Another Minute And It Could Be A Different Ending

A resplendent version of Trouble Understanding by The Charlatans, performed at The Church in London in 2015 to promote then-new album Modern Nature.

The rolling bass, emotive keyboards, chiming guitar and chugging percussion all come together beautiful, Tim Burgess (with newly bleached roots) in fine voice and the duo of backing vocalists Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin elevating the song.

The studio version soars to similar heights but I prefer this version, the vocals more to the fore, but each element standing on its own and bursting with life.

Norman Cook did a couple of remixes of Trouble Understanding, the main version paring the song down, creating a Balearic soundscape without losing the grandeur of the song.

Norman was clearly equally entranced by Tim, Melanie and Sandra's performance as he stripped things back even further with an a capella remix.

Beautiful, isn't it?

None of these were the first version of Trouble Understanding that I heard. That was the "Rudeboy Edit", which essentially takes Norman Cook's remix and underpins it with the rhythm track of Teardrop by Massive Attack, to great effect.

This version was originally posted as a YT link via Fatboy Slim's website, which was how I came across it. Sadly, it's no longer available online, but I will try to include it in a future Dubhed selection.

Just Remember To Fall In Love...There's Nothing Else

The Chemical Brothers light up Saturday with a 46-minute selection drawing on remixes, singles and deep cuts from 1994 to 2010.

Their remix of Voodoo People by The Prodigy was back when they were still trading as The Dust Brothers, but it was subsequently rebranded with their legally-motivated name change and has arguably become one of their best known tunes, remix or not.

The Duke is a previously unreleased outtake that was officially released on the bonus CD accompanying the Singles 93-03 compilation.

Falling Down is late-period Oasis single, featuring Noel on lead vocals. The Chemical Brothers remix first appeared on promo and digital formats, later reappearing as the B-side of follow up The Shock Of The Lightning.

La Tristessa Durera (Scream To A Sigh) is another signature remix, one of many for Manic Preachers, the vocal version ubiquitous on 90s compilations. I've gone for the Dub Mix here, which could originally be found on the CD single of She Is Suffering. 

Swoon is the most contemporary track here, itself a decade and a half old, and provides today's post and selection title. Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas deliver nine and a half minutes of piano-tinkling, guitar-riffing excellence.

The Chemical Brothers are still going strong, although I don't keep pace with their new music as I did 20, 30 years ago. And there's so much from that period alone that I'm constantly discovering tracks and remixes that I missed first time around.

1) Voodoo People (Dust Brothers Remix): The Prodigy (1994)

2) The Duke: The Chemical Brothers (2001)

3) Falling Down (The Chemical Brothers Remix): Oasis (2008)

4) Bring The Pain (Chemical Instrumental) (Remix By The Chemical Brothers): Method Man (1995)

5) Music:Response (Radio Edit): The Chemical Brothers (2000)

6) Nine Acre Dust (The Chemical Brothers Remix) (Altered States Edit): The Charlatans (1996)

7) Swoon (Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix): The Chemical Brothers (2010)

8) La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) (Dub Mix By The Dust Brothers): Manic Street Preachers (1994)

Just Remember To Fall In Love...There's Nothing Else (46:13) (GD) (M)

Continuing yesterday's loose 'trilogy' theme, here are two Dubhed selections featuring Brothers Tom and Ed that I posted previously:

Chemical Dust (January 2024)

Shake This Feeling (July 2022)

Concert Climax

From a gig perspective, 2025 was fantastic. Here are my lucky 13 of the year:

1st Feb: John Grant / Big Special

6th Mar: Alan Sparhawk / Circuit Des Yeux

22nd Apr: Mark Eitzel

13th May: Andy Bell (Erasure) / Hifi Sean & David McAlmont

9th Jun: Little Simz

11th Jun: Butler, Blake & Grant / Charlie Noordewier

9th Jul: Josh Rouse / Later Youth

24th Sep: Billy Nomates / Cirquemily (Emily Sadler)

30th Sep: Edwyn Collins / The Hanging Stars

10th Oct: Robert Forster & His Swedish Band

18th Nov: Water From Your Eyes / Morgan Garrett

24th Nov: The Sabres Of Paradise

8th Dec: The Charlatans

Click on the links to read all about my experiences. I've not reactivated any of the related Dubhed selections on this occasion, instead opting for a brand new 20-song session.

