Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Rewind: 1992 Springsteen Releases Two Albums on the same day!


It had been five years since the recording and release of 'Tunnel of Love and a whole lot of quiet was suddenly broken not by the release of one album by Bruce Springsteen, but the release of two albums on the same day!
The tracklists of each album I have tried to find alternative or live versions of the particular songs. Click on the links to enjoy some Human Touch in a Lucky Town!

Human Touch
US Chart #2
UK Chart #1

All songs by Bruce Springsteen unless otherwise noted
 
1."Human Touch"       6:31.
2. "Soul Driver"       4:39.
3. "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"       2:28.
4. "Cross My Heart" (Springsteen, Sonny Boy Williamson)     3:51.
5. "Gloria's Eyes"       3:46.
6. "With Every Wish"       4:39.
7. "Roll of the Dice" (Springsteen, Roy Bittan)     4:17.
8. "Real World" (Springsteen, Roy Bittan)     5:26.
9. "All or Nothin' at All"       3:23.
10. "Man's Job"       4:37.
11. "I Wish I Were Blind"       4:48.
12. "The Long Goodbye"       3:30.
13. "Real Man"       4:33.
14. "Pony Boy"       2:14.


Lucky Town
US Chart #3
UK Chart #2


All songs by Bruce Springsteen

1. "Better Days"       4:08
2. "Lucky Town"       3:27
3. "Local Hero"       4:04
4. "If I Should Fall Behind"       2:57
5. "Leap of Faith"       3:27
6. "The Big Muddy"       4:05
7. "Living Proof"       4:49
8. "Book of Dreams"       4:24
9. "Souls of the Departed"       4:17
10. "My Beautiful Reward"       3:55 

Bonus Rewind
31st March 1993


Bruce Springsteen - SECC Glasgow
Lucky Town filmed for Top of the Pops
 

On this day in 1993 I took my wife (of then 5 months) to her first ever Bruce Springsteen show.

Setlist
DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / MANSION ON THE HILL / THIS HARD LAND / BETTER DAYS / LUCKY TOWN / ATLANTIC CITY / 57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON) / TRAPPED / BADLANDS / IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND / MY HOMETOWN / LEAP OF FAITH / MAN'S JOB / ROLL OF THE DICE - EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY TO LOVE / HUMAN TOUCH / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / BRILLIANT DISGUISE / THE RIVER / SOULS OF THE DEPARTED / THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER - BORN IN THE U.S.A. / REAL WORLD / LIGHT OF DAY / GLORY DAYS / BOBBY JEAN / THUNDER ROAD / BORN TO RUN / MY BEAUTIFUL REWARD / WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY


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Alphabet Beats #089: M is for...The Members

M is for....


Live 4th May 2013
The Georgian Theatre Stockton

Click on the links to hear more Sounds From The Suburbs!



The musical output of The Members began when they were included on the first album release by the Beggars Banquet label (responsible for bands like The Lurkers - the first on the label and the first single release with 'Shadow/Love Story', Tubeway Army, The Doll. The Cult, The Associates, Bahaus, The Go-Betweens, The Icicle Works, The Ramones, Love and Rockets, The Fall, Fields of Nephilim, to name but a few) entitled 'Streets', and it contained a number of bands/artists who were pivotol in the ever expanding Punk Scene like Slaughter and the Dogs, The Art Attacks, John Cooper Clarke, The Drones, The Nosebleeds and the Pork Dukes. The Members track was the second on Side 1 called 'Fear on the Streets'.

May 1978 would see the release of a one-off single for Stiff Records, what is categorically one of their finest songs ever.
B-Side: Rat Up A Drainpipe.

In '78 they also signed a deal with Virgin Records and began work on their debut album in December through January 1979.
John Peel broadcast a debut session by them on 23rd January 1979 and the four songs that made up that session and would all be included on the debut album:
Love In A Lift
Phone-in Show
At Chelsea Nightclub
Sound of the Suburbs

January 1979 also saw the release of their Virgin Records Debut Single and quite possibly the one song that everybody on the planet knows if you asked them to tell you a song by The Members!
UK Chart #12

March 1979 saw the release of their second single backed by an old favourite that had been reworked and now is what I consider to be The Version of the song that matters.
 UK Chart #31

May 1979 finally saw the release of The Members debut album, 'At Chelsea Nightclub'. UK Album Chart #45
 Side A.
"Electricity" (Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Sally" (Gary Baker)
"Soho-A-Go-Go" (Chris Payne, Nicky Tesco)
"Don't Push" (Adrian Lillywhite, Nicky Tesco, Steve Morley)
"Solitary Confinement" (Jean-Marie Carroll, Nicky Tesco) 

