FEATURE: Dearly Beloved… The Epic Let’s Go Crazy, and the Possibilities of a Purple Rain Fortieth Anniversary Release

FEATURE:

 

 

Dearly Beloved…

IN THIS PHOTO: Prince in 1984

The Epic Let’s Go Crazy, and the Possibilities of a Purple Rain Fortieth Anniversary Release

_________

I realise that I have…

used the title of this Prince song in two consecutive features. I put together an ultimate playlist titled ‘Let’s Go Crazy’. The epic opener from 1984’s Purple Rain, I wanted to spend some more time with my favourite Prince song. There are a couple of reasons. I will do some further Prince features ahead of what would have been his sixty-fifth birthday in June. On 21st April, it will be seven years since we lost the legend. One of the most gifted and influential musicians ever, I was eager to pay tribute to him. I wanted to explain and explore my love of Let’s Go Crazy, but I also wonder whether there will be a fortieth anniversary edition of the Purple Rain album next year. Logically, there were two songs that could have opened Purple Rain. When Doves Cry would have been the other choice. It is great that Let’s Go Crazy leads us in. I think the opening words are the perfect way open it. Almost a prayer and sermon, Prince is almost a pastor when he says “Dearly beloved/We are gathered here today/To get through this thing called life/Electric word life/It means forever and that's a mighty long time/But I'm here to tell you/There's something else/The afterworld/A world of never-ending happiness/You can always see the sun, day or night/So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills/You know the one Dr. Everything'll Be Alright/Instead of asking him how much of your time is left/Ask him how much of your mind, baby…”.

The running order was going to be different to what actually appeared in 1984. A November 1983 configuration had Father's Song closing the album. Purple Rain’s title track opened the second side. Thinking about it, how could any song follow Purple Rain?! It is the natural swansong; in the same way nothing could get close to Let’s Go Crazy as the opening song! In my final Prince feature marking seven years since his passing, I will speculate and wonder whether we will get a biopic or musical film about his life and incredible legacy. There was one announced in 2018, but I don’t think it ever saw the light of day. There have been documentaries, but nothing like a huge film or multi-part tribute to the great man. Before I move to Purple Rain, I am going to drop in some information about a song that, to me, is the ultimate Prince cut. The Prince Vault website provides details about this spellbinding and explosive Purple Rain introduction:

“Let’s Go Crazy is the first track on Prince’s sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. One month after the album’s release, Let’s Go Crazy was released as the album’s second single, becoming his second US number one single (following When Doves Cry). The track is also featured in the movie Purple Rain.

The basic idea for the song/riff (that according to Prince photographer and friend Allen Beaulieu was something he came up with while jamming with Prince in the fall of 1982) was committed to tape in a session on 18 May 1983 at the Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Before a proper studio recording was made, Prince and the Revolution recorded the song live on 3 August 1983 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota (at the same concert where I Would Die 4 U, Baby I’m A Star and Purple Rain were also recorded).

Basic tracking of the version released on Purple Rain, took place on 7 August 1983 (four days after its live-recording at First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a day before Computer Blue) at the The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. This version would be edited down for the album (the full version was released on the 12" version of the single). In 1993, the track was included as the eighth track on Prince’s first compilation album The Hits 1 (also included as the first disc of The Hits / The B-Sides).

In 2001, the track was included as the fifth track on the compilation album The Very Best Of Prince.

In 2006, the Special Dance Mix (in fact the non-edited, full length track) was included as the first track on the second disc of the compilation album Ultimate.

On 31 March 2013 a slowed down, 6:37 studio rehearsal of Let’s Go Crazy was streamed on Madison Dubé Vimeo account and promoted by 3rdEyeGirl Twitter account.

The full-length version was included as the first track on the 7 November 1983 and 23 March 1984 configurations of the album, but this was edited down for the final 14 April 1984 configuration to make room for the inclusion of Take Me With U.

The Special Dance Mix was included as the seventh track on the first disc of an early configuration of the compilation album Ultimate before the album was reworked for release”.

Apocalyptic, loose, sexy, electric, and mysterious, in terms of lyrics, there is a bit of everything in Let’s Go Crazy. Some of the imagery Prince summons does make you wonder! Some of my favourite lines are “Let's go crazy/Let's get nuts/Let's look for the purple banana/'Til they put us in the truck, let's go”. What is the story behind the biblical Let’s Go Crazy? Far Out Magazine investigated last July:

“When we think of Prince, we think of a multi-disciplined genius who could write, produce, play all manner of instruments and dance just as good as any of his backing entourage. Bringing Prince to the forefront of our minds, so too we undeniably think of sex, given his overtly sexual style; we think of bedroom-friendly music, and we view the man, in his own famous words, as a ‘Sexy Motherfucker’.

Yet despite the unmistakable sexual themes found in Prince’s music, not to mention within the man himself, we also find something else that has historically conflicted with sex: religion. Yes, sex and religion have something of a troubled relationship, so much so that the Catholic church had for so long found the subject taboo.

Yet, for an artist so undeniably sexy, Prince has always had an unshakeable faith in God. “I like to believe my inspiration comes from God. I’ve always known God is my creator. Without him, nothing works,” he once said. Prince’s faith must have surely come from an early illness. He was born epileptic, yet miraculously his condition was cured. As a child, Prince allegedly told his mother that an angel had told him he would be cured, though Prince has on occasion stated that he cannot remember having that conversation with his mother.

Prince was raised a Seventh-day Adventist, though he later became a Jehovah’s Witness. Both religions are often viewed as being just outside the actual Christian church, though Prince’s undying belief in God is undeniable, especially when we take a closer look at some of his music.

One particular track on which Prince’s faith in Christ is evident is the opener of 1984’s Purple Rain, which opens with the sermon-like line, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life,” as well as a funeral procession-esque organ solo to boot.

Prince revealed in 1997 that the track served as a metaphor for the battle between Christ and Satan. However, it was indeed a metaphor rather than an unobscured reference to his faith, as radio stations did not favour songs which contained religious themes.

“As I wrote it, ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ was about God and the de-elevation of sin,” Prince said. “But the problem was that religion as a subject is taboo in pop music. People think that the records they release have got to be hip, but what I need to do is to tell the truth.”

“I had to change those words up, but the elevator was Satan. I had to change the words up because you couldn’t say God on the radio. And ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ was God to me. It was: Stay happy, stay focused, and you can beat the elevator. Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? Oh no let’s go!”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Prince performing on stage at the Joe Louis Arena in Chicago on 11th November, 1984/PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Maloney/Mirrorpix/Getty Image

There is always debate as to which album is the ultimate Prince release. Many might say 1987’s Sign o' the Times. That contains classics like the title track, and U Got the Look. That double album is hard to beat. Many might favour 1982’s 1999. I think that Purple Rain is the masterpiece. It was released on 25th June, 1984. It is forty next summer. I wonder whether there are plans already for an anniversary edition. I know that the Deluxe version came out in 2017. Prince died the year previous, but he did see Purple Rain remastered at his Paisley Park Studios in 2015. In 23rd June, 2017, a two-C.D. version came out, augmented with a From the Vault & Previously Unreleased disc. It featured eleven previously unreleased songs or versions, recorded between April 1983 and September 1984. One of the Deluxe Expanded Edition options had a third disc - Single Edits & B-Sides with B-sides, extended versions, and edits from the Purple Rain era. We also got a DVD release of the concert Prince and The Revolution gave on 30th March, 1985 in Syracuse, N.Y. The 1984 album’s legacy is hard to deny. It changed Pop and cemented Prince’s status as a genius and superstar. Purple Rain is ranked among the greatest albums of all time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Purple Rain is a staggering achievement. It was the peak of a particularly impressive run and fertile period for him. Two years after 1999, he released Controversy in 1981. So, in three years, he released three very different and astonishing albums! Maybe we have seen everything from the vaults relating to Purple Rain. As next year is the album’s fortieth, it would be great to have a boxset. A new vinyl set with B-sides, maybe live performances, and the DVD of the film. There must be memories from musicians and those who worked on the album. To celebrate arguably his greatest achievement, I’d like to think that there will be an anniversary reissue. That is a way off. As we have a bittersweet day on 21st April where we remember Prince’s passing seven years to the day; we also remember what an incredible and original artist he was. Even if there have been recordings released from his well-stocked and legendary vault, you know there is a lot more to come. I have been thinking about Let’s Go Crazy and Purple Rain. A magnificent opening track from a faultless album, I think it should get a special anniversary release to mark forty years. It is strange Prince has been gone almost seven years. His brilliance will live on forever. His music is timeless and will always be played and loved. Virtuosic, prolific and hugely important, the powerful and much missed Prince will..

NEVER be equalled.

FEATURE: If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too): The Artists Supporting Trans Rights and Speaking Out Against Anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ and Drag Laws

FEATURE:

 

 

If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)

PHOTO CREDIT: Greta Hoffman via Pexels

The Artists Supporting Trans Rights and Speaking Out Against Anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ and Drag Laws

_________

IT shouldn’t be a conversation…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Barcelos_fotos via Pexels

that we need to have in 2023. The issue around the trans community and their rights has been a source of division online. Whereas they should have equal rights and be admired and huge respected, there has been a lot of hate. A lot of conversation in the U.S. at the moment. Here in the U.K., there are prominent figures (including J.K. Rowling and Graham Linehan) who hold hate and ignorance towards the trans community. The L.G.B.T.Q.+ and drag communities have also been coming under fire. I will come to that soon. I know there are artists in the U.K. who are fighting back against those who attack and demonise these communities, but there is particular activation and engagement in the U.S. A little bit of modern context, before I briefly nod back. Late last year, this article explained how Tennessee was looking to pass the first anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ law:

“Just one day after the midterm elections in the United States, lawmakers in Tennessee filed bills to ban gender-affirming health care for children in next year’s state legislative session.

The bill would prohibit medical providers from prescribing puberty blockers, which delay puberty to allow children who are transgender or grappling with their gender to determine their gender identity. The bill would also prohibit gender-affirming hormones and surgery. While gender-affirming surgeries for children are not recommended under prevailing standards of care and are exceptionally rare, interventions to delay puberty are more common and are critically important for the mental and physical health of many transgender people. The American Medical Association and other leading professional groups have strongly opposed restrictions on gender-affirming care.

The Tennessee legislature has been particularly hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people. In 2021, it enacted laws requiring parental notification and opt-outs when schools use LGBT-inclusive curricula and preventing transgender children from participating in sports alongside their peers. It previously banned pre-pubertal hormonal interventions for children, puzzling critics who pointed out that this is not a standard element of gender-affirming care. The state has also failed to take positive steps to protect LGBT children, and it does not have inclusive antidiscrimination laws or antibullying laws to defend LGBT children’s rights.

Tennessee’s bill is the first anti-LGBT bill filed for state legislative sessions in 2023 following the midterm elections”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Participants attend the Nashville Pride parade in June last year, but new legislation has put a question mark over future events/PHOTO CREDIT: Mickey Bernal/Getty Images

It seems like attacks on the drag and L.G.B.T.Q.+ communities are continuing unabated this year. There is a wave of anti-drag bills sweeping the U.S. right now. NPR wrote how that this is taken straight from history’s playbooks. Hardly a new occurrence, there has been subjugation against drag performance for years now. Those scared that drag performance are damaging to children and are morally wrong are gaining a lot of ground in the U.S. Where some say the bills might not go anywhere and are vague, others argue that this is yet another attack against the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community:

“It turns out that even 150 years ago, legislators wanted to police gender expression in public spaces.

Who are they? LGBTQ Tennesseans. Advocates worry that recently-passed legislation restricting drag performances in public spaces in Tennessee could be used to discriminate against them, and fuel the slew of similar laws being proposed in other states.

• The bill that passed in Tennessee last week restricts "adult cabaret performances" in public or in the presence of children, and bans them from occurring within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.

• This was passed alongside separate legislation that bans transgender minors in Tennessee from receiving gender-affirming care like puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery.

• As of a month ago, at least 9 GOP-led state legislatures were pushing similar anti-drag bills.

• Those found violating the anti-drag law face misdemeanor charges in the first instance, punishable by a fine up to $2,500 and/or up to a year in jail. Those found for subsequent violations face a felony charge, punishable by up to six years in jail.

What's the big deal?

• Laws restricting gender expression in public and in private have been around in the U.S. for more than 100 years, with one in New York only just being repealed in 2021.

• Critics say the Tennessee bill is so constitutionally vague there is little clarity about what falls under the jurisdiction of the ban, making business owners, performers and others uncertain of what could come next.

• Others say the laws will be used to target queer Tennesseans everywhere: "It's ... this subtle and sinister way to further criminalize just being trans," ACLU of Tennessee's Henry Seaton told NPR earlier this month.

• Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, the drafter of the state's drag show bill, told NPR in a statement, "Just as current law prohibits strip clubs from admitting children, this legislation would also prohibit sexually suggestive drag shows from being performed on public property, or on any non-age-restricted private property where a minor could be present”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Miley Cyrus/PHOTO CREDIT: Sony Music via British Vogue

Whilst there is a lot of outrage and protest across all sectors and the arts, musicians have always been engaged and keen to speak out. In 2017, Billboard highlighted eight artists who spoke out for trans rights. This followed then-President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. military would ban transgender individuals from service from 26th July, 2017 - which sent a furore through the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community:

“Tegan & Sara

The tragic massacre of 49 people at Orlando gay club Pulse last June prompted many artists to speak out — among them, indie-folk sisterly duo Tegan and Sara. The singers, who are both openly gay, took a moment backstage at the iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards that month to explain that legalizing gay marriage is merely the beginning of the LGBT rights battle.

“We have a huge civil-rights movement happening right now with transgender people in America, and I think the worst thing that could happen to our community is we could become apathetic and we could think that everything has changed — everything has not changed,” Tegan said. “We are still a minority group and a lot of people still hate us, and that was proven last weekend.”

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a known LGBTQ ally, whether through her frequent posts on social media speaking out for trans rights or her music’s overarching message of self-love and personal truth. But her commitment to supporting the transgender community is perhaps most concrete in her work with the Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit the “Malibu” singer launched in 2015 with the joint goals of helping homeless and LGBTQ youth. For one of the foundation’s first campaigns, Cyrus partnered with Instagram to create “InstaPride,” a two-week photo shoot series (shot by Miley herself) to highlight and celebrate transgender individuals.

Beyoncé

Just after performing in Raleigh, North Carolina, as part of her Formation World Tour last summer, Beyoncé posted a note on her website condemning the state’s controversial HB2 law, a bill that would restrict transgender individuals’ public restroom use. The bill presented a debacle for many artists scheduled to perform in the state — while Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and others opted to cancel their North Carolina concerts in response, Bey used her Raleigh concert to bring attention to organizations working to promote trans rights.

“We think it is important for us to bring attention to those who are committed to being good and carrying on the message of equality in this core of controversy,” the note says, directing readers to Equality NC, “among the many organizations doing the good work to get this bill overturned.”

Demi Lovato

Performing her hit “Cool for the Summer” at the Billboard Music Awards in 2016, Demi Lovato let her attire do the talking. Lovato donned a mesh shirt adorned with an all-inclusive, gender-neutral bathroom symbol, a subtle stand against trans-discriminatory “bathroom bills.” Earlier that summer, Lovato canceled the North Carolina stops of her tour with Nick Jonas as a response to the state’s HB2 law. An Instagram post explained her decision, telling her fans, “We trust that you will stand united with us against this hateful law”.

Let’s come back to the here and now. There is a lot of suppression aimed at the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community., Trans rights are being blocked and attacked. The drag community is once more under fire and being seen as an evil. Forbes highlighted how Country artists are taking sides when it comes to trans and drag rights. Whereas the likes of Kid Rock, Travis Tritt and Ted Nugent spoke out against Bud Light partnering with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. They have vowed that Anheuser-Busch products will be banned from their tours. Other artists like Shainia Twain, Kelsea Ballerini and Orville Peck have voiced their support and love of the trans and drag communities. Tennessee issued a ban on public drag shows recently. It has sparked a lot of debate at a time when we should be supporting drag shows and not stigmatising the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community:

“TOPLINE

Country musicians have generated significant social media attention in recent weeks for their comments—positive and negative—on transgender rights and drag performances following a slew of bills in Tennessee and other Southern states targeting the LGBTQ community, and Bud Light’s partnership with a trans TikTok star.

KEY FACTS

Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok star, has been the target of conservative outrage over the past week after she modeled women’s sportswear for Nike and partnered with Bud Light, prompting high-profile musicians, athletes and media commentators to slam the companies as “woke” and attack Mulvaney.

Bills targeting transgender people and drag performers have flooded state legislatures this year, most often targeting various gender-affirming care for minors and aiming to prevent drag artists from performing in public or where minors could be present, the latter often based on false claims that these events sexualize children.

IN THIS PHOTO: Dylan Mulvaney/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

CHIEF CRITICS

Kid Rock went viral for a video he posted of himself shooting Bud Light cans and yelling profanities about the company and its owner Anheuser-Busch. His video has been liked more than 212,000 times and retweeted more than 44,000 times. Country star Travis Tritt announced he would no longer carry Anheuser-Busch products in his tour hospitality rider last week and blasted Jack Daniels for a years-old campaign that featured drag performers. Singer John Rich, one-half of country duo Big & Rich, asked his 900,000 Twitter followers last week what beer brand he should replace Bud Light with at his Redneck Riviera bar in Nashville, and separately tweeted a false claim that drag artists “dirty dance” for children.

CONTRA

Country singer Zach Bryan defended Mulvaney’s Bud Light partnership to his 400,000 Twitter followers on Saturday, stating “insulting transgender people is completely wrong,” while clarifying he means no disrespect to Tritt (and that he’d drink enough Jack Daniels for the both of them). Some notable country stars also came out in support of drag artists: Reba McEntire said she was “disappointed” in a Tennessee law (which was temporarily blocked by a judge) that would restrict drag performances in public spaces or where minors are present in a March interview, urging attention for more pressing issues like homelessness. At the CMT Music Awards on April 2, co-host and country star Kelsea Ballerini performed her “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” with four performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race, which many interpreted as a rebuke of anti-drag bills (including bills in Texas that would bar drag artists from performing where minors are present).

TONIGHT AT 8:30 ET - Stream the #LoveRising benefit show live from @BrdgstoneArena Nashville with Sheryl and a TON of incredible artists - get your ticket here: https://t.co/CQObPtp3lE Team Sheryl pic.twitter.com/zHThSpoefc

— Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) March 20, 2023

I have a couple of articles to bring in before finishing off. It seems that Tennessee is particularly anti-drag and trans/L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights. In the music community, there are some big names calling for change and going after those who are determined to alienate and dehumanise those that they feel do not fit in; those who seem amoral or are setting a bad example. Rolling Stone reported on musicians who are rallying against ridiculous and vile bills in the U.S. Let’s hope that there are support concerts and even more love from artists:

“LIZZO AND MADONNA have both taken stances in calling out the recent rash of anti-LGBTQ bills like the Tennessee drag ban and laws aimed at trans healthcare.

Earlier this month, Lizzo shared a series of tweets about getting to the root of the hate. “I’ve never heard a person say why they’re racist… Or fatphobic.. I’ve never heard a reason why someone is transphobic.. I think if we knew ‘why’ these people felt this way there would way less support for these ideals. Because the ‘why’ is more insidious than we realize,” she wrote before adding later: “Don’t get it twisted— I don’t care why people are bigoted. That’s a waste of my imagination. I feel like there’s a lot of complicit silence and apathetic participation going on that wouldn’t fly if people knew more.”

In the same vein, Madonna won’t allow the hate spiel to alienate her from her audience in Tennessee. The singer recently added a Nashville stop to her tour schedule, with proceeds from the show benefiting trans-rights organizations.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)

“The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane; it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color,” Madonna said in a statement. “Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to fuck with a drag queen. Bob and I will see you from the stage in Nashville where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.”

The B-52’s also took aim at the laws targeting trans healthcare. “We, The B-52’s, are deeply concerned about the numerous new bills that promote transphobia and discrimination against transgender individuals and drag artists, which have been introduced in the United States,” the band wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

“We strongly denounce these bills and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century, we are witnessing such blatant attempts to undermine the rights of individuals based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. These bills not only violate the fundamental human rights of the affected individuals but also perpetuate a toxic culture of hate and intolerance that has no place in our society.”

Nashville’s own Hayley Williams of Paramore previously wrote of the Tennessee laws aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills. We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends and family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them. Drag is not a crime. Gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker of boygenius perform during Coachella/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images for Coachella

It does not seem like there is chance of reform or common sense in states around the U.S. that look to castigate L.G.B.T.Q.+ people. From anti-trans rhetoric to anti-drag bills and an assault on people who should be embraced, supported, and shown nothing but respect and love, the music world is showing their support and anger. Rolling Stone reacted to boygenius’ Coachella set from the weekend, where the super-trio had their say about what is happening in some U.S. states. From Florida’s restriction of transgender care for minors to Missouri spreading that ban to adults too, boygenius had something to say on the matter:

“Boygenius didn’t hold back at their first “proper” show in five years. The supergroup — made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — took the stage at Coachella on Saturday night and immediately charmed the crowd by coming out to “The Boys Are Back in Town,” something that’s become an ongoing joke since they announced they were going on tour.

They were playful throughout the performance, tackling each other during “Salt in the Wound” and cracking jokes. However, their set was also a moment to take a stand: Dacus took a few seconds after introducing the band to speak up for trans rights. “I want to say before we keep going, I don’t know if you’ve been checking the news and seeing the tomfoolery that’s going on in Florida, Missouri, and so many other places, but trans lives matter, trans kids matter,” she said. “We’re going to fight it, and we’re going to win”.

It is great that artists are taking a stand and speaking out. I have said before how it is a shame that more artists do not use their time on stage to protest against issued and discrimination. Some do, but I feel that others hold back. To be fair, as is the case when it comes to gender equality and other issues, it is mainly women standing up. I do not want to make this about gender division, but it would be nice to see more male artists join the likes of boygenius, The Linda Lindas, Shania Twain and the many others who have shown support for drag acts and the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community. A lot of the negativity and hate has come from male artists, so some balance and outcry from male artists would be encouraging. Let’s hope that many more artists take a stand against the appalling bands and laws being passed across the U.S. For a nation that stands for freedom and democracy, a lot is being done to…

GO against that.

FEATURE: X: Why Abusive and Controversial Male Artists Should Not Be Given a Festival or Recording Platform

FEATURE:

 

 

X

IN THIS PHOTO: Chris Brown

 

Why Abusive and Controversial Male Artists Should Not Be Given a Festival or Recording Platform

_________

I have specified gender here…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Rihanna/PHOTO CREDIT: Fenty Beauty

as one very rarely hears of female and non-binary artists accused of domestic abuse, sexual assault or other forms of abuse and discrimination – including racism and homophobia. The statistics are glaringly skewed against men. Whilst it applies to a very small minatory, there are relatively regular cases of a solo artist or band member accused of abuse, assault or discrimination. Whether that is misogyny and sexism or physical or sexual abuse, it is not good enough for them to offer an apology - after being called out - and expect to slide right back into the industry like nothing has happened. This feature was inspired by tweets posted by broadcaster Emily Pilbeam, in which she highlighted how artists like Chris Brown and Tom Meighan (formerly of Kasabian) are on festival bills, in spite of the fact they have both committed domestic abuse. Brown has been accused on more than one occasion; he assaulted Rihanna in 2009. In spite of the fact Brown has been falsely accused of assault in years since, one only needs to do their research to know that the horrific assault on Rihanna was not a one-off in terms of offesnive or abusive behaviour. Someone with millions of fans and followers, his abusive behaviour should not result in him being given slots at festivals and appear on other artists’ music. Streaming sites will not take down his music but, as someone who has a history of controversy and abuse, why are festivals and artists engaging with him still?! It is reported that Brown has an untreated mental-health disorder, severe sleep deprivation, inappropriate self-medicating and untreated PTSD. According to the court documents, Brown was formally diagnosed with both Bipolar II and PTSD at the unnamed rehab facility. This is never an accuse to explain behaviour or diminish it!

considering the current climate, i find it so incredibly bizarre that people would even entertain engaging with ppl like chris brown and tom meighan on ANY level let alone work w/ them ???

u r inviting ppl to be outraged y r u doing it ??? is it simply “any press is good press”

— emily pilbeam (@empilbeam) April 16, 2023

Unfortunately, there are other artists who will want to work with Brown. Chlöe (of Chloe x Halle), released her debut solo album, In Pieces, last month. One of its singles, How Does It Feel, features Chris Brown. She is entitled to be a fan of his work but, as an artist with a lot of young girls and women as fans, it seems like a bad and ill-advised move. To give him that platform and exposure to an audience that will also be fans of Rihanna. Brown has been booked at festivals such as Lovers & Friends in the U.S., in addition to Wireless in the U.K. Brown was banned there for thirteen years for assaulting Rihanna, but why is there this statute of limitations where now he is clear to perform? He is still making headlines for unseemly, controversial and abusive behaviour, so why are festivals still associating with him? The fact he featured on a very prominent album recently is bad enough, but Brown is also being given literal platforms around the world. He can tour his own music though, when it comes to festivals, it is troubling artists who have abused women in the past should be allowed back. If the situation was reversed and a woman abused a man, you feel they would be given a lifetime ban!

I have seen people say he has paid his dues and he is popular, and so why should he not be able to perform? Are festivals doing this to make headlines and drum up attention? It seems like they are courting controversy and discussion to draw attention to themselves rather than making any logical booking decision. With so much choice out there, why Is Chris Brown even on the agenda?! Prisoners serve their sentence and are allowed back into society, but the music industry is completely different. Artists have to set an example and have this incredible commercial and creative influence. It sends a very bad and troubling message that abusive men are allowed onto festival bills. Brown is not the only male artists who have been abused women or been accused of sexual assault or misogyny. Not by a long shot! It is a rather long and horrifying list that includes Marilyn Manson, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, Dizzy Rascal (who is booked to play Margate Summer Series), The Bluetones’ Mark Morriss – most of whom continue to get gigs, festival bookings, and whose music is readily available online. Tom Meighan is another prime example. On 6th July, 2020, it was announced that Meighan was stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent due to personal issues. The next day, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-fiancée on 9th April, 2020. NME reported on the backlash the festival’s organisers have been receiving:

“Organisers have defended their decision to book Tom Meighan as the headline act for a Sheffield festival, following his domestic abuse conviction in 2020.

The former Kasabian frontman was announced over the weekend to be performing at this year’s Be Reyt Festival – which will take place in Sheffield on May 6. However, the decision has sparked backlash from a number of acts and artists, with an online campaign to boycott the festival reportedly been launched.

Meighan was convicted of abusing his partner, Vikki Ager, in 2020 and sentenced at Leicester Magistrates Court to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty.

Around the time of the conviction, he parted ways with Kasabian – the chart-topping band he co-founded in 1997 – and explained that he had struggled “for many years with alcohol addiction” as well as seeing the events as a “wake-up call”. He and Ager went on to be married, with Meighan diagnosed with ADHD and saying that he was “deeply ashamed” of his abusive actions.

Now, three years on, Meighan – having launched his solo career – has been booked as the headline act for Sheffield’s Be Reyt festival, in a decision that the organisers deemed a “second chance”. The store and venue Record Junkee along with festival organisers Network issued a statement, explaining why they booked Meighan as a headline act, and encouraged fans to support the artist as he is “working hard to better himself”.

