It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

ere is track 2, as there are no track listings on this 12" from the first Bassbin Twins ep. The track has more samples than you can shake a stick at. The break I think is from Justify My Love, although maybe madge nicked it from somewhere else. But there are quite a few to try and place. The rest of the ep is quite diverse, some ragga, a bit of ska and reggae.

The Bassbin Twins have recorded for a few labels associated with the big beat sounds, such as Skint and Southern fried.

Bassbin Twins - Track 2

Bloody Weather

When all else fails there's always the weather.

Haven't got much to say apart from when will this bloody rain end! I am in danger of losing my sunny disposition.

I popped in to see a mate yesterday on the way home from work to give him copies of both Fall gigs from the other week. He told me he had spent the morning chopping down trees. It wasn't 'til this afternoon that I thought about it, I suspect he may be building an ark.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Nine Million Rainy Days

Deacon Blue - Raintown

The Just Joans - Lookin' Like Rain

No shortage of Scottish bands with songs about rain, funny that.

New Music - Super U

Some new music for you from a band who hail from Brighton,  Super U. They release their debut album, We Live In Bazakhstan on the 1st of December on Sack The Juggler records.

I don't really know how to describe their sound, there is a bit of everything in the mix, a bit of hip 60's, a lot of indie and quite a bit of folk. I've seen them being compared to Belle And Sebastian and a bit like Camera Obscura;  on a couple of tracks there is a nod in the general direction to B&S but they are not quite so fey and I just can't see the Camera Obscura comparison myself. I really like the album, there are a couple of melodies which I keep finding myself humming and the lyrics are witty, not sure about the flute though.

See what you think.

Super U - Dillinger 

Super U - We Hang On

The Bard Of Salford

Have been meaning to feature John Cooper Clarke for some time, ever since the Radio 4 programme about him. He has lived quite a life. He first came to prominence in the late 70's in the wake of punk and is usually referred to as a punk poet which doesn't do him justice.

He has supported many of the original punk and post punk bands, such as the Pistols, Souixsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and of course the mighty Fall, coming from Salford as he does. He has released 6 albums as far as I know. The backing band on most of these releases was was The Invisible Girls which included Martin Hannett, Pete Shelley, Bill Nelson, Paul Burgess and Steven Hopkins.

Last year I was really looking forward to seeing him support the Fall at the Queen's Hall, unfortunately he called of at the last minute due to a cold and I had to endure nearly 2 hours of Patti Smith, the soundman's choice, before the Fall took to the stage. Still, it could have been worse I may have had to put up with Safi Sniper. Just one of the joys of going to see the Fall.

I think that Cooper Clarke is a fashion guru to all goths.

I forgot to mention that in the Radio 4 programme it was revealed that for a while during the 80's Clarke was shaked up with Nico, yes that Nico and appeared on several Sugar Puff adverts, the man is a legend.

Here are a couple of my favourite tracks/poems.

John Cooper Clarke - Marjorca

John Cooper Clarke - Conditional Discharge

Links now working apologies if you couldn't download but that amongst other things is what the comments are for.

At the moment I'm re reading Fuel Injected Dreams by James Robert Baker for the umpteenth time. I have to thank the girl who also put me on to the Pale Fountains song  after which this blog is named for also introducing me to this book. About a year after I left Aberdeen I was up visiting friends when I bumped into her and she gave me her copy as when she had started reading it she thought that it would be something that I would find interesting.

The story revolves around an LA DJ, who has a chance encounter with a reclusive, megalomaniac record producer who was responsible for some of the biggest hits of the early 60's with the bands he created and famed for his production techniques but by the end of that  decade had dissolved into a gun toting, drug induced psychotic who keeps his wife prisoner in his mansion, sound familiar to anyone? This chance encounter has the DJ revisit his teenage years and one summer in particular and try to solve a mystery which happened then with some very strange and extremely disturbing results.

The book is kind of trashy and a bit dated now,  as it is set in the mid eighties but I think that it is still worth reading. On discovering that Baker was a screenwriter it did not surprise me as the book reads like a movie and it is easy to picture it as such. I always had Dennis Hopper down for the drug crazed producer.

As I said I have read this book several times and years ago I gave it to L when she was going overseas to visit her sister. I was rather hacked off when  L arrived home sans book, don't get me wrong very pleased to see her but slightly distraught about the missing novel. To this day she argues that she brought it back. I searched for this book but to no avail, this was pre or very early internet days and to make matters worse the book was then out of print, the author having committed suicide and subsequent major wrangles over his estate meaning that it was not available. Eventually after a few years searching and improvements on the web I tracked down a copy in a second hand book shop in southern California and payed quite a bit of money for it. It has, however been re-printed since and copies can be found on Amazon for as little as one pence, which may put you off, however it is worth the investment if you ask me.

All of this was just an excuse to post a couple of tracks produced by a deeply flawed genuis, who bears no similarity to the character in the book.

The Ramones - Baby I Love You

The Checkmates - Love Is All I Have To Give

and a cover of Spector's first ever single which he recorded when he was 17 and the title of which comes from the words etched on his father's gravestone.

Amy Winehouse - To Know Him Is To Love Him

When Two Tribes Kind Of Co-exist

This post is inspired by a comment DVD made last night on The Ghost of Electricity and a review I read yesterday in the Guardian.

When I  was a youngster I was quite a confused individual, I initially didn't realise this until I moved to the town in which I still reside, as where I originally came from they had a more open minded approach to the things that mattered in life, ie music, for inconsiquential matters such as religion they were positively archaic but as a ten year old  I was not aware of this . Nobody batted an eyelid if you replied,  when asked about your musical preferences that you liked say the Clash and AC/DC for example. This, I found was not the case when I moved to Lanark, a conservative town in lots of ways including musical preferences, no blurring of the boundaries here.

