Jesus Wept

I even surprised myself with this one.

 

A loose JC theme for today's selection, whether in the title, lyrics...or artist's initials. A forty-five minute variety show featuring some (ir)reverential tunes by several Dubhed favourites and a few first-timers.

No Christmas Day selection would be complete without Andrew Weatherall and Julian Cope. 

 

Andrew teams up with Keith Tenniswood as Two Lone Swordsmen for a brilliantly titled track from their 1999 album A Virus With Shoes. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, I've...well, basically, I've just played it in reverse. If you're a lover or hater, it'll be proof that Weatherall's music either sounds fantastic or shit, whichever direction it's played. Naturally, I'm in the former camp.

Julian gets as close as he ever will to a Christmas song with a B-side from 1988's Charlotte Anne EP and typically one of the best things he's ever written and recorded. But then, I would say that, wouldn't I?

Forget About Jesus by Swell blew me away when I first heard it on the John Peel show in 1994. For it's 30th anniversary, I've spliced together sections from the two versions that featured on the CD single back in the day to create a six-and-a-half minute extended version. Dean Kirkpatrick is co-founder Sean's dad and provides the opening and closing spoken word sections.

Add to the above, liberal helpings of The Jesus & Mary Chain, Ash, The Birthday Party and The The amongst others, and you have a treat that you can enjoy between meals without spoiling your appetite.

 

Have a great day everyone, whether you're celebrating, commiserating, isolating or entertaining. With especially big love for all those working today and tomorrow, putting others before themselves.

Thanks for dropping by, be sure to drop by tomorrow for a Boxing Day special.

 

1) Jesus Says (Album Version): Ash (1998)

2) Jesus H Christ On A Surfboard: Gary Cassin (2024)

3) Christ On A Stick: Creamboy (2020)

4) Cloned Christ On A Hover Donkey (Be Thankful) (Khayem's Crunching The Reverse Gear): Two Lone Swordsmen (2024)

5) Reverence (Album Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain (1992)

6) Forget About Jesus (Khayem's Reinterred Vocal Re-Edit): Swell ft. Dean Kirkpatrick (2024)

7) Christ Alive: The Sea Nymphs (1995)

8) The Cult Of Lord Jesus H. Christ: Alex G (2015)

9) Jesus Built My Hotrod (Short, Pusillanimous, So-They-Can-Fit-More-Commercials-On-The-Radio Edit): Ministry (1991)

10) Christ On A Bike: Thingdom (2024)

11) Big Jesus Trash Can: The Birthday Party (1982)

12) Angels Of Deception (Album Version): The The (1986)

13) Christmas Mourning (Single Version): Julian Cope (1988)

Jesus Wept (45:45) (GD) (M)

Decade IV: 1987

Side 2 of an 80s mixtape, compiled 8th April 1990.

 

This one goes up to 11...

 

The guitars are in full effect, though you'll be hard pressed to find any big (UK) hits this time around. Only The Cult's Love Removal Machine scraped into the Top 20 (#18 in its first two weeks of release).

 

Whilst The One I Love managed a creditable #16, it was in 1991 when ex-label I.R.S. sought to cash in on R.E.M.'s major label success. In 1987, the post-Christmas lull meant that the song managed a brief peak at #51, criminal given that it's now considered an all-time classic.

A couple of inclusions here failed to chart at all. I first saw Yon Yonson by The Dave Howard Singers on TV, The Chart Show to be precise, and I was both annoyed and fascinated by the song and video in equal measure. The latter won out and I ended up with both 12" single versions, neither of which did any good as far as a boost up the charts or appearance on Top Of The Pops was concerned.

Doctor & The Medics did make it to Top Of The Pops and a UK #1 with their cover of Spirit In The Sky in 1986. Despite an alleged six-figure signing fee (according to Smash Hits so it must be true, right?), The Doctor couldn't arrest ailing record sales. More, lead-in for second long-player I Keep Thinking It's Tuesday, failed to generate interest in either the single or the album. A shame as it's a decent enough song and the video was (typically) a lot of fun.

In a nice tie-in, I first encountered The Bambi Slam as one of two support acts for The Cult at the Colston Hall in Bristol on 23rd March 1987. I was sufficiently impressed by their set to go out afterwards and buy the only record of theirs that I could find, included here. The other support act was Balaam & The Angel, who are conspicuous by their absence on this mixtape, which may tell you all you need to know.

