...or, Slade Saturday, if you haven't already twigged from the picture.
For years, I've barely had half a dozen Slade songs in my collections, including a few of the obvious ones and of course that Xmas single. However, it was Miles Out To Sea (from 1974's Old New Borrowed And Blue) popping up again recently on a random shuffle that prompted me to finally have a crash course in Slade's music. This has come via the 4CD behemoth The Slade Box, an 84-track journey from 1969 to 1991. Which, ironically, doesn't include Miles Out To Sea...
I've only had a brief run through during my daily commute to work this week but bloody hell, it's good and admittedly much better than I was perhaps expecting. And it's loud, in a very satisfying way. I was only really familiar with their 1970s glam material so it's been a pleasant surprise to see how Slade navigated the punk years, took a detour into Van Halen territory in the 1980s and somehow found a new popularity (albeit briefly) at the start of the 1990s.
Today's selection is a C90-friendly trawl through a baker's dozen of Slade songs. I've narrowed the focus to 1970-1985, with roughly half the songs from their imperial period of 1973-1974. It's very much a 'first impression' compilation as I've only heard the majority of songs for the first time this week, but it works for me.
This will be played loud at Casa K...well, at least until Mrs. and Lady K tell me to turn that racket down and go do something useful.
1) Don't Tame A Hurricane (1983)
2) Cum On Feel The Noize (1973)
3) One Way Hotel (1970)
4) Miles Out To Sea (1974)
5) Ruby Red (1981)
6) Little Sheila (1985)
7) Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite (1973)
8) Far Far Away (1974)
9) How Does It Feel? (1974)
10) It's Alright Buy Me (1978)
11) Night Starvation (1981)
12) Burning In The Heat Of Love (1977)
13) When The Lights Are Out (1974)
1970: Play It Loud: 3
1973: Cum On Feel The Noize EP / Sladest: 2
1973: Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me EP: 7
1974: Old New Borrowed And Blue: 4, 13
1974: Slade In Flame: 8, 9
1977: Burning In The Heat Of Love: 12
1978: Rock 'N' Roll Bolero EP: 10
1981: Till Deaf Do Us Part: 5
1981: We'll Bring The House Down: 11
1983: My Oh My EP: 1
1985: Rogues Gallery : 6
Still Crazee After All These Years... (45:45) (Box) (Mega)
Today's
selection revisits the territory of last November's Scarlet Villagers post, in that it's another dive into a CD-R of ripped albums gifted by my friend John circa early 2010. Titled Stuff, the package contained three discs of, well, stuff, some of which I hadn't heard before.
I've
pulled together a 10-track selection from disc 2, running order is exactly the same as how the albums were presented on
the CD-R, with the exception of opening artist Bat For Lashes, who returns to provide the closing track. All of the songs date from 2009, apart from the Regina Spektor song, from 2002 but presented to me on Stuff via her 2005 compilation Mary Ann Meets The Gravediggers And Other Short Stories.
I was already familiar with - and a fan of - Ladyhawke and Sébastien Tellier, less familiar with Regina Spektor but liked what I'd heard. All in all, it was a pretty solid collection and I hope the selection gives a flavour of this and encourages you to dig out your own copies of the albums, or hunt them down if you don't have them.
As before, John's
self-produced sleeve only hints at the very talented comic artist and letterer that he is.
1) Pearl's Dream (Album Version): Bat For Lashes (2009)
2) Everything's Big: Here We Go Magic (2009)
3) Musician, Please Take Heed: God Help The Girl (2009)
4) Heads Up: Karen O & The Kids (2009)
5) Dusk Till Dawn (Album Version): Ladyhawke (2008)
6) Consequence Of Sounds: Regina Spektor (2002)
7) Look: Sébastien Tellier (2008)
8) The Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone): The Decemberists (2009)
9) Climate: The Invisible (2009)
10) Siren Song (Album Version): Bat For Lashes (2009)
Four variations on The Robots today, by electro pioneers Kraftwerk.
