FEATURE: For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove: The Strangest Musical Ever?

FEATURE:

 

For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove

IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson in New York City in 1984/PHOTO CREDIT: David McGough/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

The Strangest Musical Ever?

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THE status of Michael Jackson’s legacy…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

seems to change each year. I shall not rake over the documentaries and accusations levied at him, but Jackson has been dogged by rumours and controversy through most of his career. A decade after his death, it seems like there is no getting away from the scandalous side of Jackson. Although one can see Jacko’s music performed in the West End, there seems to be a lot more bad associated with his name than good. One cannot overlook the allegations aimed at Jackson, but it does seem like there is this need to cash-in and exploit the controversy. Whilst we have seen documentaries and news reports over the years, there has been very little as odd and inexplicable as a new musical that will open in the U.S. next year. The Independent explains more:

 “Johnny Depp is producing a Michael Jackson musical told from the perspective of Jackson’s famous glove.

For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove has been written by playwright Julien Nitzberg and debuts in Los Angeles in January.

The musical is described as “a fresh, revisionist look at the strange forces that shaped Jackson and the scandals that bedeviled him”. Jackson’s glove is the musical’s hero, as well as being a musically-inclined alien eager to take over humanity.

Real actors will work alongside life-size puppets modelled after figures including Corey Feldman and Bubbles the Chimp.

IN THIS PHOTO: Johnny Depp/PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce Weber 

Depp and Nitzberg have been associates for many years, with Depp’s production company Infinitum Nihil previously developing a Nitzberg-scripted biopic of the Sixties one-hit wonder singer Tiny Tim. That project would have starred Big Lebowski actor John Turturro.

“It ended up never getting made, but I developed a very good relationship with them,” Nitzberg told Page Six.

Of his Jackson play, Nitzberg said: “A major TV network wanted me to write a [Jackson] movie... but the question came up [about] how to deal with the child-abuse allegations.

For the Love of Glove runs will open 25 January, 2020 at LA’s Carl Sagan-Ann Druyan Theater”.

One should not be shocked to discover that something associated with Jackson is a little strange, but I wonder what the motivation is here. I am someone who casts a lot of doubt over allegations of abuse aimed at Jackson but, even if the claims were proven, I do question the motivation for bringing For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove to the stage. Not only does this have the potential to be the most bizarre musical ever. I am not sure what stance the producers are taking with the musical. On paper, it might be perceived as an attack on Jackson or a musical that casts him in the darkest light. Whether new evidence and the passing of time means something more evenly-balanced comes to the stage, I am not so sure.

Although it is quite a minor production, the fact Johnny Depp is attached means that people will come and see the musical because of him. One of the problems with Depp’s being involved is the allegations of domestic abuse filed against by his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Although Depp has not got the same chequered history as Michael Jackson, it is a professional risk, I think. Michael Jackson, in spite of a tarnished name, has legions of fans and is generating a lot of revenue so long after his death. Let’s see what the critical reaction is, but the fact remains that For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove is one of the most bizarre concepts I have heard. There is this clash between those who are representing Jackson through this mirror of tragedy, darkness and scandal, and those who are keeping him pure by focusing on the music rather than his personal life. I know the two are connected, yet one cannot help but feel that the more disturbing side of Jackson is erasing the good: decades of brilliant music that has reshaped Pop and inspired countless artists. I wonder whether there will be more Jackson-related projects in 2020 as those who feel his name has been unfairly blackened look to correct that. There are rumours a biopic is being planned that, whilst it does not intend to paint Jackson as a saint, will look at his entire career and give a balanced account. Although he died in 2009, there seems to be more Michael Jackson in the world in the years before his death. Over the past year, there has been a lot said about Jackson and accusations of sexual abuse. From documentaries and West End musicals through to news reports, Jackson has been cast in a variety of lights and guises. With For the Love of Glove: An Unauthorised Musical Fable About the Life of Michael Jackson, as Told by His Glove coming along early next year, when it comes to the strange and unexpected, this musical definitely…

 PHOTO CREDIT: (AP Photo/MJJ)/(MJJ via AP/AP)

TAKES the prize.

FEATURE: The Tracks of My Year 2019: A Phenomenal Year for Music

FEATURE:

 

The Tracks of My Year

IN THIS PHOTO: Sampa the Great’s single, Final Form, is one of the year’s best tracks (it is from her debut album, The Return)/PHOTO CREDIT: Ying Ang

2019: A Phenomenal Year for Music

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AS most of this year’s best tracks…

IN THIS IMAGE: Lana Del Rey/IMAGE CREDIT: Lana Del Rey

have been released, many people are collating their favourites together. It has been a varied and strong year so, when it comes to deciding the best tracks, it was a tough choice. To be fair, there are going to be tracks that I have overlooked or forgotten about, but I have gathered together those I remember and have stuck in the mind. As we think about 2020, I wonder what will be released in terms of albums and singles; whether there will be radical change or a similar tone to this year. It will be interesting to see. In any case, one must acknowledge the wave of terrific music that has arrived in 2019. With a few weeks of the year remaining, who knows what might come out way. Below is a playlist of, what I think are some of the best tracks of this year. I would encourage everyone to compile their own version but, as you can tell from my playlist below, 2019’s music has been…

IN THIS PHOTO: Field Music/PHOTO CREDIT: Field Music

VERY strong indeed.

FEATURE: Modern Heroines: Part Eleven: Nadine Shah

FEATURE:

 

Modern Heroines

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Johnston

Part Eleven: Nadine Shah

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EVEN though Nadine Shah has not put an album out…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chalk & Blade

this year, her voice has been out in the world and inspiring people to vote. The deadline has now passed to register to vote in the upcoming General Electron and, if you see her Twitter account, you will hear and see Shah campaign to get the Tories out and make a smart call. Politics and improving Britain is very important to her. There is that sense of welfare and caring that is deep in her heart. Shah is a working-class artist from the North and, through her life, she has seen austerity and people overlooked because of their class and race – as a Muslim woman, Shah has faced discrimination and judgement around her. Shah is someone who wants Britain to remain in Europe and for our Nation Health Service to remain world-leading and funded. There are artists having their say and getting political but, in a world where artists can suffer by choosing a side and getting involved in the political debate, it is refreshing and empowering seeing Nadine Shah rally and shout out proud. She is angry at the current Government, but she knows change can come! Politics and the state of Britain is not just with her in her personal life; her music touches on themes of race and class. Shah is someone who writes about life and in a very honest and open way. Holiday Destination, released in 2017, should have won the Mercury Prize, as it was the year’s best album and, actually, it sounds more relevant now than it did a couple of years back! Not only has Shah been a bit of a leader and boss on social media, she has been capturing minds outside of politics.

I am reminded of her epic hosting duties at this year’s Q Awards. Shah was also the first woman to host the awards:

“Her third album Holiday Destination – a political record which contains songs about the refugee crisis – was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize the same year.

She said: “It’s a huge honour to be presenting the Q Awards this year, especially as their first ever female presenter. Have they even had a Geordie do it before?

“I attended the event last year and it’s like no other award show, everywhere you’d turn would be a musician you hold high regard for.

“There was a real feeling of solidarity, a mutual respect and celebration between all musicians present.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the Q team have up their sleeve this year. They’ve already raised the bar by hiring me!”

Shah was a wonderful presenter, and one hopes she will be invited to be the regular host – she cuts plenty of people down and was on top form! I suppose we better take things back to the start. Shah was born in South Tyneside, but she has Norwegian and Pakistani heritage (her father is Pakistani). Whilst there is not a lot of biographical information online, her Facebook page lists her influences as “Arthur Russell, Scott Walker, Emir Kusterica, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, PJ Harvey, Dolly Parton, Dirty Projectors, Tori Amos, Patti Smith, Lord Auch, Frida Kahlo, AA Bondy, The Irrepressibles, The Beach Boys, Black Flag, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Philip Larkin…”. I think Nadine Shah will be considered an icon of the future, because she is a terrific songwriter who is also a sensational musician.

Shah is someone who has a unique voice and a truly terrific voice. Politics play an important role in her music, but mental-health is also a key topic – one that has been part of her music since the start. Shah released two E.P.s prior to her debut album – Aching Bones (2012) and Dreary Town (2013) are fantastic works. Love Your Dum And Mad concerns the tragic death of two young men who were dear friends of Shah’s. The album is a raw and personal listen, but it is an album filled with heart, inspiration and important messages. Because Shah was reflecting on the premature deaths of close friends, you are gripped by every word and can hear the emotion in her voice. People are talking more about mental-health now, but it was not that commonly spoken about when Love Your Dum and Mad was released in 2013. People were aware of Shah, but her name was not that big in the fore; her best work was still ahead. Produced by Ben Hillier, Love Your Dum and Mad is a fantastic debut that announced the arrival of one of Britain’s best songwriters. The reviews for Nadine Shah’s debut were pretty impressive; critics could identify a songwriter with a long future ahead. There are many passionate reviews, but I wanted to quote from The Line of Best Fit, who had this to say:

“Produced by Ben Hillier (Depeche Mode, The Horrors), Shah’s long-awaited debut is finally upon us. ‘Dreary Town’, from the EP of the same name, makes an appearance. Cyclic, waltzing piano forges with desolate guitar plucks, the two nervously harmonising underneath Shah’s tempestuous torrent of emotion. It’s like the soundtrack to a deranged fairground, executed by a sombre organ-grinder and a sulking monkey. There’s a Zola Jesus-y twang, minus the electronics, in that it’s operatic, haunting and performed with gusto. Also appearing is ‘Aching Bones’, again from the EP of the same name. The cut’s a post-industrial paean, throbbing bass and clanking metal provide a vital rhythm that provides a spine for Shah’s possessed wail. She sings like a woman on the brink of giving up, allowing herself to succumb to agony – it’s a visceral glimpse into her brooding world.

The other efforts on the record are just as stellar as what we’ve already heard. ‘The Devil’ creaks with macabre guitar hooks, warped beyond rescue. It’s a shadowy tango, seemingly flecked with Iberian influences and the passionate, forceful rhythm. Her voice, trembling as if performing at a Baudelairian cabaret, is the tangible river through what is otherwise a largely electronic cut. ‘To Be A Young Man’ is washed with a post-punk brush, bringing those Nick Cave references to the forefront via Gothic, hopeless lyrics: “Now we’re stalking nine to fives in monotonous routine/ and any hope we had seems distant and obscene.” It’s vaguely grunge-y; distortion-laded guitars and nerve-wracked acoustic six-stringers writhe in harmonious terror, and Shah’s shellshocked croon feels weighed down by ash and dust in her throat.

Nadine Shah’s first foray into the world of LPs is an aural siege. Her unrelenting bouts of emotion don’t leave much space for breathing, and quite frequently you’ll be sucked into a vortex of spiralling despair; in a way, her sounds are claustrophobic. What originally appears to be quite simple, basic instrumentation (voice, piano, occasional guitar or synth), soon reveals itself to be something quite different. There are thick textures and engorged melodies that swell and bloat until they begin to choke you; but Shah doesn’t let up the assault. Her smoky, emotional noxious smog struggles to clear. She’ll hold you under the water with her voice until the last bubble bursts. And you won’t even try to stop her”.

I was a bit shocked Love Your Dum and Mad was not shortlisted for a Mercury, because it was definitely one of the best of 2013. Maybe it arrived (in July) at a time when the die was sort of cast, or maybe the judges overlooked a truly great album. In any case, I would urge people to investigate Shah’s debut, as it is a tremendous offering. Fast Food arrived in 2015, and it took her music up a step. In my view, Shah’s voice grew and her songwriting confidence also grew. Fast Food, again, is another album I expected to come with awards and nominations all over the shop! It is a shame that it was overlooked by many because, if you listen carefully, these incredible tracks unfold and reveal new beauty over time. Even in 2015, there was nobody in music who offered the same sounds and dynamics as Nadine Shah. I think she inspired a lot of songwriters after Fast Food’s release, as you could hear elements of Shah in so many new artists who came through in 2015/2016. Drowned in Sound praised Fast Food in their review:

“Much is made of the sheer power of Shah’s voice, but it’s also a hugely versatile tool which she employs here with a masterful restraint. There’s a lot to be said for the lightness of touch from producer Ben Hillier in facilitating this, freeing her to so effectively portray such a wide spectrum of emotions. Like Shah, he has a strong grasp of the power of simplicity and this makes for a number of Fast Food’s most powerful moments. ‘Divided’ for example, is one of the most affecting songs here, with the arrangement as naked as Shah’s delivery and lyrics: “My love, it was divided / Between his cheekbones and his knees… I let my hair loose for you / But I would scrape it back as soon as I would leave”.

Throughout Fast Food, there’s a strong sense of the songs having the space to breathe and develop at their own pace. ‘Big Hands’ and the hypnotically gorgeous ‘Nothing Else to Do’, for instance, both build from fragile origins to gently majestic finales. These moments are wonderful, but perhaps the greatest triumphs on this album are when Shah indulges her deceptively sharp pop nous. ‘Stealing Cars’, for example is full of hooks from the moment she opens her mouth. ‘Fool’, meanwhile is driven by irresistible shards of Interpol-esque guitar and casts Shah as the chief assailant in a deliciously spiteful (if tongue in cheek) taunting of a predictable, pretentious Cave and Kerouac obsessive. It’s a fantastic piece of work, and one of the strongest singles to have been released so far this year.

If Love Your Dum and Mad floated the idea that Nadine Shah was capable of greatness, then Fast Food confirms this as fact. The songs on this record have been delivered with the kind of aplomb that only someone with an unshakeable confidence in their work can muster, which suggests that Nadine Shah’s artistic future is mouthwatering. Perhaps that’s a discussion for another day though, and we should probably just savour what she’s doing right now. One thing’s sure, though, Nadine Shah is no longer ‘one to watch for the future’, but a bona fide creative force in the here and now.

The difference between the tragedy and emotion of Love Your Dum and Mad and the lighter tones of Fast Food are clear. Nadine Shah conducted some great interviews around the time of Fast Food, speaking with journalists about her progress and themes tackled. In 2015, Shah spoke with London in Stereo about her latest work:

 “Much has changed since we last heard from Nadine Shah in 2013. Love Your Dum and Mad was a brutally candid album rooted in personal tragedy. It was a record weighed heavy with earnest emotion that introduced us to a voice praised by critics, and a talent that garnered widespread acclaim for the Whitburn native. The impression of her first release cast a long shadow, but 2015 sees Nadine armed with a new noise and a new outlook.

Prepare for a colourful second act…

“I said to him ‘Try to imagine the Italian horror films from the 70s. I want really vibrant, vivid colour’ and he got it spot on.” Nadine Shah is explaining to me the brief she gave for the striking artwork accompanying Fast Food. As we speak she is travelling through London on her way to meet the artist, David Stith, for some beers and a chat at an exclusive event in Soho. The vision behind the artwork is strong, and with some talented help the pieces have come to life. Blood drips, layers splice, colours burst; a statement of intent before we even hear a note. Soon these images will grace the sleeve of Fast Food on its release later this month.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nadine Shah 

With new skills and a reinvigorated interest in her art in tow, next came the invaluable proving ground of the Pizza Express Jazz Club. Nadine quite rightly states “It doesn’t sound like a very cool place at all!” but it provided the ideal environment for a young jazz singer. Nadine became a regular at the club, learning from the other performers and taking her chances to hone her skills on the stage. She also had the chance to bend the ear of the greats.
“I remember Georgie Fame and Mose Allison coming in from time to time. They gave me some fantastic advice. It was the best experience a young musician could have. It was wonderful.”

So what should listeners expect from Fast Food? Before the release of her first album Nadine was an unknown quantity. Now there are expectations to surpass or subvert. “It’s a coming of age record of sorts, though I hate the phrase! At its core it’s really about a succession of short-lived, intense love affairs.” Nadine sounds slightly uncomfortable discussing the meaning behind her work which is to be expected. Her songs are often unflinching and introspective, and with the subject of past love there are bound to be some wounds still yet to fully heal.“I’m at an age now where I’m starting to care less about a lot of things. I’ve started to look at love differently the older I get and I’ve learned some important lessons. You come to realise that you’re never going to be someone’s first love ever again”.

I love reading interviews from Shah and listening to her speak. She is witty and warm, but there is this humour and directness that captures the heart and mind. So many artists have very little to say, yet Nadine Shah always fascinates and enriches in interviews. She is an amazing role model and someone I know is inspiring so many people, not just musically.

2017 was a big year for Shah as she put out Holiday Destination in August and was getting a lot of attention. As a live performer, Shah is one of the most exciting and connective around. She can bring an audience into her music and has that power to transform and drop the knees. If she is touring in London next year, I will be sure to catch her as she is very near the top of my list of dream gigs. I do love artists that can use the stage as a performance space where they express themselves; they can get into the crowd and are not just stuck behind a microphone all night. I want to bring in a gig review from The Independent, who reviewed Shah in 2017:

“Often, Shah’s songs built to a moment of disorientating deconstruction where we’re forced as listeners to experience unfamiliar alienation, crossing uncanny musical borders in the process as genres clash and jar. It’s deliberately unsettling surrealism, forcing us to empathise with those in similar situations around the world, “to play a tiny part in humanising the dehumanised,” as Shah put it last night, her theatrical voice all the while conveying the drama of characters experiencing this every day.

“There are millions of people all over the world displaced in situations we could never imagine because we’re so f****** lucky,” Shah said before final emotive song "Mother Fighter". Dedicated to “a political activist and mother,” Raga, a character who Shah discovered via the film A Syrian Love Story, the song sees Shah at her angriest: “these streets they are yours and they’re mine,” she scorns to those who think otherwise.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nadine Shah 

As well as the political, Shah still levels in the personal, reaching out to people through the more familiar themes of mental health and failed relationships, making intense, individual contact with her audience as always. Channelling "Let England Shake "era PJ Harvey and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Shah last night showed us how we find compassion and hope in the current wilderness; hers is a pervasive sonic and lyrical narrative”.

Holiday Destination, as I say, is a huge album that was much-loved by critics. It saw, again, Shah improving and releasing her best music to date. I do think it was unfair Shah was denied glory in 2018 at the Mercurys. It is an oversight Shah herself recognised. No matter. Holiday Destination is an album that took Nadine Shah to new audiences and got her a lot of respect. I have been following her career since the earliest days, and it is amazing to see how she has grown and evolved. I will bring this feature to a close but, when thinking about Holiday Destination, I am minded of the balance of the hard-hitting and light. Shah could mix political songs and heavier moments with playfulness and wit. It is an exceptional album that gathered a load of critical praise. AllMusic had their say in 2017: 

“Holiday Destination is Nadine Shah's third record, and it's the one that sees her emerge from the ubiquitous PJ Harvey and Nick Cave comparisons most fully. Certainly, as far as Harvey and Shah's music is compared, there are certain aesthetic and thematic crossovers, but the latter's political concerns feel acutely direct and personal compared to the more conceptual nature of Harvey's later work. With this latest record she tackles big and troubling issues apparent both in her native U.K. and around the world, yet those heavy themes are consistently met with a playful, limber, and imaginative musicality. Opener "A Place Like This" pairs funk rhythms with pro-refugee protest chants, and "2016" speaks of "Fascists in the Whitehouse" among nimble guitar riffs and a crisp, disjointed beat.

The bracing lead single "Out the Way" is a frank cautionary tale about the rise of nationalism and the treatment of second generation immigrants -- "Where would you have me go?/I'm second generation/Don't you know?" -- and its jittery, marching rhythm, vibrating guitar, and lunging sax feed into the urgency and importance of the narrative. The title track was inspired by news footage of holiday makers in Greece complaining of the refugee crisis' effect on their break, and still its danceability doesn't detract from the troubling lyrical content, which warns, "Fatalities in the water/traffic jam by your side/feed your son, feed your daughter/how you gonna sleep tonight?/the bad guys they are winning." Unlike her previous records, which were recorded live, Shah has described Holiday Destination as a studio album. However, there is little to fear in terms of this record being too polished, as it's lost none of the character of her previous efforts. "Yes Men" is an example of light production touches serving the songs beautifully as Shah's vocal is repositioned to the fore. The pace is slowed, but not at the expense of impact -- her voice admonishes sycophants who peddle lies in service to their own agenda with a rich sensory power. It's an album filled with wonderful moments from the delicious grooves of "Evil" to "Mother Fighter's" entrancing hooks, and they only ever serve to deepen Shah's message. To have made this collection as musically grim as the problems she addresses could have left a sense of hopelessness ringing in the air. But this lively and spirited musical landscape celebrates music's ability to unite as much as it eloquently protests division”.

I have talked about the lure of Nadine Shah as a person. Her music tells you a lot about her life and mindset, but there is a different side that reveals itself when you see interviews. I gravitate towards artists that are accessible and you can relate to. Shah is someone who is open about her personal life and family. I know artists and songwriters will take a lot of impetus from Shah and can see someone who speaks to them. In fact, as a non-musician, I can find a kindred spirit in her. Shah has been busy encouraging people to vote and she wants better things for this country. One might assume her work to be quite grim and angry, but there is a lot of passion, strength and optimism. The world is definitely more interesting having Nadine Shah in it and, as we await another studio album, take a listen to brilliant gems like Holiday Destination. I will finish up with a couple of interviews Shah provided last year. When speaking with The Guardian, she was asked her about her family and social/political side:

“Her third album, Holiday Destination, is her first Mercury nomination, and has taken her from noirish piano balladeer to noirish breakthrough rocker on heavy indie-radio rotation. Her themes on this record have particularly resonated. Inspired – or rather crushed by – the unrelenting doom cycle of 2016, she covers the Syrian refugee crisis, Trump’s election, the EU referendum, the rise of nationalism and a “decline in empathy”. A news item in which holidaymakers were bemoaning the arrival of refugees in Greece inspired its acerbic title; Stevie Wonder and Talking Heads inform its jerky, skeletal, metallic funk and bristling post-punk.

At first, Shah was scared to make an album that tackled weighty injustices such as the refugee crisis, for fear she’d be the target of similar accusations. She has, however, always been socially conscious. Her first album, 2013’s Love Your Dum and Mad, dealt with the deaths of two former boyfriends, and she has become an ambassador for mental health charities like Calm. By the time she started writing Holiday Destination, her brother had been making documentaries on the refugee frontline for years, while other source material included Sean McAllister’s 2015 film A Syrian Love Story. It inspired her track Mother Fighter, which looked at conflict from a mother’s point of view; she kept returning to the documentary when writing the lyrics to make sure she got the story right. “You have to make sure that you’re responsible and fact-checking what you’re saying,” she says.

Holiday Destination could have been the grim musical equivalent of a BBC News 24 report. But she draws on her own experiences, too, of racism and feeling culturally adrift. Her father is Pakistani and her mother English with Norwegian heritage. Shah says: “I’ve never been white enough to be white, or brown enough to be brown. At Asian weddings, I’d get called ‘gora’” – a Pakistani slur sometimes used to describe a white person – “and in school I’d be called Paki.” On the single Out the Way she sings: “Where would you have me go / I’m second-generation, don’t you know,” because, she says, swirling her G&T, “people were starting to say to me on social media: ‘Go back to where you come from’, and I was like: ‘What? Whitburn?’”

