Tuesday 24 September 2024

Don't Leave Me This Way

Cover version of the month #100
The Communards cover Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes

Hidden away in the back end of blogger, I have a whopping 181 draft blogs in various forms! Some are merely titles, to ensure I go back and write about a specific song or album, some have notes, some are half-finished and some will probably never be completed as the moment has gone!

I have been meaning to write a blog about Don't Leave Me This Way for quite some time as it is an all-time favourite.

I played it on 6Music back in 2014 when I was interviewed by Craig Charles for his Spinage A Trois section. Craig, very generously, played the full 11-minute version and the song sounded even better on the radio. Craig commented that he had sprinkled the magic BBC dust on it.

Don't Leave Me This Way has featured in numerous playlist blogs I have written and also in my Confidently Top 10 blog that I wrote in 2019, where I selected my all-time top 10 songs ... I've just reviewed it and I don't think it has changed.

What .... A .... Song!
What .... A .... Tune!

Don't leave me this way
I can't survive, can't stay alive
Without your love, oh baby

It really doesn't get any better than this. The 11-minute version is absolute perfection; the lengthy intro, the way Teddy Pendergrass hums along, the strings coming in, then the heartfelt lyrics delivered with raw passion and soul. Then ... the build to the HUGE UPLIFTING CHORUS

Baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you

So come on darling do what you gotta do 

You started this fire down in my soul

Now can't you see it's burning, out of control

So come on darling satisfy the need in me

'cause only your good loving can set me free

I adore this song. I still find so much in it, the groove, the way it develops, the way it builds to the euphoric chorus, the way it picks up pace, the way that even as it fades out I want it to keep going. Does an even longer version exist? The jamming at the end of the full 11-minute version is ridiculous, so loose, soulful and funky.

This is a song I always played whenever I DJ'd in pubs or at parties. Even if you haven't heard it you're going to be hooked in and singing along by the second chorus. The vocals are exceptional, the band are incredible, the drums and percussion are just sublime.

My friend Gerry and I have put on a couple of DJ nights in our native Uddingston this year. It's been great fun to book out the Bowling & Tennis Club, set up and play some of our favourite songs. Our first night was very indie focused, but we're loosening up and starting to play whatever we fancy. 

Gerry closed our August night by playing The Communards cover version of Don't Leave Me This Way and it went down an absolute storm.

Released in 1986, The Communards version fused high-energy dance beats and synthpop, topped deliciously by Jimmy Somerville's powerful, raw and soulful voice.

Somerville soars, expressing vulnerability, hurt and desperation, yet also capturing the fact that he is still head over heels in love. It's a fantastic cover version, The Communards stamp their own mark on it and unlike many other songs from the era, it has stood the test of time. The production and arrangement is strong and Somerville's voice is just timeless.

I always thought this was The Communards song (after all I was 10 in 1986) and only discovered the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes version when I picked up a second hand Wigan Casino Northern Soul compilation on vinyl. I recognised the title and wondered if it was the same song. It was!  

I've added the 6-minutes version, the 11-minute Tom Moulton mix of the Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes version and The Communards cover 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

13. Hurt
39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
64. Lola
82. Drop
87. Indian Rope Man + bonus Strawberry Fields Forever + This Wheels On Fire
92. Valerie


Wednesday 18 September 2024

Never Ending Mixtape part 93



Hello and welcome to part 93 of my Never Ending Mixtape.

In my teens I'd spend hours making C90 mixtapes and then through my 20's I'd deliberate over tracklisting for mix CD's to ensure I maximised the time allowed. 

With this Mixtape (playlist) I simply add songs all the time! As a result, it's quite beautfully and naturally eclectic. I personally enjoy just sticking it on shuffle and seeing what comes up.

Next month should see the playlist breakthrough the 4,000 song mark! For now, we're up to 3,972!

Thank you so much if you are one of the 352 people following the playlist. Thanks also if you dive in now and again. As always, I hope you discover an incredible song you've never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite you haven't heard in some time. 

