Friday 21 August 2020

Love Comes In Waves - Andy Bell interview

 

Andy Bell's love of music shines through on his social media channels. During lockdown I've enjoyed Andy's tweets of him playing cover versions (and tutorials) of his favourite songs. In addition Andy has talked openly about celebrating a recent landmark birthday. 

And then Andy posted news that he would be releasing The View From Halfway Down, his debut solo album, on 9th October, before treating us to a taster with the single Love Comes In Waves.

The fresh psychedelic pop vibe of the single sent warm tingles down my spine, there is an urgency and playfulness to it, there is a constant flow and drive, Bell sounds like he's having fun. The guitars sound glorious and I immediately wanted to play it again.

I was so inspired that I sent a few questions off and I was thrilled to receive a reply!

So read on for a feature length interview taking in the impact of COVID, Ride, GLOK (Andy's electronica alter ego), recording with Andrew Weatherall, the solo album and what Andy hopes the album will be thought of if he has succeeded.

A desire to create and play leaps out from the interview and I look forward to hearing the album in October, I'll be blogging on that on release.

But first - A few links and the video for the single before we get started;

Andy Bell - Bandcamp  

Ride - website 

GLOK - Bandcamp

Album pre-orders from Sonic Cathedral

How are you? How has life been for you over the last 5-months? What have you had to put on hold? What have you had more time to do?

I'm really good thanks. In the grand scheme of things I feel like I've had things pretty easy during lockdown. Luckily no-one in my family has been taken ill. It's hard not being around people outside of our family unit, but that has started to ease a little in the last few weeks. But there are still folks, such as my wife's parents over in Dublin, who we haven't been able to see at all, and that's been hard.

When this all started I had just come back from a Ride tour of Europe. It was the start of February and COVID was looming over the horizon but not here yet. Ride has a summer of festival gigs lined up and we were looking forward to that But Ride was coming to the end of a cycle rather than launching into a new one. This meant that we were mentally prepared to be winding down anyway, at least for the moment, which made it easier I think.

My immediate plan was to prepare for the first GLOK gigs, which had been put in the diary from March onwards. My GLOK live debut was due to be at an event called Music's not for everyone which was curated by Andrew Weatherall, and this was cancelled, not because of COVID, but because the great man tragically passed away at the start of the year. In fact his funeral was the very last time I saw people out and about, before lockdown started.

Mr Weatherall's passing was such a massive loss to music. Andrew was a titan of the musical culture I grew up with and definitely a hero of mine. It was sad to me on a personal level as well because we become friends a couple of years earlier, when he invited me down to his studio, ostensibly to buy a guitar off him. In the event, I ended up staying for upwards of 2 weeks, because when I plugged the guitar in to try it out, I ended up playing on something he was working on (a track he eventually titled Making Friends With The Invader - the guitar is a Vox Invader) and then another and another. These sessions, which took place in Summer 2018, were a fantastic memory that I will carry with me forever. Andrew had also become something of a mentor to GLOK and one of his last remixes, possibly his last one, was of a GLOK track called Cloud Cover. (check it on Bandcamp

As well as the Music's not for everyone gig, GLOK also had shows lined up at the Social, the Great Escape and Worlds Unknown. I was figuring out to convert my album Dissident into a live setting, when lockdown just obliterated all those plans. There was a GLOK remix album about to be released Dissident Remixed which ended up getting put back a few months due to COVID, that's now been released and has done really well. It's great - it includes that excellent Weatherall remix but also great mixes from Maps, Timothy Clerkin, Richard Sen, C.A.R. and many more.

So no GLOK gigs, no GLOK remix album, no Ride festivals, lockdown left me with only one thing to work on, an EP which I'd planned to put out on Sonic Catherdral, to follow up a 7" I'd released in 2019 as part of their singles club. I was trying to figure out which songs to put on this 12", out of all the possible choices, and it was doing my head in until I had the idea to maybe expand it from 20 minutes to 40 and make it an album. The change from an EP to an album was a direct result of lockdown. That, and a shedload of DIY!

