Friday On Friday

There's a long-running and ongoing series on BlueSky called #FallFriday which - no surprise here - sees people posting a song by The Fall on a Friday.

This is my first contribution to #FallFriday and of course I had to be a clever dick by picking a song that guest stars Gavin Friday.

Clear Off! wasn't even a single, but followed on from Draygo's Guilt on Side 1 of the Call For Escape Route EP, a 1984 12" single which came with a free 7" single, racking up five songs in total. All bloody good songs, too.

Clear Off! isn't Gavin's only collaboration with Mark E. Smith and co., maybe I'll feature either or both when I finally have the nerve to create a Dubhed selection for The Fall...

When the off license asks

I've been 2 months

Checks the crack

On their forehead

Should comb a hair

Over that

And these Czech shoes

Are a bloody reminder

And this town

Is not much different

The clothes, the stooped appearance

Over the hill

Goes killer civil servant

I still remember

The white leafy border

The scheiss in winter

Over the hill

Goes killer civil servant

There's a song she had before

Borough town

That had the snappy rejoinder

Who's there?

What's wrong?

Clear off!

Live It Well

Not a lot of chat today as I've been plagued by power cuts whilst composing this post and it's accompanying selection. Only brief ones, but they've knocked out the PC every time and it's taken increasingly longer to get everything up and running again. And it's raining again.

"Arse!" as Father Jack was inclined to say, well, shout.

In that spirit, here's some joie de vivre courtesy of a dozen songs that have already brightened up my 2026; some only just so as they were released for Bandcamp Friday.

Again, I've found myself with an embarrassment of riches and have compiled 12 of them for your listening pleasure today, and this weekend.

Spare Snare's cover of Say My Name by Destiny's Child has been knocking around since 2001, but it's just reappeared on brand new compilation, Love Your Later Stuff, so it gets in on a technicality. That, and it segues beautifully into the dub of Jezebell's Turn It Yes by Justin Robertson's Five Green Moons.

It was a chance check in with the official Gavin Friday website that led me to the David Holmes remix of The Church Of Love, which snuck out earlier this year. 

And if you enjoy the song by Al MacKenzie (D:Ream) which gives today's post it's title (well, half of it at least) I will be coming back to the Evil Acid Barons album, which is an early contender for compilation of the year... and only a handful of tracks have been released so far.

1) Protector: SAULT (Chapter 1)

2) Life Is Short, Live It Well (Vocal Mix): Al MacKenzie (Evil Acid Barons)

3) Program 70: Pye Corner Audio (Program 70 EP)

4) Love To Watch U: A_M_B_O_S_S (Machine X Human EP)

5) Nothing Ever (Tom Sharkett Remix): GLOK / Timothy Clerkin (Alliance Remixed)

6) Surrounded By Spies (Richard Norris Dub): Placebo (Surrounded By Spies EP)

7) Song Of Siraba (Cosmikuro Remix): A Space Age Freak Out (Song Of Siraba EP)

8) My Electric Dreams (Airsine Remix): Pete Bones (My Electric Dreams EP)

9) The Church Of Love (David Holmes Remix): Gavin Friday (The Church Of Love And Dancing EP)

10) Say My Name (Cover of Destiny's Child): Spare Snare (2001) (Love Your Later Stuff)

11) Turn It Yes (Justin Robertson's Five Green Moons Dub): Jezebell (Turn It Yes Remixes Vol. 1 EP)

12) Môgôya (BOM Nation Remix): Namian Sidibé (Remix EP)

Live It Well (1:07:07) (GD) (M)

Boxing Day, Fighting Fit, Gloves Off

Boxing Day blues kicking in already?

Fear not, I've created a brand new hour-long Dubhed selection to banish the blues and hopefully not leave you seeing red!

I worried that my 2021 Boxing Day offering was too obvious, being themed around boxes. Four years later, I've clearly not learned my lesson, as today's selection is based on boxing-themed song titles. 

In fact, it turned out that I hit a rich seam of gold in my digging, unearthing enough songs for at least one more selection. 

Left out of the ring on this occasion were The Affectionate Punch by Associates, Pulling Punches by David Sylvian, Punch Drunk by Gene Loves Jezebel, One Armed Boxer by Lee 'Scratch' Perry & The Upsetters, Saved By The Bell by Robin Gibb and of course Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) by Talking Heads.