Being one of the most visible Muslim women with a guitar, she constantly gets asked how she feels about the lack of women of colour in indie music, but it’s a subject she’ll never tire of. “I refuse to stop talking about being Asian. Some people think that’s me being opportunistic, like I’m playing the Asian card, but I feel a responsibility to speak out. Islamophobia is totally on the rise, it’s terrifying. My cousins, who have brown skin and are full Pakistani, they’re still getting shouted at in the street”.

I am not sure what 2020 holds for Nadine Shah. She has a gig at The Roundhouse on 10th December, and she will be looking to have a quiet end to the year. There is that excitement of next year and what she can achieve. There are going to be more dates coming, I am sure, but Shah has plenty to reflect on when it comes to inspiration for a new album. The political situation in Britain is tense and, depending on which way the General Election goes, a forthcoming album could be quite tense, or it could be more hopeful. Many people will be watching nervously in a few weeks when we know which party has won the General Election. I am sure Nadine Shah is crossing her fingers for a Labour victory and will have plenty to say when the results come in. I think she will put out new work next year and, as we look forward to that, take a listen to the incredible music she has already released – there is a playlist at the bottom of this feature. I want to end with an interview she gave this year actually; she spoke with The Guardian (again) about Glastonbury, Barry White and upcoming material:

 “How well do you embody Barry White?

It’s hilarious. I’m going to be Pakistani geordie Barry White! Of the two songs I’ve got, both have a sexy talking bit at the beginning. So I said to Charles, I’m not going to do that bit, right? And he said: “Oh, but you must.” And I said: Charles, in my accent, talking sexy? Lines like: “And you know you want it” and “You know I’m gonna get it together and it’s gonna be great”? It’s going to be a really niche sexy thing, aye. You know when you’re making love to somebody and a really cheesy song comes on and you just laugh? Hearing me say “sexy” things in my accent, that’s going to debone anyone.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nadine Shah 

Have you ever had to run away from someone at Glasto?

Jarvis Cocker has run away from me! I’ve met him about four times and every time, he’s literally walked backwards away from me, or sideways. He was supposed to do the Barry White performance, too, but he pulled out. He probably heard I was playing.

What’s your most awkward festival encounter?

I once went to the loo and when I went to wash my hands I picked up this bit of yellow soap – but it turns out I was washing my hands in the men’s urinals and using one of those cakes they put in there to soak up the smells. This lad was filming it and saying: “Nadine Shah’s washing her hands in the men’s urinals.” I gave him £20 to delete the video. He did, thank God.

You’re in the middle of recording a new record – what can we expect?

I always want to have a coherent theme and it’s ended up being a collection of stories from the women I love most in the world, the most inspiring women, including my mum. I’m really lucky to be surrounded by them”.

In years to come, I think we will see a lot of artists out there channelling Nadine Shah – there are already I few who are taking guidance from her. Her music is both personal and for us all; there is immense power and stir that sits alongside humour and the conversational. It is that conversational nature that brings the music to life and makes it so memorable. She is a fantastic artist and, as we saw at the Q Awards recently, she is a perfect host too. I do think the next couple of years are going to be very busy and successful for Nadine Shah. Awards will come her way and she will get some big festival slots. I wonder whether she is in the mix for Glastonbury next year. One would hope so. I shall leave things here but, when it comes to incredible female artist in the world, Shah is up there with the best of them. As I see Shah’s tweets about the General Election and making people aware of the importance of voting, it makes me (and many others) wish she had a…

ROLE in parliament!

FEATURE: Off to a Strong Start! The Best Debut Albums of 2019

FEATURE:

 

Off to a Strong Start!

PHOTO CREDIT: @divandor/Unsplash

The Best Debut Albums of 2019

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AS we see out the final weeks of this year…

IN THIS PHOTO: King Princess/PHOTO CREDIT: King Princess

everyone is putting together lists of their favourite albums. It has been great assessing the very best from 2019 and those albums that stand above the rest. Whilst it is important to celebrate the absolute best albums of the year, there have been some stunning debuts that warrant attention. Putting out the first album is tricky and can be a nerve-wracking experience. When an artist gets it right or releases an album that is truly special, we all stand up and take notice; we wonder where that artist will go next and how they will follow an incredible debut. 2019 has been a fantastic one for debut releases so, because of that, I have collected together my favourite. Have a look at these sensational debut albums…     

IN THIS PHOTO: Brittany Howard/PHOTO CREDIT: Brittany Howard

FROM a seriously remarkable year.

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Billie Eilish – WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Release Date: 29th March

Producer: Finneas O’Connell

Labels: Darkroom/Interscope

Sample Review:

“From the opening line of hilarious opener "!!!!!!!," Eilish makes it clear that she is just like you, the listener, goofing off in the studio with her brother while she's supposed to be recording her major-label debut. As endearing as it is obnoxious, the track sets the tone and, from there, the album is a thrill. Bouncing from infectious dance-pop highs to tender, restrained lows, Eilish manages effortless cohesion, even within the span of a single song. "Bad Guy" throbs like the cavernous echo heard outside the club, sparking to life with a K-pop brightness before descending with a bellowing trap drop, while "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" rides a playful bass strum that manages to pull some G-funk effects into its orbit. The meme-worthy "My Strange Addiction" makes the inspired choice to interpolate dialogue from the "Threat Level Midnight" episode of The Office (which had already wrapped its entire televised run before Eilish even turned 12), all while managing to be one of the sleekest standouts on the album. Other highlights include the hypnotic minimalist single "Bury a Friend," an unnerving nightmare that is as disturbing as it is addictive; the twisted funhouse electro-pop "Ilomilo"; and "You Should See Me in a Crown," a spiritual descendant of Lorde's "Royals" that finds Eilish making a power grab to rule the one-horse "nothing town" instead of simply complaining about it. While empowering and vulnerable messages bleed through every song, the quieter moments allow her introspection to take the spotlight, especially on the restrained trio that closes the album. She contemplates ending her life on the swelling, piano-centric "Listen Before I Go" and offers an uncomfortably uncertain conclusion with "Goodbye," but it's the swelling storm of "I Love You," a heartbreaking acoustic beauty, that pegs Eilish as something more than a spooky, scare-the-parents gimmick. Indeed, with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, she demonstrates that she can do it all, hinting at a bright future that could truly go in any direction, as messy and hopeful as youth can get” – AllMusic

Standout Tracks: you should see me in a crown/all good girls go to hell/bury a friend

Key Cut: bad guy

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/WHEN-ALL-FALL-ASLEEP-WHERE/dp/B07N7YYLFF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=billie+eilish&qid=1574773440&sr=8-1

Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel

Release Date: 12th April

Producer: Dan Carey

Label: Partisan

Sample Review:

“So it’s refreshing to hear a singer, Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten, embrace of all the bleating music of a Dublin accent. For listeners not versed in the Irish punk scene, his extremely characterful voice is as bracing as Alex Turner’s was when Arctic Monkeys broke out, and he uses it to voice a boisterous cast of personae: bullish yuppie on opener Big; ranting preacher on Chequeless Reckless; fond documentarian on Liberty Belle: “You know I love that violence that you get around here / That kind of ready-steady violence.” That song and others here are fantastic ramalama surf-punk hits, but the five-piece have real range on this perfect debut. A stark Joy Division-style bass line props up The Lotts, with Chatten’s lines filling each bar to the brim, resulting in a deceptively simple, powerfully melancholy song. Roy’s Tune is equally sad and good, a steady Britpop ballad with a touch of the naivety of Ian Brown’s earliest performances. Television Screens has the kind of melody that would work in a traditional Irish folk ballad, but done as something Fugazi might play in their more tender moments. This is the kind of songwriting quality that bands can take years to reach, or never reach at all: brilliant, top to bottom” – The Guardian

Standout Tracks: Big/Roy’s Tune/Dublin City Sky

Key Cut: Boys in the Better Land

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dogrel-FONTAINES-D-C/dp/B07NFFGMB9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Fontaines+D.C.+%E2%80%93+Dogrel&qid=1574776668&sr=8-1

Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles

Release Date: 13th September   

Producers: Bramwell Bronte/Rich Costey/Sam Fender

Label: Polydor

Sample Review:

“The Bruce Springsteen influence is further evidenced in current single ‘The Borders’ which is more upbeat. There are lyrics which you wouldn’t usually hear in a song (“[you] pinned me to the ground/eight years old with a replica gun pushing in my skull saying you’re going to kill me if I tell/Never did and I never will/that house was living hell”). Fender pulls no punches in how he is feeling. Surrounding these gritty lyrics is direct and anthemic music. However, the arena-sized sounds are just as impressive when listened to from the comfort of your living room.

‘Dead Boys’ was a significant track for Fender. It is a haunting account of the male suicide epidemic affecting young men. In this track, he addresses mental health and “toxic masculinity” head on. His powerful voice is more subdued in ‘Dead Boys’ but the message still hits home. ‘Play God’ and ‘That Sound’ are excellent tracks.

‘Saturday’ is highly relatable (“If Saturday don’t come soon, I’m gonna lose my mind”), whilst recent single ‘Will We Talk?’ tells the story of a one night stand. It is euphoric and again has an anthemic feel. ‘Call Me Lover’ is a slower, hypnotic song and subjugates the listener. It’s also one of the best tracks off the album, which is saying something as there is such stiff competition. ‘Use (Live From London)’ is a simple and stripped back song which continues to showcase Fender’s show-stopping, fiery vocals.

‘Hypersonic Missiles’ is packed with high octane hits, all of which translate into an impeccable record. Sam Fender’s debut is brave, confident and evocative” – CLASH

Standout Tracks: Hypersonic Missiles/The Borders/Will We Talk?

Key Cut: Dead Boys

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hypersonic-Missiles-Sam-Fender/dp/B07MG9JPDS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HP2EJHBUVJHR&keywords=sam+fender+hypersonic+missiles+cd&qid=1574838912&sprefix=sam+fender+hyper%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1

Brittany Howard – Jaime

Release Date: 20th September   

Producer: Brittany Howard

Label: ATO

Sample Review:

“The scraps are glued into place and luminously lit by Howard’s brilliant sense of melody, and her searing lyricism. The standout is Georgia, which begins with Howard repeating “I just want Georgia to notice me” in a girlish chant, as if picking petals off a daisy. Soon she is left with just a stalk, and the impossibility of her ardour hits her full-force: the song switches up with a stirring organ motif and becomes intensely moving, two scraps finessed into something whole. The excellent Goat Head lays out the racism her parents faced as a mixed-race couple in the American south, Howard’s lyric written with a child’s blend of clarity and confusion at the injustice.

But it’s emotionally as well as musically varied. He Loves Me sees Howard giving up church safe in the knowledge that God is still smiling on her when she’s drinking too much and smoking blunts; she finds herself in a different cloud on Stay High, of bliss that’s perhaps musical, perhaps post-coital, backed by twinkling waltz-time soul. Artists often take on solo projects to get things out of their system before regrouping, but those things are rarely as beautiful as they are here” – The Guardian

Standout Tracks: History Repeats/Stay High/13th Century Metal

Key Cut: Short and Sweet

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaime-Brittany-Howard/dp/B07TKF64HL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brittany+howard+jaime&qid=1574839095&sr=8-1

slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain

Release Date: 17th May    

Producers: Kwes Darko/Mura Masa/Anish Bhatt/JD. Reid/Slaves/Earbuds

Label: Method Records

Sample Review:

“For all his cartoonish videos and stage theatrics, slowthai’s role as a single character in this ensemble cast shows the integrity he brings to the task. Though he nods to the mannerisms of Dizzee Rascal and JME, Nothing Great About Britain avoids cross-generational pandering and bypasses territorial arguments over the borders of grime and UK rap. What binds the album is slowthai’s soul: his meticulously drawn characters, his affinity for left-behind outsiders like the glue sniffers sampled on “Doorman,” and his impatience with a profit-motivated world where, as he once put it, “You’re competing constantly without wanting to.” The Britain he envisions is fairer, more leisurely and attentive, and united in its resistance to authority. It’s who our society overlooks, he suggests, that determines what we need to overthrow” – Pitchfork

Standout Tracks: Dead Leaves/Peace of Mind/Missing

Key Cut: Doorman (ft. Mura Masa)

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nothing-Great-About-Britain-Explicit/dp/B07PXLFSMK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=312PUY40I202E&keywords=nothing+great+about+britain&qid=1574839321&sprefix=nothign+great+%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1

Kim Gordon – No Home Record

Release Date: 11th October

Producers: Kim Gordon/Justin Raisen

Label: Matador Records

Sample Review:

“Under the thunderstorm of ‘Hungry Baby’’s super-galvanising Stooges groove and a wickedly playful bass, Gordon’s urgent raspy vocals overstretch to tell a story with a dark thematic undercurrent of sexual harassment. Conflictingly, this is intuitively juxtaposed with jarringly innocent imagery, as if finding sly poetic victory in infantilising the oppressor.

The tastefully chopped no-wave guitar of ‘Air BnB’, straight out of Arto Lindsay’s DNA days, breaks on the chorus into a classic SY anthem. Its theme is the American idea of purchasing utopia through trying out lifestyles, people escaping themselves, going on a mini retreat from their lives. Hashtag superhosted supermodernity.

On No Home Record, Gordon sketches the great supermodern landscape of LA, in stark strokes of infectious, visceral weirdness. Like David Lynch, she exposes the ominous, hilarious, faux-profound undercurrents of American life, capturing “the madness of the times and the strangeness and the sadness” (to quote her colleague, guitarist Steve Gunn). Gordon’s bet is that the people are ready for weirdness, that the world can embrace its complexities. And the only way is forward” – The Quietus

Standout Tracks: Sketch Artist/Murdered Out/Hungry Baby

Key Cut: Air BnB

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Record-VINYL-Kim-Gordon/dp/B07WMM9CN1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B2HBN102OBVX&keywords=kim+gordon+no+home+record&qid=1574839521&sprefix=no+home+record+kim%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1

Sampa the Great – The Return

Release Date: 13th September

Label: Ninja Tune

Sample Review:

“While there are times Sampa The Great leans hard into hip-hop's history - ‘Time's Up’ and ‘Heaven’ In particular have a real 90’s skate shop vibe about them - on the whole this record is overwhelming about the future, not the past. The beats often break away from standard rap shtick, taking the listener beyond genre and into the unknown.

If there’s one potential criticism to be had with the record, it’s that there’s no huge moments. No runaway singles, no obvious “hits”. 'The Return' is an album full of album tracks. It’s an album that forces you to lean in and really listen. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. Not at all. If anything, the lack of real standout tracks makes for a much better, more mature record. There’s certainly no filler, Sampa makes sure of that. Every track has a purpose. Everything is intentional, from the click of a drum to the syllables in a line.

‘Dare To Fly’ and ‘The Return’ highlight Sampa’s tendency to break down genre with her eclectic beats. The former leans heavily on acid jazz rhythms to create a hallucinogenic-fuelled jam so messed up that Thundercat would be proud of.

Title track ‘The Return’, meanwhile, also gives more than a nod to Portishead. The track is a trip-hop infused echo chamber. Its reverb-laden anti-beat adds a distinctly sinister edge to the albums climax.

With 'The Return', Sampa The Great expertly dismantles the notion of genre, proving that, when it comes to art, what really matters is content, not labels” – CLASH

Standout Tracks: Freedom/Grass Is Greener/OMG

Key Cut: Final Form

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-Explicit-Sampa-Great/dp/B07V6T136C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28MB5YRX5J4EY&keywords=sampa+the+great+the+return&qid=1574839740&sprefix=sampa+the+great+%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1

King Princess – Cheap Queen

Release Date: 25th October

Producers: King Princess/Mike Malchicoff/Tim Anderson/Teo Halm/Kid Harpoon

Labels: Zelig/Columbia

Sample Review:

“Sonically, this album has as much in common with the neo-soul and R&B of Erykah Badu and SZA as it does stadium ballads – with a little of the existential electronic pop of Christine & The Queens and Charli XCX thrown in, too. There are a few missteps – ‘Aint Together’ and ‘Trust Nobody’ – that come off as bland, predictable stabs stadium anthems. King Princess shines the brightest when the music around her is experimental and electronic, rather than piano-led. It’s no coincidence, then, that the latter part of the record, which totally fulfils this brief, sees her soar the highest.

The euphoric waves of electronica on ‘Hit The Back’ are exhilarating, and the song deserves to be aired enthusiastically not only in gay clubs, but across the pop charts too. She seductively talks about women in a way that’s rooted in the male gaze, with bars like, “Ain’t I the best you ever had?” sounding like they could have come from a cocky lothario. This feels intentional, with King Princess showing that it’s totally organic for young lesbians to embody the idea of the alpha male too. On this track, and the melancholic “If You Think It’s Love”, she genuinely sounds like she could be the heir to Robyn’s throne, with the songs sharing the ability to make you dance and cry in just the space of a few moments” – NME

Standout Tracks: Useless Phrases/Prophet/Hit the Back

Key Cut: Cheap Queen

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheap-Queen-King-Princess/dp/B07XV7Z79M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=king+princess+cheap+queen+album&qid=1574839973&sr=8-1

Caroline Polachek – Pang

Release Date: 18th October 

Producers: Caroline Polachek (exec.)/Danny L Harle (exec.)/Daniel Nigro/Jim-E Stack/Dan Carey/A. G. Cook/Andrew Wyatt/Valley Girl

Labels: Sony/The Orchard/Perpetual Novice

Sample Review:

“These are broad, expansive examples of modern indie pop, entrancing in their potential to effectively convey mood and ideas. "Shut Up" for example is a cavernous piece, equal parts seductive and bewildering, whilst "So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings" has all the trappings and swaggering femininity of the best '80s pop pieces. In turn, "Parachutes" displays Polachek’s ‘Organic Autotune’ to euphoric effect come the album’s close.

This is to say that the excellence and consistency is so uniform across the album that any one song could feasibly have been released as a single and it still wouldn’t have betrayed the excellence of the project.

There are moments that feel surplus to requirement at times or run slightly too long but this is to be pedantic in the face of the album's successes. Particular congratulations should go to the effortless perfection of the single "Door" as well as title track, "Pang" both of which are consummate modern pop songs and testament to Polachek’s talents as a singer, songwriter and producer.

Pang is a remarkable debut album assured of its legitimacy and brilliance, one that should be celebrated for its shimmering beauty and the success of its authorial intent” – The Line of Best Fit

Standout Tracks: Pang/Ocean of Tears/Hit Me Where It Hurts

Key Cut: Door

Purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pang-Explicit-Caroline-Polachek/dp/B07YQW5W1M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33M7X994ORG0P&keywords=caroline+polachek+pang&qid=1574840257&sprefix=caroline+polachek+%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-1

FEATURE: Station to Station: Song Four: Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2)

FEATURE:

 

Station to Station

IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe standing behind his own commemorative bench in the grounds of Manchester University/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Heyes/Cancer Research UK/PA 

Song Four: Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2)

___________

IT has been a while since I last did…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Heyes/Cancer Research UK/PA

one of my Station to Station features (in my first offering, I spotlighted Lauren Laverne of BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 4) and, to be fair, most of them have concerned a broadcaster who is associated with BBC Radio 6 Music – today, alas, is no different! I will concentrate on Annie Nightingale and Annie Mac in future editions, thus taking me to BBC Radio 1 and, with it, focusing on two iconic female broadcasters who are leading the way for a wave of new female broadcasters…and are fantastic role models. One reason why I wanted to discuss Mark Radcliffe is that there is a lot going on with him right now. I will mention his new book and musical project soon but, before that, it is worth chatting about his radio endeavours. I will move on to specifics but, to recap his past, here is a little bit of information. Born in 1958, Mark Radcliffe began his broadcasting career working in local radio in Manchester – Radcliffe was born in Bolton -, before moving to BBC Radio 5, whereupon he met Marc Riley (who also now works for BBC Radio 6 Music!). The pair struck up a friendship and, as Mark and Lard, the two enjoyed a successful partnership. Although Radcliffe worked at the station for eleven years, perhaps the Mark and Lard breakfast show was quite divisive. If the breakfast run was not as successful and lauded as he and Riley might have hoped, the afternoon slot seemed like a better fit – and with Sony Radio Academy Awards came (three of them, in fact!). Radcliffe joined BBC Radio 2 after he left BBC Radio 1 in 2004 and, in the new evening slot, there were similarities with the slot he had at BBC Radio 1.

In many ways, Mark Radcliffe’s career arc and rising success is an inspiration for all broadcasters out there. I have given an overview and skimmed some details – D.J.s he replaced and various stages of his career -, but here is someone who moved from BBC Radio 1 to 2 and, after a relatively brief stint in the late shift, he would meet his now-partner-in-crime, Stuart Maconie. Radcliffe had experience working with Riley and doing breakfast and evening shows; he worked for several radio networks before he met Maconie and, just to back it up, his 2005 interview with Kate Bush was not just any old interview! If I have raced through Radcliffe’s radio career pre-2005 rather speedily, he’ll forgive me. I think the first taste of his work was in 2005 when he spoke with Kate Bush when she was promoting Aerial. There is stiff competition when it comes to who is Bush’s biggest fan and, whilst I would rival anyone for that crown, Mark Radcliffe surely is close to the top – I am only thirty-six, so Radcliffe’s longer fandom and following nudges him above me. Regardless, one needs to understand how hard it is to get an interview with Kate Bush, especially in 2005! The Red Shoes came out in 1993 and, after twelve years away from the spotlight, Radcliffe was granted one of very few interviews she provided – a very extensive and warm one at that! Radcliffe’s tireless hard work and respect among his peers meant that he finally was able to meet someone he held huge and undying admiration for.

