Flat Feet

Time for another dip into my Australia tour diary, on this day in 1991...

I was roped into going on a hike and I must admit that I was less than enthusiastic about it at first. It was good of David and Wendy to go to so much trouble to find things to entertain me, but really, a hike seemed too much like hard work. However, the plans had been made and there was no backing out, so off I went.

We journeyed to the John Forrest National Park, about 30 minutes out of Perth by car, and started off on our walk around 10.45am. Granted, the scenery was indeed beautiful: lush green grass; a rushing river; immense boulders; flowers of a dozen colours. However, I was a little apprehensive about the length of our hike and this preoccupied me for some time.

Stopping for lunch by the beautiful Hovea Falls, we watched amusedly as a group of Asian students messed around at the water's edge. They asked me to take some photos and I obliged, whilst Wendy took one of me standing by the falls a short time later. Then, it was time to set off on foot again, even though mine were starting to kill me. *

We eventually completed our round trip around 3.15pm, after a hike of fourteen kilometres (about eight and three quarter miles). No wonder my feet felt flatter than pancakes!! I did enjoy myself, though.

Back at the house, I finished reading Lord Of The Flies. Whew! What a book. I wonder if anyone will ever use the words "beautiful and desperate" to describe one of my pieces of work? [2026 note; after reading this today, possibly yes] 

I was feeling inspired by all this, so I returned once more to my own writing and, you know, I think I can actually see the end in sight... someday.

I seem to be in the throes of an explosion of creativity at the moment. I've rediscovered my ability to draw; I've been able to put pen to paper again; everything I've hoped to achieve so far I've done. Thank you, Australia!

Meanwhile, whilst I was spared the interminable hogging of the UK singles #1 spot by Bryan Adams with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You and a largely depressing Top 20, there were some poptastic glimmers of hope...

1) Pandora's Box: O.M.D. (#7)

2) Move Any Mountain (Progen '91): The Shamen (#9)

3) Chorus: Erasure (#11)

4) Just Another Dream: Cathy Dennis (#13)

5) 7 Ways To Love: Cola Boy (#18)

* [Foot note (sorry!) I wasn't just whinging about walking. Years later, I was found to have hyper mobile feet, which has gifted me with collapsed arches, chronic sprains, plantar fasciitis, and a lifetime of orthotics. None of that excuses my bad dancing, though.]

War! What Is It Good For? Two Sides Of A C60 Cassette!

Sides 1 and 2 of a C60 cassette, collating classic live compilation Urgh! A Music War, created 14th July 1992.

When I used to visit my brother's bedsit on the edge of St. Paul's in Bristol city centre, I would always try to get this album on the turntable. I was a little obsessed with it, to be honest. 

The sleeve itself was fascinating: text-heavy with a camouflage background and the illustration of a dodgy loooking character pulling a vinyl record from within his long overcoat.

My brother's copy also had, stamped firmly in embossed gold lettering, the notice that this was a promo, not for resale. For years, I mistakenly thought this meant that the album had never been officially released, let alone that it was the soundtrack to the 1981 film of the same name by Derek Burbidge.

Two slabs of vinyl squeezed into a slightly oversized sleeve (no gatefold), twenty-seven songs packed into the grooves, six on Side 1, seven on Sides 2, 3 and 4. As advertised, all previously unreleased live performances by bands that I knew and many that I didn't.

As my music obsession grew during my teens, so did my DIY cassette compilation, which continued through my twenties. I'd seize opportunities to rip my brother's vinyl to cassette and I nabbed Urgh! A Music War when circumstances meant that we were both back living with our parents, our music collections in adjoining rooms.

I'm pretty sure I could have fit most if not all of the album onto a C90 cassette, so I don't recall why I instead ended up with a cut down 17-track version on a C60 instead. Maybe there was only a limited window to get the album recorded and I didn't have a 90-min tape available. 

As such, today's selection is missing Au Pairs, The Cramps, Pere Ubu and Gang Of Four, although back in 1992 I would have been less bothered at leaving off Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, John Otway or Jools Holland.

Side 1 of the mixtape literally copies and pastes the entirety of the vinyl's first side, in order, finishing off with Side 4's opener and the closing song of Side 2.

The flip side of the C60 bounces from Side 3 to four straight songs from Side 2 to two from Side 4, before returning to Side 3 for the epic closer.

By the 2000s, and access to the internet, I had acquired not only a vinyl rip of the album - the source of today's selection - but also the ten 'bonus' performances from the film, lifted from its DVD release in the 1990s.

There are a few gems, with John Cooper Clarke, Dead Kennedys, Pere Ubu and UB40 with a great performance of Madam Medusa and, but I think the 1981 vinyl track list pretty much got it right first time.