While speaking of their dedication to supporting multiple genres, subcultures, backgrounds and the LGBTQ+ community within Sheffield, they wrote that “equally important to us is mental health”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tom Meighan

 It is laughable that, because Meighan has mental-health issues, that this someone exonerates him! It does not exculpate. Many of us (me included) have mental-health issues. I do not abuse and assault people! It is horrible that anyone has to experience mental-health struggles, but millions of people around the world manage to control their temper and do not abuse women. Is his (rather meagre and spent) cache and celebrity a reason why seemingly all has been forgiven?! Again, think about the way a female artists would be treated if they assaulted their partner. They would get longer bans, receive much more vile and consistent online hate, and the repercussions and judgment would be more severe. It doesn’t matter that the Meighan and Ager are married. It doesn’t matter – and I cannot underline this hard enough – that it was a ‘one-off’. Abusing a woman once still makes you an abuser, so it should not be downplayed because they had a ‘slip’ and let their temper get the better of them. Good if they can reconcile and recover, but it sends another horrible message that men can get away with this sort of thing and headline festivals for something as severe as domestic abuse. Men who have been accused of and committed sexual assault still perform and play festivals! Artists are allowed to continue their careers and cannot be banned from releasing music. It is a murky area, but whereas artists like Michael Jackson have been blacklisted on certain radio stations, others who have been accused of sexual abuse or assault continue to be played.

What I come against is that the likes of Chris Brown being invited to play on other artists’ albums. Festivals almost celebrating them booking him, in spite of the fact history cannot erase the memory of what he is done. Someone hardly reformed and evangelic, it sends out a message that you can commit domestic abuse and the repercussions will not be too strict. In fact, there will be a few festivals out there happy to put you on the bill! Same for Tom Meighan. A one-off or not, it does not explain why he assaulted his now-wife, and why a festival would want anything to do with him. Is this going to continue?! It is not the case that these are isolated occurrences. Emily Pilbeam tweeted that she’d like to think people wouldn’t engage with abusers in any way. She asked that, at such a volatile time, is this a way of getting people talking about these artists? Is it a way of trying to redeem them or, in some twisted way, stir controversy and backlash so an ailing or inferior festival gets attention?! The likes of Chris Brown and Tom Meighan should not be allowed on such a big stage when they have abused women. There are so many areas of the music industry that excuse inequality, abuse, discrimination and disgraced male artists. I hope that, given the backlash the festivals that booked Chris Brown and Tom Meighan have received for their baffling decisions, they can correct their policies and…

NOT let it happen again.

FEATURE: Ill Communications: Making Gigs More Accessible for Those with Speech and Vocal Issues

FEATURE:

 

 

Ill Communications

PHOTO CREDIT: Zachary DeBottis/Pexels

Making Gigs More Accessible for Those with Speech and Vocal Issues

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THIS may seem very niche…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Drazen Zigic via freepik

but concerns come not only from my personal experiences, but that of many others too. There have been developments in live music for those who need special accommodations or have disabilities. Venues are becoming more accessible to those with mobility issues, and many festivals and venues offer space for women who feel they are being harassed and need somewhere away from the vulnerability and chaos of a packed gig. There are also rooms and areas where those who struggle with extreme noise or stress can go. It is important that as many venues as possible ensure that patrons are catered for. Of course, you cannot make dispensations and allowances for every issue or requirement that may arrives. It is impossible to adapt and make sure that nobody struggles or suffers. It is a shame, but there is not the sort of money available to make venues bespoke and right for all. I do love live music because, as much as anything, you get to experience that direct connection with the artist and audience. It is an interactive and sociable event where you get this thrill and unique musical experience. I am someone who loves live music, but I do face issues myself. Apart from social anxiety – which is actually not too bad when you are sat and watching the music; it can get bad coming in and out of a venue -, one of the main problems is volume.

 PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Obviously, when you go to go to gigs, there is going to be a certain degree of noise. What I have found is a problem with communicating with others. I am not sure how widespread it is, but I don’t have the strongest speaking voice, and you will often get people at a gig trying to talk or ask something. If I have a certain limit to how I can project and the volume that comes out, it can often result in an awkward situation. I suppose there is no easy way around but, when you literally can’t explain to people that you cannot shout or talk any louder, you often have to rely on vague hand signals and hopes that they can read lips. It is a bit of a stigma for people who want to communicate and interact with others, but there is that embarrassment and sense of guilt when you have to let someone down or they cannot hear what you are saying. Apps are coming along all the time, but I don’t think there is anything designed for this specific complaint. Of course, when you have that stress of being incapable of projecting too much, that can strain the voice and also lead to anxiety and a weirdly low mood. As I said, I am comfortable with the noise at venues. It is great to let the music take you away. It is only when there is music playing and not a silence between numbers that can be troublesome.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

I do not know whether there is a way around this. Almost hanging a sign around your neck saying you cannot speak too loudly would be a rather stigmatising and unnecessary step. I do hope there comes about an app that works like a translator. Something that can use words on a screen where one does not have to rely on the human voice. It is not always such a massive issue if someone cannot hear you but, as many people cannot talk very loudly and make themselves audible, you do see a lot of people pressed up to people’s mouths and barely being able to understand them. Throw alcohol into the mix, and the passage of communication is often fraught with misunderstandings, repetition and, invariably, submission and a lot of wasted time! I think that communication is sometimes vital at gigs. If someone is being harassed or needs help, if you cannot hear one another, the only option is to sort of drag each other to an exit or quiet area. Apologies if an app or solution does exist, but I sort of feel like there are scenarios where effective and clear communication can avert something horrendous or even life-threatening. Alerting security or another patron to a potentially dangerous situation could be hampered if there was a delay in relating that threat. So much is being done to make gigs accessible and welcoming to all. There are those with social anxiety and autism that might be very nervous and feel insecure around people. I know that there are areas in some venues where they can go if they feel overwhelmed.

 PHOTO CREDIT: RODNAE Productions/Pexels

I do wonder whether noise and communication is considered. I am very jealous of people who have quite a good lung capacity and strong voices. I have a deep voice, but it is limited in terms of its volume and durability. It can even be sore and damaged at a gig from the force of the music, let alone any talking! But, again, I am happy to be there and it is one of those unavoidable things. Whether it is directing someone to the bar, answer a question whether someone was sitting next to you or not, or something severe like they are in danger, not being heard and able to give them that solution and direction is especially distressing and horrible. I don’t know whether anything in-venue can be done to solve that, but an app or something that could not only communicate but also deal with any issues that arise would be beneficial to all. I am not going to stop going to gigs, but I go less knowing that there is going to be that moment someone asks me something mid-song or when it is loud and they will not hear what I am saying. For those who in that position, I think something should be done to avoid the situation and provide accessibility and peace of mind. We go to a gig to see the artist/band, but it is nice having that connection and interaction with those around you. Ensuring that there is that easy and un-delayed line of communication…

 PHOTO CREDIT: ClubsMp5/Pexels

IS so important to so many of us.

FEATURE: The Bitch Isn’t Back: Reframing the Narrative and Idea of the Diva: Celebrating an Upcoming Exhibition That Takes the Term Away from Misogynistic and Sexist Roots

FEATURE:

 

 

The Bitch Isn’t Back: Reframing the Narrative and Idea of the Diva

IN THIS PHOTO: Cher, Elton John and Diana Ross at Rock Awards Santa Monica Civic Auditorium 1975, various locations, Mark Sullivan 70's Rock Archive (this image will be on display the upcoming V&A DIVA exhibition)/PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images 

Celebrating an Upcoming Exhibition That Takes the Term Away from Misogynistic and Sexist Roots

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ALTHOUGH a new exhibition…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Whitney Houston performing at Wembley Arena on 5th May, 1988/PHOTO CREDIT: David Corio (this photo will be on display the exhibition)

is designed to be celebratory and highlight some of the most iconic ‘divas’ opera, stage, popular music, and film, I wanted to also explore the way that word has been used. Across film, opera and stage, the notion of being a ‘diva’ can mean different things. Normally associated with someone who is quite difficult, I think that V&A South Kensington’s DIVA exhibition will dispel some notions. Rather than it being a word that is negative or refers to someone who is exacting or has a big ego, there are positives to be found. In fact, men are being included in the exhibition. Elton John is someone who one could see as a diva. He has been known to have the odd tantrum here and there, but rather than spotlight those important figures who are complex and can be quite short-tempered, the diva is more about celebration. If one looks up a definition of that word, you get a split. Diva is Latin for a goddess. Also, it is often seen as referring to someone, usually a woman, who is self-important and is difficult. Before any details of the V&A exhibition came out, if you see DIVA applied, you would think they were highlighted women who have that reputation as being quite strict and concerned with themselves. How many of us think of the word ‘diva’ and think of men? I want to turn my attentions to the exhibition, but I want to also explore the music diva.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mariah Carey/PHOTO CREDIT: Dennis Leupold

Among the musical figures who whose image will be seen at the exhibition, there is Elton John, Lizzo, Grace Jones, Whitney Houston, and Billie Holiday. One could think of other musical divas. Maybe Freddie Mercury or Mariah Carey. Again, it is that terminology and definition. You could look at those names and, as there are more women than men, is it about that negative connotation and reframing the narrative? The women included in the exhibition might be seen as divas, but it is more to do with command and control. A strength and personality that is iconic and inspiration. Rather than this being about investigating figures who are self-absorbed or temperamental, this is figures that have that glamour and pizzaz. The V&A exhibition opens on 24th June. Again, if I were to think about what a diva has always been, it would come back to that perception of tantrums and anger. A lot of women in music have had that word associated with them as a negative rather than a positive. Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were artists I loved growing up who were always labelled as being divas. I have seen that applied to Debbie Harry, Christina Aguilera, and Cher. One could say that the media are actually celebrating the influence and force of nature rather than attacking their temper or attitudes. I disagree. There has been this lingering association that female divas are difficult people that are to be avoided.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Freddie Mercury/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Jennings/Getty Images

I want to give special mention to Rachel Aroesti’s recent article for The Guardian. I have actually seen some articles from male journalists excitedly pointing out that the DIVA exhibition features men – and it is not only about calling women that word. They talk about this as being gender-equal and dispelling sexism. Whilst they have a point that it is not all about women being divas, they need to slow their roll slightly! I am going to finish with a thought, but Aroesti notes how, even though Elton John is included, where are the other men? Indeed, I have mentioned Freddie Mercury. She names Drake. You could also include Justin Timberlake and even Paul McCartney! One might see the female-heavy line-up at the exhibition and feel that this is still an celebrating the diva as being this almost monstrous figure. The type that makes no eye contact with people they feel is inferior. Those that throw a tantrum. It would have been nice to see some more male musicians to go alongside the likes of Grace Jones and Lizzo. I guess people might also associate Madonna as being a diva. Again, it jumping to that negative idea of the diva. The article states how the word is being recontextaulised. Rather than it being about misogyny and sexism, the diva is someone more complex, lovable, and assured. Rather than the diva being stroppy and ridiculous, they are commanding, assured and imbued with some silliness and excess:

“That the diva label is shedding its long-held connotations of misogyny and scorn is a good thing. Initially used to describe leading female opera singers in the late 17th century (the word is Latin for goddess), diva has retained some of that majesty in modern parlance, but has also come to denote a scarily demanding, uber-glam woman who takes self-absorption and entitlement to the next level. As a put-down, it has served as a sibling to bitch; an insult used to keep women who know their own worth in their place.

As the V&A has recognised, part of undermining that sexism involves applying the term to men too – although the museum isn’t exactly going out on a limb with its male divas. The show also features RuPaul, a drag queen who blurs gender boundaries anyway, and Prince, who, with his shimmery purple suits and penchant for heels, was androgynous enough not to have anyone questioning the term too closely. But if Debbie Harry counts, then why not John Lydon – the iconoclast who reinvented pop music twice, wore a series of show-stopping outfits and isn’t exactly known for suffering fools gladly? Or David Bowie, an uncompromising artist who revolutionised masculinity as a construct in the 70s? If Rihanna, why not Drake, with his perfectly manicured beard and tendency to travel with a colossal amount of luggage? Or, if flamboyant clothing is a prerequisite, then what stops Outkast’s André 3000 from being a diva too?

IN THIS PHOTO: André 3000

My personal vote for male diva of the moment goes to Succession’s Kendall Roy, a character who places huge demands on his staff, loves the limelight (see: season two’s eye-watering rap) and throws extravagant birthday parties themed around his own psyche (including a pink inflatable vagina tunnel to represent his birth: so extra!). In fact, Jeremy Strong, the actor who plays Kendall, is a bit of a diva too: in 2021, he revealed that he often refused to rehearse with his cast-mates and practised a form of acting he called “identity diffusion”, statements that were widely ridiculed online.

Forget the gender pay gap: more male divas, that’s real equality! And yet, I’m not sure the diva is the right territory for po-faced progressiveness. In fact, I’m a bit concerned that the V&A’s quest to strip the term of its problematic “difficult woman” connotations – and broadening its definition to mean pioneering, visually striking creators uncowed by doubters – might end up flattening some of the diva’s peculiar charms.

As contemporary internet culture understands, the diva is not supposed to be a wholly serious – or virtuous –proposition. Mariah Carey is cherished online not only for her supreme talent and chronic glitz, but the drop of acid in her baby pink world, and her keen sense of the ridiculous. This is a woman who once said she couldn’t wear flats because “my feet repel them”, and who in the early 00s suggested she’d never heard of rival megastar Jennifer Lopez. In the UK, meanwhile, hun culture – the social media comic subgenre that celebrates the low-brow, low-rent glamour of soap and daytime telly stars – is besotted with a camp but slightly mundane style of diva-dom best personified by ex-Towie star Gemma Collins (her reality series was subtitled: Diva Forever), whose dedication to glam and mercurial, egocentric nature makes her a one-woman meme-machine”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Prince/PHOTO CREDIT: Ebet Roberts/Getty Images

If sources like the Daily Mail sort of missed the point of DIVA and, in selecting their solitary musician they feel should be included went for Mariah Carey (a woman), there will be a few questions asked. I know Prince is an artist who will be included but, if we are taking the diva term away from the misogynistic and negative, then why not create more balance?! On paper at least, it might seem like the V&A celebration is still harking to that perception as the diva being a woman. Them being all about moodiness and unrealistic standards and demands. There may be some of that but, at its heart, this is framing the positives. Aroesti makes some interesting points. She notes that it might not be the right platform to create gender equality. Perhaps, at an exhibition that is meant to be a bit silly and frivolous, it is not the forum for a more serious debate and concern. She discusses the fact that, whilst the intention to dispel the misogynistic and sexist associations with the diva, is a lot of the qualities that make the diva being squashed down? The eccentricity and the camp. For me, it is good that the V&A are celebrating these important figures. They are highlighting women in music (and culture) who have been called divas and it has meant something negative. People never really talk about a male diva in that sense, so it has always felt like a word that is problematic and fails to recognise the women it stigmatises.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lizzo wearing faux-ermine dress with 'Don't Be a Drag Just Be a Queen' sash by Viktor&Rolf, photographed in New York City, 2021/PHOTO CREDIT: Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images

I am not as concerned as Aroesti when it comes to missing out on diving deep into the more peculiar and charming aspects of the diva. For sure, it would be good to explore that side of things, but I think that one of the most important things is taking the notion of the diva and turning it into something celebratory and progressive. It would be nice to see more male artists in the exhibition, but I am pleased that that historical definition of the female diva might change. Alongside including more men in the exhibition, it would be great to have more women in music. Showcasing the power and strength these women have, but also diving deeper. The humour and eccentricity is important. The fashions and that sense of the excessive and flamboyant. That personality that can shift from funny and quote-worthy to sterner and more professional. There is a lot of depth to the diva. In dispelling the misogyny that has always been linked to what a diva is, an expansive redefinition and exploration would be nice. Regardless, it is admirable that there is this focus on the inspirational aspect of these cultural figures. Women who have previously been seen as difficult and terrifying are now brought to life as leaders and pioneering figures. Let’s hope that future generations will not see the diva as difficult and repellent – rather, they are powerful creators that should be cherished and heralded. It is also good that the male diva is being celebrated. If we are included those who are excessive, peculiar at times, have that flamboyance and drama alongside this immense talent and electricity, then they definitely need to be in the conversation. Maybe there will be a future exhibition where there are more men, as it is important that they are recognised. Elton John is almost this leading figure and poster image. He should be joined by a host of other men from music. I am glad that the V&A’s DIVA has its share of male divas, even if they are a bit under-stocked. What is even more important is ensuring that a word that is layered and nuanced should apply to women. That the archaic and offensive definition should be consigned to the history bins! One of the great things about DIVA is that has got us…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Holiday at her only ever London appearance at the Albert Hall, in 1954/PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Hammond © Victoria and Albert Museum, London ((this photo will be on display the exhibition)

DISCUSSING and debating.

FEATURE: Bringing Down the Needle: Is There a Way to Make Vinyl More Affordable?

FEATURE:

 

 

Bringing Down the Needle

PHOTO CREDIT: Wellington Cunha/Pexels

Is There a Way to Make Vnyl More Affordable?

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I think that vinyl has always been…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Miguel Á. Padriñán/Pexels

and will always the best physical format to enjoy music on. You get a richness and listening experience that is unparalleled. I wrote a feature recently that asked whether we might get another physical format for the modern age. When you think about it and the demand for physical music, it seems wrong that there are so few options. With people buying fewer C.D.s and cassettes not exactly built to last and imbued with limitations, that is a lot of weight on the shoulders of vinyl. You would think, that by 2023, someone would have discovered a new physical format that could be easily played, is affordable, and would offer a nice alternative to vinyl. As it is, vinyl is the most-demanded and bought physical format. Sales continue to rise. That is encouraging to see, because I feel people want to own something that will last and they can hold. There is something almost art-like buying vinyl, as it quite a size! The sleeve has this striking and large cover image, and you can explore the liner notes. It is a feast for the senses and, in many ways, it is a smart investment. I can also appreciate how vinyl allows people to stop and listen to an album through. There is no easy skipping. You really do need to give it your full attention. It is not only classic albums that are seeing big sales and popularity.

 PHOTO CREDIT: freepik

So many new artists are putting their albums out in various formats. Whilst they offer cassettes and compact discs, it is the vinyl copies that tend to fare best. It comes back to the fact people own record players and it seems easier to play vinyl. Not many people have C.D. players or any way of playing cassettes! Given the demand and continued reliance on vinyl, one would think there would be more plants and manufacturers that could produce them more cheaply than they are now. There is environmental issues when it comes to shipping vinyl and a lot of the facilities used to manufacture them. This might be an issue that could be avoided if more money was provided by the government to ensure that plants could be built around the U.K./U.S. It is a joy to see vinyl albums on display. I was in an HMV recently and boygenius’ the record was alongside Ellie Goulding’s Higher Than Heaven. Taylor Swift’s Midnights (various editions of it), was also there, and the temptation to buy them all is strong! I think so many people either wait for an album to come down in price or buy the one. As much as we would like to splurge and buy all the albums we want, the reality is that prices are still pretty high. Even in independent shops, they can be pretty steep. I was looking to buy the record and Billie Marten’s Drop Cherries. Both were retailing for around £27. It is a little more at Rough Trade. You get various options regarding colour. You can get clear vinyl and ones with a couple of extra tracks on but, whilst those options are great, it is still quite hefty. Even if you are keeping that album for years to come, finding that money in the first place is quite hard.

I know there is a lot involved with producing an album to vinyl. It is a big product to start with, then you have manufacturing and shipping. I know it is never possible to make them and then sell them on at around £15 or so. Sometimes the same album on C.D. can cost a third less than on vinyl. It is a discrepancy that is hard to reconcile. One might say that, logically, as a vinyl is much larger than a compact disc, the fact you get that much more material means that you should be paying for it. I am not arguing that you get a lot for your money. Many people want to invest in vinyl as much as possible and, when you have such terrific music coming out and so many vinyl options (colour etc.), it is difficult to ration and choose! Regardless of the cost, vinyl sales continue to rocket. This article from earlier in the year reported great news regarding record vinyl sales in the U.K. over 2022:

“2022 saw the largest volume of vinyl sales since 1990 with 5.5 million units sold in the UK. Rivaling the year that Phil Collins released the chart-topping ‘…But Seriously’.

The albums chart was dominated by Taylor Swift‘s latest album ‘Midnights’ but UK artists such as Harry Styles, Wet Leg, The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and Liam Gallagher all taking top 10 positions.

The retrospective format to listen to music on is still clearly growing and showing little signs of slowing down. Although, the album charts only give us an insight into more mainstream artists, it is easy to argue that the format is dominating in the underground scene, where plenty if not most artists are releasing their music on wax.

Official Top 40 best-selling vinyl albums of 2022

1.      Taylor Swift – Midnights
2. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
3. Arctic Monkeys – The Care
4. Liam Gallagher – C’mon You Know
5. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
6. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
7. The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
8. Arctic Monkeys – AM
9. Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia
10. Muse – Will Of The People
11. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon
12. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
13. Nirvana – Nevermind
14. David Bowie – The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
15. George Michael – Older
16. Paolo Nutini – Last Night In The Bittersweet
17. Yard Act – The Overload
18. The Beatles – Revolver
19. Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
20. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
21. Queen – Greatest Hits
22. Foals – Life Is Yours
23. Louis Tomlinson
24. George Ezra – Gold Rush Kid
25. Harry Styles – Fine Line
26. The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
27. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend
28. Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory
29. Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
30. Taylor Swift – Folklore
31. Black Country New Road – Ants From Up There
32. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love
33. Fleetwood Mac – Greteast Hits
34. Radiohead – OK Computer
35. Florence & The Machine – Dance Fever
36. Tears For Fears – The Tipping Point
37. Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
38. Bruce Springsteen – Only The Strong
39. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
40. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Awesome Mix 1: Original Soundtrack”.

I suspect that there might be a slight decline this year. People have less disposable income in general with bills rising and the economy not being in great shape. I am often in the position where I want to buy two new albums on vinyl but can only get the one, or I might wait a few months so the price goes down. It is quite a big slice of your weekly expenditure. Many would argue it is worth it but, if there was a way of making it less expensive so that, say, an album that normally retails at £27 could even be cut to £20, that would be a significant difference. I feel for the artists who rely on that revenue. It is an ethical quandary for sure! With other physical formats declining and this being a form of income that they need, of course retailing vinyl for less will impact them – and it is especially severe for newer artists. There is a notable lack of major pressing plants. Perhaps the only major one in the U.K. is The Vinyl Factory. With the only options being to important, that does create environmental damage and means albums are more expensive. America seems to be in a better position when it comes to availability of major plants - but even there prices are pretty high. A format that should flourish for decades to come, there is nothing like shopping for vinyl and being surrounded by like-minded people.

 PHOTO CREDIT: ALTEREDSNAPS/Pexels

You get the experience of browsing the racks/shelves and taking time to see what takes your fancy. You get the album you went in for, but you may also discover a classic or another new album that takes your fancy. I am worried that there are many who might not be able to afford an album on vinyl, or they are missing out on a great new release because they cannot budget for it. Whether it is more manufacturing plants or another method, I am not too sure. There are high costs involved making vinyl, but I think that many more younger listeners would buy more vinyl if there was a way of making it less expensive. As I said, a new album costing £27-£30 is quite a lot; the price decrease would not need to be that much. We all want to ensure that this wonderful and huge popular format is enjoyed by all. Whilst you can buy a few new albums on C.D. and it would be anywhere from £33-£39 on average, that is only slightly more than one album on vinyl. I will get boygenius’ the record on vinyl soon, but I have it on C.D. now and I am already setting some money aside to buy Billie Marten’s Drop Cherries on vinyl – though it may take a little while longer. I think all vinyl lovers would buy even more if the price came down just a little. It would make things that much more satisfying…

WHEN we put the needle down.

FEATURE: Midnight Cherries: The Music Short Film and Visual Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

Midnight Cherries

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Beth Garrabrant

The Music Short Film and Visual Albums

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I guess it has always been a thing…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Marten

but I am so pleased that music videos and albums are being visualised in different ways. I am going to come to short films that accompany albums. I wrote about it a while ago, but there have been new videos made for classics of the past by The Beach Boys and The Beatles. As the bands reissued albums and there was some retrospection, we got these very different videos. It hasn’t always been the way, but I think that videos for older songs help introduce them to a new generation. In The Beach Boys’ case, among the songs that had a video was Don’t Worry Baby. There was a story arc played out connecting a few legendary Beach Boys songs. For The Beatles, there have been a few new videos. They are tied to the album anniversary reissues. Recently, an animated video for Here, There and Everywhere (from Revolver) was uploaded. I think my favourite reimagined video is for I’m Only Sleeping. Another Revolver classic, you imagine and see these songs in new ways. I cannot include these videos in this feature as there is no space, but I would urge you to go to YouTube and watch them. A reason why I am leading with this, is that many classic albums are getting songs visualised. Maybe not released as singles before, it is fascinating seeing The White Stripes’ Elephant come to life. Animated videos might be easier, and I think you have more visual flexibility. As Elephant recently turned twenty, a series of songs were committed to video form. It is great, because it makes people aware of the album, and it gives artists and directors an opportunity to add their stamp to tracks. I think that the video is still such an important medium. There are more options now then there ever has been - and it is crucial that we not only make videos for new tracks, but for classic albums that are celebrating anniversaries and are back in the spotlight.

Extending the music video form, artists put out short films to accompany albums. I am not necessarily talking about visuals albums (Beyoncé is an artist who has done this), but maybe a story or concept set to a few songs from the album. I guess there is some overlap between a visual album and a short film. If a short film/film promoting an album is an E.P., the visual album is the full-length thing. Taylor Swift is an example of someone who has made and directed both. She put out an All Too Well: The Short Film. NME were among those who reported on a visual album concept for last year’s Midnights:

“Right before releasing her hotly awaited 10th album, ‘Midnights’, Taylor Swift revealed that she’s made a series of “music movies” for it that will feature Laura Dern, Haim and more.

The first part of the visual album – a video for the record’s third track, ‘Anti-Hero’ – will premiere at 8am ET (or 1pm BST). In the meantime, Swift shared a trailer for the ‘Midnights’ video series, confirming the inclusion of Dern, Laith Ashley, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, John Early and Mike Birbiglia, as well as all three Haim sisters, collaborator Jack Antonoff, makeup artist Pat McGrath and model Dita Von Teese.

The trailer was premiered earlier in the night on Amazon Prime Video, where it was aired during this week’s Thursday Night Football. Swift has since posted the trailer on her own social media platforms – have a look at it below:

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the ‘Midnights’ video series reunited Swift with cinematographer Rina Yang, with whom she collaborated last year on her short film All Too Well. In a statement published by THR, Swift said: “I love storytelling, I love songwriting, I love writing videos, I love directing them. And this was a really fun opportunity to work again with the cinematographer Rina Yang.”

Swift teased that the videos would dive into “the world of this record”, noting that she and Yang “wanted to challenge ourselves to do different things this time around”. The singer-songwriter continued: “I’m really proud of what we made and I really hope you like them. We worked with some amazing actors, which you’ll find out more about at the end of the teaser trailer.”