Side B.
"Frustrated, Bagshot" (Jean-Marie Carroll, Nicky Tesco)
"Stand Up and Spit" (Jean-Marie Carroll, Nicky Tesco)
"The Sound of the Suburbs" (Jean-Marie Carroll, Nicky Tesco)
"Phone-in Show" (Jean-Marie Carroll, Nicky Tesco)
"Love in a Lift" (Chris Payne, Nicky Tesco)
"Chelsea Nightclub" (Jean-Marie Carroll)

Killing Time backed by G.L.C. followed in September 1979 and on the 24th of the month they would record their second session for John Peel, to be broadcast on 1st October 1979. Once again four songs were recorded for the session, all brand new songs that would end up on their second album.
Muzak Machine.
Killing Time.
Romance.
Gang War.


Side A
"The Ayatollah Harmony" (Nigel Bennett)
"Goodbye to the Job" (Nick Tesco, Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Physical Love" (Nicky Tesco, Chris Payne)
"Romance" (Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Brian Was" (Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Flying Again" (Chris Payne)

Side B
"Normal People" (Nick Tesco, Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Police Car" (Larry Wallis)
"Clean Men" (Nick Tesco, Jean-Marie Carroll)
"Muzak Machine" (Chris Payne)
"Gang War" (Nick Tesco, Jean-Marie Carroll)


Romance and Flying Again were released as singles from the album and failed to chart and by 1981 the band were no longer on Virgin but Albion Records. A month prior to their next single release produced by Steve Lilywhite (Working Girl) they did a third and final session for John Peel that contained four songs:
Boys Like Us.
Chairman of the Board.
Working Girl.
Birmingham. 


Their third album 'Up Rhythm Downbeat' was released in 1982 in the USA but not until 1983 here in the UK when it was issued as Going West. A further three singles would be released before the band broke up: Radio/(If You) Can't Stand Up/Radio Dub Version (April 1982), a re-issue of Working Girl produced by Martin Rushant backed by The Family (July 1983) and Going West (Dub Version)/Membership/ Going West (12" version August 1983).

Twenty Six years later, in 2009, The Members had resurfaced and released a newly updated version of Offshore Banking Business entitled International Financial Crisis which was followed in 2011 by a single that was the Joint Single of the Year here on Soundtrack4Life:

2012 saw the release of the first studio album by The Members in 29 years!!

The Members Now
L to R Christ Payne, Nick Cash, JC Carroll and Nigel Bennett.

Bonus
Solitary Confinement (Original Video).

BREAKING NEWS
The Members are currently in the studios recording the follow up to In_Grr_Land.  JC Carroll has said that they are half way through and it's "Sounding Fantastic".
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Monday, 30 March 2015

Alphabet Beats #088: M is for...The Mamas and The Papas

M is for....
Back when I was a kid my folks had a well worn copy of The Greatest Hits of The Mamas and The Papas that was released in 1969 and I can remember listening to it and totally loving the harmonious sound that came from these four people. I didn't really know too much about them then and probably didn't understand everything they were singing about but as I got older their music has always been something special to me. There is a timelessness about their sound that even 50 years on from their forming it still sounds great.
Click on the links to enjoy the sound of The Mamas and The Papas.

The Mamas and The Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, reuniting briefly in 1971. They released five studio albums and seventeen singles, six of which made the top ten, and sold close to 40 million records worldwide. The group was composed of John Phillips (1935–2001), Denny Doherty (1940–2007), Cass Elliot (1941–1974), and Michelle Phillips née Gilliam (b. 1944). Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early sixties.
According to Denny Doherty it was Cass who had the inspiration to name the band The Mamas and The Papas:



 "We're all just lying around vegging out watching TV and discussing names for the group. The New Journeymen was not a handle that was going to hang on this outfit. John was pushing for The Magic Cyrcle. Eech, but none of us could come up with anything better, then we switch the channel and, hey, it's the Hells Angels on the Carson show... And the first thing we hear is: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up: "Yeah! I want to be a Mama." And Michelle is going: "We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas!" OK. I look at John. He's looking at me going: "The Papas?" Problem solved. A toast! To The Mamas and the Papas. Well, after many, many toasts, Cass and John are passed out."