Side One

1) Driven To Tears (Live @ The Frejus Amphitheater, Paris, 28 August 1980): The Police

2) Back In Flesh (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 16 August 1980): Wall Of Voodoo

3) Dance (Live @ The ICA, London, 05 September 1980): Toyah

4) Enola Gay (Live @ Guild Hall, Portsmouth, 19 September 1980): O.M.D.

5) Ain't This The Life (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Oingo Boingo

6) Respectable Street (Live @ The Frejus Amphitheater, Paris, 28 August 1980): XTC

7) Shadow-Line (Live @ CBGB's, New York, 21 August 1980): The Fleshtones

8) Ku Klux Klan (Live @ The Rainbow Theatre, London, 18 September 1980): Steel Pulse

Side Two

1) Uncontrollable Urge (Live @ The California Theater, San Diego, 20 August 1980): Devo

2) The Puppet (Live @ The Lyceum Ballroom, London, 07 September 1980): Echo & The Bunnymen

3) We Got The Beat (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Go-Go's

4) Total Eclipse (Live @ The Ritz, New York, 22 August 1980): Klaus Nomi

5) Where's Captain Kirk (Live @ The Lyceum Ballroom, London, 17 September 1980): Athletico Spizz 80

6) Nothing Means Nothing Anymore (Live @ The Whisky, Hollywood, California, 17 August 1980): Alley Cats

7) Beyond And Back (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 15 August 1980): X

8) Model Worker (Live @ The Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica, 16 August 1980): Magazine

9) Down In The Park (Live @ The Hammersmith Odeon, London, 16 September 1980): Gary Numan

Side One (29:42) (GD) (M)

Side Two (30:06) (GD) (M)

If you have a couple of hours to spare, then treat yourself to the movie, available in full online. 

It's a thrill to see O.M.D., Echo & The Bunnymen, XTC, Steel Pulse and Magazine. The sight of Gary Numan tootling about on stage in his precursor to the Sinclair C5 is perhaps unintentionally amusing in 2026, whilst Klaus Nomi is a fantastical being that perhaps would only be imagined via CGI these days. Tragically, Klaus died barely two years after the release of Urgh! A Music War, one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS.

If you've never seen Urgh! A Music War, or haven't for a long while, give it a go. I suspect that there's nothing better on TV this Sunday (especially if you're in the UK)>

As Everything Slows Down Across The World

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark have released a 40th anniversary deluxe edition of sixth album, Crush.

Crush was the first O.M.D. album that I bought, partly because my brother had the first four albums. Or, to be more precise, C90 cassette rips, courtesy of my uncle, who had borrowed them from Shepherds Bush library and had the hi-fi to become a one man "Home Taping Is Killing Music" industry thanks to his nephews. 

I love the self-titled debut, Organisation, Architecture & Morality and Dazzle Ships. My friend Stuart had fourth album, Junk Culture, which I was less enamoured with, and which marked a definite shift in sound, away from the predominantly electronic sound scapes of its predecessors.

However, I really liked So In Love, released a month ahead of Crush and securing O.M.D. their (if I've counted correctly) 10th UK Top 30 hit, peaking at #27. I helped a little by buying the 12" single at the time, though it was well oout of the charts by the time I tracked down the limited edition (of 50,000!) 7" double pack with an exclusive bonus track.

The 40th anniversary deluxe edition of Crush came out last Friday (10th), available on double vinyl (black or crystal variants) and double CD. I originally bought Crush on cassette and played it to death (literally, it's gone to that great mass of tape spool in the sky), but it's one of the few albums that I didn't subsequently replace on CD.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a physical copy again. In addition to the 10-track album, there are a whopping 16 bonus tracks (11 on vinyl), gathering B-sides and 12" mixes, as well as first time appearances for demos and previously unreleased songs. 

Firegun was originally the B-side of third single La Femme Accident...

...whilst Choral remained unused, although the titular sample was used to arguably greater effect on Goddess Of Love on follow-up The Pacific Age.

When Crush was originally released in 1985, the album was accompanied a couple of months later by Crush: The Movie, a companion release on VHS video (or laserdisc 12", if you either happened to be in Japan and/or had the readies and the kit to purchase and play such a thing).

My folks resisted to urge to buy a video player for several years, and I was a 14-year old with a Saturday job, with some disposable income but not that much, so owning Crush: The Movie was never an option.

Bizarrely, the back cover blurb on the VHS cassette box manages to both over- and under-sell the product:

From Japanese adverts to Mexican death festivals, 

from filming in Spain to murders in America, 

this video follows O.M.D. through the recording and making

 of Crush, their sixth album.

