FEATURE: Spotlight: Christina Chong

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Scarlett Warrick

 

Christina Chong

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THERE are a few different ways….

PHOTO CREDIT: Scarlett Warrick

that I usually get introduced to artists. It might be the case they are brand-new and this is their first steps into the public spotlight. There are those who have been around a little while, but they are quite new to my ears. There are those artists that come from another discipline. Christina Chong sort of fits into categories one and three. The London-born actress is currently appearing in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. She is an amazing actor and tremendous screen presence. I have written about how actors go into music and it can yield mixed results. Some are naturally assured and confident; others can be a little shaky and take their time to feel their way. When it comes to Christina Chong, she is someone who has come into the music industry and released some tremendous singles. Twin Flames and No Blame came out earlier in the year. The third, Can’t Show Love, arrived on 28th July. I get the feeling that she is working her way to an E.P. Maybe that will come out later in the year. At the moment, she is building this really impressive and passionate fanbase right across social media. I do hope that there are more interviews and photoshoots with her regarding the music side of her career, as it would be fascinating to know more about Chong’s musical upbringing and her plans for the future. At the moment, she produces a sound that is stirring, epic and almost James Bond theme-worthy one moment. There is also tenderness and calm in her sounds. She is someone who wants to instil passion and movement in the listeners. She also wants to soothe and balm the soul. Her latest track, Can’t Show Love, is perhaps her most impressive to date. Someone that everyone should keep an eye out for, Christina Chong is going to enjoy a long career in music.

Like I say with any actor who comes into music, they have this natural ability to shift between moods and moments. That ability to display a wide array of emotions with potency and power, Christina Chong is a vocalist who really brings you into the songs alongside her. It does seem, reading interviews, that a Twin Flames E.P. is coming soon. Chong is also considering an album, perhaps. I want to start with an Untitled interview from last month. We learn more about Christina Chong’s musical influences and what comes next:

“You grew up in different parts of England, including Broxbourne, Longridge, and Enfield. Can you tell us what your childhood was like and how it informed you creatively?

I was one of those kids who was always outside – playing with friends, getting grubby building dens in the woods, riding bikes, catching little fish in the brook, and playing games in the field until that infamous “Dinner time!” call from Mum. It would be that or dance class. I studied ballet, tap, and modern dance from the age of about four. I guess the outdoor experiences fed my imagination, and dance nurtured my musicality and physical expression!

What are some of your earliest memories of performing?

My earliest memory is probably when I was about four. I wore a long sleeve blue leotard, silver sparkly gloves, and black tap shoes with white ankle socks. It’s the gloves that make that a standout memory, and I think we wore silver chokers, too. I would often perform songs and dances for my family at home. I’d sit them all down and charge them two pounds each. They’d pay it, and then I’d give the same renditions of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” and “Daisy” that they’d heard a million times before, for free!

PHOTO CREDIT: Scarlett Warrick

You’ve also recently made your debut as a recording artist! What inspired your path to music?

I studied musical theatre, so it was always something I wanted to do. I was just waiting for the right time! Star Trek gave me the platform and means to feel like the time was now.

Your first single, “Twin Flames,” reflects on the end of a personal relationship. Can you tell us more about the inspiration for the song and its title?

[The inspiration] was an amazing relationship, just the right person at the wrong time. I was told by a psychic that we are twin flames – two parts of the same soul who meet roughly every four lifetimes. Apparently, the last time we were together was in the 1800s in a fishing town in Sicily, Italy. “Twin Flames” is about our meeting and our love and passion for each other. It was super strong and amazing, but when you have something like that, there’s also a deep fear that it all could burn out and disappear.

How much inspiration did you get from your own life for your EP? Are other songs similarly personal?

The one rule in my music journey is that it has to be authentically me. Every song is based on a personal experience and every word has significance and means something to me. The whole EP is about that twin flame relationship, hence why Twin Flame is also the title of the EP.

PHOTO CREDIT: Scarlett Warrick

What are some of the themes you explore on the EP?

As I mentioned, “Twin Flames” is about passion and love, “No Blame” is about our breakup, but understanding it’s nobody’s fault. It just is. “Can’t Show Love” is about healing and understanding why, and “I Get To Choose” is about finally realizing that I can be happy on my own again. It’s the full circle of emotions that any romantic relationship will take you through. We’ve all been through those stages and know you have to be happy on your own to be ready to fall in love again, hence why “I Get To Choose” is the last track.

Who have been some of your biggest musical influences and why?

Amy Winehouse has definitely been a big influence because of the rawness and authenticity of her lyrics. I love how she’s really being herself, warts and all. In a similar vein, I want my music to continue to be very personal.

As a new recording artist, how did you go about crafting your sound?

Ask me in a year! I’m still working on it. It’s a lot of trial and error and, of course, guidance from Jake [Gosling] and Nuuxs”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: David Reiss for Los Angeles Confidential

I think there is crossover regarding Christina Chong’s acting and music. I am not sure how who have seen her in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming her music - but you can imagine quite a few fans have come across. The buzz and excitement her singles have generated so far mean that a lot of eyes and ears are trained in her direction. I want to come to this Screenrant interview from last month. Chong discussed the popularity and success of Twin Flames.

“Of course, I have to congratulate you on "Twin Flames." Your song is available on Spotify, iTunes, and wherever you stream your music. Let me just do a little plug for you. It's a beautiful James Bond-like song. Everybody's saying it. What are the next steps for you and your music?

Christina Chong: I'm doing this during this whole journey because I love it, and it's fun, and I'm passionate about it. So I don't have this, "Oh, I need to do this with it. I need to do that with it." I'm going with the flow. See what happens. I've got my EP dropping on August 11th. "Twin Flames" is the first of four tracks on the EP. There are plans to potentially release acoustic versions and a club remix of "Twin Flames". Potentially a Christmas song... (laughs)

And I have lots of material, lots of tracks that are ready to go and release, which are completely different to the EP. I basically wanted to try different styles. I trained in musical theater where we had to train in all different kinds of genres. So I just wanted to touch on as many as I could. So yes, I have a lot of music in the bank to release. Just when, how, and where I'm not sure yet, but we're gonna go with the flow. I think it's more about seeing how this feels, how people respond to the rest of the EP, and then potentially, we're talking about live things. So we'll see. It's all up in the air at the moment. Nothing confirmed.

Everybody compares "Twin Flames" to a Bond theme. The Bond movies are rebooting. Could being a Bond Girl be in your future?

Christina Chong: That was always one of my dreams as well! I always wanted to be a Bond Girl. I mean, come on! If I could even just get a song in a Bond movie, that would be amazing. Oh, we're also thinking about doing physical releases, limited physical releases, as well. Signed CDs, wallet things, autographed. There'll be a limited edition type thing”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Scarlett Warrick

There is one more interview that I want to round off with. I was going to feature Christina Chong in my Spotlight feature because of the amazing music she has put out. Until last month, there were not really that many interviews pertaining to her music career. Now that this has changed, it is great highlighting her talent. Platinummind.net chatted with Chong at the end of July and asked her about her music start and some of her influences:

“Congratulations on the release of “No Blame” how does it feel?

It feels quite surreal actually. I’m not sure it’s fully landed with me that it’s materialised. Less than a year ago it was just a thought in my head, and now it’s out there.

What’s the story behind the song?

The song is about coming to terms with a break up with someone I consider to be my ‘twin flame’. It was an amazing relationship but for reasons that I won’t go in to right now, we could no longer be together. The sad thing is, there was no wrong doing, no one was to blame – hence the title and meaning behind the song.

You worked with NUUXS, Jake Gosling and Matt Brettling on this what was your favourite part of the process?

To be completely honest the whole thing. I was absolutely in my element. As an ex-dancer, I loved seeing the vibe of the song come to life and I’m still blown away by how you can go into the studio at 12pm with nothing, and walk out at 6pm with a virtually completed song.

You’re a singer songwriter with quite a background how did it all begin?

I started dance class at the age of 4 and went to performing arts school as a teen (Italia Conti), where you take vocational classes alongside the academic curriculum. The original dream was to play leads in musicals in the West End, but when I realised how long it would take me to work my way up the ladder I decided I’d try and fast track myself, by building a profile through TV and Film. It’s only after booking my current show, that it felt like now might be the time to go back to my musical roots. I’d also quietly said to myself that I would one day put out a single, and I guess I’ve already surpassed that so anything from here on in is a huge bonus. The only thing that would make it perfect, is tif I get to play the lead in something like Chicago, on Broadway.

What did you listen to growing up?

A lot of 70s disco, Whitney Houston, Kylie, Madonna, Michael Jackson. At Italia Conti you’re exposed to a huge array of musical genres so I studied classical music, different musical theatre styles, Motown and in general music through the ages.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I’m really into an artist called Grae. She’s Canadian, from Toronto. Very smooth silky sounds and I love her vibe and lyrics.

What are you looking forward to next?

I’m looking forward to continuing to let life lead me. I’m looking forward to the AMPTP offering us a serious and fair deal, so we can all go back to work, and I’m excited to see where my music will take me. Maybe an album is next up?”.

An E.P. will come soon. After that, who knows how far she can go. There is a lot of love out there for Christina Chong. I think she has a really distinct and interesting sound, so there is no reason why she cannot enjoy a verry long and successful career. Keep your eye out for this amazing talent who is going to release awesome music for many years. Once you hear her music, it does not take long until it lodges…

IN your head and heart.

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Follow Christina Chong

INTERVIEW: Bibi Lucille (Actress, Writer and Co-Creator of Meat Cute)

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Chiara Fulgoni

Bibi Lucille (Actress, Writer and Co-Creator of Meat Cute)

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BEFORE I get to….

PHOTO CREDIT: Chiara Fulgoni

an amazing and detailed interview with the wonderful and enormously talented Bibi Lucille about her acclaimed play, Meat Cute, I wanted to set the stage as it were. I do not interview too many non-musicians for my site. I am especially interested in Bibi Lucille because, as writer, star, and co-creator of Meat Cute, she has confirmed herself as one of the most innovating, excited, naturally gifted comic/dramatic writers and performers in the country - and someone I can see acting and writing in huge productions for the screen very soon. A brilliant writer who has brought to life a wonderful production with director and producer Anastasia Bunce, this one-woman play is fascinating and very timely. I shall come to some details about it soon. Seriously, everyone who is capable of catching it needs to! I am thinking about how the film world has recently seen a wave of wonderful female directors and writers create films that are fresh, vital, wonderfully funny, emotional, thought-provoking and challenging. From Raine Allen-Miller (director of Rye Lane) to Greta Gerwig (co-writer (with Noah Baumbach) and director of Barbie), Adele Lim, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao (director Lim alongside screenwriters Chevapravatdumrong and Hsiao of Joy Ride) and Bottoms (Emma Seligman is director and co-writer with Rachel Sennott; Elizabeth Banks is one of the producers on the film), there is this new wave of pioneering and brilliant women. As someone who is obsessed with Barbie now and prostrates at the feet of Greta Gerwig, it has been a delight seeing women dominate big screen comedy in 2023. I think we are seeing this on the stage too – and I could well imagine the charming and utterly entrancing Bibi Lucille having a wider career arc that includes big television and film roles/writing credits. The play-text for Meat Cute was launched at Books on the Rise in Richmond on Tuesday, 24th July. I would urge you to grab your copy. It is an exciting time for a tremendous talent.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chiara Fulgoni

I am going to say a bit more before getting to the interview but, with the help of the excellent Broadway World and Blair Ingenthron, here are some essential details about a play that is headed to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (at the iconic Gilded Balloon) from 2nd to 27th August. It is a real must-see for everyone. I think it will be one of the picks of the Fringe:

“A one-woman comedy that follows 25-year-old Lena who is on a mission to veganise her tinder dates. The show was a finalist for an Offest Award in 2021 and explores themes of identity, self-realisation, feminism and belonging in today's world.

A woman is on a mission to find the perfect match. Tinder, vegans, apple juice. Will she ever swipe right? 14 days later, a broken family, a Pomeranian named Mozart and an eviction notice, is this rebellion or simply a cry for help?

'Meat Cute' raises questions about identity, activism and the overwhelming responsibility many feel when presented with the state of the world through comedy, farcical use of props and costume, eccentric pop music, and by incorporating Brechtian storytelling devices.

Writing for the BBC on comedy's significance as a genre, Mary O'Hara says "A good joke packs a harder punch than many other forms of dialogue, and it can reach people who would otherwise be unwilling to listen." Although the protagonist's particular path focuses on animal activism, this is intended to reflect on other issues that inspire young people today to be a force for positive change, such as environmental awareness and feminism.

Meat Cute aims to use its platform to invite audiences to find familiarity with the subject matter presented through an entertaining, relevant and comedic lens, and allow them to reflect and digest challenging ideas in a non judgmental space.

Writer and Performer Bibi Lucille thinks "Meat Cute is a huge passion project for me, something that gives a humorous take on what is quite a dark and controversial topic. I aim to not only shed light on veganism, but to give a fresh and relatable voice to young women living in a man's world."

Director Anastasia Bunce said, "Things like empathy, why we maybe shouldn't eat animals, the call to question our own apathy and investigate our pre-judgments of each other- well it's heavy stuff. That's why a highly farcical comedy like Meat Cute that pokes fun at absolutely everything and everyone, is an exciting way to invite audiences to contemplate the important themes that it investigates. Meat Cute is silly, fast-paced, absurd, bright, loud, eccentric, and hopefully, a way to spark conversation about pressing topics. Meat ain't always cute."

Patch Plays, founded in August 2020 by Anastasia Bunce and Maria Majewska, is a company devoted to exploring the role of theatre in addressing issues surrounding animal rights and environmental sustainability. The company is particularly interested in telling personal and engaging stories which explore these themes. Their main goal is to create space for audiences to reflect on their place in our neglected, divided and complicated world and to inspire public discourse on these topics. The company also hopes to provide reassurance and inspiration for a better future ahead”.

I think now is a time when we should be celebrating, embracing and highlighting phenomenal women bringing such interesting and, yes, hugely important work to stage and screen. I know I have used the word ‘important’ before. Even though Meat Cute is incredibly funny, it also has darker elements and real stirring emotion. Its themes and narrative is so important and relevant right now. I am a bit in awe of Bibi Lucille’s passion for the play and how engaging she is as a writer and performer. It has been a pleasure discussing Meat Cute with Bibi Lucille, and finding out about its origins and themes. I ask her what comes next after the Edinburgh Fringe Festival run. Meat Cute is a truly stunning, discussion-worthy, eye-opening, mind-expanding and already-celebrated play that…

PEOPLE need to witness in the flesh!

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Hi Bibi. Tell me more about Meat Cute. Congrats on it being a finalist for an Offest Award in 2021! Where did the original seed of the idea spring from?

Thank you! The original seed grew from 2020, planted in my cousin (and director-to-be, Anastasia Bunce)’s garden during a socially distanced, wine-fuelled evening. She was talking about putting on a climate-themed scratch night when restrictions eased. She asked me if I would write something, to which I replied, ‘what would I even write about?’. Everything I had written up to that point remained in a folder on my laptop, intensely labelled ‘PRIVATE’. Anastasia suggested I write about the way I eventually turn all my boyfriends vegan, after I had given her an update of trying to veganise my latest romance.

That morning, I woke up suddenly at 5 am. My first thought was, ‘I need to stop getting drunk.’ Which I found hilarious at the time, so pulled out the notes app on my phone and started typing. Before I knew it, I had drunkenly written the first ten minutes of the play.

From the satisfying audience reaction during the scratch night, a post-grad producer approached us, suggesting we create a full-length play out of the extract. With plenty of time on my hands during the pandemic, Anastasia and I were keen to take on the challenge. After several re-writes and many zooms, ‘Meat Cute’ was born.

How much of Lena (the protagonist) is in you would you say? Perhaps not literally, but how close to her experiences and worldview can you associate with personally?

They say write what you know, so as this was my first piece of writing, I decided to draw a lot on my own feelings and experience. Lena is an exaggeration of everything I was trying to express; no matter how angry I felt about the meat industry, Lena was angrier. However passionate I felt about animal rights, Lena was more passionate. She was louder, messier and crazier. I can’t say I made it my mission to turn every tinder date vegan, but I would certainly bring it up to the men I was dating.

“The attempt to belittle her, tame her and ultimately turn their back on the cause to get back at her”

That idea of Lena trying to convert her dates to veganism, but things going wrong. The veganism, I guess, is a starting block, but it also relates to empathy and toxic masculinity too? Asking the audience to show empathy and challenge their apathy. By asking men to go vegan, it seems, in addition it being the right thing (morally and health-wise), is a way for them to unlock something inside of them and treat the world around them with more kindness?