For years prior to his interview with Kate Bush, Radcliffe had run a ‘Bush-O-Meter’ on his show for BBC Radio 2. It is understandable Radcliffe, as a massive Bush fan, was curious where she was. Of course, Kate Bush was not idle between 1993 and 2005. She gave birth to her son, Bertie, with husband Danny Mcintosh in 1998 and was enjoying a less stressful and demanding role as a mother. The fact maternal duties were less full-on that her professional life tells you why she needed a break! Aerial is a double-album and one of the finest records of her career. The interview between Mark Radcliffe and Kate Bush is hugely enjoyable. There is mutual respect and, despite one or two awkward moments (Rolf Harris appears on Aerial and, although we did not know about his sexual abuse crimes at that point, it is uncomfortable hearing his name mentioned; not the fault of Bush or Radcliffe). A lot of interviews you hear with artists are usually quite routine and they pass you by. Mark Radcliffe holds such love for Kate Bush, he must have been more nervous than he’d ever been moments before they started recording. Radcliffe has interviewed Kate Bush a couple of times since 2005 (once for 50 Words for Snow in 2011 and, earlier that year, he talked with her about Director’s Cut). I am sure he like every Kate Bush fan hopes she bring an album our next year and, if she does, I just know Radcliffe will be asked to interview her again!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush captured in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton/National Portrait Gallery, London

As Radcliffe said in the introduction to his 2005 interview with Kate Bush, he has followed her on the airwaves for years and had photos on his studio wall of her; they chatted and enjoyed cheese flan and a cup of tea or two! By 2007, Mark Radcliffe had joined forces with Stuart Maconie and they presented on BBC Radio 2 in the evenings. They won a Sony in 2009 and the show was reduced to three nights a week (they previously did four days before) from 2010. Radcliffe and Maconie moved to BBC Radio 6 Music from 2011 and were in their hugely popular afternoon slot until the very end of last year. I shall come onto their move to weekend mornings and why that was such an odd move on behalf of the BBC. One can catch Mark Radcliffe’s Folk show on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesdays from 9 p.m. where he explores the wide range of traditional and contemporary Folk and Acoustic music from around the U.K. and the world, with regular interviews and live sessions. Having that balance of his Folk programme on BBC Radio 2 and his weekend show with Maconie means he (Radcliffe) still works for BBC Radio 2, but he gets to mix that up with his show on the more hip and cool BBC Radio 6 Music – even if Radcliffe and Maconie’s show is refreshingly middle-aged at times! Radcliffe and Maconie ruled the afternoon airwaves for over seven years and, when BBC Radio 6 Music had a reshuffle at the end of 2018, they were moved to weekend breakfasts – a spot previously occupied by Mary Anne Hobbs (who is now on the weekday shift between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

The reaction on social media to the move was one of anger and confusion. I do not understand why it was done, because RadMac’s listenership was huge and they were loved by so many people. I do hope the BBC brings them back to weekdays very soon because, as Radcliffe discussed in a recent interview, he was a bit miffed by the move:

 “The radio presenter’s programme with Stuart Maconie was moved to Saturday and Sunday mornings in order to give Shaun Keaveny the 1pm weekday slot, as part of a reshuffle in which Lauren Laverne became the station’s breakfast show host.

“We felt … surprised,” Radcliffe told the Radio Times. “And disappointed. Some of the things [BBC management] have done mystify me still, but actually, in terms of my health, it’s probably better not to have to do three hours a day, five days a week.”

Radcliffe, 61, agreed to stay with Maconie even as the show dropped from five to two days a week – a move he said was “like renewing our marriage vows”.

The Cheshire-based Radcliffe was diagnosed with head and neck cancer at the end of last year, requiring the removal of tumours from his neck and mouth. He is now in remission. The illness forced him to spend several months off air, during which time Maconie broadcast on his own”.

2018 was a very challenging time for Mark Radcliffe. Not only did he have to adapt to a future of early starts at the weekend – I bet he thought he had said goodbye to early starts and late finishes when he and Stuart Maconie started their afternoon show! -, but he received that devastating cancer diagnosis.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe spoke with Bruce Springsteen earlier in the year for BBC Radio 6 Music/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC/@themarkrad

Luckily, Radcliffe is better and his voice is in fine fettle. He could easily have lost his voice for good, and there must have been times during his cancer treatment where he wondered whether he’d have to find another career. I want to deviate (slightly) from talking about Radcliffe on the radio because, tying in with my talk of 2018, it was a year where he found himself at a crossroads. Published this September, Crossroads arrived after months of uncertainty, change and challenges:

 “Not long after being diagnosed with cancer of the mouth and throat last year, Mark Radcliffe found himself at a crossroads in life.

He had turned 60, his father had recently died, his adored dog too, and the mid-afternoon show he presented with Stuart Maconie was axed. He needed something new to occupy his time.

“I’m actually quite good at sitting about,” he says, “so I never felt the urge to cycle over the Pennines or anything, but I do like to have something turning around in my brain.”

He had recently gone on holiday with two friends, visiting America’s Deep South to see a less metaphorical crossroads, the one at which blues legend Robert Johnson was said to have sold his soul to the devil. Once home, and too ill to go out, or even to eat, this idea of crossroads wouldn’t go away. “I have ideas all the time, but this one snowballed, and ultimately congealed into a book.”

IMAGE CREDIT: Canon Gate 

The book, entitled – what else? – Crossroads, celebrates moments that changed music for ever. It is wildly discursive, touching as it does on key points in contemporary music history. He recalls when Nirvana went from being a cult act to the largest band in the world in the early 90s; the moment in the 70s when disco took hold and taught the world to dance. He looks at the Windrush generation, who brought reggae to our shores, and how Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath became one of the country’s first heavy rock acts of note.

When, in 1997, he and Mark Riley stepped into the Radio 1 Breakfast Show breach left by Chris Evans’ abrupt departure, they proved a gloriously left-field anomaly – too much so, it seemed, for Radio 1, which soon shunted them to a night-time slot. Radcliffe has thrived on the margins of Radios 2 and 6 ever since, playing the wonderful and arcane, and being professionally deadpan.

He has also found time to write the occasional book – five in total. Though he finds writing to be “like homework”, he is grateful to have it: the more he concentrated on writing Crossroads, the less he fretted about his diagnosis.

Undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it was made clear to him that his vocal cords might be permanently damaged – “which would be no great loss to the airwaves, let’s face it, and it was better than the alternative”, he points out, meaning death. “I actually found it relatively easy to keep positive during my treatment, because what else would I do? Take to my bed and weep for months?”

 IMAGE CREDIT: Middle of Nowhere Recordings

Not only is Mark Radcliffe an incredible broadcaster and author; he is also a very talented musician. He is in the band, Galleon Blast, who is slightly less serious and fun; Radcliffe has another project, UNE. I was not aware Mark Radcliffe had this serious musician in him and, whilst that might sound insulting, it shows that he has this diverse personality and incredible range. You can buy the Lost album here, and I think the duo have some live dates next year. Keep your ears and eyes out for news because, rather than being a side-project, UNE are a great act that warrant your attention! Radcliffe and his musical cohort Paul Langley spoke with The Guardian in September about UNE and their musical aspirations:

“Mark Radcliffe and Paul Langley are sipping tea in central Manchester. The former is the much-loved radio star; the latter is something of a mystery. “Good, the less said the better,” Langley says from behind his spectacles and pot of Earl Grey. However, I do know he once made an EP in an outfit called Rack-It! “That was with Martyn Walsh from Inspiral Carpets,” he laughs. “He said, ‘You wanna do a track called Sex on Acid – that’ll annoy people.’ And it did.”

Radcliffe and Langley are, they tell me, “soon to be legendary”. This will be in the guise of UNE, the name they have given themselves. The pair have made Lost, an album of lovely, plaintive electronica over which Radcliffe sings. They met five years ago in the Builder’s Arms in Knutsford, Cheshire.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Langley and Mark Radcliffe are UNE/PHOTO CREDIT: UNE 

Radcliffe, new to the area, asked locals which pub was dog-friendly. This led to dog-walk encounters with Langley, and the pair were soon bantering over pints, about music and Manchester City.

One day Langley mentioned the fact he made electronic music, and Radcliffe groaned. “I didn’t think it would be any good,” he says, “because he’s such a clown. But his hidden shallows turned out to be hidden depths. When I heard it, I thought, ‘This is surprisingly good.’”

Radcliffe was reading Lost in Translation, Ella Frances Sanders’ illustrated compendium of untranslatable words from around the world. He wondered if it was possible to write a song called Boketto, which means “to gaze vacantly into the distance without thinking” in Japanese. “So I’d give Paul the idea and the picture from the book. He’d write music and I’d go away and write words.” The pair were surprised at how effectively this created what Radcliffe calls “electronic pop songs, but very warm and dreamlike”.

Radcliffe hopes UNE aren’t seen as “some radio bloke having a dabble”. He was, after all, in bands before becoming a DJ. “I’ve never really seen a divide between the two. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t because radio people think, ‘We can’t play that – it’s Mark.’ I just hope we get the same chance as everyone else”.

It has been a changeable last year or so for Mark Radcliffe but, as we look forward to Christmas, I know he must be in a better frame of mind than this time last year. He is free of cancer and has settled into the weekend breakfast show. It would be great if he and Stuart Maconie were still on afternoons, but they are still together and they have taken to their new time slot with aplomb…after a few bleary-eyed mornings and a gradual adaption to waking up earlier!

I love the RadMac show and, through the years, Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie have been responsible for some of the finest moments in radio. I loved the interview they conducted with Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon back in 2013 as he was promoting the Prefab Sprout album, Crimson/Red. They actually caught up this year and, on both occasions, the pair brought the best from the funny, warm and sweet McAloon. I love Radcliffe’s interview style and the fact you can hear this natural kindness and accessibility that makes guests relax and trust the environment they are in. As a broadcaster, Mark Radcliffe has few equals and, for sure, there is nobody with his same mixture of qualities! The sheer passion he has for music and broadcasting shows, and I know many people listen to him on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 and dream of being in his place one day. I shall leave things here, but I was keen to write about Mark Radcliffe as he has gone through so much recently, and there was a point when many of us thought we’d lose him or he wouldn’t be back on the radio. The road to true recovery is long, but Mark Radcliffe is keeping happy and seems like he is in a very content space right now. He also presents coverage of Glastonbury for the BBC, so I hope he gets an invite next year to help bring Glastonbury’s fiftieth anniversary to us! I feel 2020 will be a very successful year for Mark Radcliffe, as a broadcaster and artist. Who knows…he might have the opportunity to interview…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley embracing at Glastonbury earlier this year/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC/@themarkrad

THE beguiling Kate Bush once more!

FEATURE: The Problem with K-Pop: The Death of Goo Hara and Some Big Concerns

FEATURE:

 

The Problem with K-Pop

IN THIS PHOTO: K-Pop artist Goo Hara was found dead on Sunday, 24th November, 2019 after taking her own life/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

The Death of Goo Hara and Some Big Concerns

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WHILST there are always going to be tragedies in…

 IN THIS PHOTO: K-Pop band Red Velvet/PHOTO CREDIT: SM Entertainment

the music industry, it seems like a pattern is emerging in K-Pop. I will talk more about the toxic aspects of an industry that is hugely popular at the moment. In fact, K-Pop is rising fast and making its presence known in the mainstream. Even if we are not intimately familiar with many bands and artists in K-Pop, we have heard about them or are familiar with the sound of the genre. What worries me is the recent suicide of K-Pop singer, Goo Hara. The Guardian explains more:

 “The K-pop singer Goo Hara has been found dead at her home in Seoul, according to police.

The body of the 28-year-old, a former member of the girl group Kara, was found early on Sunday evening, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported. Police said they were trying to establish the cause of death.

Goo’s death comes six months after her manager found her unconscious at her home, in what local media described as an apparent suicide attempt. The singer and actor later apologised to fans and recently relaunched her solo career with a tour of Japan and the release of a new single.

Last year, Goo took her former boyfriend to court after he threatened to release footage of them having sex that was filmed without her knowledge or consent.

Goo’s death comes weeks after the death of her close friend and fellow K-pop star Sulli turned the spotlight on the darkest corners of the K-pop industry and the online abuse directed at celebrities by “toxic” fans.

Sulli, a former member of the group f(x), had spoken publicly about her mental health problems and shock at her death sparked calls for greater support for performers”.

Whilst one cannot directly link bosses and labels in K-Pop to the suicide of Goo Hara, there is definitely a worrying trend emerging. It is not just Hara who has suffered because of pressure and something unhealthy shaping up in K-Pop. BTS, one of the biggest K-Pop bands ever, have been subject to the downside of the industry; members RM and Suga have lived with depression and anxiety. It might seem like the sound of K-Pop and western Pop is the same but, when it comes to how the industries are run and how artists are treated, there is a gulf. One can argue Pop artists in the U.S. and U.K. and subjected to abuse, management pressures and seediness. That is true, yet a couple of notable suicides within the space of a couple of weeks throws the spotlight on K-Pop and whether there is a toxic culture. Depression and phycological issues afflict many musicians, but one listens to K-Pop music and there is this cheeriness and sense of happiness. Are artists who are struggling given the freedom to discuss mental-health the same as artists over here are? Although some of the stigma is being lifted, there is a lingering sense of taboo in South Korean society:

“In an industry that often recruits its artists as teens to train and prep them for years before deciding if they're ready to make their musical debut, the K-pop scene requires long-standing dedication, perseverance, and hard work. Even for those who do not take the typical K-pop star route through one of the various idol-generating entertainment companies, South Korean society is notably tough with loads of pressure put on young people and students. The country consistently has one of the highest death by suicide rates in the world—the second-highest among developed nations— and experts continue to point out that there’s a lack of resources for those struggling with mental health”.

Artists in the West, more and more, are opening up about mental-health problems in a way they did not feel comfortable doing a few years ago. In fact, Pop is becoming more synonymous with that sort of openness and emotion than it is uplift and happiness. Whilst there are downsides to the lack of cheer, the fact artists can express themselves in a brave way means they do not have to hide their pains; they can connect with fans and, hopefully, that makes a big difference. In a nation where Pop artists are not given quite the same sense of expression and are worked relentlessly hard, is it enviable we will see more suicides and problems? Goo Hara suicide might have been the result of a number of events and personal problems, but I do feel there is so little support for artists like her. K-Pop is producing some brilliant artists and so many are making a huge impression in the charts and conquering the world. We see smiling images of artists on stage. Image is important in Pop, but I think it is extremely relevant in Korea. So many girl and boy groups are branded to look the same way; female artists are attacked if they read feminist novels or do anything that is seen as unconventional. Many women are judged and expected to conform with strict guidelines when it comes to how they look and how they behave in private. Relationships are hard and can a female K-Pop artist enjoy a sex life when there is always the threat of repercussions or, in the case of Goo Hara, their boyfriends might leak a sex tape?!

PHOTO CREDIT: @marustereo/Unsplash

I do worry that Goo Hara’s suicide will be mourned but we will not learn anything from it? Maybe small changes are emerging regarding how mental-health is perceived, but there is obviously so much pressure on artists to succeed and make a name for themselves. With bands like BTS and BLACKPINK have established a worldwide fanbase, the new wave of K-Pop artists are expected to reach the same peaks. How much time to unwind is there? Can artists breathe and feel safe when their every move is going to be watched and judged? After I read the news Goo Hara had taken her own life, I did some researched to see how K-Pop treats its artists and how the industry differs to that of Pop in the West. This article from last year reports some shocking observations: 

“It’s clear to me that no one talks enough about how these kids are treated. The abuse of aspiring young stars by older, more senior people – almost always men – in the K-pop industry is rife. “Trainees” and newly debuted idols are subjected to gruelling schedules, get hardly any personal time thanks to “slave contracts”, and are seldom let out of their managers’ sight. Stories of executives drugging, abusing and raping the teens who are theoretically in their care are widespread.

It’s not just the girls who are harmed. Last year’s suicide of Kim Jong-hyun, a.k.a. Jonghyun, of boy band SHINee, sent shock waves through the industry and legions of fans – and his was just one death among the dozens of youngsters who, finding themselves unable to cope with the pressure and the treatment meted out to them, have taken their own lives. These are cracks in a facade of make-believe. Every time, the cracks are hastily papered over by the authorities and by the hugely powerful music industry.

What makes some people get so obsessed that they turn into sasaeng – K-pop fans who pursue their idols to the point of not just offending them but making them feel threatened?

“People, especially teenagers, in Korea are lacking opportunities to enjoy cultural activities, which I believe is one of the crucial factors that gave birth to the sasaeng phenomenon,” says Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University”.

As K-Pop artists are portraying something spirited and colourful in their music, they will be taken to heart by Pop fans. The difference in tone between music from South Korea and nations like the U.S. are very different. It is no wonder K-Pop is proving popular but, with that, labels and those in the K-Pop industry will want to keep the pace up and hone their stars to be as popular and enduring as possible. It is clear that K-Pop artists are starved of a social life and, because of that, it impacts on their mental wellbeing:

“A psychiatry professor at a Gangnam Hospital said that: “As top stars gain popularity, they are very much deprived of private life.”

It is an industry where young Korean boys and girls are trained in often tough conditions to become stars. Not all of the trainees even make it and once they do, the idols are often forced to give up much of their ordinary life. Most of the idols are not allowed to date and if they do their relationships are often put under great scrutiny from the media and their fans. Their behaviours are closely monitored by their companies.

IN THIS PHOTO: BLACKPINK are one of K-Pop’s most-popular groups/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

A Korean cultural commentator Kim Seong-Soo said: “These “idols” virtually live in a fishbowl and are pressed to put on a smiley, happy face while behaving nicely 24/7,” adding the strain could “cripple them emotionally.”

K-pop draws inspiration from American pop, hip hop, and R&B. “K-pop uses a lot of musical achievements that hip hop has generated. Every boy band has a rapper that is married to a musical hook,” Kim said. “What they’ve done is they’ve made it into more of a bubblegum pop so that teenagers who listen to it would be freed from the constraints and realities of the hoodlum culture that has been the backbone of urban experience and is part of the American popular music landscape,” he said.

But while hip hop artists tell their rags-to-riches story of rising from the ghetto into fame and money, K-pop is completely different. K-pop idols are never allowed to draw from their own realities and life experiences. The content of the songs is sanitised, Kim said. Kim described the industry as “regulated, regimented, self-censored”. Idols are not allowed to have social media.

The fact K-Pop artists are not given the flexibility to discuss sadness and personal sorrow means that this cheery façade needs to remain. As many cannot release and find catharsis easily away from the limelight, this unbearable tension remains. I am not surprised there are suicides being reported as one can only imagine how difficult it is for many artists. Couple the rigidity of K-Pop and how artists are raised with the obsessive nature of fans and the sort of acidic spite one will see online and it means many artists are vulnerable and exposed. Where do they turn when they feel seriously low? Will their fans help them and provide kind words, or will the pleas be ignored? I know there are K-Pop artists who are happy and well-adjusted, but who knows just how many artists are struggling and whether we will see more suicides? It is hard to radically change the way K-Pop is run and how artists are treated. If there is a sense of understanding starting to come in, should it take the suicide of artists to finally open people’s eyes?! Cultural values and the music industry in general are very different in South Korea. North Korean artists are even being lured over the border because of the opportunities and prosperity they could enjoy. I concede the fact K-Pop music does present a sense of energy and positivity Pop needs, but when we are hearing about some of the dark elements of the genre, do we need to take action?!

It is tragic hearing about Goo Hara’s demise and how poorly she has been treated. There is this lack of respect and robot-like nature of K-Pop that means artists are more akin to products than people. With BTS scooping three gongs at the American Music Awards, it is clear K-Pop is a valuable currency. Whilst there is shock and sadness when a K-Pop artist suffers depression or loses their life, are lessons learned? I feel like there is this ignorance regarding how toxic K-Pop could be and how disposable artists are. I do hope there will be genuine changes in the industry and we do not have to read about another horrifying suicide. I can appreciate the quality of K-Pop and why it is so popular, but I cannot reconcile it against the weight on artists’ shoulders and how little personal space they are afforded. I suppose improvement will not happen that readily; I feel like those with power in K-Pop need to take a step back and get tougher regarding the pressure they put on artists. Social media needs to be address so that obsessive and harmful fans are blocked and not allowed a say. There needs to be better protection for artists and, regardless of how good the mental-health services are in South Korea, those suffering stress or depression need to be listened to and given the necessary support. Is it worth losing promising artists in such a senseless way? One feels that many are turning a blind eye to the toxicity of K-Pop. Given the news that came through recently, it is heart-breaking to imagine…     

 PHOTO CREDIT: Press

WHAT Goo Hara could have achieved!

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. X)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Koffee 

An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. X)

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ON this foggy and chilly day…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lilla Vargen

I think we all need a good dose of music to get our energy levels raised and see the weekend off to a great start. There have been some great releases this week, and I have been scouting for the very best female-led sounds. From upbeat Pop to something a little cooler, here is another playlist that should raise the temperature where you are. This year has been an excellent one for music and, to me, women have been leading the pack. As we can hear from the newest sister-led collection of songs, that is definitely the case. Sit back, play the songs loud and enjoy the best new cuts…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Alice Boman

FROM some sensational women.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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Love You Later – Said That You’d Be There

Coach Party – Oh Lola

Mathilda Homer – Baby Blue Eyes

Francine Belle – Diamond

PHOTO CREDIT: Jan Philipzen

Koffee (ft. Gunna) – W

BETSY – True Romance 

Lydia Ford – Lost My Mind

Norah Jones (with Tarriona Tank Bull) – Playing Along

Lilla Vargen – The Shore 

Rose Elinor Dougall – How Long

Emma McGrath – Fall with You

Tia Carys – English x Ghana 

PHOTO CREDIT: Märta Thisner

Alice Boman – Don’t Forget About Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Suchak Anabasis Media

Milk Teeth – Destroyer

SOAK – Bloodbuzz Ohio

IN THIS PHOTO: Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves, Camila Cabello – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (From The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Special)

Sarah Close – Almost

PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez 

Regina Spektor – One Little Soldier (From Bombshell, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Lily Moore – Better Than Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Tiffany Williams

Kota Banks – Feel Again

Arlo Parks – Sophie

PHOTO CREDIT: Half Crescent

KAHLLA – For You

Nova Hall – Collateral

Alexandra Savior – Howl

FEATURE: The November Playlist: Vol. 5: If You’re Going to Call Yourself Anything…

FEATURE:

 

The November Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Regina Spektor/PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Vol. 5: If You’re Going to Call Yourself Anything…

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THIS is a shorter playlist than usual…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Bombay Bicycle Club/PHOTO CREDIT: James Kelly for DIY

as there are not as many songs out at the moment – very few bigger releases, anyway. It is understandable, I guess, as Christmas is coming and artists are sort of winding down. Regardless, there are still some great cuts in the mix. We have new songs from Grimes, Bombay Bicycle Club and Fiona Apple; music from Regina Spektor, Pete Tong and Arlo Parks. There is a lot to love and, if you need some great tunes to get your weekend kicked off, I have a playlist that will definitely do the job. As the weather is cold and we all need a bit of warmth, I think a good dose of music is what is needed. Have a listen to the selection of fresh cuts below because there is more than enough to warm the blood and get you moving. As we head towards the first days of December, it is clear 2019…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Grimes/PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Grieme for FADER

HAS not revealed all its gold yet.  

