Give 'Em Enough doPE

"You’ve got the beats, I’ve got the rhymes, let’s make doPE." 

A short email from 2014, a long time to come to fruition, but John Densmore (The Doors) and Chuck D (Public Enemy) finally released an album, no country for old men, in time for Record Store Day 2026.

I have little interest in RSD but on the strength of doPE's lead single every tick tick tick, I'm intrigued! 

Unfortunately, with scalpers already flogging copies on eBay between £50 and £100+ quid, you'll have to count me out...

I'm obliged to say that other dope is available.

 

Keep One Step Ahead Of Yourself

Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez collaborating with Róisín Murphy on a cover of a Talking Heads classic?

When you think of it, why didn't they think of it sooner?

The song in question, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), at once feels at home with Kenny's Nuyorican palette of rhythms and grooves, whilst at the same time sounding like it could have been lifted straight from Róisín's current catalogue. 

I've gone for all nine minutes of the extended version here - and why not? - but the original comes in at a more radio-friendly 3:48, whilst a dub version at just under a minute longer rounds out the digital single package available on Bandcamp.

I've clearly not been keeping up with the music press, as Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) is apparently lifted from Naive Melodies, an expansive tribute to Talking Heads’ rhythmic legacy, due on 24th October.

Naive Melodies is curated by DJ/Producer/Artist Manager Drew McFadden, and features artists that, with a few exceptions like Theophilus London and Wu-Lu, are largely unfamiliar to me. 

I'll need to delve into the album a bit more before deciding to buy but Kenny and Róisín's EP is in the (shopping) bag.

It would be negligent of me not to refer back to the original Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), with a detour by way of David Byrne's own (re)version from his American Utopia show at the O2 Arena in London on 29th October 2018.

I saw a broadcast version of the entire show on Sky Arts a while back and it was memerising from start to finish. 

And to close,  a fan-made video of the definitive version of Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) by Talking Heads, taken from their 1980 album Remain In Light. 

By sheer coincidence, this album has been on regular rotation on my playlist in the past month or so, and the grooves are etched deep in my mind. 

Tell Me A Thousand Times

Happy, happy, happy birthday to Sarah Cracknell, born 12th April 1967.

Chanteuse, songwriter, mother, wife and all round fabulous person, today's selection celebrates Sarah's 58th with 58 minutes of Sarah singing. What could be better than that?

It's mostly Saint Etienne, with a couple of songs from Sarah's solo catalogue and collaborations with David Holmes and Mark Brown. 

There are also mixes from Masters At Work, Kid Loco, Richard X, Two Lone Swordsmen aka Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood, as well as Andrew's former compadres in The Sabres Of Paradise, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. All very different styles and approaches, though Sarah's voice shines through.

Here's to you, Sarah, hiope you have a good one.

1) Aussie Soap Girl: Sarah Cracknell (1997)

2) Method Of Modern Love (Radio Edit By Richard X & Pete Hofmann): Saint Etienne (2009)

3) Nothing Can Stop Us (Masters At Work Dub) (Remix By Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez & 'Little' Louie Vega): Saint Etienne (1992)

4) Goodnight Jack: Saint Etienne (1998)

5) Message In A Bottle: Saint Etienne (1995)

6) Stop And Think It Over (Kid Loco Mix): Saint Etienne (2002)

7) Penlop (Album Version By Pete Wiggs): Saint Etienne (2021)

8) Some Place Else: Saint Etienne (1992)

9) Gone (Edit By David Holmes, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): David Holmes ft. Sarah Cracknell (1995)

10) I Threw It All Away: Saint Etienne (2012)

11) Sleepytown: Sarah Cracknell (2015)

12) Like A Motorway (Japanese Version): Saint Etienne (1994)

13) The Journey Continues (Vocal Radio Edit): Mark Brown ft. Sarah Cracknell (2007)

14) Andersen Unbound: Saint Etienne (2002)

15) Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi) (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix By Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood): Saint Etienne (2000)

