In The Middle Of This Contagious World

If I were a stickler for observing anniversaries, I'll have just missed the boat with this mix, as it was originally transmitted on NTS Radio on 22 June 2019. This is legendary producer Adrian Sherwood giving the Warp Records label an ON-U Sound rinse. 30 years of brilliance in 40 minutes. 

The title of today's post is a line from track 2, Licking An Orchid by Yves Tumor, originally released in 2018, the words seem especially appropriate in the present time. 

1) Wilmot: The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)
2) Licking An Orchid: Yves Tumor ft. James K (2018)
3) Flip Ya Lid: Nightmares On Wax (2006)
4) Nikels And Dimes: GonjaSufi (2012)
5) Auntie's Harp: Flying Lotus (2008)
6) Leyendecker: Battles (2007)
7) Dutty Bounce: Harmonic 313 (2012)
8) Alberto Balsalm: Aphex Twin (1995)
9) We'll Take It: Oneohtrix Point Never ft. Anohni & James Blake (2012)
10) Blood And Form: Mount Kimbie (2013)
11) Now Is The Time: Nightmares On Wax (2013)
12) Lion: Harmonic 313 (2012)
13) Simon From Sydney: LFO (1991)
14) Clonk's Coming: Sweet Exorcist (1991)
15) Pen Expers: Autechre (2001)

Warp vs. On-U Sound Mix: Adrian Sherwood (39:57)

 

Slip Into Something More Comfortable...

June 2015 mix, re-posted on my Mixcloud page in 2020, which includes the Hannes Fischer remix of Summertime Sadness that I mentioned in Sunday's post. Starting with Christopher Guest as Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnell and finishing with John Thaw as The Sweeney's Jack Regan, and slipping in a few of my amateur edits along the way. Simplesmente is a simple splice of two Tom Middleton mixes. I like the Edie Sedgwick/Nightmares On Wax mash-up and I think the Shift K3y/Lana Del Rey segue works well although in retrospect I maybe should have extended the intro of the latter. And, of course, any excuse to shoehorn in a Julian Cope song...

 

1) "This one goes to 11…”: Spinal Tap (1984)
2) Slip Into Something More Comfortable (Original Instrumental Version): Kinobe (2000)
3) Edie Sedgwick Bleu My Mind (Khayem Mash-Up): Nightmares On Wax ft. Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol & Merv Griffin (2015)
4) Irganda (Red Snapper Remix): Songhoy Blues (2015)
5) Once In A Lifetime (Luxxury Edit): Talking Heads (2015)
6) Simplesmente (Tom Middleton Balearic Cosmos Remix) (Khayem Re-Edit): Bebel Gilberto (2015)
7) “Let’s face it Roger, that dress is you”: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder & Christopher Hewett (1967)
8) Get Lucky (Live Medley @ MTV Awards): Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers & Stevie Wonder (2014)
9) Not Into It (Original Mix): Shift K3Y (2014)
10) Summertime Sadness (Hannes Fischer Radio Edit): Lana Del Rey (2013)
11) Au Pays Des Merveilles De Juliet (Psychemagik Tour De Force Remix): Yves Simon (2014)
12) I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (Independence Mix By Norman Cook): A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
13) Rhythm & Blues World Service: Alexis Korner (1967)
14) State Of Independence (Long Version By Quincy Jones): Donna Summer (1982)
15) The Forest (Richard Norris Remix): Black Rivers (2015)
16) Wonderwall (Liam Gallagher & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra IDC Mix): Oasis (2014)
17) Let Me Down Gently (Prins Thomas Diskomiks): La Roux (2014)
18) Burning Disaster (Groove Armada Bedtime Story Mix): Language Lab (1999)
19) Sunspots (Album Version): Julian Cope (1984)
20) “Get your trousers on, you’re nicked”: John Thaw (1975)

 

Slip Into Something More Comfortable... (1:21:11)

 

 

Keep Your Shades On When You Clean Your Teeth

Monday Don't Mean Anything To Me (Filmed & Edited By MissDiagnosed): Alabama 3 (2008)

 

It's raining. Again. 