‘Midnights’ is Swift’s first visual album, after making her directorial debut with the All Too Well short – which will qualify for next year’s Oscars – last November. That film starred Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner), and after premiering it in Manhattan, Swift took it to New York’s Tribeca Film Festival, where she declared that “it would be fantastic to write and direct a feature”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kristen Stewart/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

In the case of that album, I think there were a series of songs released as videos, whereas others had lyrics videos. It was a way of giving songs their own identity and visual feel. One reason why I love visual albums and short films is that it broadens the music video concept and goes into cinema. I like the idea of giving an album an accompanying short film. Whereas music videos can be brief and they are for individual songs, short films allow expansion and a thread to form. A couple of recent albums have had short films made about them. Among them is boygenius’ the record. Also, short films allow upcoming directors or unexpected sources to interact with an album and group/artist. Actress Kristen Stewart stepped behind the camera to direct boygenius – the film. Again, NME provide some details:

“Boygenius have shared a new short film directed by Kristen Stewart – you can watch it in full below.

The trio – comprising Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus – released the 14-minute The Film today (March 31) alongside their debut studio album, ‘The Record’. It comes after Stewart was touted to direct three of the band’s music videos.

Containing Boygenius’ first three singles from their LP (‘$20’, ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ and ‘True Blue’), the visuals begin with Dacus humming along to ‘The Record’ opener ‘Without You Without Them’ before Baker wakes up in a red race car bed.

Later, Bridgers takes the lead for the ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ part as she sings in a stadium while monster trucks drive around her. The musician’s bandmates then arrive on the scene. Dacus hands Bridgers two matches, with Baker lighting them.

The ‘True Blue’ section sees Dacus paint a room blue with help from the other two members of Boygenius. In the closing moments of The Film, the trio are seen lying under a duvet together as the camera pans away”.

I may miss out some examples, but there have been some terrific short films through the years. Another recent one that caught my eye was Billie Marten’s short film for her new album, Drop Cherries. I think this is the first of her four albums she has visualised this way. Directed by Joe Wheatley, it is more of as live gig concept. Something quite intimate but urgent, it differs from other short films. Objectives alter depending on the artist. For Billie Marten, the live-sounding and stripped-back approach mixes with something very natural and intimate. DIY provide more details:

“Billie Marten has blessed us with a new film, ‘Drop Cherries: The Film’, in support of her latest album ‘Drop Cherries’.

The live performance - which was directed by Joe Wheatley - was shot in one take in rural Nottinghamshire, and is now available to watch below.

Marten says about her latest record: “When I’m trying to write, the creative door is closed most of the time. When it briefly opens, I know I’ve stumbled across moments of true emotion and insight; they give no warning and are often unpredictable. I can’t force the process, something I’m realising more with each album. And that’s why I know that ‘Drop Cherries’ is a collection of songs expressing genuine intuitive feeling.

“I’m simply searching for clarity. I’m re-examining the same feelings I had when I first started writing: I feel different to others, so I’ll write about what that’s like and see if I can work out why that is.

“If I ever do, maybe I’ll stop writing”.

Visual albums are more expensive and harder to put together, but I do hope that we see more coming along. Taylor Swift’s Midnights might not have had all of its songs represented, but there was this ambition that desire to connect a personal visual style and film with music. I love standard videos, but I do feel there is something especially engaging about a short film or visual album. I might do another feature on the visual album but, as a few short films have been released lately tied to albums, I wanted to write about them. At a time when we still have so many teasers and tease regarding albums, it is nice to be able to sit back and enjoy something longer-form. Whether an artist perform a few songs from the album live, or there is a short film connecting tracks, it is an affective tool. You feel closer to the music and the artist at the same time. I am looking forward to seeing whether other artists follow in the footsteps of the likes of Billie Marten, and boygenius. It would be interesting to hear of short films that I have missed out on and should investigate. I think we will see more and more of them come about. The visual aspect of music is so important. Seeing artists create something like a short film is wonderful, and it can take an album…

 PHOTO CREDIT: marymarkevich via freepik

TO a new level.

FEATURE: Madonna’s Eponymous Debut Album at Forty: An Icon Back in Focus: Will We Get a Reissue of Richard Corman’s Madonna NYC 83?

FEATURE:

 

 

Madonna’s Eponymous Debut Album at Forty

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna on New York’s Lower East Side in June 1983/ALL PHOTOS: Richard Corman 

An Icon Back in Focus: Will We Get a Reissue of Richard Corman’s Madonna NYC 83?

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ON 27th July…

the world will celebrate forty years of Madonna’s eponymous debut album. A seismic moment in Pop history, on that day, she will be performing at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma as part of Celebration Tour. As we are heading slowly towards, it reminded me of an important anniversary that happens then. Photographer Richard Corman took a series of shots of the rising popstar in New York in June of that year. A month before her debut came out, she was definitely known and getting attention - though it would be a few months before her third single, Holiday, firmly put her in the spotlight. The photos he took occur during a fascinating time. With her name and sound on the music map, this was before her debut came out and took her to the next level. Whereas future photoshoots very much framed her as a superstar, icon or someone who had this fame, Corman’s June ’83 photos are very natural. There is elegance and a certain sense of stardom, but there is also something quite intimate, modest, and down to earth about the photos. Aged twenty-four, this was a woman who was already very confident of her direction and talent. Whilst Madonna has come through a number of transformations when it comes to her look and style, I think her 1983 aesthetic and photos are among the most enduring and memorable of them all. Richard Corman realty brought something special from her in N.Y.C.

Back in 2013, a book was announced that collated shots from that June 1983. A ninety-six-page book was published - but it seems to have gone out of print now. There are used copies I think that cost quite a bit, but as we are nearing forty years since those shots were taken, surely it is time to reissue a book that chronicles such an important photoshoot of this exciting Pop artists already exuding this combination of girl-next-door and megastar. It must have been wonderful for Corman to get the opportunity to shoot with Madonna. It was also very lucky of those in N.Y.C. who were in some of the photos! Little did they know that the Bay City, Michigan-born artist was soon going to become an international icon:

“This book represents a period in time, circa early 80's where fearlessness, creativity and a relentless attitude to transform ones style moved forward at all costs. Failure was never an option as it only inspired those individuals to create more and drive themselves harder. Madonna represented this sensibility like no one else; she was and remains an original whose self-determination moved her into an arena that today still maintains relevance unlike anyone else. Photographer, Richard Corman met Madonna on a whim in 1983 and created a brief but bountiful collection of images that truly represented a diverse portrait of Madonna and NYC that remains timeless and significant in 2013. MADONNA NYC 83 is not only homage to Madonna and the 80's, but also a collage of energy, exuberance, humour, fashion, sexiness and performance that continues to inspire!”.

There is a lot of celebration this year. Madonna is working on new material and will tour from the summer. But most of the focus away from the tour concerns her debut album. Its fortieth anniversary is an important moment, so people after going to be hungry for releases such as an expanded edition of Madonna or reissues of books and that mark that time. I think the Richard Corman N.Y.C. shoot of ’83 is one of the most important of her career. I would like to own the book and look through these shots of Madonna on the Lower East Side. There are so many captivating shots, having them in a physical format that you can revisit is what so many fans would want. It also stands as this documentation and representation of a time when she was just breaking through. I love seeing the backdrops and scenery in the photos. I have never been to the Lower East Side…but seeing it in 1983 gives me that pang and need to go there one day! As Madonna is getting a lot of criticism in the press and general judgment (which is nothing new!), it would be a timely reminder that here is someone who was influential, important, and incredible forty years ago. The same person they feel the need to take to task and objective all these years later! Photographed in June 1983, it was a time when she was readying her debut album for the world. What an exciting time it must have been capturing this young artist…

ABOUT to explode.

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: St Germain - Tourist

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

St Germain - Tourist

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A masterpiece album…

that was released on 30th May, 2000, I think that St Germain’s Tourist was underrated at the time. Critics liked it, but it didn’t sell as much as it should have. Perhaps the Nu and Acid Jazz mix was not what people were gravitating towards in 2000. The third studio album from French producer Ludovic Navarre (St Germain), this is a wonderful thing to own on vinyl. I would definitely recommend that people get a copy. Even if 1995’s Boulevard was the debut from St Germain, I think that Tourist the finest and standout release:

“Long before the likes of Daft Punk and Air, Ludovic Navarre, better known as St Germain, was breaking new ground as one of the original french dance artists.

Tourist, first released in April 2000, is the now legendary Blue Note debut album that went on to sell over 2.8 million copies worldwide.

The critically acclaimed electronic / jazz fusion album picked up a host of awards around the globe including Number 1 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album 2001, it was recommended as "one of the best albums of the year 2000" in Rolling Stone magazine, as well as picking up nominations of "Best French Act" at the MTV Europe music award 2001, and "Best Jazz Act" at the MOBO awards 2001.

A perfectly formed deep-house voyage, taking the listener through blends of jazz, blues, latin and hip-hop”.

There is not a lot of information out there when it comes to the making of. Because of that, I will bring in a few reviews that dip into the album and explain why it is so fantastic. Tourist is an album you have probably heard songs from before. The opening track, Rose rouge, is the best-known song from the album. Running at seven tracks and just under an hour, Tourist is an album to dedicate time to. I have been familiar with it since it was released in 2000. In the first review, this is what AllMusic wrote about St Germain’s third studio album:

“Since the advent of acid jazz in the mid-'80s, the many electronic-jazz hybrids to come down the pipe have steadily grown more mature, closer to a balanced fusion that borrows the spontaneity and emphasis on group interaction of classic jazz while still emphasizing the groove and elastic sound of electronic music. For his second album, French producer Ludovic Navarre expanded the possibilities of his template for jazzy house by recruiting a sextet of musicians to solo over his earthy productions. The opener "Rose Rouge" is an immediate highlight, as an understated Marlena Shaw vocal sample ("I want you to get together/put your hands together one time"), trance-state piano lines, and a ride-on-the-rhythm drum program frames solos by trumpeter Pascal Ohse and baritone Claudio de Qeiroz. For "Montego Bay Spleen," Navarre pairs an angular guitar solo by Ernest Ranglin with a deep-groove dub track, complete with phased effects and echoey percussion. "Land Of..." moves from a Hammond- and horn-led soul-jazz stomp into Caribbean territory, marked by more hints of dub and the expressive Latin percussion of Carneiro. Occasionally, Navarre's programming (sampled or otherwise) grows a bit repetitious -- even for dance fans, to say nothing of the jazzbo crowd attracted by the album's Blue Note tag. Though it is just another step on the way to a perfect blend of jazz and electronic, Tourist is an excellent one”.

Rolling Stone reviewed Tourist in 2000. They were impressed by what they heard. Sampling artists such as Marlena Shaw, Dave Brubeck, and Miles Davis, you get a mix of the classic and something modern. Using samples and older songs into a production and mix that has a contemporary freshness. It is not a surprise that Tourist has gained so much acclaim through years:

“On Tourist, St Germain -- the nom de mix of veteran French DJ Ludovic Navarre -- solves the great mystery of travel: how to be in two places at once. With its circular drum sizzle, real-time horns from the Kind of Blue handbook and hot-sugar samples of jazz thrush Marlena Shaw, "Rose Rouge" is a rolling joy, a wild Ibiza weekend squeezed into the Village Vanguard. In "Montego Bay Spleen," Navarre relocates the Jamaican Wes Montgomery chops of guest guitarist Ernest Ranglin to a futurist Trenchtown, part electric Miles Davis, part Sly-and-Robbie dub. And over the pillowy cadence of "Sure Thing," a digitally altered John Lee Hooker moans and plucks at his guitar like a vaporous griot, a sub-Saharan mirage of craggy Mississippi soul. A sly dog with a disciple's touch, Navarre shows respect for the spirit, if not the letter, of classic jazz. He gives his live soloists, including trumpeter Pascal Ohse and saxophonist-flutist Edouard Labor, room to breathe, if not blow wild. And Navarre manipulates with care: You're two minutes into "Latin Note" before you realize that, underneath the cafe-blues temper of the vibraphone, Navarre has gunned the percussion into a house-music gallop. Fusion without seams, swing that never flags, Tourist is a modern valentine to one of the lost joys of jazz -- as dance music. (RS 849)”.

I am going to finish off with a detailed review from Resident Advisor. Writing in 2020, Andrew Ryce wrote about his experiences with St Germain’s Tourist, noting why this album is so special. Twenty-three years after its release, it still has not aged - and it has lost none of its magic and power:

“It's 2002, and I'm 12 years old, flipping through the CD collection of my latest step-mom, who had moved into my dad's house so quickly I barely had time to meet her. One night I stayed up late to see what kind of music was in her collection. There was an enormous amount of cool, late-'90s electronic music I had only heard about before. Acid jazz like Medeski, Martin & Wood, stuff like Meat Beat Manifesto. St. Germain's Tourist, one of the most successful house albums of all time, caught my eye. The bright colours and timetable on the front cover seemed urbane and impossibly cool. When I first put it on, I felt classy listening to it, like I was living some elegant fantasy life far beyond my years and means.

Fast forward to 2020 and putting on Tourist is to transport back what feels like an incredibly specific time. Nightclubs had been chased out of New York by Giuliani's decree, as part of an overall whitewashing of the city, but house music—ever more tasteful, melodic and hip—was everywhere you looked. Not just in New York, but in London, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris, too. At every nice restaurant, at every cocktail lounge, all over TV shows like Sex & The City. Fusion-restaurant house was ubiquitous, and French producer Ludovic Navarre's second LP was king of them all.

It's easy to deride this kind of music as derivative. And a lot of it is. But not Tourist. The album is the  culmination of a successful dance music career, a nearly instrumental album that sold more than four million copies. It laid the foundations for a style that still rules the places where you can sip a $16 martini and lounge on leather cushions, a sound that still signifies some notion of taste and class for a certain subset of the world.

Tourist is revered and lampooned for the same reason: its unironic sincerity, its knack for going there. This is a record that kicks off with "Rose Rouge," a house tune built around the rhythm section from Dave Brubeck's "Take Five." And why not? "Take Five," after all, is one of the best songs of all time, and the sound of the piano and brushed drums is a shortcut to another era. Complete it with the husky vocal from a 1970s Marlene Shaw performance and a trumpet solo from Pascal Ohsé, and you start to feel like you're at a bar you can't afford, or a party you're not swanky enough to attend.

The album takes you on a trip through the sixth arrondissement neighbourhood that gave Ludovic Navarre his artist name, and through Paris beyond it. St. Germain was famous for its lively post-war jazz scene: "Rose Rouge" was the name of a cabaret; "Pont Des Arts" is a bridge that connects the sixth and first arrondissements across the Seine; "Latin Note" is a nod to the city's famous Latin Quarter, another cultural hub, next to St. Germain, while "La Guotte D'or" refers to an African neighbourhood in the 18th arrondissement.

It's also, as much of Navarre's career has been, a blend of musical styles. Tourist is discussed in the context of acid jazz or lounge house, but aside from the choice of instruments, it's much more than that. The LP touches on blues, Chicago house and, particularly, dub, an important part of the album whose influence usually goes overlooked.

Dub runs through the pulse of the best tracks on the album. "Land Of..." is one of Navarre's most accomplished tracks, effortlessly switching tack from dub to jazz rhythms—check out the piano break in the middle, which sounds like Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood"—on top of a relaxed breakbeat. This is turn-of-the-millennium dance music genre alchemy. And the Scientist-sampling "Montego Bay Spleen" features the incredible playing from Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin, who plucks and strums in languid circles around Navarre's calm dub beat. It's truly remarkable playing, not just an aesthetic gimmick.

The musicianship is another misunderstood part of Tourist. Navarre isn't simply putting down beats under jazz tracks or cutting up saxophone players from the '60s—most of the tracks feature solos laid down live by contemporary musicians, transforming Tourist from jazz-hop pastiche to a true jazz record, albeit one with a different kind of rhythm section (It even came out on the legendary jazz label Blue Note, which was dipping its toes into electronic music.) The live musicianship is what gives Tourist its panache and its most arresting details, like how the vibraphone shimmers across the stereo spectrum in glorious detail on "Latin Note."

Not that Navarre wasn't good at sampling: he takes a '90s-era collaboration between John Lee Hooker and Miles Davis and makes it the foundation for "Sure Thing," a laid-back jam that lets Hooker's guitar and voice do the talking. Hooker's angelic notes glide across the track, sounding almost inhumanly perfect at times, weaving and dipping through melodic figures in a way you'd never get on a quantized grid. Tracks like "Sure Thing" remind you that no matter the context, or how it was put together, you can't deny the soul of Tourist, which is more than the sum of its parts.

Soul is what sets Tourist apart from everything else that sounds like it. It's hard to divorce it from the clichés it helped inspire, but in this album you can hear the groundwork for musical adventures like Mala In Cuba, or the long-running Verve jazz remix series. Navarre took a glossy style often reduced to anonymity and infused it with personality”.

If you can grab Tourist on vinyl then I would definitely recommend it. If not, stream the album, as it is such a wonderfully rich album. Produced by Ludovic Navarre himself, you are lost in the hypnotising sounds offered. From the beauty and familiarity of Rose rouge to Sure Thing and What You Think About..., Tourist is a flawless album that invites you back again and again. We will be talking about this 2000 release for decades to come. It truly is…

A stunning album.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Let’s Go Crazy: Prince’s Ultimate Gems and Deep Cuts

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

IN THIS PHOTO: Prince at The Forum in Inlewood, California in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs via Getty Images

Let’s Go Crazy: Prince’s Ultimate Gems and Deep Cuts

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CLOSER to 7th June…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Richard E. Araon

I am going to put a few different Prince features. That is the date he would have turned sixty-five. I am going to release features regarding some of his best albums, his influence, in addition to the many sides of his amazing musicianship. We sadly lost the iconic musician on 21st April, 2016. To mark seven years since we lost one of the greatest and most influential musicians ever, I wanted to start with a playlist. I have compiled Prince playlists before but, as there has been posthumous material since then, I wanted to revise and tweak it a bit. I think Prince’s sixty-fifth birthday is an important event. There are albums of his that celebrate big anniversaries this year too. Included are For You (1978) and Lovesexy (1988). To honour the memory of the much missed Prince, I am going to end with a playlist of his best work and most interesting deeper cuts. Before that, here is some deep biography from AllMusic:

“No other artist of the rock & roll era compares to Prince. He was the rare combination of a visionary pop conceptualist and master musician who could capture the sounds he imagined, a quality that fueled his remarkable success in the 1980s. Ideas came to Prince so quickly, they couldn't be contained on his own records, either with or without his backing band the Revolution. He masterminded albums by the Time and Sheila E, and gave away hit songs to the Bangles and Sheena Easton, shaping the sound of popular music in the process. There wasn't an area of pop music in the '80s that didn't bear his influence: it could be heard in freaky funk and R&B slow jams, in thick electro-techno and neo-psychedelic rock, and right at the top of the pop charts. Prince's reign continued into the early '90s, a time which found him swapping the Revolution for the jazz-funk New Power Generation, but by the middle of the decade, he'd entered a cold war with his record company that contributed to a slow slide down the charts. Once he received emancipation from his contract, he seized the opportunity to release as much music as he could record, occasionally taking the time to focus his aim at the mainstream, scoring such hits as 2004's Musicology in the process. Prince produced new music at a furious pace throughout the last decade of his life, which is what made his death in 2016 such a shock: his music was ceaselessly, endlessly alive and full of possibility.

Music ran in Prince's blood. The son of a jazz pianist and singer, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958. Prince taught himself how to play music at an early age and his first original songs arrived not much later. Music remained a mainstay after his parent's divorce, a period where he bounced between both households. For a while, Prince stayed with his neighbors the Andersons, whose son Andre would later adopt the stage name Andre Cymone. The pair became friends and then collaborators, forming a covers band called Grand Central with Morris Day while the three attended high school together.

Prince and Cymone's first big break arrived when Pepe Willie, the husband of Prince's cousin, brought the duo into the funk band 94 East. Prince played guitar on a few tracks on a 94 East demo and co-wrote "Just Another Sucker" with Willie, a song composed in 1977. By that point, the teenage Prince had already signed to Warner Bros. on the strength of a demo he recorded with producer Chris Moon. He headed to the Record Plant in Sausalito, California to record his debut For You, which appeared in 1978. Prince played every instrument and sang every note on For You, an audacious move for a debut. The album made some inroads on R&B radio, with its first single "Soft and Wet" reaching 12. It was quickly eclipsed by "I Wanna Be Your Lover," the first single from 1979's Prince. "I Wanna Be Your Lover" reached number one R&B and nearly cracked Billboard's Top Ten, peaking at 11. "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" gave him another significant R&B hit in early 1980, reaching number 13 on the Billboard charts, but Prince guaranteed that he wouldn't be pigeonholed as a soul act by embracing rock, pop, and new wave on 1980's Dirty Mind.

Dirty Mind was Prince's first masterpiece, a one-man tour de force of sex and music; it was hard funk with catchy Beatlesque melodies, sweet soul ballads, and rocking guitar pop all at once. It didn't perform as well as Prince on the R&B charts, but "Uptown" peaked at number five on both the Billboard Dance and R&B charts. Prince doubled down on risque rock & funk on 1981's Controversy. Pop hits eluded him this time around, but "Controversy" and "Let's Work" made the Billboard R&B chart, which wasn't the only time Prince visited these particular charts in 1981. He masterminded the eponymous debut album by the Time, a Minneapolis funk band featuring his old friend Morris Day. All this buzz led the Rolling Stones to hire Prince as an opener for part of their 1981 tour, running into audiences that were unwilling to embrace his genre-bending music. He'd soon find wider acceptance for his music with 1999.

A tightly constructed double album, 1999 served as futuristic funk-pop that showcased the extent of his range. Released in October 1982, 1999 generated three massive hits: its title track topped out at 12 but it was a staple on the fledgling MTV, while "Little Red Corvette" and "Delirious" were Top Ten hits, peaking at six and eight respectively. 1999 is also where Prince unveiled his backing band the Revolution, showcasing the group in the album's music videos and featuring them on the record's supporting tour; several members also played on 1999. Afterwards, guitarist Dez Dickerson departed and the Revolution's classic lineup of guitarist Wendy Melvoin, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, keyboardist Matt Fink, bassist Brown Mark, and drummer Bobby Z solidified. This incarnation of the Revolution was showcased on Purple Rain, the film Prince released in July 1984.

A mythologized version of his own back story largely shot in his home city of Minneapolis, Purple Rain made Prince a superstar. Preceded by the stark, startling funk of "When Doves Cry," Prince's first number one single, Purple Rain became a blockbuster, its theatrical success feeding the popularity of its soundtrack and vice-versa. For a brief period, Prince had the number one single, album, and film in the United States, a remarkable achievement. The album's subsequent singles almost all went Top Ten: "Let's Go Crazy" also went to number one, while "Purple Rain" peaked at two and "I Would Die 4 U" reached number eight ("Take Me with U," released at the end of the album's cycle, went no further than 25.) With fame came controversy: Tipper Gore formed the Parents Music Resource Center after discovering her 11-year-old daughter listening to "Darling Nikki," a sexually charged song from Purple Rain.

His stardom secured, Prince took an abrupt left turn in 1985 with Around the World in a Day, an excursion into psychedelic pop not too far removed from the Paisley Underground movement in Los Angeles; indeed, he'd give the Bangles, one of the bands at the core of the trend, "Manic Monday," which went to number two in 1986. Thanks to "Raspberry Beret," Around the World in a Day was also a hit, albeit one that paled in comparison to Purple Rain; it sold two million copies and generated only one other Top 40 hit in "Pop Life." Prince quickly followed it with Parade, which was the soundtrack to his second film, Under the Cherry Moon. Directed by Prince, the film flopped, but the eclectic Parade was another hit album, producing the number one smash "Kiss."

Prince disbanded the Revolution after the supporting tour for Parade, an excerpt of which was featured on Sign 'o' the Times, the sprawling double-album he released in March 1987. Assembled from the remnants of several incomplete projects, Sign 'o' the Times was hailed as one of Prince's best albums, showcasing the full scope of his talents. It also produced three Top Ten hits in "Sign 'o' the Times," "U Got the Look," and "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man." Prince planned to release a collection of hard funk called The Black Album in November 1987 but he pulled the record at the last minute believing the album was too dark and immoral; it would be released in a limited run in 1994.

Prince quickly recorded Lovesexy, an album intended as a bright riposte to the darkness of the scrapped The Black Album. Lovesexy became his first album not to reach the Top Ten since Controversy and only generated one Top 40 single in "Alphabet St." Prince rebounded swiftly with Batman, an album inspired by Tim Burton's 1989 silver screen adaptation of the caped crusader. A blend of sound collage and medley, "Batdance" became Prince's first number one single since "Kiss," with "Partyman" reaching 18 later that year. Prince returned to the big screen in 1990 with Graffiti Bridge, another film he directed himself. Its accompanying album was Prince's third double-album in seven years, cobbled together from strays from the past decade and new songs, such as its lone Top Ten single "Thieves in the Temple."

With 1991's Diamonds and Pearls, Prince debuted the New Power Generation, a versatile band of professionals specializing in R&B and funk. The streamlined soul of Diamonds and Pearls gave Prince his biggest non-Batman hit since Around the World in a Day, with the slinky "Cream" becoming his last number one hit and the ballad "Diamonds and Pearls" reaching number three. The following year, Prince released his 14th album, titling it after a cryptic logo that allegedly combined the symbols for male and female. This graphic would soon be dubbed the "Love Symbol" and the album of the same name found Prince grappling with hip-hop on "My Name Is Prince" but it was the shimmering pop of "7" that gave him another Top Ten hit; fittingly, it peaked at seven on Billboard. In 1993, Prince released his first greatest-hits collection, The Hits; it was accompanied by an edition that also rounded up many of his B-sides from the 1980s.

Prince changed his name to the Love Symbol in 1993 as a protest against his label Warner Bros., who would not release new recordings from the musician as often as he desired. As the Love Symbol was unpronounceable, Prince was called "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" (or "The Artist") during this feud with Warner, which lasted until 2000, at which time his publishing contract with Warner/Chappell expired. After releasing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" on his NPG Records in 1994 -- it became his last Top Ten hit, reaching number three -- Prince attempted to speed through his recording contract with Warner during the mid-'90s, beginning with 1994's Come. Bearing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," The Gold Experience arrived in 1995, with the postscript Chaos and Disorder closing out the contract in the summer of 1996. Prince celebrated the end of his tenure at Warner by releasing the triple-CD set Emancipation on his own NPG in November of 1996.

Greeted by warm reviews and initially strong sales -- the triple-disc set would be certified double platinum due to its size -- Emancipation didn't generate any hit singles. Abundance soon became a calling card for Prince. Just over a year after Emancipation, he released another triple-disc set named Crystal Ball. Collecting unreleased material recorded over the years, Crystal Ball was accompanied by a bonus acoustic album called The Truth; it would receive its own independent release in 2021. Soon, the market was flooded with new Prince material. Newpower Soul, an album billed to New Power Generation but effectively a new Prince album, appeared in June 1998, Warner released a disc of outtakes called The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale in the summer of 1999, and Prince signed with Arista for Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, a star-studded wannabe blockbuster that performed modestly upon its November 1999 release.