Yes, yes, yes. Exactly! You get it. Arguably, the entire thing could be a euphemism for trying to communicate with men, attempting to be heard and having to use sexuality to feel seen. Lena is so desperately trying to make the world a better place but nobody will listen… until she takes out her tits. Women for centuries have felt as though they are unimportant and even invisible if they haven’t sexualised themselves or abided by beauty standards that the patriarchy has set.

Toxic masculinity certainly comes into play too when (slight spoiler) the men she dates feel entitled to more after she has inevitably ignored them post vegan conversion. The attempt to belittle her, tame her and ultimately turn their back on the cause to get back at her.

I have seen a play called I Killed My Ex (written and directed by the sublime and tremendous Emilie Baison) which concerns toxic masculinity and female friendship. It is a two-woman production that is really powerful and brings a lot of the outside world into this small space. As Meat Cute deals with multiple characters and quite strong and contrasting emotional moments, how easy was it to balance and switch?

Firstly, that sounds brilliant and I will definitely be getting tickets! And in terms of balancing the fast turnaround of emotions, there was definitely a lot of rehearsing to get the tone just right. The director, Anastasia Bunce, coached me through all these moments. Meticulously studying where the comedic beats came in and how they complimented the darker, more intense moments.

“There have been many times in my career where I have intensely felt the imbalance of genders and the overwhelming feeling of being outnumbered”

On the subject of brilliant women writing and producing remarkable, timely and hugely memorable work, we see that happening in film, especially with films like Rye Lane, Barbie, Joy Ride and the forthcoming Bottoms. Do you think women as writer, directors, producers and actors are undervalued on stage, film and across the arts? Do you think the narrative is changing in any way?

Yes, I truly believe women have been undervalued and most of all, underestimated across the arts. Male characters appear to be seamlessly written, with rich backstories and complexities. I have always been far more drawn to wanting to play the male characters whenever I’ve read a script; sheerly due to how much more nuanced they are. Women appear to be a vehicle for male stories to be told. Looking behind the camera, film sets are still dominated by men. There have been many times in my career where I have intensely felt the imbalance of genders and the overwhelming feeling of being outnumbered.

There is still a great imbalance, but I do have hope that there is a massive shift happening. Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ shows that there is a space being carved for women to tell their stories on a massive scale.

There is, unfortunately, no end to toxic masculinity and issues like sexual assault and harassment, not only through acting but music too. How important is it to highlight productions like Meat Cute and sort of challenge and shine a light on more difficult topics?

It is so incredibly important to shine a light on the difficult topics. The arts creates a space for people to empathise and look outside of their own experience of the world. By addressing difficult and often upsetting themes, we are opening the conversation for change and ensuring that these topics are not swept under a rug or forgotten.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Director Anastasia Bunce with Bibi Lucille (and Mozart the dog)/PHOTO CREDIT: Chiara Fulgoni

I understand you first performed this production during the pandemic. Was Meat Cute written around that time, and what has it been like going through that period and now performing it in a different climate two years later?

Yes! We performed the first ten minutes at a socially distanced scratch night when restrictions eased. We then performed the full-length show throughout 2021 when things were slightly going back to normal. Performing it back then was a lot of fun because I think so many people were keen to see live art again and theatres were building themselves back up. Doing the show again two years later has been an even more exciting experience; theatre feels as though it’s fully back to the way it was with packed audiences and festivals in full swing. Being at the VAULT Festival this year was amazing because it really felt everyone was coming back together and theatre was recovering.

You are taking the show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. How are you feeling about that? What can audiences expect who might not be familiar to your work or this type of comedy?

I definitely feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. I’ve done the Fringe a couple of times before as a performer, but never with my own show. I feel very lucky to have even had the opportunity and the funds to perform at the greatest fringe festival in the world!

Audiences can expect a fast-paced, quick-witted farce. With constant action throughout the entire hour and multi-rolling 16 characters, ‘Meat Cute’ will have you on the edge of your seat.

“Anastasia Bunce is nothing short of a genius. Her vision and hard work is what brought the text to life”

Apart from the title being awesome and really clever, the promotional images and way Meat Cute is being marketed is innovative, standout and eye-catching. How important, in addition to capturing the imagination, was it to present a strong visual image?

I think the visual aspect of marketing any show is the benchmark for the rest of the production. When a poster is the first thing people see, you need something that’s going to stand out and be bold, different and interesting. We were lucky to have a very talented photographer on board, Chiara Fulgoni, who understood exactly the kind of vision we were after and used her own creative genius to make the image stand out.

I will wrap up in a minute, but I wanted to know what it was like being directed by Anastasia Bunce. What was it like working alongside her, and did any advice/particular note or direction stick in your mind above the rest?

Anastasia Bunce is nothing short of a genius. Her vision and hard work is what brought the text to life. She was able to craft and sculpt the piece into something slick and seamless, with many nuanced moments throughout. A particular note she gave (which I will not be able to articulate as well as she did), was when she told me to really listen to each line as I said them. It was at a point during the 2021 shows when I was stuck on autopilot and couldn’t seem to find fresh moments for myself within the play. When she said that one sentence, my entire performance changed. Really listening to what I was saying, despite having said it a million times, allowed me to find new moments in the play.

IN THIS PHOTO: Megan Thee Stallion photographed for Elle in April 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Adrienne Raquel

As I run a music website, I wanted to ask about Megan Thee Stallion. Her songs sort of ‘score’ the production. What was it about her music that seemed to be a perfect fit, and do you know if she is coming to see Meat Cute?

What we loved about her music was that it was openly very sexual and sensuous, which creates the tone for the play and alludes to Lena using her sexuality to get what she wants. It also helps that Megan Thee Stallion is a vegan herself! Megan, if you’re out there, please come and see our show, you’d love it!!

What comes next for you? Will Meat Cute go on an extended run - or are you looking to television or film for your next project?

My dream now is for ‘Meat Cute’ to become a television series. We created a short film version recently and watching other actors bring the story to life felt like having a whole new perspective on the tale.

We’d also LOVE to do a run at Soho Theatre, so hopefully we can schmooze them enough during the Ed Fringe!

FEATURE: Second Spin: Sinéad O'Connor - Universal Mother

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

  

Sinéad O'Connor - Universal Mother

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AN album….

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sinead O’Connor photographed in 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: John Stoddart/Popperfoto via Getty Images

that was a moderate success sin the U.K. and U.S., I wanted to suggest that people check out Universal Mother and give it a spin. Go and buy it and investigate it. There is another reason why I want to focus on Sinéad O'Connor. The icon unexpectedly died earlier this week - and it sent the world into shock. Someone who fought for what is right; fought against injustice and, because of it, was often vilified and ignored. She reived so many emotional and heartfelt tributes when her death was announced. Because of that, there has been this new appreciation of her albums. We all know classics like the debut, The Lion and the Cobra (1987), and her tenth and final album, I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss (2012). Released on 13th September, 1994, Universal Mother has a lot of emotion and pain running through it. O’Connor trying to discover and explore what was under the anger of her previous albums. There are albums of hers that have received massive acclaim; a few (such as 1992’s Am I Not Your Girl?) that get mixed reviews, and those that got positive reactions but are still underrated. I think that Universal Mother is an album that everyone should check out – even though it can be quite a tough listen at times. I am going to bring in a couple of positive reviews. I did not do any tribute features for Sinéad O'Connor just after she died, as I did not feel like I know her life and music as much as I should or other do. There was so much raw sadness and shock together with beautifully-written pieces about her, I did not feel like I could match them or do O’Connor justice. I think that it is important, now, to spotlight her incredible albums. Many might have missed out on them the first time around.

Universal Mother is one of her best releases, and yet I do not often hear songs from it played on the radio. There are a lot of fascinating and insightful reviews and features about Universal Mother. I think, in 1994, there was still this perception of her being a trouble-maker or petulant. In fact, many contemporary tributes to her have been ironic, considering the press castigated and insulted her a lot. When she performed on SNL in 1992, she tore up a photo of The Pope. Protesting the horrifying sexual abuse of children by the Catholic church, she was mocked and condemned. Now, tragically too late, people owe her a huge apology – as she was right all along and so far ahead of her time! In 1992, she was promoting her third studio album, Am I Not Your Girl?. It did not get that many great reviews, as it was a collection of covers (mostly Jazz standards). 1994’s Universal Mother was the first album since then, and it was a reversal and sort of return to form – even though she never lost any form or brilliance! Maybe processing some of the fall-out from the SNL incident and a slight dip in acclaim, Universal Mother is a powerful and must-hear album where she is soul-baring and sublime. I am going to start with a review from Golden Plec. Reviewing Universal Mother in 2018, this is what they had to say:

“Artistic indifference is certainly something Sinéad O’Connor can never be accused of. We have watched O’Connor emulate, discombobulate, self-destruct and reconstruct throughout the years. However, it is her knack for tearing down societal taboos that is her plenitude.

One may think that Ireland has emerged socially since the late '80s when O’Connor first appeared on Top Of The Pops bellowing Mandinka, shaved head in situ. Certainly, we have come a long way from bearing the shackles of shame and silence instilled by the clerical elite, yet certain aspects have remained largely sacrosanct; that of the role of women and motherhood within our society.

Released in 1994 ‘Universal Mother’ is an unflinching exploration of female identity and motherhood in all its tender and terrible glory.

A migration from her previous albums ‘The Lion And The Cobra’ & ‘I do Not Want What I have Not Got’, ‘Universal Mother’ is a classic to behold not only for its deeply personal lyrics but for its timeless relevance.

Initiating the album is Germaine Greer’s uncompromising take on gender politics, whereby she contends “The opposite to patriarchy is not matriarchy but fraternity”.

This leads us into the first track of the album, the powerful and indignant Fire On Babylon that eschews the traditional narrative of the nurturing mother but hallmarks a destructive and painful relationship between mother and child.

Reverberating base and percussion remain throughout as O’Connor’s voice triumphs like a war cry; “She's taken everything I liked, She's taken every lover oh, And all along she gave me lies, Just to make me think I loved her”.

The album takes a decidedly different shift in tone with the lilting John I Love You.  Pure and softer vocals, along with melodic piano showcase the nurturing and protective sentiments of motherhood. On the track’s conclusion, O’Connor cannily replaces the title with “Child I love you”, alluding to understanding that motherhood can be both maternal and fraternal in nature.

My Darling Child and Am I Human continue along this vein. Both tracks are cooingly lullaby-esque in nature, if not a little self-indulgent. A little like a parent gushing with adoration over their new addition, much to the boredom of everyone else in company.

Before the listener falls asleep, the brilliant Red Football launches like a kick in the guts. An anthem for the reclamation of the female body that is both aching and riotous, O’Connor’s voice demands gravitas with hallowing words “My skin is not a football for you, My head is not a football for you. My body's not a football for you, My womb is not a football for you”.

Accompanied only by a barely strummed guitar, O’Connor’s cover of Nirvana’s All Apologies serves as a statement of head held high defiance. O’Connor will not apologise for her position nor imposition.

The inclusion of the heart-wrenchingly tender Scorn Not His Simplicity, masterfully composed by Phil Coulter, adds another layer to the album. Her voice lends a renewed intensity to Coulter’s lyrics as she articulates an aspect of parenting we don’t often hear about, the perspective of a parent whose child is born with special needs. “See him stare, Not recognizing the kind face, That only yesterday he loved, The loving face, Of a mother who can't understand what she's been guilty of".

In sharp relief to the menacing and sombre All Babies is the acapella In This Heart, a song with ebullient harmonies that are finely calibrated on versus such as “There are rays on the weather ,Soon these tears will have cried, All loneliness have died, My love, My love, My love”. Soothing and healing with lyrics abound with hope for a better future.

Famine is a clap-trap rap spoken word piece that borrows the chorus from The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby. O’Connor savages the belief that the Irish famine was inflicted on us by mother earth and takes aim at patriarchal power structures and their impact on modern Ireland “The highest statistics of child abuse in the EEC, And we say we're a Christian country” she sneers.

With impeccable manners the closing track Thank You is signature Sinéad O’Connor. Poignant, haunting and candid in its sincerity, the closing song is force of thanks for allowing a woman’s voice to be heard and joining her on the journey.

Radical and progressive, ‘Universal Mother’ is a uniquely Irish album delivered with gusto by a uniquely Irish voice. As relevant in 1994 as it is 24 years later, particularly on the 25th May 2018”.

I am going to round off with a review from Rolling Stone. Reviewed upon its release in 1994, it could have received unnecessary criticism following  a lot of the controversy still attached to Sinéad O'Connor. Instead, the brilliance and purity of the album cut through and demonstrated why she was so celebrated and important:

“On Universal Mother, Sinéad O’Connor tells us more about herself than we probably should know. It’s record making as therapy, the byproduct of feelings still only half worked out, a bundle of self-revelations left suspended, twisting in the wind. It wobbles between being an awful record and a remarkable one, and maybe that’s why it works: It swings so wildly that it never sinks into that deathly muddy middle ground.

More than half the songs on Universal Mother sound so tenderhearted, you could almost close your ears to the rage marbled through them. The most openly rancorous songs are actually the least affecting: The simmered wrath of “Red Football” is botched by an unintentionally goofy beer-hall-from-hell chorus, and the political rant “Famine” can’t match the charring intensity of “Black Boys on Mopeds,” from O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990).

But O’Connor isn’t just draining her wounds here. The record is raw but in a buffed, alabaster way: It’s built largely on delicate piano-based arrangements, with an occasional lanky groove worked in. What’s more, O’Connor fights against fixating too much on her own troubled psyche. A handful of songs deal squarely with the kind of cruelty a mother can inflict on her child (“She’s taken everything I liked”), but an even bigger handful reinforce O’Connor’s protectiveness of every child’s childhood. The lullaby “My Darling Child” threatens to turn treacly, but when O’Connor addresses her kid as both “me little street fighter” and “me little lamby,” you realize how desperately she’s trying to arm him for battle with a terrible world.

Junior psychoanalysts will have a field day with Universal Mother, trying to untangle lines like “You were born on the day my mother was buried” as if they were Chinese puzzles. But less important than what O’Connor says is how she says it. Her rage is distilled in droplets, finding its way through her tissue-fragile voice like blood seeping through gauze. She’s not falling apart on this record — she’s holding herself together — and it’s infinitely more terrifying that way”.

The heartbreaking death of Sinéad O'Connor revealed a couple of truths. The fact is that the music industry who hated on her and did not believe her truths about the Catholic church means she is owed a posthumous apology. So far ahead of her time, her wonderfully warm, witty and kind personality has been brought to the fore. This goes alongside a unique and extraordinary body of work that I hope will continue to be discovered and enjoyed for decades to come. As we say goodbye to a legend, I wanted to spend time with one of her albums that is not as known or played as much as it should be. If you can find a copy, go and snap it up and give it a spin. It is a work of brilliance from a phenomenal human that we are all…

GOING to miss so much.

FEATURE: Express Yourself, Something Like That: N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton at Thirty-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

Express Yourself, Something Like That

  

N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton at Thirty-Five

_________

WITHOUT question…

one of the most important debut albums – though there was a mixtape released before this album – in Hip-Hop history, N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton is thirty-five in August. It is weird that is came out on the eighth day of the eighth month of 1988! I am not sure if that was deliberate, but it looks pretty cool written down! The iconic group, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early-1987. The incendiary and hugely influential Straight Outta Compton was produced by group members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with words written by members Ice Cube and MC Ren, together with Ruthless rapper The D.O.C. At a time (1988) where Hip-Hop was producing phenomenal albums from the likes of Public Enemy and Beastie Boys, N.W.A provided something different and equally important. If some of their lyrics promoting attacks against the police – in retaliation to their racism and brutality -, might seem problematic today, it was a call to action at a time when the Black population were being attacked and victimised. Because of the lyrical content, Straight Outta Compton did not get a lot of radio play beyond L.A. That said, it went platinum (one million copies) by July 1989. In just under a year, this phenomenal debut album was a major commercial success. N.W.A helped to move the genre’s players towards Hardcore and Gangsta Rap. Straight Outta Compton has been reissued before, so I am not sure whether there will be another one ahead of its thirty-fifth anniversary. In 2015, there was the theatrical release of the biographical film, Straight Outta Compton. Sales of the album boomed again. Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 (the first Rap album to achieve that), in 2017, the Library of Congress included Straight Outta Compton in the National Recording Registry – for work that is deemed it to be ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.

Probably best known for its eponymous opening track and Express Yourself, there are some great songs on Straight Outta Compton that might have passed you by. That is fair enough, as it is very hard to get many of the songs on the radio. I especially love If It Ain't Ruff and Quiet On tha Set. One big reason the album is so important and popular is because of its use of samples. A golden age where many of Hip-Hop’s finest combined samples of older songs into something new, N.W.A even included Beastie Boys on 8 Ball – Remix (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!), The New Style, Girls, Paul Revere and Hold It Now, Hit It). Before getting to some reviews for Straight Outta Compton, there is a retrospective feature I want to bring in. Albumism revisited this 1988 landmark album on its thirtieth anniversary:

“Straight Outta Compton is one of the rare albums that changed the direction of hip-hop music. As a group, the history of N.W.A (aka N***az With Attitude) has been well-documented, subject to countless interviews, articles, books, feature films, and documentaries. They are probably one of the most studied rap groups ever, and Straight Outta Compton, released 30 years ago, is the central reason for their fame.