Decayed, my recent series focussing on the 1990s, also featuring boxing obsessed songs like Muhammad Ali by Faithless, Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III by Cornershop and Heavyweight Champion Of The World by Reverend & The Makers, all left in the changing room on this occasion.

I think, blow-by-blow the fifteen rounds here deliver a knockout selection, an (upper) cut above the rest and proof if needed that I'm in your corner. 

And before I stretch my efforts to insert boxing references too far, it's time to hang up my gloves, know what I mean, 'Arry?

1) The Boxer (Album Version): The Chemical Brothers ft. Tim Burgess (2005)

2) Knockout Position (DJ Muggs Remix): Kaliphz (1995)

3) Another Blow On The Bruise: Gavin Friday & The Man Seezer (1989)

4) Sucker Punch: Fujiya & Miyagi (2006)

5) Fighting Fit (Album Version): Gene (1996)

6) Southpaw (Fluke's Glassjaw Remix): Trisco (2005)

7) Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer): Happy Mondays ft. Karl Denver (1989)

8) Lightweight: Marco Rossi (2024)

9) Down And Out: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (2015)

10) The Boxer (Cover of Simon & Garfunkel): Bob Dylan (1970)

11) Still Fighting: The Sabres Of Paradise ft. Denise Johnson (1993)

12) Knuckle Sandwich Nancy: Slade (1981)

13) Reign Of Blows: XTC (1984)

14) Boxerbeat (Album Version): JoBoxers (1983)

15) Boxing Clever: The Selecter (2023)

1970: Self Portrait: 10

1981: Till Deaf Do Us Part: 12

1983: Like Gangbusters: 14

1984: The Big Express: 13

1989: Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves: 3

1989: Lazyitis EP: 7

1993: Sabresonic:: 11

1995: Seven Deadly Sins: 2

1996: Drawn To The Deep End: 5

2005: Push The Button: 1

2005: Southpaw EP: 6

2006: Transparent Things: 4

2015: Freedom Tower No Wave Dance Party 2015: 9

2023: Human Algebra: 15

2024: Since Returning From The Moon: 8

Boxing Day, Fighting Fit, Gloves Off (1:01:50) (GD) (M)

Northern Synth Soul Weekender (Sunday)

Day 2 of a non-stop erotic cabaret weekend, celebrating the genius of Dave Ball.
 

It's impossible to talk about Dave Ball without referring to Soft Cell and The Grid, and inevitably they both feature heavily in today's second selection of choice cuts from Dave's career.

Dave's work with Marc Almond and Richard Norris is incredible in it's span, not only in terms of commercial success, but also in it's ambition and longevity. However, it's not the only evidence of what, from the outside looking in, portrays Dave as a person that others wanted to work with and keep working with, time and time again.

I mentioned Psychic TV yesterday and Dave's involvement with Genesis P-Orridge in the late 1980s on the legendary 'acid house' albums Jack The Tab and Tekno Acid Beat.  I featured Joy, the lead single from the latter, on Saturday's selection. I also noted Genesis' appearance on Dave's solo album, In Strict Tempo, and today features Man In The Man, one the two songs they co-wrote.

Gavin Friday also appears on In Strict Tempo, and was another frequent flyer with Dave. Gavin co-wrote and sang on the (almost) title track in 1983; The Grid remixed Gavin's 1996 single You Me And World War Three. In 2009, Dave and Gavin recorded a cover of Ghostrider by Suicide, released on 10* vinyl the following year for Alan Vega's 70th Birthday Limited Edition EP Series. 

In 2019, another long-term friend and collaborator, Anni Hogan, released the album Lost In Blue, produced by Dave. The penultimate song, Angels Of Romance, features - you guessed it - Gavin. Last year, I was delighted that Gavin returned with a new solo album, Ecce Homo, with Dave joining him at the controls. The title track is an essential pick here.

The other significant 'duo' for me is Dave's work with Ingo Vauk, which often seems to be overlooked and understated. Ingo is credited as an engineer on The Grid's debut album Electric Head in 1990, the start of a songwriting and production partnership. 

Although Dave and Ingo never 'formed a band' and released their own music, you may be surprised at how many songs in your collection credit the pair. Kylie Minogue's 1998 single Breathe? They co-wrote and produced it. The 'Double Click' and 'Lost In Space' remixes of Hallo Spaceboy by David Bowie? That's them. Billie Ray Martin's 1999 single Honey? They produced it. In fact, Ingo was in the studio (as engineer) with Dave and Richard in 1993 for Billiie's sublime 4 Ambient Tales EP, which also features here. 

