All That & More

Sparks at the Bristol Beacon on Thursday 18th June 2026. Every bit as wonderful, joyous and life-affirming as the photo suggests.

Mrs. K was due to be there with me, but unfortunately family stuff (and there's a lot of that lately) prevented her from coming along. Consolation came in the form of Mike and Paul, who already had tickets and as we were all 'standing/stalls'. we got to experience the show together, close to the front.

Support was provided by Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, who used to be in Brit rap group Collapsed Lung but has since branched out into "chap hop", describing his music as "Noel Coward and Afrika Bambaataa enjoying a sweet sherry together". 

Mr. B deserves a post in his own right. Suffice to say that, although we missed the first couple of songs (bloody traffic!), he was hugely entertaining, was a perfect choice for Sparks and got the audience suitably warmed up. Finishing with a cover of Sparks' own Suburban Homeboy was a nice touch.

We weren't kept waiting too long before Sparks took to the stage. When I saw them for the first time in 2012, it was just Ron and Russell onstage. This time, it was the full band experience, currently Evan Weiss on guitar, Max Whipple on bass and Stevie Nistor on drums.

"So may we start?" Russell asked, before launching into the introductory song from their 2021 film Annette.

This is followed by Do Things My Own Way from last year's MAD! and there are three further songs from the album scattered throughout the 20-song set, plus Porcupine from companion EP MADDER! 

Russell reminds us several times that there are currently 28 Sparks albums and, far from being daunted by this prospect, the band clealry relish some deep dives into the archives, as well as the hits, albeit generally just one pick per album.

An early example is 1974's second album Propaganda, opting not for the singles Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth or Something For The Girl With Everything but Reinforcements ("I could use a strong rear guard"). A real treat.

Considering that not a single Sparks album between 1980 and 2005 managed to crack the UK Top 100 albums, it's perhaps surprising that both Angst In My Pants (1982) and Music You Can Dance To (1986) both air two songs in this show. The latter has a rousing version of the title track as well as Let's Get Funky, Russell's vocals on the original replaced by a deadpan spoken word from Ron.
 

Angst In My Pants was represented by Sherlock Holmes and Mickey Mouse, both enjoyable if clearly less well known by the audience, judging by the slightly more muted response. When they played A Walk Down Memory Lane from 1988's Interior Design later, I'll admit that even I was bemused as it's one of a few Sparks albums that I don't own!

The 1990s were encapsulated by just one song, but when that song is When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way', a UK Top 40 hit - twice! - then that's okay. It was a fantastic version, upped the ante from the previous Music You Can Dance To, and propelled the audience into The Number One Song In Heaven and (inevitably) This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us.

Russell's energy was breathtaking. it was easy to forget that this is a man in his late 70s, not just in his vocal power and range, but in his energy, bounding around the stage and making sure that everyone got his attention. 

Resplendent in polka dot suit, pink jumper and trainers and alternating black and white fingernails, I did wonder how Russell kept it going in the increasingly hot venue. I don't think I spotted him take a single water break!

Another obscurity from the vintage vaults next, with Whippings And Apologies from 1972's second album A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing ("different times", acknowledged Russell), I was struck by how fashions and music had changed dramatically over the decades, but the songs were all unmistakably The Mael Brothers.

Yet suddenly, here we were, coming to the end of the set with My Devotion, the fourth and final pick from MAD!

The band left the stage to rapturous applause. Ron was emotional. Russell was emotional. We were all emotional, more so as the brothers left the stage, our cheering and clapping ringing in their ears.

Thankfully, after a few minutes, they were all back for an encore.

I've read that previous shows have dusted off and updated Please Don't Fuck Up My World, the finale of 2020 album A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip. They went further back this time, to 2006 and Hello Young Lovers. 

It's often overlooked that Sparks can deliver political commentary as deftly as social commentary and there was huge cheer when they played (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country. 

Two more songs to go, both from the 21st century, both #7 albums in the UK (2017's Hippopotamus making three in a row), and both opening songs on their respective records.

First, the title song of 2023's The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. Sadly, no surprise appearance from Cate Blanchett, but frankly she wasn't needed, we were more than entertained.

And, last but not least, and originally opening the aforementioned A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip was All That which, in this context, was the perfect, anthem to bring the show to an end.