It’s not accurate to say that N.W.A created “gangsta” rap. Its origins date back to the mid-1980s with artists like Philadelphia’s Schoolly-D and fellow Los Angeles rapper Ice-T, among others. But it is accurate to say that with Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A took gangsta rap and sharpened it into a weapon. Or more accurately, turned it into a heavy cudgel to beat their critics into submission.

In retrospect, N.W.A’s lineup was practically a murderer’s row of creative rappers, producers, DJs, and innovators. Made up of Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson, Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby, and Mik “Arabian Prince” Lezan. Of those six, Eazy-E was the certified gangsta. While other members of the group were known to get into a little trouble, Eazy was a dope dealer that took his ill-gotten gains and funneled it into a record label, Ruthless Records, so that it could release music recorded by himself and his friends.

By all accounts, none of the members of the group truly realized the impact that Straight Outta Compton would have. Dre has said it took him only a few days to put together all the beats for the album. Studio sessions were fueled by liquor and weed. But what emerged was perhaps the most influential hip-hop album ever recorded. It started Dr. Dre down the path toward becoming an influential industry mogul and the most recognizable hip-hop producer ever. It helped make Ice Cube the powerful pop culture presence he is today. And it got the group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2015.

Back when Straight Outta Compton was first released, N.W.A began calling themselves “The World’s Most Dangerous Group.” Whether or not that’s completely legitimate, it gets to the heart of N.W.A’s appeal and what made them so different. In 2018, rap music is ridiculously mainstream, but 30 years ago, most people didn’t know what to make of it. Hip-Hop was dismissed as noise created by guys who didn’t know how to play instruments. And into that environment stepped N.W.A, six young Black men, decked out in all black, cursing, calling themselves “n***as,” brandishing firearms, and showing a total lack of respect for any of the traditional institutions of the day. It made their music seem threatening. Uncomfortable. Dangerous. It’s this sense of danger that’s sorely missing in the rap music of today.

Straight Outta Compton spawned a surge in the West Coast sound, both in Southern and Northern California, and rappers from throughout the country have continued to draw on the album consistently as a source of inspiration. It’s hard to imagine rappers like 2Pac, Migos, or Kendrick Lamar around without N.W.A to lead the way.

It’s safe to say that N.W.A never set out to be a “revolutionary” group. In fact, I’m pretty sure if you time-traveled back to 1988 and told Eazy-E and Dr. Dre that N.W.A was revolutionary, they probably would have laughed in your face. But the group was revolutionary in their own subversive way. Their music wasn’t always pretty, and it was often extremely antagonistic, but it fundamentally changed the way hip-hop music was recorded and received”.

At a time when nothing like N.W.A’s debut exists in Hip-Hop, I wonder what its lasting legacy is. If it is difficult picking up direct influences in new Hip-Hop, it definitely inspired those going forward. Because there are a lot of misogynistic lyrics through Straight Outta Compton is worrying, but it was (sadly) a problem that existed right throughout the genre – and it still pervades towards. If some of the lyrics should definitely not be followed or taken to heart, there is a lot in this seismic album to love. Its sense of humour and inventiveness is to be admired. I hope that a new breed of Hip-Hop artists feel influenced and inspired by 1988’s Straight Outta Compton. Pitchfork reviewed the album when it was reissued in 2003. One cannot ignore the controversial lyrical content. Its mix of playfulness and brutality is a major reason why it created such shockwaves:

“Last week I was buying some detergent at a local laundromat in rural Nebraska. This is what was occupying my mind: "See, I don't give a fuck, that's the problem/ I see a motherfuckin' cop, I don't dodge him." Now, based on my limited experience with law enforcement, I've found most cops to be cordial, beneficent protectors of the law. Yet, at that moment, I didn't just want to fuck tha police, both physically and figuratively; I wanted them lynched, drenched in gasoline, and burnt alive. It's one thing to get a catchy couplet stuck in teenagers' heads; it's another to convert half the nation into murderous psychopaths hell-bent on riot and rape. N.W.A. accomplished the latter.

Straight Outta Compton was not the first gangsta-rap album, nor was it the first album to use such disconcerting and scabrous blasts of sound, but the music was revolutionary for two reasons. First, Dre and Yella took the vitriolic, cacophonous rampage of Public Enemy and discarded all the motivation and history behind the anger; second, they sampled laid-back jazz, psychoastral-lovetron p-funk, sweetly romantic soul, naïve doo-wop, Martha Reeves, Charles Wright and Marvin Gaye, and proceeded to lay it under the most gruesome narratives imaginable, dead ho's and cop killers. This is tantamount to using a "Happy B-Day, Grandma" Hallmark card to inform a family you just slaughtered their grandmother. It's cruel, duplicitous, perverse, horrifying, hilarious.

In some ways, Straight Outta Compton is the archetypal rap album, the one you would send into space if you wanted to ignite a stellar holocaust. It unites the paranoia of It Takes a Nation of Millions with the chill of The Chronic, while still retaining an old-school, Run-DMC-style playfulness. The opening squall of "Straight Outta Compton", "Fuck tha Police", and "Gangsta Gangsta" is still as confrontational and decimating as it was at the dawn of the 1990s. The bass throttles, the funk combusts, and the sirens deafen as Eazy-E dispenses with tired romantic clichés: "So what about the bitch who got shot? Fuck her!/ You think I give a damn about a bitch? I ain't no sucker!" And this is the least misogynistic of N.W.A.'s albums.

In the remaining ten tracks, the group depicts a paranoid, conspiratorial wasteland where cops "think every nigga is sellin' narcotics," where they often are selling narcotics to buy gats to kill cops, where bitches have two functions in life-- to suck dick and get shot when they stop-- and where there are two only professions: bein' a punk and shootin' punks. The mind itself is a ghetto, and the ghetto is universal. A lot of people, for whatever reason, take offense to such ideas. William S. Burroughs writes the same thing and gets hailed as the greatest writer of the twentieth century. There is no hope, no messages, no politics, rarely an explicit suggestion of irony. The only respite is "Express Yourself", the sweetest anti-drug song to ever take place in a correctional facility. Musically, the rhythm pummels and the scratches are strong but sparse; lyrically, Dre says it best: "It gets funky when you got a subject and a predicate." For all the genius, there are some tracks that simply can't compare to the classics. "If It Ain't Ruff", "8 Ball", and "Dopeman" are triumphant rap songs, but they consist of minimalist beats and the silly battle raps that N.W.A. helped eliminate”.

I will finish off with an AllMusic review. Whereas other Hip-Hop and Rap albums of that era has bigger or slicker production values, they note how things on Straight Outta Compton are more bare-boned and simplistic. N.W.A creating this fairly inexpensive and unshowy debut. With one of the best and most powerful opening three songs – Straight Outta Compton, Fuck tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta – in music history, Straight Outta Compton is a landmark album that will be studied for generations more:

“Straight Outta Compton wasn't quite the first gangsta rap album, but it was the first one to find a popular audience, and its sensibility virtually defined the genre from its 1988 release on. It established gangsta rap -- and, moreover, West Coast rap in general -- as a commercial force, going platinum with no airplay and crossing over with shock-hungry white teenagers. Unlike Ice-T, there's little social criticism or reflection on the gangsta lifestyle; most of the record is about raising hell -- harassing women, driving drunk, shooting it out with cops and partygoers. All of that directionless rebellion and rage produces some of the most frightening, visceral moments in all of rap, especially the amazing opening trio of songs, which threaten to dwarf everything that follows. Given the album's sheer force, the production is surprisingly spare, even a little low-budget -- mostly DJ scratches and a drum machine, plus a few sampled horn blasts and bits of funk guitar. Although they were as much a reaction against pop-friendly rap, Straight Outta Compton's insistent claims of reality ring a little hollow today, since it hardly ever depicts consequences. But despite all the romanticized invincibility, the force and detail of Ice Cube's writing makes the exaggerations resonate. Although Cube wrote some of his bandmates' raps, including nearly all of Eazy-E's, each member has a distinct delivery and character, and the energy of their individual personalities puts their generic imitators to shame. But although Straight Outta Compton has its own share of posturing, it still sounds refreshingly uncalculated because of its irreverent, gonzo sense of humor, still unfortunately rare in hardcore rap. There are several undistinguished misfires during the second half, but they aren't nearly enough to detract from the overall magnitude. It's impossible to overstate the enduring impact of Straight Outta Compton; as polarizing as its outlook may be, it remains an essential landmark, one of hip-hop's all-time greatest”.

On 8th August, 1988, an album arrived that changed the face of Hip-Hop! With just over an hour of the most urgent and eye-opening lyrics ever committed to paper, N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton is as much a documentation of the present as it was a warning for the future. Sadly, like so many Hip-Hop albums, the lyrics are relevant today. If it influenced a lot of other artists and created positivity in that respect, how many world leaders and people in power have responded and reacted to N.W.A’s songs?! A Hip-Hop masterpiece, there is no doubting the fact that N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton is…

ONE of the genre’s most important works.

FEATURE: I’m on Now: The Ups, Downs and Side to Side of Kate Bush’s Rubberband Girl

FEATURE:

 

 

I’m on Now

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993 during the filming of the short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

 

The Ups, Downs and Side to Side of Kate Bush’s Rubberband Girl

_________

EVERY year or so…

  IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993 during the filming of The Line, the Cross and the Curve/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

I do return to particular Kate Bush songs for reinspection. It is a nice way of introducing them to people who may not be aware. Today, I wanted to come back to Rubberband Girl. It has its anniversary in September so, ahead of that, I thought it might be worth digging into the sign and getting to know it better. There are a few reasons why the track is significant. For one, it was Bush’s first release in thirty-nine months. On 6th September, 1993, Bush returned with a song that took her to twelve on the U.K. Her pervious single, Love and Anger, was the last from The Sensual World (1989). Bush did record an Elton John and Bernie Taupin cover, Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) in 1991. In any case, there was this speculation what had happened to Kate Bush. That was the story after any gap between albums. There was this four-year period between The Sensual World and The Red Shoes. Taking more time to record albums, I think there was this growing reluctance to embrace promotion or go through that cycle too regularly. Even if Rubberband Girl did do well, it is a track with a bit of a complicated history. Bush wrote the song quite quickly in the studio one day. She wasn’t someone who did that often but, maybe with a particular stress or feeling weighing heavy on her mind, she was compelled to ger this song out. Bush has dismissed it sort of a silly Pop song. Something almost throwaway. It is, in my view, one of her best tracks. I don’t think it is one that people should dismiss.

I am going to come to more thoughts about the song. First, this fascinating article looks at one of the gems from The Red Shoes. Bush has said that she quite liked the original – I will talk about updating the track for 2011’s Director’s Cut -, but there is always this impression from her that it is silly and quite lightweight. There are people that dislike the bouncy and brilliant Rubberband Girl:

“Rubberband Girl” was the first single released from The Red Shoes. Most people don’t think much of it, for a couple reasons:

  • It’s the most dated-sounding track on the album. The Red Shoes doesn’t age as badly as people say – parts of it could even pass for retro cool. (I harp on this a lot, but if “Constellation of the Heart” was released by Annie or Jessie Ware tomorrow there’d be confetti.) But “Rubberband Girl”’s production betrays its release date everywhere, canned drums on down. (If anyone else’s a Throwing Muses fan, it’s the same reason I can’t listen to Hunkpapa: the drums.)

  • The concept is easy to dismiss or mock if you go in trying to do either – the chorus goes “I want to be a rubberband girl!” Nor does the metaphor give you many easy emotional ins, either. It’s possible to relate – we’ll be doing this shortly – but it’s subject to what I guess I’ll call the OAT-FREAKING-MEAL Principle: it requires you to suspend the fact that you’re trying to pluck meaning out of a fucking rubber band.

  • The entire outro is an extended Kate Bush vocal-acrobatics gig akin to “Violin” that, again, is easy to dismiss or mock if you want to do that or if you’re not used to it.

  • It was the pop single, and it sorta-kinda-almost sounds like a pop song. See entry: “rockism.”

Fair points all, but “Rubberband Girl” is more interesting than people give it credit for. A few ways:

See, I Try To Resist

Pop song it may be; but “Rubberband Girl” breaks all the rules of how pop songs work. Even the most ardent poptimists would admit they have a formula: the verse should sound like this, the chorus should pummel you like that, the middle eight should be, well, a middle eight. There are standards.

This is how Kate Bush approaches the verse of her big pop crossover: “SEE THOSE TREES! BEND IN THE WIND! I FEEL THEY’VE GOT A LOT MORE SENSE THAN ME. See, I try to resist!” Voice at full throttle (sing it like she does; receive nodes probably), pacing basically nonexistent. VERSE: OVER.

The choruses arrive mostly like choruses should – though the backing vocals are a little more leering than most – but then they disappear so Bush can imitate a bungee cord for several minutes over electric guitar and sax solos. Again, nothing unheard of, for rock or jazz or “Mirrors”; but it’s more like a jam session where all the players are on laughing gas than something consciously calculated – if not by Bush, certainly the label – to get airplay. Every part of it is distorted, stretched past its breaking point; but nothing breaks.

It’s also a lot of fun.

If I Could Learn To Give

But what about the premise? It’s certainly a little silly. Kate Bush is one of the few artists who can put out a song like “Rubberband Girl” and literally be singing about wanting to be a rubberband, with no metaphor whatsoever; and she’s certainly drawn to arch whimsy. But I think there’s more.

This is where The Line, the Cross and the Curve is helpful. In the plot, “Rubberband Girl” is the I Want song: the first track, the precursor to the Red Shoes story and a microcosm of it. It works on a literal and figurative level. The literal is simple enough – Bush’s character, a dancer, wants to be a natural: sprightly and supple, but it’s not quite working. Note the choreography: Some is the kind sort of pas de deux you saw from Shearer, but more often Bush plays clumsy, exaggerated, large steps as if she’s got clown shoes. The lighting is dim, the conditions dingy, probably true to real-life rehearsals but not the stuff of magic. By the end Bush is dancing in a straitjacket or bouncing off padded walls (filmed from her perspective, one of many nods to Powell and Pressburger) as the musicians gawk. It’s a cautionary tale within a cautionary tale. What she wanted was abandon; what she got was driven mad. (And yes, if “Rubberband Girl” were released today people would – rightly – find it a little insensitive or ableist. I bring this up because when we get to “Eat the Music” we’re going to need stronger adjectives.)

The figurative stuff is a little trickier. What the hell is a “rubberband girl”? It’s never quite clear. (It’s a wonder more people didn’t drag “Cornflake Girl” in their Tori-comparison frenzy; both songs sling hyperpersonal metaphors you’ve got to think for.)

The closest explanation I’ve got is that a “rubberband girl” is resilient: she gives, she bends, she’s breezy and stoic in the face of crisis, if she ever faces crisis at all. She A+ student, the yoga-goer: the girl who has it all. It’s a rather Buddhist notion, as some have identified, this idea of bending with the wind; but for a certain sort of personality, bending is basically antithetical to their entire way of being. They do not let go or go with the flow or be one with the platitude; they plant their feet and try to resist. Meditation is basically impossible. Zen does not exist. Crises are forever. She sets out of their catapult, and her feet splay and her body splats. And she’s downed, there’s no bouncing back to life; no amount of straining or trying seems to get her back on her feet. She might try to imitate the well-adjusted girls, but it’s a groaning, heaving parody. That’s the point, after all; she's trying, when from all she can tell she shouldn’t even have to. (The Dreaming again: can she have it all yet? It’s working for them, but when she tries to join in….)

Note, too, that Bush is talking about girls. It’s in the title, it’s in the way the backing vocals go “A rubberband girl, she?” The sort of role model she’s made for herself is gendered: for lack of a better phrase, the good girl. She’s put-together in a certain wholesome way, not given to despair or – again, for lack of a better word – hysterics. She doesn’t wear the dull drab of Bush in rehearsal nor the red-and-black carnival regalia we’ll see later on; she’d probably go for cardigans and Lilly Pulitzer, say.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: John Stoddart

And Bush goes for every connotation of “hysteria,” including the sexual ones. The tendency with writers on Bush is to creepily sexualize everything that doesn’t need to be – leer over “The Sensual World” and that leotard photo, that sort of thing – while ignoring what she’s actually got to say on the matter. But The Red Shoes comes inherent with those undertones – thanks, Andersen’s diaries! – I don’t know how else you can hear the two juxtaposed lines “A rubber band, hold me trousers up; a rubber band, ponytails” – i.e. not letting her hair down – except to bring her love life into the lament. Of all the possible images she could put front and center, over and over, she chose these two. Depending on how you hear the outro, arguably she keeps choosing them.

