The Third Degree Of Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon

The third and, at least for now, final installment in the Kevin Bacon trilogy for your entertainment / derision (delete as applicable).

I had an idea of who/where I wanted to start, but could I pull it off? Turns out that yes, I could. It's Kevin Bacon we're talking about here!

Here's another half dozen songs taking you from one Monkee to another monkey, with some rather fine tuneage along the way, if I say so myself. Spoiler alert: nothing from The Comsat Angels this week. Complaint letters to the usual address, please.

 

More nonsense tomorrow.

1) Mike Nesmith was an incredibly talented - and hugely underrated - singer/songwriter. Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care) appeared on Nevada Fighter, his 1971 album with The First National Band. However, he originally wrote and recorded a version back in 1968, which remained unreleased until the 1990s, when it appeared on a rarities album by the band that gave Nesmith his big break, The Monkees.

2) The Monkees formed in 1966 and were originally conceived as a fictional group for a TV sitcom. Initially, the majority of their songs were written by other people, including (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone. In 1990, The Farm released a cover version, which was remixed by their manager Suggs and superstar DJ Terry Farley.

3) Terry Farley co-founded the Boy's Own collective, who in turn released a couple of singles as Bocca Juniors, with fellow DJs/producers Pete Heller, Hugo Nicholson and Andrew Weatherall.

4) Andrew Weatherall was a prolific remixer, producer and artist in his own right before his untimely passing in 2020. In 2016, he provided a couple of remixes for French psych pop duo The Limiñanas, featuring a beautiful contribution from guest bassist Peter Hook.

5) Peter Hook is a little bit famous for being in Joy Division then New Order, arguably less so for Revenge and Monaco, but he has also had a good run as a producer. Although the better known version was produced by John Leckie, Hooky was at the controls for the original version of Elephant Stone by The Stone Roses, with unmistakable vocals from Ian Brown.

6) Ian Brown went on to have a successful solo career, starting in 1997 with Unfinished Monkey Business. Can't See Me was released as the third and final single in June 1998, remixed by production duo Bacon & Quarmby, comprising Jonathan Quarmby and - who else? - Kevin Bacon.

 

1) Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care): The Monkees (1968)

2) Stepping Stone (Ghost Dance Mix By Terry Farley & Mr. Suggs) (Video Version): The Farm (1990)

3) Raise (63 Steps To Heaven) (Dubhead Mix By Adrian Sherwood & Keith LeBlanc): Bocca Juniors ft. Anna Haigh & Protege (1990)

4) Garden Of Love (Lundi Mouillé Mix By Andrew Weatherall & Nina Walsh): The Limiñanas ft. Peter Hook (2016)

5) Elephant Stone (Peter Hook Original Mix): The Stone Roses (1988) 

6) Can't See Me (Bacon & Quarmby Remix): Ian Brown (1998)

 

The Third Degree Of Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon (23:41) (KF) (Mega)

 

In case you missed the previous installments, here's the original selection and the rather wonderful follow up from guest contributor The Vinyl Villain.

Six Degrees Of The Vinyl Villain

In a double first for this blog, today sees the return of Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon, which proved popular enough last Friday that it inspired one regular visitor to submit their own 'Six Degrees' suggestion. And, in an unplanned but wonderful bit of music blog synchronicity, who better for Dubhed's first ever guest post than JC, whose own blog - the legendary The Vinyl Villain - encouraged and supported my return to music blogging back in 2020?

 

It's not a spoiler alert to say that you're in a for a treat. Without further ado, JC, it's over to you!

 

1) One of the most important punk rock records was the Spiral Scratch EP by Buzzcocks. It proved to be the only release on which the band’s original lead singer Howard Devoto was involved before he left to form a new post-punk band, Magazine.

 

2) Magazine’s debut single was Shot By Both Sides. It aired on Top of the Pops on 16 February 1978 but proved to be the only time Howard Devoto would ever appear on the programme. This was not the case for the song’s co-writer, and Magazine guitarist, John McGeoch, who later became a member of Siouxsie & The Banshees.

 

3) Siouxsie & The Banshees, thanks to having numerous chart hits between 1978 and 1995, got to the TOTP studios on numerous occasions. But prior to this success, their career had gotten underway in September 1976 when they debuted at the 100 Club Punk Festival. Their guitarist on that night, and it proved to be the only gig he played with the Banshees, was Marco Pirroni, who later found fame and fortune as a member of Adam & The Ants.

