The Bellshill Beat TV Show

The Bellshill Beat, presented by Duglas T Stewart - leader of and singer for BMX Bandits, was broadcast back in 1993 when I was a mere 17 years old. It was like the programme had been made specifically for me.

30-years ago I had to rely on the NME and Melody Maker for facts, or word of mouth rumours/stories from guys a little older than me, like David Tough who was in a couple of bands himself.

All of a sudden, there was a TV show and I could hear directly from the bands themselves! BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub, Soup Dragons, Superstar, The Pastels and even Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth.

It was always like friends and fellow fans of music ... we all enjoyed working together and listening to music together. Duglas

Duglas talks about ex-members of BMX Bandits going on to great things; Sean and Jim with Soup Dragons, Norman with Teenage Fanclub and Eugene with Eugenius. 

There has been a growth of grassroots honest peoples music. Gordon Lodge, Duglas' old teacher

Norman Blake talks of Bellshill being a dump, but how bonding with friends over music has transferred into bands. Everyone helps each other out.

Joe McAlinden talks movingly about the first time he met Duglas busking in Glasgow city centre over footage of Duglas, Joe & Francis MacDonald playing outside of Frasers in Buchanan Street. The song the trio are playing captivated me instantly. 

And all the pop stars stare at the length of our hair

Woah Kylie's got a crush on us

Got a crush on us (Kylie's got a crush on us)

Backing vocals, harmonies, humour and a song obviously about my own teenage (and mid 40's!) crush - Kylie Minogue. I bought the CD single and 7-inch on release day from Impulse Records in Motherwell where I was on a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) after leaving school with no real direction, no idea what I was going to do with my life.

And then The Pastels kick in ...

Name? - Stephen Pastel

Band? The Pastels

Instruments played? Electric guitar, sing. My band, The Pastels formed in the black hole of the early 80's. 

Stephen goes on to talk about the importance of being independent, forming a label to release records by BMX Bandits, The Vaselines, Beat Happening and The Boy Hairdressers.

Any good form of music must have a naivety about it. It's so important that whenever you plug in your guitar, you believe anything is possible. Stephen Pastel

I adore the video of The Pastels playing the perfect guitar pop of Thank You For Being You looking incredible. Stephen's messy bowl cut playing his guitar while stomping on a Bros 7-inch, Aggie in her oversize Sonic Youth hat looking super cool on bass and Katrina looking incredibly fresh faced (she still does!) on drums, just playing music they believe in. No fuss, all heart.

Eugene Kelly talks of all his bands and how Stephen Pastel named The Vaselines.  Eugene talks movingly about his post Vaselines world and watching Teenage Fanclub playing in Glasgow. They inspired him to form Captain America for fun, but he kept it going, releasing 2 EP's including Flame On. Marvel Comics threatened to sue them because they were using the name Captain America, so they became the brilliantly named Eugenius. 

There is brilliant video footage of Sonic Youth before Thurston Moore comes in and talks his love of Scottish groups over a brilliant Pastels video of them playing in a garage singing she looked real cute in her pink spacesuit over a Velvets style drone and beat. Check the full video here or below.

All of a sudden these bands were coming to life for me. Hearing them talk about forming, making and releasing records, playing in America, getting reviews ... they all sounded just so ... natural and normal. Like they can't believe people are interested in them.

Norman talks of What You Do To Me reaching number 31 and the band were due to play Top Of The Pops but were bumped for the new Michael Jackson video. 

Eugene talks of touring with Nirvana, next thing Kurt Cobain is on the cover of the NME wearing a Captain America t-shirt and everyone wants to know about the band.

Sean Dickson talks of going from his bedroom to playing all over America because Soup Dragons Divine Thing had gone top 40.

Being successful wasn't what fuelled being in a band. Having our name known by even 5 people was as fascinating as it could be for us. That's what we're all about. Sean Dickson from Soup Dragons

I think they just represent intelligent youth culture. Thurston Moore Sonic Youth

It's been so great watching this again. You can too!

WATCH HERE or below

Superstar by Sonic Youth

Cover of the month #28   Sonic Youth cover The Carpenters

Superstar and Yesterday Once More are songs I discovered when a split single by Sonic Youth and Redd Kross was released back in 1994, taken from The Carpenters tribute album If I Were A Carpenter.

Superstar is yet another cover of the month where I found that the original version of the song wasn't recorded by who I thought it was. The original version was released as Groupie (Superstar) by Delaney and Bonnie and I had never heard their version until I started researching and writing this blog.

The original title gives a lot away. This is a love song from a groupie to a superstar and it is pretty heartbreaking. She has been used, told that it was love, promised he would be back and reality and loneliness are kicking in. It is a beautifully written and performed song with gorgeous vocals. The chorus soars with great harmonies and horns kicking in.