Sequenced in chronological order of when I saw them, the whole thing kicks off with Shithouse by Big Special, who set the bar impossibly high for all the support acts to follow, though pretty much all of them rose to the challenge. Charlie Noordewier and Later Youth were especially good. 

As for the headliners, John Grant, Hifi Sean & David McAlmont, Billy Nomates and Robert Forster were on my wish list for a long time, whilst Mark Eitzel, Andy Bell and Little Simz were completely unexpected and completely brilliant.

Bernard Butler, Norman Blake, James Grant and Josh Rouse sold me their vinyl at the merch stand, signed it for me and proved to be lovely blokes to chat with.

Water From Your Eyes were a revelation. Speaking of which, Edwyn Collins brought tears to my eyes, as did Alan Sparhawk. And the previously unimaginable thought of seeing The Sabres Of Paradise reform and play live was hugely emotional. 

Another first to end the year, with an exceptional show from The Charlatans. 

I already have a clutch of tickets for 2026 and, if this year is anything to go by, it's going to be bloody brilliant.

1) Shithouse: Big Special (2024)

2) Black Belt (Dungeonesse Remix By Jenn Wasner): John Grant (2013)

3) Megaloner: Circuit Des Yeux (2025)

4) Can U Hear: Alan Sparhawk (2024)

5) Nothing And Everything: Mark Eitzel (2017)

6) Celebrate: Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2024)

7) Put Your Empathy On Ice: Andy Bell (Erasure)

8) Lion: Little Simz ft. Obongjayar (2025)

9) Dear Diazepam (Live At Deep Litter Studios, Devon): Charlie Noordewier (2025)

10) The 90s: Butler, Blake & Grant (2025)

11) Arcane Love: Later Youth (2025)

12) My Love Has Gone: Josh Rouse (2005)

13) Moon Explodes: Billy Nomates (2025)

14) Ava: The Hanging Stars (2025)

15) Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation: Edwyn Collins (2025)

16) Good To Cry: Robert Forster (2025)

17) The Mirror: Morgan Garrett (2025)

18) Playing Classics: Water From Your Eyes (2025)

19) Wilmot (Edit): The Sabres Of Paradise ft. Wonder (1994)

20) For The Girls: The Charlatans (2025)

Concert Climax (1:19:12) (GD) (M)

This Is The Place...These Are The Days...We Are Love

What better way to complete my 2025 gig list than with The Charlatans at The Forum in Bath on Monday 8th December?

The Charlatans formed in 1988, released their first album in 1990 (this year's We Are Love being their fourteenth) and have played thousands of gigs in the past three and a half decades. Yet, this was the first time I have seen The Charlatans.

Better late than never and with the opportunity to see the band in the intimate setting of The Forum, a beautiful old school theatre in the heart of Bath. There was a palpable sense of excitement as I approached the building, even more so once I got inside.

 

There was a palpable sense of excitement as I approached the building, even more so once I got inside. It was a mostly seated show, stalls and balcony, with a relatively small section at the for standing tickets. Thankfully, I'd managed to get the latter and got right into the cente, a few metres from the main stage. As we waited for the main event to begin, a series of phrases appeared on the backdrop screen.

Tim Burgess had announced just prior to the start of the We Are Love tour that the support for The Charlatans would be... The Charlatans. Yep, one band, two sets, and the promise of some deep cuts as well as a fair chunk of the current album. 

And boy, did they deliver! Twenty four songs, including encores, over the best part of two hours, with barely a ten minute break between the first and second sets. 

We Are Love was well represented, with eight out of the eleven songs performed, Kingdom Of Ours opening both the album and the first set, the title track the second set and Now Everything the three-song encore. 

My knowledge of The Charlatans back catalogue is patchy at best. To my shame, they are one of those bands who have always been there and in that respect, I've kind of taken for granted that they always will be and have been pretty slack in checking out their albums, despite what is indisputably a run of great singles.

