Three Peel Sessions

Echo and The Bunnymen - Sixth Peel Session

Their sixth Peel session (and second of the year), this has got some interesting takes on what would become Ocean Rain, features an early, half formed version of Yo-Yo Man (Watch Out Below) with different lyrics.


The Cure - First Peel Session

I don't have a massive amount of time for the Cure, I kinda lose interest post Seventeen Seconds. This session is from 1978 though, so Robert Smith sounds far less whinging that he normally does. Massive extra bonus points for having Michael Dempsey in the line-up, who ended up in Sulk era Associates playing bass and so is godlike.

Josef K - First Peel Session

At least I think it's the first, I'm not massively sure there was a second. Well, not officially at least. Anyway, this has a strange cover of Applebush sung by the wife of Malcolm Ross.




More sessions later perhaps, I hadn't realised how much of them I had......

Mackenzie sings Orbidoig - 12" Single

Mackenzie Sings Orbidoig - 12" Single

More Billy Mackenzie oddities then. 1982 was probably Billy Mackenzie's finest year. Sulk, TOTP appearances....this single, which is Billy and two chums (one of which would join the Associates post Rankine, the other who sung on the cover of Kites as 39 Lyon Street the year before) is rather less known. Billy sings a song about wanting to work in an Ice Cream Factory in a rather dreamy bouncy pop style and you can't help but wonder why the Perhaps era wasn't as remotely good as this. Ah well....Orbidoig did do another single (where Billy was off the vocal duties and onto percussion) which was almost as good before disappearing for good. Anyway, this is the twelve inch version, so you get an extended mix of Ice Cream Factory and a mad frantic instrumental harking back to Fourth Drawer Down era Associates.

And yes, I know this isn't a Peel Session but I got bored and this was better. I'm fickle darlings, I know.

Sad Lovers & Giants - Peel Session

Sad Lovers & Giants - Peel Session

John Peel. I didn't think much of the claims that his death would mean the death of new/interesting music getting some sort of airplay/exposure but it did. Quite alarming just how much hung on one man's shoulder, and quite nice to know it never went go to his head. Not sure if we'll ever see anything remotely like it, no-one really got the time under their belt. The fact he was an institution in a way kept him on air for so long. Wouldn't be surprised if he'd been carted off to 6 Music by now if he hadn't popped his clogs though.

Annnnnyway, thought I'd put some lesser known Peel Sessions up, I've got tons of them hanging around and I might put another one up tonight if I can find what I've got in mind. We'll start with Sad Lovers & Giants one and only session from 1981 though. Probably the favorite thing I've stumbled upon this year, I've no idea how I overlooked them when I was going through a big fuck-off post-punk phase in my early 20's. Reckon the version of Alice Isn't Playing here is even better than the album version......

Baader Meinhof

Baader Meinhof

This was meant to be the first post of this blog but I sort of forgot about it despite uploading it to Rapidshare, since the film is out it seems rather apt to plonk it up. If it's half as good as Downfall I'll be happy. Ooh, I might have a terrorist cell named albums/bands week and put up some SPK or something. Or perhaps not.

Anyway, Luke Haines does a concept album about the German terrorist group and it turns out to be the best thing he ever did. Who'd have thunk it?

Christ I'm bored. I rather think I'll spend next month projectile vomiting expensive booze all over Cambridge. I was sick this morning for the first time in about five years. Five years without a gag reflex. I could have made a fortune. Pfft.

The Gol Gappas - Collection

The Gol Gappas

Since the Cavaliers proved rather popular....

A lesser known 'el records band, the Gol Gappas only released one 7" single and one 12" single. Six tracks. Apart from that, I know nothing. Nowt. Not a sausage. I nicked the picture from Last fm and I have no idea if that's them. Could be two confused farmers for all I know. Anyway, what we have here is all six tracks. Even Chicken Pox, which somehow avoided being included on the onslaught of CD reissue collections Cherry Red pumped out. Took me bloody years just to find an mp3 of it. 60's style pop songs about obsessive model train operators being bludgeoned to death by their neglected wives...among other things. I dearly love all six of these songs, not my usual cup of tea but they've always stuck in my head. So here it is, another one of the mysteries of 'el for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

B.E.F. - Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One

B.E.F. - Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One

I'll plonk this up before I forget.