The first single release was 'Go Where You Wanna Go' in 1965 but it failed to chart. Their big breakthrough came via Barry McGuire. He recorded a version of 'California Dreamin' for his album 'This Precious Time' that had The Mamas and The Papas on backing vocals. They then recorded their own version of the song using the same instrumental and vocal backing track to which they added new vocals. Although the single was released in September 1965 it was not an immediate hit and it would take until March the following year before it finally broke and reached #4 in the charts.

The follow-up single 'Monday Monday' gave them their only #1 (they did have a further four U.S. Top Ten Hits: 'I Saw Her Again', 'Words of Love', 'Dedicated to the One I Love' and 'Creeque Alley').


Deliver (1967).
The Mamas and Papas broke up in 1968 (they would reform again in 1971, releasing a final album together 'People Like Us' - Michelle Phillips said that it sounded like what it was "four people trying to avoid a lawsuit" - which they had to do in order to avoid a breach of contract charge against them).
 People Like Us (1971)
Side A
    "People Like Us" - 3:25
    "Pacific Coast Highway" - 3:04
    "Snowqueen of Texas" - 2:37
    "Shooting Star" - 2:54
    "Step Out" - 3:03
    "Lady Genevieve" - 3:48

Side B
    "No Dough" - 3:05
    "European Blueboy" - 3:39
    "Pearl" - 2:24
    "I Wanna Be a Star" (J. Phillips, Michelle Phillips) - 2:17
    "Grasshopper" - 2:57
    "Blueberries for Breakfast" - 2:59  

The live video posted above is the set that appeared in the film by The Mamas and The Papas at The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

The full set from the night was this:


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Sunday, 29 March 2015

Alphabet Beats #087: M is for....MxPx

M is for....
Dedicated to Joel and Danielle
MxPx is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. The band has skate punk and pop punk leanings, with connections to the pop punk scene. The Classic Line-Up is Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass, Tom Wisniewski on guitar and backing vocals, and Yuri Ruley on drums. The band's discography includes nine studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and 20 singles.
 Tom, Mike and Yuri
Left Coast Punk
On The Cover (1995). 








*Compilation 
(Tom and Mike - photo by Me - King Tuts, Glasgow 2008)
Live Bonus
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Saturday, 28 March 2015

Alphabet Beats #086: M is for....The Men They Couldn't Hang

M is for....


TMTCH have been on the go for over thirty years now and have released more than 17 albums, the latest was released last year called 'The Defiant'.

Click on the links to enjoy the music



Night of a Thousand Candles (1985)

21 Years of Love and Hate 

ICA London 6th October 1984. (Broadcast on John Peel show)

As there are so few albums of theirs on You Tube I decided that maybe I should put together a playlist of my favourite tunes of The Men They Couldn't Hang.
So here it is in no particular order.

That should keep you busy for a while.
Enjoy.
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Friday, 27 March 2015

Rewind: 2001 - Live In New York City Released

 RELEASED ON THIS DAY
IN 2001

For the first time in 11 years Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hit the road together and between 9th April 1999 through to 1st July 2000 The Reunion Tour encompassed 132 shows taking in Europe, Canada and of course the USA, holding audiences captive to the power of rock and roll. 

The final stretch of the tour was a Ten Night Sold Out Stand at Madison Square Gardens. The last two nights were filmed for HBO and then what became the Live in New York City DVD (which contained footage not shown on the TV Broadcast) and the CD release was also from these nights.

 What was disappointing was the exclusion of 'Code of Silence' (this link is for a performance on 20th June 2000) which had kicked off the show most of the nights at The Garden. Also 'Further On Up The Road' (this performance was from the opening night on 12th June 2000) was also overlooked. Other omissions from the CD (though some were included on the DVD as indicated): 
My Hometown (Bonus CD)
Darkness at the Edge of Town (DVD)
The Promised Land (DVD)
Another Thin Line.
The Promise (DVD)
 Light of Day (DVD)
Thunder Rd (DVD)
 This Hard Land (Bonus CD)
Growin Up
The E Street Shuffle.
Backstreets (DVD)
Bobby Jean.
Blood Brothers.

CD1
    "My Love Will Not Let You Down"
    "Prove It All Night"
    "Two Hearts"
    "Atlantic City"
    "Mansion on the Hill"
    "The River"
    "Youngstown"
    "Murder Incorporated"
    "Badlands"
    "Out in the Street"
    "Born to Run" (bonus track, not listed on sleeve)

CD2
    "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
    "Land of Hope and Dreams"
    "American Skin (41 Shots)"
    "Lost in the Flood"
    "Born in the U.S.A."
    "Don't Look Back"
    "Jungleland"
    "Ramrod"
    "If I Should Fall Behind".

