Stretch Out In The Sun

I hope you're all doing okay, wherever you are. This week, I've been frequently dipping into my collection of 12" mixes from the 1980s, the random shuffle throwing up lots of familiar tunes, as well as plenty of more obscure songs and/or versions.

I've created a 46-minute selection of eight, none of which have appeared on this blog (at least I'm 99.9% sure of this), spanning 1981 to 1988 and several genres, but all extended to enhance their danceability as Heaven 17 (cruelly omitted here) once said.

Touched By The Hand Of God is one of my favourite New Order songs, with a fun video to match. The remix here is from the soundtrack to Salvation!, a 1987 US film and an early credit for Viggo Mortensen. 

I've never seen Salvation!, but the soundtrack album (issued in 1988) is top notch, with contributions from New Order, Arthur Baker and Cabaret Voltaire. The Arthur Baker remix of Touched By The Hand Of God featured in today's selection is a bonus track on the CD and as far as I'm aware is unique to this release.

Dale is better known as Dale Bozzio, a Boston-born musician, former Playboy Bunny, member of Frank Zappa's recording ensemble and most famously (in the USA at least), co-founder of Missing Persons in 1980.

Fast forward to 1st Janaury 1988 and Dale's debut solo album, Riot In English, was released on Prince's label Paisley Park Records. Simon Simon was the opening song and lead single, remixed here by superstar DJ Shep Pettibone (CV includes the stellar remix of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle) and Junior Vasquez, also on the ascendant.

By the mid-1980s, any artist was fair game for the extended 12" remix treatment and Bruce Springsteen was no exception. Arthur Baker (him again) was drafted to remix a trio of singles from Born In The U.S.A., the title track, Dancing In The Dark and Cover Me. 

The latter is today's pick and it's probably the best of the three, although if you're not a fan of this kind of thing, then it will not be the one to convert you. 

Bow Wow Wow shone briefly in the early 1980s, more than just another Malcolm McLaren vehicle to incite controversy but it feels often unfairly overshadowed by the latter. I was ten when the Prince Of Darkness single came out. Annabella Lwin was five years older than me at the time. 

Boggles the mind but, to this tiny listener, she had an incredible voice and presence and the songs were a lot of fun even if I didn't understand what they were really about. I've just discovered a performance of Prince Of Darkness on German TV, followed by an awkward though thankfully brief interview with Annabella afterwards.

The Pasadenas, from their name to their image, of 50s-style greased back quiffs, leather jackets and denim, to their sound, a contemporary update of soul, funk, do wop and R'n'B, screamed America. 

In fact, the 5-piece was a British group, originally a dance troupe called Finesse, before taking a punt at pop success in the late 1980s. And it worked: Riding On A Train, which they also wrote, got to #13 in the UK and their debut album peaked at #3.

So why The Pasadenas? It was the birthplace of founders and twin brothers David and Michael Milliner, before their relocation to England.

An early building block in my vinyl record collection was The 12" Album by Howard Jones, with the on-the-nose cover featuring Howard in profile standing next to an image of a 12" wooden ruler. Presumably not an indication of Howard's actual height, though I must ask Mrs. K as she has seen him out and about in his old stomping ground of High Wycombe.

Whilst four of the six songs were extended versions of Howard's singles, Total Conditioning was an album track, then a B-side of the Pearl In The Shell 12". Ironically, the version on The 12" Album is about a minute shorter than said 12" album. I'll leave you to decide whether that's a travesty or a small mercy.

I'm sure that I trot this out every time that I mention Bananarama, but Sarah and Keren used to go to the same secondary school as me. Unfortunately, unlike Annabella Lwin, the age gap was sufficienty great that they were long gone by the time I arrived at the gates, wet behind the ears, crap haircut and sweating in my school blazer and jumper (it was a hot September).

Do Not Disturb sits, in my mind at least, in that transitional period between the early, vaguely indie/DIY feel singles and the full-blown bouncy pop (especially with Stock, Aitken & Waterman) that top and tailed the 1980s. It's fun, but less memorable.

