Hard To Pin It Down

In late January, temperamental tech put paid to my efforts to create an Edwyn Collins selection. I had to make do with writing about his then-new single Knowledge instead. 

Five months later, here at last is a (lucky) 13-song compilation for your listening pleasure.

I didn't keep a note of the aborted track list but I suspect that this newly created selection bears little resemblance to what I originally had in mind. 

Not least, the release of Edwyn's tenth solo album, Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation, in March and which I've been enjoying ever since. As well as Knowledge, I've also previously posted about The Bridge Hotel, so both of them have made the cut for today's mixtape.

I've also gone back four decades for a couple of singles from the Orange Juice back catalogue, interspersed with album tracks, B-sides and rarities, spanning an incredible and at times inconceivable career in music.

Edwyn's music has been with me since my early teens and the fact that, despite everything, he's come out with another brilliant album in 2025 is a testament to his songwriting prowess and drive to make music.

In response to January's post about the new single and forthcoming album, Mike hoped that Edwyn may also tour in 2025.

"Much as I'd love to think so, I suspect it's unlikely" I replied.

Ahead of the release of Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation, Edwyn announced "The Testimonial Tour: A Last Lap Around The UK". I will be cheering him on at Komedia in Bath on 30th September. 

In the meantime, that noise you can hear is the sound of me eating my hat.

Bless you, Edwyn!

1) The Popstar: Edwyn Collins (2002)

2) The Magic Piper (Of Love) (Edit): Edwyn Collins (1997)

3) Two Hearts Together (Single Version): Orange Juice (1982)

4) The Bridge Hotel: Edwyn Collins (2025)

5) Graciously: Edwyn Collins (1990)

6) For The Rest Of My Life: Edwyn Collins (1997)

7) Come Tomorrow, Come Today: Edwyn Collins ft. Johnny Marr (2010)

8) Ghost Of A Chance: Edwyn Collins (1989)

9) Simply Thrilled Honey (Single Version): Orange Juice (1980)

10) You've Grown A Beard: Edwyn Collins (1996)

11) Knowledge: Edwyn Collins (2025)

12) Queer Fish: Edwyn Collins (1987)

13) In A Nutshell: Edwyn Collins ft. Bernard Butler (1995)

1980: Simply Thrilled Honey EP: 9

1982: Two Hearts Together EP: 3

1987: Don't Shilly Shally EP: 12

1989: Hope And Despair: 8

1990: Hellbent On Compromise: 5

1995: Volume Thirteen: 13

1996: Keep On Burning EP: 10

1997: I'm Not Following You: 6

2002: A Casual Introduction 1981-2001: 2

2002: Johnny Teardrop EP: 1

2010: Losing Sleep: 7

2025: Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation: 4, 11

Hard To Pin It Down (47:43) (Mega)

The Present Bee, Bee And Gee (Still No Bee Gees, But I Don't Mean To Be Mean)

Nearly three weeks ago (!), I had the pleasure of seeing Butler, Blake & Grant perform live in concert at St. George's in Bristol. 

Tucked away on a side street near the top of Park Street, the St. Geroge's website succinctly describes the venue as "580-seat concert hall was converted from a 200-year-old Georgian church, and [...] a truly special space". With the emphasis on "truly special".

Amazingly, it was the first time I had been inside St. George's full stop, let alone to see a concert, so I was already excited to be there. I was literally sitting in the back row, though in real terms, I was only a few dozen metres from the stage.

It wasn't long before support artist Charlie Noordewier took position at the microphone and started playing. I wasn't familiar with Charlie's music, though this was less of a surprise when he shared that he'd released his first single, Moonlight Hotel, a couple of weeks beforehand.

Charlie was previously in The Native, who also passed me by but produced a truckload of raucous, anthemic tunes. Charlie's one person, one guitar (at a time) and occasional harmonica set up was a different proposition altogether.

Steeped in folk - no surprise perhaps, given that Charlie has lived between Devon and Cornwall - what really made the set stand out were the interesting arrangements, some lovely playing and a voice full of character and emotion that the sympathetic acoustics of the venue allowed to take flight and soar.