(Curiously, Director’s Cut changes the former line to something more innocuous. It’s not the first time Director’s Cut completely changes the meaning of songs – more on that shortly – but it’s one of the instances where I have no idea why it happened here.)

Twang Like A Rubberband

But speaking of gender, check out that instrumental mix! Withers: “The combination of these [electric guitar and tenor sax] sounds communicates culturally naturalised ideas of male-defined genius." There’s one aspect of "Rubberband Girl” I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere, despite it being rather blatant: "Rubberband Girl,“ for all its Stock-Aiken-Waterman production, is Bush’s attempt to make a Led Zeppelin song. It’s not out of character at all: for all writers make of Bush being essentially feminine, the guys she hung out with and her musical idols were mostly male. (How Not To Write About Kate Bush?) Right before The Red Shoes, she’d just exhausted a long Peter Gabriel phase, for instance. And once you get this notion in mind, you can’t stop hearing it. The outro might signify madness, but it signifies classic rock just as much. When Bush sings "if I could learn to twang…” it’s with a twang.

This all becomes clear when listening to the Director’s Cut version. Bush dispenses with the ‘80s entirely, gets a full band – you know, what the dudes in the video were supposed to be playing, directs them to go the Full Authenticity, and spends the whole song, well, twanging. It’s a little awkward to hear, in the way that any dour 50-something white woman imitating the blues is going to be. It’s not the better version by a long stretch. But given the entire point of Director’s Cut –do-overs, basically – this is what Bush heard in her head. Huh”.

I like Rubberband Girl for a number of reasons. I feel it has gained more love and appreciation since its release. As it is thirty in September, people need to pick it up. The opening track and lead single for The Red Shoes, it was a confident and compelling first taste of that new album. The Sensual World’s Love and Anger – where she left us in 1990 – was quite energetic and spirited, but it is not the same as Rubberband Girl. Even if Bush’s Elton John cover was Reggae-like and has plenty of energy, I feel Rubberband Girl was Bush doing something funkier and Prince-nodding. I could have seen the two working brilliantly together on the track. As it was, Prince appeared on the penultimate song from The Red Shoes, Why Should I Love You?. I am going to wrap things in a minute. Even if Bush was not a fan of the song when she revisited it in 2011, I do feel that the original got some proper respect. Two music videos were released. The one for the U.S. market meant that it charted with the Billboard Hot 100. With some incredible performance from the likes of Danny McIntosh on guitar and John Giblin on bass, Rubberband Girl is a triumph1 The U.S. video is Bush wearing a cool leather jacket and some shades. In 1993, Bush directed, wrote and starred in the short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve. It got a little bit of praise, but many felt it could have been better – maybe Bush taking on a bit too much at a difficult time. Bush’s direction is great. I love the video for Rubberband Girl and how the U.K. version – the second video was for the U.S. release came in December 1993 – finds her in a straitjacket and bouncing on a trampoline. Maybe her feeling that she was spiralling a bit and needed to bounce back to life!

The lyrics talk of this desire to get back on her feet. maybe being affected by life and the demands of her career, it was strangely apt. In 1993, Bush was still death the death of her mother (who died in February 1992). Her relationship with Del Palmer was all but over, through she did find new love in the form of Danny McIntosh (who she is still with today and they have a son together, Bertie). There was burnout and this artist throwing everything into her work, perhaps to distract from other things. Direct and spirited, some preferred the dreamier side of Kate Bush, so they were not that taken with Rubberband Girl. Others were shocked Bush was doing something more Pop than we were used to. Funkier and different to anything before, the media were a bit mixed. When Bush came to re-examine it for Director’s Cut, she made it slower and more contemplative. This is what The Independent made of the new version in 2011:

“This is largely due to her re-doing all the lead vocals, which has imposed a warmer, more reflective tone on proceedings. The most striking change is on the closing "Rubberband Girl", where she sounds oddly muffled: the original stratospheric yelps are gone, along with Jeff Beck's flashy guitar, replaced by an understated harmonica groove that aims for more hypnotic impact – as too does "The Red Shoes" itself, whose mesmeric mandola groove is nudged along by softly pulsing drums. Ironically, though less flamboyantly abandoned, Kate's vocals here better evoke the sense of possession in the dance”.

I will leave it there. Because The Red Shoes’ lead single, Rubberband Girl, is thirty next month, I was eager to explore this song once more. I will do another feature closer to the anniversary. Whether the title and idea of the song comes from The Spinners’ The Rubberband Man of 1976, I am not sure. Clearly, Bush would know the song and would have been struck by the title – even if the two tracks are very different lyrically and have their own meaning. On this underrated and largely underplayed jewel from 1993, Kate Bush was…

A Rubberband girl, she.

FEATURE: Spotlight: waterbaby

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Nemo Hinders Sasaki

 

 waterbaby

_________

IT is a pity…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Pousette

that waterbaby is not more known and present on social media. I cannot find the Swedish artist on Twitter on TikTok, so I have included the sites where she is present. It is also unfortunate that she shares her name with a Pop duo. Regardless, there has been a lot of positive press and buzz about an artist who is among the most promising rising talents. I am going to get to some interviews soon enough. First, here is some detail about a stunning musician signed to Sub Pop:

“Artists have always had a knack for understanding the strange psychological sorcery that comes with crushing on someone. Stockholm-based artist waterbaby - intimately knows the tiny nuances between love – which is to say, the bond between two people – and the one-sided, up-and-down feelings of infatuation: the plaintive longing, the shifty wanting and the not-wanting, and all the luxuriously intrusive thoughts that come with them. If you’re at all familiar with the patterns of this (il)logic, you’ll find a welcome home in the world of waterbaby’s rhapsodic, technopastoral crush songs.

With the Foam EP, her Sub Pop debut, waterbaby’s auto-tunelets work like this: there’s the confessional of sisterly, guitar-assisted warmth infused with humane, sticky lyrics that surface in your head like bubbles floating to the top of an aquarium. Along with producer and collaborator Marcus White, waterbaby creates a mystic sort of blend – the songs feel spell-like, but they honor the feelings of what it’s like to love, or at least to want to feel loved.

The chief love in waterbaby’s life has always been music, of course. It’s infused in her blood: her great-grandad was a jazz pianist; her uncle worked in clubs and arranged concerts, and that Stockholmian syndrome of preternaturally knowing how to craft the perfect song – it’s a part of her that’s palpable in everything she writes or touches.

 It could be because she’s got a choir-school upbringing that’s done something to her voice – made it familiar with Pythagorean melodies and spare, delicate ideas that sound simple at first but really get into the spiritual in their own way. “My parents hated the music I listened to,” she laughs, talking about her private love of the megastars of R&B that she’d sainted as paragons of sounds and feelings that accessed the full range of emotions that she was getting familiar with.

On Foam, those emotions range from sad to empathetic, from hopeful to cocky, from doleful to ecstatic. “Airforce blue,” with its tones as liquidly bright as a fish whipping through the ocean, gives form to the feel of the latter sort of pain. “I still miss you” goes the chorus over and over again, if that’s any help. Crushes and longing seem to map her life over with meaning and joy.

“911” – with the whee-oo whee-oos – moves with an even more doleful indulgence. “Call me when you need someone / I could be your 911,” she sings, like a lovelorn operator on the other end of the line.

On the glistening “Wishing well,” swirling vocal effects, and lyrics of unrequited love – “Yeah, we tried to feel it all, wanted to see it all / Wanted to be it all / So why don’t you need my love? / I-want-you-to-need-my-love” – ride waves of piano arpeggios that swell, break, and crash into themselves.

With Foam, waterbaby gets it: loneliness and love aren’t mutually exclusive ideas– they’re sometimes part of the same thrust of feeling. Believing in that idea seems to be her governing motive. Because like faith, like a crush, her music is a quick and deep way of reaching beyond yourself”.

I am going to get to a recent interview that NME published about waterbaby. Before I get there, The Face fired ten questions at an artist that everybody needs to watch out for. She is an exceptional talent that I think is going to dominate the scene soon enough. Songs like 911 show that she is hugely talented and original:

“waterbaby has had a bit of a nightmare this week. Just a few days ago, she had to have emergency dental surgery; the morning of our interview, dogs were called to her building in Stockholm to sniff out bed bugs.

“Can you believe they have dogs for that? Luckily I don’t have any bed bugs, but I haven’t been able to stop scratching my body since,” she says, shuddering over Zoom. ​“As for the surgery, the pain is starting to creep in, but I got to keep the teeth!”

All is well, then, not least because waterbaby is also gearing up for the release of her debut EP, Foam, a gorgeously constructed five-track project exploring the trepidation of new love. ​“I could be your last love and you could be my first /​For you, I’d do the things that I said I’d never do for no other”, she sings on stand-out track 911, before melodically emulating an ambulance siren in the chorus: ​“We-ooh, we-ooh, we-ooh”.

“Foam has grown slowly but surely over a three year span,” the 25-year-old says. ​“I worked with [producer] Marcus White and it took us a while to find ​‘it’, but I think we did. Before, I would have described myself as a very open person, but I’ve come to learn I’m not at all. Music helps me express my embarrassing feelings – love, that kind of stuff.”

Growing up in Stockholm’s suburbs, waterbaby was hugely influenced by her grandfather, a jazz pianist. When she was nine, her mum encouraged her to apply to a classical music school. waterbaby wasn’t so keen – she wanted to be in Destiny’s Child, not sing in a choir. ​“I really grew to love that kind of music in the end, though, because all I’d ever known was R&B, garage and neo-soul,” she continues. ​“Then I started writing my own stuff, which I’ve been doing ever since.”

Has she still got her eyes set on Beyoncé-level stardom? For now, waterbaby just hopes her EP elicits some kind of emotional reaction in her listeners, whatever that may be. ​“It doesn’t really matter how they feel – I just want them to feel something, to relate,” she says. ​“When someone can put words to your feelings or thoughts that you can’t quite figure out for yourself, that’s amazing.”

10% Where were you born, where were you raised and where are you now based?

I was born in… Where the fuck was I born? Somewhere in Stockholm. I was born and raised here, and I’m still here. I think I’ve lived in thirteen different places, literally on all sides of Stockholm. I’ve been around!

20% What’s a bad habit that you wish you could kick?

Oh my God. Do you want a fucking list? I’m addicted to ice, but I love it so much that I don’t want to quit. So I’m not gonna say that, even though it fucks up my teeth from crunching on it. I haven’t admitted it to myself yet, but vaping is a bad habit I wish I could kick. I can stop. I can quit.

30% What’s a piece of advice that changed your life?

My friend said the other day: ​“Never expect or assume that people have their shit together”. I’m such a messy girl, so I always assume that I’m the worst and that no one else is messy, that they all have their shit together. But people literally don’t and that’s fine.

40% If you were cooking food to impress someone, what would you make?

I actually made my mum a menu today for her birthday. So, I would probably make some sort of pasta, with chicken, mushroom, garlic, lemon and parsley. Or fufu, the way my dad makes it.

50% If you ruled the world for a day, what would go down?

How much can you really get done in a day? I’m really indecisive. Fucking hell, there’s just too much to fix, I don’t even know where I would begin. I’m worried that whatever I say, in some alternate universe it’ll become true and have some kind of butterfly effect that’ll fuck everything up. So I’m going to say nothing.

60% Love, like, hate?

I love my family and my younger siblings – I’m obsessed with them. I like the Swedish summer. I hate toothache.

70% Number one holiday destination?

I’ve been dreaming of the French Riviera for a really long time. I’m actually going in the summer!

80% What’s the most pointless fact you can share?

I was recently in Singapore doing back-up singing and apparently it’s illegal to sing in the streets in front of people.

90% If you could travel back in time to see an iconic music act perform, who would it be?

Maybe The Jackson 5 or just Michael Jackson.

100% What can artists do to save the world?

This goes for everyone and not just artists specifically, but I wish that people would be nicer and less judgemental. If you don’t have something nice to say, shut up. That’s all”.

I am going to finish off with that interview from NME. As I said before, I hope that she does get onto social media sites like Twitter, as there are a lot of people waiting to discover her wonderful music. There is a tonne of competition and choice out of there. I feel waterbaby is in the upper tiers and has a very long future ahead:

“When Kendra Egerbladh, AKA Swedish singer-songwriter Waterbaby, walks through her native Stockholm, she is overcome with heartache, stunned by the beauty of the city where she was born and raised. Each street transports her back to the past and suddenly, she’s 18 again and heartbroken, planning how to turn that pain into art. This misty-eyed nostalgia was the driving force behind her debut EP as Waterbaby, released this week (June 14).

The ‘Foam’ EP is burdened with feelings of intense longing yet there’s a quiet hope bubbling just below the surface. On ‘911’, each line speaks of possibility and, in a playful chorus, Egerbladh’s imitation of an emergency services’ siren becomes her catchiest hook. The record R&B, folk and alt-pop in a hazy sonic voyage through Egerbladh’s influences which range from Frank Ocean to Fleet Foxes.

In the lead up to releasing her own music, Egerbladh has garnered a following through collaborations with fellow Swedish artists, alt-popstar Seinabo Sey and folk singer Hannes, the latter of whom she released velvety folk R&B track ‘Stockholmsvy’ with, which has garnered more than 27 million streams on Spotify. Yet she has remained somewhat of an enigma, rarely giving interviews and quietly crafting her EP over a three year period. She speaks to NME on a Zoom call from her bedroom in Stockholm after recovering from an illness that forced her to cancel her first London show.

“Hope, to me, is a constant,” she says. “I would say I’m a hopeful person, but the EP was also about going back to whatever emotional space I’d been at during different times and shadowing that on the record.” A choir school education prepared the singer for a musical career where she followed in the footsteps of her mother who would sing in gospel choirs while Egerbladh was growing up.

NME: Your debut EP, Foam, depicts a hopeful yet melancholy sense of yearning. What headspace were you in when you were making it?

“Literally every single headspace because it was created over a three year period. Some of the songs are me going back to being 18-years-old and heartbroken, but at the same time, I’m very hopeful. Hope, to me, is a constant. I’d say there’s a sad hope and a longing to feel that links all the songs on the record.”

R&B is experiencing a revival right now spearheaded by artists like FLO, No Guidnce and Sam Austins.  Do you feel like a part of any genre based movements?

“I feel like I have R&B in my bone marrow. I connect with that genre, but when it comes to my music, I have a really hard time putting myself in any box. I know that other people are gonna put my music in a box anyway. People have such different perceptions. Someone literally said that I make Afrobeats the other day, so I’m just trying to let the whole genre thing go and let the music sound like whatever it sounds like. I truly just want the music to speak for itself and let it land however it lands with each and every listener. It’s gonna sound the same no matter what I or someone else calls it, but I definitely grew up with R&B so I connect with it.”

Sweden is one of the largest exporters of pop music in the world with artists like Zara Larsson and COBRAH coming out of the country in recent years. How do you think the Swedish pop scene is evolving?

“I think, like with everything, the lines are very blurred right now. I think it’s going to continue to get more blurred and more mashed up. It’s interesting to see what’s happening and it’s also fun because it means that people don’t have to stick to their one thing as much. They can be a bit freer when it comes to creating stuff”.

If you have not discovered the sensational waterbaby, then make sure that you correct this. I think she has a bright and golden future ahead. I am quite new to her music, but I have spent a lot of time listening to Foam. It is a brilliant E.P. that ranks alongside the best of this year. I would urge everyone to check that out. Even those these are early days, I think that the world will be hearing a lot more music from…

THIS incredible artist.

__________

Follow waterbaby

FEATURE: In the Moment: Returning to the Brilliant Bellah

FEATURE:

 

 

In the Moment

  

Returning to the Brilliant Bellah

_________

I have covered this artist before….

in the form of an interview and a Spotlight feature. Today, I want to come back to the amazing Bellah (Isobel Akpobire), as she is getting serious attention right now. Being hailed as a superb British artist that is helping to bring R&B to the mainstream, I want to spend a bit more time with her. Make sure that you go and follow her. The London-born, Essex-based artist is one of our greatest treasures. Before coming to a couple of different interviews, including a recent feature in NME, here Bellah gives us some introduction and background:

“Introduce for yourself for those who don’t know you, who is Bellah?

Bellah is an Rnb Artist from the Uk! Born in North London living in Essex. Just a black girl making music I think is cool.

How would you describe your sound in 3 words?

Conversational, sweet, heartfelt

When did you realise that music was something that you could take seriously?

When I was 17. I met my management and they helped me actualise my dreams. They really helped me make sense of everything.

What were you listening to when you were growing up?

Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, ABBA, Luther Vandross, Lauren Hill, Stevie wonder - All the best people really x

And what are you listening to now?

I’m listening to a lot of SZA, Victoria Monet, Asa, Savannah Rè

Your fave artists in the UK and worldwide?