The British Electronic Foundation were Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Mare of Heaven 17 and formerly the Human League released this album of artists covering other people's songs back in 1982. It first came to my attention mainly for the two Billy Mackenzie tracks (especially his version of Secret Life of Arabia) but the whole thing stands up rather well. Even something like Paula Yates covering These Boots Are Made for Walking is worth a listen. Sandie Shaw, Glenn Gregory (doing a cover of Wichita Lineman I can't stop listening to at the moment), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), Tina Turner and er, Bernie Nolan make up the rest of the vocalists.....oh, and how could we forget Gary Glitter covering Suspicious Minds. Oh yes, how we could forget that?

The Wild Swans - The Revolutionary Spirit

The Wild Swans - The Revolutionary Spirit

Paul Simpson, Ex-Teardrops, Liverpool post-punk, drugs, Bunnymen, unrealised potential, blah blah blah blah blah.

All completely unimportant.

Magic on vinyl, the best 7" record ever made.

Really.

Ghouls 'N Ghosts - Soundtrack

Ghouls 'N Ghosts - Soundtrack

I haven't really had much to do with "modern" music for a very long time, there isn't much that's new and shiny that takes my fancy. Mainly because it's not very new and shiny. Stuff that's newish that I do listen to (Kavinski, Alden Tyrell, Freak Electrique etc) isn't doing anything particularly interesting or innovative, but it does what it does well. Which is more than your basic four fuckwits from Fulham type band can do. Come to think of it, anyone that wants to be in a band should fuck off. Let every single band be press-ganged, I want to hear two teenage girl sock factory workers and a pissed old man attempt an acid house revival using only a bucket, an acoustic guitar with three strings and the soulful noise that only the clatter of spoon on spoon can provide. Fuck me, I've just worked out my retirement plan. See on you the cover on NME circa 2040 (oh, it'll still be there, it's like a cockroach).

Oh yes. Ghouls'N Ghosts soundtrack. The aforemented Kavinski did an EP that reminded me of computer game music and Tim Follin (who did this) is one of the best. This is the Amiga soundtrack, the title track is amazing, as is the high score music. In fact I added the c64 version of that as well because it's been rammed into my skull for the last two days.

Collection d'Arnell Andréa -Au Val des Roses

Collection d'Arnell Andréa -Au Val des Roses

Gorgeous ethereal vocals, cello, drum machine and synth combine to form a beautiful and haunting album from 1990. You could almost describe it as chamber music. As time went on they did evolve into somewhat more "standard" darkwave fare, but their early albums are essential. Probably one of my favorite albums, Un Refuge Lointain is probably the highlight.

I have a hangover the likes of which you people have never seen, drinking vodka straight from the bottle while playing Nirvana tracks on Rock Band is probably not the best idea I've ever had. You know you're in for a bad one when you sporadically can't feel your lower left leg. I need pie. I shall get pie. Then I shall eat pie. Pie shall save, if not my soul, at least my stomach lining.

Artery - One Afternoon In A Hot Air Balloon

Artery - One Afternoon In A Hot Air Balloon

One of Sheffield's finest, Artery's first full length album (well, sort of. Oceans was more a mini album/EP) was a radical departure from the bordering on hysterical insanity of their earlier work. Artery's live performances were well known for their intensity, you can see their lead singer thrashing all over the stage on the Made In Sheffield DVD and by the sound of things that was one of their tamer days. So how you do top that? You don't. You go vaudeville. Yes you do. Theatrical, mildly ludicious with it's honky tonk piano replacing the sheet metal like guitars of old....Mark Gouldthorpe no longer thrashing, but treading the boards.

Highly recommended to all.