Set list: Better Scream Pale Blue Eyes Story of The Blues Sinful The Wonder Of You 7 Minutes To Midnight / War All Along The Watchtower Alone Again Naturally You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies Comeback
First album for 16 years from Milwaukee's Violent Femmes, it comes after they reunited back in 2013 after a legal issue split the band between 2007- 2009. Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie are the surving members from the original line-up.
In the NME for 26th October 1962 there was a small coloumn that stated, "Making their NME Chart debut with Love Me Do this week are The Beatles, a vocal-instrumentalist group who hail from Liverpool, the birthplace of such stars like Billy Fury, Frankie Vaughan, Norman Vaughan and Ken Dodd. Their own composition, Love Me Do, is their first disc to be released by a British label. Previously they were on Polydor and had several discs released on the continent, including one with Tony Sheridan, of (tv show) Oh Boy note."
Their debut single would go on to reach the steady heights of #17. Not really being a historian of the music of The Beatles I was fascinated to discover that their debut single had been recorded on three occasions, each with a different drummer. There is a 1962 version that featured original drummer Pete Best. This I believe was done for an Artist Test for EMI. Thought lost it finally showed up on Anthology 1 in November 1995. The next version features Ringo Starr. This version is what was released on the single version of the song. It was recorded apparently in 15 takes on 4th September 1962. The third version features session man Andy White. Ringo Starr plays tambourine. This third version was recorded a week after Ringo's recording. This would be the version that would appear on The Beatles' debut album. The second single, and what would become the debut album's title, Please Please Me rocketed to #2 in the charts. It was also the first single of theirs to released in the United States. The album was quite interesting because more than half (8, okay it's one more than half!) of the songs were penned by Lennon and McCartney (or McCartney-Lennon as it was on the label for the album originally). Most of the lead vocals are shared between Paul McCartney and John Lennon but Ringo Starr got to sing the lead for Boys, and George Harrison sings lead for Chains. The whole album was recorded within a day (Monday 11th February 1963), well 13 hours if we are wanting to be precise! It was released as a Mono LP with a Stereo mix released a month later. The album hit the #1 spot in May and remained there for 30 weeks! It was knocked off the top by The Beatles second album With The Beatles!
I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Please Please Me was the album that changed pop music in the UK forever.
Please Please Me - The Beatles
Parlophone
Produced by George Martin
Released 22nd March 1963
UK Album Chart #1
Personnel The Beatles John Lennon – lead vocals, background vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, hand claps Paul McCartney – lead vocals, background vocals, bass guitar, hand claps George Harrison – background vocals, lead vocals on "Chains" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret", lead guitar, acoustic guitar, hand claps Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine, maracas, hand claps, lead vocals on "Boys"
Additional musicians and production George Martin – piano on "Misery", celesta on "Baby It's You" Andy White – drums on "Love Me Do", percussion on "P.S. I Love You"
Bit of a late start of the day for me so apologies if anyone was looking for today's installment earlier this morning.
Normally I prepare these things the night before but as I was overcome with tiredness last night I didn't get anything done, so having spent a short while exploring what I might do today I noticed that it was the birthdate of one Johann Sebastian Bach. Cue memories of Radar trying to get some inspiration and tips for a date from Hawkeye on M.A.S.H.:
Okay, now we have that out of the way down to the serious matter of looking at Mr Bach and a particular piece of music he wrote a long, long time ago. I've said more than a few times on this blog that I am not really an expert when it comes to what is deemed Classical Music but there are a few pieces by various composers that I every now and again listen to. Bach is among that number and seeing as it is Easter Week I thought a little glance at his masterful work St John Passion would be a good place to spotlight.
There's so much music these days that is what I deem as disposable. It's here
today and forgotten tomorrow. Music that is of any real worth always
stands the test of time and so artists from the 1950's like Elvis, Buddy
Holly etc or the 1960's like The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks etc is
still so fondly remembered by many and still gets an airing on Radio, TV
etc. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has certainly lasted the course, this despite not having been laid down on Vinyl or any other recording device for more than two hundred years after it was written!
St. John Passion was written sometime in the first year of Bach's time in Leipzig in 1723-1724. In Leipzig he was responsible for providing music that would be used at four churches in the city (the Thomaskirche (where he was based), the Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church), and to a lesser extent the Neue Kirche (New Church) and the Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church).
