Musings on the byways of popular culture
Ready to order, Missing in Action The Lost Tapes 1980 -81. Songs for the proposed Yachts third album just before they split up. As Yachts only created two albums, this should be a well worthy addition to their canon.
https://www.henrypriestman.com/product/yachts-missing-in-action-the-lost-tapes-1980-81/
I recently got a link on Facebook via The Yachtles to a chap on You Tube called Steve Schnee. He has a channel called Schnee Tee Vee, which basically rounds up a bunch of mainly powerpop videos from around the world with links to their websites/Bandcamps so you can buy their stuff if you enjoy it. My pockets have already taken a bit of a beating and I dug out my Rinaldi Sings cd from the depths of my collection and I`ve only watched the first episode. Enjoy folks!
Venue:
Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre
Date: 30/03/2024
With a name like Desensitised, you might expect hairy muthas… with tattoos… and guitars and you would be partially correct. Desensitised are a three piece all girl band straight outta Nottingham, Charlotte. Clare and Libby bringing rock and poppunk to the northern masses, Actually The Barnoldswick is a titchy venue located in a pub cellar with cinema and pew seating, so it was quite an up close and personal experience for audience and band. Most of the songs were from their 2019 debut album Sister Psychosis, opener Emily and my personal fav All Eyes On Her are incredibly catchy earworms, where Wasted rattles along like prime Girlschool. My companion on the pew to my left greatly enjoyed the pagan stylings of Burn The Witch. We were also given a sneak preview of a few newer songs which are being fashioned under the watchful eye of Richard Tuckey and Suzi Quatro ( Yes, her ) so hopefully a bright future awaits.
The audience:
The audience gives great support to this fabulous little venue and probably attend gigs they wouldnt usually go to. There was much nodding of the greying heads throughout the » Continue Reading.
Venue:
Clitheroe Grand
Date: 16/12/2023
Mud playing on my doorstep!, so near to Christmas!, it would be silly not to. Original members Ray Stiles, Hollies bassist and coolest man in pop and Rob Davies, writer of Cant Get You Out of My Head and earring wearer are joined by Hollies Keyboard player Ian Parker and Glam drummer royalty, The Glitter Bands Pete Phipps. What did we get? Well the hits! Starting from 1973`s tangotastic Crazy to 1978`s Cut Across Shorty and all points inbetween. Losing co singer Keith Reid to illness we lost Show Me Youre a Woman and Lean On Me from the set but the triumvirate of number ones, Oh Boy, Tiger Feet and of course Lonely This Christmas set the crowd out into the night with a festive glow in their bellys.
The audience:
The older end of the spectrum. As Mud only play a few gigs each year, it looked like there were some well travelled members of the audience.
It made me think..
There is but a fag paper between Tiger Feets buzzsaw guitar and the Ramones, Rockaway Beach. Godfathers of punk anyone?. Also the Beeb banned Lonely this Christmas during the Covid pandemic!
Venue:
The Hairy Dog, Derby
Date: 26/02/2022
Expect the unexpected, thats the way to go. Not being familiar with Derby, the Hairy Dog is the sort of 300 capacity dark venue seen in most cities featuring posters of angry metal acts and aging punk outfits, but `70`s Doowop legends Darts?, surely not! But oh yes, heres Griff Fender still looking sharp and trying to maintain order, resplendent in peacock green is Rita Ray for whom time has appeared to have stopped still and then, the looming figure of the mighty Den Hegarty here to cause chaos just for you. After the instrumental opening its straight in to Come Back My Love to get the room shaking before diving into deep cuts Mainliner and Destination Love. Back to the hits with Its Raining and Duke of Earl and from the first album, Young Blood and Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart before Den disappears into the audience for I`m Mad/Framed/Cell Block No 9. To round off the evening we get The Boy From New York City and Daddy Cool before being the apt encore of Gotta Go Home.
The audience:
Younger than I expected. We ended down the front » Continue Reading.
… would someone decide to form a tribute band to a band who didn`t really have that many of there own fans in the first place. Ladies and gentlemen, The Yachtles a tribute to Yachts! ( Album coming soon!)
As opposed to the current Greatest…. thread, please add your shockers. This conjures up the verb Wonky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ0ofmCUQ8g
In August 1997, punky popsters Symposium attended Top of the Pops to perform their current single Fairweather Friend. With considerable gusto the lead singer launches himself into the audience for a spot of televisual crowd surfing….. impressive! However when I watched this originally and now thanks to You Tube at 2:45 you can see the singers trainer being thrown at the drummer from the crowd! I can`t unsee this. Any more?
Another victim…..70`s popstar and writer of “I Love Rock n Roll” died aged 69 on Sunday of Coronavirus I love this song, made ever more poignant. RIP Mate.