You've announced your solo album The View From Halfway Down is coming out in October. Did you set out to write a bunch of new songs or did it just happen?

For me it was more a question of track selection. I recorded a lot of tunes with Gem Archer at his stdio back at the start of 2016, directly following the death of David Bowie, and this album draws from that but also other bits and pieces. The songs on this album were mostly finished before all of this. It was mainly vocals and mixing that happened this year.

The lead single Love Comes In Waves is real melodic psychedelic pop. Did anything specifically influence the sound of the single or forthcoming album? What kind of stuff were you listening to?

The influences shine through as clear as day I think, it's the music everyone knows I'm into. The Beatles, Krautrock, Spacemen Three, The Stone Roses.

Would you like to play some solo shows when it is possible?

I'd like to, yeah. I'd like to play some Ride shows too! And some GLOK shows! I'm basically desperate to play a real gig again. Ride did an online gig the other day, and although it was great to do, it basically just highlighted everything that was missing from that moment. I miss our audience and I can't wait to get onstage on a real tour with Ride again. I feel cheated out of the end of our last tour, but hopefully we can pick up again where we left off when this is all over.

What can fans expect from the album?

It's a pretty humble affair. Around half of the tracks are instrumental, it's not so much of a "songwriter" album. It's more about a listening experience, I tried to make something that I'd want to listen to. It's pretty gentle most of the time, touches of psychedelia, I think it sounds great in the sun. Basically, if I've succeeded, it's the ideal shoegaze barbeque album.



Wednesday 19 August 2020

A Ton Of Bricks

I first blogged about Emi James, the side project of Gordon Johnstone from L-Space / Post Coal Prom Queen, in August 2019. L-Space is a band I have thoroughly enjoyed following since I first discovered them back in 2017. Their music, style, creativity and work-rate ensure that they always have something on the go.

Gordon has blurred the lines between his band and his solo classical work by reimagining 4 L-Space songs in an EP of real widescreen cinematic wonder. Stick your headphones on and press play and this is what you'll discover.

Karoshi (Too Tired For A Revolution) opens with a frantic burst of strings for one minute, before easing into a relaxing, dreamy sequence that is just beautiful to listen to. There is a real melancholic under current through the song with gentle flourishes on top. Gorgeous.

Blue Flowers is my favourite L Space song. As Emi James, Johnstone transforms it into the title track A Ton of Bricks with sweeping strings over a bubbling synth.

The recompositions show a different facet of the songs; how the chords and melodies Lily and I wrote could be reinterpreted into something far removed from pop music; something expansive and cinematic that the listener can get lost in. Gordon Johnstone (Emi James)

Float Through Wires (Weight Of Your Bones) is just heavenly, delicate and sublime, this is my favourite on the EP. The gentleness and care Johnstone takes in his art comes across beautifully. 

Bloom Rapids (A Boat To Safety) has all kinds of thing going on that probably shouldn't work together - but they do! 4 notes are at the heart of the song, but Johnstone brings things to the boil with all kinds of other instruments and noises.

I would love to see and hear Gordon perform his compositions in a live environment. 

L Space have had 2 albums nominated for the Scottish Album Of The Year Award. Gordon and Lily also produce and create under the guise of Post Coal Prom Queen.

Within the space of a few years they have created and released a fantastic body of work. Keep an eye and an ear on them.

For now, enjoy A Ton of Bricks on Bandcamp or Spotify.





Tuesday 18 August 2020

All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun

Trust Me #15

It is quite rare to discover a truly mesmerising, beautiful, jaw dropping, stop you in your tracks song. A song so good that you listen to it again and again and marvel at the beauty, the soul, the soundscapes, the performance, the art ...

Over the weekend I discovered a magical song that immediately cast a hypnotic spell on me on first listen, causing me to go back to listen again and again.