So, it was very much a case that there were plenty of songs that I was unfamiliar with, but with the knowledge that a big hit was almost certainly coming next. Kingdom Of Ours was followed by a thrilling version of Weirdo; Let The Good Times Be Never Ending from 2015's Modern Nature into Blackened Blue Eyes and Then.

And there are so many classics: North Country Boy...Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over...One To Another...even if they didn't get to play someone's favourite song, say, How High, Love Is The Key or Me. In Time, I can't see how anyone could find fault with the song choices for this show.

The band were really on it and enhanced on several songs by additional percussion from Loz Colbert of Ride (to the left of the photo of Tim playing guitar near the top of this post). Apparently, Loz had joined them ad-hoc on an earlier date and they'd all had such a good time that he tagged along for the rest of the tour!

  

Which kind of summed up what an evening in the company of The Charlatans was all about. Tim is a heartwarming frontperson, embracing the audience (metaphorically not literally) and welcoming everyone in. 

I'd expected to be packed at the front like a tinned sardine, but the opposite in fact: I was so lost in the moment that it was easy to forget that I was in a room with The Charlatans and about 1,500 other people, such was Tim's connection with everyone.

He blew kisses to the balcony, he took photos, he played guitar on a few songs, he sang wonderfully and he looked like he was enjoying the night every bit as much as we were.

The second set closed with The Only One I Know and Get On It, The Charlatans left the stage, returning to the stage for a third and final time for an encore. Now Everything got a huge response, as did all of the songs from We Are Love, before things ramped up even further for Tremelo Song and Sproston Green, the closing song of debut Some Friendly and a final wig-out to wind up what had been a life-affirming evening and an absolutely fantastic way to experience The Charlatans live in concert for the first time.

We Are Love is on my Christmas list and I hope Santa decides that I've been a very good boy this year. As for The Charlatans, on the strength of this show, they have been exceptionally good.

Set 1

1) Kingdom Of Ours

2) Weirdo

3) For The Girls

4) North Country Boy

5) Many A Day A Heartache

6) Oh! Vanity

7) Let The Good Times Be Never Ending

8) Blackened Blue Eyes

9) Then

Set 2

10) We Are Love

11) Tellin' Stories

12) Out On Our Own

13) Deeper And Deeper

14) Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over

15) Toothache

16) Here Comes A Soul Saver

17) Appetite

18) In The Tall Grass

19) One To Another

20) The Only One I Know

21) Get On It

Encore

22) Now Everything

23) Tremelo Song

24) Sproston Green 

Oh, and for the first time this week, all of the photos used today were taken by me on the night...!

Decayed I: 2001

Side 2 of an imaginary compilation cassette, travelling through the 2000s.

Troubling the upper reaches of the UK's best-selling singles of 2001 were Shaggy, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7. Not to forget yesterday's reference to Westshite, who must have had a sideline commission on bar stools, the amount of time they spent with their arses glued to them whilst inflicting another ballad or cover version (or both) on us.

Yet, there was hope. Kylie Minogue was experiencing a purple patch of perfect pop songs, arguably none more so than Can't Get You Out Of My Head. Bucking the trend of one-week-only #1s, Ms. Minogue spent four weeks at the top, seven in the Top 10 and the best part of six months in the Top 75. 

Can't Get You Out Of My Head was apparently offered first to S Club 7 (well, their manager) then Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who both turned it down. I bet they've been kicking themselves ever since.

Basement Jaxx were also wanting to know Where's Your Head At, cracking the UK Top 10 in December. Featuring Damien Peachey on vocals, the song is built on the riff from Gary Numan's 1979 song M.E. and was accompanied by a memorable video.

Speaking of samples, there's a serendipitous connection between today's playlist and the original Decade mixtape series. In October 2001, Felix Da Housecat charted with the single Harlot, sampling the synth percussion of The Sound Of The Crowd by The Human League. That very song featured in my 1981 selection, having reached #12 in May of that year. It's almost like I planned it...!

