Will Anything Happen (Expanded Edition) - Shop Assistants (26th July 2024)

I was very excited to find out yesterday that the debut, and only album by the Shop Assistants was reissued on the 26th July, I ordered it right away and it arrived this afternoon. The album of course was first released in November 1986 on Blue Guitar (a sub-label of Chrysalis Records). It had its first reissue on CD in 1997 (Overground Records), 2008 & 2012 (Cherry Red) and the only Vinyl reissue came in 2012 on American label 4 Men With Beards.

If you like Vinyl, then all you'll get is the 2024 Remaster of the album, but if you want more then it's best to go for the 2CD Expanded Version which includes the 2024 Remaster, B-sides of the only single released from the album, Instrumental Demos, Rough Mixes, Alternate Versions, tracks from two concerts in October 1986 and their second John Peel Session. Thirty-seven tracks in all.

Hopefully this new Remaster might open up some new ears to the wonderful sound of the Shop Assistants, one of Edinburgh's finest Indie Bands of the 1980s. I highly recommend it and I have no doubt it will feature highly on my end of year list of Reissues of the Year.

Will Anything Happen (2024 Remaster Expanded Edition) - Shop Assistants

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Chrysalis Records
26th July 2024

Produced by Mayo Thompson, John Ryan & Shop Assistants
Released on Vinyl & 2CD Digipack

 

 The Band:

 Alex Taylor - Vocals & Tambourine
David Keegan - Guitar & Noise
Sarah Kneale - Bass & Backing Vocals (Lead Vocals on "What A Way To Die")
Laura MacPhail - Drums & Percussion

 Tracklist for 2CD Expanded Edition

 Disc 1: Will Anything Happen (20024 Remaster)/B-Sides/Demos
1-1 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
1-2 All Day Long
1-3 Before I Wake
1-4 Caledonian Road
1-5 All That Ever Mattered
1-6 Fixed Grin
1-7 Somewhere In China
1-8 Train From Kansas City
1-9 Home Again
1-10 Seems To Be* (Missing)
1-11 After Dark
1-12 All Of The Time
1-13 What A Way To Die
1-14 Nature Lover
B-Sides    
1-15 Looking Back
1-16 All Day Long (Slow Version)
Instrumental Demos    
1-17 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
1-18 After Dark
1-19 A Million Miles From Home

Disc 2: Studio Outtakes/Live/Peel Session
2-1 Looking Back (Rough Mix)    
2-2 Caledonian Road (Rough Mix)
2-3 What a Way To Die (Rough Mix)
2-4 Fixed Grin (Roundhouse Version)
2-5 Train From Kansas City (Roundhouse Version)
2-6 Before I Wake (Roundhouse Version)
2-7 All That Ever Mattered (Alternate Take)
Live In London 03/10/1986    
2-8 Seems To Be
2-9 Nature Lover
2-10 Something To Do
2-11 Switzerland
Live In Deinze 05/10/1986    
2-12 Home Again
2-13 It's Up To You
2-14 Safety Net
John Peel Session 11/11/1986    
2-15 Fixed Grin
2-16 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
2-17 Ace Of Spades
2-18 Before I Wake

********************** 

Single Released on 7" & 12"

A-Side: I Don't Want To Be Friends With You

B-Side: Looking Back / All Day Long (Slow Version) - 12" only

UK Chart #77

***********************************

Shop Assistants Bonus

Shop Assistants BBC Sessions:
John Peel Session 8th October 1985
Safety Net
All That Ever Mattered
Almost Made It
Somewhere in China

John Peel Session 11th November 1986
Fixed Grin
I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
Ace of Spades
Before I Wake

Janice Long Session 16th February 1986
All Of The Time
Home Again
Looking Back
Nature Lover
What A Way To Die

 The Shop Assistants Live 3rd October 1986 University of London.

 

Louis Armstrong - Louis In London (Released 12th July 2024)

In May 1968 Louis Armstrong was in the studio making his final trumpet recordings on the album 'Disney Songs The Satchmo Way'. A couple of months after this he was in London to perform and film for the BBC TV "Show of the Week". The video of that performance is included below. It was filmed 2nd July 1968 and first broadcast 22nd September 1968 and is considered one of his last great live performances. The filming of the show came hot on the heels of Louis Armstrong reaching the #1 spot on the UK Singles Chart (and stayed there for four weeks) with "What A Wonderful World". 

I mentioned it is considered to be one of his last great live performances and that was because by 1968 (not sure of dates on this matter) his poor health (heart and kidney issues) had forced him off the road. He wouldn't play live again until 1970 when he had to curtail his live shows due to a heart attack. Against medical advice he would take to the road again in March 1971 but after a two week stand in Manhattan he had another heart attack. He was still hoping to get back on the road again but on 6th July 1971 he died in his sleep from a heart attack, he was aged 69.