1992: Avenue EP: 8

1992: Nothing Can Stop Us EP: 3

1995: Gone EP: 9

1995: Xmas 95 EP: 5

1997: Goldie EP: 1

1998: Good Humor: 4

2000: Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi) EP: 15

2002: Action EP: 14

2007: The Journey Continues EP: 13

2009: Method Of Modern Love EP: 2

2009: Now 4 EP: 12

2010: Finisterre (Deluxe Edition) (2x CD): 6

2012: Words And Music By Saint Etienne: 10

2015: Take The Silver EP: 11

2021: I've Been Trying To Tell You: 7

Tell Me A Thousand Times (58:22) (KF) (Mega)

If that's left you hungry for more Sarah, I've resurrected my 1997 Saint Etienne C90 side which I posted last year. You can find it here.

Remixamatosis

A (very) occasional dip back into my previous blogging life and music reviews that I used to post under the "Jukebox Juicebox" heading. Here's a quartet of remix compilations from December 2006, the original text 'as is' and very much of it's time. To (kind of) update things, I've added a YouTube link to one of the tracks and trawled Bandcamp for an additional sampler from each of the remix artists featured. Enjoy!

 

Various Artists “Future Retro” (2006)

 

I forget who coined the phrase ‘repetition celebrates and devalues’, but this is aptly applied to the music industry. Artists and songs are resurrected, repackaged, rereleased, reworked and remixed ad nauseum, The Beatles mash-up/megamix Love being one of the most recent examples. With downloads of all stripes likely to be eligible for the ‘singles’ chart in the near future, U2, Oasis, Westshite and McFly will likely be jostling for pole positions with the Fab Four, Elvis, Abba and Michael Jackson. 

 

The 1980s, which seems to have enjoyed a continual revival since, er, the 1990s will probably figure strongly in this. The fascination with the decade that taste arguably overlooked has resulted in countless contemporary updates of it’s memorable – and not so memorable – musical moments, the latest being the Future Retro compilation. Currently available in the UK on import only, the project is a labour of love for compiler Craig DeGraff who commissioned all of the remixers on this album. 

 

On the whole, it’s a pretty consistent collection though inevitably there are a few tracks that miss the mark. Tiga’s mix of Depeche Mode’s Shake The Disease is halfway through before it starts to make an impression, whilst Jaded Alliance’s take on Erasure’s A Little Respect sounds like an ill-matched mash-up. Surprisingly, several tracks remain faithful to their origins: The Crystal Method speed up New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle, losing some of the key hooks in the process, but without undermining the main melody; Infusion’s similar handling of The Walk by The Cure is even more effective. 

 

The latter part of the album contains some real gems. Devo’s Girl U Want is roughened up by Black Light Odyssey whilst obscurity Boy by Book Of Love (which I admit I’ve never heard of) benefits from a beefy “rockstar mix” by the equally unknown DJ Irene (presumably not the Home And Away character moonlighting on the wheels of steel). Adam Freeland transforms B-Movie’s Nowhere Girl into a guitar dub dirge that echoes U.N.K.L.E.’s Unreal, but the best is saved for last with the unexpected yet obvious pairing of Morrissey and Sparks. Moz’s debut solo single Suedehead gains an epic stature, with chopped up vocals laid over sweeping strings. A perfect close to an imperfect but worthwhile compilation.

 

 

Craig DeGraff is one half of LA-based duo Black Light Odyssey. Here's an intriguing cover of Sex Gang Children's Deiche, released in 2021.

 

Shirley Bassey “Diamonds Are Forever…The Remix Album” (2000)

 

On the surface, a project that seems completely unnecessary. That is, until you realise that this album followed hot on the heels of the Welsh diva’s collaboration with Propellerheads on History Repeating, which became both a theme tune (Channel 4’s So Graham Norton) and a chart hit. 

 

Unsurprisingly, Propellerheads reappear here, with Goldfinger repeating their then-successful formula of funky beats and wah-wah guitar. Groove Armada and Nightmares On Wax also play to type, the latter to particularly good effect on Easy Thing To Do. 

