The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: The Psychedelic Furs

Today's Concert Series post is from Germany and Broadcast as part of the Rockpalast Series on German TV in 1981and features The Psychedelic Furs in action.

The 14 song set feature a couple of tunes from what was to be their newest album Forever Now as well as songs from their first two albums.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 268 - The Psychedelic Furs

Forever Now - The Psychedelic Furs

CBS

Produced by Todd Rundgren

Released September 1982

UK Chart #20

US Chart #61

Forever Now (UK Version)

 UK Tracklist

A1 President Gas   
A2 Love My Way    
A3 Run And Run    
A4 Merry-Go-Round  
A5 Sleep Comes Down
B1 Forever Now    
B2 Danger
B3 Only You and I     
B4 Goodbye
B5 No Easy Street

Personnel
The Psychedelic Furs
    Richard Butler – vocals
    John Ashton – guitars
    Tim Butler – bass guitar
    Vince Ely – drums

Additional personnel
    Todd Rundgren – keyboards; saxophone; marimba
    Gary Windo – horns
    Donn Adams – horns
    Ann Sheldon – cello
    Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan) – backing vocals

(US Cover)

Forever Now (US Version)

There was different Track Listing on the American Release

A1 Forever Now    
A2 Love My Way    
A3 Goodbye    
A4 Only You And I    
A5 Sleep Comes Down
B1 President Gas    
B2 Run And Run
B3 Danger    
B4 No Easy Street
B5 Yes I Do

Singles from Forever Now

Love My Way / Aeroplane (Dance Mix)

July 1982

UK Chart #42

US Chart #44

Danger / I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow

October 1982

Did Not Chart

Run and Run / President Gas (Live)

May 1983
Did Not Chart

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

After an absolutely pulsating debut album and then a tricky second album (Talk Talk Talk) Forever Now, their third Studio album in as many years was always going to be a challenge.

The challenge came from within as Sax player Duncan Kilburn and Guitarist Roger Morris left the band under a bit of a storm cloud! Steve Lilywhite was unavailable to produce after overseeing the duties on the first two albums and the band had been forced into the situation as a four piece, though there were also questions regarding the commitment of Drummer Vince Ely that forced the remaining three - John Ashton, Tim and Richard Butler - into creating some new music without the use of drums! I don't know the full extent of the issues regarding Ely but he's on the album but did depart the band after the recording had been completed.

Bringing Todd Rundgren on board as Producer was an interesting move and he added some new elements to their sound as well as bringing in Flo and Eddie to do backing vocals. The band were not too keen at first on this move but it's interesting to see that besides their work with The Turtles in the sixties, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention in the early seventies, they had sung back up on an interesting array of projects with the likes of T-Rex, Ray Manzarek, Roger McGuinn, David Cassidy (!), Keith Moon, Stephen Stills, Alice Cooper, Blondie and they had also sung backing on Hungry Heart by Springsteen!

Love My Way is probably the track that most people know of from the album and whilst it charted it was not a real smash hit, which is a shame really because in its essence it is an outstanding pop song.

Personally my favourite track on it is President Gas, it sounds more like the Furs that I know and love from the first couple of albums.

Tim Butler has said that Forever Now is his favourite album, I wouldn't go that far myself. It's good but the album that was to follow eight months later would be way much better (Mirror Moves).

A point about the difference between the UK and US editions of the album. Personally I don't understand this. Richard Butler says that when he first saw the replacement cover, he "actually burst into tears" and rightly so because it looks terrible and exceedingly drab in comparison with the explosion of colour of the UK release created by the late great Barney Bubbles (I must at some point do a post dedicated to the great Artwork of BB). Record Executives at Columbia clearly had no sense! Given the choice I would rather put the UK artwork on my wall because at least it actually looks like a piece of art!