As commented on by my fellow travellers in the blogosphere, stats for this blog dropped off dramatically (but stayed at a consistent level) in 2023 after what appeared to be an incredible (and implausible) peak in 2022. All of which led me to suspect that the majority of my visitors were of the non-human variety.
This month, it seems that the bots are back. In the first seven days of this month, my stats have pretty much match (and will today surpass) what the blog managed for the whole of May.
To everyone that visits here, whether you've recently discovered this blog, or have joined at various points since I started all this in 2020 and have offered kind words of appreciation, encouragement (and correction, where frequently needed) and shared some frankly brilliant anecdotes, I'd like to say thanks, it really means a lot.
I never imagined that, when I put out a "50@50" selection in December 2020 that I'd still be doing this but here I am, 788 posts later.
In a bid to embrace the bots too, The Robots (or Die Roboter, to give the song it's proper German title) seems like the perfect choice.
Starting off with the original video from May 1978, followed by a performance on German TV show Rock-Pop the previous month, a June 1991 update to accompany The Mix album (which finally gave the single a UK Top 20 hit) and lastly, bang up to date with a live performance from the Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico City on 30th May 2023. All fantastic, of course.
One of those posts where the title pretty much says it all. Today's Dubhed Dozen features songs (and one artist) with either 'finger' or 'thumb' in the title. Sometimes, that's the extent of my thought process...!
I wasn't short on choices though and I like some of the unusual bedfellows that spring from these 'themed' selections. I mean, I don't think you're going to find another mix today that has an opening salvo of His Bobness, electronic duo Spooky, rap rascals Beastie Boys and Neil Young and Crazy Horse. I think it works, but you'll be the judge of that.
I detoured from the theme to include Stiff Little Fingers because, I mean, why not? Apologies to Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers though, who just missed out in the final shortlist. Another time, Larry, another time.
Julian Cope of course has a song for every occasion and theme and today is no exception. Dubhed stalwart Andrew Weatherall could also have made the cut with a remix of a song by Jonny Halifax, in his day job as Honkeyfinger. Sadly, another one that didn't make the final 12 although it did pop up in one of my Weatherall mixes back in May 2021.
After a (mostly) guitar-driven run, Jenny Hval brings some calm and class and one might think a fitting close to proceedings. But no, I have to go and take the piss by bolting on a mash-up of The Beach Boys and a 1980s TV ad theme. Thanks (or insults) to Mark Vidler aka Go Home Productions, this may have been the song's sole opportunity to make an appearance on this blog so of course I had to do it.
1) Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues: Bob Dylan (1965)
2) Fingerbobs (Album Version): Spooky (1996)
3) Finger Lickin' Good (Government Cheese Mix): Beastie Boys (1992)
4) Powderfinger (Live): Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1978)
5) Soul Finger (Alternative Version) (Cover of The Bar-Kays): Dexys Midnight Runners (1981)
6) Sore Thumb: Fujiya & Miyagi (2008)
7) Alternative Ulster: Stiff Little Fingers (1978)
8) Disposable Thumbs: Endless Boogie (2021)
9) The Air Near My Fingers: The White Stripes (2003)
10) She's Got A Ring On Her Finger (& Another One Through Her Nose): Julian Cope (2005)
11) Thumbsucker: Jenny Hval ft. Félicia Atkinson (2019)
12) Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have A Finger Of Fudge?: Go Home Productions (2008)
Dreadzone celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Initially a duo of Greg Roberts (Big Audio Dynamite) and Tim Bran (who I knew of from his work with Julian Cope as Branno Of Gwernsey), Greg has remained the constant through three decades, along with former BAD bassist Leo Williams, who joined early on.
The Dreadzone collective has seen an impressive number of people over the years, some briefly, some for a longer journey: Earl Sixteen, Alison Goldfrapp, MC Spee as well as former BAD compadres Dan Donovan, Mick Jones and Don Letts. The current line up for the 30th anniversary live shows is Greg Roberts, Leo Williams, Earl Sixteen, Bazil aka James Bainbridge and Blake Roberts (Greg's son).