Moonlight Hotel is a great song but honestly, it doesn't do him justice. Go see Charlie Noordewier performing live for the full experience, if you can.

A strong start, but even so, the best was yet to come. Entering from the left - Butler, Blake & Grant in that order - the three took their seats, twiddled their guitars and prepared to entertain. 

"We just heard the news that Brian Wilson has died," said James. "As a mark of respect, we are not going to play any of his songs".

And that kind of self-deprecating wit and easy humour with the audience and each other was evident throughout the night. But no mistake, these were three consummate artists playing together like they'd been doing so for decades. 

With the exception of one (instrumental) song, the debut album was performed in full, although not in sequence, starting with One And One Is Two and opener Bring An End reserved for the penultimate song of the night.

The rest of the 16-song set was made up of cover versions, of their own and other artists. Teenage Fanclub got just the one, Planets from 1997's Songs From Northern Britain, and a Norman Blake co-write. As a (very) latecomer to the TFC catalogue, I may be stating the obvious by saying it's one of their finest records,

That album includes a song called Winter, but it was it's namesake, a 1991 single by Love And Money, that was performed, one of two by James Grant's band. I didn't particularly follow them back in the 1980s but have come to appreciate them, particularly this song and it's parent album Dogs in The Traffic, thanks to it's re-release on Past Night From Glasgow. Winter has become a favourite since, so it was wonderful to hear it in a live setting.

Two songs also from Bernard Butler's ouevre: People Move On, the title track of his 1998 solo debut, and his UK Top 10 hit from thirty years ago, Yes. Bearing in mind that the original was sung by then-partner, the peerless David McAlmont, a daunting prospect, perhaps. If so, it didn't seem like it, Yes recast as a rootsy acoustic number with Bernard's earthy vocals facing down any suggestion of comparison.

The first wave of covers was rounded off with a surprise: Me And Magdelena, which appeared on The Monkees' 2016 swansong Good Times! and was written by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. I've never heard the original, but as a tribute to both the songwriter and the band, the trio pulled a blinder.

Which pretty much typified the night, an intimate setting with three incredible musicians, completely at ease with each other and exuding the sheer pleasure of performing music, amplified by the venue and the general joy felt by the audience (though sadly, not a full house, an indictment of the sad times we're living in).

Far too soon, we were at the final encore and, maybe less surprising, a cover of Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. I would have been quite happy with an 18-minute version of the song. I think it was closer to the three minutes or so of the original, but a satisfying end to a truly wonderful show.

But it didn't end there. Post-show, James, Norman and Bernard were staffing the merch stall, so of course I joined the queue and bought the limited edition gold splatter vinyl, which I asked them to sign. When I unsealed the album at home, I realised that there was also a signed print inside...! 

We had a brief chat, I shared my appreciation of the incredible show I had just experienced and of course they were all lovely blokes. But, there was a queue behind me, more merch to sell and more chat and photo opps to satisfy and, as Bernard sang earlier, people move on. 

In my case, the five-minute walk back to the car park and subsequent drive home. I think most of it was levitating, and I've still not quite come down, nearly three weeks later.

If Butler, Blake & Grant are playing anywhere near you, then run, don't walk to get a ticket. Opportunities like this don't come around very often, so grab it while you can. In the meantime, buy the album from their website (vinyl & CD) or Bandcamp (vinyl & digital).

Photo credits (all from the Bristol show, apart from the LP, taken in my back garden):

1, 2, 3 & 7: Me!

4, 5: Paul Duckett

6: Richard Prescott

Simon Cawley was also there, and he posted their cover of Planets by Teenage Fanclub on the Book of Faces. 

The Original Bee, Bee And Gee (But No Bee Gees, If You Know What I Mean)

One of the highlights in a year of great albums has been the debut by Butler, Blake & Grant.

Their debut as a trio perhaps, but these are legends in their own right: 

Bernard Butler, Suede, McAlmont & Butler, über producer

Norman Blake, Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits

James Grant, Love And Money, Friends Again

...as well as numerous solo ventures and collaborations over the decades.