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

_________

PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Rutherford for CRACK

Grimes - My Name Is Dark

PHOTO CREDIT: Hamish Brown

The Chemical Brothers - Out Of Control (The Avalanches Surrender to Love Mix)

Gengahr - Heavenly Maybe

Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong

The Weeknd – Heartless

The Tippo Allstars Ft. Fiona Apple – Your Molecular Structure

Koffee (ft. Gunna) – W

Sam Fender – Saturday

PHOTO CREDIT: Ewan Ogden

Blossoms - The Keeper

Norah Jones, Tarriona Tank Ball - Playing Along

Lydia Ford – Talk

Regina Spektor - One Little Soldier (From Bombshell, the Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Pete Tong, HER-O, Jules Buckley and Nina Nesbitt – Sweet Harmony

Will Easton – Pyro

Kacey Musgraves, Troye Sivan – Glittery

Arlo Parks – Second Guessing

Moses Boyd – Only You

Moncrieff – I Don’t Know Why

PHOTO CREDIT: Sean Black 

Milk Teeth – Destroyer

Rose Elinor Dougall – How Long

Gerry Cinnamon – The Bonny

SOAK – Bloodbuzz Ohio

FEATURE: Picking Up Guitars: TRNSMT and the Ongoing Struggle with Gender Inequality at Festivals

FEATURE:

 

Picking Up Guitars

IN THIS PHOTO: Anna Calvi/PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Calvi 

TRNSMT and the Ongoing Struggle with Gender Inequality at Festivals

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MAYBE this is a theme I have addressed more…

 IMAGE CREDIT: TRNSMT

than any other this year: the gender imbalance at festivals and why many are not able to have a fifty-fifty split. It seems like there is this tussle between festivals who say there is not enough female talent out there and fans who argue quality is what matters and, because mainly men are booked, than must mean they are the best. The illogical assumption the majority of men represents the absolute best of music is insane. Also, as I shall explain later, there is a sea of brilliant women out there who could easily get festival bookings who are more than strong enough to please fans. Whilst some festivals – Glastonbury especially – are getting close to a fifty-fifty gender split (2020 seems like that goal will be realised), many are still way short of that target. One festival that made the news earlier this week was TRNSMT. I will continue my feature but, right now, here is why the festival has caused outrage on social media:

 “The boss of Scotland's TRNSMT has said it will be "several years" before a festival line-up can have 50/50 balance between male and female acts.

Festival director, Geoff Ellis, says more women need to be "picking up guitars" and "playing in bands".

He made his comments as the first acts for TRNSMT 2020 were announced.

"We'd love there to be a higher representation of females but there isn't, certainly on the acts we're announcing today," he said.

"It will be a while until there's a 50/50 balance. That's definitely several years ahead for any major festival to achieve because there's far, far less female artists.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lewis Capaldi is one of the artist confirmed for TRNSMT next year/PHOTO CREDIT: Lewis Capaldi 

"We need to get more females picking up guitars, forming bands, playing in bands".

The festival's Queen Tut's stage - which is for only female acts - will return at next year's event.

"We're giving that platform to help more females see that kind of opportunity because you do get more of a drop-off at a grass roots level and there are less female artists around," said Geoff.

"It's not just about booking more female acts because if there are less of them then there are less of them to go round all the festivals".

When Queen Tut's was launched this year, a spokesperson for the festival hit back at claims it was a "box-ticking exercise".

"We in no way want to segregate women or put them on a different stage - that is not the intention," said Aarti Joshi, the festival's head of communications, in July 2019. She added that having a balanced line-up is a "long-term goal" for TRNSMT.

In 2018, 45 festivals signed a pledge to have 50/50 festivals by 2022 - but TRNSMT was not one of them”.

There are so many things wrong with the comments above, it makes the head spin. For a start, there are plenty of female artists playing guitar. From Anna Calvi to Brittany Howard, we are not shy of women who can shred it. That assertion that guitars are the key and most important thing is ridiculous. Why do women need to play guitars? Does this mean only female Rock bands will be considered?! A lot of people got onto social media to slam Geoff Ellis. His mindset seems to be lost in a past decade when the scene was ruled by Rock bands.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Brittany Howard/PHOTO CREDIT: BucketHead.Media

That is not the case now. Rock is a genre that has lost a lot of its foothold and is in a pretty poor state right now. Because of that, just look around and you can see that a lot of the best artists around are not guitar bands; the best female artists are a lot more diverse than you’d imagine. In fact, this decade has seen artists breaking away from guitars and rigid definitions; music now is as varied and original as it has been for years! Those who slammed Ellis’ remarks have highlighted women who could be on a festival bill. One can name dozens of women, contemporary and classic, and I would throw in names like Julia Jacklin and St. Vincent; Brittany Murphy, Girl Ray and Anna Calvi are all artists we would love to see on any festival bill. In truth, there are scores of women out there who could drag TRNSMT into the twenty-first century. Look at the male artists who are booked for the festival and they are hardly synonymous with their guitar chops; many are not even that good at all. Not only does TRNSMT have an issue with gender, it also lacks proper quality. You could easily swap out scores of men on their bill and replace them with women. So many artists and people in and out of music have posted scores of names that Geoff Ellis and TRNSMT have, apparently, forgotten about. Although, sorry, many do not play the guitar, they are far stronger and more interesting than many of the acts booked for next year.

Billie Eilish. Solange. Florence & the Machine. Lady Gaga. Wolf Alice. Haim. Sharon Van Etten. Björk. Paramore. Courtney Barnett. Lizzo. Big Thief. FKA Twigs. Maggie Rodgers. Phoebe Bridgers. Charli XCX. Chai. Taylor Swift. Ariana Grande. Alvvays. Aldous Harding.

— Mt. Doubt (@MtDoubt) November 27, 2019

One artist who has spoken out and pointed the finger at Geoff Ellis is KT Tunstall. One can always rely on her to show some common sense and not mince her words. As this article reports, Tunstall was keen to have her say:

“However Tunstall posted: "If you are the organiser of something, and you don’t WANT a situation to change, and you put **** all effort into it, then no shit it’ll take years.

"Another Scottish festival @hebcelt has been 50/50 gender balanced for years. I also read that #Primavera has had more women on the bill than men. It would be easier to respect your stance being “**** it, we prefer blokes”. At least it’s honest.

"And THANK YOU in advance to all the men calling bull**** on this; your voices are arguably more powerful than ours when it comes to changing this, as YOU, the primary demographic of male rock band fans, are who these guys are scared to ‘alienate’ ie lose your ticket money.

"'We’d LOVE there to be...” “we NEED to get more females..” Great. What are ‘WE’ actually doing about that? You run a large festival. It’s a crazy idea, but you could *actually* help".

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish delivered one of the most memorable sets at Glastonbury this year/PHOTO CREDIT: Billie Eilish 

One can write off Geoff Ellis’ views as stupid and wrong (which they are), but it makes me wonder whether 2020 will bring about actual equality. Festivals have pledged a fifty-fifty split by 2022 but, with the likes of Prmavera Sound already hitting that target, it makes me wonder why festivals in the U.K. and U.S. – Primavera is based in Portugal and Spain – cannot do what seems so easy. I can appreciate there is commercial value when it comes to male bands and established Rock acts. I admire the fact organisers like Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis are aware of the problem and (she is) trying to reverse the imbalance. Clearly, the issue is not a lack of quality when it comes to women in music. Rather, it is this age-old definition of what a festival act should be: male bands with guitars that can blast out anthems. Not only is that a bygone and boring predilection; most festivals are booking headliners and artists who are either very dull or are established acts. So many new female artists are being snubbed; festivals keen to go with artists making the charts or boys in bands. I know organisers need their festivals to make money and, if artists like Lewis Capaldi and Foo Fighters make them money easily, should they take a risk and hire female artists who might not prove as profitable? I am not sure what barrier there is that is restricting equality at festivals. With this year being defined and dominated by women, can festivals ignore the quality right in front of them? We saw Glastonbury this year where some of the very best performances were from women – including Lizzo, Billie Eilish; Sharon Van Etten and Kylie Minogue. 

With each passing year, we are seeing more and more women release simply amazing music. To me, the year’s best albums have been from female artists. I think there is this view that festival acts need to have a certain energy and electricity, otherwise people will wander away. When organisers look around, I think they feel women are not going to be able to provide that and look the way of men. There are so many solo women and women in bands who can provide that kick but are not even being seen and heard. There is a lot to improve when it comes to festivals and how they book acts; what they look for and why, at a time when women are loud, proud and very, very good, do we have to have the same debates about festivals not doing enough?! I know one should take Geoff Ellis and his kind with a pinch of salt. The sheer tsunami of anger and dismissal shot his way by men and women around the world shows how misguided and out of touch he is. The thing is, it is people like him who organise festivals, book acts and, as such, are responsible for the shape and make-up of Britain’s festivals. I think education and awareness will lead to change but, with less than two years to go until many of Britain’s festival organisers have pledged a fifty-fifty gender split, are we actually going to achieve that?!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Rita Ora is one of only a few women on the bill at next year’s TRNSMT/PHOTO CREDIT: Rita Ora

It is a pity that festivals are so behind when it comes to gender parity. I do wonder whether there needs to be a change regarding those in charge of major festivals. With this year’s festivals (bar Glastonbury) falling woefully short of a fifty-fifty gender balance, is it men in power being stubborn and ignorant?! I think so. I am not suggesting all festivals should be run by women; having all-female festivals is positive, but we need to push equality at festivals without the need to specifically create stages and festivals just so women are included. I will wrap things up, but I am stunned that we are in 2019 and still have to hear about festival bosses asking where women are and the fact that gender equality is years away. In terms of music now, women are ahead of men…so why does that not translate to festival bookings and a quick overhaul?! It is baffling, but I am hopeful we will see bigger steps next year (compared to this year). I have been blown away by the standard of music this year and I think women across all genres have been responsible for the sheer variety and quality. I expect this to continue next year and, with festivals already booking acts for summer 2020, action needs to be taken regarding gender equality – not waiting until 2022. I really hope that 2020 is a year of progression where…

EYES are open and our vision is clear.

FEATURE: With Two Names Remaining... Which Artists Will Take the Last Headline Slots for Glastonbury 2020?

FEATURE:

 

With Two Names Remaining…

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift is a favourite to fill one of the remaining two Glastonbury headline slots for next year/PHOTO CREDIT: Taylor Swift

Which Artists Will Take the Last Headline Slots for Glastonbury 2020?

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IT might appear set in stone…

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney (who was joined on stage by Ringo Starr during McCartney’s Freshen Up tour) is already confirmed as a Glastonbury headliner/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

but we are still waiting to hear which two artists will take the remaining headline slots for Glastonbury next year. We know that Paul McCartney will take the Saturday slot on 27th June. You can keep abreast of all the Glasto happenings on the official website, but there is a lot of speculation and excitement regarding the remaining two headliners. I know Glastonbury is not just about the headline acts: every artist on the bill is worth watching and has their place. Of course, the headline acts are the ones who draw the most attention and hype. I speculated who might headline Glastonbury 2020 earlier in the year, but a few things have changed in the few months since that piece came out. I put Madonna as my lead image because, I feel, she would make a perfect headliner - even though she has had to cancel a few upcoming gigs due to pain issues . Bookies are making their predictions, and this website seems to be the most up-to-date regarding headliner odds. We know Macca is confirmed, but people have tipped Fleetwood Mac; they are not playing as they asked for too much money. I thought that was a way of throwing people off of the scent, given even Mick Fleetwood was suggesting he would love to play the festival. Emily Eavis has recently stated how the remaining headliners will consist of one female and one male – meaning there will be no bands and, with that, there goes Fleetwood Mac. NME take up the story:

"It's their first time at Glastonbury, and we've got one male and one female"

Emily Eavis has heightened speculation that Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar will top the bill at Glastonbury 2020 after confirming that the two remaining headlining acts have never played the festival before.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kendrick Lamar is another name suggested as a possible Glastonbury headliner/PHOTO CREDIT: Kendrick Lamar

Despite the fact that neither artist has made their Worthy Farm debut yet, the pair are currently leading the bookies’ odds for a top slot at Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary event next year.

Eavis told Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2: “Interestingly, for the other two headliners it’s their first time at Glastonbury and we’ve got one male and one female – so there’s a couple of clues there. I’m sure people will guess, so don’t put them to me!”

It comes a week after Paul McCartney was confirmed as the first headliner for Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary – marking his first appearance at the festival since 2004.

While it’s yet to be confirmed when the rest of the line-up will arrive, Eavis hinted that the identity of a second headliner could be revealed “this side of Christmas”.

“Most of it will be [announced in] the beginning of 2020. Everyone needs their moment,” she explained.

At the time of writing, Swift is receiving bookies odds as low as 3/10, followed by Kendrick Lamar at 4/11.

I would still like to see Madonna play because, although she is another legend, she would be a guaranteed hit. I do think the headliners for next year need to have that sense of uplift; songs that can get us all together and singing along. Whereas last year’s headliners – The Cure, Stormzy and The Killers – were well-received, I do feel there was a sense of pop and singalong missing; it was provided by non-headline acts like Lizzo and Kylie Minogue. Madonna would play, I assume, a career-spanning set that would be full of classics and some of her newer tracks.

Maybe, as I have speculated before, she would be too expensive, and she would go the same way as Fleetwood Mac. I am surprised Taylor Swift has not played Glastonbury before. With a huge year that includes award wins, a smash album (Lover) and a lot of attention, there is so much momentum in her camp. Maybe this is the time for Swift to headline. She is the bookies’ favourite and would prove popular to many. Prior to last year’s Glastonbury, Ed Sheeran was quoted in an article where he cast doubts about Swift’s Glastonbury readiness:

“Taylor is amongst the favourites to headline the festival along with Coldplay and Rihanna, but close friend Ed Sheeran has denied that she will perform.

He told Digital Spy, "Taylor doesn't like festivals, so for any bookies reading... I think Taylor likes doing her own show because she's in control..."

The headlines are expected to be announced in the New Year, Lionel Richie is the only 'big' act to be confirmed as a performer at the Festival in June.

If she does end up performing, hopefully she will drag Ed on stage to perform their 2013 hit 'Everything Has Changed'”.

I am not a fan of Taylor Swift and, whilst she has a particular demographic that is not necessarily universal, she is a massively popular artist and could put on a great set. A few Pop artists have headlined the past few years, yet there has been a diversification of the headliners. Stormzy’s set last year brought Grime to the forefront, so many would not be shocked if Rap artist Kendrick Lamar was booked for 2020 – he is the other favourite to take the headline slot.

I think Kendrick Lamar makes sense, considering he is another huge artist and would put on an amazing show. Following Stormzy’s set this year, I wonder whether another artist of a similar ilk is a good choice. I think the fiftieth anniversary next year is this rare event that should be marked by music that makes us united and has that more anthemic tone. I would love to see Lamar headline another year but, when it comes to male artists, there are others that people are tipping. I would personally love to see Stevie Wonder headline but, as he has appeared before, that is not going to happen. Elton John is another name in the hat, but there have been so many articles saying he will not play either. Emily Eavis has confirmed both headliners are first-timers, so it limits the field. In terms of men who have never played before, there are a lot more options, but I wonder whether Emily and Michael Eavis want to keep a similar balance to this year’s Glastonbury. I have seen a lot of speculation that Kate Bush could appear but, whilst she is on Emily Eavis’ dream list (as well as everyone else’s!), that is extremely unlikely. Kate Bush has never played a festival like Glastonbury and has often talked about her nerves playing gigs. The fact that she performs so rarely live and is not a Glastonbury act rules her firmly out.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ariana Grande is a possible headliner choice/PHOTO CREDIT: Ariana Grande

The thing is, when it comes to guessing names, one can never make easy predictions and there are always surprises! Ariana Grande is another artist who is in the running and, like Taylor Swift, she has a mighty fanbase. It seems like a Glastonbury date might fit into Taylor Swift’s diary:  

“Swift is due to perform at a string of European festivals next summer on her Lover world tour, including in France, Germany and Portugal, but has yet to announce any UK performances.

Fans have noticed that the 29-year-old singer has a gap in her schedule which could allow her to travel to Glastonbury, which is taking place between June 24 and 28.

Other female artists rumoured to be headlining include Madonna, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, with SkyBet offering odds of 8/1, 14/1 and 18/1 respectively.

The festival has been criticised by some for a lack of female headliners in recent years, with co-organiser Emily Eavis pledging to “work towards” a 50/50 gender balance in future lineups”.

The only other artist that comes to mind when considering female headliners is the Spice Girls. I know Emily Eavis intimated it would be a solo female artist, but the Spice Girls were rumoured last year; they were approached but wanted to see how their U.K. tour went, considering they had not long reunited. One can never rule out the Spice Girls. They themselves have practically confirmed it:

“The Spice girls are planning to make a full line-up return with a headline slot at Glastonbury Festival 2020.

Having recently reunited a series of comeback shows without original member Victoria Beckham, the ’90s pop group have claimed that discussions are underway for Posh Spice to return to the band for a one-off show at Glastonbury next year.

It is thought that festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis are planning major surprises for the 2020 edition of Glastonbury, a year which will mark the event’s 50th anniversary.

Now, while speaking to fans at as part of a Q&A session titled ‘A Brutally Honest Evening with Mel B’, Scary Spice hinted that a festival performance is a major possibility: “I think if you are just going to do Glastonbury then let’s just go on tour and do the rest of Europe,” she said as part of the book show at London’s Savoy Theatre.

She added: “We are definitely signed on board to do that. All five of us, yes.”

The difficult decision to play a series of UK shows as a four-piece has been a tricky logistical problem for the band, but Mel B has heaped praise on Beckham and her career: “Victoria is Victoria,” she said according to NME. “She’s made an amazing career based on the Spice Girls. She’s got a fashion empire and she’s done amazingly well. But you can’t beat being Posh Spice in the Spice Girls, can you? You can’t beat that.”

She finalised: “My plan is for all five of us to do Glastonbury next year for the 50th anniversary. I’m in the process of persuading Victoria to do it. And I will make it happen”.

As Diana Ross is confirmed in the legend slot for next year, that means the Spice Girls do not have many other opportunities remaining. It is tantalising to suggest which artists could make headliners and, as Emily Eavis suggested we may get another name prior to Christmas, many people are getting their guesses in. Many people though they had the Glastonbury headliners figured days before the names were announced last year so, as we await the two remaining headliners for 2020, it seems things…

IN THIS PHOTO: Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

AREN’T set in stone just yet.

FEATURE: The King of Motown: Berry Gordy Jr. at Ninety: The Essential Motown Playlist

FEATURE:

 

The King of Motown

IN THIS PHOTO: Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. in 1964/PHOTO CREDIT: Tony Spina/Detroit Free Press 

Berry Gordy Jr. at Ninety: The Essential Motown Playlist

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ON 12th January…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

we celebrated sixty years of the Motown label. I cannot think of another sound as infectious as Motown! The Detroit-born sensation was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. and, as we know, it is more than simply the music. Motown helped bring black artists to the fore at a time of Civil Rights unrest in the U.S. The influence and reach of Motown cannot be understated and overlooked. All of us have some exposure to the Motown sound and cannot resist the infectiousness of the songs. Before moving on to a bit of news involving Berry Gordy Jr., here is some biography about the great man and Motown:

 “Born in 1929 in Detroit, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records in 1959. The 1960s and '70s saw popular artists who Gordy developed—including the Supremes, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye—dominate the music scene. Changing tastes and a loss of focus led to Motown's decline, and Gordy sold the company in 1988. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that same year.

Gordy had gotten married in 1953; with a family to support, he took a job on a Lincoln-Mercury plant assembly line in 1955. The monotony of putting upholstery in cars all day had one benefit: He could compose songs in his head while working.

At the age of 27, Gordy decided to hand in his notice and dedicate himself to music once more. (His wife didn't approve and they ended up separating.) Through family connections, Gordy encountered singer Jackie Wilson's manager; he ended up co-writing the Wilson hit "Reet Petite," which came out in 1957. Gordy also wrote Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops” and "To Be Loved."

Using $800 his family had loaned him, Gordy formed Tamla Records on January 12, 1959. When Gordy set up shop in a house on Detroit's West Grand Boulevard, he chose the aspirational name Hitsville for his headquarters. One of Tamla's labels was called Motown, the name that came to embody the company; the Motown Record Corporation was incorporated in 1960”.

“The song "Money (That’s What I Want)"—performed and co-written by Barrett Strong—became a hit in 1960, with Gordy serving as co-writer as well. But after discovering that distributors took a large bite out of his income, Gordy, encouraged by his friend Smokey Robinson, decided to start handling his own national distribution.

In 1960, Robinson and his group, the Miracles, sold more than a million copies of "Shop Around," which climbed to No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 2 pop. The next year, the Marvelettes were the first Motown act to hit No. 1 on the pop charts with "Please Mr. Postman."

Gordy directed his artists to create what became known as the Motown sound, which featured repeating choruses and a mix of gospel, R&B and pop that combined to form memorable melodies. With regular quality control meetings, Gordy made sure that Motown's releases were ready to impress listeners. He also arranged for his performers to learn how to best present themselves both on and off the stage.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s also affected Gordy's work. Not only did he release Martin Luther King Jr.'s Great March to Freedom and Great March to Washington speeches, Gordy believed that white audiences would now accept African-American stars. In the 1960s, the Supremes achieved the kind of crossover success Gordy had dreamed of. Their No. 1 pop hits included "Baby Love" (1964), "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) and "You Can’t Hurry Love" (1966)”.

I am going to end this feature by collecting together classic Motown cuts that show just how important the label/movement is. There is such richness and variety to be found; some of the finest music ever laid down. On Monday (25th November), Berry Gordy Jr. was honoured in a strange-yet-touching way:

 “Local government officials, along with Motown icons, gathered for a special ceremony on Monday, 25 November to dedicate the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Argyle Avenue in Hollywood as Berry Gordy Square’, in honour of the entrepreneur, songwriter, producer and founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy Jr.

Led by Los Angeles City council member Mitch O’Farrell, members of the Motown family, and other special guests, the ceremony saw the reveal of the official city sign. The square is located near the former Motown Records’ West Coast office, after Berry Gordy left Detroit and picked up operations in Los Angeles to expand his vision into television and film.

“This official City of Los Angeles dedication is a fitting tribute to a man who made such lasting impressions on the music industry,” said council member O’Farrell. “Berry Gordy is a hit-making songwriter, record producer, and visionary whose legacy will be forever memorialized and remembered amongst the stars of Hollywood!”

Gordy danced his way up to the podium, singing ‘Baby Love’ and gave a speech that was both heartfelt and humble.

“What a wonderful day for me,” said Gordy. “There are so many people here that made a wonderful impression on my heart. I never imagined I would end up here and on this stage. By honouring me, you are also honouring the entire Motown family – those who make Motown what it is today.”

He also went on to say: “Thank your parents and grandparents,” referring to the original buyers who got the label on its way”.

Other special guests in attendance included Thelma Houston, Mickey Stevenson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Debbie Allen, Janie Bradford and the man of the hour, Berry Gordy.

“We should have a square like this in every city in the world,” said Robinson. “Motown is a once in a lifetime musical event. “We had a music man at the helm teaching all of us to become music makers.”

Stevie Wonder also shared his remarks and talked about how Motown broke down racial barriers.

“It’s an army of love that we have,” said Wonder. “And we’re given instrument of song to do this. Music will bring us together. Hate can never tear us apart”.

