Decadance I: 1990

Side 1 of a mock cassette compilation, kicking off a new series of mixtapes that never were, and a sequel of sorts to one that I posted last August and September.

As 1989 turned into 1990 I had the idea of creating a themed series of cassette compilations, looking back at the previous decade and inspiringly titled Decade. Five C90s, one year per side, 12 songs apiece. 

I recorded the first volume on 3rd February 1990. Thirty five years later, I've finally got around to the follow up.

Decadance (sic) was originally the title of a planned companion to the Decade series, featuring selected 12" versions of 80s songs. I've appropriated it for this series instead, intentional misspelling and all, starting obviously with 1990.

The next five weekends will feature each year of the 90s, sticking with the same format of a dozen songs that dip into my record collection, which grew exponentially during the decade as I got a regular wage and a increasing addiction to music.

This was a bloody tough one to begin with. My 'shortlist' ran to over 50 songs. I decided quite early on that 1990 was going to be limited to more dance-oriented music. Although I still buying lots of guitar-based and indie records, the songs here are more reflective of what I was leaning into and hearing when I was out and about.

So, that immediately relegated Pixies, Lush, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Mazzy Star, Inspiral Carpets and, reluctantly, World Of Twist. Being in the list of 1990s biggest sellers was no guarantee either, as Sinéad O'Connor, Maria McKee, Madonna found out to their cost. 

And Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and especially Turtle Power by Partners In Kryme were proof if needed that being in the Top 15 best-selling singles of 1990 does not mean that the record buying public was right. Although I agonised longer than perhaps I should have about whether to include Infinity (1990's...Time For The Guru) by Guru Josh (RIP).

That said, two-thirds of today's selection were Top 40, and I've even managed to include two #1's with Beats International and Adamski (who naughtily didn't co-headline with Seal) although I would have sworn that there were three.

In fact, Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite didn't hit the top spot. It was kept at #2 for two weeks by the re-release of The Joker by The Steve Miller Band, before Maria McKee came in with Show Me Heaven and ruined it for both of them.

Before I'd picked any of the other songs, I knew 1990 would begin with Renegade Soundwave, simply because I loved their singles and debut album, Soundclash.  Andrew Weatherall's game changing overhaul of Primal Scream with Loaded was a strong contender but inevitably was the only way to end the selection.

In between, there are perhaps some obvious choices, with The KLF, EMF and The Beloved but hopefully a few pleasant surprises too. 

Of the singles that stalled outside the Top 50, The Fall's inspired collaboration with Coldcut was huge for me, as was The Shamen's game changing album En-Tact. The single version of Make It MIne is a different mix, but the version with the rap by Rhyme & Reason that was so cheesy it was cool is the definitive in my opinion.

As well as samples aplenty, a couple of used another song as the entire foundation of their own, to startling effect. Beats International's cover of Just Be Good To Me by The S.O.S. Band laid Lindy Layton's vocals over the rhythm of Guns Of Brixton by The Clash, with a re-recorded verse lifted from Johnny Dynell & New York 88's Jam Hot was just inspired. 

As was A Tribe Called Quest's debut Top 50 hit, Bonita Applebum, whose pairing with Carly Simon & Chic 1982 hit Why? elevated both songs to another level entirely.

Although never in the same league as Andrew Weatherall, I liked Paul Oakenfold's remixes and whilst he's represented here, you may be scratching your heads wondering why I've left off his frankly brilliant remix of Step On by Happy Mondays (#5 in April 1990) for his arguably lesser known remix of Nothing by Frazier Chorus (#51 in August 1990).

Despite Step On coming out earlier in the year, I actually bought the 12" singles of Cloud 8 and Nothing first. Both featured Oakenfold remixes (I'd also recommend the limited edition Chad Jackson reworks of Nothing) and both were a surprising and pleasing departure for Frazier Chorus. Not that it helped them in the commercial sense, unfortunately,  but look what success did to Happy Mondays...

As an added bonus, this time around, I've included info at the end on when each single's peak (UK) chart placing and date, and the respective EP or album the featured version is lifted from. Well, it keeps me occupied and off the streets.

