Trust me #87
Slight Return by The Bluetones
30-years ago, on 22nd February 1995 I visited King Tuts Wah Wah Hut to catch a couple of hotly tipped bands - Supergrass and The Bluetones. Exceptional value for a fiver!
Supergrass were building towards the release of debut album I Should Coco and had made waves with debut single Caught By The Fuzz in late October 1994.
Meanwhile, The Bluetones were being spoken of in hushed tones by the NME and Melody Maker. A 4-piece who had been holed up in a garage crafting melodic guitar pop songs inspired by the Roses. I can't remember where I bought it, possibly at the gig or maybe in HMV Sauchiehall Street, but I managed to get my hands on their debut single, a beautiful blue limited edition 7-inch of Slight Return b/w The Fountainhead.
Despite being such an incredible double header, I really don't remember too much about this gig! That could be down to the fact that it was 30-years ago, or be down to the fact that I probably had 3 or 4 beers as I do distinctly remember my friend Scott driving.
My memories of those heady Britpop days may be a little hazey at times, but Slight Return still sounds as fresh and effortless as the first time I heard it. Cool, melodic and full of charm, The Bluetones re-released it in January 1996 and it reached number 2 in the charts.
The Roses influence was clear from the off with Adam Devlin playing a beautifully warm guitar chord to allow Mark Morris to come in with the opening lines
Where did you go?
When things went wrong for you
When the knives came out for you
Devlin begins to riff after the delivery of the opening line with a tight yet loose rhythm section coming in alongside him. There is plenty of space throughout Slight Return, a purity that ensures it has a timeless quality, unlike many of the songs from around this time that could easily be identified as mi-90's Britpop wannabe's. It doesn’t try too hard; it just flows. The rhythm section, led by Scott Morriss on bass and Eds Chesters on drums, keeps things tight but never overpowering, allowing the song’s melody and atmosphere to shine through. There’s an understated confidence to it—a song that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.
You don't have to have the solution
You've got to understand the problem
And don't go hoping for a miracle
All this will fade away
So I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Around 10 or so years later, Mark Morriss played at Maggie's London Night Hike as a lovely colleague of mine at the time (Claire) was friends with him through being a bit of a superfan. Mark was absolutely lovely and played a cracking acoustic set as hundreds of people arrived to hike through the night. Claire also managed to get me backstage at a Bluetones gig at the QMU - good times.
30-years on from seeing The Bluetones for the first time and buying their debut single, the band are playing in my home town of Uddingston. Almost literally in my Mum's back garden! I must message Claire!
Musicfest Mainstage has a line-up of The Bluetones, Echobelly & The Supernaturals with more to be announced. It's a brilliant family-friendly event, held at Uddingston Cricket & Hockey Club, 10-15 minutes walk from the train station. That in itself is a mere 14-minute train ride from Glasgow Central.
MUSICFEST MAINSTAGE - INFO & TICKETS
Slight Return - original video
Slight Return - Later with Jools, 1996
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