Although Berry Gordy Jr. announced his retirement a couple of months ago, the fact that the Motown creator is still in the world and he can see his legacy in the world is amazing! As he celebrates his ninetieth birthday, I have collected together some of the very best Motown tracks that we can thank Berry Gordy Jr. for. He is, truly, one of the most important…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Berry Gordy Jr. in the control room of Studio A at Hitsville/PHOTO CREDIT: EMI Archive Trust/Universal Music Group

PEOPLE in music history.

FEATURE: Electric 6: Marking a Brilliant Year for BBC Radio 6 Music

FEATURE:

 

Electric 6

ALL IMAGES/PHOTOS: BBC 

Marking a Brilliant Year for BBC Radio 6 Music

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I appreciate I have published a few articles…

regarding BBC Radio 6 Music this year and, recently, stated why the station is the must-listen-to brand for 2020. I do think you can never say everything you want about a radio station with a few features and, if anything, one can only reach as many people as possible with repeated investigation. Although this will definitely be my last BBC Radio 6 Music-related piece of the year, I will write about the station next year. I will give a nod to each presenter now because, rather than dissecting various shows and why I listen to them – which I have done a few times -, this is more of a Radio General Election. Whilst BBC Radio 1 and 2 are more popular and listened-to, I feel BBC Radio 6 Music should be added to everyone’s list. It is hard to listen to several radio stations a day because, in most people’s cases, we have our favourite and do not deviate. If you have not checked out BBC Radio 6 Music, then you can listen to them, follow them on Twitter and Instagram; you can keep abreast of all the live performances on the YouTube channel and, actually, that is a good place to start! One of my pledged for 2020 is to listen more to radio in general. I already tune into BBC Radio 2 but, even when it comes to BBC Radio 6 Music, I do not give it as much time as it warrants.

Look at some of the recent live sessions the station has housed – including Iggy Pop from Maida Vale and Sampa the Great delivering a fantastic performance – and there is something very different about the sound and feel, compared to other radio stations. Maybe it is the brick wall with the 6 logo or the intimacy of the studios; I love the feel of BBC Radio 6 Music performances and how they are a lot more stirring and engaging than the ones you find elsewhere. That may seem ridiculous, but there is something about the station that commands big respect. BBC Radio 6 Music, each year, recruits more listeners and various shows are going from strength to strength. I regularly listen to Chris Hawkins and Lauren Laverne in the morning, both of whom are seeing their listenership grow. I also tune in to Mary Anne Hobbs, Shaun Keaveny and Steve Lamacq and, in spite of the fact I have been listening to them for a long while, they get better and better! I can imagine how draining it is presenting a daily show and having to keep the energy levels high. When listening to BBC Radio 6 Music and its presenters, you can feel the passion and commitment pouring out. I think the station is less commercial than a few BBC stations, so that provides a wider remit when it comes to music. I have outlined this before – so forgive some repetition -, but one can get the best elements of stations like BBC Radio 2 on BBC Radio 6 Music.  

Inevitably, listeners will grumble when BBC Radio 6 Music plays a song that is not at the cutting edge of cool – they spun a track from Roxette a few days back and that got some people annoyed. One of my biggest hopes for the station is that they diversify a little more when it comes to the music. Right now, the station is very much about music that is, yes, cool and lacks that cheesy sound. I think it is wonderful when a classic Pop track or something a bit left-of-centre is popped into the mix; it shakes things up and means you are appealing to a wider audience. The reason some people are leaving bigger stations and are going to BBC Radio 6 Music is the variation and quality. I like to keep hot with these BBC Radio 6 Music features because I cannot highlight enough how limited some stations are. No station, in my view, offers as varied a diet as BBC Radio 6 Music when it comes to the finest music. Of course, the listeners help contribute to this variation. Whether it is Lauren Laverne’s People’s Playlist or Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s The Chain, you can expect anything from Afrobeats and 1990s’ Pop to Metal and a B-side from The Beatles. Mary Anne Hobbs is one of the most eclectic broadcasters and, whilst Lauren Laverne, I feel, is best when it comes to the overall quality and depth of music, each broadcaster does a sterling job.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Craig Charles

One can find some Funk and Soul brilliance from Craig Charles, or they can get something more chilled on another show. I think the chemistry and affection between the listeners and the stations is one of the biggest reasons why BBC Radio 6 Music keeps its loyal fanbase and brings in new ears. Listeners are able to contribute to various features, and they are made to feel part of the family. The excellent social media feed also allows followers to have their say; whether that is voting for their favourite album of the year, contribute to one of the shows or answer a poll…there is so much to enjoy! In fact, BBC Radio 6 Music announced their favourite albums of 2019 on Monday morning. Lauren Laverne read out the selected records. Last year, IDLES were crowned kings with their second album, Joy as an Act of Resistance. This year’s top-ten included Nick Cave’s Ghosteen (at ten), Kate Tempest’s The Book of Traps of Lessons (at seven) and Michael Kiwanuka’s KIWANUKA (at three). In the number-one spot is Dogrel from Fontaines D.C. In the top-ten is a blend of Post-Punk and Jazz; there is Rap and Hip-Hop with some Soul alongside it. There is a place on BBC Radio 6 Music for bands cracking through who offer something urgent and interesting. Similarly, legends like Nick Cave are given full support too. I think great radio stations need to have that combination of truly wide-ranging music with popular D.J.s and enough to interest listeners in various demographics.

Another reason I wanted to put BBC Radio 6 Music out there one last time this year is because of what a great year they have enjoyed. So many new listeners are coming there way and, as a loyal listener, I have not felt the need to go elsewhere. I am always stunned by the quality of music played and the new artists I discover through them – this year, I have found Sofia Portanet, All We Are and Rapsody through the station. I have only been tempted to BBC Radio 2 because they tend to play more Pop and older songs that you do not hear on BBC Radio 6 Music. More and more, BBC Radio 6 Music are offering the sonic diversity that trips into areas they haven’t traversed before. Get involved with the station and, if you are someone who does not listen to radio, I would urge you to check out this digital nugget. You can catch up with anything you missed through BBC Sounds, so there is no need to listen live all of the time. It has been a stellar 2019 for BBC Radio 6 Music and I think 2020 will be even better. From all the great producers and music news presenters like Matt Everitt and Georgie Rogers; to broadcasters like Marc Riley and Tom Ravenscroft to everyone who makes BBC Radio 6 Music shine and thrive, this is sort of to them. There is so much passion and focus from everyone who works there, ensuring the true music lover has their daily fix of the best new tunes and classic tracks. If you have not done it yet, get acquainted with BBC Radio 6 Music because, no matter what your tastes and preferences, it is…   

THE only station you will need.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Sofia Portanet

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucio Aru & Franco Erre 

Sofia Portanet

___________

WHEN it comes to artists who are included…

in this section, I normally concentrate on those who have a few more tracks under their belt. Even though Sofia Portanet has a few cuts in the ether, there are a lot of people getting excited about her latest gem, Planet Mars - myself included! There are a few things that strike me about this artist who is Spanish-German and grew up in Paris. Not only does she have varied and rare D.N.A., but there is this wonderfully eccentric slant to her newest song. Not to call the rest of the musicians out there boring; one could never accuse Portanet of lacking flair and energy! Even though she is still making her first steps in the industry, Planet Mars is so refreshing and different! This article talks more about Portanet and her bombshell of a track:

“Now with the release of her fourth single Planet Mars ahead of her three showcase gigs at Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. Sofia takes a contemporary twist on Neue Deutsche Welle and post-punk.

The new single Planet Mars—a sci-fi love song—gives us a taste of Sofia’s dramatic vocal style and twists elements of her music which has been compared by some to some German and Austrian artists such as Kraftwerk, Falco, and Nina Hagen.

The is also a fair amount of British and American new wave to be found here as well, such as the vocal theatrics of Lena Lovich combined with the space-cadet weirdness of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson circa early B-52s.

In fact, Sofia seemingly simulates the classic b-movie science fiction theremin with her vocal acrobatics, brilliantly comparing the wailing sound to the whizzing of a flying saucer.

Sofia explains:

“Planet Mars is a rather untypical heartbreak and goodbye song: it has a dramatic twist and plays with it in a humorous way. Because no matter how hard a heartbreak may be, it’s essential to keep the humour up!”

Maybe it is me, but I do think Pop music especially has lost what it needs to be popular and memorable: a sense of fun and memorability. It seems that, today, Pop music can be popular, but it doesn’t need to pop; meaning we have a very different-sounding scene to the one we had years ago – when there was the last surge of epic Pop tunes around. I am not suggesting Pop is doomed or Sofia Portanet will resuscitate it all by itself; when a song does arrive that pricks the ears and stands you up, it is leaves its mark. In terms of sounds, I do think there is a lovely slice of The B-52’s that gives Planet Mars humour and quirk. Some might take a bit of time getting accustomed to a song and artist like Portanet, but in a good way! As we look towards 2020, many people are predicting which artists will break through and who we should keep our eyes open for.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ania Sudbin Foto

Although few have started calling their picks, I am putting Sofia Portanet right in the mix! There is really nobody out there like her, so it will be interesting to see what direction she heads in. Check out her YouTube channel (the link is at the bottom of this feature) and you can check out her other material. Give her a follow on Twitter because, as we roll into the new year, I think the scene is going to change quite a bit. Not only will artists like Sofia Portanet make big statements and get huge kudos; I think female artists will continue their dominance and we might, finally, start to see equality in areas that have struggled to make changes – such as festival line-ups, for example. In terms of interview coverage, there is not a lot online pertaining to Portanet, but I think she has just completed her first interview with Rolling Stone. Followers are flocking her way and, although there are few tweets, biographical details and interviews for us to peruse, Portanet is still fresh and next year will be a huge one for her. I would not be surprised to see her at a festival like Glastonbury. There will be touring demands around Europe, and there is that burning question as to whether we will see an album or E.P. Releasing those first few tracks is always tricky! So many artists take a long time to get noticed and formulate a sound that is their own yet appeals to a wider audience. With Planet Mars – and avoiding puns here -, Sofia Portanet has reached new heights. The coming year is sure to bring her excellent and original sounds to the masses. Keep your eyes trained the way of Sofia Portanet. If you do not know her now, you soon will do. Planet Mars is one of my favourite tracks of the year and it has not escaped my brain ever since I first heard it weeks ago! Sofia Portanet is a fascinating young artist who music sure packs…

ONE hell of a punch.

____________

Follow Sofia Portanet

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sofiaportanet/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/sofiaportanet

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqaz5lZoGiXtPDQ0rQ6yr-A

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QtH2p5QkuzncnyK1Uu2EZ

ALL UNCREDITED PHOTOS:

Sofia Portanet

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Pink Floyd – The Wall

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Pink Floyd – The Wall

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THERE are some bands who divide critics and fans…

when it comes to their crowning achievement. Maybe conventional wisdom suggests The Beatles’ best album is Revolver and The Rolling Stones’ is Exile on Main St. but, like them, Pink Floyd are not shy of classic albums. Maybe The Wall is not like The Beatles’ eponymous album in terms of its themes, but both are double albums and they are hugely ambitious works. Earlier Pink Floyd works like The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here are seen as superior and more cohesive than The Wall. Granted, The Wall is a more challenging listen and it does have one or two less-than-staggering cuts – maybe the same cannot be said of Pink Floyd’s best efforts. As The Wall turns forty on 30th November, I thought it was due inclusion in Vinyl Corner. Whereas other albums celebrating big anniversaries this year – such as The Clash’s London Calling (forty) and The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed (fifty) – are getting vinyl packages and star treatment, I haven’t heard anything about The Wall’s fortieth. It would be a shame if the album passed by without much fuss and celebration. I know the diehard Pink Floyd fans will gravitate towards other albums, but The Wall is an important work that is this fantastic Rock opera – do they even have albums like this anymore?! Rather than string together disconnected songs or explore a few different themes, The Wall has this arc and story – I shall explore that more in a bit.

I would encourage people to buy The Wall on vinyl as it is pretty reasonable in price and is a fantastic listen! If The Wall, to some, is a minor accomplishment, one cannot argue with its success and sales. It topped the U.S. charts for fifteen weeks and hit the top-three here. Some critics at the time viewed The Wall as this pretentious and odd album that was hard to love and overblown but, in years that followed, the evaluation perspective has shifted. Few bands (apart from The Who) have released Rock opera albums, so one can understand critics who were a bit miffed and taken aback. The Wall is a very different album to Wish You Were Here, which was released only four years before The Wall. During Pink Floyd’s In the Flesh tour, bass player Roger Waters conceived the idea for The Wall. Produced by Bob Ezrin, tensions were quite high in the Pink Floyd camp for various reasons. There were financial and personal issues, so that often bled into the studio. It is an unenviable task for a producer to not only alleviate stress but help craft a solid and successful album. Long-time keyboardist Richard Wright was fired during recording and that was a huge moment for the band. The Wall arrived at a time when Pink Floyd were starting to dislike stadium touring. The fact so many people, rows back, could not hear anything and there was often trouble.

Waters, the most dissatisfied member of the band at the time, spoke with producer Bob Ezrin and his psychiatrist friends about the trouble he and the band were experiencing. The suggestion was to build this invisible wall between the stage and the audience; try and remain detached from what is happening. Whilst other members of the band were away doing other things – David Gilmour was recording a solo album -, Waters started work on the album. An incident at a concert where Waters and the band were spat at provoked the concepts that appear on The Wall. In this article, Classic Album Sundays explain The Wall’s genesis:

“While Dave Gilmour and Richard Wright went off to France to record solo albums and Nick Mason sat in the producer’s seat for Steve Hillage, Waters began writing storylines and ideas for two different albums, one of which featured a character named Pink who was somewhat based upon his own life. Like Waters, Pink is left with feelings of abandonment caused by the death of his father in World War II. He is traumatised by his dealings with authority figures such as an over-protective mother and abusive schoolteachers and in the ultimate act of defiance, becomes a rock star. The dark side of public celebrity and success rears its ugly head and Pink succumbs to drug use and infidelity and even has hallucinations of being a violent fascist.

Perhaps the remaining Floyd members were unsurprised by Waters’ dictatorial fantasies. During the recording of ‘The Wall’ inter-band relations reached new lows and producer Bob Ezrin was brought in to help smooth the collaboration. Waters was also believed Wright wasn’t pulling his weight and eventually kicked the keyboardist out of the band when Wright refused to cut short a family holiday to return to the studio in order to finish the album for a Christmas release. However, Wright had the last laugh as he did perform on The Wall tour as a salaried musician and made more money than the proper band members who had to subsidise the hefty production costs”.

It is unfortunate that an album as epic and important as The Wall is only fully appreciated years after its release. There is no doubt that the 1970s was the most productive and inspired period for Pink Floyd; the quality dipped as they headed into the 1980s. If some fans prefer the slimmer and more focused sides of Pink Floyd, there are plenty who love the sweep and scope of The Wall. There were some positive reviews back in 1979, though a lot of the praise has come more recently; critics judging the album much further down the line. With tracks such as Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 and Comfortably Numb in the running order, The Wall still sounds incredible to this day. This is AllMusic’s take on one of the 1970s’ best albums:

“The Wall was Roger Waters' crowning accomplishment in Pink Floyd. It documented the rise and fall of a rock star (named Pink Floyd), based on Waters' own experiences and the tendencies he'd observed in people around him. By then, the bassist had firm control of the group's direction, working mostly alongside David Gilmour and bringing in producer Bob Ezrin as an outside collaborator. Drummer Nick Mason was barely involved, while keyboardist Rick Wright seemed to be completely out of the picture.

 Still, The Wall was a mighty, sprawling affair, featuring 26 songs with vocals: nearly as many as all previous Floyd albums combined. The story revolves around the fictional Pink Floyd's isolation behind a psychological wall. The wall grows as various parts of his life spin out of control, and he grows incapable of dealing with his neuroses. The album opens by welcoming the unwitting listener to Floyd's show ("In the Flesh?"), then turns back to childhood memories of his father's death in World War II ("Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1"), his mother's over protectiveness ("Mother"), and his fascination with and fear of sex ("Young Lust"). By the time "Goodbye Cruel World" closes the first disc, the wall is built and Pink is trapped in the midst of a mental breakdown. On disc two, the gentle acoustic phrasings of "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the lilting orchestrations of "Nobody Home" reinforce Floyd's feeling of isolation. When his record company uses drugs to coax him to perform ("Comfortably Numb"), his onstage persona is transformed into a homophobic, race-baiting fascist ("In the Flesh"). In "The Trial," he mentally prosecutes himself, and the wall comes tumbling down. This ambitious concept album was an across-the-board smash, topping the Billboard album chart for 15 weeks in 1980. The single "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" was the country's best-seller for four weeks. The Wall spawned an elaborate stage show (so elaborate, in fact, that the band was able to bring it to only a few cities) and a full-length film. It also marked the last time Waters and Gilmour would work together as equal partners”.

One would only except something theatrical or filmic to follow an album like The Wall! I get the sense that bands like Pink Floyd imagine how The Wall will look on screen or the stage. The film adaptation was released in 1982, written by Waters with direction by Alan Parker and, oddly, Bob Geldof assuming the role of the album’s hero, Pink. With little in the way of conventional dialogue and this mixture of animation and live action, Pink Floyd – The Wall is not the most accessible film, though it did pick up a lot of positive press. The Wall is an album where you need several sittings just to taker it all in. Certain songs have so much detail and weight, that you find yourself pouring over them in a way you wouldn’t with a more Pop-based song. Although there hasn’t been any revision or fresh adaptation of the album for a while, I think it is a work that is constantly appealing – I would not be shocked to see a new musical or film in years to come. There is always talk of Pink Floyd reunion and, as Glastonbury is announcing its headliners, many people are (wishfully) hoping Pink Floyd take to the stage, partly so they can see some of The Wall’s monster songs brought to life. Even though this generation are unlikely to feel the grandeur and grip of The Wall on the stage from the band who created it, the original album is a treasure that, at forty, still sound out of this world.

I want to bring in one more review before I wrap things up here. Sputnik Music had their say when they assessed The Wall in 2005:

“Now, bear in mind that whole books could be written about this album. It's no exaggeration to say that The Trial alone could have long chapters written on it. According to Roger Waters, the trial takes place inside Pink's mind, with the witnesses called against him including a teacher, Pink's mother, and his ex-wife. Musically, the song's phenomenal. Teetering on the brink of insanity throughout, with orchestral effects being in place throughout, the arrival of the judge, thundering in with his judgment, of the wall being torn down, seems to lead the song into even further insanity, with the band losing structure, while a crowd chants "tear down the wall", before we hear exactly that: a wall falling down in the background. Bear in mind that I don't think there's any way of describing this song in print, but honestly, this is one of the outright strangest songs I've ever heard. Finally, Outside The Wall leaves the concept of the album, although Waters has never really explained the song, but it offers a message of hope, saying that those who really love you will do whatever it takes to blast their way through people's individual walls, as happened with Roger Waters. In other words, although people will build walls around themselves, they can all be knocked down, making the final message of the album one of hope: that although life is cyclical, it's not all dreadful.

If you've read this far, apologies for making this so long. I'm well aware that I've focused a lot on the concept of the album, perhaps at the cost of not mentioning the music as much, but I think the concept behind these songs is as important as the music itself, since the concept is so detailed. If you need any reassuring about the music, it's generally brilliant, although there are moments, particularly in the second half of disc 1, where the fragmented nature of some songs starts to grate, and the music gets repetitive. This was the last great album by Pink Floyd, and any fan of the band should own a copy , as it displays the band's most remarkable album, and one that contains all the hallmarks that made them great; ethereal, haunting at times, uplifting at others music, lyrical genius, and instrumental work, particularly from Dave Gilmour, that makes the ideas reality. The band's best album? Probably not. However, there's a definite case for saying that it may be the one that people are most interested in, and with very good reason. Although some people will disagree, this gets 5/5 from me”.

I am going to get a copy of The Wall on vinyl because, to me, an album truly reveals itself on that format. Maybe it does not hold the same acclaim and reputation as The Dark Side of the Moon, but The Wall is a classic and an album that was overlooked by some back in 1979. I have not published a feature about The Clash’s London Calling, which also arrived in 1979. There was a lot of genius music being released mere days before the 1980s began. The wonder and legacy of The Wall proves that the 1970s was…

ONE truly awesome decade for music.

FEATURE: “Rock Stars. Is There Anything They DON'T Know?” The Simpsons at Thirty: The Very Best Music Guests

FEATURE:

 

“Rock Stars. Is There Anything They DON’T Know?”

IMAGE CREDIT: FOX 

The Simpsons at Thirty: The Very Best Music Guests

___________

ALTHOUGH the actual beginning of The Simpsons…

happened back in 1987 when they debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show on 19th April, the first full-length episode went out on 17th December, 1989 - it was a Christmas episode called Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire and saw the introduction of the family’s dog, Santa’s Little Helper). Nearly seven-hundred episodes have been made in thirty years. It is hard to believe a show that started its life as an interstitial back in 1987 – and looked cruder than it does now – would not only be commissioned as a full series, but it has lasted for so long and captured the hearts of millions. The animated show is part of the lexicon and it is precious to us all. I am not sure whether I saw the debut episode on 17th December, 1989 because, as a six-year-old, I was probably watching something else. I do know that I caught so much of the golden era (from about 1991-1998) as a child and, having consumed most of the episodes, The Simpsons never fails to make me laugh. We all have out favourite moments and episodes (mine is Lisa the Vegetarian from Season Seven); we all can cherish and admire the first episode, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, because it is so warm, classic and charming. Not only has The Simpsons made us laugh and come together for the past thirty years; music is a huge part of its appeal! I have already written about the show’s musical core and how it mixes original songs with music guests. Creator Matt Groening could not have imagined that these beloved characters he imagined all these years ago would converse and sit alongside legends such as George Harrison (he appeared in the episode, Homer's Barbershop Quartet, which parodied The Beatles during their Let It Be phase), Johnny Cash and James Taylor. Sometimes the guests are integrated into a story, and sometimes they are more on the periphery. From episodes heavy with music guests (Homerpalooza in Season Seven) to those where there is just a single artist playing a bigger role (Lady Gaga in Season Twenty-Three’s Lisa Goes Gaga), The Simpsons has created some truly huge musical highlights. To mark the upcoming thirtieth anniversary of the longest-running American sitcom, I have collected together the best musical guests as The Simpsons prepares to enter…

IMAGE CREDIT: FOX

ITS fifth decade!

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Johnny Cash

Episode Name: El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)                      

Air Date: 5th January, 1997

Season Number: 8

Show Writer: Ken Keeler

Why It’s Awesome: Rather than merely playing himself, the legendary Johnny Cash appears as a talking coyote after Homer hallucinates, having eaten a mega-hot chilli at a local cook-off. It is strange hearing the deep voice of Cash emerge from a coyote but, not only does Cash provide great comedy; he has touching words for Homer who wonders whether Marge is his soulmate. Homer is sort of on a mission to find truth and, when talking with this spirit guide, he wonders whether Marge is actually his soulmate. El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer) is a masterpiece of direction and animation; it is beautifully written and Johnny Cash is a rare example where a well-known musician plays a character rather than themselves – the biggest strength of this episode and appearance.

