With A Dream In Your Heart You're Never Alone

Celebrating Burt Bacharach, 12th May 1928 to 8th February 2023.

Burt Bacharach has been a huge part of my life lived through music, even when I was largely ignorant of this fact until I got to my teens and started paying more attention to the people behind the songs. Falling in love, falling out of love, Burt Bacharach captured the musical mood and, with Hal David, nailed the thoughts, feelings and dilemmas that listeners could relate to.

My initial 'shortlist' for this selection was ridiculously long, so I've ruthlessly cut it to ten songs and a little over half an hour. In the 1990s, I bought a budget compilation called The Burt Bacharach Songbook, a 23-track silver disc of solid gold songs. I could easily have just picked the ten from that alone and it would have been great. A few have made the cut here but I've interspersed them with some more contemporary cover versions from BMX Bandits, Terry Hall, Kevin Rowland, Espiritu aka Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones and Richard X featuring the unique talent that is The Flying Lizards' Deborah Evans-Stickland.

Given Bacharach and David's long and fruitful collaboration with Dionne Warwick, it would have been remiss of me not to start the selection with one of her songs, with three more covers along the way. The selection closes with my favorite cover of I'll Never Fall In Love Again, by Bobbie Gentry. 

Lots more for a future part two and part three, but this is a brisk reminder of Burt Bacaharch's brilliance with a tune that hits all the emotional sweet spots. Thanks for all the music, Burt.

1) Do You Know The Way To San Jose: Dionne Warwick (1968)

2) It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Cover of Ricky Nelson): BMX Bandits (1998)

3) Close To You (Cover of '(They Long To Be) Close To You' by Richard Chamberlain): Terry Hall (1997)

4) Anyone... (Edit By Rob Smith & Ray Mighty) (Cover of 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' by Dionne Warwick): Smith & Mighty ft. Jackie Jackson (1988)

5) You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (Cover of Dionne Warwick): The Stylistics (1976)

6) Walk On By (Cover of Dionne Warwick): Richard X ft. Deborah Evans-Stickland (2003)

7) Always Something There To Remind Me (Radio Version By Phil Bodger) (Cover of Sandie Shaw): Espiritu (1994)

8) This Guy's In Love With You (Cover of Danny Williams): Kevin Rowland (1999)

9) Only Love Can Break A Heart (Cover of Gene Pitney): Timi Yuro (1981)

10) I'll Never Fall In Love Again (Cover of Jill O'Hara & Jerry Orbach): Bobbie Gentry (1969)

A Dream In Your Heart (32:28) (Box) (Mega)

El Dia De Los Muertos

Side 1 of a cassette compilation featuring Espiritu, recorded 27th July 1997, with Saint Etienne on Side 2.

Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones was the subject of my third ever contribution to the Imaginary Compilation Album series at The Vinyl Villain, posted on 26th November 2020. The ICA focused on Vanessa's wider career, but all of the Espiritu songs featured there appear on this selection too. I'll skip the Espiritu bio as it's pretty much covered in the ICA.

This compilation of singles, B-sides and remixes was pretty hot off the press; the single You Don't Get Me, which provides the closing two songs here, was released on 7th July 1997.

 

Vanessa's had an interesting and varied career since, not least with Vanessa & The O's (with James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins) and as a solo artist, her 2020 album Voodoo Girl providing some welcome sunshine during lockdown and making an appearance in my end of year 'best of'.

1) Man Don't Cry (Album Version) (1997)

2) Bonita Mañana (7" Version) (1994)

3) Always Awake (Back To Mono Mix By Espiritu) (1997)

4) Conquistador (7" Radio Edit By Phil Harding & Ian Curnow) (1993)

5) Manifesto #1 (Single Version) (1993)

6) Baby I Wanna Live (Album Version) (1997)

7) No Crèo Mas (Demo) (1993)

8) Los Americanos (Single Version) (1993)

9) Francisca (Original Mix) (1992)

10) Another Life (Album Version) (1997)

11) You Don't Get Me (Album Version) (1997)

1992: Francisca EP: 9

1993: Conquistador EP: 4, 7

1993: Los Americanos EP: 5, 8

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 2

1997: Another Life: 1, 6, 10, 11

1997: You Don't Get Me EP: 3, 10, 11

El Dia De Los Muertos (46:32) (KF) (Mega)

Concocting A Rhythm That You Could Get Lost In... (Again)

Side 2 of a mixtape, compiled 5th September 1993, rounding up some musical suspects from 1991 to 1992. A couple of Justin Robertson's finest early 90s remixes here, for Sly & Lovechild and Finitribe. New Atlantic's sole UK Top 20 hit, I Know, is included in it's definitive Love Decade remix, with a pitched up Candi Staton vocal sample giving the song its title. Leftfield and William Orbit were both hitting their stride as remixers du jour and deliver prime examples of why they were in such demand at the time. Youth contributes a pair of remixes, beefing up Frazier Chorus to great effect and obliterating The Psychedelic Furs' original vocals and instruments to the extent that, if this were a white label, you wouldn't have a clue it was them. The original mixtape featured the instrumental version of Espiritu's Francisca from the 12" single, which I haven't yet ripped, so I've swapped out for the equally good dub mix from the CD, pushing the C90 running time waaay into the red.

