Category: Paul Haig

The fact that Heaven Sent had flopped didn’t deter Island Records from having another stab at the pop charts a few weeks later, with a ridiculously upbeat and uptempo pop song which had been subject to all sorts of sounds, bells and drum effects from Alex Sadkin in the producer’s chair. The purists hated it….this fan loved it!!

mp3 : Paul Haig – Never Give Up (Party, Party)

I never actually bought the 7″ version and the above mp3 is ripped from the album Rhythm of Life. I still have my 12″ copy from all those years ago:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Never Give Up (Party, Party)(12 inch mix)

It’s two minutes longer, primarily as a result of a marimba solo in the middle. And unlike the 12″ version of Heaven Sent, I really like the way this has been extended out, albeit it is naff and 80s in places!

The b-side is, sad to say, six and half minutes of torture, with the a-side mixed up and strangled by a remixer called Groucho Smykle. Don’t say I didn’t warn you:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Heartache (party mix)

JC

Paul Morley, of New Musical Express (NME) was one of the most influential opinion-formers of the early 80s.

He was, certainly at one point in time, a huge fan of Paul Haig, suggesting in July 1982 that he, Billy Mackenzie, Jim Kerr and Martin Fry were the potential saviours of pop music. There’s no doubt that Morley was prone to exaggeration but his words and thoughts didn’t do Paul any harm.

Paul had continued to work in Belgium, recording material which ended up being shelved for a while, but not for reasons that the label didn’t want to issue it. Things were moving fast around Paul, thanks in part to his name being mentioned by Morley and others, and Crépuscule elected to accept an offer from Island Records for a licensing deal which resulted in a change of plans that stopped the release of a new single and an album of swing tunes.

Instead, in late 1982, financed by Island, Paul Haig found himself in New York, working with producer Alex Sadkin whose track record had included Grace Jones but was now primarily involved with The Thompson Twins, which perhaps gives an indication of the market where the label was intending to push Paul towards.

There were big expectations from Island for the first single through the new arrangements. It was an update on a track dating back to the Josef K days, although such was the work in the studio that it proved to be unrecognisable:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Heaven Sent

Released with an Island Records catalogue number (IS111), it was a huge favourite at Strathclyde Students Union, possibly because myself and a few mates consistently asked for it to get played and we always ensured we got up and danced to it, and as time went on, so did many other regulars. It got a fair bit of radio play, certainly in Scotland, but the record-buying public didn’t take to it and it stalled at a bitterly disappointing #74.

The b-side of the 7″ was a remix of the cover of Running Away. The 12″ version of Heaven Sent is soooooo 80s, with all sorts of production tricks thrown at it and it extended out to not far short of double its length.

As I’ve said before, I’m not actually all that fond of the 12″ cut as the extra three and a bit minutes veers to being a tad self-indulgent. The b-side was also extended with a segue into one of Paul’s own songs:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Heaven Sent (12″ version)
mp3 : Paul Haig – Running Away/Back Home

If you want to learn how different it was to the Josef K days of not much more than 18 months previously:-

mp3 : Josef K – Heaven Sent

JC

The first essential single of the solo era. Released on 12″ vinyl on the dance-orientated Interference imprint of his Belgian label, this was Paul Haig making a fabulous synth-driven pop song, with perfect backing vocals from Giles and Samantha of Hey! Elastica who were featured just a few weeks back in the Saturday series.

mp3 : Paul Haig – Blue For You
mp3 : Paul Haig – Blue For You (version)

It seemed really exotic to go into a Glasgow record shop to purchase a piece of vinyl pressed up in Belgium that featured musicians from Edinburgh. I still play this record on a regular basis these days.

Paul would later perform Blue For You in a very rare live TV performance. The backing vocals in this instance are from session singers:-

The song would later be re-recorded for Paul’s debut LP, but this early version is the definitive version.

JC

The proper debut single was released in May 1982. Paul Haig, as mentioned last week, had signed to Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule, but his debut 45 appeared on Operation Twilight in his homeland, a label which was in fact the UK side of his Belgian operations but with some input and support from Rough Trade.

mp3 : Paul Haig – Running Away

A fairly honest update of the original written and recorded back in 1970 with synths replacing the original horns.

mp3 : Sly & The Family Stone – Runnin’ Away

Truth be told, it did feel a little bit underwhelming at the time with very few Josef K fans able to believe their ears. It’s one which has grown on me somewhat, but it does still seem a bit rudimental, almost as if Paul was himself very unsure what his next steps should be.

