Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past and present), playlists and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you have never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
Insta - @everythingflowsglasgow
When The Stone Roses broke up in 1996, things didn't exactly go quiet. By that time, the band had left a huge legacy through their music, art, personalities and style. Post 1996, there is plenty to discuss and debate around; drugs, guitars, vocals, Mani joining Primal Scream, Squire at Knebworth, Reni's brief flirtation with The Rub, the sad fact that Reni hasn't drummed on enough recorded and released music, Brown's solo work and collaborations (especially Be There with UNKLE), Squire's solo work, the band reforming - touring the world and releasing 2 new singles, Squire's album with Liam ...
I really loved Ian Brown's burst of solo output post Roses. Three albums and a steady stream of singles from 1998-2001 evidenced a creative energy that had been built up over the years and was now exploding into life with a huge sense of freedom. It was cool, different, but still Ian Brown. Check my 2024 blog on Ian's debut solo album, 1998's Unfinished Monkey Business.
Thirty years ago, on 17th September 2001, Ian Brown released F.E.A.R. , an absolute gem. Unique and cool, drenched in cinematic strings and a lesson in lyrical architecture.
Released as the lead single from his third solo album, Music of the Spheres, F.E.A.R. is, at least for me, the pinnacle of Brown’s solo output. Inspired by his reading of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, specifically the study of etymology and how language can be used to control or empower, Brown set out to reclaim the word "fear."
The result is a song where every single verse is an acrostic. It’s a brilliant piece of wordplay that manages to feel effortless. Although listening back, I do wonder how long Brown had to spend piecing them all together! The end result flows beautifully.
For each a road
For every man a religion
The production on F.E.A.R. is beautifully lush, a super cool trip-hop groove with gorgeous sweeping orchestral strings over the top. The video, directed by Ian himself, features Brown cycling backwards through the streets of Soho, London, in the rain, looking moody and cool. The Roses experimented with backwards tapes through their career, now Brown was doing it with film.
Forget everything and remember
For everything a reason
Brown hasn't released an album since 2019's Ripples, although he did release a single, Rules, in 2023. It's probably safe to say that the world isn't waiting for new Ian Brown material, but listening back to his early solo albums and looking at his singles discography, maybe it is time for a few live dates.
Of course Brown is perfectly entitled to just chill and is certainly able to do so on the back of the hugely successful Stone Roses reunion shows. This is an artist who once described the music business as the filthiest business in the universe. Whether he ever releases anything again or not, Brown has produced a beautifully eclectic discography.
F.E.A.R. is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE. Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.
105-107. Wigan Casino - Three Before Eight - Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe, I'm On My Way by Dean Parrish
Way back in the 1990's I used to work for a bank, specifically Abbey National and their huge head office at the top of St Vincent Street in Glasgow. Over 3,000 people worked there at its peak! Working for a bank is, in my opinion, not very cool (great pension though!), but for a number of years it was a great place to work. I was 21 and there were loads of people of a similar age. There were regular nights out, five-a-side matches and ... some truly gorgeous girls! Work was just something to do before football or the pub. What more could a young guy want? Oh, the office was directly across the road from King Tuts Wah Wah Hut!
I kept noticing a guy with a mod hair cut, Fred Perry bag and a fishtail parka, cutting about with headphones on. I kind of knew that I wanted to be friends with this guy and that we would very likely be into similar music. Before long, we were. James Barker was also into the Roses, The Beta Band, The Who, Primal Scream and northern soul. He was hanging out at the Art School (much cooler than me!) and in the early 00's he formed a band.
Juno! took on a raft of influences and melded them into their own sound. Beats, samples, guitars, analogue synths and all kinds of percussion ... you never really knew what they were going to come out with. Perhaps, at times, neither did they. That was part of the fun and most definitely part of their charm.
There was radio airplay, some singles, plenty of gigs and James was always working the band. Then it stopped. James has never stopped playing music though and quickly formed Ace City Racers who had their debut Stephen Street produced single released via Fred Perry. They are still going strong and all those years after seeing James cutting about the 301 St Vincent Street offices, we formed Starboard Hazes which was/is great fun.
Maybe it is the age we are getting to, but James decided he had unfinished business with Juno! He pulled together all the bands early recordings and demos to construct an album - Harder Than It Should Be. It's available NOW via Last Night From Glasgow and is a document of a moment in time - MySpace buzz, indie discos, basement venues, electro experimentation, cowbells and tambourines.
