Sixty Years Of 3D

Happy birthday to Robert Del Naja aka 3D, born 21st January 1965.

Ten songs, four official videos, one fan-made, one visualiser, four audio only, all prime examples of 3D's talent as a vocalist, producer, songwriter and remixer. 

Some of these collaborations are new to me: I had no idea 3D had worked with Mike Patton of Faith No More on his Peeping Tom, or that he's produced a remix (all eleven minutes of it) for a reimagining of McCartney III. 

And his work with Massive Attack alone is the stuff of legend, not just the music, but the activism and political drive, and the willingness to challenge conventions of live performance. 

And then there's his art.

Truly inspirational.

Have a good one, 3D!

1) False Flags: Massive Attack (2006)

2) Rabbit In Your Headlights (3D Mix-Reverse Light): UNKLE ft. Thom Yorke (1998)

3) 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix): A Perfect Circle (2000)

4) Kill The DJ: Peeping Tom (Mike Patton) ft. Massive Attack (2006)

5) For Nothing: Euanwhosarmy ft. Lyndsey Lupe (2016)

6) Battle Box (Main Mix): 3D, Guy Garvey (2012)

7) WPIC (Higgins In 3D Remix): Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band (2014)

8) Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix): Paul McCartney (2021)

9) Kong: Neneh Cherry (2018)

10) Daydreaming: Massive Attack (1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave-hed Selection

In the same month that we lost David Lynch and David Bowie, I also take a moment to remember my friend Dave. 

When I first posted about Dave in 2022, I shared a link to a song called Amazing Dave by CocknBullKid aka Anita Blay aka CocknBullKid released in 2010, the year after Dave passed. 

At the time I wrote that "This may be the only song in my collection that includes the name Dave in the title, but it's a good one."

I've had a rummage around and, looking for Dave and David in the song title, it turns out that I had quite a few to choose from. I've picked ten, plus two songs featuring two Daves and a David, which had to be included. And, inevitably, ending with CocknBullKid.

I think after an understandable groan, Dave would have liked this selection. I hope you do too.

Cheers, Dave. 

 

1) A Song Called Dave: The Comsat Angels (1995)

2) David Bowie Never Had To: Stephen Solo (2017)

3) Like Queer David: Earl Brutus (1996)

4) David Jones (Is On His Way): The Times (1985)

5) Parade (Cover of Magazine): Dave Formula ft. David McAlmont (2010)

6) Dave Balfe, What's Got Into You? (Tamworth Session, Part II): Julian Cope & The Teardrop Explodes (2021)

7) David's Last Summer: Pulp (1994)

8) David's Soul (Demo): Tindersticks (1998)

9) Star Of David: The Field Mice (1991)

10) Brother: Humanist ft. Dave Gahan (2024)

11) Dave The Butcher: Tom Waits (1983)

12) Amazing Dave: CocknBullKid (2010)

1983: Swordfishtrombones: 11

1985: Boys About Town EP: 4

1991: For Keeps: 9

1994: His 'n' Hers: 7

1995: The Glamour: 1

1996: I'm New EP: 3

2004: Simple Pleasure (Expanded Edition): 8

2010: Amazing Dave EP: 12

2010: Satellite Sweetheart: 5

2017: Pii2: 2

2021: Cold War Psychedelia: 6

2024: On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World: 10

Dave-hed Selection (46:13) (KF) (Mega)

Roots 'n' Culture, Thirty Years Later

Side 2 of a mixtape recorded sometime around September 1995. 

 

Whereas yesterday's selection was a tape from my brother's former girlfriend, today's is a cassette that I made for a girlfriend that I lived with in the second half of the 1990s. 

 

1995 was the height of Britpop and the dance/indie crossover, both of which was reflected in the mightily impressive line-up for Bristol Sound City '95 running from 17th to 23rd April that year. 

 

Pulp! Radiohead! The Prodigy! Suede! Supergrass! Orbital! Sleeper! Gene! The Chemical Brothers! Teenage Fanclub! Skunk Anansie! The Orb! Elastica! The Bluetones! Utah Saints! Ash! dEUS! Dreadzone! Reef! Marion! and er, Menswe@r!

 

Not that I went to any of these gigs, or was paying that much attention, judging by my track listing over the two sides of C90. The only Sound City '95 act to make the cut was The Jesus & Mary Chain, and nearly half of Side 2 stuck in 1992, with only Björk and Gavin Friday representing releases in 1995.

For all that, I really like this compilation. Both sides kick off with an instrumental, Barry Adamson on Side 1 and the timeless (and beatless) Smokebelch II by The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. 