The point that all of the above is labouring is that Dave is repeatedly described as a lovely bloke and this is borne out by the number of people that continued to work with him throughout his career. 

In Marc Almond's 1999 autobiography, Tainted Life (which I really must read again), he recalls that

"When Dave Ball had walked into Leeds Polytechnic in the autumn of 1977, 

the first person he had bumped into was me. 

We couldn't have been more contrasting: 

Dave in a denim jacket, jeans and desert wellies, 

tall and stocky with black curly hair; 

me in gold-lamé trousers, a leopard skin T-shirt 

on a small skinny frame with a blond crop. 

He asked me the way to the art department, 

and I pointed him down the corridor. 

Neither of us then could have imagined the strange adventure 

we be embarking on in less than three years' time, 

nor even that this encounter would have any significance at all."

Richard Norris' 2024 autobiography, Strange Things Are Happening (also sitting on my bookshelf) recounts the making of the Jack The Tab album in 1987:

"On the Sunday, Gen brings along a friend to help with the proceedings - 

Soft Cell keyboard player Dave Ball. 

I'm a little intimidated. 

We've all been bopping about in the studio, mucking about, 

adding vocals and mad effects. 

A deranged nightclub meets laboratory experiment. 

Having Dave here makes things feel a little more professional. 

He's an actual pop star, after all. 

How is he going to fit in with these demented tracks 

featuring wolves howling, falsetto Tiny Tim samples and 

Gen and Paula's bedroom tapes?

Very well, it turns out."

I'd been meaning to get Dave Ball's autobiography, Electronic Boy, for some time. Sadly, it's taken his passing to give me the proverbial boot and order a copy. I'm looking forward to reading Dave's own recollections of this incredible life in music, albeit with a sadness that the last chapter has been written.

Dave's music endures, however, and today's selection once again provides the merest hint of how and why this is so.

I said yesterday that I would often buy a record solely because Dave's name was on it somewhere and there are a couple of examples here. I was never a huge fan of Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine at the time (although I've since revised my opinion), yet seeing the words "Remixed by The Grid" on a promo 12" of 1994 single Glam Rock Cops was enough to make me buy, buy. buy. Three great remixes, titles inspired by The Sweeney and Kojak, I've picked the main extended version to open today's proceedings.

Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson is a phenomenally talented violin player and in 1990s had a similar impact in popularising the instrument - and classical music in general - as Nigel Kennedy had in the previous decade. Dave and Ingo did a couple of remixes for a USA-only 12" single in 1995; the version of Classical Gas featured here arrived in the UK in 1997 as a bonus track on the CD single of I Feel Love. 

The aforementioned Breathe by Kylie Minogue was featured on her album Impossible Princess, before Lady Di's death caused the record to be pulled and reissued as a self-titled album. The single featured remixes by Todd Terry and Sash! though neither come close to the original production by Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk. I'll commit myself to saying it's my favourite Kylie single ever.

Vicious Pink Phenomena (later just Vicious Pink) aka Josie Warden and Brian Moss, started out as backing vocalists for Soft Cell. Dave Ball produced their debut single in 1982 and reappeared (albeit uncredited) on their unexpected 2024 album called, er, Unexpected.

Billie Ray Martin is rarely far away from my playlist, having initially come to my attention with Electribe 101 then via a continuing solo career. The latter launched with a cover of Persuasion by Throbbing Gristle then followed up with the 4 Ambient Tales EP, produced by Dave Ball and Richard Norris as The Grid. It's a beautiful, beautiful quartet of songs and essential listening. 

Hifi Sean is very popular around these parts and his (currently three) albums with David McAlmont are magical, to say the least. In 2016, Sean released his first 'solo' album, Ft., which as the title suggests features collaborations with David, Fred Schneider, Maggie DuMonde and Yoko Ono. On Ultratheque, Sean pairs with Dave Ball and delivers a club classic that nods to the past whilst embracing the future. Great stuff.

Soft Cell and The Grid inevitably remain present throughout the selection. The Grid's follow up to Floatation, also featuring Sacha Souter, is A Beat Called Love. It got to #64 in the UK charts in September 1990. Criminal. It should have been a number one.

