Friday 31 August 2012

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



What do you get if you pair up Northern Ireland's top DJ and one half of Scotland's finest producers of quality dance music?

One side of ambient noodling which has it's place, I suppose but is nothing special and a quality piece of techno on the other, which at the time I vaguely remember being disappointed with, not sure why now as it sounds the business at the moment,  all driving drums and squelchy noises.

Total Toxic Overload was a collaboration between soon to be film score producer David Holmes and Stuart McMillan one half of Slam and also one of the people responsible for Soma Quality Records. The track along with Total Toxic Tranquility would be the twelfth release on the Soma label .

I have the 12" of this somewhere but can't find it at the moment so you will have to make do with the 6 minute version from the first Soma compilation and not the ten minute version. You could always go here and purchase the full version if you like it.

Have a good weekend people.

Holmes & McMillan - Total Toxic Overload

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Live With Me



The first time Max set eyes on Mark Lanegan at Latitude last year he said "who's that scary man dad!" and I have to agree with him, Lanegan is not the sort of fellow that you want to hear utter "did you spill my pint?" in your general direction. L assures me that there is something appealing about the man, can't see it myself but there you go.

Over the past six years or so Lanegan has been a sort of vocalist for hire working on projects with the likes of Isobel Campbell, Soulsavers and Greg Dulli as a member of the Twilight Singers and the Gutter Twins. I have been lucky enough to see him with both of Dulli's bands and on quite a few occasions with Campbell. He is certainly a presence on stage but tends not to get involved in banter with the crowd, I say tends, I really mean doesn't whatsoever.

As I said above Lanegan and Dulli have collaborated on numerous occasions, one of my favourites is an ep released in 2006 where they cover the Massive Attack single from the same year. Where the Terry Callier vocal is soulful and pleading in parts, the Twilight Singers version is far more brooding and menacing, I for one wouldn't be taking him up on his offfer!

Twilight Singers - Live With Me

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Come Back Margaret.



No not that one, at least I hope that's not what the song is about.

 I love this song, especially the handclaps and the strings. It's from Camera Obscura's third and for me best album. Let's Get Out Of The Country. There isn't a bad track on the album  from Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken to the final strains of the trumpet of Razzle Dazzle Rose it is just magic and an album that should be present in every household that likes moody Scottish indie pop.

Camera Obscura - Come Back Margaret

Monday 27 August 2012

Don't Turn Away



Willy McDougal or as he sometimes called himself, Billy Mack was a blind pianist from Greensboro N.C. Best know for his deep soul, in fact the flip-side of Don't Turn Away, I Can't Wait is a particularly fine example. However the side posted today is an out and out R&B belter. If you wished to pick up a 7" of this it would set you back between £200 - £250.

Willy McDougal - Don't Turn Away.

Sunday 26 August 2012

Croatian Surf Pop?



On Friday night over at the Bagging Area in reply to a comment by George about posting some surf guitar sounds I somewhat disingenuously posted that I had a full album of Croatian "surf guitar" bands covering Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores, the album actually includes bands from Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia as well as Croatia but all would fall under the term of "surf music" I suppose.

The album is absolutely wonderful and one which alas I can take no credit in finding. My copy came from Stiff who was given it by his older brother Bat, of the 1977 - 82 tape fame. How he was first put on to it I don't know but will ask next week at the football.

I've had a look on Discogs and there are no copies to be had and on Amazon there are two copies of the cd for sale, the cheaper one being $146, which it is definitely not worth, so I take it it is pretty rare. so if you're lucky enough to find a copy, good on you but I'm sure that a full download can be found if you like what you hear.

Cosmonauti - For A Few Dollars More

The Langhorns - The Vice Of Killing

Saturday 25 August 2012

Eve Of Destruction



When I first heard this song in the early 80s it wasn't just the lyrics that depressed me but also the fact that almost twenty years after it was first recorded the world still seemed to be on the eve of destruction.

Although we no longer seem to have the threat of Mutually Assurred Destruction hanging over our heads there is still far too much bad shit going on for my liking. I despair when this week it appears that the western world is more concerned with one spoilt, rich sponger getting his kit off in a hotel suite in Las Vegas paid for by the taxpayer than the slaughter going on in Syria.

Still, it's a good song, innit!

Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction

Friday 24 August 2012

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I  became aware of Soul II Soul in mid 1988  when I bought the Feel Free 12" their second release.  It was not a bad single, very chilled beats but the bpms seemed a bit slow for my liking. There was nothing in it to suggest that by the end of the following year the collective of musicians, DJs, singers etc would have 4 top ten singles in the UK, one of which would go to number 1 for four weeks be the 5th biggest single of the year and a triple platinum album and this was when such things still really meant something.

There was no bigger act in British dance music in 1989 than Jazzie B's crew. Back to Life was everywhere you turned, constantly heard on the radio and when out. But my favourite was the follow-up Get A Life, not sure why maybe due to the ubiquity of it's predecessor but from the moment I heard the strings at the beginning and the laid back groove I was hooked.

