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)

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)

Indie Incidentally

...or, single word sounds from the indie underground (kind of).

Dusting off a lucky 13 songs that I haven't played in a while, all done in under 45 minutes. Happy Friday, everyone!

1) Ray: The House Of Love (1990)

2) Spangle: The Wedding Present (1994)

3) Mesh: New Order (1981)

4) Seconds: Pulp (1994)

5) Navigator: The Pogues (1985)

6) Kookaburra: Cocteau Twins (1985)

7) Ambition: The Jesus & Mary Chain (1985)

8) Lullaby: James (1993)

9) Babble: The Cure (1989)

10) Split: That Petrol Emotion (1987)

11) Hoverin': The Breeders (1993)

12) Free: Mazzy Star (1990)

13) White: The Field Mice (1989) 

 

1981: Everything's Gone Green EP: 3 

1985: Aikea-Guinea EP: 6 

1985: Never Understand EP: 7

1985: Rum, Sodomy & The Lash: 5

1987: Babble: 10

1989: Lullaby EP: 9

1989: Snowball: 13

1990: A Spy In The House Of Love: 1

1990: She Hangs Brightly: 12

1993: Divine Hammer EP: 11

1993: Laid: 8

1994: The Sisters EP: 4

1994: Watusi: 2

 

Indie Incidentally (44:29) (Box) (Mega)

Now That's What I Still Call Jangly

Side 2 of a compilation tape, originally recorded for me by my girlfriend, circa 1996.

 

When I posted the first side of this mixtape in November last year, I mentioned that I hadn't heard several of these songs in over a decade. It's been a bit less of a gap for most of the songs on this side but even so, I'd forgotten what a great compilation this is. More of The Wedding Present and The Field Mice and a couple by The Jam at their finest. 

 

I had thought about swapping out the Manchester racist for another song by a different artist, but I've decided to leave the sequence as originally intended. The song plays from approx. 19:44 to 23:27 if you want to skip it.

 

I realised as I was recreating this side that several of the artists have recently been featured over at The Vinyl Villain: Kirsty MacColl, The Field Mice and Fade Into You by Mazzy Star; completely coincidental, I'd only really plumped for posting this side today because it featured The Sundays. Yes, that's really as sophisticated as my planning gets sometimes...

 

1) A Small Slice Of Heaven: Lightning Seeds (1992)

2) Tread Lightly: Kirsty MacColl (1989)

3) The Great Depression (Single Version): The Jam (1982)

4) Divine Hammer (Album Version): The Breeders (1992)

5) Sorrow (Album Version) (Cover of The McCoys): David Bowie (1973)

6) Think Of These Things: The Field Mice (1991)

7) Spring-Heeled Jim (Album Version): Morrissey (1994)

8) My Favourite Dress (Single Version): The Wedding Present (1987)

9) But I'm Different Now (Album Version): The Jam (1980)

10) Slide Away (Album Version): The Verve (1993)

11) Fade Into You (Album Version): Mazzy Star (1993)

12) You're Not The Only One I Know (Album Version): The Sundays (1990)

13) Beyond Belief: Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1982)

Side Two (44:44) (GD) (M)

Side One here

This Nature That Is Wonderful Like A Kiss

If it's Thursday, it must be The Field Mice. Tuesday's post and memories of my jangly music-loving former girlfriend and Wednesday's review of The Wedding Present's recent gig by The Vinyl Villain have kept me on a similar musical thought process.

After years of resisting their musical appeal, my girlfriend was the one that properly introduced - and converted - me to the brilliance of The Wedding Present. She had most of their albums and sealed the deal in June 1996 by taking me to see them live at The Fleece in Bristol where they were, quite frankly, fantastic. 

I was also educated in The Field Mice ouevre, albeit the Sarah Records CD issues rather than the now-uber valuable vinyl releases. Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes ended the label in August 1995 after the release of SARAH 100, the compilation There And Back Again Lane, which led off with The Field Mice's Sensitive (a track that also featured on the jangly mixtape my girlfriend gave to me).

 

Matt Haynes went on to form Shikansen Recordings, which in 1998 helpfully released the 36-track, 2-CD compilation, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way?, providing not only an "almost complete" back catalogue to fill in the gaps but an ideal Christmas present for my girlfriend.

For today's selection, I pulled a random 10 songs from The Field Mice back catalogue and then sequenced them into a vinyl-friendly two sides. I could have sworn that The Vinyl Villain had previously featured The Field Mice in the long-running An Imaginary Compilation series but, having checked, that doesn't seem to be the case. Regardless, this will inevitably be missing a few 'must have' fan choices but, for a random sample, I've really enjoyed revisiting these songs in this particular order. I hope you do too.

Side One

1) Star Of David (1991)

2) Humblebee (1990)

3) The World To Me (1990)

4) Below The Stars (1990)

 

Side Two

1) I Thought Wrong (1989)

2) Think Of These Things (1991)

3) When You Sleep (1988)

4) Everything About You (Album Version) (1989)

5) Between Hello And Goodbye (1991)

6) Tilting At Windmills (1991)

 

Side One (21:03)

Side Two (20:44)

Now That's What I Call Jangly

Side 1 of a mixtape, originally compiled for me by my girlfriend, sometime around 1996.

Despite the title, it's not entirely jangly but it is resolutely indie. She was a big fan of The Wedding Present, The House Of Love and James and I was immersed in their music for a few years. 

I haven't heard many of these songs in over a decade: I'd completely forgotten about Bedflowers; there's a lovely post about them on the Cloudberry Cake Proselytism blog, which provides some backstory. 

The David Bowie track closing side 1 feels like a bit of an anachronism, though it may have been added because I loved the song so much. 

We didn't part on the best of terms - my girlfriend, that is, not Bowie and I - but this is a reminder of happier times and some great music.

 

1) Ceremony (1st Version By Martin Hannett): New Order (1981)

2) Road: The House Of Love (1988)

3) My Ex-Lover's Address: Bedflowers (1991)

4) Suck: The Wedding Present (1991)

5) Sensitive: The Field Mice (1989)

6) Push: The Cure (1985)

7) Pink Glove: Pulp (1994)

8) Five-O (Album Version By Brian Eno): James (1993)

9) The Old Main Drag (Album Version By Elvis Costello): The Pogues (1985)

10) Jesus Says: That Petrol Emotion (1986)

11) In The Heat Of The Morning (Mono Single Version): David Bowie (1967)

 

Side One (45:13) (GD) (M)