#HappyMusicVolumeOne

#HappyMusic is one of two BlueSky music challenges I've been taking part in August, this one set by Griff, with a inclusive brief to post any music that:

-- makes you happy

-- includes the word "happy"

-- contains any variation of "happy" in the title, lyrics or band name

-- features a synonym of "happy"

-- reminds you of happiness

I started with a song by bdrmm and have been pretty much making it up as I go along ever since. I have tomorrow's final contribution picked and ready to go, so it seems as good as time as any to post my selections here over the next two days.

Goodness knows we could all do with a bit of happy right now!

Rather than create selections in the order I posted them, I've compiled two hour-long mixtapes, pulling my picks from here, there and everywhere to create what I think is a better "in one go" listening experience.

Volume One starts with the wonderful Groovy Feeling by Fluke (posted on 4th August) and ends with The Statue Got Me High by They Might Be Giants (posted on 15th August). Along the way, you get Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra, Teenage Fanclub, Chic, Wreckless Eric, bdrmm, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Dream Warriors, Nelly Furtado, Julian Cope and many more.

Be here tomorrow for some Bank Holiday happiness!

1) Groovy Feeling (Make Mine A 99): Fluke (1993)

2) Xanadu (Single Version): Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (1980)

3) Do You Love Me Like You Say? (Album Version): Terence Trent D'Arby (1993)

4) Miss Modular (Single Version): Stereolab (1997)

5) Bon Bon Bon (Album Version): Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (2008)

6) Belt: Teenage Fanclub (1993)

7) The Greatness And Perfection Of Love (Remixed Version): Julian Cope (1984)

8) Happy (International Teachers Of Pop De-Mix): bdrmm (2020)

9) Good Times (Edit By Khayem): Chic (1979)

10) Wash Your Face In My Sink (Original Mix): Dream Warriors (1990)

11) Whole Wide World (Album Version): Wreckless Eric (1977)

12) Steve: Billy Reeves (2024)

13) Vitamin D: Psychederek (2023)

14) It's A Happening Thing: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy (1967)

15) I'm Like A Bird (Album Version): Nelly Furtado (2000)

16) The Statue Got Me High (Album Version): They Might Be Giants (1992)

1967: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading: 14

1977: Wreckless Eric: 11

1979: Good Times EP: 9

1980: Xanadu EP: 2

1984: The Greatness And Perfection Of Love EP: 7

1990: Wash Your Face In My Sink EP: 10

1992: Apollo 18: 16

1993: Six Wheels On My Wagon: 1

1993: Terence Trent D'Arby's Symphony Or Damn: 3

1993: Volume Seven: 6

1997: Miss Modular EP: 4

2000: Whoa, Nelly!: 15

2010: Allez Pop!: 5

2020: Happy EP: 8

2023: Vitamin D / Oven Ready EP: 13

2024: Steve (A Weekend In Egham, 1996): 12

#HappyMusicVolumeOne (59:11) (GD) (M)

After All These Years, Audrey Is Still A Little Bit Partial

Side 1 of an Andrew Weatherall compilation, recorded 8th December 1996.

Dusting off and representing Dubhed selections yesterday brought the sobering revelation that I posted Side 2 of the Audrey Is A Little Bit Partial mixtape on 17th February 2022 and then promptly forgot to follow up with the other side.

So, three years and two days later, here's the opening side to complete the set.

Given the year of recording, this C90 is very firmly rooted in the early to mid-1990s, with a heavy emphasis on Andrew's music with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns as The Sabres Of Paradise. 

Four of the five tracks on this side are remixes of other artists, with a solitary Sabres song to round things off. Edge 6 was originally a B-side on the Theme EP, getting a promotion when Sabresonic II, a substantial overhaul of The Sabres Of Paradise's debut album, was released in 1995.

The remixes take the original songs on a long journey, the destination largely unrecognisable from the starting point. 

I first discovered the remix of Give Me Some Love by Love Corporation, aka Edward Ball of The Times, on a Creation label compilation and it's ten minutes of chiming chug-before-chug is one of Andrew's finest moments. 

Always delivering value for money, Andrew, Jagz and Gary delivered three remixes of Conquistador to Espiritu in 1993. I've gone for Mix No. 2, at just under eight minutes the shortest of the lot, but not lesser in any other respect. This one is from vinyl and the only one of the three not to get a CD/digital release, as far as I'm aware, so please excuse the added crackles and pops.