My first day of Primary 7 would have been daunting enough, being at a new school but combined with a headbut from a boy who even then had "wee man syndrome" and a lack of knowledge of books of the bible it was nearly insufferable. The only think that made me want to go back was finding 2 at least slightly like minded individuals

I was sat behind 2 boys who were as thick as thieves and at play time it was these two that started the interrogation of my musical tastes. Stiff asked me who my favourite band was to which I replied Motorhead and the two of them looked at me as if I had some horrible contagious disease. Span then asked me who else I liked  and I said SLF which certainly got a better response but neither of them could understand how I could like both heavy metal and punk. With them it was either one or the other and the preference certainly wasn't heavy metal. During the subsequent questions it turned out that both Stiff and myself originated from the same town and all threeof us supported the same,  not so local football team, Airdrie, which helped secure a lasting bond.

The reason for my schizophrenic taste in music was due to the fact that I had 2 older cousins who influenced me, one into punk and one into NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) as it was called at the time in Sounds. Kevin, his real name, but not a real cousin was into punk and had got me listening to the Skids, SLF, The Clash etc, never did like 999 though and the fact that he was an Aberdeen supporter was always a mute point. Then there was Stuart, real cousin, long hair, half length Cuban army jacket and into all things metal from Zeppelin on. My main problem was that I liked some of what I heard from both but not all of either which meant that I never really felt like I could be partisan about things.

Over the next couple of years Stiff's older brothers replaced Kevin in my education of what is now termed as post punk but to us was just punk or if you wanted to be wanky,  new wave. Stuart however remained a constant and took me to my first half dozen concerts for which I am eternally grateful and taught me about Hendrix and all that late 60's stuff , however I never could get his adoration for The Doors and Jim Morrison in particular, I always thought that he was a bit of a cock.

Anyway to the point of the post,  Stuart took me to see Motorhead at the Glasgow Apollo on the Ace of Spades tour, which was my first ever concert and my abiding memory is of going to school the next day and not being able to hear as my ears were still ringing. We were on the second row of the balcony and I remember being a little scared when you could feel the whole thing moving up and down under you.

For the next 2 years every birthday and Christmas I got a concert ticket from my aunt Lily and Stuart took me to the Apollo to see Whitesnake, UFO etc.

I really loved Motorhead and had every single, album and the two 12 inch singles (much under used format in heavy metal) which were released until Iron Fist the last album to feature Fast Eddie Clarke after which I stopped buying their records.

When I read the review in the Guardian, I smiled to myself and I do think it is great to see Lemmy still at it at the age of 63, although the  misogyny and the collection of Nazi memorabilia cannot be condoned. Not sure, from the comment, if DVD saw the band in Leeds but I think that if I got the chance I would go and see them again.

A couple of years after L and I got together we were at a gig and we were discussing the worst support bands we had ever seen and both of us named the same band, Girl. It turns out both of us were at the Glasgow Apollo to see UFO the same night many years before, which probably explains L's love of guitars although she would probably like me to mention the fact that she saw the Smiths 3 times, first in 1984 to keep the record straight as she really is an indie chick.

As for the 2 friends  from primary, we stayed mates and we disagreed about music lots over the years, Span's ventures into New Romantacism being something neither me nor Stiff could get our heads around. Later on, it  was probably easier for Stiff to understand Motorhead than when I came to him in 1986 with Marshall Jefferson's House Music Anthem and told him "this is the future" but that as they say is another story.

Motorhead - Motorhead

and a song written by Holland/Dozier/Holland and originally recorded by Eddie Holland

Motorhead - Leaving Here

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Shall we have a little bit of Ska infected Big Beat today from the man with more aliases than a con man  with loads of snidey names?

Here we have Norman Cook in the guise of Fatboy Slim, remix a release by Norman Cook in the guise of the mighty dub katz with writing credits to Norman Cook in the guise of Pizzaman. This track was originally released on the Southern Fried label in 1995 and entitled Son of Wilmot. I wonder if you can guess why?

Speaking of Wilmot, it appears that I have misinformed you, as I have been corrected by Curtis, the track that I posted on Wednesday as Wilmot's Last Skank is really Wilmot Meets Lord Scruffage, for 15 years I have gotten the tracks mixed up as my 10" has the labels back to front and nobody, until now has informed me of this. I have to confess that Last Skank is not one off my favourite Sabres tracks

mighty dub katz - magic carpet ride (fatboy slim latin ska acid breakbeat mix)

and now the correct version of

Sabres of Paradise - Wimot's Last Skank

Is anybody else bored with dance on a Friday?

Wilmot Revisited.

There was a comment over at Ctel's excellent Acid Test blog on one of his postings on the genius known as Andy Weatherall's Sabres of Paradise requesting Wilmot's Last Skank, a track I hadn't played for quite some time. It is the b-side of the Wilmot remix 10" single.

To be honest with you it is not that different from the version I posted here a couple of months ago, a bit  sparcer than the original and nearly a couple of minutes shorter, still very very good.

Sabres Of Paradise - Wilmot's Last Skank

World Destruction

Following on from yesterday's post with the first collaboration, at least that I can think of, between rap and punk. Here we have Lydon collaborating with African Bambaataa on the single World Destruction,  produced by Bill Laswell who would go on to produce PiL's Album two years later.

For a fifteen year old preoccupied with the imminent threat (I thought and I don't think that I was alone in that view at the time) of nuclear war and the lasting effects of a nuclear winter if you were unlucky enough to survive, this track did not instill in me a sunny demeanor or fill me with hope for the future; what with lines like "this is a world destruction, your life ain't nothing", references to Nostradamus and chemical warfare it isn't your typical party tune. But it is brilliant, at the time there was nothing like this and Lydon's near manic vocals used to send a chill down my spine. The video is pretty effective as well, in fact I think that the first time I heard the track was when I saw the video on the Tube.

