Faith In Possession Is Just This Week's New Obsession

Catherine Anne Davies has released two brilliant albums in as many years. Her collaboration with Bernard Butler, In Memory Of My Feelings, was one of my highlights of 2020 and her latest album as The Anchoress, The Art Of Losing, is already doing the same in 2021.

A number of singles/videos have been released from the album, but it's a fantastic listen from start to finish. The Exchange features a duet with James Dean Bradfield and The Anchoress will be supporting Manic Street Preachers on their UK tour later this year. I'm going to see them at Bath Forum in October - at this point in time, promising to be only my second gig this year - and to say I'm looking forward to it would be a massive understatement.

The Anchoress / Catherine Anne Davies on Bandcamp
 
The Exchange: The Anchoress ft. James Dean Bradfield (2021) (3:24)

Keep Your Loving Warmer

In contrast to last week's summer washout mix, the beautiful blue sky weekend has inspired this week's 90 minute mix of blissed beats and summer sounds.

 

1) Asteroid ('Pearl & Dean Present' Theme): Pete Moore (1968)

2) Shout To The Top (Hifi Sean Mix): Fire Island ft. Loleatta Holloway (2021)

3) Lagrimas De San Lorenzo (Massivan Upcycled Remix): Chris Coco & George Solar (2021)

4) Forgive & Forget (Isabella 'Machine' Summers Remix): The Kooks (2015)

5) Indica (Pye Corner Audio Remix – GLOK Re-Edit): Andy Bell (2021)

6) Cosmorama: Beautify Junkyards (2020)

7) ¿Que Tal America? (Mericana Mix): A Man Called Adam (1996)

8) Intergalactic You, Intergalatic Me: Troubleman (2005)

9) Electric Blues (Full Length): The Soup Dragons (1991)

10) Feel: Dan Wainwright (2021)

11) Murphy's Law (Extended Mix): Róisín Murphy (2020)

12) This Rhythm (Fred Falke Remix - Radio Edit): Filthy Dukes ft. Samuel Dust (2009)

13) Inner Flight (FakeID In Outer Space Mix): Primal Scream (2005)

14) Alive: Hanni El Khatib (2020)

15) Touch Me With Your Love (Instrumental Version By Two Lone Swordsmen aka Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood): Beth Orton (1997)

16) Do Do Do: Mike Polizze (2020)

 

Keep Your Loving Warmer (1:30:19)
 

A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel

Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel aired on Channel 4 last night. Intended as a celebration of the hugely popular sitcom's anniversary, it sadly also became a tribute to actor Paul Ritter, who died on 5th April. Friday Night Dinner ran for six series and 36 episodes plus 1 special, a brilliantly observed comedy with lots of puerile pranks, bizarre behaviour, catchphrases galore (including the inspiration for today's title), laugh out loud moments balanced with moments of pathos and poignancy.

 

It was an emotional 90 minutes, with some classic clips and outtakes, and insights from Robert Popper, who created the show and wrote every single episode, and the cast. Paul Ritter was clearly very ill at this point the interviews were filmed, and it was heartbreaking to see him so unwell but his love and passion for the show shone through. What an incredible and selfless man. The final episode aired in the UK on 1st May 2020, in the early weeks of the first national lockdown and was a welcome salve. The series' availability on streaming services will hopefully ensure that it's popularity and Paul Ritter's comedic brilliance will endure.

Inspired by last night's show, here's a 90 minute sequence of animal related songs, kicking off with the Friday Night Dinner theme and over 21 songs taking you through various musical genres and eventually full circle with a dub-flavoured re-rub of the opening song. As Paul Ritter's character Martin Goodman would frequently exclaim, "Shit on it!"

