Category: Various

23 July 2018 when The Jam won the first ever ICA World Cup, beating Billy Bragg in the final.

If you weren’t reading all my nonsense back in 2018, I best explain.

The ICA World Cup was the idea of occasional contributor, jimdoes.

“…so I’ve had a thought… there’s 130 different teams in the ICA’s… what if there was a world cup between them to find which one was the best…?? it would all be very arbitrary but it might work…”

It got underway in January 2018, and it finished on 23 July 2018, the date of the actual final of the FIFA World Cup.  It was done on a straight knock-out basis, with 129 teams being whittled down round after round.  (A certain Manchester solo artist was excluded on the grounds of his abysmal human rights record).

The ICAs eligible were from #1-#150, but the reason for there being fewer than 150 ‘teams’ was that singers/band with more than one ICA weren’t permitted multiple entries.

For the 2022 World Cup, the ICAs from #152 – 314 are eligible – from The Jam (ICA #152) on 25 January 2018 to Cats On Fire (ICA #314) on 31 May 2022.

There remains the caveat on multiple entries, as well as excluding ICAs on themes, such as record labels, genres and producers (which is why ICA #151 about Factory Records is excluded).  It all means that 135 singers/bands can take part.

That number, however, is far too large to have a straight knock-out competition in the time available – the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 takes place on Sunday 18 December, which is the day I’ll be aiming for the ICA World Cup to end.

To achieve this target date, there’s going to have to be a very severe cull from the group stages to the knock-out phase :-

GROUP A – 17 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 10 July

GROUP B – 16 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 17 July

GROUP C – 18 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 24 July

GROUP D – 17 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 31 July

GROUP E – 17 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 7 August

GROUP F – 17 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 14 August

GROUP G – 17 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 21 August

GROUP H – 16 teams (8 to qualify) : Sunday 28 August

Round of 64 : Week 1 (4 matches) : Sunday 4 September

Round of 64 : Week 2 (4 matches) : Sunday 11 September

Round of 64 : Week 3 (4 Matches) : Sunday 18 September

Round of 64 : Week 4 (4 matches) : Sunday 25 September

Round of 64 : Week 5 (4 matches) : Sunday 2 October

Round of 64 : Week 6 (4 matches) : Sunday 9 October

Round of 64 : Week 7 (4 matches) : Sunday 16 October

Round of 64 : Week 8 (4 matches) : Sunday 23 October

Round of 32 : Week 1 (4 matches) : Sunday 30 October

Round of 32 : Week 2 (4 matches) : Sunday 6 November

Round of 32 : Week 3 (4 matches) : Sunday 13 November

Round of 32 : Week 4 (4 matches) : Sunday 20 November

Round of 16 : 8 Matches : Sunday 27 November

Quarter-Finals : 4 Matches : Sunday 4 December

Semi-Finals : 2 Matches : Sunday 11 December

Final : 1 Match : Sunday 18 December

The arrangements for the draw, like all things in modern football, became a bit complicated as I tried to ensure a fair spread across the eight groups from the different contributors.  Of the 135 ICAs included, I’m responsible for 35 of them, and these will be spread evenly and randomly across six of the groups – A, B, D, E, G and H.

Group C, which has 18 teams, consists entirely of ICAs contributed by Hybrid Social Professor (HSP), who rather sadly seems not to have contributed at all to the blog since June 2020 having been ridiculously prolific up to then.

Group F has 17 teams, and consisting of six ICAs by Alex G, five ICAs by Middle Aged Man and six ICAs by Khayem.

All the remaining guest contributions have been spread out so that almost nobody will find themselves with two teams in the same group – for instance, JTFL has four teams and these will be placed in Groups B, E, G and H.  The almost nobody exception is SWC, who has seven entries spread across six groups, with one doubler (I warned you it was complicated!!!)

As you can tell, this is really depending on a decent level of audience participation, especially in the group stages, where you will be asked to submit eight songs to enable a singer or band to progress.  In the event of ties, the rolling of a dice will determine which side(s) progress.

Tune in next week for details of Group A. Voting will open as soon as the posting appears and will close at midnight, UK time, the following Saturday. All votes will be through the comments section – I had an e-mail option last time around, but it proved difficult to keep a track of, with some responses going into the junk folder and not being counted.

I’ll finish off this week with a very fine World Cup theme tune to get you in the mood:-

mp3 : The Scottish World Cup Squad 1982 – We Have A Dream

Featuring John Gordon Sinclair, of Gregory’s Girl Fame.

I’ll hopefully see some of you here next Sunday…..otherwise I’ll have a huge flop on my hands!!!

JC

It’s the first of a new month.  This mix was almost called ‘Let’s Hug It Out’.

mp3: Various – Thank Your Lucky Stars

Theme from ‘The Persuaders’ – John Barry
Goodbye Joe – Tracey Thorn
Safari – The Breeders
Purple Zone (extended version) – Soft Cell/Pet Shop Boys
Dreaming Of You – The Coral
Shut Up And Let Me Go – The Ting Tings
Natural Blues  – Moby
Grumpus – Lambchop
Easy Money – Johnny Marr
Hey Ya!- Outkast
Fidelity – Regina Spektor
Chelsea Hotel #2 – Lloyd Cole
Who Can Say – The Horrors
It’s For You – The Wedding Present
Never Fight A Man With A Perm – IDLES
The Last Significant Statement To Be Made In Rock’n’Roll – The Indelicates
The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman – Half Man Half Biscuit

Twenty seconds beyond sixty minutes.

JC

PS : A small plug for a series that is warming up nicely in a blog curated some 450 miles south-west of Villain Towers. I’m referring of course to No Badger Required

SWC has come up with the quite magnificent idea of a rundown of the best 100 songs with one-word titles.  Where many of us would have gone about this in a dictatorial manner, he recruited a group of peers and got folk to vote on things.  I was one of them, and I know that some of the TVV cognoscenti also offered up opinions.

Part One of the prelude is here.

Further later musings are here, here, and here.

I should also mention that while it isn’t immediately obvious, it is possible to leave comments at No Badger Required.  You do have to click on the title of a particular post, and it will open in a separate tab with a comments box at the foot of the new page.

