Why Everybody Needs A Bosom For A Pillow

Side 2 of a mixtape, compiled 14th February 1998. 

 

As I reflected when I posted Side 1 in 2022, this date was either the most unforgettable Valentine's Days ever, or one so traumatic that I've erased it from memory. I was in a relationship at the time, though not the long-suffering Mrs. K, who I hope can at least vouch that Valentine's Days have been a slight improvement on this one.

I was either in an upbeat mood or urgently needed cheering up, if the tracklist of this cassette is anything to go by. Beats, happy keys, lots of energy...I even wrote the word 'funky!' on the DIY front cover!

 

This 10-song selection picks from 1990 to 1994 and is chock full of gems, opening with Freaky Realistic and Subsonic 2, two acts that I loved but never got the attention that they deserved, seemingly due to record label shenanigans and mishandling.

 

The Grid on the other hand hand a monster hit on their hands with Swamp Thing (see what I did there?). It was a thrill to see Dave Ball and Richard Norris on Top Of The Pops, when it was still (just about) worth watching.

 

Fame was fleeting for poor ol' Adamski, sadly. Barely two years after enjoying #1 success, both follow up singles and album failed to make much of an impression, chart-wise. Which is a shame as the PiL-sampling Back To Front was a great single, bolstered by superb remixes by Leftfield. Vocalist Ricky Lyte had also enjoyed Top 5 success thanks to his guest spot (as MC Lyte) with The KLF on What Time Is Love?

 

Peppering their song with a sample announcing that "one spliff a day keeps the evil away" ensured that Fortran 5 were never going to trouble the charts, but Groove takes the already groovy album version down a notch, riding on a infectious bassline. Great stuff.

 

The Shamen, Scritti Politti and Sparks all hook up with remixers du jour, with Tommy D, Apollo 440 and The Rapino Brothers delivering tasty variations.

 

And, to add a little grit to the honey, The Fall's cover of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge, which I was clearly obsessed by in the 1990s, given the number of my mixtapes it appeared on. Admittedly, I still think it's a brilliant version and one that, when it comes crashing through the speakers, I turn up the volume.

1) Something New / Cosmic Love Vibes (Full Frealistic Version): Freaky Realistic (1992)

2) Addicted To Music (Incognito Brass Mix By Jean-Paul Maunick) (Edit): Subsonic 2 (1991)

3) Swamp Thing (Radio Mix): The Grid (1994)

4) Back To Front (Album Version): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

5) Groove (Edit): Fortran 5 ft. Shola Phillips (1991)

6) African And White (The Steve Proctor Remix) (7" Version): China Crisis (1990)

7) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub) (Remix By Tommy D): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

8) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

9) She's A Woman (The Apollo 440 Remix) (Cover of The Beatles): Scritti Politti ft. Shabba Ranks (1991)

10) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (The Rapino Brothers Extended Sola Mix): Sparks (1994)

Side Two (46:09) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here

James, Billy And Derek (Not Eric)

A trio of cover versions that will likely have caused purist fans of the originals to choke on their cornflakes and fire off angry missives to Terry Wogan c/o the BBC.

Personally, I love 'em.

1) Sex Machine: The Flying Lizards (Cover of '(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine' by James Brown) (1984)

2) It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me: Laptop (Cover of Billy Joel) (1999)

3) Layla (Derek Sings Derek): Fortran 5 ft. Derek Nimmo (Cover of Derek & The Dominos) (1993)

 

 

How Are You Feeling? It's A Beautiful Morning!

Keeping with yesterday's uplifting vibes, today's selection is a clutch of songs (mostly) from the early 1990s, packed into an open top car and taken on a remix road trip. Feel the sunshine.

Any such compilation and Andrew Weatherall is almost certain to be found. Here he, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns pop up twice as Sabres Of Paradise. First up is their masterful collaboration with One Dove on Transient Truth, seven minutes of sonic sweetness underpinning Dot Allison's voice. 

Secondly, all double bass funk and squelchy synths, is Red Snapper's classic Hot Flush from 1995. The music couldn't be more different from One Dove, yet Andrew, Jagz and Gary lend both an emotional heft that just can't be described in words. Well, not be me, anyway. This track originally featured on the EP of the same name, collected the same year on the Reeled And Skinned compilation which is an essential introduction to Red Snapper.

Either side of these tracks are a couple of groovy numbers. In reverse order, Fortran 5 are rinsed good and proper by Alex Paterson and Kris 'Thrash' Weston of The Orb. I loved the original album version but The Herbal Supper Mix is a feast of heavy bass, SFX and samples ("one spliff a day keeps the evil away") with Shola Phillips' sweet vocals weaving through. 

