Nile Rodgers at the Barrowland Ballroom

I'm still basking in the afterglow of seeing Nile Rodgers and CHIC at the Barrowland Ballroom! A phrase and tantalising thought that will bring smiles to the faces of anyone fortunate enough to have been there for years to come.

My wife, friends and I snapped up tickets immediately upon release, super excited by the prospect of this legendary hit maker and his crack band playing the best venue in the world.

We were not disappointed!

What an honour it was to see a master of songwriting, arrangements, guitar playing and production up close and personal. 

I should also name Nile's current line-up of CHIC; Jerry Barnes on bass who delighted the crowd with his exceptional and energetic style, Ralph Rolle on drums - he brought the funk, Kimberly Davis and Audrey Martells on exquisite and sublime vocals, Russell Graham and Richard Hiltons on keyboards and Brandon Wright, Steve Jankowski and Ken Gioffre on horns.

These are good times

Leave your cares behind

This was 105-minutes of pure escapism, much needed from a world troubled by climate change, wars and conflict and right wing politics, with the cost of living crisis and housing emergencies impacting many.

Nile and CHIC lifted the crowd from the off with an outrageous opening medley of Le Freak, Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah). They were just getting started! Band and audience were definitely warmed up and raring to go.

More hits? Nile's got 'em!

I Want You Love was dreamy, beautiful and seductive. Kimberly Davis treated us to some truly sensational vocals afterwards, Nile looked on with a beam. What a gorgeous smile this guy has! 

With so many songs to get through, Nile and CHIC merged some together. We had I'm Coming Out and Upside Down by Diana Ross from her 1980 album Diana, written and produced by Nile and Bernard Edwards, the friends who co-founded CHIC. Two slices of impeccable pop; hooks, grooves and super cool.

More?

We then had He's The Greatest Dancer and We Are Family from the Sister Sledge album of the same name that Nile and Bernard wrote and produced in 1989. Utterly brilliant disco pop. 

What else did Nile get up to?

Oh yeah, he produced Madonna's Like A Virgin album in 1984. Nile told us how he wanted Material Girl to be the lead single as he could imagine everyone calling Madonna 'the material girl'. Madonna told him it was going to be Like A Virgin. So Nile played both! The crowd went nuts.

The year before, Nile produced a Bowie album and so we had a joyful blast through Modern Love. Nile then brought us into present times with CUFF IT by Beyonce and Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance by Daft Punk. A career overview was being played out before our eyes.

Lost In Music was outstanding. Everyone in the Barrowland was lost in music, the structure, arrangement and feeling of that Sister Sledge song is utterly perfect. Notorious by Duran Duran was very popular with girls and women around me, then we had the sublime Thinking Of You - sheer perfection.

Phew, Nile and CHIC kept going, Jerry Barnes on bass was co-frontman with Nile, delighting the crowd with his facial expressions and incredible riffs. Meanwhile Kimberley and Audrey on lead vocals were absolutely exquisite. Their voices were like angels.

Drummer Ralf Rolle then led the band through an extended jam called Maximum Funkocity which was superb, great fun. There was a call and response section with the crowd, hand were in the air, hand were waved ... amazing.

My Feet Dancing, Chic Cheer/Love Like This, My Forbidden Lover was a glorious run of CHIC songs before the place went truly nuts for Bowie's Let's Dance.

We were all having a good time, so there was only one way to end it. And that was with the monumental hit Good Times, with a nice segue into Rapper's Delight. 

The Barrowland roar of appreciation was as loud as I have ever heard, so there was an encore of the full length Le Freak to send everyone home deliriously happy. What a night!

Lost In Music

Cover version of the month #65
The Fall cover Sister Sledge

I recently read Renegade, Mark E Smith's autobiography. I'm not a huge fan of the band by any means, but I did take some time to try a little bit more of their back catalogue as a result of reading the book.

And I discovered a number of cover versions that they have recorded, including an outrageous version of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge from their monumental 1979 album We Are Family.

