Summer Holiday

Cover version of the month #52
Lightships cover Seaside Stars

+ Gerard Love interview

You can always rely on Gerry Love to brighten the skies with his voice, words and music. So many of his songs offer dreams of escapism, of the sunshine. After weeks of grey skies and endless days of rain, many people were dreaming of, or booking, summer holidays.

Along came Lightships, the name Gerry records under, with a beautiful gem of a cover version. Summer Holiday by the band Seaside Stars.

The song could almost have been written for (or by) Love. The mellow melodic vibe and pace suit his voice, the lyrics of dreaming and of escaping snow, school and town are pure Gerry.

And there'll be no homeworking

And we could be together, forever

Snow makes town a mess

Still we're in this class

Dreaming all the way

Of a summer holiday

I'll say no more though, as Gerry kindly agreed to answer a few questions on the band, the song and his beautiful homemade cover version.

How did you discover Seaside Stars and what were your first impressions?

In the 2005 Man-Made tour Teenage Fanclub played a few shows in Germany. The first couple of shows were in Stuttgart and Koln where we were supported by a group called Sealevel, the following 3 or 4 show it was a double bill with The Posies. Seaside Stars features Hans from Sealevel and his friend Andi. How I came into possession of The Stranded Whale album is currently a mystery. I originally thought that I had been given a copy during these 2005 shows but as the album dates from 2006 I must have been given it in 2007 or 2008. I have no clear memory as to who have it to me or when I was given it. I do have a strong memory of listening to the album a lot while on tour. It's one of *those* records. I liked it the first time I heard it, it has a real charm; it's warm, subtle, close, melodic, it creates a magical space, as all good records do.

Check and download the album here

Why did you decide to cover their song Summer Holiday?

In late 2017 I received a Facebook message from Andi asking if Teenage Fanclub would consider recording one of Hans' songs for his 50th birthday celebrations. The plan was to present Hans with the personalised CD of hand-picked cover versions from his back catalogue. For one reason or another, the Teenage Fanclub recording didn't happen but as I had such a strong memory from my time with The Stranded Whale I thought I should try to do something myself. I believe Seaside Stars records are all DIY home recordings so I felt that a lo-fi home recording would be the way to approach it. I guess Summer Holiday was the song that stuck out for me and I felt that I could possibly do a decent version. When I originally presented it to Andi in early 2018, I listed it as by "Gerard Love" but for the time being I guess all my stuff will now be presented as Lightships, so I uploaded to YouTube as a Lightships recording.

You recorded the song in your kitchen and it sounds lovely - who was involved in the recording? Can we expect more like this?

I live in a tenement and I have a small recording set-up in the alcove in my kitchen so I recorded and mixed it there. I just did it myself. I had to contact Andi for some help on the chord progressions, but it was all done and dusted fairly quickly. Just a couple of weeks ago I received a Facebook friend request from Hans himself, it brought my mind back to the recording and I asked him if it would be OK to upload it to YouTube. I don't expect to release many home recordings but you never know.

I guess Summer Holiday was a commission, a request, and if any similar requests were to happen in the future then it is something I would consider. My version sounds home recorded but I'm quite happy with it. Primarily, I like studio recordings and I imagine that's the way I'll go forward but I'd be happy to do the odd DIY thing now and again if an interesting opportunity presents itself.

Could you tell us some of your favourite cover versions?

Too many! A few that instantly spring to mind: My Back Pages by The Byrds / Mr Bojangles by Nina Simone / Different Drum by The Pastels (and The Lemonheads) / I Can Feel The Ice Melting by Yo La Tengo / Let Me Get Close To You by Alex Chilton

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday 

Eugene Kelly at The Doublet

I really love The Doublet bar in Park Road, Glasgow. It's handy for Kelvinbridge Underground, Kelvingrove Park, Woodlands, Great Western Road and Gibson Street. But it's still just nicely out of the way to stand on its own.

