Madonna, Maradona, Maverick And Movies

"Gangway, Heroes!" Today brings a bespoke collection of covers of songs from 1986. 

Last night I stumbled across Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud's unexpected and delightful cover of Word Up! by Cameo. Originally recorded for WFMU Radio in New Jersey back in February, it was officially released a couple of days ago. If you're more familiar with Scanner’s 1990s music, it's quite the departure.

Similarly inspired, I trawled through my music collection and pulled a shortlist of 1986 songs, reworked and reimagined by other artists. I had over 40 to choose from and settled for a dozen, which meant some tough decisions, but I hope you'll enjoy my selection.

As the post title suggests, there is a Madonna cover - Live To Tell - albeit right at the end, courtesy of Catherine Anne Davies (The Anchoress) and Bernard Butler (Suede and a gazillion other things). Don't tell Ms. Ciccone, but it's better than the original.

1986 was chock full of singles that appeared in movie soundtracks. Live To Tell appeared in At Close Range, starring her then-husband Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. I must have seen it at the time, but I have little recollection of the film now.

But Not Tonight started as a Depeche Mode B-side, but an appearance in the film Modern Girls (starring Daphne Zuniga and Virginia Madsen) prompted their US label Sire to flip the single, relegated Stripped to side 2 and promoting But Not Tonight instead. Nearly two decades later, Jimmy Somerville gave it the high-pitched, Hi-NRG treatment.

And of course there was the memorable soundtrack to Pretty In Pink, not just the The Psychedelic Furs song that inspired the movie, but If You Leave, which proved to be a smash hit for OMD and still features in their live set today. Here, Angel Olsen ups the heartache in her own inimitable style.

The mention of Maverick, Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun, is a red herring and I apologise. Take My Breath Away by Berlin seemed to be #1 in the UK for an eternity (actually, only 4 weeks throughout November 1986). I have a couple of covers of the song, by Sharleen Spiteri and The Flying Pickets, but neither of them made the final cut.

There are a couple of side projects and aliases going on, which I need to shed some light on. The man behind The 6ths is Stephen Merritt, better known to the world as the genius behind The Magnetic Fields. Stephen got his old mucker Lloyd Cole on board to sing for his contribution to a tribute to The Human League. 

The Hot Rats are Gaz and Danny from Supergrass in disguise, whose 2010 covers album Turn Ons featured their takes on artists including Roxy Music, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Pet Shop Boys, The Cure and my pick today, Beastie Boys. Well worth tracking down.

If you have an urge to scan the track listing before subjecting yourself to my rambling "sleeve notes", you will have spotted the inclusion of First We Take Manhattan, recorded by R.E.M. and credited as a cover of a Jennifer Warnes song. Yes, R.E.M.'s version appeared on I'm Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen in 1991, but Laughing Len gifted it to Jennifer first, her recording released in October 1986, Cohen's version following in January 1988. Personally, I think Stipe, Berry, Buck and Mills smash it.

And another red herring (or was it the hand of God?) with the reference to Maradona and, by association, that fateful 1986 World Cup. New Order didn't realise their own World Cup song until 4 years later, but 1986 saw one of their finest singles in Bizarre Love Triangle. Often covered since, I've gone for a relatively obscure version by Charlotte Martin, which I like very much.

As for the rest of this selection, you can enjoy The Smiths as covered by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, sounding as potent in 1992 and it did six years previously. Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie show some solidarity with fellow Scots, with a wonderful cover of Somewhere In China by Shop Assistants. 

Last but certainly not least, one from my hometown heroes, The Blue Aeroplanes covering Paul Simon's Top 30 hit The Boy In The Bubble. Sadly, history didn't repeat in 1991, though it should have done.

1) Word Up! (Cover of Cameo): Scanner (2026)

2) Human (Cover of The Human League): The 6ths ft. Lloyd Cole (2000)

3) But Not Tonight (Cover of Depeche Mode): Jimmy Somerville (2004)

4) Bizarre Love Triangle (Cover of New Order): Charlotte Martin (2007)

5) Panic (Cover of The Smiths): Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (1992)

6) Somewhere In China (Cover of Shop Assistants): Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (1989)

7) The Boy In The Bubble (Cover of Paul Simon): The Blue Aeroplanes (1991)

8) First We Take Manhattan (Cover of Jennifer Warnes): R.E.M. (1991)

9) If You Leave (Cover of O.M.D.): Angel Olsen (2021)

