Endgames

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #87 : ENDGAMES

Formed in Glasgow in 1980, they released two singles on Mercury Records in 1982 that were well received in some quarters (Martin Fry was a fan) but ridiculed for a lack of originality in others.

The next year saw them draft in Brian McGee who had been the original drummer with the now increasingly successful Simple Minds and in due course were signed by Virgin Records to a multi-album deal in 1983. In the end, they were let go after four flop 45s and a poor-selling LP despite the fact the band had toured extensively both under their own steam and as support to a number of high-profile synth-pop acts. Endgames broke up in 1985.

This is the second of their singles for Mercury Records. It’s very much of its time and hasn’t date well at all. It’s easy to see why Martin Fry liked them bit also why so many didn’t rate them:-

mp3 : Endgames – First, Last, For Everything

JC

Various

CHARGED PARTICLES (11)

THE GUEST SERIES FROM JONNY THE FRIENDLY LAWYER

This series has covered a lot of different acts and a lot of different styles of music. What it hasn’t included is a lot of women. That’s not right, so here are some charged particles featuring favorite females:

Vision: Autoclave

Connection: Elastica

Intuition: Feist

Levitation: Beach House

Petition: Tennis

Precaution: Pylon

Situation: Margaret Glaspy

 

JTFL

JC adds……this is the last of what was the initial batch of Charged Particles pieces submitted by Jonny a few months back.  Fingers crossed he finds time for some more.

Morrissey

OCD EPs : #5 : MORRISSEY

JC writes….

Another very unexpected e-mail.  Some of you will recall Dave Glickman came up with a great idea in May 2016 for the OCD EPs which he again explains in his intro to today’s piece.

Over the next few months he supplied the blog with such EPs for Father Sculptor, The Smiths, Gene and Joe Strummer, the last of which was some eleven months ago.  He’s come back and decided to feature Morrissey, without doubt the most featured artiste within this small corner of the internet but somone I have been avoiding in recent months as my own silent protest at some of the stupid and offensive things he’s been uttering around politics and race.  But, I’ve always said that guest postings will be taken for what they are, regardless of my own thoughts on the singer/band, and besides, what comes is, again, of a very high quality.  Here’s David to say more…..

OCD #5 : THE RARELY PLAYED SYMPHONIES

Well, after a rather extended hiatus, I am back with another installment in this series. Admittedly, the public clamoring over the past year for more has been less than deafening. However, I have only two more collections in my library that warrant this treatment and, after all, the series is about obsession and compulsion, isn’t it?
For newer Vinyl Villain readers and long-timers for whom the earlier posts had no lasting memorable impact, here’s a bit of repeat from what came before:

“And then one day, you just have to have it all…

I don’t know about you, but every once in a while I come across a band where I eventually decide that I have to get my hands on everything they ever recorded. It usually starts innocently enough – one album purchased on iTunes or a couple of songs downloaded from my favorite indie music blog. Perhaps I’ll find a b-side collection on a fan site and pick out a few favorites or come across a video of a particularly stellar radio or television broadcast. And then suddenly, the obsession kicks in. What else in their catalog is still purchasable? Where can I find the best quality rips of those broadcasts? And, by god, why didn’t I download all those b-sides when I had the chance?
With all this in mind… the OCD EPs are intended to be short collections of the best or most interesting obscure, off the beaten track songs that only the most ardent and obsessed fans might be familiar with and have in their libraries.”

Today’s selection is in honor of the boys and girl from WYCRA and in memory of their dearly departed blog. After all, it was their policy of deducting Saturday Song Challenge points for any and all mentions of The Smiths or Morrissey that finally motivated me to pick up my pen again and get on with it.

 

Side One

1. Striptease With A Difference (outtake)

At an earlier point, there was quite a bit of unreleased material from the Viva Hate and Bona Drag sessions. However, over the years, most of it has been released as b-sides or bonus tracks on album reissues. This would be the exception. Striptease is a rather witty lyric about Moz hoping to lose a game of strip poker over music that, to be honest, is nothing to write home about. Surely though, it can’t be worse than Get Off The Stage, can it?

2. Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself (alternate electric studio outtake)

One of my favorites in the entire solo catalogue, there really isn’t a bad version of this song. While the acoustic album version is in keeping with the overall mood of Vauxhall & I, the band also did a few amped-up takes. There are several electric versions floating around the internet, but this fairly recent leak is my favorite.

3. It’s Hard To Walk Tall When You’re Small (Maladjusted b-side session version)

There is a track of the same name officially released as a b-side to the Irish Blood, English Heart single and later collected on Swords. However, this is something rather different. Apparently, seven years earlier Moz tried similar, though not exactly the same, lyrics over a ballad written by Spencer Cobrin. Quite an interesting find!

For reference: It’s Hard To Walk Tall When You’re Small (official version)

Side Two

4. I’m Playing Easy To Get (BBC Radio Session)

From Passions Just Like Mine: “This song must have been written at some point in 2004. Its only confirmed studio recording is Morrissey’s appearance on Janice Long’s radio programme on BBC2, on 17 December 2004….A proper studio version was allegedly recorded at the end of 2004 alongside material meant to be used for b-sides on the “I Like You” single (which ended up being shelved).”

I absolutely adore this song and its twisted take on playing hard to get. In my view, the track actually has a-side potential, though obviously Moz does not agree as he hasn’t even released this radio session version. Now, if only I could get my time machine to work, I’d be heading back to Los Angeles on November 12, 2004 for its one and only live outing.

