The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Terry)

 

Apologies for a typo in yesterday's post. When I wrote "be sure to drop by tomorrow for a Boxing Day special.", what I meant was "Boxing Day Specials". The Specials, that is, who top and tail today's selection.

 

More specifically, this is a nearly hour-long tribute to Terry Hall, who passed on 18th December 2022. It's hard to believe that two years have gone by.

 

Not that Terry's ever really away from my music playlists. Like the Imaginary Compilation Album that I created for The Vinyl Villain in 2021, this 13-song selection draws from Terry's rich history of bands, collaborations and solo releases, some that will be immediately familiar, other deeper cuts that you may not know. 

 

The common thread is Terry's wonderful voice, character and way with words. Every one a winner.

As an added Boxing Day treat, I've reactivated links to the aforementioned Imaginary Compilation Album, plus the companion ICA created by TVV mastermind JC following mine. I recreated the pair as four sides of faux vinyl and posted them as a tribute to Terry, on hearing the awful news of his death.

Terry, you are missed but never forgotten.

 
1) Stereotype: The Specials (1980)

2) Sugar Man (Album Version): Silent Poets ft. Terry Hall (1999)

3) Heart Of America: The Colourfield (1987)

4) Getting Over You (Album Version): Hiroshi Fujiwara ft. Terry Hall (1994)

5) Alone: Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)

6) Love Will Keep Us Together: Terry, Blair & Anouchka (1990)

7) Sense (Album Version) (Cover of Lightning Seeds): Terry Hall (1994)

8) Problem Is (Album Version): Dub Pistols ft. Terry Hall (2001)

9) Why Should I?: Leila ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (2008)

10) Poems (Edit): Nearly God ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (1996)

11) Stand Together: Terry Hall & Mushtaq (2003)

12) Walk Into The Wind: Vegas ft. Siobahn Fahey (1992)

13) The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression): The Specials (2019)

1980: Stereotype EP: 1

1982: FB3: 5

1987: Deception: 3

1990: Ultra Modern Nursery Rhyme EP: 6 

1992: Walk Into The Wind EP: 12

1994: Home: 7

1994: Nothing Much Better To Do: 4 

1996: Poems EP: 10

1999: To Come...: 2

2001: Six Million Ways To Die: 8

2003: The Hour Of Two Lights: 11

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: 9

2019: Encore: 13

The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Terry) (56:36) (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

Does Anybody Know Any Jokes?

*** Breaking News ***

Reports emerging of a Fun Boy Three selection this Friday. 

 

Wider impact as yet unconfirmed.

Full story from 9.30am GMT.

*** This story has now been updated ***

You can blame thank Charity Chic Music for this one. On Tuesday, CC wrote about his purchase of Summertime by Fun Boy Three on 7" and it being the first time that he's heard their version of this George Gershwin-written classic. As I typing a reply that, in my opinion, the 12" version of Summertime was even better, a seed had already been planted...

So here we are, loosely keeping with my 'summer' theme of the past few days, here is a selection focusing on Fun Boy Three's excursions on the version via the format of the 12" single. They were pretty consistent in this respect, offering up extended takes that veered off into dub-inflected territory on most of their singles.

 

The only singles that appeared on 12" in unadulterated form (i.e. same as the 7"/album version) were The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum, The Tunnel Of Love and Germany-only release The Farm Yard Connection. 

 

In the late 1980s, when DJs were dusting off and remixing any and every 'old' song they could find, FB3 were no exception, with Dancin' Danny D having a go at album track Faith, Hope & Charity in 1989. It's not included on today's selection but you can listen to it here.

The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum has also proved to be an attractive proposition for 21st century bedroom DJs and a trawl of YouTube will net you a tonne of re-edits and remixes of the song. None as good as the original, of course.

This selection is dedicated to the brilliant Lynval Golding, Neville Staple and of course the peerless and greatly missed Terry Hall. As an additional tribute to the latter, I'm re-posting the previous Terry Hall Imaginary Compilation Albums, previously hosted and co-created by the excellent The Vinyl Villain.

