The forgotten Manchester / North West Band and their storming debut release. Amazingly from 1989 and a set of 3 quality tunes with production by Chris Nagle. It has the anthemic and frantic “Beam Me Up”, a forgotten gem that would even shake Bez’s maracas. The psycho wig out of “A Man Without Qualities” has space between all the instruments, less is more. The title track goes fast and slow with a mighty bit of dub in there. An amazing debut.

Wowza……at last in STEREO!!

http://netkups.com/?d=8715c581935e7

My mate for well over 30 years has always been a bit of a musician (a bit of an understatement!) I was even in a band with him once! A multi talented song writer, guitar player and producer he’s been getting a bit productive lately.

Influenced by simply good 80’s song writing (and there was some back then!) add in a bit of 90’s and some current influences and you have a smorgasbord of just bloody good songs, that have a hook but are also complex and layered. He always has an eye on a synth keyboard and that mix of guitar and technology that I’ve always liked.

So here is a 3 song sampler.

Starting with “The Only Love Song” is a personal fave with soaring guitar and an anthemic quality to it.

“Keyhole Surgery” is a remodelled track from back in the day, where it originated as a strange backward guitar loop and had some very sinister lyrics. Given a polish it still has a dark message over a shamelessly synthy lead.

Last track is a duet with a mystery lady that works it really changes gear nicely and shows the potential for collaboration.

https://soundcloud.com/dave-beetham/sets/sleepyhead

https://soundcloud.com/dave-beetham

Check him out.

Share the love.

Tickle his ego.

Irish Rock from a band from County Kilkenny on the huge American label, Geffen on their largest deal to that date: $2 million!!  Unusual vocals (by Adam Lawlor) reminds me of another Irish alt. rock band I use to like called Cycle Fly and probably was a factor that they weren’t successful, they only released one album. This is more of straight power ballad on the main track, ” Catholic Boy” is your rocker whilst bonus track “When She Cries” goes quiet/loud and even has some punk chords thrown in. The pick of the bunch!!

Now in STEREO, even heavier!

http://netkups.com/?d=0323565519f35

Has been a bit of a quiet few week for uploads so I’m upping it. Here’s something from 1986 in the form of folky pop with social commentary.

All about North Sea Oil, a contentious point with the looming Scottish referendum vote soon upon us. I’m liking the protest vid clip regards the record company not playing their single. The B-side “Ghosts Of Cable Street”is a song about the 1936 battle against the fascists in Cable Street London delivered in that folk style.It used actual recordings of mounted police which could be heard outside the Wapping studios as it was during the time of the Wapping Printers Strike!  The last track, “Walkin’ Talkin'” is a 50’s Rock n’ Roll pastiche, short and sweet but poorly produced.

Better in STEREO!

http://netkups.com/?d=e5532e95ea5c4

Some dubby reggae now with this Paul “Groucho” Smykle remixed track of the Delroy Wilson classic. From 1986 the Dub mix would be something the Orb might of listened too.

Originally from the Nottingham/Derby area, bizarrely the band was managed by Manchester’s own Terry Christian! This was one of the earlier releases on the well respected Cooltempo label (a Chrysalis offshoot)

NOW IN STEREO!!

http://netkups.com/?d=4d5d844d44753

Yes those two, sisters Jacqui Cuff and Pauline Cuff ,who did “HippyChick” ,the one which sampled The Smiths “How Soon Is Now.” This was released before in 1989 and is a more uptempo release. Helped by Timothy London they had been a work in progress on Virgin subsidiary , Hedd Records. To find out more about them here http://www.sohopopmusic.com/Story/ and to get the album , “Goddess” that this was off. Quite edgey and inventive the main track has been remixed by Youth. The “Dub” has that funky drummer loop which was nice to hear again in a nostalgic sort of way. “SISTER” lowers the tempo and is a playful pop song about siblings so ……..er………yea!

http://netkups.com/?d=25282eb133a52

From 1990 and some dance/hip-hop stuff from the very inventive, London duo , Definition Of Sound. I don’t have all the various mixes (I’ll keep an eye open for them) but it is an interesting mix of blissed out beats, soulful backing vocals and melodic guitar. The 7 inch edit is here as well as the full version of “Moira Jane’s Cafe” – pure class.

http://netkups.com/?d=ce49322855331

Happy St. Patrick’s Day with this classic re-release from 1991

Mike Scott and his band produced some memorable and diverse stuff in the late 80’s early 90’s. This was the student union song of choice for many D.J’s with it’s anthemic qualities and listening to it now was more electronic than I remembered it, Karl Wallinger’s influence no doubt and shades of Prince via Paisley Park. The B-side is a hotch potch of studio and semi-live tracks giving a good flavour of the band, the shoe gaze instrumental track “High Far Soon” is immense. (Starts off a bit crackly, though)

http://netkups.com/?d=20d5a46401314

From 1981 and a bit of electro punk from D.A.F. Being deliberately provocative this sparsely produced bit of electronic dance was in fact produced by the legend that is Conny Plank. Taking just a sequencer, live drums and voice this set a blueprint for bands such as Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. B-side, “Der Räuber und der Prinz” (The Robber and The Prince) has a glockenspiel as the lead sound as well as a disturbing video (see below)

http://netkups.com/?d=fb783b5e1247b

More rare stuff with this Trevor Horn remixed track from back in 1982 (I couldn’t believe how early this was!) and a full synth work out of the much loved ABC track. Full of studio trickery that he would later employ with the Art Of Noise and the early ZTT stuff. We have the vocals sped up and slowed down, the bass synth given central stage and the strings dubbed around with. A special remix that had the same track on both sides ssssssssssssooooooooo I recorded it twice, version 2 being the ever so slightly cleaner.

NEW LINK  2017!!!

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/zOvbHWo9/file.html