5. Sweetie-Pie (Michael Farrell version)

As I understand the story, Morrissey and the band worked on this ballad for quite a while during the Ringleader sessions but were never able to put down something they were satisfied with. Instead, the decision was made to cover it over with noise and additional vocals by Kristeen Young (just another term for “noise”) and release it as a b-side. While some people consider the officially released version to be some sort of avant-garde masterpiece, I am not one of them.

In any case, Michael Farrell took the tapes home, kept working on the song and then played his version on a radio program in 2009. This new version, which I find superior to the official one in virtually every way, was subsequently leaked on the internet.

6. The Bullfighter Dies (promo video version)

In an ill-fated promotional attempt, Harvest produced a number of spoken word videos to accompany the release of World Peace Is None Of Your Business. No doubt, these must have played some role in the subsequent falling out between Moz and the record label which led to the severing of their relationship and the eventual deletion of the album from the catalog.

While the sound from most of these videos is hardly worth your attention, the spoken word version of The Bullfighter Dies is the exception. Backed by muted trumpet and piano, Moz brings out a deeper, more serious emotional tone to the lyrics.

DAVE

Strangeways Glasgow

BONUS POSTING : INVITATION TO A SPECIAL NIGHT (AND FOR A GREAT CAUSE)

One of the most enjoyable events in many a year happened just a few months back at The Admiral Bar in Glasgow when Strangeways (a collective made up of Robert, Hugh and Carlo) held their first ever There Is A Night That Never Goes Out. I was lucky enough to be asked to contribute a short set at the beginning of the night before the professionals took over. I wrote about it all afterwards.

As you’ll see from the above poster, the second such night is taking place in a little over two weeks time, once again at The Admiral. It sold out last time round and fingers are crossed that this will do the same as all monies rasied will go towards Starter Packs Glasgow, a charity that provides household items to those who most need them.

http://starterpacks.org.uk.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/

The night will also have a fabulous guest DJ involved in the shape of Gavin Dunbar (Camera Obscura) but there’s also a likelihood that I will get to slip in 45 mins worth of tunes early on. I’m working on a possible set just now and hope to send it off to the team over the weekend in the hope they like it.

If you’re in the Glasgow area on the 26th, then please feel free to drop by and say hello. It really is a great night. And the Strangeways team are among the nicest folk you could ever hope to meet….and the crowd they attract to their nights are just as lovely.

Here’s one from last time out:-

mp3 : The Psychedelic Furs – Pretty In Pink

JC

Indietracks 2017, Various

INDIETRACKS 2017 : A PERSONAL APPRECIATION FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

A GUEST POSTING FROM ALDO

Indietracks is an indiepop festival which takes place annually on a heritage railway in rural Derbyshire. This was our sixth successive jaunt down to the event.

I first attended in 2012, looking for a different kind of festival fix after years of attending Scotland’s annual behemoth T in the Park, and I came away from the weekend totally hooked, much in the way I’d felt going to those first couple of T’s. The whole setup appealed so much, not least being shuttled on a vintage train the mile journey from the entrance to the main festival site.

Although the music is always first and foremost the main appeal, there is no doubt that it’s the folk that attend who add just as much to the event as anything else. Firm friendships have been forged over the years, and there’s always plenty time spent greeting many a familiar face. In fact this year I ended up sharing accommodation with one such mate from Belfast when his wife, and my usual sparring partner and roommate, were both unable to attend this year.

Proceedings get underway on the Friday evening, easing everyone into the weekend, and as usual there were three bands set to grace the main stage.  We were, however, somewhat relieved when, supping pints in our usual pre-festival boozer, one of the gang arrived with news that, as a result of the forecast for inclement weather, the bands were now to perform on the indoor second stage.

First up were Scots, Kid Canaveral, making their second appearance at the festival, they had drafted in a couple of stand-in members for this show due to the logistics of having to then travel to the Isle of Eigg off the west coast of Scotland for Lost Map’s Howlin’ Fling that same weekend. They got things off to a great start, playing a set largely drawing on their most recent release Faulty Inner Dialogue, and being a particularly big fan of the band I thoroughly enjoyed them. They were followed by Chorusgirl, who I’ve seen a few times before, most recently at the Fortuna Pop! farewell weekender in London in March. Again they delivered a hugely enjoyable set.

So on to Martha, they are a perfect example of the type of band which the festival seems to foster, moving up the billing with each festival, and akin to the Spook School the previous year, burgeoning into a group which were more than justified Friday headliners. Much like watching a child or a sibling flourish, the love for them among the crowd was palpable when they emerged to take the stage. Running through pretty much all the favourites from their first two albums, they also included a cover of Semisonic’s Closing Time thrown in for good measure, and left us all in good spirits.

mp3 : Martha – Precarious (Supermarket Song)

Although some sore heads were being nursed after the previous evening’s visit to the disco tent, we all made it down in time for Saturday’s 1pm start, and the first band up in the indoor stage were Pillow Queens, a four piece all female outfit from Dublin playing a mix of alt-pop punk. Next on the agenda were Crumbs from Leeds who were gaining quite a few mentions pre-festival and certainly lived up to my expectations with a hugely energetic and engaging set. There was a brief venture outdoors into the sunshine for 10 minutes of Spain’s Cola Jet Set, before ensuring I was back in the train shed for TeenCanteen. Like Kid Canaveral, this was their second appearance at the festival, and there were a number of remarks with regard to just how much they had improved as a live force. This is definitely true, and they gave us a great set of pure pop.

mp3 : Crumbs – Weasels Can Wait

We then hotfooted it over to the main stage for the much touted Peaness, and it’s fair to say that there’s much to admire beyond their slightly smirk inducing name, proving that they’ve got all the credentials to be the next darlings of the Indietracks crowd. They were followed on the main stage by Glasgow/London band Shopping, who feature one half of recent Scottish Album of the Year Award winners Sacred Paws. Although I’m a fan of their album Why Choose? and have witnessed them live on more than one occasion, for some reason they never really got me going here.