Juno! Partying hard at The Rum Shack
Juno! celebrated the album with what is hopefully not a one-off show. Their Rum Shack gig was more of a party, with Tam Coyle DJ-ing before and after their show which was an absolute blast. The band came on stage to Parliament's Come In Out Of The Rain, the music cranked to get everyone in the mood.
James and Juno! were most definitely in the mood. Wonderful was a real highlight for me. James put his guitar to the side to cut loose as the band created a Mondays, Beta Band groove. Shakers handed out to the audience created a great vibe, while onstage there were tambourines and maracas. You can check the Beta Band/Beastie Boys inspired video at the end of this blog.
Manda Rin joined the band for their classic single These Boys Are Athletes, while Mark on keys and vocals rivalled James for the happiest person in the room. Atom Bomb City nearly took the roof off the place with its punky new wave groove. I sincerely hope they play live again.
I caught up with James to learn more about Juno! Read on.
James, Jamie and Manda at The Rum Shack
How, when, where and why did Juno! form? Who was involved?
We formed from the ashes of our previous band, which had the same members as the first incarnation of Juno! being Jamie, Jazi, Jason, myself and our good friend Paul. Paul decided to leave, and in the absence of any other options I overcome my natural aversion singing to give it a go.
Simultaneously Jamie bought a Juno 60 and a drum machine which gave us a new dimension. Probably for the best, as it meant I could stop trying to be Nigel Tufnell and really focus on singing the songs. We had a few leavers and joiners as we went on, with people like Matt, Yoshi, Amanda, Stuart, Dave and Mark all adding to the Juno! gang, meaning at times we had up to 8 people onstage. Rain or shine we always practiced in a Fife barn, which a friend very kindly let us use.
Juno! outside the barn
Were you the sole/main songwriter? What was it like to hear your ideas mushroom into the full band Juno! sound?
The songs were usually written around one of Jamies really well-formed electro backing tracks, which I would then write words and chords around, or one of my guitar/vocal demos which Jamie would then write a backing track for.
By the end we got a bit cleverer and started writing them in the same room together!
I also wouldn’t underestimate how much was added by the rest of the band and producer, who added real musical breadth with their imaginative guitars, trumpets, backing vocals and so on. Plus, Steven as producer left his playing and singing all over the record too.
The first track I consider to really be “Juno!” was Cut it Loose, which was actually a chord progression of Jasons, which we then fleshed out music/lyrics over. I was pretty delirious when we got the mix back because it was so colourful and fresh sounding.
I always remember your shows (and records from the time) as having what feels like a great deal of spontaneity to them. How difficult was it to recreate that spontaneity? Did you ever play songs the same way twice?
Jamie and I used to map out the basic songs (on very big bits of paper!) before we took them to the studio, so we knew where to put the multiple layers of vocals and instrumentation, however they would quite often take unexpected turns dependent on what Steven was hearing. He would hear something he liked and make it a feature. Quite often this would be one of Matts funkier riffs!
Live, the songs would always follow the same basic structure, as we use a drum machine backing track, overlaid with real drums, but the instrumentation on top depended on the playing styles of who actually turned up that! Spontaneity was never a problem, some nights we would have vocoders, extra synth & trumpets, others it would be more of a guitar assault. I can think of one Scottish tour where we pretty much changed lead guitarist for every show!
We always put a lot of energy into our performances, as I genuinely believe if people have paid to see you then the least you can do is put your back into it.
Juno! - Sunshine In My Pocket
What were your highlights from the original days of Juno! Do a song, gig or experience stick out for you?
There are lots of memories that stick out, and happily quite a few of them were recorded at the time, so I can revisit as an old man! Recording Higher was brilliant, as the band went to the chip shop and came back to hear some quite spine-tingling I Feel Love style backing vocals being mixed in by Steven, who had also helped supply them. I got a similar feeling when I first heard Amanda’s vocals on These Boys are Athletes. I also couldn’t believe what a nice-looking video Mark made of Sunshine in my Pocket, just prior to my press ganging him into the band.
We played some great support shows at Tuts & Barfly which I remember being packed, and we felt like we could really feed off the audience energy. I was also very pleased that we played one of the very first televised internet gigs for Nexus live. Oh, and at Rockness my wife through a Glowstick in my eye. This literally stuck in my mind. And eye.
I remember you having a buzz, some radio play, your single with Manda Rin. How exciting was it at the time?