I'd never heard anything by Irish band Bumble before - or, to be honest, after - I picked up a 12" of their single West In Motion for the sole reason that the label stated that it included an Andrew Weatherall mix (one of two, in fact, with a different remix on the CD single). The other mixes on the 12" are so-so but Weatherall's is worth the price alone, twelve minutes of shivery, spooky spaced out grooves.

I've featured The Sabres Of Paradise remix of Brixton by Renegade Soundwave before, when I created a Dubhed selection of their own music. I love RSW's original and dub versions, but this is the business: nine minutes of incessant, propulsive loops built around a sample of Gary Asquith stating, "I'm checking out her rhythms". Great stuff.

1) Give Me Some Love (Remix By Andrew Weatherall): Love Corporation (1991)
2) Conquistador (Sabres Of Paradise Mix No. 2): Espiritu (1993)

3) West In Motion (Andrew Weatherall Mix): Bumble (1992)

4) Brixton (Sabres Of Paradise Mix): Renegade Soundwave (1995)

5) Edge 6: The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)

Side One (45:40) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two here

El Dia De Los Muertos

Side 1 of a cassette compilation featuring Espiritu, recorded 27th July 1997, with Saint Etienne on Side 2.

Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones was the subject of my third ever contribution to the Imaginary Compilation Album series at The Vinyl Villain, posted on 26th November 2020. The ICA focused on Vanessa's wider career, but all of the Espiritu songs featured there appear on this selection too. I'll skip the Espiritu bio as it's pretty much covered in the ICA.

This compilation of singles, B-sides and remixes was pretty hot off the press; the single You Don't Get Me, which provides the closing two songs here, was released on 7th July 1997.

 

Vanessa's had an interesting and varied career since, not least with Vanessa & The O's (with James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins) and as a solo artist, her 2020 album Voodoo Girl providing some welcome sunshine during lockdown and making an appearance in my end of year 'best of'.

1) Man Don't Cry (Album Version) (1997)

2) Bonita Mañana (7" Version) (1994)

3) Always Awake (Back To Mono Mix By Espiritu) (1997)

4) Conquistador (7" Radio Edit By Phil Harding & Ian Curnow) (1993)

5) Manifesto #1 (Single Version) (1993)

6) Baby I Wanna Live (Album Version) (1997)

7) No Crèo Mas (Demo) (1993)

8) Los Americanos (Single Version) (1993)

9) Francisca (Original Mix) (1992)

10) Another Life (Album Version) (1997)

11) You Don't Get Me (Album Version) (1997)

1992: Francisca EP: 9

1993: Conquistador EP: 4, 7

1993: Los Americanos EP: 5, 8

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 2

1997: Another Life: 1, 6, 10, 11

1997: You Don't Get Me EP: 3, 10, 11

El Dia De Los Muertos (46:32) (KF) (Mega)

Whatever Lurks In Your Mind

Side 1 of a mixtape, compiled October 1996 and featuring Secret Knowledge aka Kris Needs and Wonder Schneider.

 

I posted the previous side of this cassette compilation back in January, so it seems only right that the flip side appears as I again find myself in need of some bangers to blast away the cold, dark wintry days.

Side 1 starts as Side 2 ended, with One Dove and the wonderful vocals of Dot Allison. Why Don't You Take Me originally appeared on the soundtrack to the film Shopping, starring Sadie Frost, Jude Law and Sean Pertwee.

 

Dave Ball and Richard Norris aka The Grid get a thorough rinsing from Kris. It was only when researching this post that I realised to my surprise and delight that Diablo's Spanish vocals are provided by none other than Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones, who is long overdue a Dubhed selection of her own.

 

Nan Vernon used to perform with Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys and released one album and a clutch of singles on his Anxious label. Elvis Waits... was the last of these and features great remixes from Kris Needs and Steve B-Zet/Recycle Or Die. These days, Nan is better known for her film and TV soundtrack work, including Guardians Of The Galaxy, Bates Motel and Rob Zombie's Halloween.

Morgan Fisher first came to prominence in Mott The Hoople and has gone on to carve a varied and individual musical path. Humtone #4 was a one-off 12" single released on Cherry Red's dance spin-off label, MFF, in 1994 with a Kris Needs remix up front on the A-side.

 

Delta Lady was a side project for Kris and Wonder in 1993/94, releasing two singles on Leftfield's Hard Hands label, Swamp Fever and Anything You Want, the latter closing out this selection. Neil Barnes & Paul Daley join Kris on the mix for this belting remix, eleven and a half minutes of club dub to bring things to a satisfying conclusion.