Prince spent the first few years of the 2000s indulging in his love of jazz fusion on a series of records released on NPG, the first being 2001's The Rainbow Children, an album that referred to his recent conversion to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Prince returned to pop and R&B in 2004 -- and to major labels -- with Musicology, an album that brought him back into the Top Ten, while also garnering him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2005; it'd be certified double platinum by the RIAA. He consolidated his commercial comeback with 3121, which hit number one on the album charts soon after its release in March 2006. Planet Earth followed in 2007, featuring contributions from his old Revolution bandmates Wendy & Lisa. In the U.K., copies were cover-mounted on the July 15 edition of The Mail on Sunday, provoking Columbia -- the worldwide distributor for the release -- to refuse distribution throughout the U.K. In the U.S., the album was issued on July 24, debuting at number three.

LotusFlow3r, a three-disc set, arrived in 2009, featuring a trio of distinct albums: LotusFlow3r itself (a guitar showcase), MPLSound (a throwback to his '80s funk output), and Elixer (a smooth contemporary R&B album featuring the breathy vocals of Bria Valente). Despite only being available online and through one big-box retailer, the set debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. A year later, another throwback-flavored effort, 20Ten, became his second U.K. newspaper giveaway. No official online edition of the album was made available.

rom mid-2010 to the end of 2012, Prince toured throughout Europe, America, Europe again, Canada, and Australia. In 2013, he released several singles, starting with "Screwdriver" and continuing with "Breakfast Can Wait" in the summer of that year. Early in 2014, he made a cameo appearance on the Zooey Deschanel sitcom The New Girl, appearing in the episode that aired following the Super Bowl. All this activity was a prelude to the spring announcement that Prince had re-signed to Warner Bros., the label he had feuded with 20 years prior. As part of the deal, he wound up receiving ownership of his master recordings, and the label planned a reissue campaign that would begin with an expanded release of Purple Rain roughly timed to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

First came two new albums: Art Official Age and PlectrumElectrum, the latter credited to 3rdEyeGirl, the all-female power trio that was his new-millennial backing band. Both records came out on the same day in September 2014. Almost a year to the day, he released HITnRUN: Phase One, with contributions from Lianne La Havas, Judith Hill, and Rita Ora. A sequel, HITnRUN: Phase Two, was released online in December 2015, with a physical release following in January 2016. Also in early 2016, Prince set out on a rare solo tour, a run of shows he called "Piano and a Microphone." The tour was cut short in April due to sickness, however, and Prince flew home to Minneapolis. On April 21, 2016, police were called to Paisley Park where they found Prince unresponsive; he died that day at the age of 57.

On June 2, 2016, Prince's death was ruled by the Anoka County's Midwest Medical Examiner's Office to be the result of an accidental overdose of fentanyl. His early death and incredible achievements prompted an outpouring of emotion from fans, friends, influences, and professional associates. On the following week's Billboard charts, he occupied four of the Top Ten album positions and four of the top singles positions. As the particulars of his estate were sorted out by the courts -- the singer didn't leave a will, which complicated matters -- his Paisley Park complex was opened to the public in the autumn of 2016. That holiday season, NPG and Warner released 4Ever, a double-disc hits collection that contained the unreleased 1982 outtake "Moonbeam Levels." Upon its November 22, 2016 release, it debuted at 35 on Billboard's Top 200. The long-promised expanded reissue of Purple Rain appeared in June of 2017, featuring a disc's worth of previously unreleased music from Prince's vaults. Anthology: 1995-2010, a double-disc compilation of highlights from Prince's latter-day recordings, appeared in August 2018 in conjunction with the digital re-release of his post-Warner catalog; it was part of a deal with Sony Legacy, which also masterminded physical reissues of these latter-day records in the subsequent years.

The archival Piano & A Microphone 1983 appeared in September 2018; it debuted at 11 in the U.S. and 12 in the U.K. The next major reissue was Originals, a collection of Prince's original versions of 15 songs he gave to other artists. Featuring his versions of "Manic Monday," "Nothing Compares 2 You," "Jungle Love," and "The Glamorous Life," Originals arrived in June of 2019; it debuted at 15 in the U.S. and 21 in the U.K. A deluxe edition of 1999 -- containing two discs of unreleased material from Prince's vault, a live show from 1982, and a disc of single variations -- appeared later that November. In May 2020, Sony reissued all of the 2002 albums released under the "One Nite Alone" moniker as the box Up All Nite with Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection. This set was overshadowed by the September release of a Super Deluxe edition of Sign 'o' the Times, which expanded the original double-album with a wealth of unreleased studio recordings and live material.

Welcome 2 America, the first completed, unreleased album culled from Prince's vaults, appeared in July 2021. The album was recorded in March 2010 prior to his Welcome 2 America Tour and featured bassist Tal Wilkenfeld and drummer Chris Coleman. It debuted at number four upon its release”.

Ahead of the anniversary of Prince’s parting, I wanted to compile a playlist featuring some of his finest work. As I said, ahead of his sixty-fifth birthday in June, I am really going to go deep with his music and legacy. So many artists around the world owe a debt to him. Below are a selection of his songs…

THAT show why.

FEATURE: First Aid Kit: Why Are There So Few Female Presenting Duos on Radio?

FEATURE:

 

 

First Aid Kit

PHOTO CREDIT: Skylar Kang/Pexels

Why Are There So Few Female Presenting Duos on Radio?

_________

I do feel radio has always had a problem…

 IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

when it came to gender equality. Many might point out that, as there are a lot of women on major stations and local radio, that there is not a big issue. Think about many of the stations where the male broadcasters outweigh women. Radio X is an example. Even Greatest Hits Radio could do with a bit more balance. BBC Radio 2 has more male presenters. Even at the weekend – where the balance tips towards the middle -, you would think that the nation’s biggest station would be more conscientious and equal! BBC Radio 1 is a lot better when it comes to equality. They have an impressive and talented array of women across the station. I will come back to them in a minute. BBC Radio 6 Music falls somewhere between BBC Radio 1 and 2 in that sense. They do need to create more balance in terms of gender, but they have made strides over the past few years. It would be nice to see some younger blood added to the roster. That being said, they have had a bit of  shake-up when it comes to their line-ups. One pleasing aspect is that, as part of the changes – which take effect from 5th June – the brilliant Deb Grant is part of the station’s line-up. Someone who has stood in for Chris Hawkins on early breakfast, she will present New Music Fix Daily, Monday-Thursdays, 7-9 p.m.

 IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

That is exciting, as she will be appearing alongside Tom Ravenscroft. That dynamic is a reason why I have written this feature. It is a positive partnership and great show, but it makes me wonder why, when it comes to pairing presenters, there are never two women. One all-male partnership that has been created and received backlash and protest from listeners is the long-term favourites Marc Riley and Gideon Coe. Each are respected and invaluable broadcasters who are responsible for bringing so much new music to people. By cutting their individual shows and reducing their overall airtime each week (they will appear together Monday-Thursday, 10 p.m.-12 a.m.). This has led to people signing a petition to get them each reinstated on their weekly shows. This article explains more:

“BBC bosses face a new battle for the “soul” of 6 Music after thousands of listeners demanded a U-turn over a schedule shake-up.

Managers are facing a backlash over a decision to slash the hours that longstanding DJs Gideon Coe and Marc Riley present on the alternative music station.

Listeners took to social media to condemn the evening schedule changes, revealed in i, with many warning that the digital station, which reaches 2.5 million people a week, was losing touch with its core audience.

Thousands of rebellious listeners have signed a Change petition calling for the BBC to reverse its move to cut Riley and Coe’s airtime from 20 hours a week to just eight, with the pair asked to share an evening slot two days a week.

Reinstate Marc Riley & Gideon Coe's BBC 6 Music shows - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/yQ7t8XyNa9 via @UKChange

— Maxine Peake (@MPeakeOfficial) April 4, 2023

 One insider said: “The 6 Music audience is very loyal and protective. Bosses have a real battle to covince listeners – and its own staff – that these changes are a natural evolution and that the soul of the station isn’t now under threat.”

Maxine Peake, the Bafta-nominated actress and music fan, who recorded a collaboration with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, was an influential voice adding her name to the petition.

Musicians who rely on 6 Music to help them reach new listeners were among the most vocal in opposing the shake-up.

American songwriter BC Camplight tweeted: “This may be biting the 6 Music hand that feeds me but I’m so saddened by this.”

Camplight objected to the BBC describing Riley and Coe as “two of our finest creators” in its official announcement.

Riley is “not a ‘curator’. He is an irreplaceable communicator, entertainer, and musical stalwart who makes many of us look forward to 7pm”, the musician wrote.

Peter Guy, editor of the leading Liverpool-based music website Getintothis, wrote: “Feels like much loved 6 Music is spiralling into the abyss. Cutting two of its best two DJ slots into one is truly rubbish.” He called it “another poor BBC decision. Hard to understand”.

There is suspicion that the changes are being introduced to make 6 Music more attractive to younger listeners”.

I like everyone involved in the new 6 Music evening line-up, but why are all BBC music radio shows two men, or a man + a woman, but never two women?

— Laura Barton (@missbarton) April 4, 2023

It is a weird decision and real travesty that two incredible broadcasters have been pushed to a very late slot and had their shows taken away. Maybe trying to shore up space for different presents and appeal to younger listeners, I do hope that the new pairings do raise an important point. Look across the all-male Gideon Coe and Marc Riley, the male-female Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant, and you will notice that there are no all-female pairings. This observation came from journalist Laura Barton. It is a good point! Even look at BBC Radio 1, and they have Sam and Danni, Saturday between 7 and 10:30 a.m. There is Matt and Mollie 1 p.m. on Saturday. Matt and Mollie are also on at 1 p.m. Sundays. The only exception of sorts happens on Sunday where Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton run down the chart at 6 p.m. It is very rare that you see an all-female pairing like this. Indeed, BBC Radio 2 doesn’t have any pairings at all. Elsewhere on BBC Radio 1, you have Dean and Vicky, Vick and Jordan, and Rickie, Melvin and Charlie. There is great diversity and equality on the station, but why the solitary female duo?! And, in fact, the chart show does not allow individual curation and a lot of chat. Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton are essentially announcing chart positions and not too much else. It is a great show, but it would be great to give them another show where they could play a range of music, conduct interviews, and have more flexibility.

 IN THIS IMAGE: Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton/IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

Looking across other stations, and the situation is broadly the same. KISS FRESH, KISS, AND KISSTORY have no all-female duos. Same goes for Heart. Radio X, shockingly, has no female partnerships. The only other exception I could see if Magic Breakfast with Kat Shoob and Nicole Appleton. Appleton seems like a temporary stand-in for Tom Price, so it is not even a permanent fixture! So, across all the most popular stations, you have one, at a push two, incidents of a female presenting duo. Compare that to the many all-male/male-female examples, and you have to wonder why this is? indeed, across every station, you could pair two women and make an incredible show. BBC Radio 1 has awesome broadcasters like Clara Amfo, Alyx Holcombe, and Sian Eleri. They could easily create a partnerships that would be very natural and popular. Their current chart show pairing would extended well beyond its limitations and confines of a Sunday. BBC Radio 2 has ample options - as does every other station I have mentioned. Taking it back to BBC Radio 6 Music and, whilst they have a couple of new pairings, you do feel that there is an opportunity for others. In new of promoting new music, what about Mary Anne Hobbs and Annie Mac (who is a temporary broadcaster on the station but should be permanent)? Emily Pilbeam has recently stood in for Chris Hawkins. She would be a wonderful half of a female duo. Eclectic shows from Jamz Supernova and Cerys Matthews could fuse and work alongside one another.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The iconic Annie Mac

I cannot get my head around why there are no (or very few) female partnerships! I titled this feature ‘First Aid Kit’, as it seems apt. There is something scarred and damaged when it comes to the current malaise and mindset. That presenting partnerships all either all-male or male-female. (First Aid Kit, by the way, are a Swedish duo of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg. The duo are often played on BBC Radio 6 Music). Like any feature relating to gender inequality, you get people coming back with excuses, cliches and untruths. The listeners are not protesting and pointing out the imbalance, so what does it matter?! It would be unnatural or ‘woke’ to put two women together, perhaps. Maybe there is a reason why you do not have female presenting duos. Are they going to go off-topic and be too chatty and not focused on the show at hand? All bollocks, of course! Yet it is the same sexist attitudes that one can see across radio, festivals, in studios, and across all areas of the industry. It would be exciting to see female pairings across the stations. A new dynamic. I suspect the male-female pairing is most popular because people think it replicates a relationship or has that range of voices. If it all-male or all-female then maybe it is homogenised or limited? It does seem very regressive that stations do not have that trust and foresight to give two incredible women airtime together. In 2023, when we have some incredible women across every major station, there should be more respect and trust. Laura Barton rightly reacted to BBC Radio 6 Music’s new shows – where Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft are paired; same with Marc Riley and Gideon Coe – by asking why is it the same old story. I actually think that two women presenting together would be amazing and, hopefully, start a wave of new shows. It makes me wonder why radio stations…

 PHOTO CREDIT: freepik

REFUSE to change the frequency.

FEATURE: Aerial Shots: Kate Bush’s Symphonic and Sweeping A Sky of Honey

FEATURE:

 

 

Aerial Shots

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for Aerial in 2005 

Kate Bush’s Symphonic and Sweeping A Sky of Honey

_________

I don’t think enough mind is paid…

to one of Kate Bush’s greatest musical accomplishments. This is not tied to an anniversary, but I have been thinking about Aerial. The 2005 album came twelve years after The Red Shoes. She had been suggesting a new album was coming out before that. Nobody would have known that we’d get a double album. In terms of the sounds and feel, it was very different to The Red Shoes. The first side of the album is more conventional in terms of its songs and concept. With one single released from the album, King of the Mountain, Aerial does start with one of its most immediate and accessible moments. Elsewhere on the first disc, you get Kate Bush in full Kate Bush mode. You get a paen to her then-young son Bertie (Bertie), and her reciting Pi/π (Pi). Comparisons have been made between Hounds of Love and Aerial. The 1985 album was a result of Bush recording an album following one that was quite draining and exhausting. It that case, it was 1982’s The Dreaming. She dedicated more time to family and space. She built a studio at her family home and changed her life. Similarly, Bush followed the difficult The Red Shoes – albeit after a longer gap – with Aerial. She started a family and very much came back to us having stepped away from the limelight. Both albums featured one side of more conventional songs, with a second side being conceptual and a suite. Many felt that Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave could not be equalled. That is about a women lost at sea who needs rescuing. You wonder whether she will make it and, by the final song, there are questions as to whether she actually made it. A Sky of Honey is different. That is the cycle of a single summer’s day. It starts one morning before moving through to the next one.

Maybe The Ninth Wave took place across a single day, but there are contrasts. The Ninth Wave, psychologically, seems to be about an artist who was drowning or struggling that is now free or rescued from that. A Sky of Honey is a content and happy artist who is revelling in her surroundings without there being any twist or darker edge. The nine tracks that go into A Sky of Honey are so compelling and rich. You get sounds of nature, layered vocals, scenes, and colours that just had to be brought to the stage. I was not able to see Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn in 2014. There, she brought to life The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey to life. That was the concept and thread of the residency. She wanted to perform both of those suites. The dramatic and stirring The Ninth Wave alongside the more serene and calming A Sky of Honey provided a challenge in terms of narrative and sets, but it was executed beautifully. I think that A Sky of Honey does not get the same credit and focus it deserves. In terms of the compositions and vocals, I think that this is Kate Bush at her peak. Her creativity and production is sublime. Some of her most powerful and beautiful vocals are on this suite. I especially love Nocturn and what she does there. When Aerial was released on 7th November, 2005, it reached number three in the U.K. I have written before whether we might get a third suite from Kate Bush.

If she does ever release a new album, a song cycle would be wonderful. I think Bush is at her most extraordinary, cinematic, and symphonic when she is composing a grand suite. I have always thought of Bush as a composer and scorer. She has this ambitious mindset that comes to life and is explored through a longer form piece. To me, it is the nature and birdsong that is most affecting. In fact, when MOJO named the best fifty Bush tracks earlier this year, they placed An Endless Sky of Honey at thirty-one. On the original 2005 release, the tracks were separated. In May 2010 when Aerial was released to iTunes for the first time, Bush put the second side as a continuous suite. Maybe suiting it better, it meant people had to listen the whole way through. When it comes to voices and sounds that inspired her most, the humble blackbird is top of the list:  

“Hello birds, hello trees, hello genius.

When veteran British songwriter Don Black met Kate Bush for the first time in 1996, he asked if she had a favourite singer. “The blackbird,” she replied. “And my second favourite is the thrush.” Birdsong was clearly an inspiration for the second half of her double masterpiece, Aerial, initially presented as a suite of distinct songs. When the album appeared on iTunes in 2010 it had become one giant 42-minute track named after its closing, euphoric instrumental passage: An Endless Sky Of Honey. And that is what we’re gazing at here. 24 hours of light, sound, love, song and landscape distilled into one heady draught. The jewel on the sundial’s gnomon is Kate herself, every aspect of her is caught during the day: lover, mother, visionary, artist, naturalist, poet. As the final instrumental section hits high noon, we’re flooded in all that refracted sunlight”.

I just wanted to pay tribute to A Sky of Honey. Even of Bush would prefer it be listened to as a single piece, there are songs from the cycle that should be played on radio. Maybe Somewhere In Between has been played before, but there is so much wonder and brilliance that has not been heard on the air. One of her greatest music achievements, fans were in for a treat in 2005 when Aerial arrived. It would be nice to think that it will get new life in the future. Bush did bring it to the stage in 2014, but I have always liked the idea of a short film that uses some of the songs. In terms of the sheer scale and sound, we go from the tender and homely to something spectacular and wide-ranging. Bush takes us inside her garden…but she also gives us something much grander. Nature and the natural world has always been part of her music. The fact that Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave and Aerial’s A Sky of Honey features them heavily in different ways. The wild waters and wind of the former turned to the calmer breeze and summer of the latter. If you can afford it and have not listened to Aerial, the vinyl copy is a real must. You get to hear A Sky of Honey on that format. It is a listening experience this remarkable suite in its full glory! I have been struck and dazzled by A Sky of Honey since 2005. Every time I play the song cycle, it is impossible not to…

GET lost in it.

FEATURE: Station to Station: Clara Amfo (BBC Radio 1)

FEATURE:

 

 

Station to Station

Clara Amfo (BBC Radio 1)

_________

I cannot remember…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Clara Amfo in the studio for Future Sounds on BBC Radio 1/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

what number I am up to (as I titled these ‘Part xx…’), so I am going to drop the number and simply focus on a broadcaster and D.J. that everyone should listen to. The point of this series is to discuss amazing and influential broadcasters, in addition to those coming through. Today, I want  to celebrate an established and hugely popular figure of radio. Clara Amfo is at the forefront of the BBC Radio 1 schedule. She hosts Radio 1’s Future Sounds from 6 p.m., which then leads to Radio 1’s Hottest Record of the Week at 7:30. That is on a Monday. The rest of the week, Future Sounds runs from 6 to 8. I would urge everyone to tune in to Clara Amfo. For a couple of reasons. You get the best new music coming through. Those artists who are going to change the scene and are delivering some of the most interesting and hottest sounds around. Also, as a broadcaster who has been in the industry a while and is one of the most endearing and talented presenters there is, you can hear the passion Amfo has! Someone determined to spotlight awesome new music, she is a broadcaster who will go on to have a decades-long career. In addition to highlighting influential and important broadcasters who make radio so exceptional and vital, I try to include interviews they have been involved with.

Clara Amfo is someone who is going to inspire a whole crop of broadcasters coming through. I will get to an interview from 2022, but there are some from 2021 that are of particular interest and relevance. Speaking with Harper's Bazaar, Amfo discussed her tips for those looking to get into radio and broadcasting. Aside from being on shows such as Strictly Come Dancing (in 2020), and Great Celebrity Bake Off (2022), she has progressed from Kiss FM, to presenting at the BAFTAs – and taking the reins of the 6 p.m. slot on BBC Radio 1 from the iconic Annie Mac. Amfo provided some tips and advice for those coming through. It makes for fascinating reading (I have selected a few parts of the interview):

“You have to love talking to people

"It sounds really obvious, but that was one of the things that got me into broadcasting. I just love talking to people, and especially about things I love: music, the arts, film. I love conversation and I love people who are passionate about what they do, particularly in these fields. You have to bring that enthusiasm to a job like this; you have to like connecting with people in that way because that's what is going to make you good at it."

Cultivate your own fearlessness

"Live TV and radio - it's never not scary! Don't get me wrong, we've all got our insecurities and fears, but when push comes to shove, you've got to be pretty fearless to do it. Whatever is happening in your head or (quite literally) in your ear, you have to be composed. What makes me achieve that composure is remembering that it is all about trust. If you were put at the front of the TV show or any kind of project, it's because the producer trusts you. If you can channel that trust, it will calm your nerves. Just keep remembering that they put you there for a reason: you can do this.

"Of course you still get everyday nerves. For that, it's a case of literally breathing in and out slowly. The most important thing that I do is also to slow everything down when I talk. Everybody has a tendency when they get nervous to speak fast. Remembering to slow my speech is actually also really good at keeping me calm in general."

Always be yourself

"When you're broadcasting, you are putting yourself out there and it needs to be an authentic you. That's what's going to make you special and unique: being you is what you have to offer. Especially as a woman - and as a Black woman - I know that I can make myself more palatable if I present my hair in a particular way or if I dress in a particular way, but I just know I would be doing a disservice to myself.

"It's the same with my work ethic; I always choose projects that are authentic to me. I never work with a product I would never use myself. That's the best advice I could give someone wanting to get into this field: do it because you love the work. It's a tough industry and it's competitive, so you have to really be in it because it is authentically your passion”.

In 2021, interviewed at a moment when the COVID-19 pandemic was in swing and many radio stations only had a skeleton crew and strict social distancing measures, it must have been strange going onto this huge radio station and keep that same upbeat and professional demeanour. Broadcasters like Clara Amfo were so crucial at a very difficult time – and she is very much as important to this day. The Guardian interviewed a radio icon, where she discussed work, relationships and race. There are a few parts of the interview that caught my eye:

“Last summer, Amfo stopped her listeners in their tracks when she told them exactly how she was feeling about race in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of American police. “I didn’t have the mental strength to face you guys yesterday,” she said, live on air, after advising that anyone with small children might not want them to hear the next part. “To ask, ‘Hi, how was your weekend?’ like I usually do, with my happy intention. Because I know that my weekend was terrible. I was sat on my sofa crying, angry, confused and also knowing,” she continued, before pausing to fight back tears.

“Stuck at the news of yet another brutalised black body. Knowing how the world enjoys blackness and seeing what happened to George. We, black people, get the feeling that people want our culture but they do not want us. In other words, you want my talent but you don’t want me,” she said, before quoting Amanda Seales. “You cannot enjoy the rhythm and ignore the blues.”

PHOTO CREDIT: David Titlow/The Observer

It was an incredibly powerful piece of broadcasting – not something I ever thought I’d hear on Radio 1. I ask if she risked her job to do it and she says she actually had overwhelming support from her employers, but that yes, she would have gone ahead anyway.

After getting a degree in media arts and professional creative writing at St Mary’s University in Twickenham (it involved learning how to write Mills & Boons novels – she has “mad respect” for romance novelists now) she interned at commercial station Kiss FM. Her professionalism was noted and promotions were rapid: from admin to stand-in presenter, to scheduled presenter, to BBC 1 Xtra, to Radio 1, to actual celebrity treatment on Strictly and Celebrity MasterChef, to being a guest on Radio 4 – “The only time my parents were truly impressed, ha,” – to the cover of magazines including Cosmopolitan, Grazia and Vogue.

Amfo is devoted to her work in a way that can leave weaker egos feeling bruised, and lockdown has made her assess what she actually wants from a future sofa buddy, or life partner.

“I don’t want to be with anyone who’s going to try to make me dim my light. I want someone who’s so secure in themselves that they don’t have a problem with me just doing me, you know? I’ve definitely been a rehab centre for a few men in the throes of a midlife crisis, and I’m just not going to do that ever again.” She is properly giggling now, says she can see those guys coming since her “detector has become crystal clear. There’s people who like the idea of you, or who just wanted to know that they could have you. I think I have entertained people like that a bit too easily, and I just don’t do that any more. It is a delight to be free of that”.

I will round up soon. An incredibly warm, relatable, and grounded broadcaster, it is small wonder there is so much interest around her! I want to come to something more recent in a bit, but there is a terrific interview with NME form last year that gives us more insight into a remarkable broadcaster. Someone who has this very special relationship with their listeners, it’s clear Clara Amfo loves her job at BBC Radio 1 and is not going anywhere else soon:

“She says Future Sounds is for “people who like a bit of everything [musically]”, which means she can play a silky-smooth tune by girl-group FLO straight after a punky Fontaines D.C. track. “One thing that has surprised me is the amount of people who text or even ‘@’ me on social media to say: ‘You played this song at this time – what is it?'” Amfo says. “I think there’s an assumption that everyone’s got streaming accounts and whatnot, but not everyone can afford them. And that’s been a really healthy but rude awakening for me.”

Amfo goes on to explain that when she hosted an early breakfast show on Kiss FM, she ended up feeling “jet-lagged” all the time. “You’ve always got to be ‘on’ [in this job], but for breakfast you’ve got to be a particular kind of ‘on’ and I don’t think I could handle it,” she says. “I’ve done weekend breakfast [shows] before and I could do that again, but every day? Nah, I know my lane.” Intriguingly, Amfo says there is one particular job in radio she’d love a crack at further down the line, but doesn’t want to mention it out of respect for the current presenter. It’s a moment that says a lot about Amfo. Yes, she’s ambitious – but she’s also classy and fundamentally kind.

 At this point, Amfo has accepted that not everyone will appreciate everything she has to say or even like her, necessarily. Astutely, she points out that the way we respond to a particular presenter – from “I can’t put my finger on why I don’t like them” to “do you know what, I absolutely love them” – depends on our unconscious biases as well as whether the presenter’s “energy and personality” meshes with our own.

“I know for a fact that some people can’t stand me and there’s a really sick part of me that wonders why,” she says. “But I don’t go delving into that to find out. Like, I know people who have their names on fucking Google Alerts but I’m not doing that. It’s none of my business.”

Amfo takes a similarly pragmatic approach to social media: she still posts on Instagram but has quietly left Twitter, a platform she used to light up. “No one was being horrible to me, but I noticed especially in lockdown that it just got so fucking toxic,” she says. “I feel so much lighter now. I had a lot of bants on Twitter [back in the day], but anything that’s really funny [on there] gets into my group chats anyway.” 

Looking to the future – which appears brighter than ever – Amfo is focusing on the positive. She wants to pick “relevant” projects that fully reflect her personality. “For me, there’s no such thing as a small job,” Amfo says. “Whether it’s being a talking head, a guest on somebody else’s show or hosting a show myself, I just want to do things I enjoy. I think people can really tell when you’re trying to be somebody that you’re not.

For Amfo, this “intersection of passion and trust” has become a guiding principle. “If those two things aren’t happening, there’s just no point,” she says. “The day I stop being passionate, I shouldn’t be doing my job.” Fortunately, there seems to be precisely zero chance of this happening any time soon. And if any TV exec wants to launch a new live music show, she should be the first person they call”.

