Somerset Sider

History reinvented with Friday's slightly shaken selection, courtesy of Johnson Somerset.

I first discovered his work in 2016 via Paper Romance by Groove Armada (included here) and an entire album's worth of Duran Duran overhauls called Eiffel Tower.

Here's six crowd pleasers from a back catalogue that now runs into the hundreds, and continues to be added to YouTube on a regular basis.

1) Dance Hall Days (Johnson Somerset Remix): Wang Chung (2023)

2) Notorious (Johnson Somerset Remix): Duran Duran (2025)

3) Paper Romance (Johnson Somerset Remix): Groove Armada ft. Fenech-Soler & SaintSaviour (2013)

4) Summertime Sadness (Johnson Somerset Remix): Lana Del Rey (2020)

5) Self Control (Johnson Somerset Remix): Laura Branigan (2023)

6) The In Crowd (West End Wolf Remix): Bryan Ferry (2013)

 

 

 

 

 

Everything Is Fine

Celebrating David Lynch, born 20th January 1946, whose death was announced on Thursday, days before what would have been his 79th birthday.

 

This wasn't the Friday post I originally had in mind, and is a hastily cobbled together selection of a dozen of David Lynch songs, remixes (of and by), cover versions and mash-ups. 

 

The collection starts and ends in possibly predictable fashion, Pixies' cover of In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) in 1988 making as much of an impression on my teenage mind as the opening minutes of Lynch's 1987 film Blue Velvet. 

 

And yes, I know it's a cheat including Lana Del Rey's version over Bobby Vinton's cover, which was the inspiration for the film, but the latter makes a cheeky appearance in Voicedude's contribution to the intriguing (and sadly no longer available) 2008 compilation Mashed In Plastic: The David Lynch Mash-Up Album.

I got to see nearly all of David Lynch's films on the big screen, including a re-release of Eraserhead in the early 1990s, and with the exception of Dune (1984) and Inland Empire (2006). And on the small screen, I was left with an agonising wait to complete the Twin Peaks experience, as I headed off to Australia for a year after Season 1's cliffhanger ending on BBC2. 

Edisrehtoehtnoees

 

1) In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song): David Lynch & Alan R Splet ft. Peter Ivers (1976)

2) This Is David Lynch: Neiltomo (2008)

3) Pinky's Dream (Trentemøller Remix): David Lynch ft. Karen O (2012)

4) Girl Panic! (Remix By David Lynch & Dean Hurley): Duran Duran (2011)

5) Fuel To Fire (David Lynch Remix): Agnes Obel (2014)

6) I Know (Jon Hopkins Remix): David Lynch (2011)

7) Velvet Dreams: Voicedude (2008)

8) The Big Dream (Moby Reversion): David Lynch ft. Mindy Jones (2014)

9) Rockin' Back Inside My Heart (Tibetan Single Mix By Greg Royal): Julee Cruise (1989)

10) Blue Velvet (Single Version) (Cover of Tony Bennett): Lana Del Rey (2012)

11) Falling (Cover of Julee Cruise): The Wedding Present (1992)

12) In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) (John Peel Session) (Cover of David Lynch & Alan R Splet ft. Peter Ivers): Pixies (1988) 

 

1982: Eraserhead OST: 1

1989: Rockin' Back Inside My Heart EP: 9 

1992: Silver Shorts EP: 11

1998: Pixies At The BBC: 12

2008: Mashed In Plastic: The David Lynch Mashup Album: 2, 7

2011: Girl Panic! EP: 4 

2011: Good Day Today / I Know EP: 6

2012: Pinky's Dream EP: 3 

2012: The Paradise Edition EP: 10

2014: Aventine: 5

2014: The Big Dream Remix EP: 8

Everything Is Fine (46:33) (KF) (Mega)

Off The Chart

Lace up your trainers, we're going back four decades to the Top 20 UK singles chart on 18th May 1984.