Down The Rabbit Hole

I had something completely different in mind for today's post, but after listening to John Grant's new album this morning (one for another post), my playlist shuffled to Hannes Fischer's spectacular remix of Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey, which I love. I then found myself down the proverbial rabbit hole, seeking out more of Fischer's remixes, of which there are many and far more than Discogs has been able to keep up with.

 

I know very little about Hannes Fischer, other than he is Berlin-based, has released a handful of singles (including a collaboration with Robosonic back in March) and has a trademark bubbling club sound that also seems to perfectly soundtrack a wet Sunday morning, with headphones and a hot drink.

 

There is no finesse in this sequenced sampler and I'm still getting my ears around the suitcase-full of mixes I've discovered but if you like these, you'll pretty much like everything else he's done.

 

1) Rock The Boat (Hannes Fischer Remix): Aaliyah (2017)

2) 93 Til Infinity (Hannes Fischer Remix): Souls Of Mischief (2015)

3) Curling (Hannes Fischer Remix): Ex-Mono & Jan 10ner (2021)

4) Laïka (Hannes Fischer Remix): Camel Power Club (2015)

5) Get Free (Hannes Fischer Breakfast Mix): Major Lazer ft. Amber (2012)

6) I'll Kill Her (Hannes Fischer Remix): Soko (2012)

7) Perth (Hannes Fischer Remix) (LAB More Kick Edit By LikeABirdy): Bon Iver (2013)

8) Summertime Sadness (Hannes Fischer Nightflight Remix): Lana Del Rey (2013)

9) Swim (Hannes Fischer Remix): Cape Cub (2015)

 

Down The Rabbit Hole (50:29)
 

United State Of Dub

13 tracks, 12" mixes, more dub, less vocal, 'nuff said.

 

1)  Hope (Cameless Rub-A-Dub): Loop Guru ft. Zahrema Di Starace & Natacha Atlas (1993)

2) Touch Me (Two Lone Swordsmen Dub) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood): Sweetie (2002)

3) Open Up Your Head (Trancefield Dub Mix By Leftfield): If? (1991)

4) Buddy X (Masters At Work Dub No. 1): Neneh Cherry (1993)

5) United State Of Love (Soma Dub Remix By Slam): Supereal (1992)

6) Gandhi (Dicky Trisco's Heavenly Dub): Le Corps Mince De Françoise (2010)

7) Dr. Lee PhD (Dub Mix By Mario Caldato Jr.): Beastie Boys ft. Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Money Mark (1998)

8) Silver Surfer (Dub) (Remix By François Kevorkian & Goh Hotoda): Lizzie Tear (1988)

9) One Of Our Submarines (Salz Dubmix): Thomas Dolby (2003)

10) Karmacoma (Bumper Ball Dub) (Remix By Mad Professor): Massive Attack (1994)

11) Adventures In Failure (Dub): MC 900 Ft. Jesus (1991)

12) Stupid Girl (Dreadzone Dub Version): Garbage (1996)

13) Shelter (Slow Phase) (Dub): Spooky ft. Julie Daske (2007)

 

United State Of Dub (1:20:05)

Der Trommelschlag Knackt Im Takt

A random selection for Friday, the only connection being that I haven't listened to any of these songs in far too long. The title is a German translation of 'the drum beat cracks in time', a line from The Anvil by Visage, although in the German version of the song the line becomes 'magisch schlagen die trommel' which translates into English as 'beat the drum magically'. 