The Doublet is a traditional old boozer, beloved by musicians and artists. So, when they announced they were putting Eugene Kelly with support from Molly Linen on in their upstairs function room, I knew I would have to be quick to grab a ticket.

Eugene is an artist I fell for back in my teens and I guess I have been extremely fortunate that a lot of the bands and artists I discovered back then have had long careers; Teenage Fanclub, Eugene and The Vaselines, The Pastels, BMX Bandits, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr ... all still making music.

Upstairs at The Doublet holds 50 at a squeeze, so this was a special intimate show. Molly Linen played a beautiful set, her voice is gorgeously pure and her guitar playing is intricate, clever and melodic. Linen released a 10-inch EP via Lost Map at the end of 2019 and I will certainly be checking that out and hoping to see her again in the future.

On to Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines, or one-time of Captain America until Marvel Comics threatened to sue him, so he changed the band name to Eugenius 'which no-one could spell or say.'

People were literally sitting (on the floor) at the feet of a Scottish indie legend last night. The intimate setting was informal and friendly and Eugene dove way back into his catalogue to play songs of love, lust, frustration, bitterness, tenderness and humour.

The opening Wow! and Bed In from the Captain America days translated easily to an acoustic performance, making me appreciate them all the more.

New songs, School Sports Day and Dogs Best Friend, made me long for a follow up to Eugene's 2003 album Man Alive, from which he played a number of songs. Eugene brilliantly combines raw punk energy with brilliant pop melodies, riffs and hooks and it was thrilling to see him perform in such an intimate setting.

Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam is a song that has traveled around the world thanks to Nirvana covering it on their Unplugged album, here we were watching its author perform it in his local pub - a joy.

New song Is She Into Me? was brilliant - hilariously brilliant. The lyrics and melodies flowed as Eugene told a story about a guy doubting himself through a string of events. I so hope he records it.

Eugene ended with classic Vaselines songs Mollys Lips and Son Of A Gun to rapturous applause. This was a very special show from someone who displayed his very special talents.

My only disappointment was that Eugene didn't have time to play If I Could Talk which he co-wrote with Evan Dando and The Lemonheads recorded.

But hey, what a night!

INTERVIEW - Warren McIntyre

Photo by Jim Byrne

Warren and Heather from the Starry Skies

In October and November of 2019 I was very taken by a crowdfunding campaign by singer-songwriter Warren McIntyre to raise funds towards the recording of his next album with his band, the Starry Skies.

I scrolled through the ways that you could get involved, ranging from a simple £10 donation in return for a digital copy of the album, through to a guitar being raffled, signed vinyl, credits on the record sleeve etc.

What caught my eye, was a house gig.

I've been fortunate to attend a few house/flat shows and I've always loved the friendly atmosphere they create. It was £250 to book Warren and one or two of his band for a stripped back show. But then I thought - I'd like to do more.

So, I explained to Warren that I would like to put on a small intimate show in a pub. It's been a while since I put on a show and it's also been a while since I had an afternoon in a pub! I would underwrite all costs and Warren would receive every penny from ticket sales.

I chose upstairs in The Doublet Bar, Park Road, Glasgow. It's a good traditional pub and very music friendly. 45 tickets went on sale at 1pm on Wednesday 15th January and by Thursday 16th January they had sold out! So that is £450 towards helping an artist create music and art.

Read on for a very honest interview with Warren that takes in; him annoying his parents after discovering pop music, his first band at the age of 12, bands he has played in, what it means to be supported in his art and a little bit of what to expect if you are lucky enough to have a ticket.

Starry Skies have a new digital single Sweet Honey Blue coming out on 20th March and you can pre-save it on Spotify if you follow this LINK

EF - Can you remember when you first became interested in music? Was it a certain song or band?

Like many people, I first became interested in music through the music my Mum and Dad were listening to and remember they were big Beatles and Elvis fans. The first song I remember being obsessed with though was the very unfashionable Drift Away by the Doobie Brothers when I was about 8 years old.

