So Mike shared this with us from the 1987 album, “Tonight.”
This is the funky Bowie doing a bit of Prince on the side. Steve Peck and Raul A. Rodriguez are helped by Shep Pettibone on the mix using the latest shiny sounds of the time with added keyboards by David Cole of duo Clivillés and Cole. The the main mix and “Dub” are very interesting lots going on
The B-side, “Julie”, was a non-album track, a romantic rocker with Tina Turner on backing vocals, underrated and overlooked.
A brief slice of faceless dance music before I get on to my recent forage from Static Records in Wigan
(a great little vinyl stuff that rewards a good dig, http://staticrecordswigan.co.uk/)
Mig 29 comes in a brilliant sleeve mixing pills and Russian Combat Planes. Italian Ravey Techno this was Gianfranco Bortolotti project started in 1991 with Max Aventino and Francesco Scandolari, various other Media Records artists were involved in the project over the next few years including Roberto Arduini, Max Persona and Mauro Picotto. The golden age of dance music this was released in 1992 on Champion Records and whilst most stuff was being adventurous at the time this seem to keep to a strict formula which didn’t vary much across the mixes. The “Paranoia Mix” is the more techno, harder track. Both have the “Media Records” bassline, intro pinched for The Prodigy’s “Charly”
A slice of On-U-Sound madness and this football themed track from 1987 with added Barmy Army. Commentator, Brian Moore appears on the normal mix, a bit tagged on like the commentary you get on many computer video games. The definite version is the instrumental cut with the massive dubby bass of Doug Wimbish and the layered percussion and lack of cheesy samples.
So, ha, ha! I can do the old US 12″ if I want too (no disrespect to Mike B) From the band that brought you on “Walking On Sunshine” and at the forefront of Brit Funk, Central Line. They gave us the funky disco of “You’ve Said Enough” and the very electronic “Nature Boy” all from 1982. So “Nature Boy” is a bit of an electro classic, it’s all about the bass! A cover of the George Benson funk classic given a synth work over. So the main track is much more disco/funk orientated, apparently featuring Rush Winters on backing vocals (a major Yello contributor) Both instrumentals are really dub mixes. Get your skates on for the Roller Disco.
Okay Part 2 of this General Public compilation provided by Mike B. Where we see them going more synthpop mainstream and away from Ska Roots.
General Public – Too Much Or Nothing (US 12″)
From 1986 and a single off their second album, “Hand To Mouth.” So we get the female backing vocals and more synth making them sound a bit like Go West via ABC through a shortcut of Sussodio by Phil Collins. Lots of brass and a catchy chorus remixed by Steve Beltran in L.A with that 80’s big drum sound and handful of similar mixes.
A1 Too Much Or Nothing (Extended Dance Mix) 7:02
A2 Too Much Or Nothing (Dub Mix) 4:50
B1 Too Much Or Nothing (Dance Radio Edit) 4:50
B2 Too Much Or Nothing (Instrumental) 4:50
B3 Too Much Or Nothing (A Capella) 4:48
General Public – Faults And All (UK 12″)
From 1986 and the most sounding like “The Beat” than any of the other stuff. Synth led but it has a definite 2-Tone feel to it. Not sure the synth works it does make it sound cheesy as does the 12″ remix effects but it’s very catchy. It uses the same sleeve as “Too Much Or Nothing:” obviously the “old” band sound was marketed for the UK audience as it was not released in the US. The extra track is a lively, instrumental track off the film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” a lively bit of Ska.
Using the same production team of Keith Cohen (Engineer) and Steve Beltran remixing the bands self produced track and again from “Hand To Mouth” but released in 1987. More Howard Jones than Howard Jones and very catchy. The “Small Talk” mix is just a dub version.
So 1994 and a reformed General Public do a cover of the Motown classic “I’ll Take You There” by the Staples Sisters,in a UB40 style! The other mixes are more dance flavour, deep house grooves by Satoshi Tomiie. Off the film soundtrack of “Threesome” (No, I’ve never seen it either.) So some long mixes and a bit of toasting from Ranking Roger.