Closing out this collection is a cover of Low Rider, originally by War in 1975, recorded a decade later by Quando Quango. in 1985, they had gained cool points for being on the Factory label, but disbanded following their debut album, Pigs + Battleships. The remix of Low Rider here is by 400 Blows and appeared on volume two of the Funky Alternatives compilation series, which was always worth a punt.

Ten years later, Quando Quango co-founder (and Hacienda DJ) Mike Pickering found global success with M-People.

Stay cool out there today!

1) Touched By The Hand Of God (Remix Version By Arthur Baker): New Order (1988)

2) Simon Simon (Extended Remix By Shep Pettibone & Junior Vasquez): Dale (1988)

3) Cover Me (Undercover Mix By Arthur Baker): Bruce Springsteen (1984)

4) Prince Of Darkness (12" Version By Bow Wow Wow & Brian Tench): Bow Wow Wow (1981)

5) Riding On A Train (Album Version By Pete Wingfield): The Pasadenas (1988)

6) Total Conditioning (12" Version By Rupert Hine & Stephen W. Tayler): Howard Jones (1984)

7) Do Not Disturb (12" Version By Steve Jolley & Tony Swain): Bananarama (1985)

8) Low Rider (400 Blows Remix By Andrew Beer & Robert Taylor) (Cover of War): Quando Quango ft. Beverly McDonald (1985)

1981: Prince Of Darkness EP: 4

1984: Cover Me EP: 3

1984: The 12" Album: 6

1985: Do Not Disturb EP: 7

1987: Funky Alternatives Vol 2: 8

1988: Salvation! OST: 1

1988: Simon Simon EP: 2

1988: To Whom It May Concern: 5

Stretch Out In The Sun (46:36) (GD) (M)

Fish And Chips

Hot Chip (twice) and The Other Two (once), to be precise.

New music from Hot Chip is always a cause for celebration but the lads have really pushed the boat out for this one. Devotion is the precursor for an upcoming greatest hits compilation, Joy In Repetition, and it's an absolute delight. 

And the video, as you might expect from Hot Chip, is utterly brilliant.

If a three or four minute song goes on repeat, whilst reaching for your record collection or creating a playlist by the artist, then it's done it's work. Devotion excels in this regard, and I shall be listening to Hot Chip for the rest of this week (at least).

Even if you've only visited this blog a few times, you'll have sussed that I'm an advocate for the 'there's no such thing as a bad idea' approach to creating posts.

So when I was immediately inspired to post Hot Chip, the idea of a 'fish and chips' theme almost immediately followed. Rather than dismiss it as lazy, barrel scraping or indicative of a dried out husk of creativity, I leaned into it and well, here we are.

Rest assured, as quickly as the thought popped into my head, I just as quickly dismissed any thought of featuring Derek Dick aka Fish, either solo or in his Marillion days, somewhat contradicting my  'there's no such thing as a bad idea' mantra. Did I also mention that I'm inconsistent?

For me, there was only really one contender, a slice of joyous pop, like a distant relative of Devotion from thirty four years ago. After seeing Bernard and Hooky do their own thing with Electronic and Revenge, the other two from New Order (aka Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris) decided to take a bite from the cherry as The Other Two. Or, in this case, a Tasty Fish.

And rather conveniently, in 2015 Hot Chip remixed Tutti Frutti by New Order for a single release. The 12" features a vinyl edit at a smidge under nine minutes, but CD and digital formats contain the full length, eleven minute forty five second version, which is the must-have.

For added entertainment, I found an upload of Tutti Frutti (Hot Chip Remix) on YouTube that includes a still image of penguins. Thanks, vit3xxx!

And all cheaper than an actual portion of fish and chips these days. Now, isn't that satisfying? 

The Fate Of The Eighties

Will I ever run out of 12" mixes from the 1980s to post? Probably not.