I've posted both sides of the 12" that I picked up on one of my recent visits to Oxfam music, where the near mint copy was floundering in the racks for a mere 99p and which means I no longer have to play my scratched to death 7" copy.

Timezone - World Destruction

Timezone - World Destruction (dub)

And the rather brilliant video

Anger Is An Energy

When I first heard this single in 1986, it totally blew me away. At the time of the release of Rise, I, for one had kind of forgotten about PIL and the last thing that Lydon had done was his amazing collaboration with African Bambaataa but that had seemed to have been a one off as it was 2 years previously and very little had been heard from or about him until this single, which came as a bolt out of the blue to me but had probably been all over the inkies. It was a breath of fresh air and Lydon as scary sounding and looking in the video as he had ever been.

Twenty three years on and the song still packs a punch.

The design for the single and album cover was borrowed from the film Repo Man by Alex Cox, who the same year as Rise was released  Sid and Nancy.

PiL - Rise

Tagged

chocolategirl64 tagged me so I had better comply.

The rules are
1 You have to post a song that makes you happy
2 You can tag as many people as you want
3 Say one thing about the blog that you tag that will make them smile.

I'm gonna tag The Ghost of Electricity, as Mr H is always a gent, has an impeccable taste in both music and alcohol and bears a passing resemblance to a famous actor.

Roddy Frame - The Boy Wonders

What A Way To Spend A Sunday

I've spent the entire day trying to avoid doing something that should have been done weeks ago but I can always find excuses to not do.

I hate this time of the year at work, November/December always get incredibly busy and also there is the looming end of year review. I dread this more than anything else to do with work and therefore procrastinate over it until it really is too late and I end up writing the biggest load of crap and emailing it off the night before my review, which doesn't endear me to the line manager as they have had no time to review it and I start the torture on the back foot from the off, before I even start my excuses (reasons) for why my productivity isn't what it should be. So I have spent the last 6 hours on and off trying to big up my contribution to the corporate entity, a task which I can't really get enthusiastic about and which unfortunately shows.

Roll on tomorrow afternoon when its all over and I can forget about it, well until next June when it's mid-year review time.

Ted Hawkins - Ladder Of Success

Couldn't be arsed looking for a witty picture.

The Outlaws

I think that I've only posted one other mash-up on here before, the Arctic Monkeys/Destiny's Child one. I'm quite partial to these if they are done well and it's a couple of artists which you would never think of together which is certainly the case here.

I have a couple of good albums, The Best Bootlegs in The World Ever, which compiles the best of the early mash-ups including A Stroke Of Genius, One Minute Lovecat etc. The other album, Too Many Fools Following Too Many Rules is mixed by the Outlaws, not as slick as Soulwax in their Too Many DJs guise but entertaining none the less. It pitches the likes of Michael Jackson against the Baron of Techno, Dave Clarke and Donna Summer and Josh Wink.

So if you ever wondered how Abba would sound if they had become junglists give this a listen.

The Outlaws - Chiq

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Before deciding to use this song for the proverbial dance track on a Friday, I knew absolutely nothing about this record apart from the fact that I thought that it was a funky as fuck when I bought it and have played it on and off ever since.

I thought that I better try and find something out about the track before posting it, so headed, as you do to Discogs. I had a suspicion that it was too good a track to be tucked away as the first track on side 2 of a load of remixes and apparently the track was released  in it's own right. The version I have is on a 12" of remixes of Minus 8 on the Compost label from Munich, was recorded by Robert Jan Mayer and came out in 2001.

I have no recollection of where I bought it but did buy it after listening to it and on the strength of this track, the others are okay but this is the standout.

See what you think.

Minus 8  - Badman & Throbin'

Did I mention that I'm going to see The Fall tonight?

Lost In Music

In celebration of the forthcoming Fall Fest which will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Renfrew Ferry. I present for your delectation a couple of re interpretations by the Gruppe.


First up we have probably my favourite Fall cover, Sister Sledge's Lost In Music

The Fall - Lost In Music

and White Lightning, originally by The Big Bopper which must be a fave of MES as it has been a constant in the set list over the past few years.

The Fall - White Lightning

The Airborne Toxic Event gig was pretty wonderful the other night, they have come on leaps and bounds in the course of the past year. Their gig in January at King Tut's, I thought would be hard to beat  this year, however I found  the February one a bit lack lustre in comparison but Tuesday night was something a bit special, what with acoustic Springsteen covers and spontanous verses from Smiths songs it just shaves the January one for gig of the year for me but I'm sure that this weekend the mighty Fall will step up to the challenge.

Blue Eyed Soul

Here is a bit of blue eyed soul courtesy of Tony Galla to brighten up a Tuesday.

This track was the first single that Galla recorded and came out on the Swan label in 1964. Unfortunately, I have heard nothing by the man since which comes close to this track. He later became the singer of the blues band,  Raven and had a famous friend in Jimi Hendrix who helped to get the band a deal with Columbia.It was not unknown in the late 60's to find Galla on stage jamming with the likes of Hendrix and Joplin in clubs in New York. He is still performing and has released 3 albums of Italian music in the last few years.

If you have a spare 300 quid you may be able to get your hands on the original 7" or you could spend £9 on the dodgy re pressing.

Tony Galla - In Love

I'm off to see The Airborne Toxic Event tonight, so no post tomorrow.

