All That's Written Is Not So

Sixty-two minutes of Horace Andy for your listening pleasure, proof if needed that I don't need a birth, marriage or untimely passing to celebrate a great artist.

Horace Keith Hinds turned 74 in February and is as vital as ever, not least a stunning live performance with Massive Attack at last year's ACT 1.5 event in Bristol and a brace of Adrian Sherwood-produced albums, Midnight Rockets and Midnight Scorchers.

It was Massive Attack's Blue Lines album that was my proper introduction to Horace Andy's music, and I've been trying to keep pace since, with his extensive back catalogue and prolific contemporary recordings.

This 14-song can't hope to be comprehensive, and leans heavily on collaborations from this century, though it easily demonstrates how consistently brilliant Horace has been throughout his career and why he's considered a giant in the genre.

1) Control Yourself (Single Version By Horace Hinds): Horace Andy (1978)

2) Careful (Album Version By Adrian Sherwood): Horace Andy (2022)

3) Money Money (Remix By Tad A. Dawkins & Sylvan Morris): Horace Andy (1980)

4) (Exchange) (Version): Massive Attack ft. Horace Andy (1998)

5) Just Say Who (Gaudi Rootikal Remix By Daniele Gaudi): Almamegretta ft. Horace Andy (2008)

6) Babylon You Lose: Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle (2008)

7) Airbag (Cover of Radiohead): Easy Star All-Stars ft. Horace Andy (2006)

8) If I (Album Version By Horace Hinds & Everton Da Silva): Horace Andy (1977)

9) Papa Was A Rolling Stone (Album Version By Mad Professor) (Cover of The Temptations): Horace Andy (1997)

10) Girl I Love You (Album Version): Massive Attack ft. Horace Andy (2010)

11) Fly High (Album Version By Howie B.): Two Culture Clash ft. Howie B. & Horace Andy (2004)

12) Skylarking (Album Version): Horace Andy + Sly & Robbie (2006)

13) Racing Away (Album Version By Duncan Bridgeman & Jamie Catto): 1 Giant Leap ft. Grant Lee Phillips & Horace Andy (2002)

14) Hymn Of The Big Wheel (Album Version By Massive Attack & Jonny Dollar): Massive Attack ft. Horace Andy, Mikey General & Neneh Cherry (1991)

1977: In The Light: 8

1980: Showcase: 3

1991: Blue Lines: 14

1997: Good Vibes: 1

1997: Roots And Branches: 9

1998: Mezzanine: 4

2001: 1 Giant Leap: 13

2004: Two Culture Clash: 11

2006: Livin' It Up: 12

2006: Radiodread: 7

2008: Inspiration Information: 6

2008: Vulgus: 5

2010: Heligoland: 10

2022: Midnight Rocker: 2

All That's Written Is Not So (1:02:39) (KF) (Mega)

Decadance III: 1994

Side 1 of a nonsensical Nineties mixtape, today landing in 1994.

The year that 'The Bristol Sound' was gaining traction as a viable commercial prospect was also the year that I spent most of it living in another city. Yep, rather than chasing the zeitgeist, I seemed to spend most of my time racing away from it...!

Whilst Lloyd Cole had a lost weekend in a hotel in Amsterdam, I spent late 1993 to autumn 1994 in Derby. A large chunk of that was spent (over)staying with my incredibly understanding friend and his understandably increasingly pissed off girlfriend, before moving into a bedsit on the other side of town.

I'd lived in worse places, though not much. The winter was so cold that ice formed on the inside of the windows, faux-brickwork wallpaper covered the crumbly real stuff behind, and 50p in the meter would just about get enough water for a bath...as long as my neighbour didn't jump into the communal bathroom and nick it first!

Oh, and after several break-in attempts, I had to resort to removing my car battery every evening and keep it in my bedsit. It was quite literally the only thing worth nicking from car, but half-arsed attempts to do so had caused even more damage. 

