Bellbottoms Truly Make Me Wanna Dance

 

"Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen

Right now I got to tell you about

The fabulous, most groovy...."

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion  

 

I was vaguely aware of Jon Spencer's previous band, Pussy Galore, and initially missed out on the Blues Explosion's early recordings. In fact, the first time I heard Bellbottoms was on a mixtape that my friend Stuart gifted me in the mid-90s. My first purchase was the Experimental Remixes EP, which included an UNKLE remix of Bellbottoms and I drifted in and out of their releases for the next six or seven years.

 

The name pretty much says it all: you know pretty much what you're going to get; remixes from the likes of James Lavelle, Moby, Techno Animal, Barry Adamson, David Holmes and The DFA aside, it follows a tried and tested template. 

 

Yet, there's something primal about the music that unlocks the urge to shake, rattle and roll every time. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion did an 8-song set for KEXP in 2011 that amply demonstrates this.

As an added bonus, here's Jon Spencer and Russell Simins appearing on What's In My Bag? in 2016, picking out the likes of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Einstürzende Neubauten, 13th Floor Elevators, Delia Derbyshire (and a snippet of the Doctor Who theme), Bo Diddley and Isaac Hayes.

The band played their final live show a month after this appearance. Judah Bauer, absent from the What's In My Bag? broadcast, developed a respiratory condition that effectively put paid to his ability to play live. This and several other factors led to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion coming to a a natural end, without fanfare.

 

Jon Spencer & The HITmakers have (I think) been going for a year or so, releasing their debut album Spencer Gets It Lit in 2022. If you've still got the Blues Explosion itch, The HITmakers are the proverbial scratch.

Spencer Gets It Lit is available from your friendly neighbourhood record store, Bandcamp or the other usual outlets.

If Today Begins A Day Too Soon

Bill Ryder-Jones is one of those artists whose name I'm familiar with but know very little of his work.

 

In fact, the majority of the songs in my collection featuring him are from his time with The Coral. Solo-wise, I have a paltry pair of songs: Two To Birkenhead from 2015's third album West Kirby County Primary; the other a cover of Pink Moon from a Nick Drake tribute CD, given away with Mojo magazine in 2018.

 

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me was released last week as the second preview single from the album Iechyd Da (translated from Welsh as "Good Health") and it's a beauty.

 

Starting off with juddering strings that remind me of the intro to the Stealth Sonic Orchestra remix of Manic Street Preachers' Motorcycle Emptiness, it soon breaks into a jaunty melody, strings vying for dominance with acoustic guitar, brushed drums and keyboard swirls. Bill's voice floats over the top, a slightly croaky hushed voice as if he means it just for you, only you, and doesn't want anyone else to overhear.

I feel like I'm underselling it, it's a lovely three minutes and immediately had me checking out the previous single, This Can't Go On.

 

The video for If Tomorrow Starts Without Me imagines the narrator's immediate post-death experience, taking the opening lyric as a literal cure for the character to shadow his partner as a ghost in the days and weeks that follow. Visually, it's beautifully done, with hand drawn animation overlaid against a real world backdrop. Incredibly moving.

Iechyd Da is out on 12th January, with a live performance at Rough Trade East in London, before Bill goes on a UK tour in March.

 

If tomorrow starts without me, I'm with you
If today begins a day too soon
I've a sense of shame when it feels alright
So I've played some games but it ends tonight
As I'm fading into blue
Let's just hope that somehow I'm with you

If the monsters call you names, then I'm with you
I've had monsters play games with me too
And if I told you just in time how you're the one
Would you come or just pass through my arms?

And that sense of shame names itself anew
Was it worth the wait? What's it worth to you?
And it feels alright to be passing through
Give it one more night
Give me somеthing true
Something you'll regrеt
In that way you do
Well, I've had a good one
And I've scored a few

Can You See The Rockets?

Today's selection turns the spotlight on Nina Walsh, composer, performer, engineer, producer, supreme talent and looong overdue a Dubhed selection. I say that a lot, but I really mean it.

Sundays are often reserved for something a little bit more downtempo, a little bit more relaxed and this is no exception, although being Nina, this is more Cabaret Voltaire than Cafe Del Mar ambience.

