Just Have Fun. Smile. And Keep Putting On Lipstick.

Celebrating Diane Keaton (née Hall), 5th January 1946 to 11th October 2025.

I adored Diane Keaton in spite of, not because of, her association with Woody Allen and was a huge fan of her films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. I started losing track of her appearances in the latter part of the 1990s and into the 21st century, and in some cases Diane was the sole saving grace of some otherwise bland movies. 

I knew that Diane had also stepped behind the camera to direct, but not that this included a season 2 episode of Twin Peaks and several videos for Belinda Carlisle, including arguably her best known song, Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

Throughout her life, Diane always carried a deceptively simple yet striking image, be it a penchant for pants (trousers), wide brimmed hats or gloves. And always that incredible smile.

Diane has occasionally committed her voice to vinyl: I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard featured in the 1981 film Reds, and was released as a single in the USA.

However, for today's selection, I've fallen back on the tried and tested approach of a 12-song, 45-minute compilation of songs that (more or less) match the titles of films from Diane's extensive CV.

There were a few also-rans: if Lloyd Cole had only moved upstairs, he could have been a shoo-in for 5 Flights Up. Similarly, Anne Clark is kicking herself that Woody Allen never got around to making a sequel to his 1973 hit, and calling it Sleeper In Metropolis.

I've also taken a few liberties: Something's Gotta Give is replaced with a more grammatically satisfying B-side by The Comsat Angels. And Akron/Family drop the 'And' for So It Goes, but it's close enough for me.

Kicking off the second half of this mixtape, it was too good an opportunity to pass up a reference to Because I Said So, not least 'cause it's sonic equivalent was recorded by The Godfathers, a wonderfully unsubtle reference to the fact that Diane played Kay Adams in all of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary trilogy.

Aside from all that, I think it's an eclectic but entertaining selection, which is a (very) simple way of summing up Diane's film career. If you're in the mood for a Diane Keaton marathan, then click on any of the titles for more info (courtesy of IMDb) and fill your boots.

I'm going to end with a quote from Diane, which inspired today's title and is something we could all do more of.

Don't give up on yourself. 

So you make a mistake here and there; 

you do too much or you do too little. 

Just have fun. 

Smile. 

And keep putting on lipstick.

Thanks, Diane, you were - and will always be - wonderful.

1) Morning Glory (Edit): Chairmen Of The Board (1974)

2) Northern Lights (The Freelance Hellraiser Mix): Ian Brown (2002)

3) Something's Got To Give: The Comsat Angels (1986)

4) Sleeper: Espiritu (1997)

5) Manhattan: Cinerama (2000)

6) So It Goes: Akron/Family (2011)

7) 'Cause I Said So: The Godfathers (1988)

8) Mama's Boy (Album Version): Ramones (1984)

9) Hampstead (Demo): Adam & The Ants (1977)

10) Interiors (Song For Willem De Kooning) (Album Version): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

11) Love And Death (Re-Recorded Version): Ebo Taylor (2009)

12) Plan B (Single Version): Dexy's Midnight Runners (1981)

1974: Skin I'm In: 1

1981: Plan B EP: 12

1984: Too Tough To Die: 8

1986: The Cutting Edge EP: 3

1988: Birth, School, Work, Death: 7

1996: Everything Must Go: 10

1997: Another Life: 4

2000: Antbox: 9

2000: Manhattan EP: 5

2002: Remixes Of The Spheres: 2

2010: Love And Death: 11

2011: S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT: 6

Just Have Fun. Smile. And Keep Putting On Lipstick. (44:42) (GD) (M)

Dave-hed Selection

In the same month that we lost David Lynch and David Bowie, I also take a moment to remember my friend Dave. 

When I first posted about Dave in 2022, I shared a link to a song called Amazing Dave by CocknBullKid aka Anita Blay aka CocknBullKid released in 2010, the year after Dave passed. 

At the time I wrote that "This may be the only song in my collection that includes the name Dave in the title, but it's a good one."

I've had a rummage around and, looking for Dave and David in the song title, it turns out that I had quite a few to choose from. I've picked ten, plus two songs featuring two Daves and a David, which had to be included. And, inevitably, ending with CocknBullKid.

I think after an understandable groan, Dave would have liked this selection. I hope you do too.

Cheers, Dave. 