I spent most of my time in Derby working for a paint company, 2.00-10.00pm shifts in their distribution warehouse, trying to input schedules on to spreadsheet with fingers that had turned blue and lost all feeling about 30 minutes into the shift. 

And it was where I gained a valuable lesson in the pronunciation of UK place names. My Scottish compadres may raise a wry smile when I mention the reaction I got from the person at the other end of the phone, when I wanted to update them on "a delivery to Hawick". They let me repeat several times before putting me out of my misery...

 

For all the anti-social aspects of the group, the people were fun, and I had a brief relationship with a woman in the upstairs office (I was one of the privileged few from downstairs allowed to go upstairs!), who lived out in the sticks and introduced me to some lovely walks in the Peak District. 

I also went clubbing a lot, given that I would finish work at 10.00pm and sleep was the last thing on my mind. I've forgotten most of the places I went to, but they included the Wherehouse for indie-type gigs and club nights. I also went to a few Renaissance nights at the relatively newly opened The Conservatory. I may have seen Sasha there but I have no recollection; I do remember that John Digweed and Ian Ossia were there pretty much every time, and seeing Justin Robertson, the latter peppered all over my record buying at the time.

Gigs were few and far between in that time. In fact, I've only recorded three that I can recall, and what a mixed bag: Freak Realistic playing to a handful of people; The Boo Radleys riding a wave of acclaim on the back of the magnificent Giant Steps, which proved to be impossible to capture live on stage. 

And then a brief trip over to Nottingham in March 1994, for a Megadog event featuring Transglobal Underground, Banco De Gaia and Loop Guru, which was superb. I was also supposed to be seeing Primal Scream at the legendary Rock City the same month but for some reason it never happened. Thirty years later and I've still never been there.

So how is it all of that reflected in today's selection of sounds from 1994? Not very well, if I honest!

Although the peaks for both genres were arguably still ahead, I've eschewed Britpop for Trip Hop, so there's no Blur, Pulp or Oasis (or, thankfully, Ocean Colour Scene) but Bristol's finest are represented with Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky. Incredibly, only the first of these made the Top 30 though bigger hits were to come. 

 

In fact, this selection is much lighter on Top 40 hits - a mere 5 - compared to previous years, though I couldn't swap out any of these choices, even if it meant no room for Mazzy Star, Underworld, Gene, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Elastica, Kristin Hersh & Michael Stipe, Ride and Billie Ray Martin. And poor Pop Will Eat Itself never did get a look in this time around.

Beastie Boys make a long overdue appearance with Sabotage, which came with a typically brilliant video. Lazarus, possibly The Boo Radleys' greatest moment, wasn't a hit in 1992 and arguably still wasn't in 1994 compared to other singles though it was good to see it get a second crack at the Top, er, 55.

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart also returned with what I personally consider to be their best album, Take Me To God. I can't award it perfect album due to the guest spot of Dolores from The Cranberries, whose voice I can best and diplomatically describe as grating (sorry). However the single Becoming More Like God is monumental.

Pavement and Stereolab are largely thanks to John Peel playing them on the radio and a friend falling heavily for their music, which provided a sideways door to their songs. Veruca Salt too, although my collection remains largely limited to the Seether and Number One Blind EPs.

7 Seconds by Youssou N'Dour was slow burning single, taking a good couple of months to climb up the UK charts and reaching a peak of #3. No idea why, it's a fantastic song, made even better by appearance of Neneh Cherry and the inspired production of Booga Bear & Jonny Dollar aka Cameron McVey (aka Neneh's hubby) and Jonathan Sharp (who sadly passed in 2009). Neneh...sigh.

And I end with a start. If you've been following this series from the beginning, then you will know that there will always be more MAW. Today's Mandatory Andrew Weatherall is one of his own songs, for a change. Weatherall teamed up with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns to form The Sabres Of Paradise. In 1994, second album Haunted Dancehall dropped, including a truncated version of preceding single Theme.