Missy Elliott had previously scored a UK #1 in 1998, but it was a guest on ex-Spice Girl Melanie B's single I Want You Back. Get UR Freak On got to #4 in April 2001 and would prove to be Missy's highest charting single in the UK as a solo artist. It's a magnificent record, and Timbaland's production and the tabla frenzy underpinning the song cannot be underestimated. Yet, it wouldn't be half as good without Missy herself: her delivery is spot on and a breath of fresh air compared to many of her male contemporaries.

This was the year that we were introduced to The Strokes. I wasn't as blown away by them as the gushing music press appeared to be, though I found myself morbidly fascinated by Last Nite, both the video and the song. Both were unashamedly retro, yet there was something compelleing about their sound and look, even to an old cynic like me.

2001 also saw the first collaboration between Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams, a partnership that would really pay off a decade and a half later. Here, The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo) get their hands on Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and take it in a completely new direction.

The Charlatans, Depeche Mode, Faithless and Damon Albarn all came back with strong songs, reasserting their relevance in the 21st century. Albarn especially so, as in a radical departure from Blur, he co-created 'virtual' band Gorillaz to great critical and commercial acclaim. 

Trevor Jackson is the brains behind Playgroup, the only non-charting single in today's picks. Never heard of him? Break 4 Love by Raze or House Of Lovers by The Rapture? Two of the many record sleeves Trevor designed. The Underdog remixes of Massive Attack, House Of Pain, U2 or Everything But The Girl? That's Trevor. Late 1990s releases by Fridge and Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) on the Output label? Trevor ran it.

Playgroup's self-titled debut album is a thing of wonder and I will write about it at some point, here or elsewhere. Suffice to say that both it and the various singles should have been smash hits. Front 2 Back is featured here, with a strong lead from KC Flightt and a wonderful guest spot from Edwyn Collins on guitar, who nails it.

Robert Miles had a #2 hit with Children in January 1996. Nina Miranda, fronting Smoke City, got to #4 with Underwater Love in April 1997.  On paper, a collaboration between the two had 'hit' written all over it, surely? Sadly not. 

Paths is a great song, but managed just one week at #74 in July 2001. The Future Sound Of London aka Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain were no strangers to the UK charts themselves in the 1990s and they provide a stunning remix here. There is a full-length 7+ minute version on the 12" single, though everything you need is captured here in two hundred and twenty eight wonderful seconds.

Although labelled as a remix by The Future Sound Of London, Brian and Garry were revisiting another of their aliases, and this remix signposted their new direction. Stay tuned, as you'll find out what they were up to next week.

For your further listening pleasure, you may wish to head back to 1981 and 1991.

1) Love Is The Key (Album Version): The Charlatans
2) 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix By Damien Mendis & Stuart Bradbury): Gorillaz
3) I Feel Loved (Single Version): Depeche Mode
4) Get Ur Freak On (Edit By Timbaland & Jimmy Douglass): Missy Elliott
5) Harlot (Edit): Felix Da Housecat ft. Melistar
6) Muhammad Ali (Radio Edit By Rollo & Sister Bliss): Faithless ft. Pauline Taylor
7) Last Nite (Album Version): The Strokes
8) Front 2 Back (Album Version): Playgroup ft. KC Flightt & Edwyn Collins
9) Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (The Neptunes Remix Edit By Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo): Daft Punk
10) Where's Your Head At (Radio Edit): Basement Jaxx ft. Damien Peachey
11) Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Album Version): Kylie Minogue
12) Paths (Future Sound Of London 'Cosmic Jukebox' Remix (Edit)): Robert Miles ft. Nina Miranda, Garry Cobain & Justin Gibson

22nd April 2001: Miss E ...So Addictive (#4): 4

1st July 2001: Gorillaz (#6): 2

22nd July 2001: Organik Remixes (#74): 12

5th August 2001: Exciter (#12): 3

2nd September 2001: Wonderland (#16): 1

23rd September 2001: Outrospective (#29): 6

23rd September 2001: Fever (#1): 11

21st October 2001: Kittenz And Thee Glitz (#79): 5

21st October 2001: Playgroup (# n/a): 8 *

11th November 2001: Is This It (#14): 7

11th November 2001: Discovery (#25): 9

2nd December 2001: Rooty (#9): 10

Side Two (45:05) (GD) (M)

* Front 2 Back failed to chart as a single, but Playgroup's self-titled album got to #94 in this week.