The Carpenters version slows things right down to really emphasise the heartbreak in the song - especially the lines

Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear

But you're not really here, it's just the radio

The Carpenters version still has a soaring chorus, but you feel the heartbreak so much more, especially on the kiss off line; I love you, I really do. The strings that follow also bring a real sombre mood leading into Karen singing loneliness is such a sad affair.

It's beautiful, it is stunning and it is heartbreaking. There seems to be an extra oomph behind the second chorus and it is immediately repeated

On to Sonic Youth with Thurston Moore really sounding heartbroken. There is an effect on his voice that makes it sound a little psychedelic and the feedback used in the instrumental between the first chorus and the second verse definitely stamps Sonic Youth's mark on the song.

They (rightly) don't rip the song up and try to do anything outrageous, which, being Sonic Youth in 1994, is probably something you would have expected. They respect the song and it is interesting to hear it sung by a male - more of a fan boy than a groupie?

I'm going to include a second cover version of the month seeing as I discovered both of them at the same time. The Carpenters Yesterday Once More is a beautiful song, but it's a bit more MOR than Superstar. Karen Carpenter still pulls on the heart strings, but (at least for me) it doesn't have the raw feeling that Superstar delivers, it's a bit too clean cut. Even the live version below is just a bit too contained/restrained - if you get my meaning.

Redd Kross do a kind of punky karaoke version and just about get away with it. They also remain pretty faithful to the original and scuzz and fuzz it up a little, adding a little rawness to the mix.

So Sonic Youth win this duel of Carpenters cover version for me. They really get into the song, they become part of it. For a full list of artists that featured on If I Were A Carpenter CLICK HERE

Previous covers of the month

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

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
16. California Soul
18. Wonder wall 
19. Dancing In The Dark
20. Always On My Mind
21. Ceremony
22. Heroes
23. Different Drum
24. Wild Horses

25. Respect
26. Mr Tambourine Man
27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Linden - Bleached Highlights

Linden is Joe McAlinden, formerly of Superstar, guest on Teenage Fanclub records and very formerly of The Boy Hairdressers.

Linden's debut album 'Bleached Highlights' has just been released on Edwyn Collins new label AED Records. 

The album is already receiving some excellent reviews;

• Album of the Week - Scotland On Sunday
• “A beautiful record” 4/5 - Q Magazine
• Album of the Week - Alexis Petridis The Guardian
• “Beautifully assured” - The Scotsman
• “This album is stunning” - Daily Record
• Album of the Week - Vic Galloway BBC Radio Scotland
• Album of the Week - Tom Morton BBC Radio Scotland
• “Perfect pop moment” 4/5 - Sunday Express
• “Glorious… A prime contender for Scottish Album of The Year” - The Sun

If I was to add something from this blog to the section above it would be;

• "Immediate guitar pop with hooks and harmonies. Simple at times, always beautiful." everythingflowsglasgow

 The first four tracks on this album are sublime, as good as anything you will hear all year, or any year. McAlinden has an effortlessly pure voice and he splices it perfectly with chiming and warm fuzzy guitars.

Opener 'Brown Bird Singing' has been released as a limited 7-inch via AED. Upon listening, it is easy to understand why it was chosen as the lead single, although there are a load of potential follow ups.

It is the sound of sunshine, beautifully produced by Edwyn Collins and Sebastian Lewsley. Check out the DIY video below.

The opening four tracks on the album grabbed me; immediate guitar pop with hooks and harmonies. Simple at times, always beautiful.

'I Just Wanna Be Here (When I'm Somewhere Else)' and the title track 'Bleached Highlights' flow beautifully, leaving me wonder if they were written around the same time. 

'Thank You' has a chorus that just lifts the whole song;

I'm never gonna let you down girl, take my hand and welcome me back home

Hey, I'm always gonna be around girl, understand that you're my way back home

The CD (resplendent Jim Lambie print) comes with a lyric book and looking over the lyrics as I listen it is clearly evident that 'Bleached Highlights' is an out and out love album. 

That is hammered home by 'If I Had Wings' which (on only a few listens) is a song that stands out, brilliant guitar work and McAlinden sounding particularly angelic and soulful. At only 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, you'll be playing it several times in a row.

I finally found you

My senses around you

I finally found you

People in love experience all kinds of emotions and 'Written' and 'Hear My Name' highlight insecurities, maintaining the flow of the album but just slowing it down ever so slightly.

'Something Wonderful' is acoustic based until the chorus with McAlinden sounding almost breathless as he is singing his hear out.

Somethings wonderful just got better

And I think of you every day

The album closes with 'Hide Away' with a melody that reminds me of something else but I just can't place it. However that is one of Linden's (and indeed McAlinden's) clear strengths - immediately accessible and understandable guitar pop with melodies and hooks. It is simple and pure, this is not an album that will take you a dozen listens to get into, you either like it and get it or it isn't for you.

I like it and I've got it!