The b-side is quite different, and isn’t a million miles away from the sound of pre-hit Human League. Again, it took a bit of getting used to, but once it was accepted the angular guitars were now a thing of the past and the electronica had to be embraced fully, this became an early favourite of the solo era.

mp3 : Paul Haig – Time

Both tracks today have been ripped from 7″ vinyl and as a consequence are a touch lo-fi.

JC

I’ve decided that Paul Haig should be the next subject for the Sunday singles series. I realise that many of you won’t be that bothered over the next few weeks and months given that he’s far from a household name and indeed could almost be the perfect definition of a cult artist; but I’m a huge fan and feel that his body of solo work, now stretching back the best part of 40 years in which he has continually tinkered and altered his sound, is very worthy of being put under the spotlight.

Paul first came to prominence as the lead vocalist of Josef K, one of the four bands to release material on Postcard Records. They split up in August 1981 and it is fair to say that, like many others, their legacy and impact was only fully realised many years after when the next generation of musicians began to name check them as key influences. His solo career began almost immediately,  but not in any straightforward fashion, signing to a Belgian-based label – Les Disques Du Crepuscule – while opting to also adopt the moniker Rhythm of Life Organisation (RoL) under which he intended to release experimental material, much of which would be far removed from the post-punk, angular guitar sounds associated with his former band.

Indeed, it was as RoL that the first solo 45 was issued, and not on the label to which he had signed.

mp3 : RoL – Soon

Ok….the pedants among you might argue this is NOT a Paul Haig solo record, given that the credits are:-

Stephen Harrison : voice, guitar & lyrics
Paul Haig : other instruments & voice

But it’s an important staging post for what would follow in the succeeding years which is why I’m using it to open the new series.

Soon was issued jointly via Rational Records and Rhythm of Life Records and given two catalogue numbers – RATE 6 and RHYTHM 1 (these things were really important to those of us smitten by how Factory Records were keeping stock of the things they were involved in). Rational was a short-lived label, owned and run by Allan Campbell, who had been the manager of Josef K and would remain a key player in the Edinburgh music scene for a long while to come.  The label would release eight pieces of plastic all told, including the follow-up by RoL, a double-sided single entitled Uncle Sam/Portrait of Heart, both written and performed by the late Sebastian Horsley with Paul’s role restricted to keyboards, bass and second guitar; as such I’m not intending to include it in the series.

Here’s yer b-side of Soon, and it isn’t a cover:-

mp3 : RoL – Summertime

Boths songs are a tad on the light side, very pop-orientated with a sound that wouldn’t have been out of place a short while later on Zoo Records, the label which would launch the careers of so many 80s musicians in Liverpool.

JC

I’m in Ireland this weekend and during whatever down time I have I’m sure to be mulling over what tracks I’ll air during my stint on the decks at Simply Thrilled exactly one week tonight.

I’ve got at least 250 options on the longlist…I need to get that down to 15-18 for an hour-long set or perhaps a little more for a 90 minute stint. just about every time I decide something isn’t going to get played, I give it a listen and realise that I can’t discard it, as happened the other day with this:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Blue For You

An 80s dance classic (and which couldn’t be mistaken for any other decade) on which the former Josef K fella is helped out by Giles and Samantha from Hey! Elastica on backing vocals. It was released on 12″ vinyl in 1983 by the Belgian label Les Disques Du Crepuscule. The b-side was a remix in which Paul’s vocal contribution is removed in its entirety:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Blue For You (version)

A year or so later, a particularly dapper, handsome and cool Paul Haig appeared on Switch, a short-lived music programme on Channel 4 in which he performed Blue For You

JC

The series on the New Order singles has come to an end and I’m still weighing up options for its replacement. All will be revealed next Sunday. Or maybe not. In the meantime, I thought I’d re-post something as it is almost a New Order single, albeit written and recorded by a genius from Edinburgh.

mp3 : Paul Haig – The Only Truth

Released in Sepember 1984, the production is credited to B-Music/Dojo; in other words Bernard Sumner and Donald Johnson. How many of you wanted to shout out ‘Confusion’ just before Paul’s vocals kicked in?

