The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: The Stranglers

Very excited for tomorrow as I'm off to see The Stranglers with The Alarm as support up in Glasgow.

The Stranglers will performing the Black and White album (and other songs hopefully).

I can't even recall the last time I saw them live but it was a long, long time ago (Hugh Cornwell was still in them and he's been gone for awhile!).

So today's episode of The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series we take a trip back nine years to a show to mark the 30th Anniversary of their playing at The Roundhouse in London (I have a bootleg of the original show).

It features songs from the debut album Rattus Norvegicus, and also the follow up No More Heroes (both released in 1977).

I've thrown in a nice audio recording from November 1977 (a few days after they played The Roundhouse) at the Hope & Anchor in Islington. The performance was recorded as part of a festival of music was made into an album featuring a number of Punk and New Wave acts as well as more established Rock artists called The Front Row Festival. The Stranglers had two songs on the album and X-Ray Spex, Suburban Studs, The Saints, The Only Ones, 999 and a number of other artists featured. 

Rattus at The Roundhouse

 2007

Bonus Audio

Live at The Hope & Anchor

22nd November 1977

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 64 - Happy Birthday Evan Dando

Happy Birthday

Evan Dando

Born on this day in 1967

There's a number of links to other albums etc of The Lemonheads, click on them to enjoy the music.

Evan of course is most remembered for his band The Lemonheads. Between 1987- 1997 they released seven albums before going on hiatus: Hate Your Friends (1987), Creator (1988), Lick (1989), Lovey (1990), It's A Shame About Ray (1992), Come On Feel The Lemonheads (see below), Car Button Cloth (1996), The Lemonheads (2006), Varshons (2009).

Dando revived The Lemonheads in 2005 and a couple of albums have appeared, The 2006 album The Lemonheads and the last one in 2009, Varshons, was a Covers Album. Their was a demo disc called The Hotel Sessions in 2011or 2012 (I don't have it so I can't confirm) though I'm not sure that's considered a proper album, and there has been a promise of a new album under The Lemonheads banner that was rumoured first back in 2007, and then again back in 2012 but nothing has seen the light of day! 

I was trying to remember when I first stumbled across The Lemonheads and it was at least 27 years when I heard their cover of Suzanne Vega's Luka! They managed to make a song that was already disturbing (by the source of it's theme) even more so by adding a fuzzy heavy guitar sound to it.

Come On Feel The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads

Atlantic

Produced by The Robb Brothers

Released October 1993

US Chart #56

UK Chart #5

Singles From Come On Feel The Lemonheads
    "Into Your Arms"
    Released 1993
   US #67 UK #14

    "It's About Time"
    Released 1993
UK #57

    "Big Gay Heart"
    Released 1994
UK #55

    "The Great Big No"
    Released 1994
   Did Not Chart

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

Forty One Years On Thunder Road in One Video!

Bruce Springsteen: 41 Years on Thunder Road from Phil Whitehead on Vimeo.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 63 - Patti Smith Group

Patti Smith's Debut album Horses is considered to be one of the finest rock albums of all time. Q magazine included it in its list of the 100 greatest punk albums. NME put Horses at first place in its list of "20 Near-as-Damn-It Perfect Initial Efforts", and it has also ranked on various lists of the greatest albums of the 1970s. In addition to these accolades, Horses has also been considered one of the finest albums in recorded music history. In 2003, the album was ranked number 44 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2006, Time named it as one of the All-TIME 100 Albums, and three years later, it was preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The past couple of years she has been out on road playing it live to packed houses across the States and Europe. I always find it quite funny because when it was first released it seemed to make no great impact, apart from a small group of people scattered around the UK. It barely registered on the chart at all!

The same could be said for the follow up in 1976, Radio Ethiopia. In the States it only reached #122 and didn't chart in the UK at all. It was not really one of her finest moments. She had chosen producer Jack Douglas in the hopes of making a more commerical album but that had the opposite effect. Reviews were split about how good or bad it was. Whilst out on the road promoting the album Patti fell off a stage in Tampa and as a result broke several vertebrae in her neck. She was sidelined for a period and had to undergo complete rest and physical therapy.

Back in the studio late 1977 with her band to record their third album. At the producers desk this time around is Jimmy Iovine. 