It was really satisfying because we had worked on it for so long, I think Juno! started in 2003, but from 2006 onwards things started gaining in excitement, and hearing your songs playlisted on the radio felt like validation. Thanks Jim! By 2007/8 we actually really struggled with all the Myspace gig offers, and were doing regular interviews, radio stuff and even a photoshoot in a fashion magazine! I miss Myspace, it was by far and away the most organic platform for musicians and fans.
You've always written and recorded. What happened with Juno!?
I failed to turn it into something before real life kicked in. Some of the band were awaiting children being born while we were playing Rockness, and it became unfair of me to keep asking so much of the guys when they had more important things to be thinking about.
Towards the end it also felt like a race against time, as with bands you really have to keep building momentum, before you are seen as being long in the tooth. It may be different now, but in those days, labels had a pretty small window in which they would sign you. We played quite a few high-profile gigs and had songs on MTV shows, but I was really naïve about the business side and didn’t have the ruthlessness or evil genius to take it to the next level.
What prompted the delve into the Juno! archives?
As Vic Reeves would say, “I wouldn’t let it lie”!
It always frustrated me that we had professionally recorded so many songs destined for a release that was pulled. I have a real completer/finisher streak, and it niggled at me that the songs which we spent so much time writing and recording weren’t out there in the world.
What was it like to get back in a room together after so long? What song did you play first?
It been lovely, truly heartwarming. We never officially split, and we all remained good friends, but weddings and social events aside, hadn’t really been together as a proper band since 2009. The only thing that is a little sad is that neither Matt nor Yoshi can make the gig.
We have all played with each other in different projects, but for a few years there we were more likely to meet at a buffet than a rehearsal room!
If memory serves me, I think we started with Cut it Loose, as its both the first one we recorded and probably the easiest to play!
Juno! Reunited at The Rum Shack
How important is it to you and the band to have a physical (and digital) document of your time together?
It’s really important to me, and I think it must have been something the band appreciated too, as I didn’t have to do that much persuading to get people onboard with a release. Just some minor Elwood Blues style hunting down to get them to agree to perform live!
What else are you up to musically?
Well, I play with Mark in the band Ace City Racers, we have an album coming out early next year, a dystopian concept album called Welcome to Ace City which we recorded in Green Door.
I may also have accidentally written a new Juno! demo, which I believe Jamie is mulling over, so fingers crossed we can do something with it and Juno! gets a lifeline after the reunion show.
Dave and I from Juno! also have an offshoot Psych recording project called Stars and Sitars, which have most of an album recorded, but we need to finish. I have the basis of a solo record, a whimsical Syd Barret/Ray Davies ish thing demoed but needs finishing and some discipline brought to it , and I’m in another rather good Glasgow guitar fuzz /melodic band called Starboard Hazes which you may have heard of!
Last weekend my family and I were fortunate to attend the inaugural Heather on the Hill festival in the Royal Highland Showgrounds, just outside Edinburgh. The sun shone through the day and created a glorious mix of colours as it set later in the evening.
Outdoor shows, especially when the weather is kind, are incredible. There is an extra sense of occasion to them. And we have a range of magnificent venues and locations throughout the country in which to host them.
However, the vast majority of outdoor summer shows (not including festivals like Belladrum) in Scotland are 16+. Nathan Evans and the Saint PHNX Band were determined to change that.
This is an ambition that Stevie and Alan from Saint PHNX have held for a while. A few years ago they put on an all ages show (with Nathan as 'secret' special guest) at Hamilton Town Hall. And it worked. People took note. Family values are extremely important to Nathan, Stevie and Alan.
Quite a lot has happened since then! Hit singles, viral videos, two albums, a World Cup anthem and shows all over the world. It has been a beautiful whirlwind for Nathan, Stevie and Alan.
Stevie and Alan
Sunset at Heather on the Hill
Those of you that have followed this blog over a period of time will recognise the names of Stevie and Alan from their old band Vigo Thieves who I helped manage for a while. I've seen them play to 30 people and now 30,000 people! I love the sunset photo of the two of them above. I'm so pleased for them.
DF Concerts, Scotland's largest promoter, contains people who have known and worked with Stevie and Alan for around 15-years (how time flies!) in various sizes, shapes and forms. From playing the basement of Maggie Mays to 30 people, to selling out 2-nights at King Tuts, the ABC, Arches and the Barrowland Ballroom. They absolutely get their humour, creative energy and ambition.