Airport Girl

This is just the thing for a Monday morning all jangly guitars and occassional horn stabs. In fact everything you would expect from an indie pop classic apart from the fact that in clocking in at over 6 minutes it hasn't got the brevity normally associated with the genre. The track, however,  never over stays it's welcome and I guarantee that when it finishes you will want to play it again.

To me it is full of optimism and joy and makes me smile and want to dance, what further recommendation do you need on a Monday?

Airport Girl - The Foolishness That We Create Through Love Is The Closest We Come To Greatness.

I forgot to mention it has a great title as well.

Lest We Forget

In memory of

Cpl Andrew Wingate

Private James Little


The Gunner's Dream

Just Because

Play it Loud.

Nina Simone  - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

New Music

Here is a couple of tracks from a split ep on the Pushing Pussy record label.

This record is another of those criminally limited edition singles with only 300 copies being pressed so I don't feel bad about posting the tracks as your chances of getting a copy if you like what you hear are slim, even so I will not leave the links up for long.

The first track by The Palpitations reminds me of Mazzy Starr and just comes in the right side of goth for my liking.

The track by The Lovebirds is a bit like The Kills but with a bit more menace.

See what you think

The Palpitations - Tears In The Rain

The Lovebirds - The Devil Song

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

This week's track is probably the most commercial by far of the tracks posted in this series and probably the most recent;  by which I mean it was released at the start of this decade.

The track You See The Trouble With Me by Barry White and Ray Parker Jr was first released in the 70's by White. The Black Legend cover originally sampled White's dulcet tones. When White voiced his displeasure with the track it was re recorded with Elroy "Spoonface" Powell providing the vocals.

The track reached number 1 in the UK in June 2000 and was the 40th best selling single here that year.

Black Legend - The Trouble With Me

Spacemen 3

Never really took much notice of Spacemen 3 when they were still a band. I think that may have been down to the fact that the first thing that I bought was Recurring an album which was really 2 solo mini albums as Pierce and Kember contributed a side each working in isolation. I much preferred the side by Pierce and therefore bought the Spiritualized albums but never really bothered to go back and explore the earlier work the reason for which now escapes me but probably has a lot to do with the 90's for me, revolving round BPMs and DJs as opposed to rock bands.

My interest in them was reawakened after Pierce's 3rd album as Spiritualized, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space* which blew me away when it was first released in 1997 and still sounds as good today as it did then. I decided it was time to delve into the Spaceman's back catalogue and what riches I found there.

The Velvet Underground are probably the most obvious influences but also there are a lot of pointers in the direction of the Nuggets era American garage rock sound and also a bit of Can in the mix as well. The drug and Jesus references are present  as they are with Spiritualized. The sound is wonderful, the pounding drums the feedback and the heavy use of effect pedals one minute and the next the most delicate guitar and fragile voice. It really is music to take drugs to if you are that way inclined but sounds just as good when you are straight.

The original version of the track posted here can be found on the second Spacemen 3 album, The Perfect Prescription. I have posted a version from the live lp Live In Europe and the blistering 12 minute version from the gig at the ABC last October which was absolutely amazing, the quality isn't brilliant but it's good enough.

Spacemen 3 - Take Me To The Other Side

Spiritualized - Take Me To The Other Side

* LAGWAFIS will be re released later this month the way it was intended  back in 1997 (before the Presley estate took exception to the King's music being linked with drugs), to celebrate it's 12th anniversay  (?) with another couple of discs containing outtakes and alternate versions.

What's That I Smell?

Well the flight back from Luton on Monday night was on time which is always a bonus. Today I survived the latest restructuring ( or cull as I like to call it) in the company I work for. Many others and a couple of guys I know well were not so lucky, a bit of a shitty day if the truth be told.

While travelling down to Luton yesterday I had the misfortune to be sitting in front of some football agent and some professional footballer who i didn't recognise which doesn't mean that they guy isn't well known but these days I care very little for the beautiful game. Anyway, as I had to take off my headphones until we were airborne I could not help but hear their conversation, half the plane would also have had the misfortune to have overheard as well, as they weren't the quietest speaking guys in the world. Every bloody sentence uttered had some cliche or other which you've heard a thousand times, "he covers every blade of grass on the park",  "always give 110 percent" and the one which the agent fella was particularly fond of "lady luck shone on me", etc etc. Now I'm not always that eager for the plane to take off , most of the time I'm hoping that it can't and I can just get off and go home,  but after about 5 minutes of this I couldn't wait for the plane to take off so I could get my headphones on and drown out this nonsense, in fact I had to put the Fuck Buttons up to nearly full volume in order to make it stop, once I could.

When the time came for me to take the headphones off,  as we were "on our final descent into Luton" (there is something about that phrase "final descent" which doesn't sit very well with me) they were still bloody at it but now the agent was going on about how much money he had negotiated for this player and that player. Which got me to wondering if he was so bloody successful then why was he flying Sleazyjet with the likes of me? He wasn't even in the Speedy Boarding lane as we got on the plane.

Another thing that I learn't yesterday is that it is obligatory for every football manager and player to have a y added onto the end of their name as in "As I was saying to Granty the other day".

That whole spiel was just so that I could play the song posted below and if you did read the above, thank your lucky stars that I decided not to rant on about restructuring and how we are all in it together and similar such crap.

Club 8 - Football Kids

Just Because

This is brilliant, a bit of mellow dub step which was featured on Mr Weatherall's recent 6mix.  It will only be posted for a very limited time as it is a current track, so dig in while you can. The track can be found on the rather excellent compilation 5 Years of Hyperdub, the label that brought us the very talented Burial and other great dubstep twelves. The compilation can be purchased here.

Darkstar - Aidy's Girl's A Computer

12 Years

It has been a busy weekend in our household what with the bowling etc yesterday and today being our wedding anniversary. L and I have been married twelve years today, sometimes it feels much longer (for her, not me).

