Satta Dub

I've been listening to King Tubby quite a bit this week. His dub productions are so far out there, space and sound manipulated and played around with but very precise too. His 1976 class King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, done in collaboration with another gentle soul Augustus Pablo, is the Tubby album to go for and needs to be listened to as a whole really but this track, the album's closer, is doing all the right things for me at the moment.

Satta Dub

Gamma Ray

Richard Fearless has made a new single and it is magnificent, deep, minimal techno. In the way that good techno should it draws you in with a beat and some bleeps and then unfolds over many minutes, increasing the drama and the tension. Gamma Ray is out on August 18th backed with an even more intense remix by Legowelt. There's a snippet below but snippets are annoying so if you click here you can listen to the whole thing- a Soundcloud page that is set to private but accessible to anyone via Fearless's publicity company's page, the first search return on Google.

Atlantis

Sheer Taft, from Greenock, made one of 1991's most brilliant dance records- Cascades (posted before here at least once). Cascades is a sunny, druggy, bubbling delight, sent from Greenock to Camden via Ibiza. It is superb. The version that was on Creation Records classic 1991 dance compilation Keeping The Faith was mixed/remixed by another Creation dance act called Hypnotone (who have also been here before with Dream Beam, possibly twice). Sheer Taft were a duo- Thomas Taft and Ingrid Kudos- who had a second single a year later, an Italo piano house song with vocals from Mito and the writing is co-credited to Hypnotone. It's not as good as Cascades. But then, what is?

Atlantis

Sheer Taft also put out an album called Absolute Sheerness but I've never even seen a copy, never mind heard it. According to the internet Thomas Taft also did gig promotion, was a member of the extended Primal Scream family, disappeared to New Zealand for ten years and had a psychedelic rock band.

The Fabulous Stains

A punk curio for Tuesday- Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains! was a film released in 1982, shot in British Colombia. The plot centres around The Stains, an all girl punk band created after Corinne Burns (played by Diane Lane, in the middle above) loses her job. There's a full synopsis here and the original 1982 trailer...



The film got a dvd release in 2008 and you might find a copy on any of the popular internet shopping websites. It's pretty dated but Lane gives a good performance and it's good fun. The film also features the UK punk band The Professionals (who appear in the film as The Looters)- Paul Cook and Steve Jones (both at a loose end following the demise of the Sex Pistols), plus Paul Simonon (who flew off to make the film while the rest of the Clash holed up in New York starting work on Sandinista and so missed playing the bass on The Magnificent Seven) and Ray Winstone (who is now most often found encouraging people to bet responsibly NOW! before the next throw-in). The band play their song Join The Professionals in the film, proving to be a punk epiphany for Corinne Burns and later on Ray tries to get off with her in a hotel room while also telling her how frustrated he is as an artist...



The Professionals were an actual band for Jones and Cook and the song is perfectly adequate, functional, second division punk, showing mainly that John Lydon's contribution to Sex Pistols songs was invaluable and unique. And maybe Glen Matlock's songwriting was quite important too.

Definite Door To Another Dimension

A friend made me a compilation tape once following a long, rambling alcohol fueled conversation about punk. No purist, he claimed punk was where you find it. The song that grabbed me on that tape that I didn't know was this one by The Posies. It's what journalists call power pop, a genre that they invented to describe guitar music that was punk-ish but also poppy. Power pop is easier to identify than it is to describe. The Knack's My Sharona is an example. This song by The Posies is vastly better than My Sharona (which is a bit annoying). Loopy, hippy lyrics, massive crunchy power chords, quiet/loud dynamics and some ace melodies that transcend 1993's grunginess.

Definite Door

Since I Left You

The Avalanches 2000 album Since I Left You was a one-off work of near genius by a six piece from Australia, made up of over 3500 vinyl samples, and a total joy to listen to. The song that made the biggest impact over here was Frontier Psychiatrist but the rest of the double vinyl album was just as good.

Laid back vibes-check. Jazzy flute sample- check. Ghostly backing vocals- check. 60s style lead vocal sample- check. Sumptuous strings- check.