That said, things start off with the beautiful and delicate original version of Borderland, featuring Sarah Sarhandi on viola, by Woodleigh Research Facility. Initially a joint project with Andrew Weatherall, since his death in 2020 Nina has continued to release music as WRF. Nina and Andrew's connection goes way back: previously romantically involved, the pair also founded and ran the Sabres Of Paradise and Sabrettes labels in the early 1990s, which is how I first became of Nina's work. Here's a photo the pair by John Barnett circa 2016.

 

Borderland was originally recorded in 2019 and was finally released as volume 4 in the Apparently Solo series of EPs. I had to include the original here as it was such a strikingly obvious opener, but the EP includes a pair of remixes, one of Andrew's last, the other by uber-producer (and former Sabre) Jagz Kooner in 2021.

 

 

The rest of the selection takes in Nina's further collaborations as Slab with Lol Hammond (Drum Club), with Alex Paterson/The Orb and solo as C-Pij, with a rare A-side and couple of remixes for Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood aka Two Lone Swordsmen.

Bringing things bang up to date is an epic remix earlier this year of In A Wonderland from Steve Queralt and Michael Smith's brilliant companion to the equally excellent Sun Moon Town album. 

 

Nina provides vocals on several songs, not least the closing track, Slab's cover of Mazzy Star's 1993 song Fade Into You. The original may be definitive, but I really love this cover and there's something about Nina's voice here that really gets me. It's a wonderful way to bring things to an end.

Although what is the end? A couple of weeks ago, Nina released a Woodleigh Research Facility album, Phonox Nights. Her final WRF recordings with Andrew Weatherall, it's a stunning collection, tinged with sadness and loss and yet imbued with a positivity and joie de vivre, the latter seemingly typifying their working relationship. Joe Muggs had a superb interview with the pair for Fact magazine in 2016 which captures this wonderfully.

 

Nina continues to make music and I think is receiving (over)due credit for her immense talent. Head over to Nina's website for links to her solo, WRF and other releases and immerse yourself in some incredible music.

 

1) Borderland (Original Version): Woodleigh Research Facility ft. Sarah Sarhandi (2019)

2) Mental Ground Zero: Slab ft. Younger Youth (1999)

3) Big Clapper (C-Pij Remix By Nina Walsh): Two Lone Swordsmen (1999)

4) Rabbit's Moon (Squelch Mix aka Lateral Lagomorph Mix By Lol Hammond & Nina Walsh): Slab (1997)

5) Primitive.... (Orbtij Mix By The Orb & C-Pij aka Alex Paterson & Nina Walsh): D-Kiku (1999)

6) Nostik: C-Pij (2000)

7) Aeronauts The Next Phase: Woodleigh Research Facility (2015)

8) Taste Of Our Flames: Two Lone Swordsmen ft. Nina Walsh (2004)

9) In A Wonderland (Wonk On The Gnosis Mix By Nina Walsh): Steve Queralt & Michael Smith (2023)

10) Cosmo: Slab (1999)

11) Tiny Reminder No. 1 (C-Pij Remix Vocal) (Remix By Nina Walsh): Two Lone Swordsmen (2001)

12) Plum Island (Flat Mix By Nina Walsh & Andy Sheriff): The Orb (2001)

13) Fade Into You (Single Version) (Cover of Mazzy Star): Slab (1999)

Can You See The Rockets? (1:18:26) (KF) (Mega)

Pogue, Pope, Poet

Celebrating Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan, 25th December 1957 to 30th November 2023.

 

I had originally planned to post this on Friday, but I just couldn't get the selection finished in time. And there's the dilemma: what to choose, when Shane MacGowan was responsible for writing some of the greatest songs of the last 100 years? And with The Pogues not just reviving but electrifying the Irish folk song tradition, bringing it crashing, flailing and cussing into contemporary culture in a way that has left an awe-inspiring legacy.

When my brother came home with The Pogues' second album Rum, Sodomy & The Lash in 1985, this 14-year old hadn't seen or heard anything like it before. The cover itself was morbidly fascinating. My Art 'O' Level class hadn't got anywhere near the work of Théodore Géricault (in fairness, neither did my 'A' Level) so I knew nothing of his most famous painting, The Raft Of The Medusa. However, the sight of various members of the band, stark bollock naked or in various states of distress was an arresting vision. Then there was Shane, shades on, sitting calmly amidst the chaos. 

The music within, produced by Elvis Costello, was a revelation. Much as I love the Shane-era Pogues albums that came before or after, Rum, Sodomy & The Lash is my favourite, encapsulating everything that is great about the band and Shane. Unsurprisingly, today's selection draws heavily from this album, although I've included some single and live versions to mix it up a little.