Confession time. If you're someone who likes to scrutinise the headline photos, especially my handwritten cassette sleeve track listings, then you will have spotted that song 3 should be Sidewalking by The Jesus & Mary Chain. Rookie error, as it wasn't actually released until March 1988 and on this occasion I can't even blag my way through by pointing to promos or previous releases in 1987. 

Nope, I messed up. Even more embarrassing when I acknowledge that I recorded the tape on 8th April 1990, exactly two years after the single had got to #30 on 9th April 1988. Nineteen years old and my memory was already shot...!

Luckily, being The Jesus & Mary Chain, I could swap Sidewalking out for another great single, Happy When It Rains, which peaked at #25 in August 1987 and therefore legitimately deserves a place in this selection. Oh, and don't be fooled by the 'long version' label. It's the same as the album version, but longer than the 7" version by about 30 seconds.

Bobbing around just outside the Top 50 were Faith No More, The Icicle Works, R.E.M. and The Fall. Mark E. Smith and crew make their one and only appearance in this series with Hit The North, arguably one of their greatest songs ever, let along in the 80s. 

 

I was surprised to find that I Started Something I Couldn't Finish by The Smiths and Trampolene by Julian Cope were as big hits as I thought they were, though in Copey's case that was pretty much the case with everything that he released in the 1980s.

At first glance, U2 also appear to have experienced a rare flop with In God's Country, the fourth single from The Joshua Tree. The previous three singles in 1987 had respectively got to #4, #6 and #4. By comparison, In God's Country achieved a surprising and disappointing peak of #48. That is, until you release that it was released as a 7" single in North America only and the UK chart placing was down to import sales alone. 

 

Ian McNabb may have given his good teeth for a #48 hit, given that The Icicle Work's Evangeline stalled at #53, the third consecutive single in less than 12 months to achieve a similar chart placing.

Mind you, the general record-buying public were being swamped with pop pap from 'The Hit Factory' of Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Or T'Pau and Wet Wet Wet. I'm not sure which is worse but either way, I literally wasn't buying. Even the Pet Shops Boys and Dusty Springfield were asking What Have I Done To Deserve This?!

That's it for another look back at the 1980s. See you here next week, and the year when I started to ditch black stretch canvas drainpipes and biker jackets for loose fit blue jeans and Converse trainers, but remained largely oblivious to the acid house revolution. Yep, 1988's on it's way.

1) Love Removal Machine (Album Version): The Cult

2) We Care A Lot (Album Version): Faith No More

3) Happy When It Rains (Long Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain

4) Yon Yonson (Single Version): The Dave Howard Singers

5) Hit The North (Part 1) (Single Version): The Fall

6) Happy Birthday (Yet Another) (Thick, Hard And Long Mix): The Bambi Slam

7) I Started Something I Couldn't Finish (Album Version): The Smiths

8) More (Album Version): Doctor & The Medics

9) The One I Love (Album Version): R.E.M.

10) Trampolene (Album Version): Julian Cope

11) Evangeline (Album Version): The Icicle Works

12) In God's Country (Album Version): U2

1st February 1987: Saint Julian (#31): 10

15th February 1987: If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song (#53): 11

22nd February 1987: Electric (#18): 1

19th July 1987: Yon Yonson EP (# n/a): 4 *

2nd August 1987: Happy Birthday (Yet Another) EP (# n/a): 6 **

9th August 1987: I Keep Thinking It's Tuesday (# n/a): 8

16th August 1987: Darklands (#25): 3

1st November 1987: Hit The North EP (#57): 5

15th November 1987: Strangeways, Here We Come (#23): 7

20th December 1987: The Joshua Tree (#48): 12

27th December 1987: Document (#51): 9

7th February 1988: Introduce Yourself (#53): 2 ***

Side Two (45:51) (GD) (M)

* Yon Yonson failed to crack the UK singles chart, however it get as high as #4 in the indie singles chart, in part thanks to repeat appearances of the video on Channel 4's Chart Show. That's how I first came to hear it and bought the 12" single (both of them) soon after.

** Similar to The Dave Howard Singers, The Bambi Slam failed to dent the UK singles chart, but Happy Birthday (Yet Another) made an appearance in the indie singles Top 10 on Channel 4's Chart Show on 14th August 1987, having dropped to #8,

*** The album Introduce Yourself was released in 1987, but We Care A Lot wasn't released as a single in the UK until 18th January 1988, charting a couple of weeks later at #71. Oh, to have had access to the internet in April 1990 to check chart dates!