Five years into this blog, and I'm still pulling some big hitters out of the record bag that (I'm 99.9% sure) haven't previously featured in a Dubhed selection.

One from each year of the decade, not necessarily in that order, though the selection starts with 1980 and ends with 1989, so there's some order, at least. As well as some New Order.

I've cheated a little with the 1980 pick. The 12" version of Methods Of Dance is the same as the album version that appeared on Gentlemen Take Polaroids in 1980. However, the song didn't appear on a single until 1982, as the B-side to Nightporter. But hey, it's Japan, it's in!

The song that triggered the idea for this playlist a few days ago was a random shuffle of Dum Dum Girl (12" Mix) by Talk Talk. I love the mixes by the band, latterly with Tim Friese-Greene, though have a lot of love for the remixes by Steve Thompson & Richard Barbiero too. Dare I say it? I prefer this version of Dum Dum Girls to the original.

Sowing The Seeds Of Love by Tears For Fears closes out the selection. The 'Full Version' is lifted from the CD single I bought at the time (even though I hadn't yet bought a CD player!) If you bought Tears For Fears' Greatest Hits in the early 1990s, the one with the bonus CD of remixes, you will have found this labelled as Sowing The Seeds Of Love (Wen's Overnight Mix). It's a whopping thirty seconds longer than the album version, too!

In between, some cracking tunes by Depeche Mode, Howard Devoto, Icehouse, Information Society, Pet Shop Boys and Visage, extended to perfection by legends such as Daniel Mlller, 'Little' Louie Vega, The Latin Rascals and Shep Pettibone.

All guaranteed to bring some sunshine into your day...although as we're officially experiencing a heatwave in the UK, perhaps the last thing you may want...!

1) Methods Of Dance (12" Version by Japan & John Punter): Japan (1980)

2) Crazy (Manic Mix By David Lord & Michael H. Brauer): Icehouse (1987)

3) The Perfect Kiss (12" Version By New Order & Michael Johnson): New Order (1985)

4) What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) (Club Mix By 'Little' Louie Vega, Roman Ricardo & The Latin Rascals): Information Society (1988)

5) We Move (Dance Mix By Midge Ure & Visage): Visage (1981)

6) Love Comes Quickly (Pettibone Mastermix By Shep Pettibone): Pet Shop Boys (1986)

7) Dum Dum Girl (12" Mix By Steve Thompson & Richard Barbiero): Talk Talk (1984)

8) Leave In Silence (Longer) (12" Version By Depeche Mode & Daniel Miller): Depeche Mode (1982)

9) Cold Imagination (Extended Version By Howard Devoto & Greg Walsh): Howard Devoto (1983)

10) Sowing The Seeds Of Love (Full Version By Tears For Fears & Dave Bascombe): Tears For Fears (1989)

The Fate Of The Eighties (1:08:33) (KF) (Mega)

If that's got you on a 12'/80s kick, I've reactivated links to some previous Dubhed excursions from the archives....

History Reinvented (2021)

Kissing The Mix (Side One & Side Two) (2000)

Teenage Remix (Side One & Side Two) (2000)

You Never Really Saw... (2005)

Here It Comes Again

"it" being "Friday", "the start of the weekend" or "another bloody 12"/80s Dubhed selection".

If the latter doesn't get your hackles rising then you're in for a treat with some poptacular extended mixes featuring Altered Images, B.E.F., Billy MacKenzie, Erasure, Eurythmics, New Order, Pet Shop Boys and Stephen Duffy.

Fair warning that the BPMs will remain "up" for the next 72 hours....