The remix of Loving You, Hating Me added here appeared on a promo 12" single in 1983 and is about a minute longer and very different from the version that appeared on the official 12" single and subsequent compilations. 

Last Chance appeared on Soft Cell's 2002 'comeback' Cruelty Without Beauty, which again deserved better than it got at the time. I was thrilled that Dave and Marc were back together and, unlike so many reunions, they remained true to Soft Cell's identity and mission statement without trying to recreate the past.

And there you have it. I struggled a lot with shortlisting a selection of Dave's music, because every single second of it was up for inclusion. I'm happy with the two 12-song selections that I've presented this weekend, in the hope that you'll be inspired by songs you know - and those you don't - to play even more, now and for years to come.

The electronic boy done good.

Thanks Dave, for the light, the shade, the darkness, the joy, the dancing and so many utterly fantastic tunes.

1) Glam Rock Cops (Regan & Carter Mix By The Grid): Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (1994)

2) A Beat Called Love (Album Version): The Grid ft. Sacha Souter (1990)

3) Loving You, Hating Me (Special Mix By Soft Cell & Mike Thorne): Soft Cell (1983)

4) Breathe (Radio Edit By Dave Ball & Ingo Vauk): Kylie Minogue (1998)

5) Classical Gas (Stradosphere Mix By Dave Ball & Ingo Vauk): Vanessa-Mae (1995)

6) Ghostrider (Cover of Suicide): Gavin Friday & Dave Ball (2009)

7) Man In The Man: Dave Ball ft. Genesis P-Orridge (1983)

8) My Private Tokyo (Remix By Dave Ball): Vicious Pink Phenomena (1982)

9) Planet Of The Blue (Single Version By The Grid): Billie Ray Martin (1993)

10) Ultratheque (Album Version): Hifi Sean ft. Dave Ball (2016)

11) Ecce Homo (Album Version By Dave Ball & Michael Heffernan): Gavin Friday (2024)

12) Last Chance (Album Version By Dave Ball & Ingo Vauk): Soft Cell (2002)

1982: My Private Tokyo EP: 8

1983: In Strict Tempo: 7

1983: Loving You, Hating Me EP: 3

1990: Electric Head: 2

1993: 4 Ambient Tales EP: 9

1994: Glam Rock Cops EP: 1

1995: Classical Gas EP: 5

1998: Breathe EP: 4

2002: Cruelty Without Beauty: 12

2010: Ghostrider EP: 6

2016: Ft.: 10

2024: Ecce Homo: 11

Northern Synth Soul Weekender (Sunday) (1:02:08) (GD) (M)

Roots 'n' Culture, Thirty Years Later

Side 2 of a mixtape recorded sometime around September 1995. 

 

Whereas yesterday's selection was a tape from my brother's former girlfriend, today's is a cassette that I made for a girlfriend that I lived with in the second half of the 1990s. 

 

1995 was the height of Britpop and the dance/indie crossover, both of which was reflected in the mightily impressive line-up for Bristol Sound City '95 running from 17th to 23rd April that year. 

 

Pulp! Radiohead! The Prodigy! Suede! Supergrass! Orbital! Sleeper! Gene! The Chemical Brothers! Teenage Fanclub! Skunk Anansie! The Orb! Elastica! The Bluetones! Utah Saints! Ash! dEUS! Dreadzone! Reef! Marion! and er, Menswe@r!

 

Not that I went to any of these gigs, or was paying that much attention, judging by my track listing over the two sides of C90. The only Sound City '95 act to make the cut was The Jesus & Mary Chain, and nearly half of Side 2 stuck in 1992, with only Björk and Gavin Friday representing releases in 1995.

For all that, I really like this compilation. Both sides kick off with an instrumental, Barry Adamson on Side 1 and the timeless (and beatless) Smokebelch II by The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. 

A fair few cover versions on this side too, from The Fall, Björk and Vegas, the short-lived partnership of David A. Stewart and Terry Hall.

The LFO track first appeared on the book/CD series Volume Three in 1992, although I didn't get to hear it until I bought the two 2CD 'Best Of Volume' compilations that emerged in 1995. Slow Down Speedy appeared on the first, entitled Wasted, but both are worth tracking down.

And Julian Cope makes a brief cameo, right at the end of the selection, as only he can.

 

This particular love story didn't have a happy ending, but the music never let us down. 