A GUEST POSTING (and Invitation) from JONNY THE FRIENDLY LAWYER

I love the sound of a trumpet in rock music.  Yes, there are plenty of songs and bands we all love that feature a full brass section, or at least a trumpet accompanied by a sax or whatnot.  But I’m not talking about those.  I mean just a trumpet, either as part of the instrumentation of a song, or as the featured lead instrument.  So here’s an imaginary compilation of my favourite songs with a trumpet.  All the tunes are by bands that would typically show up over here at JC’s place.  Otherwise, there’d be way too many to list.  (So our host will have to do without ‘Penny Lane’ this time out.)

Cake: Short Skirt/Long Jacket.

Cake are sort of an acquired taste, but I acquired it.  Groovy bassist, solid drummer, ace guitarists, and Vince DeFiore on trumpet.  If you’re okay with John McCrea‘s vocals, you’ll probably like the band, too.  This is a single from the band’s fourth album, Comfort Eagle, released way back in 2001.

The June Brides: Every Conversation.

This one’s the only song I know by this band, which was included on some anorak-Postcard-Creation compilation or other.  It’s a fun track played in a lovably amateurish way that I still like to listen to almost 40 years on.

Beulah:  Gene Autrey.

Anyone remember Beulah?  They’re a forgotten favourite of mine.  Kind of the equivalent of Clearlake, whom I thought were genius and no one ever heard of (see ICA #279).  Beulah were from San Francisco and released four great albums to no acclaim whatsoever.  The idea for this post comes from this song, incidentally.  I have it on a playlist and was driving around (that’s what we do in LA) and all of a sudden the trumpet solo erupted out of the speakers.  You wouldn’t know it’s coming from the beginning of the tune, and then–bam!  Magnificent music.

The Teardrop Explodes: Reward.

Bless my cotton socks, it’s the arch-druid and his band’s biggest hit, a non-album single from 1981.  I read someplace that the band included the trumpet because they were inspired by Love‘s 1967 psychedelic classic, Forever Changes.

Calexico: Alone Again Or.

Speaking of which, here’s a version of the lead track from Forever Changes. Calexico are in fine form here.  It’s loose, the hand-claps give it kind of a flamenco vibe, and the trumpet solo is perfect.  Loads of bands covered this song, including the Damned, but I had other plans for them.

The Damned: Grimly Fiendish.

Is this where the Damned went Goth, or was that just the album cover?  Not sure, but we’ve moved quite a bit forward from New Rose with a jazzy trumpet solo.  This was released as a single in 1984.  Christ, I’m old.

Belle & Sebastian: Dress Up In You.

Here are some truly insulting lyrics, sung very sweetly.  Like our friends Cake and Calexico, Belle & Sebastian had a trumpet player on board for most of their career, including this track from 2006’s The Life Pursuit.  Toss up between this song and Stars of Track and Field.

Talking Heads: Houses in Motion.

Everyone’s played it straight so far but not, of course, the Heads.  This tune, from 1981’s Remain in Light, features fourth world pioneer Jon Hassell on a trumpet solo given the full Eno treatment.

Sloan: Everything You’ve Done Wrong.

I don’t know too much about Sloan, except that they’re from Canada and have had the same lineup for over 30 years.  ‘Everything’ is a straight-up radio-friendly pop tune wearing its trumpet on its sleeve.  This song was released in 1996, and I’m beginning to wonder if trumpet is just out of style nowadays?

The Beta Band: Dry the Rain.

Another 90’s highlight.  This song always seemed to me like an indie Hey Jude.  Goes on for a while and ends with a sing-along chorus with trumpets over the top.  I only saw the band once, and they were fantastic, but I can’t remember if they did this number.

Elvis Costello: Shipbuilding.

EC’s best ever lyrics, according to the man himself.  Shipbuilding really is a monumental song.  It would have been a classic before jazz legend/tragedy Chet Baker got into the studio, but his trumpet part is one of a kind.  If there’s a “best trumpet solo in rock” it’s this one.

Honourable mentions:

The Who: 5:15.

The ‘oo were my favourite band growing up, and Quadrophenia was and still is my Favourite Album of All Time.  This would have been top of the list, except Entwistle‘s playing a french horn, not a trumpet.

Sublime: Wrong Way.

A great song by doomed ska-punk luminaries Sublime, with a funky trombone solo.

The Cows: Heave Ho.

Oh, man, the Cows were a riot in action. This raucous number typifies their sound, right down to the singer’s trusty bugle.

XTC: That Is The Way.

This was going to be in the mix until I read the liner notes and saw that it’s Dick Cuthell (Specials, Madness, Pogues, Eurythmics) on flugelhorn.

…and now, the Invitation.

It took me ages to narrow this list down to just ten songs.  That’s why it’s eleven songs.  But I’ve got a whole second set, which I sent to JC.  I’m curious to see if anyone else shares my interest in trumpet in rock and, if you do, which songs you’d pick for an ICA.  So, I invite the TVV crowd to suggest some songs in the comments.  Let’s see if they include the rest of mine or, even better, are trumpet songs I haven’t heard yet.

JTFL

A GUEST POSTING by flimflamfan

In recent days, JC has entertained us with 8 Days of Indietracks Compilations and it’s been an enjoyable journey from this ageing indiepop kid.

Following the post for 2013 I wondered, as I sat on the beach, if I had transferred any indiepop compilations to my phone. I wasn’t too surprised to learn that I had, hello CD86 & Scared To Get Happy. Hmmm…. what’s this lurking in shadow of indiepop compilations, why it’s Pick ‘n’ Mix. At this point you’re most probably thinking “Pick ‘n’ What? Never heard of it.”

Torn between CD86 and Pick ‘n’ Mix (Scared To Get Happy, over 5 CDs requires considerably more commitment), I chose Pick ‘n’ Mix. I hadn’t listened to the compilation in over a decade. I nestled into my perch, stared longingly over the sea and hit play.

Felix D’ Arcy – Pictures From The Pavement

About 45 minutes later, CD1 was complete. I may have forgotten to mention Pick ‘n’ Mix is a 2 CD compilation. 13 songs that I hadn’t heard in the longest time, all of which seemed instantly recognisable – like bumping into an old friend in the street. That’s actual, real people, on tarmac streets (litter optional).