It will come as no surprise that Sunday will take a look at 1991. 

The Top 10 best selling singles of that year included Bryan Adams, Queen, The Simpsons, Chesney Hawkes and Color Me Badd. You may be relieved to know that none of them will be showing up here.

1) Probably A Robbery (7" Remix By Daniel Miller & Rico Conning): Renegade Soundwave
2) Telephone Thing (Album Version By Coldcut): The Fall
3) Unbelievable (Album Version By Ralph Jezzard): EMF
4) Make It Mine (V2.5) (Remix By The Shamen & 'Evil' Eddie Richards): The Shamen ft. Rhyme & Reason
5) Hello (Album Version By Martyn Phillips): The Beloved
6) What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral) (7" Version): The KLF ft. MC Bello & The Children Of The Revolution

7) Dub Be Good To Me (Album Version By Norman Cook): Beats International ft. Lindy Layton

8) Bonita Applebum (7" Why? Edit By CJ Mackintosh & Robin Hancock): A Tribe Called Quest

9) Groove Is In The Heart (LP Version By Deee-Lite & Mike Rogers): Deee-Lite ft. Bootsy Collins & Q-Tip

10) Nothing (7" Edit By Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne): Frazier Chorus

11) Killer (Edit By Adamski & Mike 'Spike' Drake): Adamski ft. Seal

12) Loaded (Andrew Weatherall Mix) (7" Version): Primal Scream

27th Jan 1990: Extricate (#58): 2

11th Feb 1990: Happiness (#19): 5

18th Feb 1990: Probably A Robbery EP (#38): 1

25th Feb 1990: Dub Be Good To Me EP (#1): 7

18th Mar 1990: Loaded EP (#16): 12

6th May 1990: Killer EP (#1): 11

12th Aug 1990: Bonita Applebum EP (#47): 8

26th Aug 1990: Nothing EP (#51): 10

9th Sep 1990: World Clique (#2): 9

9th Sep 1990: What Time Is Love? EP (#5): 6

22nd Sep 1990: En-Tact (#42): 4

25th Nov 1990: Schubert Dip (#3): 3

Side One (47:24) (KF) (Mega)

Return To The Acoustic Tent

This time last year in the post-Glastonbury comedown, I posted a 45-minute acoustic selection. Never one to claim any original thought whatsoever, here I am again with another 13-song selection for 2023.

None of the artists here featured in last year's selection and whilst some of the artists' acoustic turns may not be a surprise - I'm thinking particularly of Turin Brakes and The Pictish Trail - there are some playing against type, namely Dua Lipa*, Seal, Moby and A Man Called Adam.

Terry Hall sounds great in any musical setting, of course, but I think the version of Ballad Of A Landlord is an especially fine showcase for his wonderful voice and songwriting. His absence is still keenly felt.

 

Compared to 2022, I've been very slack in my Glastonbury viewing: so far, only Billy Nomates, Fever Ray, Los Bitchos and Working Men's Club; all excellent, but lots to catch up with before the BBC iPlayer axe falls. Then again, if the sun's shining... 

 

* You might guess from the song title acronym, but a potty mouth advisory for Ms. Lipa if you're playing this within range of sensitive ears.

1) Pure (Acoustic Version): Lightning Seeds (1995)

2) Pain Killer (RTL2 Acoustic Version): Turin Brakes (2003)

3) Lovely Daughter (Acoustic): Merz (2007)

4) IDGAF (Acoustic): Dua Lipa (2018)

5) Crazy (Acoustic Version): Seal (1991)

6) Acoustic Guitar: The Magnetic Fields ft. Claudia Gonson (1999)

7) Tell Me (Toronto Acoustic Version): Moby ft. Cold Specks (2013)

8) Jewel (Acoustic): Cranes (1996)

9) Barefoot In The Head (Acoustic Edit): A Man Called Adam (2004)

10) Nuclear Sunflower Swamp (Acoustic): The Pictish Trail (2022)

11) Ballad Of A Landlord (Acoustic Version): Terry Hall (1997)