Theme, as the title may suggest, was a big, bold brassy cinematic epic, so it was no surprise that it literally ended up soundtracking a film. I don't remember all that much about Shopping the film, if I'm honest; I probably only saw it that one time in 1994. The soundtrack album however is phenomenal: Weatherall/Sabres appear twice, alongside Orbital, Smith & Mighty, The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, and more. 

The version of Theme on the Shopping OST comes in at just under five and a half minutes, longer than the album version, shorter than the single version, though carrying all of the heft of the original.

 

1) Theme ("Shopping" OST Version): The Sabres Of Paradise

2) Sly (Underdog Mix By Trevor Jackson): Massive Attack ft. Nicolette

3) Sabotage (Album Version): Beastie Boys

4) Numb (Revenge Of The Number): Portishead

5) Lazarus (7 Inch Version): The Boo Radleys

6) Cut Your Hair (Album Version): Pavement

7) Ping Pong (Album Version): Stereolab

8) Ponderosa (Dobie's Rub Part 1): TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird

9) Becoming More Like God (Radio Edit By Mark 'Spike' Stent): Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart ft. Anneli Drecker

10) I Want You (Single Mix): Inspiral Carpets ft. Mark E. Smith

11) Seether (Album Version): Veruca Salt

12) 7 Seconds (Album Version By Booga Bear & Jonny Dollar): Youssou N'Dour ft. Neneh Cherry

6th February 1994: Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (#52): 6

27th February 1994: I Want You EP (#18): 10

3rd April 1994: Haunted Dancehall / Shopping OST (#56): 1

24th April 1994: Becoming More Like God EP (#36): 9

1st May 1994: Ponderosa EP (#77): 8

5th June 1994: Lazarus EP (#54): 5

13th June 1994: Numb EP (# n/a): 4

26th June 1994: American Thighs (#61): 11

3rd July 1994: Ill Communication (#19): 3

24th July 1994: Mars Audiac Quintet (#45): 7

4th September 1994: The Guide (Wommat) (#3): 12

23rd October 1994: Sly EP (#24): 2

 

Side One (45:59) (KF) (Mega)

Sixty Years Of 3D

Happy birthday to Robert Del Naja aka 3D, born 21st January 1965.

Ten songs, four official videos, one fan-made, one visualiser, four audio only, all prime examples of 3D's talent as a vocalist, producer, songwriter and remixer. 

Some of these collaborations are new to me: I had no idea 3D had worked with Mike Patton of Faith No More on his Peeping Tom, or that he's produced a remix (all eleven minutes of it) for a reimagining of McCartney III. 

And his work with Massive Attack alone is the stuff of legend, not just the music, but the activism and political drive, and the willingness to challenge conventions of live performance. 

And then there's his art.

Truly inspirational.

Have a good one, 3D!

1) False Flags: Massive Attack (2006)

2) Rabbit In Your Headlights (3D Mix-Reverse Light): UNKLE ft. Thom Yorke (1998)

3) 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix): A Perfect Circle (2000)

4) Kill The DJ: Peeping Tom (Mike Patton) ft. Massive Attack (2006)

5) For Nothing: Euanwhosarmy ft. Lyndsey Lupe (2016)

6) Battle Box (Main Mix): 3D, Guy Garvey (2012)

7) WPIC (Higgins In 3D Remix): Higgins Waterproof black Magic Band (2014)

8) Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix): Paul McCartney (2021)

9) Kong: Neneh Cherry (2018)

10) Daydreaming: Massive Attack (1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry On Top

I mentioned yesterday that Jeb Loy Nichols shared a London squat with Neneh Cherry in the early 1980s, which seems as good an excuse as any to revisit Neneh's incredible catalogue. 