 

1) Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1993)

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

3) Bonita Mañana (Gang Starr Vocal Mix): Espiritu (1994)

4) Deee-Lite Theme (Global Village Mix): Deee-Lite (1991)

5) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

6) Honey Power (Single Version + Instrumental Coda): My Bloody Valentine (1991)

7) It's Oh So Quiet (Album Version) (Cover of Betty Hutton): Björk (1995)

8) Slow Down Speedy: LFO (1992)

9) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs (1992)

10) Trance Of Hatred: Barry Adamson ft. Maria Zastrow (1992)

11) She (Disco Mix) (Cover of Charles Aznavour): Vegas (1992)

12) Angel (7" Edit): Gavin Friday (1995)

13) Cool Hand Flute (Original Mix): Fluke (1989)

14) Peggy Suicide is Missing...: Julian Cope (1992)

 

1989: Thumper / Cool Hand Flute EP: 13

1991: Power Of Love EP: 4

1991: Tremolo EP: 6 

1992: Jehovahkill: 14

1992: Phorever People EP: 5 

1992: She EP: 11

1992: Showgirl EP: 9

1992: Soul Murder: 10

1992: Volume Three: 8

1993: Sabresonic: 1

1993: Why Are People Grudgeful? EP: 2

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 3 

1995: Angel EP: 12

1995: Post: 7

Side Two (46:39) (KF) (Mega)

 

And for those of you who weren't here 993 days ago when I posted Side 1, you can find it here.

You Don't Dance...Except At The Weekend

2024 has served up it's fair share of top notch electronic music and remixes and here's another eight reasons why.

Just over an hour of tunes that have been pumping on my stereo, a mix of well-known names and artists that I've heard for the first time on my many online shopping runs this year. 

All of today's selections are available to purchase digitally (links included in the song title), if you're considering a gift to yourself as a thank you for buying presents for all those other people.

1) Like This (Mindbender Remix By Mårten Attling): Stylic

2) You Don't Dance (Kenneth Bager Remix): Hess Is More

3) Ecce Homo (Apparition Remix By Michael Heffernan): Gavin Friday

4) Blind On A Galloping Horse (Sons Of Slough Remix By Duncan Gray & Ian Weatherall): David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

5) Aerodromes (David Holmes Remix): Acid Klaus ft. Philly Piper

6) Weekend Machines (Shubostar Remix By Jiyoung Bak): Jezebell

7) End Of Times (Rude Audio's Protean Remix By Mark Ratcliff): David Harrow + Little Annie

8) Real Magnificent (sLEdger Remix By Robin Dallison): Fluke ft. Leah Cleaver

You Don't Dance...Except At The Weekend (1:01:13) (KF) (Mega)

If It's Saturday, It Must Be Friday

The dust has barely settled on my Gavin Friday post earlier this month, enthusing about his long overdue new album, Ecce Homo, out on 25th October.

However, trawling t'internet for a completely unrelated music video threw up a performance of Caruso (from 1995 album Shag Tobacco) for Dutch TV show 2 Meter Sessions on 14th September 1995. 

 

It's a hugely underrated album by a (in my opinion) hugely underappreciated artist and this is a fantastic version, Gavin alternating between jewel encrusted megaphone and cigarette gravelled voice right into the mike.

This inevitably started a meander through other Gavin videos out there, so here are six for your weekend pleasure, including - at last - a decent quality version of another Shag Tobacco classic (and lead single), Angel. 

I've also discovered an extract from a RTE TV tribute to David Bowie called Starman, aired on Irish TV in 2021, and featuring Gavin performing The Bewlay Brothers from Hunky Dory. 

King Of Trash, another should-have-been-a-hit single from 1992's Adam 'n' Eve, also got the bold, brash, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink official video treatment.

 

You Take Away The Sun featured on 1989's album Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves, Gavin's first with Maurice Roycroft aka The Man Seezer. No idea where this live version was performed, and it looks like it's been taped off the telly, judging by the abrupt ending. Lovely, impassioned performance.

Lastly, Caucasian Walk by Gavin's former band Virgin Prunes, from the Waterpop festival on 11th August 2012. It's one of seven songs available online, possibly the entire set, all worth a look.

I can only hope that Gavin's planning to tour Ecce Homo and, better still, wind up in my neck of the woods as he is a mesmerising performer and I would love to see him live on stage.

