Happy St Andrew's Day....

Back in 2008 as part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, Glasgow was named as a UNESCO City of Music in recognition of its musical history as well as the significant role the city plays in promoting music in modern times. With an average of 120 music events, covering an extensive range of genres, being staged in Glasgow every week, the city more than deserved the title.

As today is St Andrew's Day it seemed apt to pay tribute a couple of bands that,although not strictly speaking from Glasgow, have had a huge influence on the Glasgow music scene over the last 30 years or so.

There's not much that I can add that has not already been said before about Edwyn Collins. In light of everything that has happened to Edwyn over the last few years there can be few more inspirational and influential people in Scottish music. I never saw Orange Juice play live but did manage to see him early on in his solo career at Glasgow School Of Art and in recent years I have had the great honour of seeing him live on quite a few occasions including his triumphant gig in the breathtaking main auditorium at Oran Mor. After many thought that we would not see Edwyn play live again he has not only done so but also produced some of the best music of his career and has never sounded better live. We salute you Sir Edwyn.

Today Spools Paradise also pays tribute to a band who are unparalleled among their generation for both their unwavering adherence to and brilliant reinvention of the classic guitar pop of bands like Big Star and The Byrds. If there is a more perfect pop album than Grand Prix it would be hard to find. Blessed with the talents of three formidable singers and songwriters who all share an unerring knack for crafting immediately infectious melodies Teenage Fanclub have consistently released great music for the last 20 years or so. Gorgeous three-part harmonies and beautiful melodies performed and produced perfectly for 20 odd years is quite an achievement. Long live The Fannies.

Edwyn Collins - Don't Shilly Shally
Teenage Fanclub - Neil Jung

Retro Sounds For 2011....

Through word of mouth I was recently recommended the debut album from San Francisco indie duo Dominant Girls, and a mighty good recommend it has turned out to be. Every track on the album seem to have an ever present joie de vivre and Invitation is packed with an abundance of great tunes and spot on harmonies. Unashamedly retro, the bouncing grooves and Smiths-inspired jangle of songs such as ‘Take A Bow’ and ‘Hoop Of Love’ would nestle effortlessly on the legendary C86 tape. Main man Ryan William Lynch has also often cited Springsteen and Nile Rodgers as contrasting influences. It makes for an interesting and often infectious melting pot of sounds that adds up to one of the more intriguing releases of 2011.

Dominant Legs - 2 New Thoughts About U

Ice Cream and Pool Halls....

Don't know much at all about The Dragsters. I believe they were from Greenock and released three cracking singles in the mid 80's, of which I'm Not An American is the most well known. This was another one I came across the other night when sorting out some old 7" singles and it still sounds pretty good, if very much of it's time. Not too dissimilar to the likes of The Shop Assistants, The Pastels et al. It comes in a hand made sleeve that the band themselves probably had to fold that features black and white images of America over the last century or so that were all name checked in the track including Star Wars, Bonnie and Clyde, drive ins and the Silver Surfer.

The Dragsters - I'm Not An American

Lay This Burden Down....

There were many soul singers like Mary Love in the 1960s - very talented, competent performers who were nonetheless pushed to the back of the pack because they lacked exceptional material, or enough personality to truly distinguish them from a crowded field.

Mary has performed over the years with greats such as The Temptations and The Four Tops. When Modern Records signed her in the mid 60's they saw her as their answer to Motown but sadly no hits were forthcoming. She is probably best known for this gem of a track that still gets the floor packed amongst Northern Soulsters.

Mary Love - Lay This Burden Down

Jennifer Wants....

From the same Record Mirror single that yesterday's track came from comes toady's offering from Raymonde. Contemporaries of The Smiths and similar in both sound and style, there appeared to be a mutual appreciation society between the two bands. One went on to become one of the the best and most important bands ever whilst Raymonde have sadly faded into obscurity. As far as I know they only released the one album which is currently unavailable.

Today's track was recorded exclusively for Record Mirror and wears it's Smiths influence very proudly on it's sleeve.

Raymonde - Jennifer Wants

I Always Try, I Always Miss....