I've skipped her early ventures with Rip Rig + Panic, Float Up CP, The Slits, New Age Steppers and The The (although I did feature that song in August 2022) and focussed on 1988's ground breaking Raw Like Sushi, right up to 2022's The Versions, which (mostly) reworks songs from that astonishing debut. In typically contrary fashion, I'm doing it in reverse chronological order.

Much as I love Neneh Cherry, frankly I found The Versions below par, Sia's go at Manchild being a prime example of faithful cover versions only highlighting that the original was so, so much better. Thankfully, the ever dependable Kelsey Lu at least takes the song in a different direction, thereby avoiding any unfavourable comparisons. Unfortunately, there are few examples like this on the album to recommend it. 

However, it's Neneh all the way from there on in (plus one collaboration with Swedish-Norwegian free jazz/jazz rock trio The Thing), so you know you're in for some quality sounds and some memorable visuals. I've not seen most of these videos before so it was a treat to experience the songs again in these settings.

And, in case you missed it, I've reactivated the links to my mega-mama Neneh Cherry selection (two volumes, two hours!) to celebrate her 60th back in March 2024.

If it's sweetness that you're looking for, you're in the right place.

 

 

 

 

 

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) 

Three x3 x3 x3

Somehow, I'm not quite sure how, Dubhed is three years old today. Not something I imagined writing when I first started this blog in 2020. 

 

A piffling amount of time if you visit any of the blogs linked to this site and see what dedication and long-term commitment really looks like, but it's without a doubt the most sustained period of activity for any 'creative venture' that I've ever been wholly responsible for. 

Will it change your life? No, of course not. But it has helped mine in some subtle and more obvious ways. Especially since moving to the discipline of a daily post, it's given me a structured mindfulness activity that's been more of a help with my mental health that I can fully appreciate, both as a preventative and a curative exercise.

The best bit though, and the inspiration for doing it in the first place, is the lovely blogging community that I discovered and have since felt a part of, a reminder when you are surrounded by news and stories to the contrary that there are many, many wonderful human beings out there. And we all share a passion for music. Not necessarily the same music all of the time, but an appreciation and respect for the sheer love of it regardless.

It's not just about the music, though, this sense of community. Whenever I can, I try to make some time on a Saturday morning to drop by at My Top Ten to join in with Rol's excellent - and teasingly, pleasingly difficult - Saturday Snapshots quiz. Every month in 2023, John's Are We There Yet? blog has hosted a gallery of themed photos, which I started contributing to (albeit generally always just under the deadline wire - sorry, John!) and enjoy a lot. SWC at No Badger Required has run regular countdowns, based on votes from a musical jury and I'm privileged to have been a member on quite a few of these. And it all started for me with guest contributions to The Vinyl Villain, specifically JC's epic and ongoing An Imaginary Compilation album series, which has pretty much been the template for the Dubhed selections that have regularly featured here. 

 

That's just scratching the surface: there are so many fantastic music blogs out there, all saying something different, all opening up my mind (and ears) to new experiences and not just music, of course. Every single one of the blogs in the "Other Head Music" roll call on your right (in web view, that is) are a continual inspiration.

 

I recently commented that Swiss Adam's Bagging Area "has always been more than a blog for music lovers, it’s a lesson in humanity." It's a humbling experience reading other people's raw and vulnerable thoughts and expressions - painful and inspiring often at the same time - and it's wonderful to see how people rally round, offer support and encouragement and just care.

Thank you all, you know who you are. Whether you have visited once or lots of times, left plenty of comments or none at all, have downloaded a Dubhed selection or had a glance through and moved on, thank you.

 

Anyhoo, before you start to wonder if you've stumbled on a Grammy award acceptance speech by accident, let's have some music.

If I've got my numbers right, today is my 970th post and my 654th Dubhed selection (if you count individual sides of a mixtape, which I am). No wonder my back up drive is looking full...!

I thought I'd struggle to find enough songs in my collection with 'three' in the title. No such trouble, as it happens, to the extent that I've left out some really obvious ones (apologies, De La Soul) and mix it up a little.