However, I very much got back into my groove with the next act, Indietracks heroine, Emma Kupa formerly of Standard Fare, and appearing in no less than four bands over the course of the weekend! On this occasion she was teaming up with ex-Hefner main man Darren Hayman in the imaginatively titled Hayman Kupa Band. I’ve not always been taken by Hayman’s solo output but the set they delivered here was immensely enjoyable.

mp3 : The Hayman Kupa Band – Someone To Care For Me

The fact half the festival appeared to require food at the same time meant that unfortunately I only heard Frankie Cosmos’ set from the burrito stall queue. However, once sated it was back indoors for a beer and a short blast of the ever excellent Joanna Gruesome, before heading to join the queue for the tiny church stage to see The Hearing, a female solo singer from Finland who produces ethereal sounds to a dreamy electronic accompaniment. It was a pretty decent performance, although I wasn’t raving about it quite as highly as some were. After this it was a refresh of our pints before making our way over to the main stage for a superb headline performance from The Wedding Present, it was a near flawless festival set, finishing with My Favourite Dress and Kennedy to leave the crowd in raptures. The only decision then was to be that evening’s choice of entertainment – karaoke or indie disco. The karaoke won, and was an unexpectedly brilliant end to the day.

mp3 : The Wedding Present – Kennedy (live – John Peel’s 50th birthday bash)

Following a late after party at the hotel, I was the only one of our group who emerged in time to catch Maybe Don’t who were first up on the Sunday. They were pretty decent, though my enjoyment was tempered by the fact that their loud energetic sounds were at odds with my slightly hungover state. Luby Sparks, the Japanese five piece who followed, were a little kinder to these ears with their jangling, C86 tinged, melodies. Next we shuttled between short glimpses of Suggested Friends (one of those other Emma Kupa bands) and Cowtown, a noisy mob from Leeds, before an absolutely lovely set in the sunshine by The Orchids, another of the great bands to come out of Glasgow over the years.

mp3 : Luby Sparks – Water

Staying in Scotland, the next band on the main stage were Indietracks ‘legends’ the Just Joans – somehow in the parallel universe that is Indietracks the Joans (whose appearance supplies the image which illustrates this post) are one of the best known bands in the world. We of course were down the front for a great mix of new songs and old classics, unfortunately one of the sing a long numbers expected at the end was cut from the set as a result of them running slightly over time, and perhaps just as well as a huge downpour began as they played their final notes.

This rearranged the schedule slightly as Monkey Swallows the Universe were moved indoors, which sadly didn’t do them justice as they were somewhat of an afterthought as the near whole capacity gathered in the train shed.

Once the sun came out again and the bulk of the crowd headed for the Wave Pictures on the main stage, those of us who elected to stay indoors were treated to a great set by Skinny Girl Diet, two sisters from London who describe themselves as gothic grunge, and make glorious racket.

mp3 : Skinny Girl Diet – Yeti

They were followed on the indoor stage by another band who Indietrackers have fully taken to their hearts, The Tuts. First coming to our attention when they opened the festival four years ago, those of us watching then might have felt they were a novelty, just there to get the party started, however, they’ve blossomed into the kind of group which the festival is all about. Politically charged but with no shortage of fun to go with it. The three of them gracing the stage in wedding dresses, and a wonderful set ended with them getting ‘married’ to the crowd and each other. In amongst the fun there were some emotional moments, when discussing experiences of mental health issues, and in that vein they were joined on stage by various other groups for a mass singalong of Linkin Park’s ‘In The End’ in tribute to Chester Bennington.

mp3 : The Tuts – Let Go Of The Past

The final act of the weekend on the main stage was Cate Le Bon, who I’d really enjoyed when I caught her in Glasgow last year, but to be honest after the Tuts set I just wanted a beer and a blether with some mates who were about to depart. I did catch the last few numbers by Cate, and by all accounts she was on top form.

All that was left was one last disco boogie, and despite being encouraged to carry on until the wee hours at the legendary campsite disco, which I’ve never yet been to, I decided to be sensible for once and head for bed. One year I’ll make the campsite shindig, one year…

ALDO

JC adds…..I’m really pleased that Aldo took the time to put together such a comprehensive and honest rundown of what sounds like an amazing weekend.  I took it upon myself to choose the songs today, all based on the words he supplied.  Other than The Wedding Present, they are all new to my ears and I’ve a feeling most of you will enjoy them too.

Gemma Ray

AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #130 : GEMMA RAY

JC writes…….

Thanks to a faulty charger that turns out not to be the easiest to track down a replacement, I have been laptop free for around ten days now and most of the the posts have been mined from those that I have in reserve for emergencies.  I’ve tried to stay on top of e-mails from my PC at work and the great news is that a few very high quality guest postings have been submitted during the period and I’m going to post them over the coming days.  It begins with an absolute cracker of an ICA from The Robster, turning the spotlight on someone never featured here before, and in doing so he took inspiration from another of the regulars.  Over to The Robster……

Shimmering: A Gemma Ray ICA

I’ve no doubt everyone pays regular visits to Walter‘s most excellent site A Few Good Times In My Life. If you don’t, GET YOURSELF ROUND THERE NOW! Those of us who do will have been engrossed in his recent recounting of the Maifeld Derby festival in Mannheim. In one instalment, Walter told us of his discovery of the rather wonderful Gemma Ray who he’d never come across before. As a long-time fan, I got to thinking that perhaps I should put together an ICA for the benefit of Walter and anyone else who has not been fortunate enough to encounter one of England’s best kept secrets.

