S4L Radio: Show #5 Playlist

Another helping of some fine tunes drawn from the deep well of musical history past and present. Enjoy!

The Playlist

On The Playlist

 Private Radio - The Bouncing Souls

From their 2001 album on Epitah Records How I Spent My Summer Vacation. One of my favourite bands from New Jersey (man that place is loaded with talent!)

A Fab Four Shout Out

The Beatles influenced so many down through the years and so here's four covers of songs by the Merseyside mop tops.

I was never a massive fan of them when I was younger. I did like a few songs here and there and so my favourite track from them is included. It's probably only in the past decade or so that I have really sat down and listened to them and discovered that I actually like a lot more than I thought I did.

Help - The Damned

B-Side of their Debut single New Rose. Yep, even the Punks couldn't hide the fact that The Fab Four had made an impact on them! Siouxsie and the Banshees also recorded a couple of Fab Four tracks in their time (Helter Skelter and the massive hit single Dear Prudence).

She Said She Said - The Chords

From their brilliant Debut (and their only album) So Far Away, released on Polydor Records in 1980. Many Mod revival bands turned their hands toward the likes of The Action, The Kinks, and the Small Faces etc and from what I can recall not too many did The Beatles. South London Lads The Chords pulled off a smashing cover of the 1966 track that appeared on the Revolver album

Come Together - Arctic Monkeys

A live version appears on Isle of Wonder album from 2012 though I am not totally certain where the Studio version hails from.

 Hey Jude - Wilson Pickett

Surely one of the finest cover versions of a song written by Lennon/McCartney (just pipped into first place by With A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker that was released in 1968). The song was suggested to by Duane Allman who was part of the band at Fame Studios. His guitar work on the single is beyond brilliant!

Things We Said Today - The Beatles

B-Side of A Hard Day's Night single in 1964 and also included on the Sountrack the film A Hard Day's Night.

Fake Happy - Paramore

From their latest hit album After Laughter (Top Ten both sides of the Atlantic).

Linger (Acoustic Version) - The Cranberries

From their latest Something Else album that spotlights a number of their most well known songs and are given a fresh acoustic treatment. I always loved this song from way back when it was first released in 1993.

I was watching a show on Sky Arts a couple of days ago that I had recorded spotlighting Two-Tone  and so I thought a wee blast of some classics from that label would be in order.

 Ghost Town - The Specials

Such a huge Single for The Specials (#1) and one that 36 years later still sounds so relevant!

Easy Life - The Bodysnatchers

Their Debut single Let's Do Rocksteady peaked at #22 in the UK but Easy Life stalled at #50. They were only together for two years and never got around to releasing an album. Their song The Boiler, a harrowing tale of rape was later recorded by The Special A.K.A. that featured Nicky Summers on bass and Rhoda Dakar on vocals.

Three Minute Hero - The Selecter

The follow up to On My Radio in 1980 reached #16 on the UK Chart.

Ranking Full Stop - The Beat

The other A-Side to their one and only Two-Tone single Tears of A Clown. The version I have included on the Playlist is the excellent version they recorded for their John Peel Session in 1979.

 The Prince - Madness

Their one and only single for Two-Tone backed by a cover of Prince Buster's Madness (from which they got their name) rocketed into the charts along with The Specials and The Selecter and peaked at #16. It was the first of many hits they would enjoy on Stiff Records, Zarjazz and on reforming with Virgin Records and Lucky 7 Records.

The "Oh My Goodness You Have That Record" Spot!

Sanctuary - Iron Maiden

This was their second Single release (Running Free was the Debut) and it broke into the Top 30 in the UK. The artwork for the single caused a spot of controversy when it was released but not enough to take it any higher in the charts than #29! In this day and age you could not imagine a major record label allowing such artwork to be allowed in these "sensitive" times!

Of all the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands Iron Maiden were pretty much the most amazing live (I saw them a number of times at the old Marquee Club on Wardour Street). I didn't particularly like much from that scene but this Single I thought was magnificent and still sounds stunning.

Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
Segment

Old

 In A Big Country - Big Country

Third Single from Stuart Adamson's Big Country released in May 1983 and was also the third single to be taken from their Debut Album The Crossing. The Single reached #17 on the UK Charts.

