Phil Good Times

Happy birthday Phil Thornalley, born 5th January 1960.

 

Phil's had an interesting career, to say the least. He started out as a recording engineer aged 18, working with the likes of Steve Lillywhite, Alex Sadkin and Mickie Most. In 1982, Phil produced Pornography, the fourth album by The Cure, subsequently joining the band when Simon Gallup left (the first time). That's Phil's double bass on The Love Cats.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Phil joined Johnny Hates Jazz as lead singer following the departure of founding member Clark Datchler. Oh, and he also co-wrote a song called Torn which became a rather big hit when covered by Natalie Imbruglia in 1997.

I'll confess that I haven't followed Phil's career into the 21st Century, but a a flick through my music collection highlights how many beloved artists he has produced, co-produced, remixed or performed with. This then is a 12-song selection that put a big grin on my face and got me turning up that dial.

Have a good one, Phil!

1) Here Come The Good Times (Album Version By Phil Thornalley): A House (1994)

2) The Yearning Loins (Single Version By Phil Thornalley): Prefab Sprout (1984)

3) Mr. Pink Eyes (Single Version By Phil Thornalley, Chris Parry & The Cure): The Cure (1983)

4) The Greatness And Perfection Of Love (Remixed Version By Stephen Lovell, Phil Thornalley & Stephen Lipson): Julian Cope (1984)

5) Who Knows What Love Is? (Album Version By Phil Thornalley): Strawberry Switchblade (1985)

6) Mack The Knife (Single Version By Phil Thornalley & The Psychedelic Furs) (Cover of Gerald Price): The Psychedelic Furs (1981)

7) Bitter Heart (Extended Mix By Phil Thornalley): Seona Dancing (1983)

8) What Presence?! (Extended Version By Phil Thornalley & Orange Juice): Orange Juice (1984)

9) Girl From Mars (Single Version By Owen Morris & Phil Thornalley): Ash (1995)

10) Kindred Spirit (Re-Recorded Version By Phil Thornalley & Tom Dokoupil): Edwyn Collins (1989)

11) Songs Of Love (Phil Thornalley Remix): The Divine Comedy (1999)

12) C'est La Vie (Single Version By Alex Sadkin & Phil Thornalley): Robbie Nevil (1986)

Phil Good Times (46:09) (Box) (Mega)

Bad Santa V

In what seems to be becoming an annual tradition, here's another festive Dubhed selection. 

 

Again, a mix of old and new, merry and maudlin, sincere and just flat out cheesy. Previous selections have tended not to outstay their welcome, coming in at under an hour. I've thrown caution (and common sense) to the wind this year, gifting inflicting an extra 50% on you lovely people, so you get nearly an hour and a half of Christmas drivel.

Lots of covers pf Christmas classics by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Ash, Emmy The Great & Lightspeed Champion, Lenox Avenue and Cranes. I nearly went for Al Jourgensen's version of What A Wonderful World but BMX Bandits won out in the end. Sinkane also delivers an all-star cover of The Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, featuring various members of LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost! and Beastie Boys.

One of my all-time favourite Christmas albums is by Low, who are represented here twice, with If You Were Born Today and a fresh cover of Just Like Christmas by Silversun Pickups, released a couple of days ago. Remembering Mimi Parker.

 

The selection closes with a prime example of the cheese/charm spectrum, Air Supply delivering a gleaming-white-teeth-and-hairsprayed-mullet version of Sleigh Ride. Following this, The Trash Can Sinatras perform Snow, a beautiful rendition of the Randy Newman song. 

 

Hopefully something for everyone here (well, maybe not everyone; I steered clear of Kanye West's Christmas song) for the week ahead. Enjoy!