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or CLICK HERE

Here are some of this months additions, including the magnificent pop of Close To You by Gracie Abrams, a big favourite across our entire household right now. Well done Zoe for discovering it. Check that I burn for you hook!

Recent discoveries

Never Be Yours by Kali Uchis
Need Something More by Thee Heart Tones
The Spider and The Fly by The Rolling Stones
Delilah (Pull Me Out Of This) by Delilah Montague
Close To You by Gracie Abrams

New releases

Where Will I Be by Fred Again w/ Emmylou Harris

Old favourites


Crackin' Up Over You by Roy Hamilton
Everyone's A VIP To Someone by The Go Team
Lonely Soul by UNKLE w/ Richard Ashcroft
Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley
Everything Reminds Me Of Her by Elliott Smith
Let's Dance by Spiritualized



Friday 13 September 2024

My God Has A Telephone

 

My God Has a Telephone is a soul-stirring track by The Flying Stars of Brooklyn, a one-off side-project for drummer/singer Aaron Frazer when he isn't recording with his band Durand Jones & The Indications, or releasing solo albums.

Released back in 2017 on Coalmine Records. The label has repressed 1,500 copies of the single under the name Aaron Frazer, which seems to highlight The Flying Stars of Brooklyn is likely to have been a one-off. Shame - great band name!

Frazer's other band, Durand Jones & The Indications, has made a significant impact on the modern soul scene with albums like American Love Call and Private Space, where Frazer’s falsetto harmonizes beautifully with Durand Jones’ powerful lead vocals. Their music is a blend of classic soul, R&B, and modern influences, and it has resonated with audiences worldwide.

Yet Frazer is bursting with creative energy and has also pursued a solo career. In 2021, he released his debut solo album, Introducing..., produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, then releasing his second solo album, Into The Blue, in June of this year. Both albums showcase Frazer’s exceptional versatility as an artist; there are elements of doo-wop, gospel, and soul, all infused with his signature falsetto, beautifully layered and produced. a

But, for the time being, lets get back to The Flying Stars of Brooklyn.

My God Has A Telephone beautifully captures vintage gospel-soul with a modern twist. Allegedly recorded on a 4-track tape machine, it's an absolute gem of a song. Frazer's falsetto is exquisite, the backing vocals are angelic and the music sounds rich and timeless. It's super cool!

Aaron Frazer is touring his latest album. Sadly, there are no dates in Scotland, but he is playing Bristol, Manchester and London in October. Check his website for details.

My God Has A Telephone 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
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



Tuesday 3 September 2024

Oasis and dynamic pricing

" I detest surge pricing. It means hardly anyone ever pays the actual advertised ticket price. 

It's a legitimised scam and bands who agree to it are complicit." R


UPDATE - 06/09

In the early evening of Wednesday 4th September. 4+ days since the dynamic pricing row erupted, Oasis released the following statement;

"It needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management." The band added they had "at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used" in the sale of tickets for the initial dates.

NOTE - No condemnation of dynamic pricing. No statement to say they disagree with dynamic pricing. And absolutely no apology.

Poor show.

Anyway, here is the original blog - 03/09

Tickets for the Oasis 2025 reunion shows went online last weekend. Those with a pre-sale code (myself included) got access on Friday night at 7pm. I logged onto the Ticketmaster app minutes beforehand and was shocked to find that I was immediately at number 56 in the queue just after 7. I'd checked out after buying 3 tickets by 7.04pm. Sorted, nice one, mad for it. God that was easy, I was singing the praises of Ticketmaster for being so smooth and high tech.

Saturday morning was when the real clamour for tickets started. This was like Knebworth x 10. I wonder how many people actually (virtually) queued for tickets? Everyone seemed to be after them.