We were on a family holiday at a caravan site in Tighnabriaich with lots of other friends of the family and I was playing the song over and over again and singing along with this wee cassette microphone. When I say over and over, I mean like for hours at a time and eventually the tape was 'lost' as no-one could take it anymore. It was only years later in reflection I realised it may not have been lost at after all!

Then when I was twelve I got hooked on punk rock and joined a band called the Revs playing drums on songs by the Clash, the Fall, Sex Pistols and the Cure. Then after a year or two as a drummer, I retired and listened mostly to the Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop and the Stooges albums on repeat.

EF - When did you first pick up a guitar? How quickly did you get to grips with it?

A few years later my Dad's friend came to visit one day with his son Peter who had just been for his guitar lesson and had his guitar with him. He played me House of the Rising Sun, Wild Thing and some Spanish guitar stuff and I straight away wanted to be in a band. I managed to get a guitar nearly straight away, using my birthday and Christmas money and started trying to play. I point blank refused to get lessons as my Dad suggested and wish I had now as it took me years to get anywhere near competent and I still can't really understand timing or scales or any musical theory very well. And when I say very well, I mean at all!

It often amuses or annoys people in equal measure how easily I can screw up counting to four. This is mostly the reason I always make sure that I play with people who are much more musically able than I am and  top of their game.

EF - When did you first record one of your own songs? What are your memories? And do you have a standout studio moment from your years playing and recording?

The first time I recorded was with the Revs when I was 13 and we recorded Killing An Arab by The Cure, Bingo Masters Breakout by The Fall and English Civil War by The Clash. We were three-piece and neither Steven or Brian, who were the singers, wanted to sing The Clash song, so I ended up singing it and it turned out I was a better singer than drummer. This is not to say I was a very good singer but I was god awful at the drums and keep meaning to get it put in digital form so that I can let drummer friends hear it to give them a laugh.

Standout moment recording was probably recording at Toerag studios with Liam Watson because it was all done live on to 8-track and you left the studio after 3-days with the finished record.

This said, I have enjoyed making every record and always worked with great producers such as Johnny Smillie who is very much the man in demand these days, and more recently with Matt Harvey who is amazing at string arrangements among many other things.

EF - What bands have you played in through the years?

I have played in loads of different bands over the years and perhaps it's not always been the smartest move, but whenever the line-up changed, I have tended to fold the band and start afresh under a new names. So to date; I have played drums in the Revs and sung in Atomic Clocks, Exhibit A, Sunclocks, Moondials, Hippy Toys, Whiteout, Ducks and now Starry Skies.

Been a bit silly in some ways as always starting afresh means you lose any momentum the name has established. I've made the decision though to stick with Starry Skies from now on, come what may.

EF - You're crowdfunding the costs to record a new album. This is becoming 'the norm'. What are the pro's for you as an artist?

Yes, lots of fans and friends of the band have been really generous and basically paid for the record upfront with a number adding extra to come into the studio to add handclaps to a track or buy a house concert. It has been very kind of them and we really appreciate it. This support means that we can make the album quicker than we would have been able to do if just saving up for recording and pressing costs.

EF - What's the response been like and what are your plans for the album?

We have been blown away by the positive response and there are so many brilliantly supportive and lovely people out there and we feel very privileged to know so many of them. Money can be tight these days and not everyone is in a position to help through crowdfunding but have supported us in other ways. Encouragement and support can come in many forms and it's something I'll always appreciate.

EF - One of the options in the crowdfunder was to book you to play a home show. Instead, I asked if I could book a pub and put you on. What can people expect from your intimate afternoon show at The Doublet?

Well, that is a good question and we were really chuffed that you came up with this idea so have been working hard to make sure it is a great show for everyone coming. The fact that it sold out in 24-hours was a surprise, so we have to make sure it is as good as we have ever played.