Anyway this year we won't be doing much,  we have a two hour pass this afternoon, courtesy of the sister in law, so we will probably go for a couple of drinks in what was our local. Unfortunately, I am on the 7am flight to feckin' Luton tomorrow morning, which kind of  curtails the celebrations. The only positive thing about this is that I'm also coming home tomorrow and don't have to stay in Luton, Sleasy Jet permitting.

Since it is our anniversary here is probably L's favourite song from the past decade.

Killers - Mr Brightside (Live from Glastonbury)

Happy Halloween/Birthday M

Today is M's 6 birthday, L myself and my sisters in law will be taking 10 miniature hooligans 10 pin bowling. That last sentence is somewhat disingenuous as my part in the proceedings is merely to ferry a few of the little darlings to the bowling alley. I will then have a free pass for a couple of hours as my mother has volunteered to watch Leo. As I will be about 10 minutes from Glasgow, I think a visit to Fopp and Oxfam music is the order of the day and back home to prepare the sandwiches, jelly and juice for the adults.

Yes, my eldest was born on Halloween, scaring the crap out of both his mother and I (long story) and has continued to do so ever since.

Here is the only northern soul themed Halloween song that I can think of and what a belter it is.

Azie Mortimer - Haunted

And since it is Max's birthday here is one of his favourite songs (scarily I'm not kidding)

The Fall - F-'oldin' Money

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Today's track comes from an artist who with the other 2 members of her band, One Dove was responsible for one of my top 21 tracks ever, Fallen (darkest hour mix). Since then Dot Allison has embarked upon a solo career which has not been as successful as it should have been, in sales at least; especially for her debut album Afterglow. She has also collaborated with the likes of Massive Attack, Death In Vegas, Pete Docherty and most recently Paul Weller on her latest album.

The track posted comes from her second album, which to tell you the truth I'm still not sure whether I like or not. It certainly doesn't get the play that her debut does. Allison totally changed direction, with a much darker electro vibe being the order of the day. The album was produced by Keith Tenniswood, Lord Sabre's partner in crime in the Two Lone Swordsmen.

Substance, for me is the standout track on the album which is transformed here by Felix Da Housecat into a pulsing slab of electroklash which at the time was being touted as the next big thing. The mix certainly harks back to the electronica of the early eighties which is again back in vogue. Felix Da Housecat was the wunderkind of Chicago house, releasing his first single Phantasy Girl  at the tender age of 15 with a little bit of help from his mentor DJ Pierre. In the early years of this decade he championed the electoklash sound and was responsible for the standout track of that sound, Silver Screen Shower Scene. He is much in demand as a DJ and remixer and recently released the album He Was King.

Dot Allison - Substance (Felix Da Housecat mix)

Drift Away

Midweek and the weather up here is miserable.

I hate the first week after the clocks go back not least as I have to try and remember how to reset the bloody timer on the boiler, you think that I would be able to remember as it's only been six months since I last had to do it but no!

Time for a bit of life affirming soul music I think.

First up we have Dobie Gray with his version of the song first recorded by John Henry Kurtz, me neither, Drift Away. This song has been covered by hundreds of people, however I think out of the versions I have heard this is my favourite. Gray's name will forever to me at least be synonymous with Out On The Floor a classic northern tune.

Dobie Gray - Drift Away

Secondly we have another cover, this time a duet from Jerry Butler and Betty Everett another two very well known voices to the soul fraternity. Here they cover Let It Be Me, best known version to me is by the Everley Brothers whom I must confess, I thought wrote it until I thought that I better check  before posting. It turns out that it was originally a French song first performed by Jill Corey in 1957. Another track which has been covered extensively and probably extremely badly by David Hasselhoff.

Jerry Butler & Betty Everett - Let It Be Me

Now isn't that better.

The Raveonettes Go Pop

A couple of weeks ago two of the most eagerly awaited releases, in this house anyway, popped through the door. Tarot Sport by the Fuck Buttons and In And Out Of Control by The Raveonettes.

Tarot Sport blew me away so much so that I played it 3 times on the trot and tracks have been played every day since.

In And Out Of Control on the other hand, I don't know what to make of. On the face of it and after the first listen the title for this post seems apt but then again with titles like Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destoyed) and Oh, I Buried You Today are hardly the stuff of hit pop songs. A lot of the tracks are certainly sugar coated not in itself a bad thing but as I've said before, what drew me to the band in the first place was the feedback and the chaos of their early stage performances which reminded me of The Jesus And The Mary Chain, however I also loved the harmonies and the boy/girl vocals which are still very much apparent but that  edge that could just be heard in their earlier recorded output has disappeared.

The album is in no way bad, it's just that I was hoping that this time Sune and Sharin would make the album which transfered the experience of them live onto vinyl. I know, never bloody happy.

I will be present when they play Oran Mor on the 15th of December and hope that they will be as good as they have always been live, although after listening to this album I have my reservations.

The Raveonettes - Suicide (from In And Out Of Control)

The Raveonettes -  That Great Love Sound (Live)

T.I.C. Who? I Haven't A Clue Either.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday perusing Boy's Own, The Complete Fanzines which arrived the week before last but haven't had a chance to look at until now. It brings back a few memories, not of the Boys Own scene, being stuck up here in Scotland, I wasn't aware of them until 1988 but of the mid eighties in general and especially some of the tunes that are mentioned Farley Jackmaster Funk, The Woodentops, Joyce Simms etc.

I decided to have a rumage through some of the 12" singles that I bought at the time. On looking through them I came across a single which I don't think that I've played in 20 years and can't remember buying, so I stuck it on. It is a cover of a 1972  tune by a band called Hot Butter but with added samples from the Woodstock soundtrack but still can't think why I bought it and don't have a clue about the band T I C?

