Cum On Feel The Noize

 

Cover version of the month #90
Oasis cover Slade

Cum On Feel The Noize was Slade's 4th number 1 single when it came out in 1973. Written by Noddy Holder, the bands loveable rogue of a frontman, and bass player Jim Lea, the song was produced by Chas Chandler, once of The Animals and also former manager of Jimi Hendrix.

Holder was inspired by the feeling and the noise that Slade generated from their live shows. 

What a glorious noize indeed! Holder's cry of baby, baby, baby at the start generates an energy that never drops. If anything it rises as Holder repeats And I don't know why, and I don't know why twice in the verse(s) before leading to a chorus made for concerts, playgrounds and terraces alike. It's a fantastic noisy, brashy and fun guitar pop single.

So cum on feel the noize

Girls grab your boys

We'll get wild, wild, wild

Perfect then, for Oasis. It feels like the song could have been written for them, or by them. 

Oasis covered a number of songs through the years. Their cover of The Beatles I Am The Walrus helped attract attention in their early years and it remained a staple part of the bands set through the glory years, closing their triumphant Knebworth shows with John Squire guesting on guitar.

But, for me, Cum On Feel The Noize is (by far) their best cover. Oasis play and sing it with real gusto. It sounds like they are relishing the performance, they tear through it and Liam Gallagher's voice is incredible. 

Oasis generated their own wall of sound/noize in that 94-95 period and they perfected it with this cover version. Liam singing girls grab your boys, we'll get wild, wild, wild is spine tingling. For me, 1995-96 was peak Liam Gallagher, his voice strengthened from constant touring. He just goes for it ... and nails it.

Oasis fly through the song, it's a brilliant choice of cover, a little left-field given their Beatles obsession, and they deliver a performance that really captures the energy of the band. 

Released as a b-side to Don't Look Back In Anger, the band ended up playing it on Top of the Pops, check Liam having fun with the so you think my singing's out of time section!

I've also included a link to Noel singing it on Later with Jools from 1995 when Liam was away for an MOT as he'd been out partying. 

Slade - Top of the Pops 1973

Slade - fan video

Oasis - Later with Jools 1995, Noel on vocals

Oasis - Top of the Pops, 1996

Oasis - Maine Road, 1st night

Oasis - official audio

The Slade original and Oasis cover version are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE

Previous covers of the month blogs

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 
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

66. My Little Red Book

67. Isn't It A Pity

68. Walk On By

69. Walk Away Renee

70. Tainted Love

71. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

72. Listen The Snow Is Falling

73. Mrs Robinson

74. He's Gonna Step On You Again

75. In My Life

76. Caravan Of Love

77. The Only Way Is Up

78. Dancin' Round & Round

79. With A Little Help From My Friends

80. Killing Me Softly

81. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

82. Drop

83. Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay

84. Sympathy For The Devil

85. I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor

86. Love Will Tear Us Apart

87. Indian Rope Man + bonus Strawberry Fields Forever + This Wheels On Fire

88. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

89. Love The One You're With

Introducing Gabriels

Trust me #30

Song of the year - Love and Hate in a Different Time by Gabriels

Earlier on in 2021 Paul Weller curated a mix CD titled Into Tomorrow for Mojo magazine. One of the songs was Love and Hate in a Different Time by an artist called Gabriels. It stood out a mile and I played it a lot in the car.

But ... I never checked up on the artist. I just assumed that it was an old soul cut from the late 60's or early 70's, an era that Weller is passionate and knowledgeable about. 

In late September sunshine I was driving my Mum and sister to North Berwick and I had the CD on. My sisters ears pricked up as Gabriels played. 

WHAT IS THAT?!

Oh it's a song on a Paul Weller compilation, brilliant isn't it?

WHO IS IT?

Emmmm can't remember, the CD cover is in our kitchen!

On the way back we played the song again and Carla sent me a message to remind me to check the song and artist when I got into our kitchen. I did and Carla checked up on Gabriels.

IT WAS RELEASED THIS YEAR! THE EP IS AMAZING

Carla tends to send messages in block capitals when excited!

And then a couple of months later.

GABRIELS IS PLAYING KING TUTS IN APRIL ... CAN YOU GET US TICKETS?!

I could and I did. By this point Love and Hate in a Different Time was our song of the year. The gig is SOLD OUT. Check this dreamy live performance.

Check Gabriels stunning performance for Later to see and hear why and read on for a full introduction to the band. You can also check this short film. 

Gabriels is singer Jacob Lusk with producers Ryan Hope and Ari Balouzian. The trio release Loyalty (feat. Ashley Sade) as their debut single in 2018, a slow burning soulful confessional gem, beautifully structured and delivered.

There was a gap of two years to 2020's In Loving Memory, another ballad. Lusk's voice is stunning, whispering his story, the backing vocals are exquisite, the finger snaps really SNAP. The production is sublime.