Crush - the movie is more 

than just a collection of single promo videos, 

it combines interviews with the band 

and candid footage of them at work and play.

I should point out that whilst there is evidence that O.M.D. were "filming in Spain", there is nothing to suggest that they were connected to any "murders in America".

I've never seen Crush: The Movie but happily, the official O.M.D. site on YouTube has posted it in it's entirety. At the time of posting, I've watched the first 10 minutes and I will be back to watch the whole thing in one go.

The deluxe edition will be going on my birthday/Christmas wish list.

Watt's The Frequency's Zenith?

Today's selection is an hour-long tribute to bartender, auto mechanic and master of the 12" edit, Joseph Watt.

My first experience of Joseph's work was in 1985, buying either the 7" double pack of What's Your Problem? by Blancmange or the import 12" of Master And Servant by Depeche Mode, both of which contained examples of his handiwork.

I soon discovered his vast body of work with Art Maharg as Razormaid, though much of it was out of my reach until the early 2000s, when it became available online via various music blogs.

Since then, I've amassed over a hundred different Joseph Watt edits and remixes, spanning 1983 to 1993 and covering a wide range of genres, but favouring the alternative and electronic pop music of my teens.

In pulling together this selection and post, I discovered a fascinating article-cum-interview with Joseph from 2014 on the Red Bull Music Academy website of all places. It's well worth a read, especially if you have an interest in Razormaid and the US subscription-only remix services that proliferated in the 1980s, but also as an inspirational tale of serendipitous and seismic career changes.

"Where did you come from? 

Are you like some big hotshot DJ from Miami or Paris?’"

They said I was like this enigma. 

I’d just say, 

"What do you mean?

I just came over from my apartment on 17th Street"

I've selected and sequenced nine personal favourites from Joseph's catalogue, some commercially released, some included on the numerous Razormaid 12" singles and compilations from the 1980s and 1990s.

The aforementioned remix of Depeche Mode is present, Blancmange too, though instead of That's Love That It Is from the What's Your Problem? 7", I've gone for Game Above My Head, a stunning extended remix that appeared on the follow up 7" double pack, Lose Your Love.

I offer apologies to anyone led by the post title into thinking there might be some R.E.M. here as well. Not so, but the rest of the mixtape, from Sparks to Erasure, Bronski Beat to Vicious Pink, O.M.D. to Talking Heads and ending with Electronic, is pretty heavyweight compensation. 

1) Burning Down The House (Razormaid Mix): Talking Heads (1987)

2) Music That You Can Dance To (Razormaid! Edit): Sparks (1990)

3) Smalltown Boy (Razormaid Mix): Bronski Beat (1984)

4) Game Above My Head (U.S. Extended Remix Version): Blancmange (1983)

5) Tesla Girls (Razormaid Mix): O.M.D. (1992)

6) Master And Servant (US Black & Blue Version) (Edited By Joseph Watt): Depeche Mode (1984)

7) Cccan't You See... ('89 Mix By Razormaid aka Art Maharg & Joseph Watt): Vicious Pink (1989)

8) Sometimes (Extended Mix By Rico Conning) (Edited By Joseph Watt): Erasure (1987)

9) Getting Away With It (Digital Mix): Electronic (1992)

1983: That's Love, That It Is EP (USA 12" single): 4

1984: Master And Servant EP (USA 12" single): 6

1987: Sometimes EP (USA 12" single): 8

1988: Class X One: 1

1989: Razormaid's 4th Anniversary Issue: The Atrocity Exhibition: 7

1990: Prehistoric Razormaid!: 2

1992: The Best Of... This Is Only A Test!: 3, 9

1992: Razormaid! 7th Anniversary Box Set: 5

Watt's The Frequency's Zenith? (1:02:43) (GD) (M)

Further listening:

Bevans Above! (Bert Bevans, November 2021)

L'art De La Discothèque, Volume 1 & Volume 2 (François Kevorkian, May-June 2025)

WareHouse (Martyn Ware, May 2025)

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...!

Decade I: 1981

Side 2 of a mixtape compiled 4th February 1990.

 

After setting the bar high with side 1, could I hope to match it on the flipside? Well, this is 1981 we're talking about here...

 

Although I didn't start buying records in earnest for another few years, when I had a Saturday job and therefore money to spend, 1980 and 1981 were perhaps the two years when my love of music became an obsession. 

 

I started sticking posters on my wall, mostly from Look-In, occasionally Smash Hits or one of the other pop mags that included pin-ups and lyrics for all the chart hits. I used to send blank cassettes to my uncle so that he could borrow albums from his local library and help build my collection. I was fascinated by the New Romantic and synthpop bands that would pop up with alarming regularity on kids' TV shows. 