Half of the Poguetry In Motion EP also appears with two of the finest Pogues songs on record in The Body Of An American and A Rainy Night In Soho. I could have included more from third album If I Should Fall From Grace With God, but I had to make some ruthless cuts to get the selection to 45 minutes...which I ultimately failed to do. Then again, if you can't say fuck it to the 'rules' when compiling a tribute selection for Shane MacGowan, when can you?

I've intentionally left off Fairytale Of New York as I suspect we'll be hearing it even more than usual at this time of year and hopefully because it will get to be this year's Christmas #1 in the UK, surpassing it's original peak of #2 in 1987.

 

There have been lots of tributes to Shane in the past couple of days, including the always excellent Charity Chic Music and My Top Ten so I'm not sure what I can add that hasn't already said. But bloody hell, what an incredible life, talent and legacy.

Raising a glass to you, Shane, at peace but undoubtedly not resting!

 

1) Wild Cats Of Kilkenny (1985)

2) Boys From The County Hell (Album Version) (1984)

3) The Body Of An American (Single Version) (1986)

4) Sally MacLennane (Live @ Barrowland, Glasgow) (1987)

5) If I Should Fall From Grace With God (Live @ Brixton Academy, London) (2001)

6) A Pair Of Brown Eyes (Single Version) (1985)

7) Whiskey In A Jar (Long Version): The Pogues & The Dubliners (1989)

8) The Parting Glass (1985)

9) White City (Album Version) (1989)

10) Greenland Whale Fisheries (1984)

11) Thousands Are Sailing (Album Version) (1988)

12) A Rainy Night In Soho (Single Version) (1986)

13) Dirty Old Town (Live @ Brixton Academy, London) (2001)

14) The Old Main Drag (Album Version) (1985)

 

1984: Red Roses For Me: 2, 10

1985: Dirty Old Town EP: 8

1985: A Pair Of Brown Eyes EP: 6

1985: Rum, Sodomy & The Lash: 1, 14

1986: Poguetry In Motion EP: 3, 12

1988: If I Should Fall From Grace With God: 11

1988: If I Should Fall From Grace With God EP: 4

1989: Peace And Love: 9

1989: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah EP: 7

2005: The Ultimate Collection/Live At The Brixton Academy (ltd 2x CD): 5, 13

 

Pogue, Pope, Poet (48:03) (KF) (Mega)

Jimmy Jimmy

Celebrating Dean Sullivan, 7th June 1955 to 29th November 2023.

 

Yes, this is ostensibly a music blog and no, I'm not aware that Dean ever released any music, though he did a bit of DJing and radio presenting. I could have sworn that he also appeared 'in character' in a video in the 1980s/90s but I'll be darned if I can find any evidence.

However, as an actor, he appeared as the unforgettable Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside, arguably the greatest UK TV soap opera of all time.

 

Dean's passing has been somewhat overshadowed by news of the deaths of Henry Kissinger, Alastair Darling and Shane MacGowan in the past 24 hours, so I wanted to give him a nod of thanks here.

 

Dean appeared on BBC TV earlier this year - with Louis Emerick aka Mick Johnson - to talk about Brookside. 

 

And, to keep the tenuous link to music, here's the Brookside theme tune written by Dave Roylance in full.

Thanks for providing us with years of drama as Jimmy Corkhill. Rest in peace, Dean.

There's Nothing Wrong With An Ordinary Life

Another shout out for Emily Breeze. As tomorrow is the last Bandcamp Friday of 2023, this is a further plug for an album that has been a highlight in a year of frankly great music.

Rapture, Emily's third album, was released on 10th February and in a post on 6th March, I wrote that Rapture was "a great album and deserving of a more detailed post in it's own right later on". I didn't intend "later" to be nine months but here we are...

If you search for info about Emily online, you'll inevitably pick up on the Bristol connection and comparisons to the likes of Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, UK soap Hollyoaks (!), Johnny Cash, Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Scott Walker... you get the gist. I stand by my comment in July 2022 that "none of those really do justice to Emily, her incisive and reflective lyrics or the band themselves". 

There may be nothing new about an artist or band who write songs that examine the minutae and mundanity of everyday life, that musically mine the depths of the blues, country, rock and punk, that gathers a set of people that alchemically create something different and special in the studio and on stage. And yet, and yet...