 

1) The Telephone Always Rings (Extended Version) (1982)

2) Really Saying Something (He Was Really Sayin' Somethin') (Remix By John Luongo): Bananarama ft. Fun Boy Three (1982)

3) Our Lips Are Sealed (Special Remix Version) (1983)

4) The Funrama Theme (Extended Version): Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)

5) The More I See (The Less I Believe) Parts 1 & 2 (?) (1982)

6) Summertime (Extended Version) (Cover Of Abbie Mitchell) (1982)

7) The Alibi (The Station's Full Of Pipes) (12" Version) (1982)

8) T'Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It) / Just Do It (Extended Version) (Cover of Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James & Ella Fitzgerald): Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)

Does Anybody Know Any Jokes? (50:42) (Box) (Mega)

With A Dream In Your Heart You're Never Alone

Celebrating Burt Bacharach, 12th May 1928 to 8th February 2023.

Burt Bacharach has been a huge part of my life lived through music, even when I was largely ignorant of this fact until I got to my teens and started paying more attention to the people behind the songs. Falling in love, falling out of love, Burt Bacharach captured the musical mood and, with Hal David, nailed the thoughts, feelings and dilemmas that listeners could relate to.

My initial 'shortlist' for this selection was ridiculously long, so I've ruthlessly cut it to ten songs and a little over half an hour. In the 1990s, I bought a budget compilation called The Burt Bacharach Songbook, a 23-track silver disc of solid gold songs. I could easily have just picked the ten from that alone and it would have been great. A few have made the cut here but I've interspersed them with some more contemporary cover versions from BMX Bandits, Terry Hall, Kevin Rowland, Espiritu aka Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones and Richard X featuring the unique talent that is The Flying Lizards' Deborah Evans-Stickland.

Given Bacharach and David's long and fruitful collaboration with Dionne Warwick, it would have been remiss of me not to start the selection with one of her songs, with three more covers along the way. The selection closes with my favorite cover of I'll Never Fall In Love Again, by Bobbie Gentry. 

Lots more for a future part two and part three, but this is a brisk reminder of Burt Bacaharch's brilliance with a tune that hits all the emotional sweet spots. Thanks for all the music, Burt.

1) Do You Know The Way To San Jose: Dionne Warwick (1968)

2) It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Cover of Ricky Nelson): BMX Bandits (1998)

3) Close To You (Cover of '(They Long To Be) Close To You' by Richard Chamberlain): Terry Hall (1997)

4) Anyone... (Edit By Rob Smith & Ray Mighty) (Cover of 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' by Dionne Warwick): Smith & Mighty ft. Jackie Jackson (1988)

5) You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (Cover of Dionne Warwick): The Stylistics (1976)

6) Walk On By (Cover of Dionne Warwick): Richard X ft. Deborah Evans-Stickland (2003)

7) Always Something There To Remind Me (Radio Version By Phil Bodger) (Cover of Sandie Shaw): Espiritu (1994)

8) This Guy's In Love With You (Cover of Danny Williams): Kevin Rowland (1999)

9) Only Love Can Break A Heart (Cover of Gene Pitney): Timi Yuro (1981)

10) I'll Never Fall In Love Again (Cover of Jill O'Hara & Jerry Orbach): Bobbie Gentry (1969)

A Dream In Your Heart (32:28) (Box) (Mega)

What's With Terry?

Celebrating Terry Hall, 19th March 1959 to 18th December 2022.

I am devastated. The unexpected losses have seemed to come thick and fast this year and all have affected me in different ways, but this has really floored me. Terry Hall has been a massive influence and inspiration since I'd first started taking a real interest in music, the sounds, the words and the people behind them. 

I couldn't immediately find the words but social media has been ablaze with tributes, all sharing their deep love of Terry, whether they'd met him or not, whether they'd come on board with The Specials or joined further down the line with Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Gorillaz or the 21st reincarnation of The Specials. I woke up this morning to find a notification at 2:33am from JC, who has posted a beautiful tribute over at The Vinyl Villain. 

in February 2021, I had the privilege of having an Imaginary Compilation Album posted on TVV, focusing on a broad sweep of Terry's career, including some deep cuts and more obscure collaborations. The following day, JC posted a second Terry Hall ICA, containing ten absolutely blinding songs from his career. In the current ICA World Cup, Terry Hall nearly made it to the Quarter Finals, even more of a testament given that the tracks in each stage were from my 'collaborations' ICA rather than JC's 'all killer, no filler' compilation. 