 

1) A Song Called Dave: The Comsat Angels (1995)

2) David Bowie Never Had To: Stephen Solo (2017)

3) Like Queer David: Earl Brutus (1996)

4) David Jones (Is On His Way): The Times (1985)

5) Parade (Cover of Magazine): Dave Formula ft. David McAlmont (2010)

6) Dave Balfe, What's Got Into You? (Tamworth Session, Part II): Julian Cope & The Teardrop Explodes (2021)

7) David's Last Summer: Pulp (1994)

8) David's Soul (Demo): Tindersticks (1998)

9) Star Of David: The Field Mice (1991)

10) Brother: Humanist ft. Dave Gahan (2024)

11) Dave The Butcher: Tom Waits (1983)

12) Amazing Dave: CocknBullKid (2010)

1983: Swordfishtrombones: 11

1985: Boys About Town EP: 4

1991: For Keeps: 9

1994: His 'n' Hers: 7

1995: The Glamour: 1

1996: I'm New EP: 3

2004: Simple Pleasure (Expanded Edition): 8

2010: Amazing Dave EP: 12

2010: Satellite Sweetheart: 5

2017: Pii2: 2

2021: Cold War Psychedelia: 6

2024: On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World: 10

Dave-hed Selection (46:13) (KF) (Mega)

Decade I: 1980

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

1) Messages (10" Version): O.M.D.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20th April 1980: Call Me EP (#1): 5 

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

11th May 1980: Hypnotised (#9): 10 

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

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

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

24th August 1980: Boy (# n/a): 11 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

A Different Donald

Celebrating Donald Sutherland, 17th July 1935 to 20th June 2024.

A brilliant actor, Martin over at New Amusements nailed it with a succinct and spot-on summation of his star turn in the 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers, also a personal favourite. 

Donald brought an intensity to every role that he played, sometimes seemingly effortlessly, always enhanced by those piercing blue eyes. In ...Bodysnatchers, you could absolutely believe that Donald's character had gone for days without sleep and was running on empty...and that final scene. Stayed with me for a long time!

It was also a joy to see Donald appear in the video for Cloudbusting along with Kate Bush. Frankly, whatever he was in was better for his presence. Much is made of Will Smith's against-type role in 1993's Six Degrees Of Separation, but it stands or falls on the dynamic with the couple that his character encounters. It works because Donald and Stockard Channing were cast in the roles. Worth watching if you can track it down.

 

Which clumsily dovetails into the theme of today's selection. Unlike son Kiefer, Donald didn't release any albums or play gigs at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, However, he has appeared in many, many films, and there are plenty of songs in my collection that share titles. I've got form with this, having created previous selections based on the work of Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Taylor and Juliette Binoche (possibly others, but I forget).

Unfortunately, no songs titled Six Degrees Of Separation (I do have a 12" by a band of that name, which I'll spare you) but I did run a few posts last year based on the fun variation Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon. 

 

So, an obvious starter for today's selection were The Comsat Angels, whose members include (the other) Kevin Bacon. Conveniently, they also recorded a song for 1982 album Fiction with the same name as one of Donald's most famous films. Don't Look Now, but I think I've got away with that tenuous connection!

It's an eclectic sequence of songs and artists, taking in Roxy Music, The Kingfishers, Black Uhuru, late period Ultravox and Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud collaborating with Anni Hogan and Thomas Lang. I've taken some liberties with spelling and the inclusion or omission of the definite article here and there. I've also crowbarred in a reference to Donald's starring role in 1971 film Klute, where the titular drum & bass artist appears in the song name. It also allows me to sneak Mogwai in through the back door. Just imagine if Donald had accepted a role in Gremlins, it would have been even better...!

I felt compelled to include Cloudbusting but at the eleventh hour swapped Kate Bush for a cover version that Neil Halstead (Slowdive, Mojave 3) recorded for a US compilation in 2010. I like it.

It seemed appropriate somehow to pick a fellow Canadian to close the selection, and Neil Young happily stepped up to the mark. Ordinary People was Robert Redford's directorial debut in 1980 and Donald is astonishing as you might expect. Timothy Hutton won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Donald was never nominated for an Academy Award, though he received an honorary Oscar in 2017.  

Not one to do things by halves, Neil Young's take on Ordinary People is an 18-minute chug-a-thon epic, with all the bells and whistles that you may expect, but doesn't feel a second too long. I don't know what Donald thought of Neil's music but I've just discovered that they did meet at least once, when they were both inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame in 2000, along with Joni Mitchell, Michael J. Fox, Martin Short and William Shatner. Now, that must have been some dinner table conversation...!

Ninety minutes of music then that I hope will also get you looking up some more of Donald's films - Kelly's Heroes! - and rediscovering what singular, otherworldly talent Donald Sutherland is.