Tiana Major 9 and SZA

What can we expect from you in the next few years and beyond?

More music and more looks hopefully! I want my supporters to grow with me as I’m figuring all this life stuff out”.

Prior to getting to that recent interview, there is a 2022 interview from The Line of Best Fit that I want to focus on. It was great getting to interview Bellah a while back. Since then, she has released so many terrific songs that see her go from strength to strength. Her Adultsville long-E.P./album was released last year and received acclaim. I wonder whether she is planning an album soon. In any case, this is someone that everyone needs to know more about. A wonderful artist with a very bright future, she spoke to The Line of Best Fit about how challenging it is to get an R&B noticed when it is not the most trending or popular genre. There is an extra pressure when you are British – as R&B is seen very much as an American genre:

“Listening to people such as Frank Ocean, SZA, Brandy, and Daniel Caesar unlocked a world of alt-R&B that soon became integrated into her new sound, along with a new philosophy: “It’s just about putting out good music, and the people will decide and the people will let you know,” she says. “In a time where we can't dictate what a hit is. Now that I'm comfortable in that realisation, I'm just making whatever makes me feel good.”

Though R&B is close to Akpobire’s heart, it’s a uniquely difficult genre to make music in these days. UK R&B artists have made a concerted effort to uplift and support each other, but she cites two main challenges in making R&B. “It just goes back to the fact that we are very small island and R&B is not the number one genre here and it's not ours,” she explains.

“We are small, we have a crabs-in-a-barrel mentality. We’re all in such close proximity, that when someone is ascending, it’s hard to support because automatically, there’s comparison. We think that only one person can make it, or one person can make it at a time, when there's so much space.”

Another issue, she believes, is that as R&B originated from America, artists there are naturally better at it. “They just do it better because they own it – it like, we do grime better because it’s ours, they can’t do it,” she says. “In order for R&B artists to really go there, I think they need to study. We have a song problem here. It's not that you don't sound great, the song’s not great and can't connect. I think a lot of us need to work more with writers and get out of our own way because it's not about you doing everything yourself. Collaboration is the best.”

Funnily enough, Akpobire claims that American artists are now turning to the UK for their source of R&B. “There's a comment under my colours that says London right now is like New York in the nineties where there was just so much fresh talent coming. That's crazy for an American to say about our scene!”

Akpobire has also found support outside of the UK scene. She recently met Temz and SZA, the latter of which she saw at Wireless, where Akpobire herself was performing, too. “Every time I meet my idols, it humbles me and energises me at the same time because I'm like, there was probably a point where you were literally where I am.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Garry Jones

SZA in particular has been a core influence for Akpobire; meeting her was incredibly nerve-wracking. “I was shaking before I went into the room and then I saw her face. She's so lovely and she's so incredible. She’s so normal! Just knowing that incredible music comes from her very incredible mind, but she's just a normal girl. It’s an inspiration; there's nothing that separates you from this woman, apart from the fact that she's just making incredible music and you too are making incredible music and one day, the world will know it.”

Akpobire hopes the world will know it with Adultsville, which she has tried to make more conceptual and coherent than previous releases. “I had the name of the EP before I had any songs on the project, so the music has been curated, the sound, what we wanted to do, how we wanted it to come across, how we wanted it to feel,” she says. “What's amazing is I'm simultaneously living the experiences that I've been singing about, it’s no longer in hindsight. This is where I am at.”

Right now, Akpobire is in a transitory stage most of us in our twenties find ourselves in: wanting to change yourself for the better, and having absolutely no idea how to. But for Akpobire, change was almost a product of circumstance: “In my head, I was like, I want to mature my sound, mature my music, I was focussing on the music so much. I just feel like God said, ‘oh, you need to go through it for you to actually write about it, babe!’ So here you go – bam! Here’s the song! I was like, okaaaay! Cool!”.

I am going to finish off with that interview with NME. It is one that brought Bellah back into my mind. As we discover in her chat with NME, Bellah is R&B through and though. She has this new and palpable confidence that will see her make British R&B worldwide and talked about. She is also a magnificence screen presence. Someone who could have a long career in acting too:

“Bellah is leading a double life. The London songwriter has recently been filming for Channel 4’s adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’ bestselling novel Queenie, where she plays Kyazike, the titular character’s friend. It’s her first on-screen role – and she hadn’t read the book prior to filming, “but as I’m reading the script, I’m like, ‘Oh, this is fantastic’,” she tells NME over lunch in north London. Filming has involved a lot of long days, made tougher by the fact that Bellah is working on new music alongside acting, with plans to release before the end of the year. “When this is all done, I’m going to throw my hat like it’s graduation,” she says.

The 26-year-old has a lot to celebrate, especially when it comes to music. Her initial breakthrough moment came in 2021, when she released a performance of her smoky R&B hit ‘Evil Eye’ on the COLORS platform, quickly racking up over a million views. That same year, she was nominated for a MOBO award for Best R&B/Soul Act. Since then, she’s supported Nigerian superstar Tems, and has received nods from her “personal heroes” SZA and Ella Mai. But 2023 is shaping up to be her biggest year yet. So far, she’s landed on the NME 100 and played SXSW, The Great Escape and Glastonbury, and collaborated with FLO on their recent track ‘Suite Life (Familiar)’ – all without any backing from a major label.

PHOTO CREDIT: Fiona Garden

or Bellah, there is a distinct process to the way she makes music. When asked about how she writes songs, Bellah points at the plate of mango and lime chicken in front of her and says, “Food… and conversation.” She continues: “I never go into a session and say ‘Let’s write a song’.” Instead, she starts by asking questions like, “‘How’s your day been? What are you going through? Who’s hurt you?’

“I want to say what you’ve never said out loud on the songs so that you feel seen. The worst thing in life is loneliness; not necessarily being alone but feeling lonely,” she adds. She points to SZA’s seminal ‘Ctrl’ as a key reference point; the 2017 album also inspired many of Bellah’s peers, from Baby Rose to Dreamer Isioma. “I was like, ‘This is the most vulnerable shit I’ve ever heard in my life,’” she says of hearing the record for the first time.

“We’re individuals but none of our experiences are unique. If you’ve been through it, a hundred people have been through it,” Bellah says of her own songwriting. This approach carries over to her live shows, during which she aims to “build a community” with her burgeoning fanbase, having recently sold out a headline show at London’s Lafayette. “Who here is too broke to afford therapy? ” Bellah asked her audience at The Great Escape in May. “That’s why you write songs guys!”

She’s also inspired by the close-knit nature of this current cohort of modern British R&B acts, including her friends Shaé Universe, Mnelia and Jvck James; they are all supportive of one another, Bellah explains, and regularly attend each other’s performances. “What excites me is that we can coexist and have our own individual take on what we think the genre is,” she says.

Looking towards the future, Bellah says she’d like to see this culture-blending approach used in a way to expand what R&B means in the current landscape. “We’re diaspora kids,” she explains. “We’re kids that have moved around a lot, and have seen a lot of things. We’re kids that have different cultures infused in us, so Afro-R&B is a thing, R&B and drill [crossover] exists. I think it’s time to widen the lens on the stories that can be told underneath the umbrella of R&B”.

I have loved Bellah’s music for a long time now. It is amazing seeing her come through and be hailed as a modern-day R&B queen. I am excited to see where she goes next and where her music takes her. I can see Bellah playing in the U.S., in addition to balancing that with some big acting roles. A sensational talent, the mighty Bellah should be on everyone’s radar. She might be a name new to you at the moment but, soon enough, Bellah will conquer. She is truly…

A legend-in-waiting.

INTERVIEW: Tally Spear

INTERVIEW:

  

Tally Spear

_________

I have been following and supporting….

the music of Tally Spear for a few years now. She is a brilliant artist who everyone should have on their radar. She is back with her powerful and instantly memorable track, Imposter. I ask her about the song’s inspiration and what it was like making the video (which she directed and edited). I also ask her about the support her music has been given by the BBC, whether there are going to be tour dates, and who are the artists who have inspired her. It is good to chat with Tally Spear once again as she embarks on the next phase of her career. The London-based artist is one of our very best and brightest. She proves that on Imposter. I think it is her strongest song yet. If you do not know about her at the moment, then make sure that…


YOU correct that.

_________

Hi Tally. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! All good so far. I’ve just finished working on my music video which comes out TODAY!

I have been following your music for a few years now. How do you think you have evolved and changed as an artist since your earliest tracks?

I’ve probably changed beyond recognition to be honest, haha. I mean, I have, and I haven’t. I’ve changed and learnt a lot as a person and my music has evolved with me and will continue to evolve. It’s been a process of trying lots of things in my writing, seeing what feels most like me, seeing what I enjoy sharing and performing the most. I feel like I’m only just starting to figure these things out right now…

The brilliant Imposter is your latest track. Can you remember how it started life and what inspired it?

I was laying on my bed, in silence, and just started singing the first line of the song: “I don’t know what I’m doing…”. I put it into a Voice Note on my phone and the rest of the verse just flowed out there and then too. I took it to Jon (Cass), and we started recording it soon after, and I wrote the chorus there in the studio during the recording process. We’d pretty much finished the song by the time I left that evening. The inspiration behind it was really just me saying to myself: Be honest. What are you scared of right now? Put it down and don’t worry about how it sounds, don’t worry about being cringey or cheesy or whether or not people will like the song; just write it as you feel it.

You edited and directed the video. I really love its feel, vibe and colour palette! It really does leave an impression and stays in the mind. What was it like bringing the video together?

Thanks so much! My first job out of uni was a junior video editor in an independent production company, and I’m very grateful for the skills I learnt during the years I spent there. I edited and directed this one in my usual ‘D.I.Y.-just-sort-of-winging-it’ style. I had some concepts and metaphors I wanted to experiment with, but I wanted to keep it all quite simple too. We filmed it in like three hours. Shot by Jessie Rose in a theatre my friend works at… I’d bought some random stuff on the Internet like a roll-up mirror and farming netting, lol, it was fun.

Take me back to your earliest years. I hear elements of ‘90s and ‘00s Indie and Pop in your sound. Which artists did you admire and bond with growing up?

I used to really try and steer clear from any ‘90s or ‘00s references in my music: this is the stuff I grew up listening to and I thought it would be uncool nowadays to reference it. But I’m embracing these original influences now for the first time and it feels really good. I listened to a lot of different music styles growing up – I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Blink-182 and NOFX. My big brother was in a Punk-Rock band, so I grew up surrounded by a lot of that sort of style. I also loved Bob Dylan and The Beatles (from my dad). I think there’s a real amalgamation of all my influences in my songs today.

“I have a mixtape concept in mind that I’m working towards right now which I’m super excited for! “ 

Might we hear new material or an E.P. later in the year? What are your thoughts and plans regarding next steps?

All I know is I want to keep sharing new songs and not go quiet for too long. I like the feeling of momentum, and I want to be consistent with myself. I have a mixtape concept in mind that I’m working towards right now which I’m super excited for!  

I am sure there are many fans out there who would love to see you on the stage. Are there are plans to tour soon?

No touring plans yet, no. Gigging, yes! I have some exciting London shows lined up for later this year, especially autumn.

Your previous single, alone again, gained support from some incredible radio stations in London. What was it like to get a nod from broadcasters like Jess Iszatt?!

I’m honestly so glad and so grateful that Jess and the BBC Radio 1 presenters have been supportive. Jess said on the show that she felt I’d ‘found my voice’ with alone again, which I really appreciated and resonated with.

I think that music has been dominated and made so much stronger by female artists for years now. Still, the industry is slow to create gender balance and larger opportunities for women. What do you think of this, and do you think the industry needs to do more?

There are and have been some incredibly powerful female, trans and queer artists and producers in the industry that have been really paving the way. I hope that they inspire other new talents to step forward. There’s still a way to go in all of these areas of minority, but I feel hopeful…

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can choose any song you like (from another artist) and I will play it here.

Thanks so much for the interview!

TASH - When the Lights Cut Out.

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FEATURE: It's Apropos of Everything… Sheryl Crow’s Amazing Debut Album, Tuesday Night Music Club, At Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

It's Apropos of Everything…

  

Sheryl Crow’s Amazing Debut Album, Tuesday Night Music Club, At Thirty

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WHEN it came out…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sheryl Crow circa 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Karjean Levine/Getty Images

on 3rd August, 1993, Sheryl Crow’s debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club, introduced me to an artist I have loved ever since. As the singles from the album were released after 3rd August, I think my first exposure was the entire work. All I Wanna Do is the best-known cut from the album, but it also has the majestic Run, Baby, Run and Leaving Las Vegas. Perhaps not as celebrated and heralded as Sheryl Crow’s eponymous 1996 follow-up, Tuesday Night Music Club is still one of the very best debut albums of the 1990s. I have been a Crow fan ever since. All I Wanna Do eventually reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, propelling the album to number three on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. I think that moment (in 1994) was when Sherly Crow became a household name.  The album that started it all, she has continued to put out terrific music since. Her latest album, 2019’s Threads, might be her last - but we really hope it is not! Ahead of the thirtieth anniversary of her sublime debut album, I wanted to spend some time inside Tuesday Night Music Club. The album’s title comes from the name for the ad hoc group of musicians including Crow that played on Tuesdays to work on the album. They share songwriting credits with her. Even if they started as a loose collective, when the debut album arrived, they were this vehicle for Crow. I think that they sound terrific through Tuesday Night Music Club. The band - David Baerwald, Bill Bottrell, Kevin Gilbert, David Ricketts, Dan Schwartz and Brian MacLeod – bring so much love, swing, passion and colour to Sherly Crow’s incredible 1993 debut album!

There was wrangle and fall-out when the album came out regarding songwriting credits. Her relationship with Kevin Gilbert strained. Crow claims to have written the songs, but both Gilbert and David Baerwald called out Crow regarding a lack of credit given to the band. Bill Bottrell was interviewed in 2008 and said it was all a bit vague. There is a lot of his sound and vision in the album. In truth, it is hard to say for sure who wrote what and which songs were entirely Crow’s. I think there is more harmony between the band members. Regardless, you can see the credits for each song and realise that it is a collaborative album. What strikes me most is Crow’s vocals. I had not really heard any Country-inspired artists by 1993. There is Blues and Pop in the mix, but there was something very different about Tuesday Night Music Club. Casting my mind to Las Vegas or Texas, it has this shifting scenery and evocative nature. I have always loved Crow’s voice, but discovering it new as a ten-year-old blew me away! Tuesday Night Music Club went on to sell some 7.6 million copies in the U.S. and U.K. during the 1990s. The album earned Crow three Grammy Awards in 1995: Record of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It is a remarkable achievement for such a modest and un-showy album. It is the catchiness, rich songwriting and incredible band connections that make it so successful and enduing. It still sounds so thrilling after thirty years! I am going to come to a review for the amazing Tuesday Night Music Club. Prior to getting there, I am going to bring in a couple of retrospective features.

I think that Tuesday Night Music Club is underrated. It has won some positive reviews, though there were quite a few mixed one. It deserves retrospection ahead of its thirtieth anniversary. This feature from earlier this year finds Paul Sexton casting his mind back to a time when a fresh and relatively unknown Sheryl Crow was making her first moves. The world was about to open their arms to a true star and phenomenal songwriter:

“On Tuesday nights in 1992, a group of musician friends took to gathering to share and jam creative ideas at Toad Hall, the living room-cum-studio of producer Bill Bottrell in Pasadena. One of the collective was a former music teacher who grew up in the three-stoplight, one-high-school town of Kennett, Missouri, and whose recent first attempt at a debut album was already hitting the buffers. Her name was Sheryl Crow, and those informal experiments became Tuesday Night Music Club.

Crow, the wider world would later learn, had sung backing vocals on Michael Jackson’s BAD tour and become a voice for hire with the likes of Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder in her adopted California. The record she made as her supposed arrival as a solo talent, with esteemed British producer Hugh Padgham, was never released, a fact that didn’t become widely known until after her career went stratospheric.

As it did when her de facto debut slowly grew via word of mouth, a great gigging reputation and a succession of compelling hit singes into a multi-million-selling behemoth. Tuesday Night Music Club took a year to go gold and platinum in the US, but then shipped another six million copies in America alone in the next two and a half years. It won three Grammys, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for its breakthrough single “All I Wanna Do,” and for Crow, 31 at the time of the album’s release, as Best New Artist.

In her sleeve notes for the album, Crow wrote of those nights in Pasadena: “By the end of the evening or the beginning of the morning, something special would have been composed and recorded, (or not), with each of us picking up the nearest instrument or open mic. Thus, the Tuesday Night Music Club was born, creating the impetus for my album.”

She went on to credit the key fellow members of the club, with special thanks to Bottrell and Kevin Gilbert, the latter also her boyfriend of the time. Both had songwriting credits along with David Baerwald, guitarist and erstwhile member of A&M duo David & David, bassists David Ricketts and Dan Schwartz, and drummer Brian MacLeod. A collective

indeed, especially with further lyrical contributions from Kevin Hunter and Wyn Cooper. Bottrell was producer, assisted by Schwartz, with Blair Lamb engineering.