The discovery of this rare gem came through Teddy Jamieson at The Herald via an article he wrote on 10 amazing Scottish voices

Jamieson includes the remarkable Liz Fraser from Cocteau Twins in his feature and urges readers to check All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun , an unfinished & unreleased song by Fraser and her then partner Jeff Buckley.

I had no idea that Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser were a couple. This is a quite extraordinary song and performance, with both artists taking flight, soaring majestically and with ease.

Opening with a fiercely strummed acoustic with bursts of (then joined by) electric, Fraser opens gently before her voice rises dramatically to let rip in the second line, oh I am fuse. She repeats this trick / skill before Buckley comes in all soothing and romantic for the first chorus.

Fraser's improvises over Buckley's acoustic, making some incredible intense noises that sound equally painful, passionate and spine tingling, before the two sing the chorus together.

Buckley takes the next verse, showcasing how his own voice can rise, play, swoop and soar. Fraser takes the final verse as Buckley hums the melody to the chorus, before singing it, then Fraser joins him.

All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun is beautifully raw, capturing something delicate, passionate and deeply emotional.

Jamieson reports that Fraser didn't want the song to be released as it was unfinished, I am so glad that a bootleg version has made its way out there.

This is songwriting and performance at its purest best, a song I will return to again and again.

You can listen on Soundcloud, the lyrics and YouTube link are below.

My eyes are, a baptism

Oh I am fuse

And sing her, into my thoughts

Oh phantom elusive thing, oh


All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one

All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one, here is one, here is one


All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one

All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one

Keep it going in me, wicked traveller

Fading father from me

With your face in my window glow

Oh, where will you weep for me?

Sweet willow

It's OK to be angry

But not to hurt me

Your happiness

Yes, yes, yes

Darling, darling, darling

All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one

All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one


If you use Spotify you can find a playlist of all the songs from the Trust Me series of blogs by searching for Everything Flows Trust Me or clicking HERE 

You will need to use the Soundcloud and YouTube links for this particular gem.

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
9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave
10. Sometimes by James
11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time
12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre
13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields
14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals


Monday 17 August 2020

The Man Don't Give A Fuck



Trust me #14


Written around a sample from the Steely Dan song Show Biz Kids, The Man Don't Give A F**k was originally intended to be a b-side to the Furries song If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You.

Fate ensured that the sample wasn't cleared in time, with the band then deciding to release it as an a-side in December 1996. A move that generated lots of press and attention, ending a fantastic year for the band following the release of debut album Fuzzy Logic in May. 

Fuzzy Logic was a lovingly messy experimental pop record with Beach Boys style harmonies, psychedelic grooves and (at times) punky guitars, all with lots of hooks.

In 1996 Creation Records, once famed for releasing innovative leftfield music by the likes of Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and Ride, had become  Oasis' record label and set about signing bands like Heavy Stereo and Hurricane No 1 in an attempt to ride on the Gallaghers coat tails, forgetting that Oasis had captured hearts cause they were so different from anyone else when they burst on to the scene.


Meanwhile, as a band who truly were different, it was the Super Furries who benefited from the millions Oasis were generating. All of a sudden Creation (and the band) had a budget to indulge in fantasy ideas like buying an old tank to blast out techno music at festivals, buy yeti costumes and 50 foot inflatables, or fly to Columbia for a week to shoot a promo video. 


I've just finished reading The Rise Of The Super Furry Animals by Ric Rawlins and it is thoroughly entertaining. 

Super Furry Animals were on a different path from any other band and this has been highlighted in many, many ways throughout their career. The release of The Man Don't Give A F**k as a single certainly lay down a marker.


The studio version of this single is beautiful psychedelia before transforming into a poppy thrash. Live, the Super Furries take this to far off places, allowing keyboard / synths / samples whizz Cian Ciaran to play and his band mates to improvise and jam along.

Stretching the song to beyond 10-minutes, sometimes to closer to 20, the Super Furries play on the chorus / mantra sample, taking the beats out and adding them in to create something stunningly hypnotic.