So, the name of this mix. Three multiplied by three three times is 81 so this selection is of course 81 minutes long (or as near as dammit). Each song contains 3 or three in the title. There are 20 tracks in total, which as you'll know is...not divisible by three. Well, you can overwork a theme sometimes, can't you?

 

Today's cover art is photo of Lagos - Resistance, Lagos Roads, a 1992 work by Otobong Nkanga, born in Nigeria, based in Belgium and whose exhibition was viewed and enjoyed by Clan K in Spain a few weeks ago. And yes, there's the 'three' theme again.

If you made it to the end of this post, an extra thank you. Rest assured, a return to the usual nonsense tomorrow.

 

1) 3 a.m. Eternal (Rankin' Club Version By Moody Boys & The Mad Professor): The KLF (1991)

2) Yeah x 3 (X-Press 2 Remix): David Holmes ft. Raven Violet (2023)

3) Three Card Trick: The Clash (1985)

4) #3 (In The Corn Belt) (Album Version By Arthur Russell): Dinosaur L (1981)

4.1) The Three Sneezes (Original Story by Roger Duvoisin) (Part 1): Martin Wallace (2006)

5) Three (Album Version By Massive Attack & Nellee Hooper): Massive Attack ft. Nicolette (1994)

6) Three MC's And One DJ (Album Version By Beastie Boys & Mario Caldato Jr.): Beastie Boys (1998)

7) Three Minute Hero: The Selecter (1980)

8) Three And Nine: Roxy Music (1974)

9) The Three Sisters: The Cure (1994)

9.1) The Three Sneezes (Original Story by Roger Duvoisin) (Part 2): Martin Wallace (2006)

10) 3 Gypsies In A Restaurant: Billy MacKenzie (1996)

11) Three Monkey Tango: Marc Almond (2006)

12) Spit Three Times (Album Version By Kieran Hebden): Neneh Cherry (2014)

13) Jltf 3 (Ambient): Moby ft. Melody Zimmer (2009)

14) 3 Of Us (4 Your Club Mix By Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero): Humpe Humpe (1985)

15) Three Wishes: Let It Come Down (Kramer & Xan Tyler) (2020)

16) The Three Shadows Pt.1: Bauhaus (1982)

16.1) The Three Sneezes (Original Story by Roger Duvoisin) (Part 3): Martin Wallace (2006)

17) We Three Kings Of Orient Aren't: Jamie Wednesday (1986)

18) Three Girl Rhumba (Cover of Wire): Bark Psychosis (1996)

19) 3 a.m. Eternal (Almighty Radio Edit): People Of 'K' ft. Crystal (2014)

20) The Three Sneezes (Original Story by Roger Duvoisin) (Part 4): Martin Wallace (2006)

Three x3 x3 x3 (1:20:59) (KF) (Mega)

Hep Hop Excursion (Day Return)

Side 1 of a one stop tip top trip hop mixtape, compiled circa July to September 1996. Try saying that with a mouthful of muesli. 63 Sundays ago, I posted Side 2; now you can belatedly complete the set!

 

As with the previous side, this selection is skewed towards acts from or based in my birthplace Bristol; the final third features remixes by Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead.  

Red Snapper open up with a track from their second release, The Swank EP, although like many I first heard this on the Warp Records compilation of their first three EPs, Reeled And Skinned. Red Snapper were originally active between 1993 and 2002 and cane together again in 2007. The band released the rather excellent Live At The Moth Club album a couple of days ago.

In 1995, Saint Etienne teamed up with Étienne Daho to record and release the Reserection EP, featuring several previous singles and B-sides, reworked and translated into French. Jungle Pulse is a version of 1991 single Filthy, Daho replacing Q-Tee's original rap over a Hendrix sample and some appropriately dirty beats.