Speaking to me for the same publication late that year, as she opened on European shows for Joe Cocker, she said that the album sessions took place with an attitude of “‘close the door, order some food, crack open the Jack Daniels and let’s go.’ I was really left to my own devices, weirdly enough. When I handed the record in, I felt, they’re either going to say ‘forget it, this is rubbish’ or send me back in and say ‘we need singles, this thing’s not focused,’ but they didn’t, they just took it and ran with it.”

Crow also confessed to the emotional single-mindedness that helped make the album such a memorable listening experience. “I’ve never had very many friends, I’m definitely introspective and my friends tend to be those moments when I escape to writing,” she mused. “For me, the road is a much more comfortable place than being home. I always suffer identity crises when I’m at home, because you walk into your living room and you’re supposed to feel normal, and it’s like ‘this is foreign to me.’ It’s always been that way”.

I will move on to a future from Albumism. They reviewed Tuesday Night Music Club on its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2018. I am not sure whether there is a special reissue of the album for the thirtieth. Let’s hope that something is planned, as I would be fascinated to hear any early takes with Crow and the band working through these amazing songs:

“The 1987 Wyn Cooper poem “Fun” begins, “’All I want is to have a little fun / Before I die,’ says the man next to me.” That meager request, the beginning of a poem exploring ennui, capitalism, and mortality, would become the signature line of one of the ‘90s biggest pop songs. This ironic turn would be Sheryl Crow’s first big hit. “All I Wanna Do” was nominated for a Grammy award and pushed Crow straight into the spotlight.

Cooper, not the most famous of contemporary poets, was rewarded with royalties and recognition of his work. But besides sharing existentialism buried in barroom banter, the two have more in common. In 1993, Cooper and Crow were two artists plugging away to little applause, rarely in the spotlight but steadfastly dedicated to their passions. They peddle the down-home, Middle America aesthetic, one with record-label backed easily listening, the other with small poems in independent journals.

The theme of collaboration (and the issue of creative ownership) runs deep in Crow’s debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. The title of the album comes from the shorthand used to describe the group of songwriters who came together in producer Bill Bottrell’s studio weekly. Once initiated into the group, Crow found a new direction for her debut album, originally too slick and commercial, now rooted in a country and blues sound missing from the Top 40 charts.

Tuesday Night Music Club was released in 1993, the same year similarly shaggy-haired rocker chicks like Melissa Etheridge and Liz Phair were climbing the music charts. But Crow’s deep commercial roots (she started her career writing jingles, and her first big music industry break was performing as a backup singer for Michael Jackson) helped her stand out from the pack, and ride the wave of “All I Wanna Do”’s immense popularity to a successful music career.

25 years later, the standout of the album is the ballad “Strong Enough.” The defiant refrain “nothing’s true and nothing’s right / so let me be alone tonight” introduces a song wrestling with self-doubt and self-love. The man in question seems to be an afterthought, the focus instead on whether or not Crow is deserving of love. It’s lilting, slow tempo and relatively simple guitar chords have spawned multiple covers, the track finding a niche in the empowered female arena.

With Tuesday Night Music Club, Sheryl Crow helped to usher in the new genre of coffee shop music. Adult contemporary with a rock edge, she became an alternative to the alternative scene. With her self-titled follow-up album, Crow introduced a little more grit to the formula, but returned to her pop roots in the subsequent years. Tuesday Night Music Club is an impressive debut album, regardless of the amount of studio musicians it took to craft, and sparked the career of a woman savvy enough to take a sparse country poem and create one of the biggest hits of the ‘90s”.

I shall finish with one of the more positive reviews for Tuesday Night Music Club. AllMusic noted how there was a mix of the vintage and contemporary in Sherly Crow’s debut album. It is fun and accessible, but it is also smart and layered. You get this album that is still being played and discussed almost three decades after it came out. I know that we will be admiring Tuesday Night Music Club for decades to come:

“Sheryl Crow earned her recording contract through hard work, gigging as a backing vocalist for everyone from Don Henley to Michael Jackson before entering the studio with Hugh Padgham to record her debut album. As it turned out, things didn't go entirely as planned. Instead of adhering to her rock & roll roots, the record was a slick set of contemporary pop, relying heavily on ballads. Upon hearing the completed album, Crow convinced A&M not to release the album, choosing to cut a new record with producer Bill Bottrell. Along with several Los Angeles-based songwriters and producers, including David Baerwald, David Ricketts, and Brian McLeod, Bottrell was part of a collective dubbed "the Tuesday Night Music Club." Every Tuesday, the group would get together, drink beer, jam, and write songs. Crow became part of the Club and, within a few months, she decided to craft her debut album around the songs and spirit of the collective. It was, for the most part, an inspired idea, since Tuesday Night Music Club has a loose, ramshackle charm that her unreleased debut lacked. At its best -- the opening quartet of "Run, Baby, Run," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Strong Enough," and "Can't Cry Anymore," plus the deceptively infectious "All I Wanna Do" -- are remarkable testaments to their collaboration, proving that roots rock can sound contemporary and have humor. That same spirit, however, also resulted in some half-finished songs, and the preponderance of those tracks make Tuesday Night Music Club better in memory than it is in practice. Still, even with the weaker moments, Crow manages to create an identity for herself -- a classic rocker at heart but with enough smarts to stay contemporary. And that's the lasting impression Tuesday Night Music Club leaves”.

A phenomenal debut album from one of the all-time great artists, Crow would build on this promise for Sherly Crow (1996) and The Globe Sessions (1998). The album’s opener, Run, Baby, Run, might look at a woman who runs from life’s problems. When it comes to Sherly Crow’s beautiful and instantly enchanting debut album, you will put it on, turn it up loud and…

STAY right where you are!

FEATURE: Madonna at Forty: No Borderlines: The Introduction of a Maverick Pop Queen

FEATURE:

 

 

Madonna at Forty

  

No Borderlines: The Introduction of a Maverick Pop Queen

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ON 27th July…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Corman

a lot of stations in the U.K. might be distracted by the announcement of this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist. It is one of those unfortunate clashes. I joked that this shortlist announcement falling on the same day we celebrate Madonna turning forty is a clash that rivals the cinematic battle between Barbie and Oppenheimer! Of course, those films are not in competition. It is the case that two blockbusters are opening on the same day. Similarly, there is not a lot of people putting the Mercury shortlist against a classic album’s fortieth anniversary. I do hope that Madonna’s exceptional debut album gets played across radio on 27th July. That Thursday will be an exciting one! In a year where the Queen of Pop has been preparing for a worldwide tour, only to have to delay it because she almost died because of a severe bacterial infection, I hope that she also gets a moment to post to her fans what it means to look back at Madonna forty years down the line. I have been thinking about that summer day in 1983 when Madonna arrived. To many, especially outside the U.S., the debut album might have been the first time many people heard of her. Of course, she had released singles prior to this, but it was not until the album came out that she was cemented into the minds of the world. That was confirmed when Holiday came out in September 1983. I just think about the albums that were released around that time. Arriving a few months after terrific albums by, among others, R.E.M., The Police, Eurythmics, and David Bowie, there was nothing quite like Madonna’s debut.

Pop was a big force in 1983, but I think that most of the more popular albums of the year were from other genres. Maybe Culture Club’s Colour By Numbers (which came out in October 1983) added to the pile. Madonna was a breath of fresh air. At a time when the weather was fine and there was this real gap in the market, the Michigan-born icon delivered a sensational debut that mixed Pop with Post-Disco to mesmeric effect! Thinking about similar albums that were out in 1983, a few months after Madonna arrived, Cyndi Lauper released her debut, She’s So Unusual. I often think that Madonna inspired that album in some way when you compare the two. I am going to come to a review and feature for Madonna. In 1983, I don’t think you could have called the album ordinary or beyond her best. It is one of the most confident and original debut albums ever. I know some have placed Madonna low when ranking her albums. Maybe not as epic or ambitious as Like a Prayer (1989) or Ray of Light (1998), Madonna was both of its time and ahead of its time - though it also looked to the past. She would not have thought of an album such as Like a Prayer in 1989, as her influences changed and she worked with different people then compared to her debut. What I have pointed out and remains extraordinary as this twenty-four-year-old artist wrote most of the songs on her debut. Perhaps the most notable exception of a song which Madonna did not write is Borderline. That was written by Madonna’s producer, Reggie Lucas. Holiday was also written by other people (Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens), but listen to Lucky Star, Burning Up, Think of Me, and Everybody. Also, the underrated I Know It is a Madonna solo write. These incredibly fresh songs that heralded this new Disco diva. At a time when Disco was considered dead, Madonna arrived and freshened and revitalised it. Dipping back to the 1970s but adding in modern touches, Madonna instantly made her a household name.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Corman

If there was a lot of celebration around her debut, there was also a lot of undue criticism. Many dismissing her voice as helium-enhanced or squeaky. It is the same sort of thing Kate Bush had to deal with five years earlier. Both these artists, born within a few weeks or one another, created wonderful debut albums that should have got nothing but love. Madonna was also labelled as chubby by some! That she was a one-hit wonder and would not last. Not only is that insulting and devastating for an ambitious and bright young artist to read and hear. In years since, she actually posed in photos with Mickey Mouse. She was not someone who took criticism lying down. Bold and strong, this truly incredible Pop artist was instantly iconic. I am going to write a lot more about Madonna in the coming weeks, as she celebrates her sixty-fifth birthday on 16th August. I had a few thoughts about her stunning 1983 debut. There has not been a fortieth anniversary reissue. It would have been great to have new vinyl issues. Maybe different-coloured sets with photos from 1983 and some introductory notes from Madonna herself. I don’t think there has been a book written about her debut album and the time before it. I am fascinated in that period between 1980 and 1983. The rise of Madonna and the immediate period after the debut was released. Learning more about the earliest days of this Pop icon would be fascinating. I have previously asked whether photos from 1983 could come to an exhibition. Fans would love to see a gallery of photos from an amazing time!

I also have suggested whether a few of the music videos from her debut album – including Holiday and Lucky Star – could be given a 4K HD remaster. Burning Up, Everybody, and Borderline look great, but those other videos could do with some shine and touching up. I am going to finish with a review of the incredible Madonna. First, the New York Post wrote about Madonna’s earlier this month. They noted how this album changed the face of Pop music:

“Months before Madonna took off into the stratosphere with “Lucky Star” and other hits from her self-titled debut album — released 40 years ago on July 27, 1983 — the then-24-year-old hopeful had received some clairvoyant reinforcement regarding her future as the Queen of Pop.

“She had actually gone to a psychic, and she told me, ‘Just watch what’s gonna happen,’ ” Paul Pesco — who played guitar on both “Lucky Star” and “Burning Up”  — told The Post.

“She told me this in rehearsals one day, and it was like the equivalent of Bette Davis saying, ‘Fasten your seatbelts …’ I mean, she kind of knew it.”

That would give prophetic meaning to “I Know It” — one of five songs that a young Madonna Louise Ciccone of Michigan wrote by herself for an eight-track classic that would get generations of future dance-pop divas into the groove.

Possessing neither the gospel grandeur of an Aretha Franklin or the folky feels of a Joni Mitchell, Madonna — who was set to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her debut with her “Celebration” tour launching on July 15 until the Material Girl, 64, was sidelined by a serious bacterial infection two weeks ago — made her own path, as the mother of a pop reinvention.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna posing for a photo in New York in late-1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Noble/Redferns/Getty Images

After the so-called death of disco as the ’70s twirled to an end, Madonna reclaimed the dance floor in a whole new way.

“We really felt that if we were to combine disco and R&B and new wave, we would have something really cool,” said Michael Rosenblatt, Madonna’s original A&R man at Sire Records. “We invented a format.”

“Madonna had a dance background. Dancing was her baby,” added her longtime publicist Liz Rosenberg, who repped Madge from the beginning of her career, all the way until 2015.

“She wanted to be a dancer. She went to Martha Graham [School] and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And so, in looking back, you can understand how the dance [music] world embraced her first.”

After moving from Detroit to New York in 1978 — “with her tap shoes and $30,” as Rosenberg describes — Madonna got her big break at the influential club Danceteria, where she met DJ Mark Kamins in 1982.

“I used to go to Danceteria all the time … as a young A&R guy trolling the clubs looking for artists,” said Rosenblatt. “At the time, one of my best friends in life was Mark Kamins. And Mark told me about this girl who kept coming by trying to get him to play her demo.”

After picking a magnetic Madonna out of the crowd on the floor at Danceteria one Saturday night, Rosenblatt had her come by his office two days later to play her demo, which included her self-penned tunes “Everybody” and “Burning Up” as well as the Stephen Bray-written “Ain’t No Big Deal.”

“It wasn’t, like, magic, but what was magic was I had a star sitting in my office just radiating,” he said. “She was a f – – king star … And I always ask any artists I work with, ‘What do you want? What are you looking for?’ The best answer I ever got was from Madonna when she said, ‘I want to rule the world.’ ”

And that global takeover began when Rosenblatt took Madonna to meet Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, who was in Lenox Hill Hospital for open-heart surgery at the time. But he made sure that she came prepared with more than her demo.

“I told her, ‘You gotta come by with some ID because I don’t believe your name is Madonna,’ ” recalled Rosenblatt. “And she said, ‘It is! Why don’t you believe me?’ I said, ‘Because it’s just too good to be true. It’s perfect.’ ”

Madonna seized her moment — even if it had to happen by a hospital bed. “She was, like, all in. She was like, ‘This is my chance to get a record deal,’ ” said Rosenblatt. “And Seymour got it.”

The video for "Everybody," Madonna's first single, had a $1,000 budget, according to director Ed Steinberg, who ended up spending his own money to finish the project.

A couple weeks later, Madonna signed a deal for three singles — including a $15,000 advance for each —  with an option for an album.

IN THIS PHOTO: An outtake from photographer Gary Heery, who shot the cover for Madonna at his SoHo studio just weeks before its release

Sight unseen, Rosenberg, Madonna’s soon-to-be publicist — who had been working with the likes of Fleetwood Mac at Sire parent company Warner Bros. Records — had a totally different impression of her new artist upon first hearing her demo.

“What I remember very specifically is Michael coming into my office and playing this singer from Detroit who I thought was black,” she said. “And I liked her sound.”

But Rosenberg knew that Madonna was something special when she actually met her budding star for the first time.

“I remember her coming into my office and falling in love with her,” she said. “You know, she was fantastic. She was a lot of fun, and she was very ambitious and knew what she wanted … And I think some of the company was very hard on her — they were much more of a rock ’n’ roll company.”

But Madonna quickly found her tribe in the New York club scene after her debut single “Everybody” — an electro-pop bop produced by Kamins — was released in October 1982.

The singer’s image was not featured on the cover of the single — a shrewd move, made in the nascent days of MTV, so that her race would not be a factor in her getting played on black radio stations.

“A lot of it had to do with Freddy DeMann,” said Rosenblatt of Madonna’s former manager. “Once we got Freddy involved, he was really crucial to that mix at the time [because he] was managing Michael Jackson. So Freddy had a lot of juice in the R&B world.”

But Madonna’s identity wouldn’t remain a mystery for long: Bobby Shaw, then national dance promoter at Warner Bros., took the diva-in-training around to perform at some of the hottest NYC nightspots — most of them attracting predominantly black, Latin and gay crowds.

And, in an early display of her business savvy, Madonna even asked Shaw to attend his weekly meetings with key DJs.

“Let’s face it — she was trying to be a star,” Shaw told The Post. “She worked it. She worked her personality to a T — and sex. It helped … I said, ‘She’s a smart cookie.’ But she did listen to me. And I don’t think she listened to too many people.”

Indeed, it was Shaw who helped Madonna feel right at home at Paradise Garage, the legendary underground club where she shot the low-budget “Everybody” video.

“They said you have $1,000, which is basically for me to go shoot at Danceteria with two shitty cameras,” said director Ed Steinberg, who spent about $3,800 of his own money to upgrade the performance video at Paradise Garage.

Once her full album deal was sealed, Madonna wanted a more experienced producer than Kamins, hand-picking Reggie Lucas, who had worked with female R&B singers such as Stephanie Mills and Phyllis Hyman. And Lucas’ songs “Physical Attraction,” which was the B-side to second single “Burning Up,” and “Borderline,” which would become Madge’s first Top 10 hit, were included on her debut LP.

But the album was still missing something.

Rosenblatt put out the call for a killer track to complete the LP and found “Holiday” through the Fun House DJ John “Jellybean” Benitez, who, after meeting Madonna through Shaw, had begun dating the singer. The tune was written by ex-spouses Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder for their own group, Pure Energy, but their label had passed on it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Corman

Now, after having been hired to do some remixes for the album, Benitez was about to produce the defining dance anthem from Madonna’s debut.

