Assorted Images

On 15th June 1981, Duran Duran released their debut album. According to This Day In Music, it reached #3 in the UK Albums Chart and stayed in the top 100 for over 2 years (118 weeks, to be precise). It did pretty well in the USA, too: a peak of #10 in the Billboard 200 and a total of 87 weeks in that chart.

 

My uncle borrowed the album from his local library in London and, fully aware that home taping was killing music, recorded a copy to cassette and posted it to my brother, at his request. For some reason, he labelled the album 'Assorted Images' on the spine, named after the company that sleeve designer Malcolm Garrett worked for.

I liked the album a lot, but never really became a hardcore fan. Mrs. K, on the other hand...

I saw Duran Duran live for the first and only time when the original lineup reformed, released a new album (Astronaut) and toured it. Mrs. K and I saw them at Birmingham NEC on 18th April 2004, supported by Goldfrapp, and they were pretty good. It was a wonderful shared moment with her favourite band, growing up.

That said, that hardcore love is very focused. Mrs. K lost interest once Andy Taylor left the band in the 1980s and again when he departed once more after said album and tour. I jumped ship much earlier: my brother had Rio, which I also quite liked, but I don't think I heard third album Seven And The Ragged Tiger until I met Mrs. K many years later.

Today's 'selection' is a track-by-track recreation of the debut album, a mix of official videos, one fan-made mash up, a couple of TV appearances, one live performance and one audio clip from an early concert where no footage was available. 

This one's dedicated to Andy Taylor and, of course, Mrs. K.

1) Girls On Film (Official Video)

2) Planet Earth (Official Video)

3) Anyone Out There (Live @ Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV, 7th July 1981)

4) To The Shore (Live @ Hammersmith Odeon, London, 17th December 1981)

5) Careless Memories (Official Video)

6) Night Boat (Official Video)

7) Sound Of Thunder (Video Mash-Up By Heloísa Matias)

8) Friends Of Mine (Is it an Official Video? Is it a TV performance? Not sure!)

9) Tel Aviv (Live @ The Chapin Theater, Orlando, Florida, 18th July 2005)

Nothing More, Nothing Less, Love Is The Best

Today is a special day for a very special person. We've been to relatively few gigs together over the years, but they've always been special occasions.

 

Sometimes she didn't like the act (PJ Harvey), sometimes I haven't (Meat Loaf), sometimes the band have been damned awful on stage (Simple Minds), sometimes it's been possibly an emotional and brilliant experience (McAlmont & Butler, Green Gartside).

 

Regardless, it's always been all the better for the person at my side. 

This one's for you, Mrs. K.

 

1) At The River: Groove Armada (1999)

2) We Belong In This World Together: Stereo MC's (2001)
3) Bring It Back: McAlmont & Butler (2002)

4) Everybody Knows: The Free Association (2002) 

5) New Religion: Duran Duran (1982)

6) Black Cherry: Goldfrapp (2003)

6) Teardrop: Massive Attack (1998)

7) This Is Love: PJ Harvey (2000)

8) Spacehopper: Julian Cope (1987) 

9) New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84): Simple Minds (1982)

10) The Boom Boom Bap: Scritti Politti (2006)

11) Paradise By The Dashboard Light: Meat Loaf (1977) 

12) Suspicious Minds (Cover of Elvis Presley): Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra ft. Roland Gift (2013)

13) It Must Be Love (Cover of Labi Siffre): Madness (1981)

Footnote: Today’s selection is made up of songs we heard at gigs between 2001 up to & including Madness, postponed from 2020 but hopefully going ahead in June. 

With the latter exception, all of the songs featured in the set lists and are presented here in the order that we (first) saw them live. Julian Cope’s the only act we’ve seen together multiple times. 

Stereo MC’s & Simple Minds were both unlikely headliners at the Bristol Community Festival aka Ashton Court Festival. The latter really were appallingly bad.

Roland Gift was the guest vocalist when we saw Jools Holland’s band at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire. And bloody good he was too. 

Goldfrapp supported Duran Duran at the NEC in Birmingham for their first (only) reunion tour with the original line up including Andy Taylor. 

Lay Lady Lay (Ten Times)

In a second nod to Bob Dylan this week, following Desolation Row's inclusion in Sunday's selection, recently the shuffle option on my iPhone has been relentless in offering up Lay Lady Lady, in various incarnations. 

 

To be honest, I had no idea I had so many versions of the song but why be selfish? Here's ten of them, stitched together in one 40-odd minute sequence for your aural pleasure or sonic torture, depending on your opinion of the song to begin with.

The selection starts off with Magnet (aka Norwegian singer-songwriter Even Johansen and not to be confused with this Magnet) joined by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes on a lush, orchestral version. Along the way, you get Byrdsian gospel, Ministry's grubby come hither, a soulful take from The Isley Brothers, Melanie's rousing folk and headphone indie from David Kitt, The Flaming Lips and The Dandy Warhols. Oh, and Duran Duran's offering from their frequently teeth-grinding mid-90s tribute album.

The only way to finish of course is with Bob Dylan's original from 1969's Nashville Skyline, a #5 hit in the UK and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

1) Lay Lady Lay (Album Version): Magnet ft. Gemma Hayes (2004)

2) Lay Lady Lay: The Byrds (1969)

3) Lay Lady Lay: David Kitt (2007)

4) Lay Lady Lay (Album Version): Ministry (1996)

5) Lay Lady Lay: Duran Duran (1995)

6) Lay Lady Lay (Album Edit): The Isley Brothers (1971)

7) Lay Lady Lay: The Flaming Lips (2021)

8) Lay Lady Lay: Melanie (1972)

9) Lay Lady Lay: The Dandy Warhols (2008)

10) Lay Lady Lay: Bob Dylan (1969)

1969: Lay Lady Lay (7"): 2 

1969: Nashville Skyline: 10

1972: Garden In The City: 8

1976: The Best... Isley Brothers: 6

1995: Thank You: 5

1996: Filth Pig: 4

2004: On Your Side: 1

2007: Misfits Vol. 1: 3

2008: ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... (Japan bonus tracks edition): 9

2021: Dylan Revisited (Uncut magazine promo CD): 7

Lay Lady Lay (Ten Times) (43:31)

 

...and if you're a glutton for punishment, I did the same thing with Dylan's Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands last summer.