 

1) Animal (Punks Jump Up Remix): Miike Snow (2009)

2) Animal Magic (Dance Vocal) (Remix By Justin Strauss & Murray Elias): Belouis Some (1987)

3) New Town Animal In A Furnished Cage: XTC (1978)

4) Animals: Talking Heads (1979)

5) How Animals Move: John Parish (2002)

6) We Love Animals (The Love Supreme Remix): Crookers ft. Soulwax & Mixhell (2010)

7) Like An Animal (Album Version): The Glove (1983)

8) March Of The Balloon Animals: Dengue Fever (2009)

9) Animal (New Mix): R.E.M. (2004)

10) Animal Magic (Album Version): The Blow Monkeys (1986)

11) Strangle Your Animal: Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (1988)

12) Animal Nitrate: Suede (1993)

13) Animals & Men (Album Version): Adam & The Ants (1979)

14) Animal Static (Remix): Grinderman (2007)

15) Party Animal: Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole (2000)

16) Crazy Farm Animal (Single Version): Julian Cope (1989)

17) Do Animals Believe In God?: Pink Military (1980)

18) Strange Animal: Sparks (2008)

19) Animal In The Mirror: Luxuria (1988)

20) Animal Magic: Adrian Sherwood ft. Lee 'Scratch' Perry (2006)

21) Animal (Mark Ronson Extended Dub Remix): Miike Snow (2009)

Animals (1:30:45)

 

Fever (Still) Needs A Cure

Side 1 of a 1996 mixtape, rescued from the loft. 

 

1) The Storm (12" Edit By Cliff Bridgen & Hugo Nicholson): World Of Twist (1990)

2) Infected (12" Mix): The The (1986)

3) They're Here (Cenobite Mix): EMF (1992)

4) Oolaa (Meat Beat Manifesto Mutation): Orbital (1992)

5) Lightning Man (The Industry vs The Ebb Mix By Daniel Miller): NItzer Ebb (1990)

6) Hollywood Boulevard (Club Mix By Sam Sever): BIg Audio Dynamite (1986)

7) Make It Mine (V2.2 Evil Ed) (Remix By "Evil" Eddie Richards): The Shamen ft. Rhyme & Reason (1990)

8) Don't Lose Your Dreams (The Cabaret Voltaire Freak Mix): Pete Wylie & Wah! The Mongrel... (1991)

 

Side One (46:00)  

Find Side Two here

Wise Up, Show 'Em What You've Got

A very roundabout trip to get to this post today. The Vinyl Villain's post on The Chesterfields yesterday featured Ask Johnny Dee, which was one of my favourite songs on the Indie Top 20 CD88 compilation, another being There Is No Love Between Us Anymore (12" Version) by Pop Will Eat Itself, which then linked on You Tube to Wise Up! Sucker. Frontman Clint Mansell has gone on to become an award-winning film composer. Not quite six degrees of separation, but you get my drift.

Wise Up! Sucker: Pop Will Eat Itself (1989) (3:20)

If Is The Middle Word Within The Word Life

In the 1990s, the Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 was exactly that. Launched by Pete Tong in 1993, it's still going to this day and whilst I'm not going to pretend that I've stuck with it, over a thousand shows have literally provided a Who's Who of mixing majesty.

 

Smith & Mighty delivered one of the greatest Essential Mixes ever way back on 24 November 1996. This in a year that featured other excellent sets from Armand Van Helden, Goldie, Slam, Richard Fearless, Carl Cox and Andrew Weatherall. 

 

What is so great about Smith & Mighty's 1996 mix is that it showcases much of their own music and productions, including Massive Attack's first single, Any Love, a Top 10 hit with Fresh 4's Wishing On A Star, aliases More Rockers, Jaz Klash and Blue & Red, as well as new material such as Seeds, which inspired today's post title, but didn't see an official release until 1999. Forty - count 'em, 40 - tracks down the line and you'll barely notice that two hours have passed.

 

This set seems to be pretty widely available on Soundcloud and Mixcloud, but possibly from the same source as most postings seem to have a few minutes missing at either end. The link below is 192kbps but the full two hour Essential Mix.