Leaving Mornington Crescent – Seventeen

Memories, fast, furious and welcome popped into my head: club nights, gigs, popfests, launch nights and late nights. Lots of late nights. Phew!

My intention was to listen immediately to CD2. However, the weather had other ideas, and I was rained off. On my speedy and damp walk back, I promised myself I’d listen to CD2 the following day. I did. I experienced the same rush: faces, places and any other word that will fit here to make up UK government health advice…races? No, that doesn’t make sense. Not making sense never stopped the UK government, but I digress…

I made a bold statement to myself that I’d write something up for TVV. To my utter astonishment here it is…

Hyperbubble – I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too

Pick ‘n’ Mix was released in 2009 by Bubblegum Records, Glasgow.

Glasgow is often regarded as a supportive hub for musicians/artists etc. but that hadn’t been my experience, or that of those behind Bubblegum, at that time back in 2009 as Glasgow ran mostly as a closed shop.

The same people owned numerous venues many espousing ‘independence’ despite being owned by large companies with relatively tight control of venues. Pay to play was rife – even in the ‘cooler’ establishments.

Zipper – Cosa de Artistas

When Bubblegum began it had lots it wanted to achieve. Key among those achievements was to challenge pay to play and to change negative perceptions of indie and indiepop. It seemed others agreed, myself included, yet Bubblegum was largely derided by the Glasgow ‘scene’. It seemed no matter what the label did, or did not do, in its brief existence, it just wasn’t good enough. Some examples…

When Pick ‘n’ Mix was launched (what a great night that was) free copies were given to the first 50 people alongside all of the previous releases, a fanzine and vegan sweets etc. The next 50 ‘only’ received free copies of Pick ‘n’ Mix, a fanzine and vegan sweets. Not good enough.

The label put on a staggering number of bands. There was, in most cases, an agreement that the bands would be paid a specific amount of money. Even if the gig ran at a loss, the band got their agreed amount. No band ever paid to play. Not good enough.

Probably the most generous food and drinks rider most of the bands had received. Not good enough.

Managing Glasgow Popfest – covering all costs on a DIY no sponsorship basis. Not good enough.

It put on free Indietracks warm-ups gigs. The line-up included bands appearing at Indietracks or bands whose members would be attending Indietracks. Not good enough.

For reasons unknown to those close to the label, and to the label itself, the animosity seemed inexplicable. Apparently, it was twee. Twee was somehow perceived as a threat?

Hari and Aino – On My Usual Catch Up With Celia

A little backstory can, I think, be helpful, but now to the matter in hand.

Pick ‘n’ Mix contains 27 songs. The label was advised by close friends – some in bands – not to release a compilation “they don’t make money.”

Undeterred by financial loss, Bubblegum put out an over-reaching call to a number of bands fully expecting a high percentage of rejections – due in part to the exceptionally tight timescale to get the CD completed for the hoped for launch date. Few rejections were received, which meant the original idea of a single CD compilation became a 2 CD compilation.

The roster for the CD is a real globetrotter: Brazil, Sweden. USA, Wales, Spain, France, Norway, Scotland, Indonesia, England, Australia & Japan (thanks, internet).

Le Ameida – Nunca Nunca

All indiepop sounds the same? Here’s another list to confound that theory… ska, pop, synthpop, twee, indiepop, rock, girl-group, bubblegum punk & shoegaze. Why have I left this excellent compilation languishing in the dark? I have no idea.

It’s so evocative of a specific time when a small group of people really did try to do things a little differently. Obscurity knocked (did you see what I did there?) as it has for many small DIY labels over the years.

I recall that at the Pick ‘n’ Mix launch I had a wholly stilted dance where I thought I must look like someone’s dad. I’m now only too aware that in the intervening years dad would be replaced by grandad. Where’s my dancin’ shoes?

Amphetameanies – Nothing’s OK

JC has written about Bubblegum before (here and here). On those occasions, I have been transported to thoroughly enjoyable times. Indirectly, the Indietracks compilations, stirred something in me and I’m delighted to have re-found Pick ‘n’ Mix and the memories it holds. Thanks, JC.

Does anyone else have experience of a local, relatively unknown DIY label that they hold in regard?

P.S. In an attempt to get ‘facts’ straight I sought support from the internet. For some bizarre reason some streaming sites have I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too as The Lovely Eggs. Although written by The Lovely Eggs it is in fact a cover version by Hyperbubble. However, pop fact, The Lovely Eggs did play 2 Bubblegum gigs.

Helen Love – Oh Sugar Candy

flimflamfan

Sorry if you’ve popped by thinking you’ll find Jonathan Richman hanging round the front porch……

mp3: Various – That Summer Feeling

Town Called Malice – The Jam
Graffiti – Maximo Park
So When You Gonna… – Dream Wife
The Overload – Yard Act
Senses Working Overtime – XTC
Pictures Of You – The Cure
Road Rage  – Catatonia
Atomic – Blondie
I Love Myself and I Always Have – Robert Forster
Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair – Arctic Monkeys
Portions For Foxes – Rilo Kiley
Wrecking Bar (ra ra ra) – The Vaccines
With Handclaps – Y’all Is Fantasy Island
Slow Train To Dawn – The The
He’s Frank (Slight Return) – The Monochrome Set
Being In Love – Wet Leg
Bankrobber – The Clash

Five seconds beyond sixty minutes for the second successive month.  Don’t be fooled by the title….it’s simply down to it being June’s offering.

JC

It’s a new month.  You know the drill by now…….

mp3: Various – This One Is Different

Slow Hands – Interpol
Brand New Cadillac – The Clash
Hand In Glove – Christian Kjellvander & Lise Westzynthus
Time For The Rest Of Your Life – Strangelove
Too Drunk To Fuck – Nouvelle Vague
Love Me Like You Do – The Magic Numbers
Keep On Keepin’ On (Die On Your Feet Mix) – The Redskins
Orgasm Addict – Buzzcocks
Caught Out There – Kelis
Doers – Bodega
The Black Hit Of Space – Sarah Nixey
Stereotypes – Blur
A Song From Under The Floorboards – The Wedding Present
There There My Dear – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Date With The Night – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Age Of Consent – New Order
R U A Feminist? – Breakfast Muff

Five seconds beyond sixty minutes. Quite a few cover versions (5) this time around.  I’m still very willing to take guest contributions for June and beyond if anyone can be motivated.