 

1) Inner City Life (Rabbit In The Moon's Return To Vocalic City): Goldie ft. Diane Charlemagne (1996) 

2) Shining Bright Star (Zongamin Remix): Black Strobe (2007)

3) Kowalski (Automator Mix): Primal Scream (1997)

4) Runark (Jokers Of The Scene Remix): Congorock (2009)

5) Aqualung (Dub): Spooky (1994)

6) Der Amboss (Vocal) (Remix By Visage & John Luongo): Visage (1982)

7) Little Bit (Loving Hand Remix By Tim Goldsworthy): Lykke Li (2008)

8) Laugh (Vox-Reverse Tele) (Remix By DJ Vadim): Low (1998)

9) Teardrop (Scream Team Remix): Massive Attack ft. Elizabeth Fraser (1998)

10) Fast Forward The Future (Buckets & Bongs Mixture By The Orb) (Album Edit): Zodiac Youth (1991)

Der Trommelschlag Knackt Im Takt (1:03:26)
 

Zoo Time Is She And You Time

Side 1 of a mixtape cassette titled heartbeatincreasingheartbeat, recorded 25th September 1991. 

 

Back in Bristol after a year working and travelling in Australia, back at college for a second go at 'A' levels having dropped out after 6 months a few years previously, back living with my parents after a period of independence and freedom and back in local record shops, sniffing out new and old vinyl.

1) The Man With The Golden Arm (Full Length Version) (Cover of Elmer Bernstein): Barry Adamson (1988)

2) Strange Days: The Doors (1967)

3) Trip, Stumble & Fall: The Mamas & The Papas (1966)

4) De-Luxe: Lush (1990)

5) Theme II: Clan Of Xymox (1986)

6) Spoil The Child: Fad Gadget ft. Joni Sackett (1983)

7) This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us: Sparks (1974)

8) Thank You For Sending Me An Angel: Talking Heads (1978)

9) The Light Pours Out Of Me ('One Pound Ninety-Nine' Version) (Cover of Magazine): Peter Murphy (1985)

10) The Sleeper: John Cale (1985)

11) The Avenue: O.M.D. (1984)

12) The 'In' Crowd (Cover of Dobie Gray): Bryan Ferry (1974)

13) Wheels Of Fortune: Fad Gadget (1982)

Side One (47:19)

Find Side Two here 
 

Everybody Knows It's True

For a brief period in 2002 to 2004, David Holmes had a real live band, The Free Association. Debuting on his 2002 mix CD Come Get It, I Got It, they followed up the same year with the full length original album David Holmes Presents The Free Association followed by a 2004 soundtrack album Music From The Film Code 46. In between, there were a few singles mainly inspired by tracks featured on Come Get It, I Got It. Everybody Knows heavily sampled Johnny Jones & The King Casuals' cover of Purple Haze by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This was followed in September 2003 with a straight up cover of Sugar Man by Sixto Rodriguez, their biggest 'hit' peaking at 53 in the UK singles chart.  

I got to see The Free Association live at the Bristol Academy in November 2002, the opening of a 7-date UK tour. Interviewed by NME the previous month, David Holmes stated that "the whole point of the live show is that it has to be something to really look at. Like Parliament and the performance of OutKast – just this amazing energy on stage". It was a great show, but didn't quite live up to the hype. Singer Sean Reveron took sagging to an irritating new level, which was an unwelcome distraction from his vocal performance. Co-performer Petra Jean Phillipson, who strangely seems to have been edited from Discogs as a key member of the group, was perhaps the most compelling on-stage presence aside from Holmes himself. Yet, great though the music was and good though the band were, there was something missing from the performance. Maybe it was the Academy, which has rarely brought out the best of any acts that I've seen performing there. I'd seen David Holmes DJ at the Blue Mountain a short while before with his little box of 7" singles and the impact of playing Purple Haze there compared with the performance of Everybody Knows at the Academy was strongly in favour of the former. But none of that detracts from how bloody brilliant The Free Association were on record. 

I picked up a promo CD in around the time of the debut album, from the much-missed Replay Records in the piss-stinking underpass known as the Bear Pit in central Bristol, linking the main shopping area of Broadmead with Stokes Croft and the city's bus station. The shop is sadly long gone, but it was a go-to place to buy new and used records from the late 80s to early 00s. This promo CD was labelled (Mix) and "Mixed by Psycho Pab" but otherwise had no other info. Discogs be praised, it turned out to be a 19 minute megamix by Pablo Clements from Psychonauts, with cuts & scratching from DJ Ziggy, largely drawing from the debut Free Association album. It's a work of art and a mix CD that I regularly revisit.