1) Caruso (Live On 2 Meter Sessions) (1995)

2) King Of Trash (Official Video) (1992)

3) The Bewlay Brothers (Cover of David Bowie) (ft. The RTE Orchestra) (2021)

4) Angel (Official Video) (1995)

5) You Take Away The Sun (Live) (1989)

6) Caucasian Walk (Cover of Virgin Prunes) (Live @ Waterpop, Netherlands) (2012)

In April 2022, I posted a Gavin Friday mixtape side that I originally recorded in July 1997 called Hearsay & Heresy. I've reactivated the link and you can find it here.

 

 

 

 

Lost And Double Crossed, All In The Name Of Original Sin

There's a ton of new releases, all worth posting about but as it's Friday, could it be anyone else but Gavin Friday?!

 

I visit Gavin's official website fairly often, holding out hope for a new album, but there had been no news updates since April this year, none of which hinted at that anything was in the works.

 

Suddenly on Wednesday (4th), there was a burst of excitement with the surprise drop of a brand new single and, even better, the prospect of a new album next month. Both are titled Ecce Homo. 

 

As all you Latin lovers (the language, that is) will recognise, Ecce Homo translates as "Behold The Man" and is a phrase attributed to Pontius Pilate (John 19:5 in The BIble, I am told) addressing the Jews demanding the crucifixion of Christ. Thematically, no surprise given Friday's penchant for exploring his faith. His last album was even more on the nose, titled Catholic.

 

What's surprising, aside from the fact that (discounting soundtracks) this is only Gavin's fourth 'solo' album in 35 years and his first since 2011, is the fact that Ecce Homo (the single) is an insistent, pulsing tune that recalls The Grid's remix of You Me And World War Three from 1996. It makes much more sense when revealed that Dave Ball (The Grid, Soft Cell) has co-produced the album. 

 

Gavin is spot on when he describes the song as "my own personal kick in the head and kiss on the cheek to a world gone very wrong."  

 

The 4-track EP comes with an instrumental version, plus two remixes by Smallboy aka Jochen Schmalbach and Apparition aka Michael Heffernan, who has worked with Gavin previously. Bangers, both.

 

Ecce Homo the single is out now. Ecce Homo the album is out in October, the same month as Gavin's 65th birthday. Expect more Fridays with Gavin Friday here when it's released.

Still Dripping Onto My Tongue

Side 2 of a cassette compilation recorded 13th January 2003. A return trip to the early-to-mid 1990s with some mid-week bangers.

 

The first of a double bill of The Grid on this side, Dave Ball and Richard Norris remixing one of Dublin's finest, Fionán Martin Hanvey aka Gavin Friday. You Me And World War Three was a single from Gavin's criminally underrated album, Shag Tobacco. 

From Dublin to London via Bristol as Way Out West rework Lucky Monkeys... well, it's Fluke really, using an alias to release the rather tip top tune Bjango on another label. Bjeautiful bjeats, one might say.

Next up a game of "Where's Bryan?" as Monsieur Ferry's cover of a Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic gets remixed beyond recognition by The Future Sound Of London. There were two Yage mixes on the CD single, one at 5 minutes and the 'Long Version' featured here just tipping the 10 minute mark. 

Shades Of Rhythm are Nick Slater, Kevin Lancaster and Rayan Hepburn. In 1991, they released Sound Of Eden on ZTT, with a re-release featuring a ton of remixes following a couple of years later. The Coco, Steel & Lovebomb Mix featured here is from the re-release (CD single). It's the only Shades Of Rhythm record that I own, but I've just discovered that they've been steadily releasing music from the archives on Bandcamp for the last couple of years, so I will check it out.

Back to The Grid with standalone single Diablo from 1995, featuring the vocals of another Dubhed favourite, Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones. Similar in tone to mega hit Swamp Thing, replacing the Deep South for Mexico, Diablo didn't match the success of the former but I never tire of hearing this song, especially in the full length version included here.

Rounding off this side is Rising High Collective aka Plavka Lonich and Caspar Pound. Caspar sadly passed in 2004, only 33 years old. Plavka has continued in music, both as a collaborator - most famously with Jam & Spoon - and as a solo artist. Her latest single, In The VIP, was released last month and you can find Plavka's recent releases on YouTube.