Decade III: 1985

Side 2 of a misplaced mixtape, compiled circa March 1990, wrecked or abandoned some years later, resurrected and repurposed 18th August 2024.

 

In stark contrast, the hits don't keep coming in this selection, the number of singles that failed to chart in the UK (4) outnumbering those reaching the Top 20 (2). 

 

I could have easily filled the 45 minutes with bonafide hits from a-ha, China Crisis, Fine Young Cannibals, Kate Bush, Level 42, Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds, Thompson Twins and The Waterboys without finding myself in the dire straits of having to include, er, Dire Straits. However, I think this recreation is a pretty fair representation of where this nascent goth was in 1985.

To acknowledge the elephant in the room, I've fallen foul of the record label info again and included Godstar, Psychic TV's tribute to Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, as a release in 1985. The Official Chart Company insists that the single didn't begin to trouble the charts until the end of March 1986, peaking at a dizzying #67 in its fifth week. 

 

In my defence, I can't confirm the single's official release date but promos were circulating in late 1985 and the record sleeve states that Godstar "is the theme song from the forthcoming feature film of the same name about the Life and Times of Brian Jones which begins shooting on February 28th 1986". So, it's staying put in 1985 as far as I'm concerned!

Continuing the ropey Six Degrees Of Separation theme that I failed to extend beyond three songs yesterday, there is a further connection between sides 1 and 2 of this cassette. Godstar is co-credited to The Angels Of Light, including Rose McDowall, who featured yesterday with Strawberry Switchblade. 

There's a further connection between Since Yesterday by Strawberry Switchblade and track 2, You've Got The Power by Win, in that both were David Motion. You can't make this stuff up, you know.

Fire In The Twilight by Wang Chung didn't trouble the Top 100 here, but is forever etched in my mind for its inclusion in John Hughes' film The Breakfast Club, sound tracking the scene where the tearaway teens are racing to get back to their desks ahead of scumbag teacher Vernon. It's an unfeasibly enormous school, based on this scene.

Bring On The Dancing Horses was the first 12" single that I bought by Echo & The Bunnymen, along with their Songs To Learn & Sing greatest hits compilation. Late to the party I may have been, but both have been enduring favourites. 

How Soon Is Now? was the first 12" single I owned by The Smiths, but I've gone for my second purchase, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, rescued from the ex-chart bargain bin at my local WH Smiths (in the days when there were enough WH Smiths to have a local one). 

The Dream Academy couldn't even quite match Psychic TV's peak, The Love Parade entering the charts at #96 on this day in 1985 and reaching a disappointing #68 a couple of weeks later. A far cry from their previous high of #15 with Life in A Northern Town. They tried again later in the year with a cover of The Smiths' Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. The record buying public clearly misinterpreted this request as "another flop single", as it limped to #83. Still, at least the inclusion of the instrumental version in another John Hughes movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, guaranteed immortality.

By 1985, Frank Tovey had shed his Fad Gadget persona and was arguably aiming for a slightly more commercial sound, ably demonstrated by the single Luxury. Personally, I liked the new direction. It wasn't a hit, of course, and Tovey ploughed a different, darker, folkier furrow with subsequent albums.

No G.D.M. (Dedicated To Quentin Crisp) by Gina X was first released in 1979, again in 1982 and then re-mixed and re-released by original producer and collaborator Zeus B. Held in 1985. It didn't trouble the UK charts on any of these occasions, which understates its impact and brilliance. I guess Radio 1 playlists - and our sensitive ears - remained unprepared for a song about lesbians, transvestites and "red haired queers". Philistines!

What I Wouldn't Give by Pink Industry is one of the greatest singles of the 1980s. Seriously. I read a review of it in Smash Hits, of all places, where Chris Heath described it as "A very strange record, but a good one" which says it all really, though he had a word count to deliver so does go on a bit more. What I Wouldn't Give contains the brilliant verse,

 

There's my Smiths tapes you never wanted to hear

Throw them away, Morrissey in the bin

If that would bring you back again

A similar fate befell Mozzer's collection in households across the UK years later, when he devolved into a complete prick.