10) Absolute Beginners (Cover of David Bowie): Saint Etienne (1993)

11) (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) (Cover of Beastie Boys): The Hot Rats (2010)

12) Live To Tell (Cover of Madonna): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

1989: Fish Heads And Tails: 6

1991: I'm Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen: 8

1991: The Boy In The Bubble EP: 7

1992: The Only Living Boy In New Cross EP: 5

2000: Reproductions: Songs Of The Human League: 2

2004: Home Again: 3

2007: Reproductions: 4

2008: Boxette (#4: Eric Random): 10

2010: Turn Ons: 11

2020: In Memory Of My Feelings: 12

2021: Aisles EP: 9

2026: Word Up! EP: 1

Madonna, Maradona, Maverick And Movies (47:25) (GD) (M)

A Bob Hoskins Inspired Compilation Of Crime Fuelled Carnage

I rarely do requests but in an effort to assuage George's disappointment following Friday's post, here's a Bob Hoskins inspired compilation of crime fuelled carnage.

A 13-song, 46-minute trawl through Bob's formidable film and television CV, with namesake songs from some heavyweight artists. 

A few notable omissions, however. I was unable to find any songs named after Who Framed Roger Rabbit? or Super Mario Brothers. 

I also left off A Prayer For The Dying for three reasons:

1) I only had one song in my collection and that was by Seal;

2) The lead actor, Mickey Rourke, has been getting more screen time in the past week than he deserves;

3) The film is utter shite.

Whilst at least one of Bob's films name checked here is a classic crime drama, at least one is arguably a crime that it was ever committed to celluloid. I'll leave you to decide which is which. 

1) Mona Lisa: Grant Lee Phillips (2004)

2) Brazil: Lloyd Cole (2003)

3) Play For Today (Black Sand Extension): The Cure (2010)

4) Kate (Cover of 'You Put Me Here (Sure as Your Name’s Kate)' by Rex Allen): Johnny Cash (1972)

5) Performance: Japan (1978)

6) Hook (4-Track Demo): PJ Harvey (1992)

7) Shoulder To Shoulder: Pete Wylie (1987)

8) Outlaw: Alan Vega (1981)

9) Thick As Thieves: The Jam (1979)

10) Last Orders (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester): The Fall (1977) 

11) Full House: Kate Bush (1978)

12) Inner Circle: The Frowning Clouds (2014)

13) Mermaids: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2013)

1972: A Thing Called Love: 4

1978: Adolescent Sex: 5

1978: Lionheart: 11

1978: Short Circuit: Live At The Electric Circus: 10

1979: Setting Sons: 9

1981: Collision Drive: 8

1987: Sinful: 7

1993: 4-Track Demos: 6

2003: Music In A Foreign Language: 2

2004: Virginia Creeper: 1

2010: Extensions Volume 1: A Collection Of New Wave Remixes By Black Sand (bootleg MP3): 3

2013: Push The Sky Away: 13

2014: Legalize Everything: 12

A Bob Hoskins Inspired Compilation Of Crime Fuelled Carnage (46:20) (KF) (Mega)

Up Close And Personal

Compared to the last ten years, I've seen a lot of live music this year: 17 gigs, 32 artists, countless memories of a great night out (or day, in some cases).

 

I've also missed a record number, tickets purchased but a last minute crisis or other convergence has meant not making it to the gig (though I have had a positive experience reselling tickets via Tixel).

 

And there have been a fair few, particularly those involving Clan K in whole or part, where I've missed the support act. 

 

But the gigs I've been to have all been wonderful in different ways and impossible to rank, they're all favourites to me.

Click on the individual links to read my reflections. In most cases, there was a bespoke Dubhed selection to accompany and I've reactivated the links to all, including additional selections that were linked from the original post.

January

The Clientele / Ead Wood

February

Ladyhawke / Flavia

Emily Breeze / Mumble Tide

 

March

O.M.D.

 

May

Fatoumata Diawara

A Certain Ratio / Ellen Beth Abdi

Barry Adamson / Nadine Khouri

 

July

Nile Rodgers & Chic / Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Future Islands

 

August

Massive Attack / Killer Mike / Lankum / Sam Morton / DJ Milo

 

September

Lloyd Cole (Set One & Set Two)

Ride / Junodream

Marc Almond

 

October

Misty In Roots / The Ruts DC

African Head Charge / Ink Project ft. Coreysan

Humanist

 

November 

Ibibio Sound Machine

 

 

I'd underestimated the size of the task when I started this post but, if I haven't messed up along the way, you can tap into 25 Dubhed selection and over a day's worth of continuous listening. One for Boxing Day, perhaps...?