I'll come back to Butler, Blake & Grant as a recording and performing threesome another time. Today's selection plucks four gems from each artist's extensive catalogue to present 47 minutes of deep cuts and should-have-been smash hits.

What a talented trio. And lovely blokes, too. But that's a story for another time.

1) Let's Go Away: Bernard Butler (1999)

2) Groovy Good Luck Friend (Janice Long Session): BMX Bandits (1986)

3) Winter '89: Love And Money (1989)

4) A Change Of Heart (Single Version): Bernard Butler (1998)

5) God Knows It's True: Teenage Fanclub (1990)

6) State Of Art (The Spiral Tribe Edition): Friends Again (1995)

7) The Patron Saint Of The Lost Cause (Album Version): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

8) Baby Lee: Teenage Fanclub (2010)

9) Hubcap To Blue Town: Love And Money (1991)

10) My Dark Star: Suede (1994)

11) Golden Shower: The Boy Hairdressers (1987)

12) Wanderlust II: Love And Money (1988)

1986: Janice Long Session, BBC Radio 1, 8th June 1986: 2

1987: Golden Shower EP: 11

1988: Halleluiah Man EP: 12

1990: God Knows It's True EP: 5

1991: Winter EP: 3

1991: Wishing Waters EP: 9

1994: Stay Together EP: 10

1995: Spiral Tribe Volume 1: 6

1998: A Change Of Heart EP: 4

1999: Friends And Lovers: 1

2010: Shadows: 8

2020: In Memory Of My Feelings: 7

The Original Bee, Bee And Gee (But No Bee Gees, If You Know What I Mean) (47:15) (Mega)

What You Already Know

Forty five minutes of Bernard Butler and friends to usher in the weekend.  

 

Bernard's playing at the Bristol Beacon tonight (8th) and there were about 30 tickets left when I looked, if you're quick. I won't be there but I have had the pleasure of seeing a couple of his gigs in the past, neither with Suede and neither performing his solo material.

It was a surprise (well, to me at least) that after a couple of albums on Creation at the end of the last century, Bernard's third solo album Good Grief arrived 25 years later, on 31st May. You can buy it here.

 

I've only heard/seen the single Living The Dream so far, but it's very good and immediately transports me back to the sounds of those previous albums, People Move On (1998) and Friends And Lovers (1999). 

 

Living The Dream is an apt title, as Bernard's been far from idle between solo albums, as a collaborator and a producer. But, it's good to see him step back up to the microphone and share new songs. Anyone who has - or will - catch Bernard on tour is undoubtedly in for a treat.

So, for this 10-song selection, I've intentionally avoided any songs by McAlmont & Butler; his partnership with David McAlmont deserves a selection in it's own right. 

 

And whilst I've plucked three songs from the album that Bernard recorded with Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress, there's nothing from his more recent album with Jesse Buckley. A very straightforward reason for this: I own the former but not the latter.

I also couldn't resist featuring two of the three tracks from the EP that Bernard released with Edwyn Collins in 2001. I mean, why not?

Not an obvious choice to fire up the weekend, perhaps: some quite downtempo, reflective, 70s West Coast America (albeit in the shade) moments; hang on to the end though and you'll get the customary Butler guitar wig out to reward your patience.

And I've also been impressed by Bernard's barnet. Those locks are immaculate.

 

1) My Domain: Bernard Butler (1998)

2) You Light The Fire: Bernard Butler (1998)

3) In Memory Of My Feelings: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

4) Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart: Bernard Butler (1999)

5) Live To Tell (Cover of Madonna): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

6) Can't Do That (The Hoover): Bernard & Edwyn (2001)

7) Smile: Bernard Butler (1999)

8) Message For Jojo (Single Version): Bernard & Edwyn (2001)

9) The Breakdown: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

10) Autograph: Bernard Butler (1998)

 

1998: A Change Of Heart EP: 1

1998: People Move On: 2, 10

1999: Friends And Lovers: 4, 7

2001: Message For Jojo EP: 6, 8

2020: In Memory Of My Feelings: 3, 5, 9  

 

What You Already Know (44:45) (KF) (Mega) 

 

 

Note: Today's cover star is Glenn Ford, in a scene from 1966 film Rage, directed by Gilberto Gazcón. Ford plays an alcoholic, widowed GP who has wound up in a small Mexican town. 

