Blue Rondo a la Turk were a briefly hip bunch of baggy suited, jazz-funkateers from the early 80s who unwittingly paved the way for the likes of Matt Bianco. I'm not sure I've ever heard anything by them until recently. Jazz-funk was pretty low on my list of interests in 1982, aged 12. And it has been ever since really. They were mainly known to me as the band The Smiths supported at their very first gig at The Ritz and almost every account of The Smiths' rise uses Blue Rondo a la Turk as symbolising the old guard and old ways about to be shoved aside by Morrissey and Marr with their faded Levis, quiffs, flowers and Rickenbackers.
Blue Rondo's 1982 album Chewing the Fat has been released on cd for the first time with a second disc of extras, the main draw for me being the Andrew Weatherall remix of Klactoveesedstein (or Klacto Vee Sedstein, I can't work out which it is). I downloaded, legally I should add, the Weatherall remix a couple of weeks ago. I keeps the ooh-ooh-ooh-oh-ah vocal part and turns the jazz-funk down and machine-funk up, adding an upfront bassline, pretty good really if not as earthshattering as some of Lord Sabre's recent remixes. I can't find a listen only or streaming version of it on the net, no Soundcloud or Youtube file, and seeing as it only came out in the middle of June I don't think I should share it as an mp3 yet. But you can buy it at the usual digital places for 79 pence/99c if you're an avid Weatherall head. Instead, here's the original.
Klactoveesedstein
I've always had a soft spot for Blue Rondo... They were certainly the Blitz era's party band. I'll even admit to having time for Matt Bianco, which causes most of my British friends to question my taste as well as sanity.
ReplyDeleteMatt Bianco are always best remembered for being called a bunch of wankers on a live tv phone in kids show on a Saturday morning
ReplyDeleteWhen The Face's famous Hard Times cover asked 'Whatever happened the Zoot Suit?' it was Blue Rondo and their Wag Club crowd they were referring to.
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