say we face down terror

Just hold a mirror up

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

Injustice rising, de-civilising

We say that’s not who we are

But it is

Our collective conscience

Is proven nonsense

Every minute of the day

Nonsense every minute of the day

Billy's Six

I dip into the Beat-Club channel on YT often for it's archive gems, but it's served up a treat this week, with half a dozen songs performed by Billy Preston from 1972, the final year of the German TV show's transmission.

These may be completely out of sequence from the original broadcast, but none of that detracts from the soul power emanating from the screen and speakers. Billy is on top form, with a super fit band (including the Brothers Johnson as rhythm section) and the set choices are spot on. And that's before I pay tribute to Billy and co's inestimably cool hair and wardrobe. 

Just sit back and admire and wonder.

1) I Wrote A Simple Song

2) Summertime

3) Outa Space

4) My Sweet Lord

5) Hey Brother

6) Improvisation

It's two decades since Billy Preston passed in June 2006, but his reputation and influence are as strong now as ever. A CV that includes recording and performing with Little Richard, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones and, of course, The Beatles. 

I Wrote A Simple Song is the title track of Billy's 1971 album, an uplifting blend of soul, gospel, funk and R&B built around that instantly recognisable keyboard style. Simple it ain't.

Summertime is the oft-covered George Gershwin song from Porgy and Bess, and appeared on the Music Is My Life album in 1972. Billy opts for an instrumental interpretation, groovy as hell, and with a mid-song break to "imagine how Bach would play it...Bach, or Beethoven." Billy puts the 'class' into 'classical'.

Outa Space is another tune from the I Wrote A Simple Song album, the title giving a hint to the journey he takes the band on. A wonder to behold.

I had no idea that George Harrison initially gifted My Sweet Lord to Billy, and his recording appeared first, on his 1970 album Encouraging Words. Harrison's own version is so embedded in my psyche that it remains the definitive take, but I love this uplifting, gospel infused predecessor. And wait til you get to 2:30...

Hey Brother takes the tempo down a tad, but dials up the funk and soul. Again, a nod to the whole band here, it's a joy to watch these pros weaving in and out of the groove.

 

Lastly, an untitled improvised, just over a minute, but as satisifying as a hearty meal. Jools Holland was taking note.

This Beat, This Beat, This Beat Is Mine

It's Wee Rule Wednesday today, featuring the Wee Papa Girl Rappers.

Wee Papa Girl Rappers were London-based hip hop duo and sisters Sandra Lawrence  aka Total S, and Samantha Lawrence aka TY Tim. 

The group name was inspired by their father, originally from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia and prone to using the French Creole expression "Oui Papa", which the sisters phonetically adapted into their stage identity.

Following an early break as backing singers for Feargal Sharkey, Zeke Manyika and Brilliant, the siblings formed Wee Papa Girl Rappers in 1987. Signed to Jive Records, their debut single Rock The Clock didn't make a signficant impression, but 1988 saw an upturn in their fortunes. Second single Faith got to #60 in March and Heat It Up (with 2 Men & A Drum Machine but no trumpet) peaked at #21 in June.

And then there was Wee Rule. By their own admission more "in a dancehall style" than hip hop, it struck a chord with the record buying public and reached #6 in October 1988, as well as wider Top 20 success across Europe.

It was a great time for female rap artists, Wee Papa Girl Rappers alongside the Cookie Crew and Monie Love. Their debut album, The Beat The Rhyme And The Noise, cracked the Top 40 in November 1988.

Unfortunately, December's follow up single Soulmate stalled at #45, and Blow The House Down in March 1989 was their lowest (and final) charting UK single, at #65.

Second album Be Aware arrived in 1990, along with a slew of singles in the next few years, but chart success eluded them. A brief break and reformation as The Wee Papas in 1992 sadly didn't revive their commercial fortunes and the sisters called time on the group in 1994.

Tragically, Samantha passed away in December 2024, at the age of 55. 

The legacy Samantha created with older sister Sandra as Wee Papa Girl Rappers, perfectly encapsulated in Wee Rule, lives on, a joyous, celebratory three and a half minutes that gets me moving every time.

Me And Miss Jones

Dipping into my blog archives for a review of the 1998 Grace Jones compilation, Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions, which I reviewed on 14th August 2005 and rejigged and expanded slightly on 18th August 2026.

Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions is a 26-track 2CD collection, covering Jones’ work with Chris Blackwell, Alex Sadkin and Sly & Robbie between 1980 and 1982, with the addition of 1985’s Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson produced Slave To The Rhythm, plus rarities and previously unreleased songs from the Living My Life album sessions in 1982. 

The majority of these tracks and versions are previously unavailable on CD, and provide a fascinating overview of Grace Jones’ incredibly strong body of work. Opening with vocal and dub versions of Private Life, written by Chrissie Hynde, Jones’ ability to reinterpret (and ultimately own) other people’s songs continues with Roxy Music’s Love Is The Drug, Bill Withers’ Use Me and Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control, taking in diverse acts such as The Police, Iggy Pop, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and The Normal along the way, and including an unearthed demo of Ring Of Fire, originally recorded by Anita Carter in 1962, but turned into a global hit the following year by brother-in-law Johnny Cash. 