The Gallagher brothers reunite
Photos by Simon Emmett

Back in 1996 you could either attempt to phone and book tickets, or you could go and queue outside a ticket shop. A reported 2.5 million people tried to get tickets. Oasis could have sold 20 nights, never mind a double header. I'd hazard a guess that more than 2.5 million people were online trying for tickets.

I'm a member of a number of Oasis online groups, including an amazing collectors group, full of passionate fans from around the world that spend small fortunes on Oasis memorabilia. I love seeing some of the unique items people have procured over the years. My own collection of records, tickets, magazines, wrist bands etc just comes from buying them at the time. I wish I had bought extra copies!

The online groups were full of posts about people being 10,000+ in the queue and then this seemed to jump considerably to 200,000+. I couldn't believe I got so lucky the previous night!

People were still getting tickets, it was just taking an age in the online queuing system.

Oasis and Ticketmaster were regularly posting across social channels that tickets can only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets. 

By now, you probably know what happened. 

Due to demand, and despite Oasis and Ticketmaster promoting prices in advance, dynamic pricing kicked in, resulting in a completely justified explosion of anger. £150 standing tickets were suddenly closer to £400. Those waiting to buy 4 tickets at a total of £600 (plus booking fee), were now faced with a total price of £1,600 plus fees!!!!

Imagine finding that out after being in an online queue for 5 or 6 hours! People had minutes to decide whether to go ahead and buy them anyway, or whether to ditch it, after waiting all that time .... 

Ticketmaster (and Oasis) completely fucked up on communication and customer care. Not that either will care given the millions that each earned over the weekend. 

Ticketmaster have been getting it in the neck, but in actual fact it is the promoters and the band that decide whether or not dynamic pricing should apply to their shows. 

Oasis - the band of the people! What a joke.

Why were ticket prices not capped? £150 is more than enough for a stadium show. And lets be honest, Oasis are not about the show, they are all about the songs. They don't need a huge catwalk or super dazzling lightshow. 

In comparison; Paul Heaton is doing an arena tour where ticket prices are capped at £35. While Robert Smith from The Cure ensures that dynamic pricing does not apply to any shows his band is playing.


"It's a greedy scam. All artists have the choice not to participate - 
if not artists participated, it would cease to exist." Robert Smith, The Cure


Crowded House found out that dynamic pricing had been applied to some of their shows and kicked up enough fuss to ensure that their fans were reimbursed the difference between 'normal prices' and the 'dynamic price'. 

I would love Noel to come out and apologise and say that Oasis were working with Ticketmaster and the promoters to refund the difference. I doubt it will happen though.

So ... this whole debacle is on Oasis and the promoters; SJM and Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, MCD and DF (the promoters of the Murrayfield shows). 

Fans are uniting in their fury. I love it! We might see change, instead of being ripped off by corporate greed.

Here are a few articles that have already been written;

MP's are even getting involved, with many experiencing the issue personally as they joined the scramble for tickets. 

Oasis is still the band of the people .... and the people are making their feelings known.

This whole episode has been an absolute mess. Ticketmaster and Oasis have come out of this looking like they couldn't care less about fans thanks to;

  • MIS-COMMUNICATION (AKA double standards) - Ticketmaster and Oasis heavily posted and tweeted that tickets could only be resold at face value. Meanwhile, due to the fact that millions and millions of people were in a virtual queue for tickets, they put the prices up way beyond face value! If you didn't laugh, you'd cry. Many people did. 
  • LACK OF CUSTOMER CARE - This resulted in people who has been queuing online for hours, finally getting through to buy standing tickets at £150 per ticket, only to find that thanks to dynamic pricing, they were £400 each. So a couple looking to spend £300 on 2 tickets, were now looking at £800 for 2 tickets. Not surprisingly, some people (wisely in my opinion) decided to switch off and forget it. This complete lack of customer care from Ticketmaster and Oasis is deplorable.
As for the promoters;
  • PROMOTERS - It must be nice being a promoter for a show like this. After all, you don't really need to invest much in the way of promotion! These gigs sold themselves. While there will be a high cost in putting these shows on, the profit the promoters will be making is gigantic.
Which brings me on to Oasis;
  • BAND OF THE PEOPLE - Oasis know their fanbase better than almost any band. They were among the first to get people to sign up to mailing lists and they have hammered merch, limited and exclusive releases to death. The support the Gallagher brothers receive is phenomenal, bordering on religious for some die hards. So why take the piss? Why take £150 tickets and sell them for £400?! Despite Noel's expensive (£20 million allegedly) divorce, they don't really need the money. So why agree to dynamic pricing? It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.