I saw Dreadzone at the Bristol Community Festival aka Ashton Court Festival in July 1995. Sadly, none of the dates on their recent "Part 1" tour were relatively nearby but I'd be tempted to see them if "Part 2" offers up some accessible locations.
A new album will be landing this year. In the meantime, here's an hour-long selection of Dreadzone tracks and remixes to whet your appetite.
Older and Dubwiser indeed.
1) Zion Youth (Dreadzone Mix): Dreadzone (1995)
2) Gangster (She Is Danger Remix By Lena Cullen & Maya Jane Coles): Dreadzone (2010)
3) Lookee Here (Dreadzone Remix): Transglobal Underground ft. Natacha Atlas & Heitham Al-Sayed (1994)
4) The Good The Bad And The Dread (The Bad) (Remix By Tim Bran): Dreadzone ft. Alison Goldfrapp (1993)
5) Video Games (Lana Dub Rey) (Dreadzone Remix): Lana Del Rey (2012)
Released at the tail end of June 1984, Come Back by The Mighty Wah! took 5 weeks to penetrate the UK Singles Top 30, spending 4 weeks there (with a peak of #20) before eventually dipping out altogether after 10 weeks in total.
Yes, musically it sounds very much of it's time, the sweeping ambition of the song somewhat constrained by the production budget and slightly awkward video. But in many respects that makes me love it even more. In an alternative universe, this song was full on orchestral, Pete Wylie took it to #1 for six weeks and was lauded for adding another timeless classic to the Great British songbook.
A special mention to Josie Jones, fabulous hair and all, who sadly departed in March 2015.
Down by the docks the talking turned: "As some are striving to survive, the others thrive" (Reaching the realm of no return) "I don't want charity, just half a chance and it's all up to you, yes it's all up to you" Come Back! I'm willing to try Come Back! Don't let time go by Come Back! The will to survive Come Back Come Back! With time on my hands Come Back! I'm making a stand Come Back! To kill or to cure Come Back! To god-given leisure Well did you ever hear of hope? (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!) A small belief can mean you'll never walk alone And did you ever hear of faith? Encouragement! Development! And it's all to you! Yes, it's all to you! Come Back! I'm willing to try Come Back! Don't let time go by Come Back! The will to survive Come Back Come Back! With time on my hands Come Back! I'm making a stand Come Back! To kill or to cure Come Back! To god-given leisure Come Back! With time on my hands Come Back! I'm making a stand Come Back Come Back! I'm willing to try Come Back! Don't let time go by Come Back! The will to survive's Come Back! I'm begging you please Come Back! Now I'm making my stand Come Back! With time on my hands Come Back! Time to kill or to cure And hats off to Hatton!!!
On Friday night, I spent an evening at The Forum in Bath in the company of Dr. John Cooper Clarke and Mike Garry. JCC has been busy on the South West circuit in the past 12 months: I missed two opportunities to see him perform in 2022, one solo in Cheltenham, the other as 'support' for Squeeze at this very venue in Bath. No way was I going to miss a third chance to see the man for the first time on stage.
On my last visit to The Forum in October 2022 to see Angel Olsen, I entered a cycle of hell trying to find a parking spot and ended up missing a chunk of the support act. I was determined not to let that happen this time. Aside from a kerfuffle with an obstinate car park ticket machine, I made good time and was in my seat in the Upper Circle around 7.15pm. I had a good view of the stage and looked forward to the evening ahead.
The pre-show music turned out to be a selection of songs, with the occasional link, DJ-style, by the good Doctor himself. The Upper Circle was looking alarmingly empty as the sounds of Mike Garry and Joe Duddell's St Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H Wilson piped through the PA. And then, bang on 8pm, as the music ended, Mike Garry walked on to the stage.
I'll confess that, beyond the above song and superlative reviews of his performances by Swiss Adam over at Bagging Area, I'm not familiar with Mike Garry's poetry. I deliberately avoided watching any clips on YouTube as I wanted the experience of seeing and hearing everything for the first time.
