Thursday 31 July 2014

Instant Coffee Baby



Here is the title track from the fourth album by The Wave Pictures. Who must be one of the most prolific indie bands ever having released sixteen albums in the last ten years! Beat that for work ethic Mr Smith.  I have got to be in the right mood to listen to David Tattersall's vocals, fortunately I was when the iPod threw this up the other day that much I decided to listen to the whole album which I must admit was a rather pleasant way to spend forty odd minutes.

The Wave Pictures - Instant Coffee Baby

Wednesday 30 July 2014

I Just Can't Help Believing



I've posted this tune twice before and I make no apologies for doing so again,  as for me it was one of the best songs of the noughties and the more I play it the more inexplicable it is to me that it did absolutely nothing when released ten years ago! I believe that this will become a much sought after rarity, so if I were you I would get over to Discogs pronto and buy the vinyl now, so later you will not be disappointed.

Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

Monday 28 July 2014

Keep The Faith



I don't know much about Alexia Coley apart that she is from West London and has a wonderfully warm voice. She has released two 7" inch singles so far, Beautiful Waste Of Time and last year's Keep The Faith. Her debut album is planned for release in September.

Alexia Coley - Keep The Faith 

Sunday 27 July 2014

Mellow Sunday



This comes from one of my favourite albums, I listen to Saint Dominic's Preview much more than I do Astral Weeks these days. Another artist that shall remain nameless as posting his stuff usually incurrs the wrath of the DMCA.

Grumpy Northern Irish Bloke - Listen To The Lion

Saturday 26 July 2014

Happy Birthday Doll.




It's L's birthday today. We were going to be celebrating by going to a live recording of Off The Ball a Radio Scotland football show which can be extremely funny at times, however we had arranged ages ago to do a family lunch tomorrow and therefore don't have the time. So we went out for "a couple" of drinks  at 6pm last night and ended up getting home after midnight! Here is one of her favourite tunes but I don't think that I will post his name as I think that it would bring on a visit by the DMCA.

I have to say that L is taking to this ageing thing a lot better than me!

Paisley Boy Done Good - Candy

Friday 25 July 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

.

I intended to follow SA's example from the other day and post a piece of Italo Piano house today, however the track in question which I thought I had ripped a couple of weeks ago when I found the 12" while looking for something else doesn't appear to have been ripped at all and I can't be arsed doing it now. So instead  here is a track that was hugely popular in 1992 and reached the heights of number two in the UK charts, making this potentially the most commercial tune ever to be featured on a Friday on this blog. The sample the tune is built around comes from Walk & Skank by Jah Screechy but you all knew that already

Have a good weekend people

SL2 - On A Ragga Tip

Thursday 24 July 2014

Dexys



I went to see the Dexys film, "Nowhere Is Home" film on Monday night, eventually, having to double back through Glasgow after going to the wrong Cinema, missing the first couple of minutes! And very good it was too, although Big Jim looked not entirely comfortable of being in front of the camera, I think that he may have preferred to have done anything other than talk about himself and his involvement with the band, Rowland on the other hand was as forthright as ever and very entertaining. Interspersed with the musings of the two is footage from the live performance of "One Day I'm Going To Soar" from the Duke Of York's Theatre last year.

On Tuesday it was announced on Twitter that Dexys would be releasing the DVD and live performance on various formats in October. You can pre-order here

If you pre-booked the tickets for the showing of the film, on the night you would receive an exclusive 7" single with two of the live tracks from the show. I know that it really is none of my business and people can do what they like with the record but I was slightly pissed off to see "spare" copies on eBay some at 25 quid! If I had had a spare copy, I pre-booked two tickets and Stiff got one of the singles, I would have given it to someone else at the showing who had at least made the effort to go and see the film, not sold it to highest bidder!

Here is the original version of one of the tracks on the single. I will get around to uploading both sides of the single sometime soon.

Dexys Midnight Runners - I Love You (Listen To This)

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Trainspotting



I used to listen to Vanishing Point quite a bit, it is probably my second favourite album by Primal Scream, after Screamadelica obviously. However these days I am more likely to pull out the dub version and if I'm feeling less lethargic than usual I will play the 7" box set version. I think I might give Vanishing Point a dust down this weekend.