1) See Those Eyes (Long Version) (Remix By Martin Rushent): Altered Images (1982)

2) It Doesn't Have To Be (Boop Oopa Doo Mix By Mixmaster Phil Harding): Erasure (1987)

3) In The Night (Remix By Arthur Baker): Pet Shop Boys (1986)

4) Round & Round (Club Mix By Ben Grosse & Kevin Saunderson): New Order (1989)

5) Cool Blue (Vocal Mix By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Eurythmics (1984)

6) The Secret Life Of Arabia (Dub Mix By Martyn Ware & Ian Craig Marsh) (Cover of David Bowie): B.E.F. ft. Billy Mackenzie (1982)

7) I Love You (Diversion) (12" Version By David Leonard): Stephen Duffy (1986)

1982: Methods Of Dance Volume 2: 6

1982: See Those Eyes EP: 1

1984: Touch Dance: 5

1986: Disco: 3

1986: Extended Play EP: 7

1987: It Doesn't Have To Be EP: 2

1989: Round & Round EP: 4

Here It Comes Again (46:06) (KF) (Mega)

Decadance II: 1993

Side 2 of my 'maginary 90s mixtape, focusing on 1993.

 

The carefree college days were drawing to a close, and final exams loomed. 

 

I got to look at the work of Joan Miró, Antoni Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and many more up close and personal for the first time in Barcelona. 

 

I went with my girlfriend, her best fried and boyfriend to the inaugural Phoenix Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon, where I saw, amongst others, Manic Street Preachers, Sonic Youth, Faith No More, Julian Cope (who I saw twice in '93), The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Utah Saints, Back To The Planet, House Of Pain, Sandals, Senser, The Young Gods, Credit To The Nation, Ian McNabb, Sheep On Drugs, The Black Crowes and Pop Will Eat Itself. Only one of them makes an appearance in today's selection.

 

Poor old Pop Will Eat Itself. This is the second time that PWEI made it to the last 14 and failed to survive the final edit. They'll be even more gutted that on this occasion, the nearly ran was Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! which was surprisingly a #9 hit in January 1993 and, perhaps less surprisingly, their only Top 10 hit. The window of opportunity is closing for the lads as 1994 would prove to be the last time they cracked the Top 40. 

So which of the Phoenix Festival luminaries made it? Credit To The Nation of course, with their Nirvana riffing anthem that is Call It What You Want. Front person Matty Hanson was a compelling performer on stage, and they deserved bigger and better things.

 

Not the only rap to show up here, with Cypress Hill, whose song landed in my grubby mitts in 1994, courtesy of Reading Present, a cover-mounted cassette freebie with Melody Maker. Having no tolerance for potty language, of course, the UK single was re-titled When The Ship Goes Down (or Sh--, depending where you saw it promoted).

 

When it came to choosing today's Mandatory Andrew Weatherall...well, I couldn't. In fact, at one point, I nearly went for the triple with the squalling, spiky Sabres Of Paradise remix of Leftfield/Lydon's mighty Open Up. Instead, there's One Dove with White Love. There was a sanitised, radio friendly single verson, but the one to go for is the Guitar Paradise mix by Andrew and the band with Sabres compadres Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. Much as I would love to include the full length album version, it's well over ten minutes, so here's the US promo edit, which was also used for the official video. Dot Allison is of course uber cool throughout.

 

The second MAW for 1993 is New Order's comeback single, Regret. I'll be honest, I didn't warm to the single when I first heard it, but Andrew, Jagz and Gary opened my eyes and ears to it's potential with a couple of next-level remixes. The Slow 'n' Lo remix is just shy of thirteen minutes, split into vocal and dub halves; this is the former, a sublime skank that suits Bernard's voice perfectly.

 

Also getting two bites of the cherry are Fluke, firstly with their remix of Björk's Big Time Sensuality, which she loved so much that it became the official single and video version. You can see why, it's four minutes of pure joy. I loved Fluke's previous music, but this tipped into something of an obsession in 1993, with the release of The Techno Rose Of Blighty, a slew of superb singles (including Slid, today's featured song) and tons of top notch remixes. As with Andrew Weatherall, I tried my darnedest to track down everything that had Fluke on it. Still love 'em as much now as I did then.