I'm no expert on the music of Louis Armstrong (Jazz is not really my thing) but his voice I remember as a kid was something I felt comfortable with, even if it was just him singing the songs of Walt Disney or the childish safety blanket I experienced thinking everything was going to be okay when I heard "What A Wonderful World".

It may appear a bit odd of me to post a piece like this but the way I look at it is the world is even crazier now than when I was a five year old kid in 1968 and sometimes there's nothing wrong in finding a shelter in the storm of the madness and listening to a voice you sense you can find consolation in.

Louis In London - Louis Armstrong
Verve Records
12th July 2024 

 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Here is the actual BBC Footage and below that are links to the audio and a few High Defintion videos that have become available leading up to the release of the album.

1  When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
2  (Back Home Again) In Indiana
3  A Kiss To Build a Dream On
4  Hello, Dolly!:

5  Mame
6  You’ll Never Walk Alone
7  Ole Miss
8  Blueberry Hill
9  Mack The Knife

10 Rockin’ Chair
11 The Bare Necessities:

12 What a Wonderful World:

13 When The Saints Go Marching In

Louis Armstrong - Vocals & Trumpet
The All Stars:  
Tyree Glenn, trombone
Joe Muranyi, clarinet
Marty Napoleon, piano
Buddy Catlett, bass
Danny Barcelona, drums

***************************

A Wee Bonus

Disney Songs the Satchmo Way - Louis Armstrong
Beuna Vista Records
1968

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Simple Minds - Nuits de Fourvière 10th July 2024 – ARTE Concert

A nice treat yesterday evening was being able to watch a live stream of Simple Minds on YouTube coming live and direct from Lyon, France. Being a total numpty it only clicked half way through the instrumental "Somebody Up There Likes You" that they were playing the 'New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)' album in sequence. 😲 To be fair on myself though, I was also trying to follow the football at the same time. 😁

I really enjoyed the performance and I realise that a show like this lends itself to the format of the "big hitters" but it was a bit disappointing not to have at least one or two newer songs thrown into the mix just for the contrast that Simple Minds are still making new music and are not resting on the laurels of a  well stocked back catalogue. Maybe that's just a me thing so I can't help but mention it. 

Jim Kerr & Charlie Burchill are the only original members of the band but the rest of the team have been playing alongside them for quite a number of years (apart from the keyboardist Erik Ljunggren who is a recent addition) and man, they are a tight unit. Cherisse Osei (Drums) gets a lot of praise among Simple Minds fans and rightly so, she's like watching a fireworks display in action. As for Sarah Brown, I could listen her endlessly. Taking the lead vocal for "Book of Brilliant Things" was pretty special and also her vocals with Jim Kerr on "Mandela Day" were just lovely. Sarah, by the way, has an excellent solo album out called 'Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson', that's worth checking out. I should also give a shout out to Bassist Ged Grimes (no Bass Guitar Player Jokes please! 😉) who has been with the band since 2010. His name was always familiar to me but for one reason or another I never checked his details out until last night. He has quite the musical history starting with Dundee pop band Danny Wilson and a lot of surprises along the way (for more info check out his Wikipedia page).

 Jim Kerr celebrated his 65th Birthday the day before this gig (9th July) and despite the age he still sounds good and covers every area of the stage throwing shapes as he goes. "Belfast Child" was the moment you really got to hear the power of his voice and I think that song never sounded better than at this show, though near the end of "Don't You (Forget About Me)" his voice cracked a bit. Charlie Burchill (who will also hit 65 in November) was on great form. I think he often doesn't get the credit as a good guitarist among his contemporaries as some fella called The Edge (U2) always seems to get the top spot.

As to the broadcasters, ARTE Concert, they did a superb job in capturing the sight and sounds, only one little glitch during "Sanctify Yourself" kept it from being perfect. You should check out their YouTube Channel ARTE Concert for more performances, especially the recent films from Hellfest 2024.

 

Set 1:
1 Waterfront
New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) Album In Full
2 Someone Somewhere in Summertime
3 Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel
4  Promised You a Miracle
5 Big Sleep
6 Somebody Up There Likes You (Instrumental)
7 New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
8 Glittering Prize
9 Hunter and the Hunted
10 King Is White and in the Crowd
******
11 I Travel
 
Interlude (25 Minutes)

Set 2: (starts at 1hr 24.19 on the video)
12 Book of Brilliant Things (Vocals by Sarah Brown)
13 Mandela Day (Vocals by Jim Kerr and Sarah Brown)
14 Come a Long Way
15 Let There Be Love
16 Sanctify Yourself
17 Belfast Child
18 Don't You (Forget About Me)
19 Alive and Kicking

The show ran approx. 1h55min (taking out the 25 Minute Break)

 Current Tour Line Up
Jim Kerr - Vocals
Charlie Burchill - Guitar
Ged Grimes - Bass
Sarah Brown - Backing Vocals
Gordy Goudie - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Cherisse Osei - Drums
Erik Ljunggren - Keyboards