The changes to tracklisting and sequence as well were uncalled for as that rush of sound with President Gas, Love My Way, and Run and Run on the UK edition is (I think) a much better way to kick off the album than Forever Now, Love My Way and Goodbye! Maybe you can make your own mind up by listening to them both above!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 234 - The Psychedelic Furs

Mirror Moves - The Psychedelic Furs

CBS

Produced by Keith Forsey

Released 21st August 1984

UK Chart #15

US Chart ##43

Canadian Chart #16

New Zealand Chart #5

Swedish Chart #26

A1 The Ghost In You
A2 Here Come Cowboys
A3 Heaven    
A4 Heartbeat
B1 My Time
B2 Like A Stranger
B3 Alice's House
B4 Only A Game
B5 Highwire Days

Singles From Mirror Moves

Heaven / Heartbeat (New York Remix) 12"

UK Chart #29

The Ghost In You / Another Edge (Full Length Version)

UK Chart #68

US Chart #59 

Here Come Cowboys / Another Edge

US Single

Did Not Chart

Heartbeat (The Mendlesohn Mix) Long Version / My Time (LP Version) 

12"

UK Chart #62 

 Personnel
    Richard Butler – lead and background vocals
    John Ashton – guitar
    Tim Butler – bass guitar
    Keith Forsey – drum machine; drums; percussion

Additional personnel
    Tommy Price – drums on Here Come The Cowboys and Heaven
    Mars Williams – saxophone
 

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

Pretty much most of the music that I put up here on the blog is stuff that I listen to myself and have as part of my collection. Some groups have a favoured place among my Go To Bands List and some records find a place among my long list of favourites. Such is the case today with The Psychedelic Furs and their fourth Studio Album Mirror Moves.

Within my favourites list sit a number of titles that I would never want to be without and two albums from The Furs have solidified a place for themselves in that high and lofty company: The Self-Titled Debut Album and Mirror Moves. It might surprise you that I chose Mirror Moves above Talk Talk Talk or Forever Now but it comes down to personal choice and that is one of mine.

It is of course very different to the Debut Album which had a really raw edge and a sense of brooding darkness pervading over it, whereas Mirror Moves sounds very polished and more friendly for radio, for TV and just about everything inbetween.

You have to wonder about the credibility of the suits at CBS who decided not to release Heaven as a single for the American Market but instead go for Here Come Cowboys! Its madness I tell you!

I was very pleased though that they released Heartbeat first as a B-Side to Heaven and then as a Single in its own right. It's probably my favourite track on the album and overall is my favourite track by The Psychedelic Furs (again I say it's a matter of personal choice before anyone rises up in rebellion!). I do have to say though that as someone who is not a fan of Remixes I was quite taken with the New York Remix that appeared on the B-Side of Heaven. The Mendelshon Remix that was actually released as the single is better in The Long Version that was on the 12" rather than the shorter version that appeared on the 7".

I want to dedicate this today to some friends in New Jersey who share a similar affection as me for The Psychedelic Furs...they know who they are.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Happy 60th Birthday Richard Butler

(photo by Scott Sheff)

Happy 60th Birthday

Richard Butler

Lead Vocalist

The Psychedelic Furs

 The Psychedelic Furs

Live at The Filmore

San Francisco

10th November 2014

The Psychedelic Furs - Greatest Hits

2001

45RPM: #51 We Love You - The Psychedelic Furs (1979)

On this day in 1979 The Psychedelic Furs released their debut single on Epic Records, produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs, We Love You backed by Pulse did not make the charts put set the ball rolling for what was to follow when they released their amazing debut album in February 1980.

A-Side: We Love You

We Love You (Rockpalast).

We Love You (American TV).

We Love You (Peel Session).

B-Side: Pulse

Pulse (Rockpalast).

Pulse (Live 2013).

Rewind: 1991 - The Psychedelic Furs Release World Outside

World Outside - The Psychedelic Furs

Columbia

Released 30th July 1991

Produced by Stephen Street and The Psychedelic Furs

UK Chart #68

US Chart #140

Personnel
    Richard Butler – vocals
    John Ashton – guitar
    Tim Butler – bass guitar

Additional personnel
    Don Yallech aka 'Wild Don' – drums
    Knox Chandler - guitar
    Joe McGinty - keyboard

World Outside is the Seventh Studio Album from The Psychedelic Furs and indeed their last Studio Album because since it's release to date The Furs have not issued another new Studio Album.

Two singles were issued from the album:

 Until She Comes / Make It Mine / Sometimes /

Don't Be A Girl / Don't Be A Girl (7" Remix) / Don't Be A Girl (12" Extended) / Don't Be A Girl (Dancehall On Fire Mix).

