This was definitely an attempt at an 'upbeat' selection, starting off with a Manchester two-hander from 808 State and Intastella, the latter remixed by A Certain Ratio's Martin Moscrop. Things then take a veer left(field) with possibly one of the maddest singles The Times/Ed Ball ever released, and that's including I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape.
Next up is Mucho Macho's remix of Cornershop's Brimful Of Asha, from the 'flop' first release of the single in 1997. I had to check the dates but, a mere two weeks after this mixtape was recorded, Brimful Of Asha was re-released with a Norman Cook remix and went straight to #1 in the UK, where it remained for a further 12 weeks, 11 of those remaining above the #60 peak of the original release. Spooky.
Planetary Sit-In is Julian Cope in string-drenched pop-with-a-message mode, his last ever UK singles chart hit, #34 in October 1996.
Stay was 18 Wheeler's biggest UK hit, charting at #59 in March 1997. Wikipedia damningly cites their biggest claim to fame as being the band that Oasis were supporting (at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in 1993) when Creation head honcho Alan McGee discovered the latter. Being on the same label clearly did 18 Wheeler no favours.
Fellow Scots The Apples fared similarly poorly with the record-buying public, managing just one UK #75 single, which isn't this one. This version appeared on the CD single, mis-labelled as the Stereo Guitar People Mix by Pete Lorimer. Ironically, this remix by James Reynolds is actually heavier on the guitar so you can understand the mix up. Reynolds arguably enjoyed much greater success, not least being the 4th Baronet of Woolton, having succeeded to the title in 2015.
Freak Power (aka Norman Cook & Ashley Slater) took two goes to have a hit with Turn On Tune In Cop Out, #29 in 1993 then #3 in 1995. Ashley Slater went on to appear in 2014 with his partner Scarlett Quinn as Kitten And the Hip in an excruciating X-Factor audition, which YouTube has preserved for posterity). Having survived this ordeal, the pair continue in a reformed Freak Power.
Not much to say about Groove Is In The Heart, other than Deee-Lite were a breath of fresh air in 1990 and this song still has the desired effect, three decades on.
Last but not least, the mysterious collective, The KK Kings. I heard this song originally on the soundtrack to the wonderful 1993 film Bhaji On The Beach. I think this was their only official single, though they'd previously released a promo, Justified & Ancient, which together with their prodigious use of samples, led to comparisons with The KLF. It's so much better than that and a shame that we didn't get to hear more from them.
As a final note, the mixtape title comes from a key line in Cornershop's Brimful Of Asha, which itself is the hook of the Mucho Macho remix. Despite all this, I still managed to write Everyone Needs A Bosom For A Pillow on the cassette sleeve. Again, either a case of not enough sleep or the worst Valentine's Days ever. Amazingly, I was in the same relationship the following year, but I have no record of whether Valentine's Day 1999 fared any better. It couldn't have been any worse, could it?
1) Lift (7" Version): 808 State (1991)
2) This Is Bendy (Remix By Martin Moscrop): Intastella (1991)
3) Finnegans Break (Edit By Ian Shaw & The Big Noize Supremists): The Times ft. Tippa Irie (1993)
4) Brimful Of Asha (Mucho Macho Bolan Boogie Mix): Cornershop (1997)
5) Planetary Sit-In (Album Version): Julian Cope (1996)
6) Stay (Radio Edit): 18 Wheeler (1997)
7) Beautiful People (Silver Sky Mix By James Reynolds): The Apples (1991)
8) Turn On Tune In Cop Out (Radio Mix By Norman Cook & Simon Thornton): Freak Power (1993)
9) Groove Is In The Heart (Peanut Butter Mix): Deee-Lite (1990)
10) Holidays (In The United KK Kingdom) (Extended) (Remix By Mikha K): The KK Kings (1994)
Side One (45:25) (Box) (Mega)
Bloody hell!!! There's a few in this mix I haven't thought about in decades. I remember being quite excited by The Apples as ex-members of the likes of Win and Hey! Elastica were involved, but really failing to take to their music. Madchester-lite I described it when talking about them down the pub. Seems harsh now, looking back....but I was young(ish) and very judgemental.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I even knew about The Apples' Win/Hey! Elastica connection at the time. I can't recall reading any articles about The Apples and I suspect I simply picked up a handful of their singles because of the remix artists involved. My younger self would have agreed with your Madchester-lite judgement although I have a soft spot for these songs.
Delete