“I remember calling Quincy Jones just saying, ‘Hey, I’m doing this record. Any advice you can give?’ ” Benitez recalled. “And he said basically, ‘Trust your instincts. Go make something that you’re gonna play.’”

And after “Everybody” and “Burning Up” failed to make the Billboard Hot 100, “Holiday” would become Madonna’s breakthrough hit on that chart, reaching No. 16 in January 1984.

Forty years later, photographer Gary Heery — who shot the “Madonna” album cover just a few weeks before the LP’s release at his SoHo studio — told The Post he’s proud to have been part of the birth of a pop legend.

“It does get called the iconic image of her,” Heery said of his famous black-and-white portrait. “She had a great street look. And the album was great, wasn’t it?”.

  IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Corman

I think there will be new articles written about Madonna closer to 27th July. There have been a few framed around the fortieth anniversary, but I thought there would be more attention already! I am going to end with a review. Pitchfork revealed their thoughts about Madonna’s debut album back in 2017. I think that this is an album that the world will be discussing and adoring decades from now:

“Sire Records founder Seymour Stein was lying in a hospital bed the first time he heard Madonna. It was 1982, and the man who’d signed the Ramones, Talking Heads, and the Pretenders had one of his usual heart infections. Listening to his Walkman, Stein perked up when he heard a bass-heavy demo of Madonna’s first single, “Everybody.” He called the DJ who’d given him the tape, Mark Kamins of New York’s anti-Studio 54 utopia Danceteria, and asked to meet Madonna, a Danceteria regular and waitress. Hours later, the 24-year-old dancer-turned-musician from Bay City, Mich. was in that hospital room, hoping Stein was well enough to draw up a contract.

Stein did sign her, and the following year put out Madonna, a cool and cohesive debut that helped resituate electronic dance-pop at Top 40’s apex with hits like “Holiday,” “Lucky Star,” and “Borderline.” But the suits at Warner Bros., which had acquired Sire a few years earlier, didn’t quite know what to do with the former punk who was writing and performing muscular R&B for the club. Their early inclination was to work her at black radio stations, favoring a cartoonish urban collage for the “Everybody” cover instead of Madonna’s already perfected thousand-yard stare. Listeners weren’t sure what to make of the singer cooing those pleading vocals on the rising dance hit, but it wouldn’t be long before Madonna did something about that too.

At Madonna’s convincing, the label let her shoot a chintzy performance video for “Everybody,” followed by a more polished video for her striking second single “Burning Up.” In it, she tugs at a thick chain looped around her neck and rolls around in the street while singing lines like, “I’m not the others, I’d do anything/I’m not the same, I have no shame,” her panting underscored by Hi-NRG beats and raunchy rock guitar solos. A man drives towards Madonna, but at the end, it’s her behind the wheel—the first great wink to her signature subversion of power through sex. Though her 1984 MTV Music Video Awards performance is now considered erotic lore on the level of Elvis’ censored hips, that writhing set to “Like a Virgin” would have had little context without the slow, sensual burn of Madonna throughout ’83 and ’84. It was a record that seemed quirky but innocuous enough based on the feel-good wiggle of its initial crossover hit, “Holiday,” but the driving force of Madonna remains its palpable physicality—a mandate to move your body, in ways both public and private.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Corman

Part of what gives Madonna such affecting rhythm is its use of electronic instruments that sounded like the future then and typify the ’80s sound now—instruments like the LinnDrum and the Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. Disco had brought dance music to pop’s forefront, where producers like Giorgio Moroder traded its saccharine strings for robotic instrumentation, but by the early ’80s, the genre had cooled off. People still danced to synthesizers, but their positioning was crucial—both within culture and musical compositions. The Human League and Soft Cell scored two of 1982’s biggest and most synthetic smashes, but back then the gulf between punk-derived new wave and bygone disco seemed wider than it ever really was. Disco and disco-adjacent stars like Donna Summer and Michael Jackson still were programming their hits, but the overall focus was back on a full-band sound. There’s no shortage of organic instruments on Madonna’s debut—“Borderline” wouldn’t be the same without the piano’s melodic underscoring, standout album cut “Physical Attraction” without its funky little guitar line—but the slinky digital grooves often take center stage. Through this, Madonna is able to achieve an almost aggressive twinkling that still feels fresh: the effervescent fizz at the start of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut to the Feeling” seems cribbed straight from “Lucky Star.”

Madonna vaguely criticized her debut’s sonic palette while promoting its follow-up, 1984’s Like a Virgin, but its focus is part of what makes the album so memorable, so of a time and place. She would soon become known for ritual pop star metamorphosis, but with a clearly defined musical backdrop, Madonna was able to let shine her biggest asset: herself. The way Madonna’s early collaborators talk about her—even the ones who take issue with her, like Reggie Lucas, who wrote “Borderline” and “Physical Attraction” and produced the bulk of the album—often revolves around her decisiveness, her style, the undeniability of her star quality. Some of these songs, like the self-penned workout “Think of Me,” aren’t all that special, but Madonna telling a lover to appreciate before she vacates is so self-assured, the message carries over to the listener. And when the material’s even better, like on “Borderline,” the passionate performance takes it over the top.

Maybe the New York cool kids rolled their eyes at the Midwest transplant after she blew up, but she had effectively bottled their attitude and open-mindedness and sold it to the MTV generation (sleeve of bangles and crucifix earrings not included). Innocent as it may look now, compared to the banned bondage videos and butt-naked books that followed, Madonna was a sexy, forward-thinking record that took pop in a new direction. Its success showed that, with the right diva at the helm, music similar to disco could find a place in the white mainstream—a call to the dance floor answered by everyone from Kylie to Robyn to Gaga to Madonna herself. After venturing out into various genre experiments and film projects, when Madonna needs a hit, the longtime queen of the Dance Songs chart often returns to the club. This approach doesn’t always work, as her last three records have shown, but you can’t fault her for trying to get back to that place where heavenly bodies shine for a night”.

Ahead of its fortieth anniversary on 27th July, I wanted to celebrate the brilliance and impact of Madonna. Without boundaries or borders in 1983, this legend exploded onto the scene. Reaching the top ten in the U.K. and U.S., Madonna was an instant success. Since 1983, she has evolved as an artist. Changing her sound and growing in confidence, Madonna has appeared in films and mounted some of the most groundbreaking tours in Pop history. Even though her Celebration Tour has been delayed due to illness, she will be on the stage soon to mark forty years of her debut album and the impact of Holiday. Some critics took shots at her voice and looks, but there were plenty who were prostrate with admiration for this infectious and brilliant music. The mighty Madonna deserves…

ALL the love it has received.

FEATURE: Showing Her Claws: Why Artists Like Doja Cat Need to Treat Their Fans with Greater Respect

FEATURE:

 



Showing Her Claws

PHOTO CREDIT: Paola Kudacki for TIME

 

Why Artists Like Doja Cat Need to Treat Their Fans with Greater Respect

_________

THE music industry….

 PHOTO CREDIT: Erika Goldring/Getty Images

can be a very demanding and tiring beast. it is hard to endure gruelling tours, keep this façade going and remain happy and strong. The love that artists get from fans is mostly positive, though I guess it can be overwhelming at times. That said, if you are getting approval and positivity, then that is uplifting and nourishing. I have not heard too many cases of artists hitting back at fans’ adoration. A rare case has unfolded regarding Doja Cat (Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini). A hugely successful Rap artist from California, she has caused upset among her fanbase for a number of reasons. Earlier this week, Rolling Stone reported a troubling and slightly unusual fall-out and war between Doja Cat and her admiring and loyal fanbase:

“DOJA CAT’S FANDOM is in shambles, and she couldn’t care less. Throughout her career, the rapper has maintained a bizarre relationship with her fans online — one that embraced their support but harshly rejected anything beyond that, including their inquiries into her life outside of music. She’ll go into the booth and record the songs, but her loyalties seemingly end there. When a fan on Threads (on which Doja Cat has since deactivated her account) asked the musician to declare her love for her fanbase, she wrote back: “I don’t even know y’all.” Now, they feel like they don’t know her, either — but she’s shown them her cards before.

Doja Cat’s attitude toward her fans can, at times, be off-putting, especially prior to the release of her latest single, “Attention.” Earlier this year, she ranted on Twitter about her pop-leaning projects Planet Her and Hot Pink being “cash grabs,” then she hammered her point by insulting fans for falling for it. And when she clashed with fans last year after being criticized for not stopping to say hello to them outside of her hotel in Paraguay, she tweeted: “I don’t give a fuck anymore I fuckin’ quit I can’t wait to fucking disappear and I don’t need you to believe in [me] anymore.” It’s nothing fans aren’t used to at this point.

From the fandom’s point of view, their own loyalties encapsulate purchasing concert tickets, defending her online, and streaming her songs millions of times. Meanwhile, Doja Cat doesn’t think she owes them shit because she never asked them to do any of that in the first place. During the most recent clash, she criticized her fans for adopting the collective fandom name “Kittenz.” When a fan asked for a replacement name since she had vetoed that one, the rapper wrote back: “Just delete the entire account and rethink everything it’s never too late.” (Representatives for Doja Cat did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.)

Some of her fans have come to see her apparent disrespect as a violation of an unspoken social contract (read: entitlement) through which they provided her with the platform and fame she has since weaponized against them. Now, they’re doing what she asked. Over the weekend, multiple Doja Cat fan accounts with tens of thousands of followers each, like Doja Cat News and The Kittens Room, have deactivated their accounts on Twitter. Other pages on Instagram have shared that their own departure is imminent.

“It is with great sadness that the DCBR team announces an indefinite break from the page for the first time in 3 years! We thought a lot about how to say this to you and there’s no other way: Doja’s latest pronouncements on social media left us kittenz very disappointed…. if we can call ourselves that, since even Doja doesn’t seem to like the name of the fandom she herself created,” the Instagram account for Doja Cat Brazil wrote. “Every day, we put our sweat on this page to keep it active and it is with great pain that we see the end approaching. What we hope is that Doja rethinks her actions as an artist and has the least amount of consideration for the fans who have been with her since the beginning, supporting and motivating her… because without us, she wouldn’t be where she is.”

But it goes far beyond lack of fan appreciation. The rapper has recently come under fire for her rumored relationship with J Cyrus, a popular online streamer who has been accused of alleged grooming and sexual misconduct by multiple women. (Cyrus did not immediately reply to a request for comment.) Before disabling her comment section on Instagram, Doja Cat replied to a fan stating that people were beginning to “unstan” her in light of her comments and controversies, writing: “I don’t give a fuck what you think about my personal life I never have and never will goodbye and good riddance miserable hoes.”

Some stans are committed to supporting Doja Cat through yet another controversy — having weathered the previous drama surrounding her involvement in a leaked video from a Tinychat room rumored to be associated with white supremacists. In it, the rapper could be seen saying the n-word while rolling around on a bed. They’ve done it before and are willing to do it again. But for others, once is more than enough. “Imma say this shit right now and idgaf. If any of y’all so called kittens agree wit the shit Doja been doing lately y’all need to get a fucking mind of your own and stop trying to please her all the time to get a fucking notice,” the user Dojasson wrote in an Instagram Story. Other fans have reported that the rapper has blocked them across social platforms, including Threads, Instagram, and Twitter”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis Entertainment/Getty Images

I am not sure what the next step is when it comes to Doja Cat and her fans. The exchanges she has had with some lately have not cast her in the best light. Rather than being unappreciative, perhaps there is something else going on. I don’t know. What I do know is that artists such as Doja Cat cannot exist and remain viable and relevant if they shun or insult their fans. If tribes want to give themselves nicknames and honour her, that should be flattering and welcomed! Instead, it seems that there is this confusing chilliness and harshness coming from Doja Cat. I am a big fan of her music. There is an album out this year that follows from 2021’s excellent-if-underrated Planet Her. Artists cannot exist and flourish without their fans. The ones who ensure they can tour and their albums sell, it seems counter-intuitive at best, insulting at worst, that Doja Cat had such a reaction. In a wider sense, I guess it does raise questions as to whether fans can be too close or obsessive. If the artist is giving too much away. I wrote a feature recently, reacting to news that Ethel Cain has come off of social media, as fans wanted too much from her. I don’t think that is the case with Doja Cat. As magnificent as her music is, I don’t think she has the luxury of alienating a large number of her fans. The claws were sharp and out for those who just wanted to show their love of Doja Cat. Perhaps fandom can get a bit wild and feel quite suffocating. Going forward, I guess the new album (as-yet-untitled) will arrive. There will need to be some repair work between her and the fandom. One of the most exciting artists around, I hope things get back on track with regards Doja Cat and her fans. It is clear that she needs to…

BUILD a few bridges.

FEATURE: The Ongoing Issues with Spotify: Can the Streaming Site Ever Compensate Artists Fairly?

FEATURE:

 

 

The Ongoing Issues with Spotify

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

 

Can the Streaming Site Ever Compensate Artists Fairly?

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EARLIER this week….

 PHOTO CREDIT: lookstudio/Freepik

some news came through that cast into doubt the stability and long-term future of Spotify. I think it remains an invaluable streaming service that is important to so many people. I use it all the time to make playlists, discover new artists, and have that ready and instant access to so many great songs and albums from the past. I have always felt guilty that the most one can pay to be a member is £9.99. It seems a very low monthly rate if you use the site a lot. It made me wonder why, when so many people have subscribed, artists are still paid so little. It gets me thinking about an idea that might need to be utilised by another platform. I say that because, as The Guardian report, there is a bit of uncertainty regarding Spotify’s financial health and longevity:

“Spotify has raised prices for its premium plans across several countries including the US, UK and Australia, as the music-streaming company looks to boost profitability in an uncertain economy.

Monday’s move will result in a $1-a-month price increase for Spotify’s US plans, with the premium single now starting at $10.99, duo at $14.99, family at $16.99 and the student plan at $5.99.

Spotify has moved in recent months to boost margins with hundreds of layoffs and a restructuring of the podcast unit, which it had built up with billions of dollars in investment.

The price increases come at a time when streaming services, both audio and video, are under rising investor pressure to boost profitability after years of prioritising user growth.

Rivals services from Apple and Amazon.com and Tidal have all increased prices this year, while YouTube also raised prices last week on its monthly and annual premium plans in the US for the first time since the subscription service was launched in 2018.

Spotify, which had indicated in April that it would raise prices in 2023, had also raised prices in 46 countries last year.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shantanu Kumar/Pexels

In the UK prices have increased by £1 a month, to £10.99 for an individual plan, £14.99 for a duo and £17.99 for a family. In Australia, prices are increasing by $1 a month for an individual, to $12.99, and by two dollars a month for duo and family plans, to $17.99 and $20.99 respectively.

The Sweden-based company is due to report its results for the second quarter on Tuesday.

In January the streaming giant said it was cutting about 600 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, admitting it had expanded too quickly during the coronavirus pandemic. Co-founder and chief executive Daniel Ek said he had been “too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth”.

The streaming giant paid a reported $100m (£73m) in 2020 for an exclusive licensing deal with Joe Rogan, whose podcast has millions of listeners. It also paid a rumoured $25m for an exclusive podcasting deal with Michelle and Barack Obama in 2019, an agreement which ended last year.

And it paid a reported $20m for its deal with a media group run by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in 2020. That contract ended by mutual agreement in June after the couple produced just one series for Spotify under their Archewell Audio production company”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Keira Burton/Pexels

I can appreciate things are quite bad for most businesses, and £9.99 is a low amount to pay for unlimited access to music. One of the biggest problems is asking where all that profit goes. If Spotify is struggling a little at the moment, you feel they will stabilise, as they have always been able to get people to become members and pay to stream. I do think that anyone who uses the site should pay. A glaring gulf that you see on Spotify is the streaming numbers of major artists and those who are less established. The amount artists are paid per stream is shockingly low, but I guess that if it were a lot higher, then that would risk Spotify losing out or having to raise their prices even further. I think there should be a way where the top artists who earn millions a year through streaming should have a redistribution pot. They can live comfortably on what they get through album sales and touring. Getting that big chunk from streaming, whilst earned, does like a lot compared to what other artists get. When there is this massive divide, why can’t there be a reserve where they can put a cut of their earnings in, and then that can be fairly shared with other artists?! It might be a minefield considering how many artists upload to Spotify - but I do think that there could be something in place like that.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Paulo Tirabassi via Dribbble

Some people may say that those huge artists have earned that money, and it is also going to mean mere pennies when you share that money among all artists. If you consider the fact an artist like Taylor Swift might earn millions a year through streaming alone, there will be many million available to put aside. I think it would be a boost for smaller artists receiving that extra income. If not that, then there should be a way of adjusting the earnings-per-stream so that the bigger artists who will earn a tonne will earn less so that other artists can benefit. I feel that something could be implemented similar to this. At a time when so many artists rely on streaming sites to get their music heard and shared, they are not being properly compensated. Also, with Twitter now rebranded as X, can this new site offer a Spotify-like streaming option or addition that pays artists more? Perhaps that option is a long way off. Spotify is one of the most recognised and popular streaming sites. It is a go-to for so many. I guess, with other music streaming sites available, it is not on Spotify’s shoulders alone to do better. I feel that so many music fans would pay more for a monthly subscription in order to ensure artists are paid fairly. As I keep saying, with their being a bit divides in earnings between a sea of rising artists and those who are established and get millions of streams per month, there does need to be a rejig and new model. Having that access to music of smaller artists that might not get radio play or would otherwise pass you by is crucial. Sharing that money with others too. If they are not paid enough or feel that putting their music on streaming sites is not yielding benefits, then so many people will not get to hear their music. And that would be…

 PHOTO CREDIT: wirestock via Freepik

A massive loss.

