It's Easter, it's Sunday, it's time for a themed Dubhed Selection that doesn't include Easter by Patti Smith Group..
Ten songs, three quarters of an hour. This one's dedicated to Jez over at the excellent A History Of Dubious Taste for championing Kris Kristofferson via his Sunday Morning Coming Down series. Jez provided my proper introduction to Kris' music, without which I'd be missing the rather wonderful opening song for today's selection.
In one of those happy coincidences, the song's synth outro segues perfectly with the intro to Easter by Repeat, despite being separated by over twenty years and several genres.
Repeat was a mid-90s collaboration between Dave 'Not the Slade guitar player' Hill, Mark Broom and Plaid aka Andy Turner and Ed Handley. They released a few 12" singles and an album. Easter was a one-off 12" in 2001 and judging credited solely to Dave Hill and Mark Broom.
An Easter compilation would be incomplete without Easter Song by A Man Called Adam, with some lovely flute by Eddie Parker, who gets a co-writing credit on the song.
Scotland is well represented, with four - count 'em, four - bands. The first pair are Simple Minds and The Blue Nile, both from the early 80s. Simple Minds were in that transitional phase between avant garde, angular pop and overblown anthemic rock. The Blue Nile had just released their debut album, and it would be another six years before the follow up. An eternity then, a blink in the eye these days.
Psychedelic pop has managed to sustain in each decade since the 1960s. Julian Cope makes an inevitable appearance with Easter Everywhere, named after the 13th Floor Elevators' second album. Later, XTC deliver another slice of end of the millennium gorgeousness from their Apple Venus Volume 1 album.
Anderson (Matt to his friends and folks, Anderson (26) to Discogs) is new to me, but delivers a jolly slice of electronica that bounces along nicely. I must investigate further.
The final brace of Scottish legends are Eugenius and Associates. Eugenius were initially called Captain America, until Marvel Comics knocked on their door. A forced change of name had no impact whatsoever on the quality of their music.
Associates (sometime prefixed by 'The' sometimes not) faced a different set of challenges, internal and external, but the impact of the music that Alan Rankine and Billy MacKenzie produced in their brief time together has sustained.
After a glut of Easter today, something completely different on Monday.
1) Easter Island: Kris Kristofferson (1978)
2) Easter: Repeat (2001)
3) Easter Song (Radio Edit): A Man Called Adam (1999)
4) East At Easter: Simple Minds (1984)
5) Easter Everywhere (Album Version): Julian Cope (1988)
6) Easter Eggs: Anderson (2020)
7) Easter Parade: The Blue Nile (1983)
8) Easter Theatre: XTC (1999)
9) Easter Bunny (Single Version w/ Reprise): Eugenius (1993)
10) Tell Me Easter's On Friday: Associates (1981)
1978: Easter Island: 1
1981: Tell Me Easter's On Friday EP: 10
1983: A Walk Across The Rooftops: 7
1984: Sparkle In The Rain: 4
1988: My Nation Underground: 5
1993: Easter Bunny EP: 9
1999: Apple Venus Volume 1: 8
1999: Easter Song EP: 3
2001: Easter EP: 2
2020: Easter Eggs EP: 6
Easter Theatre - Fab song. More people should explore the final 2 XTC albums...
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