 

And pop videos! It was a perfect time, musically speaking at least.

Making a return visit on this side are Visage, The Human League and O.M.D., others for the first time but destined to reappear in later volumes. Again, I'm really happy with the sequencing of this selection, although I ran out of tape on the original recording and had to go back and fade out Heaven 17 early in order to squeeze in Gary Numan. No such ignominy in this digital age, so you get the full version of (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, as intended.

I will return to this series over the next few weekends but I have to confess that Decade volumes II and III (1982-1985) were lost many years ago on my travels. I don't have a note of the track listings either so I will aim to recreate selections that reflect what was in my collection at the time.

In the meantime, get that trench coat on, back comb that hair and go stand on a street corner looking moody whilst listening to this on your Walkman!

1) Vienna (Album Version): Ultravox

2) Europe After The Rain (Album Version): John Foxx

3) Mind Of A Toy (Album Version): Visage

4) Passionate Friend (Album Version): The Teardrop Explodes

5) Pretty In Pink (Album Version): The Psychedelic Furs

6) Grey Day (Album Version): Madness

7) Bedsitter (Album Version): Soft Cell

8) The Sound Of The Crowd (Album Version): The Human League

9) Joan Of Arc (Album Version): O.M.D.

10) New Life (Remix): Depeche Mode

11) (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Album Version): Heaven 17

12) She's Got Claws ('Modern Dance' Edit): Gary Numan

1st March 1981: Vienna (#3): 1

22nd March 1981: Penthouse And Pavement (#45): 11

29th March 1981: Visage (#13): 3

10th May 1981: 7 (#4): 6

24th May 1981: Dare (#12): 8

5th July 1981: Talk Talk Talk (#43): 5

2nd August 1981: Speak & Spell (#11): 10

30th August 1981: Dance (#6): 12

30th August 1981: The Garden (#40): 2

27th September 1981: Wilder (#25): 4

8th November 1981: Architecture & Morality (#5): 9

29th November 1981: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (#4): 7

Side Two (46:24) (GD) (M)

Decade I: 1980

Side 1 of a cassette compilation, recorded 3rd February 1990.

 

In 2023, Toby Roberts dreamed of competing in the 2024 Olympics, qualifying in October and yesterday bringing home gold with an incredible boulder and lead performance, aged 19.

In 1990, 19-year old me dreamed of girls, music and getting away from the UK. As Meat Loaf once over emoted on vinyl, two out of three ain't bad. My love life was at least consistent: mostly short-lived or unrequited. But...I did eventually get away from the UK later that year, a life-changing solo experience in Australia. Gold Coast rather than a gold medal, but good enough for me.

And my relationship with music has sustained me through the years, never letting me down. Well, apart from that Simple Minds headline gig at the Ashton Court Festival in Bristol, but nothing's perfect, right?

So, as 1989 turned into 1990 I had the notion of doing a themed series of cassette compilations, looking back at the previous decade. Five C90s, one year per side, 12 songs apiece. 

I had a growing record collection by that time, mostly vinyl and cassettes, with a few CDs creeping in. I also had access to my brother's vinyl - he'd gone to uni in Bournemouth and left most of behind with my parents - and my friend Stuart's collection, to plug any gaps in my 'wants' list.

1980 is inevitably a cracking selection, if I say so myself, as there was so much good music to choose from. Pretty much all of these came from my own records, the only exceptions being Martha & The Muffins (my brother's copy of Metro Music) and Talking Heads and U2, borrowed from Stuart.

And yes, I accept that Once In A Lifetime wasn't released in the UK as a single until January 1981. However, in those pre-internet years, I went by the P&C year stated on the back sleeve and labels. Remain In Light said 1980, so that was good enough for me. I subsequently found that the info printed on records were often unreliable in this regard. in this case, I'm happy to confirm that Remain In Light came out in October 1980. Yippee, me.

A strong opener to the series, then. Could I sustain it? 

You won't have long to find out...

 

1) Messages (10" Version): O.M.D.