I'm not sure exactly how long Mike was on stage - at a guess, around 45 minutes - but I was completely focused from the moment he opened his mouth. Unexpectedly - well, for me at least, having not seen him perform, the set was poems interspersed with anecdotes and commentary...and singing. It all works beautifully and seamlessly, Mike making use of the stage, wandering around, his voice drifting in and out depending on his proximity to the mike stand but not a single word or note missed or wasted.
By coincidence, Swiss Adam also saw Mike perform last week in Stockport and he writes about our similar experiences with an eloquence that I will struggle to match. Where the shows differed was with the audience. "There's no need to ask people to be quiet while he's on", writes Adam, "everyone is silent while he speaks and sings." Sadly, not the case with the Bath crowd.
At one point, Mike stops to address the stewards. "Excuse me, can you tell the people in the bar to shut the fuck up or come in to hear some poetry?"
It's symptomatic of a far-from-full venue - I can't see the stalls but Mike also comments on the empty front row(s) ("They've only come to see John Cooper Clarke") - and people who are more interested in schmoozing in The Forum's bar, that many have perhaps only come along tonight just to say "they were there" and have no interest in the either the poet or the performer. Ironically, John Cooper Clarke will again comment on the still-empty front row(s) later in the show.
Their loss. For those who bothered to turn up, Mike Garry delivers a compelling, astounding performance, his ability to change rhythm and pace, from spoken word to storytelling to song woven so seamlessly that it feels like it's all part of the same narrative. Which it is, of course. As Mike returns to St Anthony, I wish he was only half way through his set and not at the end, closing with the wonderful What My Ma Taught Me. No other word for it, he was superb.
Some rather more attentive soul has posted Mike's setlist online.
1) Spring Tides
2) Think About It
3) Penny For A Guy
4) Signify
5) Pay As You Go
6) Son
7) St Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H Wilson
8) What My Ma Taught Me
After a short break, there is a shuffle back to seats. My view remains largely unimpaired: of the block of twenty-odd seats that I find myself in, barely half of them are occupied, even when Johnny Green, former road manager for The Clash and epitome of OAP cool in thick-rimmed glasses, suit and gravelly voice, walks onstage to announce the headline act.
And then it's John Cooper Clarke's turn. Huge grey cap and matching jacket, pipe cleaner black jeans and shiny black shoes and - of course - shades and jet black long hair erupting from the base of his cap. I'm twenty-odd years younger than Dr. Clarke and wishing I could look half as good.
Like Mike Garry before him, John Cooper Clarke's performance is well honed and a seamless mix of anecdotes, poems and, yes, singing too, his accent intentionally switching between Salford and New York when the moment demands. John unapologetically references the songs, films and TV shows of his youth, giving explanations or context for some, for the benefit of the younger audience members (though, of the still-sparsely occupied Upper Circle, the prevailing hair colour/'style' is white or bald).
Beasley Street is backed and juxtaposed with Beasley Boulevard, 1970s squalor jet washed and demolished to make way for urbane 2020s living, which struck a chord in the "posh" environs of Bath. Mike Garry joked about "paying £400 to park here" tonight. In a previous job, I worked in Bath with people trying to break a cycle of substance misuse, so I see the detox hostels, the night shelters and street homeless that exist side by side with the obscene wealth and waste. These two poems and the way that John performed them really resonated with me.
The biting social commentary has always existed alongside humour and the Doctor is a very, very funny man, his stories and preludes littered with groan-inducing one-liners. He's also entertains with poetry form and structure, including half a dozen Haikus, all brilliant.
The 'hits' are saved for the end, inevitably closing with Evidently Chickentown, before leaving the stage to rapturous applause. The stage is empty for what seems like barely a minute before John Cooper Clarke is back. "I was gonna milk it", he tells us, ‘but there were stairs involved."