A fair few cover versions on this side too, from The Fall, Björk and Vegas, the short-lived partnership of David A. Stewart and Terry Hall.

The LFO track first appeared on the book/CD series Volume Three in 1992, although I didn't get to hear it until I bought the two 2CD 'Best Of Volume' compilations that emerged in 1995. Slow Down Speedy appeared on the first, entitled Wasted, but both are worth tracking down.

And Julian Cope makes a brief cameo, right at the end of the selection, as only he can.

 

This particular love story didn't have a happy ending, but the music never let us down. 

 

1) Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1993)

2) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

3) Bonita Mañana (Gang Starr Vocal Mix): Espiritu (1994)

4) Deee-Lite Theme (Global Village Mix): Deee-Lite (1991)

5) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

6) Honey Power (Single Version + Instrumental Coda): My Bloody Valentine (1991)

7) It's Oh So Quiet (Album Version) (Cover of Betty Hutton): Björk (1995)

8) Slow Down Speedy: LFO (1992)

9) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs (1992)

10) Trance Of Hatred: Barry Adamson ft. Maria Zastrow (1992)

11) She (Disco Mix) (Cover of Charles Aznavour): Vegas (1992)

12) Angel (7" Edit): Gavin Friday (1995)

13) Cool Hand Flute (Original Mix): Fluke (1989)

14) Peggy Suicide is Missing...: Julian Cope (1992)

 

1989: Thumper / Cool Hand Flute EP: 13

1991: Power Of Love EP: 4

1991: Tremolo EP: 6 

1992: Jehovahkill: 14

1992: Phorever People EP: 5 

1992: She EP: 11

1992: Showgirl EP: 9

1992: Soul Murder: 10

1992: Volume Three: 8

1993: Sabresonic: 1

1993: Why Are People Grudgeful? EP: 2

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 3 

1995: Angel EP: 12

1995: Post: 7

Side Two (46:39) (KF) (Mega)

 

And for those of you who weren't here 993 days ago when I posted Side 1, you can find it here.

When I'm By Myself...

Side 1 of a cassette compilation, recorded May 1992.

 

A bit of an oddity in my collection, this one, as it was never recorded by me or for me, but by my brother's then-fiancée. Both the relationship and the cassette were subsequently discarded and, if memory serves, I rescued this and a few other tapes that my brother had binned and intended for landfill.

I think I was curious about this collection in particular because it contains lots of singer/songwriter heavyweights that I recognised by name but was largely ignorant of. So, it was a good opportunity to dip my toe into the waters.

I'd like to say that this was my springboard into the worlds of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne. It wasn't, but it opened my eyes and ears and eventually I started dipping into Bob, Joni and Jackson's respective back catalogues. Although I've yet to own a Sting album and I'm in no particular rush to do so.

 

The collection opens with 80s Dylan, but it's okay, it's one of the good ones. I'm not familiar enough with Joni Mitchell's vast body of work to know if there are similarly certain periods and/or album that should come with their own "enter at your own risk" warning, but Hejira presents no such threat.

On paper, The Cure's debut B-side seems the errant choice, nestled between Sting and Sinéad, but it fits right in and still hits the same sweet spot as it did when I first heard on the double play greatest hits cassette, Standing On A Beach: The Singles (And Unavailable B-Sides), in 1986.

 

My Special Child was a standalone single by Sinéad O'Connor, peaking at #42 in the UK in June 1991. I was still travelling around Australia at the time, which probably explains why I had no recollection of the song. It's an okay song, though with that voice, Sinéad's 'okay' is still way above many other artist's 'excellent'.

The original compilation featured the album version of Airwaves by Thomas Dolby from his 1982 debut, The Golden Age Of Wireless. I've swapped it out here for the earlier demo version, which appeared on the 1980 cassette From Brussels With Love, on the now-legendary label Les Disques Du Crépuscule. I love this pared down, less tech-y version, which sits better with the warmer, organic sounds infusing this collection.

I know The Beautiful South were big back in the day, and had lots of hit records. Even so, I still don't think Paul Heaton gets the level of recognition and appreciation he should, as one of the finest singers and songwriters to emerge in the 1980s. I don't listen to his music as often as I should. Hearing a song like Let Love Speak Up Itself makes me question why.

I heard Cowboy Junkies' cover of Powderfinger before I heard the song as written and recorded by Neil Young. it followed the achingly slow template of the Trinity Sessions album and remains the definitive version for me. 

 

The same month that my brother's girlfriend put I'd Rather Go Blind by Chicken Shack, I also acquired the song via Vox magazine's cover mounted cassette freebie, Radio Daze (The John Peel Sessions). The fact that the opening song was 10.15 Saturday Night makes me think that she included both songs from the very same compilation. 