 

He's looking super sweaty and flushed because his character's just been bitten by a dog and rabies is beginning to kick in. Ably assisted by Stella Stevens, the film focuses on Ford's efforts to get medical help before it's too late. Oh, the irony.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with Bernard Butler, but I watched it the other night and was struck by this image and the lighting. 

Your Worst Case Scenario

Catherine Anne Davies aka Catherine A.D. aka The Anchoress is a multi-instrumentalist and creative polymath, who has supported Manic Street Preachers, been a member of Simple Minds' touring band and been releasing music in her own right since 2010. 

My introduction came in 2020, during the UK lockdown, with In Memory Of My Feelings, a collaboration with Bernard Butler which had been recorded prior to her debut album as The Anchoress and was belatedly released on Pete Paphides' wonderful Needle Mythology label. In 2021, Catherine's second album as The Anchoress, The Art Of Losing, proved to be another highlight of the year and from there on I was completely hooked.

 

Much has been written about Catherine's approach to creating music and the lyrical content of her songs and I can't really add to or enhance that. Simply put, the songs resonate on so many levels, beautifully layered soundscapes, rich vocals and lyrics that do not shy away from grief, loss, abuse and prejudice. Yet, there's also something uplifting, cathartic and at times euphoric in these songs, which reward repeated listening and reading. 

 

An early release as Catherine A.D. collected a number of cover versions by a diverse range of artists from Fleetwood Mac to Bon Iver to The Crystals. Catherine's continued to revisit her inspirations with a series of limited release cover versions in the past couple of years to tie in with Bandcamp Friday, many of which have appeared in Dubhed selections. Four of these have been collected as Versions/EP 1, featuring Catherine's interpretations of Depeche Mode, Halsey, Nico and Nirvana. The latest blink-and-you'll-miss-it cover is an acoustic rework of Friday I'm In Love by The Cure, following a previous synth-heavy version released in June, and available for a few more days on Bandcamp.

 

So perhaps unsurprisingly today's selection is split into two sides. The first covers Catherine's own songs, including collaborations with Bernard Butler, Paul Draper and James Dean Bradfield. The flip side is all covers, avoiding ones which I've posted previously...I think! It's hard to keep track sometimes.

 

Catherine had to withdraw from a planned support slot with Manic Street Preachers and a solo tour last year for health reasons, and the latter is currently rescheduled for spring 2023. I'm planning to be there.

 

In the meantime, as well as shopping at The Anchoress' Bandcamp page, I'd also recommend a visit to her YouTube page, which is a treasure trove of live performances, videos and remixes.

Side One

1) All Farewells Should Be Sudden: The Anchoress (2021)

2) P.S. Fuck You: The Anchoress (2016)

3) Judas: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

4) You And Only You: The Anchoress ft. Paul Draper (2016)

5) The Exchange: The Anchoress ft. James Dean Bradfield (2021)

6) The Patron Saint Of The Lost Cause (Album Version): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

Side Two

1) The Book Of Love (Cover of The Magnetic Fields): Catherine A.D. (2010)

2) Bizarre Love Triangle (Cover of New Order): The Anchoress (2022)

3) Paris (Cover of Friendly Fires): Catherine A.D. (2012)

4) Pennyroyal Tea (Cover of Nirvana): The Anchoress (2022)

5) Live To Tell (Cover of Madonna): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

6) I Have Never Loved Someone (Cover of My Brightest Diamond): Catherine A.D. (2012)

2010: Carry Your Heart EP: B1

2012: Reprise: The Covers Collection: B1, B3, B6

2016: Confessions Of A Romance Novelist: A2, A4

2020: In Memory Of My Feelings: A3, A6, B5

2021: The Art Of Losing: A1, A5

2022: Bizarre Love Triangle EP: B2

2022: Pennyroyal Tea EP: B4

Side One (22:41)

Side Two (22:48)

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)