JC

The title of today’s post should provide the clue that I’ve tested positive for COVID.

It’s something I can’t quite get my head around – not the fact I’ve got it, which is hardly a surprise given that I’ve recently gone to well-attended and busier than normal football matches and made a much-delayed return to the Barrowlands (it was for The Twilight Sad), but more to do with the unlikely timing of a positive test at a time when I was feeling fine and showing very few symptoms.

I was testing more regularly as last Friday night I was pulling together a social evening, namely a leaving-do of sorts.

A full 106 weeks after it had been cancelled, there was to be a get-together of folk to celebrate my retiral from work.  The numbers for the original night were expected to have been around 150, including ex-colleagues from the different places/departments I had worked over that 35-year spell, along with some close friends who just like a good night out.  This time round, I decided to restrict it to just the 25 or so folk who I had last worked with – it felt a bit disingenuous to invite folk I hadn’t seen in a long while to an event that was now two years out of date.

It was a great wee evening, albeit just under half the numbers could make it, thanks to a combination of an increase in COVID cases and the fact it was taking place as many folk were heading away on holiday for the Easter period with the schools having closed down.  Oh, and to show how much my former colleagues really know me, there were three items handed over following a very generous collection:-

1. A bottle of expensive rum

2. A voucher to spend at my golf club on some new equipment or clothing

3. A gift card for Ticketmaster, meaning that I’ll get to a number of gigs of my choosing.

The following morning, in advance of heading up to the football for another stint in the match day announcer’s box, and armed with a killer playlist to entertain everyone, I took a test, and it came up positive, despite the fact I was feeling fine other than having an annoying head cold and the very occasional cough.  No loss of taste, no loss of smell.  Nothing that would have kept me from travelling, except the two red lines showing up.

I’m typing this on Monday morning, 48 hours on, and feeling fine.  Only thing is that Rachel is showing all the symptoms and feels a lot worse than me, despite which she is still testing negative.

Why am I sharing all this?  For one, it means I’m going to miss out on a much-anticipated gig on Wednesday night when Luke Haines and Peter Buck come to Glasgow as I won’t be out of the required isolation period.

Secondly, it has put a question mark over my plans for this coming Friday, which had already been the subject of change thanks to the propensity of the rail industry in the UK to fuck up travel plans at peak holiday periods.

The Haines/Buck show in Glasgow was a late addition to my schedule, as the intention had been to go and see them at Hebden Bridge Trades Club in Yorkshire.  These tickets were bought a long time ago, for a show originally scheduled for April 2020, and later moved to September 2021 and again to April 2022.  Each rescheduling involved booking new train tickets and accommodation – indeed, for Sep 2021, rather than seek refunds, myself and Rachel used the arrangements to enjoy an overnight trip to Hebden Bridge.

Everything was set for this Friday in that the accommodation was sorted and the train journey down on the day of the gig was booked.  No cheap train tickets were coming up online for the return journey the following morning….indeed, no train tickets were on offer at all for the following morning.  It transpired that the West Coast Main Line will, in effect, be closed over the Easter holiday weekend for engineering works at various locations, primarily at its terminus point at London Euston.  All of which meant the Hebden plans had to be shelved.

I’ve managed a bit of a rescue in that I picked up a return ticket for the Friday evening, which means I’m going to be heading to Manchester on a morning train, arriving lunchtime and getting the joy of spending a few hours in the company of Adam, before catching a train back up to Glasgow at around 5pm.

Assuming, of course, that I get a negative test in advance.  Fingers and toes are crossed.

What it does mean is that there are two tickets for Haines/Buck at Hebden Bridge going spare for this coming Friday if anyone out there is able to make use of them…..just drop me an email to the usual address.

There’s a few lines from a song buzzing around my head just now:-

mp3: Basement Jaxx – Red Alert

And I’m gutted to be missing out on hearing songs from an album, bought around the time I retired from working back in 2020, and whose promotional tour has had as much bad luck as my efforts to have a well-attended leaving-do:-

mp3 : Luke Haines and Peter Buck – Beat Poetry For The Survivalist

Sigh.

JC

Here’s the opening para from the booklet in the box set.

The first Factory record was a double 7″ EP, originally planned as an orthodox compilation album to be released in collaboration with Roger Eagle and Pete Fulwell of Liverpool punk club Eric’s. Eagle and Fulwell proposed a regional sampler showcasing two groups from Liverpool, and two from Manchester: The Durutti Column, and Joy Division. However, after the more experienced Liverpudlians baulked at the complexity and cost of a double 7″ package Wilson decided to go it alone.

Peter Saville has gone on record as saying that his design for the Factory Sample was based on the FAC 1 poster., and that he was trying to convey the mood rather the music, to the extent that he didn’t listen to any of the tracks before he did the cover.   The music was recorded in October 1978 and the vinyl was released into the shops in December 1978.  There were 5,000 copies pressed, and the two records, along with five stickers, were all hand-wrapped into a silver sleeve which was then sealed in plastic, The two records played at 33 1/3 rpm and not the standard 45 rpm.

I’m holding the facsimile from the box set in my hand. The packaging is sturdy and the attention to design detail throughout is impressive, even to my untrained eye.  There’s a dedication within the sleeve – “For Don Tonay without whom….”

Don Tonay was the owner of the Russell Club in Hulme where the Factory nights had been held. He would be portrayed by Peter Kay in the film 24 Hour Party People, but by all accounts, the real Don Tonay was nothing like the blunt northern club owner stereotype he came across as in the film – but then again, it was a film in which the legend was used throughout for entertainment purposes.

As mentioned above, Joy Division and The Durutti Column were always going to be part of the FAC 2 release.

John Dowie was a Birmingham-born musical comedian who had first come to prominence (of sorts) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1972. He had already released an EP, Another Close Shave, on Virgin Records in 1977, but when it failed to sell in any decent numbers, the label dropped him.  He was a friend of Tony Wilson and, added to the fact that his material was inexpensive to produce in the studio, he was an easy addition to help make the release affordable.