On Monday while grappling with a particularly head wrecking set of patient notes, Trainspotting came on the iPod and I stopped trying to verify the data and just listened to the song in it's entirety and then resumed the task with a bit more vigour. Way back in the day when I did even more unhealthy things that I currently do, if presented with what seemed like an insurmountable problem I would head outside no matter the weather and have a cigarette or two and then back to the task in hand ready to overcome what ever had been the obstacle previously. At the beginning of this week I found out that listening to Primal Scream has pretty much the same effect!

It is now a fact, that listening to Primal Scream refreshes those parts of the brain that other bands can't reach.

Primal Scream - Trainspotting

Tuesday 22 July 2014

It's A Small Place, Blogland Really.



It really is a small world.  That may be a cliche but that doesn't make it any the less true.

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about my first CND demo in Barrow In Furness way back in 1984 and received comments from both Nolan Micron of the much lamented Castles In Space blog and The Vinyl Villain saying that they were also there. Coincidence, yes but in a comment for another post it turns out that both JC and I were at Custom House Quay in Glasgow at the same time watching Natalie Merchant, Billy Bragg and Michael Stipe twenty four years ago last month, sure there were 250, 000 people from all over Scotland milling about Glasgow that day but there weren't actually that many who had waited through Aly Bain and his fiddle on the Broomielaw to listen to Big Nosed Bard from Barking at that time  most of the crowd were either in George Square or at Glasgow Green.

A couple of years ago when talking to my eldest nephew I found out that one of his lecturers at Uni  was none other than Comrade Colin of another lamented blog,  And Before The First Kiss. Another coincidence.

Well it's gone and happened again. A few days ago Scott over at Spools Paradise when posting a track from an Artists For Animals compilation mentioned the fact that he used to man the anti-vivisection stall in Argyle Street in Glasgow as a teen. I passed that stall every other Saturday when alighting from the Lanark train at Argyle street on my frequent visits to Flip and if Stiff was with me we would stop and Stiff would have a look through the stuff as he was right into that kind of thing. Me being a leather wearing, steak eater, I sort of hovered in the background but must have crossed paths with Scott. Anyway, when I mentioned some anarchist punk bands that we used to listen to in the comments, Scott replied saying that he had played Tube Disasters by Flux Of Pink Indians recently. I have this single and quite a few other anarcho-punk records from the early 80s not half as many as Stiff who has some right weird ones like the Italian thrash punks who we couldn't acertain whether they were anarchists or not as the lyrics and sleeve notes were all in Italian and all I can remember now is that it it was quite furious stuff!

Six years ago the RVNG record label in America put out a five track 10" single called 10 Inches Of Fear which included a track each by four groups/artists who were involved in the anarcho-punk scene all re-edited by JD Twitch from Optimo, it also included a mix cd of punk and bands influenced by punk called 60 Minutes Of Fear which is well worth a listen. One of the tracks that is re-edited is the afore mentioned Tube Disasters.

Small world, isn't it?

Flux Of Pink Indians - Tube Disasters (JD Twitch re-edit

Monday 21 July 2014

My Sweet, Sweet Baby



I've got a busy week this week. Down to Leicester tomorrow for a couple of days, never been there before and know bugger all about the place apart from jug ears Lineker comes from there.

The Glories featured on the blog back in April and since then I have acquired a couple more of their singles. I am still on the hunt for a copy of their version of The Dark End Of The Street which for me blows James Carr's version out of the water. My Sweet, Sweet Baby is the stand out track of the ones which I have been able to find so far. According to Discogs the song only came out in 1968 as a promo on the Date label in the US, however  my copy is on the UK Direction which I think most records released in the States were issued on in the UK as they were both part of the Columbia/CBS group. No matter what this record has another outstanding lead vocal from Frankie Gearing. I could listen to this kind of stuff all day.

The Glories - My Sweet, Sweet Baby

Sunday 20 July 2014

Mellow Sunday



Listening to this piece of ambient tech house may not change your life but the soothing rhythms is not a bad way to waste ten minutes and kind of suits the muggy atmosphere that we are experiencing in central Scotland this Sunday afternoon.

Melchior Productions Ltd - The Blessing


Friday 18 July 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



It is glorious up here in the frozen north today. The sun is shinning, the weather is warm but there is a nice cooling breeze for those of us who melt in anything above 25 degrees. Not that I will see much of it being stuck in my cupboard I call an office but at least it is nicer than having to be cooped up in a stuffy sealed departure lounge at Birmingham airport for nearly an hour before being let back out into the relative comfort of the gates 1 to 20 Departure lounge. My flight home last night on Fly Maybe was delayed two fucking hours, hence the rant. And,  by the way a free complimentary half can of Pepsi Max does not make up for being told absolutely fuck all and having to watch the later flight to Glasgow leave before you! Just because you have the monopoly on flights to the Midlands doesn't mean you can treat people like shit.