Some loud guitars from either end of the spectrum, first off with The Jesus & Mary Chain, followed by The Cult. I bought the latter, along with The Smiths, O.M.D. and, er, Animal Nightlife with a bunch of other 12" singles whilst holidaying with the family in a caravan in (I think) Bournemouth in the summer of 1985. 

It was a while longer before I owned a record by The Jesus & Mary Chain (not counting their appearance on The Hit Red Hot EP), though my love for their continuing recordings has outlasted that of The Cult by some distance. 

ZTT scored a coup by signing Grace Jones. Slave To The Rhythm was originally written and intended as a follow up to Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax and their demo finally saw the light of day a few years ago. It's good though I don't think anyone will argue that gifting it to Grace was the right move. For this selection, I've re-edited sections from the 7" and 12" 'Blooded' remix, including Ian McShane's introduction, to create a - for me, at least - more satisfying composite version. Heeeeere's Grace!

Normal service resumes next weekend, as I revisit the Decade cassette that I recorded in 1990, covering 1986 and 1987. Expect the unexpected. Well, a little.

 

1) Godstar (7" Version): Psychic TV ft. The Angels Of Light

2) You've Got The Power (7" Version): Win

3) Fire In The Twilight (Specially Remixed Version): Wang Chung

4) Bring On The Dancing Horses (Single Version): Echo & The Bunnymen

5) The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Album Version): The Smiths

6) The Love Parade (7"): The Dream Academy

7) Luxury (Album Version): Frank Tovey

8) No G.D.M. (7 Inch): Gina X

9) What I Wouldn't Give (Album Version): Pink Industry

10) Never Understand (Album Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain

11) She Sells Sanctuary (Album Version): The Cult

12) Slave To The Rhythm (Cold Blooded Edit By Khayem): Grace Jones

3rd March 1985: Psychocandy (#47): 10

20th April 1985: Fire In The Twilight EP (# n/a): 3

?? May 1985: No G.D.M. EP (# n/a): 8

?? June 1985: You've Got The Power EP (#95): 2 *

?? July 1985: New Beginnings (# n/a): 9

28th July 1985: Love (#15): 11

?? August 1985: Snakes & Ladders (# n/a): 7

8th September 1985: The Love Parade EP (#68): 6

6th October 1985: The Queen Is Dead (#23): 5

20th October 1985: Slave To The Rhythm EP (#20): 12

27th October 1985: Bring On The Dancing Horses EP (#21): 4

20th April 1986: Godstar EP (#67): 1 **

 

Side Two (45:35) (GD) (M)

* You've Got The Power was originally released in June 1985 then twice more, the third time proving lucky - kind of - when it got to #95 the week of 16th March 1986.

** According to Discogs, and my personal copy of the 12" single, Godstar was released in 1985. The sleeve info also notes that Godstar is the theme to a Brian Jones biopic "which begins shooting on February 28th 1986". I've no recollection why the single didn't enter the charts until late March 1986 and the film never saw the light of day, if indeed filming ever began...

Peel The Layers

Watching late night BBC4 recently offered up Top Of The Pops presented by John Peel and Janice Long.

As good an excuse as any then to collate a selection of John Peel sessions and repost my tribute to Janice Long from December 2021.

Only a couple of crossovers with The Fall and Julian Cope, with the John Peel selection focusing in more on the alternative/indie side of things and keeping under forty-five minutes. 

 

Good times.

 

1) Cut Dead: The Jesus & Mary Chain (29th October 1985) 

2) Ladybird (Green Grass): The Fall (13th March 1993)

3) DoubtBeat: Scritti Politti (13th December 1978)

4) Через Річку, Через (Cherez Richku, Cherez Hai): The Wedding Present (15th May 1989)

5) Turn The Heater On (Cover of Keith Hudson): New Order (1st June 1982)

6) The Sin Of Pride: The Undertones (7th December 1982)

7) The Awful Flute Song (First Part): The Bambi Slam (1st March 1987)

8) Suffer The Children: Tears For Fears (10th October 1982)

9) Suicide High Lie: Big In Japan (12th February 1979)

10) Oh Lucinda (Love Becomes A Habit): The Only Ones (2nd June 1980)

11) After Murder Park: The Auteurs (8th March 1996)

12) Search Party: Julian Cope (11th June 1984)

13) Waves: Blancmange (13th February 1982)

Peel The Layers (44:14) (KF) (Mega)

Not intentionally trying to be contrary, but whilst the recording dates were listed for each of the songs on the Janice Long selection, the dates for the John Peel sessions relate to when the songs were first broadcast...I think!