Soul II Soul never really did it for me in the same way again and I sort of lost interest the following year. Playing Get A Life again last night for the first time in ages iot still sounded fresh which can't be said for a lot of stuff from that year.

Have a good weekend people

Soul II Soul - Get A Life (Extended mix)

Thursday 23 August 2012

Do You Remember



No matter how hard it is pissing down outside, put this on, close you eyes and I guarantee the sun will be shining.

Taken from the 1977 album Natty Rebel.

U-Roy - Do You Remember

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Fried My Little Brains



I've been listening to the first Kills album a lot recently. I love the rawness of it. It is still my favourite of their albums although the last one runs it  a close second. Was lucky enough to catch them live just before the album came out and as I've said before they were brilliant live and a very charismatic duo. Here is a track off of the album and their forth single release.

If you don't own this album, I can highly recommend it and don't think that you will be disappointed.

The Kills - Fried My Little Brains

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Resolution Of One



Here is a track that came out last year on the oh so trendy Kitsune Music label but had originally been released in 2010 in a limited run of 500 in the US. It even made my Tracks Of My Year round-up. I'm not quite sure on reflection that it was that good but it is better than a lot of the dross I heard in 2011.

Guards - Resolution Of One

Monday 20 August 2012

That's Not Love



Here's a track that I used to be tortured over when young and wanting to be seen as  the cool, knowledgeable soul fan with impeccable taste.

That's Not Love was pop song, not northern soul I was told and should not be taken seriously, but those drums, that beat, the anguished vocals not to mention the Spectorish production what's not to like? It wasn't until about ten years ago or so I felt comfortable enough to admit to myself how much I liked this record. Fucking sad isn't it? But that is another facet of northern soul.

While I'm in such a confessional mood I would also like to put on record that I bloody love Wayne Gibson's cover of Under My Thumb. There I've said it and feel all the better for it.

Holly St. James - That's Not Love

Sunday 19 August 2012

Coldcut Meets The Orb



Swiss Adam over at the Bagging Area mentioned the new Orb album yesterday something that I'm looking forward to as I have really enjoyed the last couple of albums.

It wasn't always thus. During the late 90 early 2000s I found their output somewhat patchy and inconsistent but would still buy most of the stuff.

I once took Stiff to see The Orb live at the Barrowlands in about 92/93 with hilarious results. Stiffs stlye and demenour is not one which fitted in with the stoner/clubber look of that time leading to one very paranoid guy stoned out of his tree, in Bairds, the pub next door being somewhat too apolgetic when he spilt Stiff's pint mistaking him for a local. Round about the Barras you don't mess with the locals.

It also lead to us having a lot more space round us when in the gig as I'm sure that he was being wrongly tagged as being DS as he looked as out of place as a plain clothes Special Branch officer at a CND rally.

Enough rambling, here is a nice wee mix by Coldcut and The Orb given away free by Ninja Tunes a couple of years ago. Just the thing to accompany Sunday brunch.

ColdCut Meets The Orb

Friday 17 August 2012

While We Are On The Subject . . .

. . . of Soul music. This is rather good. The second single from Jasmine Kara and a cover of Ain't No More Room by The Kittens.  The b-side is a version of Ordinary Joe by Terry Callier. She was on a hiding to nothing with me covering that as it is one of favourite Northern tracks.


It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Sort of  sticking with the Soul theme, in as much as today's track samples one of the soul/disco voices of the 70s/80s.

I have posted this track before but it back in 2009 so most people have probably forgotten about it. Shame was one of the later releases by Altern 8 and came out in 1992 as a 10" single. It samples the vocals from Evelyn King's first single, not surprisingly called Shame and drops some wobbly acidy bits in amoungst the breakbeats and plinky plonky piano.

Lovely stuff.

Have a good weekend people.

Altern 8 vs Evelyn King - Shame

Thursday 16 August 2012

Stuck On You



Here's a track by an artist I know absolutely nothing about, apart from she also covered A Little Bit Of Soap which, sadly was a hit single this side of the Atlantic when covered by Showaddywaddy recorded it in their own inimitable fashion.

Stuck On You was written by writer, producer and all round Soul legendVan McCoy. It was the b-side of Gee What A Guy and came out on the Domain label.

Yvonne Carroll - Stuck On You

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Bop Bop Soo-Be-Do-Wah



We kicked off the week with a Velvelettes b-side and today we feature an instrumental  cover by "The Earl of Funk" as Earl Van Dyke was known and the legendary Funk Brothers. This track lay languishing in the Motown vaults until 2002 when it was dusted down and given an airing on the excellent "A Cellarful of Motown" Compilation.

Earl Van Dyke - He Was Really Sayin' Something

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Tear Stains On My Pillow Case



Think I'm going to stick with the Soul this week.

So here is another belter from 1966, a very good year for soul music.