I am going to end with an interview from December. Looking ahead to 2023, Amfo talked with Notion about her career, advice to those coming through and 'Co-Signed by Clara Amfo': Notion’s collaborative artists to watch list. It is amazing to see how much this wonderful young broadcaster has achieved so far – and realising that she is going to go so far. I can well see her having a broadcasting and television career in the U.S. someday:

“Speaking from her home office before she travels to Boston to present the The Earthshot Prize awards, it’s surreal hearing one of radio’s most loved and recognisable voices coming through laptop speakers. I want to start by reflecting on Clara’s 2022, but embarking on a summary of her recent achievements is no mean feat. In the last two months alone, Clara’s re-launched her star-studded ‘This City’ podcast, fronted a brand-new astrological dating format, hosted a live music event with her ambassador-charity Bloody Good Period, presented numerous awards, interviewed the likes of Stormzy and been interviewed herself by Lorraine Kelly.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pip Bourdillon

Perhaps best known for hosting the official chart and Live Lounge shows, as well as sitting down with world-famous musicians, Clara’s past interviewees could easily fill a Glastonbury line-up. The headliners? Billie Eilish, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Sir Elton John to name a few – Billie’s interview was recorded as an hour long special for BBC One. Currently hosting the prestigious Future Sounds show, it’s also not just the big names that Clara champions. There’s a sense that Clara’s experiences have given her a true understanding of the challenges involved in embarking on a music industry career. She often thanks those who guided her when she started out, and considers how rising talent might best be equally supported from the outset.

Curating of our ‘Co-Signed by Clara Amfo’ list feels like a natural extension of a career-long dedication to championing the best of new talent. Putting together a roster of artists from various genres, Clara is tipping these selections as set for a big 2023: FLO, DellaXOZ, MetteNarrative, Connie Constance, LF System, Finn Foxell, Dylan Fraser and Leo Kalyan. We caught up with Clara to reflect on how far she’s come, what she looks for in fresh talent, and why ultimately, you always have to back yourself.

Is there anything you’ve learned over the last decade you wish you’d known when you were starting out? Or any advice you’d give to young people in similar positions?

I’ve always had a level of self-belief. I’m only human, of course, and self-belief can waver because there are so many different components that can make you not back yourself, whether it’s race, class, or gender. It can sometimes take one comment, or one bad experience, professionally or socially to make you think, ‘oh, maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.’ I think my only regret is that I wish I’d consistently and unwaveringly backed myself.

Would that be your advice to people coming up?

Definitely, you’ve got to back yourself. But at the same time, you have to have the humility and openness to understand that you don’t know everything. There are people that are willing to take the time to properly and sincerely teach you and you have to hold on to those people. They’re going to be your lifesavers when it comes to navigating the industry. Having those people to challenge you to be your best self I think is really important.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pip Bourdillon

There’s so much pressure on artists for constant reinvention and sustained relevance…

Mentally, I just don’t think this is very healthy for artists because there’s so much pressure. You’d be hard-pressed to read an interview with an artist who doesn’t reference whether people still care or not because of this culture that has been created. I think we’re all obsessed with newness but we’ve got to respect artists’ journeys, from the start to wherever they may finish.

For people who are eager to find and support new artists, what could they be doing?

I think they should be supporting small venues where these artists are playing. This is a massive conversation that we need to keep alive. With COVID, so many amazing venues struggled and a lot shut down, but these are the spaces where artists find their fanbase and perfect their craft. Find people online, seek them out and follow them, but get back to the venues because that money from tickets goes back into their production costs. It all comes from those moments.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

I’m looking forward to people supporting live music venues again. I think that next year, there’s going to be a renaissance. We’re living in peak times and the cost-of-living crisis is very real. I’m not trying to ignore those factors. But I think because of what we’ve been through, people will seek enjoyment, and one of the best places you’re going to get escapism is at a gig. I think we’re going to get even better albums next year and I’m excited about that, for sure”.

A wonderful broadcaster who is a jewel in the BBC Radio 1 crown, go and check out her Future Sounds. With such a varied career under her belt so far, Amfo sounds very comfortable at BBC Radio 1. She has found a perfect place where she can showcase the best new music around. Who knows what the future holds, but you know she is going to have enormous success in everything she does. London-born Clara Amfo is definitely…

ONE of the all-time great broadcasters.

FEATURE: With You With Them: Why Catherine Marks’ Production Success and Collaboration with boygenius on the record Will Inspire a Generation of Women

FEATURE:

 

 

With You With Them

IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Marks 

Why Catherine Marks’ Production Success and Collaboration with boygenius on the record Will Inspire a Generation of Women

_________

I am not sure…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay

how often we think about a producer when we listen to an album. To be fair, a lot of albums these days have a large number of producers credited. I think that can sometimes take away an album’s focus and sense of personality – if you have various different voices working in different directions. Many artists self-produce, and I do not think they get the credit they deserve. Producing an album is very hard and take a lot of passion and time. So many decisions need to go into every take and how you mould and direct an album. Some producers will let an artist play almost live and keep things quite natural. Others might be more involved and add layers and new dynamics to the music. We all know the statistics about producers when it comes to gender. Even though things have improved slightly, there are far more male producers than female working in studios. Even if many female artists self-producer, the numbers are pretty dire. Last year, Billboard reported on a ten-year study that highlighted gender inequality across the industry. The findings are shocking when it comes to songwriting credits - and they are especially troubling when you get to the percentage of producers in studios that are women:

“The results of a 10-year study have found that women remain underrepresented in many areas of the music creation process and other areas of the industry.

Released today (March 31), this Inclusion In The Recording Studio? study is the fifth annual report on gender equality in music industry from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, of which Smith is the Founder. Funded by Spotify, this report found that over the past ten years, female representation in the recording studio — and subsequently on the charts and at the Grammys — has not significantly increased.

PHOTO CREDIT: senivpetro via freepik

The study was performed by examining the artists, songwriters, and producers credited on each of the 1,000 songs on Billboard‘s Hot 100 Year End Chart from 2012 to 2021, along with the gender and race/ethnicity of every person in those three roles. In 2021, there were 180 artists on this chart — 76.7% of them were men and 23.3% were women. (No artists identified as gender non-conforming or non-binary in 2021.) Across all ten years, 78.2% of artists were men and 21.8% were women.

Key findings include that in 2021, 23.3% of artists on the Hot 100 Year-End Chart were women. This number has been stagnant for a decade, with women representing 21.8% of artists across ten years and 1,000 songs on this chart. The study notes that these numbers are a “far cry” from the 51% of the U.S. population comprised by women.

The report also determined in 2021, only 14.4% of songwriters were women. This number has also not changed significantly over time, with women making up just 12.7% of the songwriters evaluated across the 10 years studied, resulting in a ratio of 6.8 men to every one woman songwriter. More than half of the songs on the Hot 100 Year-End Charts from 2012 to 2021 did not include any women songwriters.

The study identifies Drake as the top male songwriter over the last decade, with credits on 47 songs. By comparison the top female songwriter, Nicki Minaj, has 19 credits. (Drake is followed on this tally by Max Martin, who has 46 credits, while Minaj is followed by Taylor Swift, who has 16 credits.)

PHOTO CREDIT: karlyukav via freepik 

Furthermore, the study found that women were more likely to appear as songwriters on dance/electronic songs, with 20.5% of these songs written by women over ten years and Pop songs, coming in with 19.1% and least likely to work on Hip-Hop/Rap, with women writing just 6.4% of these songs over ten years and R&B/Soul, with women writing 9.4% of these songs.

Female producers fared even worse, with women holding just 3.9% of all producing positions across the songs on the 2021 Hot 100 Year End Chart. This number was down from a seven-year high point of 5% in 2019. From a total of 1,522 producing credits in the 10-year sample, 97.2% were men and 2.8% were women, for a ratio of 35 men to every one woman producer. Only 10 producers across the decade-spanning sample were women of color.

“For women songwriters and producers, the needle has not moved for the last decade,” Dr. Smith says in the report. “In particular, women of color are virtually shut out of producing the most popular songs each year. We know there are talented women from all backgrounds who are not getting access, opportunity, or credit for their work in this arena”.

Things have moved forward, but a report by Fix the Music has shown that there are pitifully low numbers of women and non-binary people in technical roles. Elizabeth Aubrey, writing for NME, reported the fact that women (and non-binary people) are seriously underrepresented when it comes to senior roles in studios:

“A major new report has called for an increase in the number of women in production and engineering roles in the music industry.

Fix The Mix has today (April 11) unveiled its first annual report on gender representation in audio and production engineering roles, and has called on major labels to extend their DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives to hire more women and non-binary producers and engineers behind the scenes.

With studies conducted by We Are Moving the Needle, Jaxsta, Middle Tennessee State University and Howard University, the report found that while women and non-binary people are more likely to be credited in junior roles in the technical fields, they are vastly underrepresented in senior roles across all genres.

It also noted that the credits for the top 10 streamed tracks of 2022 across five major digital service providers (DSPs) reveal a significant gender gap, with only 16 of the 240 credited producers and engineers being women and non-binary people (6.7 per cent).

Additionally, across these DSPs, the best of 2022 playlists sourced from TikTok and Spotify have the weakest representation of women and non-binary people in technical roles, with only 3.6 per cent and 3.7 per cent in key positions respectively.

Looking at credits in the top ten songs across DSPs, the report found that women and non-binary individuals are more highly concentrated within assistant roles than in key technical roles.

Metal was found to have the lowest percentage of women and non-binary people in key technical roles, while electronic music and folk and Americana had the highest representations. You can read the full report here.

Musician Brandi Carlile, who is also a soundBoard member of We Are Moving The Needle, said of the findings: “We’ve got such a long way to go to reach parity in the studio, but I know we can get there.

“This is a systemic problem in the recording industry that we cannot ignore any longer. I’m not sure everyone knows exactly where to start…but it begins with the courage to take a
chance on someone who may not be getting recognised regularly in the field. We have to start somewhere.

“It’s no one’s fault and everyone’s fault at the same time. Even me. I urge my fellow
artists and producers to make hiring decisions that work toward a more equitable future.”

Co-author of the report, Beverly Keel, Dean of Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Media and Entertainment added: “While this research notes the genres that have the best and worst gender representations, it is important to note that every genre needs improvement in representation of women and non-binary people. It is difficult to fathom that representation remains so pitifully low in 2023.

“In any other industry, these low percentages of the genres that have the best gender representation would be an embarrassment, so I hope these ‘high achievers’ are not resting on their laurels”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Brandi Carlile

I am going to come to an interview where award-winning Australian producer Catherine Marks spoke with Kerrang!. She makes some interesting points when asked about the relatively small number of women in studios. I think there is a distinction between women producing their own music and those hired professionally. It is clear that one cannot simply say that, as many women produce their own music, that there is parity and they account for the minority still. The fact is that, although many female self-produce, many of those albums also contain a lot of male producers (or a co-produce). It is wonderful female artists are producing but, for someone like Marks who is an outside producer, she is one of the trailblazers. She is going to inspire so many other women. I will come to her recent success with the U.S. trio boygenius, and their number one album, the record. I wanted to quote quite a bit from the Kerrang! Interview:

“In the last decade Catherine has become one of the most in-demand producers, mixers and engineers in the recording industry. In 2018, she won the prestigious Music Producer Guild award for Producer Of The Year, becoming the first woman to do so. The following year she triumphed at the GRAMMYs for her work as a mixer when St. Vincent’s Masseduction won Best Rock Song.

Catherine’s love affair with music stems back to her school days, and her recent successes are the result of a 20-year journey, which began with a chance meeting in 2001 with producer Flood at a Nick Cave show in Dublin. An introduction to Flood’s collaborator Alan Moulder followed later. The pair – who’d helped define modern production aesthetics from the ’80s onwards through their work, both individually and collectively, with the likes of U2, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey and Thirty Second To Mars – became Catherine’s mentors.

Learning her craft as an assistant engineer, Catherine worked alongside Flood on PJ Harvey’s White Chalk in 2007 and its 2011 successor Let England Shake. A slew of further engineering projects followed involving Foals and The Killers, a number of them initially at Flood and Alan’s Assault And Battery Studio in Willesden, North West London, where she was instrumental in rebuilding Studio 2.

 Since then, the Melbourne-born producer has worked at a relentless rate. Her key charges include Wolf Alice and The Big Moon alongside the likes of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, The Amazons and Frank Turner – Catherine producing the latter’s 2019 concept album, No Man’s Land, which celebrated the lives of a number of women whose work was overlooked by history due to their gender. Last year Catherine produced Alanis Morissette’s first album in eight years, Some Pretty Forks In The Road, and completed work on the Manchester Orchestra’s forthcoming album, The Million Masks Of God.

As the fourth subject of our We Run The Scene series of short films – an extension of our celebration of International Women’s Day – Catherine is a gregarious and often self-deprecating individual. While she may be slow to boast about her own achievements, she comes armed with sage advice for those looking to follow in her footsteps. We begin our conversation by discussing her unlikely route into the production world…

You didn’t start out wanting to be a producer, did you?

“No, I started as an architect. Coming out of school there was no clear path to working in music and I really loved art, maths and science, so architecture seemed like a natural fit. I was into music and I’d played a lot at school, so in the back of my mind I wanted to be involved in music, but I had stage fright so it couldn’t be as a performer.

“Through my architecture degree I moved to Ireland and I worked in a firm as an intern. In my year there, I met so many wonderful musicians, producers and engineers – the kind of people I hadn’t been exposed to in Australia. I also went to see a lot of live music, which I hadn’t done living in Melbourne.

 “I felt really inspired and thought there may be a career in music for me, again without really understanding what a producer did or what area I may want to get into. I was very fortunate to meet Flood and he started to tell me a bit about what he did, which I also found exciting. But he told me to go back to Melbourne and to finish my degree. He also told me to play music, join bands, write music and try and figure out what I wanted to do with music. And I did. I joined a few bands who were kind enough to have me and I wrote a few songs.

“Then in 2005, after I’d finished my masters in architecture, Flood suggested that it was time that I got my butt over to London and started working for him. Again, I had no idea what to expect. I arrived on my first day thinking that I would be making records. I was rudely awoken by the fact that I would be making tea and hovering for the next three months!”

What is your approach to working with artists? Do you mentor or coax them?

“I think you should ask the artists that I work with about that (laughs). The first thought in my mind is always collaboration and facilitation. I want to create an environment where we are working as a team and the communication is free and open. Ultimately, though, I’m there to try and help people realise what they want, and if I have to give them a few nudges on the way then I am quite happy to do that. But I love working with artists that are the driving force. I can be the captain of the ship, but I need everyone in the room to be heading in the same direction. I wonder if some of the artists I’ve worked with think I’m a bit bossy. I’m not sure if I am."

You’ve worked frantically for the last five years and you’re still one of the few women sitting behind the desk in the studio. Why do you think that is?

“Why is there a lack of women behind the desk? I would argue that that isn’t as true as it once was. The next generation of mixers, engineers and songwriters are coming through now and a lot of them are women. I used to say that this job isn’t about gender, it’s about personalities and chemistry.

“You need different characters to make records, otherwise they would all sound the same. To me it makes sense that there should be women making records as much as men making records, and I don’t think it was ever that the guys said, ‘We don’t want women involved’ but perhaps subconsciously, culturally or socially even, there was perhaps a barrier with women feeling that this wasn’t an area they could be involved with. I really believe that that culture is changing and it would make me sad if it wasn’t.”

There is an element of change, but clearly more is needed…

“Ten years ago, when I was asked this question – 'Why do you think there aren’t more female producers?' - I would answer, ‘It’s because women are smart’ because it’s a difficult job and there are lots of sacrifices that need to be made. But I was uneducated then. I didn’t realise the real struggles that women had faced trying to get into the industry because that had never been my experience. Or at least my perspective on the situation was never that there were issues with me because I was a woman, it was more of a case of me thinking, ‘I need to get better’ or, ‘I don’t know enough’ or, ‘This is what I need to tolerate to get to the next stage.' But talking to other women and hearing their experiences of discrimination shocked me and made me want to do more to change that culture.”

What advice would you give a young woman wanting to become a producer?

“There’s still no obvious path for any job in this industry. A lot of things are built around who you know and building your reputation. Having said that, technology is changing and it is very easy now to get hold of technology where you can start making music and producing your own music. It’s like anything creative: there’s always going to be difficult moments, but if it’s something you really want to do then it’s also really rewarding so you should just do it. No matter what barriers are in the way, you should just climb over them. That’s kinda what I did but I never saw them as barriers… it was more of a little obstacle course (laughs). Little mini challenges that I needed to overcome to get to the finish line. And I still experience that. That’s what’s so great about this career: there is no end point. Every day is a constant learning experience. If it’s something you really want to do, you should just do it.”

So what needs to change in order for more women to enter in the world of making records?

“I feel there are certain elements of the industry that need to change, but I think that we’re experiencing and living through the change right now. One of the biggest things I’ve noticed – and I think is incredibly encouraging – is how women are supporting other women in the industry. When I started there was no-one I could look up to or talk to who was a woman in the world of production. There is a wonderful community of female mixers, producers and engineers who I’ve got to know recently, and I feel like we’re supporting the next generation that’s coming through, and to me that’s very exciting. I’m sure there’s a lot more that needs to change and I understand that the conversation needs to continue. But to me that is very positive”.

I will conclude by stating why Catherine Marks is such an influence for women who want to go into production. Obviously, if they are an artist, there is that option to self-produce. Two of my favourite artists who self-produce are Hannah Peel and Catherine Anne Davies (The Anchoress). They are both nominated, alongside Devonté Hynes, for a MPG Awards 2023 for Self-Producing Artist of the Year. I have adored both of their work for years now. The Anchoress’ The Art of Losing was one fo the finest albums of 2021. I adore Davies’ productions. She draws the listeners into her music, and reveals new layers when you listen back time and time again. Peel is an exceptional composer too. The soundtracks for Rogue Agent and The Midwich Cuckoos are stunning works from one of our greatest musical minds. Incredible and inspiring women, and I am definitely rooting for them ahead of the award winner announcement on 27th April. I know Peel and Davies will inspire a generation of female artists who want to self-produce.

IN THIS PHOTO: Hannah Peel

There are many others who do not want to be a musician but still want to produce. Not enough is being done to encourage that; to keep Music on the national curriculum and provide production courses. There are production courses in higher education - but how easy is it for young women who take those courses to get into studios when there is still this feeling it is male-dominated and the environment may not be that supportive to them? To positive things! Marks has produced award-winning and acclaimed albums through the years. An album that is sure to be GRAMMY-nominated and has got to number one in the U.K., boygenius’ the record is my favourite of the year so far. It is a magnificent album that she produced alongside the trio (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker). Prior to explaining why Marks is so important, I want to bring in one of the many hugely positive reviews for the record. It gained so many five-star reviews – and is already one of the best-reviewed albums of the year. CRACK had this say about the amazing the record:

“Back in January, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, the three members of the indie rock supergroup boygenius, appeared on the front cover of Rolling Stone to announce their debut album, the record. Their deadpan poses and pinstripe suits paid homage to a photoshoot in the same publication almost three decades earlier, featuring another lightning rod American three-piece: Nirvana.

The reference, of course, was not an incidental one, the inference being that boygenius are, as Nirvana were, one of the most significant bands of their time – even if the record is an album that alternately subverts, embraces and side-eyes the canon. Leonard Cohen, on a track named after the revered artist, for example, is described as “an old man writing horny poetry”. But two songs earlier, on Not Strong Enough, the band unashamedly deal in shimmering stadium rock, showing us that even as their eyebrows are wryly raised over the deification of guitar music’s “boy geniuses”, they can also play – and beat – them at their own game.

Just as Cobain, Grohl and Novoselic captured a pervasive mood with Nevermind – that is, the restless and destructive boredom of the American teenager in the early 90s – on the record, Baker, Bridgers and Dacus do the same for the 2020s. Together, they distil the particular blend of neuroticism, romance and irony that tends to infect the brains of their young, internet-addled fanbase, in a way that feels generationally definitive. Dacus self-describes as “a winter bitch” on True Blue, while Baker’s “half my mind/ I keep the other second guessing” line on Not Strong Enough is a pin-point description of how it feels to be a young person in such an anxiety ridden time.

As such, the record lives up to the expectations that have been placed on it since boygenius released their self-titled EP in 2018, and just as before, each band member brings her own unique sensibility to the table. Baker’s winsome vocal sparkles on Cool About It, the grounded dignity of Dacus’ alto makes We’re in Love the most affecting song on the album, while Bridgers drives it home with closer Letter to an Old Poet, stirringly interpolating the standout 2018 boygenius track Me and My Dog. This new song is a sort of sequel to the earlier one, wherein Bridgers denounces its once-exalted subject. “You made me feel an equal/ But I’m better than you and you should know that by now,” she sings over piano, backed by harmonies from Dacus and Baker, as the familiar refrain lurches back in.

Thematically, there is a focus on the personal and romantic that we expect from these three songwriters, but there’s also a special dimension that we don’t hear in their solo projects: their love for each other. This is most touchingly expressed on We’re in Love, on which Dacus movingly addresses her bandmates (“If you rewrite your life/ May I still play a part?/ In the next one, will you find me?”), but it’s also there in the fun they seem to be having just playing together.

Indeed, the record’s real fireworks go off when boygenius switch on their rock star mode. Self-consciously leaning into their place in the pantheon of great guitar bands, and giving a nod to the last great heyday of US alternative music in the 90s, boygenius skewer this subculture in a loving sort of way. Satanist has a fun, MTV-era slacker riff that cosplays Mellow Gold-era Beck; $20 sees Bridgers vamping, Cobain-like, when she screams blue murder at its climax; and Not Strong Enough, with its simple but soaring chorus (“I don’t know why/ I am the way I am/ Not strong enough to be your man”) evokes Sheryl Crow’s 1993 single Strong Enough, eliciting the sort of written-for-performance anthem you’ll remember seeing live for years afterwards”.

It is true that some of the best albums of the year by women are produced/co-produced by the artist themselves. Caroline Polachek is a producer on Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, Billie Marten is on Drop Cherries, boygenius obvious are on the record, and Lana Del Rey is on Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. So many major female artists also produce. Taylor Swift is a producer on Midnights. RAYE co-produced (as Rachel Keen) on My 21st Century Blues this year. It is great to see. Female artists taking ownership and showing their production brilliance. There is that other world. One where women like Catherine Marks are particularly important. In terms of production as a standalone profession, there are far fewer women than men in studios. Even if there is that great knowledge that so many female artists self-produce, you see so many other albums without women credited as producers. There is definitely a desire from women to get into the profession. I still think that studios are not flexible enough when it comes to providing a supportive environment, taking into consideration issues like childcare and maternity concerns. A report from 2012 suggested that many women aren’t interested in being a producer. That they would need a certain swagger in such an intense environment. This article from 2021 is about musician Helen Reddington’s book,  She’s at the Controls. The book not only explains how many female empowerment songs you hear on big Pop albums are produced by men. She details that, when it comes to music education, women are not as encouraged as men. Many studios are quite hostile, which means there are few visible female role models inspiring the next generation.

I think Catherine Marks’ ongoing success and the acclaim her work has received on boygenius’ the record is going to be a turning point. Not only will it encourage many female producers to produce themselves, but also hire female producers. I feel it is a sign that we need to support women who want to be producers. I don’t think it is the case that they are not interested and their focus is in other areas. I think that supposed apathy stems from a sense that they will not be supported and the studio environment is not going to be flexible and collaborative. Catherine Marks’ brilliance and continued influence is going to rub off on the next generation. Whilst we may never get to a point when there is gender equality in terms of producers in studios, Marks points out that many women are producing their own music. This too is inspiring a new generation. Marks has created her own studio space, but she has worked with so many different artists and her experiences have been largely positive. That was not always the way. Like any women wanting to produce, she has faced discrimination and barriers, but her determination and passion is clear. From here, there will be so much demand from other artists who want to work with Marks. As she has just worked with an American group, I can well see major artists like Taylor Swift calling on her services. I do feel the record’s wonderful sound and enormous quality will underline why we need to encourage more women into production. Even if boygenius themselves are producers, the input and guidance of Marks adds so much. There is no doubt that she is…

ONE of the best producers in the industry.

FEATURE: Angels and Teardrops: Massive Attack’s Mezzanine at Twenty-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

Angels and Teardrops

 Massive Attack’s Mezzanine at Twenty-Five

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RELEASED on 20th April, 1998…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Massive Attack in 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Westenberg

I wanted to look ahead to the twenty-fifth anniversary of Massive Attack’s third studio album, Mezzanine. An album conceptualised by their lead Robert Del Naja in 1997, he wanted to create something darker than any previous album from the Bristol crew. Grant Marshall (a group member) supported this direction. Fellow member Andrew Vowles was not so sure, and the production process was tense and often near the point where Massive Attack split. Like some genius albums that were made during huge periods of tension and disagreement – such as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours -, Mezzanine is a masterpiece. Alongside 1991’s Blue Lines, it is Massive Attack’s absolute peak. It would be four years until they followed Mezzanine with 100th Window. They never hit the same highs as they did on 1998’s Mezzanine. One of the defining albums of the ‘90s, I wanted to explore it in greater detail. Still an album that sounds like nothing else, it reached number one in the U.K. upon its release. I want to get to some features before a couple of positive reviews. In fact, it is hard to find anything less than glowing praise of the 1998 work of brilliance! The first feature I want to highlight is from The Paris Review written around the twentieth anniversary of Mezzanine, Michael A. Gonzales shared his thoughts about a classic:

“Mezzanine, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary on April 20, was a departure from the gritty electronica of Massive Attack’s first two projects, Blue Lines and Protection. It incorporates more rock elements, including a newly hired band with the guitarist Angelo Bruschini, formerly of the New Wave band the Numbers, leading the charge and change. Mezzanine is an album best listened to loud, preferably on earphones, to properly hear the layers of weirdness and rhythms, a soulful sound collage that was miles away from the “Parklifes” and “Champagne Supernovas” of their Brit-pop contemporaries Blur and Oasis.

“In the beginning, the sampler was our main musical instrument,” Daddy G said in his slight West Indian accent. “When we first formed Massive Attack, basically we were DJs who went into the studio with our favorite records and created tracks. At the time, we tried to rip off the entire style of American hip-hop performers, but we realized, as artists, it’s important to be yourself. We realized it made no sense for us to talk about the South Bronx. Slowly but surely, we had to reclaim our identities as Brit artists who wanted to do something different with our music.”

Massive Attack unintentionally kicked off a new British Invasion in the nineties that was as powerful as the Beatles in the sixties, Led Zeppelin in the seventies, or Duran Duran in the eighties. Beginning with their sophisticated debut, Blue Lines, which featured the vocalist Shara Nelson on the masterful “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Safe from Harm,” there was something special about their blunted cinematic (Martin Scorsese was another hero) sound that had a paranoid artfulness. For me, having long grown bored with the stunted growth of many American rap artists during that era of “jiggy” materialism and thug tales of nineties rap, their slowed-down music (tape loops, samples, and beats) created an often dreamy, sometimes nightmarish sound that was fresh and futuristic. The author Will Self called it a “sinuous, sensual, subversive soundscape.”

Blue Lines was accessible avant-garde and comprehensible experimentation. From first listen, I could tell they were as inspired by the pioneering producers Marley Marl, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Prince as they were by Burt Bacharach, John Barry, and Brian Eno. The trip-hop label was bestowed on the group by the Brit journalist Jonathan Taylor to describe the trippy music that was simultaneously street and psychedelic. Trip-hop was a tag that, like jazz, was often rejected by the practitioners, but it fit perfectly. A few years later, when I started contributing short fiction to the Brown Sugar erotica series, I imagined the stories as textual films, and it was Massive Attack that supplied the seductive score.