"It's a greedy scam. All artists have the choice not to participate - 
if not artists participated, it would cease to exist." Robert Smith, The Cure



Monday 2 September 2024

The Rat

 

Trust me #77

The Rat by The Walkmen

One wet and stormy midweek night, back in 2004 (I reckon), I jumped in a taxi from my flat in Dennistoun to King Tuts in town to see Tanya Donnelly from Belly. I loved Belly's Star album from 1993 and have to admit to having (to this day) a major crush on Donnelly. 

My friend Reddy was meant to be going, but he was stuck on the M8 in a storm and called to say that when he eventually got to Glasgow, he would be going home and staying in.

The rain was utterly relentless. I may well have mused with the idea of staying at home myself. But I was a mere 10-minute taxi ride to the city centre. I was going ... on my own!

A band called The Walkmen had somehow got on the bill. I guess that they either knew Donnelly or someone in her band, or had a cracking booking agent. Their singer, Hamilton Leithauser ,was a good looking frontman and his band all looked like a gang. Early in their set he said something along the lines of; 'We're The Walkmen from New York City, we don't have a lot of money and we don't have a place to stay. If anyone has a floor we could crash on then come and speak to us after.'

The fact that I didn't offer my floor and sofa to The Walkmen remains one of my major gig regrets to this very day! Perhaps the fact that I was there on my own had something to do with it. I seemed to be drinking quicker than normal, probably as I had no-one to talk to. 

However I was hugely impressed by The Walkmen and their short set of energetic, fuzzy and punky guitar pop. I should have offered them a place to crash!

Alcohol probably did fuel one of my few conversations that night. At one point I walked through to the upstairs bar and found Walkmen guitarist Paul Maroon sinking a bottle of beer. 

'Hey, I loved your set. That song The Rat you played is better than anything The Strokes have done!'

Paul said 'thanks' and I don't remember if I said anything else or not. Maybe I might have mumbled 'hope you find a place to stay tonight'. I hope I did! However I never offered Paul and his mates the opportunity to kip on my floor.

Damn! What a missed opportunity!

However, even in my drunken state, I did recognise what an absolutely fantastic song The Rat is. Taken from their second album, Bows + Arrows, the song rides in with fast, furious, driving rhythm guitar and beats. You need to strap yourself in as The Rat doesn't let up. This is relentless! The intro is a glorious 51 seconds long before Hamilton Leithauser comes in, mirroring the energy of the music with an intensely passionate vocal.

You've got a nerve to be asking a favour

You've got a nerve to be calling my number

Leithauser sounds angry, bitter, frustrated and his voice cracks with emotion and desperation as the song drives on.

I know we've been through this before

Can't you hear me I'm, calling out your name?

Can't you see me I'm, pounding on your door?

The Walkmen are locked in their punk groove, the drums crash, the bass is just about holding everything together and after a second verse (virtually the same as the first), things cut, leading to a mini-mantra (that I kind of wish went on a little longer);

When I used to go out, I'd know everyone I saw

Now I go out alone, if I go out at all

Everything kicks back in and we're back into the verse, or is it a chorus?

The Rat is 4 minutes 22 seconds, but, through the intense pace, ferocious guitar and the emotions that pour out in the vocals, it really doesn't feel like it.

Somehow, I doubt The Walkmen will ever need a floor to crash on again if they come back to Glasgow. But if they do, I will offer!

The Rat 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
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