I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it to as many gigs in 2025, though I have a couple lined up already, including John Grant in February, rescheduled from this year due to illness. 

 

The wish list is already very, very long and I'll share my experiences here, one by one.

 

This blog never sleeps, so drop by here tomorrow if you're tired of tinsel and turkey. I'm making this up as I go along, and I'll be as surprised as you are to find out what the Christmas Day post is all about...!

In Pieces, Set Two

After a short break, Lloyd Cole returned to the stage at Komedia in Bath for his second acoustic set.

 

It began as the previous set had ended, with a song from the Rattlesnakes album. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? was then followed by Brand New Friend, from Easy Pieces, which set the bar high for the rest of the performance.

 

Lloyd then introduced "a new(ish) song", explaining that

"it has two melodies in the chorus, I can only sing one of them, 

so what I’m going to do know is show you the other one 

so you know how it goes and, 

if you’re in the mood to sing it, 

that would be great, 

it’s kind of a fun line.” 

 

The song was The Idiot and the chorus goes like this

 

We’ll move to Berlin
Stop being drug addicts
We’ll cycle and swim
Stop being drug addicts

 

so you can guess which lines Lloyd wanted the audience to sing. And we did, with gusto.

 

Lloyd thanked us all at the end, noting "there’s a lot of Welsh people here, aren’t there?" and impishly suggesting that he had a policy of not playing gigs there so that the Welsh would be forced to travel elsewhere and lend their wonderful voices to the songs.

Lloyd's self-titled debut album gets another couple of songs in this set, with No Blue Skies and Undressed. The second Commotions album, Easy Pieces, was absent from the first half but gets four showings here, including the sublime Why I Love Country Music, which dovetails into a couple of 1990s songs, Butterfly and Traffic. 

Leading out of the latter, Lloyd admits that 

 

“There’s only so many chords and 

there’s only so many chord progressions out there."

 

Lloyd points out that Traffic has the same chord progressions as songs by George Harrison and Lou Reed, playing a few lines from the latter's Sad Song. “And if you can believe it, just one year before” before going into Satellite Of Love, "so I don’t feel so bad about repeating myself when I figured that out”

Needless to say, Lloyd's performance is anything but repetitious. Songs from The Commotions' final album Mainstream, 21st Century offerings Antidepressant and Standards, before a return to Easy Pieces and Rattlesnakes. 

Cut Me Down was an unexpected inclusion as I always felt that it was an underappreciated song (and single), though it really shines here. And what else to close the set but Perfect Skin? It's been a wonderful set and a great way to end the evening.

But there's more. I wouldn't reasonably have expected an encore yet, after a brief pause, Lloyd is back on stage, strapping on a guitar.

“So, I’ve got a couple of obscure album tracks from the mid-2000s for you here” he teases, before launching into Lost Weekend. 

“I hate that fucking piano solo," 

Lloyd opines as the song approaches the bridge. 

"I was in the studio every single day, 

except one, making that record, 

and that’s what they did.”

Of course, this version is wonderful but the best has been saved to last. The final song of the evening is Forest Fire which, even stripped down to the bare essentials, remains one the finest songs ever written, in my opinion. Lloyd does it justice here, and it's one of those performances that sends a shiver down the spine.

Coming back on stage for the encore, Lloyd admitted 

 

“That was…not easy. 

But we made it, 

and mainly thanks to your goodwill 

because, if it was a rotten audience I

 would not have made it through that night.

My hands hurt so much!”

The audience response was rapturous but it was a sobering moment that the two hours that Lloyd gave to us came at such great personal cost. There will be a time - and sadly, that may be soon - when Lloyd is no longer able to play the guitar. He does so so beautifully and whilst I would happily pay to see perform accapella or 'simply' as frontperson for a band, I'm guessing that he may decide to call time on performing live, full stop.

All the more reason then, to see him live in concert whilst you can. It was an incredible experience.

But don't just take my word for it. Whilst I was sitting in the stalls, guest contributor and roving gig reporter Mike was also in the audience, upstairs. Here are three takeaways from the gig:

 

"I'm hoping that off the back of these gigs punters go back and re-evaluate his post Commotions work - I thought songs such as Butterfly were particularly strong"

 

"[A] genius at work here. I feel for those of us who had our teenage years in the 80's he is our Lenny Cohen or Bobby Dylan.. I'm sure he wouldn't even compare himself to those two but he's our British cut price version of those two."