 

I have had to tweak the tracklist for this recreation. The original cassette featured the six-minute Volume Vocal Mix of Anything You Want, which featured on the Volume Seven and Wasted: The Best Of Volume compilations in 1993 and 1995 respectively. 

 

The mixtape then finished off with Nuttin' Dub, a version of Too Much Of Nuttin' from Secret Knowledge's album, So Hard. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find my copy of The Serious Road Trip CD which features the dub and the album vocal version just wasn't a good fit.

 

So, I've removed the final track and included the Delta Dub Charge remix of Anything You Want. I didn't own this back in 1996 but if I had, I may well have gone for this version instead. 

 

I hope this goes some way to banishing the November blues and sets you up nicely for the weekend.

 

1) Why Don't You Take Me (Secret Knowledge Remix): One Dove (1993)

2) Diablo (Secret Knowledge Atomic Bidet Mix): The Grid ft. Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (1995)

3) Elvis Waits... (Secret Knowledge Aaron Mix): Nan Vernon (1994)

4) Humtone #4 (Sea Diver Mix By Kris Needs): Morgan Fisher (1994)

5) Anything You Want (Delta Dub Charge) (Remix By Kris Needs & Leftfield): Delta Lady (1993)

Side One (45:30) (GD) (M)

Side Two here

Oh Gosh, Oh Gosh, I'm Juliette Binoche!

Another in my occasional series of song selections named after an actor's films, Juliette Binoche follows in the footsteps of Faye Dunaway and Elizabeth Taylor.

At first, a tougher call than you might think. I mean, who on Earth would record songs called The English Patient, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being or Three Colors: Blue (or Red or White, for that matter)?

Thankfully, there were plenty of other selections to encompass her debut, 1983's Liberty Belle right up to this year's Fire, the latest film by Claire Denis and one that is unlikely to be screening at my nearest cinemas which are currently dominated by Tom effing Cruise.

Perfect timing, with Kate Bush securing her first UK #1 in ages with Running Up That Hill, that her debut single gets a look in here, still as stunning now as when I heard it as a 7 year old. This is followed by Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones, better known in the 1990s as Espiritu, with the only French language song in this selection. A bit of cheat here as Juliette Binoche starred in 2005's singular Caché, but I'm pretending that it was so good that I watched it twice...

 

Juliette is mentioned in the Earthling song 1st Transmission, which also provides today's post title. In a nice touch, the album version and remixes by Plunderphonics and Portishead name check a different location, taking in Ilford, Bombay, Stokes Croft in Bristol and, in the version featured here, stopping off at Woodstock.

 

Diamond Hoo Ha Men and The Magnetic North are both aliases/side projects for other artists. The former are better known as two thirds of Supergrass and this grungier version popped up on the Bad Blood single in 2008. The Magnetic North are a trio comprising Erland Cooper, Hannah Peel and Simon Tong, remixed here to atmospheric effect by White Label, another trio including Steve Aungle, who worked with the late Billy MacKenzie and has done much to keep his musical legacy alive.

 

Quite an eclectic selection again, which includes arguably Binoche's career nadir Damage - the Yo La Tengo song is much better - and several songs that I could easily imagine being used in a film soundtrack, assuming they haven't already. This one's a keeper.

1) Chocolat: Cornershop (1997)

2) Liberty Belle (Remix By Mario Caldato Jr): Super Furry Animals (2004)

3) Wuthering Heights (Album Version): Kate Bush (1978)

4) Cache Cache: Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (2020)

5) 1st Transmission (Acoustlick) (Remix By Plunderphonics): Earthling (1994)

6) Bad Blood (DHHM Version): Diamond Hoo Ha Men (2008)

7) Let The Sunshine In (Recorded Live @ Maida Vale Studios For Lamacq Live On Radio 1, 4th October 2002) (Cover of The 5th Dimension): Badly Drawn Boy (2002)

8) High Life (White Label Remix By Steve Aungle, Anth Brown & Tom Doyle): The Magnetic North (2017)

9) Rendez-Vu (Album Version): Basement Jaxx (1999)

10) Fire: Black Pumas (2018)

11) Damage: Yo La Tengo (1997)

12) Paris: The Anchoress (2021)

1978: The Kick Inside: 3 

1994: 1st Transmission EP: 5

1997: I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One: 11

1997: When I Was Born For The 7th Time: 1

1999: Remedy: 9

2002: All Possibilities EP: 7

2004: Phantom Phorce: 2

2008: Bad Blood EP (by Supergrass): 6 

2017: Borrowed Voices (by White Label): 8

2018: Black Pumas: 10

2020: Voodoo Girl: 4

2021: The Art Of Losing: 12

Oh Gosh, Oh Gosh, I'm Juliette Binoche! (43:27)

Heavenly Weatherall

I returned late from work to find this pair of beauties dropped through my letter box: the Heavenly Remixes collection, volumes 1-4 on CD, 41 tracks in all for a bargain price. 

 

Volumes 1&2 provide a brief history of Heavenly remixes 1990-2020, from Moonflowers' Get Higher/Get Dubber to Graham Massey's remix of Working Men's Club.

Volumes 3&4 follows pretty much the same timeline, subtitled Andrew Weatherall Volume 1&2, featuring 16 of The Guv'nor's finest, from Heavenly's very first release The World According To Sly & Lovechild  through to 2019's remix of Devils Angels by Unloved (aka David Holmes and friends.

 

Each volume is also available as double vinyl set; great value but at nearly £100 for the lot, a little out of my reach. Several of the tracks are available for the first time in each respective format, so a tempting offer whichever format you prefer.

I've not had a chance to fully absorb each set or upload the fresh digital versions, so today's selection is a sampler from both, using (in some cases inferior quality) versions that I already own. Needless to say, the parent collections will be dominating this weekend's playlist.

 

1) Finally (Time & Space Machine Re-Edit By Richard Norris) (Cover of Ce Ce Peniston): Cherry Ghost (2010)

2) Gandhi (Andy Weatherall Remix II): Le Corps Mince De Françoise (2010)

3) Los Americanos (Mother Mix): Espiritu (1993)

4) Out The Window (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Confidence Man (2018)

5) Filthy (Monkey Mafia Vocal Mix By Jon Carter): Saint Etienne ft. Q-Tee (1996)

6) Compulsion (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Doves (2008)

Heavenly Weatherall (43:12)
 

Buy Heavenly Remixes volumes 1-4 on Bandcamp

Beautiful Morning

After what seems like weeks of constant rain, I've woken up to a bright, beautiful morning, misty air mixing with the sleep dust in my eyes to create a hazy, lazy start to the day with the promise of a fantastic day ahead. What else in that case to celebrate the dawn but Espiritu's Bonita Mañana? Okay, I'm in rural Gloucestershire, not Brazil, but you get the gist.

 

I am a big fan of Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones, who has gone on to release some fabulous French pop albums, including one of 2020's highlights, Voodoo Girl. Vanessa's Facebook page contains a great Bio strapline, which translates as "Two ways of seeing your life. One to be blind to everything and the other to be awakened to the great All." I think we can all get with that.

 

Here's a cheeky little re-edit of Bonita Mañana that I gaffa taped together over a cup of camomile tea this morning. Nothing fancy, just keeps the vibe going a little bit longer. Happy Sunday everyone, particularly those kicking a ball around a football pitch this evening.

 

Bonita Mañana (Dormida En Brasil Re-Edit By Khayem) (2021)
 

30 From 20

A selection of music that made 2020 that little bit brighter...

Scars III: The Affectionate Punch ft. The Vinyl Villain & The Additions

March Violets: Andrew Weatherall

Whole New Mess: Angel Olsen 

Maker (Acoustic Version): Anjimile 

Mariana Trench: Bright Eyes 

The Patron Saint Of The Lost Cause: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler 

Party 4 U: Charli XCX

Conquer Virus: David Harrow

Music Shall Live: Denise Sherwood ft. Lee 'Scratch' Perry

Boogie Removal Machine (The Cult vs. Earth, Wind & Fire vs. Madonna): Go Home Productions

Wishing Well: Green Gartside

The Crack: Goat Girl

That Ain't No Way To Make A Million: Julian Cope 

Remembering: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Crystallise: Keleketla! ft. Yugen Blakrok & Tamar Osborn