As one does in such situations I decided to Google it but the results were less than helpful. it is listed in Discogs but with no more info than I already know from the sleeve, apart from the fact that some joker is trying to sell a copy for 40 quid, get a grip man.

What I do know about it is that it was recorded by Calais Brown and Tim Hunter in a studio in Edinburgh, which tends to make me think that I heard it in some chemically induced state probably in the Pelican Club in Aberdeen and rushed out to buy it the next day to be played once and to be forgotten about until now.

T I C - Popcorn '88 (The Woodstock mix)

Just Because . . .

I'm drunk and I've always loved this track, although it never did my cred any good.

Deacon Blue - Dignity

Shadow Boxing

Not the sort of thing for a Sunday but as I'm typing this after having friends for dinner and indulging in  a few too many glasses of Cloudy Bay and a rather fine XO Cognac, courtesy of a birthday present from my little brother, what the hell.

For years I sought out the original of Shadow Boxing by Nasty Habits. I bought the remix a few months after it came out and loved it and always thought, if the remix is this good what must the original sound like. I had never heard it in it's entirety,  only mixed in with other tracks, drum and bass was never that big up here. So for years I looked for the 12" but whenever it came up on ebay I was always out bid and on Discogs it was always a bit too rich for my liking, until one night after a few I decided that it had to be purchased.

When the 12" arrived and I played it I felt somewhat disappointed  as it was not nearly as good as the remix,  a view that has not changed since.

Shadow Boxing is probably the definintive drum and bass track for me and also probably one of the darkest tracks I've ever heard.

I've posted both the original and the remix and would be interested to hear what people think. I know that drum and bass isn't everybody's bag but give them a listen.

Nasty Habits - Shadow Boxing

Nasty Habits - Shadow Boxing (remix)

Free Speech For All, Even Racist Bastards

I wasn't going to comment on the row that having that fascist bastard on Question Time sparked off but I've been so hacked off with what I have heard that I need to say something.

I've heard some contradictions in my time. For the protesters outside of the BBC to say that it was their democratic right to protest was fair enough but when that demonstrating is to silence the views of a democratically elected member of the European Parliament it  is a bit much. No matter how insidious and repellent those views are,  I think that they should be heard so that we can formulate responses to the lies that are pedaled and inform the people who voted for the BNP and those thinking of voting for them of the half truths and distortions they are being fed.

Why was the format of Question Time changed? I,  for one would have liked Baroness Warsi to explain the Tories policy of privatising Royal Mail which Kenneth Clarke had let out of the bag earlier in the day. Or for Jack Straw to explain why the government were letting the banks go back to business as usual in relation to bonuses. Rather than that we got did Griffin deny the Holocaust, why did he share a platform with the KKK. All questions that need to be answered but not on Question Time. With all due respect to the Question Time audience, these are questions to be put by someone like Paxman who could really have torn the creep to shreads in a Newsnight interview.

I also find it quite amusing to see the Tory Party so outraged by the BNP, considering their bedfellows in the European Parliament.

Did anybody else pick up on Bonnie Greer's patronising comment about Griffin's 2:2 degree. Was it her intention to give the impression that those who did not attain a first were more susceptible to having racist views? As it certainly came across like that to me.

After watching the show my view of Griffin was of a pathetic individual, who doesn't even have the courage of his convictions the way he continually tried to refute direct quotes that he had previously made and could not construct one even half decent reasoned arguement. The more that this clown and his bone head thugs are exposed for what they are the better.

For all those who were demonstrating, I believe that free speech should be for all, not just those we agree with and give the UK population the respect they deserve,  most of us are intelligent enough to see through the lies that these hate filled creeps spout and will deal with appropriately.


The Farm - Love See No Colour

It's Not Happening

How do you fancy a wee bit of Americana from British Columbia?

The Be Good Tanyas were formed in Vancouver at the end of the 90's. It's Not Happening was the only single released from their second album China Town released in 2003. Their sound is a mixture of folk, country and bluegrass with some really lovely harmonies.

That's about all I have to say about them apart from Jolie Holland is a former member of the band.

The Be Good Tanyas - It's Not Happening

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Today's track will certainly blow the cobwebs away.

I think when Anthony Acid got hold of rather a good garage track he decided to throw everything including the same drumming sample as used by the Goodmen on Give it Up and the riff from CLS's Can You Feel It into the mix and as a result created a schizophrenic monster of a house track.

Smooth Touch were Erick Morillo and Kenny Lewis. The original 12" of House of Love featuring the vocal talents of both Cynthia Seijo and Althea McQueen and was released on Strictly Rhythm in 1993. The version featured here is the remix which appeared on the 6x6 Records label the following year.

Have a good weekend

Smooth Touch - House Of Love (In My House) (Raise Your House Mix)
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Everybody Loves A Cover, Right?

This Last Town Chorus' cover of Modern Love by David Bowie makes the most melancholy Camera Obscura cover sound upbeat, my favourite being their cover of Some Guys Have All The luck.

The Last Town Chorus is the name of the band Megan Hickey originally formed with Nat Guy in 2001, although she is now the only constant member. I suppose that if you had to classify the sound it would be alt country well Hickey does play a lap steel guitar.

She has produced 2 albums, The Last Town Chorus and Wire Waltz where the posted version of Modern Love can be found.

This was another band that I first heard on the, John In The Morning show on KEXP

The Last Town Chorus - Modern Love

As an added bonus here is Camera Obscura's version of Some Guys Have All The Luck, however it is a jauntier version than the one I heard the last time I saw them live. Tracy Anne says that it is a Rod Stewart song, I thought that it was a Robert Palmer tune, however after extensive research (searching Wiki) it appears that it was first a hit in 1973 by The Persuaders, so there you go.