From 1986 and taking Maria Videl’s “Body Rock” as it’s basis, this was a boy band “launch” release. Produced by Ian Levine (Take That producer) and Fiachra Trench it has Euro Disco and Hi NRG written all over it. More Eurovision, this was a boy band, Freddie Stuart, Mark Long, Nick Bowditch and Phil Creswick (who went on to be in Big Fun) Paving the way for Take That and Boyzone. A long mix and the more instrumental “original version” are here. Gay Anthem Time!
You gotta laugh haven’t you, they were from Blackpool!
From 1984 and a later release from Elvis Costello and the Attractions, a cover of an old soul classic by Teacher Edition. It has backing vocals by Green Gartside (Scritti Politti) It has a dreamy, synth enhanced backing. Masterly produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the 12″ mix works really well, I’d totally forgotten about the track. A bonus is having the theme tune from “Scully” , “Turning The Town Red” as the extra track. Going back to the earlier sound of the band, with witty lyrics and strummed guitar.
The track was recorded at Pluto Studios in Manchester’s Granby Row (where The Smiths made some demos). Recorded on 24 track 2″ analog through a Trident console. Instruments used included the the revolutionary Roland MC-4B microcomposer, the Roland Jupiter 8 (bassline), the MC-202 (the sequency bits in the verses) and drums from an Oberheim DMX with Lexicon 224XL reverb. The brass bits were sampled and pitched using the AMS sampling digital delay. All cutting edge technology at the time.
Backing vocals were from Jean Barrow, latin percussion from Dave Hassell. Phil Bush was the engineer. Many long and late sessions with crates of beer sent over from the Lass’O’Gowrie. Endless airplay on KFM and Piccadilly Radio. Shambolic and often deafening live performances!
In the vein of many new wave acts of the time, helped with added guitar and the enigmatic Steve Darragh on vocals. It does sound very polished for a independent release. The B-side is quality as well. Chuffed I found this.
So Mike was obviously a huge General Public fan and so here is the first part of two posts containing 12″ versions of their releases.
So the band themselves came out of the ashes of The Beat (or The English Beat) Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger and was a bit of a Super Group for it’s time with members of Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash joining the party at some point. This 1984 stuff features Steve Jones on guitar.
General Public – General Public / Dishwasher (12″)
I have actually got this, buying it because I thought it was something to do with Lyndon’s Public Image Limited (Fooled by the Cover!) More dubby than a dubby thing it ! Plenty of Simmons and a Ska feel to it. An underrated classic. B-side “Dishwasher” is an instrumental and a bit more rockier than the A-side.
With shades of an energetic Spandau Ballet this is very New Romantic. From 1985 and given a remix by Arthur Baker it funks along nicely with some Baker trademark trickery. The Dub version is excellent as a slice of electro dance, the best dub I’ve heard in ages. Definitely nothing like The Beat! Album track “Day To Day” is given a live outing where The Beat can be heard again and a quality live band.
General Public – Tenderness / Never You Done That (US Promo 12″)
From 1985 and their real breakthrough Stateside with this weird mix of influences but with the main influence being POP. The remix was done by Jellybean Benitez and keeps that weird woodwind sample in. I missed this first time around and it was nice to hear it really for the first time. The other mixes have been danced up again by Arthur Baker, with very proto New Order ideas going on here, again the dub mix is where it’s at. (It does sound like a New Order track, weird!)
More synth pop from Kids In The Kitchen with this track from 1985 , sounding a bit like (Keep Feeling) Fascination by The Human League mixed with the chords of Talk Talk “Life Is What You Make It”, add some slap bass, funky guitar, Simmon’s Drums and Girlie Backing vocals and you’ve got it. Co-produced with Thom Panunzio and Mark Berry and mixed by Ian ‘Mad Dog’ McKenzie the mixes are not all that different. Can’t stop listening to that orchestral beginning though.
