Life Could Have Been Very Different, But Then...

Celebrating Steve Mackey, 10th November 1966 to 2nd March 2023.

By sad coincidence, Steve appeared with Pulp in Tuesday's selection. On Thursday, he was gone at the age of 56. Far too soon.

It was when I was reading the tributes that followed that I began to appreciate how much of Steve's contribution to music outside of Pulp was sitting in my collection. So, rather than a straight selection of Pulp songs, I've gone a little wider and deeper.

Steve's partnership with Jarvis Cocker is undeniable and followed into the latter's solo albums and current releases as JARV IS... Steve and Jarvis also produced several remixes as The Chocolate Layers, with three included in today's selection.

 

I had no idea that he'd co-written, produced and later remixed (as Cavemen) M.I.A.'s debut single Galang. Or that he'd been behind the desk for Spiritualized's 2018 album And Nothing Hurt. Or that he'd produced The Long Blondes and Florence + The Machine. He had a hand in Race Of Life by Vangoffey too, a single from the 2015 collaboration between Louis Eliot (Rialto) and Danny Goffey (Supergrass). Steve also joined fellow Pulp members in writing and performing on Marianne Faithfull's 2002 album, Kissin Time.

 

And then there's Pulp. Not just the bass playing, the song writing, but a fringe to die for circa 1996. Far too many songs to choose from, but the selection starts and ends with two of my favourites, with a This Is Hardcore-era demo snuck in somewhere in between.

 

All in, an hour of Steve Mackey, with love and thanks. The title is taken from a line in this selection's final song and a tip of the hat for a life well lived. Rest in peace, Steve.

 

1) The Trees (Album Version By Scott Walker & Peter Walsh): Pulp (2001)

2) Pilchard (Album Version By Steve Albini & Jarvis Cocker): Jarvis Cocker (2009)

3) Weekend Without Makeup (Album Version By Steve Mackey & Richard Flack): The Long Blondes (2006)

4) Sliding Through Life On Charm (Album Version By Jarvis Cocker, Steve Mackey & Clive Goddard): Marianne Faithfull (2002)

5) Kiss With A Fist (Album Version By Steve Mackey & Richard Flack): Florence + The Machine (2009)

6) Galang (Cavemen Remix By Steve Mackey & Russ Orton): M.I.A. (2004)

7) Up A Tree Again (The Chocolate Layers' St. John's Ambulance Mix By Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackey): Looper (1999)

8) Dirge (Cossack Apocalypse Mix By The Chocolate Layers aka Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackey) (Edit): Death In Vegas ft. Dot Allison (2000)

9) My Erection (Demo): Pulp (1996)

10) Race Of Life (Album Version By Sam Dyson, Simon Byrt, Danny Goffey & Steve Mackey): Vangoffey (2015)

11) The Facts Of Life (Remixed By The Chocolate Layers aka Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackey): Black Box Recorder (2000)

12) Am I Missing Something? (Pilooski/Jayvich Late Night Mix By Cedric Marszewski & Julien Vichnievsky): JARV IS... (2021)

13) Here It Comes (The Road) Let's Go (Album Version By Jason Pierce, Darren Lawson & Steve Mackey): Spiritualized (2018)

14) Something Changed (Album Version By Chris Thomas): Pulp (1996)

 

Life Could Have Been Very Different, But Then... (1:00:25) (Box) (Mega)

ElevenPercent Of EarthPercent

The biggest digital purchase I made during Bandcamp Friday was the EarthPercent x Earth Day compilation album, (re)released for 24 hours only, offering up 100 songs for £25.00. I took the plunge, figuring at best that 25p per track was a pretty good deal and if even a third of them were halfway decent, it was still a decent price. 

 

There were enough artists to pique my curiosity - JARV IS..., Dry Cleaning, Peter Gabriel, James, Brian Eno, The Weather Station - as well as a few that I'd heard of but not heard much by, plus many that were completely new to me.

 

The track listing has changed slightly since the previous release, swapping out some tracks and replacing them with new additions. It's meant that I've been spared Coldplay's contribution so I'm not complaining.