And the post title? Well, another take is that when I read the sad news, I wished that the Grim Reaper had come calling for a different Donald instead...

Rest easy, Mr. Sutherland, you did good.

1) Don't Look Now: The Comsat Angels (1982)

2) Casanova: Roxy Music (1974)

3) Instinct: Iggy Pop (1988)

4) Setting Sun (Edit): The Aliens (2007)

5) The Eye Of The Needle: The Kingfishers (2023)

6) Alone: Scanner & Anni Hogan ft. Thomas Lang (2016)

7) Fools Gold (7" Version By John Leckie): The Stone Roses (1989)

8) Heaven Help Us (Try) (Manyanamegamix): Zeke Manyika ft. Sylvia & The Sapphires (1984)

9) Ask The Dust: The Porch Song Anthology (2006)

10) Kelly's Heroes (Album Version): Black Grape (1995)

11) The Great Train Robbery (Dance Mix By Arthur Baker): Black Uhuru (1986) 

12) Cloudbusting (Cover of Kate Bush): Neil Halstead (2010)

13) Thee Eagle Has Landed: Genesis P-Orridge & Psychic TV (1994)

14) Summer (Klute's Weird Winter Remix By Tom Withers): Mogwai (1998)

15) Time To Kill (Album Version): Ultravox (1986)

16) Ordinary People: Neil Young (2007)

1974: Country Life: 2

1982: Fiction: 1

1984: Heaven Help Us (Try) EP: 8 

1986: The Great Train Robbery EP: 11

1986: U-Vox: 15

1988: Instinct: 3

1989: Fools Gold EP: 7 

1994: Ultradrug: 13

1995: It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah: 10 

1998: Kicking A Dead Pig: Mogwai Songs Remixed: 14

2006: Spell Of The Trembling Earth: 9

2007: Chrome Dreams II: 16

2007: Setting Sun EP: 4

2010: Sing Me To Sleep, Indie Lullabies: 12

2016: Scanni: 6

2023: Reflections In A Silver Sound: 5

A Different Donald (1:30:03) (KF) (Mega)

Six Degrees Of The Vinyl Villain

In a double first for this blog, today sees the return of Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon, which proved popular enough last Friday that it inspired one regular visitor to submit their own 'Six Degrees' suggestion. And, in an unplanned but wonderful bit of music blog synchronicity, who better for Dubhed's first ever guest post than JC, whose own blog - the legendary The Vinyl Villain - encouraged and supported my return to music blogging back in 2020?

 

It's not a spoiler alert to say that you're in a for a treat. Without further ado, JC, it's over to you!

 

1) One of the most important punk rock records was the Spiral Scratch EP by Buzzcocks. It proved to be the only release on which the band’s original lead singer Howard Devoto was involved before he left to form a new post-punk band, Magazine.

 

2) Magazine’s debut single was Shot By Both Sides. It aired on Top of the Pops on 16 February 1978 but proved to be the only time Howard Devoto would ever appear on the programme. This was not the case for the song’s co-writer, and Magazine guitarist, John McGeoch, who later became a member of Siouxsie & The Banshees.

 

3) Siouxsie & The Banshees, thanks to having numerous chart hits between 1978 and 1995, got to the TOTP studios on numerous occasions. But prior to this success, their career had gotten underway in September 1976 when they debuted at the 100 Club Punk Festival. Their guitarist on that night, and it proved to be the only gig he played with the Banshees, was Marco Pirroni, who later found fame and fortune as a member of Adam & The Ants.

4) Adam & The Ants was fronted by, surprisingly enough, Adam Ant . He had previously been a member of a band called the B-sides, alongside Andy Warren and Lester Square. While Adam went away to form the Ants and become, among other things, a swashbuckling pirate and dandy highwayman, Andy and Lester joined forces with Bid and John D. Haney to form The Monochrome Set.

 

5) The Monochrome Set have never got beyond cult status despite releasing what is now 16 albums in a more than worthwhile career which is still on the go today. One of their many non-hit singles, from 1993, was Forever Young.

6) Forever Young* was also, coincidentally, the name of a non-hit single by The Comsat Angels in 1987, on which the bass guitar was played by Kevin Bacon. 

 

Note from the editor: JC didn't include a specific playlist so I've taken the liberty of curating a Dubhed selection from the above. A couple of songs and an EP (Magazine, The Comsat Angels and Buzzcocks) were specified so I've included them, whilst tracks 3 & 4 are completely my own choice. Likewise, The Monochrome Set song choice, mainly because I don't have Forever Young in my collection and couldn't track it down in time for this post. I hope you - and especially JC - like the final selection.