 

The same can be said for Justin Robertson, who expanded from DJing and remixing to releasing original music as Lionrock, accompanied by wordsmith MC Buzz B. Packet Of Peace was the second single and the first of four Top 40 hits.

 

Not that the rest of today's selection is anything less than excellent. No #1's this time perhaps but nine Top 40 hits is not to be sniffed at. And the ones that didn't make the Top 40 really should have.

 

1994 was a bit of a divergent path in my life, but what remained unwavering was my love for music. Some good tunes coming up? Probably!

 

1) Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix): Björk

2) Who Do You Think You Are (Single Version) (Cover of Candlewick Green): Saint Etienne ft. Debsey Wykes

3) When The Shit Goes Down (Diamond D Remix By Joseph Kirkland): Cypress Hill

4) White Love (Guitar Paradise Edit By One Dove & Sabres Of Paradise): One Dove

5) Walking In My Shoes (Random Carpet Single Edit By William Orbit): Depeche Mode

6) Regret (Sabres Slow 'n' Lo (Vocal) Remix By Sabres Of Paradise): New Order

7) Cannonball: The Breeders

8) Packet Of Peace (7" Edit By Justin Robertson & Mark Stagg): Lionrock ft. MC Buzz B

9) Slid (Glid Edit): Fluke

10) Call It What You Want (Single Version): Credit To The Nation

11) Animal Nitrate: Suede

12) Feed The Tree: Belly

 

17th January 1993: Feed The Tree EP (#32): 12

28th February 1993: Animal Nitrate EP (#2): 11

14th March 1993: Slid EP (#59): 9

18th April 1993: Regret EP (#4): 6

2nd May 1993: Packet Of Peace EP (#32): 8

9th May 1993: Walking In My Shoes EP (#14): 5

16th May 1993: Call It What You Want EP (#57): 10

23rd May 1993: Hobart Paving/Who Do You Think You Are EP (#23): 2 

1st August 1993: White Love EP (#43): 4 

15th August 1993: Last Splash (#40): 7

26th September 1993: When The Shit Goes Down EP (#19): 3

28th November 1993: Big Time Sensuality EP (#17): 1

 

Side Two (46:32) (GD) (M)

Dub '85

In a very belated follow up to Dub '83, which I posted in September 2023, today's selection is a dozen songs from - you guessed it, 1985 - given a dub overhaul. 

 

John Robie is the only producer from the previous selection appearing here, but he's joined by more heavyweights of 80s remix culture, including Shep Pettibone, Ivan Ivan aka Ivan Baker, Joseph Watt, Rusty Egan, Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero, Mark Berry and The Latin Rascals aka Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran.

 

It's all about the beats and the edits, with varying degrees of vocals. Not for everyone, but I loved them. It wasn't unusual for me to opt for the 12" B-side over the main mix when compiling mixtapes in the 1980s and 1990s.

 

I think I may have set a precedent with the previous post, of homaging / ripping off (delete as applicable) another, far superior Saturday morning quiz. In for a penny, in for a pound I say, so I've invented five more brain teasers. An hors d'oeuvre, if you will, before the more satisfying meal over at Rol's place.

1) The Vinyl Villain blog covered the Pet Shop Boys singles in 36 parts from January to October 2023. In which part did today's featured dub first appear?

2) Which band features the offspring of legendary TV presenter Bob Holness?

3) What is Bad Manners' front person Buster Bloodvessel's birth name?

4) Which of these songs is a cover version of a flop single from 1983?

5) What do red hat obsessives Devo, singer songwriter Hugh Cornwell, avant garde drummer Robert Williams and 1990s animated TV show Rugrats have in common?

Answers will be posted in the comments later today.

