The Sun Still Shines

This time of year always says 1980s Stone Roses to me- late nights, sun kissed skin, open windows, t-shirts- whereas The Second Coming is a winter album (in more than one sense).



This is a Stone Roses demo that never made it as a full song. Recorded in Chorlton in 1986 it's got nascent, classic Stone Roses qualities- chiming guitar lines, rolling drums, and sweetly sung vocals from Ian and Reni. The vocal breakdown part at about two minutes is really good. Although it was ditched you can hear the sound of Sally Cinnamon, Elephant Stone and Shoot You Down starting to form, along with the groove that set them apart from many of the other bands about to break through with them.

Forty Four

It's my birthday today. I am forty four. This is a song pulled more or less at random from my downloads folder- Rocket by The Jesus and Mary Chain, a b-side from the Crackin' Up single in 1998. Having ruminated since the middle of last week I've decided I'm definitely up for the Psychocandy gig in November. It's hard to believe they were Smash Hits cover stars- 'loud, spotty and weird'. There's a good line up in that issue- The Smiths, Billy Bragg, the Bangles. Five Star. And a pull out poster of Samantha Fox.

Rocket

Village Tap

Two decades into a meandering career of jazzy electronica (with detours into trip-hop and drum & bass) Red Snapper have a new album imminent. I am enjoying this Auntie Flo remix very much. Summery, laid back and funky and with an Afrobeat bent and some nice descending piano.

Prince

I'm going to see Prince tonight. Yup. A friend got tickets and asked me if I wanted to go with him and you don't pass up opportunities like that do you? I wanted to post the video to Alphabet Street or Let's Go Crazy, both of which I really like but I'm assuming the Purple One has an issue with Youtube because there don't appear to be any of his videos there, other than live clips and TV performances (which he doesn't own the rights to I suppose). I found Let's Go Crazy on a German video sharing site but the quality was poor and Alphabet Street doesn't seem to exist anywhere on the net. Most strange.

This is The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly As Prince when he played Manchester in February with his new band 3rd Eye Girl (3RDEYEGIRL is how they prefer it but it doesn't look right to me.)

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 147

Better late than never. Elvis live in Tupelo in 1956, thirteen minutes, six songs, one pair of hips. And screaming, lots of screaming.

Crossed Swords

Following yesterday's band t-shirt post I remembered I had a jpeg of this- the old mail order form for Sabres Of Paradise t-shirts. I had the red one with yellow crossed sabres, second down on the right. I loved that t-shirt and it was a good conversation starter on a couple of occasions. Sabres Of Paradise's epic 1994 single Theme had two outstanding dub influenced b-sides, Return Of Carter and Edge 6. You need both but have this one as a starter.

Return Of Carter

Give This Some Thought

According to The Guardian's fashion desk band t-shirts are currently at various degrees of hipness. The ubiquitous Ramones t-shirt has peaked- wear at your peril. This is due to the large number of kids wearing them and it's availability in Primark. The Stone Roses t-shirt is also in trouble, again due to their popularity with toddlers/their parents. Too cute y'see. On the other hand Raymond Pettibone's illustration for Sonic Youth's 1990 Goo album is always hot and currently having a bit of a moment. But top of the pops and hot to trot is the 80s classic, the Run DMC shirt. Which is funny because I nearly bought one for my daughter a couple of weeks when I chanced upon one in TK Maxx- but didn't. If I'd bought it, for a child no less, an almost eleven year old, I could have killed the whole scene dead there and then. Anyway, I'm sure you'll thank me (and The Guardian) for this advice- I wouldn't want you getting it wrong out there and with band t-shirts, as Run DMC might say, it's tricky.

It's Like That (Drop The Break)

Egyptian Bint Al Cha Cha

This is some wonderful instrumental by the magnificently named Ginger Folorunso Johnson, from early 1950s London and off one of the London Is The Place For Me calypso compilations. This isn't a novelty or curio but a genuinely funky little tune which should get you up and at 'em this morning.

Ginger was from Lagos and gained his nickname from the effect the sun had on his hair. He left Nigeria during the war and played jazz clubs around the world before settling in London in the 50s and settling on Afro-Cuban jazz. His band's instruments included elephant's feet drums- yes, drums made from elephant's feet.