Following Wednesday nights Children in Need programme showing actor types making a covers album for the charity, I realised why I dont like Coldplay,…. Its Chris Martins voice. Here is Jodie Whittaker with a Yorkshire inflected cover, which I find quite engaging. And hats off to being such a fangirl, just watch her reaction at 2:55 as Jonny Buckland and Will Champion wade in.
About ten years ago I decided I was too old to wear a hooded top. Its association with David Camerons hugging activities and with it being the go to outfit for petty criminals and casual drug users in our area persuaded my to offload all my “hoodies” to the charity shop. I needed a replacement and not being fond of a round neck, sweatshirts were out and jumpers seemed a little too formal. It was a little old lady down the street who persuded me to try a fleece.” Oooh there as warm as toast, love ” was her recommendation. I bought my first, bottle green XTC English Settlement fleece shortly afterwards and havn`t really looked back. They are warm , need minimal ironing and the half zipped items I prefer usually have a high collar keeping the cold breezes off my neck. A few years ago I discovered Craghoppers teddy bear fleeces. Although a dull grey or green colour they were light and soft to the touch and then they brought out the Bear Grylls teddy bear fleece… in electric blue!. Well I just had to have it as I hate the dull shades of mens clothes. Last Year » Continue Reading.
Summers here and its time to enjoy all that thumpthumpthump bass-heavy gubbins eminating from the local youths tricked up Astras. I frequently despair about the lack of originality in the music choice of these dudes. I would hope the Afterword massive, cruising the local McDonalds drivethru would be accompanied by some Nick Drake, The Residents, Eskimo or a little early Van Morrison. I remember on a road trip to the States, coming out of a screening of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and exiting the mall to the sounds of Carter USM doing The Impossible Dream or the 50th anniversary of the Mini, driving along Blackpool sea front with The Self Preservation Society blasting from our Minis cd player while we sang along with gusto. I will actually purchase and then doff a cap to anyone who has this playing on their car stereo…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-2IIJ2YKGw
Walking round a town or city centre shopping mall can be a dull and soulless affair soundtracked by the distant hum of musak or Merry Christmas Everbody, if seasonally appropriate. Therefore I was delighted recently to be perambulating through Accrington Arndale Centre to be stopped in my tracks on hearing this relatively obsure Godley and Creme track. Have you heard any unusual background choices recently? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=426n6tnk1nw
When i was twelve, dancing round my bedroom with my t-square in my hands, there was one band I wanted to be in…… Mud. Why this bunch of Chinnichap chancers?, well Mud always seemed to be having a bloody good laugh. Gurning around on Top of the Pops, employing their roadies as backing dancers, winking at the cameras and generally just arsing around….and getting paid for it…..and having number one hits! That a job for me I thought, and Ray Stiles was just the coolest dude on the planet with his drape suit and brothel creepers. I so wanted to be Ray Stiles. Then… they were in a film, the pretty incomprehensible (to a 12 year old) “Never To Young To Rock”. But they got to piss about…with pop guns and sing their biggest hit…in a transport cafe…during a custard pie fight! Bliss. My illusions were shattered when I read an interview with singer Les Gray who was denouncing the up and coming punk rock. Maybe the impending years of playing Batley Variety Club were weighing on his mind or he could feel his now 14 year old fan base disappearing, (I didnt btw). I found this remarkable because with » Continue Reading.
Back in the early eighties, my mate ran a record shop. Every week on the counter was placed the Music Week/Gallup charts, the top 75….. I knew what was in the top ten, twenty and thirty, We had Top of the Pops and the Radio One chart rundown. This document showed the minor movements at the arse end of the charts. It showed producers and songwriters, more useless knowledge to cram into my brain. You could watch unknown acts scrabble for a foothold on the fun 40, major acts under achieving to the fury of their record companies. I followed the chart misfortunes of Radio Stars and Fad Gadget as their singles crept towards the holy grail of the number 39 spot, only to plummet into oblivion the following week. Ever since I was interested in music I knew what was number one, you just know…its like knowing the alphabet.
Recently talking to the now non record store owing mate, we both admitted to not knowing what was number one, but when did I STOP knowing. I went onto the Official Chart site and started trawling. Alright I wasn`t born until 1962 so I can be forgiven for not knowing » Continue Reading.
What does it sound like?:
Band Leader David Jaggs recently got married, so anyone expecting an album full of love songs will be sorely disappointed. He`s angry, and shouting and the guitars are turned up to 11. However this is not Motorhead. The Ragamuffins deal in spritely pop/soul of a joyous kind with earworm choruses and this album seems aimed at a live audience. Rattling off with the frentic “I Won`t Weep” ( For England) the pace rarely lets up. Former live ballad “Oxygen” has been reshaped as a powerpop anthem and the title track comes over all Bruce Springsteen. The quietest track, “Line Up The Stars” is the song Robbie Williams has been searching in vain for years for. From then on its back to the guitars with added motorik beats especially on “Put On A Brave Face” and” Kosmische Stadt” with choruses aplenty. Quite marvellous!