Imagine if you can that room full of people, all in a heightened emotional state. The last 90 minutes or so had been a rollercoaster of joy and nostalgia, optimism and energy, and a commitment from all of us, on stage, in the stalls and the balconies, to keep this oh so special relationship going for as long as Ron and Russell have the energy, the passion, and the drive to keep going.

And, on the strength of this unforgettable show in Bristol, there's no sign of slowing down any time soon.

An inspiration.

In time honoured tradition (well, since I started this blog in 2020 at least), I've recreated the Sparks setlist from the Bristol Beacon as an 89 minute Dubhed selection. I've woven in a handful of 70s, 80s and 90s 12" mixes and, for the closing song, swapped the studio recording of All That for a version that Sparks performed online in isolation during the COVID lockdown.

Some of the time travelling sequencing sounds a little more jarring than it did on the night,  due to the different producers, techniques and times, but captures the wild eclecticism of the show.

1) So May We Start (Video Introduction ft. Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard & Simon Helberg) (2021)

2) Do Things My Own Way (Album Version) (2025)

3) Reinforcements (Album Version) (1974)

4) Sherlock Holmes (Album Version) (1982)

5) Beat The Clock (Long Version) (1979)

6) Mickey Mouse (Album Version) (1982)

7) Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab (2025)

8) Let's Get Funky (Album Version) (1986)

9) Porcupine (2025)

10) A Walk Down Memory Lane (Album Version) (1988)

11) JanSport Backpack (Album Version) (2025)

12) Music That You Can Dance To (U.K. Extended Club Version) (1986)

13) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (The Rapino Brothers Extended Sola Mix) (1994)

14) The Number One Song In Heaven (Short Version) (7") (1979)

15) This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us (Album Version) (1974)

16) Whippings And Apologies (Album Version) (1972)

17) My Devotion (Album Version) (2025)

18) (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country (Album Version) (2006)

19) The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte (Album Version) (2023)

20) All That (Live In Isolation, 11 June 2020)

1972: A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing: 16

1974: Kimono My House: 15

1974: Propaganda: 3

1979: Beat The Clock EP: 5

1979: The Number One Song In Heaven EP: 14

1982: Angst In My Pants: 4, 6

1986: Music That You Can Dance To: 8

1986: Music That You Can Dance To EP: 12

1988: Interior Design: 10

1994: When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' EP: 13

2006: Hello Young Lovers: 18

2020: Live In Isolation (bootleg MP3): 20

2021: Annette OST: 1

2023: The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte: 19

2025: MAD!: 2, 7, 11, 17

2025: MADDER! EP: 9

All That & More (1:28:53) (GD) (M)

I didn't take any photos on the night so once again I am greatly appreciative of those that did, as follows:

1) Band photo from Sparks' own FB page.

2) & 3) courtesy of Mike, standing next to me in the stalls!

4) Laurie via BlueSky

5) Philip Bowsher on FB

6) Alison Eales, Nerves Of Steel via BlueSky

7) Fred Flintstones on FB

8) John Lyons via BlueSky

Sadly, Mike and Paul had to leave before the Sparks band photo at the top of this post was taken. I'm in there, roughly in the vicinity of Russell's left hand.

Fred Flintstones helpfully took a sweeping shot of the audience around the same time. In the spirit of "Where's Wally?", see if you can spot this wally. I was wearing a Sparks' T-shirt, which is unfortunately completely obscured by the crowd in this photo.

No prizes for guessing correctly, other than a crushing sense of underwhelm. The complete opposite of how I felt on the night in other words! 

Look Out To The West Now, See Where The Devil Lies

I've rarely if ever dedicated a post to a single song twice, but I've just seen Gorillaz and Sparks' performance of The Happy Dictator on Jimmy Kimmel Live last Friday and it had to be done.

You can find my original post from 12th September 2025 here.

Six months on and the world has gone even more crazy, if possible. Well, when I say 'world'...

Russell Mael is on fine form and whilst I won't be catching any of the Gorillaz live shows, I will be seeing Sparks live in concert in June. A ray of hope, in more ways than one.

The Sound Of A Brand New World

1986 was either a good year or a really, really terrible year for music, it's always subjective, isn't it? 