 

1) Any Love: Massive Attack (Massive Attack)
2) Walk On: Smith & Mighty (Three Stripe)

3) Mix Me Down Maestro: Smith & Mighty ft. MC Kelz (Three Stripe)
4) The Time To Rhyme: The General (FFRR)
5) Wishing On A Star: Fresh 4 (Ten)

6) Anyone: Smith & Mighty (Three Stripe)
7) Irrational: Receiver (Swarf Finger)
8) The Look Of Love: The Wild Bunch (4th & Broadway)

9) Seeds: Smith & Mighty ft. MC Kelz & Tammy PAyne (White Label)
10) A & R Man: Wilks (White Label)
11) Love To The Power Of Each: Dub Ghecko (Dub Head)

12) Killa: Smith & Mighty (FFRR)
13) Blessed: Blue & Red ft. Freddie (Acetate Pressing)
14) Unity: Blue & Red (Acetate Pressing)
15) Don Anything: Blue & Red ft. K.Oil (Acetate Pressing)
16) Baltimore Remix 2: Tamlins (Acetate Pressing)
17) Baltimore Remix 3: Tamlins (Acetate Pressing)

18) Heavens In: Smith & Mighty (Acetate Pressing)
19) Ghuraliya: Bally Sagoo (Columbia)
20) Rainbows: Virginity (More Rockers)
21) New World: Flynn & Flora (White Label)
22) Off The Edge: Jaz Klash (White Label)
23) BQE: Jaz Klash (White Label)

24) Same: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)

25) Higher: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)

26) Another Day: More Rockers (More Rockers)
27) Sound Boy: More Rockers (More Rockers)
28) Show Love: More Rockers (Acetate)
29) 162: More Rockers (Acetate)

30) Nightfall: More Rockers (More Rockers)
31) First Time: More Rockers (More Rockers)
32) Frush: More Rockers (Acetate)
33) Das Ya One: More Rockers (More Rockers)
34) 1 2 3 Break: More Rockers (More Rockers)
35) Talk Is Toy: Silent Poets (Acetate)
36) Than The Haze: Jaz Klash (Acetate)
37) Bibo: More Rockers (Acetate)
38) Cure: More Rockers (Acetate)
39) Down In Rwanda: Smith & Mighty (More Rockers)
40) Bass Speaker: Flynn & Flora (White Label)

Essential Mix, 24 November 1996: Smith & Mighty (2:00:06)

 

Buy Smith & Mighty albums on Bandcamp:

The Ashley Road Sessions 1988-1994

The Three Stripe Collection 1985-1990 

Connected Sequences 1985-1992

Smith & Mighty albums released on !K7 

RSD (Rob Smith) on Bandcamp  

There's a great interview with Smith & Mighty from 2018 on the Vinyl Factory website.

Born To Entertain

You'll start to notice a few recurring artists on this blog, Julian Cope being one of them. I did An Imaginary Compilation for the Arch Drude over at The Vinyl Villain back in October 2020, where I made plain my unconditional love for Julian Cope's music, taking in The Teardrop Explodes, Brain Donor, Queen Elizabeth, Black Sheep and many, many, many solo albums. Julian Cope has also been the artist that I've seen most live in concert and holds the distinction of being the last gig I went to (fact fans: Sat 08 Feb 2020 at the Barbican in London) before the country went into lockdown. 

 

The ICA that I did for The Vinyl Villain was a slight divergence from the norm, in that I focused exclusively on Julian Cope's live performances. You can read the track-by-track commentary in the TVV posting, but as the audio links are now dead I'm re-presenting the "album" here for your listening pleasure.