Written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, this sublime slice of disco house heaven was produced during a period where the duo could literally do no wrong. Everything they touched turned to gold. Check what they were involved with in the late 70's with Chic and Sister Sledge, it is just insane, then through to working with Bowie, Diana Ross and Madonna (among others) in the 80's.

Lost In Music is utterly stunning pop music. The song stretches out to 4 minutes 40 seconds, allowing Rodgers and Edwards to pull every kind of trick they have learned to create something magical. 

What are their tricks? Well there is a teasing 30-second intro, then we're straight into a double chorus that you can sing after only one listen. And there are plenty of other opportunities through the rest of the song to do just that.

The vocals and production are crystal clear, the stabbing piano/keys sounds instantly familiar and Rodgers just grooves along in his unique style, somehow playing lead and rhythm guitar simultaneously.

I've been in a club when this song has come on, if played at the precise moment, then there is nothing better, the crowd are lost in music and singing-a-long, meaning and believing every sing word they sing. It is absolutely perfect for a club.

We're lost in music, feel so alive

I quit my nine to five

We're lost in music

Rodgers & Edwards captured the NYC disco and club scene perfectly in so many of their finely crafted songs. No wonder, if you read Rodgers autobiography it sounds like he pretty much lived in some of the clubs! He certainly lived for clubbing, lived for music. He still lives for music. I've caught his Nile Rodgers and Chic shows a couple of times and I think they may well be the most uplifting shows I have ever experienced.

In 1993 The Fall decided to cover Lost In Music. They rip through it, with Mark E Smith adding his own little twist by declaring I'm Lost In Music. That simple shift from we're to I'm just personalises the song.

I'm no expert on Smith and The Fall, but I know how prolific he was and from what I have heard and read, he was lost in his own world, his own music, his own vision and dreams for The Fall.

Smith snaps, snarls and drawls his way through the song. When he half sings, half shouts I'm so alive, he actually sounds like he couldn't give a flying f**k. When he sings caught in a trap, no looking back it sounds like he is resigned to recording the cover version, rather than enjoying it.

Yet I'm strangely drawn to it. It's got a raw punk edge, it is a strange and brave song to cover. Why did they cover it? I haven't been able to track that down.

Anyway, I enjoy it and it is cover version of the month #65. Check the original, a sublime re-edit by Dimtri From Paris, the cover by The Fall and also a live version.

Lost In Music by Sister Sledge

Lost In Music, Dimitri From Paris extended re-edit

Lost In Music by The Fall

Lost In Music by The Fall, live on The Beat

And after posting this blog Duglas T Stewart of the BMX Bandits kindly tipped me off on this very atmospheric version by Anita Lane. 

Click (or search for) Everything Flows cool cover versions on Spotify for a playlist of the covers I have blogged about and read on for a full list and links to previous cover of the month blogs. 

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 
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

Hands Up Get Down

In the old days bands would form via friends and networks, adverts in the NME or Melody Maker or notices in record shops. New Scottish band Fat Cops formed in a much more modern way - via Twitter.

I'll get the full lowdown on that in a feature length blog (interview and review) on their forthcoming debut album that will be released through Absolute via Universal/Sony DADC at the start of March.

The forthcoming debut self-titled LP coming in March

Fat Cops are a six-piece featuring Chris Deerin (vocals), Robert Hodgens aka Bobby Bluebell (guitars and vocals), Chris Ayre (bass and vocals), Euan McColm (guitars), Al Murray (drums) and Neil Murray (keys).

Chris (bass) formed the band after he was bequeathed a black Rickenbacker bass guitar by his late Aunt, Maggie Gulliver, who played it as a member of legendary 1970's girl group The Wee Besoms, Fat Cops take their name from one of their songs and also cover another on their debut LP.

As I say, more of that later. In the meantime debut single Hands Up! Get Down! offers a tantalising taster of what we can perhaps expect.

