Everything Flows

Thursday, 22 October 2026

It's All Too Much

Trust me #124
It's All Too Much by The Beatles

With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue

You're too much

Tucked away on the second side of The Beatles Yellow Submarine soundtrack, It's All Too Much is six minutes of psychedelic bliss. It is the sound of George Harrison tripping off his nut, hopelessly in love with his wife Pattie. Intoxicated, overwhelmed by the drug and Boyd's incredible beauty. What a trip to be on! It grooves and drones, there is uplifting brass that cuts through and above everything else, while George Harrison sounds like the happiest guy on the planet, loved up in more ways than one.

No wonder! Pattie Boyd was absolutely knockout stunning. The pair met in March 1964 while filming It's A Hard Days Night in 1964 and were married by January 1966. George would go on to write Something about Boyd, and his great friend Eric Clapton wrote Layla while falling for Boyd and later 'stole/won' Boyd, subsequently writing the beautiful Wonderful Tonight. George, amazingly, never held a grudge and even attended their wedding.

Harrison described taking acid as like a light bulb going on in my head. Was he the most psychedelic of The Beatles? Quite possibly! Although I'm sure a case could be made for all 3 of the main songwriters.

George was famously introduced to the drug in the spring of 1965 when a London dentist secretly spiked his and John’s coffee. While terrifying initially, Harrison later recalled that the experience fundamentally altered his perception of reality, opening his mind to a sense of universal oneness and spiritual presence.

Written in 1967, the summer of love, It's All Too Much, the song wasn't released until 1969 on the Yellow Submarine album. It had been considered as a stand alone single and was muted for the Magical Mystery Tour album and film. Somehow, it was overlooked. Or, maybe it just didn't fit with the vibe. It's something I don't understand as its an incredible song.

Maybe the song found its rightful home in the animated world of Pepperland! In the Yellow Submarine movie, it serves as the ecstatic climax. An edited version plays during the sequence where the Fab Four finally liberate Pepperland from the Chief Blue Meanie, turning a grey wasteland back into a technicolour paradise. Pure psychedelia, the height of the trip.

George and Pattie in Haight Ashbury

Ironically, this turned George away from LSD

George Martin, correctly, gets a lot of credit when it comes to Beatles arrangements and production. However, It's All Too Much was largely self produced by the Fab Four at De Lane Lea Studios in London on 25th and 26th May 1967. Incredibly, the latter date is the day that Sergeant Pepper was released! The Beatles were not a band to hang around! Martin assisted with additional music and arrangements in early June.

Later that summer, at the start of August, Harrison and Boyd traveled to San Francisco to the so called heart of the hippy scene in Haight Ashbury. The two of them look sensational, walking through the crowd in shades, the scene within the scene. George was handed a guitar and played a few chords, but was apparently unable to play any more than that due to the strength of the LSD he was on. There are also several photos of Harrison smoking a large joint.

However, the trip actually turned Harrison off acid. He thought Haight Ashbury was full of bums and lost souls who'd come looking for an answer and just dropped out. On return to the UK, George threw himself into meditation, introducing The Beatles to the Maharishi who was lecturing in London. Impressed, The Beatles then booked to go to a seminar in Wales.

These few months in the life of Harrison and Boyd are a film in the making - It's All Too Much - the drugs, the scene, Sgt Peppers, It's All Too Much, the summer of love, Haigh Ashbury and the Maharishi.

Back to the song, while nowhere near as famous as Something, Wonderful Tonight or Layla Harrison's psychedelic gem is just as beautiful as the former two, just as (maybe even more powerful) than the latter, in its own unique way.

The intro is glorious, Lennon spitting to your Mother, then 16 seconds of fuzzy feedback, followed by a beautiful and soothing organ sound, a superb Ringo drum roll and then huge beats, handclaps, a hammering organ and a wall of brass. It's All Too Much finds a groove and marches like Sgt Pepper leading a psychedelic parade with Harrison chanting the title. It's heavy, droning, relentless and a sensory explosion for a full 60-seconds.

Part of me wishes it went on longer, but then we are into the song, with George singing about gazing into the eyes of his love, sounding head over heels, walking on air and into the sunshine.

When I look into your eyes, your love is there for me

And the more I go inside, the more there is to see

The Beatles tumble and flow straight into the chorus with Harrison nailing his colours to the mast. It's joyous, a celebration of love and the times ... even if it was 2-years too late. Imagine if this had been released in the summer of 67! It would have been perfect.

It's all too much, for me to take

The love that's shining all around you

Everywhere, it's what you make

For us to take, it's all too much

Floating down the stream of time, of life to life with me

Makes no difference where you are, or where you'd like to be

Harrison is in the psychedelic zone with his writing and sounds, George Martin (who allegedly never took LSD) creates all kinds of wonderous sounds over The Beatles groove. The chorus sounds bigger every time it arrives, McCartney's bass flourishes at times, Ringo is on fire and Harrison is firing off delicious riffs and guitar sounds. Does it get any better than this?!

There is a long instrumental with Paul and Ringo locked in a groove, horns and more delicious feedback that is extended into the next verse and the final double chorus simply explodes.

Harrison and The Beatles aren't finished though, there is a long and beautiful 2-minutes and 45 seconds outro. It grooves, horns soars and a mantra is introduced. I adore when George comes in with his simple declaration and then admission.

With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue

You're too much

What a glorious technicolour delight! I've listened to It's All Too Much a fair bit in the last couple of weeks while researching the song and events around it. And I haven't tired of it! The Beatles sound like they are having loads of fun - again, why the hell was this not released as a single? OK, The Beatles were in sensational form in 67, releasing Sgt Peppers but also the singles - Strawberry Fields / Penny Lane (February) , All You Need Is Love / Baby You're A Rich Man (July) and Hello Goodbye / I Am The Walrus (November). Wouldn't it have been the perfect double a-side for All You Need Is Love?

It's All Too Much 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.

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 Love Affair
27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke
28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze
29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor
31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton
32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich
33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem
34. Mondo 77 by Looper
35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton
36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats
37. How High by The Charlatans
38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands
39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.
40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective
41. There She Goes by The Las
42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes
43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell
45. Revolution by The Beatles
46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys
47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays
48. American Trilogy by The Delgados
49. Loser by Beck
50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy
51. Comedy by Shack
52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven
53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr
54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels
55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized
56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds
57. Cannonball by The Breeders
58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane
60. Lucky by Radiohead
61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.
61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell
62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations
64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses
65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry
66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker
67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones
68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters
69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide
70. Stove by The Lemonheads
71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell
72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb
73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift
74. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s
75. Razzle Dazzle Rose by Camera Obscura
76. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
77. The Rat by The Walkmen
78. My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer
79. Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
80. Sweet and Tender Romance by The McKinleys
81. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros
82. 69 Police by David Holmes
83. Hey Lisa by David Holmes
84. I Am A Rock by Simon & Garfunkel
85. Kung Fu by Ash
86. Kids by MGMT
87. Slight Return by The Bluetones
88. Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
89. Cut Your Hair by Pavement
90. Race for the Prize by The Flaming Lips
91. Waitin' for a Superman by The Flaming Lips
92. Acquiesce by Oasis
93. This Is Music by The Verve
94. Lone Swordsman by Daniel Avery
95. Sparky's Dream by Teenage Fanclub
96. Common People by Pulp
97. Let Our Love Grow Higher by Eula Cooper
98. Regret by New Order
99. Keep On Keepin' On by Nolan Porter
100. Sit Down by James (Live at G-Mex) by James
101. Never Lose Your Sense Of Wonder by Yeti
102. Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over by The Charlatans
103. Life Is Sweet by The Chemical Brothers
104. How Can I Tell You (To Love Me More) by Brooke Coombe
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
108. Cobra by Geese
109. All I Have To Do Is Dream by The Everly Brothers
110. Vapour Trail by Ride
111. Teardrop by Massive Attack
112. Since I Left You by The Avalanches
113. Good Dancers by The Sleepy Jackson
114. Kiss My Love Goodbye by Bettye Swann
115. What Difference Does It Make? by The Smiths
116. Get Out Of My Dream by The Clouds
117. Sundress by Ben Kweller
118. I Love You by Primal Scream
119. Calico Skies by Paul McCartney
120. Lay This Burden Down by Mary Love
121. Primitive Painters by Felt w/ Elizabeth Fraser
122. Like A Motorway by Saint Etienne
123. F.E.A.R. by Ian Brown

Friday, 16 October 2026

INTERVIEW - Duglas T Stewart

I can still remember buying my first BMX Bandits record, 1993's Kylie's Got A Crush On Us, from Impulse Records in Motherwell. I bought the 7-inch and CD single. I was already aware of the band through my religious reading of both the NME and Melody Maker every week. Also from homemade cassettes that would get passed around. The Bellshill Beat TV show was broadcast the same year, presented by Duglas and featuring the Bandits, Fanclub, Vaselines, Pastels, Superstar and The Soup Dragons. It was like the show had been made specifically for me.