Rapture opens with the single Ordinary Life, released in September 2022 and which I enthused about the following month. It's a powerhouse of a song, drawing parallels with Emily's own experience as a striving artist entering their fourth decade, reflecting on and reclaiming their definition of "success". Here's a live performance of Ordinary World from Emily and band's gig at Newport's Le Pub in February 2023.

 

Emily writes all ten songs on the album, collaborating with Rob Norbury (lead/rhythm guitar) on half of them. Confessions Of An Ageing Party Girl is one of the co-writes, originally released as a single in 2020 and re-released this year to great acclaim (and radio play) with a shiny new remix by Daddy G (Massive Attack) vs Robot Club (Stew Jackson). It's another song chock full of musical hooks and narrative treasures. It sounds pretty fantastic on stage too, as this performance at The Phoenix in Exeter (also February this year) amply demonstrates. 

 

As someone who was born in Bristol and spent my callow youth in the heart of the city, I love that Emily's songs are peppered with local references, not least The Bell pub in Stokes Croft, which lends it's name to the second song on Rapture and where I spent many memorable (and not so memorable) times back in the day. 

 

Ordinary World is a tough act to follow, but The Bell proves very early on that it's more than up to it as a song in it's own right and an indication that this album will be something very special indeed. Here's an earlier version of the song, road tested live at The Cavern, located in the basement under The Crown pub in the city centre (another venue with great personal resonance), circa November 2021.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of rapture is "to feel or express extreme pleasure or enthusiasm for someone or something". If forty minutes in the company of Emily Breeze and band playing the album doesn't provoke a similar reaction then call 999 as you may be in need of urgent medical attention.

Rapture is available on vinyl, CD and digital formats via the brilliant (and Bristol-based, natch) Sugar Shack Records. I cannot recommend Rapture highly enough. You need this album in your life.

 

Oh, and whilst you're there, pop over to Emily's own Bandcamp site and pick up her previous releases. You can also find my Dubhed selection from June 2023 here.

 

If you are lucky enough to have tickets for Sleaford Mods' gig tonight at the O2 Academy in Bristol, get there early as Emily Breeze is on stage at 7.20pm.

If not, then Emily and band are touring again in February and March 2024, taking in London, Bristol, Nottingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Brighton, Bedford and Cambridge. It promises to be fabulous.

Praise You

Namian Sidibé hails from Bamako, the capital of Mali, and released her debut self-titled album in May this year. 

 

Being on Sahel Sounds, a label that has frequently featured on fellow blogs par excellence 27 Leggies and Unthought Of, Though, Somehow and subsequently here in the past couple of years, I suspected that I was in for a treat and I wasn't disappointed.

 

Presented in the promo as "Another side of modern Malian praise songs", I've subsequently discovered that Namian Sidibé's first album is something of a departure for the artist herself.

 

Were I not an ageing, creaking sack of flesh and bones on an inexorable stumble to obsolescence, I might already be familiar with Namian as one of her 527,500 (and counting) followers on Tik Tok, regularly entertained by her singing and her rather wonderful wardrobe. But I am and I'm not, so it was my regular shopping visit to Sahel Sounds on Bandcamp Friday that introduced me to Namian Sidibé and her music. Or "another side" of it, at least.

 

The album is 8 songs and a little over half an hour, recorded at home and accompanied by her cousin Jules Diabaté on acoustic guitar. There's an earthy ambience throughout: you can feel the ambience of her environment, the sounds of traffic, people and the occasional mobile phone bleeding into the overall sound. Jules' playing is pitched to the required level of providing a simple framework for the songs, never showy and leaving plenty of room for Namian's voice.

 

Squinting at a grainy scan of the vinyl album's sleevenotes on Discogs - I bought the digital version - opening song Souna appears to be about the titular character, "a famous maker of fetish objects" who lived in Ségou. He also apparently practised "occult sciences" and helped people all over the world. This is one of many praise songs that have continued long after his death.

 

Djougouya Mangni is "a general warning not to attach evil to the good" and "to be good once and for all", which I can get with.

  

Whilst the basic stylings of the songs means the album skirts close to the borders of repetition at times, Namian Sidibé's vocal performance imbues each song with an individual character and drive. This is even more evident with the closing song, an a capella version of Môgôya, just Namian's voice and Bamako's background hum. 

 

Môgôya "describes the duplicitous, hypocritical nature of human beings" and "their propensity for destruction, harm and stubbornness". Not quite the lyrical theme that I was expecting, but it's a moving listen and a testament to Namian's voice that I've frequently pressed repeat on this song as a single listen just isn't enough.