With my usual ham-fisted dexterity, I've collated a 'tribute trawl' through The Free Assocation, mainly drawing from Come Get It, I Got It, the eponymous album and a couple of singles to give you just under an hour of damn fine psychedelic beats and rhymes, alongside Psycho Pab's far more professional mix.

 

1) Everybody Knows (Children Re-Mix) (2003) 

2) Don't Believe A Word (2002)

3) Le Baggage (2002)

4) Start Of Something (2002)

5) House Music (2002)

6) Everybody Knows (Album Version) (2002)

7) (I Wish I Had A) Wooden Heart (Space Hog Dub) (Remix By Roots Manuva) (2002)

8) Salut La Dolce Vita Pt.1 (2002)

9) Effectin' (Single Version) (2002)

10) Paper Underwear (2002)

11) This Could Be Your Sister (2002)

12) (I Wish I Had A) Wooden Heart (Radio Edit) (2002)

13) Pushin' A Broom (2002)

14) Everybody Knows (Edan Instrumental Re-Mix) (2003)

15) Don't Rhyme No Mo (2002)

16) La Dolce Vita (Album Version) (2002)

17) Free Ass O-C-8 (2002)

18) Somedays (2002)

 

Everybody Knows It's True (58:55)

Free Ass (Mix) Mixed By Psycho Pab (19:42)

Start The Backlash Without Us

I bought the 12" single of Galway And Los Angeles by Toasted Heretic on the strength of a review (probably in one of the music rags) that name checked The Go-Betweens. It turned out to be a lyrical reference in the "Dragons Are Extra Version" rather than a musical comparison, but this is another one of those great songs-as-short-stories propelled by an insistent rhythm. It went on to be a Top 10 hit in Éire in 1992.

Here are the lyrics printed on the reverse of the 12" single:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galway And Los Angeles (Official Video, Version 2): Toasted Heretic (1991)

 

Galway And Los Angeles (Dragons Are Extra Version) (12" single) (1991)

 

Galway And Los Angeles (Live On The Late Late Show with Pat Kenny, RTÉ) (2007) 

 

There's an interesting Hot Press interview with former frontman, now author, Julian Gough from 2001.

 

P.S. By coincidence and on a related note, today JC has posted one of my recent contributions to his series, Some Songs Make Great Short Stories, over at The (new) Vinyl Villain. Much as I'm enjoying posting here, there is something very special about having a a guest feature appear on T(n)VV and this morning was no exception.
 

Ain't Hip Hop To Be A Hippie

Happy hip hop Monday, with just over half an hour of beats and rhymes to shake off the weekend.

 

1) Volcano (Four Tet Remix): Anti-Pop Consortium (2009)

2) Hazy Shade Of Criminal: Public Enemy (1992)

3) Ain't Hip To Be Labelled A Hippie (Single Version): De La Soul (1989)

4) Bucky Done Gun (Album Version): M.I.A. (2005)

5) Bad Boy (The Real Heat Remix): Young Fathers (2014)

6) Straight Outta Compton (Album Version): N.W.A. (1988)

7) Metaphysics: One Inch Punch (1996)

8) Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Radio Edit): Beastie Boys ft. Santigold (2011)

9) Pro Nails (SMD Minimal Remix By Simian Mobile Disco) (Edit): Kid Sister (2008)

10) Gravel Pit (Radio Version): Wu-Tang Clan ft. Paulisa Moorman (2000)

 

Ain't Hip Hop To Be A Hippie (35:53)
 

Low Eyed Lady Of The Sadlands

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the hoopla surrounding his 80th birthday on 24th May, I've been listening to Bob Dylan a lot recently. Perhaps more surprisingly, a lot of it for the first time. Case in point: Blonde On Blonde, which I listened to in full last month. I have tonnes of Dylan covers, mostly as freebies with the likes of Mojo and Uncut magazines, and including a 50th anniversary cover version of the entire album. However, this was the first time I had heard Dylan's original version of Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands. It's been written about many, many times by writers far more eloquent and prosaic than I, suffice to say that it's a beautiful, epic story that - at the time - Dylan apparently considered to be the best song he'd ever written.