There have been plenty of Compilations (7 infact) and a couple of live albums, but NOTHING, NADA, ZIP when it comes to a brand new album! This point I have to confess is incredibly sad. They are out touring almost every year, and yes they still sound pretty great live but seriously there has to come a point when you just stop churning out the same setlist every tour with a few deviations and sit down and write new material.

As a fan this is all a little frustrating so I thought I'd pen an open letter to Richard Butler:

Dear Richard
As a fan of your band since before your debut album was released and having seen you live in concert many times I thought I'd drop you a wee note from Scotland. Fear not, I'm not one of those crazed fans who turns up at every gig on the tour, stands down the front and holds a sign saying "I Want You To Have My Babies!" - that would be quite difficult to achieve as we are both men! Rather I'm the fan who counts it a great joy to have had the music of The Psychedelic Furs form part of my very own Soundtrack4Life.

Today is the anniversary of your last studio album World Outside. 1991, that was a long time ago and surely it must be time for another Studio album from you and the band. 

Yes it was nice when you came back from your hiatus and released the live album  Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live (2001),  and on it was a new song "Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)" both studio and live version (and on the Live at The House of Blues DVD another three songs that were unreleased - "Anodyne (Better Days)", "Cigarette" and "Wrong Train"). That held out some hope that there might be new material in the pipeline and possibly a new album but 14 years on there has been silence on that front!

I know you have been busy with your art (and for the record it's pretty good as well) and that you and the band are out on tour quite a bit but surely you must think at some point that new material needs to be added to the set and to get that music out to the fans (in this digital age it's not too difficult to do I hear!).

Maybe the non-stop touring has actually taken up precious time and there's just not enough hours in the day to get into a recording studio. Also there's the harsh reality that making records is not where the money is these days and that if your lives depended upon record sales alone you'd be a very hungry and destitute band (this is probably a reality for 98% of bands out there at the moment)!

Have you ever thought of going the route of the Kickstarter or Pledge campaigns to get a possible new album out? A lot of bands seem to do it these days and the fact that you would have complete control over what you recorded and how it was produced, and what the artwork and packaging would be like is surely a huge plus for you guys.

I know that as a fan I shouldn't expect you to write to order or anything like that, it's just that I would love to hear about the things that are inspiring you today and the best way of communicating that is through song.

I don't know if you'll get to read this (I hope you do). I wish you and the band well for the up and coming tour dates and I hope that amid the pleasure of playing songs from your vast back catalogue you might just give a little thought to making something new.

Yours sincerely

Doug 

 *******

Note: Thanks to Lily from New Jersey for providing some balance to my thoughts.

Alphabet Beats #111: P is for...The Psychedelic Furs

P is for....

The Albums
    The Psychedelic Furs (1980)
    Talk Talk Talk (1981)
    Forever Now (1982)
    Mirror Moves (1984)
    Midnight to Midnight (1987)

All of This and Nothing (1988)
    Book of Days (1989)
    World Outside (1991)

Here Came The Psychedelic Furs: B-Sides And Lost Grooves (1994)

Should God Forget: A Retrospective (1997)

Greatest Hits (2001)

Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live (2001)  

The Singles

We Love You (1980)

 Sister Europe (1980)

Mr Jones (1980)
Dumb Waiters (1981)

 Pretty In Pink (Original 1981) 

Danger (1982)
Run And Run (1983) 

 Love My Way (1982)
Sleep Comes Down (1982)
Heaven (1984)
The Ghost In You (1984)
Here Come Cowboys (1984) 

Heartbeat (1984)
Pretty In Pink (Re-recorded Version 1986)
Heartbreak Beat (1987)
Angels Don't Cry (1987) 

Shock (1987)
All That Money Wants (1988)

Should God Forget (1989)
House (1990)
Until She Comes (1991)
Don't Be A Girl (1991)
Alive (For Once In My Lifetime) (2001) 

The Soundtrack4Life Top Ten

The Psychedelic Furs

10. Fall (John Peel Session).

09. The Ghost In You.

08. Sister Europe.

07. Heaven.

06. Flowers.

05. In My Head.

04. President Gas.

03. We Love You (John Peel Session).

02. Blacks/Radio.

01. Heartbeat (New York Remix).

Photo by Misti Layne

John Peel Sessions

25th July 1979 

(Broadcast 30th July 1979)