Camera Obscura - Some Guys Have All The Luck

Hey Jack Kerouac

It was forty years ago today that Jack Kerouac died a rather ignominious death in Florida. The man who seemed so full of enthusiasm and hope in his early writings spent the last few years of his life as a bitter, rambling, anti-semitic (allegedly) drunk.

Kerouac may not have been the greatest writer in the world, probably not even the best writer amongst the Beats. But to me as an impressionable teenager with On The Road, he was responsible for writing the most vital, exciting book that I had read and which I have re read maybe  five or six times and continued to enjoy. The rest of his writings range from the very good, Dharma Bums and The Subterraneans to the downright unreadable mess that was Visions of Cody.

For a really insightful read on the beats and the love triangle that formed around Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Cassady's wife, Carolyn, Off the Road by Carolyn Cassidy is worth getting hold of.

10 000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac

The Bastard Child of Nancy Sinatra and Ennio Morricone

That was one of my first thoughts on hearing Hands Free (If You Hold My Hand) last summer.

Sonny J, real name Sonnington James III (aye right!) is an English musician/producer from Liverpool. The music on his debut album is a real mish mash of styles and samples, think the Go Team and The Avalanches and you are in the right ball park. I absolutely love it.

If you're not familiar with him and you live in the UK, you probably have heard his first single, Can't Stop Moving, as it was used in a TV ad for Fabulous Radio 1 but don't let that put you off as it is a rather fine single also, really uplifting with more than a hit of northern soul and Jackson 5 in the mix. I'm sure that I read somewhere that when this single, which was originally self released came to the attention of a few industry types it led to a small bidding war between the labels with EMI winning out as they agreed to put the single out on the long moth balled $tateside label, but don't quote me on that I may just have made it up.

Hands Free was the third single from the album and was released in June last year and although very reminiscent of the mid sixties, sounds really fresh to these ears, although I'm a sucker from that kind of stuff. I think that this may be right up Mondo's street.

Sonny J - Hands Free (If You Hold My Hand)

And below is the result if you get Quentin Tarantino in to do the video.

Guten Tag

Guten tag damen und herren. Back from Berlin, what a cool city, what I got time to see of it. Did see quite a few neo-nazi skinhead types hanging about a square, drinking beer near my hotel which was quite disconcerting.

The weather was a bit miserable and cold, made me feel like home, apart from when I left Glasgow on Thursday the weather was dry and a positively tropical 17 degrees. .

Here is an absolutely cracking track from Moderat, the collaboration between Apparat and Modeselektor which came out on Berlin's BPitch label and was recorded in the same studio in Berlin where David Bowie recorded Heroes.

Hopefully the posts will get back to some sort of regular frequency this week.

The picture above is of the Holocaust memorial on Behrenstrasse  which I found to be an effective and extremely thought provoking piece of art but what do I know.

Moderat - Nr.22

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

This came on the ipod on the way up to Ardnamurchan. I had forgotten how good it was and thought that it would be a nice Friday dancey track.

I'll not bore you with any facts*, other than it's on Skint and remixed by that label's main man.

Lo -Fidelity Allstars - Vision Incision (Incision In The Midfield mix)

* Due to being done on Wednesday night when I should have been packing for Thurs trip.

Half Term

It's half term or the October Week up here and I will be away up north to the most westerly point on the British mainland, Ardnamurchan for a few days with the family tomorrow. Returning mid week only to go off to Berlin with work which will encroach on my weekend.

So nothing to see here until next Sunday.

I'll leave you with a one of my favourite Weatherall mixes and a brilliant mix by the Mad Professor, I'm in a bit of a dubby mood, tonight.

The Orb - Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass II mix)

Massive Attack vs The Mad Professor - Radiation Ruling The Nation

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

I know nothing about this track. Discogs was of little help and the band's name just brought up a very, very funny Monty Python clip when put into Google.

I think that I may have bought this in 23rd Precinct as they had an annoying habit of putting a huge white sticker with the name of the band and track in marker on the front.

It is a bit of a house chugger that went very well with the Aloof On A Mission and that's about it.

The Popular Peoples Front Of Judea - Together (What Have The Romans Ever Done For Us? mix)

Why?

While trying to think of a track for tomorrow's post this track popped into my head, I don't know why as I'm not particularly fond of it. When you mention it to clubbers/ex clubbers of a certain age, quite a few that I know get all dewy eyed and start to reminisce about where they first heard it, how good it was etc.

I have tried time and again to see what all of the fuss is about and am still don't have a scooby doo as to why so many people I know love it so much. It is not a bad record just a quite ordinary early rave era tune. Here is the review from one punter on discogs

"The Sound Of Eden' is the finest piece of music to come out of the Rave scene in my opinion. It's a record that will truly stand the test of time because of it's undenying beauty and incredible euphoric feeling. A piece of dancefloor genius that makes guys as well as girls weep. Stunning Rave/House music that will light up any dancefloor, with a vocal and piano breakdowns to die for, backed perfectly by powerful but very funky beats. Fantastic"

I didn't even buy it when it first came out, the version here is the original but it is from the 1993 re release which I bought for the X-Press 2 mix which doesn't do much for me either if the truth be told.

I have just played it twice and still nothing. If you can, please illuminate me on why this record was so popular.

Shades Of Rhythm - Sound Of Eden

True Blue

No this has nothing today with one half of the bigots of the old firm. Although I was worried that it may be appropriated by that mob when I first heard it until I remembered that most of them thought that the parodies of themselves that Cher and Tina Turner turned into in the 80s and 90s was more Rangers supporters idea of good music than Bright Eyes.