#Colours Top 20 (Second Shade)

The second half of the (E)x-Twitter 'countdown' that I've participated in for the past 20 days, featuring songs, artists or lyrics featuring a colour.

As with the first ten, I've stuck with just song titles throughout, with my second round up coming in at one second under 40 minutes.

 

I also continued with my 'method' (I use the term loosely) of trying to make sure that the subsequent colour complemented the one that had preceded it. This limiting my choice of songs each time but hopefully provided for some interesting segues from, say, Cathal Coughlan to Peaches. 

 

I only did one swap throughout the entire run. My original pick for #17 was Coral Moon by John Cale from his 1973 album, Helen Of Troy. Realising that the pick would coincide with International Women's Day, I replaced it with A Coral Room by Kate Bush, which on reflection I think was a better choice and made for a good segue from Echo & The Bunnymen.

 

This late change also meant that I was able to find another (complementary) John Cale song and tweet it on the following day, which also happened to be his 82nd birthday. Win win, I'd say.

 

The final song of the 20 wouldn't have appeared at all had it not been for Ernie Goggins' end of year round up over at 27 Leggies back in December 2022, a reminder of how much music I discover thanks to you lovely people out there in the blogosphere. And in my opinion, it's a great way to wrap up what has been a fun series to participate in.

 

11) Into The White (Single Version): Pixies (1989)

12) Lime Tree Arbour (Album Version): Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1997)

13) Tangerine: Cathal Coughlan (2022)

14) I Feel Cream (Album Version): Peaches (2009)

15) Silverblade (Single Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain (1990)

16) Turquoise Days: Echo & The Bunnymen (1981)

17) A Coral Room: Kate Bush (2005)

18) Bamboo Floor ("Slow Dazzle" Session Outtake): John Cale (1975)

19) Olive Avenue: Port Sulphur ft. Jay Stansfield (2018)

20) Golden Spoon Maroon: Yasus Afari (2021) 

 

1981: Heaven Up Here: 6

1989: Here Comes Your Man EP: 1 

1990: Rollercoaster EP: 5 

1996: The Island Years: 8

1997: The Boatman's Call: 2

2005: Aerial: 7

2009: I Feel Cream: 4 

2018: Paranoic Critical: 9

2022: E.P. Of Co-Aklan EP: 3

2022: Golden Spoon Maroon: 10

 

Second Shade (39:59) (KF) (Mega)

Bedraggled Girls Blethered "Girl, You Got Nothing"

 

 

PJ Harvey and The Jesus & Mary Chain both released new singles/videos yesterday.

 

Sometimes, when two songs drop on the same day, it's impossible to choose which one to post.

 

Sometimes, why should you choose?

 

First up, Seem An I's narrative has the brilliant Ruth Wilson running and running and running some more. Utterly compelling in its simplicity.

 

In stark contrast, for the entire three minutes of Girl71, Jim Reid can't be arsed to get up from his leather armchair, though in fairness he does play a bit of guitar. Brother William couldn't even be bothered to turn up though Rachel Conte is on hand (and seat) to provide harmonies with her paramour.

Sometimes, hey hey, we got what we need.

I Am Damo Suzuki

Celebrating Damo Suzuki, 16th January 1950 to 9th February 2024.

 

This one damn near broke me. And I don't mean on an emotional level, but physically trying to get today's selection and post up here. I like to think that in some other plane of existence, Damo is aware of my amateurish efforts and chain of mishaps this morning and is having a belly laugh at my expense, before turning his attention to things of greater cosmic import.

 

I had another post lined up for today, but I woke this morning to the news of Damo's passing and decided that I wanted to post a tribute to him instead.

 

To be honest, I didn't expect it to be a very big job: I have relatively little by Can to begin with and Damo was with them from 1970 to 1973 which narrowed the selection further. I have absolutely nothing of Damo's post-Can career. 

 

And the news that I could have seen Damo play a gig with Fuzz Against Junk in the intimate surrounds of Fiddlers Club in south Bristol in March 2004 is a non-story as I decided not to get a ticket. In retrospect, I should have gone and taken the following day off work.