Love and Hate in a Different Time was released in June this year as an EP, also including the songs Professional, In Loving Memory and their debut single Loyalty.

As mentioned, the title track simply blew me away; the lyrics, arrangement, playing, voice and production. The use of backing vocals, strings, handclaps, effects .... Love and Hate in a Different Time is ridiculously good. Classic, timeless, pure, beautiful, sublime ...

We lost it in the fire

Love and hate in a different time

We lost it in the fire

What I did to make you mine

Professional is gorgeously swoony and dreamy, Lusk's voice is simply heaven sent and again, the strings and arrangement are just incredible. So beautiful. Lusk is backed by fellow angels as the song takes a gentle but lovely twist.

You were supposed to protect me baby

You were supposed to love me

Bloodline, released on 3rd December, is the second EP of the year for Gabriels. The songs continue to display vast riches in terms of writing, performance, vocals, arrangements and production.

Innocence is moody, dark and atmospheric. Stark at times, beautiful strings offer glimmers of hope at others. Lusk sounds wounded, singing ain't love a hypocrite? when he sounds like he already knows the answer.

Lusk sounds more hopeful  Blame, but he also sings of being lost and asking who will catch him when he falls down.

Can't be a slave if I'm already free

Can't be a captive if it's where I wanna be

The highest compliment I can pay Gabriels is that they sound like nothing else going on (that I have heard) at present. It's just sublime

Stranger is quite outstanding. Again, just dripping with soul, aching with hurt, the instrumentation, the arrangements - utter genus. Just before 2-minutes the melody begins to flow...

I wish I would've told you

We had something I never had

I wish that I could hold you

I f**ked up and can't take it back

Lusk goes on to realise now we're just strangers, two distant strangers, you're just a stranger.

Dreamy strings usher in Bloodline, there is an old 50's jazz style feeling to the song - vocals and instrumentation. Lusk tells a story of his ancestors, his bloodline, getting poetic by urging people to speak bravely, speak truly, do it with all of your heart. Imploring keep rising, keep shining, 'til the ocean meets the stars, ending by saying don't let it destroy you

Links to all the songs I have previously featured in my Trust Me series are listed below.

And you can check them all via my Trust Me playlist on Spotify by CLICKING HERE or searching for Everything Flows Trust Me.

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

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by The Love Affair

27. As Long As I've Got You by The Charmels

28. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

Dreaming Of You

Trust Me #25 

I'll be blogging on The Coral's fantastic new album Coral Island next month.

Before then, I thought I would write a bonus Trust Me blog on their 2002 single Dreaming Of You after watching a sensational performance from Later with ... Jools on the iPlayer.

CLICK HERE if you can't see the video embedded below.

Dreaming Of You is a 2 minute 20 second slice of pop perfection, brimming with the confidence of a band totally in the zone, full of complete belief in their playing style and talent.

A funky bass riff introduces a rhythm that could easily have been influenced by skiffle, with a melody played on an organ/keys and then over the top of that are glorious backing vocals and the voice of James Skelly.

The Coral make full use of their 100 seconds. At 1-minute 25 seconds an 'oh yeah' introduces an instrumental section with xylophone and yearning backing vocals until 2-minutes when Skelly comes in with a final chorus.

Only 22 upon release, Skelly displays raw and rich soul in his vocals that portray love and lust mixed with realisation and honesty. Look at the incredible Later footage above, he is totally going for it, his band are totally on it, they are all in the zone. They look like a real gang, Bill Ryder-Jones on guitar, still in his teens, looks cool as a cucumber, they all look unphased to be on the Beeb's flagship music show, determined to use their time and smash it out the park. They do!

The first verse is only 2 lines, straight into the chorus that ends with a bitter kiss off.

Up in my lonely room

When I'm dreaming of you

Oh what can I do

I still need you

But I don't want you

The second verse is doubled in length, Skelly has realised it's gonna hurt, but I'm gonna have to say goodbye. Then it's into the instrumental before one final rasping chorus.

Dreaming With You is a glorious burst of pop soul, everything you could want from a band in their teens and early 20's. Unfiltered, heartfelt music delivered with urgency and passion by a band who have always been in their own bubble, as beautifully demonstrated on their new album. Check the original video HERE

You can listen to all the songs I've featured in my Trust Me series in a playlist by searching for Everything Flows Trust Me on Spotify or by CLICKING HERE

You can also read about the previous songs I've written about by clicking on the links below.

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

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

Yes

Last week I was driving to work and McAlmont and Butler's Yes suddenly came blaring out of my stereo. What a slice of pure euphoric pop! Released in May 1995, this was Bernard Butler's first musical offering to the world since his departure from Suede in 1994 during the tense recordings of their second album, the dark Dog Man Star.