It's psychedelic techno. An 11-minute version from Glastonbury 2015 is included below, as is an insane 22-minute live recording from Hammersmith Apollo allowing the Super Furries to be as playful and experimental as they like before bringing it back to the euphoric chorus.

In my dreams I imagine a Labour back bench chanting the refrain across parliament to the Tories! Or a crowd massed outside parliament chanting this for days on end.

The full lyrics are below,  alongside the aforementioned Glastonbury and Apollo versions. You'll also find links to the previous Trust Me blogs and the Trust Me Spotify playlist.

Oh and check this demo as well which is glorious!


Spent some times in stormy weather
Under clouds of my dilemma
Now there's nothing much to do
Except for sitting in front of televisions
Staring back at me
I'm just waiting for the microwaves
To wash me into the sea

You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else

Our focus ideology
Keep the masses from majority
Experts blame my stupid plan
Left to bleed while vultures glide

You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else

You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else
You know they don't give a f*ck about anybody else




If you use Spotify you can find a playlist of all the songs from the Trust Me series of blogs by searching for Everything Flows Trust Me or clicking HERE

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
9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave
10. Sometimes by James
11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time
12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre
13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

Wednesday 12 August 2020

10 from Edwyn Collins

This weekend I should have been heading to the wonderful Kelvingrove Bandstand in the West End of Glasgow to see Edwyn Collins gracing the stage with his presence and songs.

Edwyn's hometown shows are always a celebration, I think this one, in the stunning outdoor amphitheatre, surrounded by the greenery of the park, would have been a little extra special.

Glasgow is particularly fond and appreciative of the work and art of Collins. A handsome and super cool devil, Collins displayed a great ear for melody, married with clever lyrics (with dashes of humour) from the very start of his career. Equally appreciative of The Velvet Underground and Chic, Collins created wonderful guitar pop with his band Orange Juice that captivated many. If those bands had inspired him to pick up a guitar, the circle was nearing completion as teenagers across the country jumped on the Sound of Young Scotland and the early Postcard Records singles to buy guitars.

It was really in the 00's that I properly fell for Edwyn's music, specifically the Losing Sleep album that was released in 2010. The title track blew me away and it sent me scurrying to explore his extensive back catalogue - a very rewarding experience.

Edwyn suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in 2005 and his recovery is documented in the 2014 film The Possibilities Are Endless.  It might be due to my age (having only been 4 when Orange Juice released their debut single) but 2007 onwards is my favourite period of Edwyn's; full of incredibly personal, soulful, reflective and forthright lyrics. 

Each time I watch Edwyn live, I gain even more appreciation of his talents as a songwriter and performer. The way he crafts his songs is absolutely fascinating. His wordplay is joyful, his passion and soul shines through and it sends me back to exploring his extensive body of work and his history.

And what a rich history Edwyn has. From the Postcard Record days where he would drive overnight to London with Alan Horne to rouse the media, through celebrated singles and albums with Orange Juice, to his mega hit A Girl Like You in the 90's, through to present day.

A DIY ethic and fierce work attitude is at the heart of Collins story. Whether with albums, studios, artists or labels. I love the story from the Losing Sleep album about Edwyn only allowing a day for each song with collaborators from The Cribs, The Drums and Franz Ferdinand, pushing them to create something with a sense or urgency.

Edwyn has the ability to get people dancing, pogo-ing, singing and he has the ability to warm and melt hearts with his poetry and delivery.

In many ways I think he is vastly under-celebrated, but I think that suits him just fine.

Here are 10 of my favourite songs that span Edwyn's career.

In Your Eyes

From the Losing Sleep album that saw Edwyn collaborate with a number of bands including Franz Ferdinand and The Magic Numbers. This song is with a band called The Drums and it contains an absolutely euphoric chorus. It was thrilling to hear Edwyn play this last year with his son William singing the part of The Drums singer Jonathan Pierce.