2) Fade To Grey (Dance Mix Edit): Visage

3) Echo Beach (Album Version): Martha & The Muffins

4) Once In A Lifetime (Album Version): Talking Heads

5) Call Me (Theme From American Gigolo) (Single Version): Blondie

6) Do It Clean (Single Version): Echo & The Bunnymen

7) Independence Day (Album Version): The Comsat Angels

8) Israel (Single Version): Siouxsie & The Banshees

9) Love Will Tear Us Apart (Album Version): Joy Division

10) My Perfect Cousin (Album Version): The Undertones

11) A Day Without Me (Album Version): U2

12) Being Boiled (Album Version): The Human League

23rd March 1980: Metro Music (#10): 3

20th April 1980: Call Me EP (#1): 5 

11th May 1980: Holiday 80 EP (#56): 12 *

11th May 1980: Hypnotised (#9): 10 

15th June 1980: Messages EP (#13): 1

13th July 1980: Waiting For A Miracle (# n/a): 7 **

20th July 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart EP (#13): 9

24th August 1980: Boy (# n/a): 11 

5th October 1980: The Puppet / Do It Clean EP (# n/a): 6

30th November 1980: Israel EP (#41): 8 

1st February 1981: Visage (#8): 2 ***

1st March 1981: Remain In Light (#14): 4 ****

Side One (46:12) (GD) (M)

 

* Being Boiled was re-released on the back of The Human League's chart success and peaked at #6 in January 1982.  

** Neither single nor album troubled the UK charts in 1980, but a re-recorded version of Independence Day made it to #71 in January 1984 

*** Fade To Grey first entered the UK singles chart on 14th December 1980

**** Remain In Light entered the UK album chart on 26th October 1980 and that, M'lud, is my sole defence!

Versions Galore

Side 1 of a cover versions cassette compilation, recorded 26th November 1999.

Preparing for the end of the millennium party with a mixtape of songs transformed or tortured by (then) contemporary. Who would have thought a quarter of a century on, many of these artists would still be recording and touring?

I recorded a trio of CD-Rs titled Hokey Karaoke for my friend Stuart in 2008 and posted the first of these on here in 2022. Only two duplications with this track list, one of them being the closer to this side by My Bloody Valentine which,, coincidentally, opens up the companion collection.

Great to be reminded of these songs, especially that superb O.M.D. bassline, Republica's OTT take on Gary Numan and what an awesome live act Senser were.

 

1) Waiting For The Man (Single Version): O.M.D. vs. The Velvet Underground (1980)

2) Stepping Stone (Ghost Dance Mix By Terry Farley & Mr. Suggs): The Farm vs. The Monkees (1991)

3) (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Single Version): Apollo 440 vs. Blue Öyster Cult (1995)

4) Children Of The Revolution (7" Mix): Baby Ford vs. T. Rex (1989)

5) Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun (Live @ Reading Festival): Senser vs. Beastie Boys (1993)

6) Hanging Around (Album Version By Tony Visconti): Hazel O'Connor vs. The Stranglers (1981)

7) Sexual Healing: Anita Lane ft. Mick Harvey & Barry Adamson vs. Marvin Gaye (1993)

8) Jacky (7" Version By Trevor Horn & Brian Malouf): Marc Almond vs. Jacques Brel / Scott Walker (1991)

9) Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds vs. Gene Pitney (1986)

10) Are 'Friends' Electric?: Republica vs. Tubeway Army (1997)

11) We Have All The Time In The World: My Bloody Valentine vs. Louis Armstrong (1993)

1980: Messages EP: 1

1981: Cover Plus: 6

1986: Kicking Against The Pricks: 9

1989: Children Of The Revolution EP: 4

1991: Stepping Stone EP: 2

1991: Tenement Symphony: 8

1993: Dirty Pearl: 7

1993: Peace Together: 11

1994: Age Of Panic EP: 5

1995: (Don't Fear) The Reaper EP: 3

1997: Random: 10

 

Side One (47:20) (GD) (M)

You can find Hokey Karaoke (Volume One) here

Off The Chart

Lace up your trainers, we're going back four decades to the Top 20 UK singles chart on 18th May 1984.

 

In January, I did a similar look back at 1974 and whilst I would hesitate to call this a series, a run of back-to-back Top Of The Pops episodes on BBC4 (kind of) inspired today's selection, although I also have to tip my hat to Jez at A History Of Dubious Taste for his delve into the early volumes of Now That's What I Call Music.

Being 1984, we're well into the era of the 12" single and the extended dance club remix frenzy. So, what you've got here are thirteen stretched out versions, some pushing the 8-9 minute mark, others bending the original songs into interesting shapes. And, honestly, could you actually dance to some of these?!

 

I'm guessing that the movie Footloose was pretty popular around this time as there are two singles from the soundtrack in the Top 20. Kenny Loggins' title theme song didn't have an extended version in 1984 so I've gone for one of the many 21st century fan-made versions that proliferate online.

Madonna's mate John 'Jellybean' Benitez remixes the other by Deniece Williams and also turns his hand to Automatic by Pointer Sisters. Benitez was ubiquitous at the time, even Talking Heads and Elvis Costello got the 'Jellybean' treatment.

