So Hull beat my beloved Bury FC in the F.A. Cup yesterday. “2 Nil to the Referee” were the chants as the hailstones fell (the final score was Bury 1 – Hull City – 3) So a debut on this blog by The Housemartins from 1987 and this 4 track E.P. (and not a synth or remix in sight) It’s the one with the “Fun, Fun, Fun” as the lead track as Paul Heaton’s voice provides the gloss over their signature jangle; especially on the 2 acoustic tracks, with a great version of the gospel song “So Glad” and the haunting “Rebel Without The Airplay”
So some of my own stuff now and returning to 1982 with this synth ballad from The Teardrop Explodes, minimal but effective. It’s almost got Christmassy/ Festive feel to it. The extra tracks are “Rachael Built A Steamboat” alternative madness and the 9 min + epic “Sleeping Gas” with Cope “off” on one. Recorded live at Club ZOO, Liverpool, December 22nd, 1981. Has to be heard to be believed!! I wish I had caught them live!
So Bowie does some gentle reggae with backing vocals from Tina Turner. This is very different to the live version (See Vid) where it is more of a duet, I prefer this version it’s more subtle without Tina Turner’s loud voice wailing. Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero are at the controls for the mixes. Love the bass on “Tumble And Twirl” which is quite synthy and very funky. Both tracks were co-written with Iggy Pop, I nice little rarity from Mike B.
More synthpop from Australian’s Real Life sounding that they’ve listened to some New Order before releasing this in 1990. (Via Opportunities by the Pet Shop Boys) A plethora of mixes to compare, I’m liking the “Power Dub” because of the Pet Shop Boys comparison. Early Acid House fans will appreciate the “303 Dub” and Tony Garcia provides a decent club mix but I think I’ve had enough orchestral stabs for one day!
Another artist sadly missed, Frank Tovey (Fad Gadget) was always on the one label, Mute Records and was always a pioneering maverick.
This was off the album Snakes And Ladders and see’s him using samplers extensively. Released in 1986 it didn’t get the commercial success it deserved. The remix is by Mute stalwart, Eric Radcliffe who also gives “Small World” a sparse reinterpretation. The CD only album track “Clean This Act Up” also gets a remix by Michael Johnson.
Some gentle synthpop from 1989 from Real Life (care of Mike B again) With vocals echoing the great Martin Fry, this fizzes along with the odd guitar over dub. Very Erasure in places. Tony Garcia , synth remixer extraordinaire, remixed most of the tracks.
Plenty of remixes to choose but the normal 7″ mix is a good start. The “Pop Goes…” is the most different and experimental. The bizarre “Bleeding Babies” is given a synth work over on a Dance Mix, still weird!
So another one that passed me back in the day, Love & Money ??? From the Glasgow’s New Wave Scene(it does sound like Hipsways “Honey Thief”) the main driving force was guitarist/vocalist James Grant and this was their debut release. From the ashes of band Friends Again it includes ex-members keyboardist Paul McGeechan , drums by Stuart Kerr (GUN , Texas) and Bobby Patterson (Set The Tone) Shep Pettibone provides all the crazy effects for the “New York” mixes and it was actually originally produced by Duran’s Andy Taylor! It definite has an INXS sound to it, a fine piece of Dance Rock!
Classic 80’s New Wave from a band I’d not heard of before, English Evenings – like the Alarm with more electronics, anthemic synth rock. A duo of Lee Walsh and Graham Lee who out Go-Wested Go West it seems. From 1985 (and their last release) remixed by Phil Harding phasing the sound all over the place and sounding a bit like Blondie’s “Dreaming” in places ! The B-side sounds like a speeded up version of “Relax” by Frankie via Dead Or Alive, a long mix it probably includes every synth sound from 1985. This was mixed by legendary Hi Energy producer Raul A. Rodriguez (Man Parrish) doing it via DJ service Disconet. Quite a camp start to the weekend.
From 1986 and sample-delic slice of electro funk with an Industrial twist. Che was a side project of Alex Johnson who was in US synth band Modern Eon. This was produced by Adrian Sherwood and co-horts Fats Comet; Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc and Skip McDonald given it the ON-U sound trademark dub effects. It was actually based on the rhythm of Tackhead track ‘Heaven on earth.” All the mixes sound pretty similar with the 9 min “Bloodsucker Mix” having the funkier bits and keeping all the vocals. This was championed by a certain John Peel back in the day.
NOTE TO USERS- I’M FINALLY DITCHING NETKUPS IT’S BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO UPLOAD STUFF TO IT AND IT’S NEARLY AS BAD ON ZIPPYSHARE TO BE HONEST! MY CONNECTION IS SHIT OR I NEED ANOTHER HOST, SUGGESTIONS??
So it happened, as I have dreaded! Colin Vearncombe (the man behind Black) passed away yesterday after a 2 week battle to recover from a dreadful car accident in Cork, Ireland. A long time fan and supporter, I’d seen him solo a few times. Collected everything he released and found myself enjoying the folk/acoustica of his later offerings, a general musical area I had never really explored. It was and always will be about the voice, for me the hairs stood up on the back of my neck when I heard it. So many memories from his songs I did actually cry (not done that for 15 years!)
So it’s back to the start. Where it all began. Imagine a cocky scouser catching the eye of another cocky scouser, Pete Wylie, and going into the studio with 2 mates to produce some wonderful, melodramatic New Wave stuff. classical overtones, even synths!! Major label WEA signed them up and dropped them after a few releases. This compilation came out to cash on the success of “Wonderful Life” and shows a youthful naivety, but depth and inventiveness. A band trying to find an identity and trying all the styles. The pulsing, bass driven bombast of “Hey Presto.” “Stephen” a gorgeous piano, torch ballad. “Butterfly Man” twisted blues, “More Than The Sun” Hurts would murder for a song like that! “I Could Kill You” jangles as good as The Smiths whilst “Liquid Dream” evokes clandestine affairs with tight electronic percussion.