Spinal Tap

Episode Name: The Otto Show

Air Date: 23rd April, 1992

Season Number: 3

Show Writer: Jeff Martin

Why It’s Awesome: As one of the members of the fictional band Spinal Tap, Harry Shearer not only voices band member Derek Smalls but a host of other characters. In this Season Three episode, Bart decides that he wants to become a Rock star after attending a Spinal Tap concert, so Homer and Marge buy him a guitar. He shows the guitar to Otto the bus driver, who plays it and consequently makes the children late for school. Otto crashes the school bus and is suspended until he can get his license back. Bart then invites him to move in with the Simpson family. Although the cameo from Spinal Tap (Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest) is brief, they are perfectly transported into The Simpsons’ universe; playing a disastrous gig at an ice rink and crashing their bus. I think the Spinal Tap appearance is one of the most inspired in the history of The Simpsons, as the members bring so much to the plate in such a short space. 

Bette Midler

Episode Name: Krusty Gets Kancelled

Air Date: 13th May, 1993

Season Number: 4

Show Writer: John Swartzwelder

Why It’s Awesome: With a script written by the legendary John Swartzwelder – who wrote fifty-nine episodes of the show before his retirement; more than anyone else -, any musician who appeared on Krusty Gets Kancelled would be funny and given a perfect script! In an episode where Krusty the Clown has his show cancelled and struggles to get back on his feet, Bart and Lisa round up a host of big names for a Krusty special. With so many legends on the one show, Krusty is soon back in the public’s good books. Not only does Barry White and The Red Hot Chili Peppers appear; Bette Midler duets Wind Beneath My Wings with Krusty in an emotional moment. Again, she has a brief appearance but is effortlessly funny as Bart and Lisa find her hiking by the roadside. As Midler spikes trash, a driver, Snake/Jailbird, throws a can out of the window and Midler, incensed and determined, runs after the car; she clings onto the side and tosses the can into the car, which then explodes into a mountain (as the car’s passenger curses her name before his and Snake’s demise) – the perfect example of The Simpsons’ absurd-yet-memorable comedy. 

Paul and Linda McCartney

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paul and Linda McCartney in 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: John Pratt/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Episode Name: Lisa the Vegetarian

Air Date: 15th October, 1995

Season Number: 7

Show Writer: David S. Cohen

Why It’s Awesome: To me, Lisa the Vegetarian is the funniest episode of The Simpsons ever written. It is almost perfect beat for beat; that great mixture of heart, emotion and laugh-out-loud genius. This episode finds Lisa horrified at the thought of eating meat (the scene of Homer unsuccessfully trying to ignore Lisa the breakfast table is the funniest scene ever written!) and, after rebelling against a barbecue hosted by Homer, the two get into a fight and Lisa flees the family home. She sees everyone eating meat and feels she cannot avoid. She then does to the Kwik-E-Mart and eats a hotdog. Apu explains that the hotdog is meat-free and that he is a vegetarian. Letting Lisa into a secret, he brings her up to a roof garden where Paul and Linda McCartney are there chilling. It is wonderful hearing a rare T.V. voice-over from Linda McCartney (who, sadly, was diagnosed with breast cancer the same year Lisa the Vegetarian came out (1995) and died three years later) and she and Paul are wonderful. It is a beautiful little moment right at the end of this episode where we almost hear a new Beatles song – it is a tease as Apu sings an off-kilter and tuneless version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The McCartneys agreed to be on the show as long as Lisa remainder of the show’s run – a promise The Simpsons has kept! As Homer says to Lisa when they are reunited in a sweet moment: “Rock stars. Is there anything they don’t know?!”.

James Taylor

Episode Name: Deep Space Homer

Air Date: 24th February, 1994

Season Number: 5

Show Writer: David Mirkin

Why It’s Awesome: In their fifth season, The Simpsons produced one of their most ambitious episodes. NASA, bored and miffed by the usual space missions decided to recruit some Average Joes for their next launch. Homer is chosen to go up into space – Barney Gumble was the first choice but, somehow, gets inebriated after drinking non-alcoholic champagne -, and is accompanied by a couple of professional astronauts. Homer smuggles a bag of crisps aboard the shuttle and opens it upon reaching space. Because of the weightlessness in space, the chips disperse and clog the instruments. While eating them, Homer breaks an ant farm and the ants destroy the navigation system; the images of ants floating in space looks huge on camera as they are filmed (Kent Brockman: “And I for one welcome our new insect overlords”); it seems bleak for the mission and all looks doomed. To help calm the spirits of the astronauts, James Taylor is drafted in to play some calming tunes. Instead of playing You’ve Got a Friend, he launches into a rendition of Fire and Rain, modifying it for the purposes of a space launch. His lyrics get very bleak and doom-laden and, thinking on his feet, he changes them to be a little less drastic. When it looks like things are getting even worse aboard the shuttle, Taylor drops his acoustic guitar and scarpers. Taylor is fantastically memorable and Deep Space Homer sports a wonderful blend of music and comedy in one of The Simpsons’ best-ever episodes.

Aerosmith

IN THIS PHOTO: Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith in Los Angeles in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Norman Seeff

Episode Name: Flaming Moe’s

Air Date: 21st November, 1991

Season Number: 3

Show Writer: Robert Cohen

Why It’s Awesome: Homer creates a new elixir, a Flaming Homer, after he spends an evening watching slides from Marge’s sisters, Patty and Selma. There is no beer in the fridge, so he puts together random ingredients he finds at home. It lacks a certain kick but soon gets a kick after an errant bit of ash from a cigarette lights up the drink. Having this accidental wonder-drink of his hands, he mentions it to bartender Moe, whose business is struggling. Moe knows that this drink will make him massive money, so he steals it from Homer and Moe’s Tavern is soon this must-visit joint frequented by celebrities and the coolest people around. Among those who drop by are Aerosmith. They sing their hit, Walk This Way, and invite Moe to sing with them. Moe’s success is ruined when a maddened Homer stands on the roof of the bar and reveals the secret ingredient of the new Flaming Moe drink: cough syrup. Now that everyone knows all the components – a businessman made Moe a deal to buy the drink and, when Moe refused, the businessman sent the drink to a lab where they identified all the ingredients bar the cough syrup – we get the Flaming Moe sold all around Springfield. Moe is then ruined and has to go back to his former life as a humble bartender. Homer makes peace and asks whether Aerosmith will be back; “I doubt it” is Moe’s response.

Ramones

IN THIS PHOTO: The Ramones in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 

Episode Name: Rosebud

Air Date: 21st October, 1993

Season Number: 5

Show Writer: John Swartzwelder 

Why It’s Awesome: Rosebud is another John Swartzwelder-penned classic where the ruthless billionaire C. Montgomery Burns loses his childhood teddy bear, Bobo. It was lost when Burns was a child and, through the course of events, finds its way into a bag of ice Bart buys at the Kwik-E-Mart. Burns offers a huge reward for Bobo’s return and, as Maggie bonds with the bear, Burns and Waylon Smithers arrive at The Simpsons’ home, hoping to entice Homer with riches if Burns can have the bear back – Homer wants a million dollars and three Hawaiian islands (“Good ones, not the leper ones”). In the end, Burns is reunited with the bear. The Ramones come into the episode right near the start. They are asked to perform at Mr. Burns’ birthday and sing a Punk-fueled version of Happy Birthday that ends with the words “Go to hell, you old bastard!”. Burns asks Smithers to have The Rolling Stones killed, but Smithers is disrupted before he can correct Burns. Homer is asked to perform stand-up at the birthday event and insults his boss during his ill-advised routine, so security guards race in and attack Homer, giving him a bumped head – leading to Marge asking Bart to buy some ice where Bobo is found. The Ramones are in the episode briefly, but their fired-up and funny re-imagining of Happy Birthday is perfect and fits into the rest of the episode seamlessly. 

Elvis Costello/Lenny Kravitz/Mick Jagger/Tom Petty/Keith Richards/Brian Setzer

IN THIS PHOTO: Lenny Kravitz/PHOTO CREDIT: Mathieu Bitton 

Episode Name: How I Spent My Strummer Vacation

Air Date: 10th November, 2002

Season Number: 14

Show Writer: Mike Scully  

Why It’s Awesome: This is a rare case of one of the later episodes of The Simpsons providing some musical guest gold. Whilst most of the best musical appearances happened between seasons three and six, this Season Fourteen bonanza finds a perfect excuse for some of music’s biggest names to enter The Simpsons. Homer is feeling overworked and underappreciated and is given a gift by the family: a chance to fulfill his dreams and be a Rock star at a summer camp run by musicians such as Mick Jagger and Tom Petty. It is hard cramming in a load of ARTISTS into an episode and making things feel natural and plot-driven. There was a less successful attempt on Homerpalooza; a Season Seven episode where Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill (among others) appeared at the Hullabalooza music festival – long story short: Homer finds out he can absorb cannonballs to the gut without much pain and tours the country with Rock stars. How I Spent My Strummer Vacation has a better plot and allows other characters from The Simpsons’ universe – like Chief Wiggum and Otto – to interact with these star musicians; the artists have more lines and show better acting chops compared to the guests on Homerpalooza. It is hard to pick a standout scene/line featuring How I Spent My Strummer Vacation’s guests, but one of the best moments happens when Elvis Costello is handing out instruments and Homer et al want guitars. Costello says not everyone can have guitars, but he suggests they have bass guitars instead. Met with groans, Homer steps into the hut and grabs guitars. He bats away Costello’s glasses, who delivers the immortal reaction: “My image!”.

Lady Gaga

 PHOTO CREDIT: HAUS LABORATORIES

Episode Name: Lisa Goes Gaga

Air Date: 20th May, 2012

Season Number: 23

Show Writer: Tim Long

Why It’s Awesome: It is not uncommon to see major Pop stars appear on The Simpsons (Britney Spears did on The Mansion Family in Season Eleven), but few are given as much airtime as Lady Gaga, someone who was near the peak of her popularity when she appeared on a Simpsons episode that aired in 2012. In Lisa Goes Gaga, Lady Gaga makes a visit to Springfield, where the residents are in a state of depression. Lisa Simpson is arguably the most depressed person in the city, prompting Gaga to go out of her way to teach Lisa the meaning of happiness. What could have been a throwaway and corny episode is lifted by Lady Gaga’s cameo. She not only brings her vocal power, but her performance has sweetness, humour and some great lines. It is no surprise Lady Gaga shone as an actor in the episode as she was nominated for an Oscar this year for her role in A Star Is Born (alongside Bradley Cooper).

U2

 IN THIS PHOTO: U2 shot in Dublin in 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Colm Henry

Episode Name: Trash of the Titans

Air Date: 26th May, 1998

Season Number: 9

Show Writer: Tim Long

Why It’s Awesome: In another big band role, U2 are given a lot of airtime but manage to contribute some nuggets. In Trash of the Titans, Homer is elected as Sanitation Commissioner. He beats out the current Commissioner, Ray Patterson (voiced by Steve Martin). Homer is frustrated by the local garbage collection and wants to improve the service. As Commissioner, he makes a lot of crazy promises and struggles to improve things. In an effort to get rid of trash quicker, he hires a firm to dump it all in a landfill, which causes big issues; Homer is disposed from his role. U2 appear in a musical number (The Candy Man is reworked as The Garbage Man) with their arses hanging out in Moe’s Tavern; Homer interrupts their PopMart Tour, leading to security beating him up. Even though Homer crashes their gig, Bono steps up and backs Homer’s plea for understanding and environmental consciousness, leading his bandmates to roll their eyes and sneak off for a pint. It is a self-deprecating and classic appearance from a band that has a big reputation but are not afraid to take the piss out of themselves. Not only does Trash of the Titans pack in the funnies; it also has an important environmental message which sounds more urgent now than it did back in 1998. As Bono said when calming a booing crowd after Homer spoils the gig: “Hold on, people! The man's talking about waste management. That affects the whole damn planet!”.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Episode Name: Krusty Gets Kancelled

Air Date: 13th May, 1993

Season Number: 4

Show Writer: John Swartzwelder

Why It’s Awesome: It may seem like a cheat to include two artists/groups from the same episode in this list. Unlike How I Spent My Strummer Vacation, Krusty Gets Cancelled allows its guests more time to step into the spotlight. Although Barry White and Luke Perry are great in the episode, I really like the turns from Bette Midler and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Two years after they released the masterful Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared in this 1993 episode. Like Bette Midler in the same episode, Red Hot Chili Peppers are game and up for a laugh. They are asked to perform on the Krusty comeback show and are asked to tone down the lyrics of their song – especially the line, “What I've got, you've got to get it put it in you”. Some artists can struggle to adapt to animation and voice over acting, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers are natural and provided one of the best musical cameos in The Simpsons’ history – and I am sure we will see many other wonderful musician appearances as the show looks forward to its thirtieth birthday next month.

FEATURE: Modern Heroines: Part Ten: Sharon Van Etten

FEATURE:

 

Modern Heroines

PHOTO CREDIT: Jody Rogac for The New York Times

Part Ten: Sharon Van Etten

___________

TAKING this feature into double-digits…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Pfluger

is the amazing Sharon Van Etten. I have included her because, for a start, her music is among the very best around and, also, the fact Remind Me Tomorrow, her latest album, is one of 2019’s most stunning. I have been a follower of Van Etten’s for a little while, but I think she has hit top form this year. I also believe she will be considered an icon of the future and, at this moment, is one of the most inspiring artists in all of music. Born in New Jersey in 1981, Van Etten caught the musical bug when she attended North Hunterdon High School, where she participated in stage musicals. After a brief period at college, Van Etten had a few jobs – including a coffee shop-cum-record store – and moved back to New Jersey (from Tennessee) in 2004. Her move to New York happened in 2005 and, four years later, she released her debut album. A decade before she gave the world Remind Me Tomorrow, (It Was) Because I Was in Love arrived into the world. Perhaps a little more minimal than her later work, Van Etten’s debut puts her voice and guitar at the fore; there is a little bit of organ and harmonies but, for the most part, it is naked and incredibly compelling songwriting. (It Was) Because I Was in Love, as the title suggests, is very personal and, as this review from Drowned in Sound highlights, one could almost be listening to Van Etten’s diary entries:

“Lyrically, the album feels very much like a journal. That production we’ve spoke about only serves to shine a spotlight on that further. Creating that intimacy works wonders in terms of fitting with what are equally intimate lyrics. Take ‘Tornado’, a song that sounds exhausted and confessionary. She sings “I’m a tornado, you are the dust, you’re all around and you’re inside” in what is one of the strongest tracks from the record. That level of uncertainty the rears on ‘Much More Than That’ again as she closes with “I sigh and then I frown, I write this moment down, but I cannot paint pictures with my tongue.” As an audience, we relate how she feels about her own ability, but crucially, she actually can paint pictures with her tongue.

One thing the record does, that would return on later records, is showcase her knack for crafting vocal melodies that feel entirely original. She seemingly breaths and sighs her way through tracks, with layered vocals lending a sense of the haunted. But more importantly, the way she twists those vocals, seen most pertinently on the chorus of ‘I’m Giving Up On You’, makes everything sound uniquely her creation.

While the parenthesis-enhanced (It Was) Because I Was In Love may have been reissued, remastered and re-released as a bit of housekeeping, it actually stands to me as her most affecting material. It’s imperfect, indecisive, sometimes lacks real direction and is gorgeously raw. There’s certainly nothing anywhere near as anthemic as ‘Even When The Sun Comes Up Her’ and later material, particularly Are We There, is far more fleshed out. But here we get the most incisive look into the soul of Sharon van Etten and that’s hard to replicate.

If her debut was a glimpse of future brilliance, the honesty and emotion of (It Was) Because I Was in Love is stunning. A lot of artists take a little while to follow their debut album, but Sharon Van Etten brought Epic out in 2010 – just a year from her introduction. That suggests a determination and a creative flow; an urgency that can be heard in the album. Recorded and mixed in only eleven days with producer Brian McTear, Epic is a bit of a step up for Van Etten. Whilst the arrangements are still fairly minimal, she brought the likes of Cat Martino and David Hartley into the fold; there is a greater sense of depth and variety.

Epic’s title might be a slight exaggeration but, actually, there are some genuinely unexpected and big moments on the album. The 2010s has provided a lot of intriguing and wonderful albums, and I think Epic is one that is underrated and warrants greater inspection. Indeed, the critical response to Epic was positive. Relatively new on the scene, Sharon Van Etten was stilling finding her true voice but, even on album number-two, there were flashes of the genius that would be heard on Remind Me Tomorrow. In this review, James Skinner talks about Epic’s many strengths:

“Oddly, it’s the more straightforward songs here that take the most perseverance. Perhaps it’s the anger and bitterness imbuing the aforementioned that can’t help but render them more compelling than, for example, the loping country gait of ‘One Day’ or ‘Save Yourself’, or perhaps it’s just how refreshing it is to hear Van Etten fashion her songs into something as sprawling and otherworldly as her debut LP hinted at. Yet these tunes complement the others well, and carried by Van Etten’s husky, expressive pipes (I don’t think I’ve quite communicated how pretty her voice is; the word eludes me and ‘pretty’ just seems woefully inadequate), they offer lightness and balance, despite being rooted in the same dark places the album has been conjured from (think how Wilco offset the discord present on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot with songs like ‘Kamera’ and ‘Heavy Metal Drummer’).

Tipping just over the 30-minute mark, Epic is a beautifully formed, sonically engaging work. Entering on a note of self-reprimand (just hearing Van Etten squeeze all the first words of ‘A Crime’ into one breath is affecting in itself) and making its exit with the transcendent ‘Love More’, it plays like a celebration and cautionary tale simultaneously, offering warmth even as she rues the decisions she’s made. As with The Antlers’ Hospice last year (where she sang backing vocals), the result is something universal: heavy, sure, but eminently listenable, and awash with memorable lines, songs, emotion”.

Having put out two albums in as many years, there was not long to wait until the third album arrived. Growing in confidence and scope, Tramp took Van Etten up another step. Released in February 2012, Tramp found Van Etten, again, bring in collaborators – including Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and The National’s Aaron Dessner (who also produced the album with Van Etten). Recorded in New York and sporting a cover that features a close-up of Van Etten’s face in monochrome, one might think Tramp is quite a straightforward and raw album. Conversely, Tramp is a record with many different moods and sounds. With each album, Van Etten was pushing her craft and becoming more confident as a songwriter. Few could have heard Tramp and not been moved and impressed. It is a stunning album, and I think the choice of Aaron Dessner as producer is a wise move; one that results in (to that point) Van Etten’s best work.

As this NME review show, there was a bond and mutual respect between Van Etten and Dessner; the songs on Tramp are hugely impressive and varied:

“…Thankfully, no-one agreed – particularly Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner, who covered ‘Love More’ from ‘Epic’ at a festival. A series of emails between Sharon and Aaron ensued, and he offered to produce her next album, ‘Tramp’. Her face looms from the cover in monochrome, in homage to John Cale’s 1974 album ‘Fear’. Whereas that often signifies a hackneyed attempt at fresh starts, Van Etten avoids obvious cliché.

The perspectives on the soaring, steely ‘Warsaw’ and mandolin brightness of ‘Leonard’ are conflicted between desire and trust. The triumphant ‘All I Can’ crests on a country-indebted vocal, while she’s spiteful on the tense, artillery-drummed ‘Serpents’, hissing, “You enjoy… sssucking on dreams/So I will fall asleep with someone other than you”. The sadness returns on ‘In Line’, a heartbreakingly sombre, heavy meditation where she confesses, “When you were on my side/The world was shitty then”, but as she repeatedly cries “in line”, the intensity of her voice breaks free of rank and restraint.

In recent years, it has been a joy to see Van Etten growing in confidence as an artist – and this isn’t just her finest album, but one of early 2012’s best. She won’t remain under the radar much longer”.

I have not brought any interviews in to this point, as I wanted to focus more on the music and reviews; how critics reacted to Van Etten’s work and how she developed between albums. I have heard and read many interviews from Sharon Van Etten, and she is among the most engaging and interesting artists you care to name. From slightly humble beginnings, over the space of a few years, Van Etten had established her name and was recording with a host of different musicians. I think it was around the time of Tramp’s arrival that I started to catch on to Van Etten’s music. I had not really heard a songwriter so, presented with an album like Tramp opened my eyes. There are some really interesting interview from 2012, but I wanted to bring in one from The Quietus, who had followed Van Etten’s career from the start and caught up with her in 2012. They remarked on the collaborative nature of her work and how musicians sort of warm to her naturally: 

 “When we spoke in 2009, your career seemed like a series of lucky breaks and serendipitous encounters – and it's kept going that way. You've built up this amazing network of connections with so many musicians: Kyp Malone, Espers, The Antlers, The National, Beirut, The Walkmen, Bon Iver...

Sharon Van Etten: I know, I know. [giggles] It's a trip. I can't even explain it to you. I don't know how it's happened. I don't know how long my music will last or how long people will like it but I'll just keep doing it as long as they listen.

But aside from the music, there's obviously some quality of your personality that people warm to. They tend to take you under their wing. I remember Eric from Great Lake Swimmers saying you were like a little sister to him on tour.

SVE: I feel like I have a lot of older brothers in the world, looking out for me. Do you know the radio station WFMU? There's this DJ there, Jeffrey Davison, who has a show called 'Shrunken Planet'. He was one of the first people to play my music on the radio. We became friends and he invites me over to his house to have dinner with him and his wife, and he plays me records he feels will inspire me. Right before I left for tour – and this is a man in his fifties – he said, "I don't know what it is about you, but everyone just wants to take care of you." I've no idea what it is either but it's nice to know I have them looking out for me”.

There was a five-year gap between Are We There and Remind Me Tomorrow but, in 2014, Van Etten released her fourth album in 2014. It is impressive to think Van Etten released four albums in five years. It is testament to her productivity, drive and popularity. If there is a major difference between her first few albums and Are We There, maybe it is a lighter edge. There is a lot of emotion and darkness through the album, yet there is this sense of hope; some brighter edges and a sense of evolution.

Apart from Remind Me Tomorrow, I think Are We There is my favourite Sharon Van Etten album. It went down a storm with critics and contained some of Van Etten’s best work. The range of moods and sounds on Are We There is astonishing. It is hard to pick a standout track but, in my view, Every Time the Sun Comes Up is the key cut – a wonderful way to end the album. I am going to end with a look at this year’s Remind Me Tomorrow and a couple of reviews/interviews. Whilst Remind Me Tomorrow is Van Etten at her most extraordinary, I really love Are We There. In their review, AllMusic were eager to show some love:

“Are We There's 11 selections also mine her harrowed heart for inspiration, be it the slow-burning portrait of a toxic love/hate romance in "Your Love Is Killing Me" or the obsessed fixation on an absent lover in "Break Me." While there's still a fair amount of heartbreak and pain in the subject matter of the songs, the folky strums and indie rock clatter of Tramp and earlier records have been expanded upon with more inventive musical approaches, leaving the album feeling much brighter, even in its darkest moments. "Taking Chances" is guided by an unexpectedly slinking bassline and minimal drum machine clicks, Van Etten's voice melting like honey over their laid-back foundations before introducing rawkus guitars on the chorus.

