Saturday Dub

Weatherall played this on his 6 Mix show in August, and then I stumbled upon it on emusic the other night. From their 1975 album The Legendary Skatalites In Dub, dubbery provided by equally legendary King Tubby. If you've any interest in dub the whole album is knockout- I listened to it the other night while typing away at a mammoth report/review for work, and it made the whole experience vastly better.

Skatalites_08_African Roots Dub.mp3

The Djum Djum Boys

A very nice man who lives down the road from us (who we'll call Chelsea Mick for the sake of this blog) has just knocked on to offer me a spare ticket to go to see Leftfield at The Apollo in November, and in a moment of reckless spontaneity I said yes. It's been a while since I had my bowels moved by bass, they've got a fine back catalogue, and I think are the only band to be banned by a venue for making plaster fall from the ceiling.

I've just realised we've had no Leftfield at Bagging Area. It's been a struggle but I've resisted the urge to go for either Open Up or a Weatherall remix, so here is Afro-Left (Afro-Ride) featuring Djum Djum (Neil Cole to his mum) on vocals (singing in gibberish, but very effectively). Nine minutes of dub-house madness.

Afro-Left (Afro-Ride).mp3

Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 28

The Meteors and their bequiffed fans proudly proclaim that Only The Meteors Are Pure Psychobilly. They started out in 1980 and are still going strong today, and tonight you get them covering Jan And Dean.

Surf City?
Straight on mate, left at the lights, cross the roundabout, right at the pub, down the dual carriageway for a mile or so and you can't miss it-two girls for every boy.

Surf City.mp3#1

Talk Of The Town, Talk Of The Country

For those of you who enjoyed Wayne Smith's Under Me Sleng Teng (and judging by the dl stats, that's quite a few of you) here's Tenor Saw's Ring The Alarm- a fantastic digital-reggae, dancehall smash from 1985. I first heard this on 200% Dynamite, from the ever excellent Soul Jazz record label, and it sounded just as good as the stuff from the 60s and 70s. It should put a spring in your step on this Friday morning.

Tenor saw was hit by a car in Houston in 1988 and died, aged 22.

'Ring the alarm, and not a sound is dying'

Various_17_Ring The Alarm.mp3

Bad Name, Good Song, Unsure About The Band

Another band with a stupid name- Fountains Of Wayne, who had a hit in 2003 with that irritating Stacey's Mom novelty record. But in 1996, at the height (or depth maybe) of Britpop I heard this single and loved it- chugging guitars, hugely catchy chorus, more hooks than an angler's box, sunny day guitar pop. I think they call it Power Pop. Whatever it is, it's impossible not to sing along.

radiation-vibe.mp3

Bad Name, Good Band

When I was posting that 4AD stuff last weekend a reader called Arthit mentioned the long forgotten Kitchens Of Distinction, who released some highly praised but hardly bought, shimmering, sonic cathedral style, indie rock in the late 80s and early 90s. They weren't afraid to court trouble- Margaret's Injection fantasised about killing Thatcher, and singer Patrick sang openly, out-and-proud gay lyrics, which the less open minded members of the indie crowd probably couldn't put up with. They were often NME/Melody Maker Single Of The Week winners (and used to really mean something) and had some great moments. The Third Time We Opened The Capsule, Drive That Fast, and this one, Prize. Shame about the name though- Kitchens Of Distinction. Can't really have helped much.

prize.mp3

I Have Learned What My Lips Are For

It's hard to resist any song that starts off...

'Tonight for the first time
I have learned what my lips are for
And darling, now that I've kissed you
I'm craving to kiss you more'

...especially when it's a up tempo blast of Northern Soul, like this from Irma Thomas in 1964.

18 Long After Tonight Is All Over.wma

Ramba Ho!

One for your next compilation cd of weird and wonderful cover versions. This is Indian singer Usha Uthup tackling Donna Summer's 1977 sex and ecstacy fest I Feel Love. Usha is one of the biggest selling stars of Indian music and has recorded tracks in 16 Indian languages as well as 12 others, including Swahili, Nepalese and Creole. You'll love this, but it's a million miles from Donna's disco epic.

I_Feel_Love.mp3

There's A Light, A Certain Kind Of Light

While we're on the soul-train, here's Nina Simone's To Love Somebody from 1967. It's a cover of a Bee Gees song you know. I don't own too many songs with Gibb, Gibb in brackets after the title. This is taken from the Joe Strummer compilation The Future Is Unwritten, so features Joe introducing the track on his BBC World Service show, with the words 'Let Nina Simone rule the world...'. Two greats for the price of one. Four if you include those pesky Gibb brothers.