 

"[I] don't know how many more times he can tour like this or that we will see him in that type of setting so people should go out and see him whilst [they] still can..."

 

I couldn't agree more! Well, maybe not the British cut price Cohen/Dylan bit, though I know what Mike’s getting at. But you can judge for yourself.  

If you have been wondering about my perfect recall of Lloyd's anecdotes and between song banter, it's because fellow audience member Adstarra (seemingly standing by the wall right of the stage) filmed both sets and posted them on YouTube. If the comments above and yesterday aren't encouragement to go and check them out, then I don't know what is!

Again, I've recreated Lloyd's second set - and encores - into a seamless Dubhed selection for your further listening pleasure. As Mike said, go back and check out Lloyd's back catalogue too but don't overlook last year's On Pain, it's really, really good.

 

1) Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? (Demo) (1983)

2) Brand New Friend (Long Version) (1985)

3) The Idiot (2023)

4) No Blue Skies (Album Version) (1990)

5) Why I Love Country Music (Album Version) (1985)

6) Butterfly (Album Version) (1991)

7) Traffic (1995)

8) Jennifer She Said (Album Version) (1988)

9) Woman In A Bar (Album Version) (2006)

10) Myrtle And Rose (2013)

11) Undressed (Album Version) (1990)

12) Cut Me Down (Album Version) (1985)

13) Perfect Skin (Album Version) (1984)

14) Lost Weekend (Album Version) (1985)

15) Forest Fire (Extended Version) (1984)

In Pieces (Set 2) (55:44) (KF) (Mega)

 

 

 

Photo credits (both used to accompany gig reviews in Brighton):

1) Sara-Louise Bowrey for Brighton & Hove News

2) Siobhan (16 Beasley St Photography) for Breaking Glass.

In Pieces, Set One

Last Tuesday (10th), I dashed from work across three counties to see Lloyd Cole perform in Bath. Another musical hero from my misspent youth that I was seeing live in concert for the first time.

It's the second time this year that I've been to a gig at Komedia, after Ladyhawke in February. 

It's a lovely venue: a former theatre, repurposed as a cinema, then restored as a live venue, retaining some of the trappings of it's storied past, not least the lovely ceiling.

This couldn't have been a more different set up for a music event. Whereas Ladyhawke was designed for people to rock, with rows of synths, drums and mikes on stage, by contrast this was a fully seated show, with just two acoustic guitars, microphone, music stand and table.

Despite the image suggested by my hastily grabbed photo fronting this post, Lloyd didn't descend, dressed in white and aglow like some form of divine coming. Much more modest, he walked onto stage, deposited a bottle on the table, strapped on a guitar and played.

Starting off with Don't Look Back from 1990's debut solo album, Lloyd then made the first of several dives into The Commotions' back catalogue with Mr Malcontent. Beautiful playing, and a voice that seems richer with the passing of time, inevitably lived in but all the better for it. 

 

After playing Trigger Happy (from 1995), Lloyd shared, 

"That was my new prog folk version of that song, 

where I’m shifting from waltz to 4/4 

and I’m old and I don’t give a damn"

 

Yep, the between song anecdotes were every bit as entertaining as the music itself. Following with the title track of last year's On Pain, Lloyd introduced it as, 

"a recent song with almost exactly the same chords, 

which means exactly the same shapes, 

which means exactly the same pain"

 

Lloyd held up his left hand, as the audience's laughter faltered somewhat. I'd been unaware at first of the literal meaning in his current album title, that Lloyd experiences such pain in his fingers that getting through a gig is an excruciating experience and reaching the end is touch and go. 

As he played each song beautifully, there was a strange mixture of joy at what I was hearing and immense guilt that it seemed to be coming at such great cost to Lloyd. I'll come back to that.

I've been a fairweather friend to Lloyd, to be honest. I was obsessed with the first two Lloyd Cole & The Commotions albums, but didn't stick around for their swansong or the subsequent solo ventures, although I would pick up a single if I saw it in the bargain bins (an all-too frequent occurrence, sadly).

In 2003, a friend bought me Music In A Foreign Language as a birthday gift, the first time I'd heard new music from Lloyd Cole in years. I loved it, though I've still only managed the sporadic dip into his catalogue since, having a similar positive reaction to those few and far between purchases.