Loveplaydarkminemammothonics

As an ignorant youth, I used to think that summer was a generally quiet period for singles, leaving space for the Ibiza (or Marbella) classics that holidaymakers brought home with them, along with a suitcase full of duty free and third degree sunburn.

Not so, especially in July 2025. The past 48 hours alone have seen a relentless surge of mail to Casa K, extolling the virtues of new music, here there and everywhere.

I've picked half a dozen which particularly grabbed my attention, mostly 'safe bets' I admit, but none the less enjoyable for all that. 

Wanna Play by Georgia is perhaps the closest of all to a banger, and I love it. The Charlatans and Jeff Tweedy have got me interested in their upcoming albums. 

Kim Deal doesn't have a new record out (at least I don't think she does), but this recent performance of Are You Mine is enough. I've never heard of Lydia Luce before now, though I will seek out more on the strength of Mammoth. 

And The Orb team up with rapper Rrome Alone, who has spent most of his adult life in prison and is currently on Death Row. Not one to celebrate, in that case, but I like the song.

1) We Are Love: The Charlatans

2) Wanna Play: Georgia

3) Out In The Dark: Jeff Tweedy

4) Are You Mine (Live @ Electric Lady Studios, Greenwich Village, New York, 5th March 2025): Kim Deal

5) Mammoth: Lydia Luce

6) Arabebonics: The Orb ft. Rrome Alone

 

 

 

 

Decadance II: 1992

Side 1 of a mixtape mockery, focusing on the 1990s and today in particular, 1992. It's also Dubhed post number 1,400, whatever that's worth.

 

1992 was a weird year in that, after a few years working and travelling, I decided to go back to college. I originally went to college straight from school, had a really crap time, dropped out half way through and vowed 'never again'. How fickle we human beings are, eh?

 

It was slightly better the second time around, although my outsider status was maintained by being older than the majority of my fellows, though I would hesitate to describe myself as a 'mature student'. Mature I most definitely was not. 

 

I wasn't even the oldest student there. That dubious honour was reserved for a forty-something woman in my English Literature class who frequently expressed her frustration at the juvenile antics of her peers.

 

I wouldn't say that I had the time of my life, but I enjoyed the classes, liked most of the people, fell in love with a girl, and got to make some horrendous fashion choices on a daily basis. Oh, and I had a part-time job so that I could afford to run a car and have a social life. Critical, considering that I was back home living with my parents out in the sticks.

 

Music-wise, I was out of sync with my contemporaries. The college jukebox was great, but invariably had Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl effing Jam on constant rotation. Whenever I got the opportunity, I would stick on Don't Fight It, Feel It by Primal Scream, the 7 minute Andrew Weatherall Scat Mix on the B-side, naturally, Denise Johnson's voice resounding around the room to general indifference. Philistines!

 

Today's eclectic selection reflects the times and my tastes. I was still leaning heavily into dance music (literally, on some club nights when I'd been at it for hours without a break) but I was still knocked for six by a new indie tune. I was just as inclined to listen to Pete Tong's Essential Selection as I was John Peel or Annie Nightingale's Request Show.

 

Opening song, the Kate Bush-sampling Something Good by Utah Saints is the only one from 1992's Top 40 best-selling UK singles, scraping in at #36. 

 

Another sacrilegious sample carries Messiah's Temple Of Dreams, it's shameless lift of This Mortal Coil's cover of Song To The Siren giving Elizabeth Fraser an unexpected (and uncredited) #20 hit in June 1992.

 

Less contentious is Orbital's use of Kirsty Hawkshaw's la la la's from Opus III's It's A Fine Day on the sublime Halcyon. The dictionary definition "denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful" is in keeping with the tone of the tune. However, the song is dedicated to Phil and Paul Hartnoll's mother, who was addicted to the tranquilliser Halcion (Triazolam) for many years.