Uncut magazine's recent Dylan tribute CD included a great version by Weyes Blood and the aforementioned Blonde On Blonde Revisited featured an equally languid version by Jim O'Rourke. I've collected them here with a shorter, live acoustic version by French band Phoenix and finish off with Alabama 3, not a cover but a riff on the title and a great closer.

1) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands: Bob Dylan (1966)

2) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands: Weyes Blood (2021)

3) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Live & Unplugged for NDR Hörfunk, Hamburg): Phoenix (2009)

4) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands: Jim O‘Rourke (2016)

5) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlife (Album Version) (Edit): Alabama 3 (2000)

 

Low Eyed Lady Of The Sadlands (44:45)

 

 

Frankly Scotty, I Find This Whole ****ing Episode Quite Irrational

A late night, too much whisky and crap TV, and a short attention span led to this wee hours mix of 19 'songs' in 145 seconds. Make of it what you will...

1) Apollonia introducing "Sex Shooter": Apollonia (1984)

2) Vault Character: Calvin Harris (2007)

3) Drowler: The The (2017)

4) Alibaba Loop #3: unknown artist (1996)

5) Witch's Honor: Book Of Love (1989)

6) The Traffic: The Grid (1990)

7) "...the suckiest water..." (Live At Sin-é, New York): Jeff Buckley (1993)

8) Ensam I Natt (Reprise): The Leather Nun (1982)

9) "I never take off my hat except when I'm out of doors": Saint Etienne (1993)

10) "fuck you, Moby!" (Live): Moby (2003)

11) Drum Solo: Yo La Tengo (1996)

12) Hello I Love You (Slight Return) (Cover of The Doors): The Cure (1990)

13) Press Conference, Memphis, Tennessee: John Lennon (1966)

14) Celebration: Morgan Fisher (1991)

15) Megameanie: Fight Like Apes (2008)

16) "...she walks into mine..." (Interlude): Lana Del Rey (2012)

17) Writer's Block: Peter, Björn & John (2006)

18) Citizen's Band: Super Furry Animals (1999)

19) Wheres Captain Kirk? (Reprise): Spizzenergi (1979)

 

Quite Irrational (2:45)
 

Norwegian Would

Peace Or Love (full album preview): Kings Of Convenience

 

Twelve years since their last album, and just over 20 years since their first, Kings Of Convenience release their fourth album, Peace Or Love, today (18 June) and it's like they've never been away. Built as usual around the beautiful-with-a-hint-of melancholy melodies and harmonies of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, a couple of songs feature Leslie Feist, my favourite currently being Love Is A Lonely Thing.

 

Kings Of Convenience videos also make great creative use of the seemingly dull concept of two guys strumming acoustic guitars and lead single Rocky Trail is no exception:

 

Rocky Trail: Kings Of Convenience (2021)

Despite the small-but-perfectly-formed Kings Of Convenience catalogue, Erlend Øye is a prolific artist, with solo albums, collaborations (La Comitiva) and more funky four-piece The Whitest Boy Alive.

Here are a few highlights from You Tube, in no particular order and not intended as a 'best of':

Lockdown Blues: Erlend Øye & La Comitiva (2020)

Misread: Kings Of Convenience (2009) 

Sheltered Life (Radio Edit): Erlend Øye (2003)

Toxic Girl (Monte Carlo 1963 Version): Kings Of Convenience (2001)

Golden Cage (Album Version): The Whitest Boy Alive (2006)

La Prima Estate (Cover of Bruno Martino): Erlend Øye (2013)

And here is a fun live performance by The Whitest Boy Alive in a Berlin shop window:  

 

1517 (Live in Berlin): The Whitest Boy Alive (2009)

And to finish on a (natural) high, here's one of my favourite ever Fred Falke remixes. The uplifting beats are underpinned by a sense of loss and regret and the simple but brilliant couplet,

 

So of course I miss you and I miss you bad
But I also felt this way when I was still with you

 

Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix): The Whitest Boy Alive (2006)

 

Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked there. Did I mention that there's a new Kings Of Convenience album out?