Blue Boy

Released in August 1980, Blue Boy was the second single from Orange Juice. It is positively bursting with energy, from the militant drums that lead to a burst of organ, bass and guitar. Collins spits out a couple of lines before he is into an uplifting chorus.

She wasn't listening to the sweet words

He wasn't listening to her lying tongue

He was listening to the words being sung

By the Blue Boy

The second verse contains two incredibly poetic lines (below) before we head back to the second chorus, which is completed by 1 minute 12 seconds, allowing plenty of time for the band to jam over a funky bass before the third verse and chorus are sung at pace by a frantic Collins. There is still time for a brilliant outro and its all over in under 3 glorious minutes. I can never play this song only once, I always have to play it again.

Friends told him of her young hearts passion

Down by the sea where the blue waves crashing

I Can't Help Myself

Orange Juice released a remarkable run of singles from 1980 to 1984. Listening to them back to back, their development is quite staggering. Their 1981 cover of Al Green's L.O.V.E (Love) is absolutely exquisite and I'll feature that in a forthcoming cover version of the month blog. It really highlights their influences and where they wanted to head in terms of quality and soul.

In 1982 Collins and his band released I Can't Help Myself and it's a real favourite of mine.  Deceptively simple, but full of humour and clever references, this is 5-minutes that, in comparison to Blue Boy mentioned above, make you wonder if this is the same band. Have they really moved on so much in 2-years?

The additional 2-minutes of time gives Collins and his band time to stretch out with loads of great riffs, hooks, use of backing vocals and even a saxaphone solo!

I felt I had to tell the world

About you

It's 5-minutes of absolute joy.

Home Again

This absolutely melts my heart. Written and recorded before Collins cerebral haemorrhage in 2005, upon release in 2007 it took on a whole new meaning. Certainly for me and other fans. You could have heard a pin drop when he played this at Mono a number of years back.

The acoustic guitar is sublime, Edwyn's voice is incredibly gentle. He has always told stories very well, yet this time it seems even more personal, like he is speaking really directly to his audience. The little lift to when I was a boy and I heard somebody singing is just beautiful.

I'm home again

Hardly certain of my role and then

I started searching for my soul again

But there was nothing I could find

I'm home again

But I've been here before, old friends

And I know I'll be consoled again

In the past I've left behind


A Girl Like You

This is just a monster of a tune. Everything about it is perfect, the feeling, the beat, the riffs, the lyrics, the vocals, the hooks.

Collins' love of northern soul screams out from every inch of this record, as does his understanding of what makes a hit.

The song took on a life of its own. The aforementioned The Possibilities Are Endless captures this superbly. But for now, turn the speakers up, dance, play air guitar or grab something to sing into. I've included a live TFI Friday performance as well as the original video.

Losing Sleep

Edwyn lays his soul bare in this stomper of a track. This is very public personal therapy as Collins confronts his feelings in verse and chorus. The song opens with a remarkably frank chorus; 

I'm losing sleep, I'm losing dignity, 

Everything I own is right in front of me, 

And it's getting me down, I'm losing sleep

Collins doesn't stop, it's pouring out of him, honest confessions; I'm holding on, I'm insecure, about my life, about my work . His self awareness leads to Collins giving himself a good talking to 

I must believe, I must retrieve

The things I know, the things I trust

This confessional northern soul stomper is extraordinary and as Collins pours his heart and soul out, there are all kinds of delicious backing vocals going on.

Too Bad (That's Sad)

This list of 10 songs highlights how much I love Edwyn's love of northern soul and the influence on his songs. Too Bad (That's Sad), from the 2013 Understated album, has an upbeat jaunty feel and groove from the off, even though Collins is singing that he can't stay another day with you.

The little riffs are excellent and the beat is pure Motown, the guitar solo is very George Harrison.

