Fill The Skies

Heading back to the mid-late 1970s today with a clutch of songs that are guaranteed to get me moving or, even worse, singing along. 

Although the music dates from before I started buying records, the songs here by Roxy Music, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, The Boomtown Rats and David Bowie all made an impression on me at an early age. Japan's version of The Velvet Underground came to my attention when it was re-released in the early 1980s and it was probably another couple of years before I even heard the original. James White & The Blacks - and the whole No Wave/Ze Records scene - found their way to me in the late 1980s, although Kid Creole & The Coconuts were popular way before then. I'd explored Lou Reed's early 1970s albums and also the run of albums starting with New York before I went back to his mid-late 1970s work, including Coney Island Baby.

Songs then that don't represent a single period in time for me and instead are scattered through my record buying history, triggering individual and special memories every time I hear them.

1) Angel Eyes (12" Remix): Roxy Music (1979)

2) Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 (7" Version): Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1978)

3) Contort Yourself (Album Version): James White & The Blacks (1979)

4) Rat Trap (Album Version): The Boomtown Rats (1978)

5) All Tomorrow's Parties (Album Version) (Cover of The Velvet Underground): Japan (1979)

6) Leave Me Alone (Unreleased Version): Lou Reed (1976)

7) John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) (12" Version): David Bowie (1975)

1978: A Tonic For The Troops: 4

1979: Angel Eyes EP: 1

1979: John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) EP: 7

1979: Off White: 3 

1979: Quiet Life: 5

1979: Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 EP: 2

1992: Between Thought And Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology: 6

Fill The Skies (40:37) (Box) (Mega)

Polaroid

In 2005, my wife and I spent a month in Japan, barely a whistle stop tour in the scheme of things but taking in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara, Mount Fuji and the beautiful Shiraito Falls. It was about halfway between getting married and becoming parents and was a thrilling, enlightening few weeks for us both.

A decade and a half prior to that, I'd spent a year working and travelling in Australia. I started in Perth and then went anti-clockwise around the continent, again in retrospect barely scratching the surface, but having a life changing experience and meeting some incredible people along the way. As I was travelling anti-clockwise, at the same time my future wife was travelling clockwise around Australia. I didn't meet her for another decade but we've often wondered and smiled at the what ifs and coincidences.

 

Music was, unsurprisingly, a staple of my travels and I didn't go anywhere without my Walkman and a bunch of cassettes. One of my C90s for my Oz tour had Associates' Sulk on side A and a homemade Japan compilation on side B. Looking at the selection, I think it's reasonable to assume that at the time I recorded this (circa 1989) my collection was limited to a vinyl copy of Assemblage and a few singles, including an Old Gold 12". One featured a version of Life In Tokyo that I'd previously only heard on my brother's cassette version of Assemblage, which had a whole side of bonus tracks. For this playlist, I've swapped the single edit of Gentleman Take Polaroids from the Cantonese Boy 2x 7" for the full length album version because... why not?!

 

1) All Tomorrow's Parties (12" Version By Steve Nye) (Cover of The Velvet Underground) (1983)

2) Quiet Life (Album Version By John Punter) (1979)

3) Gentlemen Take Polaroids (Album Version By John Punter) (1980)

4) European Son (12" Extended Mix By John Punter) (1981)

5) Life In Tokyo (Special Remix By Giorgio Moroder) (1979)

6) Suburban Berlin (1978)

7) Nightporter (Remixed By Steve Nye) (12") (1982)

8) Alien (Album Version By John Punter) (1979)

9) I Second That Emotion (Remix By Steve Nye) (Cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles) (1980)

1978: Obscure Alternatives: 6

1979: Quiet Life: 2, 8

1980: Gentlemen Take Polaroids: 3

1981: Life In Tokyo EP: 4

1982: Assemblage (Special Edition · Double Play Cassette): 5

1982: I Second That Emotion EP: 9

1982: Nightporter EP: 7

1983: All Tomorrow's Parties EP: 1

Polaroid (49:22) (KF) (Mega)