The song grooves and is full of feeling, harmonies, harmonica, hooks, guitar riffs and beats - captivating on first listen, even more rewarding after repeated listens.

The video fits superbly, a silhouetted Bluebell plays wah wah riffs as a garage opens, a drone camera rises over a sunny Clyde while Deerin wanders and runs around Glasgow wearing boxing gloves.

The hook is one you can sing during your first listen, I can imagine it going down a storm in a sweaty venue or at a sunny festival. Hands up, everybody put your hands up, everybody put your hands up, everybody's gonna get down is a chorus/hook that could easily come out of peak Nile Rodgers Chic in the 70's. Simple, catchy and over a disco/Madchester beat with funky guitar licks - it certainly caught my attention. There is the added bonus of Norman Blake on backing vocals.

Fat Cops only have one show in the diary at present, a show at The Social in London on Monday 4th March. Tickets HERE. But I'm pretty sure there will be a Scottish date or two in the calendar in the not too distant future - I hope so.

I look forward to hearing what this six-piece offers from their album.The talent, taste and soul on their debut has definitely caught my attention.

Never Ending Mixtape part 10

Welcome to the latest additions to the Never Ending Mixtape.

We flow through hip hop, euphoric disco, a synth masterpiece from Drive, punk pop and some stunning guitar pop from Scotland.

The Never Ending Mixtape now has 157 songs - over 11 hours of music for you to explore and enjoy!

So delve in from the start, or skip to the end to play the songs listed below.



Know How - Young MC
The bassline was 'borrowed' by the Stone Roses for Fools Gold.

Le Freak - Chic
Sublime.

Testify - HiFi Sean
A current fave in our house.

Thinking Of You - Sister Sledge
Possibly my favourite Nile Rodgers song.

A Real Hero - College featuring Electric Youth
I still remember hearing this in the old Captains Rest and demanding to know what the hell it was - it still (and always will) sounds incredible!

I Want To Kiss You - The Spook School
Punk pop perfection - full of energy

Alison's Starting To Happen - The Lemonheads
Contains one of my favourite lyrics ever She's the puzzle piece behind the couch, makes the sky complete

Stutter - Elastica
A reminder of why Elastica were so well loved when they burst on to the scene

Baby Gets High - Blake Babies
A gorgeous song by Juliana Hatfield and co

Panic On - Madder Rose
I have this on 7-inch and it remains a fave

Say Something New - The Concretes
You Can't Hurry Love - The Concretes
2 moments of pop perfection from The Concretes

Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura
Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura
2 moments of exceptional music from Scotland's Camera Obscura

Nothing To Be Done - The Pastels
Thank You For Being You - The Pastels
And 2 moments of brilliance from the legendary Pastels

Vapour Trail - Ride
I blogged about their new album last month, but check this guitar gem

April Skies - The Jesus and Mary Chain
Another stunning piece of Scottish guitar pop

Discolite - Teenage Fanclub
Radio - Teenage Fanclub
And 2 Gerry Love beauties

Nile Rodgers and Chic at Glasgow Academy

What a night! The cheer that reverberated around the 02 Academy in Glasgow last night when Nile Rodgers and Chic finally paused between songs, following their classic Le Freak, was among the loudest I have ever heard in 22-years of gig going in Glasgow. And it didn't stop, it went on again, again and again. Nile smiled and looked genuinely amazed. The cheer came back again and Nile asked his keyboard player to take a picture of the crowd.

When I got home i tweeted Nile and he replied;

2. Nile Rodgers ‏@nilerodgers  11h11 hours ago

   @murrayeaston My ears are still ringing from the ROAR of the crowd! True Fact!

   View conversation3 retweets16 favorites
3. 11h11 hours ago

   
   

The Academy was a complete sell-out and Nile strolled on to the stage alone to chat to to the crowd and introduce the video for Chic's new single I'll Be There, an up temp disco beauty that plays on the old Sister Sledge classic Got To Love Somebody.