Edwyn has written better songs, but this grabbed me on first listen and I still love it. This blog is 10 of my favourite Edwyn songs, not what I consider to be 10 of his best - although I think some are! :-)

Rip It Up

So fresh, so cool, so funky. Collins and Orange Juice introduce synths to their grooves. The squelchy synth bass groove and a simple beat underpins Chic style guitar riffs and Edwyn's voice sounds incredibly pure. The harmonies are in all the right places, Collins voice is on its own in all the right places.

Lyrically and musically playful, Collins sounds like he is enjoying being allowed to confess and also shout loud to contemporaries and the scene to rip it up and start again.

And there was times I'd take my pen

And feel obliged to start again

I do profess

That there are things in life

That one can't confess



Make Me Feel Again

Such a beautiful song, I love the guitar intro, the feel, Edwyn's voice, the beautiful structure of the song with a kind of double bridge into the chorus that is heartachingly romantic.

From the 1994 Gorgeous George LP, this is Collins in absolutely stunning form. Possibly my favourite Collins melody, the chorus is just beautiful, it flows superbly.

The way you turned your head

When I called your name

All I needs your love

To make me feel again

Don't Shilly Shally

I love the feel to this, the guitars, the playful lyrics. It's real fun guitar pop. Edwyn looks fantastic in the video, with a huge quiff and an Elvis vibe going on.

I love the build up to the conclusion as Edwyn urges lets ride this train together before going on to shout space rocket. Live he really goes for it at the end, creating a beautiful racket. 

The solo acoustic rendition of this song in the film The Possibilities Are Endless sends chills down my spine. I can't find it on YouTube though so you'll need to make do with the official video.


Tuesday 4 August 2020

Seven Days Too Long


Cover version of the month #57
Dexys Midnight Runners cover Chuck Wood



Way back in 2001 I moved to Dennistoun (an area in the East End of Glasgow), buying my first flat in Onslow Drive. After years of 45-minute commutes from the backwaters of Carluke, I could walk into town in 15-minutes, or get a train in just a few minutes.

I embraced city living with gusto. More gigs, more nights out and new friends.

Friday Street was a monthly northern soul/mod night run in the dark dingy basement of Blackfriars in the Merchant City area. At the time the basement was largely lit by candlelight, helping to create a real vibrant atmosphere where the focus was on the music rather than the aesthetics. I still think Blackfriars lost a bit of its charm when the basement was modernised.

Anyway, back then it was dark and dingy and perfect for dancing to loud northern soul music.

I think Friday Street was pretty new in 2001 and even though I wasn't new to Glasgow, it was new to me to have nights like this a mere 15-minutes from the place I called home.

The first night out at Friday Street resulted me buying a double CD compilation album called The Best Northern Soul All Nighter ... Ever. And it was one song that drove me towards buying it.

That night in the basement of Blackfriars I was blown away by Seven Days Too Long by Chuck Wood. I found myself dancing, jumping and singing-a-long, even though it was the first time I had heard it. I asked the DJ the name of the song and bought the compilation CD the next day.


Seven Days Too Long is off and running from the start and it hits the chorus after a mere 30-seconds.

Lyrically, the song is a classic break up song, the guy and his girl have had a quarrel and the guy is ready to make up, it's now up to the girl. Seven days have been too long for him to be apart from his love.

The chorus is simple and euphoric, it takes off.

Seven days is too long, without you baby
Come on back to me, now
Seven days is too long, girl, without you baby
Come on back to me

The second chorus arrives at 1 minute 14 seconds, after that Chuck Wood and his band really let rip, Wood leaves us in no doubt that he wants his girl back, the build to the third chorus is passionate and dramatic. Wood knows that good things come to those who wait, but he can't wait any longer.

The beat, the piano, the horns, the groove and Wood's crystal clear plea are utterly captivating, demanding attention. This is 2 minutes and 20 seconds of perfection. I've just listened to it 6-times in a row and it has transported me back to dancing with friends in a dark candlelit basement in Glasgow, discovering great music. When will I do that again?!