Fluke serve up Groovy Feeling, the 1993 single offering half a dozen remixes all named after ice cream varieties. The version here retains the vocal licks and bubbling beats that characterise the Fluke sound.

They pop up again later in the selection with a sublime remix of Beautiful Morning by Sensation, one of my favourites of theirs. The original song was a lovely indie-pop number but Fluke transform it into an energising, irresistible uptempo anthem that has me involuntarily shouting "yeah!" along with singer Johnny Male pretty much every time. Which can be embarrassing if I'm wearing headphones in a public space.

Also feeling the groove are Finitribe, who were so impressed with Justin Robertson's remix of their single Ace Love Deuce that it was the definitive version used on 1992 album An Unexpected Groovy Treat. The additional treat is that the album version is a minute or so longer than the one found on the 12" and CD single. If you're a fan of Justin Robertson's work from the early 1990s, you will not be disappointed.

Underworld come in towards the end of this mix and in such style. I can't remember which came first but their remixes of Water From A Vine Leaf (included here) and Human Behaviour by Björk just blew me away when I first heard them. Twelve minutes of beautifully structured electronic music that was built for the dancefloor yet for me has always worked as songs in their own right, away from the club environment. In both cases, the addition of a unique female vocal is that little push over the edge. In this case, it's Beth Orton (though I think I can hear Karl Hyde in there somewhere too, deep in the mix) joining William Orbit on an epic journey.

Sticking with William Orbit and taking a slight step back into the last year of the 1980s with a mix that pointed to the future. Balearic beats before I had a clue what that even was. Les Negresses Vertes were a Parisian band that I'd seen pop up on TV (the last gasps of The Tube, I guess) but I didn't know much about. I got this remix of 1989 single Zobi La Mouche on a secondhand copy of Beat This! a compilation of dance label Rhythm King originally given away as a cover-mounted CD with Sky Magazine in 1990. William Orbit is joined by fellow Torch Song collaborator Rico Conning, all acoustic strums and rousing calls that scream 'party!' I feel like I've glugged a bottle of red wine and jumped up on the table to dance just listening to it...

 

1) Transient Truth (Album Version By One Dove & Sabres Of Paradise): One Dove (1993)

2) Groovy Feeling (Nutty Chip Cornet): Fluke (1993)

3) Hot Flush (Sabres Of Paradise Remix): Red Snapper (1995)

4) Groove (The Herbal Supper Mix By The Orb): Fortran 5 ft. Shola Phillips (1991)

5) Ace Love Deuce (Justin Robertson Mix) (Album Version): Finitribe (1992)

6) Beautiful Morning (Fluke's Magimix): Sensation (1993)

7) Water From A Vine Leaf (Underwater Mix Part 1) (Remix By Underworld): William Orbit ft. Beth Orton (1993)

8) Zobi La Mouche (The Fly) (Club Mix By William Orbit & Rico Conning): Les Negresses Vertes (1989)

 

1989: Zobi La Mouche EP: 8

1991: Groove EP: 4

1992: An Unexpected Groovy Treat: 5 

1993: Beautiful Morning EP / Welcome To The Future²: 6

1993: Groovy Feeling EP: 2

1993: Morning Dove White: 1 

1993: Water From A Vine Leaf EP: 7

1995: Hot Flush EP / Reeled And Skinned: 3

How Are You Feeling? It's A Beautiful Morning! (57:27) (KF) (Mega)

Hanging On

Gosh, these weekends seem to be coming around quickly...! Here's another uptempo mix to round off the week and usher in a couple of days' respite from what has been a rather full on seven days.

The typically loose theme of today's selection is guest appearances galore. Where else are you likely to find Pharrell Williams rubbing shoulders with Steve Ignorant, Half Pint, Billie Ray Martin, John Grant, Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones, Peter Murphy, Emma Pollock, Zip Rapper, Alison Goldfrapp, KC Flightt, not to mention Carry On film legend Sid James and yesterday's birthday boy Greg Dulli?

The music is largely rooted in the 21st Century, with the occasional dip back into the 1990s, with a smattering of cover versions of Pink Floyd, The Clash and Julee Cruise.

Now all I need is a black coffee and some damn fine cherry pie...