Mary Love - Lay This Burden Down

Monday 13 August 2012

Since You've Been Loving Me



It was not a bad weekend. Due to the weather being almost summer like up hear there are only 124 miles to go in the great running in marathon.

In other news Airdrie got of to a cracking start  in their Scottish First Division campaign by gubbing Dumbarton 4-1. If they play all season as they did in the first half of Saturday's game, which I doubt on the evidence of a rather poor second half performance, then my fears of going straight back down to the Second Division may be unfounded.

And while we are on the subject of football, all you supporters of "the club formerly known as Rangers", not as easy as you thought it was going to be, eh!

Anyway, back to the music and here is the b-side of These Things Will Keep Me Loving You, one of my favourite songs ever. Released on the Motown off-shoot Soul in 1966 and again on Motown in  1971, I think that Since You've Been Loving Me could have been a hit as an a-side.

The Velvelettes - Since You've Been Loving Me

Sunday 12 August 2012

Buy This Compilation


Anyone who has read this nonsense for any length of time or who has clicked on the Acid Ted link on the right hand side will be aware of the excellent blog that Ctel produces on a daily basis and may well know about Ctel's previous work where he incredibly eruditely, under what would have to have been the most difficult circumstances at times wrote of the daily trials and tribulations of his family's fight with their son's brain tumour.

For a while now Ctel has been trying to artists to contribute to a compilation, where all of the proceeds will go to two charities who focus on this horrible disease and finally on the 04th of August this labour of love saw the light of day. I would like anybody who has ever downloaded anything from this site to stop by here, read a little bit more and download the album. If the music is not really your cup of tea or you can't really afford to pay for the whole album just click on the link in the posting and give what you can but it would be cool to maybe see the compilation in the iTunes charts.

So at a time when we are all feeling good about ourselves in the wake of the success of the Olympics make yourself feel even better by foregoing a couple of pints this afternoon or not buying that top you don't really need anyway and donate the money instead to something really worrth while like finding a successful treatment for childhood brain tumours.

I have never had the good fortune to have met Ctel but JC tells me that he "is one of us" and I have found no evidence to doubt him, apart from his loathing of the Fall but he is not alone there. I have one thing in common with Ctel and that is an obsession with most of the output of Andrew Weatherall and so thought it fitting to post the only mix of his of One Dove's Transient Truth that I have not previously posted.

One Dove - Transient Truth (Squelch mix)


Friday 10 August 2012

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance +



When the Dust Brothers changed their name to The Chemical Brothers, I thought at the time, what a pish name but over the years the name has kind of grown on me and it didn't do Tom and Ed's career any harm into the bargain.

The duo are along with Orbital and Underworld  probably the three best practitioners of "dance music" who became huge but didn't dilute their product to make it accessible to the mass market. Sure, there were the guest vocals by Gallagher, Gillespie, Sumner to mention but three but those didn't feel like conscious attempt  to appeal to those who didn't get dance music.

Okay, they are held responsible for the whole Big Beat fad but a lot of good records did come out of that scene as well as the pish.

My favourite track has to be The Private Psychedelic Reel which has been featured before, so here is a belter of a single from 1999.

Have a good weekend people.

The Chemical Brothers -  Hey Boy, Hey Girl

Thursday 9 August 2012

Version




Nothing to say really. Sun is shinning up here, I certainly picked the wrong week to take off. Here is the Upsetters dub of Hurts So Good.

The Upsetters - Hurts So Good

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Lost Your Love Of Life?




My 3 year old has been running about the house for weeks singing this or in the car asking "play too much apple pie, daddy". But he is never sure whether Tommy is running away with Harry's wife, or Harry's walked away with Johnie's wife.

Have to admit that it is one of my favourite songs as well.

The Wedding Present - Kennedy

Monday 6 August 2012

You'll Have Had Your Summer Holidays Then!



Well that's the summer holidays over for another year. I would love to say that I am back at my desk today, tanned and thoroughly rested but if I did then I would be a liar. I am slightly less pale blue than I was before my trip to the West Coast but the weather was hardly conducive to turning me into a bronze Adonis. Still we made the most of it and the boys had a great time.

In other news, I picked the scooter up on Saturday on my way home from Machrihanish. It is now making a lovely noise thanks to the addition of a Gianelli sports exhaust expertly fitted by John at Glasgow Lambretta, just under 400 miles to go until it can be opened up properly.

Oh,  and to the two fuckwits that decided it would be fun to kick in my back lights on my car left in the drive when we were away. One day, you will realise just how much inconvenience, frustration not to mention anger you caused when someone does something similar to you. Until that day I wish on you both a particularly itchy dose of the crabs or a really fiery case of gonorrhoea or preferably both at the same time.

Here is a rather good version of the Sidney Barnes track 'You'll Always Be In Style' by an unknown female artist found amongst a number of studio demos.

Unknown Female - You'll Always Be In Style