Reached #5 on the US Billboard Chart
Reached #13 on the UK Album Chart

Bonus
Three shows from the 15 Night Stand in New Jersey from The Reunion Tour:

A Further Two Shows From The Ten Night Stand at MSG.

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Alphabet Beats #085: M is for....The Monkees


M is for....
 


Back when I was a kid the TV always threw up a wee delight or two musically speaking. One particular show and band that always seemed to be on the TV were The Monkees. Their show actually was cancelled in 1968 (when I was a mere nipper of 5 years old!) but even up to the mid and late 70's it was still on the box! And I could hardly believe it that every episode in full is up on You Tube! Check it out here!

 The Monkees of course were a band that was "created" for a TV Show but Micky, Pete, Davey and Mike took the step to make fiction a reality and actually became a band. Micky Dolenz would later describe it this way, "The Monkees really becoming a band was like the equivalent of Leonard Nimoy  really becoming a Vulcan!" It's a pretty amazing story, which you can discover in this documentary:

 Their Theme Song is almost like a Manifesto for every Youth Music Scene that has sprung up over the years and when I was a teenager their music was brought to life even by the Punk Scene with the Sex Pistols playing '(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone'!

 One of the things I like about The Monkees is that their music is not disposable pop music, rather it has a longevity about it that I'm fairly certain few would have predicted back in the late 1960's and I don't think you can talk about the music of that era without mentioning them. Yes it all went a bit downhill for them once the TV Show was cancelled but the music that came out of that has stood the test of time.

 Personally I feel no sense of shame saying that I was and still am a fan of the music of The Monkees and it's great today to be able to spolight them in Alphabetical Beats.

The Music Box (2001)


Summer 1967: The Complete U.S Concert Recordings (2001)


The Albums.
    The Monkees (1966) #1 US + UK
    More of The Monkees (1967)
#1 US + UK.
     Headquarters (1967) #1 US, #2 UK.
    Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. (1967) #1 US, #5 UK.
    The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees (1968) #3 US.
    Head (1968) #45 US.
    Instant Replay (1969) #32 US.
    The Monkees Present (1969) #100 US.
    Changes (1970) #152 US.
    Pool It! (1987) #72 US.
The Monkees Live (1987).
     Justus (1996)  

The S4L Top Ten:
The Monkees
06. Words. 

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Thursday, 26 March 2015

Bruce Springsteen Nassau Coliseum show from 1980 Released!



Just released from the Bruce Springsteen Archives is this fantastic show from New Years Eve 1980. It's always been one of my favourite Bootlegs and so it's great to finally get an Official Recording of it, I have a couple of different copies of the Bootleg of differing sound quality and at last a copy with perfect sound!

 Nassau Coliseum 
Uniondale NY
31st December 1980 
Setlist
    1. Night
        03:25
    2. Prove It All Night
        05:57
    3. Spirit In The Night
        07:42
    4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
        04:48
    5. Independence Day
        05:30
    6. Who'll Stop The Rain?
        05:56
    7. This Land is Your Land
        03:19
    8. Promised Land
        05:55
    9. Out in the Street
        05:25
    10. Racing in the Street
        08:22
    11. The River
        06:56
    12. Badlands
        05:41
    13. Thunder Road
        07:05
    
CD2
    1. Cadillac Ranch
        05:02
    2. Sherry Darling
        05:15
    3. Hungry Heart
        04:48
    4. Merry Christmas, Baby
        04:50
    5. Fire
        04:32
    6. Candy's Room
        03:23
    7. Because the Night
        08:38
    8. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
        06:47
    9. Rendezvous
        03:27
    10. Fade Away
        09:23
    11. The Price You Pay
        06:37
    12. Wreck on the Highway
        05:36
    13. Two Hearts
        02:50
    14. Ramrod
        04:39
    15. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
        04:39
    16. Held Up Without A Gun
        01:42
    17. In the Midnight Hour
        02:55
    18. Auld Lang Syne
        02:03
    19. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
        16:19
    
CD3 - ENCORE
    1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
        05:23
    2. Jungleland
        12:23
    3. Born to Run
        04:38
    4. Detroit Medley
        13:07
    5. Twist and Shout
        08:00
    6. Raise Your Hand
        04:44

This was the third of a 3 night stand at the Nassau Coliseum. The first two nights were the 28th and 29th December, here's the links and the setlists for both shows.