So here’s a little collection of some of Gemma’s best moments. I’ve made sure each of her seven albums are represented, but truth be told this could easily have become a double album, and even then some great tunes would have had to be jettisoned. It weighs in at a mere 36 minutes, but I’ve always been a firm believer in quality over quantity and I think I’ve achieved that here in abundance. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the pop-noir of Gemma Ray.

SIDE ONE

1. The Wheel (from ‘Milk For Your Motors’ 2014)

By the time ‘Milk For Your Motors’ hit the shelves in 2014, Gemma had already built herself an impressive back catalogue. To date, she’d barely put a foot wrong. This, her sixth album, was her most expansive and featured an array of collaborators. On this track, Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb lends his deep dark voice to the proceedings.

2. Hard Shoulder (from ‘The Leader’ 2008)

Gemma’s debut album, like most of her early work, is dominated by her beloved twangy guitar Li’l One-Arm. Hard Shoulder was her second single and the first track to be heard from ‘The Leader’, setting a bar rather high for such a young artist.

3. 100mph (In 2nd Gear) (from ‘Lights Out Zoltar!’ 2009)
4. Fist Of A Flower (from ‘Lights Out Zoltar!’ 2009)

‘Lights Out Zoltar!’ is one of my favourite Gemma Ray albums. It followed hot on the heels of her debut as, due to illness, she wrote it instead of touring. She was clearly on a roll and churned out some of her strongest material.

5. How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall? (from ‘Gemma Ray Sings Sparks With Sparks’ 7″ 2012)

Now this is a treat. In 2012, Gemma teamed up with Russell and Ron Mael. She’d arranged two of their songs, putting her own spin on them. They produced the single and backed her. Yes, it’s Gemma, but I don’t think it matters what you do to a Sparks song, it’s always going to sound like a Sparks song. Nevertheless, a fine job was made of it.

SIDE TWO

1. The Letter (from ‘Down Baby Down’ 2013)

As you can imagine, Gemma’s work has graced numerous movies and TV shows. She has scored a German movie (Vorstadtrocker) and worked with Wim Wenders on a project restoring his early material. ‘Down Baby Down’ saw her team up with Thomas Wydler (yes, one of Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds) and was her attempt at a fantasy movie soundtrack – a soundtrack without a movie, if you will. Wait – An Imaginary Soundtrack… sounds like a blog series to me…

2. Alight! Alive! (from ‘Island Fire’ 2012)

One of my favourite tracks. Alight! Alive! opened Gemma’s fourth album ‘Island Fire’, probably her best work. The album was partly written in Australia while unable to fly home due to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull which caused flights worldwide to be grounded. Another stroke of luck as it turned out. Alight! Alive! has a lovely big bright sound, and any song that uses a Theremin is more than OK by me.

3. Big Spender (from ‘It’s A Shame About Gemma Ray’ 2010)

Gemma’s third album was a rather daring effort. Sixteen cover versions of one of the widest range of artists you could ask for. Alternative rock (Gallon Drunk, Obits, Sonic Youth) mixed it with jazz and blues (Billie Holiday, Etta James, Memphis Minnie), songs from musicals and all sorts of other delights. I almost included her take on Mudhoney‘s proto-grunge classic Touch Me I’m Sick, but in the end plumped for this gorgeous, glistening rendering of Shirley Bassey‘s timeless classic. Just Gemma and Li’l One-Arm alone.

4. Motorbike (from ‘Milk For Your Motors’ 2014)

By contrast, here she is in full motorik Krautrock mode. It may not surprise you to learn that Suicide’s Alan Vega is involved here, but it proves Gemma ain’t no one trick pony.

5. Shimmering (from ‘The Exodus Suite’ 2016)

Last year’s ‘The Exodus Suite’ brought with it the latest in a string of critical acclaim. Another ambitious record, it saw her stretch herself yet further. The whole thing was recorded live in one week and sees her adding more than a little touch of psychedelia to her sound. I’d love her to expand on this direction on her next record – whenever that will be.

http://afewgoodtimesinmylife.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/the-maifeld-derby-2017-diaries-day-1.html

THE ROBSTER

http://isthis-thelife.blogspot.co.uk/

David Bowie

WHAM-BAM THANK YOU MA’AM

One of my favourites from the Ziggy Stardust LP, I hadn’t realised it has been a flop single a few years later in 1976 when it was issued to accompany the release of the Changesonebowie compilation.

mp3 : David Bowie – Suffragette City

I still love getting up on the dance floor if this ever gets aired at an indie-type disco…which doesn’t happen often enough if you wany my tuppence worth on the subject matter. The Little Richard-style boogie-woogie piano bit is courtesy of the multi-talented Mick Ronson.

The b-side of the 1976 single was an edited version of Stay, a track originally been released on Station to Station the previous year. Again, until looking it up for this posting, I wasn’t aware that the shortened version of Stay had been a single in the USA. It’s some three minutes shorter than the album version.

mp3 : David Bowie – Stay (US single edit)

JC

XTC

THE XTC SINGLES (Part 21)

The third and final single lifted from The Big Express was a Colin Moulding composition. Given it was the opening track on the album it was always a reasonable bet that the record label had it down as a potential single from the off. It’s a song that makes a promising start with the late 70s/early 80s era choppy guitars but it doesn’t really develop all that much with changes in tempo and volume proving to be a bit distracting:-

mp3 : XTC – Wake Up

The single version was about a minute or so shorter than the album version (which itself featured on the 12″ release). The b-side of the 7″ was a very old track, and indeed Take This Town featured earlier in this series as one half of a split single with The Ruts. Oh and there was a second b-side made available:-

mp3 : XTC – Mantis On Parole (Homo Safari Series No. 4)

And so, after six years the Homo Safari series was finally out there for all to appreciate…..