1) I Like You (Dub) (Remix By Shep Pettibone): Phyllis Nelson

2) Here To Go (Here To Dub Version By Ivan Ivan): Devo

3) Sweet Murder (The Smile On Her Face) (Murderess Dub Version By Michael Baker & Axel Kröll / Edited By The Latin Rascals): The Blow Monkeys

4) Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) (Dub For Money) (Remix By The Latin Rascals): Pet Shop Boys

5) It's Called A Heart (Emotion Dub) (Remix By Joseph Watt): Depeche Mode

6) Girls Night Out (Dub) (Remix By Nigel Wright & Robin Sellars): Toto Coelo

7) Living On Video (Dub Mix By Claude Allard & Pascal Languirand): Trans-X

8) Dub-Vulture (Remixed By John Robie) (12"): New Order

9) Blue Summer (Dub) (Remix By Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero): Bad Manners

10) Kings And Queens (Geordie's Dub Mix By Geordie Walker): Killing Joke

11) Come Back (Dub) (Remix By Rusty Egan): Spear Of Destiny

12) Obsession (Dub) (Remix By Mark Berry): Animotion

Dub '85 (1:11:20) (KF) (Mega)

You can find Dub '83 here.

I will get around to Dub '84 at some point, I'm sure.

Visceral Stuff

Celebrating producer, drummer, remixer and co-conspirator Roli Mosimann, 7th November 1955 to 15th September 2024.

If the name seems unfamiliar, but you own records by Swans, The The and The Young Gods, check out the credits and chances are you'll find him there. 

Twitter is great for getting a heads up on music news, the flipside being that it includes the sad news of someone's passing. So it was on Sunday night, when RapidEyeElectronicsLtd shared this tweet:

Roli's long-time friends Jim Thirwell and Matt Johnson paid tribute:

 

...as did many artists influenced by Roli's work, including Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner:

In time honoured tradition, I've thrown together a 10-track selection of Roli's work, pinching the title from RapidEyeElectronicsLtd's tweet. Apart from a remix of Clint Run (aka Jim Thirlwell) and Lydia Lunch's uncompromising 1988 single Stinkfist, this playlist errs on the side of Roli's more commercial mixes and production. Well, as commercial as it was ever likely to get.

Roli had a habit of popping up in the most unexpected places, whether a remix of Big Pig or The Smashing Pumpkins, and perhaps the best example being today's closing song....

Rest in peace, Roli.

 

1) Groove Check (The Stoli Mix By Roli Mosimann): That Petrol Emotion (1990)

2) Son Of Stink (Reprocessed & Edited By Roli Mosimann): Clint Ruin & Lydia Lunch (1988)

3) Breakaway (Dub Mix By Roli Mosimann): Big Pig (1988)

4) Infected (Energy Mix By Roli Mosimann): The The (1986)

5) Gasoline Man (Diesel Mix By Roli Mosimann): The Young Gods (1992)

6) 1979 (Vocal Mix By Roli Mosimann): The Smashing Pumpkins (1996)

7) Love Will Tear Us Apart (Red Version By Roli Mosimann) (Cover of Joy Division): Swans (1988)

8) Diesel Breeze (Album Version By Matt Johnson, Bruce Lampcov & Roli Mosimann): The The (2000)

9) Ashes To Ashes (Album Version By Faith No More & Roli Mosimann): Faith No More (1997)

10) The B-Side (World In Motion Remix By Roli Mosimann): England/New Order ft. Keith Allen (1990) 

Visceral Stuff (44:17) (KF) (Mega)

I Feel You Slipping Away

Today's random pick is Wheels Over Indian Trails by Stanton Miranda aka, er, Miranda Stanton, perhaps better known for her collaborations with Carter Burwell as Thick Pigeon.

 

Wheels Over Indian Trails was originally released in May 1986 as a single on Factory Benelux which, as you may have guessed, was the Belgian counterpart of the legendary Factory label founded by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus and home to, amongst many others, Joy Division and New Order.

The JD/NO connection doesn't end there. Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris perform on the record, as does Gillian's sister Kim, who was also a member of Thick Pigeon. The single was co-produced by film producer Michael Shamberg, Factory and New Order's "eyes and ears" in the United States, and remixed by John Robie, who had reworked Sub-Culture the previous year.