 

1) You Me And World War Three (Armageddon Mix By The Grid aka Dave Ball & Richard Norris): Gavin Friday (1996)

2) Bjango (Way Out West 'Bjangin' Dub) (Remix By Nick Warren & Jody Wisternoff): Lucky Monkeys (1996) 

3) I Put A Spell On You (Yage Mix Long Version By The Future Sound Of London aka Brian Dougans & Garry Cobain) (Cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins): Bryan Ferry (1993)

4) Sound Of Eden (Coco, Steel & Lovebomb Mix By Chris Mellor): Shades Of Rhythm (1993)

5) Diablo (Acapulco Gold Mix By Dave Ball & Richard Norris): The Grid ft. Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (1995)

6) Liquid (Perry & Rhodan Mix By Ralph Hertwig & Tommi Eckart): Rising High Collective (1994)

 

Side Two (45:55) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here

Alien Attack!

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, featuring some indie - and not-so-indie - tunes, recorded 22nd July 1998.

 

Tenuous link(s) time: 

 

1) Today's photo is a TV screen grab of a scene from 1982 film The Soldier, which grabbed my attention in a late-hours/should-have-gone-to-bed moment solely because the credits mentioned the soundtrack music was by Tangerine Dream. I sat through the film (I may have had a couple of micro sleeps in between) and coming to a realisation at the end that at least it was an hour and a half of my life I wouldn't have to repeat. The film's tenuous link to today's mixtape title is that whilst there clearly is an attack (one of many), there are zero aliens from start to finish. Putting aliens in the film may have actually helped.

2) Previous Friday selections have often tried to get the party started, with some upbeat music, daring some times with some actual disco (never a particularly popular choice, it seems). Today's tenuous link to Friday music is that the selection includes a song by Gavin Friday. I'm not expecting any comments that this selection has generated an uncontrollable urge to conga into the streets, banging a saucepan with a wooden spoon, whooping with delight and urging your neighbours to join the line.

For all that, much to enjoy, I hope. A couple of big hitters with Radiohead and The Smashing Pumpkins, a couple of off-shoot projects with The Sea Nymphs (Cardiacs) and Black Box Recorder (Luke Haines/The Auteurs), a couple from the 1980s with My Bloody Valentine and It's Immaterial and one 1970s alternative classic from Big Star.

 

Other than that, it's mid-late 1990s all the way with Stereolab, Leila, the aforementioned Gavin Friday, The High Llamas and The Wolfgang Press.   

 

Now, excuse me whilst I go and find a saucepan and wooden spoon, I've got me some whooping and a-hollering and, er, conga-ing to do...

 

1) (Nice Dream) (Album Version): Radiohead (1995)

2) Monstre Sacre: Stereolab (1996)

3) No More Sorry: My Bloody Valentine (1988)

4) Eye: The Smashing Pumpkins (1996)

5) Misunderstood (Album Version): Leila ft. Donna Paul (1998)

6) Dolls: Gavin Friday (1995)

7) The Sweet Life: It's Immaterial (1986)

8) Christ Alive: The Sea Nymphs (1995)

9) Showstop Hip Hop (Edit): The High Llamas (1997)

10) Kanga Roo: Big Star (1975)

11) Ideal Home: Black Box Recorder (1998)

12) Chains (Album Version): The Wolfgang Press ft. Claudia Fontaine (1995)

 

1975: 3rd: 10

1986: Life's Hard And Then You Die: 7

1988: Isn't Anything: 3

1995: The Bends: 1

1995: Funky Little Demons: 12

1995: The Sea Nymphs: 8

1995: Shag Tobacco: 6

1996: Emperor Tomato Ketchup: 2 

1996: Lost Highway OST: 4

1998: England Made Me: 11

1998: In-Car Stereo (Melody Maker promo CD): 9

1998: Like Weather: 5

 

Side Two (46:43) (Box) (Mega)

Bono On The Fourth Of July

Today's selection is a U2 mixtape, recorded 24th August 1997. Thanks to those of you who didn't click and close as soon as you saw the post title and opening sentence. 

Judging by the date, this compilation tape was most likely recorded in a slightly different form for my friend Stuart as a) his birthday was a few days prior to this and b) he is a lifelong fan of U2. It's a testament to how good a friend Stuart is, that he let me borrow his collection of U2 7" singles to take into school for a class presentation. We weren't even at the same school, let alone in the same class, yet he trusted me enough not to let him down. The look on his face when I told him I'd sold the lot to "Frankie" Stein for five quid and a mega bag of Wotsits was priceless...I'm joking, of course. Or am I?