Whilst sorting through some old 7" singles last night I came across a couple that were given away free with Record Mirror back in the mid 80's. Record Mirror leaned more towards the commercial side of things but there were some decent tracks released on the freebie records you would find sellotaped to the front cover including this exclusive remix of one of my fave New Order tracks....

New Order - Sub-Culture (Record Mirror Mix)

Velvet Elvis....

According to Wikipedia, A Velvet Elvis is "a painting of Elvis Presley on velvet. It typically represents a costumed torso of Elvis holding a microphone, painted on black velvet (or velvet of some other dark color, such as navy blue, red or purple). This iconic velvet painting is considered an archetypical example of kitsch".

It is also "a neighbourhood bar & grill offering casual dining & drinking in the eclectic surroundings of an original 1910 butchers' shop in the Partick area of Glasgow complete with meat hooks and Edwardian tiling, complemented and counterpointed by a real vinyl jukebox crammed with classic bits of black plastic".

And it was also the name of a self titled album from a four piece from Kentucky that was produced, mixed and recorded by Mitch Easter back in the late 80's. I picked the album up in Virgin in a bargain bin a year or so after it came out, largely because I liked the sleeve and the picture on the back of the album reminded me of the Go Betweens. The album is certainly part of that sound that was sweeping college round at the time inviting comparisons to the Paisley Underground movement and early R.E.M. Don't know much more about them but their eponymous release is a pretty decent album that shows they knew how to write a tune or two and deserved wider attention at the time.

Velvet Elvis - When It Comes
Velvet Elvis - Something Better

At The Country Club....

I have just finished reading Tom Doyle's biography of Billy MacKenzie, The Glamour Chase, and would heartily recommend it. As frontman of the Associates, gifted with an otherwordly, octave-scaling operatic voice, MacKenzie, together with partner Alan Rankine, enjoyed Top Twenty chart success in the early 80's. The book is a fascinating insight into the life of one of our most eccentric, endearing, talented and sorely missed pop stars.It is by turns funny, strangely innocent and ultimately ends up as a tragic family story. It showcases a complicated man driven by fame but endlessly pulling away from it. Read the book, put on your copy of Sulk and remember the immense talent that was Billy MacKenzie.

Party Fears Two remains the track that most people remember The Associates for, but for me it was the follow up that was their highpoint. Club Country remains as incredible and enthralling as it ever did and pop music would be much the poorer without it.

The Associates - Club Country (12")

It's In Your Eyes....

Over a year in and no posts on one of post punk's most important artists. Step forward Declan Patrick McManus or Elvis Costello to the likes of you and me. I was thinking about this on the train to work this morning and I think it is largely because I feel that he is a tad over-rated. I have a few Costello albums in the house and still listen to and enjoy My Aim Is True and Trust. I also have spot for Punch The Clock and can find tracks from almost all his releases that I could happily listen to. I Want You is one of the best tracks I have heard and any one who penned a track like Shipbuilding cannot be dismissed but sadly I still feel he is over-rated.

The more I think about him the more tracks come to mind that I do actually like including the full on, pounding energy of this track from the NME back in '86, that I lovingly ripped from 7" vinyl just for you.... so perhaps I am completely wrong on this....

Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Uncomplicated (NME Version)

I also forgot about the joy of Costello's love song (!!) to our former PM, Tramp The Dirt Down...

I Could Be A Soldier....

The one word that springs to mind when I think of Stiff Little Fingers debut release is integrity. There are very few albums from that era that still retain the same power that they had at the time. Angry, passionate lyrics, Jake Burns rasping vocals and just bloody great songs that make Inflammable Material one of the essential punk albums. Raw, committed and delivered with such anger and sheer vitriol based out of personal experience with no compromise. This album more than almost any other sums up everything that was worthy about the punk era.

Stiff Little Fingers - Wasted Life

Don't Call Me Quirky....

I have been listening a lot over the last few days on Spotify to the second album from The Do (there is a slash through the O which apparently means it is pronounced as The Dough). Their 2008 debut album, A Mouthful, became the first number one album in France by a French act singing in English.