Then up-and-coming writers and producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis kick things off with Just Be Good To Me, a new entry at #20. I don't particularly remember this song at the time but it's legendary status was sealed when Beats International covered it a few years later, securing a #1 in the process. Jam & Lewis went on to greater heights with Janet Jackson and all-new lows with The Human League.

Blissfully unaware of this in 1984, The Human League were still enjoying Top 20 hits, including The Lebanon, dropping to #12 this week from a peak of #11 the week before. An undeniably brilliant bassline, coupled with some of the most cringeworthy lyrics committed to vinyl, but I love it regardless.

Speaking of bass, there's some funk to make Mark King of Level 42 give a heavily insured thumbs up, from Jeffrey Osborne and Jocelyn Brown. If the latter sounds familiar, it's been sampled to death by artists such as George Michael (Too Funky), Utah Saints (Ohio) and OutKast (Spaghetti Junction).

 

If you prefer your guitar histrionic, look no further than Queen at #4. Thanks to Lady K's early obsession with Queen's Greatest Hits, I am now more familiar with the back catalogue of Mercury and co. than I ever wanted to be. This 12" version is rumbling along quite nicely until in the last minute or so it decides to go all Stars On 45 and give the listener a chopped up Greatest Hits medley. 

Blancmange and O.M.D. respectively deliver one of my favourite and least favourite singles by said artists, I'll leave you to decide which is which. In a bizarre twist of fate, I will have seen both bands live in 2024, O.M.D.in March and Blancmange at the end of this month.

Just the one reggae hit in the Top 20 but it's a goodie. One Love/People Get Ready was a posthumous smash for Bob Marley & The Wailers, peaking at #5 in it's fifth week and promoting the compilation Legend, released two weeks before. Suffice to say, it's one of the greatest greatest hits albums ever.

So, to the top spot and enjoying the third of four weeks at #1 is Duran Duran with The Reflex. Heavily remixed from the album version, the 12" version takes things even further. Mrs. K and I have enjoyed many a slightly tipsy lounge disco dance to this one.

As with the 1974 selection, I've gone for a Marvel UK comics header. The Mighty World Of Marvel was on it's second incarnation by this time. The May 1984 issue actually came out in April but I've included this one for the gorgeous painted art by Alan Davis, whose epic Captain Britain storyline with Alan Moore was coming to an end. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum was The Thing Is Big Ben, in which Marvel UK decided that what kids really needed was the rocky one from The Fantastic Four in his own weekly comic, with a title that tenuously linked him to the iconic London landmark. Add to that reprints of Iron Man and Captain America (the latter replaced by Power Man & Iron Fist) and you can understand why editors felt the need to throw in a free cap to convince kids to hand over their 18p. The cover price was prescient: 18 weeks later, the kids remained unmoved and the title quietly folded into the ongoing Spider-Man comic, as so many others before it had done.

 

1) Just Be Good To Me (Album Version By Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis): The S.O.S. Band (#20)

2) I'm Falling (Album Version By Colin Fairley & Bob Andrews): The Bluebells (#19)

3) Stay With Me Tonight (Extended Remixed Version By Bill Bottrell): Jeffrey Osborne (#18)

4) Somebody Else's Guy (Remix By John Morales & Sergio Munzibai): Jocelyn Brown (#13)

5) The Lebanon (Extended) (Remix By The Human League, Chris Thomas & Hugh Padgham): The Human League (#12)

6) Don't Tell Me (U.S. Dance Remix By Mark Kamins): Blancmange (#9)

7) Let's Hear It For The Boy (Extended Remixed Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Deniece Williams (#8)

8) Locomotion (Razormaid Remix By Joseph Watt): O.M.D. (#7)

9) Footloose (VJAR 2016 Extended Dance Remix By Alex Ritton): Kenny Loggins (#6)

10) One Love/People Get Ready (Dub Version By Godwin Logie): Bob Marley & The Wailers (#5)

11) I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix By Queen & Reinhold Mack): Queen (#4)

12) Automatic (Special Remix By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Pointer Sisters (#2)

13) The Reflex (Dance Mix By Nile Rodgers & Jason Corsaro): Duran Duran (#1)

Off The Chart (1:27:14) (KF) (Mega)

Look At Us Now

On Tuesday, Mrs. K and I ventured into Bristol for a rare mid-week gig to see Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Strap yourself in, you're in for quite a ride.

It was my third time seeing O.M.D., previously in October 1986 and November 2019. It was Mrs. K's first time, largely on the basis that I kept going on about how brilliant they were in 2019. Look closely and you can spot us in the crowd above, having a brilliant time along with two thousand other people, not least the four on stage.

That concert in 1986 is also significant as I saw O.M.D. in exactly the same venue, although it's gone through a radical makeover and name change in the last forty years. Previously the Colston Hall, the venue is now the Bristol Beacon and it looks - and feels - like a completely different place.