We'll be playing through songs from the first and second Starry Skies albums along with a selection that will be on the next album. So basically we will be playing songs from all the records. To give ourselves a wee challenge I'm keen to play my favourite song of all time which is a song made famous by Ray Charles, although it is not so easy to sing, so still working on that, and one by my other favourite singer Nina Simone. We are planning on having all three strings there along with the two guitars, so not quite sure how we'll cram in but where there is a will there is a way!

Warren singing Nina Simone in 2015

Norman Blake and Euros Childs at Strathaven Hotel

Douglas McIntyre from Creeping Bent Records is involved with FRETS Creative in Strathaven. The creative hub have started organising regular shows at the Strathaven Hotel. Towards the end of 2019, both James Grant and Lloyd Cole played shows. Last night was the turn of Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and Euros Childs .

Strathaven is a lovely little town in Lanarkshire. It's not the easiest to get to, certainly not by public transport and especially not in crazy wet and wild weather, but that didn't prevent Fanclub Fanclub members traveling up from London and down from Cromarty.

We were only traveling from Uddingston, a 25-minute drive away, but the back road from Hamilton to Strathaven was pretty scary in the wet and wild weather. We were glad to get in and grab some drinks from the bar in time to catch most of KiDD's set.

KiDD , on this occasion, were Stuart Kidd and Alan Clark on their acoustic guitars with a dash of 'mouthie'. I absolutely loved what I heard; beautiful melodies and harmonies and their guitars gelled well together. Kidd's new songs have a lovely sense of maturity and happiness to them - telling tales of setting up a home with his wife and child. I look forward to hearing them on record. They worked beautifully with just the guitars and I wonder if this is the route when he comes to recording, if he hasn't already.

After a short break Norman and Euros waltzed into the room like the bride and groom taking to the top table, quite fitting as the venue is usually booked for weddings - my cousin Katy got married there.

The duo opened with an acapella version of Sky Men by Joe Meek and it was really beautiful. Their voices sounded so beautiful together and their was a bit of a celtic feel to their take on it. There have long been rumours of Jonny (Norman and Euros side project) having an album of Joe Meek cover versions ready to go, was this a hint that they might finally release it?

We didn't have time to find out as what followed was a moment of slapstick comedy as Norman spilled a bottle of water and was worried about electrocuting himself. The water was cleared up and Stuart Kidd took to the stage to play some light percussion as he does on the Jonny album.

You can find the full setlist below. It was really good to hear most of the Jonny album live again. You Was Me flowed brillianty, Bread was brilliant, so clever, so melodic and so funny. Norman's I Don't Want Control Of You is even more stunning when it is stripped back and the shouts for Euros' Spanish Dance Troupe were granted and the song was very warmly received.

Whilst Norman was tuning Euros took up the tale of the two of them once owning an antiques shop, this yarn led to Norman auctioning off a vinegar bottle! The between song banter was hilarious and very good natured.

I'll Make Her My Best Friend was another of my favourites from the Jonny album, short, sweet and upbeat, while Circling The Sun was just sublime.

Never Alone is my favourite song on the Jonny album, there is so much imagery and emotion in the song, it's truly beautiful. And Norman's stripped back take on his Fanclub song I'm In Love was glorious. I hope it is recorded in that style at some point.

My sister had been hoping that Euros would play a song of his called Spin That Girl Around and was delighted he did. I hadn't heard it before. It's a cracker, really stunning, beautifully melodic.

Norman, Euros and Stuart then ended with a cracking cover of The Kids Are Alright by The Who that I hadn't heard in ages. I found myself blasting it out this morning.

A brilliant night. The Bluebells are playing an acoustic set at the next FRETS night in March and the April headline act will be announced on Monday. Sign up for their e-newsletter to get details first.

Supergrass at The Barrowland Ballroom

10-years after they had said goodbye to their fans in the Barrowland Ballroom, Supergrass returned to say hello and remind people what a fantastic catalogue of songs they had produced, by delivering a blistering high-energy pop punk show from start to finish.

