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.
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Cover version of the month #122 The Rolling Stones cover The Temptations
I stumbled across The Rolling Stones 1978 album called Some Girls in a lovely bar in the old town section of Malia while on holiday with my wife (then girlfriend) back in 2003. The guy serving behind the bar was also DJ-ing and he played a song that captured my attention.
Me - Who is that?
Barman - The Rolling Stones.
Me - No way?
He passed the CD case across the bar. The song was Miss You, the lead song on (and single from) the album. Kind of disco, kind of soulful, kind of dirty - most definitely cool. I asked him to play it again as soon as it finished.
My wife and I ended up in this wee bar every night. The strip was most definitely not for us, while the old town had quaint little restaurants and bars to chill in. The barman played Miss You every time we went in and often just let the album run on. I bought a copy as soon as I got back to Scotland.
While I most definitely fell for Miss You and the groove of Beast of Burden, I was also captivated by the Stones cover version of Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), a song I knew from a soul compilation album I had.
The Stones are in the zone, they are in absolutely no rush, beautifully lazily loose. Charlie Watts gets a delicious crack from his snare, Keith Richards sounds like he is in love with his phaser pedal and the way his guitar gels with Ronnie Wood is utterly sublime. The Stones sound like the best band in the world - just jamming on a song they love.
The soul of the song is there, but the Stones take it from Motown to a place that maybe only the Stones know how to get to. They throw it under a new light ... or maybe they take it into the shadows, into the darkness. You can just imagine them playing in a dive bar down a gritty side street.
Many cite the Stones Some Girls album as something of a rebirth, given that it was released in a world of punk and disco. Perhaps that inspired Jagger and co. Miss You definitely has a dirty disco groove and beat, while closing track Shattered is new wave before new wave.
Jagger sneers and swaggers through the lyrics that sound so innocent in the original. Behind him, his band sound a few beers and smokes in, you can easily imagine bottle resting on amps and fags hanging from mouths as they play. Maybe in New York City, as Jagger changes the words in the final verse from The Temptations of all the fellows in the world, she belongs to me to and of all the girls in New York, she loves me true.
Jagger also ad libs in the second verse and sounds true to himself, rather than The Temptations.
I say I am just a fellow, with a one track mind
Whatever it is I want baby, I seek and I shall find
Listen to him harmonise with Richards on the chorus - ooft. What a band!
Richards fell for a MXR Phase 100 pedal that you can hear across the album. It creates a swirly, dreamy psychedelic effect, though through the interplay with Ronnie Wood and with Charlie Watts crack beat, the the Stones kick up the tempo. The little instrumental after the second chorus is stunning.
Respecting the melody (and band - they previously covered The Temptations Ain't Too Proud To Beg and My Girl), The Stones didn't quite run away with their imagination, but they definitely allowed it to drift enough to put their own stamp on the song. This is a magical cover version, for me, one of the bands finest covers in their massive catalogue.
The original is a Motown masterpiece - one of many!
Released in 1971, The Temptations' original version of Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) was written by the legendary powerhouse duo of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, it is a masterclass in sweet, symphonic soul. A beautiful, fragile orchestral piece of Detroit Motor City magic
Driven by the breathtaking, delicate falsetto of Eddie Kendricks, the track captures the ultimate bittersweet daydream. Lush, cinematic strings and a gently weeping French horn back a daydream of love, a relationship and marriage. It all seems so real that the author/singer is caught up in the romantic fantasy, before realising it is just his imagination.
I tell you, I can visualise it all you see
This couldn't be a dream, far too real it all seems
But it was just my imagination (once again)
Running away with me
The bridge sees Kendrick lost in his fantasy and praying to the Lord not to take his love away from him, only to snap out of it before he hits the chorus again.
Ooh, her love is heavenly
When her arms enfold me, I hear a tender rhapsody
But in reality, she doesn't even know me
While The Temptations original is a fantastic song and recording, The Stones version is my favourite. It just oozes cool and they really seem to be in the zone.
The Temptations original and The Rolling Stones cover version are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE
Way before the beats, groove, futuristic sounds and strobe lights of Screamadelicaand the leather-clad rock n roll swagger, funky jams and blissed out ballads of Give Out But Don't Give Up, Primal Scream were a band (like many from Glasgow) influenced by the West Coast California sounds of bands like Love and The Byrds.
The sun kissed music from America was filtered through the Glasgow rain, Southside tenement bedrooms and the romanticised vision and imagination of Bobby Gillespie to create the original Primal Scream sound. Gillespie was a kid obsessed with music - if he was forming/joining a band, then it had to be as good as the music of his heroes.
In addition to his ambition, Gillespie also happened to look absolutely magnificent. Super cool, with a floppy fringe haircut that you can just imagine kids reading the NME / Melody Maker at the time wanting to replicate. Whether drumming with The Mary Chain, fronting Primal Scream or running the Splash One night - Gillespie had exceptional style, vision and energy. Something that John Charnley from The Clouds touched on in an interview for my blog last month.
Gillespie formed Primal Scream with his friend Jim Beattie whose 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was all over their early recordings. All Fall Down b/w It Happens was released as a single in 1985, followed by the seminal Crystal Crescent b/w Velocity Girl in 1986. Velocity Girl was the opening track on NME's legendary C86 compilation tape. Here is a blog I wrote on the song back in 2019 where I describe it as 82-seconds of a sugar pop rush, pure and perfect.
Bobby Gillespie & Jim Beattie
Year and photographer unknown
The Reverberations compilation album released in 2023 is a beautiful time capsule of early Primal Scream, primarily focusing on rounding up the early singles and a series of Janice Long and John Peel sessions from 1985 and 1986 - way before the Primals released Sonic Flower Groove, their debut album, in October 87.
Reflecting on the release of these archival recordings, Bobby Gillespie said: “This music proves we really had something special going on back then. I'm very proud of this album, I'm glad these sessions are finally being released.”
One of the songs included is I Love You, from a 1st December 1985 John Peel session, later released as Love You on Sonic Flower Groove, almost 2-years later. The Peel Session version evidences the early confidence and belief that surged through Primal Scream from the off. Gillespie's band had the ambition and ability to write songs that felt important.
Beattie's Rickenbacker cascades with a crystaline, sun-drenched shimmer, allowed to run for 20-seconds before Gillespie starts to sing. Moe Tucker style beats come in. This is The Velvet Underground with Roger McGuinn on guitar. Gorgeous.
I sometimes misunderstand, things you say
Lose all since I command
We collide in a time, almost drowning
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
Primal Scream sound fantastic on this Peel session. Gillespie is beautifully vulnerable, sincere, singing heart-on-sleeve lyrics, wide-eyed and head over heels in love. Pure, true and soulful.
Time may tell if I'll entail
Maybe I, can hear your shout prevail
Or shall faith we betrayed
Become far soon
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
On the Peel version, Beattie plays the song out after the second chorus, the whole song lasts just 2-minutes 22 seconds. By the time Primal Scream recorded it for Sonic Flower Groove they doubled the length to create sublime, lush psychedelic pop.
The song structure is all there, remaining true to the Peel version, but after the second chorus, instead of fading things to conclusion, Beattie adds some kick and fizz to his guitar for a solo over a dreamy 35 second instrumental.
Gillespie comes back in to croon the chorus and then adds a gorgeous don't walk away coda, strings come in over the chiming and jangling guitars and Primal Scream sound like the best band on the planet.
I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into the 85-87 Primal Scream era. The Reverberations compilation of sessions and early singles is a fascinating archive of the band developing their sound, leading to Sonic Flower Groove.
Love You and I Love You from the 85 Peel Session are both 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
John McAlinden is one of the most imaginative, creative, energetic, kind and hardest working people I have had the pleasure of meeting thanks to my love of music. AKA John McMustard and leader of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5, John and his band bring colour, flair and fun times to festivals, towns and venues all across Scotland and beyond. They have done this for well over a decade and are going stronger than ever.
You could say that Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 are the Brazil of Scottish festival bands! Both play in the same colour with CMD5 t-shirts brightening festivals like the Brazilian national teams glorious yellow strips light up stadiums. Both play to have fun and to make people happy, bringing smiles to faces and gathering support from neutrals.
I was planning to write quite a few blogs on World Cup singles after writing about JJ Bull's magnificent LCD Soundsystem-esque Very Unofficial Scotland World Cup Song. But there have been so many I just couldn't keep up!
However, I was determined to write a blog on a song that tells a different story to every other, one that links Scotland with Brazil, ahead of the big game in Miami. The Fathers Of Brazilian Football by Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 featuring Samba Ya Bamba is out now. The lead single from a 5 song EP.
The song is about the four Scottish men that brought football to Brazil, including the first ball, from Busby to Rio in 1894 courtesy of Thomas Donohoe! It's a remarkable story, now captured in song. A full documentary should follow with the good Colonel heading to Brazil!
The Fathers of Brazilian Football were;
Thomas Donohoe from Busby in 1894 got his wife Elizabeth to bring the 1st footballl to Bangu, Rio where a game took place between the textile factory workers.
Charles Miller - His Dad from Fairlie, in 1894 took the rule book and 2 footballs to Sao Paulo and established the amateur game.
Archie McLean from Paisley,alongside Bill Hopkins from Portsmouth, brought the short passing game, called tabelinha. Tabelinha in the chorus means little chart and is the short passing game that Archie McLean (the first Brazilian football star) from Paisley taught the Brazilians in Sao Paolo and it is played to this day.
Jock Hamilton from Ayr brought structure to the amateurs through his coaching.
Why the hell couldn't Archie stay in Scotland and teach us this style of football?!
The ambition of John and his band on a DIY budget is exceptional, I find it incredibly inspiring. The video for the single was filmed at West of Scotland Cricket Ground - the home of the first international match in 1872 between Scotland and England. Scotland's only world cup winner Rose Riley features! Additional scenes were filmed at Glasgow Central Station, Hampden Park with Vanilla J from the Tartan Army and Springburn Park Synthetic Pitch.
Samba drums usher the song in, the infectious beat is then aided by the introduction of horns. Are you in?! John then tells the story through song - it is original, fun and very much Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 - unique, colourful and positive. Whistles, percussion, a breakdown, a build up, a Brazilian feel but with a distinctively Scottish accent. The hook obrigado, obrigado, play the game is infectious. Maybe one day we will get the Tartan Army and Brazil supporters chanting the chorus!
Check the brilliantly vibrant video below and then read on for an amazing interview with John. His passion for his band, friends, fans and football shines through. I greatly appreciate his time in answering my questions during an exceptionally busy time.
Interview with John McAlinden (AKA The Colonel)
When and how did you come up with the idea for the song?
My sister Nicola reminded me about Malcolm McLean that used to play in SambaYaBamba , his Granda was Archie McLean whose nickname in Brazil was little deer , because of how nimble and quick he was. He went over with the textile industry in Paisley and was one of the first stars of Brazilian football, playing for the Scottish Wanderers and Sao Paulo State , the highest honour at the time in Brazil.
Archie and his friend from Southampton Bill Hopkins introduced the Brazilians to the short passing game they call Tabelinha which means little chart. The Scots took the passing game to England then all over the world. After hearing about Archie , i bought a book from the 90's by Peter Cameron that gave me so much more info and I then started discovering there were other Scottish links to Brazil. Thomas Donohoe an engineer asked his wife Elizabeth to bring the first football from Busby in 1894, they settled with their 2 boys. One of the boys went onto be a star of Brazilian football and is said to have did the first bicycle kick in Brazil before Leonidas Dasilva popularised it throughout the world. Thomas organised a game in Bangu in the suburbs of Rio between workers in the calico factory he worked in.
The person most Brazilians call the father of Brazilian football is Charles Miller. His family were from Fairlie, but he was educated privately in England. He crucially brought the rule book and another 2 footballs and started the amateur league, was a referee, a player and a prominent figure for many years after organising the first official game amongst Railway workers and engineers and then forming the first amateur league.
Jock Hamilton from Ayr, was a coach at Fulham and he went to Brazil and brought structure to the amateurs with the system Ingleza that should actually be called the Scottish system.
How quickly did it come together? Or given the story and everyone involved, did it take a while?
For Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 it was one of the quickest songs we've got together from inception in Feb/March to recording April/May and then releasing in May/June. My Brother in Law and Dijon 5 percussionist Roddy Dickson , also happens to be the mestre in SambaYaBamba , he has been to Brazil many times and played with a couple of the top Samba schools there including Academicos da Rocinha (pronounced Haw-seen-ya). Parading in Carnival and is the Scottish member of Bloco X, who are the best of the best Samba players outside Brazil. As soon as the idea came , I knew it had to be samba and we've been threatening to write a samba song together for years, so worked out well.
Mikey Grant from the Dijon 5 came up with an amazing tune on the keyboard, Roddy sambafied it and I put the lyrics together, blending the football and textile imagery in it. It was hard squeezing 4 men into 2 verses , but we managed to do that and tell some of the main points of the story in as short and succinct way as possible. The Dijon 5 then added their individual stamps with horns, bass , guitar and vocals and for the EP version thats out now , we've included an instrumental, DJ 5 has done a house carnival remix and we bumped into an amazing Brazilian musician May Terra who has translated and sings on the Brazilian version 'Os Pais do Futebol Brasileiro'. Her vocals blow mine out the water. This is my favourite version.
What is your first memory of watching Brazil at a World Cup? Do you have a favourite Brazilian player?
I have a vague memory of watching Socrates with my Dad when i was around 3 or 4 at the Spain 1982 world cup and that memory being there because my Dad was pointing him out and talking about him , but so young its all very vague and more of an awareness. Mexico 1986 was the first real World Cup I remember.
Even though he was before my time Pele is probably my favourite Brazilian player, just from watching all the footage and watching Escape To Victory on repeat , the Colonel Mustard video 'Gay Icon' was our homage to that. In the 80s round about this time , playing football on the red ash pitch at St Barbaras in Muirhead , you used to baggsy what player you wanted to be and everyone would baggsy Maradona or Pele , a testament to his legacy.
At school you knew , even if you hadn't heard him or seen them that Jimi Hendrix was the greatest guitarist of all time and Pele the greatest footballer, but I love the Pele quote that blows that out the water. "To be the best footballer of all time , you have to be the best in every position".
My favourite Brazilian footballer of my time was Ronaldinho, who i believe is coming out of retirement after 11 years to join a Serie C side(oh he does like to be beside the C side) the style, flair, control and of course the goals, on his debut for Barcelona and of course against England. Just utter class. Unbridled talent. It's who Messi learned his trade from and its between him, Messi or Maradonna for most naturally gifted footballer of all time. They can see things instinctively that others don't.
In terms of goalscoring machines though Ronaldo Nazario (R9) takes some beating. Watching him age 17 at the 1994 world cup and I was travelling in Australia in 2002 when he was in a front 3 with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Scoring twice in the final. My son Charlie was asking to get the haircut, which may be the worst of all time , but is testament to his legend in the playgrounds of the modern era. That whole team with Roberto Carlos and Cafu. They were on another level.
You must be pleased by the reaction to the single. What has been your highlight to date?
Aye its been amazing. Getting a wee early play from Michelle McManus on one of her last few shows on BBC Radio Scotland started the momentum building nicely , then playing it with SambaYaBamba at Julie McNeill and Campbell Ramage 'We Are Scottish Football' book launch at West Scotland Cricket ground, then filming with the West Park United 2014 team at Springburn Park was cool, my sons team that I was coaching.
Playing a pop up show with SambaYaBamba and getting to do keepie uppies in Central Station and Ending up on Reporting Scotland. Meeting lots of the Brazilian community in Scotland there and when we were doing a food tasting challenge for Beths and Brownings the Bakers. Its been a great adventure and for all the down sides of streaming(mainly financially), watching our Brazilian Fanbase growing on all the streaming and social media platforms and the nice comments about the song from the Brazilian community have meant the most. Seeing tartan army pals like Murray from the Clutha and the Scottish Football Forum podcast spreading the word to the Tartan Army has been great and theyve done us so proud.
The icing on the cake though was today's (Monday 22nd) filming at Glebe Primary in Irvine for STV for the news on Wednesday , the day of the big game. We had members of the Dijon 5, SambaYaBamba and SYB Youth band and hundreds of kids and teachers all singing and dancing. You can't beat that feeling of connection with an audience and the excitement and spontaneity that music and football can create.
Have you seen the Kevin Bridges show on the iPlayer where he goes out to Brazil?
I thought the Kevin Bridges documentary was amazing, he is the Scottish everyman in so many ways and obviously the most relatable, funniest guy in Scotland. It had me in tears , had me laughing , i learned a few things. The scenes with Cafu and John McGinn were so good and in the favelas and going to the games were great. The quote that maybe went under some peoples radars was "Football without cans is nothing" the most clever writing and play on Jock Steins "football without fans is nothing" quote.
I love the fact they included some stuff about Thomas Donohoe. In a near perfect documentary my only criticism would have been , that they could have got an interview from Bangu A.C, as they have a museum there and some experts and maybe some stuff about Sao Paulo and Archie McLean and Jock Hamilton. If they do a follow up that would be great obviously with our song on the soundtrack.