And so, there is a two-poem encore of perhaps his other most well-known works. A common misconception is that Twat is about Margaret Thatcher. It was written before she became Prime Minister and was focused on another MP - I forget who - but frankly has a timeless relevance to any number of Tory MPs, past or present. John hurtles through the reading at even more breakneck pace than the recordings I'm familiar with, holding the mike out for the audience to deliver the titular last word.
The final words of the night are - perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it's also the title of his autobiography - I Wanna Be Yours. I might be the only one on the planet who hasn't heard Arctic Monkeys' cover version (on their album AM) but like Evidently Chickentown's use in The Sopranos, anything that opens John Cooper Clarke to a new and wider audience can only be a good thing. With that, he says a final farewell, exits the stage and the house lights come back on.
I emerge, blinking into the lively Bath city Friday night, feeling like I want to do it all over again. A brilliant, challenging, hilarious, emotional and mentally nourishing evening. If you have an opportunity to see either - even better, both - then grab it without hesitation.
As above, the setlist was posted online in record time:
1) Hire Car
2) Get Back On Drugs You Fat Fuck
3) The Luckiest Guy Alive
4) Bedblocker Blues
5) Lydia, Girls With An Itch
6) Necrophilia
7) Home, Honey I'm High
8) Beasley Street
9) Beasley Boulevard
10) Haiku #6
11) Haiku #2
12) Haiku #3
13) Haiku #4
14) Haiku #5
15) Haiku #1
16) She's Got A Metal Plate In Her Head
17) I've Fallen In Love With My Wife
18) Evidently Chickentown
(encore)
19) Twat
20) I Wanna Be Yours
So, it wouldn't be a gig review without an accompanying audio selection. As mentioned earlier, I've only got the one Mike Garry performance (with Joe Duddell) and I've included a radio edit of the Andrew Weatherall remix. Do check out the full length versions of the remix and the original, spoken word (YouTube link above).
I only have a few John Cooper Clarke albums too, so I've chucked in a couple of more contemporary performances (including 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown on Channel 4) and a remix of Evidently Chickentown by the dynamic duo Jezebell. All done and dusted in less than half an hour.
1) Evidently Chickentown (Album Version): John Cooper Clarke (1980)
2) She's Got A Metal Plate In Her Head (Live): John Cooper Clarke (2015)
3) Twat (Live): John Cooper Clarke (1979)
4) Get Back On Drugs You Fat Fuck (TV Performance): John Cooper Clarke (2016)
5) Beasley Street (Album Version): John Cooper Clarke (1980)
6) St Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H Wilson (Andrew Weatherall Remix - Radio Edit): Mike Garry & Joe Duddell (2015)
7) Evidently Chickentown (Jezebell's Cold Turkey Edit By Jesse Fahnestock & Darren Bell): John Cooper Clarke (2022)
8) I Wanna Be Yours (Album Version): John Cooper Clarke (1982)
If I Could Have Just One Wish... (26:44) (KF) (Mega)
Today's selection is one of my occasional posts of DJ sets, this time featuring Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood aka Two Lone Swordsmen.
Many of the DJ/radio mixes I've (re)discovered in the past decade or so have been thanks to The Swamp, which continues to be a go to repository of sets old and new sourced from BBC Radio 6 Music, Xfm and the like.
Their 'Haywire In The Chapel' mix dates from 7th May 2004 and, as the title suggests, was broadcast to coincide with their Live At The Double Gone Chapel album. It's a cracking hour-long set (if you ignore the frequent Xfm idents throughout) and a masterclass in mixing.
Enjoy!