23 To Love Somebody.wma - 4shared.com - music and mp3 sharing - download

On His Way And The End Of Wigan

There's been some tip top Northern Soul posted recently at various blog places, so I'm going to follow suit. Also mediafire isn't playing ball tonight so I can't post the track I was going to post. I'm On My Way by Dean Parrish was the last single played at the last all-nighter at Wigan Casino. Brooklyn born to Spanish/Italian parents Phil Anastasi became Dean Parrish on the advice of Ronnie Spector, recorded for a variety of soul labels in the mid 60s, and when that work dried up moved into acting for film and TV, eventually becaming a session musician working with amongst others Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Bob Marley. By the time the Northern scene took off in the mid-70s Dean had become Phil again. After Russ Winstanley began playing I'm On My Way at Wigan a re-released version went on to sell over 200,000 copies and reached number 38 in the singles chart in 1975. More recently he has performed at a Northern weekender at Prestatyn, appeared in an episode of The Sopranos and recorded a single with Paul Weller-Left, Right And Centre (which Weller wrote aged 15).

i'm_on_my_way.mp3 - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

She Only Dances To Rock Steady

The Hussy's were a six piece from Glasgow who released an e.p. in 2005, one in 2006 and another in 2007. The trail runs a bit cold there. Their myspace says there's now only three of them and there don't seem to be any other releases. This song, Rock Steady, is the only one I've got. It's a sweetly sardonic tale of a mod-girl who only dances to rock steady and her scooter-boy boyfriend who is seen hitching lifts from the edge of town because his scooter's broken down. The song's a bit ska-ish, with a chorus that threatens to turn into The Police (but thankfully doesn't).

Rock_Steady.mp3

4AD #3

Three 4AD posts in a row, this time from Lush, the Camden Abba. Lush had a few good moments, although their drinking often seemed to overshadow their music in the press. Of which they got plenty, partly due to their female front two Emma and Miki. This track Sweetness And Light was one of their best known, and I think turned up selling cars at some point. They split up in 1998, after drummer Chris committed suicide, and went their seperate ways. Bassist Phil plays with The Jesus And Mary Chain, not sure about Miki and Emma- I think one of them resurfaced in a band some time ago. This version of Sweetness And Light (Orange Squash) is a My Bloody Valentine remix (which essentially means Kevin Shields), done for a film called Splendor.

Me either.

Sweetness and Light_MBV remix.mp3 - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

4AD #2

Cut from a similar piece of cloth (dirty denim or suede, or leather maybe), and also on 4AD were Spirea X. Leader Jim Beattie had spent six years in Primal Scream and played guitar (12 string) on their early singles and the Sonic Flower Groove album. When he formed Spirea X, named after an early Primal Scream b-side, Jim declared Spirea X would do better than his former bandmates by 'having better songs, better melodies, better arrangements, better everything'. He also claimed to be God at one point, before downgrading himself to Jesus. No shortage of ego then.

Chlorine Dream is a lovely piece of 60s indebted guitar pop (check the opening guitar lines) coupled with some early 90s backbeat and production. Another good single Speed Reaction followed and then an album, Fireblade Skies, which the press liked but sold little. I've not listened to the album for ages, but Chlorine Dream is on the mp3 player and always sounds good when it pops up. Obviously being on 4AD they had nice record sleeves, something not to be sniffed at.

ChlorineDream.mp3

Pick Three Words

Kurt Ralske's Ultra Vivid Scene were another band much loved by the now defunkt Melody Maker. Taking the usual Velvets and Mary Chain influences they made buzzy, melodic, two chord, American indie-pop, and as they were signed to 4AD, had beautiful sleeves. This is Special One from 1990, recorded with Pixies Kim Deal. One of those bands who you suspect picked three random words from the dictionary for their name- or was that Ocean Colour Scene?

Special One.mp3

Who Is The Ultimate Warlord?

Some music is deep, some is hard hitting, some rootsy or bluesy, or emotionally charged, or balls-out rock 'n' roll, or ecstatic, or massive 808 squiggles with gospel vocals and that kick drum, or chiming light as air guitar stuff, or ramshackle, or inspirational, or fluid and funky, or life-affirming, and there are songs we cling to, the songs that break us, the songs that change us, the songs that make us think, songs that comment on the world we live in or the people in power, songs with a well turned phrase, or deftly crafted couplet, or a verse that skewers a feeling or a point of view or a universal experience, or a time you remember, or the time you thought it was only you that felt like that.

Some music is utter nonsense.