Cabaret Voltaire had formed in Sheffield in 1973, but it took until November 1978 before their debut single was released on Rough Trade, with their contribution to FAC 2 was their second appearance in quick succession.  They were known to Tony Wilson from playing at the Factory Club.  Cabaret Voltaire had been trying to get the New Hormones label, run by Richard Boon, interested in their music, but being unable to afford anything, Boon had passed the tape to Wilson, after which the invites to play at the club and then contribute to A Factory Sample were made.

mp3: Joy Division – Digital
mp3: Joy Division – Glass
mp3: The Durutti Column – No Communication
mp3: The Durutti Column – Thin Ice (detail)
mp3: John Dowie – Acne
mp3: John Dowie – Idiot
mp3: John Dowie – Hitler’s Liver
mp3: Cabaret Voltaire – Baader-Meinhof
mp3: Cabaret Voltaire – Sex In Secret

One thing you can say about the music is that it didn’t conform to any type, style, genre or whatever, and I reckon you’d have been hard-pressed to find someone back in December 1979, outside the Factory family, to say they cared for all the tracks. Even then, Peter Saville has said on a number of occasions that the only song he actually likes is Digital.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an original copy of A Factory Sample, which is in very good nick and still has all five stickers as part of the package, then you could expect it to fetch upwards of £600 if you wanted to flog it.  The cheapest copy on Discogs just now is £300, but the seller admits that there is storage wear to the sleeve and the stickers are long gone.

JC

As mentioned before, I’m going to try and make a fresh one at the start of each month during 2022.

mp3: Various – Stick or Twist

Super Fi – Urusei Yatsura
The Facts of Life – Black Box Recorder
Rebellion (Lies) – Arcade Fire
He’s On The Phone – Saint Etienne
Skipping – Associates
Colin Zeal – Blur
Always The Quiet One – The Wedding Present
VtR – The Twilight Sad
Confide In Me – Kylie Minogue
Scooby Snacks – Fun Lovin’ Criminals
Kinky Afro – Happy Mondays
Summertime – The Sundays
King of Carrot Flowers (Part 1) – Neutral Milk Hotel
All Falls Down – Kanye West (feat. Syleena Johnson)
Allow Yourself – Broken Chanter
C.R.E.E.P. – The Fall

Two seconds beyond sixty minutes.  The title refers to a line in the lyric from one of the songs. Play it all through in one go…..or fast-forward if you prefer.  The choice is yours.

JC

PS : Completed and readied for posting before I saw that Kanye West had been a tad on the offensive….again!

PPS : In case you didn’t know, one of our fellow bloggers has got himself into a spot of trouble with a recent posting delivering a nasty backlash. Click here for more info.

A GUEST POSTING by JEZ

JC writes:-

This time last week, I offered up a sixty-minute mixtape comprising seventeen songs with the word ‘love’ in the title.  In doing so, I said that I was going to make a fresh one at the start of each month during 2022, but would willingly make space for a guest posting if anyone out there wanted to have a go.

To my absolute delight, the mighty Jez from A History of Dubious Taste was very quick off the mark.   Here he is…..

Hello. My name is Jez and I am addicted to making playlists.

It has been three days since I put together my last playlist.

I’ve done mixes – compilation tapes, CD-mixes, playlists – for years now, always managing to find spaces where they could be heard: when I was younger, there were compilation tapes in the 6th Form common room, or in the motorway ‘restaurant’ I worked in during the holidays at 6th Form and at college (and for a year after I graduated). I would craft a new tape every other evening to take in the following day with which to wow my friends and work colleagues. Like snowflakes (the old usage of the term), no two were ever the same.

Becoming a DJ at college was almost inevitable and my plans for world domination moved on at pace: I started off by taking over the fortnightly Indie Night, before also becoming the regular DJ at the retro-80s night (which, incredibly, started in 1990), occasionally hosting the retro-60s & 70s night, playing between and after the bands on live music night, and eventually even the coveted Saturday night “Chartbuster” gig. (The fact that I was the Social Secretary and decided who got paid to DJ which nights was *coughs* entirely coincidental.)

After I graduated, I worked in a video shop for a few years, which only had a cassette player to play music through, so the compilation tapes kept coming. But as technology progressed I willingly followed, creating CD-mixes and then iPod playlists to soundtrack many a Friday night in with my flatmates, when we were too skint to go out, but between us could afford the ingredients to make several pints of White Russians until one of us inevitably fell asleep in the bathroom. This was the birth of the Friday Night Music Club which I’ve recently resurrected over at my place, A History of Dubious Taste (a link for which you can find over in the sidebar should you care to investigate further).

And of course, there was the far-more-frequent-than-I-care-to-admit compilation tape or CD-mix lovingly prepared for a young lady I was trying to impress. If you’ve ever read Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, (and if you’re reading this, then I would be extremely surprised if you haven’t) then you’ll know, if you didn’t already, that there are rules one has to observe when making such a thing.

For example (and I’m paraphrasing here):

• Thou shalt not include the same artiste more than once in the same mix; and
• Thou shalt bury a particular song which you want the recipient to hear somewhere towards the end of the mix (but not within the last three songs, and definitely not the final track) – mid-way through the second “side” of a C-90 compilation tape should be about right.

As you’ve probably guessed, it’s my love of putting together playlists which brings me here today. For last week, whilst laid up with a touch of the Covids and trying to decide what could feature in this week’s mix at my place (which is now last week’s mix, do try to keep up), the latest missive from our host dropped. It included a playlist, which, as one would expect from such an eminent source, was rather fine, featuring a load of songs with the word love in the title.

And there, at the end of the post, JC had written these words: if anyone out there wants to have a go, I’ll willingly make space for a guest posting.

Now, one of the things I love about doing a mix is trying to make a theme of it, but drunken flatmates would inevitably roll their eyes when I started to grill them as to what the theme might be each week, so I try to shy away from them these days (themes, that is: I got rid of all the flatmates years ago).

But here was an invitation to create just such a thing, so I knocked this mix together and sent it to JC.

