Thirty Years Ago In The Land Of Oz...

Three decades ago, I was part way through my year living, working and traveling in Australia. On 28th February 1991, I was sharing an apartment in Perth with a Japanese guy called Ken. I'd finished my job as a kitchen hand at the Swan Brewery and I was a few weeks away from setting out on my travels around the country. This particular day (a Thursday) seemed relatively insignificant, other than I received a mail from my family, including a 'talking letter' from my brother, a mix of chat, music and samples of his university audio projects on a C90 cassette. I've still got the tape, boxed up somewhere in the attic. I noted in my diary that "it was good to hear his voice again, despite his tacky American accent for most of the tape" (we're both from South West England) and one of the featured songs was I Wish I Was A Girl by Wasted Youth, from 1981:

 

I also made a habit of recording in my diary the UK & Australia Top 10 at the end of each month. When I left England in 1990, the singles charts were in a pretty sorry state. Things hadn't greatly improved by early 1991, though there were some glimmers of hope:

 

UK Top 10, February 1991

1) Do The Bartman: The Simpsons

2) (I Wanna Give You) Devotion: Nomad

3) Get Here: Oleta Adams

4) You Got The Love: Source ft. Candi Staton

5) 3am Eternal (Live At The SSL): The KLF

6) G.L.A.D.: Kim Appleby

7) All Right Now: Free

8) In Yer Face: 808 State

9) Crazy For You: Madonna

10) Only You: Praise

 

Australia Top 10, February 1991

1) I've Been Thinking About You: Londonbeat

2) I Touch Myself: Divinyls

3) Do The Bartman: The Simpsons

4) Fantasy: Black Box

5) Gonna Make You Sweat: C+C Music Factory

6) Wiggle It: 2 In A Room

7) Tingles EP: Ratcat

8) Ice Ice Baby: Vanilla Ice

9) I'm Free: The Soup Dragons

10) I'll Be Your Baby Tonight: Robert Palmer & UB40

 

Ratcat were an Australian band who I'd seen supporting Ramones at the Silver Jubilee Pavilion in Perth a few weeks before. The immediate influences were clear and unapologetic, but Ratcat were a brilliantly fun band live. That Ain't Bad was the lead/breakthrough single from the Tingles EP and a staple of MTV playlists at the time.

The Originator

Ewart Beckford aka U-Roy, 21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021

Touched By The Hand Of Andrew Weatherall

06 April 1963 - 17 February 2020

Fail We May, Mix We Must (A Tribute To Andrew Weatherall, 17 February 2021)

1) Floatation (Subsonic Grid Mix By Dave Ball, Richard Norris & Andrew Weatherall): The Grid (1990)

2) Slutloop (intro): Two Lone Swordsmen (1998)

3) Direct Action (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Radical Majik (2009)

4) The World According To Sly & Lovechild (Soul Of Europe Mix) (intro): Sly & Lovechild (1990)

5) Death Of A Rude Boy (Remix By Andrew Weatherall): Madness (2012)

6) Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass II) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall): The Orb ft. Jeffrey Nelson & Jah Wobble (1991)

7) Abandon (Boy's Own Mix) (intro): That Petrol Emotion (1990)

8) Bubble And Slide (Nightmares On Wax Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1995)

9) Darlin' (Andrew Weatherall Remix): XX Teens (2007)

10) Don't Fight It, Feel It (Scat Mix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Primal Scream ft. Denise Johnson (1991)

11) Fail We May, Sail We Must: Andrew Weatherall (2009)

12) "H" Friend (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Black Devil Disco Club (2016)

13) One Day (Endorphin Mix By The Sabres Of Paradise): Björk (1994)

14) The Moton 5: Andrew Weatherall (2020)

15) One Minute's Silence (Wooden Shjips Remix) (intro): The Asphodells (2013)

16) Rico's Helly (Retailored By Nourizadeh & Teasdale): Two Lone Swordsmen (1996)

17) St Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H Wilson (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Mike Garry & Joe Duddell (2015)

18) Come Together (Remix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Primal Scream (1990)

 

Imperfect Mix (A Tribute To Andrew Weatherall, 19 February 2020) 

 

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

2) Spine Bubbles (Ellis Island Sound Remix): Two Lone Swordsmen (1999)

3) Centre Of The World (The Potless Mix By Andrew Weatherall): The Moody Boys (1992)

4) Only Love Can Break Your Heart (A Mix Of Two Halves By Andrew Weatherall): Saint Etienne ft. Moira Lambert (1990)

5) Higher Than The Sun (A Dub Symphony In Two Parts) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Primal Scream ft. Jah Wobble) (1991)

6) Imperfect List (Rimming Elvis The Andrew Weatherall Way #2): Big Hard Excellent Fish (1990)

7) Cliche (Andrew Weatherall Remix) The Shoes ft. cocknbullkid (2011)

8) Crying Blood (Andrew Weatherall Remix): VV Brown (2008)

9) Peeled Apples (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Manic Street Preachers (2009)

10) Soon (The Andrew Weatherall Remix): My Bloody Valentine (1990)

11) Nothing Is Perfect (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Field Of Dreams (2018)

12) Shack 54 (Album Version): Two Lone Swordsmen (2007)

13) Uptown (Long After The Disco Is Over Mix By Andrew Weatherall): Primal Scream (2008)

14) Wilmot (Full Length Version): The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)

 

Fail We May, Mix We Must (1:07:18)

Imperfect Mix (53:47)

What I Used To Be Will Pass Away

My friend John posted a mixtape to me in 1999/2000 and introduced me to Elliott Smith via XO and Either/Or. This is a random selection of songs, including a couple of personal favourites.  

 

Side One (16:12)

1) Waltz #2 (XO) (XO, 1998)

2) Miss Misery (Early Version) (New Moon, 1997)

3) Ballad Of Big Nothing (Either/Or, 1998)

4) Pretty Mary K (Other Version) (New Moon, 1996)

5) Memory Lane (From A Basement On The Hill, 2004)

Side Two (17:27)

6) Baby Britain (XO, 1998)

7) Pictures Of Me (Either/Or, 1998)

8) Amity (XO, 1998)

9) A Fond Farewell (From A Basement On The Hill, 2004)

10) Happiness (Figure 8, 2000)

Side One (16:12)

Side Two (17:27)