So, this 13-track set was an ideal primer, each one covering a different album and period of Lloyd's life. 

"In the mid 1980s, we were on TOTP a few times and…it was fantastic. 

It was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me, 

and…then we weren’t on. 

We went into the studio in 1987 because we were on tour and 

we weren’t around to film live, 

so we pre-recorded Jennifer She Said 

because it was going to enter the charts at a very high number. 

And it didn’t. 

It entered at a kind of medium high number, 

which was not enough and they didn’t show it.  

And that was the end of that period 

and I thought, well, it was lovely while it lasted. 

And any musician or any band who ever has any kind of success is incredibly lucky. 

And I thought, well, that was that part of my life. 

And then, a kind of annoying DJ started playing this song in the morning in 1995

and I was on again."

 

And we're treated to a lovely version of surprise hit, Like Lovers Do. 

"I had a bad hair year" Lloyd continues. 

"But I had the same haircut my whole life 

and I wanted to see what it would look like if it was different. 

And for a little while it was exciting because it was different. 

Unfortunately I got married with that haircut. 

I looked very stupid. 

My wife looks fantastic. 

Ten years or so later, I wrote this song."

 

And Lloyd leans into Tried To Rock, from his 2000 album with The Negatives.

 

Only one song is a cover, but what a pick: a lovely version of Can You Hear Me from David Bowie's Young Americans album. In an all-acoustic set, and despite Lloyd's self-deprecating comments that there is a lot of repetition due to the finite number of chords in the universe, each song has a nuance and a life of it's own, that transcends the studio versions. 

Another great example of this is Rattlesnakes, shorn of it's strings and uptempo rhythm section, it remains a stunningly brilliant song. Even more stunning that this was written when Lloyd was barely in his twenties. 

After the next song, Pay For It, Lloyd notes a change in the audience.

"Two down…

I think if you were my nemesis, 

a great strategy would be to buy seats in the front row 

and then walk out after Rattlesnakes. 

[cue audience laughter] 

That’s pretty good, pretty well played…

if that was the plan, that was well played. 

If, on the other hand, 

it’s because the bar is still open...

[Lloyd tilts head from side to side]

…I’m less impressed."

After about 45 minutes of playing, Lloyd wryly comments,

 

"You will have gathered by now that I am tonight’s opening act. 

I’ll play a few more songs 

and then I’ll retreat, 

and I’ll return 

and I will headline."

In fact, we get two more songs: My Other Life, from the aforementioned Music In A Foreign Language; finally, an achingly wonderful version of 2cv.

 

And then Lloyd takes off his guitar, places it carefully on the stage and exits the stage.

 

If the night had ended there and then, I would have felt that I had a wonderful night. But, there was another set to come. Could it possibly match this?

 

If I get my act together, you may well have the answer to this question tomorrow. 

 

If not, then Friday! 

 

1) Don't Look Back (Album Version) (1990)

2) Mr Malcontent (1987)

3) Trigger Happy (Album Version) (1995) 

4) On Pain (2023)

5) Why In The World? (2010)

6) Can You Hear Me (Live @ Bremen Teater, Copenhagen) (Cover of David Bowie) (2024)

7) Rattlesnakes (Album Version) (1984)

8) Pay For It (Album Version) (1991)

9) The Afterlife (2019)

10) Like Lovers Do (Stephen Street Mix) (1996)

11) Tried To Rock (2000)

12) My Other Life (Album Version) (2003)

13) 2cv (Live @ KEXP, Seattle) (2015)

 

1984: Rattlesnakes: 7

1987: Mainstream: 2

1990: Lloyd Cole: 1 

1991: Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe: 8

1995: Love Story: 3

1996: Baby EP: 10 

2000: The Negatives: 11

2003: Music In A Foreign Language: 12

2010: Broken Record: 5 

2015: Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 3rd February 2015  (bootleg): 13

2019: Guesswork: 9

2023: On Pain: 4

2024: Live @ Bremen Teater, Copenhagen, Denmark, 22nd January 2024 (bootleg): 6

In Pieces (Set 1) (49:12) (KF) (Mega)

Note: I've recreated Lloyd's opening set mostly from album versions, one single remix and a lovely version of 2cv from a KEXP he did nearly a decade ago. To the best of my knowledge, Lloyd has never recorded his David Bowie cover version in a studio so I've grabbed a good quality bootleg recording of a live performance in Denmark earlier this year.