 

Some tracks miss the point entirely, notably the dreadful comedy cut-up of Big Spender, but Kenny Dope’s drum-driven reworking of The Doors’ Light My Fire perfectly complements Bassey’s belting vocals. Given it’s inconsistency, it’s advisable to either pick this up cheaply as I did or download key tracks. Either way, don’t overlook it altogether.

 

Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez needs no introduction, a formidable reputation with 'Little' Louie Vega as Masters At Work and a vast body of work as a solo artist, producer and DJ. This track is from 2016's 25-track behemoth Dopewax Approved: Kenny Dope & Friends Vol.1

 

   

Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting Remixes (Dub Drenched Soundscapes)” (2003)

 

…And if the Shirley Bassey remix album seemed unnecessary, then what the heck does one make of this? 

 

Carl Douglas’ early 1970s disco track is not one that immediately suggests a relationship to dub and in truth, not all of the artists involved strictly adhere to that principle. The frankly bizarre concept of stretching this single track over 16 remixes (17, counting the hidden a capella track) and 80 minutes also means that it’s nigh on impossible to listen to the end result as an album in it’s own right. Anyone who has previously bought dub remix compilations on the Select Cuts or Echo Beach labels will find the usual suspects here: Rob Smith, Dreadzone, Don Letts/Dan Donovan, Kid Loco; however, it’s the lesser known acts that impress, notably G-rizo, Pole and Dubbelstandart.  

 

The Ruts’ Andy Gill delivers a funked up but essentially unchanged version of the original whilst Audio Active take the track to it’s logical (ludicrous?) extreme. It’d be nice to think that the songwriters – Carl Douglas and kitsch producer Biddu – will benefit from further royalties as a result of this album. However, given it’s limited appeal, I wouldn’t recommend that they break out the bubbly just yet.

 

Bristol legend Rob Smith is frequently featured here, whether for his work with Ray Mighty as Smith & Mighty or his own impressive and sweeping catalogue of releases and remixes under his own name or various aliases. Not Easy (Motherless Child) is a beautiful track by RSD from the 15-track collection Decades, released in November.  

 

 

Visit Venus “The Endless Bummer Rmx Appendix” (1999)

 

One of the consequences of a ubiquitous remix culture is that it’s possible to own tracks but have no idea what the original version sounded like. This is a case in point, the result of a trawl through the ‘5 for £16’ shelf at Plastic Wax Records in Bristol. I have no idea who Visit Venus are, or what they sound like but, looking at the artists involved, figured it was worth shelling out a few quid for. As it happens, it turned out to be another one of those serendipitous musical purchases.  

 

Rae & Christian kick off proceedings with a typical funky breakbeat mix of the charmingly titled Space Nazis Must Die. The opening bars of For A Few Euros More are reminiscent of Adam & The Ants’ similarly Western-inspired The Magnificent Five, before Carsten Meyer aka Erobique takes it back to late 80s Chicago house.  

 

There are three remixes of Planet of the Breaks: Matthew Herbert’s mix actually sounds a bit like Slam in places, whilst Jazzanova’s ‘mix of two halves’ with languid lounge beats during the former, welded to an uptempo jazzy latter more characteristic; my favourite of the three is Omar Santana’s electro edit, with hip hop beats, computer game vocals and ominous synth strings. 

 

Another highlight is Jimpster’s Hurt Of A Nerd, a funky, bass-driven number with some 1970s inspired flute and strings. Closing track Kinski Disko Fox Machine starts off like a Transglobal Underground track, with Eastern beats and driving bassline, before reverting to the more typical Groove Armada sound. 

 

And, just when you think it’s all over, there’s an extra tucked away at the end. Leading off with some hilariously inept rapping, there is a brief acoustic/vocal reprise of For A Few Euros More, with sci-fi samples from The Big Tilt thrown in for good measure. An hour or so’s worth of great tunes, with several surprises, make this a great album to hunt down on eBay or, better, in your local secondhand record store. And maybe I’ll get around to checking out Visit Venus one day too…

 

A quick scan of my digital music collection reveals nothing from Visit Venus. I'm pretty sure I haven't ditched the CD so I must dig it out and rip it. I'm also pretty sure that I didn't get around to checking out anything else by them. Maybe in 2024... In the meantime, this is Groove Armada with the title track of a 6-track 'cassette' that they posted on Bandcamp in 2014. And very good it is, too.