Whilst Wham! and The Police called it a day, Pet Shop Boys and Erasure became huge, Q magazine launched, Doctor Who faced The Trial Of A Time Lord both on- and off-screen, not least for the limpest version of the theme tune to date, whilst John Barry did alright at the Oscars with his soundtrack for Out Of Africa. Bizarrely, given my parents' spartan music collection, my mum actually bought this latter. On vinyl, too.

Anyway, none of the above feature in today's 8-song, 46-minute selection of 12" mixes. Instead, it's a mix of hits and non-hits, (quite a few) cover versions and songs that should be more deeply etched in the collective consciousness but had to make way for numerous singles from No Jacket Required by Phil Collins and The Chicken Song by Spitting Image instead. 

Train Of Thought was a-ha's fourth single from their debut album and third consecutive Top Ten, peaking at #8 in April 1986. The video is a similar mix of animation and live action that made Take On Me unforgettable. The animation by Michael Patterson actually originated as his student film at the California Institute of the Arts so predates his work on Take On Me. Unfortunately, the video is less memorable.

I paid little attention to Love And Money in 1986 but have come back to them in more recent years due to following the many and varied 21st Century exploits of former members James Grant, Paul McGeechan, Stuart Kerr, Bobby Paterson, Gordon Wilson and Douglas MacIntyre. Dear John is a 12" vinyl rip so the quality of the recording doesn't match the quality of the song. Not that the publlic noticed, it failed to dent the UK charts.

Similarly, Sparks seemed to be a spent force in the UK in the 1980s. They had just one charting single in the decade; Change managed to scrape to #85 in July 1985. Fingertips was a cover of the Stevie Wonder song, a rare step away from the Mael Brothers' focus on writing their own material. Both it - and Sparks' 1980s output - deserved more love over here than it got and it's wonderful writing four decades later in the knowledge that they've subsequently been embraced as the legends that they are.

Radio Head by Talking Heads has the dubious distinction of being the song that inspired the name of Thom Yorke and chums' own band, though generally that's the only inspiring thing about this song. I don't mind the music from the True Stories album and film, though it's a far cry from the essential early albums. Full Force clearly thought so too and felt obliged to drop in a sample from Once In A Lifetime to pep things up. 

No-one's going to argue that Communards' cover of Don't Leave Me This Way was a deserved #1, but Jeanie Tracy had a go the year before with her own version, produced by close friend Sylvester. In 1986, a re-edit by Razormaid co-founder Joseph Watt appeared on his 12 By 12 album and it's fair to say that I would have equally moved at the school disco if they'd popped this platter on.

Although I'm a fan of much of Boy George's music, I've not really connected to Culture Club, then and now. Gusto Blusto, featured here, was the second single from From Luxury To Heartache... in the USA and Canada, at least. Over here, we got God Thank You Woman. The latter stalled at #31. I'm not sure that Gusto Blusto would have fared any better. 

I'd known about The Residents for years, though I wasn't all that familiar with their music. I spotted the 12" single of Kaw-Liga in a secondhand record shop and was sufficiently intrigued to buy it and I'm glad I did. A cover of a Hank Williams song from 1953, it opens with a shuffling beat ripped from inspired by Billie Jean. The full 12" version runs to nine and a half minutes, the original aka album version runs to about half that, just as good.

Wrapping things up is Iggy Pop and David Bowie, reuniting as performer and producer for the first time in a decade, with greeat commercial results for the former. Blah Blah Blah will never be my go-to Iggy album but I enjoy it for what it is and the time it captured. I also ended up buying all the 12" singles, though the label had an annoying habit of recycling tracks for B-sides. The extended remix of Fire Girl was a 12" A-side then re-appeared on the B-side of Isolation the same year.

Sunday's selection will feature another trip back in time, for a different kind of dance music.