So, it seems only fitting that I return to and recreate both ICAs as a Dubhed selection for today's tribute. In keeping with the ICA tradition of presenting the selection as vinyl friendly sides, the songs are presented as four sides, five songs apiece.

I've flipped the order, leading off with JC's ICA, then mine. In my mind, I'm imagining JC's sides as being the 'Best Of' album and my selection providing the limited edition bonus album. Completely accidentally, the combined ICA would also sit very comfortably as a 20-track CD.

As a consequence, the selection starts and ends with Fun Boy Three, their debut single and the closing song on second and final album, Waiting. As an eleven year old, this is really where it all started for me. The cassettes of both albums are long worn out but the memory remains.

You were and will always be a legend, Terry. Thank you.

Side One

1) The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum (Album Version): Fun Boy Three (1982)

2) Thinking Of You (Album Version): The Colourfield (1985)

3) Music To Watch Girls By (Cover of Andy Williams): Terry Hall (1997)

4) Fishbones And Scaredy Cats: Terry, Blair & Anouchka (1990)

5) Our Lips Are Sealed (Singles Version): Fun Boy Three (1983)

Side Two

1) Gangsters (Single Version): The Special AKA (1979)

2) Do Nothing: The Specials ft. Rico & The Ice Rink String Sounds (1980)

3) The Alibi (The Station's Full Of Pipes) (12" Version): Fun Boy Three (1982)

4) Too Much Too Young (Album Version): The Specials (1979)

5) A Room Full Of Nothing: Terry Hall (1997)

Side Three

1) All Kinds Of Everything (Cover of Dana): Terry Hall & Sinéad O'Connor (1998)

2) Forever J (Pulp Mix By Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackie): Terry Hall (1994)

3) Cruel Circus: The Colourfield (1985)

4) If You Kill My Cat I'll Kill Your Dog: Vegas (1992)

5) Friday Night, Saturday Morning (Single Version): The Specials (1981)

Side Four

1) Bubbles: Nearly God ft. Terry Hall (1996)

2) Rapture (Radio Edit) (Cover of Blondie): Dub Pistols ft. Terry Hall (2007)

3) Ten Eleven: Terry Hall & Mushtaq ft. Damon Albarn (2003)

4) Time To Blow: Leila ft. Terry Hall (2008)

5) Well Fancy That!: Fun Boy Three (1983) 

Side One (16:48) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (21:50) (KF) (Mega)

Side Three (19:23) (KF) (Mega)

Side Four (18:25) (KF) (Mega)

Karaoke Kings

Side 2 of a mixtape, which I think was compiled around late 1996, possibly early 1997.

 

Time to usher the weekend with a few bottles of cheap Becks, salt & vinegar crisps, ripped seats, sticky carpets and the landlord's obsessive collection of novelty bottle openers glued to the upper skirt of the bar. Yes, it's Friday and it's karaoke time at your local spit 'n' sawdust bar.

1) Downtown (Album Version): The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu vs. Petula Clark (1988)

2) You Keep Me Hanging On (12" Version): Colourbox vs. The Supremes (1985)

3) She (Disco Mix): Vegas vs. Charles Aznavour (1992)

4) Brass In Pocket: Suede vs. The Pretenders (1992)

5) Lost In Music (Single Version): The Fall vs. Sister Sledge (1993)

6) The Slider: Gavin Friday vs. T. Rex (1995)

7) That's The Way (I Like It) (Extended Version By Zeus B. Held): Dead Or Alive vs. KC & The Sunshine Band (1984)

8) Black Betty: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds vs. Leadbelly (1986)

9) Zoom: The Boo Radleys vs. Fat Larry's Band (1994)

10) Emma: The Sisters Of Mercy vs. Hot Chocolate (1988)

11) California Dreamin': American Music Club vs. The Mamas & The Papas (1994)

 

1984: That's The Way (I Like It) EP: 7

1985: The Moon Is Blue EP: 2 

1986: The Singer EP: 8

1988: Dominion EP: 10

1988: Shag Times: 1 

1992: Ruby Trax: The NME's Roaring Forty: 4

1992: She EP: 3

1993: Why Are People Grudgeful? EP: 5

1994: Barney (...And Me) EP: 9 

1994: Can You Help Me EP: 11

1995: Shag Tobacco: 6

Side Two (46:01) (Box) (Mega)

Why Should I Worry?