 

A couple of songs were technically contenders for the previous year. Lithium first appeared on Nirvana's gargantuan album Nevermind in 1991, but wasn't released as a single until the following July. 

 

Hit by The Sugarcubes was officially on sale as a single on 30th December 1991, though it's prophetic (optimistic?) title was fulfilled a couple of weeks later, in January 1992.

 

Whilst you are thankfully spared big hitters (is that a typo?) by Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Jimmy Nail, Wet Wet Wet and Billy Ray Cyrus, a ridiculously big shortlist means that R.E.M., Beastie Boys, PJ Harvey, Suede and Neneh Cherry also failed to make the final dozen.

I had to find a place for Julian Cope, though. The Arch Drude released his magnum opus Jehovahkill in 1992, and lead/sole single Fear Loves This Place is as good a single as Julian's released at any point in his career. 

1992's MAW (Mandatory Andrew Weatherall) is Papua New Guinea by The Future Sound Of London, a ground breaking song in it's own right, transformed into an 11-minute aural odyssey by Mr. W. As with Finitribe last week, even the 3-minute edit featured here (found on the B-side of the 7" single) is epic.

 

Representing indie discos were a couple of absolute classics, the minute they burst onto the airwaves. Weirdo by The Charlatans, with it's juddering intro that sounded like the noise my car made, trying to get it started on a cold morning, remains one of my favourites by Tim and the band. 

 

As for The Auteurs, what better song than Showgirl as a statement of intent. How was this not a huge hit in 1992?!

 

Rounding things up, The Age Of Love released their eponymous single multiple times though it was another five years before it became a UK hit. 1992 however saw the debut of the superb remixes by Jam & Spoon, which for me remain the definitive versions of the song.

 

Bassheads burned briefly but brightly, and I thought they were great. A clutch of singles, an album and a handful of remixes and that was it. Back To The Old School is itself now old school, yet still gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. And when the beat kicks in... perfection.

More Nineties nonsense tomorrow. Who will win? Who will lose? And which Weatherall shall I choose?

1) Something Good (7-Inch): Utah Saints ft. Doctor Douglas
2) Weirdo (Album Version By Flood): The Charlatans
3) Hit (Album Version): The Sugarcubes
4) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs
5) Back To The Old School (Edit): Bassheads

6) Temple Of Dreams (U.S. Edit By Messiah & Ralph P. Ruppert): Messiah

7) Halcyon (Edit): Orbital

8) Papua New Guinea (Andrew Weatherall Mix) (7" Edit): The Future Sound Of London

9) The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Radio Edit): The Age Of Love

10) Lithium (Album Version): Nirvana

11) Fear Loves This Place (Album Version): Julian Cope

12) Hallelujah (Leftfield Edit): Inner City

19th January 1992: Stick Around For Joy (#17): 3

19th March 1992: Weirdo EP (#19): 2

5th April 1992: Hallelujah '92 EP (#22): 12

24th May 1992: Papua New Guinea EP (#22): 8

31st May 1992: Back To The Old School EP (#12): 5

21st June 1992: Something Good EP (#4): 1

28th June 1992: Temple Of Dreams EP (#20): 6 

26th July 1992: Nevermind (#11): 10

27th July 1992: The Age Of Love EP (# n/a): 9

20th September 1992: Radiccio EP (#37): 7

18th October 1992: Jehovahkill (#42): 11

November 1992: Showgirl EP (# n/a): 4

Side One (46:09) (GD) (M)

Indie Top 20 Jukebox

Indie Top 20 was a visible presence on the record racks everywhere from your friendly neighbourhood record shop to HMV and Our Price, Woolies and WH Smith. 

A modest start in 1987 saw Volume 1 issued by Band Of Joy Music Ltd., stating that "This high definition Ferric Cassette contains 20 full length hits by the original artists selected from the National Indie Charts in the weeks immediately preceding this release." 

The cassette was repackaged and relaunched in conjunction with Melody Maker and Beechwood Music, the latter continuing with the series (and expanding to vinyl) until volume 23 in 1996. 

Volume 1, side 1, track 1 was Mickey Way (The Candy Bar) by A Certain Ratio. The final song on volume 23 was Andrex Puppy Love by Orange Deluxe.