As with most of my mixes, it’s predominantly Indie Disco but with a fair smattering of pop tunes chucked in for good measure:

(Love is…also not caring that neither of you appear to have genitals…unless it’s just cold there….)

mp3: Various – “Love Is…”

• Squeeze – Labelled With Love
• Sandie Shaw – Long Live Love
• Erasure – Victim Of Love
• Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams – Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)
• Little Boots – Love Kills (Buffetlibre vs Sidechains remix)
• Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX – I Love It
• The White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl
• Frank Wilson – Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)
• Kim Wilde – Chequered Love
• Echo & The Bunnymen – The Back Of Love
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Love Burns
• The Smiths – Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
• The Bluetones – Autophilia Or ‘How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Car’
• The Wedding Present – Give My Love to Kevin (acoustic)
• Half Man Half Biscuit – I Love You Because (You Look Like Jim Reeves)
• The Beautiful South – Love Is…

My usual Friday Night Music Club disclaimer applies: any skips and jumps in the mix are down to the mixing software I use; any mistimed mixes are down to me; all record choices are mine.

*****
It turns out that I had rather misunderstood the request, and JC wasn’t asking for playlists on the same theme as he had created.

Doh!

Still it’s done now, so you may as well give it a whirl.

At the very least, if you’re not familiar with my place it gives you an idea of the sort of stuff I usually post (along with sentences which are far too long and have waaaay too many brackets and semi-colons in them): stuff you’ll know; stuff you might not; stuff you’ve forgotten and are pleased to be reminded of; some you wish had stayed forgotten – all posted under the Where There’s No Such Thing as a Guilty Pleasure banner, which gives me carte blanche to post anything I fancy.

See?

Feel free to drop by sometime.

Oh, and: more soon

Cheers,

Jez

JC adds.………

A few things worth mentioning.

Jez has incorporated at least four songs I had on my shortlist when pulling together the previous mixtape, and it’s great to hear them surrounded by others I wouldn’t have thought of.

Jez has also plucked out some songs I know nothing or very little about – Little Boots and Icona Pop/Charli XCX are certainly making their debuts on TVV – and I can’t ever recall hearing that Kim Wilde number before.

Jez has also included The Smiths.  This will be the first time since December 2017, when ICA 150 was put together, that a Smiths number which isn’t an instrumental has been featured on these pages. I’m still not quite ready to make time to knowingly listen to The Smiths, and by that I mean pulling out a single or album and placing it on the turntable, but I won’t go out of my way to fast-forward a mixtape or hurriedly switch to another radio station if a song comes on.  It was really lovely to hear ‘Last Night….’ once again.  Maybe it’s the beginning of me being softened up…I certainly had to resist the strong urge, after coming home the other Sunday from an open mic event, to not play Rusholme Ruffians, having enjoyed listening to an old punk from Ayrshire offer his take on His Latest Flame.  Who knows?   If I do end up digging out some Smiths songs to listen to, I’ll be sure to write about it.

All of which is a bit of a side issue.  I really hope you enjoy Jez’s contribution – there’s a few cracking pop songs in there that are most unusual for TVV, but that’s exactly why I really value guest contributions. It would be a bit monotonous if it was just my own musical preferences on display every day.

So… who’s next for a mixtape?  I’m sure there’s a bit of Jez in all of us……..

A GUEST POSTING by OUR SWEDISH CORRESPONDENT

Jim,

The other day when driving my daughters to school it so happened that my phone, connected to the audio system of the car, even if in shuffle mode played 3 songs in a row that all contained the word “violent” or “violence” in the title, and this struck me as a topic for an ICA – even if not necessarily presenting anything new to the TVV crowd. The current situation along the Ukraine border had an uncanny touch to the sudden appearance of so much violence from my media library…

Rules were simple, I had to have the music myself, and it was the song not the artist that should contain a form of the word violence. So no Violent Femmes included.

Side A:

Violently Happy – Björk.

Violence as a reinforcement for feelings. No further introduction needed.

Violence – Grimes feta. i_o.

A bit ambiguous lyrics, somewhere in-between good and bad I guess. Makes me want to dance, from her latest album, Miss Anthropocene.

Violent Delights – CHVRCHES.

IMHO the best new thing out of Scotland this last decade, with a patent sounding track about being left with just haunting dreams.

A Violent Noise – The xx.

IMHO maybe the best new thing out of England this last decade, with a patent sounding track about being left with just haunting longing. Am I repeating myself?

Shining Violence – Chromatics.

Like an extension of the two preceding tracks, words are unnecessary.

Side B:

Lost In Violence – Siglo XX.

The Belgian cold wave act heavily influenced by Joy Division. Dark and moody, the influences are not exactly subtle.

Violent Playground – ionnalee.

2020 saw ionnalee release a compilation (Kronologi) of re-recorded tracks from her 10-year career as iamamiwhoami and ionnalee. This was one of the oldest tracks on the album (and a bit of a joker in the deck) dealing with men’s violence.

Quiet Violence – Hante.

French darkwave artist Hélène de Thoury delivers a haunting vision of hiding quietly in the dark, waiting for something bad to happen.

Violence Of Truth – The The.

Matt is upset. Matt makes great music when he is upset.

Violent Playground – Jonna Lee.

You guessed it, this is the original version by Jonna Lee which is her given name, and the only track on the aforementioned Kronologi album originating before the two electronic monikers of hers. Her two albums as Jonna Lee, 10 Pieces, 10 Bruise & This Is Jonna Lee, are much more traditional guitar based indie records. This track was however only released on a compilation album by her then label, Razzia Records.

Love & Peace

Martin

A smidgen under sixty minutes of music in one large file.

As I said last time around, I’m going to try and make a fresh one at the start of each month during 2022.

mp3: Various – It’s A Love Thing

Love Gets Dangerous (Peel Session) – Billy Bragg
Do You Love Me? (single version) – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Love Plus One – Haircut 100
The Greatness and Perfection of Love  – Julian Cope
Tattooed Love Boys – Pretenders
The Man Who Took On Love (and Won) – The Low Miffs & Malcolm Ross
Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) – Spiller
Bizzare Love Triangle (7″ version) – New Order
Love And A Molotov Cocktail – The Flys
The Magic Piper (Of Love) – Edwyn Collins
California Love – 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
Love Detective – Arab Strap
White Love – One Dove
South of Love – Friends Again
Baby I Love You – Ramones
Only Love Can Break Your Heart – St. Etienne
You Say You Don’t Love Me – Buzzcocks

As always, if anyone out there wants to have a go, I’ll willingly make space for a guest posting.