 

I'd Rather Go Blind is another example where I was deeply immersed in the cover long before I heard the original version, in this case Etta James in 1967. The song has been covered many, many times since by the likes of Rod Stewart, Ruby Turner, Janet Kay, Paul Weller, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa. Chicken Shack's version is hard to beat, not least for the sublime vocals by Christine Perfect aka the much-missed Christine McVie.

The Road by Jackson Browne is a bit of an oddity. Taken from his 1977 album Running On Empty, according to Iffypedia, "the entire album was recorded on tour, either live on stage, or in locations associated with touring, such as backstage, on tour buses, or in hotel rooms".

The song itself is a prime example. The first half was recorded in room 301 of the Cross Keys Inn in Columbia, Maryland on 27th August 1977. The second half switches to a live recording at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on 7th September 1977. The latter pretty much sounds like an entirely different song to the sparse acoustic section that preceded it.

Rounding off the collection is The Manish Boys featuring one David Jones who, like Christine Perfect, changed their name and enjoyed slightly more success as... David Bowie. The session guitar player also went on to greater things, a young whippersnapper by the name of Jimmy Page.

Today's headline photo, nicked from t'internet, is a contemporary photo (April 1992) of the Redcliffe flyover and the George Railway Hotel near Temple Meads station in Bristol. The flyover was a narrow, single-track curved bridge opened as a temporary measure in 1968...which ended up staying there until 1998. As a kid sitting in the back seat of my parents' car, a journey into the city centre via the flyover was the equivalent of a free rollercoaster. Without seat belts. Fearless times, eh?

1) Man In The Long Black Coat: Bob Dylan (1989)  

2) Mad About You: Sting (1991) 

3) 10:15 Saturday Night (Single Version): The Cure (1978)

4) My Special Child: Sinéad O'Connor (1991)

5) Airwaves (Demo): Thomas Dolby (1980)

6) Let Love Speak Up Itself (Album Version): The Beautiful South (1990)

7) Powderfinger (Cover of Neil Young): Cowboy Junkies (1990)

8) Coyote: Joni Mitchell (1976)

9) I'd Rather Go Blind (Cover of Etta James): Chicken Shack (1969)

10) The Road (Cover of Danny O'Keefe): Jackson Browne (1977)

11) I Pity The Fool (Cover of Bobby 'Blue' Bland): The Manish Boys (1965)

1965: I Pity The Fool EP: 11

1969: I'd Rather Go Blind EP: 9

1976: Hejira: 8

1977: Running On Empty: 10

1978: Killing An Arab EP: 3

1980: From Brussels With Love (Les Disques Du Crépuscule): 5

1989: Oh Mercy: 1

1990: Choke: 6 

1990: The Caution Horses: 7

1991: My Special Child EP: 4

1991: The Soul Cages: 2

Side 1 (46:56) (KF) (Mega)

Everything Is Fine

Celebrating David Lynch, born 20th January 1946, whose death was announced on Thursday, days before what would have been his 79th birthday.

 

This wasn't the Friday post I originally had in mind, and is a hastily cobbled together selection of a dozen of David Lynch songs, remixes (of and by), cover versions and mash-ups. 

 

The collection starts and ends in possibly predictable fashion, Pixies' cover of In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) in 1988 making as much of an impression on my teenage mind as the opening minutes of Lynch's 1987 film Blue Velvet. 

 

And yes, I know it's a cheat including Lana Del Rey's version over Bobby Vinton's cover, which was the inspiration for the film, but the latter makes a cheeky appearance in Voicedude's contribution to the intriguing (and sadly no longer available) 2008 compilation Mashed In Plastic: The David Lynch Mash-Up Album.

I got to see nearly all of David Lynch's films on the big screen, including a re-release of Eraserhead in the early 1990s, and with the exception of Dune (1984) and Inland Empire (2006). And on the small screen, I was left with an agonising wait to complete the Twin Peaks experience, as I headed off to Australia for a year after Season 1's cliffhanger ending on BBC2. 