1) Train Of Thought (U.S. Mix By Steve Thompson): a-ha

2) Dear John (Extended Mix By John 'Tokes' Potoker): Love And Money

3) Fingertips (Extended Club Version By Steve Bates) (Cover of Stevie Wonder): Sparks

4) Radio Head (Extended Mix By Full Force & Glenn Rosenstein): Talking Heads

5) Don't Leave Me This Way (Re-Edited By Joseph Watt) (Cover of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes): Jeanie Tracy

6) Gusto Blusto (Rock Mix By Arif Mardin & Lew Hahn): Culture Club

7) Kaw-Liga (Album Version By The Cryptic Corporation aka Hardy Fox & Homer Flynn) (Cover of Hank Williams): The Residents

8) Fire Girl (Remix By David Bowie & David Richards): Iggy Pop

The Sound Of A Brand New World (45:47) (GD) (M)

Double Entrendre

or, How To Get Away With Two "25 From 25" Albums Lists Whilst Pretending That Wasn't Your Intention All Along.

Looking back on 2025 so far, I think I bought more albums than ever, a mix of physical and digital. The latter was ably supported by a further year's subscription to the excellent Last Night From Glasgow label, which accounts for about a quarter of today’s and tomorrow’s featured artists.

A few were purchased at merch stalls following a headline or support slot gig, others on the recommendation of others, including you lovely people out there in the blogging community.

So, I've got two lists, loosely separated into artists that I'm familiar with and already owned albums by, the second compiling artists who, regardless of whether they'd been around for ages or just started out, were new to me. So, it's a hodge podge of debut albums and artists that I really only delved into properly with their latest long player. I'm posting the first list today, the second on New Year's Eve.

There are a shed load that I just haven't got around to buying yet and I haven't yet succumbed to streaming so I can't sneak them in on the technicality of having heard them. Apologies therefore include Pulp, Syd Minsky Sargeant, Death In Vegas, Mogwai and Water From Your Eyes, all of whom have released albums that I want to get (and said as much in previous posts), but who remain on my shopping list.

An honourable mention also to those that I did buy but who didn't make onto either list because, well, I had to stop at 25, right? A tip of the hat then to Manic Street Preachers, The Supernaturals, Julian Cope, Gareth Sager and Scanner.

I've listed them alphabetically, rather than in order of greatness, but I may reveal my favourite at the end...if I can decide on one by the end of this post!

25 From 25 - Old Favourites

(click on the links to buy these albums...and more!)

1) Let The Horse Run Free / Rodeo Disco: 100 Poems

2) The Collapse Of Everything: Adrian Sherwood

3) Pinball Wanderer: Andy Bell

4) Dead Souls: Armory Show

5) Metalhorse / Mary And The Hyenas OST: Billy Nomates

6) Mumbo In The Jumbo: Davey Woodward

7) Wise Music In Dub: Dennis Bovell

8) Subconsciousology: Dot Allison

9) Lay Low: Eddie Chacon

10) Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation: Edwyn Collins

11) Rats In Paradise: Emily Breeze

12) Begging The Night To Take Hold: Emma Pollock

13) Twilight: Hifi Sean & David McAlmont

14) Songs For Nina And Johanna: James Yorkston & Friends

15) Junk System EP 1&2: Junk System

16) Lotus: Little Simz

17) New Town Ghosts: Mark Rae

18) Lake Deep Memory: Pye Corner Audio

19) Barb And Feather: Red Snapper

20) Strawberries: Robert Forster

21) International: Saint Etienne

22) MAD!: Sparks

23) Faultline: The Cowboy Mouth

24) moisturiser: Wet Leg

25) Home: Xan Tyler & Dusty Stray

I have loved each and every one of these albums but my #1 of 2025 has to be Billy Nomates.

Not just because Metalhorse is a fantastic album, taking her music to another level, but also because she somehow found the time to write, record and release another album. The soundtrack to Mary And The Hyenas may have been relatively overlooked compared to Metalhorse, but it's every bit an equal. Astonishing to think that Tor Maries was also releasing one-off songs in between both of these. 

Finally getting to see Billy Nomates live in concert for the first time in September, with an excellent band and songs that took on a life of their own on stage, was an unforgettable experience and the push over the line to secure my #1 in a year of varied but brilliant albums.

Queueing At The Checkout

Before I launch into the inevitable final round up of 2025, I thought I'd drop by Amoeba Music's What's In My Bag? series and see what others have been shopping for this year.

My three specific shoppers are Russell Mael, David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnell from Spinal Tap (in tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner) and finally David Byrne.

Some great picks from all three. I'm particularly happy that the latter picked Bristol-based IDLES. Maybe David will be tempted to come to Bristol to play a gig or just hang around Longwell Records when it relocates from Keynsham to Clifton Arcade in February.