A quick trip to YouTube has revealed that an official video was commissioned for Wheels Over Indian Trails. A lot of it is Miranda playing in the wardrobe and video effects sandbox, with a few visual motifs that later appeared in New Order videos. It's a very lo-fi 80s video and all the better for it.

The vinyl 12" single is on offer on Discogs for a seemingly reasonable starting price of under six quid...until you have a proper look and factor in shipping charges. The sole copy available from a UK seller for example will set you back £35.50, all in.

Digital copies are available at a much more reasonable price. The dub mix on the B-side of the 7" and 12" single is featured on the excellent 2012 compilation, Trevor Jackson presents Metal Dance Industrial/Post-Punk/EBM: Classics & Rarities '80-'88.

 
At the same time as launching Factory Benelux in 1980, Michel Duval and Annik Honoré also co-founded Les Disques Du Crépuscule with artist Benoît Hennebert. The label has been reissuing much of it's back catalogue via Bandcamp this year and in March offered up the 2021 Thick Pigeon compilation Subway (Singles).  The 12" mix of Wheels Over Indian Trails is included as a bonus track. 

 
 
Not an obvious song to cover, but in January 2023, French Radio Constellation gave it a go. A largely faithful reproduction, it's worth a look just to see the video of dancing bats.

If you like that, French Radio Constellation currently have another 222 releases available on Bandcamp. 

Speaking of cover versions, and to bring this post full circle, in 1995 Stanton Miranda covered Love Will Tear Us Apart for a Joy Division tribute album. The video weaves visual excerpts from Wheels Over Indian Trails with clips and photos of (mostly) Ian Curtis and, bizarrely, it kind of works. As does the song. And the pause at 2:40 is just brilliant.

Peel The Layers

Watching late night BBC4 recently offered up Top Of The Pops presented by John Peel and Janice Long.

As good an excuse as any then to collate a selection of John Peel sessions and repost my tribute to Janice Long from December 2021.

Only a couple of crossovers with The Fall and Julian Cope, with the John Peel selection focusing in more on the alternative/indie side of things and keeping under forty-five minutes. 

 

Good times.

 

1) Cut Dead: The Jesus & Mary Chain (29th October 1985) 

2) Ladybird (Green Grass): The Fall (13th March 1993)

3) DoubtBeat: Scritti Politti (13th December 1978)

4) Через Річку, Через (Cherez Richku, Cherez Hai): The Wedding Present (15th May 1989)

5) Turn The Heater On (Cover of Keith Hudson): New Order (1st June 1982)

6) The Sin Of Pride: The Undertones (7th December 1982)

7) The Awful Flute Song (First Part): The Bambi Slam (1st March 1987)

8) Suffer The Children: Tears For Fears (10th October 1982)

9) Suicide High Lie: Big In Japan (12th February 1979)

10) Oh Lucinda (Love Becomes A Habit): The Only Ones (2nd June 1980)

11) After Murder Park: The Auteurs (8th March 1996)

12) Search Party: Julian Cope (11th June 1984)

13) Waves: Blancmange (13th February 1982)

Peel The Layers (44:14) (KF) (Mega)

Not intentionally trying to be contrary, but whilst the recording dates were listed for each of the songs on the Janice Long selection, the dates for the John Peel sessions relate to when the songs were first broadcast...I think!

You Can Touch It But It Will Still Not Fade

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, recorded 11th January 1998.

When I posted Side 1 in July 2022, I described it as "eight remixes that I was unlikely to ever hear down the local indie disco, but which in their own way, kick ass." Side 2 is all that, and more.

 

If there's a duff remix of Planet Telex by Radiohead, I've yet to hear it. The UNKLE remix was possibly the first one that I heard, tucked away on one of the CD singles for Just, and it remains my favourite. 