 

1) Soul Desert (Live @ The Fleece Bristol, 09 Feb 2020) (bootleg recording)

2) Bill Drummond Said (Live In Japan, 1991) (Live Japan ’91, 2004) 

3) Don’t Take Roots (Live @ Barrowlands, Glasgow, 30 Sep 1995) (Barrowlands, 2019) 

4) Autogeddon Blues (Live @ Moseley Folk Festival, Birmingham, 01 Sep 2012) (bootleg recording)

5) Sunspots (Live @ The Ritz, New York, 28 Jan 1987) (bootleg recording)

6) Reynard The Fox (Live @ Barrowlands, Glasgow, 30 Sep 1995) (Barrowlands, 2019)

7) You Will Be Mist (Live @ BBC 6 Music Festival, Liverpool, 31 Mar 2019) (bootleg recording)

8) Robert Mitchum (Live @ The Globe Cardiff, 2011) (bootleg recording)

9) I’m Living In The Room They Found Saddam In (Live @ The Royal Festival Hall, London, 21 Jan 2005) (Concert Climax: Live In The Hearing Of The Motherfucker, 2005)

10) Out Of My Mind On Dope And Speed (Live @ The Fleece Bristol, 09 Feb 2020) (bootleg recording)

 

Born To Entertain: Live 1987-2020 (49:35)
 

The Photograph That I Held In My Mind

Dot Allison is back with a new album, Heart-Shaped Scars, in July. The opening track, Long Exposure, was released earlier this month and it's like she's never been away. Progressing the folk-inflected sounds of her previous albums, the song is enhanced by a lush orchestral backdrop painted by Hannah Peel.

I've followed Dot's musical journey with interest since I first heard One Dove in the early 1990s, so it's an understatement to say that I am really happy that she is back with new music. 

 

Long Exposure: Dot Allison (2021) (5:50)

Torch: Dot Allison ft. Geoff Smith (2012) (4:09)

I Wanna Break Your Heart: Dot Allison ft. Peter Doherty (2009) (4:08)

The Latitude And Longitude Of Mystery: Dot Allison (2007) (6:05)

Strung Out: Dot Allison (2002) (4:00)

Dirge (Live, Later...With Jools Holland): Death In Vegas ft. Dot Allison (2000) (3:49)

Tomorrow Never Comes: Dot Allison (1999) (4:31) 

White Love: One Dove (1993) (4:18)

Buy Heart-Shaped Scars

Khayem's Pan-Ambient Summer Washout Mix

40-odd minutes of odd and off-kilter ambience.

 

1) Play The Game (Alternative Acapella Version): Queen (1980)

2) The Forever Yes (Album Mix By Jesse Fahnestock): 10:40 (2021)

3) “This Tape Is Supposed To Be About Love”: Edie Sedgwick ('Girl On Fire' Soundtrack) (2010)

4) 05:10 AM / Dream I Never Had: Everything Is Recorded ft. A.K. Paul (2020)

5) The Dianaver: Queen Elizabeth (Julian Cope & Thighpaulsandra) (1997)

6) Starry Eyes: Julian Cope (1992)

7) Water (Extended Instrumental Mix): Richard Norris (2021)

8) Hidden Place (Acapella): Björk (2001)

9) Harvard Sun (Main Vocal Parts): Bon Iver (2012)

10) Bells Of Fury (Part III): Spooky (2020)

11) 100 Bars (Accapella): Spiritualized (1991)

12) Exit Through The Skylight (Jay Glass Dubs Reboot): GLOK (2020)

13) Inner Flight (Album Version By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicholson): Primal Scream (1991)

14) Heartbreak Hotel (Film Version): Spinal Tap (1984)

 

Khayem's Pan-Ambient Summer Washout Mix (41:37)

Songs For The Young At Heart

I discovered a second hand copy of Songs For The Young At Heart almost by accident, but it's become a much-loved album since. Recorded & compiled by Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter from Tindersticks, Songs For The Young At Heart is a children's music album, featuring classic children's songs, nursery rhymes & stories set to music, with vocals from a number of guest artists including Cerys Matthews, Jarvis Cocker, Martin Wallace, Red aka Olivier Lambin, Robert Forster, Stuart Murdoch, Suzanne Osborne & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy aka Will Oldham.