This is The Immortals 1979 12" The Ultimate Warlord. It's total, utter, absolute nonsense. Apparently it's also Italo Disco or Cosmic Disco, but I don't think many of us had even heard of that until a couple of years ago. This record has huge, ominous analogue disco synths and drums, ridiculous chord changes, and the stupidest vocodered vocals you've ever heard, about being the ultimate warlord. It is complete nonsense, and also very, very good.

the ultimatewarlord.mp3

A Love From Outer Space

Hugely influential, much loved by Melody Maker, dream-pop/shoegaze/acid house/whatever, from AR Kane, who made two albums, 69 and i, and a load of singles. A Love From Outer Space was their poppiest moment. AR Kane were also half of MARRS, whose Pump Up The Volume was a number 1 smash and one of the first British entirely sample-made records.

A Love From Outer Space.mp3

Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 27

This week's rockabilly rave-up comes from 1981, covered in Clash connections. That's Pearl and Mick Jones in the picture above. Pearl Harbour had fronted what the Americans call a 'new wave' band (Pearl Harbour and The Explosions) who made a mediocre album. By 1980 she had fallen in with The Clash, and recorded a rockabilly inspired album called Don't Follow Me... I'm Lost Too, much of which which sounds surprisingly good today, 29 years later. It bombed at the time. Pearl's boyfriend Kosmo Vinyl (Clash tour manager and self styled 'consiglieri') and Pearl decided she and the album should stand on their two feet, and so there were few credits on the album's sleeve despite it's stellar line-up which would surely have gained it more attention. Produced by Blockhead and Clash touring keyboardist Mickey Gallagher, and with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon from The Clash and Wilko Johnson (ex-Dr Feelgood) amongst others playing the instruments. Pearl and Paul Simonon were married for much of the 80s, and she appeared on stage with The Clash. There's youtube footage of her performing this song, Fujiyama Mama, with The Clash in Japan. Fujiyama Mama was a hit in the 50s for rockabilly Queen Wanda Jackson, whose songs have popped up on Friday nights here before. Anyway, take it away Pearl...

02 Fujiyama Mama (Album Version).mp3

I Used To Think That The Day Would Never Come

True Faith was New Order's breakthrough single. Released in 1987, coming off a Best Of album (Substance), produced with a poppy sheen by Stephen Hague (who talked Bernard into changing a lyric about drug-taking, despite half the song seeming to be about that), and supported by an eye-catching video. It took New Order into the Top 5 and the US Top 40 for the first time, and won them a Brit award for best video (the award was inscribed 'Best Video True Face').

Factory legend has it that Substance was only compiled and released because Tony Wilson's new car had a cd player in it, and he wanted all of the band's singles on one handy disc. One of those Factory legends you hope is true.

This version of True Faith is from the 2004 In Session cd, which featured a Peel Session from 1998. The songs were True Faith, Isolation, Touched By The Hand Of God, Atmosphere and Paradise, the original line-up with Gillian still playing keyboards. I posted Isolation back in the early days of Bagging Area. The cd also has an Evening Session from 2001 to promote the Get Ready album. This version of True Faith pumps up the dance and house influences, and shows the band in the kind of form that wowed the Reading Festival that summer, reformed after several years and numerous side projects.

01 True Faith.wma

It Started Fast But It Ends So Slow

If you can ignore the soap opera, the tabloids, drugs, the band of a generation, burglaries, supermodels, prison, arrests, blood and syringes, break-ups, re-unions, solo bands and side projects, 'the fifteen quid I just shelled out for your second album' (quote Nigel Blackwell), and all the other detritus and debris that surrounds The Libertines, you'll notice that Don't Look Back Into The Sun (B-side to I Get Along in 2003) is a magnificent song.

02 Don't Look Back into the Sun.wma

Wrapped In A Sweater

The Strangeloves' I Want Candy, from 1965, is one of those impossibly cool 60s garage/beat singles, all tribal drumming, surf guitars and dumb lyrics. It was covered famously by Malcolm McLaren's jailbait pop band Bow Wow Wow (I posted Kevin Shields' remix of it when McLaren died earlier this year). The truth behind the original single is a little stranger.

The Strangeloves were the creation of a New York songwriting/production team- Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gotthehrer (who went on to produce Blondie and Richard Hell, and started up Sire records with Seymour Stein) . They concocted the story that The Strangeloves were actually from Australia, three brothers who had grown up on a sheepfarm, made themselves rich by crossbreeding a new type of sheep (the long haired Gotthehrer) and this money made it possible for them to form a band. When I Want Candy became a hit Feldman, Goldstein and Gotthehrer found themselves not wanting to perform on stage so they put together a group of session musicians to perform the song live, eventually finding Rick Zehringer while on the road and taking him back to New York to record Hang On Sloopy as The McCoys. It's Bill Drummond-esque isn't it?

I_want_candy (3).mp3