Egyptian Bint Al Cha Cha

In The Ghetto

This is from a charity album from a couple of years ago (1969- Key To Change, for homeless charities, all the songs being covers of songs from 1969). Bernard Sumner's short lived Bad Lieutenant project doing Elvis' In The Ghetto. It's pretty faithful to the original and a song that maybe doesn't stand much mucking about with but there's an element of karaoke about it. Bernard sings it well and I suppose that's the main draw- In The Ghetto being sung in a soft Mancunian voice rather than a Southern US one, and there's a good guitar break from about 2.50 onwards.

I saw Bad Lieutenant at The Ritz. They played the first half of the set from the Bad Lieutenant lp, Stephen Morris on drums, a pair of guitarists plus Bernard's guitar and it was all so-so. The second half was far livelier- a bunch of well chosen New Order songs, a rarely performed early Electronic album track and the Chemical Brothers/Sumner smash Out Of Control, then Love Will Tear Us Apart. Just play the hits Bernard, just play the hits. I had a ciggie outside alongside Mani who was asked by a passing gent when the Freebass album was coming out. 'Fuck knows' he replied. Things have shifted a bit since then for our Mani. Freebass (Hooky, Mani and Andy Rourke with an unknown singer and an 'amusing' name) was never going to work was it?

Down That Road

Shara Nelson was the voice of two defining 90s singles (Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy and Safe From Harm. You knew that I'm sure). In 1993 she started a solo career, having fallen out with Massive Attack over royalties or writing credits or something similar. Her debut single was this, Down That Road, a Massive Attack-esque piece of decent soul-dance pop wrapped in a Massive Attack-esque sleeve, although it didn't exactly set the charts alight (number 19). The breakbeat, the sweeping strings, the piano tinkles and the voice all make it a bit nearly-but-not-quite.

Down That Road

I Like My Sugar With Coffee And Cream

There used to be a Bank Holiday festival in Manchester called D Percussion, largely free, based around bars and other venues in the Castlefield and Deansgate area. I remember seeing A Certain Ratio in the Castlefield basin and maybe 808 State too. A different year we saw Vini Reilly playing in Atlas. But mainly it was dj sets and hanging around outside bars (on the occasions we got some sunshine). D Percussion started in 1997 as a response to the IRA bomb that blew the city centre apart the previous summer and ran through to 2007. It folded largely because it was, for the first eight years, free. One year, mid-afternoon, a large-ish number of people milling around and whoever it was playing records stuck on Intergalactic- the effect was a bit like one of those viral flash mob videos you see on the internet. Almost everyone started bobbing a bit, mouthing the words, singing/rapping along. The Beastie Boys made a real impact with people and by the time of Intergalactic and Hello Nasty (1998) they were for a while pretty much in charge of left of centre pop culture. Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication may all have stronger claims to be their best album but their threeway wordplay was never better or funnier than on this song. And the video is a hoot.

Saturday Night Live

Six months after they played Japan pumped full of drugs (which I posted two weeks ago) New Order played the Manhattan Club in Leuven, Belgium. This is a far more confident set, with a fuller sound and a more engaged audience. Hooky's hair has grown out from that top knot he had in Japan to a full ponytail. It opens with Let's Go, followed by a magnificent Perfect Kiss, and includes Age Of Consent, Thieves Like Us, Atmosphere (which Bernard precedes with the riff from All Along The Watchtower, yes, really) and Temptation amongst others. They finish with Blue Monday. Obviously.

But you're probably watching the Eurovision Song Contest.

Throw

This fourteen minute and forty second long single was a big hit round here when it was released back in 1994. Carl Craig, foremost of the second generation of Detroit techno artists, put it out under his Paperclip People name. It is premium quality machine funk techno, starting with a sound of man kicking an expensive bin and then building and building, doubling the rhythm, adding layers and sounds, with a couple of dropouts that are heartstoppingly exciting. Really good and not a second too long.

Throw

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 146

Has it been three weeks since the last Friday night rockabilly posting? Ok, on we go with the series that refuses to die. This is the massively influential Charlie Feathers and one of his less well-known songs, from Rare And Wild, a Charlie Feathers compilation that does what it says.

