The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Terry)

 

Apologies for a typo in yesterday's post. When I wrote "be sure to drop by tomorrow for a Boxing Day special.", what I meant was "Boxing Day Specials". The Specials, that is, who top and tail today's selection.

 

More specifically, this is a nearly hour-long tribute to Terry Hall, who passed on 18th December 2022. It's hard to believe that two years have gone by.

 

Not that Terry's ever really away from my music playlists. Like the Imaginary Compilation Album that I created for The Vinyl Villain in 2021, this 13-song selection draws from Terry's rich history of bands, collaborations and solo releases, some that will be immediately familiar, other deeper cuts that you may not know. 

 

The common thread is Terry's wonderful voice, character and way with words. Every one a winner.

As an added Boxing Day treat, I've reactivated links to the aforementioned Imaginary Compilation Album, plus the companion ICA created by TVV mastermind JC following mine. I recreated the pair as four sides of faux vinyl and posted them as a tribute to Terry, on hearing the awful news of his death.

Terry, you are missed but never forgotten.

 
1) Stereotype: The Specials (1980)

2) Sugar Man (Album Version): Silent Poets ft. Terry Hall (1999)

3) Heart Of America: The Colourfield (1987)

4) Getting Over You (Album Version): Hiroshi Fujiwara ft. Terry Hall (1994)

5) Alone: Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)

6) Love Will Keep Us Together: Terry, Blair & Anouchka (1990)

7) Sense (Album Version) (Cover of Lightning Seeds): Terry Hall (1994)

8) Problem Is (Album Version): Dub Pistols ft. Terry Hall (2001)

9) Why Should I?: Leila ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (2008)

10) Poems (Edit): Nearly God ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (1996)

11) Stand Together: Terry Hall & Mushtaq (2003)

12) Walk Into The Wind: Vegas ft. Siobahn Fahey (1992)

13) The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression): The Specials (2019)

1980: Stereotype EP: 1

1982: FB3: 5

1987: Deception: 3

1990: Ultra Modern Nursery Rhyme EP: 6 

1992: Walk Into The Wind EP: 12

1994: Home: 7

1994: Nothing Much Better To Do: 4 

1996: Poems EP: 10

1999: To Come...: 2

2001: Six Million Ways To Die: 8

2003: The Hour Of Two Lights: 11

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: 9

2019: Encore: 13

The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Terry) (56:36) (KF) (Mega)

Maman Chérie

Celebrating Neneh Cherry, born 10th March 1964, and in my opinion one of the greatest artists ever to grace this planet.

 

Sometimes, this blog virtually writes itself, the planets aligning to provide serendipitous moments and opportunities.

 

Realising a short while ago that it was Neneh's 60th birthday today kick started this week's entire birthday-themed posts. 

 

Today is Mother's Day. Sundanese is the second largest language spoken in Indonesia. The Sundanese word for mother is...Neneh.

 

Chérie translates from French as darling, but Neneh also adopted the name for an EP of remixes by French artists in 1997. 

 

So really, it was always going to be Neneh Cherry today, whether I was consciously aware of it or not. 

 

On the surface, Neneh has 'only' released four solo albums since Raw Like Sushi turned the world on its head in 1988. But her work and cultural impact goes much deeper and wider than that.

 

School drop out at 14. Arriving in London at 15 and hooking up with The Slits. The Cherries. New Age Steppers. Rip Rig + Panic. Hanging out with The Wild Bunch in Bristol and the origins of Buffalo Stance as a B-side remix for Morgan-McVey (the latter soon-to-be husband and musical partner Cameron McVey).

 

And then there's Neneh continual collaboration and reinvention, with Matt Johnson (The The), Tricky, Seven Seconds with Youssou N'Dour, appearing on Top Of The Pops whilst pregnant, effortlessly brilliant in the 2007 BBC2 cookery show Neneh and Andi – Dish It Up with bezzy mate (and Rip Rig + Panic bandmate) Andi Oliver.

Continuing to astonish in the 21st century, Neneh has worked with Swedish trio The Thing and formed cirKus with husband Cameron McVey, daughter Lolita Moon and Matt Kent. Neneh's last two albums have been a further evolution of her music in partnership with Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet.