 

According to Wikipedia, David Boulter said that the inspiration for the album came following the birth of his son.

 

"I began thinking of songs and nursery rhymes from my own childhood to play to him", Boulter stated. "I realised there was a lot of interesting and almost forgotten music, from the school room, the radio, and the television, that maybe was the reason I'd begun to make my own music in the first place."

 

I have one of the initial copies of the CD, in hardback book format, containing stories, poems & artwork by Sexton Ming, founding member of The Medway Poets and the Stuckism art movement, as well as sometime member of Armitage Shanks, Television Personalities and Thee Headcoats.

 

Theme For The Young At Heart: Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter (You Tube) (2006) (2:36)

 

Schismatic

With absolutely no apologies, more Andrew Weatherall, this time with compadre Keith Tenniswood as Two Lone Swordsmen. This is side 1 of a 2001 mixtape, drawing exclusively on the 1998-2001 period, covering the album Tiny Reminders, remix companion Further Reminders, and two mini-albums/EPs, A Bag Of Blue Sparks and A Virus With Shoes. 'Nuff said.

 

Schismatic (Split One) (49:55)

1) Constant Reminder (2000)

2) Rotting Hill Carnival (Two Lone Swordsmen Remix) (2001)

3) Celcus Speaks The Truth (1999)

4) Confessions Of A Justified Sinner (1999)

5) Sticky (1998)

6) Brootle (Klart Remix By Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood) (2001)

7) Neuflex (Dry & Heavy Remix By Shigemoto Nanao & Takeshi Akimoto) (2001)

8) Foreververb (2000)

9) Black Commandments 2 (1998)

10) Last Of The Fumes (1998)

11) It's Not The Worst I've Looked ... Just The Most I've Ever Cared (Lali Puna Remix) (2001)

 

Schismatic (Split One) (49:55)
 

Wanna Hear Me Testify As A Witness Through The Business Of My Life

Released as a bonus CD with initial quantities of 2002's Mind Elevation by Nightmares On Wax, NoW (Tha Journey) is exactly that, a winding path through the back catalogue, past and present intersecting seamlessly. 23 tracks in under 40 minutes.

 

This one's for Dave Scantlebury, who lent me his copy the week it came out (I got my copy very soon after) and shared so much good music with me over the years. Dave passed on in 2009, but is never far from my thoughts when I'm listening to music.

 

NoW (Tha Journey) (Mixed By George Evelyn aka E.A.S.E.) (39:27)

1) Nights Introlude

2) Back Into Time

3) Use Ya Dub

4) Survival

5) Rise

6) Finer

7) Capumcap

8) Humble

9) Environment

10) Burn Me Slo (ft. O.C.)

11) Ethnic Majority

12) Know My Name

13) Easejimi

14) Date With Destiny

15) Days Like These

16) Keep On Rockin

17) (Man) Tha Journey

18) E.A.S.E.

19) BBH (Bongo-Brk-Haven)

20) Play On (ft. Corrina Joseph)

21) Playtime / Omara / Groove St.

22) Praying For A Jeepbeat

23) Bless My Soul  

 

NoW (Tha Journey) (39:27)

A Mix In Two Halves

Andrew Weatherall is much missed but never forgotten and a constant in my playlists. This is not intended as a 'best of', simply 10 songs that currently happen to be on my iPod playlist, either created, produced or remixed by Lord Sabre, compiled to make an album of sorts.

 

This one's for Swiss Adam, over at Bagging Area - happy birthday!