I then got it into my head that, in the spirit of Damo's improvisational style, I should actually try and cut-and-paste collage of all of the entire longlist, throwing in cover versions and remixes of Damo-era Can songs to boot. So I suddenly had about 20-odd songs and about 3+ hours of material to work with. Okay, so it was going to take a big longer than usual, but I was game...

I was about 3 songs in and thinking that it had got off to a reasonably good start when the Apple Music app which holds my digital music collection starting acting weirdly, shortly followed by the on-screen announcement that the wireless mouse has 1% charge left. Closing down and re-opening the app completely wiped the working playlist that I'd created. No problem, I said through gritted teeth (okay, I did swear a bit too), I'll start over again.

I do have a 'backup' wireless mouse. Unfortunately, it's the 'original' one whose increasingly impaired performance resulted in the purchase of the 'current' one, which had less than 1% at this point and promptly lost connection. The 'backup' had 20% charge which would be fine. However, one it's quirks is unpredictable cursor action, usually resulting in you getting the complete opposite of what you're trying to achieve. Cue lots of examples in the Audacity app of highlighting, moving, editing and cutting  anything but the bit of the music that I was actually working on. 

I could see the job doubling and trebling in length. Thankfully, after an hour there was sufficient charge on the 'current' mouse to abandon the 'backup' and have some hope of completing and posting this selection before Sunday is over.

Another 'improvised' decision as a result of my tech woes, but which may be a blessing to you dear readers, is that the selection is a mere 14 songs. I decided to cut my losses after Halleluhwah and tacked the intended closing song Turtles Have Short Legs at the end. 

So you are denied/spared (delete as applicable) Future Days, Moonshake, Paperhouse, Sing Swan Song, Mighty Girl*, Vitamin C and Yoo Do Right. What you do get is two hours of music edited down to roughly 66 minutes, all giving a nod to Damo's brilliance.

Mother Sky switches between the Can original and the Pilooski edit. On Mushroom, you'll hear Damo duetting with Jim Reid for the first and last time. Mark E. Smith inevitably gets in on the act with The Fall's own tribute from 1985. 

 

Oh Yeah appears in three increasingly shorter sections, courtesy of Can, Kris Needs and Mute label maestro Daniel Miller. There's the wonderfully titled Tape Kebab from a John Peel session* and three versions of Can's masterwork Halleluhwah.

 

First up is the 1995 version by Spirit Feel, featuring Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag formerly of Propaganda. This is followed by Damo fronting the original album version. Both of these push beyond 18 minutes; you get much less here, but the addition of a third, closing section from - who else? - The Orb, released a couple of years after the Spirit Feel cover version.

The closer, Turtles Have Short Leg, is incredibly short by Can standards, but one of many examples of their lighter, poppier moments. Well, relatively speaking.

Neither the words nor the selection really do justice to Damo the man, the musician, the uniquely talented individual and front person, be it Can, Damo Suzuki's Network or the numerous collaborations and improvisations that he's been responsible for. 

 

But in reading about my amateurish efforts and chain of mishaps to get this out here today, I hope you'll join Damo in a chuckle, a laugh or a full-on belly laugh. And then go and play some more of his music, long and loud.

See you, Damo.

 

1) I'm So Green: Can (1973)

2) Mother Sky (Album Version): Can (1970)

3) Mother Sky (Pilooski Edit By Cédric Marszewski): Can (2007)

4) Mushroom (Album Version): Can (1971)

5) Mushroom (Live In Nuremburg): The Jesus & Mary Chain (1986)

6) I Am Damo Suzuki: The Fall (1985)

7) Oh Yeah (Album Version): Can (1971)

8) Oh Yeah (Secret Knowledge Mix By Kris Needs & Henry Cullen ft. Jah Wobble): Can (1997)

9) Oh Yeah (Sunroof! Mix By Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones): Can (1997)

10) Tape Kebab (John Peel Session): Can (1974) 

11) Halleluhwah: Spirit Feel ft. Claudia Brücken & Susanne Freytag (1995)

12) Halleluhwah (Album Version): (1971)

13) Halleluhwah (Halleluwa Orbus II) (Remix By The Orb aka Alex Paterson & Andy Hughes) (1997)

14) Turtles Have Short Legs: Can (1971)

 

I Am Damo Suzuki (1:06:16) (KF) (Mega)

Whatever Happened To Reg? Revisited

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, recorded on 2nd December 1989 by my friend Stuart as a 19th birthday gift.