A short promo film of homemade video footage from the bands career played on a big screen and then before we knew it, the band were onstage and ripping and roaring through Caught By The Fuzz. Gaz Coombes on guitar and lead vocals, Mick Quinn on bass and backing vocals and Danny Goffney on drums and backing vocals sounded superb as they blitzed their debut single.

Joined for much of the set by Rob Coombes on piano and keyboards, the band clearly enjoyed themselves and the youthful energy of their songs, many from their teenage years and early 20's, sounded blissful.

The guitar riff of Diamond Hoo Ha Man backed with a kick drum kept the pace up as the crowd clapped along. The stoned melodic groove of Mary slowed things down briefly and if you needed reminding of how easily Supergrass could throw in little hooks then you had received a lesson in 3 songs.

Moving was a real highlight, it seemed to be really beefed up for the got a low, low feeling around me section, the place erupted. I said to my brother several times through the show that the sound was incredible, the sound engineer had really nailed it.

After another few songs including a romp through Mansize Rooster, the band departed the stage and another short film was shown before the band came back on and launched into In It For The Money from their 1997 album of the same name.

The way Supergrass gel guitars, bass and drums is thrilling, especially on songs like Richard III and the band fizzed through it, leading to a glorious keyboard solo and Gaz sceaming trying to get at you, trying to get at you, trying to get at you.

Supergrass make so much sense live, Danny Goffney was whirling like Keith Moon on the drums, Coombes was sounding great on guitar and vocals and Mick Quinn thundered through some bass riffs. They looked and sounded magnificent.

Going Out was sublime, even without the horns, running into a nice little jam at the end, then Lose It, She's So Loose and into Alright, the band were on fire. And then Sun Hits The Sky was another real highlight for me, so powerful and again the band jammed on at the end.

The throbbing riff to Lenny swiftly followed and the crowd and band were going for it as Coombes led us through I've been around and around but I got nowhere to go now

Strange Ones, Bad Blood and a huge Pumping On Your Stereo, which the crowd started singing before the band started, ended a really cracking show.

Coombes highlighted the bands love for the Barrowland a couple of times. I hope they will be back.

Never Ending Mixtape part 45

Hi

Thanks for visiting my blog and the most recent additions to my Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify, now sitting at 1,346 songs, 89 hours and 31 minutes of music.

Dig into a couple of Beatles classics and marvel at McCartney's driving and flowing Paperback Writer. I recently discovered Weller's beautiful Instrumental Pt 1 and rediscovered Say Something by James. Elsewhere we have euphoric pop by Belinda Carlisle, stunning soul from Baby Huey and also from The Fantastic Four and incredible guitar pop from The Bluebells and from Echo and the Bunnymen. And much, much more including a gem I just discovered by Candi Staton.

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape or click below where you'll also find a list of the latest additions. Dig in and enjoy.

Paperback Writer - The Beatles
Instrumental Pt 1 - Paul Weller
Say Something - James
Day Tripper - The Beatles
Ike's Mood 1 - Isaac Hayes
Caught In The Middle - Cerys Matthews
Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
California Dreamin' - Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters
Mighty Mighty - Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted? - The Fantastic Four
I Touch Myself - Scala and Kolacny Brothers
I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem

Circling The Sun - Jonny
It Helped - Yakima
The Ship Song - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen
Why Does It Always Rain On Me? - Travis
Driftwood - Travis
Writing To Reach You - Travis
All of the Time - Alex Chilton
Can't Seem To Make You Mine - The Seeds
Blue Moon - Big Star
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Medicated Goo - P.P. Arnold
Standing By Love - Eula Cooper
Hallelujah Anyway (Larse Vocal) - Candi Staton
We've Gotta Find A Way Back To Love - Freda Payne
Everybody's Somebody's Fool - The Bluebells
Seven Seas - Echo and the Bunnymen

Alcoholiday

Cover version of the month #51
Mark Morriss covers Alcoholiday

25-years ago this month I caught two young bands playing King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - The Bluetones and Supergrass! Quite a moment, both bands clearly had something.