Since I left You

Music's Not For Everyone Part Four

The fourth and final transmission from Andrew Weatherall's series for NTS Radio is available below. And in case you missed it, my internet friend Ctel posted an excellent new Asphodells remix at his Acid Ted blog this morning. A stuttering, icy remix of She Lies that really hits the spot.

Andrew Weatherall - 22nd July 2014 by Nts Radio on Mixcloud

No Rabbit In A Hat Trick

Or maybe you prefer your hip hop more laid back in the summer, with bouncy rhythms and a 70s feel and a cooler flow. In which case, here's Jurassic 5. For some reason I always associate Jurassic 5 with The Avalanches. Maybe I listened to their records at a similar time although I don't think they were released in the same year. Nope, just checked, Jurassic 5 was 1998, The Avalanches 2000.

Concrete Schoolyard

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 151

More Friday night rockabilly at last- Jerry Arnold and The Rhythm Captains from 1958 and a song about a girl who has expensive tastes and is out of his league. We've all been there. The handclaps on the chorus really make this one, along with the rough and ready production.

High Classed Baby

End To End Burners

Hot summer heat like we're having now means hip hop doesn't it, possibly a connection made in our minds due to Spike Lee's sweltering Do The Right Thing film. Company Flow put out several underground records in the 90s and this one, End To End Burners, is the sound of New York in the summer- sweaty, dirty, threatening, with a low slung beat and a fantastic breakdown where the chant surfaces... 'dance to the rhythm and rhyme of Co Flow'.

Legal note: Bagging Area does not endorse the illegal painting of train carriages end to end. It only leads to trouble.

End To End Burners

Right On Time

1989 was a good year. I don't know if we knew this at the time or just at the age of nineteen (I was anyway) we expected that all years would be like that. This single by Italo House outfit Black Box was number one for six weeks in the UK. It caused some controversy at the time because Loleatta Holloway's original vocal (swiped from Love Sensation) was mimed to by French model Katrin Quinol (pictured lounging about above). Loleatta's lawyers got involved even though sample clearance had been agreed. Loleatta got paid, the single withdrawn and the vocals were re-recorded by Heather Small. I'm not sure the record buying punter really cared- they just found it irresistible for dancing too (and still do).

Originally the line was 'because you're right on time' but somewhere in Italy it got misheard or mispronounced and changed to 'ride on time' which is good because it sounds better. Much like when Gerald ran out of character space on the title display when naming Voodoo Rage and instead went for Voodoo Ray. Happy accidents.

If I've got this right, and there's a chance I haven't, this is the first version with Loleatta's withdrawn vocal...

Ride On Time (Loleatta Holloway vocal)

And this is the remixed version with Heather Small

Ride On Time (Heather Small vocal)

Lit Up

Tim Burgess remixed by Peaking Lights. This is hot off the press and sounding very nice indeed, gorgeous summer pianos, a stomping electronic beat and Tim's vocals. It won't cool you down but will put a smile on your face as you cross wearily back to the fridge for something cold. Eight minutes and fifty three seconds of lovely stuff and you can listen to it here.

Remedy

On the whole I think I shouldn't be a fan of hairy, lairy, 70s influenced regressive U.S. rock, but The Black Crowes song Remedy has a satisfyingly crunchy riff, some nice gospel backing vocals and, if it wasn't for the accent of singer Chris Robinson, it could easily be Primal Scream- who we have established previously, I am a fan of. Although their hairy, lairy, 70s influenced regressive rock is just as easy to be sniffy about. I don't buy into the whole guilty pleasures thing and maybe with this song I should drop my dubious principles and just say- good song. Maaan.

Remedy

Music's Not For Everyone Part Three

Those of you who have enjoyed Andrew Weatherall's shows for NTS radio will be pleased to see that part three (of four) has appeared on the internet. Part two had a heavy dub and krautrock/cosmische focus along with his own remix of Julian Cope's Dayglo Maradona and Bill Haley. Two hours on the player below so get stuck in while sitting in the sun. What, you aren't on a six week summer holiday like me? Oops, sorry.