All of this music seemed very real, pure and honest. Especially because it was local to me. The music weeklies were fixated on Manchester, Seattle or London. BMX Bandits and Teenage Fanclub in Bellshill were just a few train stops along the Glasgow line from me in Carluke.

Over the years I'd get to know Duglas a little and eventually become friends as we would always bump into each other at shows in Glasgow, whether his own, or bands/artists that Duglas was keen to catch live and support.

Lynn and I would go and see his latest incarnation of BMX Bandits, or Duglas guesting with bands, playing stripped back shows and at special gigs, like the Bandits 30th anniversary show at Oran Mor with Sean and Norman among the guests. One of my favourite shows was Duglas playing a tiny acoustic show with his friends The Wellgreen in The Lismore bar. Stu and Marco also had someone playing French Horn and it was just gorgeous. Duglas brings warmth and energy to every gig he plays, no matter the size. He loves to sing, perform, share stories and also play cover versions to show his love and taste for music, and turn people on to music they might not have heard before.

Duglas and BMX Bandits have featured in my blog regularly over the years. I also recorded a podcast with Duglas back in 2016 for his bands 30th anniversary! It's a fond memory. We sat on a bench in Glasgow Green, eating ice cream in glorious sunshine discussing music and Duglas chose some songs to play. Check it out.

I was delighted to learn that a new BMX Bandits compilation album, 15 Big Ones, is being released to mark 40-years since they launched into the world with debut single E102 on Stephen Pastel's 53rd & 3rd Records. Doesn't time fly?!

15 Big Ones is out on 27th November, as a single LP, or you can get your hands on a limited edition double vinyl version with bonus songs. ORDER from Monorail BMX Bandits have also announced a full band matinee show at The Hug & Pint on Saturday 14th November. TICKETS HERE

Duglas very kindly answered some questions and created a wonderful playlist. Oh ... and there might even be a couple of exclusives on what is coming up next for BMX Bandits ...

If you could go back in time to one moment or show in BMX Bandits history, what would it be, and why?

To quote one of our songs, "Go back, I can't go back. Go forward, I must go forward." I don't know if I want to go back, I think it would be too painful to find myself younger and full of hope with endless possibilities in front of me. But not wanting to be a spoilsport I'll play along with the idea and choose our first full band show in Tokyo at the club Antiknock in Shibuya. Looking out at the audience and seeing love there.

You have an incredible knowledge of music and superb taste. Could you create a tracklist for a 15-song compilation album of your favourite music? What would you call it?

I would call it 15 Loved Ones. I think of songs as being like friends that I can turn to when I need them to make the world feel better or to understand how I am feeling or soundtrack the good times and difficult days. So they feel like loved ones, that are precious to me. I’ve made you my 15 Loved Ones playlist and made it a selection of songs that have been important to me personally and also massively influential on BMX Bandits music over the last 40 years. Of course there are many others that I could have included.

On Spotify : On Apple Music:

1. The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Robert Mellin and Gian Piero Reverberi

2. I Saw The Light by Todd Rundgren

3. I Never Dreamed by The Cookies

4. Break Away by The Beach Boys

5. Watch What Happens by Chris Montez

6. Who Do You Think You Are by Jigsaw

7. Storm in a Teacup by Lynsey De Paul

8. The Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

9. Someday Man by Paul Williams

10. Baiba Bimba by Tenniscoats

11. Schweden Espresso by Sofie Royer

12. Bye Bye Barbie by Daniel Johnston

13. Casaco Marron (Bye, Bye, Ceci) by Evinha

14. Metti una sera a cena by Enrico Morricone

15. Something Big by Burt Bacharach

How do you feel when new bands coming through (like The Cords / Fatale) cover your songs, come to your shows and highlight how much they love your music?

It means a lot of course. I think of it being similar to when we got to meet people like Alex Chilton or Evie Sands or Chip Taylor and became friends. Of course the gap between us in the 1980s was just around 20 years,,which felt a huge length of time to us then. The gap between us and Supersun, The Cords and Fatale is almost double that in time. It’s a bit like us doing Mills Brothers or Bing Crosby stuff, rather than The Velvet Underground and Bacharach & David songs. I remember seeing The Cords perform the BMX Bandits song I Wanna Fall in Love when I first met them and it sounded so beautiful to me. It was very emotional for me thinking that this song Francis Macdonald and I had written years before they were born had made a connection with them and that they would want to perform it. Since then we’ve actually had Eva perform it live with us a couple of times. She sings it so beautifully.

Francis and Duglas

BMX Bandits has featured many members over the years. Is there anyone you would have liked to join (or guest with) the band for a while?

BMX Bandits and me out with BMX Bandits have been lucky enough to work with people who would have been on that list. I got to co-produce Alex Chilton,with David Scott and his widow said it was one of her favourite recordings by him ( a cover of the Beach Boys song I Wanna Pick You Up). We had Evie Sands in the studio doing backing vocals on a track on our album Bee Stings and we got to be her backing band for a live show and a radio session. One of my more contemporary musical heroes Saya from Tenniscoats produced a BMX Bandits track that I recorded at her home in Tokyo. Jowe Head from Swell Maps and the TVPs was one of the people who inspired us to start making music and we've collaborated several times. So a lot of musicians that I would have otherwise said have already done it. So I am now thinking fantasy and both of these people are sadly dead and so these choices will have to remain in the realms of fantasy.

Chloe and Duglas

A key part of so many of the records that I love are the arrangements and I've always paid great attention to what's going on with that aspect of pop music, paying attention to the choices of instruments and sounds in a recording, strings, woodwind, brass and other stuff. A lot of these records are from the 1960s and '70s.

There are two arrangers that I wish that I could have had the chance for them to work on some of my music and they are Arthur Greenslade and Nick De Caro. Arthur did the arrangements on some of my favourite recordings by artists including Serge Gainsbourg, Rod McKuen, Vashti Bunyan, Twice As Much, Del Shannon and my favourite 1967 David Bowie stuff like When I Live My Dream and Love You Till Tuesday. Nick De Caro was involved in a lot of those early mellow pop records on the A&M records for artists like Chris Montez. Harpers Bizarre, Claudine Longet, Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends. He also worked on Here You Come Again for Dolly Parton and Andy Williams hits like I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You and Music To Watch Games By.

If I was out buying second hand record shopping or buying cool sixties and seventies CD reissues in Japan one of the first things I'd be looking at was who was the arranger on the albums and if I saw Nick De Caro or Arthur Greenslade's name on there I would probably take a chance on it. So those are the guys I wish I could have worked with. There is also a beautiful Nick De Caro album called Italian Graffiti. where he sings and arranged the tracks and also go find his solo recording of Caroline No. I think it's greater than The Beach Boys version from Pet Sounds.

What has it been like to reflect on your 40-year discography? Did you 'rediscover' any songs that you hadn't listened to or played live for a while? (or forgotten about!)

Some of the songs have very strong emotional ties to people, times in my life and places that are gone now and it can sometimes feel a little raw hearing some songs for that reason. But unlike some of my friends who are in bands, I generally really enjoy listening to my own records. I don't do it all the time but I have friends who would never listen to their own work, they hate hearing it. I find that odd. Sometimes I will hear a track and I am surprised by it and it can sound better to me than I remembered it. I hadn't listened to some of the Creation Years stuff for a while and hearing Gettin' Dirty and our version of Jonathan Richman's That Summer Feeling again felt very pleasing.

Norman and Duglas

On most of our albums the tracks that ended up being singles aren't my personal favourites and due to the nature of this release there's some of the tracks that I am proudest of in our history that couldn't be included here. For instance, I think Still from BMX Bandits in Space, How Not To Care from BMX Bandits Forever and A Missing Front Tooth from My Chain are among our very best work but they didn't seem to fit in with this release ...but hopefully listening to our 15 Big Ones will encourage people to dig deeper.

What next for BMX Bandits?

We plan to release a new album in 2027 and have already one track recorded for that. I don't have a title for it yet, which is unusual for me. There's been a few albums that the first thing I've had before any songs is the album title and the title has helped steer the direction/ narrative of the album.

I am doing a book that should be out hopefully around late Summer 2027. It's not an autobiography, it's a collection of essays about writing and recording some key BMX bandits tracks over the last 40 years. There is also a BMX Bandits stage musical in the works, it's not about BMX Bandits but it was inspired by our music and features a bunch of our songs. I went to the first read through a few months ago in my old home town of Bellshill and that was a lovely experience.

Chloe, Finlay and Duglas

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

Tenement Trail 2026 review

Ben Robertson, Fatale

Photo by The Ginger Quiff

Tenement Trail has become an annual event for my friend Joe and I. This can be quite tricky as the event falls at the start of the October schools week off, so we need to manage family expectations for a holiday to ensure that nothing is booked until after Tenement Trail!

Our own expectations were heightened this year by the fact that a number of bands we have been following were on the bill. Two of whom, Ferguson Hi-Fi and Fatale played the Pretty Green TT pre-party at Tuts the night before, along with Little Grandad who we had already seen earlier in the week when they supported the magnificent Madra Salach at Saint Luke's. I never quite got round to writing a blog on that, all I'll say is that Madra Salach were beautifully powerful and soulful. Next stop The Barrowland for them! King Tuts was remarkable value for money, £4 a ticket! More about Ferguson Hi-Fi and Fatale later ...

The sun was shining as Joe and I headed into BAaD to collect our wristbands for the day. We popped into Ho Lee Fook on London Road and were delighted to be seated immediately. The food was super fresh, tasty and had just the right level of kick. We were fueled for the day ahead.

After bumping into, and enjoying a great chat with, Robert from Paninaro / Social Recluse and the great Brian Sweeney, we also caught up with our mate Robbie and headed into Saint Luke's. A friend had recommended checking out Compost Compost Compost and said they were generating considerable interest.

Compost Compost Compost

Now, I've got to admit, I'm a bit of a band name snob. I make no apologies for that! So, while I'll never like their name, I have to say that the band themselves were super talented, seemingly going for a post OK Computer Radiohead sound. Loads of effects on guitar, distinctive bass sounds, epic vocals and cool synth effects and sounds. Not really my thing, but I could totally hear why people are talking about them.

We then had a little spare time to wander round, first stopping into the Van Winkle where a soundcheck was on, but then deciding to head over to the 228 where we caught a few songs from Dan Parks, a young Scottish singer-songwriter armed only with an acoustic guitar. That can be difficult for a young artist, holding your own in a busy bar where people are talking, but Parks held his own. A song about a school race as a child was a metaphor for life, there was a choice cover of California Dreaming and I heard some echoes of Paolo Nutini. Parks appears to be doing well and is headlining Tuts on 20th December.

Paulie Swan

Out one door, a few steps along, up the stairs and we were into Barras 2 (the venue and bar on the same floor as the merch, toilets and cloackroom) for Paulie Swan who I featured in my preview blog. Swan's online releases feature a full band and cinematic strings. For TT, it was just American (now living in Edinburgh) Swan with his guitar and his soulful and distinctive voice. With lyrics seeming like a spew of self-consciousness, thoughts and observations, Swan played jazzy, bluesy guitar, with what sounded like the occasional CHIC riff thrown in at times. There are no choruses, at least none that I detected, but Swan is one cool customer and has the style and talent to do his own thing. Definite echoes of Cameron Winter, maybe even a nod to Hendrix in his delivery. My friends and I unanimously declared that we could absolutely see him on Later with Jools.

Maicin, Van Winkle, Tenement Trail 2026

We had a quick detour to The Gate and then split up, with Joe and Robbie heading to the Van Winkle for Maicin, while I headed back to Barras 2 for Angelface. Robbie declared Maicin his band of the day, with Joe saying they reminded him a little of Pavement at times.

Angelface

Meanwhile, Angelface played a beautifully, swirly and dreamy set that included covers of Mazzy Star's Fade Into You and Vampire Empire by Big Thief. Closing song Think Twice sounds like a future single to me. Think The Sundays, lots of reverb, harmonies to melt your heart and glorious lead vocals. Angelface play Mono for Hogmanay.

Supersun

Supersun have featured in this blog a few times over the last year. Led by the energetic Adam Graham who also runs The Cabbage nights, the band has released Shine On as a limited edition flexi disc. I think this is an utterly brilliant song and it sounded fantastic in the Barrowland Ballroom, as did the psychedelic pop tinge Citrus Sunshine. Supersun drew a large crowd and are about to play a few dates on tour with The Bluetones.

The following month, Supersun headline Stereo on 12th November for the first anniversary of their Cabbage nights and also plan to release a magazine to document the times. Adam Graham and his band are definitely bringing a fresh energy to the Glasgow scene.

Peter - Ferguson Hi-Fi

I was keen to catch Ferguson Hi-Fi, having fallen for the pure punk pop perfection of their debut single Get Over It and seeing them absolutely smash King Tuts at the Pretty Green sponsored Tenement Trail pre party the night before. Their blistering set was full of delicious hooks, choruses and riffs and songs that sound like future singles.

So I headed swiftly back downstairs as Supersun were drawing to a close. Back in Barras 2, Ferguson Hi-Fi were having sound problems. Previously, Angelface had also faced issues, but it was evident that this was more serious. Guitarist Darren McCaughey ran back and forth from the stage to the sound-desk / sound-engineer - something wasn't going to plan. Around 10-minutes late, Ferguson Hi-Fi burst into life and after a song the sound seemed to come together. Thankfully!

Peter Ferguson sings of life's challenges and beauty, backed by lead (played brilliantly by McCaughey) and rhythm guitars, a bass player who also sings beautiful harmonies at times and a cracking drummer. Clearly well rehearsed, the band zipped through a short set due to the sound issues (such a shame) but I saw enough at Tenement Trail and Tuts the previous night to easily spot a band on the rise.

Ferguson Hi-Fi have just released Little Things (There's Nothing Bigger) as their second single and their first headline show at McChuills on 19th November. TICKETS HERE. Look out for a feature on Ferguson Hi-Fi soon.

With Fatale coming on at 7.30pm, we had to decided whether or not to risk leaving the venue or not. So we decided to head upstairs to the Ballroom to catch some of Cliffords. I can't say I was aware of this band but they impressed. Tight, powerful and confident, singer Iona Lynch was soon commanding the attention of the sizeable (and filling fast) crowd with her impressive voice and stage presence.

Fatale - Tenement Trail 2026

However, we only caught half of Cliffords set as we headed back down to Barras 2. I've caught Fatale a number of times in the last 16-months or so and this was the best I've seen them. They gave it absolutely everything. Their energy was incredible, drummer James Lindsay was in sensational form - driving everything along. The whole band vibed off the packed room and gave it back out times 10, lifting the room. Opener September was warm, Winged Horse was beautiful, Moves You was glorious - like Teenage Fanclub in that glorious phase between Catholic Education and Bandwagonesque. Video single Jesus Christ was a riot, new song Superstar was ... super!

Ben Robertson was on top form, dancing, at the barrier, on the barrier, egging the crowd on, getting the place bouncing. Ahead of Another Sunrise, Robertson asked the crowd if they were going out tonight, going on to whip them into a frenzy with the hook I'm going out tonight. New song Bride closed the set, with a slightly heavier sound at times, though still super catchy. Fatale have been growing from strength to strength and I'm very excited to see them continue to develop through 2027.

King Tuts (for the third time this year) the previous night was good, but Fatale seemed to find another gear at Tenement Trail. It's such a great festival for new and breaking bands to play. It's one thing playing for your friends and fans, but another thing playing to festivals in front of strangers, drawn in by what they have seen, read or heard online, or simply because they have a space in their schedule. Judging by the fact there was one out and one in, I don't think too many people had simply stumbled across Fatale. This is a band on the rise.

With rumbling bellies, we walked round to Saint Luke's reminiscing about the burgers we'd had at the Guinness Bar and BBQ the previous year. And it was shutting down! Joe suggested heading to West Brewery and that was the end of our Tenement Trail. Yet another year where we haven't lasted until the headliners! Although we do tend to go for the discovery side of Tenement Trail. I guess some of the crowd do last the full day, while others come later on, and then there will be some like us who come early and don't quite last the distance. And this was me driving on and on Guinness zero!

Tenement Trail 2027 tickets are on sale now.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Without You

Cover version of the month #124

Harry Nilsson covers Badfinger ... and so does Mariah Carey

I always thought that Without You was a Harry Nilsson song, and ... it kind of is. I guess I came to this conclusion because his name was mentioned regularly back in 1994 when Mariah Carey took the song to number 1. In fact, the song was written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of the Welsh band Badfinger who released albums via Apple and received huge support from Paul McCartney. Macca wrote Come And Get It for Badfinger in 1969. It's worth checking Paul's demo, where he played all the instruments, that came out Anthology 3. Remarkably, McCartney recorded it all in just 1-hour.

McCartney once described Without You as the killer song of all-time, high praise indeed. The song itself came together in a Beatles-y way, think of Lennon and McCartney merging two songs together for A Day In the Life. That's, kind of, what happened with Badfinger.