Do you think we'll go through?
I think we will go through. Even if Brazil beat us with a low goal difference we can still qualify, but if the boys play at their best, we're more than capable of getting a result.
What are CMD5 plans for the rest of 2026?
Writing and recording more music as we're on a roll and all these gigs and festivals-
Sat 27th June 7.30pm Kilmarnock Fair Festival
17th-19th July Sat afternoon Back Doune The Rabbit Hole
Fri 31st July Belladrum Tartan Heart
Sun 2nd Aug - Fringe by the Sea North Berwick
Sun 9th Aug Party at The Palace
Fri 28th Aug - Caledonian Uni 150 year anniversary gig
3rd -5th September - Lindisfarne Festival
Sun 27th September Dumbarton Rocks
Sat 24th Oct Biggar Little Festival
Sun 29th Nov 12.00 Winterstorm, Troon Concert Hall
Lastly - who do you think will win the 2026 World Cup?
I've spent considerable time revisiting the sunshine, open road, warm breeze guitar pop of Ben Kweller over the last month. Kweller had a magnificent run of 00's albums; his debut Sha Sha (2002), On My Way (2004), Ben Kweller (2006) and Changing Horses (2009).
There was a large gap between 2012's Go Fly A Kite and 2021's Circuit Boredom, but Kweller seems to have the bug again, releasing Cover the Mirrors (including collaborations with Waxahatchee and The Flaming Lips) in 2025.
Kweller recently played King Tuts on 10th June, his first Scottish show in a decade and it was an absolute joy. Ben hinted that he will be back in 2027, so maybe another album is on the way - he'll need a bigger venue! Tuts was absolutely rammed. I left wanting to get my guitars down from the loft, plug in my amp and play. Kweller played songs from across his career, beginning with two of my absolute favourites -Thirteen and Falling, with the latter generating a huge sing-song chorus. Talk about setting the tone from the off!
Along with The Polyphonic Spree, Ben must have been one of the first artists that my younger sister Carla recommended to me, rather than the other way round. So it was great to go and see Ben with her alongside me. Even better as Eugene Kelly was also alongside me and Ben covered Molly's Lips in appreciation of The Vaselines.
Carla was overjoyed to hear Wasted & Ready and On My Way. New songs from his forthcoming album sounded fantastic. Ben also played a song written by his son Dorian who tragically lost his life in a car accident at the age of only 16. It was a beautiful moment.
Kweller is a gifted songwriter and storyteller, whether behind a piano or playing acoustic/electric guitar. His warm melodies melt my heart. I was going to write a full blog review of the show, but instead I thought I would focus on a specific song.
Released in the late summer of 2006 as lead single for the third in that quartet of album, Sundress is a four-minute shot of pure, heart-on-sleeve indie-pop brilliance. Kweller's eponymous album might be my favourite. It has such a lovely feel to it, aided by the fact that Kweller played every instrument on the album - drums, bass, guitars and piano.
Leading with a melancholic piano riff, Kweller sings gently to set the scene;
Everybody's trying to be the best
What about the girl with loneliness?
I like your sundress, I like your sundress
What about the girl with loneliness?
Things lift beautifully for the bridge into the chorus;
And from the inside out, you look so beautiful
I wanna hold you, in my hand
The chorus explodes into life, like a burst of sunshine. It's very Lemonheads-y. All warm, melodic and magnificent, heart-on-sleeve, head-over-heels gooey brilliance. So simple, so pure, so beautiful.
I'll do, everything you want me to
I'll do, everything you want me to, do
Things fall back for the second verse, I love the first couple of lines, something Kweller wants to do, a memory he thinks back to and then the realisation as to what he really needs.
I wanna start going on a morning walk
What about the days when we used to talk?
I don't need a smile, from a mannequin
I just wanna hold you in my hands
Then it is back into the infectious chorus. Kweller pounding on the piano and bashing gleefully on his acoustic guitar - what a glorious noise.
After a sublime instrumental there is a tender breakdown into the final bridge;
And from the inside out, you've changed girl, you know you have
Don't make a good thing bad
Just let me hold you in my hands
Kweller then returns to the chorus, repeated with extra emphasis on the beats and rhythm guitar, Kweller ad libbing everything and woah oh's over the top. Sundress is an absolute masterclass in power-pop construction. The way piano and acoustic collide is McCartney-esque, or Rundgren-esque. Brilliant!
Sundress 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