1) A.D.D. S.U.V. (Armand Van Helden Vocal Remix): Uffie ft. Pharrell Williams (2010)

2) Diablo (The Devil Rides Out Mix By Dave Ball & Richard Norris): The Grid ft. Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (1995)

3) I Try To Talk To You (Ha-Ze Factory's Mucho Elegante Rework): Hercules & Love Affair ft. John Grant (2012)

4) Falling (Log Lady Mix - Short Version By Kjeld Tolstrup & Per Holm) (Cover of Julee Cruise): One-Eyed Jacks ft. Zip Rapper (1991)

5) Somebody Needs You: Lo Fidelity Allstars ft. Greg Dulli (2002)

6) Heavy Game (Night Excursion): Hifi Sean ft. Billie Ray Martin (2017)

7) Front 2 Back (Todd Terry Unreleased Mix): Playgroup ft. KC Flightt (2006)

8) Bike (Steve James Mix) (Cover of Pink Floyd): Fortran 5 ft. Sid James (1991)

9) Paper (AXOR Remix By Sam Barker): Starless ft. Emma Pollock (2020)

10) Bankrobber (Cellar Mix) (Cover of The Clash): Audioweb ft. Half Pint (1996)

11) Are We Here? (Industry Standard?): Orbital ft. Alison Goldfrapp (1994)

12) Who D'You Think You're Talking To?: Buscemi ft. Steve Ignorant (2021)

13) We Dive: Rambient ft. Peter Murphy (2001)

 

Hanging On (1:02:47) (Box) (Mega)

Take A Glimpse Of The World

Dusting off more old tunes that haven't popped up on my playlist for a couple of years, predominantly propelling beats with a brief change in pace and (bendy) bass before a rousing run off into the weekend. 

 

My family is sleeping peacefully, Friday is a day off from work and I have a long weekend to look forward. So many do not have that luxury. I continually remind myself how fortunate I am. 

 

Peace be with you all.

1) Going, Going, Gone (Mindwarp Mix By Scott Christian): Information Society (1993)

2) Little Bird (The Brian McCombs Blue Jay Anthem Mix): Annie Lennox (2013)

3) San Francisco (Fred Falke Remix): Citylife ft. DD (2008)

4) The Great Commandment (Acid Commandment Vocal) (Remix By Justin Strauss): Camouflage (1988)

5) Isolation (Time Tunnel Mix By The Grid aka Dave Ball & Richard Norris): Parchman (1993)

6) Hook R: Fortran 5 (1993)

7) Bendy Bass: VCMG (Vince Clarke & Martin Gore) (2012)

8) Rapture (Armin Van Buuren Remix): iiO (2001)

Take A Glimpse Of The World (56:06)

Concocting A Rhythm That You Could Get Lost In...

Side 1 of a mixtape, recorded 5th September 1993, collecting some choice remixes and club cuts from 1989 to 1992. This is the 2nd appearance on this blog of The Stereo MC's remix of Television, previously featured on a 2003 mix CD and my favourite version of the song. Tracks 3 & 7 are taken from a 1990 2CD compilation, Dancemasters Vol. I: The Twelve Inch Mixes. Pianonegro is built around a sample from Masimba Bele by The Unknown Cases. Family Affair is remixed by Mark Brydon, post-Chakk and pre-Moloko and at the time one half of Fon Force. Sly & The Family Stone's Larry Graham provides lead vocals on the closing track by Fortran 5, Dave Lee sprinkling his customary 70s disco dust to great effect. Along the way, you get: a vocal-free opener from Swedish funk/hip-hop act The Stonefunkers; an early-ish remix by Judge Jules of Tim Hutton, perhaps now better known for his work with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Sugardaddy; System 7 collaborating with Derrick May and showcasing the wonderful vocals of Ultra Naté; Merlin and Billie Ray Martin trading off on a standout track from Original Soundtrack, the debut album by S'Express.

1) Can U Follow (TV Track): The Stonefunkers (1991)

2) Television, The Drug Of The Nation (Ultimatum Remix By The Stereo MC's): The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy (1991)

3) Pianonegro (Honky Tonk Remix By Creative Source aka Tim Bran, Ingmar Kiang & Nick Harris): Pianonegro (1990)

4) The Prophet (Vocal Dub Mix By Judge Jules): Tim Hutton (1992)

5) Altitude (Paradox) (Deep Mix By Steve Hillage & Derrick May): System 7 ft. Ultra Naté (1992)

6) Pimps, Pushers, Prostitutes (Album Version): S'Express ft. Merlin & Billie Ray Martin (1989)

7) Family Affair (Echo Vox Mix By Mark Brydon): Sly & The Family Stone (1990)

8) Look To The Future (Joey Negro's "Future Mind" Mix By Dave Lee & Andrew Livingstone): Fortran 5 ft. Larry Graham & Candy Mckenzie (1992)

Side One (46:25) (Box) (Mega)