 

Revisiting mixtapes from my teenage years is a reminder of a simpler time, when my friends and I had much smaller music collections - vinyl or cassette, very few CDs at this point - but knew them inside out and loved them deeply. As my head bobs slightly above the surface of a sea of music, when pretty much anything from the last 100 years is accessible with a few taps of a keyboard, clicks of a mouse or a voice instruction, it can be overwhelming. 

I loved this compilation, so much so that it got packed with a bunch of other cassettes and joined me on my travels Down Under in 1990/1991 and was pretty much a staple of the in-car stereo playlist during my second attempt at a college education in the early 1990s. It survived more or less intact throughout that decade and into the 2000s, until years of excessive play and poor storage in a succession of damp flats did for it. Thank goodness for MP3s, Audacity software and music blogs then, eh?

What is immediately apparent (to me, at least) from the track listing of Sides 1 & 2 is that:

1) Stuart was (and still is) a huge fan of R.E.M. and was determined to educate his largely ignorant friend in their brilliance (it worked);

2) We both loved The Doors; I'd got the first two albums, Stuart got the rest, including their final proper album with Jim, the two best-known songs appearing on this C90;

3) We also both loved Talking Heads and between us had all of the albums from 77 to Naked;

4) Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark was also a pretty important album for us both;

5) Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! by The Sugarcubes was only a few months old at that time and we were both in agreement that it was even better than the debut album;

6) Fools Gold / What The World Is Waiting For had been released a few weeks before I got this cassette. Stuart (& I) clearly blown away by it; I'd heard both on the radio but I think this might have been the first time I'd heard anything by The Stone Roses.

 

I adore the opening live version of Vicious from Lou Reed's 1975 album, the inspiringly-titled Lou Reed Live. It sets the pace for what is a rollocking ride through music that has since become so important to me. Incredible to believe now, but listening to this cassette was probably the first time that I heard Catapult or Don't Worry About The Government...

 

You might be hard pressed to find anyone who would name Automatic as their favourite album by The Jesus & Mary Chain. The album had been released on 9th October 1989, Stuart and I saw them live in concert at the Studio in Bristol on 14th November 1989 and I got this cassette around 11th December 1989, so Automatic was fresh and new at that time and I loved it. It's not my favourite JaMC album either, but it will always have a special place in my heart for all of the above reasons.

 

Timing issues were always a challenge when compiling cassettes, especially trying not to leave a massive gap at the end, an anathema to being out with friends and a battery-powered ghetto blaster. I might imagine that Stuart may have originally intended to end on a high with track 10, added (arguably) a R.E.M. album filler (which I still love, by the way) and then cursed at seeing a sizeable chunk of reel remaining. Hence, the inclusion of a U2 B-side from a limited edition double 7" of The Unforgettable Fire. For all you Bono fans out there, stand down, it's an instrumental. I like it, and even more in the context of the compilation and the decades of repeat listens that have passed.

Stuart opened the compilation with a cheeky edit of Paul Hardcastle's 19 muscling in on Pixies. Suffice to say, Black Francis gets his revenge - and the last word - at the end of Side 2.

1) Vicious (Live @ Howard Stein's Academy Of Music, New York): Lou Reed (1973)

2) Catapult (Album Version): R.E.M. (1983)

3) L.A. Woman (Album Version): The Doors (1971)

4) Superman (Album Version) (Cover of The Clique): R.E.M. (1986)

5) Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town: Talking Heads (1977)

6) Fools Gold 4.15 (7" Version): The Stone Roses (1989)

7) Tidal Wave (Album Version): The Sugarcubes (1989)

8) Here Comes Alice (Album Version): The Jesus & Mary Chain (1989)

9) She's Leaving (Album Version): O.M.D. (1981)

10) Don't Worry About The Government: Talking Heads (1977)

11) Underneath The Bunker: R.E.M. (1986)

12) Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come / Outro: U2 / Pixies (1985) 

 

1971: L.A. Woman: 3

1975: Lou Reed Live: 1

1977: Talking Heads: 77: 5, 10

1981: Architecture & Morality: 9

1983: Murmur: 2 

1985: The Unforgettable Fire EP: 12

1986: Life's Rich Pageant: 4, 11

1989: Automatic: 8

1989: Fools Gold EP: 6

1989: Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!: 7

 

Side Two (45:11) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here