1. Imitation of Christ

2. Fall

3. Sister Europe

4. We Love You

18th February 1980 

(Broadcast 28th February 1980)

1. Soap Commercial

2. Susan's Strange

3. Mac the Knife

S4L Presents: The Best Debut Albums #8 - The Psychedelic Furs

Before talking about today's choice I just want to say that the numbers you see in the title to this post and any post in this series are not a chart placing, there is no chart (I did say that I had intially wanted to do a chart but as the choices were so many I abandoned that idea pretty fast). This is article #8 in what I presume to be a long running series. Just thought I'd clear that up to prevent any more confusion as a couple of people had asked to see a list of the albums going to be spotlighted (well they are not going to get the chance as my poor chicken scrawl means it would be difficult for them to decipher!). So, from my poorly scribbled list and the choices of some guests you'll get them as they come, not in any particular order of preference to me. Let's move on...

One debut album to me that still stands the test of time is the self-titled album from The Psychedelic Furs. It's hard to believe that the album is 35 years old this year. It's an album that also gets a lot of airplay at home.

Whilst other albums of theirs enjoyed greater success chartwise, from a personal point of view I don't think any of them bettered this debut release (there, I've said it and will stand by that no matter what others may say!).

Released February 1980

Epic Records

 

The album reached #18 in the UK Chart and only #140 in the US Chart.

 

 The tracklisting below is for the 9 track original UK release. For some reason 'Blacks'Radio' was removed from the US release and 'Susan's Strange' and 'Soap Commercial' replaced it.

 

Produced by Steve Lilywhite (except where noted)

Side one

1. "India" – 6:21
2. "Sister Europe" – 5:38
3. "Imitation of Christ" – 5:28
4. "Fall" – 2:40
5. "Pulse" – 2:37 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)

Side two

1. "We Love You" – 3:26 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)
2. "Wedding Song" – 4:19
3. "Blacks/Radio" – 6:56
4. "Flowers" – 4:10 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)

The Psychedelic Furs and The Lemonheads - The Filmore 10th November 2014

Photo by Misti Layne

The Lemonheads Set

Photo by Misti Layne

The Psychedelic Furs Set

Rewind:1980 The Psychedelic Furs Debut Album

Click on the links to unleash The Beautiful Chaos!

Birthday Greetings

 to 

Richard Butler 

(born on this day in 1956).

29th May 1979 at The Music Machine in Camden was the first time I set eyes upon The Psychedelic Furs and they were like this kind of cross between The Velvet Underground and Roxy Music! Was so amazed by them I went to see them a couple more times in '79 and then saw them support Echo and the Bunnymen at The Lyceum a month after their debut album came out. In June they were back at The Music Machine in Camden and were even more polished.

 We Love You / Pulse.

The 1979 debut single is epic and like a lot of singles back then, the b-side was none too shabby either.

The single did not chart in the UK and it hit #77 on the US Dance Chart!

Their debut album is one of my all-time favourite albums. The tracklisting below is for the 9 track original UK release. For some reason 'Blacks'Radio' was removed from the US release and 'Susan's Strange' and 'Soap Commercial' replaced it.

The album reached #18 in the UK Chart and only #140 in the US Chart.

 

Produced by Steve Lilywhite (except where noted)

Side one

1. "India" – 6:21
2. "Sister Europe" – 5:38
3. "Imitation of Christ" – 5:28
4. "Fall" – 2:40
5. "Pulse" – 2:37 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)

Side two

1. "We Love You" – 3:26 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)
2. "Wedding Song" – 4:19
3. "Blacks/Radio" – 6:56
4. "Flowers" – 4:10 (produced by Howard Thompson, Ian Taylor and The Psychedelic Furs)

To coincide with the release of the debut album'Sister Europe' was released as a single. It didn't chart in the UK or the US but did break the Top 50 in New Zealand!

John Peel Sessions

25th July 1979 

(Broadcast 30th July 1979)

1. Imitation of Christ

2. Fall

3. Sister Europe

4. We Love You

18th February 1980 

(Broadcast 28th February 1980)

1. Soap Commercial

2. Susan's Strange

3. Mac the Knife