When Nathan Evans and the Saint PHNX band played the Hyrdo last year, it was all ages. It sold out quickly and it was a phenomenal show that I was fortunate to attend. DF listened to Nathan, Stevie and Alan's idea for a family friendly festival and presented solutions. The Heather on the Hill Festival was born and the DF team worked on it for over a year ... and they nailed it. It will be back in 2027! Tickets are on sale NOW. The early bird sold out quickly!
What a success! The sun shone, which always helps! The festival site layout at the Royal Highland Centre was perfect - there was space to chill, plenty of food options, large bars, kids playparks and activities, soft play and a wide variety of music.
My wife and kids (aged 15 and 11) arrived on site around 2.30pm and were immediately taken by the layout. One of the key strengths (at least for me) about the site is the fact that it has actual buildings that can be utilised - including toilet blocks. The cleanest festival toilets ever! But aside from that, there was immediate green space, tents were set up for art, storytelling and face painting (huge queue of course - I am so glad the face painting days are behind us!), the dance stage was on, there were plenty of trees for shade and clear pathways that were kept clear to aid movement about the site. The sun meant that people could stretch out on the grass (or on picnic rugs) and enjoy the music.
Cammy Barnes was on the main stage and all of use could see and hear why he is a Scottish artist on the rise. Barnes sold out two nights at King Tuts earlier this year and has two sold out dates at the Barrowland coming up. He also announced that a huge Hydro show will be going on sale! Barnes has a rich and soulful voice, cheeky charm and a huge sound. He went down a storm.
Towards the end of his set, Lynn and the girls left to go back to the dance stage for GBX Anthems (Rosie later regretted this decision!). This meant that I had some 'me time' to grab a Corona zero, wander round a little and get ready for Brooke Combe on the main stage. Sadly, about 85% of the festival decided to go to GBX anthems, meaning the front pit only had a few hundred people in it and there was also plenty of space behind.
Combe and her band still played a blinder. Her recent run of singles that commenced with How Can I Tell You? last Autumn, took in Tears Won't Lie in April and now Love Was Made of Stone have been phenomenal. Working with James Skelly of The Coral on production duties is really helping her Motown/Northern Soul influences to shine. Combe danced around the stage looking super cool in flared jeans, Adidas t-shirt and shades, waving to her nieces and generally looking like she was having a great time. Her next album will be her breakthrough and I confidently predict she will be selling out the Barrowland as a result.
It took a while for the crowds to disperse from GBX and once we caught up we decided it was time for food. I had a lovely cheese burger! Rosie and I caught Skerrymore, not normally my thing, but they were excellent, creating a huge celtic soul sound complete with 2 bagpipes. They were perfect for that early evening slot in the sunshine.
We decided to chill afterwards. Rosie and I found ourselves at the Rest and Be Thankful area which was super green and chilled. On a small hill with trees, a nice large pond, picnic tables, chill out tents and also a larger tent with fairy lights offering massages and yoga. As we walked up, there was a sign saying that they did kids massages as well as adults. We were in!
The massage was absolutely tremendous. We both felt relaxed and energised. Lynn and Zoe were a little jealous when we hooked back up.
Our strategy for Nathan and Saint PHNX was the old Strike It Lucky choices - top, middle, bottom. We started off quite far down the side, near the barrier for the front pit. As a result we had a good view of the stage and screens. Darkness was falling, adding to the palpable sense of anticipation around the crowd of all ages.
Nathan and Saint PHNX wasted no time in getting fans onside, opening with the insanely catchy Arabella, swiftly followed by Milarrochy Bay, one of my personal highlights of the night. People were dancing, singing, up on shoulders, smiling and laughing. Wellerman was next, the sea shanty that kicked everything off for Nathan, and it went down a storm.
Angels' Share was introduced by Stevie, a song for people who couldn't be there, but they were there and always will be. This is a side of Nathan and Saint PHNX that can get lost and under appreciated. among their fun songs and easy going nature. Nathan and Stevie as main songwriters have been hurt, they have lost loved ones and gone through extremely tough times, and they do portray that in their songs.
What a view!
We then had a section of the show that called for immense audience participation. Stevie and Alan took charge as Nathan left the stage, splitting the crowd into two sections. Stevie's side were the woah, oh, oh's and he got them warmed up before handing over to Alan ... who, before warming his own team up, got 30,000 people to shout Stevie's a big jobby!