 

A whopping 17 of the 100 are given to Anna Calvi's soundtrack album for Peaky Blinders Season 5 which, isolated from the BBC TV series, has already had a few plays in it's own right so I'm already feeling that this was a worthwhile purchase.

I'm about a quarter of the way through the remaining songs and, unsurprisingly, it's a bit hit and miss. As the album is sequenced alphabetically by the artists' first names/words, I've gone for a random shuffle, listening to 45-minute, album-sized chunks over the past few days.

The big draw is perhaps Michael Stipe, who has released very little solo music since R.E.M. ended in September 2011. Future, If Future is a co-write with producer Andy LeMaster, who's only other appearance in my collection is a rejig of R.E.M.'s The Lifting, which appeared on their free download R.E.M.IX album in 2002. On a couple of listens, it's...okay. I'll leave it at that.

Today's selection is 11 songs that I've enjoyed listening to so far. I really like The Big Moon, who I've not heard before, and The Pictish Trail, JARV IS... and The Weather Station do not disappoint. Dry Cleaning made me kick myself again that I didn't see them live earlier this year. Nick Mulvey is a name that I've often seen but not heard. A Prayer Of My Own seemed like a natural choice for a closing song and I'm encouraged to check out more.

 

I've said very little about EarthPercent itself, the environmental charity founded by Brian Eno - you can read more here.

 

1) Act Now: Hannah Peel ft. Ulster Orchestra

2) Leaving (Niklas Paschburg Rework): Hania Rani

3) Her Hippo (Live): Dry Cleaning

4) This Way: The Weather Station

5) Beautiful Beaches (Conservatory Version): James

6) Nuclear Sunflower Swamp (Acoustic): The Pictish Trail

7) BIG: The Big Moon

8) Growing Pains: tummyache

9) Future, If Future: Michael Stipe

10) Depressive Disco: JARV IS...

11) A Prayer Of My Own (LaJoya Remix): Nick Mulvey ft. Liz Wathuti

ElevenPercent Of EarthPercent (45:09)

See You Next Tuesday

Without warning, Julian Cope released a new single on Friday. It's a song that he's been regularly playing on his solo acoustic tours since at least 2014, including this rather fine version performed on one of his last gigs before the UK lockdown in 2020:

The single is a full band recording and precursor to a new album, England Expectorates, and the lyrics have been updated to reflect on the clowns currently living at 10 Downing Street.

Here comes a Greedhead battering with your gun

That cunt’s asleep, don’t know his time has come

Find a bridge and push him off

Raise your Kalashnikov

He is insane, I’m so pissed off

 

Cunts can fuck off (x 4)

 

Here comes a priest in the pay of a Nazi pope

Do like Black Sabbath, ring that fucker at the end of a rope

Before I leave this town, I will burn your churches down

They are insane, I’m so pissed off

 

Cunts can fuck off (x 4) 

 

An opportunity to get some more young men killed 

Defending freedom, overspending, are we all blue pilled? 

In far Afghanistan, Joe Biden left his planes 

Tax the poor we’ll need some more for Ukraine 

 

Cunts can fuck off (x 4) 

 

We're stuck indoors but Boris won’t go without 

He made the rules but Boris won’t go without 

History won’t forget him and Carrie Antoinette 

He’s a conniving privileged get 

 

Cunts can fuck off (x 4) 

 

I’m sick and tired of the Woke celebrity

The metropolitan luvvies of the BBC 

You must think this and this

Methinks you take the piss

We know her paycheck's smaller than his. 

 

Cunts can fuck off (x 4)  

 

OK, get ready for the festival ending, slow down!

 

I’m making lists of all the people I love

And all the cunts who should fuck off

You’re taking chances if you’re living near me

'cause I’m a cunt who’s so pissed off

‘till then, I’m biding my time

Feeding my rhyme

Healing my mind...  