The Charlatans were no strangers to the art of the remix, with several collaborations with The Dust Brothers/The Chemical Brothers under their belt. Van Basten provide a rather fine remix of Feel Flows. Named after Marco van Basten, up there in the lists of the greatest footballers of all time* and who had retired at the age of 28 the year before this remix appeared. Whilst van Basten was born in Utrecht in The Netherlands, Van Basten the trio - Gary Everatt, Gary Webster and Martin Reilly - hailed from Milton Keynes.

As before, several of my favourite chanteuses, appear here with standout tracks: Plavka, Neneh Cherry and Beth Gibbons.

When I posted Side 2 in August 2022, the UK was experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures of 33°C; no chance of that in October 2023, as the island recovers from the passing of Storm Babet. 

 

1) One Legged Low Frequency Guy: Red Snapper (1994)

2) Jungle Pulse (Remix of Filthy): Saint Etienne ft. Étienne Daho (1995)

3) Move Ya (Bedouin Ascent Funky Fix): Rising High Collective (1995)

4) Feel Flows (Van Basten Mix): The Charlatans (1994)

5) Blow The Whole Joint Up (Decks 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Mix By DJ Mek): Monkey Mafia (1995)

6) Manchild (Massive Attack Remix): Neneh Cherry (1989)

7) Boundaries (Tricky Mix): Leena Conquest & Hip Hop Finger (1994)

8) Sour Sour Times (Remix): Portishead (1994)

 

1989: Manchild EP: 6

1994: Boundaries EP: 7

1994: Jesus Hairdo EP: 4 

1994: Sour Times EP: 8

1994: The Swank EP: 1

1995: Blow The Whole Joint Up EP: 5

1995: Feel The Fire/Wanna Move Ya EP: 3

1995: Reserection EP: 2

Side One (45:06) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two here

* as I was writing this post, the news came in of Bobby Charlton's passing. Another of the greatest footballers of all time. RIP Bobby.

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)

I'm Just Another Western Guy With Desires That I Can't Satisfy

You wait ages for a The The post, then two come along in the same month. What better way to celebrate Dubhed's 500th post?

 

if you've been following this week, you'll have noticed that I've been running with black and white videos, hopping back and forth in time from Danger Mouse & Black Thought (2022) to The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967) to Serge Gainsbourg (1962) and now The The (1986).

Slow Train To Dawn first appeared on The The's jaw-droppingly brilliant album Infected and was subsequently released as a single in January 1987, sporting a typically striking cover by Matt Johnson's brother, sui generis artist Andy Johnson.

Amongst an album of astonishing songs, Slow Train To Dawn is a particular standout because it features a duet with the wonderful human being that is Neneh Cherry. This was slightly ahead of her successful solo career, but the name resonated from a poster that I remembered from the early 1980s, almost certainly in Smash Hits, when Neneh was a member of Rip Rig & Panic. Thanks to the wonders of t'internet, it took less than two minutes for me to track down an image of that very poster.

The video for Slow Train To Dawn was directed by Tim Pope and features Matt and Neneh in a rather intriguing set up. There's the literal: yes, there's a big old steam train and yes, you could argue that it's going relatively slowly and yes, it may possibly be the wee hours of the morning. There's also a (kind of) homage to the tropes of the silent movie, with the 'damsel in distress' tied to the railroad track, whilst an oncoming train brings the threat of inescapable and horrific death. Of course, being a The The video directed by Tim Pope, the imagery and metaphor literally steam and drip with sweat.

 

In keeping with the Infected album as a whole, Slow Train To Dawn's lyrics are open to multiple layers of reading and interpretation and can be said to touch on themes of masculinity, emasculation, misogyny, racism and objectification. I remember poring over the lyrics printed on Infected's inner sleeve trying to interpret and understand the layers of meaning, as far as I was able at the time as a naive, angst-ridden, ignorant yet questioning 15-year old.