The piece was first performed on Good Friday 7th April 1724 not long after Bach's 39th birthday. It was originally going to be performed at the Thomaskirche but the music council in the city moved it to the Nicolaikirche. It is based around the 18th and 19th chapters of the Gospel of John (taken from the Luther Bible). Though he did use some artistic license by adding two sections that actually appeared in Matthew's Gospel (a new work called St Matthew Passion was unvieled in 1727 and is the only other Passion piece of Bach's that survives) It is a work in two parts, the first spotlighting Kidron Valley where Jesus is betrayed by Judas and then the scene before Caiaphas and the denial of Christ by Peter. In the second part there are three scenes, firstly Jesus before Pontius Pilate, then Golgotha for the crucifixion and thirdly the burial site. It's a very powerful piece with the Evangelist John telling the story and also there's a soloist part for one depicting the words of Christ and also for Pilate.
The 1724 version is the most famous version of the piece but like some musicians today Bach did at various points in time make some changes (1725, sometime in the 1730's, and in 1749 he more or less reverted back to the original of 1724).
I know it's very different from what I normally post on here but it's a good thing to step aside from time to time and reflect upon something that clearly said to be a real piece of classic music!
(Statue of J.S. Bach at St Thomas Church in Leipzig)
I had been thinking of posting something about the release of the first single by The Clash on Friday (to celebrate in some way) but I ended up forgetting about it. So I feel I should rectify that a couple of days late to the party...
The first communiqué from The Clash was unleashed om 18th March 1977.The Damned were already onto their 2nd single, the Pistols had released their debut in 1976 and nothing else yet, Buzzcocks had shot out the gates with Spiral Scratch EP and The Stranglers had released their debut single Grip/London Lady.
All the hype about The Clash was now to be determined by a 7" piece of plastic containing two songs, both under two minutes and totalling 3mins and 38 seconds. If they couldn't say all they wanted to say within that time frame they might as well have packed up and gone home!
Mark Perry had famously announced that Punk died the day The Clash signed to CBS, he must have forgotten that the Sex Pistols signed to EMI first and surely they were more part of the British Establishment than CBS!
I was a couple of months away from being 14 years old when it was released and I can still remember the sense of shock on hearing those opening words, "White Riot/I Wanna Riot/White Riot/A Riot of My Own". You see, with the Pistols' Anarchy in the UK and the opening "I am an Anti-Christ/I am an anarchist", you had intellectuals sitting around discussing what Anarchy meant and how in history it's been viewedand most of us reading just found it flying over our heads!But when Joe Strummer opens up with"White Riot/I Wanna Riot"you knew exactly what he was talking about!You could feel the intent from the get go!
I want to leave you with some words I read in the 19th March 1977 edition of the NME (see Page 5 on this PDF from Tom Robinson) on the way to school when it was my custom to read the Melody Maker, Sounds and the NME whilst walking down Sydenham Park before crossing the railway bridge into Dacres Rd. It was only a 15 minute walk from my house to school but on Music Paper day that was stretched to at least 30mins!
Tom Robinson's review of White Riot 19th March 1977 NME
"Last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words wait for another voice. Look out, listen, can you hear it?
It's pointless to categorise this with other records: 'White Riot' isn't a Poxy Single Of The Week, it's the first meaningful event all year. Try and discount it. Go on, say they sold out to the enemy at CBS, say it's another idle London fad irrelevant to the lives of working people, say it's all clever hype that's conned everyone, say it's just the '60s rehashed an' you can't make out the words.
Say what you like, you still can't discount it cos The Clash aren't just a band, and this is more than just a single. There's a book written by a trad fan in 1963 saying how shoddy The Beatles were, how ripped off from R&B, how they could never last in the world of Tin Pan Alley. They didn't last in it, they took it to pieces.
Whatever your standpoint, everyone basically agrees there are two sides. You know it's coming, we know it's coming and they know it's coming. The Clash are the writing on their wall. The recorded version of 'White Riot' is one minute and 58 seconds of buzzsaw guitars, Simonon's pumping, offbeat bass, an insolent, slurred vocal and sheer musical aggro. It won't pick up much airplay cos you can't make out the words - it'd pick up much less if you could: "Black man gotta lotta problems but they don't mind throwin' a brick/White people go to school where they teach you how to be thick..."
Flip is '1977', already well known to those in the know:..."No Elvis, Beatles or Rolling Stones in 1977".
Hmm, so how come the riff is pure Kinks? No matter - forget the medium, cos this one has the message. Blag it, steal it, borrow it, tape it off the radio if they'll play it. Buy it an' you're a wimp, miss it an' you're a real turkey."
White Riot / 1977
CBS
Produced by Micky Foote
Released 18th March 1977
UK Chart #38
"White Riot" Strummer/Jones White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own
Black people gotta lot a problems But they don't mind throwing a brick White people go to school Where they teach you how to be thick
An' everybody's doing Just what they're told to An' nobody wants To go to jail!