12) Just Drive (Acoustic Version): It's Immaterial (2002)

13) Another Sinful Day (Acoustic): Little Axe (1995)

 

1994: Prayer For The Dying EP: 5 

1995: Another Sinful Day EP: 12

1996: WRAS 88.5 Presents: Radio Oddyssey: 8 

1997: Ballad Of A Landlord EP: 11

1999: 69 Love Songs: 6

2002: The Great Liverpool Acoustic Experiment: 12

2003: Ether Song (ltd 2x CD):: 2 

2004: Barefoot In The Head EP: 9

2006: The Very Best Of The Lightning Seeds: 1

2007: Merz (Expanded Edition) (2x CD): 3

2013: Amazon Artist Lounge EP: 7

2018: IDGAF EP: 4

2022: EarthPercent x Earth Day Compilation Album: 10

 

Return To The Acoustic Tent (46:16) (KF) (Mega) 

You can find last year's Acoustic Tent selection here

#14 Dreams

The BBC began broadcasting one hundred years ago today, on 14th November 1922. The NME published the first ever UK singles chart on 14th November 1952. The first #1 was Here In My Heart by Al Martino (Jasper Cini to his folks).

 

So, the obvious thing to do here then is to celebrate...the #14 UK single on 14th November at various points over the last seven decades, right?

 

Starting off randomly with 1967, There Is A Mountain by Donovan was on it's third week in the chart, peaking the following week at #10 before starting a slow retreat over the next six weeks. I found a lovely clip of Donovan duetting with Bobbi Gentry on her TV show in 1968. The video and sound quality is ropey - the flute nearly drowned out by the audio hiss - but it's a joy to hear. There's another fun performance with Sergio Mendes from the same year which is worth a look and listen.

On to 1970, a few weeks before my birth and the fabulous sound of The Temptations with Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today). By 14th November, the song had spent two weeks at #7 and would spend the next two at #14 before dropping out of the Top 50 in January 1971. This is a performance on (I assume) US TV where the flared suits and psychedelic backgrounds try hard but fail to distract from the brilliance of the song.

 

Next up are The Pointer Sisters with I'm So Excited, still a staple of ad campaigns and gym playlists, nearly four decades on. And yes, unlike those chancers The Thompson Twins, The Pointer Sisters were actually sisters, although successive line-ups have included daughters and grand-daughters. I'm So Excited was originally a (non-UK) single in 1982 but it was the remixed and re-edited single release in 1984 that proved to be a smash, peaking at #11 in the UK. The video shows the sisters getting ready for a night out at what frankly looks like one of the shittest nightclubs ever, but it's worth watching just to wonder why June Pointer keeps her sunglasses on in the bath...!

Another remix and re-release, this time from 1991 and Seal's second stab at the charts with Killer. You can understand why: the original hit #1 the previous year but was credited only to Adamski. Getting William Orbit on board to add some bells and whistles to the music, the incredible voice is still the dominant force here. Seal didn't score a double #1 but a peak of #8 isn't bad, considering the previous version had charted relatively recently. Like The Pointer Sisters, Seal also seems dressed up for a night out in his video, although  he seems to have opted for LaserQuest rather than the local nightclub.

 

The Strokes' Last Nite from 2001 is brilliant and the video, directed by Roman Coppola, equally so. A pastiche/piss-take of music performances on US TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s, with Julian Casablanca throwing his mike stand off set like a spear and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's overhead mikes falling over after guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. stumbles backwards into the podium. As was the trend at the time, Last Nite burst into the UK chart at #14 in it's first week, dropped to #22 the following week and was out of the Top 40 altogether by 8th December. Doesn't make the song any less brilliant, though.

 

I was intending to include one or two more songs but, having trawled every #14 on 14th November from 2010 to 2021, I can say without fear of contradiction that they were all complete and utter shite. So, rather than inflict Coldplay or Jonas Blue on you or that timeless classic from 2020, Mood by 24GLDN featuring Iann Dior, I'll leave it there. 

 

This #10 from 2020 is an absolute cracker, though.