  

Here's a version of Môgôya from 2020. Still fairly restrained in respect of the musical palette, but personally not a patch on the a capella version.

 

Last month, Namian Sidibé released the video for a new song, Furu. Trusting in a free online tool, I believe furu translates as marriage. The narrative of the video itself may also be a clue...

All good stuff, but there's something about Namian Sidibé's "unplugged' debut that resonated with me and has borne repeated listens since the summer. Bandcamp Friday is here again in a couple of days, when Sahel Sounds make their catalogue available as a name your price purchase. I'd recommend adding Namian Sidibé's album to your shopping cart.

You Think You're Right But You're Just Numb

At 1,154 seconds (that's 19:14 in common parlance), When It's Going Wrong by Marta and Tricky is a strong contender for the shortest album of 2023, but it's packed full of great ideas, delivered with a assurance that's come from years of studio collaboration and on-stage performance.

Marta Złakowska is based in Krakow, Poland and her musical journey took a markedly different route when she met Tricky in November 2017. Marta has been a staple of Tricky albums and live concerts since and, despite the co-credit, When It's Going Wrong is her debut album, produced by the visionary Bristolian.

 

Like Tricky's own releases, there's an instantly recognisable sound and feel that runs through his music without ever sounding repetitive. None of the songs outstay their welcome: the longest is 2:42; nearly half are under the 2-minute mark.

 

The title track falls into the latter and presents a challenge for video director Mateusz Miszczyńsk, who presents a short sharp narrative set on a night-time bus, the camera panning a couple of times to Marta as the story comes to an inevitable rest.

 

Moving Through Water is another highlight, the opening riff coming on like Man Size by PJ Harvey, Marta's voice against a steady back beat and Tricky's backing vocals. The song hits even harder when you realise that it's a homage to Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird's daughter Mazy, who's life tragically ended in 2019 at the age of 24. 

 

Now I'm swimming, I'm moving through water
And I'm singing, I sing for my daughter 

 

A video was also released for the album's second song, Today. It's a visually arresting montage of early 20th century clips given a 21st century spruce up and again, an interesting companion piece to the words and music. If the lyrics sound vaguely familiar, it's because Today is a cover version of a 1967 song by this band.

When It's Going Wrong closes with a another cover, this time of  of a Polish song, Czarno Czarny, presented here almost as a lullaby and a ray of hope that things can move on and be better.

For all it's brevity, this is not an album of musical sketches and half-formed ideas. When It's Going Wrong is a full and enriching performance, all the more astonishing given that some albums deliver less with twice (or more) the running time.

 

As a complementary set, here's an utterly engrossing hour in the company of Tricky, posted on 5th March this year for the ARTE Concert YouTube channel. There's a 10-song live set filmed at Ground Control in Paris, Marta sharing the stage and giving a powerfully understated performance. Moving Through Water and When It's Going Wrong get a preview ahead of the album's release later that month. 

 

The gig is peppered with cutaways to Tricky being interviewed in a record shop. Tricky is still the Knowle West Boy, never losing the Bristol burr or his grounding, success measured by the ability to do what he wants (musically) and keep collaborating with other artists and continue to release records, year on year.

When It's Going Wrong by Marta and Tricky is an incredible album on many levels and worth repeated listening. Track down a physical copy if you can in your favourite record store or add the digital version to your shopping list for the upcoming Bandcamp Friday.

Pain & Joy & Sorrow Mingle

Celebrating Kevin 'Geordie' Walker, 18th December 1958 to 26th November 2023. 

 

Geordie is (in)famous as a founding member of Killing Joke in 1979 and the only one to stick with Jaz Coleman through over four decades and numerous line-up changes and reincarnations.

The first I heard of Geordie's untimely passing was a tweet from Jah Wobble on Sunday evening. Jah and Geordie played together in industrial 'supergroup' The Damage Manual in the early 2000s. Further reading and news reports reveal that Geordie suffered a stroke a couple of days ago and died at home in Prague, with his family by his side.

It's impossible to imagine Killing Joke without Geordie. Whilst the band's music has spanned multiple genres from post-punk to Middle Eastern-inspired instrumentals to industrial to Goa trance to hardcore rock to dub, Geordie's singular guitar playing has been the unifying thread and complement to Jaz's unique vocal expressions.