Nile then returned with his exceptional band and got everyone straight into the groove with an amazing opening trio of Everybody Dance, Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and I Want Your Love!

The crowd responded by dancing, clapping, waving their hands in the air and generally having the best Monday night ever. It didn't let up!

Nile announced he would be playing songs he had written and produced over the years and kicked off with a Diana Ross double - the blissful I'm Coming Out and the exquisite Upside Down. This was disco heaven, Nile patrolling the stage playing and feeling his guitar; letting us hear and see some of the best disco funk riffs of all time.

A medley containing the likes of He's The Greatest Dancer (one of my highlights of the night), We Are Family, Madonna's Like A Virgin, Lost In Music and Duran Duran's Notorious had the crowd in raptures.

This was a musical lesson; short verse, huge choruses hammered home again and again, raising it up, taking out the beat and bringing it all back in again. All the time underpinned by Rodgers unique guitar playing.

The two female singers were brilliant and Nile took time to thank them and all of his band.

Thinking Of You is one of my all-time favourites and it was a real hands in the air moment while the cover of Carly Simon's Why was superb.

I'll Be There is the new single and Nile told us about how he was diagnosed with cancer 5-years ago and how he decided he wanted to let the doctors do what they do and he would do what he does - make music. I'll Be There was a highlight, as was the delicious Get Lucky, Nile's single with Daft Punk that gave him a whole new audience.

The set was all one big highlight but the closing quartet of My Forbidden Lover, an outstanding romp through Bowie's Let's Dance, the aforementioned Le Freak and the closer Good Times really raised the roof, with Rodgers inviting people on stage to dance.

This was a special night with Rodgers blown away by the audience response - this was a Monday night; he should try a Saturday night at the Barrowlands!

Wickerman Festival 2013 - a review

Wickerman 2013 was ushered in by blazing sunshine and the first sold out event in the festivals history.

We arrived on site a little late at around 4pm on the Friday and had soon pitched our tent and sparked a beer before meeting friends Gordon and Alana.

We had a wander into the site and up to the Solus Tent to see Solar Eye but swiftly decided that Scottish hip-hop isn't our thing, so we caught the last of Dreadzone on the main stage; their dub, reggae house combination sounded pretty damn good in the glorious sunshine.

We helped (or at least Lynn did) Gordon and Alana pitch their tent (thankfully we have a pop up one) and then went back on site to catch some of Admiral Fallow who sounded majestic when they got into full flow.

The first highlight of the day was Machines In Heaven, surely one of the most improved outfits in Scotland right now. It has been a long road for Graeme and Greg, but their patience in finding their sound and line-up has paid off and their dreamy electro soundscapes sounded delicious in the Solus Tent.

KT Tunstall gathered a huge crowd at the main stage and we caught some of her set in between visits to the VIP bar that is conveniently situated right next door. She even dropped a wee bit of the White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army' into her set.

Friday was all about two acts for me though (no offence to the others). First up were Chic featuring Niles Rodgers and they did not disappoint. I got lost in the music, just dancing and singing along to hit after hit. 'Thinking Of You' by Sister Sledge became my song of the weekend, I still can't get it out of my head.

Niles Rodgers was coolness personified, striding around the stage in a resplendent white suit and shades, playing a unique mix of lead/rythm guitar. Their set was only 1-hour long, far too short. They ended with 'Le Freak' to huge cheers and a whole load of people on stage dancing with them.

Darkness fell and Primal Scream took to the stage, blitzing the audience with '2013' the opening track from their latest album. The song is full of energy that belies the Scream's years. The hits like; 'Country Girl', 'Jailbird', 'It's Alright, It's OK' (again off the new album) and 'Rocks' generated a brilliant response from the crowd. A welcome burst of 'Shoot Speed/Kill Light' was a real highlight.

There is a time and a place for new songs; '2013' and 'It's Alright, It's OK' are up with anything the Scream have recorded, however 3 or 4 other songs off the new album are not - certainly not when you are headlining a festival. So the mood in the crowd noticeably dipped during tracks like 'Tenement Kid'.

'Loaded' was a riot and the version of 'Come Together' was euphoric. I just wish that the Sceram had played a full set worthy of the title; festival headliners, as they certainly have enough material in their back catalogue.

The night ended with dancing in the silent disco and at an open stage DJ bar before we fell into the tent around 1.30am and kept the doors open chatting to the strains of the music in the distance. A top day.

Saturday morning was hazy and lazy. The sunshine warmed our tent to the extent that we had to get up even though we could have done with another couple of hours sleep. So we wandered on to the site with Gordon and Alana and grabbed some breakfast and newspapers from the shop and then headed back for a lazy couple of hours snoozing in the sun.

Acts we caught on the Saturday;

The Recovery - not through choice, the Recovery brought their heavy metal show to Wickerman as the guitarist and singer walked outside of the Solus Tent to play to the crowd at the food stalls. The Recovery may have cleared a few hangovers and not helped some others!

Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire -  Roddy's mix of ballads and up temp numbers went down well with the large crowd who were settling in front of the main stage and on the hill for the day. I personally preferred the more upbeat stuff that really showcased the sound his very talented 7-piece band could create. Roddy is a tremendous talent and well worth checking out.

Vasa - are managed by a lovely guy called Gerry Blythe who has put on some great nights in Glasgow (including booking Nevada Base and Vigo Thieves) and he has great taste in music. Vasa are from the Mogwai school of rock and their musical ability sounded way beyond their age (they look pretty young). They could build from a pin drop into a ferocious noise and their bassist impressed. Tight!

Lulu James - Looked and sounded brilliant - real festival act, capable of getting the crowd in the mood and generating a real groove at times.

Bellowhead - I was actually in the media village at the side of the stage when Bellowhead played to a huge crowd and they generated a massive conga - good festival fun!

Dexys - I love Dexys and was pleased to see Kevin Rowland and co pull a big crowd. Kevin looked great and the band ran through a mix of material from their comeback album and old classics. I only stayed for the first 4 songs as I was heading to see...

Vigo Thieves - Vigo Thieves smashed T in the Park and their good form improved even further at Wickerman at the Solus Tent, they really nailed it and impressed everyone there. The set is super tight;

'Steal Your Heart' set the tone, big guitars and choruses 'stay young in your heart and your in your mind' with the crowd singing along. 'Blood Red' kept the tempo up and Stevie Jukes was already down in amongst the crowd, vibing off their passion and energy.

'Believe' was epic, it is just a huge song that others can only dream of writing, it is another positive message - make no mistake, they believe and more and more people are starting to believe with them.

'Steal Your Heart Pt II' slowed things down and it sends a tingle down my spine every time I hear it. It contains my favourite lyric that Stevie has written (to date) and it gets me every time.

You're looking for the love to heal the pain from all the scars

So live for the moment and you'll shine like the stars

'Ghosts' was a riot with the band selecting a fan to play air saxaphone as their guest sax player was away on holiday, before 'Heartbeats' closed an epic set.

The band play the Arches on 7th September - get your tickets HERE

Five for Friday 28/10/11

Here are 5 tunes to kick start your weekend.

We start with the slick, soulful and funky disco of 'Le Freak' by Chic

We the glide into Patti Jo's gorgeous 'Make Me Believe In You', the lyrics are just pure 'heart on sleeve' stuff.

We then storm into Martha Reeves & The Vandella's with the classic 'Nowhere To Run'. Martha will be playing Celtic Connections in Glasgow in January 2012.

Keeping up the pace we fly into Spanky Wilson with 'You', written by a certain Stevie Wonder.

This week ends in serious style courtesy of The Stones and this outrageous take on 'Sympathy For The Devil' from the memorial concert for Brian Jones in 1969.