I'm buying- who wants a drink?

Cockroach

Skylark

Back in 1969, just before I was born and long before Massive Attack were even a twinkle in 3D, Mushroom and Daddy G's eyes, Horace Andy recorded this light-as-the-breeze reggae classic. Just rhythm, Horace's vocal and some little bursts of organ (Fender Rhodes perhaps?). A total joy.

Skylarking

The jumper modelled above is available from Old Town, for £98. If you happen to have £98 going begging. It is a Guernsey fisherman's jumper strictly speaking, different from a Gansey.

There's A Hole In My Soul Like A Cavity

This time of year always brings me a strong sense of time whooshing by- we are a few days short of the GCSE and A level exam season starting, the end of the football season is imminent and another World Cup about to start, in two and a half weeks it'll be the May half term holiday, then the long downhill slope to July, the summer holidays. Another school year done, another year older, September and autumn... Then I have to slap myself and stop imagining the time away.

Hymn Of The Big Wheel

This song's combination of crickets, whale song, sonorous strings, the lazy breakbeat and Horace Andy's beautiful vocal was the perfect closer to Blue Lines and is a bit of a tearjerker.

So Long Gone

I have a soft spot for Pete Molinari. I like the cut of his jib. He's not doing anything 'new' but he does what he does very well, and he has something else, something hard to pin down. This is from his forthcoming album (Theosophy), a re-recorded version of a song he had on the soundtrack to The Lone Ranger film from last year. Little Barrie from Little Barrie plays guitar on it.

So Long Gone

Looking From A Hilltop

Section 25 came from Blackpool, land of piers, amusement arcades and rides, Kiss-Me-Quick hats and violent pubs. They landed at Factory Records and in 1985 released this 12" single, following the previous year's album, an utterly groundbreaking and forward thinking piece of electro-pop, pulsing and throbbing, cold and northern. Produced by Bernard Sumner and Donald Johnson as Be Music, it is one of the best songs Factory Records put out.



The other side of the 12" was this eight minute dancefloor version, which does not sound out of place now.

Looking From A Hilltop (Megamix)

Ellis Island

                                               Russian immigrants, Ellis Island, early 20th century

The new lp from Ellis Island Sound is quietly turning into one of my favourites of this year so far. One half of Ellis Island Sound is Pete Astor (The Loft, The Weather Prophets) but there's nothing remotely 80s Creation about Regions. This is rhythm led and takes it's influences from all over the place- skittering drums, horns borrowed from ska records, African sounding guitar parts, some dub bass, steel drums, glockenspiel, reminiscent of 1980 Talking Heads in tone. The single Intro, Airbourne, Travelling is excellent and out now. Posting any one single song doesn't really give an idea about how varied this album is either but try this one.

We Do Not

Chained

Something long and slow and laid back for Sunday morning, a remix of The Xx by John Talabot (he's from Barcelona), sampling The Streets and released back in 2012. Listening to this won't get you up and about and doing anything strenuous (getting out on the bike, clearing the shed out, tidying the garden...) but you will feel very relaxed while it's playing.

Chained (John Talabot & Pionel Blinded Remix)

Heavy Seas

I'll be the first to admit he's not always been my cup of tea in the past but this is very good and rather affecting. It also sounds little like any of his various previous band's works, which takes some doing. I think Brian Eno was involved in this song too.

The Smiling Hour

Back in the dim and distant past (last year or thereabouts) Davy H would often call this time of day, on this day of the week, the smiling hour... and he'd post something jazzy like this...

I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

We're off into town tonight, for drinks. Salut.

It Takes Two

I was saddened earlier this week by the news that DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney Bryce) had been found dead, aged just 46. Along with Rob Base he recorded this 1988 hip hop smash hit. It Takes Two sampled Lyn Collins' Think (About It) for it's catchy as anything chorus and has a massive drum track. It's almost as much dance music as hip hop, a proper party record. This was followed by equally sad news personally- a former football teammate of mine died of cancer last week, aged just 47.  RIP E-Z Rock. RIP Derek Rowe.