Now, some people (mentioning no names Lester Bangs), were not so gracious towards the album when it came out. This is something that rankles me a little, this kind of musical snobbery that rises up when someone is getting some success. It seemed to be a thing within the Punk scene a lot. Television and Ramones were saying unpleasant things about Blondie when they started to get hits, and I'm guessing that it was possibly jealousy on their part that they weren't! Similar attitudes existed amid the UK Punk Scene as well. It's totally stupid, people should have been more than happy seeing someone like Patti Smith getting the spotlight shone on her. Easter is a brilliant album. The most commercial sounding of the first three? Yes, but that shouldn't stop people loving it!

The first single off the album actually arrived a month after the album was released and it was Because the Night, a song that was written by Bruce Springsteen that he had passed on releasing for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album and gave a cassette of it to Jimmy Iovine for Patti. She reworked part of the lyrics and on release it was credited as a Co-write between Springsteen and Smith. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band still play their version which eventually saw the light of day on The Promise album.

Privilege (Set Me Free) is one of my favourite Patti Smith songs.

Easter - Patti Smith Group

Arista Records

Produced by Jimmy Iovine

Released 3rd March 1978

UK Album Chart #16

US Album Chart #20

Easter Album in Full

Personnel
    Patti Smith – vocals, guitar
    Lenny Kaye – guitar, bass guitar, vocals
    Jay Dee Daugherty – drums, percussion
    Ivan Kral – bass guitar, vocals, guitar
    Bruce Brody – keyboards, synthesizer

Additional personnel
    Richard Sohl – keyboards on "Space Monkey"
    Allen Lanier – keyboards on "Space Monkey"
    John Paul Fetta – bass on "Till Victory" & "Privilege"
    Andi Ostrowe – percussion on "Ghost Dance"
    Jim Maxwell – bagpipes on "Easter"
    Tom Verlaine - arrangement on "We Three" (in 1974)

Singles From Easter

    Because the Night / Godspeed
    Released 19th April 1978
UK Chart #5
US Chart #13

    Privilege (Set Me Free) / 25th Floor (Live)
  Released 1978
UK Chart #72
 

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

The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: Lou Reed (1984)

Today would have been the birthday of Lou Reed.

As a wee reminder of the New York legend here's two shows featuring a wealth of Velvet Underground and Lou Reed classics.

Capitol Theater

Passaic, New Jersey

25th September 1984

The Bridge

Shoreline Amphitheatre

Mountain View, CA

18th October 1997

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 62 - Through the Looking Glass

Cover versions had always been a staple of the life of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Right back at the start they had the Theme to Captain Scarlet, Marc Bolan's 20th Century Boy and The Beatles' Helter Skelter. There was also Supernatural Thing (1981) originally a hit for Ben E. King, The Beatles' Dear Prudence (1983) their biggest hit single that peaked at #3, She Cracked was formerly done by The Modern Lovers and was released by Siouxsie and The Banshees as a B-Side to This Wheel's on Fire. A live version of The Velvet Underground's All Tomorrow's Parties was featured on the B-Side to their 1994 Single O Baby.

And then there is the album of Cover Versions released in 1987 a little less than a year after their Tinderbox album. Through The Looking Glass is a rather interesting collection I think that draws from the well of a number of different musical generes. I can remember on release that I was quite dismissive of it but in the years since I've grown quite fond of it.

There's some interesting choices as well, ones that you wouldn't really expect like Hall of Mirrors (Kraftwerk), Trust In Me (from Jungle Book movie), You're Lost Little Girl (The Doors) and possibly even Little Johnny Jewel (Television). 

Probably the most genius like cover on the album though I think is Iggy Pop's The Passenger. It sounds so strange with a horn section on it, apparently Iggy absolutely loved it as well. The Llllloco-Motion Mix on the 12" is totally fabulous I think.

 Through the Looking Glass - Siouxsie and the Banshees

Polydor

Produced by Siouxsie and the Banshees and Mike Hedges

Released 2nd March 1987

UK Albums Chart #15

US Albums Chart #188

Personnel

Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Siouxsie Sioux - vocals
    Steven Severin - electric bass and keyboards
    Budgie - drums and percussion
    John Valentine Carruthers - guitars and keyboards

Additional personnel
    Martin McCarrick - cello, keyboards, string arrangements
    Jocelyn Pook - viola
    Gini Ball - violin
    Pete Thoms - trombone
    Luke Tunney - trumpet
    Martin Dobson - saxophone
    Julie Aliss - harp

Singles From Through The Looking Glass

This Wheel's On Fire / Shooting Sun / Sleepwalking (On the High Wire) / She Cracked

 Released 5th January 1987

UK Chart #14

The Passenger / She's Cuckoo / Something Blue

Released 16th March 1987

UK Chart #41

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

The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: Eddie & the Hot Rods (1977)

 I stumbled on this earlier today and thought straightaway that this has to be part of The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series. I know they were featured back in January but I could pass by this without posting it.