You'll find better articulated tributes elsewhere so I'll let the music do the talking. By sad coincidence, my previous - and first - Killing Joke selection was posted barely a year ago, on 1st December 2022. You can listen to that here by way of a companion piece to today's offering.

RIP Geordie.

 

1) New Cold War (2015)

2) Empire Song (1982)

3) Jihad (Beyrouth Edit) (1988)

4) Democracy (Conspiracy Theory Mix) (1996)

5) Darkness Before Dawn (1985)

6) Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell (Radio Edit) (2006)

7) Requiem (Album Version) (1980)

8) Follow The Leaders (Dub) (1981)

9) Millennium (Cybersank Edit) (1994)

10) Are You Receiving (1979)

11) Another Cult Goes Down (Portobello Mix) (1994)

12) Adorations (The Extended Mix) (1986)

 

1979: Turn To Red EP: 10

1980: Killing Joke: 7

1981: Follow The Leaders EP: 8

1982: Revelations: 2

1985: Night Time: 5

1986: Adorations EP: 12

1988: America EP: 3

1994: Exorcism EP: 11

1994: Millennium EP: 9

1996: Democracy EP: 4 

2006: Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell EP: 6

2015: Pylon: 1

 

Pain & Joy & Sorrow Mingle (57:23) (KF) (Mega)

Without Anything But The Love We Feel

A very happy 70th birthday to Keith Strickland, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, keyboard player, drummer and founder member of The B-52's, born 26th October 1953.

The B-52's played what I think are now their definitively final shows this year, though Keith formally retired from touring in 2012. If the band never tour or record again - and goodness knows they've earned a rest - the legacy of The B-52's is immense and lasting.

It could have all come to an end in 1985 when guitarist and musical genius Ricky Wilson tragically died of AIDS at the age of 32. The B-52's were part way through recording fourth album Bouncing Off The Satellites when Ricky's health severely declined. Although Ricky had previously confided in Keith, the band was largely unaware of his illness. The album was released a year after Ricky's death to little promotion and no touring by the band. Keith later recalled that with Ricky's passing, 

 

"we felt that the band was finished. We couldn't imagine continuing without him. So, we each went our separate ways."

 

After a three-year hiatus, the band reformed as a quartet, recording fifth album Cosmic Thing and having their biggest success to date with the single Love Shack. Keith switched from drums to guitar, recreating Ricky's virtuoso parts on stage and assuming a lead role in writing the band's music. As Keith later described it, 

 

"Ricky and I used to write the music together, but now I write the individual instrument parts and arrange the instrumental compositions myself. I'm trying to convey a feeling when I compose. I think of my instrumentals as soundscapes – the chord progressions, rhythms, harmonics and musical direction are used to evoke various sonic atmospheres or moods."

 

I think Keith's being a bit modest. What he and The B-52's have always done is create quirky pop earworms like nothing I've heard before or since, whilst not being afraid to drop in more challenging and thought provoking aural and/or lyrical notes. Listening to their music is an uplifting and positive experience, which I hope the next forty five minutes will amply demonstrate.

Keith's contribution cannot be underestimated and this selection is a celebration of him and his rather wonderful bandmates. 

Click on the song title links to find one official video, a few fan-made videos, some live performances and a Top Of The Pops appearance with arguably a rare wardrobe faux-pas from the usually super cool Mr. Strickland. But hey, it was the 1980s, get over it!

Have a good one, Keith, here's to many more!

 

1) Nip It In The Bud (Remix By Tom Durack) (1990)

2) Runnin' Around (Album Version) (1980)

3) Theme For A Nude Beach (Album Version) (1986)

4) Queen Of Las Vegas (Album Version) (1983)

5) Roam (Album Version) (1989)

6) Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland (Single Edit) (1986)

7) Party Out Of Bounds (Party Mix) (1981)

8) 52 Girls (Album Version) (1979)

9) Dirty Back Road (Album Version) (1980)

10) Detour Thru Your Mind (Album Version) (1986)

11) Downtown (Album Version) (Cover of Petula Clark) (1979) 

 

1979: The B-52's: 8, 11

1980: Wild Planet: 2, 9

1981: Party Mix!: 7

1982: Mesopotamia (remixed in 1990): 1 

1983: Whammy!: 4

1986: Bouncing Off The Satellites: 3, 10

1986: Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland EP: 6

1989: Cosmic Thing: 5

 

The Love We Feel (45:03) (KF) (Mega)