New(ish)

Coming Backwards - The Alarm

Currently showing the Young Guns how it's done on the Vans Warped Tour 2017. This is taken from the latest Studio Album Blood Red. After a huge tour in the States the band are planning on releasing another new album this year entitled Viral Black and then will be back out on the road in the UK in support of the album. If you have some spare time on your hands I urge you to watch the recent Documentary While We Still Have Time that spotlighted both Mike and Jules Peters battle with Cancer.

Borrowed 

Let The Day Begin - Simple Minds

Cover of The Call's classic little tune and released on the Simple Minds album Big Music in 2014. Black Rebel Motorcyle Club also did the definitive cover version of the song.

Blue

The Story of The Blues (Part 1 and 2) - Wah!

One of the best singles ever released in the 1980's (1982 to be exact) and one of the finest from the pen of Pete Wylie. It is highest chart placed single of his long and illustrious musical career reaching #3 in the UK.

It just hit me that there is a connection between these four bands/artists:
Mike Peters sang with Big Country and recorded an album with them.
The Alarm supported Simple Minds a few years back.
Mike Peters sang together with Pete Wylie in an early incarnation of Dead Men Walking and Bruce Watson of Big Country was also involved with them.

The Parting Shot

Goodbye - Plankeye

From their fifth Album Relocation released in 1999 on BEC Recordings.

A wonderfully haunting song that I have loved ever since I first heard it, can hardly believe though that it's 18 years old!

Revisiting: Beauty and the Beat - Go-Go's (1981)

 

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Beauty and the Beat - Go-Go's
I.R.S. Records

 Produced by Richard Gottehrer and Rob Freeman
Released July 1981
US Chart #1
(6 consecutive weeks on the top spot)

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
    Belinda Carlisle – lead vocals
    Charlotte Caffey – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
    Gina Schock – drums, percussion
    Kathy Valentine – bass, backing vocals
    Jane Wiedlin – rhythm guitar, vocals

Click on the links below to listen/watch more from the Go-Go's

Singles on Beauty and The Beat

A-Side: We Got The Beat*

B-Side: How Much More

Stiff Records

Released 27th May 1980

Did Not Chart

* Different to the version that appeared on the album

A-Side: Our Lips Are Sealed

B-Side: Surfing and Spying

I.R.S. Records

Released 12th June 1981 (US)

14th August 1981 (UK)

US Chart #20

UK Chart #47

The Fun Boy Three would have a Top Ten Hit with the Our Lips Are Sealed in 1983 (#7).

A-Side: We Got The Beat

B-Side: Can't Stop The World**

I.R.S. Records

Released 16th January 1982

US Chart #2

 It spent three weeks at #2 behind Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll'.

13th November 1981 (UK)

Did Not Chart

**UK B-Side was Skidmarks On My Heart 

 A-Side: Automatic

B-Side: Tonite

I.R.S. Records
UK Single
Released February 1982
Did Not Chart

Also released as a 7" Picture Disc

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A1     Skidmarks On My Heart    
A2     How Much More    
A3     Tonite    
A4     Fading Fast    
A5     London Boys    
A6     Cool Jerk    
A7     Automatic    
A8     Lust To Love    
A9     Can't Stop The World    
B1     This Town    
B2     Vacation    
B3     You Can't Walk In Your Sleep    
B4     Our Lips Are Sealed    
B5     Let's Have A Party    
B6     We Got The Beat    
B7     Surfin' And Spyin'    
B8     Beatnik Beach    
B9     The Way You Dance    
B10     Remember

 (Go-Go's 1979 - Photo by Louis Jacinto)

The Go-Go's Debut Album Beauty and The Beat was a huge step away from what the band were back in 1978 when they first began playing shows as part of the Los Angeles Punk scene (check out We're Here Now from a show at The Whisky, LA in April 1978)! The band consisted of Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Margot Olavarria (bass) and Elissa Bello (drums), and Charlotte Caffey (guitar, keyboards) was added to the band in late 1978.

Gradually they made the move away from Punk to a more New Wave/Power Pop sound and between 1979- 1980  Bello and Olavarria were replaced with Gina Schock (drums) and Kathy Valentine (bass). 

In 1979 they recorded a five-track demo that somehow fell into the hands of Stiff Records and in 1980 they released We Got The Beat as a single (BUY 78) and the band found themselves on tour supporting Madness. The band appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test (the video is no longer available on You Tube due to Copyright issues) and also in the film Urgh! A Music War peforming We Got The Beat.