The b-side is also worth a listen for a number of reasons – it’s a fun and fast-tempo cover of a Suicide classic that was produced by Alan Rankine.

mp3 : Paul Haig – Ghost Rider

JC

The above is one of my favourite sleeves and when I was younger and much much skinnier, I always thought it would have made for a great t-shirt.  Actually, I still think it would make a great t-shirt..  but I have to accept that it just wouldn’t look stylish at all on me.

It’s from a single released back in 1983, and a copy of the 12″ has been part of my collection all that time.  The thing is, I’m not actually all that fond of the 12″ cut as the extra three and a bit minutes beyond the 7″ (and album version) take something away from it.  It veers to being a tad self-indulgent.  But feel free to disagree:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Heaven Sent (7″)
mp3 : Paul Haig – Heaven Sent (12″)

While I’m here, I’ll also shove up the b-side which sees Paul’s cover of a Sly Stone song segue effortlessly into one of own songs and between them run to six minutes. It’s passable……

mp3 : Paul Haig – Running Away/Back Home

Enjoy.

From 26 September 2011

Personal circumstances prevented me trying to organise Paul Haig Day III back in April.

I’m quite sorry about that as Days I and II on 6 April 2009 and 2010 respectively were by far the most exciting days I’ve had as a blogger as folk the world over used their spaces on the interwebby thing to post a track featuring the very talented Paul Haig, whether it was from his early career with Josef K, his solo career or his collaborations with other musicians including the late and great Billy Mackenzie.

I couldn’t possibly let the run up to the 5th Birthday of TVV to go past without featuring Paul Haig.

For PHD III my own contribution would have the posting of an entire LP from back in 1988, one that has a few rare tracks and different mixes.   And here it is.  The 12 tracks which make ip the vinyl version of European Sun – Archive Collection 1982-1987.

After each mp3. there’s a short description of each song as described on notes on the back of the sleeve:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Running Away
7″ version of the first solo single, recorded in Brussels 1982. Written by Sly Stone, produced by Paul Haig

mp3 : Paul Haig – Chance
Short version of B-side from Heaven Help You Now. Written and produced by Paul Haig

mp3 : Paul Haig – Justice
Unreleased 7″ version, recorded Summer 1982. Written and produced by Paul Haig

mp3 : Paul Haig – Swinging For You
Unreleased 7″ version, recorded in Brussels 1987. Written and produced by Paul Haig (A different version would appear on the 1989 LP Chain)

mp3 : Paul Haig – Shining Hour
From the unreleased second solo album, November 1984. Written by Paul Haig. Produced by Alan Rankine

mp3 : Paul Haig – Fear And Dancing
From the unreleased second solo album, November 1984. Written by Paul Haig. Produced by Alan Rankine

mp3 : Paul Haig – Psycho San Jose
Spaghetti Western home recording, Summer 1987. Written and produced by Paul Haig (on 8 track)

mp3 : Paul Haig – Ghost Rider
cover version of Suicide’s road classic, with help from Malcolm Ross and David McClymont in December 1983, with Paul Haig and Alan Rankine co-producing. B-side of Big Blue World 12″ single.

mp3 : Paul Haig – Torchomatic
12″ single, recorded in Brussels in 1987. Written and produced by Paul Haig

mp3 : Paul Haig – Endless Song
b-side of Big Blue World 12″ single. Written by Paul Haig and co-produced by him and Alan Rankine

mp3 : Paul Haig – Closer Now
outtake from 1985 LP The Warp Of Pure Fun. Written by Paul Haig and co-produced by him and Alan Rankine

mp3 : Paul Haig – The Executioner
collaboration between Paul Haig and Cabaret Voltaire. Recorded in 1984 but never released. Produced bu Paul Haig, Richard Kirk and Stephen Mallinder

Now I will be the first to admit that a number of these tracks aren’t up there in terms of the best Paul Haig has ever recorded, but the whole point of originally starting up TVV was to make available songs which might otherwise be hard to obtain (I know…..it’s changed a lot since the early days). But today’s posting is intended to be in the spirit of those distant pioneering days when nobody cared or visited…….
Happy Listening

A bio from all music:-

Paul Haig might be best known as the frontman of Scottish post-punk band Josef K, whose lone official record played a major role in the development of the C-86 scene that followed a few years after the group’s disintegration. Haig continued with a number of involvements in the following decades, releasing a number of records on his own in addition to issuing several collaborative efforts. The early-’80s breakup of Josef K also saw him abandon some of the anti-commercial ideals that he previously stood for, as he also aligned himself with a number of musically varied names in the process.