I fell for The Bluetones. The gained a huge following in my hometown of Carluke for their melodic guitar pop. Quite a crowd of us headed to The Garage in Glasgow the week their stunning debut album Expecting To Fly came out. in 1996 and in the summer of that year I chose to catch The Bluetones headlining the NME Tent at T in the Park over Radiohead on the Main Stage.

Mark Morriss was a super cool front man with a cheeky grin, an impeccable haircut and a cool swagger. The Bluetones still play semi-regularly, indeed just this week they have announced a joint tour with Sleeper for later in the year. But Mark has also been playing regularly throughout the UK for years as a solo artist, releasing 4 albums, beginning with Memory Muscle in 2008.

Alcoholiday by Teenage Fanclub was covered by Mark on his debut and what a gorgeous version it is.

The original featured on the Fanclub's classic 1991 LP, Bandwagonesque and it is one of my favourite TFC songs. Driving, fuzzy, distorted electric guitars are at the heart of the song and they fire up from the start, paired with stunning harmonies that captured the hearts of so many.

Norman Blake's lyrics point to doubt about a relationship. Whether he is in that relationship or wants to be in it is up to the listener to decide.

There are things I want to do, but I don't know, 

If they will be with you, if they will be with you

There are things I want to say, but I don't know

If they will be to you, if they will be to you

 I remember in 5th year at school discussing Bandwagonesque with my friend Grant Mitchell and he particularly loved this song because of the swearing in it

Went to bed, but I'm not ready

Baby I've been f**ked already

The song flows beautifully, like so many of Blake's do. It all feels so natural, like the word and melody are just pouring out of him. There is a break just before the 3-minute mark, but there is still another stunning 2.5 minutes to go with Blake singing 3 -times before his electric guitar combines heavenly with that of band mate Raymond McGinley.

All I know, is all I know

What I've done I'll leave behind me

I don't want my soul to find me

So what could Mark Morriss do with a Norman Blake and Teenage Fanclub masterpiece?

Well, Mark turns it into a gentle acoustic lullaby, sprinkled with glockenspiel and underpinned by strings. He handles it with clear care and love. Removing the electric guitars allows Morriss to focus on the lyrics and the melody and his vocal delivery brings out regret and reflection. The closing all I know, is all I know section is sublimely soulful and heartfelt.

It's a gem of a cover version. Mark is back in Glasgow at the Glad Cafe on April 18th with support from Sister John. Be quick as there are only a few tickets left.

The Bluetones will be playing their stunning debut Expecting To Fly in full on August 28th in Glasgow on a joint tour with Sleeper.

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet

Album tours

I found a recent tweet by Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand rather amusing. Given the timing, Kapranos might have been referring to Suede who have just announced a European and UK tour of their 1996 album Coming Up.

Personally I love when favourite bands of mine focus shows on landmark anniversaries of classic or fan fave albums. Some don't even wait for an important anniversary, they are just getting out there. Although I totally understand where Alex is coming from.

For me, everyone is a winner; the band get to revisit a much loved album, maybe even playing some songs live for the first time. It might generate media interest and sales of the album or merch. They may even get to play larger venues than 'normal' due to demand.

Fans, know what they are getting, are prepared to pay for tickets and merch and have a good night out, while promoters are probably more confident booking a band if they know exactly what the band is going to play.

Galleries curate exhibitions of artists at certain periods, people celebrate anniversaries all the time ... why can bands not celebrate their catalogue of creative work?