Ham wrote a song called If It's Love containing the heartbreaking lyrics

Well I can't forget tomorrow, when I think of all my sorrow

I had you there, but then I let you go

And now it's only fair, that I should let you know ... it it's love

However, Ham wasn't happy with the chorus.

Meanwhile, Evans was besotted with a girl called Marianne who he would go on to marry. However, the relationship wasn't without its challenge. One night Evans was searching for his girlfriend and poured his heart out to her friend Karen, telling her - She's left me. I need her back. I can't live without her. Evans went on to write a song called I Can't Live with the emotional and soulful chorus;

I can't live, if living is without you

I can't give, I can't give any more

Tom Evans and Pete Ham

And so, the two songs became one. And this was just the start of the story for this particular song!

History shows that Ham and Evans are on record as saying that they didn't consider the song to be particularly strong at the time Badfinger recorded it. So, Without You was slotted to close the first side of their 1970 album No Dice. It wasn't a single and probably didn't receive that much attention in the studio.

The guitar, bass and drums are all fine, but did the band and producer (Geoff Emerick) not hear the potential for strings as the band hit the long chorus outro/mantra? Organ is introduced towards the end, over the top of the Harrison-esque guitar riff. Indeed, the song has a Harrison feel to it, you can only imagine what he could have done with it around this time when he was working on All Things Must Pass!

Badfinger's recording of the song, in comparison to Harry Nilsson's 1971 cover, sounds like a demo. It's still really good, the vocal for the chorus is beautifully stretched, however, it does feel like it's missing something - I guess it is easy to say this having originally heard the song via Mariah Carey! It's a shame that their producer Geoff Emerick didn't hear the potential that other artists, musicians or producers heard.

Listen to this and then play Harry Nilsson's version immediately afterwards.

Nilsson's version, released as a single in October 71 and also included on his outstanding album Nilsson Schmilsson, is over a minute shorter than the Badfinger original. He makes the most of every single second, beginning over sparse piano, strings are introduced for the second verse, his voice is heartachingly beautiful. When he hits the chorus, the drums come in, the strings become more orchestral and Nilsson sings with all his soul.

Well I can't forget this evening, or you face as you were leaving

But I guess that's just the way the story goes

You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows

Yes it shows

And then ......Nilsson hits the chorus for the second time and it is skyscrapingly epic. There is no need to revisit it like Badfinger do for their long outro. Nilsson has said his piece, he has nothing more to say and most likely, nothing more to give after that performance!

Pete Ham and Tom Evans received an Ivor Novello song for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 1972. Tragically, both songwriters committed suicide. Ham, aged just 27 and only 3-years after the Novello award.

Badfinger, like many 60's artists, had been poorly managed, disgracefully advised and were taken advantage of financially. 'Manager' Stan Polley channelled millions into his personal control. Ham died in 1975, penniless, despite the huge success of Without You through Nilsson that should have earned him hundred of thousands, if not millions. His suicide note called Polley a soulless bastard.

Evans continued to fight for royalties and he toured as Badfinger, however he too hanged himself in 1983 following a sad, bitter challenge from bandmate Joey Molland who contested the songwriting royalties.

Two years later, frozen royalties were paid to the surviving family of Ham and Evans. Both had died believing they would never receive them.

Without You would go on to earn even more in publishing royalties following a cover version by Mariah Carey, originally released on her 1993 album Music Box, and then as a single in February 1994. Carey decided to cover the song after hearing Nilsson's version in a restaurant and coming to the immediate conclusion that it could be a smash hit. Mariah was right. The emotion contained in Nilsson's version was absolutely perfect for her. Carey's cover was a monumental hit, spending 21 weeks in the US Billboard Top 40 and hitting number one in dozens of countries worldwide.

Carey, with her extraordinary five octave vocal range, really goes for it at the end of the first chorus, but jeez, she really goes for it on the second chorus over pounding 80's drums before a gospel choir comes in with Carey ad libbing over the top to conclusion.

Written with heartache at the fore, Without You has broken hearts throughout its rollercoaster history, reaching huge peaks with Nilsson and Carey, but tragically its authors were not able to benefit from the songs success. At the time of writing, Nilsson's version has been streamed 205 million times, while Carey's version has been streamed a colossal 373,918,083 times! Incidentally, the song has been covered by over 180 artists.

Badfinger's original and the covers by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey 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

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