 

 

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)

Empty And Abstracted And Full Of Rage...We Think Too Much And Feel Too Little

Gorillaz? Sparks? Together on one song? How has this not happened before?!

And, unsurprisingly, The Happy Dictator is a brilliant collaboration and an exciting teaser for ninth (ninth!) album The Mountain, coming in March 2026.

The song title and the thumbnail image of Murdoc for the 'official visualiser' are of course a reference to Charlie Chaplin's 1940 film - and magnum opus - The Great Dictator.

Whatever your opinion of Damon Albarn, it's difficult to deny that Gorillaz, created with Jamie Hewlett in 1998, has been a game changer in the music world, and still has the power to surprise over a quarter of a century later.

I'm looking forward to The Mountain as much as I did their self-titled debut back in 2001.

I am the one to give you life again 

I am the one to save your soul, AMEN!

As the shadows they are forming come and join me centre stage

Oh what a happy land we live in

If you are empty and abstracted and your broken heart is full of rage

Oh what a happy land, oh yeah

In a world of fiction I am a velvet glove 

Oh what a happy land we live in

I am your soul, your resurrection, I am the love

Oh what a happy land, oh yeah

So look out to the west now, see where the devil lies

Oh what a happy land we live in

It’s pharmakon is with you and your empire it is paralysed 

Oh what a happy land, oh yeah

I’ll propagate eternity and seal it with my kiss

Oh what a happy land we live in

So look into the coffin and let me grant your wish

Oh what a happy land, oh yeah

 

No more bad news 

So you can sleep well at night 

And the palace of your mind will be bright

Everything is slowing down yet everything is faster

Oh what a happy land we live in

While everyone is consuming I’ll save you from yourself

Oh what a happy land, oh yeah

 

Upon this world of fiction my love I will bestow

Oh what a happy land we live in

And as we march into the future happiness will grow

No more bad news 

So you can sleep well at night

And the palace of your mind will be bright

Everything is slowing down yet faster 

Consuming us I’ll save you from yourself

My love bestowed upon this world of fiction

March to the future happiness grows

Are you not better off than ever 

Are you not better off right now

When have you felt this way I ask you

When have you felt better off than right now

I am the one to give you life again

I am the one to save your soul, AMEN!

No more bad news………

(Mountains and rainbows , palaces of love)

So you can sleep well at night and palace of your mind will be bright

So you can sleep well at night and palace of your mind will be bright

Bag It Up, I'll Take It

Bandcamp Friday beckons and my shopping bag demands to be fed yet again.

Here are a dozen hors d'oeuvres to whet your appetite. What else will I bring home?

1) Brand New Me (Brand New Me EP): Saint Etienne x Confidence Man

2) Better (All That Is Over): SPRINTS

3) Housin' (Planet Roll): Wagon Christ

4) Greasy Off The Racing Line (Tremor): Daniel Avery ft. Alison Mosshart

5) Weeping Roses (Lomond Campbell Remix) (Subconsciousology): Dot Allison

6) Tales Of Freedom (Cosmikuro Remix) (Tales Of Freedom EP): Jay-Son

7) Thinkin' Bout U (Mercury) (Thinkin' Bout U EP): Psychederek

8) A Moment Longer (Songs For Nina & Johanna): James Yorkston ft. Nina Persson

9) Militants (Atomized Dub) (Imploded Versions EP): The Bug vs Ghost Dubs

10) Under the Bed (Buddhist Hipsters): The Orb

11) Porcupine (Madder! EP): Sparks

12) Everybody Needs (On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World (Deluxe Edition)): Humanist ft. Emily Breeze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Ron Number

A very happy birthday to Ron Mael, born 12th August 1945 and 80 today.

Ron's generally the words and music guy, Sparks sibling Russell Mael predominantly handling lead vocal duties.

However, occasionally Ron will step up to the mike and it's always a treat.

 

 

It's something of an understatement to say that Ron's also co-written some mind-bogglingly brilliant pop songs for more than half a century and shows no sign of slowing down.

As a birthday bonus, a couple of Dubhed selections from the archives featuring the Mael brothers, dusted off for your listening pleasure.