Alan's team were on yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah's and soon Stevie was singing the Saint PHNX song Mountains, leading to the woah, oh oh's and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah's. Great fun. This was all backed by phenomenal guitar playing by John Cargill who was playing cool, chilled and funky riffs that could easily have been for Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Meanwhile, Nathan had somehow got to a small b-stage behind the sound-desk where he delivered a slow and aching version of Caledonia followed by his own Paper Planes. The recorded version of this begins with a voice note by Evans at his lowest point in his mental health struggles. I find it incredibly moving.
My mind is like a wrecking ball, destruction in its wake
I've been working 14-hours, for just as many days
My brother sees me crying, but it's not that kind of pain
So I write my dreams on paper plans and let them fly away
Nathan Evans - Heather on the Hill
We moved back a little to find some space and it was quite amazing to walk through the crowd. Kids were on parents shoulders, people were dancing to Cotton Eye Joe, EVERYONE was smiling and I mean BEAMING with joy. Driving To Nowhere is one of my favourite Nathan and Saint PHNX Band songs. It flows with ease and the melody for the chorus is instantly memorable. It sounds even better live.
We moved back a little further to allow for toilet breaks before the final stretch and to try and get Rosie's long awaited Churros. The Churros stalls had been rammed all day. They must have made a small fortune. We were VERY lucky as Rosie got the last churros of the day. And the Belgian chocolate sauce was absolutely delicious!
With a wee sugar rush we wandered past the Big Wheel (should definitely get a bigger one for next year) to an area with picnic benches where a small crowd had gathered with plenty of space. We could see why, we grabbed a table and before long Rosie and I were up on top if it singing to Highland Girl. Around us kids were twirling each other around ceilidh style and we could see the crowd bouncing down the front. It looked incredible from the back - like a film scene.
Happy Place is a song that means a lot to so many people. Notably Stevie and Alan on stage. I don't mind admitting to having a wee tear in my eyes when they played it. Footage from the stage showed phone in the air with torches on and it looked sensational.
Nathan, Stevie, Alan, John and Mairi (violin) took a deserved bow and departed the stage to a tremendous ovation. But of course, they were coming back on.
What an encore. Home, with its tumbling, flowing verses and rousing chorus, complete with bagpipes was an absolute anthem. And of course, Heather on the Hill was the closing song for the festival of the same name.
Fireworks explode overhead, wives, kids and family were welcomed onstage for hugs and photos, memories that will last a lifetime.
Last June I published a blog on Fatale, a new young band from my hometown of Uddingston. They had just played their first couple of gigs and released a demo of an original song called Moves You and a cover of Femme Fatale. You can still check them out here - FATALE DEMOS
I fell for Fatale instantly. And then fell even further upon seeing the band live and bumping into them in person in McChuills and at gigs. Ben Robertson (vocals), Euan Corrigan (lead guitar), Christopher Jollie (guitar and songs), Oscar Tighe (bass) and James Lindsay (drums) are super tight, literally bouncing off each other whether on stage or hanging out. They look the part, with great hair, style, warm smiles and a cheeky charm.
Live, and in recordings, they have developed considerably in the last year. Building interest and generating greater reactions with each and every gig. They are getting about town in all the right places ... and have a wonderful natural confidence, as well as a real thirst for discovering music.
Fatale have wisely taken their time to record and release. Waiting to find the right studio and producer. Chris McCrory has done a cracking job in capturing their raw energy, ear for pop, love of guitars and instinct for hooks and flows.
The result is the six-track vinyl only Saint Mugo EP - named after the patron Saint of Glasgow. You can catch the brilliant DIY video for the song Jesus Christ below. It's like The Monkees in Glasgow sunshine on Buckfast Tonic Wine!
Moves You is an absolute blast. 30-seconds of overdriven guitars leading to the first verse, which could be mistaken for a chorus. This is one of Fatale's strengths, they have an instinct for melody and hooks, verses are like choruses. Raw and soulful harmonies, young romantic lyrics sung from the heart.
Would you find a price for all the stars that shine on you?
There is a sublime, unexpected, dreamy breakdown after the first chorus before Fatale burst back into life. Guitars crash, collide, chime, blur, reverberate and fuzz together. Glorious.
Winged Horse
The guitar intro to Winged Horse warms my heart. Fatale quickly find a groove behind it and the beats encourage handclaps. The bridge to the chorus has the hook I'm walking through the East End of my mind, I'm searching for a place I cannot find. Then the double chorus
You take a piece of me
To make some time for you
Every word I meant to say
Ends up lost along the way
This is under 2.5 minutes of flowing guitar pop.
