Short, Long, Long

A trio of tunes that buzzed in my ear at the weekend and are likely to stick around for a while. 

The Hidden Cameras are unexpectedly remixed by Pet Shop Boys - I'm hoping that there will be an extended remix to follow.

London-based duo Beyond The Struttosphere are new to me, but Rich Lane has been a familiar name in the past few years and his remix of Storming Heaven ticks all the boxes for me.

Johnson Somerset has been creating official and unofficial remixes for well over two decades now. I think I first discovered him via a Simple Minds or Duran Duran extended remix. A few days ago he posted a 10-minute rework of a Gary Numan classic, which doesn't outstay its welcome.

1) How Do You Love? (Pet Shop Boys Remix): The Hidden Cameras

2) Storming Heaven (Rich Lane's American Dream): Beyond The Struttosphere

3) Are 'Friends' Electric? (Johnson Somerset Remix): Tubeway Army

 

Our Children Shall Rise Up Against Us Because We Are The Ones To Blame

Don't worry, there hasn't been a revolt at Casa K. Instead, here's some agit from the late 1970s, embracing punk, post-punk, post-modern, post-Mott and stick-it-in-your-pipe-and-smoke-it sounds from 15 of the best.

British Lions formed from the ashes of Mott The Hoople (via Mott) with John Fiddler (Medicine Head) taking front of stage. One More Chance To Run was their debut single and the opening track of their eponymous first album.

Quite a few self-titled debut albums featured here, now that I think about it, taking in The Clash, Tubeway Army, Squeeze, The B-52's, The Pretenders and (almost) Public Image Ltd. and Talking Heads.

 

A first appearance here for Sham 69 with - what else? - Hersham Boys and inevitable returns from Siouxsie & The Banshees, Magazine, Associates and The Jam. 

The closing song - and inspiration for today's post title - is We Are All Prostitutes, the blistering debut single by Bristol's own The Pop Group. 

 

It's been nearly a year since Mark Stewart tragically left us, so much to say in 1979 and so much still to say when he passed on in 2023. This one's for Mark and anyone who has spoken up and called out wrong doing.

Even so, our children shall rise up against us because we are the ones to blame.

 

1) One More Chance To Run: British Lions (1977)

2) What's My Name: The Clash (1977)

3) Hersham Boys (Long Version By Jimmy Pursey & Peter Wilson): Sham 69 (1979)

4) Poppy Day (John Peel Session): Siouxsie & The Banshees (1979) 

5) My Shadow In Vain: Tubeway Army (1978)

6) Attack: Public Image Ltd. (1978)

7) The Light Pours Out Of Me (Album Version By John Leckie): Magazine (1978)

8) Boys Keep Swinging (Cover of David Bowie): Associates (1979)

9) Sex Master: Squeeze (1978)

10) Marooned: Wire (1978)

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

12) 6060-842: The B-52's (1979)

13) News Of The World: The Jam (1978)

14) Brass In Pocket: The Pretenders (1979)

15) We Are All Prostitutes (Single Version By Dennis Bovell): The Pop Group (1979) 

 

We Are The Ones To Blame (46:05) (KF) (Mega)

 

We Are All Prostitutes

We are all prostitutes
Everyone has their price
We are all prostitutes
Everyone has their price
Everyone
 
And you too will learn to live the lie
And you too will learn to live the lie
And you too will learn to live the lie
Everyone has their price
 
Aggression
Competition
Ambition
Consumer fascism
Consumer fascism
 
We are all prostitutes
Everyone has their price
We are all prostitutes
Everyone has their price
Everyone
 
Capitalism is the most barbaric of all religions
 
Department stores are our new cathedrals
Department stores are our new cathedrals
Our cars are martyrs to the cause
Our cars are martyrs to the cause
 
Our children shall rise up against us
Our children shall rise up against us
Because
Because we are the ones to blame
Because we are the ones to blame
Because
Because
They will give us a new name, we shall be
Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

Light Fades Out

Gary Numan in the mix, literally, as today's selection teases out some classics from 1979 to 1982, to near breaking point in some cases.

The nine songs are mostly bootleg re-edits, including one by yours truly, interspersed with a few original 12" and album versions and all over the five-minute mark.

Play loud.

 

1) Cars (Long Original Ultrasound Version) (2009)

2) She's Got Claws (Extended) (1981) 

3) M.E. (Album Version) (1979)

4) I Die: You Die (Extended) (Re-Edit By M) (2020)

5) Are 'Friends' Electric? (My Friends Are Eclectic Re-Edit By Khayem): Tubeway Army (2014)

6) Music For Chameleons (Extended Version) (1982)

7) We Are Glass (Extended) (Re-Edit By M) (2020)

8) Complex (1978 Demo) (Magnum's Extended Mix) (2013)

9) Remind Me To Smile (Extended Mix By Pure Salvation) (2013) 

 

Light Fades Out (58:00) (KF) (Mega)

Can You Hear It?

Between 1976 and 1979, I was between 5 and 8 years old, arguably living my best life. Primary school, hot summers, bags of penny chews and sweets from the newsagents, Look-In ("The Junior TV Times"), Tom Baker as Doctor Who, Star Wars at the cinema, annual holidays near Tenby and day trips to Weston-super-Mare, the open air swimming pool at Chippenham or (if we were lucky) the pebble-or-sand beach at Weymouth. 

I was too busy and too young to pay much attention at the time to punk, post-punk or alternative music. Although the odd snatch on Radio 1 stuck with me, I discovered much of this music a few years later, when I was older, angrier and looking for music that I could turn up loud and annoy my parents with. The rest I sought out even more years later, when I was (considerably) older, wiser (debatable) and still angry (and that's just the government).

I don't have a contemporary emotional connection to these songs though some resonate with particular periods in my teens and twenties and they will always be very special to me. A few come from some of my favourite albums of all time, but I'll leave you to decide which ones they may be.

 

1) So It Goes: Nick Lowe (1976)

2) The Pictures On My Wall (Single Version): Echo & The Bunnymen (1978)

3) I Found That Essence Rare: Gang Of Four (1979)

4) Repetition: The Fall (1978)

5) The Unconventional: Japan (1978)

6) Fade Away And Radiate (Album Version): Blondie (1978)

7) Frederick: Patti Smith (1979)

8) Search & Destroy (Live) (Cover of The Stooges): The Dictators (1977)

9) I Can't Be (Demo): Ramones (1976)

10) Whip In My Valise: Adam & The Ants (1979)

11) Limelight (Album Version): XTC (1979)

12) My Shadow In Vain: Tubeway Army (1978)

13) Mortice Lock: Associates (1979)

14) Cities (Alternate Version): Talking Heads (1979)

15) Sound And Vision (Live @ Earls Court, London): David Bowie (1978)

16) I'm A Lover: David Johansen (1978)

17) The Card Cheat: The Clash (1979)

Can You Hear It? (56:53)