JC

I’ve found an old posting from the deleted blog, and feel that in these environmentally aware times that it is worth of recycling.  Originally from November 2009:-

It’s been a wee while since I threw some interesting cover versions your way. So much so, I feel it needs to be a quartet today – all of them covers of classics:-

mp3 : British Sea Power – A Forest

This is such a difficult song to cover. I’ve always felt that with this 1980 single, The Cure created one of the all-time classic goth anthems. Almost 30 years on, the original hasn’t dated one bit – it still fills the floor of indie discos the world over. Just the other week, I saw trendy young things dressed head-to-toe in black at a Halloween event scream with delight when this was played. Alongside them on the dance floor there were blokes old enough to be their dads just as excited….and closing their eyes and imagining themselves to be three stones lighter, with full heads of hair and so on.

To be fair to British Sea Power, they make a good first of it, and they manage to make it sound like one of their own songs. But….given how much prominent the bass line is in the original, it seems strange to discover it is so relatively low in this mix. Anyone got strong views either way?

mp3 : Carter USM – Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

Once again, a very difficult track to do justice to. But if you didn’t know the original, I reckon you’d think this was yet another a Carter USM classic lyric and tune. Jim-Bob and Fruitbat have done a very fine job….the vocal delivery isn’t a million miles away from that of Paul Weller…and they keep the classic chant-along “whoa-oh-oh-oh” refrain after the song title is sung. I love it…..

mp3 : The Divine Comedy – Party Fears Two

Now, I am very sure about this. The Divine Comedy have taken one of the best-loved songs ever released by a Scottish group and ruined it. Neil Hannon is not a bad singer by any means, but his half-arsed effort at this shows just how distinctive and unique a vocal talent we had in the late and lamented Billy Mackenzie. And don’t get me started on how a great pop tune in the hands of Alan Rankine has been turned into something that makes me want to throw rotten fruit in the direction of those with the musical instruments in their hands. Bloody awful. But feel free to disagree.

mp3 : Aidan Moffat & The Best-Ofs – I Got You Babe

Despite me being just 2 years old when Sonny & Cher took this to #1 in both the USA and UK in the late summer of 1965, it is a song of which I know every single word and note,  simply because it was a staple favourite of radio stations for at least a decade afterwards. These were the years when DJs relied heavily on requests from listeners, and inevitably it would be a couple’s anniversary and this was the song they fell in love to and/or it was the first song at their reception. Oh, and it was always one asked for by wives on the Armed Forces request show on Sunday mornings for their husbands serving their country, usually in Germany or Belize.

Aidan Moffat‘s version, which was made available on 7″ vinyl if you bought the deluxe version of his 2009 LP How To Get To Heaven From Scotland has turned into one of my favourite bits of music released over this past year. Aidan delivers it with enough sincerity to make us believe that he’s a big fan of the original, and yet thanks to that brilliantly distinctive Falkirk twang in his voice he could just as equally be accused of taking the piss, such is the lack of polish in its production. Personally, I think he really is delivering a heartfelt tribute….and the singing and playing are complementary to much of what was on his own material on the LP. But if you don’t get Aidan Moffat or think Arab Strap are hugely overrated, then I suspect this cover is not for you.

JC

A GUEST POSTING by MARTIN ELLIOT

(Our Swedish Correspondent)

Hi JC,

Martin

JC adds..…As I’ve said before, I always look forward to Martin’s end of year round-up as there’s inevitably something in there that grabs may attention, and this year is no different.

Sixty minutes of music in one large file.

I’m going to try and make a fresh one at the start of each month during 2022.  As always, if anyone out there wants to have a go, I’ll willingly step aside to make room for a guest posting.

mp3: Various – I’ve Come To Learn How To Dance

Fire – BooHooHoo
She’s Attracted To – The Young Knives
Scratchyard Lanyard – Dry Cleaning
5 O’clock World – Julian Cope
Honey, Baby – Grrrl Gang
Living Well Is The Best Revenge – R.E.M.
Here Comes Comus – Arab Strap
Chaise Longue – Wet Leg
Thou Shalt Always Kill – Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
In Bloom – Nirvana
Up The Bracket – The Libertines
Stay Free – The Clash
Basement Band Song – The Organ
Ritchie Sacramento (The O.T.Mix) – Mogwai
Attack of the Ghost Riders – The Raveonettes

Quick mention of the excellent Grrl Gang.  I’ve been meaning to write-up something substantial, but not yet got round to it.

My love of Say Say Me and Otokobe Beaver, both of whom are signed to Damnably Records, led to me to look at their labelmates.

Grrl Gang are from Indonesia.  The one girl/two boy trio of Angeeta Sentana (vocals & guitar), Edo Alventa (guitar) and Akbar Rumandung (bass) have been together since 2016.   The track on this particular compilation was issued as a 7″ single around twelve months ago, while there’s also a nine-track LP, Here To Stay!, dating from February 2020 which is packed with what I can only describe as essential pop-tunes of an indie-bent. You’ll not be surprised to learn that the trio are fans of the Bellshill scene and Sarah Records.

JC

An unplanned ICA.  One with a difference.  And in all honesty, one that doesn’t hang perfectly but it might spark off some ideas among all of you out there.

I was loading up Angel Interceptor for yesterday’s posting when I noticed that the hard drive contained many examples of songs called Angel.  There’s even more with the word Angel in the title, and if I was to extend it to that, I’d likely come up with a more than half-decent ICA.  But I’m being strict for today, even to the extent of not allowing the plural to qualify and thus ruling out Ballboy, David Byrne, Flight of The Conchords and The XX.

SIDE A

1. Angel – Massive Attack

The very obvious opener. It’s probably the best known of the ten songs on offer today, It’s also, in my opinion, by far and away the best.  It also works as the opener as it is the first track on the 1998 album, Mezzanine.

2. Angel – The Style Council

It’s time for some Smooth Radio tunes here on TVV.  From the 1987 album, The Cost Of Loving, it’s a cover of a song originally released four years previously by American soul singer, Anita Baker.