 

Bearing all of this in mind, there's no way that I could do justice to Neneh with merely one Dubhed selection. So, to celebrate, here are two one-hour selections, twenty-two tracks strong. Not a comprehensive career-spanning collection - no New Age Steppers, for example - but it does attempt to convey why I think Neneh is one of the greatest artists ever to grace this planet.

 

There's a self-deprecating comment attributed to Neneh as a "singer that does a bit of rapping". She is - and always has been - so much more. An icon and a legend, in the true sense of the words.

 

Happy birthday, Neneh, and thank you. You are loved.

 

Volume One

1) Money Love (Perfecto Mix By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne): Neneh Cherry (1992)

2) You're My Kind Of Climate (Party Mix): Rip Rig + Panic (1982)

3) Weightless (Album Version By Kieran Hebden): Neneh Cherry (2014)

4) Buffalo Stance (Give Me A Muthuf***ing Breakbeat (Sukka Mix) By The Dynamik Duo): Neneh Cherry (1988)

5) Unattended Bag (Whatever/Whatever Unreleased Mix By Justin Strauss & Bryan Mette): cirKus (2009)

6) Kong (Parris Remix By Dwayne Parris-Robinson): Neneh Cherry (2018)

7) Kisses On The Wind (Moody Mix By David Morales): Neneh Cherry (1989)

8) You've Got Me Thinking (Unreleased Mix): The Beloved ft. Neneh Cherry (1993)

9) Think Twice...: Groove Armada ft. Neneh Cherry (2002)

10) Undecided (Deep Radio Mix By Deep Forest): Youssou N'Dour ft. Neneh Cherry (1994)

11) Buddy X (Masters At Work R&B Version): Neneh Cherry (1993)

12) Had You In Me: Neneh Cherry ft. Tricky (1998)

 

Volume Two

1) Bob Hope Takes Risks (12" Version): Rip Rig + Panic (1981)

2) Slow Train To Dawn (12" Version): The The ft. Neneh Cherry (1986)

3) Dream Baby Dream (Remixed By Four Tet aka Kieran Hebden) (Cover of Suicide): Neneh Cherry & The Thing (2012)

4) Crack Baby: Neneh Cherry (1996)

5) Koochie (Air Remix By Jean-Benoît Dunckel & Nicolas Godin): Neneh Cherry (1997)

6) Together Now: Nearly God ft. Neneh Cherry (1996)

7) Everything (Vilod High Blood Pressure Mix By Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer): Neneh Cherry (2014)

8) Accordion (Jim O'Rourke Remix): Neneh Cherry & The Thing (2012)

9) Manchild (Smith N Mighty Remix By Rob Smith & Ray Mighty): Neneh Cherry (1989)

10) Woman (La Funk Mob Remix): Neneh Cherry (1998)

 

Volume One (1:04:26) (KF) (Mega)

Volume Two (1:01:54) (KF) (Mega) 

Why Should I Worry?

Martina Topley-Bird's 4th album, Forever I Want, came out in September but I won't have a physical (CD) copy until January 2022. A default contender then for next year's 'best of', though Martina's music is arguably a winner in any year. 

Today's selection dips into Martina's musical history, including her solo albums, frequent collaborations with Tricky and guest spots with Massive Attack and Leila. It goes without saying that it's all wonderful.

Side One

1) Sandpaper Kisses (Acoustic Version By Martina Topley-Bird & Damon Albarn): Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

2) Carnies (Album Version By Danger Mouse & Kennie Takahashi): Martina Topley-Bird (2008) 

3) Suffocated Love (Album Version By Tricky & Mark Saunders): TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

4) Why Should I?: Leila ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (2008)

5) Hours Away: Martina Topley-Bird (2003)

 

Side Two

1) Makes Me Wanna Die (Single Version By Tricky & Ian Caple): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1997)

2) Babel: Massive Attack ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

3) When We Die: TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2017)

4) Abbaon Fat Tracks (Album Version): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

5) Black Coffee: Nearly God ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1996)

 

1995: Maxinquaye: A3, B4

1996: Nearly God: B5

1997: Makes Me Wanna Die EP: B1

2003: Need One EP: A5

2008: The Blue God: A2

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: A4

2010: Some Place Simple: A1 

2010: Heligoland: B2

2017: ununiform: B3

 

Side One (20:31)

Side Two (22:13)