The 12″ contained all three of the songs on the 7″ but threw in three additional tracks. Only thing was, they were three of the earlier and better known singles – Making Plans For Nigel, Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me) and Senses Working Overtime – as if somehow folk buying Wake Up were completely new to the band.

A #95 flop in February 1985

JC

Emma Pollock

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #86 : EMMA POLLOCK

I’m being very lazy and relying entirely on this short bio from the Chem Underground website:-

Following the disbandment of The Delgados in 2005, the band co-founded with her three fellow Chemikal Underground starter-uppers (Paul Savage, Alun Woodward, Stewart Henderson), Emma Pollock released her solo debut ‘Watch The Fireworks’ on 4AD. Returning to Chemikal for her next solo outing ‘The Law of Large Numbers‘ in 2010, Emma picked up more plaudits and acclaim for her unique brand of lavishly lyrical songwriting.

Then? Well, stints developing the Fruit Tree Foundation alongside Idlewild’s Rod Jones and playing a central role in The Burns Unit (who performed on Later…With Jools Holland) proved more than a little diverting since it’s been five and a half years since we had a new body of work. Until now that is as her new solo album ‘In Search of Harperfield‘ was released to universal acclaim on January 29th 2016.

Press Coverage for ‘In Search of Harperfield’….

“beautifully crafted…an excellent record” MOJO [4/5]
“The Dusty Springfield of cerebral indie pop” UNCUT [8/10]
“a towering, masterful collection from a truly brilliant artist.” Q [4/5]
“sumptuous songs…bewitching…breathtaking” THE SUNDAY TIMES
“one of our most vital, poetic and singular voices – a career high” THE HERALD

I’m still astonished that it wasn’t named as Scottish Album of the Year in 2016. It is an extraordinary strong collection of songs, of which this is just one:-

mp3 : Emma Pollock – Parks and Recreation

JC

Baby Lemonade

FROM THIRTY YEARS AGO (2)

Returning today to the series looking at some of the bands on C87, a 3xCD box set, released last year by Cherry Red Records, as a 74-track compilation of material that was released across different indie labels in 1987.  The only rule for featuring is that the act in questio has to be making a debut on the blog.

This is Track 23 on CD2. Here’s what the info booklet says:-

Glasgow-based Baby Lemonade formed in 1985, rehearsing in front rooms before progessing to making demos, one of which impressed early fan John Peel. Heavenly female vocals and buzzsaw, often feedback-laced guitars lay at the centre of the band’s extraordinary sound. A Sha La La flexi disc, “Jiffy Netwear Creation” was Sounds magazine’s Single-of-the-Week.  It was followed by thie one and only proper single (“Secret Goldfish”), produced by Douglas Hart (bassist with Jesus & Mary Chain), which reached No.9 in the indie charts. Various line-up changes ensued before the band’s only album, One Thousand Secrets, appeared in 1988.

mp3 : Baby Lemonade – Secret Goldfish

They shouldn’t be mixed up with 90s combo from Los Angeles who recorded under their own moniker as well as acting as the touring and recording band for late-era Arthur Lee

I’ve tracked down the b-side to the single featured on C87. It’s actually rather dreamy and, in my view, superior to the a-side.

mp3 : Baby Lemonade – Real World

JC

 

Lidsville

JONNY’S SHORT LIVED RECORD LABEL

The man himself said it yesterday…

My buddy Ed the Bassist and I formed a label we called Meridian Records to feature indie bands. Lidsville were the first one on it. Our timing was spectacularly bad as Nirvana hit just months afterwards and suddenly everything indie was mainstream.

This 7″ single was one of the releases on his label:-

mp3 : Lidsville – Flesh Garden
mp3 : Lidsville – Black Star

It’s on green vinyl and I’m delighted to own a copy.

JC

Various

CHARGED PARTICLES (10)

THE GUEST SERIES FROM JONNY THE FRIENDLY LAWYER

I’m an inveterate New Yorker–you can take the boy out of the city etc.–but I’m zeroing in on living half my life in Santa Monica, California, a seaside gem 12 miles west on the freeway from downtown Los Angeles. Today’s charged particles are from five Southern California bands that are special to me. Here’s why:

Champion – Cayucas

Cayucas is the name of a sleepy little beach town about halfway between LA and San Francisco. It’s a beautiful spot on the central coast where GTFP and I spent our 20th anniversary. I figured that’s where the band were from but it turns out they’re from right here in Santa Monica and went to the same high school as my kids.

Anti-Nomination – Nothing Painted Blue

Once you get past Franklin Bruno‘s dial-tone voice you get a bunch of pop hooks and perhaps the best lyricist this side of Elvis Costello. (In one of my favorite couplets he rhymes “desk” with “Kafkaesque”.) Nothing Painted Blue split up so Bruno could get a doctorate in Philosophy from UCLA.

A few years ago I was in Court in Victorville, a sorry-ass town over an hour northeast of LA. I looked at a nameplate outside a courtroom and recognized the Judge as the band’s former drummer who, it suddenly came back to me, I remembered meeting once in a law library. I went in to say hello in his chambers and he was chuffed (as JC would say) that I remembered his old band. He apologized when his clerk interrupted our visit to remind him that the jury had come back in half an hour ago. We shook hands and he put his robe on and headed back out to resume a murder trial.