 

1) Lonely Star (Christmas Song) (Single Version): Dream Nails (2020)

2) Everybody's Having Fun (It's Christmas Time): Natalie Prass (2016)

3) Swing Down Sweet Chariot: Elvis Presley ft. The Jordanaires (1960)

4) Be Good At Christmas: Katie Malco (2016)

5) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Cover of Judy Garland): Phoebe Bridgers (2017)

6) Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo: Alma Cogan (1955)

7) Holiday Tylenol: Anni Rossi (2017)

8) Christmas Wrapping (Cover of The Waitresses): Sinkane ft. Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney, Money Mark, Nick Millhiser, Roxane Danset, Jordan McLean & Jas Walton (2020)

9) Merry Christmas Baby (Album Version) (Cover of Johnny Moore's Three Blazers): Chuck Berry (1964)

10) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (2004 Version) (Cover of Wizzard): Ash (2004)

11) I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas: Aimee Mann (2005)

12) What A Wonderful World (Cover of Louis Armstrong): BMX Bandits (1986)

13) Shitty Christmas: Babaganouj (2013)

14) Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Cover of John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band): Cranes (1996)

15) If You Were Born Today: Low (1999)

16) Commodore Xmas: The Saturnettes (2013)

17) Just Like Christmas (Cover of Low): Silversun Pickups (2022)

18) A Tiny Christmas: Lawrence King (2017)

19) Christmas In Prison (Cover of John Prine): Emmy The Great & Lightspeed Champion (2006)

20) The Dollyrots Do Christmas: The Dollyrots (2018)

21) Xmas To Forget: Nathaniel Rateliff ft. Elle King (2020)

22) No Cure For The Common Christmas: Saint Etienne (2010)

23) The Little Drummer Boy (Cover of Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati & Harry Simeone): Lenox Avenue (1970)

24) Sleigh Ride (Cover of Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra): Air Supply (1987)

25) Snow (Single Version) (Cover of Randy Newman): The Trash Can Sinatras (1999)

Bad Santa V (1:27:30) (Box) (Mega)

Bad Santa IV

Bad Santa III

Bad Santa II

Bad Santa

Acoustic Tent

I've been catching up with the BBC's Glastonbury coverage on iPlayer this week: Róisín Murphy, Yves Tumor, Saint Etienne, Confidence Man, Bicep... the list goes on. I feel the need to calm things down a bit for Sunday so here's 45 minutes of acoustic loveliness for your aural pleasure.

Paul Weller gets things off to an atypically rousing start with a bit of effing and jeffing, but it's generally family friendly language from there on. Charlotte Hatherley pops up twice, once as a solo artist and again near the end with former bandmates Ash. Patrick Duff delivers a beautiful version of Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffany's and the selection closes with someone you might not expect.

 

1) Come On/Let's Go (Acoustic Demo): Paul Weller (2006)

2) Easy In The Sunshine (Acoustic): Emilíana Torrini (2000)

3) This Is The Day (Live Acoustic US Radio Session): The The (2000)

4) Murphy's Law (Acoustic) (Live @ Home): Róisín Murphy (2020)

5) Crystal Frontier (Acoustic): Calexico (2001)

6) I Want You To Know (Acoustic Version): Charlotte Hatherley (2007)

7) Buzzing Round The Honey Pots (Acoustic): Dot Allison (2009)

8) Moon River (Live Acoustic Version @ BBC Radio Bristol) (Cover of Audrey Hepburn): Strangelove (1996)

9) The Sea (Acoustic Demo): Morcheeba (1996)

10) The Party (Acoustic): The Dream Academy (1985)

11) Broken & Mended (Acoustic Version): The Blue Aeroplanes (1995)

12) Burn Baby Burn (Acoustic Version): Ash (2001)

13) Too Many Walls (Acoustic Version): Cathy Dennis (1991)

1985: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want EP: 10

1995: Sugared Almond EP: 11

1996: Sway EP: 8 

1996: The Music That We Hear (Moog Island) EP: 9

2000: Easy EP: 2 

2001: Crystal Frontier EP: 5

2001: Free All Angels (ltd 2x CD): 12

2006: Come On/Let's Go EP (Japan-only CD single): 1

2007: I Want You To Know EP (promo CD single): 6 

2009: Buzzing Round The Honey Pots (official website exclusive download): 7

2014: Move To This (Deluxe Edition) (2x CD): 13

2020: Live @ Home for Festival Marvin 9.5, 10th December 2020: 4

2022: Official Bootleg 005: 3

Acoustic Tent (45:47) (Box) (Mega)