We had a day out to the coast yesterday, driving to Thurstaston beach (above) and then on to West Kirkby on the Wirral peninsula. Just a change of scenery, some sea (even if it's very far away due to the tide being out) and a walk along a beach does the spirits the world of good.
Saturday's Angels by If? circled back into my life over the weekend too, first when Khayem posted the Justin Robertson Most Excellent Remix at Dubhed on Saturday. I dug out my vinyl copy and then played it several times- again, an instant way to feel better. Saturday's Angels is a slice of 1990, upbeat, shuffly indie- dance pop. The Brain Mix, mixed by Mr Monday was on the 12", seven minutes plus of optimism, synth horns and wide eyed fun.
I was hoping I could also post the Most Excellent remix, one of Justin's best from that period with his signature horns and drums but I don't seem to have a digital copy to hand right now. Instead as a bonus Monday treat here's the group performing live on The Word, white jeans, tambourines and dancers on podiums as standard.
If?'s Sean McLusky was a veteran of Subway Sect and The Jo- Boxers in the early 80s, the first band I ever saw play live (supporting Madness at the Apollo, 1983). By 1990 he was a London club promoter as well as one of the three behind If? (with Paul Wells and Rob Marche). The Brain was a seminal London acid house club in Soho and Love Ranch a legendary club night running in Leicester Square between 1991 and 1993.
Records like Saturday's Angels are time capsules, capable of performing magic. Noel Coward's quote- 'strange how potent cheap music is'- carries so much truth. Songs that were recorded in a moment, not overthought or worried about or treated as great art, can gain an afterlife that vastly outweighs what they achieved in sales or recognition at the time. This song is one of them.
Seam Mclusky is still going strong. Among other things he now runs an art gallery near me in East London, hosting exhibitions by Gina Birch, Luke Haines and the like.
ReplyDeleteIt's unlikely that I've heard this song since the mid-1990s and it's a time capsule indeed. Good to hear it again. Love that Noel Coward quote.
ReplyDeleteI saw Sean McLusky playing with the reformed JoBoxers last year, and a terrifically fun night it was too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ernie, glad he's still doing things. The art gallery sounds interesting. I read a good interview with Gina Birch recently somewhere.
ReplyDeleteNick L- I was tempted by Jo- Boxers last year. Pleased it was good.
Swede- the joys of music blogs eh?
"Songs that were recorded in a moment, not overthought or worried about or treated as great art, can gain an afterlife that vastly outweighs what they achieved in sales or recognition at the time."
ReplyDeleteAin't that just so? Should be the first commandment of music bloggers the world over.