Another Sunrise
Another Sunrise begins with warm Big Star-esque guitars that sounds like they are basking in summer sunshine. Ben Robertson croons the opening lines.
That summer feeling can't keep me warm the rest of my life
Things then explode for the prechorus, with Robertson calling it out.
I'm beginning to wonder is that all that there could be
My eyes are open, but there's nothing I can see
This leads to the defiant, don't give a f**k statement hook of I'm going out tonight. I can imagine this blasting out of radios and speakers, and being sung wholeheartedly by teenagers across the country (and beyond). Another verse, prechorus and chorus lead to guitars rising and Robertson repeating the hook. Then Fatale slow it down to a delicious fuzzy feedback fade out.
Jesus Christ
I first caught Fatale playing in King Tuts in July 2025 and described Jesus Christ as the catchiest guitar pop song I've heard in a long time. While there are a few contenders on this EP, this is a beautiful riot of a song and recording. Serious top marks to producer Chris McCrory for the energy and guitar sounds he has captured. He gets it - big time.
The guitars of Euan and Christopher collide gloriously, there are more hooks than Rocky Bilbao fighting at his peak. Most bands would love to have the verses to this tunes as choruses! The bridge/pre-chorus is even catchier and then there is the chorus itself;
Jesus Christ knocked on my door
Just let me sleep ten minutes more
Coming out with songs of praise
Oh now I'm lost in a Catholic haze
Having had the pleasure of spending time with main songwriter Christopher, one ambition (that he has mentioned more than once) of his always sticks out: he wants to write songs that feel like one continuous giant chorus - or a seamless sequence of them. Hook after hook.
So immediately out of the chorus appears another super catchy bridge back into the chorus. Keeping up? Well if you can't that is part of the charm of this delicious slice of guitar punk pop. You'll want to play it again ... and again.
How can I hold my head up when you're down
How can I stand the world when you're not around
The little fuzz bass break after the middle eight is superb. Then it's straight back into the chorus for a final blast. Think God Knows It's True era Fanclub meeting The Undertones for a couple of pints of Guinness and then having a jam. Catchy guitar brilliance. Infectious energy.
St Mungo
Title track St Mungo is beautifully melancholic. Robertson's voice has an aching quality to it as he sings she's the song I've never sung. The backing vocals are heavenly, and there is a wonderful feeling to the guitars, especially as they ring through solo/break after Robertson declaring I swear I will learn. They continue to ring through the short outro with gorgeous band harmonies I'll never, ever, learn
Long Hair
Speaking of melancholy, Fatale strip things right back, to go acoustic for the final track. Robertson sounds dreamily in love, not caring about anything other than being with his girl.
I don't know what you're thinking baby
I don't know if your hairs grown long
Robertson declares took so long to find you, and then sings it again, as if he can't believe his luck. Keyboard is introduced and beautifully and naturally adds to the dreamy feeling.
There is a real organic feel to the recording, almost demo like. But sometimes a demo captures things in a way that can't be replicated. Robertson mumbles that's fucked at the end. But he gets it bang on. Sung from the heart.
Primitive Painters by Felt is six minutes of pure, shimmering perfection. Released in August 1985, it is completely timeless. This is a song that always stops my in my tracks.
The first few seconds are immediately hypnotic, then interlocking guitars kick in, underpinned by Martin Duffy's Hammond organ, then the beats come in. This is a dreamy and hazy intro, 75-seconds to get lost in. Lawrence comes in, his vocals sound a little muffled and (deliberately) lost in the mix ... but then the extraordinary vocals of Elizabeth Fraser explode over the top of everything, gorgeous swirling guitar, soothing organ and Lawrence lost in the flow.
Yeah, you should see my whole trail of disgrace
"I’m a monotone singer, and she’s the most expressive singer in the world. Put the two together, and it’s a brilliant contrast." Lawrence
Lawrence's vocals, almost spoken word, anchor the song, while Fraser's lift Primitive Painters into a euphoric haze. Sky-scraping, ethereal, captivating, celestial. Indie-psychedelia. Indie-opera. Unique. Just sublime.
The instrumental at 3 minutes 40 seconds introduces a new, more piercing, guitar sound, extra beats kick in, then it all comes back to Lawrence, lost in the flow and with Fraser singing alongside him. She lifts everything.