Buy Peace Or Love via Kings Of Convenience official website

Extended, For Stephanie Beacham

On record, Act were a going concern for little over a year, from their debut single Snobbery And Decay in May 1987 to their sole album, Laughter, Tears And Rage in June 1988. However, being on ZTT, there were a plethora of remixes, album tracks that were unique to each format and unreleased songs and alternative versions. This has continued with a number of reissues, compilations and anthologies over the years.

 

I'd got in on the act (excuse the pun) because of Claudia Brücken's involvement - I was a big fan of Propaganda - but it's had the lasting impact of introducing me to Thomas Leer's solo work, before and after. Act was not a commercial success but they've remained a go to if you like your 80s pop with a dash of commentary on, as Wikipedia puts it, "decadence and moral bankruptcy".

 

1)  Absolutely Immune II (Remix By Stephen Lipson & Trevor Horn) (1987)

2) Strong Poison (Remix By Stephen Lipson) (1987)

3) I Can't Escape From You (Razormaid Mix) (1992)

4) (Alternative) Gestures (Remix By Stephen Lipson) (1988)

5) Body Electric (1987)

6) Snobbery And Decay (Extended, For Stephanie Beecham) (1987)

7) Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (Lucky's Skank 2) (ft. Casbah aka Aloysius 'Lucky' Gordon) (Cover of The Smiths) (1988)

8) White Rabbit (Cover of The Great Society with Grace Slick) (1987)

9) I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You (Cover of Julie Covington) (1987)

10) Chance (Throbbin' Mix By Stephen Lipson) (1988)

11) Under The Nights Of Germany (Trial Edit By Stephen Lipson) (1988)

12) Laughter (Seven Inch Mix By Greg Walsh) (1988)

13) Winner '88 (12" Mix By Stephen Lipson) (1988)

 

Extended, For Stephanie Beacham (1:05:15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Summer Sunshine Cover Up

This may be the only karaoke bar where you'll find Little Annie, Frank Sidebottom, Miley Cyrus, Bobby Womack and Marc Bolan in the same room. An hour of summer sunshine - don't forget your SPF 50+.

1) That Summer Feeling: The Vaccines sing Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers (2012)

2) Good Day Sunshine: Roy Redmond sings The Beatles (1967)

3) Summer Wine: Evan Dando & Sabrina Brooke sing Nancy Sinatra (2002)

4) This Ain't The Summer Of Love: L7 sing Blue Öyster Cult (1997)

5) Summer Nights: 14 Iced Bears sing John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (1990)

6) Sunshine Of Your Love: Spanky Wilson sings Cream (1970)

7) Summer In The City (Special Disco Version): Evolution sing The Lovin' Spoonful (1978)

8) Walking On Sunshine (Club Mix): Loopzilla sing Eddy Grant (1990)

9) Paris Summer (Live at The Olympia Theatre, Paris): The Last Shadow Puppets & Alison Mosshart sing Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (2008)

10) Indian Summer: Luna sing Beat Happening (2006)

11) In The Summertime: Frank Sidebottom sings Mungo Jerry (1985)

12) Boys (Summertime Love): Something Happens sing Sabrina (1990)

13) Summertime Sadness (Live Lounge Session, BBC Radio 1): Miley Cyrus sings Lana Del Rey (2013)

14) Summertime: Bobby Womack & The Roots sing Abbie Mitchell (1998)

15) The Summer Knows: Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch sing Barbra Streisand & Michel Legrand (2008)

16) Summertime Blues (Electric Warrior Demo): T. Rex sing Eddie Cochran (1971)

17) You Are My Sunshine: Bryan Ferry sings The Pine Ridge Boys (1974)

 

Summer Sunshine Cover Up (1:09:51)

 

Black Swan To Blue Mountain

Bristol on the mix: Easton to Stokes Croft in seven steps.