Andrew Weatherall - 15th July 2014 by Nts Radio on Mixcloud

Hey Ho All Gone

It seems particularly sad that with the passing of Tommy Ramone last week, all the founder members of the band have gone. Many bands from the previous generation still have all or many of the founding members alive yet all the Ramones are departed. Apart from having one genius song (pick a song, any song off the first four albums), the band and their first album were hugely important- the 70s punk scene in England used them as much as anyone as the starting point. RIP Tommy (and Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee).

Blitzkrieg Bop (song removed by request)

Eight Miles Again

Husker Du's version of Eight Miles High is just indescribably good, a 7" single worth its weight in gold. Blistering, white hot, ferocious, 60s rock meeting 80s punk, with Bob Mould lacerating his vocal chords and fingertips.

Eight Miles High

There are several live clips on Youtube. This one is Husker Du live in Camden in 1985. Astonishing, sheets of metal feedback from Bob and manic drum thumping from Grant Hart.



Live in 1987 at a Dutch festival from someone's collection of home recorded VHS tapes, slightly less manic...

And Then We Touch Down

The Byrds and Eight Miles High- when folk rock became acid rock. It's the trippy guitars that get all the attention but the bass playing is way out there and the vocal harmonies are superb. I have loved this since I first heard it sometime in the mid 1980s. It was only twenty years old then but felt ancient.

Eight Miles High

Saturday Night Weatherall

I've got two recent Andrew Weatherall mixes for your delectation this Saturday night. Firstly the second show from his NTS radio residency, the usual eclectic mix of songs and chatter. I'm still playing catch up with the first one.

Andrew Weatherall - 8th July 2014 by Nts Radio on Mixcloud

Secondly, a free cd Andrew and Sean Johnston gave to punters at A Love From Outer Space's 4th birthday, an hour and a quarter of chugginess and sounding spot on for this sultry, stormy weather.



I don't have a tracklist for either. Adds to the fun doesn't it?

19 Julio

Sleep deprivation on a bus traveling backwards through Europe (me travelling backwards, almost everyone else claimed they had to face forwards or they would be sick). It causes strange things to happen. I dozed off briefly and was woken with Shaun Ryder intoning  two lines from Black Grape's Reverend Black Grape...

'You do  nothing but socialise and become a menace
Put on your Reeboks man, go and play fucking tennis'

This rang around my head for a good while. Then, at about two thirty a.m. we stopped at a service station somewhere in The Netherlands. One of the kids emerged from the top deck, rubbing her eyes, and disappeared into the toilet. When she came out she said 'Sir, are we in Argentina?'

I have no idea.

Reverend Black Grape

Guten Tag

I unfolded myself off the bus, after thirty six hours from Krakow to north west England yesterday. Sleeping sitting up is a skill I've not quite got the hang of and my back has suffered. But our school trip to Krakow and Berlin was fantastic, all the moreso because we were in Berlin last Sunday night when Germany won the world cup. The streets of Berlin were flooded with thousands of Germans, most draped in the colours. We'd passed the Brandenberg Gate early on Saturday and had a look at the fan park but decided that keeping sixty-four teenagers safe while watching the final might be tricky. Eventually we all watched it on a big screen in the square outside our hotel and Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station. This ensured a constant flow of fans before and after the match. It was crackers and probably a once in a lifetime experience- watching a country win the world cup in that country's capital city. It certainly won't happen as a England fan.

Berlin is an amazing city, one which I want to return to. There's so much to see and do- in two days we squeezed in sections of wall, Checkpoint Charlie, a trip up the TV tower, Alexanderplatz with its 60s concrete architecture, Sachsenhausen and the Olympic Stadium. Seeing some of the wall was a highlight for me- something that was such a key part of world history and from my lifetime. After Berlin we went to Krakow, which has a beautiful square and buildings, and drank tea (black tea with cold milk, the English way) in Noworolski Cafe, frequented by Lenin in the mid 1910s. And had a couple of Polish beers.

I've downloaded a few of the pics off my phone here...

Holger Czukay of Can, was born in Gdansk, Poland and raised in Germany. He has recently remixed some solo tracks from his 1977 album Der Osten Is Rot and issued them on 10" vinyl through a Berlin based record label, Gronland Records. Click on the link for loads of grooviness. The remixed Sudetenland, with Jah Wobble, Jaki Leibezeit and Conny Plank, is out right now and you can listen to it here.