As good as these cover versions are, Grace's own songs, such as Pull Up To The Bumper, Nipple To The Bottle, My Jamaican Guy and Living My Life more than hold their own. It'll be of little surprise to note that Sly & Robbie’s drum and bass lead an incredibly tight band and it’s hard to imagine how this album could sound better. 

One small gripe about the inclusion of Slave To The Rhythm, though. Although a great song in it’s own right, it’s mid-80s, characteristically Trevor Horn/ZTT sound make it an incongruous, glossy add-on to an otherwise dub-inflected set, even if the version is (ever so slightly) different from the original 12" version and therefore unique to this compilation.

Matching the quality of the music within, the gorgeously illustrated CD booklet includes an engrossing piece by music writer Brian Chin. If you’re a Grace Jones fan, you should already have bought this on release in 1998. For anyone else, get it now, you won’t be disappointed.

And if you want a second opinion, here's a superlative review of the collection from Post Punk Monk in January 2025.

CD1

1) Private Life (Long Version) (Cover of The Pretenders) (1980)

2) Private Life (Dub Version) (Cover of The Pretenders) (1980)

3) Love Is The Drug (Long Version) (Cover of Roxy Music) (1980)

4) Breakdown (Album Version) (Cover of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) (1980)

5) Warm Leatherette (Long Version) (Cover of The Normal) (1980)

6) The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game (Long Version) (Cover of The Marvelettes) (1980)

7) I've Done It Again (Album Version) (1981)

8) Pars (Long Version) (Cover of Jacques Higelin) (1980)

9) Pull Up To The Bumper (Album Version) (1981)

10) Use Me (Long Version) (Cover of Bill WIthers) (1981)

11) She's Lost Control (Long Version) (Cover of Joy Division) (1980)

12) She's Lost Control (Dub Version) (Cover of Joy Division) (1980)

CD2

1) Walking In The Rain (Cover of Flash & The Pan) (1981)

2) Cry Now, Laugh Later (Album Version) (1982)

3) Nightclubbing (Album Version) (Cover of Iggy Pop) (1981)

4) The Apple Stretching (Album Version) (Cover of Melvin Van Peebles/Waltz Of The Stork (Broadway OST)) (1982)

5) Nipple To The Bottle (Club Cut) (1982)

6) My Jamaican Guy / J.A. Guy (Dub) (12" Version) (1982)

7) Feel Up (Album Version) (1981)

8) I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) (Album Version) (1981)

9) Demolition Man (Long Version) (Cover of The Police) (1981)

10) Unlimited Capacity For Love (Album Version) (1982)

11) Ring Of Fire (Demo) (Cover of 'Love's Ring Of Fire' by Anita Carter) (previously unreleased) (1982)

12) Man Around The House (previously unreleased) (1982)

13) Living My Life (7" Version) (1982)

14) Slave To The Rhythm (Hot Blooded Version) (previously unreleased) (1985)

Speaking In Tongues

This started off with Ever So Lonely by Monsoon shuffling into play the other day, and became a bit more of a deep dive into other appearances by Sheila Chandra on YouTube.

Ever So Lonely was a key song for me in the early 1980s, like Living On The Ceiling by Blancmange, introducing this curious kid to Indian instruments in pop music, Monsoon having the advantage of Sheila as frontperson, a mesmerising presence. 

The subsequent singles did not match the success of Ever So Lonely, to the extent that the record label asked Monsoon to drop the "Indian elements" of their music, like it was just a passing phase or interest, rather than theit core reason for being. 

Unsurprisingly, Sheila and founder Steve Coe called time on Monsoon and returned to his IndiPop label to focus on solo releases.

I discovered Sheila - and specifically Speaking In Tongues - on a mid-90s compilation, but the seeds of this playful accapella music were planted in her earlier solo releases, as can be seen in a Swedish TV appearance in 1984.

 

Monsoon was a studio band, so Sheila didn't really start performing live until several albums into her solo career. At which point, she was unlike anything audiences may have experienced before, even those who were fans of other music on her then-label Real World.

Here's an example of Sheila's incredible performance of Speaking In Tongues II in 1992.

 

A good decade before The One Show, BBC1's staple magazine show was Pebble Mill, hosted in 1994 by Alan 'Titch' Titchmarsh (still plugging his brand of amiable bland today, albeit on ITV). 

Thankfully this clip spares us the preceding interview with wildfire absurdist Ian 'Beefy' Botham, and sees Sheila patiently explaining her music to Titch before performing Speaking In Tongues III.

 

It is well documented that Sheila was subsequently afflicted with burning mouth syndrome, which ended her career as a singer and actress in 2009. Her husband Steve Coe also passed in 2013.

Sheila found her voice through writing and mentoring and I've just discovered this 50 minute interview with Sheila from the end of last year, which covers key moments in her life and the challenges that she has overcome. An inspirational woman.

In September, Real World releases Echo, billed as Sheila's final album, a collection of live performances of songs from her career, trailed with a stunning rendition of Ever So Lonely, Eyes and Ocean.