Similar instrumentation shows up on "Our Love," a steady drum machine and lonely organ drone setting the stage for the brilliantly arranged multi-tracked harmonies and an indie take on the sophisticated tones of '80s quiet storm R&B. Even when tending toward more familiar rock sounds, the arrangements on Are We There are more considered, colorful, and ornate than ever before. Where previous albums felt a little too anchored to Van Etten's samey guitar changes, here tracks like "Tarifa" explode with sure-footed horn sections, nostalgic Hammond organ, and spirals of anthemic vocal harmonies. Quieter songs like "I Know" and "I Love You But I'm Lost" are driven by piano, leaving lots of space for the vocals to soar, while the cinematic textures and haunted guitar twang of "You Know Me Well" could almost draw comparisons to Lana Del Rey in her more Twin Peaks moments.

The more inventive arrangements and advances in songwriting are an undeniable step forward for Van Etten. While still immersed in songs of emotional ravagement and betrayal, the confidence of her performances and spectrum of sounds represented here suggest a complete graduation from troubled, uncertain roots into a place where she can deliver her songs with a powerful, borderless command”.

The fifth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow, is sure to be among the best of the best when critics select their favourite albums of 2019. It is definitely in my top-ten and, having experienced Van Etten before listening to her latest album, I was blown away by Remind Me Tomorrow. Released by Jajaguwar back in January, Van Etten’s life and situation had changed since 2014. She wrote the album whilst pregnant with her first child and was attending school to get a degree in Psychology.

She made some acting cameos and, by all means, was keeping pretty busy. If some of Van Etten’s early material was a little dark or troubled, Remind Me Tomorrow seems like a more satisfied and comforting album. Perhaps that was Van Etten’s reaction to impending motherhood and new responsibility; perhaps it was a natural development but, whatever the reason, Remind Me Tomorrow is a revelation. I had to listen to the album a few times before it truly sunk in. There are familiar aspects to be found, but Van Etten explores new lyrical and sonic territory on this album. It is another bold and brilliant step from one of the most interesting and striking songwriters in the world. I have said repeatedly this year how women have dominated the roost – Van Etten’s latest album underlines that with aplomb. This is what The Guardian had to say in their review of Remind Me Tomorrow:

“Van Etten is not alone in her decision to stop strumming and shift to electronic instrumentation instead – it feels as if half the rock and indie acts on the planet have made a similar move over the past few years. But the musician never appears to be jumping on a bandwagon. Instead, this new mode simply gives her stock-in-trade – gorgeous, timeless melodies, lyrical introspection and raw, plaintive vocals – a new gloss, one that veers between a buoyant 80s nostalgia and a more sinister sheen. Songs in the former camp include lead single Comeback Kid, which matches its warm portrait of delinquent adolescence with a cantering breakbeat and stuttering synth line; Malibu, a tribute to late 20th-century youth via the medium of a small red car; and the stupendously catchy, Springsteen-esque Seventeen.

Counterbalancing these instantly memorable, flab-free slices of retro cheer are more obtuse atmospherics: Jupiter 4 is a ghostly love song that recalls Suicide; Memorial Day a fug of eerie Americana. Whether Van Etten is brooding on the present or pining for the good old days, however, the general impression remains the same: this ambitious, arresting album feels like the work of an artist wielding her considerable talents with newfound confidence and conviction”.

There is so much personality, life and cinema on Remind Me Tomorrow. Songs such as Seventeen and Comeback Kid are deeply immersive, and you can imagine the Remind Me Tomorrow songs hanging together as a short film or extended piece. There is more musicianship and compositional input on Remind Me Tomorrow compared to her first couple of albums. I think Van Etten’s voice has strengthened and sounds more nuanced. I have listened to Remind Me Tomorrow a few times over and I pick up something new every time. It is a massive record and one that I urge people to get involved with. With every album, Sharon Van Etten picks up even more glowing and passionate reviews. In their assessment, Pitchfork were full of positivity:

“The most traditionally robust songs on Remind Me Tomorrow are about Van Etten as a teenager, usually a time of confidence that is later revealed to be naivety. “Comeback Kid” has a puffed chest and a sense of ragged pride; the standout “Seventeen” exudes the reckless freedom of standing in the sunroof of a moving car and spreading your arms wide.

t mixes despair for her poor decisions, nostalgia for that headstrong girl, and anxiety over what she would make of her now. “I know what you’re gonna be,” Van Etten taunts at full vocal power: “You’ll crumple it up just to see/Afraid that you’ll be just like me!” She gives no indication of who is right: the teenager disgusted at the thought of growing up and joining the straight world, or herself now, wanting to protect that girl who had no idea what difficulties were to come. What do you attempt to hold onto and let go of?

“I don’t know how it ends,” Van Etten sings dreamily on “Stay,” a reverie of rippling piano and bass that addresses the need for reciprocal support and independence between a mother and her child. It sounds like a resolution, or at least her making peace with how to develop trust when everything can slip away so easily, but the arrangement is still anesthetized, unresolved. Having more to live for, hence more to lose, is rarely soothing. But it’s worth the mess”.

It has been a busy year for Van Etten, and I wonder where 2020 will take her. Not only has she performed at Glastonbury, she has been touring extensively and bringing this wonderful album to the people. Even though she is a new mother, that has not prevented Van Etten hitting the road and reaching the people. Remind Me Tomorrow has been met with so much love and airplay. Almost a year after its release, I am still hearing songs from the radio played. It is a masterful recording and one that I am still investigating.

There have been a lot of interviews this year because, of course, there is this terrific album out and Van Etten’s life has changed significantly. I want to bring in a couple before winding down this feature. Back in January, Van Etten spoke with The Guardian and explained how motherhood has changed her:

 “…She nods. “There’s letting someone in for the first time, and acknowledging that’s the person you want to be with the rest of your life. Looking at our child every day and it’s some of our love that we’re eventually going to let roam the world. I feel like every day I’m at my most vulnerable. Even when he’s just hanging out, I swear, I sometimes just spontaneously start crying just looking at him.”

It was motherhood, too, that allowed her to be open to the idea of bringing in a producer rather than controlling every element of the record herself. She chose John Congleton, known for his work with St Vincent, John Grant and Angel Olsen, who lit up when she walked into his studio with a selection of influences that might seem surprising to those steeped in Van Etten’s previous work — Portishead, Suicide, Nick Cave. “I was ready to let go of these songs,” she explains. “I feel a lot of falling in love and settling down and becoming a mother, so much you can’t control, you have to let go. And I feel like the more I let go and trust other people to do the things I need to do, the better off I am and the more I progress as a human being. As soon as I let go, I just feel that I open up as a person.”

These days she doesn’t pick up her notebook as often, but songwriting has come to offer a similar emotional outlet. “When I go sit down and write music, I set up an instrument, and I develop a chord progression and I sing it, and I just hit record and I let it go.” Those early incarnations are often “10-minute meanderings”, which she will set aside to see if they can later be edited down into a song. “And then I’ll put on headphones and I’ll listen to what I was going through,” she says.

After a while she began to realise that as much as it was a source of concern it was also a subject of interest to her: “Why is it that people connect so deeply? And what is it about music? And what is it about communicating that they don’t have it in their lives, but for some reason they can talk to me? Or a song says something that they can’t? It made me realise it’s something I want to figure out, to help people learn how to communicate. So that’s why I took off time to pursue it.”

She has started training as a counsellor at entry level, exploring different kinds of therapy, working out which style suits her best. “I think a big issue for me is whether or not talking about the past is important,” she says. “Because there are different methods where it’s only about the now and only about the future, but I think the past is influential.”

It is impressive hearing Van Etten pledge her time to helping others. So often with musicians we hear about their music and not a lot else. Maybe there is very little chance to give too much what with the demands of music, yet Van Etten is keen to support others. In The Guardian’s interview, it is clear Van Etten can relate to those facing struggles:

She knows she wants to focus on helping young people just leaving home, those who might benefit from therapy – as she did after her parents made it a stipulation of her returning home after her time in Tennessee. “I needed to learn how to communicate what I had been through, and what I was going through, so that could help me navigate what the hell was next. Because I didn’t want medicine, I just wanted to understand. I was getting panic attacks and I was embarrassed about my life.”

There is a lot of detail in Remind Me Tomorrow, but it is a record that rewards your time and attention. I wonder whether Van Etten’s physiological studied, tied with motherhood, took her music in a different direction. We are wrapping up this year and many critics are compiling their list of the best albums so far. Remind Me Tomorrow will surely feature as it comes from an artist who is at the peak of her powers right now.  

If you have not experienced Sharon Van Etten’s music, I suggest you start from the beginning and work your way to Remind Me Tomorrow. In the last interview I want to introduce, Van Etten spoke with DIY about the origins of Remind Me Tomorrow and its themes: 

 “Though named jokingly after the option to postpone a computer update, on a more serious note, Sharon explains that the title of ‘Remind Me Tomorrow’ also comes from the the prioritising of your time that takes place when you figure out what’s important to you. This sense of contemplation over time also runs through the album lyrically, whether from the barking instruction of “don’t look back!” on the chorus of ‘Comeback Kid’ or in the question and then unsure answer of “What is the difference between now and then? I’m not sure” on ‘No-One’s Easy To Love’. ‘Seventeen’ is a look at a younger self (“I see you so uncomfortably alone / I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown”) that asks the questions: what do you hold onto and what do you let go of? And how much of our past is useful or worth remembering in order to live in the present?

It’s a line of thinking Sharon has been mulling over herself over the course of her studies, where she’s currently studying for a degree in psychology and eventually hopes to become a therapist. “There are some therapy styles which focus a lot on the past, some that acknowledge the past but focus on the present and then some which focus on the present whilst making a plan for the future,” she explains.

“I still don’t really know what I would personally want to pursue but I feel like I have a lot of reading to do in that regard, because I’ve learned a lot from experiences that I’ve had in my past but the most progress I’ve had as a human being has been very present and the most anxiety I’ve ever had is by looking too far ahead. Being present is still the centre but I acknowledge the past and I think you have to make peace with it”.

I am sure Sharon Van Etten will be busy through 2020, and there will be festival dates for sure. You can see where she is heading and, if you are nearby, I suggest you go along. It has been a remarkable year for her. Van Etten is a marvellous musicians and songwriter, and someone who inspires so many others. I think her stock will rise even more in years to come and we will come to regard as her iconic. I have included a playlist at the bottom of this feature that collates the finest moments from her career so far. There are so many years ahead of Van Etten; who knows how far she can go! I am going to keep my eyes peeled because, with Sharon Van Etten, the sky’s the limit! Remind Me Tomorrow is the latest release from a global star who has very few equals. When it comes to her and simply stunning music, Sharon Van Etten will go…  

ON and on.

ALL UNCREDITED PHOTOS: Sharon Van Etten

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. IX)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers/PHOTO CREDIT: Molly Matalon for FADER 

An All-Female, Autumn-Ready Playlist (Vol. IX)

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AS we have to go back to work tomorrow…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ellah Hale

I feel it is time for another round of brilliant female-led sounds. This week’s list is especially full, and I wanted to include as much as I could. It is a busy time for music, with so many terrific artists releasing wonderful music. Things may slow down in the final weeks of the year, but things are pretty hot right now! In this latest playlist, there are sounds from all across the musical map. If you need that extra bit of oomph and kick before returning to work, here is a rundown of tracks that will put you in a better mood. It is going to be a typically autumnal week and, with the darkness and coldness, we need something to put us in a better frame of mind. Because of that, here are songs from some of the best female artists around. Take the songs with you and…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Girl Ray

FEEL the stress melt away.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

__________

PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Arcila

Xenia Rubinos – DIOSA

Frazey Ford – The Kids Are Having None of It

Two People – Dream Steppin’

PHOTO CREDIT: Magda Campagne Photography

Austel – Choke

PHOTO CREDIT: @kourtneykyung

SASAMI – Little Drummer Boy

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura McCluskey

Girl Ray – Just Down the Hall

Arlo Parks – Angel’s Song

Kelsy Karter – Blast Off

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Ellary

Phoebe Bridgers – Georgia Lee

Grace VanderWaal – Poser

PHOTO CREDIT: @Conner.dixon

Calva Louise – Adelante

Elah Hale - Posters

PHOTO CREDIT: Sian Adler/Horizons /Gorwelion

I See Rivers – We Don’t Get More Time

Tinashe – Perfect Crime 

Carlie Hanson – Side Effects

Alicia Keys – Time Machine

GracIe Abrams – Stay

HARLOE – One More Chance

The Japanese House – Chewing Cotton Wool

Nasty Cherry – Music with Your Dad

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan Photo

Emily Burns – My Town

Hannah Diamond – Shy 

Maggie Rogers – Love You for a Long Time

Tamzene – You’re with Somebody Now

Misty Mtn – Woah, I’m Older

mimi bay – wyd

Kesha – My Own Dance

PHOTO CREDIT: Pier-Alexandre Gagné

Alexandria Maillot – Someone to Keep You Warm

The Big Moon – Take a Piece

Confidence Man – Does It Make You Feel Good?

Baker Grace – See the Future

Hatchie – Her Own Heart

Soccer Mommy – yellow is the color of her eyes

Freya Beer – Dear Sweet Rosie

FEATURE: December Will Be Magic Again: The Kate Bush Christmas Special at Forty

FEATURE:

 

December Will Be Magic Again

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Alamy 

The Kate Bush Christmas Special at Forty

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IT may sound a bit unfair to call…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the filming of the 1979 Christmas Special/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 a true Christmas special! There are a few reasons why I wanted to cover it. For one, it involves Kate Bush and I never need much of an excuse to include her! Also, on 28th December, it will be forty years since her special show went out on T.V. It was filmed at Pebble Mill Studios, Birmingham and involves Kate Bush performing songs from her first three albums – The Kick Inside (1978), Lionheart (1978) and Never for Ever (1980); she performed songs from Never for Ever months before the album itself went on sale. Peter Gabriel was her special guest for the show and, after her Tour of Life ran from 2nd April – 14th May, 1979, this was the culmination of a very busy and exciting year. I will get into more detail about the Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 in a bit but, forty years ago, Kate Bush was in the midst of one of the busiest periods of her life! Just over a year since her debut album was released, she had put out two studio albums and embarked on a very ambitious and extraordinary stage show – one that took her to various nations and was noted for its incredible spectacle and originality. Just a matter of days before the start of the 1980s, Bush was called into action for a T.V. special.

Many notes the fact there is only one Christmas track, December Will Be Magic Again (which was released as a single on 17th November, 1980), but I think it is the sheer delight of the show compensates. Directed by Roy Norton, Bush presented a fascinating set that, like her stage show, saw her assume various guises and perform these incredibly well choreographed songs. The fact of the matter is that, until the Christmas Special, most people had not been able to see Bush perform in this way. She had done T.V. performances and standard interviews but, unless you were in attendance during her Tour of Life run, you wouldn’t have been able to see her produce such an extensive set. Also, her Tour of Life did not have December Will Be Magic Again which, I think, is the standout song from the Christmas Special. Mixing the new (The Wedding List and Violin would appear on 1980’s Never for Ever) and her classic tracks (The Man with the Child in His Eyes and Them Heavy People) with some unexpected inclusions (Ran Tan Waltz). In fact, Ran Tan Waltz was only performed the once; it concerns a young husband is left home holding the baby while the wife is out drinking and philandering. It was released as the B-side of the single, Babooshka, in June 1980. I love the fact that, despite there only being one Christmas number, there is a sense of magic and the festive throughout. It is amazing seeing Bush step into a variety of different situations and portraying various sides of herself. Alongside Peter Gabriel and some familiar faces from the Kate Bush camp, the 1979 Christmas Special is an underrated part of her cannon. There are some big Kate Bush-related anniversaries next year (in September, Never for Ever turns forty; Hounds of Love turns thirty-five), but I think Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 is very important.

Not only did it cap off an incredibly busy and successful year for Bush; there is the fact we got to see this upcoming, popular artists in a T.V. special. I know I am a bit premature marking the fortieth anniversary, but I would urge people to watch it as it is full of terrific moments and sensational performances. At the centre of everything is Kate Bush’s vocal and dance brilliance. Not only is it worth investigating the Kate Bush Christmas Special because of the music and sense of theatre; it is also rare to see an artist given their own show. I do wonder why we do not see Christmas specials. At a time when there is virtually no music T.V. – aside from Jools Holland on the BBC -, it would be nice to see an artist, either a popular rising act or an icon, being given that space. Like Bush’s 1979 endeavour, we need not see too many Christmas songs at all. Rather, one would have a unique opportunity to see a popular musician performing a slightly scaled-down version of a live concert. Bush’s T.V. special was fort-four minutes, and I would love to see artists of today perform like Bush did in 1979. I have included a video of Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 at the bottom, so you can see the whole thing for yourself and marvel. As we head into the news year, there is talk about what Kate Bush will do next. Five years after her Before the Dawn residency, will she take to the stage very soon? Her previous studio album, 50 Words for Snow, arrived in 2011, so there is a hankering for new material. When it comes to Bush, she needs her time to create and there is never too much rush. Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 features drama, a sprinkle of snow and incredible performances. Nearly forty years after its original broadcast, it remains…

MAGIC indeed!

FEATURE: No Need to Ask Me Why: The Beatles: The Singles Collection: The Iconic Band’s Ten Finest U.K. Singles

FEATURE:

 

No Need to Ask Me Why

The Beatles: The Singles Collection: The Iconic Band’s Ten Finest U.K. Singles

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IT seems like there is constant updates and activity…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles in 1963/PHOTO CREDIT: Dezo Hoffmann

when it comes to The Beatles. Not only have we just celebrated fifty years of Abbey Road; there is a new collection out that compile all of their U.K. singles: The Singles Collection is a must for those who adore The Beatles! Twenty-three incredible Beatles singles are lovingly cut to 7”, with great artwork accompanying each – depending on which country is being represented, you get a fantastic cover. It is, essentially, a treasure trove for fans! The Beatles’ official site tells us more:

“We are proud to announce the release of this collectible box set presenting 46 tracks on 23 7-inch vinyl singles, in faithfully reproduced international picture sleeves, accompanied by a 40-page booklet with photos, ephemera, and detailed essays by Beatles historian Kevin Howlett.

These singles, plus an exclusive new double A-side single for the mid-1990s-issued tracks “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” are newly remastered from their original master tapes and cut for vinyl at Abbey Road Studios for a new limited edition boxed set”.

At the time of writing this feature (Friday, 22nd November), I have not purchased the set yet! I am sure that will change because, when it comes to The Beatles, you can never really have too much! Some may claim charging people nearly two-hundred quid for songs one can get on YouTube and Spotify is a bit steep. I agree that the price could have come down a bit, but this is less of a new release and more an artifact and treat that you can pass down the generations.

Few bands have released music as evocative, timeless and gorgeous as The Beatles. In fact, I think their music is finer and stronger than any artist that has ever come. There is something wonderfully moving listening to an early single like Love Me Do (their first) and comparing that with, say, Something – there is only a gap of a few years, but you can see the contrast and difference! With Paul McCartney confirmed for Glastonbury next year as a headliner and Ringo Starr generally being awesome, it is wonderful we have two Beatles in the world who get to see people’s reaction to The Singles Collection. Whether you plan on buying the new stack of Beatles vinyl or are tempted to revisit their singles through streaming services, it is a wonderful way to spend some time. Whilst all twenty-three singles (and their B-sides) are solid and superbly crafted, not all are equal. There is, then, that pressing question when we consider The Beatles’ (U.K.) singles: Which ones are the absolute best?! Everyone has their opinion but, to celebrate The Singles Collection, I have put together, what I think, are the ten best British singles from The Beatles. I am running them chronologically and, as a bit of a bonus, I will also include the B-side. The Beatles will always provoke passion and love so, with their U.K. singles available in this beautiful format, I give you the very best Beatles singles.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles, circa 1970

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Love Me Do

Release Date: 5th October, 1962 (U.K.)/27th April, 1964 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 17

Album: Please Please Me (1963)

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass

John Lennon: vocals, harmonica and acoustic rhythm guitar

George Harrison: acoustic rhythm guitar

Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine

Pete Best: drums

Andy White: drums

The Skinny:

“Despite this, McCartney remembers Love Me Do as a joint effort between the two of them, and that it came out of their early songwriting experiments.

Love Me Do was completely co-written. It might have been my original idea but some of them really were 50-50s, and I think that one was. It was just Lennon and McCartney sitting down without either of us having a particularly original idea.

We loved doing it, it was a very interesting thing to try and learn to do, to become songwriters. I think why we eventually got so strong was we wrote so much through our formative period. Love Me Do was our first hit, which ironically is one of the two songs that we control, because when we first signed to EMI they had a publishing company called Ardmore and Beechwood which took the two songs, Love Me Do and PS I Love You, and in doing a deal somewhere along the way we were able to get them back - Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, Barry Miles)

Although The Beatles started out by performing cover versions, as Lennon and McCartney grew as songwriters they began introducing their own compositions into their live shows.

Introducing our own numbers started round Liverpool and Hamburg. Love Me Do, one of the first ones we wrote, Paul started when he must have been about 15. It was the first one we dared to do of our own. This was quite a traumatic thing because we were doing such great numbers of other people’s, of Ray Charles and [Little] Richard and all of them.

It was quite hard to come in singing Love Me Do. We thought our numbers were a bit wet. But we gradually broke that down and decided to try them - John Lennon (Anthology)

As well as being their debut single, the band also recorded Love Me Do eight times for the BBC. A version from 10 July 1963, recorded for the Pop Go The Beatles programme, is available on Live At The BBC” – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: P.S. I Love You

She Loves You

Release Date: 23rd August, 1963 (U.K.)/16th September, 1963 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: Non-Album Track

Who Did What:

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass

George Harrison: lead guitar, vocals

Ringo Starr: drums

The Skinny:

“The song was mostly written on 26 June 1963, in a room in the Turk’s Hotel in Newcastle, prior to The Beatles’ second performance at the city’s Majestic Ballroom. A true collaboration between Lennon and McCartney, She Loves You distilled the essence of excitement in their music, and became a defining moment of their early career.

I remember it was Paul’s idea: instead of singing ‘I love you’ again, we’d have a third party. That kind of little detail is apparently in his work now where he will write a story about someone and I’m more inclined to just write about myself - John Lennon, 1980 (All We Are Saying, David Sheff).

McCartney’s original idea was to have a call-and-response song, with him singing the title line and the others answering with “yeah, yeah, yeah”. John Lennon, however, persuaded him otherwise.

