An experiment

This was a Quicktime video on a Buzzcocks CD. I just wanted to see how it would look on my blog. Enjoy.

Modern Eon

This is weird, I bought this record back in 1981 and put it in what can best describe as my 2nd division box which featured stuff that I thought was OK but I was unlikely to investigate further. This turns out to be a good box for re-discovering old records. I remember thinking at the time this wasn’t ‘electronic’ enough but listening to it now it sounds like a bloody good early 80s record with a hint of Teardrop Explodes and Joy Division in the music, although the singer is the antithesis of Ian Curtis. Nice gatefold sleeve too.

mp3: Modern Eon - Euthenics (1981)

I don't want to be negative but it's not as good as The Photos

I found this Wendy Wu record in the box next to Gina X. It came from the same closing down sale, which judging by the date on the record was actually in 1982. It’s not a lost classic but should be of interest to any Photos fans. It’s a cover of the old Yardbirds hit For Your Love with archetypal early 80s production.

mp3: Wendy Wu - For Your Love (1982)

I knew it all along...

A combination of a hectic week and a loss of mojo have combined to stop me posting this week but I’ve been spurred back into action by Planet Mondo. He ran a little name that tune quiz and I didn’t get two that I actually own. One of them was by Gina X, so that gives me the excuse to feature both sides of this double-A single from 1981 and gives me something to write about, because I don’t know anything about Gina except she appeared on Fashion’s Love Shadow which was also produced by Zeus B Held. This cost me 10p from a little shop in Crowthorne having a closing down sale back in 1981. How come I remember pointless information like that but often find myself wondering what I went to the kitchen for?

mp3: Gina X - No G.D.M. (Dedicated To Quentin Crisp) (1981)
mp3: Gina X - I.C. Code (1981)

Meanwhile...

Somebody has to do these “Meanwhile…” posts while young David is taking it easy in sunny Devon, staring at the boat float through the bottom of a pint glass, so here goes...

From Tinseltown Neasden…

It’s the Hank B Hive show featuring the Neasden queen of soul…

If you were fortunate enough to see Roxy Music on their Avalon tour (I was smack in the middle of the 5th row at Wembley Arena. Brilliant!) you would have seen the excellent Mari Wilson in support. Bryan Ferry reportedly asked them to support RM after hearing the extraordinary Beat The Beat single. Mr Ferry may also have liked the way her publicity always portrayed her as a glamorous star even when she was relatively unknown. Early Roxy Music employed a similar ruse. Mari Wilson singles looked more like 60s EPs with Tony Barrow style liner notes (Paul Weller would use a similar technique with the Style Council a few years later). The emphasis on image and the camp comedy aspects of the live show was bound to alienate the more po-faced music fan but the rest of us went along for the ride, saw some great shows and bought some great records.

This is the opening number from a BBC Sight & Sound In Concert I recorded (probably) in 1983 and it illustrates the point perfectly. It’s nearly nine minutes long and starts with Hank B Hive (possibly not his real name) introducing the band with some pretty predictable ‘comedy’ routines and giving Mari the big build-up before she arrives and gives a storming version of Baby, It’s True. That’s something the naysayers missed: behind the façade was a great singer and band who knew how to put on a show.

mp3: Mari Wilson - Baby It's True (Live) (10MB file)

If you’re looking for a CD of this stage of Mari Wilson’s career I heartily recommend The Platinum Collection.

Artery Peel session

What were you doing on 15 February 1982? I was sitting next to my cassette deck, finger hovering over the pause button, recording an Artery session from the John Peel show. I am so pleased this tape has survived 26 years and several moves, and in pretty good condition too. Artery were part of the Sheffield scene that included the Human League, Cabaret Voltaire etc. (one of their many admirers was a young Jarvis Cocker). Although they originally split in 1985 they re-formed in 2007 for the ‘Meltdown’ festival, collated by Jarvis Cocker, and have released a live album available for download here. There is also talk of a new studio album.

mp3: Artery - The Ghost Of A Small Tour Boat Captain (1982)
mp3: Artery - Louise (1982)
mp3: Artery - The Slide (1982)
My favourite from the session. For you John Peel fans there’s a couple of seconds of his introduction that I decided to keep in.
mp3: Artery - The Sailor Situation (1982)

More Artery info can be found here and here.

Buy Artery CDs here

Genocide EP (side two)

Side one was posted here and at last I’ve ripped side two. Wonderful doom-laden synth music…

mp3: Genocide - Last Day On Earth (1979)
mp3: Genocide - Plastic People In Stereo (1979)

Emotional Traffic

Fancied a bit of Stiff blog tennis after reading this post.

This is the sensational Rumour without Alex (or something)

I couldn’t resist scanning my lovely green vinyl copy.

mp3: The Rumour - Emotional Traffic (1979)

Apparently it's a 'tin' anniversary...

* * *
A little self indulgent post today but with good reason. This day 10 years ago I married Mrs Mick just about 3 years to the day after our first date. This is our other ‘our tune’ because it was always on the radio when we first met and it instantly transports both of us back to that simpler more carefree time.

Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You

There was so much more I wanted to say but I’ve got the worst case of writers block. Writing about records is much easier.

He looks like Jesus and plays like God

You may have noticed I’m really a singles man but I had some of my LP boxes out last weekend and I’ve been listening non stop to these tracks since. You know how this blogging thing works – if I’ve been listening to it you have to. The headline above comes from a comment on a YouTube clip that amused me.

mp3: Steve Hillage - Unidentified (Flying Being) (1978)
From the Green album which got surprisingly good reviews from the punk obsessed music press at the time. The review I remember started ‘Steve Hillage is not a boring old fart (the standard NME insult at the time) because…’ and then went on to list reasons the gist of which was the band was really tight, with drummer Joe Blocker and bassist Curtis Robertson Jr being singled out for praise. This track will show you why and Steve plays like god too, but that would have been uncool to point out at the time. This is ripped from my lovely green vinyl copy.

mp3: Steve Hillage - Talking To The Sun (1979)
Originally found on the studio side of Live Herald. Now available on Open.

These songs are great and may surprise those who haven’t heard late 70s Steve Hillage but you will have to make allowances for some hippy dippy lyrics.

apparently...

There are always rumours of the Farmer’s Boys back catalogue being released on CD and I believe it will happen one day and when it does I thoroughly recommend it. Until that time here’s a little taster: the ‘lost’ single released between albums in 1984.

mp3: The Farmer's Boys - Apparently…

Previous Farmer’s Boys posts here and here

Official unofficial Farmer's Boys website here