Edisrehtoehtnoees

 

1) In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song): David Lynch & Alan R Splet ft. Peter Ivers (1976)

2) This Is David Lynch: Neiltomo (2008)

3) Pinky's Dream (Trentemøller Remix): David Lynch ft. Karen O (2012)

4) Girl Panic! (Remix By David Lynch & Dean Hurley): Duran Duran (2011)

5) Fuel To Fire (David Lynch Remix): Agnes Obel (2014)

6) I Know (Jon Hopkins Remix): David Lynch (2011)

7) Velvet Dreams: Voicedude (2008)

8) The Big Dream (Moby Reversion): David Lynch ft. Mindy Jones (2014)

9) Rockin' Back Inside My Heart (Tibetan Single Mix By Greg Royal): Julee Cruise (1989)

10) Blue Velvet (Single Version) (Cover of Tony Bennett): Lana Del Rey (2012)

11) Falling (Cover of Julee Cruise): The Wedding Present (1992)

12) In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) (John Peel Session) (Cover of David Lynch & Alan R Splet ft. Peter Ivers): Pixies (1988) 

 

1982: Eraserhead OST: 1

1989: Rockin' Back Inside My Heart EP: 9 

1992: Silver Shorts EP: 11

1998: Pixies At The BBC: 12

2008: Mashed In Plastic: The David Lynch Mashup Album: 2, 7

2011: Girl Panic! EP: 4 

2011: Good Day Today / I Know EP: 6

2012: Pinky's Dream EP: 3 

2012: The Paradise Edition EP: 10

2014: Aventine: 5

2014: The Big Dream Remix EP: 8

Everything Is Fine (46:33) (KF) (Mega)

An Array Of Audio

As a companion piece to yesterday's post, ten more new songs that have piqued my curiosity in the past week. 

And this is still only scratching the surface. I've missed out Rialto's unexpected comeback single, but don't worry, Martin and Rol have got amply it covered at New Amusements and My Top Ten respectively. And Swiss Adam wrote some beautiful words about the opening song last Friday at Bagging Area.

As with yesterday's post, the ten songs are listed alphabetically by artist. With one exception, you can click on the artist's name to buy their music. 

And please do, they're all very good.

1) "i'm in love...": Andy Bell ft. Dot Allison & Michael Rother (Cover of The Passions)
2) CHROMA 008 TANGZ: Bicep ft. Eliza

3) Climbing (Solomun Mix): Caribou

4) Summertime (Joe Morris Dusk On The Playa Mix): Cree

5) Black Sun (Jack Essek Revision): Dead Can Dance

6) A Day To Breathe: Julie Pavon

7) The Place I Call My Home: Mark Rae

8) 8th Deadly Sin: Miki Berenyi Trio

9) Shake Yo Bum Bum: Moony ft. DJ VonDiego

10) Druantia (City Lights Sessions): The WAEVE

I could easily offer up another ten tomorrow, but it's Friday so...

 

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Smorgasbord Of Songs

These days, my inbox is overwhelmed with notices and heads up regarding new music, so much coming through on a daily basis that I just can't keep up with it, let alone mention it on this blog. 

Which is a shame, because there's a lot of interesting stuff out there, whether it's artists that I'm hearing for the first time, don't know a lot about but am already hooked, or long-time favourites still hitting the mark.

So, I've gathered ten releases in the past week or so and put them in one big smorgasbord of audio and visual tasters. If you like them, click on the artist's name to buy their music.

Oh, and make sure you stop by A History Of Dubious Taste, where Jez wrote a great piece yesterday, enthusing about one of the artists featured below, an early contender for his album of 2025.

Immerse yourself in the music.

1) You Were The Ones I Had To Betray: Dean Wareham
2) Queen Of 14th St: Decius

3) Vacillator: Ethel Cain

4) Switch Over: Horsegirl

5) Orlando in Love: Japanese Breakfast

6) Cuntology 101: Lambrini Girls

7) Fanzine Made Of Flesh: Mogwai

8) Disco Nap: Polo & Pan ft. Metronomy

9) Imagine 100 Dads: SKLOSS

10) Mirror: The Weather Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squashed In The Back Of A Taxi, Wondering Where You Are

Everything Is Recorded have dropped three new songs since November, ahead of their third (or seventh*) album, Temporary, arriving on the last day of February.

Losing You features Sampha, Jah Wobble, Mary In The Junkyard, Yazz Ahmed, TIC and Laura Groves, with an infectious groove, an earworm 80s sample and a video featuring most of the cast squashed in the back of a taxi. 

Sampha leads the way vocally, but there's a lovely left turn halfway through, represented in the video by the group disembarking at a petrol station to buy some sweets and fizzy drinks from the shop. Richard Russell and Clari Freeman-Taylor share earphones whilst Laura Groves sings over the spaced out bridging section. 

It's back in the cab for the final 30 seconds or so, a blink-and-you'll-miss-him shot of Jah Wobble, now in the back seat playing bass, and providing a voice over with Sampha in the closing moments. Well worth three minutes of your time. 

Last Thursday, the third preview single dropped, the appropriately titled Swamp Dream #3. Clari Freeman-Taylor from Mary In The Junkyard trudging through the mud with a small TV set, featuring...Clari Freeman-Taylor singing. 