“Angel,” the third single from Mezzanine, would go on to become one of their most licensed songs, used for the opening credits of the series House as well as by the director George Miller in Mad Max: Fury Road. Over the years, Massive Attack’s music has been used in many movies (Pi, The Matrix, The Insider) and television programs (Luther, True Blood, Power). The videos for their own songs, including the four singles from Mezzanine (“Risingson,” “Teardrop,” “Angel,” and “Inertia Creeps”), were always sinister and disturbing. Massive’s hybrid music achieved pop-cult status, selling millions of copies while still being critically lauded.

Yet in 1998, at least, the group itself was still somewhat anonymous. They could walk around the city without being bothered. Mushroom and I popped out of the studio and went to a juice stand. He told me about his years living in New York, where he was the protégé of Devastating Tito from the rap group the Fearless Four. “Have you ever heard of them?” he asked shyly. When I told him my best friend Jerry Rodriguez had directed their video for “Problems of the World” in 1983, Mushroom smiled. “Finally,” he replied, “someone who knows about the old school”.

With songs like Angel, Teardrop and Inertia Creeps in the line-up, there are few albums that are as incredible. It is hard to put into the words the significance and impact of Mezzanine. Erie, dark, beautiful and sweeping at the same time, the music world was gifted something very special on 20th April, 1998. Stereogum provided their take for its twentieth anniversary back in 2018:

“Movie-soundtrack programmers figured it out almost immediately: If you want to conjure a certain vibe, you go directly to Mezzanine. The vibe in question isn’t an easy thing to define. It’s a feeling of ominous sensual mystery. It’s the feeling that something is about to happen. It could be sex or death or oblivion. You don’t know, and you’re stuck waiting. It’s the sound of anticipation.

It doesn’t just work in movies and TV shows, either. It works in actual lives. Mezzanine is an album that entered the cultural bloodstream upon arrival, and moments on it are etched so deeply into our own personal memories that just hearing the album means feeling a flood of sense-memory. I have this particular memory of hearing the beginning of “Teardrop,” over crappy Walkman headphones, while returning home from college for the first time. I was crammed into a terrifyingly tiny plane, the only kind that ever seemed to leave from the Syracuse airport, sweating and shaking, feeling like I was about to die. But as I heard that chiming harpsichord and that slow-tap drumbeat and Liz Fraser’s unearthly coo, I watched the sun setting behind the snow-lined pine trees on the border of the runway, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the moment. “Teardrop” seemed appropriate, both for the fear and for the sudden and unexpected moment of wonder. It’s a perfect song, one that soothes anxiety even as it complements it.

Massive Attack’s music had always found space for some combination of beauty and dread, but it had never done it like this before. Blue Lines and Protection, the two albums that preceded Mezzanine, only really sound slick and expansive when you hold Mezzanine up for comparison. Those albums combined sounds in ways that nobody had ever heard. Rap and reggae and dance and R&B were all finding common ground in the UK pop music of the era, and a group like Soul II Soul were essentially working from the same aesthetic building blocks that Massive Attack were, at least in the beginning. (They also shared a producer, Nellee Hooper.) But Massive Attack’s great innovation was to turn those sounds inward, to present them in a way that was full of doubt and longing.

Mezzanine took those same feelings and blew them all the way out. All those same sounds are present on Mezzanine, and they’re heavier and deeper than they’d ever been. The three members of Massive Attack had always been big fans of dub reggae, and they’d brought the dub innovator Mad Professor in to remix their entire Protection album. Mezzanine was the moment that they truly figured out how to use those disorienting sonic textures and layers in their own music, to feed the emotional resonance that they’d always been chasing. The reggae legend Horace Andy, a longtime Massive Attack collaborator, sings three songs on Mezzanine, and they’re all altered versions of his own old songs. So those tracks almost work the way dub versions might’ve done — taking these warm, welcoming old tracks and turning them into pure nightmare fuel”.

I am going to round off with a couple of reviews. I know there was a twentieth anniversary of Mezzanine. The record was encoded into synthetic DNA (a first for an album). The project was in collaboration with TurboBeads Labs in Switzerland. This is what AllMusic said about Mezzanine when they sat down to review it:

“Increasingly ignored amidst the exploding trip-hop scene, Massive Attack finally returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record immediately announcing not only that the group was back, but that they'd recorded a set of songs just as singular and revelatory as on their debut, almost a decade back. It all begins with a stunning one-two-three-four punch: "Angel," "Risingson," "Teardrop," and "Inertia Creeps." Augmenting their samples and keyboards with a studio band, Massive Attack open with "Angel," a stark production featuring pointed beats and a distorted bassline that frames the vocal (by group regular Horace Andy) and a two-minute flame-out with raging guitars. "Risingson" is a dense, dark feature for Massive Attack themselves (on production as well as vocals), with a kitchen sink's worth of dubby effects and reverb. "Teardrop" introduces another genius collaboration -- with Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins -- from a production unit with a knack for recruiting gifted performers. The blend of earthy with ethereal shouldn't work at all, but Massive Attack pull it off in fine fashion. "Inertia Creeps" could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen. Obviously, the rest of the album can't compete, but there's certainly no sign of the side-two slump heard on Protection, as both Andy and Fraser return for excellent, mid-tempo tracks ("Man Next Door" and "Black Milk," respectively)”.

After twenty-five years, Mezzanine remains this huge album that is considered to be one of the all-time best. Pitchfork gave Massive Attack’s third studio album 9.3 when they reviewed it in 2017. That was an upgrade of 8.1 from their original 1998 review. It shows that Mezzanine grows in stature through the years and reveals its true brilliance the more you listen:

“But Mezzanine’s defining moments come from guest vocalists who were famous long before Massive Attack even released their first album. Horace Andy was already a legend in reggae circles, but his collaborations with Massive Attack gave him a wider crossover exposure, and all three of his appearances on Mezzanine are homages or nods to songs he'd charted with in his early-’70s come-up. “Angel” is a loose rewrite of his 1973 single “You Are My Angel,” but it’s a fakeout after the first verse—originally a vision of beauty (“Come from way above/To bring me love”), transformed into an Old Testament avenger: “On the dark side/Neutralize every man in sight.” The parenthetically titled, album-closing reprise of “(Exchange)” is a ghostly invocation of Andy’s “See a Man’s Face” cleverly disguised as a comedown track. And then there’s “Man Next Door,” the John Holt standard that Andy had previously recorded as “Quiet Place”—on Mezzanine, it sounds less like an overheard argument from the next apartment over and more like a close-quarters reckoning with violence heard through thin walls ready to break. It’s Andy at his emotionally nuanced and evocative best.

The other outside vocalist was even more of a coup: Liz Fraser, the singer and songwriter of Cocteau Twins, lends her virtuoso soprano to three songs that feel like exorcisms of the personal strife accompanying her band’s breakup. Her voice serves as an ethereal counterpoint to speaker-rattling production around it. “Black Milk” contains the album’s most spiritually unnerving words (“Eat me/In the space/Within my heart/Love you for God/Love you for the Mother”), even as her lead and the elegiac beat make for some of its most beautiful sounds. She provides the wistful counterpoint to the night-shift alienation of “Group Four.” And then there's “Teardrop,” her finest moment on the album. Legend has it the song was briefly considered for Madonna; Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles sent the demo to her, but was overruled by Daddy G and 3D, who both wanted Fraser. Democracy thankfully worked this time around, as Fraser’s performance—recorded in part on the day she discovered that Jeff Buckley, who she’d had an estranged working relationship and friendship with, had drowned in Memphis’ Wolf River—was a heart-rending performance that gave Massive Attack their first (and so far only) UK Top 10 hit.

Originally set for a late ’97 release, Mezzanine got pushed back four months because Del Naja refused to stop reworking the tracks, tearing them apart and rebuilding them until they’re so polished they gleam. It sure sounds like the product of bloody-knuckled labor, all that empty-space reverb and melted-together multitrack vocals and oppressive low-end. (The first sound you hear on the album, that lead-jointed bassline on “Angel,” is to subwoofers what “Planet Earth” is to high-def television.) But it also groans with the burden of creative conflict, a working process that created rifts between Del Naja and Vowles, who left shortly after Mezzanine dropped following nearly 15 years of collaboration.

Mezzanine began the band’s relationship with producer Neil Davidge, who’d known Vowles dating back to the early ’90s and met the rest of the band after the completion of Protection. He picked a chaotic time to jump in, but Davidge and 3D forged a creative bond working through that pressure. *Mezzanine *was a document of unity, not fragmentation. Despite their rifts, they were a post-genre outfit, one that couldn’t separate dub from punk from hip-hop from R&B because the basslines all worked together and because classifications are for toe tags. All their acknowledged samples—including the joy-buzzer synths from Ultravox’s “Rockwrok” (“Inertia Creeps”), the opulent ache of Isaac Hayes’ celestial-soul take on “Our Day Will Come” (“Exchange”), Robert Smith’s nervous “tick tick tick” from the Cure’s “10:15 Saturday Night,” and the most concrete-crumbling throwdown of the Led Zep “Levee” break ever deployed (the latter two on “Man Next Door”)—were sourced from  1968 and 1978, well-traveled crate-digging territory. But what they build from that is its own beast.

Their working method never got any faster. The four-year gap between Protection and Mezzanine became a five-year gap until 2003’s 100th Window, then another seven years between that record and 2010’s Heligoland, plus another seven years and counting with no full-lengths to show for it. Not that they've been slacking: we've gotten a multimedia film/music collaboration with Adam Curtis, the respectable but underrated Ritual Spirit EP, and Del Naja’s notoriously rumored side gig as Banksy. (Hey, 3D does have a background in graffiti art.) But the ordeal of both recording and touring Mezzanine took its own toll. A late ’98 interview with Del Naja saw him optimistic about its reputation-shedding style: “I always said it was for the greater good of the fucking project because if this album was a bit different from the last two, the next one would be even freer to be whatever it wants to be.” But fatigue and restlessness rarely make for a productive mixture, and that same spark of tension which carried *Mezzanine *over the threshold proved unsustainable, not just for Massive Attack’s creativity but their continued existence.

Still, it’s hard not to feel the album’s legacy resonating elsewhere—and not just in “Teardrop” becoming the cue for millions of TV viewers to brace themselves for Hugh Laurie’s cranky-genius-doctor schtick. Graft its tense feelings of nervy isolation and late-night melancholy onto two-step, and you’re partway to the blueprint for Plastician and Burial. You can hear flashes of that mournful romantic alienation in James Blake, the graceful, bass-riddled emotional abrasion in FKA twigs, the all-absorbing post-genre rock/soul ambitions in Young Fathers or Algiers. Mezzanine stands as an album built around echoes of the ’70s, wrestled through the immediacy of its creators' tumultuous late ’90s, and fearless enough that it still sounds like it belongs in whatever timeframe you're playing it".

On 20th April, the supreme Mezzanine celebrates twenty-five years. I remember when it came out in 1998. It was an exciting year for music, and I was appreciating genres like Trip Hop and Electronica more. I don’t think there is any fault of weaknesses with Mezzanine. It is one of those flawless albums. I think it will stun, amaze, and inspire…

FOR decades more.

FEATURE: Slowly Trudging Up That Hill: If a New Kate Bush Album Dropped, Which Radio Stations Would Play It?

FEATURE:

 

 

Slowly Trudging Up That Hill

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

If a New Kate Bush Album Dropped, Which Radio Stations Would Play It?

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APOLOGIES to once more…

 PHOTO CREDIT: lookstudio via freepik

play on Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) for the title of this feature, but I think it is apt in this case! I think it is only going to be a matter of months before Kate Bush announces new music. That might be a bit of a guess or big prediction, but I feel that she will announce an autumn album by the time we are just about to get to summer. I am thinking ahead to the fact and a subject that I like to address when it comes to Bush. With every passing day, it is apparent that Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is the go-to song for stations. Radio loves to play that 1985 track. That has always been the case, but it has been amplified after it appeared on Stranger Things last year. If that Netflix show helped introduce a new generation to Kate Bush’s music, it unfortunately created this fixation with the song that sacrificed most of her other songs. Sure, you might get a few other singles played now and then but, from Greatest Hits Radio to BBC Radio 2, even to BBC Radio 6 Music, you can bet that Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is going to be played a lot more than any other song. In fact, I think the last five times I have heard Kate Bush played on the radio, it has been that Hounds of Love track.

I do feel that there needs to be greatest appreciation of her music beyond what is seen as obvious and popular. The thing is that people do not need to hear that song so much anymore. It is in the wider world and is not going to be fresh to so many people. Radio stations seem to get it into their head that, as the song exploded last year, this is what we associate with Kate Bush – a song that defines her and is going to be the most sought after. Even if something is sought after and popular, ramming it down throats assumes that people only would listen to Kate Bush because of that song. Playlists in general are very narrow; but consider their demographics and objectives. Very few radio stations are age-specific. I know BBC Radio 1 appeals to a ‘young’ reach, but they do feature artists in their mid-thirties and forties. It is rare, but why would someone as relevant as Kate Bush not feature? I suspect they play her a fair bit, but would her new music feature on the playlists, seeing as she has undoubtably resonated with a generation who listen to BBC Radio 1? I will come to that. BBC Radio 2 is quite broad in its remit, and even BBC Radio 6 Music is very narrow regarding Kate Bush plays. Unless listeners request something deeper than the obvious singles, the scope includes maybe six or seven of her tracks (and Babooshka and The Red Shoes might be in there).

For an artist who has released ten studio albums and well over a hundred songs, it is a huge disservice to her genius and variety. There are artists that are given the same sort of short shrift and lack of real appreciation. It is great that a song like Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) impacted and connected with so many people, but if that is the song you lean on when it comes to Bush, what are you trying to say? This is what she is known for and synonymous with, so this is all we are going to play?! It is a little sad! There are songs and almost entire albums that are not being played. Since when did we hear anything from Lionheart that wasn’t Wow? Something from Never for Ever besides Babosohka, Army Dreamers or Breathing? Anything off of The Dreaming past Sat in Your Lap? A song on Hounds of Love from the first side that isn’t Cloudbusting, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) or Hounds of Love? What about things beyond The Sensual World’s title track and This Woman’s Work? Do you get much from The Red Shoes beyond the title track? Aerial’s King of the Mountain is played, but not much else from that double album is. If radio stations limit artists to the singles and neglect deeper cuts, then that creates a very bleak rule! Kate Bush will never be ignored or forgotten, but her legacy is being defined and reduced to only a few songs. I know people (pedants) will leap in and list occasions when deeper cuts have been played - but is a very rare occasion!

It sounds like I am picking on BBC Radio 1, but should an artist in their sixties be seen as a legacy act or irrelevant to playlists?! I know they aim to a young demographic and want music that is cutting-edge and will appeal to them, but there are no rules about featuring artists who have been in the music business for years. I wonder why, for women, there are few artists over thirty-five on the playlist. I guess even male artists have a certain time limit on that station – though it does not seen as strict when compared to female artists. If we want to discuss relevance and importance, new Kate Bush music would definitely be up there. If listeners of BBC Radio 1 hear Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) on the station because that and a couple of others are what they might easily identify with, would they ever know about her new music and buy the album?! Legends like Madonna won’t appear on certain stations, so how does a younger generation know about her albums and contemporary brilliance if they are only being fed ‘classics’? Are women over a certain age only seen as being able to connect with young listeners through their older music? Let us not forget that Bush released Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) when she was in her twenties.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Nicholas Githiri/Pexels

When a new album is announced – I am very hopeful we are not talking about 2011’s 50 Words for Snow being her final album -, the likely scenario is this regarding promotion. She will speak with BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and maybe some international stations. Perhaps MOJO and The Guardian might get interviews. Bush might also talk to a couple of smaller music websites. That might be about it. I realise that I have not mentioned stations like BBC Radio 1, but this should not mean that no promotion with them equals no airtime. The stations who will play songs from that album are likely to only be BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music (from the main stations) and, to be fair, I think the latter may only play a single for the first time it will fade out quickly. What should happen is that a new single should be seen as a wonderful thing we all need to embrace! I have the horrible feeling that Bush’s new music will soon be replaced with her hits. I know stations can only play a single for a certain amount of time, but I don’t think they can only play singles. They can dip into an album. I think there is a reason why this is not done more. If you get into a habit of playing singles or, in this case, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), it gets harder and harder to break that cycle the more you play it. People are used to this song being played, so there is the feeling they will balk or tune out if another/album track is played.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing on stage at The Secret Policeman's Ball, in aid of Amnesty International, at the London Palladium, March 1987/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

In terms of new music, it might be more of a case of trudging up that hill for recognition and exposure. Age seems to preclude a lot of artists. It is this thing that an artist is only worthy of being in the playlist if they fit into a demographic or are cool and cutting. You will find that the listenership of stations like BBC Radio 1 is not as discerning and rigid as their playlists would suggest. They would actually embrace Kate Bush’s new music, but one feels she is not going to be on their playlists. A song that appeared on an album nearly forty years ago is seen as more significant and relevant than anything brand-new. Of course, I am making predictions. Stations may surprise us, though if history is anything to go by, Bush’s new music will be confined to a certain audience and schedule. It is a sad thing to realise! Whilst this one song is played the vast majority of the time, there is a whole body of work going un-explored and heard. I do think that 2023 is a year for new Kate Bush music. I do realise that 50 Words for Snow featured longer tracks, so they wouldn’t have been suitable for radio (even though Among Angels is perfectly doable in that sense). Look at Aerial for instance. That 2005 album is largely neglected. Bush reissued her lyrics book, How to Be Invisible, with a new foreword. Many fans were lucky enough to get a signed copy. That song (from Aerial) is almost ironic given that so many of her songs are overlooked. An artist who has inspired so many young artists coming through and has influenced so many others deserves more radioplay and a wider selection of her tracks featured. That is particularly relevant when it comes to the possibility of new music. When that great day arrives, Kate Bush shouldn’t have to be limited to a couple of radio stations. She shouldn’t have to learn…

HOW to be invisible.

FEATURE: After the Compliments, Pleasure, and First Impression… What Next for the Amazing Self Esteem?

FEATURE:

 

 

After the Compliments, Pleasure, and First Impression…

IN THIS PHOTO: Self Esteem at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin, February 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen White/TLMT 

What Next for the Amazing Self Esteem?

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ONE of our absolutely finest artists…

IMAGE CREDIT: Self Esteem

the past few years have been so impactful and successful for the wonderful Self Esteem. The moniker of Rebecca Lucy Taylor, the former Slow Club member is a solo artist with no peers. She occupies a space that is entirely her own. Her 2019 debut album, Compliments Please, was one that gained huge critical acclaim. She was being marked out as a unique, incredibly powerful, and personal songwriter whose music resonated and dug deep. I thought that this album should have been nominated for a Mercury Prize. Even though it lost out to Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert last year, her second studio album, Prioritise Pleasure, is considered her masterpiece. Released in October 2021, it was undeniably the best album of that year in my view. I want to predict and prophesise in a minute. I will stay with the incredible Prioritise Pleasure for a bit. I will come to a review of that album, before mentioning a soundtrack that took her talent and sound in a new direction. In August 2021, NME featured Self Esteem. It was fascinating knowing more about Rebecca Lucy Taylor and her objectives when it came to Prioritise Pleasure. The messages that go into the songs. This was someone who came from a successful duo where she may have felt held back or inauthentic at times. Now, as a solo artist releasing her second studio album, she had broken free. This sense of liberation and authenticity coming through in her songs:

“Taylor formed Slow Club in Sheffield in 2006 with fellow instrumentalist Charles Watson. After just over a decade together, the duo parted ways. Though she remains proud of the songs she and Watson wrote together – and is clear she doesn’t blame anybody for making her feel this way – Taylor began to feel suffocated by a sense of duty to the band. “The amount of songs I had that couldn’t go through the Slow Club lens – that then had to just disappear – was quite debilitating artistically,” she says.

Though Taylor doesn’t dwell on her sexuality (“my Wikipedia page says that I’m bisexual, and I’m like, ‘Wow – that’s news?”), going solo has proved freeing in certain ways. Looking back, she recognises the “inherent masculinity” and straightness of the indie scene Slow Club moved in.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Pentel

“We had Amelie, Zooey Deschanel, and Bright Eyes… I mean, I fucking love Bright Eyes but there would always be the one pretty girl who would come and sing with them,” she despairs. “Now that whole aesthetic makes me ill and I just can’t bear it. Realising my sexuality wasn’t a massive deal, but it did make me feel odd about what I presented to an audience, and having to sing songs that couldn’t represent just my feelings was just very restrictive.”

She says that breaking away to do her own thing has been “the greatest joy”, adding: “Everything about that world was like, ‘Ooh – we just happen to be playing our songs quietly, don’t look at me, don’t make any sort of spectacle out of me; I’m just sort of accidentally talented. That’s something I never enjoyed about it. I want to put on a show – I want it to be too much!

“As a little girl this is what my life was like. I used to just write plays and do dances. I had this character called the Babylon Sorceress – she had this long purple dress with big sleeves and red hair. A very Florence [and The Machine] vibe actually. I told Florence about her. She was this misunderstood sorceress that was very cool, and I was very enamoured. All my female leads were very isolated and alone, and now look! My life was this Freddie Mercury fucking show. For a decade of my life, that was the worst thing about me. Now, to celebrate it is just hilarious.”

 PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Pentel

These days, channelling the singular spirit of the Babylon Sorceress, Self Esteem certainly puts on a show. As an artist she wilfully embraces the ridiculous, and also the ridiculously fun: when she’s not whirling around the stage dressed in a dress made out of Boots advantage cards, she’s paying homage to Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour by performing intricate choreo in a shoulder-padded suit and lacy lingerie.

When we speak today, Taylor is taking a break from rehearsing the “dramatic entrance” segment of her Green Man show. “For the whole of this ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ era, the Blonde Ambition tour is the blueprint,” she explains, expanding on what she’ll be bringing to the stage. “There will never be anything more perfect to me than mixing lingerie with menswear, and what that represents and makes me feel like.” Pulling together an arena-level pop show fit for a mountainous Welsh festival has been tiring, but, she says: “It pays off. People love the gigs; they’re amazing, it’s an experience. I work hard now in a way I’ve always wanted to work. I’m knackered now at the end of a gig and it feels amazing”.

And, true to its title, ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ as a whole is an album that champions putting yourself first – even if it makes certain people uncomfortable. “I’ve done years of therapy, done plenty of work on myself, and read every fucking book you can fucking read about it, and it comes back down to true self-acceptance and self-love,” Taylor says. “It’s the answer to everything, but it’s still something that you’re meant to not do. I go down this road a lot, and I get quite upset. But then I think, no – just keep in my little part of the world, my group, accepting myself, loving myself, and then make my little silly songs and do my little silly dances. And if someone can learn from that and pass it forward, at least I’m doing something?”.

There is no pressure or anything but, like Madonna, Self Esteem released a terrific debut, and then hit extraordinary heights on her second. In fact, if we want to make Madge comparisons, perhaps Compliments Please was a Like a Virgin/True Blue album where there was this promise and step up, whereas Prioritise Pleasure is a combination of Like a Prayer, Erotica and Ray of Light. It seems like there is this growing confidence. The songwriting brilliance increasing and expanding. Self Esteem’s second studio album will go down as one of the best albums of the 2020s. Even if it was scandalously overlooked when it came to awards, it is an undeniable work of genius. This is what The Line of Best Fit wrote when they gave it a perfect ten:

“It’s in this pursuit of pleasure that Taylor snatches the opportunity to embrace emotion in abundance. “Don’t be embarrassed that all you’ve had is fun” she preaches on gripping centrepiece “I Do This All The Time”, her vocals backed by a choir. The inclusion of these choral outbursts throughout the album help to reinstate Taylor’s messages of unity, with the sea of vocals welcoming washes of sonic euphoria.

The thunderous outcries of “How Can I Help You'' convey a retaliation against societal norms and the unrelenting standards that women are expected to yield to. “But I don’t know shit, do I?” she snarls, supported by tribal rhythms and a cavernous bass drum beat that simply demands you realise your own self worth. Similarly across the title track, Taylor’s rhythmic flourishes allow the powerful chorus to explode into the importance of prioritising yourself. Elsewhere, “Moody” - a highlight of the record - not only contains a funk-pop pre-chorus that’ll make Dua Lipa green with envy but also the wickedly witty line “Sexting you at the mental health talk seems counterproductive”.

In between those intense flashes of emotion though, Prioritise Pleasure also makes space for contemplation and quiet vulnerability. In “Still Reigning” for example, we see her step back from the flag-waving hedonist into a more empathic, nurturing role. “The love you need is gentle, the love you need is kind” she muses, like a warm hug from the big sister you never had. Although perhaps the most stark and goosebump inducing moment on the record is during opener “I’m Fine”. In a spoken word snippet taken from a National Youth Theatre workshop on the topic of consent, we hear an unnamed woman recount that “There is nothing that terrifies a man more than a woman who appears completely deranged” - a bleak reminder of the fear of male violence shared by countless women and the normalisation of it in our society.

Commanding, assertive, and powerful, Prioritise Pleasure is everything pop music should be. Wholly unafraid to tackle difficult subjects with ease, in Rebecca Taylor we also have the makings of a serious pop behemoth”.

Released in June of last year, the soundtrack for Prima Facie was lauded and proved just how consistent and versatile Rebecca Lucy Taylor is. Released as Self Esteem rather than Rebecca Lucy Taylor, I guess this was so that people could identify with the music more. Perhaps this was seen as a continuation and extension of Prioritise Pleasure. Prima Facie is a one-woman play written by Suzie Miller. It revolves around Tessa, a criminal defence barrister, whose view of the legal system changes after she is sexually assaulted. Nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, it saw wins for Best New Play and Best Actress for its star, Jodie Comer. A tough subject matter – where a woman who defends men accused of sexual assault is then sexually assaulted herself – that translated into an incredibly powerful play, Self Esteem’s soundtrack is remarkable. A different discipline and way of working, one is instantly intrigued by song titles. It is an album that was congratulated for its evocative nature and heartbreaking potency. This is what Northern Transmissions wrote in their review:

“On the first of many instantly relatable songs Rebecca Lucy Taylor wrote for her second album, Prioritise Pleasure, she sings: “No, not me / I won’t rein in my need to be completely free.” At the end of Prima Facie, the soundtrack for the play she composed herself, the lines are reprised in the bubbling, eventually glorious “1 in 3 (I’m Fine),” capping off yet another meaningful, well-crafted endeavor from the emotionally omnipresent Self Esteem.

Starring Jodie Comer, Prima Facie ran in London from April 15th to June 18th, before being picked up by Broadway to premiere in 2023. The one-woman show sees Comer playing Tessa, a young lawyer who eventually faces an assault by a colleague in an emotionally demanding performance. Enlisting Self Esteem, whose previous albums are filled with raw, human emotion, seemed like the only choice for the composition.

The hodge-podge (in a good way) production style present on Compliments Please is brought back here, particularly on tracks like “Cross Examination” where hand-claps reign, “Chambers,” filled with breaths, the dog-like pants on “Day Through,” or the largely a capella “The Process.” Even the pitched-down vocal effect on her debut album’s “On The Edge Of Another One” makes a reappearance on “Perfect 2 Me” and its reprise.

Some tracks rely on subtle unsettledness, whereas the bass on tracks such as “How Dare You” wobble around her voice, increasing in intensity. “The Winner,” too, starts slow and expands into a harsh wall of sound and vocal chops, similar to her previous singles “Prioritise Pleasure” and “Moody.”

Of course, because it is a soundtrack — to a play instead of a movie, no less — there isn’t much to hold onto; not many hooky melodies or insightful lyrics present on her previous albums. “Perfect 2 Me,” though, a guitar-tinged love song, features the clever lyricism she’s known for. “I am honored by these moments / When the makeup leaves no trace,” she wrote, over the welcome breezy beat surrounded by other intense songs. “To See From Here,” also, explores a lightness with its hopeful piano notes.

It’s a treat to see the emotions written about so cleverly on her studio albums translate to a soundtrack to a bigger, more dynamic performance in theater. If anything, it suggests that Taylor’s plans for how music can sound and take shape is much bigger than anything we — or many other recording artists — imagine”.

A lot has happened since the release of Prioritise Pleasure. I am sure many songs have been written for the third album. The I Tour This All The Time tour supported her album, and it was met with ecstatic crowds and impassioned reviews. Proving she is one of the finest live performers of her generation, the shows were the stuff of legend. There were extra dates added to the tour, and Self Esteem’s magnificent sets earned more than a few five-star reviews! This year sees Rebecca Lucy Taylor and crew perform at a number of U.K. festivals, including Neighbourhood Weekender, Bristol Sounds, Standon Calling, Parklife and Truck, and will support Blur at their Wembley Stadium gigs in July. If that were not enough, in February, Django Django released Complete Me, which featured vocals from Self Esteem. Taylor also contributed a cover of Black Eyed Dog for a Nick Drake covers compilation album, The Endless Coloured Way, which is due to be released in July.  That support slot for Blur will be immense. I think the most exciting dates of the summer will be at festivals like Standon Calling. It is a moment when Self Esteem is adored by the masses and, in Rebecca Lucy Taylor, this is someone influencing so many artists and women coming through. I have not quoted any of the live reviews from last year and this, but they are all so emphatically positive and full of admiration.

Apologies to compare her again to Madonna – though I am sure she will not mind! -, but this is a big year for the Queen of Pop, as she is touring the world and working on new material. I feel that there are things Madonna has done that could be something which will enter into Self Esteem’s world. A second book from Rebecca Lucy Taylor is coming. Available for pre-order, it was explore the devolution of a woman. This is a book that you will want to own! I also think there are other books and ideas in this area. A photobook would be cool. I am not suggesting something like Madonna’s 1992 book, Sex, but something that shows Rebecca Lucy Taylor at home and behind the scenes, but we also get to see the highs and whirlwind life of Self Esteem. Shots of her with the band. I can see that happening. I know there will be a third studio album, but what direction will it take? In terms of sound, I would imagine something similar to Prioritise Pleasure. Maybe more elements of Electronica and Disco. Or maybe there will be something Chill-Out or, again, Madonna-esque. Perhaps some ‘80s Pop influences alongside something grittier and Rock. It will be fascinating to discover! Lyrically, there have been changes and transitions in the last year or two.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Richardson

New success has come the way of Rebecca Lucy Taylor. Still grounded and herself, she cannot help but notice how the world has embraced her. I am not sure whether there is a partner in her life, but you feel like a third album will be as arresting, open and filled with emotion as her first two. Funny and heartbreaking at times, there will also be plenty of invention, power, and nuance coming from every song. Rebecca Lucy Taylor co-produced the Prima Facie soundtrack with Jockstrap’s Taylor Skye. I think that her third studio album, perhaps, will be a sole-produce. Rebecca Lucy Taylor taking the reigns and crafting this album completely in her vision. Maybe she will want to work with other producers, but I can also see her taking production duties herself. I have always said how Taylor would make a tremendous actor. In fact, she appeared in series two of I Hate Suzie (starring Billie Piper as the title character) in 2022. She will also be appearing in a new comedy, Smothered, to be aired later in the year. I feel like she could also get film roles. Someone with incredible performance skills, I can see Rebecca Lucy Taylor appearing in a range of flicks.

Having written the soundtrack for Prima Facie, I also see her acting in a play like that. She would be a very powerful stage actor! It would be something everyone would love to see. As Self Esteem, there are gigs and will be ne material, but I also predict some huge collaborations. It would be great to see her work properly awarded. The likes of the Mercury Prize and NME nominated Prioritise Pleasure for awards. Missing out, I know awards are not everything, but this is an album that more than deserved one! The Rotherham-born colossus and renaissance woman is going to have such a busy and successful future. Having achieved so much as Self Esteem and Rebecca Lucy Taylor, I can see so much gold ahead. It would be great for there to be a huge U.S. tour for Self Esteem. Dates in Australia and around the world. Documentaries and new interview. Perhaps a remix album of Prioritise Pleasure, and Self Esteem/Rebecca Lucy Taylor producing for other artists. When it comes to his inspiring queen, it very much seems like…

SKY’S the limit!

FEATURE: Radio Edits: A Time to Ban All Misogynistic, Sexist and Disrespectful Lyrics Towards Women

FEATURE:

 

 

Radio Edits

PHOTO CREDIT: Carolina Grabowski via Pexels

A Time to Ban All Misogynistic, Sexist and Disrespectful Lyrics Towards Women

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YOU cannot erase the past…

 PHOTO CREDIT: rawpixel.com

and stop people from hearing songs with lyrics that seem to promote misogyny and abuse against woman. Whether sexually degrading or bordering on coercive behaviour, there have been some damaging and horrific lyrics written through the years. It is not a problem confined to genres like Hip-Hop and Rap, but one tends not to hear it across, say, Jazz and Folk! Indeed, Pop music has featured more than its share of troubling and disturbing messages. It is not just a historic problem either. Last year, Olly Murs was criticised for including misogynist lyrics in his song, I Hate You When You’re Drunk. There are those who will say that female artists have shot back at men, and there are songs that attack men and can be considered threatening and sexist. This is true, although the comparative minority of these examples means it is not such a huge issue. Also, many female artists are often retaliating to male artists and actually defending themselves. Saying they will not be messed with, and that it is not okay to treat women with so little respect. In researching this feature, it is clear there have been some truly degrading and offensive songs written throughout the years! I know that Hip-Hop and Rap have always had a problem with this. Although the genre is improving and there are far few instances of outright misogyny and sexism, artists such as Drake have also recently been accused of misogyny and sending out bad messages. Whether an artist talks threateningly about women or merely considers himself to be a prize and far superior to any women out there, it is showing a real lack of respect.

I am going to go on a slight tangent before bringing it back to the subject. The reason I am writing this is because I revisited a couple of films where violence against women was severe and inexplicable. One was the recent horror film, Terrifer 2. I would not advise anybody watch this – due to its extreme gore -, but the most gruesome death was reserved for a female character. The same was true in the first film, but there was something especially horrible about the amount of pleasure the film’s killer took in slowly ending this woman’s life. I struggle to understand directors when they say it is not misogynistic and it is only fair that women are also victims in horror films. Terrifier 2 is directed by Damien Leone. Another director who has been accused or extreme violence against women in his films is Quentin Tarantino. His most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), also saves the most graphic death for female characters. It is a long-running and complex debate regarding his films. Someone who has strong female leads, he also does not shy away when it comes to inflicting disturbing and frequently unnecessary violence against women. I look at film and the way there is still a thread of misogyny present. How unsettling and problematic it is to still be making film where women are demeaned and abused in such a way. If the story revolves around domestic abuse and requires realistic violence, then that is a different matter. In many cases, the violence is not necessary. It is not just violence. It is language and attitudes levelled at women.

Even if artists have creative license and there is a big argument against censorship, I think that there are areas that should not be accepted for inclusion. Homophobia and transphobia has no place in music. Neither does racism or any other form of prejudice. Misogyny and sexism are still very much alive within music, and I feel that now should be a moment when artists are truly taken to task and displayed if they violate these rules. Whilst there is not the same rampancy and proliferation as there was in decades past, one cannot look around music and now and say we are clearly in a safe zone. Indeed, there is plenty of sexism and misogyny elsewhere in music. Cases where male artists are accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. Clearing out any toxicity and Stone Age attitudes in music, I think, it is a necessary step few could object to. It is not about censoring artists and taking away their voice. If your creative freedom, voice and independence relies on you making such statements and displaying such despicable attitudes, then you really have no place in the industry! I think it is more about showing respect. If a step forward occurs when an artist apologies for an unwise lyrical choice or subject matter, there are two steps back when it happens elsewhere. Lessons are briefly learned, but how often does the message stick that women should not have to hear and see this in modern-day music?

There is nobody who has a good heart and conscience that could ever object to this ruling. The finest Rap music can still flourish and grow without lines that seem to normalise violence and abuse against women. Disrespectful and humiliating language that almost seems casual and tossed-off. If icons and queens like Dionne Warwick have truly schooled rappers and got them to change their ways when it comes to misogynistic attitudes and lyrics, we have not got rid of the issue. It is great that there has been evolution since some dark days, but it is not only the massive stuff. Whether it is a recent Olly Murs track that should not have seen the light of day or a song that features violence against a woman, it has no place in modern music. Nor do any songs that degrade or disrespect women. It is not a case of sanitising music and throwing down these extreme commandments. It is, as I said, about respect. Maybe some will say that, as Rap and Hip-Hop is more woke and conscientious and you do not hear as many cases of misogyny and abusive attitudes towards women in music that this is really not an issue. You only need to look at recent articles about misogyny in the industry to realise why artists need to ensure they are doing their part. A month ago, this article was written, that highlighted the Women in Music podcast – where inspiring women come together to talk about their experiences in music. It is clear that the industry still has a real issue with sexism, inequality and misogyny.

Think about this recent article, and how the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee is investigating misogyny in music. Whilst lyrics in older songs are being scrutinised and highlighted, it is also clear that this is not merely a historic issue. There is still a stench and poison in the industry that needs to be eradicated:

“Music Ally has covered the UK’s parliamentary inquiry into music streaming economics in great depth, but there’s another inquiry underway in Westminster that focuses on the music industry.

It’s about misogyny in music, and is being held by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee. Today saw its second evidence session, and we were watching to take notes.

The session heard from four witnesses: Vick Bain (The F-List for Music); Melinda Kelly (Safe Gigs for Women); Nadia Khan (Women in CTRL) and Vanessa Threadgold (Cactus City Studio).

It kicked off with a question about misogyny in music lyrics, and whether that’s reflective of wider trends in the industry.

“14% of musicians who are signed to UK music publishing companies as composers or songwriters are women. So with such a huge dominance of men as songwriters and as musicians, the songs they create are going to be from a male viewpoint,” said Bain.

‘Delilah’ by Tom Jones has been making headlines in the UK this month, with discussion over its lyrical content (a man murdering a woman) and Jones’s decision to keep performing it.

Bain said she’d met the writers several years ago, and that they saw it as “part of a great tradition of folk songs: around the abuse and murder of women. That’s not something that is particular to my taste!”

“We need the music industry to sign more women, to invest in more female musicians, and then we will have songs of a different nature,” she said.

‘Delilah’ was written in the 1960s, so are things getting better? Khan said not, with an eye on the wider context within which misogynistic and sexual-violence lyrics are created.

“They’re so prevalent and so widespread in popular music,” she said. “My view is that it’s actually representation of societal views and societal norms, and it’s a reflection of the misogynistic culture that’s apparent within society but also within the music industry. And the structures that women have to work with”.

If the film industry does still have issues that range from unsettling violence against women in films, to sexism and sexual abuse on sets and behind the scenes, then the #MeToo movement at least did weed out a lot of perpetrators and created this voice and space where women could share their experience and bring to justice a lot of abusive men in the industry – and yet the movement has not infiltrated the industry to the same degree it has with the film business. The BBC wrote about this last year when they highlighted how Black woman in the industry experience even worse discrimination than their counterparts:

“Wild west'

At the same inquiry, Charisse Beaumont, chief executive of the Black Lives in Music (BLiM) initiative, compared the music industry to "the wild west", saying there is no central place to report bad behaviour.

She suggested less than 5% of music producers are female and that the gender imbalance, and "male gaze", translated into a misogynistic culture.

"I think there could be more signposting, more obvious ways of showing that there will be a consequence for the perpetrator and that you're going to be protected and safe," she said.

Last year, a BLiM report found that racism in the British music industry was "serious, upfront and personal".

Beaumont stressed how black women are discriminated against twice - for their gender and race - and often feel the need to change themselves in order to be accepted.

But she noted how the success of recent Mercury Prize and Brit Award-winner Little Simz highlights how it is possible to "be your authentic self" as a black woman in the music industry.

"What I want to hammer home is the director of marketing who handles Little Simz is a black woman," she told the committee. "She knows exactly what to do with an artist like Little Simz, meaning it can be done."

During the inquiry, Beaumont announced the launch of an industry wide anti-racism code of conduct, endorsed by the Independent Standards Authority (ISA).

The move, which will come into place in spring 2023, intends to raise standards and tackle discriminatory behaviour and micro-aggressions, as well as providing support mechanisms for staff and mandatory anti-racism training.

She said it would also look into equal pay and contracts, career progression and achieving proportionate representation for artists and technical/production workers.

'Hear women's stories'

Dr Nicola Puckey, senior lecturer in English, creative writing and American studies at the University of Winchester, pointed to the rapid rise of another Mercury Prize nominated act, indie band Wet Leg, as an example of how we are "slowly" seeing more diversity in the traditionally male dominated industry.

The current state of play, however, means listeners only hear "half the story", according to Dr Rosemary Hill, senior lecturer in media and popular culture at the University of Huddersfield.

"We should be able to hear ourselves reflected in the songs that we listen to and what we want to sing along with," she noted, while giving evidence.

"We also need to acknowledge that sometimes the way that men portray women in songs is not how we would like to see ourselves portrayed so it is really important to hear women's stories and to hear the different things we have to say about the world and reflect our different experiences”.

PHOTO CREDIT: rawpixel.com via freepik

It is 2023, and so many doors have been opened and problems solved. One cannot look back fondly on past decades without addressing problems and regressive attitudes. Songs and artists that promulgated such regressive and disturbing messages. It has not completely gone away. Even something as relatively minor than insulting a woman, I think, should be eradicated. I understand that this is like taking a red marker pen to all lyrics and crossing out any that are seen as ‘wrong’! That is not the case. It is not a puritanical drive. It is about cleaning about music so that we no longer see attitudes of sexual abuse, sexism, misogyny and sheer disrespect for women continue. It is clear that there is a wider industry issue, so artists should lead from the front in combatting it. Indeed, where are the male voices and songs that demand change and call out those culpable and unwilling to change?! For all the great personal music out there, there are gaps and opportunities artists are not taking to raise bigger issues. From the environment and modern politics through to ways to change the world, I think the personal is outweighing something wider and bigger than the individual. One hardly ever hears male artists spotlighting poison attributes against women – through, if there are a lot of songs that do, I would like to know! It is another case of women in music fighting for themselves and not getting adequate support from men. That was also true of #MeToo - although there were male allies. All artists need to come together to ensure that regressive and disrespectful attitudes towards women are…

 PHOTO CREDIT: cookie_studio via freepik

A thing of the past.

FEATURE: 2023 Queens: The Best Ten Albums Made By Female Artists This Year

FEATURE:

 

 

2023 Queens

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Marten/PHOTO CREDIT: Katie Silvester 

The Best Ten Albums Made By Female Artists This Year

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I put together a similar list…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Caroline Polachek/PHOTO CREDIT: Aidan Zamiri

not too long ago but, as the past few weeks has seen some year-best albums released by female artists, I had to come back to it. On 7th April alone, we had the stunning Ellie Goulding’s Higher Than Heaven and Billie Marten’s Drop Cherries. At the end of March, boygenius’ the record was released. These three albums instantly make their way into my top ten – with boyegnius and Marten especially high in my top five. This year, as I suspected, has been defined by albums from women. I suspect that will continue. I will do another list in a few months (and a final one in December), as I know some sensational albums are coming between now and then. To showcase the brilliant albums by female artists that have arrived so far, I have listed ten of the very best. With Feist releasing Multitudes this Friday (14th), and Jessie Ware putting out That! Feels Good! Two weeks later, there are a couple more albums that can contend for this top ten. It shows how invaluable and spectacular female artists are! Proving why the industry needs to recognise their brilliance when it comes to festival line-ups and wider recognition. These 2023 queens have released some of the…

BEST albums of the year.

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boygenius – The Record

Release Date: 31st March

Producers: boygenius/Catherine Marks

Label: Interscope

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/boygenius/the-record-5

Standout Tracks: Emily I’m Sorry/Not Strong Enough/Leonard Cohen

Key Cut: Without You Without Them

Review:

“The anatomy of the supergroup has a rocky past, often pulled together for commercial gain or a desperate attempt to revive a flatlining legacy. That the individual parts of boygenius are arguably better known as a trio tells a different story, one of unbreakable friendship and deep-rooted mutual respect that has rapidly become the lifeblood of the collaboration. Touching on an unavoidable cliche, they are better because of each other.

It’s no mean feat given their statuses as three of the best songwriters around. They share a powerful honesty that has encouraged a crossover of their respective fanbases, but each boast distinctive nuances that are brought effortlessly to the table. Julien Baker’s self-critical charm bleeds in, as does Lucy Dacus’ heavier tone and quick-witted wording. Phoebe Bridgers - away from boygenius, the biggest name on the line-up but here perfectly aligned - brings her dense blend of delicacy and rage. The screams that brought 2020’s ‘Punisher’ to a crashing end ring out on ‘Satanist’ and ‘$20’ – the latter one of boygenius’ punchiest tracks to date.

’the record’ never shies away from being a sum of these parts, with their love for each other’s craft helping to avoid the temptation to reinvent the wheel. There are songs that are unmistakably assigned to one of their strengths; ‘True Blue’ continues the themes from Lucy’s ‘Home Video’, ‘Anti-Curse’ elevates the full-band outing from Julien’s ‘Little Oblivions’, and closer ‘Letter To An Old Poet’ unfolds in a way only Phoebe could manage. But even in these moments, it’s clear all three are being pushed beyond their usual creative comfort zones.

Phoebe speaks of ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ being the moment boygenius was reignited, written as a solo track but in her mind destined for ‘the record’. It’s indicative of the album’s power of the combined voice, not just in the obviously beautiful harmonies, but also in the playful instrumental and lyrical nods. The words switch from sincere to funny in the blink of an eye, some such as ‘Leonard Cohen’ a self-referential in-joke that simultaneously comments on male singer-songwriter tropes. The track plays out without a chorus, something that none of boygenius’ component parts would have likely written alone.

Here, the trio sound more assured than ever, willing to sit outside of their respective norms, placing their unity first while never shying away from their shared experiences in lyrics and tone. On stand-out ‘Not Strong Enough’, the trio come together with perfect precision, landing the balance between lyrical poignancy and enacting a longstanding desire to reference Sheryl Crow. It’s a shining moment in a sound of friendship that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but comes built on an unshakable admiration for every facet of their beings” – DIY

Billie Marten – Drop Cherries

Release Date: 7th April

Producers: Billie Marten/Dom Monks

Label: Fiction Records

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/billie-marten/drop-cherries

Standout Tracks: God Above/I Can’t Get My Head Around You/I Bend to Him

Key Cut: This Is How We Move

Review:

“Yorkshire-born Billie Marten is no stranger to our ears, having released three studio albums already at the tender age of 23. Her latest record, ‘Drop Cherries’, rings true to the Billie Marten we all know and love while introducing a more mature musical style as she takes her fans on a sonic journey. On this record, Marten has truly gathered some of her best work to date.

If this record had to be summed up briefly, it would be as an ode to relationships, from the good to the bad and everything in between. ‘Drop Cherries’ is a reference to the album’s titular closing track, which is simple in its structure and lyricism to end the record on a note of how the mundane things may be what truly makes love.

Elsewhere in the record, Marten uses music to explore the complexities of love and companionship, resulting in some beautiful tracks, namely ‘Willow’ which is beautiful in its imagery-led structure, with lyrics depicting “two weeping willows throwing an arm to one another.” ‘Arrows’ is another moment which is stunning in its lyricism, this time letting the listener into the tougher side of relationships, where Marten sings ‘’I am at war with my shadow, roads dark and narrow.’’

The lyric-lacking album opener ‘New Idea’ set a tone for Marten’s new instrumental approach on her fourth record as it let the music do the talking, introducing her controlled and soothing harmonies along with strings – something I did not expect on a Billie Marten album.

The increased instrumentation on this record is a welcome addition, as the orchestral-type strings in ‘Devil Swim’, woodwind solo in ‘Willow’, and plucked strings with cymbals in ‘God Above’ make Billie Marten stand out in a crowded singer-songwriter market. Though there are moments – for example, on ‘Just Us’ – where the vocals seem drowned out by the instrumentation, the record as a whole benefits from these sonic layers, with band-led track ‘I Can’t Get My Head Around You’ being one of my favourites for its cohesive sound. After taking a more electronic synth route on previous record ‘Flora Fauna’, this is just another indicator of Marten’s growth.

A conceptual album which feels honest and authentic, ‘Drop Cherries’ showcases the best of her musical ability while being lyrically complex – it’s another strong record for Billie Marten to add to her repertoire.

8/10” – CLASH

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

Release Date: 14th February

Producers: Caroline Polachek/Danny L Harle/Dan Nigro/Jim-E Stack/Sega Bodega/Ariel Rechtshaid

Labels: Sony Music/The Orchard/Perpetual Novice

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/caroline-polachek/desire-i-want-to-turn-into-you-2

Standout Tracks: Welcome to My Island/Blood and Butter/Billions

Key Cut: Sunset

Review:

“Rooted in 2000s indie, her time as part of Chairlift flexed her pop chorus muscles, then she moved onto experimental soundscapes with two records under the monikers Ramona Lisa and her initials CEP. The two collided on 2019’s ‘Pang’, the introduction to Caroline Polachek as we know her now – it’s a glittering orchestral affair that talked of long-distance love and crushing in the digital age. Zooming in on her second album, ‘Desire, I Want To Turn Into You’, Caroline takes us closer.

Initially introducing the era back in 2021 with the single ‘Bunny Is A Rider’, Caroline brought forth a looser, more playful side of her persona. Taking cues from her poppiest hit at the time – the late-blooming viral ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’ – and pulling them into more curious territory, ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ was less dreamy, more adventurous. And so the yearning on ‘Pang’ became a primal want: desire.

As with most of the records that have arrived since lockdowns lifted entirely, ‘Desire, I Want To Turn Into You’ is a celebration of togetherness, both in the overarching we-can-be-together-and-dance way that sees the record often veer into proper electronica, but also in the literal physical sense of togetherness; of sweaty bodies clashing beneath sheets and walks of shame personified in opening track ‘Welcome To My Island’.

It’s the cut she used to announce the album for a reason. Although eventual closer ‘Billions’ – a glitchy, hypnotic track laced with a children’s choir that doesn’t tire out its five-minute run time – and ‘Sunset’ – the shimmering flamenco track that brings some of the record’s best lyrics – came long before (they were previewed on tour in 2021 and released as singles), it’s the desperate euphoria of ‘Welcome To My Island’ that introduces the bratty character Caroline would play on this record, and solidified that this would be her poppiest record without losing any of the quirks that put her truly in a league of her own.

‘Pretty In Possible’ employs a Massive Attack style breakbeat and meandering pop melodies but is deliberately chorusless. When those UK drum ’n’ bass beats return on ‘I Believe’, they’re amped up with vibrant synths and house piano, the patience paying off in a cathartic final chorus release. Those same beats continue into ‘Desire…’s only feature, ‘Fly To You’ with Grimes and Dido, which, on paper, sounds like it should be bonkers. In reality, Caroline acts as a bridge between the pair; Dido, a long-time idol for CP with certain vocal similarities, and Grimes, an experimental and unexpected pop crossover act.

Between the airy 2000s pop guitars of ‘Blood and Butter’ comes a bagpipe solo, and a use of the word ‘Wikipediated’ to describe her lover. Some of her most sincere tracks end up being the most nonsensical; are ‘Hopedrunk’ or ‘Everasking’ even real words? It neither matters nor stops it from being the most delicate and tender one here.

While Caroline Polachek’s music is often described as otherworldly, she still deals primarily in human emotion. On ‘Desire, I Want To Turn Into You’, she offers up hope, catharsis and real euphoria. A record of love in its initial ravenous infatuated rumblings, and occasionally when it erupts into something bigger.

5/5” - DORK

Brix Smith - Valley of the Dolls

Release Date: 24th February

Producer: Youth

Label: Grit Over Glamour

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/brix-smith/valley-of-the-dolls

Standout Tracks: Livin Thru My Despair/California Smile/Valley Girl

Key Cut: Fast Net

Review:

“During her initial rise to fame in the 1980s, Brix Smith temporarily steered then-husband Mark E. Smith in a more commercial direction with The Fall. She’s also worked with everyone from Blondie drummer Clem Burke, The Smiths’ second guitarist Craig Gannon, and auditioned for Hole after the death of bassist Kristen Pfaff.

The influence of these disparate individuals can be heard feeding into her first solo album. Co-written by ex-Killing Joke bassist and acclaimed producer Martin ‘Youth’ Glover, she describes it as ‘a cross between The Breeders and Hole.’ It certainly bears their hallmarks in its big, crunching power chords and melodic post-punk harmonies.

More than anything, it makes you wonder what Hole would have gone on to produce if she had properly joined (she sort of did, for a “whirlwind” 24 hours). Her claim to have played “the wife, the whore, the maid, the doll” on ‘California Smile’ is more than a little Courtney Love, while the ‘very dystopian California’ atmosphere on the ten tracks has echoes of Celebrity Skin.

If the threat of being upstaged by another larger-than-life musician led to Love’s veto, then Smith is a natural collaborator. The album features guest turns from Susannah Hoffs (The Bangles) and Siobhan Fahey (Shakespears Sister), and she’s put together an all-female touring band that includes Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine).

The collaborators and colourful history would overshadow most artists, but Smith sounds very much in her element. She may have been in the industry for four decades but hook-laden tracks such as ‘Valley Girl’ and ‘Fast Net’ have the grungy energy of a newcomer, even if she carries the disillusionment of someone who begs to be taken “from this place of pain” (‘Black Butterfly’).