4) Adam & The Ants was fronted by, surprisingly enough, Adam Ant . He had previously been a member of a band called the B-sides, alongside Andy Warren and Lester Square. While Adam went away to form the Ants and become, among other things, a swashbuckling pirate and dandy highwayman, Andy and Lester joined forces with Bid and John D. Haney to form The Monochrome Set.

 

5) The Monochrome Set have never got beyond cult status despite releasing what is now 16 albums in a more than worthwhile career which is still on the go today. One of their many non-hit singles, from 1993, was Forever Young.

6) Forever Young* was also, coincidentally, the name of a non-hit single by The Comsat Angels in 1987, on which the bass guitar was played by Kevin Bacon. 

 

Note from the editor: JC didn't include a specific playlist so I've taken the liberty of curating a Dubhed selection from the above. A couple of songs and an EP (Magazine, The Comsat Angels and Buzzcocks) were specified so I've included them, whilst tracks 3 & 4 are completely my own choice. Likewise, The Monochrome Set song choice, mainly because I don't have Forever Young in my collection and couldn't track it down in time for this post. I hope you - and especially JC - like the final selection.

 

1) Time's Up (Single Version): Buzzcocks (1977)

2) Shot By Both Sides (Live @ Melbourne Festival Hall, Australia): Magazine (1980) 

3) Happy House (Album Version): Siouxsie & The Banshees (1980)

4) Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios (Album Version): Adam & The Ants (1981)

5) Fun For All The Family: The Monochrome Set (1982)

6) Forever Young: The Comsat Angels (1985)

Six Degrees Of The Vinyl Villain (22:12) (KF) (Mega)

 

Two posts does not a series make, but I have an idea for at least one more post and I welcome further guest suggestions if you feel suitably spurred on by the two offerings so far. Contributions can be emailed to phatdubhed at yahoo dot co dot uk

Normal service will resume tomorrow.

* In another example of blog harmony, Forever Young (and a whole bunch of other single releases) by The Comsat Angels was featured last month on another excellent music blog, My Vinyl Dreams. Get yourself over there right now!

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon

A little Friday fun and not to be taken too seriously...

Six Degrees Of Separation is the idea that a person can have six or less connections to any other person in the world. Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon jokingly took the idea further, positing that any actor could be linked to the Hollywood legend in six or fewer steps.

I thought I'd have a go at applying it to my music collection. How hard could it be? Surprisingly easy, it turned out (although purists may disagree). Here goes...

1) Neneh Cherry's debut solo single in 1988 was Buffalo Stance, produced by Tim Simenon aka Bomb The Bass.

2) Bomb The Bass released Bug Powder Dust in 1994 as the lead single for third album Clear, featuring Justin Warfield and a slew of remixes, including one from DJ Muggs.

3) DJ Muggs aka Lawrence Muggerud first came to prominence as a founder member of Cypress Hill. In 1992, he also formed The Soul Assassins collective. That same year, Muggs used the Soul Assassin alias to remix Beastie Boys, aka Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D.

4) Mike D. aka Michael Diamond has provided his unique vocals and raps to many other artists' songs over the years. In 2016, he teamed up with Cat Power to appear on Action, a single by French duo Cassius aka Philippe Zdar Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard.

5) Hubert Blanc-Francard's father is Dominique Blanc-Francard, who has also enjoyed a long and varied career in music production. In 1983, Dominique mixed Robert Palmer's cover version of You Are In My System and returned to remix it in 1992.

6) Robert Palmer was apparently a fan of The Comsat Angels and facilitated their signing to Island Records in the mid-80s, executive producing sixth album Chasing Shadows and providing vocals on the closing track of today's selection. And the bass player and founding member of The Comsat Angels is of course... Kevin Bacon.

This may be #1 in a series of one but it was fun to do. 

Happy Friday, everyone!

1) Buffalo Stance (Extended Mix By Bomb The Bass aka Tim Simenon): Neneh Cherry (1988)

2) Bug Powder Dust (DJ Muggs Remix): Bomb The Bass ft. Justin Warfield (1994)

3) So What' Cha Want (Soul Assassin Remix Version By DJ Muggs): Beastie Boys (1992)

4) Action (Video Version): Cassius ft. Cat Power & Mike D. (2016)

5) You Are In My System (Addictions Mix By Dominique Blanc-Francard) (Cover of The System): Robert Palmer (1992)

6) You'll Never Know: The Comsat Angels ft. Robert Palmer (1986)

 

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon (28:20) (KF) (Mega)