"When Liz Fraser sang on 'Primitive Painters,' it was the most amazing thing I’d ever heard. She just went into the booth and did it in one or two takes. I remember standing there thinking, 'This is it. We’ve made a monster.' I thought it was going to be a number one worldwide smash. It should have been."Lawrence
While researching the song for this blog I was pretty astonished to learn that there was no pre-conceived plan to have Fraser singing on the song. Her partner in life and music, Robin Guthrie was on production duties. As Felt and Guthrie were listening back, the producer ran upstairs to where Fraser was working on her own lyrics and songs and declared; "I want you to sing this song."
"I wrote the lyrics out for her on a piece of paper, she went in, listened to it once on headphones, and then just improvised around it. It was as real as that. It was a remarkable moment. When you listen back to something like that, we knew we'd got it." Lawrence, Uncut Magazine, July 2015
When Fraser’s vocals soar over the top of Lawrence's repetitive delivery in the outro it’s sheer magic. Fraser is like a rocket, bravely shooting through the stars for unchartered territory without a care for any consequences. It’s an astonishing, open-hearted, emotional performance. Hearing Fraser cry out in the climax is a spine tingling, goosebump inducing moment every single time I hear it.
Elizabeth Fraser, 1985
Photo by Michael Cohen
There is an intensity to the song, but also loads of space, aided by Duffy's Hammond notes, that allow everything else to build and swirl around it. Dreamy psychedelic goodness. Maurice Deebank wrote the music and his majestic cyclical guitar sounds somehow float like feathers, sting like hard rain and soar like eagles. At times gorgeous, and going back to the start of the blog, capable of just stopping listeners in their tracks every single time. Unique. Primitive Painters pulls you in and when you leave you wonder what on earth you have just experienced.
Primitive Painters was released on Cherry Red Records, the perfect label for Lawrence's unique style, values and ambition. The song shot straight to Number 1 on the Independent Singles Chart, holding the top spot for two weeks. Within the underground community, it was an anthem.
"Primitive Painters was the pinnacle of that early era for us." Ian McNay, Cherry Red Records
Could Primitive Painters go beyond the usual Felt audience?
The NME staff were such massive fans of the song that they planned for Lawrence to be on the front cover of the magazine to coincide with the release of. For an indie band like Felt, on a label like Cherry Red, this would be a massive breakthrough. The NME sold 200,000 copies a week in 1985, and Lawrence's face would be on display in newsagents across the country.
Tragically, Lawrence and Felt were ditched just as the issue was going to print and the cover feature was pulled. Lawrence was devastated, and it became one of those classic 'what if' moments in alternative music history.
Mainstream radio didn't pick up on it and the single failed to reach the top 75. While Primitive Painterswasn't the smash that Lawrence hoped for, its legacy is enhanced with every passing year. It is a stunning song.
I read Will Hodgkinson's Street Level Superstar - A Year With Lawrence at the start of this year. It is a fascinating book - heartbreaking, soulful, funny and sad. Reading it only served to heighten the intrigue and mystery around the singer and songwriter. Something he seems to have encouraged and played to over the years - but it also just seems and feels like ... that is him. A one-off!
Lawrence - photo by Phil Sharp
Lawrence is an obsessive and with Felt he wanted to execute a flawless artistic concept. His self-imposed manifesto was that Felt would release exactly ten albums and ten singles across the span of ten years (the 1980's), and then they would vanish.
There were flaws to this beautiful piece of marketing madness. Lawrence, Ian McNay at Cherry Red and Alan McGee at Creation were perhaps the only people who cared about this, or believed in it. Somehow, against the odds, Lawrence built the body of work he had the vision for ... and disbanded Felt.
The genius and madness of Lawrence is also captured wonderfully in David Cavanagh's epic My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry For The Prize book about Creation Records. Alan McGee's quotes about living with him are hilarious.
Check out this Felt - A Decade In Music video to see a beautifully produced retrospective on the incredible ten-album journey that Lawrence set out to achieve.
Post Felt, Lawrence has released music with Denim, Go-Kart Mozart and Mozart Estate. He continues to tour (somewhat sporadically) to this day, slowly growing his cult fanbase, his myth and legend. Still dreaming of being a pop star.
Primitive Painters is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE. Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.
105-107. Wigan Casino - Three Before Eight - Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe, I'm On My Way by Dean Parrish
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