Given that I wasn't particularly a U2 fan and knew much more about other music artists that I did like, made my choice of class presentation a little odd, to say the least. Maybe class 5M wasn't ready to be enlightened about Julian Cope, had little interest in The Sisters Of Mercy and would have raised an eyebrow at Prefab Sprout. This wasn't the oddest thing I did at school, but the reaction of the class to my 10 minute talk on Bono and chums is thankfully lost in the mists of time.

Whilst I was largely indifferent to the appeals of a U2 album, I'll admit that I did enjoy a U2 remix and as the late 1980s turned into the early 1990s, there were plenty to choose from. If nothing else, the band (or their team) got some decent DJs and producers in to increase the BPM and reduce the BS: Paul Oakenfold, Steve Osborne, Terry Farley, Pete Heller, Tim Simenon, David Morales, Trevor Jackson, Dave Dorrell, Stereo MC's, Apollo 440, DJ Muggs, Rollo, Rob Dougan, even Massive Attack.

In 1995, U2's fanzine Propaganda provided members with a special CD release called Melon, compiling nine of the band's best remixes. Melon was heavily bootlegged and I came across a copy in Revolver Records off Clifton Triangle in Bristol. Revolver was a brilliant record shop but an intimidating experience. I fully expected a disdainful stare when I took my clutch of purchases to owner Roger at the counter, the Melon bootleg tucked away between some more worthy purchases. I didn't; perhaps on this occasion he was just relieved to finally be shot of the thing.

This particular CD was a great quality bootleg, but soon a veritable feast of similarly-themed bootlegs began to appear: Kiwi, Orange, Mango, Banana, Grapes, Papaya, More Melon; with diminishing returns in terms of artwork and sound quality. I picked up the first three secondhand from Replay Records to round up some of the rare, promo-only mixes that I was interested in, but skipped the rest. Naming the mixtape Fruit Salad was a nod to the source material of the original compilation.

 

In 2002, U2 released The Best Of 1990-2000, a (not very) limited edition with a bonus disc of B-Sides that included some of the remixes from the bootlegs, albeit in truncated, early fade edits that are best avoided. The remix of Desire is the version from the UK 12" single, but there is a promo 12" out there featuring the full length Hollywood Remix, stretching to over nine minutes. You have been warned.

The original Fruit Salad mixtape closed out Side 2 with a snippet of the Momo's Reprise remix of Lemon by David Morales for no other reason than the tape was running a bit short. I've left it off of today's recreation. Little consolation if you hate Bono and friends' music with a passion (or Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne, for that matter, as there's a fair bit of them too). However, if you specifically dislike Larry Mullen Jr's drumming, you're in for a real treat. 

 

Normal service will resume tomorrow.

 

Side One

1) Zooropa (911 Mix By John M. Pillin Jr.) (1993)

2) Lemon (The Perfecto Mix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne) (1993)

3) Until The End Of The World (Short Life Mix By Ultra Hot Razor Crew) (1996)

4) Night And Day (Steel String Remix By Youth) (Cover of Fred Astaire) (1990)

5) Stay (Faraway So Close!) (Underdog Mix By Trevor Jackson) (1995)

6) Mysterious Ways (The Perfecto Mix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne) (1991)

7) God Part II (The Hard Metal Dance Club Mix By Louis Silas Jr. & David Bianco) (UK 12” Edit) (1988)

Side Two

1) Even Better Than The Real Thing (The Perfecto Mix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne) (1992)

2) In The Name Of The Father (Unidare Mix By Tim Simenon): Bono & Gavin Friday (1994)

3) Lady With The Spinning Head (Extended Dance Mix By Alan Moulder) (1992)

4) Desire (Hollywood Remix By Louis Silas Jr. & Taavi Mote) (UK 12" Edit) (1988)

5) Salomé (Zooromancer Remix By Terry Farley & Pete Heller) (Full Length) (1992)

6) Can't Help Falling In Love (Mystery Train Dub Edit By Dave Dorrell) (Cover of Elvis Presley) (1992)

7) Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix By Rollo & Rob Dougan) (Full Length) (1995)

Kiwi: A4, A7, B3, B4

Mango: B2

Melon: A2, A5, A6, B1, B5, B7

Orange: A1, A3, B6

Side One (46:03)

Side Two (45:35)