#HappyMusicVolumeOne

#HappyMusic is one of two music challenges I've been taking part in August, this one set by Griff, with a inclusive brief to post any music that:

-- makes you happy

-- includes the word "happy"

-- contains any variation of "happy" in the title, lyrics or band name

-- features a synonym of "happy"

-- reminds you of happiness

I started with a song by bdrmm and have been pretty much making it up as I go along ever since. I have tomorrow's final contribution picked and ready to go, so it seems as good as time as any to post my selections here over the next two days.

Goodness knows we could all do with a bit of happy right now!

Rather than create selections in the order I posted them, I've compiled two hour-long mixtapes, pulling my picks from here, there and everywhere to create what I think is a better "in one go" listening experience.

Volume One starts with the wonderful Groovy Feeling by Fluke (posted on 4th August) and ends with The Statue Got Me High by They Might Be Giants (posted on 15th August). Along the way, you get Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra, Teenage Fanclub, Chic, Wreckless Eric, bdrmm, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Dream Warriors, Nelly Furtado, Julian Cope and many more.

Be here tomorrow for some Bank Holiday happiness!

1) Groovy Feeling (Make Mine A 99): Fluke (1993)

2) Xanadu (Single Version): Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (1980)

3) Do You Love Me Like You Say? (Album Version): Terence Trent D'Arby (1993)

4) Miss Modular (Single Version): Stereolab (1997)

5) Bon Bon Bon (Album Version): Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (2008)

6) Belt: Teenage Fanclub (1993)

7) The Greatness And Perfection Of Love (Remixed Version): Julian Cope (1984)

8) Happy (International Teachers Of Pop De-Mix): bdrmm (2020)

9) Good Times (Edit By Khayem): Chic (1979)

10) Wash Your Face In My Sink (Original Mix): Dream Warriors (1990)

11) Whole Wide World (Album Version): Wreckless Eric (1977)

12) Steve: Billy Reeves (2024)

13) Vitamin D: Psychederek (2023)

14) It's A Happening Thing: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy (1967)

15) I'm Like A Bird (Album Version): Nelly Furtado (2000)

16) The Statue Got Me High (Album Version): They Might Be Giants (1992)

1967: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading: 14

1977: Wreckless Eric: 11

1979: Good Times EP: 9

1980: Xanadu EP: 2

1984: The Greatness And Perfection Of Love EP: 7

1990: Wash Your Face In My Sink EP: 10

1992: Apollo 18: 16

1993: Six Wheels On My Wagon: 1

1993: Terence Trent D'Arby's Symphony Or Damn: 3

1993: Volume Seven: 6

1997: Miss Modular EP: 4

2000: Whoa, Nelly!: 15

2010: Allez Pop!: 5

2020: Happy EP: 8

2023: Vitamin D / Oven Ready EP: 13

2024: Steve (A Weekend In Egham, 1996): 12

#HappyMusicVolumeOne (59:11) (GD) (M)

Four Hundred And Seventy Times Six

A six song selection for Saturday, some strange bedfellows, but all committed to the groove.

Fortran 5 were formed from the ashes of I Start Counting, record label Mute perhaps hoping for a smidge of commercial success, given the proliferation of sample-heavy dance music in the popular charts. 

It didn't happen, and Fortran 5 remain an under appreciated gemstone compared to the diamond brightness of Orbital or The Prodigy. Crazy Earth was Fortran 5's debut single, one of many songs inspired by Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, specifically The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. The sample here is from The Gnome. Isn't it good?

The Men was an experiment by The Human League Mk. I, aka Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, to see if they could have a hit single. The disco-inspired 7" single I Don't Depend On You featured Phil backed by Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike, wasn't heavily promoted and failed to dent the charts, but remains an ear-pleasing curio. 

In 2011, gkugno from Italy addressed the three-decade lack of a 12" version of I Don't Depend On You by creating an edit from the A-side and instrumental B-side aka Cruel, then posting it on YouTube. I think he did a pretty good job.

The mysterious mind behind MATDMixes has a similar M.O. What is less of a mystery is who their favourite artist is, as the YouTube page is dedicated to re-edits and remixes of music by Marina Diamandis aka Marina & The Diamonds aka Marina. 

I've featured their 2020 extended mix of Living Dead in a Marina-themed Dubhed selection, but it stands just as well in this mixed crowd. I'd recommend checking out the many, many MATDMixes available online.

Circuit, Lap 2 is the sole EP in my collection by Paris-based David Rubato, though he only seems to have released a handful of singles in the late Noughties and these days practices as a music teacher.

Circuit, Lap 2 is a companion piece to 2008 single Circuit, this one containing remixes by DJ Mehdi, Steve Moore, Siriusimo and - featured here - Aeroplane.

Personal Jesus has become one of Depeche Mode's best known songs. Even back in 1989, it marked a change of direction for the Basildon boys, and a precursor to their global smash album Violator.