Martina Topley-Bird's 4th album, Forever I Want, came out in September but I won't have a physical (CD) copy until January 2022. A default contender then for next year's 'best of', though Martina's music is arguably a winner in any year. 

Today's selection dips into Martina's musical history, including her solo albums, frequent collaborations with Tricky and guest spots with Massive Attack and Leila. It goes without saying that it's all wonderful.

Side One

1) Sandpaper Kisses (Acoustic Version By Martina Topley-Bird & Damon Albarn): Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

2) Carnies (Album Version By Danger Mouse & Kennie Takahashi): Martina Topley-Bird (2008) 

3) Suffocated Love (Album Version By Tricky & Mark Saunders): TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

4) Why Should I?: Leila ft. Terry Hall & Martina Topley-Bird (2008)

5) Hours Away: Martina Topley-Bird (2003)

 

Side Two

1) Makes Me Wanna Die (Single Version By Tricky & Ian Caple): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1997)

2) Babel: Massive Attack ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2010)

3) When We Die: TrIcky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (2017)

4) Abbaon Fat Tracks (Album Version): Tricky ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1995)

5) Black Coffee: Nearly God ft. Martina Topley-Bird (1996)

 

1995: Maxinquaye: A3, B4

1996: Nearly God: B5

1997: Makes Me Wanna Die EP: B1

2003: Need One EP: A5

2008: The Blue God: A2

2008: Blood, Looms & Blooms: A4

2010: Some Place Simple: A1 

2010: Heligoland: B2

2017: ununiform: B3

 

Side One (20:31)

Side Two (22:13)

You Never Really Saw...

I unearthed this CD-R, which I compiled and burned on 1st June 2005, featuring "alternative 1980s twelve inch mixes". 

This got me reminiscing about going to alternative clubs in Bristol, such as Badlands and The Whip. The latter I've discovered has had it's own Facebook page for years...I'm always late to the party! 

In all honesty, I think the majority of these songs would never had made it near the turntable of most of the clubs I went to at the time. Attempting to play The Icicle Works or U2 would likely have resulted in a Snakebite shower, but Is This The Life, How Soon Is Now?, Uncertain Smile and She Sells Sanctuary were regularly played, along with Fetish by Vicious Pink and Nag Nag Nag by Cabaret Voltaire. 

I'm not sure if it was always there, but I remember Badlands being in a small room above a huge club called Busbys (maybe Ritzys by that time), so there was always the fun of 'mingling' with the mainstream crowd on the way in and out. The Whip was even more fun in that respect as it was in The Studio, in a small room off the main club area, and you had to run the gauntlet of pissed up lager louts dancing to Stock, Aitken & Waterman to get to and from the bogs. 

A limbering up session at The Bunch Of Goths on Denmark Street usually got you ready for the long night (& morning) ahead, followed by an 'all back to mine' at someone's place in Stokes Croft or a 'keep going til the dawn' refresher at the wonderful Jamaican Good Food in St. Pauls. Great times.

1) The Love Parade (12" Version): The Undertones (1983)

2) Is This The Life (12" Version): Cardiacs (1988)

3) Summertime (Extended Version): Fun Boy Three (1982)

4) Hollow Horse (Long Version: The Icicle Works (1984)

5) She Sells Sanctuary (Long Version): The Cult (1985)

6) Finest Worksong (Lengthy Club Mix): R.E.M. (1987)

7) Two Tribes (Carnage): Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)

8) How Soon Is Now? (12" Version): The Smiths (1984)

9) Driving Away From Home (I Mean After All It's Only 'Dead Man's Curve'): It's Immaterial (1986)

10) Two Hearts Beat As One (Club Version): U2 (1983)

11) Skin Deep (Extended Version): The Stranglers (1984)

12) Uncertain Smile (Extended Version): The The (1982)

 

You Never Really Saw... (1:18:33) (KF) (Mega)