A number of my favourite bands have played classic albums. Teenage Fanclub needed 3-nights to play their Creation albums from the 1990's. Primal Scream revisited Screamadelica in 1991 and blew me away both times I saw them on that tour. The Charlatans have revisited their debut Some Friendly and Tellin' Stories, while The Lemonheads have performed It's A Shame About Ray. I caught The Jesus and Mary Chain play Psychocandy in Glasgow and I very much hope to find a friend with a spare ticket to see them perform Darklands at the Barrowland in March.

I have also been extremely fortunate to watch Arthur Lee and Love perform Forever Changes and Brian Wilson and his band perform Pet Sounds. Typing that sentence sent tingles down my spine.

That's five of my favourite bands playing records I cherish plus two absolute legends playing incredible albums from the 1960's that generations afterwards have fallen in love with .

Meanwhile bands from The Wonder Stuff to The Twang have played shows of 'classic' albums. They might not be 'classic' to me, but they are to some. And that is what counts.

Kapranos followed his initial tweet with the statement below.

He is very probably right regarding the idea. Although at the same time he mentions that touring is a way of performing a body of work - surely an album qualifies as that. And most bands also play other stuff either before or after the album concerned.

And in terms of an album being a slice of creativity frozen in time....

I find that a very odd comment. Art, good art, is timeless. Hell, in the case of Screamadelica mentioned above, the album still sounds futuristic.

Kapranos has a point, but perhaps he has missed one as well. Classic art does capture a moment in time, whether that is a painting, a photograph or music. The birth of rock n roll, Elvis on TV, The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, the summer of love, Bowie on Top of the Pops, The Pistols, the rave scene, Britpop ... they are moments in time that mattered to people, moments in time that people will revisit via YouTube, old photos, albums, singles and by chatting to friends, or making new friends online as a result of these memories. Are they frozen? Or do they continue to inspire?

Think of albums; Sgt Peppers, Pet Sounds, Never Mind The Bollocks, Stone Roses, Nevermind ... they capture a spirit and a moment in time for many. Other bands might not have created albums quite so culturally significant, but they still meant something to someone out there - enough to go on tour.

If playing an album show  gets a band back together and out touring or playing a few dates and giving people a night out, making them happy .... good for them.

And what will happen if a promoter offer Franz Ferdinand good money to tour their classic eponymous debut album? The 15th anniversary is coming up! ;-)

Brian Wilson at Kelvingrove Bandstand, August 2017

The Ship Song

Trust me #9

On Sunday 26th January I attended a beautiful Scots/Burns/Australian event to mark Burns Birthday and Australian Day. The host, an Aussie, Professor Andrew Biankin, opened the doors to his wonderful home and invited colleagues and friends round for an afternoon of poetry and song, all to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Scotland - the charity I work for.

The talent on display was truly awesome, but one song stood out in particular for me towards the end of the evening, a beautiful rendition of Nick Cave's The Ship Song.

Cave is an artist I have seen live, but I haven't properly dug into his extensive back catalogue or his recent critically acclaimed albums. That might change. Maybe I'm ready for him now.

The Ship Song is so beautiful, so heartfelt, so perfect. The delivery and performance is simply stunning, enhancing the poetic words.

Trust me, if you haven't heard this (or even if you have) then sit back and enjoy.

Come sail your ships around me

And burn your bridges down

We make a little history baby

Every time you come around

Come loose your dogs upon me

And let your hair hang down

You are a mystery to me

Every time you come around

We talk about it all night long

We define our moral ground

But when I crawl into your arms

Everything comes tumblin down

Come sail your ships around me

And burn your bridges down

We make a little history baby

Every time you come around

Your face has fallen sad now

For you know the time is night

When I must remove your wings

And you, you must try to fly

Come sail your ships around me

And burn your bridges down

We make a little history baby

Every time you come around

Come loose your dogs upon me

And let your hair hang down

Your are a little mystery to me

Every time you come around

Words and music by Nick Cave

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton
1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells
2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond
3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell
4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot
5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon
6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras
7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans
8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland