Celestial Dreams

Side 1 of a mixtape labelled "The Best Of Trance Europe Express" and compiled sometime in 1998.

Trance Europe Express was an off-shoot of the Volume book/magazine/CD series, focusing on (as you may have guessed from the title) electronic music. Trance Europe Express released five 2CD volumes between 1993 and 1997, a total of 120 tracks, most of which were songs or versions unique to the series.

 

The handwritten title on the mixtape is intentionally misleading: this 13-track cassette couldn't hope to be a "best of", as the quality throughout the five volumes remained incredibly high. However, the selected tracks are a good representation of the series as a whole.

Scubadevils was a one-off collaboration between David Holmes and Dub Federation aka Andy Ellison and Pete Latham. A different mix of Celestial Symphony popped up on a split single released in 1993 and will eventually pop up here on an archive David Holmes mixtape. The original mix featured here pips it as the superior version.

 

German duo Resistance D aka Maik Maurice and Pascal Dardoufas had been performing live since 1990, releasing a number of singles and EPs, culminating in second and final album, A Modern World Of Today, in 2001. Pascal sadly passed in May 2020.

 

Zeno Messis and Laggy Pantell released 7 singles and an album as Megalon between 1993 and 1997. Pantell subsequently recorded as Underground Science and Hijacker, although I can't find any further releases after 2018. I've found that Messis has released a steady stream of music as zedmeco, the most recent being May 2022's album, The Pentland Hills, inspired by a move to Scotland. This and other releases are available on Bandcamp and, on a brief listen so far, it's worth further investigation.

Glamorous Hooligan have appeared here previously, in July 2021, as part of a "hip-hop/rap/dancefloor sample-heavy mish-mash" mix CD. This is a slightly different beast, but the influences are still clear. Glamorous Hooligan apparently took their name from the members’ past experiences "running with a local football firm". Being Bradford-based, Google bets are on either The Ointment or Bradford Section Five. Presumably part of the glamour is proudly wearing your lapel badge, available for a tenner on Etsy. And no, I'm not going to provide a link.

 

Bytesize Nuns were an electronic super group, comprising Alex Paterson, Andy Hughes, Nick Burton, Simon Phillips (numerous projects but essentially all The Orb at that time) with Kris Needs (music journo in excelsis and prolific remixer and recording artist as Secret Knowledge and Delta Lady). As far as I can tell, Codpiece was their only release as Bytesize Nuns and exclusive to Trance Europe Express 4.

 

Salt Tank were a particular favourite, a duo of David Gates & Malcolm Stanners. One of my very first - if not the first - online purchases in August 2000 was Head Straight For The Salt Tank Mix, a CD-R compilation of "Salt Tank Remixing Trax" limited to 50 copies, produced & sold through the official Salt Tank website. A copy is currently going on Discogs for £120.00, not including P&P. It's good, but not worth that much, as most of the tracks are available in other formats and probably for a lot less. There's a great, unreleased mix of Lush by Orbital that may feature here in a future selection. Dreams was the Salt Tank track that started it all for me and a solid end to this side of the mixtape.

 

1) Celestial Symphony (Original Mix By David Holmes & Dub Federation): Scubadevils (1993)

2) Unknown: Resistance D (1995)

3) Symbols: Megalon (1994)

4) Breakin' Knees (Revenge Of The 23 Stone Bodypopper): Glamorous Hooligan (1997)

5) Codpiece (Trouser Torpedo Mix): Bytesize Nuns (1995)

6) Dreams: Salt Tank (1994)

 

1993: Trance Europe Express: 1

1994: Trance Europe Express²: 3, 6

1995: Trance Europe Express 3: 2 

1995: Trance Europe Express 4: 5

1997: Trance Europe Express 5: 4

Side One (46:08) (KF) (Mega)

Fatal Fascination

Today's post is literally Brilliant. Yes, really.  

 

Brilliant were an '80s group that were originally formed after Marcus Myers had auditioned for lead singer with Killing Joke when frontman Jaz Coleman escaped to Iceland. Instead, bassist Youth aka Martin Glover ended up leaving Killing Joke and starting up Brilliant with Myers. The rest of the first line-up of Brilliant is in retrospect pretty impressive: Jimmy Cauty (The Orb, The Timelords, The KLF), Ben Watkins (The Flowerpot Men, Sunsonic, Juno Reactor) and Guy Pratt (Icehouse, Madonna, Bryan Ferry, Pink Floyd and currently performing with Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets). 

Apparently, Brilliant hosted more than 30 members between 1982 and 1986, including Kris Needs (Secret Knowledge, Delta Lady), Stephane Holweck (Total Eclipse, Juno Reactor), Jake Le Mesurier (Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction), Jean-Marie Carroll (The Members) and 'Big' Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke).

 

I first heard Brilliant in their final, more pop-oriented phase, where they had settled into the trio of Youth, Jimmy Cauty and former backing singer, now lead, June Montana. Sadly, despite some great singles, interesting promo videos and numerous TV appearances and a good debut album, this didn't translate into commercial success and Brilliant called it a day in 1986. 

 

This latter period is also notable for the production by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, assisted by Phil Harding. Given their subsequent global domination with their Sausage Hit Factory for pop giants Sonia, Sinitta, The Reynolds Girls and some others I forget, this was a surprising flop but infinitely preferable to much of the pap pop that followed.

 

Amongst my vinyl collection is a lovely double pack 12" single of Love Is War, containing a bonus remix 12" of their cover of James Brown's 1966 classic It's A Man's Man's Man's World. My copy of the main 12" is also a limited edition, including this rather nice large poster:
 

Today's selection is a brief sojourn through Brilliant's pop period, mainly because I don't own that many Brilliant songs and have ripped even fewer. Apologies for any variations in sound quality; no apologies for including two versions of Love Is War in a mere 6-track, 30-minute sampler.

 

1) Somebody (New Extended Mix By Freddy Bastone) (1986)

2) Love Is War (Instrumental) (Remix By Stock, Aitken & Waterman & Phil Harding) (1986)

3) Ruby Fruit Jungle (Single Version) (1985)

4) The Burning Necklace (1986)

5) Love Is War (Alternative 12" Mix By Stock, Aitken & Waterman & Phil Harding)

  (1986)

6) It's A Man's Man's Man's World (The Trans Global Mix By Stock, Aitken & Waterman & Phil Harding) (Cover of James Brown) (1986) 

 

Fatal Fascination (31:47)

 

I couldn't resist including a couple of videos, available on YouTube. The first is Brilliant's promo for Love Is War and a shining example of Youth and Jimmy's guitar choreography.

 

The second is an appearance on Dutch TV show, Pop Sjop, which demonstrates that Youth and Jimmy's synchronised axe moves were not limited to the promos. However, the real star of this clip is the presenter introducing the clip. None more 80s, indeed.

 

 

These Altered States And Altered Bodies Are Telegenic Holy Relics

I'm still trying to take in the fact that Cathal Coughlan has passed. Last week's sad news was a real shock, which reverberated across many of the music blogs that I follow. I posted a celebration of Cathal's music as The Fatima Mansions but, as is often the case in times of loss, it also provided the impetus to finally catch up with his subsequent work.

I'll focus a future post on Cathal Coughlan's last solo album, Song Of Co-Aklan, and companion E.P. Of Co-Aklan, the latter released less than a week before his death on 18th May 2022.

Today is all about Telefís, Cathal's electronic/dance project with producer Jacknife Lee. Of course, being Cathal Coughlan, you inevitably also get the biting satire and acerbic lyrics. I ended up buying the complete Telefís discography available on Bandcamp, including the album a hAon and the Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics EP, both released in March this year.

 

Cathal is no stranger to juxtaposing hard-hitting narratives with dancefloor-friendly rhythms, as remixes of The Fatima Mansions' Blues For Ceausescu, The Loyaliser and Nite Flights will attest.

 

Cathal Coughlan and Garret Lee were apparently working on new Telefís songs prior to Cathal's passing and I hope that there is sufficient material that may make it's way into the world in the future. For now, I'd highly recommend the album and EP releases, including a trio of reworkings of Falun Gong Dancer featuring the mighty Jah Wobble.

Today's selection spotlights Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics, both in it's original album form and as remixed/versioned by Thomas Leer. 

 

Cathal held his promise to Keep Music Evil right to the end. 

 

 

Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics (Album Version): Telefís (2022)

Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics (Thomas Leer Version): Telefís (2022)

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

From the devotional freakout
of Archbishop Beardmouth:
ChemOlympics! ChemOlympics!
Don't call it chemo
These toxins are for fun!
These altered states and altered bodies are telegenic holy relics

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

The common sense
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Raped by events
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Back in your trench
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
The games won't relent, won't relent

 

Culvert, truck-bonnet, crazed mob, crowbars -
We're not going out like poor Muammar
Gollies next to eagles next to crosses
on the aprons of the ungiven tosses

 

We used to be
And we believed
It's plain to see
Toxicology

 

The medals gleam
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
The nostrils steam
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
COPD
(doesn't matter, doesn't matter)
Google, Pepsi, epilepsy!

 

...Doesn't matter, doesn't matter.

 

I've No Prescription For Compromised Solution

The long (jubilee) weekend's over, it's Monday, it's bucketing with rain and I've a long day at work ahead of me. Quite why this made me think of The Auteurs, I have no idea.

 

In 1994, Hut Recordings released The Auteurs vs µ-Ziq EP, where Mike Paradinas took four songs from second album Now I'm A Cowboy and warped the crap out of them. He must have particularly disliked Lenny Valentino, as it was done over three times.

 

Luke Haines reportedly considered The Auteurs vs µ-Ziq his version of Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed, i.e. unlistenable and designed to piss off his label, and mocked the music journalists that gave the EP favourable reviews.

 

Ironically, it was the first 'album' by The Auteurs that I actually bought on first release and I loved it.

 

Underground Movies is a standout on both records, so it makes sense that I'd eventually splice the two together, right? Starting off with the µ-Ziq bastardisation, it jumps into a re-edited intro to an alternative mix that (I think) was released as a promo single in France, before a reprise of the µ-Ziq remix to close, just over nine minutes in all.

 

Underground Movies (Tunnel Vision Re-Edit By Khayem): The Auteurs vs µ-Ziq (2022)

You Brightened Up My Scene With Images Stolen From My Dreams

An all-female vocal selection for this Sunday, featuring several highlights from this year, sprinkled with choice songs from the depths of my collection. 

The selection starts with the song that triggered the idea for this post, dusted off when I was sorting through some CD singles in the attic. Sweetest Child was a one-off single that reached #45 in the UK in August 1992. The song was a collaboration between Youth (DJ, producer & Killing Joke) and Maria McKee (Lone Justice and Top Gun movie chanteuse). The Official Chart Company lists the song as a solo McKee but in fact the sleeve states "featuring Maria McKee" and doesn't actually name the act as Sweetest Child. I've gone with the latter eponymous title for simplicity's sake. I've gone for the effects-adorned accapella here, but I'll showcase one of the other mixes one day, featuring some guitar shredding from the much-missed Robert 'Throb' Young of Primal Scream.

There are a clutch of superlative remixes: Lee 'Scratch' Perry's final creative work for Dot Allison is a winner; Märtini Brös lend an indie edge to fellow Germans Toktok vs. Soffy O.; Kate Simko's beats and strings washes Bishi Bhattacharya's sweet vocals; Scotland is the last stop on the musical tour, White Label remixing a highlight from Jan Burnett's collaborative project, The Grand Gestures, featuring the wonderful voice of Emma Pollock, formerly of The Delgados.

 

A couple of cover versions are featured: Hayley Richman hails from Montreal, Canada and delivers a striking cover of Talk Talk's Life's What You Make It. Catherine Anne Davies, a Welsh artist who records as The Anchoress, similarly has a bold attempt at The Cure's Friday I'm In Love, and I love it. 

 

The selection is mostly downtempo, but includes a few more upbeat numbers. Katy J Pearson hails from my birthplace Bristol, is on the Heavenly label and drops her second album (three, if you count her lockdown mini-album of field recordings) in July. I've pre-ordered on the strength of the three singles released so far, including today's selection Alligator.

Jez from A History Of Dubious Taste recommended Ibibio Sound Machine's latest album, Electricity, and he's right, it's an absolute corker. Eno Williams is a compelling voice and frontperson and with Hot Chip on production duties, it's a winner from start to finish. 

 

I've enthused previously about Yuksek's album, Nosso Ritmo, and this is a standout track featuring Queen Rose. Parental warning: you can probably decipher the song title/acronym G.F.Y. and the F-bomb is dropped liberally throughout. 

 

I had to include a few of my other favourite female artists. Martina Topley-Bird returned last year with a fantastic album, Forever I Wait; for this selection, I've dipped back into her back catalogue for a more obscure B-side from 2003, but no less beautiful. 

 

Lisa Germano first came to my attention via the Inconsiderate Bitch EP on 4AD and Puppet was a standout song. The version featured here is from the earlier US album before Ivo & John Fryer signed up Germano and remixed several songs for the release of Happiness in the UK. 

Last, but by no means least, is Billie Ray Martin with a song from the sublime 4 Ambient Tales EP, produced by The Grid. It was one of her first releases after the demise of Electribe 101 and what's proved to be a substantive and fascinating solo career.

Today's manipulated cover image is a photo of "American left-wing political essayist, journalist, activist, feminist, and pop music critic" Ellen Willis, which I've been wanting to use for a while and seemed spot on as a accompaniment for this selection.

1) Accapella Sweetest Child (Remix By Youth): Sweetest Child ft. Maria McKee (1992)

2) Love Died In Our Arms (Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix): Dot Allison (2022)

3) Modern Woman: Erin Rae (2021)

4) Missy Queen's Gonna Die (Märtini Brös) (Remix By Clemens Kahlcke & Michael Pagliosa): Toktok vs. Soffy O. (2002)

5) Alligator: Katy J Pearson (2022)

6) G.F.Y. (Album Version): Yuksek ft. Queen Rose (2019)

7) 17 18 19: Ibibio Sound Machine (2022)

8) Reflektions (Reworking III) (Remix By Kate Simko): Bishi (2022)

9) Life's What You Make It (Cover of Talk Talk): Hayley Richman (2015)

10) Skyscraper: Martina Topley-Bird (2003)

11) Puppet (Original US Album Version): Lisa Germano (1993)

12) This Road: Denise Sherwood (2022)

13) Friday I'm In Love (Cover of The Cure): The Anchoress (2022)

14) Hearts (Single Version By The Grid aka Dave Ball & Richard Norris): Billie Ray Martin (1993)

15) A Certain Compulsion (Remixed By White Label aka Steve Aungle, Anth Brown & Tom Doyle): The Grand Gestures ft. Emma Pollock (2016)

 

1992: Sweetest Child EP: 1

1993: 4 Ambient Tales EP: 14

1993: Happiness (USA): 11

2002: Missy Queen's Gonna Die EP: 4 

2003: Anything EP: 10

2015: Life's What You Make It EP: 9 

2016: The Grand Gestures Remixed: 15

2019: Nosso Ritmo: 6

2021: Lighten Up: 3 

2022: Electricity: 7

2022: Friday I'm In Love EP: 13

2022: Pay It All Back Vol. 8: 12

2022: Reflektions EP: 8

2022: Sound Of The Morning: 5

2022: The Entangled Remix EP: 2

Images Stolen From My Dreams (57:18)

In researching this post, I ended up revisiting (or in some cases, discovering) the official videos for several songs on YouTube. They're far too good to keep to myself so, following the track list sequencing, here are Sweetest Child ft. Maria McKee, Erin Rae, Toktok vs. Soffy O., Katy J Pearson, Yuksek ft. Queen Rose, Bishi, Hayley Richman and a very unsettling promo for Lisa Germano's Puppet. 

 

If you only have time to watch a couple, then the videos for Erin Rae and Katy J Pearson are recommended.

Jubileever

Back to 1977, from platinum to silver and the first Jubilee that I can remember. I had the commemorative coin from Midland Bank, but I think I'd used it as currency by the early 80s, somewhat indifferent even then towards the monarchy, 

I won't pretend that I was listening to all of this music in 1977 at the age of 6. It was all Blondie, David Soul, Belle Epoque, The Stranglers and Patsy Gallant on Radio 1, usually played in my parents' Austin Maxi; they upgraded to an Austin Allegro a few years later.

My deep love for reggae via Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy and Yabby You came much later, but it was seeded in 1977 with chart hits like Althea & Donna's Uptown Top Ranking. Likewise, disco prevailed with I Feel Love by Donna Summer, Everybody Dance by Chic and not forgetting Meco's cover version of the theme from Star Wars. It's fair to say that I wasn't sufficiently switched on in my primary school years to pick up on John Cooper Clarke, The Clash and John Cale, or John Foxx-era Ultravox, for that matter.

What a bloody great playlist it would have made, though. I'm as excited now by the music as I think I would have been, had I been introduced to it all simultaneously back in 1977. 

I love music, that's all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less, only love.

 

1) One Chord Wonders (Album Version): The Adverts

2) (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear: Blondie

3) Silver Lady: David Soul

4) I Married A Monster From Outer Space (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester, 1-2 October 1977): John Cooper Clarke

5) I Need You (Cover of The Kinks): The Count Bishops

6) Chicken Shit: John Cale

7) Slavemaster: Gregory Isaacs

8) Black Is Black (Single Version) (Cover of Los Bravos): Belle Epoque

9) The Man Who Dies Everyday (Black Sand Extended Edit): Ultravox

10) I'm So Bored With The U.S.A.: The Clash

11) That's What Friends Are For (Single Version) (Cover of Deniece Williams): Janet Kay

12) No More Heroes (Album Version): The Stranglers

13) From New York To L.A. (Single Version): Patsy Gallant

14) Blood A Go Run Down King Street: Yabby You

15) Mr. Bassie (Discomix By Everton Da Silva): Horace Andy

Jubileever (54:25)

The Undisputed King Of Caledonian Cajun Swing

I resisted yesterday's subliminal suggestion from Ernie Goggins* to post a Status Quo selection today (with apologies also to Jez**). Instead, you get Champion Doug Veitch, for my money the better option (with apologies again to Jez).

 

A much later posting today, following yesterday's festivities (my family, not the Royal family) and a slight musical detour that turned out to be rather unnecessary. When I woke up a couple of hours ago, this post still a half-formed thought, the sum total of my Champion Doug Veitch collection was the three 12" singles you see pictured above. I got them all in one go, in a bulk-buy second-hand 12" purchase from Plastic Wax Records in Bristol, many years ago.

However, a quick bit of research revealed that The Original, the 1989 compilation of these and other singles plus a few John Peel session tracks, was available on Apple Music but nowhere else as far as I could tell. I don't buy music from Apple as a rule, although I did have an iTunes gift voucher a long, long time ago. I know this because when I logged on to my Apple account, I was still registered at the Bristol address I left over a decade ago. Anyway, I threw caution to the wind and parted with £7.99 for a download of The Original. Be nice to have a digital copy, I thought, as the part-completed rips of my vinyl are a bit crackly.

It turns out that the Apple Music version of The Original is ripped from an even more crackly vinyl than mine! Buyer beware...

Anyway, I've stuck with the three 12" singles I physically own for today's selection, presenting 6 tracks in 27 minutes, guaranteed to bring some extra sunshine into your life, wherever you are.

 

Margarita is a cover of Trinidadian calypso legend Slinger Francisco aka Mighty Sparrow. There's a great performance of Margarita and Mharajin Sister from 1989's Notting Hill Carnival on YouTube, Mighty Sparrow and band in fine form. 

 

Jumping Into Love is a reworking of Marcia Griffiths' 1968 hit Feel Like Jumping. Cue another fantastic performance at the Rototom Sunsplash festival in Benicasim, Spain in 2019. Marcia was 69 at the time of this show though you'd hardly know it.

 

The Banks Are Made Of Marble was written and recorded by Les Rice in 1950. I don't think I've ever heard the original, though I was vaguely familiar with the song from Pete Seeger's version before I came to this.

One Black Night was original released as a 4-track 12" in 1985. I've instead gone for the Mad Professor remix from the Margarita 12", along with further dub excursions of Jumping Into Love and Margarita to round things off.

 

1) Margarita (12" Mix By Tony McDermott) (Cover of Mighty Sparrow) (1986)

2) Jumping Into Love (Full Length Mix By Tony McDermott & Mad Professor) (1985)

3) Banks Of Marble (Single Version By Tony McDermott) (Cover of Les Rice) (1985)

4) One Black Night (Re-Mix By Mad Professor) (1986)

5) Deep End Version (Full Length Mix By Tony McDermott & Mad Professor) (1985)

6) Margarita (Mix Mescales By Mad Professor) (1986)

 

1985: Jumping Into Love EP: 2, 5

1985: One Black Night EP: 3 

1986: Margarita EP: 1, 4, 6

The Undisputed King Of Caledonian Cajun Swing (27:10)

 

 

 

* An essential visit after this post is the excellent 27 Leggies. I've lost track of how many fantastic artists and sounds from around the globe I've been introduced to via Ernie's posts and today is no exception.

 

** A History Of Dubious Taste is also a permanent fixture on the sidebar to the right. Jez's music selections and musings are always good value and his Friday Night Music Club mixes are inspired.

Octogintennial

Happy 80th birthday, Dad. 

I've recorded various mixtapes over the years to variously appease or expand my Dad's musical tastes, none of which are featured here today. Instead, today's selection is topped and tailed with a song from the year of his birth and the current year, sandwiching 1994, the year that my Dad was 52, the same age that I am now.

This has proved to be quite an enlightening shortlist and an odd tribute insofar as I can pretty much guarantee that my Dad will have hated (and would still hate) every track between #'s 2 to 11. If I'm honest, I don't think he'd be that bothered by The Alabama Singers or Andy Bell either. 