 

In January, I did a similar look back at 1974 and whilst I would hesitate to call this a series, a run of back-to-back Top Of The Pops episodes on BBC4 (kind of) inspired today's selection, although I also have to tip my hat to Jez at A History Of Dubious Taste for his delve into the early volumes of Now That's What I Call Music.

Being 1984, we're well into the era of the 12" single and the extended dance club remix frenzy. So, what you've got here are thirteen stretched out versions, some pushing the 8-9 minute mark, others bending the original songs into interesting shapes. And, honestly, could you actually dance to some of these?!

 

I'm guessing that the movie Footloose was pretty popular around this time as there are two singles from the soundtrack in the Top 20. Kenny Loggins' title theme song didn't have an extended version in 1984 so I've gone for one of the many 21st century fan-made versions that proliferate online.

Madonna's mate John 'Jellybean' Benitez remixes the other by Deniece Williams and also turns his hand to Automatic by Pointer Sisters. Benitez was ubiquitous at the time, even Talking Heads and Elvis Costello got the 'Jellybean' treatment.

Then up-and-coming writers and producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis kick things off with Just Be Good To Me, a new entry at #20. I don't particularly remember this song at the time but it's legendary status was sealed when Beats International covered it a few years later, securing a #1 in the process. Jam & Lewis went on to greater heights with Janet Jackson and all-new lows with The Human League.

Blissfully unaware of this in 1984, The Human League were still enjoying Top 20 hits, including The Lebanon, dropping to #12 this week from a peak of #11 the week before. An undeniably brilliant bassline, coupled with some of the most cringeworthy lyrics committed to vinyl, but I love it regardless.

Speaking of bass, there's some funk to make Mark King of Level 42 give a heavily insured thumbs up, from Jeffrey Osborne and Jocelyn Brown. If the latter sounds familiar, it's been sampled to death by artists such as George Michael (Too Funky), Utah Saints (Ohio) and OutKast (Spaghetti Junction).

 

If you prefer your guitar histrionic, look no further than Queen at #4. Thanks to Lady K's early obsession with Queen's Greatest Hits, I am now more familiar with the back catalogue of Mercury and co. than I ever wanted to be. This 12" version is rumbling along quite nicely until in the last minute or so it decides to go all Stars On 45 and give the listener a chopped up Greatest Hits medley. 

Blancmange and O.M.D. respectively deliver one of my favourite and least favourite singles by said artists, I'll leave you to decide which is which. In a bizarre twist of fate, I will have seen both bands live in 2024, O.M.D.in March and Blancmange at the end of this month.

Just the one reggae hit in the Top 20 but it's a goodie. One Love/People Get Ready was a posthumous smash for Bob Marley & The Wailers, peaking at #5 in it's fifth week and promoting the compilation Legend, released two weeks before. Suffice to say, it's one of the greatest greatest hits albums ever.

So, to the top spot and enjoying the third of four weeks at #1 is Duran Duran with The Reflex. Heavily remixed from the album version, the 12" version takes things even further. Mrs. K and I have enjoyed many a slightly tipsy lounge disco dance to this one.

As with the 1974 selection, I've gone for a Marvel UK comics header. The Mighty World Of Marvel was on it's second incarnation by this time. The May 1984 issue actually came out in April but I've included this one for the gorgeous painted art by Alan Davis, whose epic Captain Britain storyline with Alan Moore was coming to an end. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum was The Thing Is Big Ben, in which Marvel UK decided that what kids really needed was the rocky one from The Fantastic Four in his own weekly comic, with a title that tenuously linked him to the iconic London landmark. Add to that reprints of Iron Man and Captain America (the latter replaced by Power Man & Iron Fist) and you can understand why editors felt the need to throw in a free cap to convince kids to hand over their 18p. The cover price was prescient: 18 weeks later, the kids remained unmoved and the title quietly folded into the ongoing Spider-Man comic, as so many others before it had done.