Songs in bold were Tour Premieres
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY / BADLANDS / TWO HEARTS / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / INDEPENDENCE DAY / WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN / FACTORY / THE PROMISED LAND / OUT IN THE STREET / THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND / THE RIVER / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT / THUNDER ROAD / CADILLAC RANCH / HUNGRY HEART (with Flo and Eddie)* / SHERRY DARLING / FIRE / BECAUSE THE NIGHT */ 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / FOR YOU / STOLEN CAR / WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY / POINT BLANK / THE TIES THAT BIND / RAMROD / YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) / BACKSTREETS / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN / JUNGLELAND / BORN TO RUN / DETROIT MEDLEY - I HEAR A TRAIN
 * These songs were released officially on the Live 1975-85 Boxset.

Songs in bold were Tour Premieres

NIGHT (3:19) / OUT IN THE STREET (5:12) / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (5:59) / WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN (3:45) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4:17)* / FACTORY (3:45) / INDEPENDENCE DAY (5:32) / TWO HEARTS (2:52) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (6:23) / THE PROMISED LAND (9:21) / THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND (3:37)* / THE RIVER (7:24) / BADLANDS (5:30) / THUNDER ROAD (6:08) / CADILLAC RANCH (5:20) / SHERRY DARLING (4:45) / HUNGRY HEART (5:15) / MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (4:28) / FIRE (4:14) / CANDY'S ROOM (3:15) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (7:36) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6:53) / FOR YOU (8:06) / STOLEN CAR (4:51) / WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY (4:47) / POINT BLANK (8:27) / THE TIES THAT BIND (3:36) / RAMROD (4:19) / YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) (4:44)* / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET (9:55) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (11:30) / SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN (4:08) / JUNGLELAND (10:08) / BORN TO RUN (4:45) / DETROIT MEDLEY - I HEAR A TRAIN (12:05)
 * These songs were released officially on the Live 1975-85 Boxset.

31st December 1980
Held Up Without A Gun was the Tour Premiere on this night

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Alphabet Beats #084: M is for....Madness!!

M is for....





Madness are an English ska band from Camden Town, London, that formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s 2 Tone ska revival, they continue to perform with their most recognised line-up of seven members.

Madness achieved most of their success in the early to mid-1980s. Both Madness and UB40 spent 214 weeks on the UK singles charts over the course of the decade, holding the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles charts. However, Madness achieved this in a shorter time period (1980–1986).

Madness have had 15 singles reach the UK top ten, one UK number one single ("House of Fun") and two number ones in Ireland, "House of Fun" and "Wings of a Dove".

Musical Madness
The Albums
    1979: One Step Beyond... (UK No. 2)
    1980: Absolutely (UK No. 2)
    1981: 7 (UK No. 5)
1982: Complete Madness (UK No. 1)*
    1982: The Rise and Fall (UK No. 10)
    1984: Keep Moving (UK No. 6)
    1985: Mad Not Mad (UK No. 16)
1986: Utter Madness (UK No. 29)*
    1988: The Madness (UK No. 66)
1992: Madstock (UK No. 22)**
1992: Divine Madness (UK No. 1)*
1997: Total Madness.*
    1999: Wonderful (UK No. 17)
    2005: The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 (UK No. 11)
    2009: The Liberty of Norton Folgate (UK No. 5)
    2012: Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da (UK No. 10).
* Compilation
** Live

John Peel Session
27/08/79

Seeing as the Madness A-Sides are featured above on various albums and compilations it only seems fair to have the Madness B-Sides featured as well, so in chronological order here they are.

Madness - The Prince.
Mistakes - One Step Beyond.
Stepping Into Line - My Girl.
The Business - Baggy Trousers.
Crying Shame - Embarrassment.
That's The Way To Do It - The Return of the Las Palmas 7.
Memories - Grey Day.
Shadow On The House - It Must Be Love.
In The City - Cardiac Arrest.
Don't Look Back - House of Fun.
Animal Farm - Driving In My Car.
Madness Is All In The Mind - Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) - Double A-Side.
Behind The 8 Ball - Wings of a Dove.
Fireball XL5 - The Sun and The Rain.
Guns - One Better Day.
All I Knew - Yesterday's Men.
Please Don't Go - Uncle Sam.
Jennie (A Portrait of) - The Sweetest Girl.
Maybe In Another Life - (Waiting For) The Ghost Train.
Land of Hope and Glory (Live) - The Harder They Come.
You're Wonderful / I Was The One / Dreaming Man - Johnny The Horse.
Skylarking / Dreader Than Dread - Shame and Scandal.
Chase The Devil AKA Ironshirt - Girl Why Don't You.

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