The CD single sold out within a couple of hours of being posted on the Head Heritage website (yep, I was nowhere near it at the weekend) but it's available as a WAV download for one English pound (or equivalent currency across the world)

Of course, the Arch Drude isn't the first JC to record a song with a similar sentiment and use of the C-word. This popped up as a hidden track at the end of Jarvis Cocker's debut solo album in 2006:

 

Well, did you hear? There's a natural order
Those most deserving will end up with the most
That the cream cannot help but always rise up to the top
Well I say, "Shit floats"

 

If you thought things had changed
Friend, you'd better think again
Bluntly put, in the fewest of words
Cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world
Oh yeah

 

Now the working classes are obsolete
They are surplus to society's needs
So let 'em all kill each other
And get it made overseas
That's the word, don't you know
From the guys that's running the show
Let's be perfectly clear, boys and girls
Oh cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world
Oh yeah

Oh yeah

 

Feed your children on crayfish and lobster tails
Find a school near the top of the league
In theory I respect your right to exist
I will kill you if you move in next to me
And it stinks, yeah it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
But the takings are up by a third, so
Cunts are still running the world, yeah
Cunts are still running the world
Oh yeah

 Cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world

 

The free market is perfectly natural
Do you think that I'm some kind of dummy?
It's the ideal way to order the world
"Fuck the morals, does it make any money?"

 

If you don't like it, then leave
Or use your right to protest on the street
Yeah, use your right but don't imagine that it's heard
Not while cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world, yeah
Cunts are still running the world, yeah
Cunts are still running the world, oh
Cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world
Cunts are still running the world 

 

Cunts Can Fuck Off (Live @ Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, 15 February 2020): Julian Cope 

(Cunts Are Still) Running The World (Album Version): Jarvis Cocker (2006)

Can Anyone Ever Really Get The Chemistry, You Know?

This selection has been done completely on the fly this morning and entirely made up of new digital purchases in the past couple of days, mostly via Bandcamp Friday. It's a reasonably relaxed affair, with occasional musical prods to get your attention.

Swiss Adam introduced me to Andres Y Xavi last year and their collaborations with Rolo McGinty (The Woodentops) were fantastic. What Do You See In Me originally appeared as a dub and it's just been released as an EP, with two further Xavi dubs and a trio of excellent Balearic remixes from Max Essa. I've gone for the full vocal to start things off, Rolo in fine form against a gentle acoustic backdrop and the promise of a beautiful summer to come.

 

Dan Wainwright, another Bagging Area recommendation, released his latest album From The Ground Up in January. Two listens in and I'm loving it. In the promo info Dan describes this as a very personal record that "tells a story through metaphor about being neurodiverse and learning to accept and love [himself] as being unique". If you've enjoyed Dan's music as I have, then this album takes it to whole other level.

 

I stumbled across Ribas Abbas whilst down a Bandcamp rabbit hole, and I'm glad I did. Based in Amsterdam, Ribas' music appears to be a mix of originals and re-edits, all available as a free/name your price download. I've started with two re-edits, one by Christine & The Queens and the other, featured here, a re-edit of Pilooski's 2015 song Completely Sun, featuring Jarvis Cocker.

 

In fact, you get three divine JCs for your trouble (though sadly not this one). Aside from Jarvis Cocker, Julian Cope and John Cale both get the re-edit/remix treatment, courtesy of Paisley Dark Records and their excellent Edits Box series. As is there weren't reason enough to buy, on Bandcamp Friday all of the artists agreed to donate every penny spent on releases to the fund raiser United Help Ukraine, with the label match funding donations up to £100. 

 

I enthused about the new Trentemøller album, Memoria, last month but after streaming it for the last couple of weeks, I have finally got around to buying it. Lisbet Fritze is the perfect choice of vocalist for the album, as evidenced in current single, No More Kissing In The Rain. 

 

On a similar retro vibe, I belated picked up The Divine Comedy's most recent album, Office Politics. Not what I expected - in a good way - with Neil Hannon channeling his inner Goldfrapp on this song. This is preceded by Sleaford Mods, remixed by the Hartnoll brothers to great effect. Parental advisory: you might want to skip this one as, true to form, there's a lot of effin' and jeffin' going on.

 

Xan Tyler makes a welcome return to these pages, following 2021's collaboration with Mad Professor, Clarion Call, which I loved. Whilst I'm looking forward to a new Xan Tyler album this year, this selection steps back to 2020 and Let It Come Down, essentially a solo project by legendary producer Kramer. So far, just the one album - Songs We Sang in Our Dreams - predominantly instrumentals with Xan providing vocals on a couple of tracks, including this beauty.