The new album is an amalgam of hip hop, folk, rock and so much more. There have been some comparisons vocally to Bjork and their sound has variously been described as quirky and eccentric. This is just lazy journalism. It is a very hard to cateogarise sound that they have but that can surely only be a good thing. Olivia Merilahti's vocals are a unique instrument, at one moment sounding almost like a little girl lost, the next moment extremely playful and mischevious. The soundscapes that she performs over are the work of one Dan Levy but it is clear from the off that this is very much a collaboration.

If you are looking for something original to listen to you might find what you are looking for here

The Do - The Wicked And The Blind

A Timeless Classic....

Da Doo Ron Ron is generally regarded as the true beginning of the now famous Phil Spector Wall Of Sound recording technique. Spector originally had singer Darlene Love record Da Doo Ron Ron at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles. After singing lead on the Crystals' previous hits He's A Rebel and He's Sure the Boy I Love with her group The Blossoms, Darlene Love was still working as a session singer and being paid scale. After singing on Da Doo Ron Ron, she asked for an artist's contract, and Spector responded by erasing her vocals and flying in Crystals lead singer Dolores La La Brooks to replace the lead vocal. The backup vocals were provided by The Blossoms and another one of Spector's favorite backing singers,Cher.

Still one of the greatest tracks recorded by anyone, a timeless, classic pop tune that will still be getting sung 100 years hence..........

For more classic pop visit here ...I don't think I've had 135 comments covering all my postings over the last year or so...one can but hope...

Have a great weekend....

The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron

The Voice....

There are a couple of male voices that just get me every time and they couldn't really be more different. There is the masterful velvet vocals of one William Smokey Robinson and there is the man described by Elvis as "Quite simply, the greatest singer in the world, Roy Orbison". With his quavering operatic voice and melodramatic narratives of unrequited love and yearning The Big O's three-octave voice put him in a class by himself.

Orbison's voice and incomparable songwriting were pivotal, as well as unmatched, in the development of rock and roll.

I first became aware of Orbison in the late 80's when he starred in the HBO cable special, A Black and White Night with any number of famous musicians lining up to sing along side him including Elvis Costello and Springsteen. The show was a huge triumph and brought Orbison to a whole new audience.

Of all the artists who passed through the doors of Sam Phillips's Sun label in the 1950s, Roy Orbison must have seemed the least likely to succeed but succeed he did.

What a truly magnificent voice he had. The man could sing and then some.

Favourite Cover Versions...Part 6

I have previously written of my thoughts here on the exquisite Trinity Sessions album from Toronto's finest The Cowboy Junkies. One of the many great things about that album was the covers they chose to do, which were as good as or in some cases surpassed the originals. This penchant for covering classics continued with the follow up album, The Caution Horses. Once again the music was beautiful and haunting whilst Margo Timmins vocals are as vulnerable and lovely as you would expect.

The cover on the album of Neil Young's Powderfinger is probably the only cover of one of his tracks that I have heard that is better than the original.

Cowboy Junkies - Powderfinger

Something New....

Neon Indian is Alan Palomo, the Mexican-born, Texas-raised, brilliantly lucid early 20's synth-wizard who learned his production chops as part of Ghosthunter and honed them in Vega. The new album is a blissful listen of layered ethereal sounds and indistinguishable vocals, with an overall 80s teenage angst that's not too dissimilar to French producer M83's great album of a few years back, Saturdays = Youth. Palomo claims, perhaps not entirely truthfully, that Era Extraña is a search for the meaning of cyberpunk; but even the title, a Spanish wordplay on "strange" and "longing", is elusive.

To The Hip Hip Hop....

The early 1970s saw a new culture developing in the New York's Bronx district. In nightclubs and at house parties, DJs and MCs spent countless hours developing hip-hop as an art form. But it took The Sugarhill Gang, and a song called "Rapper's Delight," to get it on the radio.
The song used the backing of Chic’s popular disco track “Good Times”. Originally the song’s composer Nile Rodgers was not credited on “Rapper’s Delight” but that was later changed. Rapper's Delight was technically the second rap record, lagging a few weeks behind The Fatback Band's King Tim III (Personality Jock).It went multi-platinum, eventually selling more than eight million copies worldwide, and set the pace for the rap recording industry. 15 glorious minutes of the bass line from Chic's "Good Times," with a New Jersey crew spieling goofy routines about Superman and bad food on top--is one hell of a party-starter.

Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight

Let's Get Small....

Trouble Funk were not the first go-go band but they were the foremost ambassadors of Washington DC's unique contribution to popular music. Go Go was a blend of swinging, up-tempo '70s funk and a '60s-style horn section that was briefly popular over in the UK in the mid 80's when we were "getting small" with the likes of Trouble Funk. The bands do their thing while the musicians and audience yell a whole lot of nonsense with a strong James Brown flavour to the music. Raw, funky, percussive, full-on party music sums them up quite nicely.

Trouble Funk - Let's Get Small

Nine Million Rainy Days....

With Bobby Gillespie gone and replaced by an unobtrusive drum machine, The Mary Chain turned down the noise for the follow up to their seminal debut and worked on developing the back-to-basics pop songs that were always underneath. Shorn of their trademark feedback, the melodies are what really shine through on the songs on Darklands. Thought of by some as William's masterpiece Darklands was proof positive that when it comes to delivering a brooding, classic rock n roll album they were second to none.

This track was on Darklands but this version was released on a free 7" given away with Sounds and recorded live in '87 in Detroit.

JAMC - Nine Million Rainy Days (Live In Detroit)

A Jumped Up Pantry Boy....

It's a testimony to the outstanding songwriting talents of Morrissey and Marr that a hastily compiled collection of radio sessions , b-sides , and the odd single , is now rightly regarded as one of the seminal albums of the Eighties. Besides Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's obvious talent and skill, it's usually overlooked that the Smiths had a fantastic drummer and bass player as well and Hatful Of Hollow amply showcases what a vital part of the overall sound Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke were.

From start to finish, the whole album is a complete work, and improves on the debut album, especially with regard to production. Handsome Devil is an unqualified classic. Hand in Glove, William, It Was Really Nothing, Reel Round the Fountain, You've Got Everything Now. I could go on forever. I won't, I will just let the music do the talking..........

The Smiths - This Charming Man
The Smiths - Handsome Devil

Never Forget....

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood/Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,/Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud/Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,/My friend, you would not tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some desperate glory,/The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est/Pro patria mori.

Bronski Beat - No More War

Standing On The Corner....

Even people who generally do not appreciate the music of The Velvet Underground will testify to the greatness of Sweet Jane. Apparently this was Reed's attempt at writing a hit for the Velvet Underground, who as we all know were highly influential, but were completely commercially overlooked. Originally released without the coda we finally got to hear the track as intended on '95's Peel Slowly box set. It is quite simply a seminal track that has one of the best riffs ever recorded.

Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane

Well Jimmy Played Harmonica....

The Pogues 2nd session for Peel in December '84 contained amongst the 4 tracks the classic that was Sally MacLennane. Somehow the track only reached number 54 in the chart. Probably sold more right enough than it takes to get in the Top 10 these days. Is there a better drinking song than Sally MacLennane - it's certainly hard to listen to without wanting to grab a drink and join the party. This captures The Pogues perfectly in all their irreverant glory.

The Pogues - Sally MacLennane (Peel Session - '84)

Soul Time....

SHIRLEY ELLIS: she was funky yet classy, sophisticated but sassy. Unjustly pigeonholed as a novelty act by many rock historians, Shirley was a unique talent who could rock the joint with the best of 'em, then spin on a dime and hold a packed house of hip nightclubbers in the palm of her hand, spellbound by her cool mastery of a jazzy ballad. I found this description of Shirley Ellis on the web and thought it summed her up better than I ever could.

Shirley Ellis - Soul Time

Some Old Skool House....

A bit of old skool House music to kick start a new week. Who says there is no dance music on Spools Paradise ? Soulful House track from '88 that reminds me of good times at the Sub Club. A sweet, killer piano intro and a devastating bassline that drops in with impeccable timing help make this one of the classic House tracks.