Today's selection culls from volumes 1-10. Not an original idea, by any stretch of the mark: Beechwood themselves issued their own 'best of' in the 1990s and, before that, the self-explanatory CD88, the series' first shiny disc issue and an essential snapshot, in my opinion.

I wasn't an avid collector of the series, to be honest. I got a couple of the early issues but I pretty much bailed out after CD88 as by then I was more interested (and financially able) to pick up the individual singles and albums of the artists I liked. That said, I'd always pick up a copy of the latest issue for most of the 1980s, just to have a look at the track list.

So, why an 11-track selection? Indie Top 20 Volume 4 (1988) was issued in two separate volumes. Part 1, sub-titled State Of Independents, featured The Smiths, The Woodentops, Pop Will Eat Itself and The Wedding Present. Part 2, sub-titled House, was a nod to the inescapable wave of club music, so S'Express, Coco, Steel & Lovebomb and Smith & Mighty. 

The latter appear in my selection, though the remainder is more firmly rooted in the guitar-based alternative scene, whether jangly (Talulah Gosh, The Field Mice) or jarring (The Leather Nun, Thee Hypnotics). Some of these I will have first heard on the radio, courtesy of Janice Long, Andy Kershaw, Annie Nightingale or John Peel. Considering A Move To Memphis by The Colorblind James Experience was a Peel favourite and swiftly became one of mine too.

As the first volume noted, these songs were hits as far as the National Indie Charts were concerned, but none of the choices on this selection particularly troubled the UK singles charts. So, what better way to bring things to a close than with a bonafide smash hit from The Charlatans? The Only One I Know was their second single and on this day in 1990, was sitting at a high of #9, the second of three weeks in the Top 10. And it still sounds fantastic today.

1) Please Don't Sandblast My House: One Thousand Violins (1986)

2) Talulah Gosh (Single Version): Talulah Gosh (1987)

3) Lost And Found: The Leather Nun (1987)

4) You Make Me Feel (Album Version): The Woodentops (1988)

5) The Dark, Dark House (Special Re-Mix): Smith & Mighty ft. Jackie Jackson (1988)

6) I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist (Single Version): Another Sunny Day (1988)

7) Considering A Move To Memphis (Album Version): The Colorblind James Experience (1987)

8) Preachin’ & Ramblin’: Thee Hypnotics (1989)

9) If You Need Someone: The Field Mice (1990)

10) One Of Our Girls Has Gone Missing (Album Version): A.C. Marias (1989)

11) The Only One I Know (Album Version): The Charlatans (1990)

Indie Top 20 Jukebox (44:10) (KF) (Mega)

Hep Hop Excursion (Day Return)

Side 1 of a one stop tip top trip hop mixtape, compiled circa July to September 1996. Try saying that with a mouthful of muesli. 63 Sundays ago, I posted Side 2; now you can belatedly complete the set!

 

As with the previous side, this selection is skewed towards acts from or based in my birthplace Bristol; the final third features remixes by Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead.  

Red Snapper open up with a track from their second release, The Swank EP, although like many I first heard this on the Warp Records compilation of their first three EPs, Reeled And Skinned. Red Snapper were originally active between 1993 and 2002 and cane together again in 2007. The band released the rather excellent Live At The Moth Club album a couple of days ago.

In 1995, Saint Etienne teamed up with Étienne Daho to record and release the Reserection EP, featuring several previous singles and B-sides, reworked and translated into French. Jungle Pulse is a version of 1991 single Filthy, Daho replacing Q-Tee's original rap over a Hendrix sample and some appropriately dirty beats.

The Charlatans were no strangers to the art of the remix, with several collaborations with The Dust Brothers/The Chemical Brothers under their belt. Van Basten provide a rather fine remix of Feel Flows. Named after Marco van Basten, up there in the lists of the greatest footballers of all time* and who had retired at the age of 28 the year before this remix appeared. Whilst van Basten was born in Utrecht in The Netherlands, Van Basten the trio - Gary Everatt, Gary Webster and Martin Reilly - hailed from Milton Keynes.