Lyrically influenced by her early years growing up in California, but musically looking to a future where grunge never died, the album places her firmly back in a present where she can claim her dues” – Loud and Quiet

Kelela – Raven

Release Date: 10th February

Producers: Kelela/Asmara/Yo van Lenz/LSDXOXO/Bambii/Florian TM Zeisig/Brandon Peralta/Kaytranada/Khalí Carela/AceMo/Fauzia/Paris Strother/Badsista/Mocky

Label: Warp

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/kelela/raven-2

Standout Tracks: Washed Away/On the Run/Raven

Key Cut: Happy Ending

Review:

“Take Me Apart set a new standard for progressive R&B without concessions to urban contemporary radio programming. The album's ensuing batch of remixes -- in which Kelela was intensely involved, even revoicing some songs -- pulled together contributions from the far-ranging likes of CupcakKe, serpentwithfeet, and go-go legends Rare Essence, the latter reconnecting Kelela to her birthplace of Washington, D.C. There was no telling which path the singer/songwriter and producer would take until she returned four years later with "Washed Away," the first preview of Raven. A sheer ballad functioning like an extended exhalation -- one full of exquisite melisma and scatting, that is -- "Washed Away" has a regenerative effect. Achieving splashdown as it fades out, the song suitably introduces an album presented by Kelela as "an affirmation of Black femme perspective in the midst of systemic erasure and the sound of our vulnerability turned to power." The statement is confirmed strongest in the title song, where Kelela rails against thievery and ineffectuality, and proclaims her resilience and independence before losing herself on the dancefloor to itch-scratching bass frequencies. It segues into the knocking "Bruises," its air of inconquerability sensed until Kelela confirms the feeling with "I changed my fate and my girl did the same/And we came to destroy." Constant if fluid oscillations between diaphanous ballads, pulsing slow jams, and modern street soul bangers are just as suited for the greater number of songs based in relationships. The water and flotation metaphors keep flowing, too, whether Kelela is in an ecstatic state in the bedroom or on the dancefloor (the wispy "Sorbet" and heady drum'n'bass of "Contact"), or coping with a split (the plangent "Divorce"). In several other songs, Kelela is dealing with a lover who is noncommittal, elusive, and inexpressive. They're just as affecting. The deep crew of collaborators here is almost entirely different from that of Take Me Apart, retaining Asmara for much deeper production involvement, with LSDXOXO, OCA, and Bambii likewise figuring prominently. Others factoring in Kelela's vision include painter Janiva Ellis (additional lyricist on several songs), Fauzia, and We Are King's Paris Strother” – AllMusic

Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Release Date: 24th March

Producers: Jack Antonoff/Benji/Zach Dawes/Lana Del Rey/Drew Erickson/Mike Hermosa

Labels: Interscope/Polydor

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/lana-del-rey/did-you-know-that-theres-a-tunnel-under-ocean-blvd  

Standout Tracks: Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd/Kintsugi/Margaret

Key Cut: The Grants

Review:

“‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’ begins with a mistake. As a trio of backing singers are conducted through a burst of ‘The Grants’’ central chorus line, they slip up. “I’m gonna take mind of you with me,” they sing, “mind” instead of the intended “mine”. They’re halted, coached through the correction and restart, but you can still hear an erroneous ‘d’ taking ‘e’’s place on the next two goes round.

Other artists might have scrubbed that faux pas and replaced it with something perfect and polished, but not Lana Del Rey. That error is reflective of how she portrays the world and life itself in her music – imperfect, sometimes messy. In many ways, she is a documentarian capturing angles that aren’t just bright and beautiful.

Her ninth studio album is another testament to that approach. On ‘… Ocean Blvd’, she opens up on her life now, pondering the big questions and contemplating family, home and her future. The songs cross-reference each other, looping back to earlier thoughts and feelings, making it feel like you’re with her in her day-to-day as she muses on these weighty topics.

In particular, the record faces up to the queries and doubts that loom over even the most non-traditional of women as they journey through their thirties (Del Rey is now 37) – ones society haunts you with until you have an answer. After chiding her brother to stop smoking and asking her sister if she’ll be by her side on the string-laden swoon of ‘Fingertips’, a flurry of hushed questions follows. “Will the baby be alright? / Can I have one of mine? / Can I handle it?” she asks softly. Earlier, on the gorgeous piano-led ‘Sweet’, Del Rey challenges a potential partner to talk “about stuff that’s at the very heart of things”: “Do you want children? / Do you wanna marry me? / Do you wanna run marathons in Long Beach by the sea?”

Working out what direction you want to take your life in and which of the traditional expectations the world places on us you want for yourself isn’t a linear passage. It’s one that twists and turns, spikes through peaks and troughs. “When’s it gonna be my turn?” Lana asks on the longing title track. Although it’s not clear what she’s singing about, it could easily apply to those ideas of life’s Big Things – a one true love, a family of her own. On ‘A&W’ – a track that starts off dark and folky before fizzing into an addictive, bass-y outro littered with femi-nasty, quotable lyrics – she defies that yearning feeling. “It’s not about having someone to love me anymore,” she declares. “Did you know a singer can still be / A side-piece at 33?” she murmurs, disregarding the get-married-and-settle-down agenda with a gentle but powerful force.

‘…Ocean Blvd’’s other big narrative is family – both blood and chosen. There are call-outs across the record to her siblings, father, grandparents and more. The opening song ‘The Grants’ is titled as such for her relatives, and as it goes from melancholy and maudlin to being pierced with light, Del Rey promises to take her memories – “my sister’s firstborn child”, “my grandmother’s last smile” – of those close to her “with me”. Between calls out to God for herself, ’Grandfather, please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing’ – which features French pianist RIOPY – finds her asking her granddad to protect her dad from the other side.

‘Margaret’ – one of the record’s most beautiful and moving songs – takes the focus outside of the Grant clan to Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff and actor Margaret Qualley, telling the story of their romance. “He met Margaret on a rooftop / She was wearing white and he was like / ‘I might be in trouble’ / He had flashes of the good life / He was like, ‘Shall I jump off this building now or do it on the double?’,” she sings in the opening verse, mirroring the tumbling, hurried way Antonoff often expresses himself in his own songs.

Although ‘…Ocean Blvd’ largely doesn’t answer any of its big questions, ‘Margaret’ resembles something like a solution. “When you know, you know,” Del Rey shares, returning to a sentiment from the earlier ‘Paris, Texas’. Later, in a gentle spoken word line, she adds: “So if you don’t know, don’t give up ‘cos you never know what the new day will bring.”

As she steps into new lyrical territory here, so too does Lana enter new sonic worlds. Her ninth album merges the soulful, classic, timeless sounds of a singer-songwriter from a distant time and the vocal melodies and techniques of an old Hollywood starlet (it’s not hard to imagine the likes of Audrey Hepburn singing parts on songs like ‘Sweet’) with trap beats, speaker-wobbling bass and spoken word tracks edited with a sense of Warholian spirit.

‘Judah Smith Interlude’ represents the latter, a four-and-a-half-minute presentation of one of the Churchome pastor’s sermons set to piano ripples and soft electric guitar. Occasionally, giggles and muttering from Del Rey cuts over the top, crackling like the audio of a Factory film. Another interlude led by Grammy-winning jazz and R&B auteur Jon Batiste centres around a piano line that swells and spins as a cacophony of voices is layered over it.

Elsewhere, Del Rey uses old songs from other artists and her own back catalogue to invent something new. On ‘Peppers’, she samples Tommy Genesis’ ‘Angelina’ to make a slinky, cool cut that harnesses stream-of-consciousness meandering about a relationship. Some of the lyrics are more successful at setting the mood, while others are bound to raise eyebrows: “My boyfriend tested positive for COVID, it don’t matter,” she sings at one point. “We’ve been kissing so whatever he has, I have / I can’t cry.”

Album closer ‘Taco Truck x VB’, meanwhile, boasts a twist that’s obvious when you know it’s coming but halts you in your tracks the first time you hear it. After a lilting calypso-tinged opening section, it melts into woozy instrumentation that segues into the original, unreleased take of her 2018 single ‘Venice Bitch’ – darker, grittier and even better than the version we’re familiar with.

It’s a fitting end to an album that pulls from past, present and future, both musically and from the life of its creator, echoing the back-and-forth of the rest of the record. It’s a reminder, too, that ‘…Ocean Blvd’ might deal with some major existential questions, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had and cements Del Rey’s status as one of modern music’s most intriguing songwriters” – NME

Blondshell - Blondshell

Release Date: 7th April

Producer: Yves Rothman

Label: Partisan Records

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/blondshell/blondshell

Standout Tracks: Olympus/Sepsis/Sober Together

Key Cut: Veronica Mars

Review:

“That lead single – “Olympus” – introduced the foundations of the project’s songwriting: diaristic confession, caustic lyricism, and 90s alt-rock hooks in the vein of bands like Hole. Since that first single, she’s quickly become an exciting rising star on the indie scene, releasing a series of tracks all leading up to her debut self-titled record. Those who have been listening likely know the contours of the record going in, especially since five of its nine tracks have already been released as singles. Still, it’s a testament to the songwriting on display that Teitelbaum largely delivers on the hyped promise of her debut.

The album opens in explosive fashion with the grunge-tinged edges of “Veronica Mars”, which quickly builds from a tense, thrumming opening into a searing guitar-laden finale. Those quiet-loud builds that once were a staple of alt-rock radio come out in full force throughout the record, delivering captivating bursts of angst, anger, and longing on tracks like “Kiss City” and “Tarmac”. Meanwhile, other tracks find Teitelbaum crafting tightly written pop-rock gems. “Sepsis” and “Salad” layer on the sharp hooks and biting lyrics in equal measure, while the sun-dappled sheen of “Joiner” makes for a gentler sonic detour, full of crystalline beauty.

The record feels thoroughly steeped in these 90s influences, evoking Gen X’s generational touchstones like Live Through This and Exile in Guyville. However, Teitelbaum avoids sounding like a mere imitator. She isn’t simply trying on an aesthetic but instead finding where her songwriting voice lies. Before Blondshell, Teitelbaum had been building momentum under the moniker Baum, leaning far more heavily into the indie pop zeitgeist of the pre-pandemic years. In contrast, the songs on Blondshell came together during the lockdown era, when Teitelbaum had the chance to retreat inward, reconnect with her musical roots, and make the music she truly wanted to hear.

If there is a single throughline that connects Baum and Blondshell, it is Teitelbaum’s talent for searing and brutally honest lyrics. As an album, Blondshell is relentlessly confessional, full of moments of unflinching self-examination and withering fury. Through much of the album, Teitelbaum is angry – at herself, at her partners, at patriarchy, and at men writ large. She leads the listener through a dense maze of complicated emotions, exorcising her hurt, fear, and anger in songs that feel like a glimpse into the thoughts that keep her up at night.

She sneers on “Sepsis”, “He wears a front-facing cap / The sex is almost always bad / I don’t care cause I’m in love / I don’t know him well enough / What am I projecting / He’s gonna start infecting my life / It’ll hit all at once / Like sepsis.” Elsewhere, “Sober Together” reflects on watching someone you love get pulled back into addiction, while “Kiss City” deals with the desire to be desired, finding witty poetry in Teitelbaum’s longing (“Kiss city / I think my kink is when you tell me that you think I'm pretty”). Finally, the record closes with the shimmering balladry of “Dangerous,” encapsulating the record’s themes in a final confession: “And it’s so dangerous forming an attachment to something / Now that every time I love it might pull the rug out / And I know when I leave the house / Anything can take me down.”

As Teitelbaum has described, Blondshell was written in the midst of a particularly painful and chaotic era for her. Songwriting acted as her lifeline, and years later she was left with Blondshell, the album she has said she always wanted to make. More than any sing-along chorus, that personal touch and sense of relentless honesty are what shine through most on the record. It is the sound of an artist finally getting to let loose and say the things that have stayed locked up inside for too long. In turn, Teitelbaum offers an exciting introduction to a talented songwriter and a thoroughly rewarding debut” – The Line of Best Fit

Ellie Goulding – Higher Than Heaven

Release Date: 7th April

Producers: The 23rd/Greg Kurstin/Koz/Lostboy/Happy Perez/Jesse Shatkin/watt/Andrew Wells

Label: Polydor

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/ellie-goulding/higher-than-heaven

Standout Tracks: Midnight Dreams/Let It Die/How Long

Key Cut: Like a Saviour

Review:

“For anyone who prefers Ellie Goulding on the dancefloor, Higher than Heaven is a welcome return to that space. Her fifth full-length and follow-up to 2020's Brightest Blue, this tightly packed set of synth-washed, neon bangers eschews the deep introspection and personal slant of its predecessor, barreling headlong into the club in search of healing through euphoria and release. Described by the artist as her "least personal" album to date, Heaven focuses on pure thrills and escapism like similarly reactive COVID-era energizers from Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, and Ava Max. The album's catchiest moments are produced by Koz (Dua Lipa, Lykke Li, Lights), who plucks the most addictive textures from across the decades -- disco, '80s pop, and '90s house -- for highlights such as "Midnight Dreams," "Cure for Love," the throbbing "Like a Saviour," and the shimmering title track. Meanwhile, "By the End of the Night" strikes an ideal balance between Goulding's fun and melancholy sides, delivering a yearning yet uncertain early peak. Elsewhere, both the hazy "Love Goes On" and the strutting "Easy Lover" with Big Sean benefit from warm R&B smoothness courtesy of co-writer/producer Greg Kurstin, just as the sensual "Waiting for It" dives deeper into sweaty slow jam territory. Heaven's most intense moment arrives in the second half with the standout single "Let It Die," an urgent earworm about a tragic split that finds the resolve to move on atop an infectious beat and Goulding's most impassioned, anguished performance here. One of her strongest albums to date, Higher than Heaven falls somewhere between the commercial blitz of Delirium and the fearless, electronic heart of Halcyon. While it may not cull from her deep well of personal experiences, Heaven still ends up being one of the most immediate and compulsively listenable efforts in her catalog” – AllMusic

Billy Nomates – CACTI

Release Date: 13th January

Producers: Tor Maries (Billy Nomates)/James Trevascus

Label: Invada Records

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/billy-nomates/cacti-2

Standout Tracks: black curtains in the bag/spite/vertigo

Key Cut: CACTI

Review:

“Billy Nomates’s eponymous first album (2020) and subsequent EP, Emergency Telephone (2021), introduced a singular new talent. Based in Bristol and fiercely independent, this caustic solo singer-songwriter, born Tor Maries, came at most subjects – from positivity to high heels to charity muggers – from oblique angles, her sometimes sung, often spoken delivery full of original phrasing.

Best described as a punk with a keyboard and tunes to burn, Nomates has dug even deeper for Cacti, her songwriting broadening its reach. Her deadpan takedowns remain heroic. “Don’t you act like I ain’t the fucking man,” she bristles on Spite, a song about coming to a party to spoil someone’s fun. But there’s a sadness to tracks such as Fawner that threatens to spill over into country and western, and a honky-tonk piano is the unexpected element on Same Gun.

Although they are quite different artists, Billy Nomates shares with Self Esteem – similarly undersung a couple of years ago – the ability to restate the absurdities of what we do to ourselves and each other with laser precision and a raised eyebrow. “Does it frighten you that I’m still driving?” she asks on Balance Is Gone, a snappy post-punk banger that staggers around, trying to find a foothold in the crazy paving of the past few years” – The Guardian

RAYE – My 21st Century Blues

Release Date: 3rd February

Producers: Rachel Keen/Mike Sabath/Punctual/BloodPop/Di Genius

Label: Human Re Sources

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/product/raye/my-21st-century-blues

Standout Tracks: Oscar Winning Tears./The Thrill Is Gone/Worth It.

Key Cut: Black Mascara

Review:

“A problem shared is a problem halved, and it undoubtedly seems that with every outpouring of distress and hurt, RAYE emerges lighter. It is, at times, a heavy listen – ‘Black Mascara’ is a furious, dejected retelling of being misled and having your trust ruined, to a tears-on-the-dancefloor beat. ‘Ice Cream Man’ sees her distinctive vocals shine as she navigates the strength it takes to be a woman – it’s at once heart-wrenching and wrought with pain but immensely empowering.

She never hesitates to express the true depth of her feelings, and at times the album is alive with writhing, ferocious emotions. Yet, in unleashing those experiences out into the world, the intensity of them is alleviated. She’s unstoppable on her latest offering, tackling every hardship that has befallen her of late and doing so with smooth, jazz-leaning vocals and slick beats. “There is no wrath like a woman scorned,” she declares on lead single ‘Hard Out Here’, and on ‘My 21st Century Blues’ she proves exactly that – RAYE’s wrath is scalding, laying waste to all that have stood in her way until now.

4/5” – DORK

FEATURE: She Loves You (P.S. We Love You): Saluting Samira Ahmed’s Passion for The Beatles, and Her Remarkable Recent Discovery

FEATURE:

 

 

She Loves You (P.S. We Love You)

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles play a full set for lucky pupils at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire on 4th April, 1963, where a tape of that set recorded by then-pupil John Bloomfield has been brought to public attention by broadcaster, writer, campaigner, journalist, and Beatles superfan, Samira Ahmed

Saluting Samira Ahmed’s Passion for The Beatles, and Her Remarkable Recent Discovery

_________

THERE is a lot to unpack here…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Samira Ahmed photographed at her south-west London home for The Observer New Review in 2020/PHOTO CREDIT: Suki Dhanda/The Observer

so do bear with me! To start off, my love and respect for Samira Ahmed knows no bounds! She is a wonderful human and someone who actually helped me discover a lot about The Beatles - and I have been listening to their music for over thirty-five years. That is who we are here to talk about: both Ahmed and the legendary Liverpool group. If you have not heard the BBC Front Row from 3rd April, then do listen now, because it will not be online for long (but I hope it will transfer to Spotify where it can live on). It relates to the fact that Ahmed, for Front Row, visited Stowe boarding school in Buckinghamshire to mark sixty years (4th April, 1963) of The Beatles performed a gig there. Unexpectedly, Ahmed discovered that the earliest known full recording of the band performing live existed on tape! The hour-long, quarter-inch tape recording was created by John Bloomfield. He was fifteen at the time. The gig was in front of an almost all-male audience. That is interesting, as one associates the most ardent fans of The Beatles as being young women/girls. They helped bring the band to the fore and were the most ardent and passionate supporters. Ahmed and Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn are the only people to have heard the full recording. Part of that historic gig was played on the Front Row special. We owe Samira Ahmed so many thanks for helping bring this to international attention. I will expand on this Midas discovery in a bit…

Before I come to that, I want to start off with a bit of background. There is no denying the fact Ahmed is one of the biggest Beatles fans in the world! I know she has a special appreciation for George Harrison, but this is someone who has a fascination with and love of the band running through her blood and encoded into her DNA. Samira Ahmed has spoken about The Beatles through the wonderful podcast, I am the EggPod. Hosted by her friend Chris Shaw, she has discussed A Hard Day’s Night, Please Please Me, George Harrison, Yellow Submarine Songtrack, The Beatles Live at the BBC, in addition to celebrating I am the EggPod’s fifth anniversary (where, interestingly, she interviewed Chris Shaw!) back in January. She also helped pay tribute to Paul McCartney at 80 last year. She is one of the special guests for the inaugural I Am the EggPod Live on Saturday, 1st July, where she will speak from the rather lovely and palatial Opera Holland Park in a very nice part of London! I do hope that Chris Shaw asks his good friend about a find that, well, frankly, is the Beatles discovery of the century! Ahmed has helped unearth and spotlight a rare discovery that has delighted Beatles fans around the globe - and quite rightly confirmed her as a legend and one of the most important Beatles fans there is. On 4th April, Ahmed posted the following to her official website:

“It was sixty years ago today….

A spread from the Stowe School archive was laid out in the Headmaster’s Gothic Library when I arrived there on March 22nd, ready for me. Copies of the letters from Brian Epstein, photos and more. Anthony Wallersteiner and old Stoic John Bloomfield had agreed to spend the morning with me and producer Julian May for a special Front Row report marking the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ most unusual gig – the time they played a private boys’ boarding school.

PHOTO CREDIT: Samira Ahmed

My fascination with the intersection of popular culture and social change is the driving force behind my journalism. My partner had taken me for a visit to the school last summer and Anthony had given us a tour and told us about the concert. Seeing a blue plaque on the school theatre building marking the event set my spidey senses tingling. Not only did I love The Beatles, I knew there was a story about what that concert represented as a pivotal moment of transformation in British society and the uniqueness of that almost all male audience. What I didn’t know until a couple days before we arrived was that John might have a tape of the whole concert.

Last night’s Front Row special in which I revealed the existence of the earliest complete live recording of the Beatles in the UK was one of the most delightful stories I’ve ever worked on.

It’s all thanks to John Bloomfield’s self confessed technical nerdery in taping the concert on his new tape player that it exists. And thanks to his generosity and trust in me, that he told me about it.

He brought along an extract that we played through the stage PA system turned up as loud as possible to match the experience he’d had back in 1963. It was emotional for all us, including two young A level music students who came along to listen. It was like time travel. The Front Row listen hopefully gives a sense of that”.

Every year sees something Beatles-related - in spite of the fact the band broke up over fifty years ago. If we do not get an album anniversary reissue – I wonder which one Giles Martin will release next? -, then it is a book, or something magnificent like Chris Shaw’s upcoming Live EggPod bonanza (where Beatles historian and leading expert Mark Lewisohn is one of the special guests). In November, 2021, Samira Ahmed spoke with Paul McCartney at London’s Southbank Centre in promotion of his lyrics book. She also spoke to Chris Shaw about that experience. (There is an unofficial video of the Ahmed/McCartney q&a). Could she have imagined that, just over a year later, she would bring us the news of this live recording of huge cultural significance?! I hope that this tape is restored and either stored in Liverpool in a museum or even kept behind glass at The British Museum in London, such is its importance! This is the earliest full set on tape from a band that would change popular culture and the world! Writing for The Observer yesterday, this is what Ahmed noted:

“What’s on the set list? Why did he only tell you about the tape now after 60 years? Two of the questions I’ve been bombarded with since I made public the existence of an almost complete concert recording of the Beatles on the cusp of their great breakout.

There’s a third question of my own: why has the news that 15-year-old John Bloomfield made and kept a tape recording of the Beatles playing at Stowe boarding school in Buckinghamshire on 4 April 1963 gladdened our hearts quite so much? Answers to all three lie ahead.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) mingle with pupils at Stowe before their concert on 4th April, 1963/PHOTO CREDIT: Dezo Hoffmann

I’ve long felt a bit embarrassed about the fetishisation of every tiny piece of Beatles archive footage as they have emerged, treated like religious relics. When I pitched my story reflecting on the 60th anniversary of the Beatles at Stowe to my Front Row editor, there was no suspicion of a tape.

My idea came from a chance visit last summer. I saw the blue plaque commemorating the gig on the school’s Roxburgh Hall theatre and knew there was a story in that night’s unique collision of class and an all-male teenage audience. Who knows how many young male hearts beat a little faster that night as Ringo Starr sang Boys?

We fixed on a date to go to Stowe in late March, before the Easter holidays. The headmaster, Anthony Wallersteiner, promised to round up any of the diminishing number of old boys he could. Bloomfield, the show’s stage manager, was the only one who could make it, and Wallersteiner, in a memorable email dated 3 March, introduced us, observing: “There was a rumour that one of the boys ran a wire from a microphone to a reel-to-reel tape recording under the stage. Is this a Stowe myth?”

The reply came back from John: “Guilty as charged, ’twas I. Not under the stage, but right in front of it. I will see if I can find the tape and if it is still usable.”

On 22 March, producer Julian May and I turned up to record at Stowe, not knowing if Bloomfield had managed to find the tape. He had. It turns out he’d felt embarrassed too. A self-confessed tech head, trying out his new Butoba MT5 recorder, taking a dozen D-cell batteries costing 10 old pence each, he’d regarded it merely as a poor quality amateur recording of songs better captured in official releases.

IN THIS PHOTO: Stowe School in Buckinghamshire/PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Draisey/Alamy

We played the extract he’d brought on his laptop of the start of the gig on the original stage. Bloomfield guided us to crank up the sound louder, to replicate the original bone-shaking experience and I felt my whole body vibrate with the sheer raw power of the Beatles. It was exciting, but also poignant, sharing that moment with Bloomfield, thinking of his school friends. Some are dead and some are living.

The journalist in me needed to know exactly what we were dealing with, and, a couple of days later, I suggested that Bloomfield play the entire tape to me and Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn via a video call. We sat grinning, but both also making careful notes: on the banter – John Lennon’s saucy jokes and voices, on Paul McCartney’s polite thanks and apology for the fact that they were used to playing two half-hour sets. How much did the boys love Ringo, shouting out his name.

Lewisohn pointed out their improvised song order and choices because George Harrison had lost his voice. The few girls – daughters of staff members – at the back were screaming. At the point I realised the band were taking requests shouted out in cut-glass accents, as the uptight pupils threw off their inhibitions, I felt my spine tingling. This was proper time travel. And the track listing was a fascinating interweaving of the new Lennon and McCartney partnership in songs from their brand-new Please Please Me album and their old classic R&B live act, including I Just Don’t Understand and Matchbox.

John Lennon’s saucy jokes and voices, Paul McCartney’s polite thanks… How much did the boys love Ringo, shouting out his name

The tape runs out after 22 tracks, but a fragment of a set list written down from memory by a fellow Stoic suggests Sweet Little Sixteen and Long Tall Sally may have completed a tally of 24”.

I am not sure what happens next. In Ahmed’s article, she noted how The Beatles interacted with those posh boarding school pupils the same way they would have in Hamburg where they were playing the club circuit. Not to say they were swearing at kids and John Lennon was responding to heckles, as he did at The Star-Club! The Beatles played that German club in 1962, so they would have been more accustomed to crowds they got there; same with The Cavern in Liverpool. There were no heirs and graces. The lads were professional and funny. But it showed how they could transition between vastly different environments and stages and be as extraordinary and faultless as they were right up until 1966. Understandably, Samira Ahmed is immensely proud of this scoop (as she continued in that Observer article):

“So while scholars and hardcore fans may want to dive into the minutiae, there is a simpler reason that the Stowe tape is the loveliest scoop of my career. At a time when social divisions are deepening, perhaps the nostalgia we feel, whether we were alive then or not, is for that lost moment when four Liverpool boys convinced us that it might all be changing for good”.

 I am not sure what happens when it comes to that tape and its restoration. Of course, it is fragile and precious, so making sure it is restored carefully and preserved is of the utmost importance. There is going to be those asking for it to be transferred to a range of physical formats (including vinyl and cassette). Maybe a Spotify and Apple transfer. We have to also credit to John Bloomfield (who is now seventy-five). To have the foresight to have kept this all these years, knowing that it would be treasured. We are very lucky that this mind-blowing discovery will be introduced to new generations!

That is the thing. The Beatles may have started releasing albums in the 1960s, but they are still enormously popular today. Still inspiring artists and finding new listeners. I think one thing that strikes me about Samira Ahmed is how much she loves those early years of The Beatles’ career. She has talked about studio albums (on I Am the EggPod) that were released in 1963 (Please Please Me), and 1964 (A Hard Day’s Night). When covering The Beatles’ Live at the BBC album, remember that those recordings were captured between 1963 to 1965. From her discussions around Black R&B groups and their sonic and vocal influence on Please Please Me, to the female fans who helped make the band and are often written off and ignored by history, to the way she passionately and emotionally bonded with songs on that BBC live album, you can tell she has a deep fascination and adoration for that period between 1963 and 1965. It is no surprise that she was compelled to mark sixty years of The Beatles playing at a boarding school. To discover that there was a cassette of a full set and that it is in working order is something that goes down as one of the greatest bits of Beatles news ever! We owe eternal thanks to Samira Ahmed for what she has helped make widely known. I have speculated how it would be great if Ahmed wrote a book about the band. Maybe Samira Ahmed: The Beatles and Me, or I’m Happy Just to Dance with You (just spit-balling here!), she has this life-long love for them. This is a nice extra chapter that she could add! To find that tape and play some of it out is insane and wonderful at the same time. It is clear that she loves The Beatles. And, in turns…

WE love her for it!