What does it all *mean*?
Its always enjoyable to find a young, enthusiastic band with a back catalogue to collect and to share with your friends. The Ragamuffins dont claim to reinvent the wheel, only to upgrade with nicer alloys.
Goes well with…
Saturday nights, sharp suits, a bit of dancefloor action, » Continue Reading.
A three cd box set of everything by Liverpool newwavers Yachts is due at the end of March. Comprising the Yachts and Yachts Without Radar albums plus assorted b sides and singles . Eagerly awaited by us powerpop fans it will contain everything from The Chuddie Nuddies, Do The Chud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvgHXyse-JI to the final Yachts single (that I know of) A Fool Like You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-P3uBTlwcw
I`ve just been playing my Mojo 2000 Light Years From Home covermount cd and this gem popped up from Sadies Expression. To my ears it sounds not unlike some late period A-ha track or something from one of Mortens solo efforts. Have we done a disservice to the Norwegian popstrels filing them under cheekbones and plinky plonky synths, when there was always a bit of early psych to their ouvre?
Wouldn`t it be great to have a job where you can really get job satisfaction. Where the pride in your work can be seen in your body language. Josh Kilnghoffer, Sparks touring guitarist and Red Hot Chilli Pepper 5:30 onwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA6e-jgIZok&t=2776s
Catching up with my Top of the Pops 2 backlog, ( I know, I`m still on 1981) and the number one sound of Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin for four weeks pop pickers. Now I cant remember ever seeing the video and so was delighted to see Thomas Dolby making a cameo appearance, 2:24 in if you cant be bothered wading through the whole song. This made me wonder…..are there any other videos with pop star cameos? I know of one other but its very obscure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC3g0JmKceU
After managing to get Taylor Swifts “Shake It Off” out of my head, since stumbling on it via You Tube a few weeks ago, I`ve now gone and done it again. Intrigued by the look of the video for “I Fink Your Freeky”, I stumbled further into the world of Die Antwoord. I now have the hook of “Enter The Ninja” pinballing around in my brain, only to be replaced by one of their other song “Fok Julle Naiers”. Really, if you listen to either, its not my fault. You were told. If your still humming it a week next Tuesday you have only yourself to blame.
Here they come, waving their cheques, telling you how brilliant you are, making all your dreams come true. Then it all goes wrong, the single stiffs, the album isn`t promoted, the guy who signed you leaves the company, so you reach for your pen. There are few things more entertaining than venting your spleen against “The Man”. The ones I know are mainly from the punk era, The Clash`s pissed off “Complete Control”, Sex Pistols up yours of “EMI”, Nick Lowes sardonic “I Love My Label”, Wreckless Erics fed up to the back teeth ” Take The Cash”. The Yachts did two I`m bloody annoyed classics, “Dont Call Us” and “Out Of Luck” on their Yacht Without Radar album. Now here are Aha, clearly giving WEA the finger, from their 2000 comeback album “Minor Earth, Major Sky” Anymore for anymore?
So…….. when did cars stop being manufactured without bumpers…….and hubcaps?. Whatever happened to the manufacturers of supermarket pricing guns? Is there no call for the purchase of Beechnut chewing gum from railway station vending machines ? When was the last time your gulley was cleared by a wagon with a big hose and what happened to the operatives thereof ? All these things just disappearing from life and the man dont give a …
Can any Afterworders find a bigger collection of hair within a band, Afros not included….
Popping up on my Ipod today was ABCs “Stranger Days”, from the album “Skyscraping”. Released in 1997 it reined in the overt orchestral flourishes of ” The Lexicon of Love” and the rockist bombast of “Beauty Stab” to produce an excellent pop album. It should have been massive but copies were spilling out of bargain bins all over the country at the time. Coming after the unloved “Up” and “Abracadabra” albums maybe the general public had given up on ABC, their time had gone, but it is a gem waiting to be discovered. Better even than their recently much hyped “Lexicon of Love 2”
In a similar vein, there is The Mighty Wahs ” Songs of Strength and Heartbreak”. Bankrolled by Sony Records featuring everything and the kitchen sink to achieve Wylies dream of stardom, the album teeters on the edge of bombast but with enough cheek and mischief to pull it off with a swagger. Sony rejected the album, Wylie eventually getting hold of the master tapes and unleashing it onto a disinterested public. With Sonys backing this album would have made Pete Wylie the star he always believed himself to be. It includes the bona fide classic anthem » Continue Reading.