White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own
All the power's in the hands Of people rich enough to buy it While we walk the street Too chicken to even try it
Everybody's doing Just what they're told to Nobody wants To go to jail!
White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own
Are you taking over or are you taking orders? Are you going backwards Or are you going forwards?
B-Side: 1977
"1977"
Strummer/Jones in 1977 i hope i go to heaven cos i been too long on the dole and i can't work at all
danger stranger you better paint your face no elvis, beatles, or the rolling stones in 1977
in 1977 knives in west 11 lent so lucky to be rich sten guns in knightsbridge
danger stranger you better paint your face no elvis, beatles or the rolling stones in 1977
in 1977 you're on the never never you think it can't go on forever but the papers say it's better i don't care 'cos i'm not all there no elvis, beatles or the rolling stones
in 1977 sod the jubilee in 1978 in 1979 stayed in bed in 1980 in 1981 the toilet don't work in 1982 in 1983 here come the police in 1984
Don't really have to say an awful lot about this because the music pretty much speaks for itself. The debut album from Aztec Camera still sounds wonderful all these years on, so many fantastic songs on it. It's hard to fathom but Roddy Frame was just 19 years old when it was released (having formed the band in 1980 at 16 years old), he was already beginning to show a real maturity with regard to his songwriting. My old friend from Ruts, Ruts DC, Dave Ruffy was playing drums for the band at the time. That's probably how I first got to see them live.
High Land, Hard Rain - Aztec Camera
Rough Trade
Produced by John Brand
Released April 1983
UK Chart #28
US Chart #154
High Land, Hard Rain (2012 Expanded Edition)
Personnel Roddy Frame – vocals, guitar, harmonica Bernie Clark – piano, organ Campbell Owens – bass Dave Ruffy – drums, percussion
Roddy Frame - High Land Hard Rain 30th Anniversary Show
I think shining the spotlight on some women in the world of music was a good move this week as we have been able to look at some who are no longer with us who blazed a trail in the world of pop and also a few who have been front and centre of their own particular fields of music for many years now who are still writing, recording, releasing and performing new music for our entertainment. I would like to think I've left the best until last with this one lady. She's recorded a Solo album - All The Roads That Lead Us Home - and is part of a group called The Murder of Crows who have also released a record called Imperfecta, as well as contributing to a number of other projects. You can find more information on the places to obtain these from her website (Click Here).
A couple of weeks ago NPR announced the winner of their tiny desk concert contest. 6,100 enteries were submitted for the opportunity to play a tiny desk concert for themselves. I checked in to have a look and was absolutely thrown by the choice the judges made ( the six judges were Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and The Arcs, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe of Lucius, Son Little, Robin Hilton and Bob Boilen of NPR). They posted the submission video of the winning entry (see below) and it left me firstly speechless and secondly in tears because the performance was so haunting and moving. I didn't read the article in full until afterwards and discovered a little bit about the winner Gaelynn Lea.
I'm not going to repeat much of what was said because you can read in full on the links I'm sharing that talk about it. I just wanted to say that this lady has overcome an awful lot to be in the position she finds herself in and judging from a number of deeply unkind and even hateful comments directed at her she's still got a few hurdles to get over (no scrap that, it's those who were saying the hateful stuff that have the hurdles to get over!).
Overall though the response to her win has largely been very positive and the good clearly shouts louder than the haters! One of the barbs thrown up was that the decision to award her the winner was that it was just a pity vote because she is disabled but I think that is incredibly unfair on the ear of the esteemed panel of judges and even more unfair upon a woman who despite the limitations of her body manages to play an instrument, write and sing songs of such depth and beauty, to be a recording artist, a live performer and not only that - be a teacher to others. Robin Hilton of NPR said this about the process of judging, "Gaelynn Lea had the most arresting voice and overall sound I heard in this competition. While judging each entry, I'd listen to the song first, then watch the video if I was moved by the music to spend more time with it. I was profoundly moved by Lea's song, particularly its serpentine, earworm melody and the tremendous heartache in her poetry." So, it is clear from Robin's view that this was not a pity vote but rather an artistic choice. I have been trying to think who Gaelynn reminds me of for the past two weeks and today it finally came to me. I'm not saying she's exactly like her but there are elements within her vocal performance that reminded me a little of Iris DeMent (but maybe that's just me!).