 

1) Spirit Of Destiny (Justin Robertson Mix): Sly & Lovechild (1992)

2) I Know (Love Decade Remix 12"): New Atlantic (1991)

3) Ace Love Deuce (Justin Robertson Mix) (Single Edit): Finitribe (1991)

4) Francisca (Dub Mix): Espiritu (1992)

5) Back To Front (The Rub It Vocal Mix By Leftfield): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

6) Walking On Air (Remix By Youth): Frazier Chorus (1991)

7) Treaty (Djulpan / Seven Sisters Mix By William Orbit): Yothu Yindi (1992)

8) Don't Be A Girl (Dancehall On Fire) (Remix By Youth): The Psychedelic Furs (1991)

Side Two (47:11) (Box) (Mega)

Side One here

Mother's Day

So, if I was a little more organised and planned these blog posts way in advance, I might well have held over last Sunday's Cleo Sol selection for today. After all, Cleo is a mother, her most recent album is called Mother and her sounds are perfectly suited to a loved up Sunday.

But I'm not and I didn't. So, instead I've taken things quite literally and gone back to the 1990s for the pumped up club sounds of Mother aka Jools Brettle and Lee Fisher.

In my defence, the clocks went forward in the UK, signalling the start of British Summertime but in reality meaning that we've all lost an hour's sleep. Ergo, I think some phat beats and uptempo tunes are exactly what's needed to get everybody in the mood. Oh, hang on a mo, I can hear someone calling me...

"What's that?"

"You're trying to sleep?"

"Can I turn that racket down?"

Sigh, back to the drawing board...

 

1) Funk Bomb (Zero Tolerance Club Mix): Mother (1998)

2) Get Back (E-Lustrious Mix By Daniel Bennett & Michael Kirwin): Mother (1994)

3) I Like it (Mother Vocal Mix): D:Ream (1993)

4) All Funked Up (Mothers Favourite Mix By Jools Brettle, Lee Fisher & Joe Stevens): Mother ft. Denise Johnson (1993)

5) Vehicle (Mother's Vor Sprung Durch Tech Mix): Secret Life (1996)

6) Los Americanos (Mother Mix): Espiritu (1993)

7) Generations Of Love (Mother's Vocal Mix): Jesus Loves You (1998)

8) Stars (Mother Dub Mix) ('Disgraceful' Extended Album Version): Dubstar (1996)

9) Near The Black Forest (Mother's Quality Time Mix): Vanessa Daou (1995)

Mother's Day (59:51)

Heavenly Weatherall

I returned late from work to find this pair of beauties dropped through my letter box: the Heavenly Remixes collection, volumes 1-4 on CD, 41 tracks in all for a bargain price. 

 

Volumes 1&2 provide a brief history of Heavenly remixes 1990-2020, from Moonflowers' Get Higher/Get Dubber to Graham Massey's remix of Working Men's Club.

Volumes 3&4 follows pretty much the same timeline, subtitled Andrew Weatherall Volume 1&2, featuring 16 of The Guv'nor's finest, from Heavenly's very first release The World According To Sly & Lovechild  through to 2019's remix of Devils Angels by Unloved (aka David Holmes and friends.

 

Each volume is also available as double vinyl set; great value but at nearly £100 for the lot, a little out of my reach. Several of the tracks are available for the first time in each respective format, so a tempting offer whichever format you prefer.

I've not had a chance to fully absorb each set or upload the fresh digital versions, so today's selection is a sampler from both, using (in some cases inferior quality) versions that I already own. Needless to say, the parent collections will be dominating this weekend's playlist.

 

1) Finally (Time & Space Machine Re-Edit By Richard Norris) (Cover of Ce Ce Peniston): Cherry Ghost (2010)

2) Gandhi (Andy Weatherall Remix II): Le Corps Mince De Françoise (2010)

3) Los Americanos (Mother Mix): Espiritu (1993)

4) Out The Window (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Confidence Man (2018)

5) Filthy (Monkey Mafia Vocal Mix By Jon Carter): Saint Etienne ft. Q-Tee (1996)

6) Compulsion (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Doves (2008)

Heavenly Weatherall (43:12)
 

Buy Heavenly Remixes volumes 1-4 on Bandcamp

Beautiful Morning

After what seems like weeks of constant rain, I've woken up to a bright, beautiful morning, misty air mixing with the sleep dust in my eyes to create a hazy, lazy start to the day with the promise of a fantastic day ahead. What else in that case to celebrate the dawn but Espiritu's Bonita Mañana? Okay, I'm in rural Gloucestershire, not Brazil, but you get the gist.

 

I am a big fan of Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones, who has gone on to release some fabulous French pop albums, including one of 2020's highlights, Voodoo Girl. Vanessa's Facebook page contains a great Bio strapline, which translates as "Two ways of seeing your life. One to be blind to everything and the other to be awakened to the great All." I think we can all get with that.

 

Here's a cheeky little re-edit of Bonita Mañana that I gaffa taped together over a cup of camomile tea this morning. Nothing fancy, just keeps the vibe going a little bit longer. Happy Sunday everyone, particularly those kicking a ball around a football pitch this evening.

 

Bonita Mañana (Dormida En Brasil Re-Edit By Khayem) (2021)