Turntable Orchestra - You're Gonna Miss Me

Sun Kissed Gorgeousness....

When Dennis Wilson's solo debut, Pacific Ocean Blue was released in 1977 few people had high expectations for it. Oh how wrong the doubters were. Pacific Ocean Blue was a gorgeous masterpiece and is a distinctly personal statement revealing Dennis Wilson to be a talented and gifted performer in his own right. Wilson's style, both in terms of singing and songwriting, is unique. His voice somehow manages to be both rough and fragile at the same time, making his vocals strangely powerful and moving. 12 songs of gripping need and tortured beauty, sung in a craggy, soulful voice by a surfer dreamboy for whom the California dream was real, but sadly not enough.

Dennis Wilson - Thoughts Of You

Great Debut Albums Part 4....

Raw, punky, folky, witty, and beautiful - five words to describe the debut album release from James. There is a mania about Stutter that makes the album utterly compelling. The album also achieved a sensitive, soaring beauty that laid the groundwork for some of the great work they produced in the 90's and beyond. Stutter captured them at their essence and stands as an introduction to the creativity they would continue to produce in their later work.

James - Johnny Yen

Coulda Been A Contender....

I had not watched any of the Best Scottish Album shows on STV that have been on for the last 4 weeks but decided to watch the grand finale last night. As I had not seen the show I had no idea what would make it onto the album that would comprise the most voted for tracks and, to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. The album would contain three tracks from the 70's/80's/90's and noughties to make a 12 track album. I'm not for a second saying that I would have picked any of the tracks on the final list for my own 12 track album to sum up the best that Scotland has had to offer musically over the last 40 years or so but there's no denying that Sunshine On Leith is a great track and it was also nice to see Mike Scott and Franz Ferdinand in there. Was quite amusing right enough to hear one of the panelists talking about how original Franz Ferdinand were. Obviously he had never listened to The Fire Engines or the bulk of the output of Postcard Records.

Anyway here's a couple of tracks that I would like to have seen included....

JAMC - Upside Down
Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing

Bellshill's Finest....

I have just watched the Creation at the Beeb show from last week and it made me think of The BMX Bandits who sadly were not on the show but did release a handful of great tunes on said label. The BMX Bandits seem to have been around forever. I have fond memories of seeing them in Crystals in East Kilbride in the early 90's but their fanbase has never grown beyond the confines of a fervent cult following. Shame that as Duglas and Co have been producing some great work since '86's debut E102.

They spent 3 years on Creation, releasing 3 albums and in Serious Drugs released one of the best tracks by any band on the label. Over the years former band members have went on to greater success but it looks like The Bandits will remain one of Scotland's best kept secrets....

BMX Bandits - Serious Drugs

Stranded Far From Home....

Formed around 1974 as Kid Galahad & The Eternals in Brisbane Australia, The Saints released the punk classic (I'm)Stranded on their own Fatal Records label when no other labels wanted to know. Its release in late '76 predated Anarchy In The UK and New Rose and their I'm Stranded Album predated The Damned first album in early '77.

Never as political as bands like the Pistols, The Saints were a scorching rock'n'roll band, full of attitude, capable of unleashing some of the most blistering sounds of the punk era. The Saints were to Australia what the Sex Pistols were to Britain and the Ramones to America.

(I'm)Stranded remains one of the defining tracks of the punk scene and to this day they are still, quite rightly, highly revered in their native Australia.

The Saints - (I'm Stranded)

Dancing With The Rude Boys....

With their blend of raucous punk rock laced with reggae and dub, The Ruts were one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Britain's late-'70s music scene. Raised on a healthy diet of reggae, ska, jazz and funk, there was nothing contrived or formulated about the Ruts. Their love of reggae, in particular, wasn’t faked. They had a better feel and understanding of the genre than, arguably, any band before or since. The Londoners were latecomers to punk's party and never quite achieved the kudos of a Clash or a Pistols but in Malcolm Owen, they had and lost one of rock's great storytellers who will always be remembered as an impassioned and powerful performer and as the lead singer of a band who still remain today as one of the key bands of their generation.

The Ruts - Staring At The Rude Boys