2016 Tiny Desk Contest Submission
Someday We'll Linger in the Sun
Gaelynn Lea
Gaelynn Lea
Tiny Desk Concert
Here's something you should read/listen to learn more about Gaelynn Lee
Gene Vincent Rocks! And The Blue Caps Roll was the third album on Capitol Records by Gene Vincent and I think the first one to be credited to just Gene (even though The Blue Caps get a mention in the album title). Both Blue Jeanbop (1956) and Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps (1957) are credited to Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps (though on the labels on both albums it says Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps). There's a few really good tracks on this. Opener Brand New Beat is pretty cool. I particulary like his take on You'll Never Walk Alone, and You Belong To Me and Your Cheatin' Heart as well are other favourites.
Gene Vincent Rocks! And The Blue Caps Roll - Gene Vincent
Capitol Records
Released 18th March 1958
A1 Brand New Beat A2 By The Light Of The Silvery Moon A3 You'll Never Walk Alone A4 Frankie And Johnnie A5 In My Dreams A6 Flea Brain B1 Rollin' Danny B2 You Belong To Me B3 Your Cheatin' Heart B4 Time Will Bring You Everything B5 Should I Ever Love Again B6 It's No Lie
The Idiot is the debut solo album by frontman of The StoogesIggy Pop. It was the first of two LPs released in 1977 which Pop wrote and recorded in collaboration with David Bowie (the other being Lust For Life).
The album was recorded in Berlin at the same time that Bowie was recording Low and Heroes. It was the first album of Iggy's (including his stuff with The Stooges) that had charted in the UK. Two singles were released Sister Midnight and China Girl, both had the same B-Side Baby! Neither single charted but six years on from this David Bowie would have a massive hit single with China Girl when he included it on his Let's Dance album.
It's a very different sound to Raw Power that was released in 1973. But on the UK Tour and parts of the US tour the shows still had a real Stooges-like feel, and if you didn't notice on the keyboards and backing vocals was a certain chap called David Bowie! Here's a recording of a show from Birmingham 1977. They hadn't quite mastered getting many of the tracks from The Idiot into the live setting with only three songs from the album featured in the set.
The Idiot - Iggy Pop
RCA
Produced by David Bowie
Released 18th March 1977
US Chart #72
UK Chart #30
Personnel Iggy Pop – vocals David Bowie – keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, piano, saxophone, xylophone, backing vocals, production Carlos Alomar – guitar Dennis Davis – drums George Murray – bass guitar Phil Palmer – guitar Michel Santangeli – drums Laurent Thibault – bass
I've tried in the past number of days to turn the spotlight on some quality ladies in the world of music and continue today with one of my favourite singers who has been singing since she was 11 years old and is still making music 65 years later! I recently posted about her latest album Livin' On A High Note. Mavis Staples was born 11th July 1939 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Roebuck "Pops" Staples was the youngest of 14 children in Mississippi who had as a younger man grown up playing Blues Guitar with Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson and Son House. He had dropped out of school after the eight grade and had begun to sing in a Gospel group before getting married and moving to Chicago. Once in the Windy City he set about working in Construction, Steel Mills and Meat Packers to support his family. In 1948 along with his wife they started The Staple Singers.
Mavis began singing with them in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, theStaples scored a hit in 1956 with "Uncloudy Day" for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated from what is now Paul Robeson High School in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Purvis, the Staples were called "God's Greatest Hitmakers." The Staple Singers evolved from popular Gospel singers to become the most spectactular and influential spiritualy-based group in America. In the 1960's they became the spiritual and musical voices of the Civil Rights Movement due to Pops' close friendship with Martin Luther King. Into the 1970's The Staple Singers had hits with songs like Respect Yourself, I'll Take You There, Let's Do It Again and If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) to name but a few. For her solo career it's been an interesting journey: her debut album was released on Stax in 1969, and a couple of duet singles also on Stax with Eddie Floyd and William Bell. The singles also appeared on a 1969 Duets album called Boy Meets Girl, ten of the 22 tracks feature Mavis Staples singing with Bell, Floyd and Johnnie Taylor. In 1977 she made a Soundtrack album for the film A Piece of the Action, that was produced by Curtis Mayfield. At the end of the 80's and into the 90's she even made a couple of albums that Prince produced: Time Waits For No One and The Voice. Spirituals & Gospel - Dedicated To Mahalia Jackson with Lucky Peterson was released in 1996 and would be her last album for 8 years!
In 2004 she returned with a really great album Have A Little Faith. In the next twelve years she would be releasing some of her finest music to date. First was the album spotlighted below, We'll Never Turn Back. A wonderful concept album with a clear theme of the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's. The album won a lot of fans, especially among the critics (surprisingly!).
You Are Not Alone (2010) and One True Vine (2013) produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco are in my mind some of the best music she's done in decades.
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