Vaccination – Acetone

Acetone met at CalArts, an arts college in Valencia, California. The trio were a big part of the Silverlake scene in the 90’s, releasing record after beautiful record. Moody and atmospheric, it was Acetone’s simple but elegant songs that inspired me to pick up a guitar and start playing out with friends after a very long lay off. Sadly, they disbanded in 2001 after the suicide of bassist Richie Lee.

Repulsion – The Negro Problem

Before anyone gets insulted, the band were named by African-American Mark Stewart, who goes by Stew. I asked him about the name once at the now-defunct venue Spaceland. ‘You see any brothers in here?’, he asked. There weren’t any. ‘I’ve got a problem with that,’ Stew said. The name is his lament at the dearth of black people in rock music. We got friendly when he asked he to name one black rock musicians after Hendrix and I came up with Barry Adamson (he was expecting Phil Lynott). TNP were one of the best bands in LA for years, making super-sophisticated and truly funny records and performing great live shows (they once payed an entire gig alternating between Ramones and Beach Boys tunes). I must have seen them 15 times before Stew left LA for New York, where he eventually won a Tony award for the lyrics to a Broadway musical about his youth called ‘Passing Strange’. Spike Lee filmed the last performance.

Retribution – Lidsville

This will probably be the only song in this series that I heard before it was recorded. Lidsville were a quartet out of Orange County. When I first moved out here my buddy Ed the Bassist and I formed a label we called Meridian Records to feature indie bands. Lidsville were the first one on it. Our timing was spectacularly bad as Nirvana hit just months afterwards and suddenly everything indie was mainstream. The band had a local following but couldn’t compete with better-funded grunge acts that were all the rage. I remember listening to the band debuting Retribution live one night and thinking the guitar solo sounded like a cobra being charmed out of a basket. Singer/songwriter/lead guitarist Greg Johnson now teaches physics to high school kids up in Chico, half a day’s drive north of me.

JTFL

JC adds……

On the never-to-be-forgotten night that I met Jonny earlier this year, he gave me a copy of a 7″ single by Lidsville and briefly explained his past involvement with the band.  Tune into tomorrow for more.

One more thing to add…..that para above about Jonny’s conversation with the judge from Victorville has to be just about the coolest thing I’ve read on any blog all year.

Arctic Monkeys, New Order, Oasis

30, 20, 10 (Part 4)

The latest installment in the monthly series looking back at the songs which were #1 in the indie charts on the first day of the month 30, 20 and 10 years ago.

We begin with a genuine classic.

1 August 1987 : mp3 : New Order – True Faith

FAC 183. Recorded, along with its equally wonderful b-side 1963 as two new songs for inclusion on the Substance compilation album, it reached #4 in the proper singles chart.  It was helped along by an innovative and groundbreaking video from the mind of French choreographer, dancer and mime artist Philippe Decouflé.

1 August 1997 : mp3 : Oasis – D’ You Know What I Mean

Last time round in this series, Blur were holding down the #1 spot with the rather excellent On Your Own.  One month later and you get further proof that while their archrivals may have won the original Britpop battle in 1995, the Essex boys were a much more coherent and innovative lot than the Mancs whose lumpen and dreary guitar-rock was alienating many original fans, albeit attracting almost as many others along for the football-terrace type gigs they now specialised in. This near 8-minute opus is fairly unbearable.

1 August 2007 : mp3 : Arctic Monkeys – Fluroescent Adolescent

Completing the hat-trick of well-known indie bands holding down the top spot at the height of summer.  This was one of those songs that convinced me Alex Turner was a very worthy addition to the list of witty and clever English pop-songwriters that includes the likes of Ray Davies, Billy Bragg and Andy Partridge.  This ditty, co-written with his then girlfriend Johanna Bennett, tells the tale of an unfulfilled middle-aged woman who is looking back with some sadness of how her life has turned out.  Alex Turner had barely turned 21 years of age at the time.

JC

Uncategorized

STOP PRESS : WYRCA UPDATE

It’s just after 5pm on Thursday night and having just got in from work I’ve had the chance to look at the blog’s Inbox. There’s an e-mail arrived earlier at 11.16am from Tim Badger….except it wasn’t. It was from Lorna, his wife.

The contents of the e-mail reduced me to tears as the words were incredibly personal and went into some detail about events and happenings of more than 20 years ago that brought Tim and Lorna together. It also reflected on something else that happened recently that was incredibly stressful for them and was the beginning of a chain of events that led to the sudden ending of WYCRA.

Those of you who were fans of what was by far the best blog on the planet will know that Tim and Lorna have had a rough time of things this past 12 months or so, experiencing a collective pain that very few of us can begin to imagine. They’ve both also separately spent time in hospital recovering from injuries and illnesses during which they demonstrated courage and bravery that would certainly be beyond me. And all the while, they, along with SWC and KC, provided us with a daily dose of entertainment that in equal measures made us smile, cry, grimace and occasionally think that blokes can be twats.

I know I’m not alone in thinking that everyone involved in WYRCA, including the boys’ better halfs, can be considered as close friends, the type who you really care about, which is why there was a real cause for concern that it disappeared without warning.

It turns out that Tim and Lorna have decided that they need to get away and relax for a bit and so, in less than 48 hours, are off to Brisbane, Australia to visit relatives for a few months. When Tim broke this news to SWC, the latter was stuck at Istanbul airport waiting for a late flight. SWC’s reaction was that the blog had to come to an end as he didn’t want to write it without Tim being involved. It was SWC’s idea to delete it. And here he is to say why….