 

Closing the selection is the wonderful Dnipro by Ukrainian duo Ptakh_Jung, which I discovered earlier this week, and the brilliant Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress. Following last month's cover of R.E.M., here is a wonderful version of The Tradition by Halsey, Davies accompanied by Charlie Cawood to haunting effect. 

 

A perfect way to close the selection, and a prompt to further explore the vast musical soundscapes these artists have created. Buy now.

 

1) What Do You See In Me (Max Essa Extended Vocal Mix): Andres Y Xavi ft. Rolo McGinty (2022)

2) Underwater Cities: Dan Wainwright (2022)

3) Completely Sun (Ribas Abbas Remix): Pilooski ft. Jarvis Cocker (2020)

4) I Don't Rate You (Orbital Remix): Sleaford Mods (2021)

5) Infernal Machines (Album Version): The Divine Comedy (2019)

6) No More Kissing In The Rain: Trentemøller ft. Lisbet Fritze (2022)

7) They Were On Hard Drugs (Matt Gunn Edit): Julian Cope (2022)

8) Hush Hush: Horton Jupiter vs. John Cale (2021)

9) Don't Let It Go To Your Head: Cleo Sol (2021)

10) Pennies: Let It Come Down (Kramer & Xan Tyler) (2020)

11) Dnipro: Ptakh_Jung (2020)

12) The Tradition (Cover of Halsey): The Anchoress (2022)

 

Can Anyone Ever Really Get The Chemistry, You Know? (1:02:34)

Boxing Day

Too obvious?
 

1) Boxes: The Naturals (2007)

2) Call Box (1-2-3): Wall Of Voodoo (1981)

3) Heart-Shaped Box: Nirvana (1993)

4) Beast Box: Luxuria (1990)

5) Boxing Day: AFX (2006)

6) Hasj Box: Olav Brekke Mathisen (2003)

7) Glory Box / Toy Box (Remix): Portishead (1994)

8) Lanhydrock, Cornwall / The Old Music Box Playing In The Nursery (Produced by Jarvis Cocker): National Trust (2010)

9) The Box (Part Four): Orbital ft. Grant Fulton & Alison Goldfrapp (1996)

10) Pillar Box Red (Album Version By Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley): The The (2002)

 

Boxing Day (36:54)

The Naturals on Howling Owl Records

Call Box (1-2-3) (Official Video): Wall Of Voodoo

Heart-Shaped Box (Official Video): Nirvana 

Beast Box (Official Video): Luxuria

Boxing Day (YouTube): AFX

Hasj Box (YouTube): Olav Brekke Mathisen

Glory Box (Official Video): Portishead

Lanhydrock on the National Trust website 

The Box (Official Video): Orbital ft. Tilda Swinton

Pillar Box Red (Official Video): The The

From Conception To The Grave

Today's selection is a nod to the genre-hopping genius that is Dubmaster Dennis Bovell MBE. Lovers Rock, Dub, Post-Punk, Pop, Reggae, Poetry all threaded together by a singular talent.

 

Aside from his legendary work with Janet Kay, The Slits and The Pop Group, Dennis Bovell has been synonymous with Linton Kwesi Johnson's musical career. Another frequent collaborator has been Edwyn Collins, from Orange Juice to Collins solo, and taking in a shared guest spot on Trevor Jackson's Playgroup project along the way. 

 

In the summer, Dennis Bovell released a cover of What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. He has also recently dubbed up The Pop Group's 1979 debut album. Y In Dub is available via Bandcamp and various other outlets on 29th October.
 

1) Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Ska Be Doo Za): Black Beard (1978)

2) You'll Never Know (Dub) (Remix By Dennis Bovell): Edwyn Collins (2007)

3) Reality Poem (Album Version By Linton Kwesi Johnson & Dennis Bovell): Linton Kwesi Johnson (1979)

4) Feel No Way (Album Version By Dennis Bovell): Janet Kay (1980)

5) Forces Of Oppression (Edit By Dennis Bovell): The Pop Group (1980) 

6) Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell DubMix): JARV IS... (2021)

7) 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Album Version By Trevor Jackson & Mark 'Spike' Stent) (Cover of Paul Simon): Playgroup ft. Shinehead, Dennis Bovell & Edwyn Collins (2001)

8) Make Believe (Let's Pretend) (Special Extended Version By Dennis Bovell): Thompson Twins (1981)

9) Clichéd Dub Slave: Adrian Sherwood ft. Dennis Bovell (2007)

10) Flesh Of My Flesh (Long Version By Dennis Bovell): Orange Juice (1983)

11) Empire Road: Matumbi (1978)

12) Tell Tale Signs (Extended Version By Dennis Bovell): Bananarama (1983)

13) Dub Her In (Version By Dennis Bovell): Steve Mason (2011)

14) Love Und Romance (Album Version By Dennis Bovell): The Slits (1979)

15) Africa (Is Our Land) (12" Mix By Dennis Bovell): Joshua Moses (1978)

16) Silly Dub: Dennis Bovell ft. Janet Kay (1993)

From Conception To The Grave (1:03:41) (KF) (Mega)

My Converse Look Like They've Had A Hard Life

There has been so much good music coming out this year and the monthly Bandcamp Friday has seen me splurging on a regular basis. I'm still immersing myself in purchases from the last few months, but here are a dozen gems. Amongst them are a couple of nods to my birthplace (the Slack Alice compilation and James Dyer aka Chez De Milo), a couple of legendary producers delivering the goods (Dennis Bovell & Hugo Nicolson) and artists that I've belatedly discovered this year (SAULT, Rheinzand, Dan Wainwright, Andres Y Xavi). 

1) I Hope You Die A Painful Death: Fever 103° (from Slack Alice: 5th Birthday Compilation)

2) You From London: SAULT ft. Little Simz (from 'NINE')

3) Tres Freak: Gene Kennedy & Matt Prehn (from The Wild Army Vol.5 EP)

4) Strange World (Richard Sen Remix): Rheinzand (from Remix EP 1)

5) Spandau Mechanix: Bad Tracking (from Slack Alice: 5th Birthday Compilation)

6) All I Have Known (Dan Wainwright & Massey Remix): Super FU (from Cocoons EP)

7) Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell Mix): JARV IS... (from Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell Mixes) EP)

8) Bushwa (Smagghe & Cross Version By Ivan Smagghe & Rupert Cross): Chez De Milo (from Bushwa EP)

9) Railton Ruckus (Hugo Nicolson Remix): Rude Audio (from Railton Ruckus EP)

10) The Disco Dragger: Wet Signals (from Wet Signals EP)

11) Sparking Plugs (Hardway Bros Sueno Cosmico Remix): Deo'Jorge (from Robotic Souls EP)

12) Walking In The Sun (Coyote Higher Vibration Remix): Andres Y Xavi ft. Rolo McGinty (from Walking In The Sun EP)

 

My Converse Look Like They've Had A Hard Life (1:17:49)
 

Songs For The Young At Heart

I discovered a second hand copy of Songs For The Young At Heart almost by accident, but it's become a much-loved album since. Recorded & compiled by Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter from Tindersticks, Songs For The Young At Heart is a children's music album, featuring classic children's songs, nursery rhymes & stories set to music, with vocals from a number of guest artists including Cerys Matthews, Jarvis Cocker, Martin Wallace, Red aka Olivier Lambin, Robert Forster, Stuart Murdoch, Suzanne Osborne & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy aka Will Oldham.

 

According to Wikipedia, David Boulter said that the inspiration for the album came following the birth of his son.

 

"I began thinking of songs and nursery rhymes from my own childhood to play to him", Boulter stated. "I realised there was a lot of interesting and almost forgotten music, from the school room, the radio, and the television, that maybe was the reason I'd begun to make my own music in the first place."

 

I have one of the initial copies of the CD, in hardback book format, containing stories, poems & artwork by Sexton Ming, founding member of The Medway Poets and the Stuckism art movement, as well as sometime member of Armitage Shanks, Television Personalities and Thee Headcoats.

 

Theme For The Young At Heart: Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter (You Tube) (2006) (2:36)