As before, several of my favourite chanteuses, appear here with standout tracks: Plavka, Neneh Cherry and Beth Gibbons.

When I posted Side 2 in August 2022, the UK was experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures of 33°C; no chance of that in October 2023, as the island recovers from the passing of Storm Babet. 

 

1) One Legged Low Frequency Guy: Red Snapper (1994)

2) Jungle Pulse (Remix of Filthy): Saint Etienne ft. Étienne Daho (1995)

3) Move Ya (Bedouin Ascent Funky Fix): Rising High Collective (1995)

4) Feel Flows (Van Basten Mix): The Charlatans (1994)

5) Blow The Whole Joint Up (Decks 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Mix By DJ Mek): Monkey Mafia (1995)

6) Manchild (Massive Attack Remix): Neneh Cherry (1989)

7) Boundaries (Tricky Mix): Leena Conquest & Hip Hop Finger (1994)

8) Sour Sour Times (Remix): Portishead (1994)

 

1989: Manchild EP: 6

1994: Boundaries EP: 7

1994: Jesus Hairdo EP: 4 

1994: Sour Times EP: 8

1994: The Swank EP: 1

1995: Blow The Whole Joint Up EP: 5

1995: Feel The Fire/Wanna Move Ya EP: 3

1995: Reserection EP: 2

Side One (45:06) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two here

* as I was writing this post, the news came in of Bobby Charlton's passing. Another of the greatest footballers of all time. RIP Bobby.

Get Duffy

Celebrating Martin Duffy, 18th May 1967 to 18th December 2022.

As I was reeling from the news about Terry Hall's passing, another sad loss was revealed with Martin Duffy's death on Sunday. I've not had the opportunity to pull together a selection that would begin to do Martin justice, so I've selected a few songs to give a nod to his talent.

I found a clip on YouTube of Felt performing Ballad Of The Band live in 1985. Not the best sound quality admittedly but I love the song and you get to see an 18 year-old Duffy on keyboards.

When Rob Collins of The Charlatans tragically died in a car crash in 1996, Martin Duffy was recruited to complete their album Tellin' Stories. Whilst the liner notes don't distinguish between Collins' and Duffy's contribution, Tim Burgess revealed during the Tellin' Stories Twitter Listening Party in March 2020 that Martin had played on With No Shoes, describing him as a "beautiful human being and possibly the saviour of this record and our band".

Next up is Primal Scream, performing Star on Later...With Jools Holland in 1997. Bobby Gillespie's live vocals hover on the good/bad scale (which I love) and there's some fabulous bass from Mani underpinning the song. Augustus Pablo played melodica on the album version, recreated beautifully here by Martin which makes the song so special.

 

In the late Eighties, Martin was briefly in Church Of Raism. To lift from Iffpedia, James Havoc (the pen-name of James Williamson, author of esoteric horror and erotica) became chief editor of Creation Books and founded the band Church Of Raism, with Duffy and Robert 'Throb' Young from Primal Scream and Rose McDowell, formerly with Strawberry Switchblade. The band released one self-titled CD on Creation Records in 1989. 

I have just the one Church Of Raism song, Wake Up Manchester, You're Dead, on a Creation compilation from 1991 called American Pensioners On Ecstasy. However, I've found Assassination Of Liberty, the penultimate track on Side 1 of their album, a rather lovely 45-second piano piece by Duffy.

 

It was only when reading the social media tributes that I realised that Martin had also released a solo album in 2014 called Assorted Promenades. I've not heard any of the other tracks yet, but this is another rather wonderful song called Snowbound. If this hasn't been used on a soundtrack yet, it certainly should be. 

More Primal Scream to close the tribute. Hammond Connection was a B-side to Burning Wheel in 1997, Duffy letting rip to glorious effect. In 2000, The Revenge Of The Hammond Connection backed the Kill All Hippies single, in anything upping the ante. Homage, pastiche, call it what you like, but for me it typifies the unique and irreplaceable quality that Martin brought to any song he played on.

 

A tragic loss at only 55 years old, but what an incredible legacy remains. Rest in peace, Martin.