 

1) Just Be Good To Me (Album Version By Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis): The S.O.S. Band (#20)

2) I'm Falling (Album Version By Colin Fairley & Bob Andrews): The Bluebells (#19)

3) Stay With Me Tonight (Extended Remixed Version By Bill Bottrell): Jeffrey Osborne (#18)

4) Somebody Else's Guy (Remix By John Morales & Sergio Munzibai): Jocelyn Brown (#13)

5) The Lebanon (Extended) (Remix By The Human League, Chris Thomas & Hugh Padgham): The Human League (#12)

6) Don't Tell Me (U.S. Dance Remix By Mark Kamins): Blancmange (#9)

7) Let's Hear It For The Boy (Extended Remixed Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Deniece Williams (#8)

8) Locomotion (Razormaid Remix By Joseph Watt): O.M.D. (#7)

9) Footloose (VJAR 2016 Extended Dance Remix By Alex Ritton): Kenny Loggins (#6)

10) One Love/People Get Ready (Dub Version By Godwin Logie): Bob Marley & The Wailers (#5)

11) I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix By Queen & Reinhold Mack): Queen (#4)

12) Automatic (Special Remix By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Pointer Sisters (#2)

13) The Reflex (Dance Mix By Nile Rodgers & Jason Corsaro): Duran Duran (#1)

Off The Chart (1:27:14) (KF) (Mega)

Assorted Images

On 15th June 1981, Duran Duran released their debut album. According to This Day In Music, it reached #3 in the UK Albums Chart and stayed in the top 100 for over 2 years (118 weeks, to be precise). It did pretty well in the USA, too: a peak of #10 in the Billboard 200 and a total of 87 weeks in that chart.

 

My uncle borrowed the album from his local library in London and, fully aware that home taping was killing music, recorded a copy to cassette and posted it to my brother, at his request. For some reason, he labelled the album 'Assorted Images' on the spine, named after the company that sleeve designer Malcolm Garrett worked for.

I liked the album a lot, but never really became a hardcore fan. Mrs. K, on the other hand...

I saw Duran Duran live for the first and only time when the original lineup reformed, released a new album (Astronaut) and toured it. Mrs. K and I saw them at Birmingham NEC on 18th April 2004, supported by Goldfrapp, and they were pretty good. It was a wonderful shared moment with her favourite band, growing up.

That said, that hardcore love is very focused. Mrs. K lost interest once Andy Taylor left the band in the 1980s and again when he departed once more after said album and tour. I jumped ship much earlier: my brother had Rio, which I also quite liked, but I don't think I heard third album Seven And The Ragged Tiger until I met Mrs. K many years later.

Today's 'selection' is a track-by-track recreation of the debut album, a mix of official videos, one fan-made mash up, a couple of TV appearances, one live performance and one audio clip from an early concert where no footage was available. 

This one's dedicated to Andy Taylor and, of course, Mrs. K.

1) Girls On Film (Official Video)

2) Planet Earth (Official Video)

3) Anyone Out There (Live @ Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV, 7th July 1981)

4) To The Shore (Live @ Hammersmith Odeon, London, 17th December 1981)

5) Careless Memories (Official Video)

6) Night Boat (Official Video)

7) Sound Of Thunder (Video Mash-Up By Heloísa Matias)

8) Friends Of Mine (Is it an Official Video? Is it a TV performance? Not sure!)

9) Tel Aviv (Live @ The Chapin Theater, Orlando, Florida, 18th July 2005)

Nothing More, Nothing Less, Love Is The Best

Today is a special day for a very special person. We've been to relatively few gigs together over the years, but they've always been special occasions.

 

Sometimes she didn't like the act (PJ Harvey), sometimes I haven't (Meat Loaf), sometimes the band have been damned awful on stage (Simple Minds), sometimes it's been possibly an emotional and brilliant experience (McAlmont & Butler, Green Gartside).