Corner Of My Sky: Kelly Lee Owens ft. John Cale & Michael Sheen

Hydroharmonia (Episode 1): Kelsey Lu 

Song For Our Daughter (Tiny Desk (Home) Concert): Laura Marling 

Bittersweet (Tiny Desk (Home) Concert): Lianne La Havas

Flux: Luke Abbott 

Witness: Lyra Pramuk

Trust Fades: Nine Inch Nails

90% Of Me Is You: Prince Fatty ft. Shniece McMenamin & Monkey Jhayam

Don't Believe: The Psychedelic Furs 

Sudden Awareness Of Now: Rival Consoles

Murphy's Law (Acoustic) (Live @ Home): Róisín Murphy

Yankee And The Brave (Ep.4): Run The Jewels 

The Knife (Barry Adamson Mix): Saint Severin

All That (Live In Isolation): Sparks

99 Problems / Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans (Jay-Z vs. The Smashing Pumpkins): Spose

Voodoo Girl: Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones  

 

And here's a hour long slipshod mix featuring 20 of 'em:

20 From 20 (DJ Mix) (1:02:11)

5(1)@50: 50 Revolutions Per Minute: 1970-2020

1970 - Double Barrel: Dave & Ansel Collins

1971 - Move On Up (Full Length Version): Curtis Mayfield

1972 - Satellite Of Love (Album Version By David Bowie & Mick Ronson): Lou Reed

1973 - Dance With The Devil: Cozy Powell

1974 - Emma: Hot Chocolate

1975 - Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2) (Album Version): The Isley Brothers

1976 - Disco Inferno (Edit By Khayem): Trammps

1977 - I Feel Love (12" Version By Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte): Donna Summer

1978 - Shot By Both Sides (Single Version): Magazine

1979 - Twat (Live): John Cooper Clarke

1980 - Twist And Crawl (12" Version): The Beat

1981 - The Sound Of The Crowd (Complete) (12" Version): The Human League

1982 - Forever Now (Album Version By Todd Rundgren): The Psychedelic Furs

1983 - Rip It Up (The Intermediate Edit): Orange Juice

1984 - "It's One Louder, Isn't It?”: Spinal Tap

1985 - Raspberry Beret (LP Version): Prince & The Revolution

1986 - Summer Of Love (Single Edit By Shep Pettibone): The B-52’s

1987 - Just Like Heaven (Remix By Bob Clearmountain): The Cure

1988 - Voodoo Ray (Original Mix): A Guy Called Gerald

1989 - W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix): Happy Mondays

1990 - Loaded (Andrew Weatherall Mix): Primal Scream

1991 - 101 (Sonic Shuffle) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicholson): Finitribe

1992 - Fallen (Nancy & Lee Mix By Andrew Weatherall & One Dove): One Dove

1993 - What Godzilla Said To God When His Name Wasn't Found In The Book Of Life (Home Demo): American Music Club

1994 - Becoming More Like God (Radio Edit): Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart ft. Anneli Drecker

1995 - Planet Telex (Album Version): Radiohead

1996 - Les Yper-Sound (Album Version): Stereolab

1997 - Dry The Rain (Single Version): The Beta Band

1998 - Feelings: Leila ft. Donna Paul

1999 - Les Nuits (Album Version): Nightmares On Wax

2000 - The Time Is Now (Full Length Version): Moloko

2001 - Paths (Future Sound Of London 'Cosmic Jukebox' Remix Edit): Robert Miles ft. Nina Miranda

2002 - Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III (Album Version): Cornershop

2003 - New New York: Tes

2004 - Shut Up, Let's Hook Up (GHP Pink Gees Unclean Mix By Go Home Productions): Jason Downs

2005 - No Reason To Cry: The Go-Betweens

2006 - Petrococadollar: Scritti Politti

2007 - Revival: Soulsavers ft. Mark Lanegan

2008 - I Heard Wonders (Album Version): David Holmes

2009 - Sunlamp Show (Disco Bloodbath Effect): The Aliens

2010 - Kiss Kiss Kiss (Acoustic Version): Martina Topley-Bird

2011 - Pure Imagination Part 1: Darwin Deez

2012 - Picking Up The Pieces (Khayem's Lonely In Your Nightmare Remix): Paloma Faith

2013 - Golden Years (Luxxury Edit): David Bowie

2014 - GMF (Live In Concert): John Grant ft. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

2015 - Ding Ding Sa: Sa Dingding

2016 - Lush Life (Dancehall Remix): Zara Larsson ft. Tinie Tempah

2017 - Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me) (Album Version): Sparks

2018 - Curse Of The Contemporary: LUMP

2019 - The Return: Sampa The Great ft. Alien, Jace XL, Thando Sikwila & Whosane

2020 - La Bande A Papa: Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones

 

50 Revolutions Per Minute (4:05:29)