 

This song is reminiscent of the music Richard Russell (aka Everything Is Recorded and XL label boss) has created with Samantha Morton (who also appears on the new album): queasy, unsettling vocals atop sinister strings.

Lastly, but firstly in terms of release dates, there is Porcupine Tattoo, featuring Noah Cyrus (daughter of Billy Ray and sister of Miley) and Bill Callahan (married to Hanly Banks with two kids), 

None of this is random. In 2010, Russell produced and released Gil Scott-Heron's final studio album, I’m New Here. The album was named after and covered the Bill Callahan song of the same name. 

Russell approached Callahan about a collaboration, asking who he would like to write a song for. “Noah Cyrus” was Callahan’s reply. The end result features a duet of Callahan’s original demo vocal with Cyrus’ deep, warm tones. The minimalist sound palette includes a foot stomping bass and country twangs and it's really quite beautiful.

* Between September 2023 and May 2024, Everything Is Recorded released a series of four albums, each inspired by the annual cycle of solstice and equinox, summer to autumn to winter to spring. Hours of collaborative improvisations were edited and reshaped into 10 songs and roughly 35 minutes for each album. And they're all available as a free download on Bandcamp.

Türkçe'de "Karanlık Dalga" Nasıl Denir?

Or, how do you say "Dark Wave" in Turkish?

Katarsis by She Past Away was Lady K's pick when I asked for suggestions to spend the Bandcamp gift voucher that she bought for my birthday last month. 

According to their bio, "She Past Away is dark-wave with a reworked 80’s sound. Signature guitar sound of the post-punk era, combined with minimalist poetry in Turkish. Often an outburst of sentimental anxiety through the nihilistic mind-frame, it is personal. Yet it is broad, a wondering mind brave enough to question taboo and existence.

She Past Away is driving, it is mesmerizing. It is a haunt."

Lady K's recommended song was 2015 single Katarsis, a confident breeze (or should that be chill wind?) through Goth Pop country, the most obvious influence being Clan Of Xymox, with a suitably retro video with in-built VHS glitches to match. 

She Past Away is Turkish duo Doruk Öztürkcan and Volkan Caner. In 2020, they celebrated the band's tenth birthday with X, a 22-track remix album including a full-throttle rework of Katarsis by Italian Cold Wave trio Ash Code.

(And no, I don't yet know the difference between Dark Wave and Cold Wave)

Given their significant influence on She Past Away, it should be no surprise that Clan Of Xymox were approached to contribute to X. They deliver not one but two remixes: Sanrı comes courtesy of founder/frontperson Ronny Moorings; Hayaller is overhauled by bandmate Mario Usai. 

 

The most recent release from She Past Away was the single İnziva, which again comes with a moody and meaningful video, this time in magnificent monochrome.

Turkish Goth? Whether Cold or Dark Wave, or both, I'm in!

In Amongst The Moshers

January will be a gig-free month for me, so to fill the void I've compiled a imaginary live set featuring some top-notch performances from 1977 to 1979. And imagine the mosh pit!

 

The formidable line-up includes The Fall, Joy Division, Blondie, The Clash, The Specials, Scritti Politti and Magazine with heavyweight appearances from The Police, John Cale and David Bowie.

I even managed to sneak in some John Cooper Clarke.

Enjoy! But no spitting. I don't like spitting.

 

1) Stepping Out (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester): The Fall (1977) 

2) Detroit 442 (Live @ The Walnut Theatre, Philadelphia): Blondie (1978)

3) Sabotage (Live @ CBGB, New York): John Cale (1979)

4) Armagideon Time (Live @ Hammersmith Odeon, London): The Clash (1979)

5) Guns Of Navarone (Live @ The Lyceum, London): The Specials (1979)

6) Be My Wife (Live @ Earls Court, London): David Bowie (1978)

7) Persecution Complex (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester): The Drones (1977)

8) Tomorrow (Live @ University Of California, Riverside, California): Wall Of Voodoo (1979)

9) Bronze Adonis (Live @ Rafters, Manchester): John Cooper Clarke (1978)

10) Miracle Man (Live @ The Nashville Room, London): Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1977)

11) She Can Only Say No (Live): The Undertones (1979)

12) Art Forever (Live @ Acklam Hall, London): Scritti Politti (1979)

13) Time's Up (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester): Buzzcocks (1977)

14) Message In A Bottle (Live @ Park West, Chicago): The Police (1979)

15) At A Later Date (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester): Joy Division (1977)

16) Definitive Gaze (Live @ Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester): Magazine (1978)

In Amongst The Moshers (49:49) (KF) (Mega)