“Wow, look at this place", said Andy McCluskey as he came on stage, "but just because it’s new doesn’t mean we can’t mess it up.”

 

But more of that later. Due to the logistics of having a day job in another county, family stuff, getting into Bristol city centre and finding somewhere to park, there was never any hope that we'd get to see support act Walt Disco, who were off stage by 8.30pm. A shame, as I was intrigued by the Glaswegian band's overt nod to Associates, (early) Simple Minds and David Bowie. I mean, what's not to love about a band that describes themselves as "flamboyant goth-glam"? I'm sorry to have missed the opportunity as it seems that they delivered a tight and enjoyable set.

By the time we arrived and took position in the stalls, the audience were suitably warmed up and lubricated so that when the opening bars of walk-on track Evolution Of Species played in, there was a palpable rumble of excitement. That upped to another level when the band came on stage: Martin Cooper, Stuart Kershaw and Paul Humphreys taking position on three risers; lastly, Andy McCluskey darting and ducking either side of the central mike stand, as Anthropocene burst into life.

As you can see from the photos (none of them mine, credits below), the backdrop was spectacular, mixing footage and stills in vibrant electric colours with snippets of the animated videos from Bauhaus Staircase. The main lighting would also pop in from time to time, so you went from feeling like you were in the best nightclub in the world to suddenly seeing the enormity of the people and place surrounding you. It was a heady experience.

With an opening from the current - and reportedly last - album, things then went right back to the beginning with a blistering rendition of Messages from the first album and the first vinyl 10" single I ever bought. From there Tesla Girls seamlessly sequences into Kleptocracy. 

 

"You probably know us for doing happy songs about depressing topics" says Andy, introducing the latter with a smile. "[Kleptocracy's] about brexit and the rise of fascism and I hope you enjoy dancing to it.”

 

It's followed by History Of Modern, the only 21st century O.M.D. song in the set that isn't from Bauhaus Staircase. The concert felt very different from their 40th anniversary show in 2019. However, comparing them online I was surprised to see that two-thirds of the setlists were identical, even down to song order and encore placing. This means that older album tracks like Stanlow, Almost and Statues also didn't get a look in this time around. However, we did get live performances of 7 of the 12 songs on Bauhaus Staircase throughout the set, which was wonderful.

 

Aside from that, it was hits, hits, hits all the way. If You Leave, with stills of Molly Ringwald from Pretty In Pink mingling in the backdrop, was followed by Paul Humphreys first turn at the front with (Forever) Live And Die, back a couple of songs later for Souvenir. 

 

The first half closed, perhaps inevitably, with the two Joan Of Arc songs from Architecture & Morality, a reminder of time when music like this could smash the Top 5 UK singles chart.

There was no interval but the lights dropped and the PA played The Rock Drill, a 2-minute collage that originally appeared on the digital deluxe edition of Bauhaus Staircase and later on the CD of the title track's single release. It lifts the 'Creature / Judgement / Butcher / Engineer' Speak & Spell sample from Genetic Engineering and (I think) a bit of percussion from obscure B-side The Avenue. I suspect it was created specifically for the purpose of use in the live show as a bridge to the second half. For when the lights rose, O.M.D. are in a line, ready to go again. They also did this in 2019 and it's a simple yet effective way of changing things up a little.

Part 2 opens up with two of the more reflective, downtempo songs from Bauhaus Staircase, Verushka and album closer Healing. Both lovely songs and a good showcase for Andy's vocal chords and lungs. Not bad for a guy who will turn 65 in June.

Acknowledging the brief diversion into "culture", Andy signals with a smile the return to "mindless dancing" with Don't Go, originally released as a single to celebrate the O.M.D.'s 40th anniversary but also a snug fit on the Bauhaus Staircase album and now seemingly as a setlist staple/crowd pleaser.

 

The hits keep coming with Dreaming and Locomotion. In case my good friend Mike doesn't mention it in the comments, I will say that the latter is not a favourite of his and usually a cue to go to the bar or the bogs, or both. It was followed by Sailing On The Seven Seas, a surprise 'comeback' single in 1991. Neither Paul nor Martin were in the band at this point, Stuart had not long joined and co-wrote the song with Andy. That and it's status as O.M.D.'s joint biggest UK hit single (along with Souvenir) at #3 have guaranteed it a place in the setlist in perpetuity. Personally, my feelings about the song mirror Mike's towards Locomotion but there was no denying the enthusiastic response or energy in the room.