François Kevorkian was their go-to for remixes at this point in time and as Depeche Mode singles came in two 12" vinyl varieties by default, there were multiple FK versions of this song, including the Holier Than Thou Approach and Telephone Stomp Mix. I've gone for the Pump Mix on the limited edition remix 12", the longest of the three and stretching out that pulsing electronic groove and dropping in a TV evangelist sample here and there. Great stuff.

Betty Boo may be an unexpected choice to close this selection. However - and with apologies to the fabulous Alison Clarkson - this remix by David Morales doesn't feature her voice at all....

Catch Me was a single from second album Grrr! It's Betty Boo in 1992, which couldn't match the chart success of her debut, but was a decent attempt to expand her songwriting and performance. Happily, albums #3 and #4 arrived thirty years later and the world is a brighter place for having Betty Boo back in it.

I will endeavour to keep the happiness going tomorrow....

1) Crazy Earth (Full Greenhouse Effect Mix By Edson Arantes Di Nascimento): Fortran 5 (1990)

2) I Don't Depend On You (Extended Re-Edited Version By gkugno): The Men (2011)

3) Living Dead (Extended Mix By MATDMixes): Marina & The Diamonds (2020)

4) Circuit (Aeroplane Remix By Stephen Fasano & Vito De Luca): David Rubato (2008)

5) Personal Jesus (Pump Mix By François Kevorkian): Depeche Mode (1989)

6) Catch Me (Def Version By David Morales): Betty Boo (1992)

1989: Personal Jesus EP: 5

1990: Crazy Earth EP: 1

1992: Catch Me EP: 6

2008: Circuit, Lap Two EP: 4

2011: I Don't Depend On You EP: 2

2020: Living Dead EP: 3

Four Hundred And Seventy Times Six (46:39) (GD) (M)

Loosen Up And Jump Right In

I loved Friendly Fires' debut album in 2008, kind of missed their follow up Pala in 2011 and was completely oblivious to their third album Inflorescent in 2019. To be honest, in 2026 I thought that Friendly Fires were no longer a going concern.

So, the arrival on Wednesday of new single Lose All Your Friends was as unexpected as it was welcome. 

Co-founder Jack Savidge has departed, leaving Ed Macfarlane and Edd Gibson to continue, but this is a promising return. Rather than recreating their original sound from 2008, they've arguably gone back another twenty years, with a sound that's reminiscent of the sunset / Balearic / comedown sounds of 1988.

If you like the 3:48 video version, you buy the full 5 minute single version from Bandcamp for the bargain price of 80p, or go for the usual streaming/download suspects.

I'm also going to track down Pala and Inflorescent, and reacquaint myself with their self-titled debut. The latter got off to a rousing start with this single, which I misheard as "Jump In The Poo" and have been stuck with ever since...

Should Have Been Higher

No, Elmo, today’s post is brought to you by the letter S and the number 3! Hello, Spacemen 3!

In July, the wonderful No Badger Required blog ran a series counting down Rock's Greatest Number, that is, bands or artists with a number in their name.

I had the privilege of making nominations and casting votes as a member of the Musical Jury. That said, the role doesn't presume any expertise, knowledge or skill or that I have the faintest idea what I'm talking about. Even a casual visitor to this blog will pick up that I've spent a lifetime being out of step with musical trends and popular opinion.

Rock's Greatest Number may be considered a prime example of this, as I placed Spacemen 3 at number 15 in my Top 20 of the shortlisted candidates, which contributed to their final placement at #6 in the official countdown.

"Sixth?  Sixth?  What were the musical jury thinking" NBR mastermind SWC wondered at the time. "Spacemen 3 should be, oooh, five places higher, at least.  They are clearly rocks greatest band to have a number in their names.  Whose stupid idea was it to involve the thoughts of other people anyway….?"

It's reasonable to say that SWC's love of Spacemen 3 is well documented.  

My relationship with the music of Spacemen 3 has been different and, well, complicated.

To be honest, I got annoyed with Spacemen 3 before I even heard a single note, thanks to hipster music journos in the late 1980s and early 1990s who banged on that you needed to be on drugs to really ‘get’ their music. 

Although to be fair, Spacemen 3’s album titles - The Perfect Prescription (1987) and especially Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To  (1990) - didn’t exactly help provide an opposing view. 

I didn’t like being told what music I should listen to and what drugs I should take to listen to it. So, I did my usual teen thing of going the opposite way.

Therefore, I skirted Spacemen 3 during their lifetime and I only found my way back to them in the mid-1990s after first falling in love with Spiritualized, the band that Jason Pierce formed immediately following. 

Ironic really as, if anything, Spiritualized took the drug references to their logical and ludicrous conclusion, but I appeared to have no problem with that whatsoever. 

It also took a few more years before I explored and appreciated Pete Kember's aural excursions as Sonic Boom. Which just goes to show what a hypocrite I am.

Anyway, taking to long way round to Jason and Pete's band of course revealed that Spacemen 3 made beautiful music all along. I've shared some examples below.

Today's post is also dedicated with thanks - and apologies - to SWC. Spacemen 3 should have been higher. 

{Sonic) Boom, boom.

 

 

 

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