 

1) Black Steel (In The Draw Mix By Substance) (Cover of Public Enemy): Tricky (1995)

2) Love Will Be On Your Side (Massive Attack Tabla Remix): Indo Animata (1996)

3) Roads (Monk & Canatella Remix): Portishead (2009)

4) Distorted Angel (Remix By Tricky): Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1996)

5) Spooned (Smith & Mighty Dusk Mix): Coldfeet (2001)

6) Burning (RSD aka Rob Smith Remix): Kakhand ft. Sizzla (2013)

7) Nefisa (Portishead Mix): Earthling (1995)

Black Swan To Blue Mountain (37:06)

 

 

Birthday Boy (George)

Boy George celebrates his 60th birthday today and dropped a couple of new songs: Drive, co-written and produced by longtime collaborator Roland Faber (aka Kinky Roland), and Boy Maybe, co-written and produced by Benny D. On a couple of listens, the pulsing beat and slightly melancholy vocals of Drive is a similar vibe to the recently released The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread and is currently my favourite of the two. Boy Maybe is more uptempo and a grower. Great video, too.

Boy George has been on a creative roll recently, releasing new songs and new versions of Culture Club classics, as well as a solo album, Cool Karaoke Vol. 1, with a second album, Summer In The Shade, also due in 2021. I wasn't - and I'm still not - particularly a fan of Culture Club, but I really connected with 1988 solo single No Clause 28 and his singles and album as Jesus Loves You in the early 1990s, a commercially and critically underrated act. Since then, I've dipped in and out of his solo singles and guest spots, but this is up there with his best songs. His voice is also sounding richer and deeper than ever. Happy birthday, George!

 

Drive: Boy George

Boy Maybe: Boy George

The Teardrop Trinity

This was originally posted on Julian Cope's Head Heritage website by the Arch Drude himself on 28 January 2019. Buried deep in the Unsung section of the Head To Head forum and available as a free download "for a full lunar month", it captures The Teardrop Explodes live at Trinity Hall in Bristol on Saturday 06 October 1979. It's a rough and ready recording of an energetic 40 minute show. I can't find much more information about the gig but a search on t'internet reveals that the Trinity's main hall had opened that same year. 

 

As far as I'm aware, the line up is also somewhat special, as it features Ged Quinn, who succeeded founder member Paul Simpson on organ before being ousted by David Balfe. Prior to the release of the Peel Sessions Plus compilation in 2007, Quinn had only appeared on one official Teardrop Explodes recording, a version of Take A Chance which appeared on the seminal Zoo Records compilation, To The Shores Of Lake Placid. 

 

This live recording is also special in that, as well as featuring Chance as the encore and an early version of Treason with alternative lyrics, it includes a hitherto unknown and unrecorded song called Beauty Comes Second. Lyrically, it's typically dark Cope fare, opening with "Somebody's sleeping in my attic room / Somebody's watching all that I do"; musically, it's an organ-driven number, slightly resembling a slowed down version of Second Head. The download is no longer available on Head Heritage, but a new link is available below and it was also posted on You Tube in 2020.

 

In the introduction with BBC Radio 1 DJ Richard Skinner, Cope mentions that "we've got a kid who does our sound who is a dub mixer" and the concert opens to the sounds of Prince Far I's Rain A Fall from the 1976 album, Under Heavy Manners. 