John and I wrote She Loves You together. There was a Bobby Rydell song [Forget Him] out at the time and, as often happens, you think of one song when you write another.

We were in a van up in Newcastle. I’d planned an ‘answering song’ where a couple of us would sing ‘She loves you…’ and the other one answers, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ We decided that that was a crummy idea as it was, but at least we then had the idea for a song called She Loves You. So we sat in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it” - Paul McCartney (Anthology) – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: I’ll Get You

Can’t Buy Me Love

Release Date: 20th March, 1964 (U.K.)/16th March, 1964 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass

John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar

George Harrison: lead guitar, rhythm guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

Norman Smith: hi-hat

The Skinny:

“Can’t Buy Me Love is my attempt to write a bluesy mode. The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well but they won’t buy me what I really want. It was a very hooky song. Ella Fitzgerald later did a version of it which I was very honoured by - Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, Barry Miles).

Written by Paul McCartney, Can’t Buy Me Love became the first of the group’s singles to feature just one singer. John Lennon may have felt his position as The Beatles’ leader was threatened by the move; following the release of the single, Lennon wrote the majority of songs on the A Hard Day’s Night album.

That’s Paul’s completely. Maybe I had something to do with the chorus, but I don’t know. I always considered it his song - John Lennon, 1980 (All We Are Saying, David Sheff).

Can’t Buy Me Love featured twice in the A Hard Day’s Night film. The first was a scene in which they escape from the television studio to fool around in a field; the other involved the group running to and from a police station, with law officers in hot pursuit” – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: You Can’t Do That

Help!

Release Date: 23rd July, 1965 (U.K.)/19th July, 1965 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: Help! (1965)

Who Did What:

John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar; acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar; electric piano, Hammond organ; tambourine and snare drum

Paul McCartney: vocals, electric guitar; acoustic guitar, bass guitar; piano and electric piano

George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar; acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar and güiro

Ringo Starr: vocals, drums; tambourine, maracas; cowbell, bongos; claves, percussion; handclaps, acoustic guitar and percussion

George Martin: piano

Johnnie Scott: tenor flute, alto flute

Tony Gilbert: violin

Sidney Sax: violin

Kenneth Essex: viola

Francisco Gabarro: cello

The Skinny:

“Lennon’s writing for the Help! LP continued the inward reflection first explored on Beatles For Sale, with the title track speaking of his insecurity during the peak of The Beatles’ fame.

The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension. I was eating and drinking like a pig and I was fat as a pig, dissatisfied with myself, and subconsciously I was crying for help…

When Help! came out, I was actually crying out for help. Most people think it’s just a fast rock ‘n’ roll song. I didn’t realise it at the time; I just wrote the song because I was commissioned to write it for the movie. But later, I knew I really was crying out for help. So it was my fat Elvis period. You see the movie: he – I – is very fat, very insecure, and he’s completely lost himself. And I am singing about when I was so much younger and all the rest, looking back at how easy it was - John Lennon, 1980 (All We Are Saying, David Sheff)

Lennon’s other key compositions for the album were Ticket To Ride, which became The Beatles’ first single of 1965, and You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, a mostly acoustic recording featuring introspective lyrics inspired by Bob Dylan.

I was in Kenwood and I would just be songwriting. The period would be for songwriting and so every day I would attempt to write a song, and it’s one of those that you sort of sing a bit sadly to yourself, ‘Here I stand, head in hand…’

I started thinking about my own emotions – I don’t know when exactly it started, like I’m A Loser or Hide Your Love Away or those kind of things – instead of projecting myself into a situation. I would try to express what I felt about myself which I’d done in me books. I think it was Dylan helped me realise that – not by any discussion or anything but just by hearing his work – I had a sort of professional songwriter’s attitude to writing pop songs; he would turn out a certain style of song for a single and we would do a certain style of thing for this and the other thing. I was already a stylized songwriter on the first album. But to express myself I would write Spaniard In The Works or In His Own Write, the personal stories which were expressive of my personal emotions. I’d have a separate songwriting John Lennon who wrote songs for the sort of meat market, and I didn’t consider them – the lyrics or anything – to have any depth at all. They were just a joke. Then I started being me about the songs, not writing them objectively, but subjectively - John Lennon, 1970 (Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner)” – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: I’m Down

Paperback Writer

Release Date: 10th June, 1966 (U.K.)/30th May, 1966 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: Non-Album Track

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, lead guitar and bass

John Lennon: backing vocals, tambourine

George Harrison: backing vocals, rhythm guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

The Skinny:

“Paperback Writer was a standalone single released in June 1966, written by Paul McCartney and recorded over two consecutive days during the Revolver sessions. The song Rain was on the b-side.

Paperback Writer is son of Day Tripper, but it is Paul’s song. Son of Day Tripper meaning a rock ‘n’ roll song with a guitar lick on a fuzzy, loud guitar - John Lennon (All We Are Saying, David Sheff).

At the start of The Beatles’ career, Brian Epstein and George Martin had drawn up a plan of releasing four singles and two albums each year to sustain interest in the group and satisfy popular demand.

The release of Paperback Writer came 27 weeks after its predecessor, Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out. It marked the end of the release plan, and saw The Beatles entering a phase where they were less motivated by commercial demands and more focused on musical development.

Paperback Writer was an attempt by McCartney to write a song based on a single chord – possibly influenced by Indian music, but most likely a result of their marijuana use; other songs from this period, notably The Word, If I Needed Someone and Tomorrow Never Knows, were similarly modelled.

John and I would like to do songs with just one note like Long Tall Sally. We got near it in The Word - Paul McCartney

McCartney wrote Paperback Writer after reading a Daily Mail report about an aspiring author, and composed it on the way to Lennon’s house in Weybridge.

You knew, the minute you got there, cup of tea and you’d sit and write, so it was always good if you had a theme. I’d had a thought for a song and somehow it was to do with the Daily Mail so there might have been an article in the Mail that morning about people writing paperbacks. Penguin paperbacks was what I really thought of, the archetypal paperback.

I arrived at Weybridge and told John I had this idea of trying to write off to a publishers to become a paperback writer, and I said, ‘I think it should be written like a letter.’ I took a bit of paper out and I said it should be something like ‘Dear Sir or Madam, as the case may be…’ and I proceeded to write it just like a letter in front of him, occasionally rhyming it. And John, as I recall, just sat there and said, ‘Oh, that’s it,’ ‘Uhuh,’ ‘Yeah.’ I remember him, his amused smile, saying, ‘Yes, that’s it, that’ll do.’ Quite a nice moment: ‘Hmm, I’ve done right! I’ve done well!’ And then we went upstairs and put the melody to it. John and I sat down and finished it all up, but it was tilted towards me, the original idea was mine. I had no music, but it’s just a little bluesy song, not a lot of melody. Then I had the idea to do the harmonies and we arranged that in the studio - Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, Barry Miles)” – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: Rain

Strawberry Fields Forever

Release Date: 17th February, 1967 (U.K.)/13th February, 1967 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 2

Double-E.P.: Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

Who Did What:

John Lennon: vocals, acoustic guitar; piano, bongos and Mellotron

Paul McCartney: Mellotron, bass; electric guitar, timpani and bongos

George Harrison: electric guitar, svarmandal; timpani and maracas

Ringo Starr: drums, percussion

Mal Evans: tambourine

Neil Aspinall: guiro

Terry Doran: maracas

Tony Fisher, Greg Bowen, Derek Watkins, Stanley Roderick: trumpets

John Hall, Derek Simpson, Norman Jones: cellos

The Skinny:

“Dick Lester offered me the part in this movie, which gave me time to think without going home. We were in Almerí­a, and it took me six weeks to write the song. I was writing it all the time I was making the film. And as anybody knows about film work, there’s a lot of hanging around - John Lennon, 1980 (All We Are Saying, David Sheff)

Like Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever was a nostalgic look back at The Beatles’ past in Liverpool. Strawberry Field was the name of a Salvation Army children’s home near John Lennon’s childhood home in Woolton.

I’ve seen Strawberry Field described as a dull, grimy place next door to him that John imagined to be a beautiful place, but in the summer it wasn’t dull and grimy at all: it was a secret garden. John’s memory of it wasn’t to do with the fact that it was a Salvation Army home; that was up at the house. There was a wall you could bunk over and it was a rather wild garden, it wasn’t manicured at all, so it was easy to hide in” - Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, Barry Miles) – The Beatles Bible

Second A-Side: Penny Lane

Hey Jude

Release Date: 30th August, 1968 (U.K.)/26th August, 1968 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: Non-Album Track

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, piano and bass

John Lennon: backing vocals, acoustic guitar

George Harrison: backing vocals, electric guitar

Ringo Starr: backing vocals, drums and tambourine

Uncredited: 10 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos, 2 double basses, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 contrabassoon, 4 trumpets, 2 horns, 4 trombones, 1 percussion

The Skinny:

“Hey Jude was the first release on The Beatles’ own Apple Records label. It was a ballad written by Paul McCartney, to comfort John Lennon’s son Julian during the divorce of his parents.

Hey Jude is a damn good set of lyrics and I made no contribution to that - John Lennon, 1980 (All We Are Saying, David Sheff)

It was written in June 1968, as McCartney drove his Aston Martin to Weybridge to visit Cynthia Lennon and her son. On the journey he began thinking about their changing lives, and of the past times he had spent writing with Lennon at the Weybridge house.

I thought, as a friend of the family, I would motor out to Weybridge and tell them that everything was all right: to try and cheer them up, basically, and see how they were. I had about an hour’s drive. I would always turn the radio off and try and make up songs, just in case… I started singing: ‘Hey Jules – don’t make it bad, take a sad song, and make it better…’ It was optimistic, a hopeful message for Julian: ‘Come on, man, your parents got divorced. I know you’re not happy, but you’ll be OK.’

I eventually changed ‘Jules’ to ‘Jude’. One of the characters in Oklahoma is called Jud, and I like the name” - Paul McCartney (Anthology) – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: Revolution

Get Back

Release Date: 11th April, 1969 (U.K.)/5th May, 1969 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 1

Album: Let It Be (1970)

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass

John Lennon: harmony vocals, lead guitar

George Harrison: rhythm guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

Billy Preston: electric piano

The Skinny:

“Various demo versions of this early version were recorded, one of which contains the following lines:

Meanwhile back at home too many Pakistanis

Living in a council flat

Candidate Macmillan, tell us what your plan is

Won’t you tell us where you’re at?

Despite being satirical in nature, it didn’t prevent accusations of racism being levelled at McCartney for years to come, after the Get Back bootlegs became public.

When we were doing Let It Be, there were a couple of verses to Get Back which were actually not racist at all – they were anti-racist. There were a lot of stories in the newspapers then about Pakistanis crowding out flats – you know, living 16 to a room or whatever. So in one of the verses of Get Back, which we were making up on the set of Let It Be, one of the outtakes has something about ‘too many Pakistanis living in a council flat’ – that’s the line. Which to me was actually talking out against overcrowding for Pakistanis… If there was any group that was not racist, it was the Beatles. I mean, all our favourite people were always black. We were kind of the first people to open international eyes, in a way, to Motown” - Paul McCartney (Rolling Stone, 1986) – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: Don’t Let Me Down

Something

Release Date: 26th September, 1969 (U.K.)/1st October, 1969 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 4

Album: Abbey Road (1969)

Who Did What:

George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar

John Lennon: piano

Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

Billy Preston: Hammond organ

Unknown: 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, double bass

The Skinny:

“Something was written during the 1968 sessions for The Beatles (White Album), though it wasn’t finished until the following year.

I had written Something on the piano during the recording of the White Album. There was a period during that album when we were all in different studios doing different things trying to get it finished, and I used to take some time out. So I went into an empty studio and wrote Something - George Harrison (Anthology)

A demo version of Something, recorded by Harrison on 25 February 1969, his 26th birthday, was included on Anthology 3. It was also remixed and reissued on some formats of the 50th anniversary version of Abbey Road.

Although originally offered to Jackie Lomax, the guitar-and-vocals demo was given to Joe Cocker. Cocker’s version was recorded before The Beatles’, but not released until November 1969” – The Beatles Bible

B-Side: Come Together

Let It Be

Release Date: 6th March, 1970 (U.K.), 11th March, 1970 (U.S.)

Chart Position (U.K.): 2

Album: Let It Be (1970)

Who Did What:

Paul McCartney: vocals, backing vocals; piano, bass guitar and maracas

John Lennon: backing vocals

George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar

Ringo Starr: drums

Billy Preston: organ, electric piano

Linda McCartney: backing vocals

Uncredited: two trumpets, two trombones; tenor saxophone and cellos

The Skinny:

“The song was written during the sessions for the White Album, at a time when Paul McCartney felt isolated as the only member of The Beatles still keen to keep the group together. His enthusiasm and belief had kept them going after the death of Brian Epstein, but increasingly he found the others at odds with his attempts to motivate them.

Although his public persona remained upbeat, privately McCartney was feeling insecure and wounded by the gradual disintegration of the group. During this period, his mother Mary – who had passed away in 1956 when McCartney was 14 – appeared to him in a dream.

One night during this tense time I had a dream I saw my mum, who’d been dead 10 years or so. And it was so great to see her because that’s a wonderful thing about dreams: you actually are reunited with that person for a second; there they are and you appear to both be physically together again. It was so wonderful for me and she was very reassuring. In the dream she said, ‘It’ll be all right.’ I’m not sure if she used the words ‘Let it be’ but that was the gist of her advice, it was, ‘Don’t worry too much, it will turn out OK.’ It was such a sweet dream I woke up thinking, Oh, it was really great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing the song Let It Be. I literally started off ‘Mother Mary’, which was her name, ‘When I find myself in times of trouble’, which I certainly found myself in. The song was based on that dream” - Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now, Barry Miles)” – The Beatles Bible   

B-Side: You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)        

FEATURE: Back to Grey? Pop Music in the 2010s

FEATURE:

 

Back to Grey?

IN THIS PHOTO: Lewis Capaldi is one of the most popular Pop artists of the moment/PHOTO CREDIT: Capitol Records

Pop Music in the 2010s

___________

IT is no revelation to suggest that Pop music…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney has been confirmed as a headliner for Glastonbury 2020/PHOTO CREDIT: MPL Communications Ltd

is vastly different to what it was back in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, since the middle of the last decade, there has been a move away from something more alive and hooked-based to music that is more, well…dull. As we have received news Paul McCartney is headlining Glastonbury next year, I am minded of the Pop of the 1960s and bands like The Beatles. To be able to pen a short song with an instantly memorable hook is what defined The Beatles. I know there was a lot of bad Pop in the 1960s, but there were plenty of artists able to write these terrific songs that we are still singing today. That is true of decades that followed and, even when a band/artist was a bit more sombre or reflective, there was something in the music that was at least exciting or different. I cannot simply write off all Pop music of the decade as being rather bland and terrible. I spent last weekend listening to a load of Pop from the 1990s and early part of the last decade that were defined by cheers and optimism. Maybe the changing political temperament and state of the world means artists are writing songs that reflect their mood. If there was prosperity and a sense of hope years ago, can we expect artists today to smile and write big, shiny songs? There are artists who write optimistic and energised numbers but, even then, there is little in the way of craft and originality; more often, there is this generic sound that could have been made by anyone and, after you listen, the song is pretty much out of your head.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Republic

I do know that artists have to be true to what is going on in their lives but, if all we hear is something rather tame, anxious or sad, what affect does that have on the listeners?! I am not someone who says music from the past was perfect; that Pop was solid gold and it was SO much stronger than today. There were tonnes of novelty acts and terribly boring artists when I was a child, yet that was offset with more than enough anthem and the epic. At a time when there are more artists in the industry than ever before, is it a case that there are just too many artists around? Is it possible to stand out and sound alive when we are exposed to so much music – and how many of us to listen to songs and albums the whole way through? Where there was some very average and lamentable chart stuff years back, you only need to have a quick think and one can rattle off so many songs that are defined by a sense of colour and movement. There is that hook in the chorus or a delicious melody. That has not entirely evaded music, but I do think there is more emphasis on being relatable and emotive, rather than concocting a Pop banger that is new and can unite the people. I am searching my brain for Pop from the last few years that has remained with me and it is a very short list. That might be because of the amount of music we consume and how much in general we retain, though I can recognise great Pop when I hear it and I have my ears and eyes open all of the time.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tom Walker released his debut album, What a Time to Be Alive, earlier this year/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am not going to do a feature on every genre and how it has change in the 2010s, but I am always interested in Pop and, as we head to 2020, are things going to change?! There are definitely some artists who are making interesting and original music, but there is a difference between being original and memorability – artists who can write songs stick right in your head and hit you with a very special force. Maybe autotuned and facsimile female artists and the rather lifeless acoustic guitar-wielding male artist has dragged Pop into a rather drab and depressing state. I saw an article from The Guardian where Alexis Petridis penned his thoughts regarding 2010s’ Pop sound. He did stipulate that every decade has contained bad Pop and maybe, in a way, we do look at the past with rose-tinted glasses. Maybe there are very few Pop songs of this decade that will remain with me in years to come, although I can see some appealing and dynamic artists who are breaking away from the norm and trying to push Pop in a better direction - whether it is the rather grey and forgettable male artists like Ed Sheeran and Tom Walker or mainstream superstars like Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande. They may be popular and command legions of fans, though I wonder whether one can apply words like ‘memorable’, ‘joyous’ and ‘catchy’ to their music.

Perhaps, if you are in their target demographics then you will appreciate what they are putting out. The thing with Pop is, I feel, it should speak to everyone and not be reserved to certain audiences. In the feature from The Guardian, Petridis observed a new normal: a beingness and uninspiring sound that is rooted in the ordinary and repetitive:

“It’s easy to overestimate the dominance of normality in modern pop, particularly if you’re a music hack writing a piece that suggests it has been in irreversible decline since your teens. If you want pop music that looks spectacular, glamorous and aspirational, or suggests an intriguing world outside the experience of its audience, or that terrifies parents, there’s plenty of it. Drugged-out face-tattooed rappers; DayGlo K-pop bands; Lana Del Rey’s LA femme-fatale shtick; Billie Eilish’s gothic sci-fi imagery; the Afro-futuristic fantasias of Janelle Monáe and FKA twigs.

Journalist Peter Robinson suggested that the eureka moment of what he called “the new boring” came when Adele performed Someone Like You at the 2011 Brit awards, an event otherwise packed with explosive spectacle. “Wow,” host James Corden nodded approvingly at its conclusion, “you can have all the dancers, pyrotechnics, laser shows you want, but if you sound like that all you need is a piano.” As if to prove Corden’s point, Adele’s 21 became the biggest-selling album of the 21st century. Six months later, Sheeran broke through, touting an even more austere version of Coldplay’s dressed-down authenticity: one unassuming man, his guitar and a loop pedal. He released his major-label debut to widespread critical opprobrium, yet became not just one of the most successful artists of the decade but one of the most influential, writing for everyone from Justin Bieber to One Direction to Eminem, and spawning endless imitators”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @rexcuando/Unsplash 

Once was the time where the Pop charts and radio stations would, yes, put out some rather pedestrian music. There was also swathes of chorus-rich songs and explosions that got under the skin. I can understand how the very biggest artists got to where they are because their music strikes a common vein; it can be appreciated by a young audience and resonates because of its familiar tones. Is the yardstick for Pop majesty in the 2010s those who can appeal to the talent show audiences? Is the mainstream less interested in brightness and classic Pop conventions and more geared towards songwriters who open their diaries and project them to their audiences? Pop has always been confessional, but it seems it has increased and, whereas one used to be able to find plenty of upbeat and timeless songs that concerned love and loss, now there is far less. The Guardian’s article gave alluded to social media and how the scene has changed over the past couple of decades:  

“Social media also supplied a new set of stars: influencers, YouTubers, vloggers. Their appeal is invariably baffling to anyone over the age of 25, but the general takeaway is that kids want to watch people who look a bit like nice older siblings doing everyday things, being a little wacky and sharing makeup tips. Their appeal is not dissimilar, then, to that of Sheeran, who – 150m record sales, an estimated £170m fortune and an MBE later – still gives off the air of a mate’s brother just back from a gap year with tales of how sick Goa is. Or, indeed, of Jess Glynne, who’s more glamorous – no record label has yet allowed a female pop artist to take the stage in quite such a dressed-down state as Sheeran or Lewis Capaldi – but still gives off a resolutely ordinary air. At 23, Capaldi is too young to remember a world before social media, and seems like a hybrid of pop artist and social media star: nearly as famous for his extremely funny videos as he is for his music”.

Whilst a lot of the mainstream is culpable of producing a rather generic and insipid form of Pop, there are artists on the periphery who are at least making music that is different. Whilst I love what the likes of FKA twigs, Billie Eilish and Grimes are putting out, there is a lot of darkness and emotion in the music. Yes, the songs are bold and complex, but the best Pop is defined by a simplicity and a happier tone. Even though we have some geniuses in our midst, I feel a lot of the music will be appreciated now…but we won’t necessarily return to it in years to come. If you want to hear music that is deep, different and accomplished, you have plenty of choices. I am a fan of this kind of music, but I look around and ask what happened to Pop that provided these catchy choruses and aimed to get everyone singing along. One can explain away the change as a mirroring of asocial media and modern times; maybe this is a phase Pop music needs to take; perhaps it is impossible to pen anything classic and glorious given the sheer sea of songs that have come before. Maybe people of a certain age will always prefer music of the past regardless. Couple that with a young audience who are looking for relatable and rather uncomplicated music and you have this struggle that artists are involved in. I am never going to suggest Pop is doomed or there is no value, but this decade has bred too many yawn-inducing artists and so many that sound exactly the same.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @hamann/Unsplash

There are some great bands and people out there who have a definite kick and energy, yet the majority of the mainstream is dominated by a blandness that makes me wonder about Pop’s potential in the 2020s. I think the next decade will be marked by an increase in artists experimenting with the genre; taking it further away from the commercial and mainstream. I think we will see a few potential anthems of the future emerge, but I do feel like the 2020s will be largely similar to the 2010s. On the one hand, Pop is evolving and moving beyond the radio-friendly. On the other hand, we are moving further away from what made Pop so universal and popular years ago: artists who placed fun and the upbeat above the personal. Too many modern Pop artists lack a spark and are making music that is very beige and tired. There are many more that seem one of the same. I do think artists have naturally moved in response to the rise of social media and, perhaps, the fact that Pop is more about connecting with fans directly, rather than these big songs that do not aim at anyone particular. Also, the proliferation and continued popularity of music talent shows means that hosts of new artists are specifically moulded to sound like whoever is trending or popular - whether that is Adele or Lewis Capaldi or someone else. Whilst there has been a marked change (some would say a decline) from the past couple of decades, there are Pop artists who are at least reacting against the listlessness of a lot of modern Pop. Regardless of where Pop will head in 2020, there is some…     

GOLD among the grey