I feel better now! Back to the music.

In this kind of weather I tend to reach for the Garage and Deep House. Today's track is an all time classic produce by David Morales and like last week's track features the keyboard skills of Sastoshi Tomiie . The song is credited to Robert Owens who has one of the sweetest voices in House music. The lyric apparently are the result of the aftermath of an argument between Owens and Morales with Owens singing "I'll be your friend" down the phone to the producer. Ironically my favourite mix is the Def Instrumental, however I will post both that mix and the original mix, so you can compare and contrast.

I'm off to see The Afghan Whigs tonight, a different beast entirely ut I am really looking forward to this one. Every time I have seen Greg Dulli in the past he has never been anything short of excellent but I never got to see the Whigs the first time round.

Have a good weekend people

Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend (Original Def mix)

Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend (Def Instrumental)


Thursday 17 July 2014

Manics Make Good New Tune Shocker!



I haven't really listened to much of the Manic Street Preachers output over the past ten years well not in it's original form anyway and what I have heard of the latest release hasn't persuaded me to change this situation. That is, apart from the two Erol Alkan remixes released on Alkan's Phantasy label, although I suspect that they sound nothing like the original track unless the Manics have embrace full on that dance aspect that was never apparent in any of  their earlier stuff. The 12" single was a limited pressing of 300 which are no longer available, there are a couple on Discogs but you will need to be quick.

Only a Soundcloud for this as the copyright police have visited a couple of times recently and as the remixes can be purchased from Beatport I reckon they would come knocking again. Sorry. But the mixes are worth shelling out for.



Wednesday 16 July 2014

Not another Re-edit, Drew?



Well yes and I'm not going to apologise as this is rather is as good as anything I've heard in a while. It's a  mellow, moody house chugger from a band, Pyramids,  who I have never heard of before. But the Wiki entry says that they are an experimental/post rock band from Texas. The re-edit is by Slow To Speak and the 12" single is a two track sampler for the type of things they reshape on their excellent Slow To Speak Edits 1999 - 2014 where they have remixed the work of artists as diverse as Monie Love, David Byrne and Argent!. Although neither the Pyramids or the Sylvester track are on the cd.  Worth checking out.

Pyramids with Nadja - Into The Silent Waves (Slow To Speak edit)

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Say Yes!



 No this is not an advert for the Aye campaign in the upcoming Scottish referendum, however if they had adopted this belting tune, the title track from Comet Gain's 1996 "Say Yes To International Socialism" ep, I may well have been more susceptible to their arguments than I have been,  so far.

Last week the new Comet Gain album Paperback Ghosts came through the door courtesy of  the ever reliable Piccadilly Records and as usual it is excellent, music to make you sad, to make you happy, make you angry and make you dance , sometimes all within the same song. What more could you want from an album really. So I thought that by featuring one the many excellent singles from their back catalogue it may spur some of you to invest in their latest release.

There is a printed excerpt that comes with the single with a few paragraphs that are as pertinent today, sadly as they were back then before 13 years of a Labour government and four years of Gideon and Co at the trough. Did you know that Osbourne's best man personally pocketed 36 million out of the under priced sell off of Royal Mail?

It makes me wonder  . . . is there another way?

Here;'s the words:-

A Glimpse. .  .

Are politics more important than love? Would you agree never to fall in love again if it meant the miners winning in 1985 or a Labour victory with a socialist manifesto behind it? True socialism is a love of people, I guess. I'd hope our political ideas, values and principles sprung from the heart, the same place that my overwhelming pure and deeply felt love and emotions for individuals come from. It's not possible to hate our class/political enemies with the necessary intensity without having had the knowledge of a deeply profound love. I bet that sounds naive and the point is, of course, to put it into song with intensity and emotion.

In these desperate times, we've got to cling to anything/anyone who can provide the solace, inspiration or hope that there's more to life than grind and drudgery. That's why pop music means so much to our hope filled passionate hearts. I guess, a glimpse of not justy how great life could be, but what we all COULD be!

by John McLoughlan, "Save The Craven Cottage"

Say No! to the indulgences of the mainstream, corporate, conservative institutions, aesthetic bankruptcy and the media hegemony wrecking our football, films, music and all the great things WE create.