 

Side One (21:03)

1) Theme (Album Version): The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)

2) Running On Empty (Andrew Weatherall Vox Mix): Honkeyfinger (2009)

3) Open Up (I Hate Pink Floyd Mix By The Sabres Of Paradise): Leftfield / Lydon (1993)

4) Tiny Reminder No. 3 (Album Version): Two Lone Swordsmen (2000)

5) Swords (Two Lone Swordsmen Remix) (Full Length): Leftfield ft. Nicole Willis (2000) 

Side Two (22:10) 

1) Bubble And Slide (Album Version): The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)

2) Sex Beat (Remix): Two Lone Swordsmen (2004)

3) Anywhere (Two Lone Swordsmen Remix Vocal): Beth Orton (2002) 

4) Gods And Monsters (Two Lone Swordsmen Vocal Remix): I Am Kloot (2005)

5) Come Together (Remix By Andrew Weatherall) (7" Version): Primal Scream (1990)

 

Side One (21:03)

Side Two (22:10)
 

Where Have You Been? You're My Violin

Martina Topley-Bird is back, with a new album Forever I Wait released in September and co-produced with Robert Del Naja aka 3D from Massive Attack. Lots of media interest, including NME, reporting that this is Martina's first album in over a decade. That particular album, Some Place Simple, mainly featured reworkings of songs from her first two albums, so it's actually her first album of new material since 2007's The Blue God.

Like most, I first heard Martina on Tricky's groundbreaking single Aftermath but I am also a huge fan of her solo material. Her first album Quixotic was a patchwork of styles and producers, the sound of an artist finding their identity. The Blue God, produced by Danger Mouse, is a cohesive and outstanding album that I keep coming back to. Some Place Simple, released on Damon Albarn's Honest Jon's Records in 2010, stripped back the songs to great effect.

The lead single from Forever I Wait is Pure Heart, with a rumbling, sinister bassline and guitar chords typical of latter day Massive Attack, but of course it's Martina's voice that carries the song. 

2021 is shaping up to be an great year, with excellent albums from Jane Weaver, The Anchoress (Catherine Anne Davies) and more to come from Dot Allison, Kelsey Lu (hopefully) and Martina Topley-Bird. 

Pure Heart: Martina Topley-Bird (You Tube) (4:12)

 

Mass(ey) Production

Mondays (Part 1): 808 State (1997) (You Tube) (4:56)

 

The full length version of this song originally appeared on the excellent 1997 compilation, Foundations: Coming Up From The Streets, in support of The Big Issue Foundation.

I Thought The Bells Would Be Ringing When I Walked Home

I cannot get enough of Jane Weaver's latest album, Flock.  Heartlow was the second single, released in March, with an excellent video by Douglas Hart and available in monochrome and technicolour versions.

Heartlow: Jane Weaver (Official Video) (Monochrome) (3:38)
Heartlow: Jane Weaver (Official Video) (Technicolour) (3:38)

I Dub From Another Planet, Baby

It's Saturday, it's raining, here are some dub drenched sounds to brighten your day.

 

1) Bag A Wire Dub: The Aggrovators + King Tubby & Friends (1976)

2) Fever Dub: Horace Andy (1977)

3) Epic One Drop (Album Version By Adrian Sherwood): Playgroup (1982)

4) Share It Out Dub: Bob Andy & Mad Professor (1989)

5) Good Times Dub: The Roots Radics ft. Gladstone Anderson (1982)

6) Some A Dub: The Congos (1976)

7) Substyle: Dub Syndicate (1983)

8) Dub To My Woman: Sly & Robbie (1997)

9) We Need Love (Wrongtom Inna West London Style): Hard-Fi (2007)

10) Weeping Willow: Black Uhuru / Prince Jammy With Sly & Robbie (1982)

11) Di Black Petty Booshwah (Dub) (Version By Dennis Bovell): Linton Kwesi Johnson (1980)

12) Cool This Dub: Tapper Zukie (1977)

13) Guiding Dub: Impact All Stars (1973)

14) Dub I Just A Man (Version By Dennis Bovell): Steve Mason (2011)

15) There's Dub: Glen Brown & King Tubby (1979)

16) Slow Country (Strictly Rubbadub): Spacemonkeyz Versus Gorillaz (2002)

 

I Dub From Another Planet, Baby (58:13)
Listen to I Dub From Another Planet, Baby on Mixcloud