————————————————————

WYCRA was Tim’s idea, and I’m not doing it without him. Its as simple as that. I should have perhaps have mentioned it on the blog, but to be entirely honest with you, it was easier to just press delete, far easier than I expected it to be. Tim told me yesterday that we should have responded to the comments on T(n)VV, yeah he’s right, we should have done, sorry. In my defence, I have been in court for three days trying to get some scumbag rapists locked up, but that’s not that important to be honest.

I won the Snakes and Ladders you know, it was close but KC rolled a two at the end and I rolled a six to triumph and in all honesty Square 100 was a massive anti-climax because it was

Urban Futuristic by Pop Will Eat Itself

Oh talking of KC, well here’s some good news. She’s getting married. That obviously was the last chapter in her chronicle. She’s marrying a lovely chap called Dominic. She’s known him for a few years now, she met him at the recycling centre where they argued over a cabinet that they both wanted. I wish I made that up but I didn’t.

This was to be the last song she chose alongside her pieces – please don’t hold that against her.

Run – Snow Patrol

The greatest second album ever was ‘Good Kid M.A.A.D city’ by Kendrick Lamar – it really is as well.

‘Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst

Swimming Pools (Drank)

The Art of Peer Pressure

I suppose it falls to me to thank everyone – via the medium of JC’s blog for all the comments, good and bad, for bearing with us, for reading, laughing, sharing, and all that. I suppose I’ll be back typing at some point. I mean I’ve got two more boxes of CD’s in the loft that need opening.

Take Care everyone everywhere

SWC, KC and the Badgers

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JC adds……

I’ve put this together as quickly as I could and I’m also going to leave it at the top of T(n)VV for a few days so that as many folk as possible see it. I’m going to take a few days off and will return on Tuesday 1st August.

I do hope SWC is as good as his word and comes back here with some guest postings when he gets the inclination.

I want to pass on my warmest congrats to KC and Dominic and to wish them well for a long and happy future together. I also hope KC gets an urge to keep on writing as there will always be a place for her in this little corner of the internet.

Above all else, I want to wish Lorna and Tim a safe flight to Brisbane – the city that spawned The Go-Betweens and is on my bucket list of places to see – along with a very happy and relaxing few months putting everything back together.

I’ve a glass of wine by my side and I’m raising it……to WYRCA. Thanks guys for everything.

PS : SWC won the Snakes & Ladders? I can only imagine the celebrations that ensued………………

Hey! Elastica, Nectarine #9

THIS AND THAT (2)

I knew that many of you would be sharing my worries and concerns re the WYRCA team and many thanks for your thoughts and comments the other day. I will, of course, post something up the minute I hear anything. In the meantime, I’ll continue for now with the ‘This and That’ series.

Davy Henderson is one of the greatest musicians to emerge from the Scottish scene in my lifetime. He was part of the initial post-punk surge of bands, forming The Fire Engines in Edinburgh in 1980 – the story of which he tells quite brilliantly in this equally brilliant documentary. From there he would chase pop stardom with Win before forming a third band of notable significance, The Nectarine No.9 whose mix of pop, glam, punk and occasionally all out rock attracted a fair smattering of fans for well over a decade without ever making the crossover to commercial success

Their most acclaimed album was Saint Jack, released in 1994 on the reformed Postcard Records from which this is lifted:-

mp3 : The Nectarine No.9 – This Arsehole’s Been Burned Too Many Times Before

Nowadays, Davy is part of The Sexual Objects and occasionally still gives this song an airing in the live setting.

I’m staying in Edinburgh today for the second half of the feature.

I’ve featured Hey! Elastica fairly extensively on the blog over the years. As I’ve said before, they were part of that glorious age of Scottish pop that rode on the back of the critical acclaim afforded to the likes of Orange Juice. Not everyone’s cup of tea but I loved them. And discovered many years later that so did my good mate Jacques the Kipper.

Four criminally ignored singles and one LP before Virgin cut their losses and dropped the band. Hugely energetic and entertaining live, if not, it must be admitted, the most accomplished. Here’s a b-side from their final 12″ single in January 1984:-

mp3 : Hey! Elastica – That Town

JC

Various

CHARGED PARTICLES (9)

THE GUEST SERIES FROM JONNY THE FRIENDLY LAWYER

Who’s up for a little old-fashion synth-pop, 80’s style? Fire up that Yamaha DX-7 and break out the skinny ties:

Situation: Yazoo

Locomotion: OMD

Frustration: Soft Cell

Reunion : Erasure

Reputation : Heaven 17

Telecommunication : A Flock Of Seagulls

Sorry for not including Human League’s ‘Fascination’ but its actual title is ‘(Keep Feeling) Fascination’. Also sorry for going with Heaven 17’s ‘Reputation’ over the more popular ‘Temptation’, but that’s the one I like better. And synth-pop royalty Depeche Mode released a number of charged particles, but none from the 80’s I like. So, by way of a bonus, here’s a tune from 1978 that’s sort of a precursor to all of the above music:

Dislocation: Ultravox

 

JTFL

Sparks, Tuff Love

THIS AND THAT

The surprise disappearance/takedown of When You Can’t Remember Anything has disturbed and troubled me. I’ve previously had some advance e-mails from SWC or Tim letting me know when things are going a bit tits-up with one or other of them and warning that there might be a bit of turbulence at the blog. Just a few weeks ago, SWC advised he was going overseas to work but that Tim and KC would be looking after things. I noticed on their blog about 10 days or so ago that KC was unwell which meant things were being juggled around a bit and then last week, when I was across in Ireland, I noticed the blog had been removed by the authors.

I’ve dropped the boys a couple of e-mails but had no replies which I find very worrying. I’d be lying if I thought I could carry on here as normal making all sorts of pithy observations when at the back of my mind, and not too far back it must be said, I’m thinking about my friends from south-west England and hoping that everything is okay.