 

1) Time's Up (Single Version): Buzzcocks (1977)

2) Shot By Both Sides (Live @ Melbourne Festival Hall, Australia): Magazine (1980) 

3) Happy House (Album Version): Siouxsie & The Banshees (1980)

4) Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios (Album Version): Adam & The Ants (1981)

5) Fun For All The Family: The Monochrome Set (1982)

6) Forever Young: The Comsat Angels (1985)

Six Degrees Of The Vinyl Villain (22:12) (KF) (Mega)

 

Two posts does not a series make, but I have an idea for at least one more post and I welcome further guest suggestions if you feel suitably spurred on by the two offerings so far. Contributions can be emailed to phatdubhed at yahoo dot co dot uk

Normal service will resume tomorrow.

* In another example of blog harmony, Forever Young (and a whole bunch of other single releases) by The Comsat Angels was featured last month on another excellent music blog, My Vinyl Dreams. Get yourself over there right now!

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon

A little Friday fun and not to be taken too seriously...

Six Degrees Of Separation is the idea that a person can have six or less connections to any other person in the world. Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon jokingly took the idea further, positing that any actor could be linked to the Hollywood legend in six or fewer steps.

I thought I'd have a go at applying it to my music collection. How hard could it be? Surprisingly easy, it turned out (although purists may disagree). Here goes...

1) Neneh Cherry's debut solo single in 1988 was Buffalo Stance, produced by Tim Simenon aka Bomb The Bass.

2) Bomb The Bass released Bug Powder Dust in 1994 as the lead single for third album Clear, featuring Justin Warfield and a slew of remixes, including one from DJ Muggs.

3) DJ Muggs aka Lawrence Muggerud first came to prominence as a founder member of Cypress Hill. In 1992, he also formed The Soul Assassins collective. That same year, Muggs used the Soul Assassin alias to remix Beastie Boys, aka Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D.

4) Mike D. aka Michael Diamond has provided his unique vocals and raps to many other artists' songs over the years. In 2016, he teamed up with Cat Power to appear on Action, a single by French duo Cassius aka Philippe Zdar Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard.

5) Hubert Blanc-Francard's father is Dominique Blanc-Francard, who has also enjoyed a long and varied career in music production. In 1983, Dominique mixed Robert Palmer's cover version of You Are In My System and returned to remix it in 1992.

6) Robert Palmer was apparently a fan of The Comsat Angels and facilitated their signing to Island Records in the mid-80s, executive producing sixth album Chasing Shadows and providing vocals on the closing track of today's selection. And the bass player and founding member of The Comsat Angels is of course... Kevin Bacon.

This may be #1 in a series of one but it was fun to do. 

Happy Friday, everyone!

1) Buffalo Stance (Extended Mix By Bomb The Bass aka Tim Simenon): Neneh Cherry (1988)

2) Bug Powder Dust (DJ Muggs Remix): Bomb The Bass ft. Justin Warfield (1994)

3) So What' Cha Want (Soul Assassin Remix Version By DJ Muggs): Beastie Boys (1992)

4) Action (Video Version): Cassius ft. Cat Power & Mike D. (2016)

5) You Are In My System (Addictions Mix By Dominique Blanc-Francard) (Cover of The System): Robert Palmer (1992)

6) You'll Never Know: The Comsat Angels ft. Robert Palmer (1986)

 

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon (28:20) (KF) (Mega)

Positively Apricating

The extremely dedicated Lol-Z has uploaded every episode of legendary UK music show The Tube to YouTube, over 100 of them, originally broadcast on Channel 4 from 1982 to 1987. It seems to have taken the best part of half a year to do it and there's no telling how long they'll remain before "The Man" takes them down, but make the most of this treat/rabbit hole in the meantime.

 

I've selected one of the last episodes from the final series in 1987. The series wasn't essential viewing for me at this point and I'd dip in and out occasionally, but I remember this one particularly for the fleeting appearance of It's Immaterial, which I wrote about last October. There are couple of great live performances from Maxi Priest and The Comsat Angels, too.

However, if you only watch one bit for a flavour of the show's eclecticism and brilliance, then skip to Jools Holland's less then seamless segue from Prince's video for Sign "☮" The Times to a typically atypical performance from Edward Barton. This is worth the price of admission alone and supplies today's post title. I had to look up 'apricating', it means "basking in the sun"...which I'm not, currently writing this in January when it's cold and dark.

The Tube (Series 5, Episode 19, originally transmitted 20th March 1987)