 

Dad's record collection was meagre but introduced me to Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and, for a bit of nostalgia, Glenn Miller. Oh, and he loved a bit of Status Quo. I'm saying all this in the past tense as I don't think he particularly listens to music these days, bar what's on the radio whilst driving or the latest hapless schmuck shuffling onto stage in the latest "talent" show on TV.

 

Dad hated (and probably still hates) Julian Cope's music, especially World Shut Your Mouth, so our musical differences were apparent quite early on. Thinking about what I subjected him to, musically-speaking, at the age of 52 - I temporarily moved back in with my folks between bedsit moves in 1994 - I feel I've got off lightly so far with my daughter, who has yet to subject me to comparable aural challenges.

 

Weather-permitting, we'll be joining other family members today in my parents' back garden celebrating Dad's milestone achievement. If it's pissing down with rain, the party's off and we'll be forming an orderly queue to celebrate indoors in a one-in, one-out basis, a sign of these post-Covid cautionary times with vulnerable loved ones.

 

Happy birthday, Dad, with lots of love...and apologies for subjecting you to my eclectic music taste for at least half of your life so far. There's more to come.

 

1) Jesus Met The Woman At The Well (Cover of traditional song): The Alabama Singers (1942) 

2) Jacob Street 7am: The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)

3) 1st Transmission (Album Version): Earthling (1994)

4) Middle Class Revolt (Album Version): The Fall (1994)

5) Heat Miser (Album Version): Massive Attack (1994)

6) New Dawn Fades (Single Version) (Cover of Joy Division): Moby (1994)

7) Riddimwize (Part II - Re-Assess Your Style) (Remix By Nick Manasseh, Martin Madhatter & Peps): Danny Red (1994)

8) Freak Like Me (Dub Instrumental) (Remix By Mass Order): Adina Howard (1994)

9) Fall (Voyage To The Bottom Of The Dub Remix By Noko 440 aka Norman Fisher-Jones & Stuart Crichton): Single Gun Theory (1994)

10) It's My Mind That Works (Live ISDN Transmission @ The Kitchen, New York): The Future Sound Of London (1994)

11) Dead Eyes Opened (Re-Opened) (Remix By Robert Racic & Kathy Naunton): Severed Heads ft. Edgar Lustgarten (1994)

12) Lifeline: Andy Bell (2022)

 

Octogintennial (54:52)

Here Comes June

How did we get here already?!

 

1) Winter In June: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve ft. Percy Thrower (2007)

2) Seven Days In Sunny June (Album Version): Jamiroquai (2005)

3) June Bug (Album Version By Don Was): The B-52's (1989)

4) Night In June: Autumn (1981)

5) Uncle June And Aunt Kiyoti: Kristin Hersh (1994)

6) June Last Year: Kate Walsh (2009)

7) Wait Until June (Acoustic Demo): The Go-Betweens (1988)

8) Junebug (Cover of Sparklehorse): Cherry Ghost (2007)

9) June 55: SAULT (2022)

10) Flaming June (B&J's Reconstruction) (Cover of BT): Blank & Jones ft. Elles De Graaf (2004)

 

1989: Cosmic Thing: 3 

1994: Your Ghost EP: 5

1996: 16 Lovers Lane Acoustic Demos (Les Inrockuptibles magazine promo CD): 7

2004: A Forest: The EP: 10

2005: Dynamite: 2 

2007: Mathematics EP: 8

2007: West EP: 1 

2009: Light & Dark: 6

2011: Synthesize: 4

2022: Air: 9

 

Here Comes June (40:46)

You Do All The Living While I Do All The Giving

Time for a pelvis workout with Elvis Presley...or at least, you would if the camera operator hadn't deliberately gone for a close up. This is Presley performing Too Much on The Ed Sullivan Show in the USA on 6th January 1957, whilst broadcaster CBS tries to protect the nation from the smouldering, bequiffed sex symbol. 

 

Things get particularly frenzied around the 1:25 mark, when Elvis is swinging those hips (out of shot, natch) and the gallery decides that it can only defuse the situation for TV Land's impressionable youth by cutting to a close up of the guitar player. 

 

Elvis is backed by The Jordanaires, including Hugh Jarrett on the far left of the screen. Poor old Hugh is very quickly cropped from the remainder of the clip, apparently for alleged scene stealing as you can hear his increasingly prominent "Ba Doo" vocal throughout. 

Accordingly to my Apple Music collection, I last played this song on 12th November 2013. Long overdue for another airing then!

 

Too Much (Performed On The Ed Sullivan Show, 6th January 1957): Elvis Presley