Eddie and the Hot Rods playing to a packed Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London.

This is so brilliant I think.

They released it a couple of years back as a CD/DVD package.

-

Music is the Doctor 2016 #9 The Ides of March

This week's Music is the Doctor we are looking at Music that has been released over the years in the month of March, also there's a couple that will be released this month. Looking backwards and forwards then.

 The Playlist

On the Playlist

All The Young Dudes - The Rebelles.

Sunday - Iggy Pop.

White Riot - The Clash.

Warhead - UK Subs.

Nobody's Scared - Subway Sect.

Valley of the Dolls - Generation X.

The Staircase (Mystery) - Siouxsie and the Banshees.

I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Staring at the Rude Boys - Ruts.

Because the Night - Patti Smith Group.

I Might Be Lying - Eddie and the Hot Rods.

Dreams - The Cranberries.

I Will Follow - U2.

Offshore Banking Business - The Members.

Night Boat To Cairo - Madness.

Shellshock - New Order.

Just Like Gold - Aztec Camera.

We Gotta Get Out of This Place - Angelic Upstarts.

Silly Thing - Sex Pistols.

Paint It Black - Mo-Dettes.

Going Underground - The Jam.

 

Happy 72nd Birthday Roger Daltrey

Hard to believe that Roger is 72 years old today. Still out there as well plying his trade alongside Pete Townshend under the banner of The Who and also performing Solo.

Roger Daltrey

  Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA. 2013

The Who

 Tanglewood 

7th July 1970

Open Your Heart, Open The Door

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 61 - The Cranberries

The Cranberries were formed in Limereck, Ireland in 1989 and prior to them becoming the huge band they were in the 1990's they had released Four EP's between 1990-1991 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us. By October 1991 they changed it to simply The Cranberries. One of their most famous songs, Linger, was originally released on their second Demo EP Water Circle in 1990. Linger was actually one of the songs that guaranteed Dolores a place in the band after she auditioned for them.

Anything EP (1990)

Self-Released on Cassette as The Cranberry Saw Us

01. Throw Me Down A Big Stairs.

02. How's It Going To Bleed.

03. Storm In A Teacup.

04. Good Morning God.

Water Circle EP (1990)

Also released on Cassette as The Cranberry Saw Us

01. Sunday.*

02. Linger.

03.Chrome Paint.

04. A Fast One.

  * Couldn't find the original Demo version so included a live version of it.

Nothing Left At All (1990)

Also released on cassette as The Cranberry Saw Us

01. Nothing Left At All.

02. Pathetic Senses.

03. Shine Down (Take My Soul Away).

Uncertain EP (1991)

Released on CD as The Cranberries

01. Uncertain.

02. Nothing Left At All.

03. Pathetic Senses.

04. Them.

They recorded a session for John Peel that was broadcast 16th February 1992. The four songs were Waltzing Back, Linger, Wanted and I Will Always .

One of the great lessons I guess to learn from the band is persistence does eventually pay off! They went from selling demo cassettes that were limited to 300 copies as The Cranberry Saw Us to a multi-platinum selling band as The Cranberries.

Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - The Cranberries

Island

Produced by Stephen Street

Released 1st March 1993

UK Chart #1

Irish Chart #1

US Chart #18

 

The Cranberries
    Dolores O'Riordan – vocals, acoustic guitar
    Noel Hogan – guitars, backing vocals
    Mike Hogan – bass
    Fergal Lawler – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
    Mike Mahoney – additional vocals (Dreams)

Singles From the Album

Dreams

First released in September 1992 reached only #88 in the UK Chart and then reissued in April 1994 when it peaked at #27.

There's three versions of Promo Video (bizzare I know!) for this I think song (this is the first one but not totally sure, Promo 2, and Promo 3)

Linger

Released 23rd February 1993 and only reached #74 in the UK Chart. It was reissued a year later and hit #14.

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