 

Regardless, it's always been all the better for the person at my side. 

This one's for you, Mrs. K.

 

1) At The River: Groove Armada (1999)

2) We Belong In This World Together: Stereo MC's (2001)
3) Bring It Back: McAlmont & Butler (2002)

4) Everybody Knows: The Free Association (2002) 

5) New Religion: Duran Duran (1982)

6) Black Cherry: Goldfrapp (2003)

6) Teardrop: Massive Attack (1998)

7) This Is Love: PJ Harvey (2000)

8) Spacehopper: Julian Cope (1987) 

9) New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84): Simple Minds (1982)

10) The Boom Boom Bap: Scritti Politti (2006)

11) Paradise By The Dashboard Light: Meat Loaf (1977) 

12) Suspicious Minds (Cover of Elvis Presley): Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra ft. Roland Gift (2013)

13) It Must Be Love (Cover of Labi Siffre): Madness (1981)

Footnote: Today’s selection is made up of songs we heard at gigs between 2001 up to & including Madness, postponed from 2020 but hopefully going ahead in June. 

With the latter exception, all of the songs featured in the set lists and are presented here in the order that we (first) saw them live. Julian Cope’s the only act we’ve seen together multiple times. 

Stereo MC’s & Simple Minds were both unlikely headliners at the Bristol Community Festival aka Ashton Court Festival. The latter really were appallingly bad.

Roland Gift was the guest vocalist when we saw Jools Holland’s band at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire. And bloody good he was too. 

Goldfrapp supported Duran Duran at the NEC in Birmingham for their first (only) reunion tour with the original line up including Andy Taylor. 

Lay Lady Lay (Ten Times)

In a second nod to Bob Dylan this week, following Desolation Row's inclusion in Sunday's selection, recently the shuffle option on my iPhone has been relentless in offering up Lay Lady Lady, in various incarnations. 

 

To be honest, I had no idea I had so many versions of the song but why be selfish? Here's ten of them, stitched together in one 40-odd minute sequence for your aural pleasure or sonic torture, depending on your opinion of the song to begin with.

The selection starts off with Magnet (aka Norwegian singer-songwriter Even Johansen and not to be confused with this Magnet) joined by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes on a lush, orchestral version. 

 

Along the way, you get Byrdsian gospel, Ministry's grubby come hither, a soulful take from The Isley Brothers, Melanie's rousing folk and headphone indie from David Kitt, The Flaming Lips and The Dandy Warhols. Oh, and Duran Duran's offering from their frequently teeth-grinding mid-90s tribute album.

The only way to finish of course is with Bob Dylan's original from 1969's Nashville Skyline, a #5 hit in the UK and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

1) Lay Lady Lay (Album Version): Magnet ft. Gemma Hayes (2004)

2) Lay Lady Lay: The Byrds (1969)

3) Lay Lady Lay: David Kitt (2007)

4) Lay Lady Lay (Album Version): Ministry (1996)

5) Lay Lady Lay: Duran Duran (1995)

6) Lay Lady Lay (Album Edit): The Isley Brothers (1971)

7) Lay Lady Lay: The Flaming Lips (2021)

8) Lay Lady Lay: Melanie (1972)

9) Lay Lady Lay: The Dandy Warhols (2008)

10) Lay Lady Lay: Bob Dylan (1969)

1969: Lay Lady Lay (7"): 2 

1969: Nashville Skyline: 10

1972: Garden In The City: 8

1976: The Best... Isley Brothers: 6

1995: Thank You: 5

1996: Filth Pig: 4

2004: On Your Side: 1

2007: Misfits Vol. 1: 3

2008: ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... (Japan bonus tracks edition): 9

2021: Dylan Revisited (Uncut magazine promo CD): 7

Lay Lady Lay (Ten Times) (43:31) (GD) (M)

 

...and if you're a glutton for punishment, I did the same thing with Dylan's Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands last summer.