A Shower Of Sparks (12th September 2021)

Can't You See The Existential Threat Is On It's Way? (15th November 2022)

Hope you've at least taken the day off today, Ron, have fun!

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine

2025 has been a good (albeit expensive) year so far, with some quality album releases before we're even halfway through.

I've compiled a 45-minute selection of a dozen artists that have been floating my boat. 

Enjoy!

Then buy!

1) The Swimmer: The Cowboy Mouth (Faultlines)

2) It Takes A Whole Lot Of Soul To Fill A Cup: Davey Woodward (Mumbo In The Jumbo)

3) All The Smartest People: Louise Connell (Clients Of Suddenness)

4) Music Concrete: Andy Bell (Pinball Wanderer)

5) The Mountains Are My Home: Edwyn Collins (Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation)

6) Another Fucked Up Druggy On The Scene: Gareth Sager (Play Yr Heart Out / Oh No, No Plan B)

7) My Devotion: Sparks (MAD!)

8) Sad Chord: Ellen Beth Abdi (Ellen Beth Abdi)

9) The Same Thing As Nothing At All: Destroyer (Dan's Boogie)

10) Good On The Inside: Mumble Tide (Might As Well Play Another One)

11) Dear Stephen: Manic Street Preachers (Critical Thinking)

12) Cinema Of Broken Dreams: Armory Show (Dead Souls)

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine (45:58) (KF) (Mega)

Why Everybody Needs A Bosom For A Pillow

Side 2 of a mixtape, compiled 14th February 1998. 

 

As I reflected when I posted Side 1 in 2022, this date was either the most unforgettable Valentine's Days ever, or one so traumatic that I've erased it from memory. I was in a relationship at the time, though not the long-suffering Mrs. K, who I hope can at least vouch that Valentine's Days have been a slight improvement on this one.

I was either in an upbeat mood or urgently needed cheering up, if the tracklist of this cassette is anything to go by. Beats, happy keys, lots of energy...I even wrote the word 'funky!' on the DIY front cover!

 

This 10-song selection picks from 1990 to 1994 and is chock full of gems, opening with Freaky Realistic and Subsonic 2, two acts that I loved but never got the attention that they deserved, seemingly due to record label shenanigans and mishandling.

 

The Grid on the other hand hand a monster hit on their hands with Swamp Thing (see what I did there?). It was a thrill to see Dave Ball and Richard Norris on Top Of The Pops, when it was still (just about) worth watching.

 

Fame was fleeting for poor ol' Adamski, sadly. Barely two years after enjoying #1 success, both follow up singles and album failed to make much of an impression, chart-wise. Which is a shame as the PiL-sampling Back To Front was a great single, bolstered by superb remixes by Leftfield. Vocalist Ricky Lyte had also enjoyed Top 5 success thanks to his guest spot (as MC Lyte) with The KLF on What Time Is Love?

 

Peppering their song with a sample announcing that "one spliff a day keeps the evil away" ensured that Fortran 5 were never going to trouble the charts, but Groove takes the already groovy album version down a notch, riding on a infectious bassline. Great stuff.

 

The Shamen, Scritti Politti and Sparks all hook up with remixers du jour, with Tommy D, Apollo 440 and The Rapino Brothers delivering tasty variations.

 

And, to add a little grit to the honey, The Fall's cover of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge, which I was clearly obsessed by in the 1990s, given the number of my mixtapes it appeared on. Admittedly, I still think it's a brilliant version and one that, when it comes crashing through the speakers, I turn up the volume.

1) Something New / Cosmic Love Vibes (Full Frealistic Version): Freaky Realistic (1992)

2) Addicted To Music (Incognito Brass Mix By Jean-Paul Maunick) (Edit): Subsonic 2 (1991)

3) Swamp Thing (Radio Mix): The Grid (1994)

4) Back To Front (Album Version): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

5) Groove (Edit): Fortran 5 ft. Shola Phillips (1991)

6) African And White (The Steve Proctor Remix) (7" Version): China Crisis (1990)

7) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub) (Remix By Tommy D): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

8) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

9) She's A Woman (The Apollo 440 Remix) (Cover of The Beatles): Scritti Politti ft. Shabba Ranks (1991)

10) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (The Rapino Brothers Extended Sola Mix): Sparks (1994)

Side Two (46:09) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here