 

Likewise, K-Klass took New Order's Ruined In A Day and elevated it to a higher plain, surpassing the original to the extent that I'm pretty sure that this was the version the band 'performed' when they appeared on Top Of The Pops. Or, at least if it's not true, that's how I prefer to remember it.

Arab Strap's reworking of Don't Die Just Yet by David Holmes has appeared here before, as well as in a guest post that I did in January 2021 for The Vinyl Villain. Again, a remarkably strong bundle of remixes from Mogwai, Delakota and Holmes himself and Messrs. Moffat and Middleton.

Mixed in are some trip hop beats from Attica Blues vs. Lightning Seeds, a bit of drum 'n' bass from Tamsin Elliott vs. Faithless and Lush taken on a gothtronica excursion by Spooky. And then there's Beck, put through the aural equivalent of a meat grinder by Aphex Twin and somehow surviving. 

 

Closing on a funky but rather more sedate pace is Jon Carter, shrugging off his Monkey Mafia mantle to mix the Manics. Phat beats and a trumpet, what more could you want?

 

1) Planet Telex (Karma Sunra Mix By UNKLE): Radiohead (1995)

2) You Showed Me (Attica Blues Vocal Mix) (Cover of The Turtles): Lightning Seeds (1997)

3) Richard's Hairpiece (Remix Of "Devil's Haircut" By Aphex Twin): Beck (1997)

4) Ruined In A Day (Reunited In A Day Remix By K-Klass): New Order (1993)

5) Reverence (Tamsin's Re-Fix By Tamsin Elliott): Faithless (1996) 

6) The Holiday Girl (Don't Die Just Yet) (Remixed By Arab Strap): David Holmes (1997)

7) Undertow (Spooky Remix By Charlie May & Duncan Forbes): Lush (1994)

8) Kevin Carter (Busts Loose) (Remixed By Jon Carter): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

 

1993: Ruined In A Day EP: 4 

1994: Hypocrite EP: 7

1995: Just EP: 1 

1996: Kevin Carter EP: 8

1996: Reverence / Irreverence (ltd 2x CD): 5 

1997: Don't Die Just Yet EP: 6

1997: The New Pollution EP: 3

1997: You Showed Me EP: 2

 

Side Two (46:02) (KF) (Mega)

Side One avaialble here

Believe (For Adam And Andrew)

Over at Bagging Area for the past six months, it's been Weatherall Remix Friday, a veritable treasure trove of deep cuts and 'lost' classics from the mighty Lord Sabre.

As a tribute and thank you to Swiss Adam and Andrew Weatherall, here's a 65-minute excursion on the version, some early(ish) favourites from 1990 to 1993 with an additional tip of the hat to Jagz Kooner, Gary Burns and Hugo Nicholson.

Apologies for the shonky quality of some of the vinyl rips (not all mine) and the slipshod segues (all mine), hopefully compensated in part by the great tunes and smattering of audio Easter eggs, courtesy of this excellent 2013 interview with Mr. Weatherall.

Peace and love to you all.

 

1) Imperfect List (Unlisted Version By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Big Hard Excellent Fish (1990)

2) What It Is (Ain't Losin Control) (The Big Bottom End Mix By Andrew Weatherall): Word Of Mouth ft. Linda Love (1990)

3) Regret (Sabres Slow 'n' Lo - Dub Half) (Remix By Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): New Order (1993)

4) Everything (Everything's Gone Quiet Remix By The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): Stereo MC's (1993)

5) Transient Truth (Death Of A Disco Dancer) (Remix By The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): One Dove (1992)

6) Fall (Let There Be Drums) (Andrew Weatherall Mix): Deep Joy (1990)

7) Come Home (Skunk Weed Skank Mix By Andrew Weatherall): James (1991)

8) Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, Forget 'Em (The Eighth Out Mix By Andrew Weatherall): S'Express (1991)

9) Shine Like Stars (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Primal Scream (1990)

Believe (For Adam And Andrew) (1:04:55) (KF) (Mega)