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Sunday 28 August 2022

Half An Hour Of Kids


A bit of a diversion from my Sunday mix series of (roughly) thirty minute mixes of tracks and songs by a single artist- today's mix is themed around the sound of children's voices/ children's choirs. Do not fear though, there are no St Winifred's School Choirs here, no Primary School end of year shows. This is I hope a bit further left of there. Sometimes the use of children's voices in songs can be quite unsettling, that combination of sweetly sung innocence and the feeling of something being lost. Sometimes they provide a higher register counterpoint. Sometimes they add to a sense of trippiness and dislocation. Sometimes they just sound good, a contrast to adult voices and instruments. Sometimes, as The Clash and Mickey Gallagher's kids prove, they're a joke to ensure that Sandinista! had six songs on each side, making thirty six songs in total. 

Thirty Minute Kids Mix

  • Family Of God: Family Of God
  • Frank Ocean, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon: Hero
  • The Children Of Sunshine: It's A Long Way To Heaven
  • The Avalanches Ft Jamie Xx, Neneh Cherry and Calypso: Wherever You Go
  • Gorillaz: Dirty Harry
  • Soul II Soul: Get A Life
  • Poly High: Midnight Cowboy
  • The Clash: Career Opportunities
It's only right I should give a nod of the head to David Holmes whose crate digging inspired some of this mix. He played the Poly High song on his Desert Island Disco on Lauren Laverne's 6 Mix show earlier this year, included the Family Of God track on a free CD that was given away with the NME in 2000 and put the Children Of Sunshine song on his superb Late Night Tales compilation from 2016. The Frank Ocean, Paul Simonon and Mick Jones song was a one off done with/ for Converse in 2014, produced by Diplo, with the West Los Angeles Children's Choir providing backup. The Avalanches song also has Mick Jones playing on it but this time piano not guitar, and samples The Voyager, NASA's tape for aliens, currently somewhere out there way further than any of us have ever been. The album We Will Always Love You came out in 2020. Gorillaz, Damon with Dangermouse, was released in 2005.  Soul II Soul's Get A Life was a huge hit in 1989 and includes Jazzy B's still excellent advice- 'Be selective, be objective, be an asset to the collective/ As you know, you got to get a life'. Something in that for all of us perhaps. 


5 comments:

Ernie Goggins said...

No 'Just Say No' by the cast of Grange Hill? A major omission there

Jake Sniper said...

https://youtu.be/6Vrzp0I7egQ

Swiss Adam said...

Not sure where it would have fitted in but you're right Ernie, a major omission. Zammo was an early adopter of the heroin chic look which became so popular in the 90s and then was Pete Doherty's entire thing.

That's a good one too Jake. There's something about kids telling not to do something which makes you want to do it.

Secret Soul Society said...

https://lottekaersgraesrdderne.bandcamp.com/releases

Scandifunk!

Swiss Adam said...

That's very nice Secret Soul Society