3. Angel – Long Fin Killie

Long Fin Killie were a Scottish group from the mid-90s, described on wiki as experimental rock/post-rock.  There were three albums and five EPs between 1994 and 1998 on the London-based Too Pure label, best known for the early work of PJ Harvey,  The band got some prominence in 1995 when Mark E Smith did some guest vocals, with the song Heads of Dead Surfers being voted in at #10 in the Peel Festive Fifty.

Angel is taken from the Hands and Hips EP, released in 1996.

4. Angel – Andre Salvador and The Von Kings

This is a band from Nashville whose debut album was recorded in Brooklyn and given a physical release on the Last Night From Glasgow label in August 2020.  The promotional blurb offers the following:-

“Built around the songs of Tim Cheplick, the album takes inspiration from the likes of Elliot Smith, Camper Van Beethoven and Big Star and delivers something fresh, new and yet altogether comfortable and reassuring.”

It’s an album that I’ve grown increasingly fond of, having been a bit unsure when I first played it. Click here for the bandcamp page where you can have a listen.

5. Angel – The The

Side A closes off with a b-side, from the 12″ release of The Beat(en) Generation back in 1989.  It’s a three-minute-long, piano based track with a spoken vocal in which it sounds as if a sermon of some sort is being delivered.

SIDE B

1. Angel – Happy Mondays

You can find this one on the 1992 album Yes Please, the one recorded at great expense in Barbados with Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club in the producers’ chair trying their very best to make sense of it all.   I say Barbados….that’s certainly true for the music.  Shawn Ryder was so addled throughout that he couldn’t contribute anything, and as such his vocals were added weeks later in a studio in Surrey.

2. Angel – Belly

The second track on Star, the debut album released by Belly in 1993.

Fun fact.  This was the second song called Angel written and recorded by Tanya Donnelly.  The previous effort had been in 1989 on Hunkpapa, with her previous band Throwing Muses.  It was a rare occasion when a Throwing Muses song wasn’t composed by Kristin Hersh.

3. Angel – Everything But The Girl

I was in two minds about placing this here on the ICA or as the closing track given that it fulfilled that purpose on the album Love Not Money.  I’ve instead gone for the edited version, released as a 7″ single, but which barely dented the Top 100 when it was issued in that format in June 1985, but that was the fate which befell just about all of EBTG‘s early singles.

4. Angel – Kevin McDermott Orchestra

A Scottish musician who still does well around these parts on the rare occasions he releases new songs and/or plays live gigs.  He was part of The Suede Crocodiles whose sole single, Stop The Rain, is an absolute classic from 1983 as recalled in this post on the blog in March 2019.

The solo career never quite clicked with me, although I do own a copy of Mother Nature’s Kitchen, an album written and recorded in Glasgow in 1989, and released by the wonderfully named Kevin McDermott Orchestra, on which Robbie McIntosh of the Pretenders and Blair Cowan of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions were among the contributing musicians.

5. Angel – Rosa Mota

Formed in London in the early 90s, Rosa Mota would release two albums and a handful of singles on 13th Hour Recordings, a subsidiary of Mute Records.  As I’ve mentioned before, they came to my attention when Clare Grogan contributed a guest vocal to one of the songs on the second of these albums, Bionic, produced by Steve Albini and released in 1996.  Angel, a string-laden instrumental that also features clarinet, flute and basouki, just felt like the best way to finish off the ICA.

JC

About three weeks ago I was out running and as usual the iPod was my companion for that run. I was about halfway round my 5-mile loop, just before I get to this hill that I call James’ Hill. It’s called that because my mate James lives at the bottom of the hill. Anyway, it’s one of those hills that you can barely walk up, let alone run up, and every time I do this particular run I try and get a little bit closer to the top before I stop, wipe the sweat from my forehead, swear and walk the last bit (which is most of it).

So there I am puffing away, my run turning more into a stagger and then a walk and finally a complete stop, I’m about 100m or so from the top, closer than I expected to be honest. I stand there, catching my breath, my back is pointing up the hill and I look down and across the valley that I have just run through, it’s literally a breathtaking view.

About ten seconds later a song comes on the iPod. It was this in fact.

mp3: Working Mens Club – Valleys

Now…three years I would have sprinted all the way home and written a pithy little piece on my music blog about the amazing ability that iPods have to come up with the right song at the right time – but this time I just smiled and jogged home and thought about how brilliant the song was (and it is amazing by the way).

But…that itch was back.

The next day I was making some onion soup in the kitchen and the radio was idly playing away in the background and this came on

mp3: Teenage Fanclub – Norman 3

I stood there stirring gently, so not to spoil the onions too much, and that little lightbulb came on in my head. That’s two great songs by bands with ‘Club’ in their names that I have heard recently, there’s a series in this I’m sure I think, and there is – well until I get to this lot at least.

mp3: New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream

I reached for a pen and write the words “Club Music” down on the back of a school letter and then return to my onion soup.

That itch wasn’t going away.

The next day a mate messages me with a band recommendation, a band called Rome, who, if you are interested, sound a lot like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I’d post something by them but I don’t own anything by them (yet). I message him back, “Best Band with A City in their Name..?”

A few messages later – we haven’t decided but I have discovered how great this lot are

mp3: Vancouver Sleep Clinic – Collapse

The back of the school letter now has a list of two ideas and within twenty minutes it becomes a list of four with “Numberwang” and “Overrated” scrawled underneath the first two and then I stop and I draw a line through them all and feel a bit daft.

Enter Mrs SWC, she has I think been watching me from the lounge, with hawk like interest. I tell her I am thinking about blogging again, but it feels wrong without Tim helping me. It’s a bit like Jam Roly Poly without the custard, I tell her, largely because I am pretending to look at a recipe of Jam Roly Poly.

She looks at me and hands me her iPad it is showing a BBC item about Phil Collins and how he has reshot the photography on all his ‘classic’ solo albums – you know the ones – where just his face is visible against a plain backdrop.

“No Badger Required” she says….

No Badger Required goes live from 21st November, please check it out. There will be music, stories, and the occasional recipe (perhaps).

http://nobadgerrequired.wordpress.com/

Thanks for Reading

SWC