Lay This Burden Down

Trust me #120
Lay This Burden Down by Mary Love

Discogs can provide a good indication of the value soul fans place on a song and record. 215 people have a 7-inch of Mary Love's Lay This Burden Down, but 1,498 want a copy. For those willing to sell, they can get up to £300 from collectors and fans willing to go that high. Fear not, the good folk at Kent Records have included the song on a couple of their excellent compilations - which is where I discovered the song.

I rediscovered it recently while browsing the soul section in Monorail with my sister Carla on Record Store Day. I advised Carla to get the Mary Love compilation that they had. And I'm glad that she did. Little sisters don't always take their big brothers advice!

Lay This Burden Down is 2-minutes and 35 seconds that are simultaneously heartbreaking and utterly exhilarating. Released in 1967, the energy leaps out of the record from the off, the rumbling bass and piano are joined by a fast and steady beat. The energy rises at 10 seconds in when Mary Love begins to sing.

I know I'm heading in the wrong direction

'Cause I'm weak from the lack of affection

I've been afraid to accuse you my darling

'Cause I didn't wanna lose you my baby

I've been knowing about your other love a long time

Given you a chance to make up your mind

Then Love explodes into the chorus, recognising what she needs to do, learning from her tears.

But

Tear stains on my pillowcase

Tells me not to hesitate

I've got to lay this burden down

I've got to lay this burden down

I've got to lay this burden down

The arrangement by Arthur Wright and production by Richard Parker is sublime, absolutely perfect. Everything flows, the band (the Arthur Wright Orchestra) are exceptional and Mary Love is completely in the zone. No wonder this song sends people on to dance floors to this very day. 

The second verse feels even faster, the thunderous wall of sound, driving beat and bass that feels like a heart about to burst. The pace is phenomenal, Love singing about the stress of trying to hold on to a love. 

And then back to the chorus, Love's tear soaked pillow cases underlining what she already knows in her heart of hearts. Love's voice entwined with her backing singers sounds sublime, through speakers or on headphones (for extra appreciation). Heartbreaking and euphoric.

It's grip on my heart, I've got to shake it

Hang around another boy, I've got to make it

I've got to get away so I won't be saved

By the things that make me weaker and fall deeper

I've made up my mind, to make a change

My whole life, to rearrange

But

Tear stains on my pillowcase

Tells me not to hesitate

I've got to lay this burden down

I've got to lay this burden down

I've got to lay this burden down, yeah,

After an instrumental Love's voice soars and brings us back to the chorus, with a little bit of glorious ad libbing afterwards over her backing singers. What an absolute gem of a song, so much soul and emotion in just 2-minutes 35 seconds - POW!

Lay This Burden Down 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

Baby Honey

Last week I enjoyed reading some tweets from Allan Hutton, a fellow music fan that I follow on Twitter, about tracking down a vinyl copy of The Pastels Baby Honey.

I tweeted Allan, we exchanged some messages and then Allan kindly agreed to write a guest blog for me. I'm glad I asked!

The great thing about this blog is that it highlights how some bands will always be mentioned and handed down. Some will pass people by - but bands like The Pastels will always be recommended in some shape or form - be that from bands, fans, labels, journalists or record shops.

Read on....

Baby Honey by The Pastels
Guest blog by Allan Hutton

I have to admit I was late to the party with regards to the Pastels.

I'd never been an Indie Kid, My Youth Culture rite of passage was via Punk then Mod in the late 70's and very early 80's.

Music was then and always has been a big part of my life.

I was blissfully unaware of The Pastels in the 80's as I was mourning the end of The Jam and into the Style Council, Aztec Camera, The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes to name but a few.

By the time the 90's arrived I started hearing great things about Teenage Fanclub and was getting into them. Through them I got to know about the Pastels and BMX Bandits etc.

I'm not exactly sure where I first heard the Pastels it might have been on Peel, I was intrigued by them but never owned any of their stuff until the late 90's when I got a hold of Illumination.

I really liked that album and decided to seek out their earlier stuff which had passed me by.

Among the Pastels melodic shambling clang, there was a B-side that shone like a beacon in the night for me! The jaw dropping and mesmerising, psychedelic Baby Honey. It is just one of those songs that you really get into and feel connected with. It has the deadpan coolness of the Velvet Underground and the repetition of The Fall which climaxes into a crescendo of beautiful and intense noise that you never want to end!

For me this song is and always will be the Pastels finest moment.

When I first heard it that song must have been about 14 or 15 years old therefore a vinyl copy of Million Tears with the spellbinding flip side was hard to find. I searched everywhere for a copy all to no avail.

As the years rolled by I succumbed to CD's and downloads and  kind of gave up on ever acquiring a vinyl copy and settled for the digital version on Up for a Bit!

However, the resurgence of vinyl four or five years ago rekindled my interest in records and once again I was on the hunt. However I still couldn't turn up Baby Honey! Until last week!

As I routinely searched Discogs of an evening, to my astonishment a near mint 12" copy was available. I was gonna have to pay a bit more than I would have liked, but I just bit the bullet and clicked that button! 

Two days later it was spinning on my record player and it hadn't aged one single bit as Baby Honey still sounded as enthralling now as when I first heard it all those years ago!

There is magic in her fingertips

There is magic in the lips I kiss

There is magic in her beautiful eyes

To justify the tears I've cried

The Pastels in November 2017 at the Concert for Stewart Cruickshank