1) Richard Skinner's Introduction

2) Poppies In The Field

3) Went Crazy

4) Bouncing Babies

5) Books

6) Brave Boys Keep Their Promises

7) Beauty Comes Second

8) Ha Ha I'm Drowning

9) Sleeping Gas

10) Second Head

11) Treason

12) Thief Of Baghdad

13) Chance

 

Live At Trinity Hall, Bristol, Saturday October 6th 1979 (40:10)

What's On at The Trinity Centre, Bristol

Buy The Teardrop Explodes: Cope's Notes #1 (booklet & CD) on Head Heritage

Jellyfish Jam

10:40 aka Jesse Fahnestock is based in Stockholm, Sweden and came to my attention a couple of months ago via Bagging Area, with a blissfully wonderful dub of How Does it Feel? by Spacemen 3. This was enough to get me over to 10:40's Bandcamp page and buy the debut album, All Of Us, released in April. It's been a regular listen since then and one of the tracks, The Forever Yes, featured in my slipshod, sticky tape & scissors Pan-Ambient Summer Washout Mix the following month.

On Wednesday, Swiss Adam highlighted another 10:40 remix, this time the equally wonderful "Outer Hebrides Dub" of Inner Meet Me by The Beta Band. Jesse commented that he had a new release coming out on 11th June, which I purchased and listened to this morning.

10:40 vs. Eagle Harbor is a split single with 10:40 remixing Eagle Harbor (aka Peter Hanks) on the A-side and vice versa on the flip. I'm completely new to Eagle Harbor and can't compare with the original version of "Badwater Lake" but, suffice to say, 10:40's Jellyfish Jam delivers the goods, a pulsing, mid-tempo jaunt with vocals washing in and out like waves. Eagle Harbor remixes Bone Cutter from All Of Us, upping the BPMs over 5 and a half minutes, without ever losing the identity of the original version.

All tracks are well worth a listen and currently available on Bandcamp (All Of Us album included) as a "name your price" purchase.

"Badwater Lake" (10:40's Jellyfish Jam)
Bone Cutter (Eagle Harbor Werewolf Edit)

10:40 on Bandcamp

Paisley Dark Records on Bandcamp
 

Ed The Ball

Love Corporation : The Times : Edward Ball 

 

To round off this trilogy of tributes to The Times and the wonderful world of Ed Ball, I've sequenced a new mix pulling together rare remixes, extended versions and the more electronic-oriented sounds of Love Corporation. I've avoided some of the more obvious mixes, such as Palatial by Danny Rampling and the main mix of Give Me Some Love by Andrew Weatherall, because I think (hope) they are readily available elsewhere. In typically contrary fashion, I've also bookended the mix with the closing and opening tracks from Love Corporation's final album of new material, Intelligentsia, from 1994 and featuring the voice of the unique and much-missed Denise Johnson.

 

Put your headphones on and enjoy a little over an hour of Ed music...

 

1) Translucence: Love Corporation ft. Denise Johnson (from Intelligentsia, 1994) 

2) Your Mama Don't Dance And Your Daddy Don't Acid House (Ultra Living Mix): Love Corporation (from Dance Stance, 1997) 

3) Baby Girl (Album Version): The Times ft. Tippa Irie (from Alternative Commercial Crossover, 1993)

4) Septieme Ciel (Triple J Astral Projection Mix): The Times (Australian promo 12" single, 1990)*

5) A Beautiful Village Called England (Album Version): The Times ft. Angel Dust aka Cindy Lovecore (from Pure, 1991)

6) Lundi Bleu (Album Version): The Times (from Pure, 1991)

7) Palatial II (Remixed By Doug Martin): Love Corporation (12" single B-side, 1990)**

8) Give Me Some Love (Remix By Love Corporation & Andrew Weatherall): Love Corporation (12" single B-side, 1991)***

9) Translucent: Love Corporation ft. Denise Johnson (from Intelligentsia, 1994)

 

Ed The Ball (Love Corporation : The Times : Edward Ball) (1:02:37)

* This mix also appears on the The Times compilation Pink Ball, Brown Ball, Ed Ball from 1991, retitled I've Got All This And Heaven Too (Astral Projection Mix).

** On the Palatial 12" single sleeve, this version is credited to Doug Martin, on the label both mixes are attributed to Danny Rampling - I think it's the former. Palatial II also appeared on the 1990 Creation Records compilation, Do You Believe In Love?

*** This is the same as Give Me Some Love (Mix II), which appears on the promo 12" single.