So for the next few days at least, things are going to settle into a bit of a dull routine here at Villain Towers. You’ll get your usual Saturday and Sunday postings and the occasional Charged Particles contribution from Jonny but the daily fare from myself will just be featuring two songs, one which begins with the word ‘This’ and one which has the word ‘That’ in its title. Sometimes by the same singer or band. There will be the usual boring background info supplied but nothing that is going to tax my brain too much as I’m really not in the mood for creative thinking just now.

mp3 : Sparks – This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us (orchestral version)

It was a while back when I wrote about how I fell for Sparks when they appeared on Top of the Pops in 1974. All these years on and they’re still going, probably still known best for that big hit single. Back in 1997 the band released their 17th LP, Plagiarism, in which they offered new takes on old songs with Erasure, Faith No More and Jimmy Somerville drafted in to add their vocal and playing talents to some of the songs. There were actually two versions of This Town….put on the album – one that was quite rocky thanks to the contributions of the afore-mentioned Faith No More and the one I’ve posted today which is an orchestral mix on which legendary producer Tony Visconti worked with them.

mp3 : Tuff Love – That’s Right

Tuff Love are (or maybe were)* a great little indie pop-punk band from Glasgow. Consisting of Julie Eisenstein (guitar, vocals) and Suse Bear (bass, vocals) they first came to my attention back in 2014 when they not only released a debut 10″ EP entitled Junk but seemed to be on the bill of just about every gig I got along to that year. They were occasionally a bit hit n miss in the live setting but as time went on they got more confident, polished and accomplished. Two more EPs, Dross and Dregs, were released in 2015 before Lost Map Records pulled all the tracks together a single LP, Resort, that was issued in early 2016. I saw the band in Glasgow around that time and was well impressed, thinking they would push on from there but they’ve been quiet on the new music front although they were on a lot of summer festival bills later in the year.

Looking up a social media site, there’s a message posted back in February 2017 that says:-

Hello there, just to let you know we’re doing other things just now other than Tuff Love. Thank you for all the support so far/over the past few years. See you soon. Love from Suse and Julie xx

Whether that means the band is no more or there’s a temporary break remains to be seen.

That’s Right is taken from the Dross EP. And it’s 140 seconds of magic.

JC

Go-Betweens

SAME AS IT EVER WAS

One of the reasons I began blogging was to feature some great songs that were often hard to track down thanks to them only ever being released as b-sides on vinyl that was often long deleted.

Today’s offering is an example of one such track – a piece of music by The Go-Betweens that many other bands at the time would have loved to have been able to offer up as a single rather than something that’s almost a throwaway:-

mp3 : The Go-Betweens – Wait Until June

It first appeared in July 1988 as the b-side to the dreamy yet sinister Streets Of Your Town, which was about as close to a UK hit as the band ever got.

This song was once rare and difficult to track down. But, as would become increasingly common, later re-releases would see albums come back to the shelves and racks with bonus material, usually consisting of long-lost b-sides and live recordings from a particular era, and was the case back in 2004 with 16 Lovers Lane. Things have moved on even further with i-tunes, spotify etc. making just about everything in the back catalogue immediately accessible.

So technically, Wait Until June isn’t all that difficult to get a hold of nowadays, but there’s got to be something different about the mp3 being via a needle settling into the groove. Especially when it hits the bit that jumps and skips at the one minute mark (you’ve been warned!!!)

JC

XTC

THE XTC SINGLES (Part 20)

One look at the 7″ sleeve (pictured up top) tells me that I’m about to listen to an anti-nuclear song.

And sure enough, the second single to be released off The Big Express proves to be such:-

mp3 : XTC – This World Over

In an era when the protest song was again becoming hugely fashionable, XTC did things in a really understated way in which there was no rabble-rousing or sing-a-long chorus;  instead it’s a melancholy and resigned number that sadly looks back at the aftermath of the bomb dropping on London as a parent tried to explain the madness of it all. It’s very listenable and has dated ok, but I should add it reminds me a bit of later-era The Police.

The 12″ had an extended version of the song and was housed in a sleeve that disguises somewhat the subject nature as the sleeve uses an old-fashioned passenger request button once commonly found on buses.  But the ‘Push Once’ message is very clever and subversive:-

mp3 : XTC – This World Over (full length mix)

The same b-side was on both releases:-

mp3 : XTC – Blue Overall

It’s a bit meh… but I do accept it’s a bit unusual for a song reflecting on a relationship gone wrong.

In an era of an expanded singles chart, this one managed to find itself at #99 for one week before disappearing to the bargain bins.

JC

El Hombre Trajeado

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #85 : EL HOMBRE TRAJEADO

El Hombre Trajaeado are probably best known as the band with whom RM Hubbert first set out.  As his wiki page records:-

El Hombre Trajeado released three albums; Skipafone (Guided Missile Recordings, GUIDE33CD, 1998), Saccade (Human Condition Records, HCCD0031, 2001) and Shlap (Lost Dog Recordings, ARFF004, 2004) before disbanding in 2005. Although the band rarely toured, they supported artists such as Nick Cave, Sebadoh, Tortoise, Mike Watt and The Delgados around the UK. They recorded three radio sessions for John Peel on BBC Radio One between 1998 and 2001.

The band have since reformed and in 2016 played some gigs before releasing their fourth album, Fast Diagonal, on Chemikal Underground Records. Three of its tracks can be enjoyed here.  They are well worth 15 mins of your time.

For today though, I’ll go back to the Glasgow EP from November 1998:-

mp3 : El Hombre Trajeado – Neoprene

JC