Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)

30-years ago #2
Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) by Sub Sub

Released 30-years ago today (29th March 1993), Sub Sub's Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) was a super catchy, squelchy, fun soulful electronic pop tune that reached number 3 in the charts. I recall buying it on cassette single. I wish I'd got it on vinyl! But being at school, I probably only had enough money for the cassette at the time.

Sub Sub were brothers Andy and Jez Williams with their friend Jimi Goodwin. They brought in Melanie Williams on vocals. The band would go on to release their album Full Fathom Five on Robs Records (the label formed by Rob Gretton, New Orders manager). 

Goodwin and the Williams brothers would go on to form Doves following a studio fire where all their equipment and recordings were destroyed.

But back to Sub Sub! The single was a smash, selling 700,000 copies, allowing the band to buy their own studio and spend years creating new music that would be released as Doves.

There is an excellent Guardian article here; How we made Sub Sub's Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)

I'll be blogging (fairly regularly - hopefully monthly) on releases from 30-years ago for the foreseeable future. 1993 was such a pivotal year for me as I finished school without really knowing what I wanted to do. And I was a musical sponge! Pouring over the NME & Melody Maker on a weekly basis and using spare cash on visits to record shops.

I was big into the whole indie and grunge guitar scene, but to this day I love a good pure pop tune and this is a belter. Enjoy.

Official video

Live on The Word

Top of the Pops

Previous blogs in the series

1. Loser 

Jimi Goodwin at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Last night i headed into King Tut's for a show by Jimi Goodwin from Doves to promote his solo album Odludek, released via the lovely people at Heavenly Records.

Goodwin was backed by a 3-piece band and they played a stormer. The drummer in particular was outstanding.

I think they played the whole album, opening with a massive sounding Terracotta and then into Didsbury Girl. I had a few beers so apologies if the blog isn't quite in order!

Oh Whiskey was played relatively early, a real standout, going all kinds of gorgeous 3-minutes in.

Tut's was sold out and the crowd were egging Goodwin on with Undertones style chants of 'Jimi, Jimi'.

Goodwin switched between bass and acoustic guitar; the acoustic tracks were real highlights for me. Goodwin's voice is soothingly melancholic. Hope was beautiful, as was Lonely At The Drop.

There were a few Doves songs tossed into the mix with The Last Broadcast going down well with all of Tut's singing along with the backing vocal melody.

I really enjoyed the show, Goodwin was clearly delighted with the response to his solo material and somewhat overwhelmed by the reaction to Doves songs. He ended by saying 'No bullshit, you're amazing Glasgow, the best on the tour as always.'

No bullshit Jimi - you played a blinder. Come back soon.

Odludek by Jimi Goodwin

As a fan of Doves I was intrigued by the release of Odludek, on Heavenly Records, by their singer Jimi Goodwin. The press release to declare his intentions pressed all the right buttons for me.

If there was a starting point for the record, it was the idea of an old school mixtape. Anyone lucky enough to receive a handcrafted tape from Jimi over the years will testify to his diverse, catholic tastes and Odludek is a heady mystic brew steeped in Northern Soul, Southern gospel, hip-hop, psychedelica, ambient, krautrock, dub, funk and acid house. “I wanted it to be like that crazy mixtape you’d make your mate which had everything from Duke Ellington to some mad hip-hop track you’d just heard, and back again,” says Jimi. “That’s how I listen to music, and I wanted to make an album that reflected that. The last thing I wanted it to sound like was some geezer who was in a band. I don’t like being pegged.”

Terracotta Warrior opens the album in a blaze of noise. Goodwin's voice is sounding as sweet as ever, the bass during the breaks is gloriously funky. The psychedelia box is definitely ticked.

Didsbury Girl slows things down with some more funky bass. A beautiful guitar riff is picked out over a lulling synth chord. This is very Doves-y - no real surprises…but it does retain an element of funkiness and some of the stuff going on over the top is brilliant.

You're the only girl I see, you're the only girl that's free

This is definitely an album to listen to on headphones.

Goodwin stays true to his words as Live Like A River comes in on an Acid House trip. I look forward to seeing how Goodwin recreates the album live when he plays at King Tut's next month.

It cuts short to Hope which is a real stand out; all bluegrass and gospel, really suiting Jimi's voice. The playing and backing vocals are stunning throughout the album, as is the production.

In my dream I'm swimming towards the shoreline

The intriguingly titled Man v Dingo is next, squelchy Acid House synths lead to stabbing Northern Soul horns and beats over white noise; this is a real melting pot of Goodwin's tastes. This is the craziest song on the album; dipping in and out of styles and changing beats is as Goodwin delivers stream of consciousness lyrics.

Keep My Soul In Song is lulling, gentle and all kinds of beautiful that just lets you float along. The strings are lovely.

Oh Whiskey was the lead single from the album, understandably so. It is Goodwin at his best; a sweet sing song melancholy voice that just lifts you up. Things slow down just before the 3-minute mark before it just goes all kinds of dreamy gorgeousness. Absolutely stunning.

Oh whiskey give me patience

Oh you used to bring the truth the truth

You used to give me empathy

How come you just give me the blues

Please don't give me the blues

The Ghost of the Empties builds beautifully as well. When Goodwin hits the mark he really does hit the mark and thankfully he does through most of the album.

Lonely At The Drop picks up the pace before Goodwin collaborates with long term friend Guy Garvey from blow on Panic Tree which closes the album. It is 2 minutes and 37 seconds long; building from an acoustic number into something resembling an old music hall number.

Overall I really like this album with Hope, The Ghost of the Empties, Keep My Soul In Song and Oh Whiskey being my favourites.