 

Whether the casual viewer of the Slow Train To Dawn video would pick up on any of the song's themes and nuances is debatable. What is striking is that, despite having to spend most of the video on her back, restrained and largely immobile, Neneh conveys a strength and steely determination that defies the precarious and questionable position that her character has been forced into.

 

When the needle hit side 2, song 2 of Infected and I heard Neneh Cherry's first words in Slow Train To Dawn, I was properly introduced to an incredible artist. Raw Like Sushi landed in 1988 and began a rather brilliant solo career. I also got to go back in time and discover Neneh's history with Rip Rig & Panic and New Age Steppers. Neneh's reputation and influence as an artist was cemented in June this year, with the release of The Versions, with reworkings, covers and collaborations featuring Robyn, Sia, Anonhi and Kelsey Lu. Good though they are, of course none of them can better Neneh Cherry, the true innovator.

 

Slow Train To Dawn (Album Version): The The ft. Neneh Cherry (1986)

Sometimes You Get Nowhere

Half a dozen cover versions in a little under half an hour. The springboard for this (again) was the Love Is.... guest mix posted last week on The Vinyl Villain. The gift that keeps on giving and another excuse to plug Jez's own music blog, A History Of Dubious Taste.

The mix included Little Boots' cover of Love Kills (originally by Freddie Mercury), which appeared on the gargantuan 89-track compilation Buffetlibre DJ's Rewind Mixtape 2 back in 2009. And no, I don't have the complete album. 

 

Originally available as an MP3-only download via the Buffetlibre website, it's long since gone but a trawl around the internet should unearth a good selection of the track list. It's pretty much 1980s songs covered or remixed and I've plumped for an unexpectedly delicate cover of Whitesnake's hairsprayed middle-aged pomp rock hit. 

 

This selection opens with a song that Roger Waters wrote for Pink Floyd in 1969, but never recorded. Crystal Kerr sings and plays piano, Ken Langford provides guitar and backing vocals and that's about as much as I know about either of them. Beautiful song, though.

 

Likewise, I'm pretty unfamiliar with Richard Walters, although Discogs tells me he's recorded more recently as LYR, a three-piece including current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. Faultline aka David Kosten was already on my radar, after picking up 2002 album Your Love Means Everything in a Bristol record shop bargain bin and being pleasantly surprised, despite the inclusion of Chris Martin from Coldplay. I like this version of the David Bowie classic. 

The closing half of the selection takes in songs by Lou Reed, Nick Cave and, in a last ditch attempt to swerve away from an exclusively male singer/songwriter focus, the wonderful Martina Topley-Bird. The latter, courtesy of Neneh Cherry & The Thing, bucks the gentle themes of the preceding songs with a raucous, jazzy vibe, with Cherry sounding like she's punching her way out of a cardboard box. I love the original, but this version takes it in an interesting and different direction.

 

I did initially think about carrying on, as I'd sidetracked into listening to several potential inclusions by Micah P. Hinson, but that's a selection for another day. and this is as good a point as any to hop off. Happy Wednesday!

1) Seabirds (Cover of Roger Waters): Kerr & Langford (1991)

2) Here I Go Again (Cover of Whitesnake): The Botticellis (2009)

3) Be My Wife (Cover of David Bowie): Richard Walters & Faultline (2008) 

4) Pale Blue Eyes (12" Version) (Cover of The Velvet Underground): Paul Quinn & Edwyn Collins (1984)

5) Breathless (Cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds): Cat Power (2008)

6) Too Tough To Die (Cover of Martina Topley-Bird): Neneh Cherry & The Thing (2012)

1984: Pale Blue Eyes EP / Punk Rock Hotel OST: 4

1991: Moving Soundtracks: 1

2008: Jukebox: 5

2008: Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered: 3

2009: Buffetlibre DJ's Rewind Mixtape 2: 2

2012: Neneh Cherry & The Thing: 6

 

Sometimes You Get Nowhere (25:03)