Dexys Midnight Runners covered Seven Days Too Long on their 1980 debut LP Searchin' For The Young Soul Rebels. The band race through it, remaining true to the originial, while Kevin Rowland adds his unique vocals, ad libbing a few of the lyrics and emphasising the passionate plea of the original by sounding like he could break down at any moment, sounding breathless and completely lost in the music and loss of his love.

It's a brilliant cover version from a very special band who are totally on it.


A full list of previous cover version of the month blogs is below this playlist that features many of them. Not all are on Spotify.

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Previous covers of the month
13. Hurt







.



Monday 3 August 2020

Never Ending Mixtape part 51


Hi

How are you?

Thanks for checking in on the latest additions to my Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify, now with 1,568 songs and over 104 hours of music for you to enjoy.

I'm a sucker for lists of bands and songs, so this is a blog I really look forward to writing every month.

I add songs to the Mixtape as I go, with no thought behind band / song / style, so somehow everything flows;  rock n roll from the 50's, 60's beat and psychedelia, Motown, Northern Soul, disco, house, indie, pop, electro .... it's all in there.

You can scroll down to near the end for the songs listed below, or play from the start, or just click on shuffle. Enjoy, and please let me know if you find a song you love - whether it is a blast from the past or one you have never heard before.

Loads of songs this month, including;

JUST OUT - Songs by Supercrush, Taylor Swift, the debut single by Birds of Pandaemonium that I discovered via the Lauren Laverne show (it's so good I have also added the remix), Carla J Easton's new single and a song from the latest Emi James EP (blog to follow soon) and a beauty by The Flaming Lips

RECENT DISCOVERIES - Playlists from the team behind the Heavenly Social, I'm working my way through them and songs like Art - The Meters / Car on a Hill - Joni Mitchell / Life on Mars - Dexter Wansel / Brother, Where Are You? - Johnny Rivers / Big Chief - Dr. John / Stop Bajon - Tullio De Piscopo have been discovered through the playlists

REDISCOVERIES - The Beta Band, the instrumental version of Association by Teenage Fanclub, Nick Drake and I'm going through a big Velvet Underground phase just now

Read on for the full list. Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or click below.

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I Don't Want To Be Sad Anymore - Supercrush
I Know - The Beta Band
She's The One - The Beta Band
Sweet Young Thing - The Chocolate Watchband
Love To You - The Charlatans
Sexuality - Billy Bragg
Everybody's Happy Nowadays - Buzzcocks
Association (instrumental) - Teenage Fanclub
If Ever I Was A Child - Wilco
The Wind - Yusuf
Time Of No Reply - Nick Drake
Northern Sky - Nick Drake
Be Here Now - George Harrison
Moonshadow - Many Moore
Carey - Joni Mitchell
California - Joni Mitchell
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell
Dreaming - Blondie
Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything - Teenage Fanclub
Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
I Am ... I Said - Neil Diamond
Nowhere To Run - Laura Nyro
Monkey Time / Dancing In The Streets - Laura Nyro
It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers
Express Yourself - Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Here Comes The Meter Man - The Meters
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You Dear - The Velvettes
Never Knew You - Carla J Easton
Float Through Wires - Emi James
Bubble Gun - Honeyblood
B + A - The Beta Band
Smokey Joe's La La - Lance Ferguson
The Book of Love - The Magnetic Fields
Cherry- coloured Funk - The Cocteau Twins
Asleep From Day - Chemical Brothers
Pale Blue Eyes - Velvet Underground
Here She Comes Now - Velvet Underground
exile - Taylor Swift w/ Bon Iver
Under Control - The Strokes
Art - The Meters
Car on a Hill - Joni Mitchell
Life on Mars - Dexter Wansel
Brother, Where Are You? - Johnny Rivers
Big Chief - Dr. John
Stop Bajon - Tullio De Piscopo
Days Go By - Birds of Pandaemonium
Days Go By (Bryan Mette remix) - Birds of Pandaemonium
You N Me Sellin' Weed - The Flaming Lips