Say Yes! to the young dream, strong, hopeful and charged up art; our pop records are a direct route to your hearts and minds and the melancholic glory of all our lives.

Charlie Croker

Link gone due to DMCA copyright infringement

Monday 14 July 2014

Taking My Mind Off Love.



There is a Grapevine compilation of Carol Anderson's songs subtitled " The Legacy of Detroit's Lost Soul Sister" which is probably a true approximation of Anderson's standing within the more mainstream soul fraternity but in rare soul circles she is held in much higher esteem for two singles from either ends off her career.  Sad Girl was the first track to come to the attention of purveyors of that northern sound, released on the local Fee label it's sound is very retro for the time, being released in 1979, harking back to the start of the decade, I love the finger clicking intro. It is not a surprise to learn that it was written by a couple of ex Motown staffers, John Glover and James Dean. It's one of those songs that never fails to make me smile.

The popularity of the track up north meant that there was a keen interest in Anderson's back catalogue and especially her first single  from 1969, released on the Whip label, Taking My Mind Off  Love a more straight up northern track.

The continued demand for these tracks over the the next two decades, satiated in part by a few bootleg pressings, convinced  John Anderson of Soul Bowl, who originally licensed Sad Girl to his Grapevine label in 1979 to release the tracks as a double a-side 7" single on the Grapevine 2000 label which is the copy that I own.

Sadly Carol passed away from cancer in 1984, the disease also claimed her mother and brother. cutting short the career of one of the unsung talents of the Motorcity., If you are remotely interested, seek out the Grapevine compilation "Sad Girl", you will not be disappointed.

Not a bad way to start a Monday.

Carol Anderson - Taking My Mind Off Love


Sunday 13 July 2014

Mellow Sunday



I heard this yesterday on 6Music where Rob da Bank is sitting in for Gilles Peterson. It's one of those tracks that stopped me in my tracks and I had to just listen to and then off to the computer and soundcloud to listen to it again and again and again. It is quite quite beautiful and the product of the seventeen year old Lapsley. Unfortunately I can't find a download link anywhere!

Friday 11 July 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



This week back at work has been hectic, I feel a bit swamped at the moment if the truth be known and as you will have noticed I haven't had a chance to post anything since Monday. On Tuesday I drove from Newcastle to Manchester for the first time, christ that took a while!

In other news the boys and I picked up our season tickets last night for the forthcoming Scottish First Division and I have to applaud the Airdrieonians Supporters Trust who have got together with Kit Aid, so that any under 16 who donated an old top or strip is given a free season ticket which saved me forty quid, it would have been eighty but the boys decided that they wanted the Airdrieonians rucksacks for  their school bags. I have higher  hopes this year than I have had for sometime  for the club's fortunes and I predicted that we will finish in the top half maybe even in the top three in May 2015.

The end of the previous paragraph may be down to sunstroke as the weather is still rather lovely up here, it reached 25 degrees in Lanark yesterday! So I think that a smooth,  slow bpm housed up cover of an Isley Brothers classic is the order of the day. Nicki Richards vocals featured on many of Frankie Knuckles tracks and here he remixes her first solo single released in 1991. The track also features Satoshi Tomiie on keyboards.

Have a good weekend people

Nicki Richards - Summer Breeze (Club mix)

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Reformation



I haven't been listening to the Fall much recently. I think that that is due to the last album which I thought was extremely patchy but I know that others will disagree with that but it didn't grab me at all, too much filler and tracks that had already been given a release. I have read people raving about the new material that has been aired recently at gigs and the couple of bootlegs that I have gotten a hold of testify to that so hopefully the next album will be one that I will warm to more than Re-Mit.

Reformation is the lead track from the 2007 album Reformation Post TLC.  I have no idea what Smith is ranting on about but I love the song, one which comes into it's own in the live environment, like most Fall songs when Smith can be arsed which he seems to have been doing recently. Until the next time he comes to Scotland, obviously.

The Fall - Reformation  

Monday 7 July 2014

Why



That was a bloody quick week,  hot and dry for the most part but not long enough. I love Cornwall not so enthused about spending most of every day on the beach but the boys had a great time.

Here is a stormer of a northern track from Nat Hall which was released on the Loop label. Sadly I don't own a copy of the single, the last time a seven came up for sale on ebay it sold for seven hundred and ninety five U.S. for too rich for me. My version comes from the excellent fourth volume of "For Millionaires Only" from Goldmine which is well worth seeking out as are the other three in the series.

Nat Hall - Why (I Want To Know)