Neither does it have anything to do with Thatcher and her true blue meanies.

Conor Oberst evokes strong feelings in a lot of people what with his ill thought out remarks on John Peel, his air of petulance and the references to being the latest in a long line of new Dylan's.

Bright Eyes first came to my attention when I heard Lua from the then, forthcoming 5th album I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, which is quite simply a beautiful track so I bought the album and the 6th when they were released on the same day in January 2005, there wasn't much else that came out that month. I loved both, although quite different and within a couple of weeks had bought the back catalogue courtesy of Fopp and the 5 quid cds. Does anybody else miss the days when Fopp was still Fopp?

I have not kept up with Oberst's solo stuff or his latest incarnation as one quarter of The Monsters of Folk.

True Blue was the b-side of First Day Of My Life which was the second single from I'm Wide Awake It's Morning.

Bright Eyes - True Blue

Bright Eyes - Lua

Gladys Knight

Did you catch Gladys Knight on Later last week? What an incredible voice she still has. She has always been my favourite of the really famous soul singers. Her performance was in stark contrast, sadly to that of Martha Reeves, who was terrible when she appeared on the Hootenanny.

Any way here is one of my favourite tracks by Gladys Knight and the Pips

Gladys Knight and the Pips - Here Are The Pieces Of My Broken Heart

And in case you missed it, here is Gladys on Later

Autumn Leaves

I wasn't going to post this as it is too bloody obvious but after the nod from DVD that it is acceptable and the fact that it is rather beautiful, what the hell.

Coldcut - Autumn Leaves (Irresistible Force Full Chill Mix)

Croatian Surf Rock

Were you aware that there was a large following for surf rock in the Balkans? No, me neither until my mate S told me about a cd that his older brother had copied for him. Intrigued I gave it a listen and sought it out. I love a bit of Ennio me, however preferring Once Upon A Time In America to Once Upon A Time In the West.

For A Few Guitars More is a tribute to the work of Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti Western soundtracks by bands from around the globe who specialise in the "surf rock" sound and splendid it is, too all that reverb and atmosphere. The Balkan connection comes from the fact that the album is on the Dancing Bear label from Zagreb, Croatia.

If you are able to find a copy and you like the work of Morricone or just want to hear what the Bambi Molesters sound like I would thoroughly recommend this cd.

Bradipos IV - Titoli (A Fistful of Dollars)

In The West - Once Upon A Time In The West

The Penetrators - Guns Don't Argue

Nothing Is Forever

How about a huge piece of runny Cashel Blue for a Sunday?

Here is a track that I found courtesy of late night telly after a night out on the lash in 1992. I remember hearing it on one of those late night music shows on either ITV or Channel 4 and thinking that's not a bad tune and buying it the following week.

I had forgotten all about it until the post on Matthew Sweet, when I recalled that I had a dance 12" single with the title Nothing Lasts Forever or something similar, so I dug it out yesterday and it is not that bad. I know absolutely nothing about the band but checked the single out on Discogs and to my horror the track was re-released on the PWL label, (although mine is on 380 records) which suggests that the programme that I may have heard it on could have been The Hitman And Her as I seem to recall that that was on at this time.

Ultracynic - Nothing is Forever

Just Because

I know people who refer to this as plastic soul. They don't know what they are talking about.

I'd rather listen to this than any of that cack-factor pish.

Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From

Divine Intervention

Divine Intervention is the first track on the 1991 breakthrough album, Girlfriend from Matthew Sweet.

Sweet had been in bands from the early 80's in Athens, Georgia, where he collaborated with Michael Stipe and then Stipe's sister in a band called the Oh-Ok. In 1985 he went solo and signed with Columbia records where he released one album Inside to critical acclaim but limited sales. In 1989 he released a second album which sold just as badly as the first and as a result was dropped by his label and around the same time split from his wife.

In 1990 he started work on the album which would eventually see the light of day as Girlfriend but was initially titled Nothing Lasts. The title was changed due to the fact that Sweet wanted to use a picture of a 14 year old Tuesday Weld on the cover. Weld, those permission was sought to use the picture, then in middle age did not object but did have reservations of the connotations around the use of the picture and the album title and so Sweet changed the title.

When released, this album sold extremely well in the US and gave the artist the break he had been seeking. The theme of relationships in all their guises and Sweet's honest, confessional lyrics struck a chord with the record buying public and critics a like. The album has some really good rock tunes but most of all it is the ballads, such as Winona, a song about everybody's favourite shop lifting movie star that grab me, although the track posted in it's final form falls into the former category.

From the first chord of Divine Intervention I was hooked, there is something about the guitar sound on the track which got to me, it is almost psychedelic and when it comes back in, all too briefly after the false ending it sounds even better. I have also included the demo version which can be found on the second disc of the legacy edition of the album which is well worth investing in.

Matthew Sweet - Divine Intervention
Matthew Sweet - Divine Intervention (Goodfriend version)

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Let's continue the celebration of possibly the most important dance collective/label(s) of the early nineties with the third release by X-Press 2.

X-Press 2 are a trio comprising of Rocky, Diesel and Ashley Beadle, the former 2 were a DJ duo who also produced some excellent remixes in the early days an example of which can be found a couple of posts back. Ashley Beadle is a prolific house producer, some of the guises he has produced records under are the Ballistic Brothers (also with Rock & Diesel and David Hill), The Black Science Orchestra who also had releases on JBO, The East Village Loft Society and many more.

Say What! is probably my favourite track by X-Press 2, although it didn't get the same attention as either Musik Xpress or London X-Press. It just bounces along with amazing energy and I just love the breakdown about 4 and 1/2 mins in. All in all a good track for a Friday.

X-Press 2 - Say What! (London Underground mix)