It Takes Two

Beautiful

The dub version of the last Peaking Lights album (Lucifer and Lucifer In Dub) have both been near my stereo recently. The one in the video above is called Beautiful Dub and that's exactly what it is. There was a download only e.p. of remixes too (Lucifer Re-Lit) of which Jon Talabot's re-working of the same song (Beautiful Son) was, again, beautiful. Eight minutes of hi-hat, piano and bass, with echoey blissed out, sunny day vocals.



Beautiful Son (John Talabot's Acetate Dub)

Your Love

Jamie Principle and Frankie Knuckles' Your Love is one of the cornerstones of modern music- the two note bassline, that sequenced arpeggio part, the gospel vocals, the four-four beat. Back in the mid-80s Jamie Principle put it together in his Chicago bedroom on cheap and homemade machinery. Frankie Knuckles then sprinkled his magic over it. It was played off cassette for ages in Chicago warehouses before it got a vinyl release. It's been an everpresent record of uplift and ecstasy ever since, especially since it then went and got magically spliced with Candy Staton.

At a recent Radio 1 session The Horrors covered Your Love. Do not worry. It is fucking superb.

Your Love (Radio Session)

Turn The Heater On

This is New Order's gorgeous cover version of Keith Hudson's reggae tune Turn The Heater On, done for a Peel session in 1982. The marriage of early 80s New Order and dub works really rather well, Bernard's melodica especially.

Turn the Heater On (Peel Session)

As far as I'm aware, it's also New Order's only recorded cover version.

Note...
1. Yes, I know they used to cover Sister Ray, but that appears on live albums and bootlegs only (including the very brilliant mid 80s Glastonbury gig they released. Bernard's  between song banter including the legendary 'Big songs, small dicks'). There's also a US gig where they did Anarchy In The UK I used to have a recording of. Was it any good? No, it was shit.
2. Yes, I know they covered Jimmy Cliff's Vietnam for a War Child compilation. But that was the reconvened New Order minus Gillian Gilbert and while I saw them live several times during that period and always massively enjoyed them I'm getting to a point where as far as being a recording band is concerned, I don't include the stuff without Gillian. Sorry Phil Cunningham but that's how it is. On the other hand, I do really like at least half of Get Ready, their 2001 comeback album, so I'm contradicting myself. Maybe the line above should therefore read...

As far as I'm aware it's also New Order's only recorded cover version apart from their 2003 cover of Jimmy Cliff's Vietnam. 

I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time

This garage rock nugget from 1967 by The Third Bardo could well be the very best 45rpm single of it's kind- nasty, short, distorted, snotty, arrogant and with one of the best song titles/choruses committed to vinyl. It's got everything you need to shake you up this morning.

I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time

Follow Through

Sunday morning- time for a 12" remix that I bought having seen it referred to on the NME's club page back in 1991, then as now a sucker for the words 'Andrew' and 'Weatherall' and 'remix'. The band were called Airstream, signed to One Little Indian, and if I remember right were the first recorded output of at least one future Chemical Brother, Tom (or Ed) playing guitar (I think) in an indie dance group. But I might have made that up. For the remix Weatherall chops up sections of the vocal and scatters them along with some strange noises, some of which sound suspiciously like didgeridoo, over a drum track. If you want to be a bit reductionist about it. The Weatherall remix bears little relation to the original which is a catchy, piano led Flowered Up style groover.

Follow Through (Nine O' Clock Drop Mix)

I once saw (and very nearly bought) a vintage brown leather motorcycle rider's jerkin, similar to the one the man in the picture is wearing.

No, of course I'd never have worn it. I mean, what circumstances could possibly require such a garment?

Saturday Night Live

New Order in imperious form live in Japan in 1985. In fact this show was filmed exactly twenty nine years ago this coming Friday (2nd May). Shockingly long ago. This was released by Factory as a video entitled New Order PFD (Pumped Full Of Drugs), a most un-Factoryesque title and so typically New Order.

Bim

  

A new (to me) thing I found on the internet recently- Mick Jones doing a funky electro-pop 12" excursion in 1982.

Blind Lead The Blind

The Return of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 145

Imelda May has been doing the chat shows promoting a new song and presumably a new album too. A few years ago Imelda and her band played a few radio sessions and often included their take on The Johnny Burnette's Trio's The Train Kept A Rollin', one of the cornerstones of rockabilly. This one is from a BBC Radio London session and is blistering.

Considering this has been a short week, it's felt like a long week. Join me for a drink if you like.

The Train Kept A Rollin' (Live Session)

Kentish

Do you want to see some of my holiday photos?

We were in Kent last week, staying on Romney Marsh. I've only ever travelled through Kent before en route to Dover but exploring it was fantastic. As a bonus the weather was good too. Just down the road is Dungeness, one of the bleakest and most beautiful places in the country. Plus it's got an enormous nuclear power station which adds to the drama along with the masses of shingle flats and a pair of lighthouses. This one, the older of the two, is open and you can climb to the top.

Dungeness is also home to a community of artists and bohemians who live in a scattered collection of wooden cottages, some converted railway carriages. This one, Prospect Cottage, was the home of Derek Jarman.

Kent's coastline is dotted with reminders of the past and it's relationship with France, only twenty-five miles away. During the Napoleonic wars a string of Martello towers were built, against the threat of invasion. This one is Martello tower number 24 and is situated in a car park next to a small amusement park.

From a later conflict and threat of invasion, this World War Two era pill box looks out over the marsh.

Right behind the site we were staying on are some sound mirrors. The listening ears were constructed in the late 1920s, a form of acoustic sound detection and early warning of approaching enemy aircraft. Within a few years they were superceded by radar. There are three at Romney; this thirty foot concrete dish next to a smaller one and a two hundred feet long curved concrete wall. They've been closed off to the public due to vandalism and damage, now marooned on a man made island in a nature reserve. There's a swing bridge for guided tour access (but not while we were there). 

Musically, Kent means Billy Childish to me. We didn't get to Chatham, it's north Kent not south. This song is from the second album he did with his wife Nurse Julie and Wolf Howard as The Chatham Singers, a blues-gospel thing.

The Good Times

Bag A Wire

I was listening to the radio while on holiday last week (through the telly no less) and the disc jockey played Bag A Wire Dub by King Tubby. It was one of those real 'stop what you're doing and just listen' moments. King Tubby's dub is such strange music and appears to have so little in common with anything that came before it- this one has some chanting about Marcus Garvey, deep bass bubbling up and down, horns coming and going, lots of echo, rim shots. Fluid and free form from Jamaica in 1976. Otherworldly.

Bag A Wire Dub

It might be worth pointing out that the disc jockey who played it was Huey (formerly of Fun Loving Criminals) who often comes across as a bit of a knob but, fair play to him, he played some good tunes that particular afternoon.

Balearic Berkshire And A Remix

Today I offer you two Weatherall related items that popped up when I was away that you might have missed.

First a twenty minute documentary about the late 80s Berkshire acid house scene, documenting the spread of house music, clubbing, drugs and loose fit clothing from the Balearic islands to the Home Counties, a scene Mr Weatherall was an early part of- Shoom, Boys Own, Terry Farley and Primal Scream all included. It's highly recommended and a great watch, the pictures and footage especially. It's also amazing both how long ago it all looks and how beautifully romantic it all seems, as your past is served up as history. You can find it here courtesy of Dazed Digital.

And from the old days to bang up to date, there's a remix of the very recent Asphodells and Friendly Fires track Before Your Eyes by Jack Savidge- a banger for the dance floor, free download.

Back...

Back home, back to work, back to the blogging...

I'm a bit pushed for time having driven from the Kent coast to Manchester yesterday so you'll have to wait until later in the week for any tales of adventures in the garden of England.

This is a picture of Darrow Fletcher. Before leaving for Kent I chucked a few homemade compilation cds into the car, one of which had a long run of northern soul songs on it (acquired from the usual suspects). This song really sounded good. Darrow was a child prodigy who had a massive run of singles in the late 60s through to the late 70s. The Pain Just Gets A Little Deeper was released in 1966 and was apparently a favourite at The Twisted Wheel. Listen to this and it's easy to see why.

The Pain Just Gets A Little Deeper

Darrow Fletcher is not the Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher. But for us United fans as this season has gone on the pain has gotten a little deeper. Rumours abound that David Moyes may lose his job today. I think it's the right thing if he does- it's not really worked out has it? 

September Gurl

I've never quite been able to figure out quite why Big Star are held in such high esteem by certain middle aged men. The first album baffled me when I first got it, twenty years ago. It just sounded like southern boogie to me and I expected so much more. On the other hand there are some great tunes on the second album (Radio City) and Third/Sister Lovers has got its moments.

September Gurls is an absolutely beautiful little guitar song, ragged and yearning, a real head turner (and yes, it did provide Teenage Fanclub with the template for Bandwagonesque, but that's fine). George posted September Gurls a few weeks ago, so I'll provide you instead with this cover version by The Bangles, from back in the mid-80s. They smoothed it out, glossed it up a bit, Rickenbackers chiming away.

September Gurls

Susanna Hoffs didn't actually sing September Gurls, fellow Bangle Michael Steele did. Susanna isn't a September gurl, she's a January gurl, birthday-wise. I just looked it up. It has stunned me somewhat to realise that Susanna Hoffs is 55.

As of today we're off on holiday for a week, back late on Easter Monday, so most likely I won't post anything until the Tuesday. Hopefully you can manage without my meandering waffle for a week. However, if you do happen to pop in here while I'm away you will get to look at this picture of Susanna Hoffs, so it's not all bad is it?

Stranded

I pulled this out the other day, a superb blast of punk energy from antipodean upstarts The Saints. Not that any of them looked much like punks. Which probably makes them more punk. This song, recorded and first released in 1976, was hugely influential on the early London punk scene (along with the first Ramones lp), as 7" copies made their way from the southern to northern hemisphere like spiky driftwood. Coming from Brisbane in the mid 1970s they probably did feel pretty stranded- no offence to the people of Brisbane but it is a long way away from where the action was. (I'm) Stranded is an utterly life affirming recording and one of those cases of, although they had other songs, this one song by them is all that matters.

(I'm) Stranded

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 144

1957 was a golden year for rockabilly. Brenda Lee cut several rockabilly influenced singles including this one which earned her the nickname Little Miss Dynamite. While her voice has a gravelly Wanda Jackson quality, they added some doo-wop style backing vocals, presumably to soften it for radio listeners and record buyers. The slightly unsettling thing about this song is that Brenda was about thirteen or fourteen years old when she recorded it.

Dynamite

Analogue Bubblebath

This is an absolutely essential record from the imagination and fingertips of Richard D James, a record that sounds like its title (a title that is a nice pair of words to speak- analogue= rhythmic with hard sounds, bubblebath= rhythmic with soft sounds). This is music that envelops and warms and is full of possibility, which ignores the structure of the popular music that came before it- no verse-chorus-verse-chorus-middle eight etc. It still has form, just a different kind of form. It also takes from rave. Really wonderful.

Analogue Bubblebath

Stockholm Syndrome

I've never been to Stockholm. I've been to Helsinki, which was lovely. Someday I'm going to do a Scandinavian tour. I'll need to be significantly better off financially than I am now.

Stockholm was the title of the New Fast Automatic Daffodils' single from their second album (Mind Body Exit). This doesn't sound at all like the work of a Madchester band and in parts reminds me as much of Julian Cope's early 90s work as anything. Good song- this is the five minute version rather than the three minute radio edit (which probably didn't get very much radio airplay).

Stockholm

Introduction

Third post in a row in what seems to be turning into an accidental 'what the punks did next' theme week. Greg Dread (Big Audio Dynamite, Dreadzone) has recently unearthed and shared a track he put together back in the mid 80s, Big Audio Dynamite's live show intro music. It's a five minute track with snippets and samples from BAD's back catalogue all layered over a drum machine set to 'loud and fast'. The band would ususally appear at around the two minute mark but this goes on for another three. It won't embed but you can find it and download it here. Via the marvels of social media Greg said I could share it. Thanks Greg.

As a bonus this is BAD performing The Battle Of All Saints Road live on the telly in 1988. Mick suave in leather biker jacket and grey trousers, Don giving the one fingered/keyboard-playing salute...



What a good band they were.
Dreadzone are currently rocking a dancefloor somewhere in the UK, celebrating their twentieth anniversary.

Kiss Them For Me

This 1991 single was a big hit in the US for Siouxsie and the Banshees- Stephen Hague production, Talvin Singh on tabla and backing vocals, a Schooly D sample- but I think it may have slipped through the net here. Siouxsie was possibly a bit old hat in '91 but this song shows somebody's finger was on the pulse. It's begging for an expansive remix too. Listened to in 2014 it sounds like perfect, glittery pop music. And there's nowt wrong with that.

Kiss Them For Me

Call It A Day

Ian McCulloch had a solo album out last year which I didn't spend too much time with (for unknown reasons, time probably) but have rediscovered recently. Pro Patria Mori was a good single lp but was also available as a double. The second disc was recorded live at the Union Chapel, a mixture of Bunnymen songs from Rescue through to Nothing Lasts Forever, and songs from Pro Patria Mori, reworked acoustically and orchestrally. The fringe and the chin may not be what they were but the voice is in rich form and there's some lovely chugging Velvets rhythm guitar along with the strings. Angels And Devils, in the grand tradition of 80s indie rock, was tossed away on a B-side.

Angels And Devils (Live at the Union Chapel)

In The Boiler Room

For those of you of the Weatherall persuasion this is a bit of a treat (and those of you that aren't of a Weatherall persuasion must be rolling your eyes, pursing your lips and tut-tutting by now). A two hour radio set with The Asphodells and Friendly Fires chatting about the music that informed their recent collaboration and playing some of those records, hosted by the bearded one.

Plus, April 6th, it's Lord Sabre's birthday.

Set aside a couple of Sunday morning hours and enjoy.

Audio version



Video version

Fade Away

It's been ages since I posted anything from the island of Jamaica so here's some quality roots reggae from Mr Junior Byles in 1975 and a righteous piece of blood and fire.

'He who seeks of only vanity and no love for humanity, shall fade away. He who checks only for wealth and not for his physical health, shall fade away. The man who worships silver and gold, shall surely, surely, surely lose his soul'.

Fade Away

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night 143

How many lost rockabilly pearls can there be? Sometimes it seems like half the population of the United States must have cut at least one single in the mid-to-late 50s. I suppose the nature of local and regional charts, cheap recording studios and a churn 'em out attitude led to thousands of them. This one is by Ronnie Pearson (1957). Elvis-y vocals, loads of slapback and some killer guitar playing.

Hot Shot

I finish work for two weeks today, after a very busy few weeks. Line 'em up.

Voodoo Mademoiselle

I heard this song the other day, at work of all places, and I know nothing about it other than that it is a Northern Soul floor shaker by the very coolly named September Jones, a singer from Detroit.

There is another, more recent September Jones from the film Death Race 2, a former Miss Universe who lost her crown. But this is not her.

Voodoo Mademoiselle

Since drafting this post I realised that the much viewed Youtube Northern Soul dancer Levanna, from Bristol, has shown off her footwork to this tune and that there are plans to release it as a 7" single. Which has probably sold out already. Levanna went internet viral while dancing to Pharrell's Happy and a bunch of Northern songs.

Let The Music Use You

Frankie Knuckles died this week aged 59. It would be remiss of me to let this pass, especially seeing as half the music posted here over the last four years lives in his shadow to some extent. I was going to post Your Love but there's a campaign to get it to number one so I probably shouldn't be giving it away for free. Instead here's Night Writers, with vocals by Ricky Dillard...

Let The Music (Use You)

Let the music use you, let it take control.

Velo

Sorry for the brevity and predictability of this post- I am time poor right now.

Here's the flipside of that Asphodells/ Friendly Fires 12", out now on delicious, krautrock orange vinyl.

Warpainted

Some blogs do  an April Fools post with something outrageous (see The Vinyl Villain's attempt to persuade us all last year that Paul Young's No Parlez was a much overlooked lp) or a little joke (one blog once claimed to have posted a rare Joy Division song found at a car boot sale but the download turned out to be Kylie's I Should Be So Lucky). No such going ons here. I couldn't think of anything funny.

This new Richard Norris remix of Warpaint's Disco//Very is somewhat trippy and phased and very nice indeed. Fittingly it has both time and space in abundance. I hope it's coming out on vinyl.