 

 

Nothing Can Stop The Masters At Work

I have a ton of remixes by Masters At Work aka Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez & 'Little' Louie Vega, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that they've barely featured on this blog. Some redress today then, with a 10-song, 70-minute selection of remixes from 1992 to 2003.

Masters At Work immediately get down to business with a remix of their own side project, Nuyorican Soul, which bravely tackled Rotary Connection's I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun in the late 1990s. I featured this remix and multiple other versions of the song last September.

 

The selection closes with an equally brave rework of I Feel Love by Donna Summer. I've chopped the pounding intro from the full length eleven and a half minute original, cutting in for a (hopefully) smoother segue from Les Negresses Vertes, but it's a monster track nevertheless.

 

Trawling the MAW pages on Discogs for info, I spotted a comment from imad909 who summed it up as well as anyone can: "Years will come, years will go, but the work these two have put out will remain". 

 

I'm succumbing to the urge to dance even as I sit here typing this. Be warned, this groove is highly contagious.

1) I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (MAW Remix) (Cover of Rotary Connection): Nuyorican Soul ft. Q-Tip & Jocelyn Brown (1997)

2) Show Me (Masters At Work R & B Mix): Ultra Naté (1994)

3) Reaching For The Stars (Masters At Work Mix): Fantastic Plastic Machine ft. Incognito (2003)

4) Time To Make You Mine (Kenlou Supa Mix): Lisa Stansfield (1992)

5) Helpless (The Kenlou Remix): Urbanized (1992)

6) Around The World (Mellow Mix): Daft Punk (1996)

7) Nothing Can Stop Us (House Mix): Saint Etienne (1992)

8) Very Important People (Masters At Work Main Mix): GusGus (1999)

9) Après La Pluie (Main Vocal) (Rukus Dubba): Les Negresses Vertes (1995)

10) I Feel Love (Masters At Work 12-Inch Mix): Donna Summer (1995)

Nothing Can Stop The Masters At Work (1:11:22)

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun

In 1971, (The New) Rotary Connection releases their fifth and final album, Hey, Love. The writing was already on the wall: superlative singer Minnie Riperton had already been presented as a solo artist the previous Christmas; although a few years away from career-defining song, Lovin' You, her prodigious talent was unmistakable. The last gasp of the Rotary Connection was no half-baked effort, however, and contained the epic blast of celebration and affirmation that is I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun.

A quarter of century later in 1997, Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez & 'Little' Louie Vega aka Masters At Work revisited this classic as Nuyorican Soul. Apart from the switch from male to female lead vocals - superbly realised by Jocelyn Brown - it's a pretty faithful take on the song.

Their remix as Masters At Work ups the funky beats and sprinkles in some Q-Tip for good measure...

...but the winner for me is the 4 Hero Remix, which retains much of the original, then explodes into a breakbeat and strings frenzy in the latter half, to stirring effect.

Last but not least is a more recent take from 2018 by Toshio Matsuura Group, the Japanese DJ and producer joined by an impressive line up, including Tom Herbert (The Invisible, Acoustic Ladyland) on bass, Dan Leavers (The Comet Is Coming) on piano, Crispin "Spry" Robinson (Galliano) on percussion, Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet) on drums and Cuban vocalist, composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader Daymé Arocena on vocals. This version is heavier on guitar and drops into a rousing samba for the climax. You can buy the song here.

 

 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun: The New Rotary Connection (1971) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (Album Version): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown (1997) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (MAW Remix): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown & Q-Tip (1997) 

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (4 Hero Remix): Nuyorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown (1997)  

I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun: Toshio Matsuura Group ft. Daymé Arocena (2018)