Haig was most prolific in the years immediately following Josef K, releasing a number of singles and full-lengths under his own name as well as Rhythm of Life. Released in 1983, the synth-based The Rhythm of Life (recorded in New York) featured the handiwork of Pere Ubu’s Anton Fier, Parliament/Funkadelic’s Bernie Worrell, and the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey. Compared to the Human League and the British Electronic Foundation, the record hardly resembled his earlier, frantically guitar-driven work, basing itself in slick pop and alienating many of his fans as a result.

A couple of 1984 singles were recorded with Cabaret Voltaire and Bernard Sumner before Haig teamed up more significantly with ex-Associate and live associate Alan Rankine. A full album was shelved due to label issues, but the recordings that followed were released as 1985’s The Warp of Pure Fun. Stylistically similar to The Rhythm of Life, Rankine remained aboard and added his mastery of electronics and production. Meanwhile, the big band and torch standards curiosity Swing in ’82 was released, which sat in the vault for three years before seeing the light of day. European Sun was issued in 1988, compiling singles and extras spanning six years. The self-funded Chain was recorded during 1988 with Rankine, with Virgin affiliate Circa picking up the recordings, but not releasing them until mid-1989.

Circa put up the money for a follow-up, enlisting the services of Lil’ Louis, Mantronix, and the Chimes. A single from the sessions went nowhere in clubs and on the charts, so the album (Right on Line) was shelved. Crepuscle eventually bought the rights to the record, releasing it in 1993 as Coincidence vs. Fate. Haig began a label of his own called Rhythm of Life, issuing a second installment of Cinematique. He also released a number of posthumous Billy Mackenzie recordings, most notably the collaborative Memory Palace, released in 1999. In 2003 LTM reissued and remastered Coincidence vs. Fate and The Warp of Pure Fun with new liner notes and bonus tracks.

Since when…..(adapted from wiki)

In 2007, Paul Haig’s first single for 14 years, “Reason” (a BBC Radio 2 single of the week), was released and made available via download and on 7-inch vinyl. This was followed soon after by his first new, non-Cinematique release since 1993’s Coincidence Vs Fate, Electronik Audience.

2007 also saw his first live appearance  in many years when he joined Subterraneans onstage at the Billy Mackenzie tribute concert in London.

Yet another new album, Go Out Tonight was released in April 2008. Go Out Tonight saw Haig return to his guitar-roots and tracks such as “Trouble Maker” are very reminiscent of early solo recordings such as “Chance”.

Haig also embarked on his first tour since 1989 when he promoted both old and new tracks in Scotland and selected dates in Nottingham and London in April 2008.

December 2009 saw the release of the critically acclaimed album, Relive, a new studio collection that featured the song Trip Out The Rider, later remixed for a 7″ single release by Lemon Jelly founder Fred Deakin. The track ‘Ambition’ also appeared on the 2011 compilation, After Twilight, issued on LTM Records.

And bringing this totally up to speed…..In October 2013 yet another critically acclaimed album Kube was released showing that after more than 30 years in the music business, Paul Haig still has an uncanny ability to surprise, delight and entertain in equal measures.

There’s so many singles in the cupboard that it was a very tough choice.  In the end, I went for a 7″ in which the A-side was produced jointly by B-Music/Dojo (Bernard Sumner and Donald Johnson) while the flip side was a cover of a Suicide song that had Alan Rankine at the helm. It also gives a great indication of how varied Paul’s music can be:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – The Only Truth
mp3 : Paul Haig – Ghost Rider

Enjoy!!!!!

It’s exactly as it says on the tin.   An outstanding but inexplicable flop 1989 single:-

mp3 : Paul Haig – Something Good (10″ mix)

Enjoy. I certainly do.