It is safe to say that Suede made a huge impression on the UK indie scene, so much so that they blew over into the mainstream. Their first 4 singles (previously blogged about here) were exceptional slices of guitar pop, full of hooks and riffs, but also full of intrigue and intelligence. Singer Brett Anderson and guitarist and co-singwriter Bernard Butler looked and sounded incredible and were quickly christened as the 90's Morrissey and Marr, making front covers, Top of the Pops, the Brits and gaining the stamp of approval from David Bowie.

Butler was a whirlwind on guitar, pacing around stages and studios looking like he was having the time of his life by wringing, shaking and hammering on his guitar for all he was worth. Anderson shaked, shimmied and looked like a classic front man from the off. What a duo, brilliantly backed by a super tight rhythm section of Matt Osman and Simon Gilbert. Girls ... and boys swooned.

They had a frantic 3-years of activity following the release of debut single The Drowners, it is little wonder there was tension in the band from all the writing, recording, touring and promo.

Butler left and went quiet. I think there were rumours of him joining various bands at times, but he surfaced with Yes and a partnership with singer David McAlmont. The two met in the Jazz Cafe in Camden and Butler was soon playing his new friend his first positive piece of music since leaving Suede.

And oh how positive it is, McAlmont wrote a verse but couldn't come up with a second, so Butler just told him to repeat the first with the duo hoping to commit something that could be held up as a classic single like those they loved from the 60's.

The official video, the full version has another minute on the end

McAlmont's lyrics match the positive surge of Butler's music. The strings soar and instantly sound euphoric, Butler's guitar crashes and provides a constant rhythm throughout, while seemingly simultaneously chiming and riffing.

The lyrics could easily be McAlmont's interpretation of whatever Butler told him about leaving Suede. The title, the simple Yes, is pure positivity, Butler has recovered from the dark post Suede months, he does look better and he does feel alright.

David McAlmont's vocal is exceptional and after a quick 1st verse that sounds like McAlmont relaying a conversation they are into the sky scraping chorus. The about me, about me, about me line that McAlmont yelps out is the perfect bridge into the chorus. Then they do it again for good measure, only they take it even higher and it sounds even better.

They hit the second chorus at 2-minutes and then repeat it again before leading to a stunning build up to a full on 2-minute climax. They take it higher, Butler's guitar is relentless, the strings are thrilling and McAlmont takes his vocals up a gear or three, the drums crash and pound and it all combines to sound fresh and vital, even 23-years down the line. It is timeless pop - epic, euphoric, sublime and soulful.

The song ends with it gradually breaking and slowing down into applause. I like to think that they simply couldn't keep the pace up or put anymore into it. They have played and sung their hearts out.

Enjoy the live version from Later with Jools below - look at Butler on guitar! And here is a link to the full, near 5-minute single version.

So you wanna know me now

How I've been

You Can't help someone recover

After what you did

So tell me am I looking better?

Have you forgot

Whatever it was that you couldn't stand 

About me, about me, about me?

Because yes I do feel better

Yes I do I feel alright

I feel well enough to tell you what you can do with what you got

To offer

Everything Flows TV - Episode 2 - Teenage Fanclub

Welcome to Episode 2 of Everything Flows TV.

This episode is dedicated to my favourite band and features footage from the early 1990's through to present day.

Enjoy some wonderful performances which capture the talent, personality and joy that Teenage Fanclub brings to people across the world.

'Bandwagonesque, the best album of 1991, they come from Scotland, performing What You Do To Me, Teenage Fanclub' 

Teenage Fanclub, riding high after Spin Magazine voted Bandwagonesque the best album of 1991, beating the likes of Screamadelica, Loveless and Nevermind, romp through the melodic pop of What You Do To Me and then tear into Pet Rock with Norman pulling his hood up and rocking out on guitar with Raymond. I love Pet Rock in particular, there is a special energy in their performance!

Channel 4's The White Room, presented by Mark Radcliffe, was essential viewing in the 1990's. A kind of Britpop twist on Later With Jools with 100% less likelihood of Radcliffe joining in to jam with a band on 'the old Joanna'. 

This clip kind of encapsulates everything I love about Teenage Fanclub. Melodies, harmonies, incredible songwriting, a choice cover version, the band clearly having fun on stage and just generally displaying how brilliant they are with no fuss at all.

Live from the Reading Festival in 1992, Teenage Fanclub are flying. We have a relatively quick The Concept before a glorious 6-minute + version of Everything Flows with Brendan O'Hare in sensational form on drums and the band looking like they are having the time of their lives.

Live on Oddball TV in 1997, the band romp through the power pop perfection that is Take The Long Way Round

Live on the Conan O'Brien Show in 1993 with Escher

Live on Later With Jools performing Radio and their cover of Older Guys.

Snub TV - a short interview and Everything Flows

Live  Alcoholiday - always one to cherish when they play it live.

Live at T in the Park in 1996 with Neil Jung

Teenage Fanclub live at BBC Scotland HQ - I was fortunate to be in the audience just a few feet from the band.