1) Crazy Beat: Gene Vincent 2) The Hunch: Paul Gayten 3) 1st Rhapsody For Knives, Forks And Spoons: Central High School Cafeteria Band 4) Ace Of Spades: Link Wray 5) Flash Flood: Vinnie Rogers 6) Motorcross: Logic Circuit 7) The Creeper: The Ventures 8) Who Do You Love?: The Preachers 9) Shape Of Things To Come: Davie Allan & The Arrows 10) Big Black Witchcraft Rock: The Cramps 11) Pocket Racers: Magas] 12) Do The Devil Dance: Tamion 13) Rumble Queen: Goudron] 14) Glue Your Eyelids Together: Adult. 15) Telstar Recovery (Jagz Kooner Instrumental): Echoboy 16) Rebaukendisco: T. Raumschmiere] 17) Tripple Nipple: Angie Reed 18) Nag, Nag, Nag (Richard H. Kirk Remix): Cabaret Voltaire 19) Attack, Attack, Attack: Black Wire 20) Theme From Vicarious Bliss (Justice Remix): Vicarious Bliss 21) Go Check: Ms. John Soda 22) Skamenco: Diska
Reports emerging of a Fun Boy Three selection this Friday.
Wider impact as yet unconfirmed.
Full story from 9.30am GMT.
*** This story has now been updated ***
You can blame thank Charity Chic Music for this one. On Tuesday, CC wrote about his purchase of Summertime by Fun Boy Three on 7" and it being the first time that he's heard their version of this George Gershwin-written classic. As I typing a reply that, in my opinion, the 12" version of Summertime was even better, a seed had already been planted...
So here we are, loosely keeping with my 'summer' theme of the past few days, here is a selection focusing on Fun Boy Three's excursions on the version via the format of the 12" single. They were pretty consistent in this respect, offering up extended takes that veered off into dub-inflected territory on most of their singles.
The only singles that appeared on 12" in unadulterated form (i.e. same as the 7"/album version) were The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum, The Tunnel Of Love and Germany-only release The Farm Yard Connection.
In the late 1980s, when DJs were dusting off and remixing any and every 'old' song they could find, FB3 were no exception, with Dancin' Danny D having a go at album track Faith, Hope & Charity in 1989. It's not included on today's selection but you can listen to it here.
The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum has also proved to be an attractive proposition for 21st century bedroom DJs and a trawl of YouTube will net you a tonne of re-edits and remixes of the song. None as good as the original, of course.
This selection is dedicated to the brilliant Lynval Golding, Neville Staple and of course the peerless and greatly missed Terry Hall. As an additional tribute to the latter, I'm re-posting the previous Terry Hall Imaginary Compilation Albums, previously hosted and co-created by the excellent The Vinyl Villain.
1) The Telephone Always Rings (Extended Version) (1982)
2) Really Saying Something (He Was Really Sayin' Somethin') (Remix By John Luongo): Bananarama ft. Fun Boy Three (1982)
3) Our Lips Are Sealed (Special Remix Version) (1983)
4) The Funrama Theme (Extended Version): Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)
5) The More I See (The Less I Believe) Parts 1 & 2 (?) (1982)
6) Summertime (Extended Version) (Cover Of Abbie Mitchell) (1982)
7) The Alibi (The Station's Full Of Pipes) (12" Version) (1982)
8) T'Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It) / Just Do It (Extended Version) (Cover of Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James & Ella Fitzgerald): Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama (1982)
Feeling hot? Well, here's The Ramsey Lewis Trio with Summer Breeze, which is the may well be the coolest four and a half minutes of your day.
Ramsey is clearly having a whale of a time, lost in the moment, whilst drummer Morris Jennings is a model of restraint - there's a lovely bit at 0:23 that captures this perfectly. However, Cleveland Eaton on double bass deserves a special mention for his absolute commitment to the song and the moment. Whilst seated.
This performance of Summer Breeze was originally transmitted on German TV programme Musik Laden in 1973, the same year that the original version* written and recorded by The Isley Brothers appeared on their album 3+3.
It would therefore be remiss of me not to include The Isley Brothers, here with a rather wonderful version of the song from legendary US TV show Soul Train. Ernie's guitar playing is spot on, his wardrobe a homage to former bandmate Jimi Hendrix.
I wish I could take the day off work just so I could watch these on a continuous loop.
* Neither the original version of course nor written by The Isley Brothers, as the mighty Ernie Goggins has mentioned below. That would be Seals & Crofts in 1972. Following Ernie's link to view the Texan duo in action is highly recommended.