They signed to I.R.S. Records in April 1981 and three months later their Debut Album appeared and was a surprise hit as it steadily climbed the Billboard 200 Chart reaching the #1 spot which it held for six consecutive weeks.

Our Lips Are Sealed broke in the Top 20 in the US and the follow-up single, a re-recorded version of We Got The Beat was held off the #1 spot by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and stayed at #2 for three weeks.

I still love this album. It's fine bouncy pop music that always reminds me of hot summer days for some reason (so it's a nice soundtrack at the moment with such nice weather).

Note from S4L: Due to a recent change of account at Photobucket a lot of pictures from previous articles on the blog have been sadly lost. I cannot for the life of me understand why my previous account just seemed to have vanished a couple of months ago. As a result I am trying to update pictures and links etc on many older posts in order that enjoyment of those posts is not lost. Other posts I have decided to redo altogether as it seemed a lot easier to do. So if you see a post that like today's one with the title "Revisiting" then more often than not it will be for the above reasons.
Thanks for your continued patience in this matter and thank you for taking time to visit this blog. - Doug (8th July 2017)

Revisiting: Echo & The Bunnymen - Echo & The Bunnymen (1987)

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Echo & The Bunnymen - Echo & The Bunnymen

WEA/Sire

Produced by Laurie Latham

Released 6th July 1987

UK Chart #4

US Chart # 51

2003 Remastered CD Reissue Version

with Bonus Tracks

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
Echo & The Bunnymen
    Ian McCulloch – lead vocals, guitar, piano
    Will Sergeant – guitar
    Les Pattinson – bass guitar
    Pete de Freitas – drums

Additional Musicians:
    Henry Priestman – keyboards
    Jake Brockman – keyboards
    Ray Manzarek – keyboards ("Bedbugs and Ballyhoo")
    Stephen Morris – drums ("Soul Kitchen")

     Bonus Tracks on 2003 Remastered CD Reissue
12 Jimmy Brown (Early Version Of Bring On The Dancing Horses) 4:07
13 Hole In The Holy 4:44
14 Soul Kitchen 3:56
15 The Game (Acoustic Demo) 3:57
16 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (Original Version) 3:41
17 Over Your Shoulder 4:10
18 Bring On The Dancing Horses (Extended Mix) 5:50

Click on the Links to Listen to More Music

Singles From Echo & The Bunnymen

A-Side

The Game

B-Side

B1 - Lost and Found

B2 - Ship of Fools

Released June 1987

UK Charts #28

A-Side

A1 - Lips Like Sugar

A2 - Rollercoaster

AA-Side

People Are Strange

Released August 1987

UK Chart #36

A-Side

 A1 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (Club Remix) 6:15
A2 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (LP Version) 3:28

B-Side

B1 Run, Run, Run 3:39
B2 Paint It Black 2:56
B3 Friction 4:40

Released 1988*

*It was released in 1987 in Germany and featured Over You and New Direction on the B-side.

A-Side

People Are Strange

B-Side

Run, Run, Run (Live)

Released February 1988

UK Chart #29

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Released on this day in 1987 was the fifth studio album from Echo & The Bunnymen and the last to feature drummer Peter de Freitas who tragically died two years after the release aged 27 in a motorcycle accident.

There was a lot of drama leading up to the making of the album as de Freitas departed the band only to return after using two other drummers who didn't really fit. His return though would not be as a full member of the band as his commitment had been called into question following his departure and his then current mental state.

They had given a live debut to two new songs on a show for the BBC in 1986 (The Game and Lips Like Sugar) and were under pressure from their label to produce a big selling album. Apparently Warners Chairman Rob Dickins had wanted them to replicate the success of Peter Gabriel's album 'So' which he had played to the band in a meeting saying, "I want you to sound like this!" Will Sergeant would say later that Dickens "escaped with his life that day!"

I know a lot of people who point to albums like Ocean Rain etc as being their finest and I have no problem with that. For me, I liked a number of their singles but wasn't really a huge fan of their albums until much later in life! But this self-titled album was actually the first album of theirs that I really did enjoy.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of it's release so it's kind of nice to revisit it again and give it a blast.