The set closes of course with Enola Gay, a measly #8 in 1980 but ubiquitous these days in all manner of advertising (have the creatives actually listened to the song or understood what it's about?!) Andy has been slinging his bass on and off throughout the set and it's back on for this song, the image of him on stage a far cry from the tank topped singer from the video all those years ago.

 

After a very short break and an unbroken round of applause, whooping and calls for more, the band are back on stage for a three-song finale, opening with Look At You Now, the last 'new' song of the set and already sounding like a classic. “Here’s a new song…from 1991," jokes Andy as the band play Pandora's Box, another McCluskey/Kershaw co-write and Top 10 hit. 

Over a hundred minutes since they first appeared, and despite earlier promises of a 5-hour set, O.M.D. bring things to a conclusion with Electricity. A fitting end, given how charged the night - and audience - has been. The quartet seemed genuinely moved throughout by the huge reaction to the new and old songs, but it was well deserved.

If this is the last time that O.M.D. create new music and take their show on the road, then they have done both with style. An incredible night.

...although you can't please everyone, as Starr opined on Twitter a few days later. Unless it's a typo, of course.

 

As mentioned earlier, I didn't take any photos on the night as I was too caught up in the moment. Thankfully, lots of people did at various points around Beacon Hall. So, a big thanks for the cheeky swipes from Twitter of photos from Tuesday night by the following very talented people:

Platform Controller @platformcontrol: 1

Lath @Lath87815986: 2, 4

Suze @WestCountrySuzi: 3, 5

Rich Ford @FordyFive: 6

 

And I couldn't let the occasion pass without an accompanying Dubhed selection. I've followed O.M.D.'s cue and presented not one, but two selections recreating each half of the show. I've added a few alternative versions and remixes here and there, including (for me at least) a more palatable version of Sailing On The Seven Seas and a rather nice extended bootleg of Don't Go, alongside the definitive 10" versions of Messages and Souvenir. It also provides a nice bit of balance to the running time, both coming in at just over 47 minutes. You'd almost think I put some thought into these things, wouldn't you?!

There's a long dedication list for this post:

- A shout out to the wonderful Mrs. K for a brilliant shared experience, even if the long, unplanned detour home due to a motorway closure is another story and something to forget!

- Mike, who was also there in the crowd but who we didn't get to say hello to on the night

- Ian, brother of the legendary Stuart, who we bumped into in the post-gig squeeze/shuffle to get out, who I last saw in 2019 when he gave us a lift to see...O.M.D.

- Platform Controller, Lath, Suze and Rich Ford, for the excellent photos

- Andy, Paul, Martin, Stuart and the O.M.D. crew for creating an unforgettable experience

O.M.G. for this night, for sure.

 

Side 1

1) Evolution Of Species (Album Version) (2023)

2) Anthropocene (Album Version) (2023) 

3) Messages (10" Version) (1980)

4) Tesla Girls (Video Version) (1984)

5) Kleptocracy (Album Version) (2023)

6) History Of Modern (Part I) (Radio Edit) (2011)

7) If You Leave (Single/Soundtrack Version) (1986)

8) (Forever) Live And Die (Album Version) (1986)

9) Bauhaus Staircase (Album Version) (2023)

10) Extended Souvenir (10" Version) (1981)

11) Joan Of Arc (Album Version) (1981)

12) Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc) (Album Version) (1981)

Side 2

1) The Rock Drill (2023)

2) Veruschka (Album Version) (2023)

3) Healing (Album Version) (2023)

4) Don't Go (Extended) (Bootleg Edit By Richard Anvil) (2023)

5) So In Love (Special American Dance Remix)M (1985)

6) Dreaming (7" Mix) (1988)

7) Locomotion (Album Version) (1984)

8) Sailing On The Seven Seas (Extended Version) (1991)

9) Enola Gay (Album Version) (1980)

10) Look At You Now (Album Version) (2023)

11) Pandora's Box (Lost Girl Mix) (1991)

12) Electricity (Remix) (1988)

 

1980: Messages EP: A3 

1980: Organisation: B9

1981: Architecture & Morality: A11, A12

1981: Souvenir EP: A10 

1984: Junk Culture: B7

1984: Tesla Girls EP: A4

1985: So In Love EP (USA 12"): B5

1986: Pretty In Pink OST: A7

1986: The Pacific Age: A8 

1988: Dreaming EP: B6

1988: The Best Of O.M.D.: B12

1991: Pandora's Box EP: B11

1991: Sailing On The Seven Seas EP: B8

2011: History Of Modern (Part I) EP: A6

2023: Bauhaus Staircase: A1, A2, A5, A9, B1, B2, B3, B10

2023: Don't Go EP (bootleg MP3): B4

Side 1 (47:04) (KF) (Mega)

Side 2 (47:13) (KF) (Mega)