INTERVIEW: Dave Cross

INTERVIEW:

  

Dave Cross

_________

IT has been a pleasure speaking with someone….

 PHTO CREDIT: Dave Crross

who is very important in the Kate Bush world. Not only is Dave Cross the Events Managers at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. He is co-editor of the long-running Kate Bush fanzine, Homeground, and someone who helps provide us huge delight and vital updates through Kate Bush News. He is also Patron for Cabaret vs. Cancer (a U.K. charity supporting those affected by cancer). On 20th July, Dave brught This Woman’s Work: A Kate Bush Celebration to the stage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Featuring some incredible talent, a huge £2,595 was raised! It was an exceptional amount for a very worthy charity. I was keen to find out more about This Woman’s Work: A Kate Bush Celebration; how and why it was put together. I also ask Dave about his love of Kate Bush and when he first became a fan. Oner of the leading authorities when it comes to our favourite music queen, it has been a really great experience finding out more from someone who has admired and given so much of his time and passion to Kate Bush. As it her birthday on Sunday (30th), it is a timely and excellent opportunity to speak with the…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

INCREDIBLE Dave Cross.

______________

Hi Dave. Can you tell us when you first discovered Kate Bush’s music and what you think about her recent so-called ‘resurgence’

I loved Wuthering Heights from when I first heard it, January 1978, and I bought The Kick Inside when I saw it in a local record shop. The whole Stranger Things/RUTH (Running Up That Hill) thing was incredible. It was used with such creativity, and I'm thrilled that so many younger people have now discovered Kate.

People will know you from the Kate Bush fanzine, HomeGround, and the brilliant Kate Bush News wesbite. How did you become involved with both of them?

HomeGround was actually my idea. It was started in May 1982 by myself, Peter, and Mandy, who was later replaced by Krys. We knew Seán Twomey, and when he launched his website, it made perfect sense for us to team up. Three became four.

“The quality has never dropped. She has never released a bad album”

I bet, decades ago, you didn’t think you’d be kept this busy with Bush-related activity! What do you think the reason is behind her longevity and huge acclaim?

The quality of her work, especially her songwriting. Plus, I think the fact that she has always done things her way, only released what she wanted. The quality has never dropped. She has never released a bad album. 

Obviously, Running Up Your Hill (A Deal with God) has taken on a life of its own. How does it make you feel to know that a whole new generation are discovering Kate Bush’s music?

I think it's brilliant. I'm finally cool with the kids in my extended family haha

For someone who is a bit wary of Kate Bush or has only heard RUTH, what would you say is the reason to dive deeper and explore her catalogue?

RUTH or Wuthering Heights are only the tip of the creative iceberg. No other artist has the same breadth of work of musical styles and subject matter as Kate.

“My greatest wish, and I think for most fans, is new music yes please Kate. A brand-new album”

I am interesting in finding out more about the recent event, This Woman's Work: A Kate Bush Celebration for Cabaret vs Cancer. It took place on 20th July at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. It raised money for families affected by cancer (and child bereavement teams). How did you become involved with this and working with Cabaret vs Cancer?

The event was great. Despite the rail strike, the RVT was packed and we had an incredible show. Plus, we raised just over £2500 for CvC. I first met Rose Thorne, who is the founder of CvC, about 5 years ago, and I wanted to get involved because I lost my mum when I was a kid to cancer. Organising events like this, and the online auctions, means I can use my story and experience to help others.

The line-up was amazing! How did you come to decide and approach who appears on the bill?

They are all big Kate fans. Michael, Sooz and Jonathan I've known for a while, and they all perform Kate songs in their other shows. Ripley too. The others just made themselves known to me. I wanted the line-up to have a variety of styles. Not just singers. Burlesque and lip-sync as well.

It is impossible to predict, but what do you think will Bush’s future hold? A new album perhaps?!

My greatest wish, and I think for most fans, is new music, yes please Kate. A brand-new album.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can choose any Kate Bush song you like and I will play it here.

That's tricky, but today I pick... Joanni

FEATURE: Atomic Blonde to a New Rapture: Why Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie Need to Work Together Again Soon

FEATURE:

 

 

Atomic Blonde to a New Rapture

IN THIS PHOTO: Barbie’s acclaimed and excceptional director and co-writer (with Noah Baumbach), Greta Gerwig/PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Jackson via QUEUE

 

Why Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie Need to Work Together Again Soon

_________

THERE is going to be….

 IMAGE CREDIT: Warner Bros.

love and reaction to the Barbie film for many weeks to come. When it was released on Friday (21st), the reviews were hugely positive. I saw on social media so many photos of people dressed in pink going to see the film! Everyone was raving about various aspects of the film. It is a shame that there were some misguided, snotty and dismissive reviews of the film! Those who embraced it and were not of the opinion writer-director Greta Gerwig was attacking all men and selling her soul in the process recognised it for what Barbie is: one of the most accomplished, original and fantastical comedies ever written. There is so much heart and touching moments in a film with plenty of colour (not just pinks) and craziness. It is that blend and balance of heightened silliness and grounded and serious. A film that reframes and redefines Barbie. A feminist film for sure - but never one that either attacks all men or has any agenda of that sort. I am going to bring in a review soon but, before then, I predict that the monster box office so far – Greta Gerwig achieved the record at the weekend of being the highest-grossing female director for an opening weekend (if that sentence makes sense?! – will translate to awards. For costumes, Gerwig’s direction, and possibly Margot Robbie’s stunning and applauded role as Barbie. A film that was so hyped and had this great build-up actually surpassed expectation. Going up against Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (which has taken less at the box office but has slightly better reviews), Barbie is undoubtably not only the film of the summer. It highlights the fact that Greta Gerwig is one of the greatest directors and writers of her generation. I saw Barbie yesterday (24th), and it is life-changing. I have made decisions and set new goals solely on that single viewing! I will go and see it again very soon. As I predicted, it is one of the funniest comedies for many years. In fact, as a comedy film, it rivals some of the best of all time. It was a moving, emotional and incredible experience seeing these amazingly imaginative and awe-inspiring scenes mixing with the more emotional and tender.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Margot Robbie shot for Vogue in May 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Ethan James Green

Female directors are not often written about – when was the last time there was a special feature and long article joining together innovative women directors?! -, and they are not regularly recognised by award shows. In a year where there have been a few wonderful comedies written and/or directed by women – including Joy Ride and the forthcoming Bottoms -, Barbie’s success and instant legacy will inspire the current and next generation of female directors. What amazes me – in addition to the whole cast and crew – is that partnership between Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig. Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment secured the rights to make a Barbie film, whereupon Robbie asked Gerwig to write I think. Then, during writing, Gerwig knew that she had to direct it. And do it her way. Robbie’s performance might just be the best of her career! A film that has brought unlimited joy and positive conversation, I will move on to outlining why Gerwig and Robbie need to work together again soon – and maybe a few other films together. Most reviews for Barbie have been four or five-star. Bar the odd bum summary, many have recognised the truth and brilliance of Barbie. This is what Mark Kermode said in his review for The Guardian:

“After a heavily trailered 2001-parody opening, we move to a pastel pink haven in which, “thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved”. This is Barbieland – a fantasy world in which big-haired dolls can be anything (lawyers, doctors, physicists, presidents), thereby inspiring equivalent feminine achievement out there in the “real world”. (“We fixed everything so all women in the real world are happy and powerful!”)

Like a dreamy version of the nightmarish Being John Malkovich, everyone here is Barbie. Except the men, who are just Ken. Or Allan (a hapless Michael Cera). But mainly just Ken – an appendage without an appendage. At the centre of all this self-referential fluff is producer-star Margot Robbie’s “Stereotypical Barbie” – a role so perfect that when Helen Mirren’s narrator makes a sardonic gag about the casting, no one minds. So it comes as a surprise when this habitually smiley creature finds herself haunted by thoughts of sadness, anxiety and death. Worse still, she develops flat feet and (whisper it!) cellulite – two horsemen of the Barbie apocalypse.

A visit to Kate McKinnon’s “Weird Barbie” (“she was played with too hard”) reveals that a wormhole has opened between this world and the next. Now, like Amy Adams in Enchanted, our fairytale heroine must take a ride to reality, accompanied by Stowaway Ken (Ryan Gosling), who promptly discovers The Patriarchy, in which men (and horses) are in charge!

Meanwhile at Mattel HQ, Will Ferrell is reprising his Lego Movie role as the adult quasher of childish dreams, demanding that Barbie get “back in the box”. But by now, Barbie has met gothy teen Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), who tells her that “you’ve been making women feel bad about themselves since you were invented”, adding; “You set the feminist movement back 50 years, you fascist!” Far from saving the world, Barbie seems to have helped create a dystopia in which “men look at me like an object” and “everyone hates women!”.

There’s something of the rebellious spirit of Todd Haynes’s 1988 cult classic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story about Gerwig’s deceptively upbeat blockbuster. Haynes’s zero-budget underground masterpiece (which has never had an official release) used increasingly disfigured Barbie dolls to tell the tragic story of a talented musician whose life was overshadowed by anorexia. Yet in Gerwig’s multiplex-friendly spectacular, this spectre of unrealisable expectation is slyly reconfigured into a weirdly liberating parable about being whatever (size, profession, attitude) you want to be – whether Ken and The Patriarchy like it or not.

There are jokes about the red pill from The Matrix, the snow globe from Citizen Kane, the male “meaning” of Coppola’s The Godfather, and fanboyish emotional overinvestment in Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Justice League. Yet Barbie is never anything less than inclusive – meaning that young(ish) fans raised on such animated staples as Barbie in the Nutcracker and Barbie of Swan Lake will find as much to cheer about as wizened old critics looking for smart film references. Like her terrific 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gerwig’s latest has no intention of ditching its source material’s core audience, even while allowing those with more snooty cinephile tastes to excuse their enjoyment of her film by comparing it with canonical works.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie attend CinemaCon in Las Vegas to promote Barbie during the Warner Bros. presentation at Caesars Palace on 25th April, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Doherty/WireImnage

A smart script, co-written with Noah Baumbach, reminds us of Mattel’s constant attempts to reinvent their product (Earring Magic Ken;Palm Beach Sugar Daddy; inflatable breasts Skipper – yes, really) and their embarrassed discontinuation of models that incurred consumer/retailer ire. It all culminates in an entertainingly feisty dismantling of male power (“He took your home; he brainwashed your friends; he wants to control the government”), pepped up by Gosling’s deliciously vacuous apex-Ken performance and carried shoulder-high by Robbie, without whom this audacious flim-flam could well have fallen flat on its face. A moving cameo by Rhea Perlman as the creator of all this madness lends a touch of heartfelt pathos. But it’s Robbie and Gerwig (along with the production designers and songwriters) who make this fizz, ensuring that everything is awesome, even when it isn’t”.

I am thrilled with all the success and adulation Barbie has received so far. As I say, conversations, buzz and general excitement will continue for a long time to go. After the box office has levelled a bit, there is going to be talk around award inclusion for Barbie. I don’t think many interviewers have asked Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie what they are doing next – or they may have been asked to stick to a brief and focus on this film. This is the first time Geriwig and Robbie have worked closely together on a film. Robbie’s foresight and intelligence to secure the rights to make a Barbie film. Her acknowledgment and appreciation of Greta Gerwig’s wonderful writing and direction meant this perfect match. Robbie’s lead turn and production brilliance – including guiding a wonderful and captivating promotional campaign – and Gerwig’s direction and writing (she co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach) has led to this modern-day classic. It makes me wonder whether, a) Gerwig and Robbie will work together and, b) what that project might be in terms of genre/scope and themes etc. I will put on ice (for now, at least!), a picture that I keep plotting and pitching. It is one that almost has to come to the big screen.

As this is a music blog, I instantly thought about two relevant biopics I have spoken about before but have never come to light. Both would involve iconic blonde protagonist. Some might say that, so close to Barbie, this is some sort of hair-coloured theme or lazy step. The two worlds and dynamics of the films are vastly different. Because we have not really had a massive music biopic this year, it makes me think that we are due one. Madonna was planning a biopic of her life – which she was going to direct -, but that got scrapped because of various script issues. I think that Fleetwood Mac are a band that have not been represented in film too much (or at all). I am thinking about the period where they recorded Rumours. That 1977 masterpiece represented a turbulent time for the band. With relationships within the band (romantic and collegial) breaking down and the tension and excess in and out of the studio reaching never-shredding highs, it is inexplicable how the band made such a cohesive, stress-free-sounding and spectacular album. Not to instantly cast Margot Robbie in the role of Stevie Nicks, but I do something of Nicks in Robbie. I know that Robbie has said the '60s is an era she’d like to explore. She loves the film Easy Rider, so she wants to do something late-'70s-based too.

I think that a film set during that recording would be amazing. The recent series, Daisy Jones & The Six, I feel is loosely based around Fleetwood Mac and that time around 1976 or 1977. Regardless, there is plenty of promise and potential when it comes to bringing the story of Rumours to the big screen. Greta Gerwig is probably looking at bigger-budget films after Barbie smashed the box office, but her comedic and dramatic writing skills and phenomenal directing chops would add so much to a Fleetwood Mac biopic. Same goes for Margot Robbie’s production and acting. If not a star in the film, she would definitely be an exceptional peripheral character. I have always through that Robbie would make a natural and wonderful director. A biopic that is important yet not as nerve-wracking as a film like Barbie would definitely give her a chance to add yet skill to her résumé – one which is among the most impressive in Hollywood! I am also thinking that a second biopic is in order. One that I am more determined than any to get made is about Blondie. Whether it has Debbie Harry very much at the front or is more about the band’s early life and their breakthrough success with 1978’s Parallel Lines, I am not too sure. One of the world’s greatest bands has not been properly brought to life for cinema. One might say that many artists due a biopic have not had one made. It is the fact that, as I have said repeatedly, Debbie Harry is keen on the idea and Blondie are still current makes it a perfect moment. Even though Margot Robbie is taller than Debbie Harry, (by two and a half inches), she would do a fantastic job portraying her. Maybe Harry would favour someone else in the role – I have suggested Paramore’s Hayley Williams as a perfect fit -, but this woman and band definitely warrant a biopic.

If Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie did not want to go down the music biopic route, you definitely can see them – and would warmly urge – working together again. Maybe a tense thriller, period film (thinking more 1960s and 1970s than way before that), comedy or big-budget action film, they would once more strike gold! I don’t feel (and hope) that this is a one-off. Because Margot Robbie wanted to bring Barbie to the big screen and Greta Gerwig was the perfect fit. Then, after that, they will go their own way and work on different projects for years. Of course, both are working on new stuff or at least know their next project. I doubt we will see them pair up for a little while at least. The huge affection both have received because of what they have achieved proves that the world has enormous respect for the visionary writer and director and Margot Robbie’s wonderful and vast acting talent and her genius as a producer. Selfishly, I would like something music-based from them. Comedy would be another avenue because, as I planned one that I very much had Robbie and Gerwig in mind for (but obvious that will never happen), they could at least produce, direct, write and star in a similar idea. Now is not a perfect time to look at new projects. With actors and writers united in Hollywood striking and asking for change, I guess one of the last things Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie will be thinking about is a new film. When things are resolved and an agreement has been reached in Hollywood, many will look with interest to see how Gerwig and Robbie follow Barbie. One thing is for sure: as they are so perfect and natural together on Barbie (and look warm and comfortable in each other’s company during promotion), it absolutely…

CAN’T be their last pairing.

FEATURE: Pink + Black(ish): Bringing the Music Universe Into the Film World

FEATURE:

 

 

Pink + Black(ish)

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Rafael Caban

 

Bringing the Music Universe Into the Film World

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STARTING with that image above….

 PHOTO CREDIT: Luis Quintero/Pexels

it was created by Rafael Caban. It shows Margot Robbie’s Barbie together with Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer. The two films – Barbie, and Oppenheimer -, went up against each other in cinemas on 21st July. They have both won rave reviews and huge takings at the box office! I was taken by the image – the same graphic artist also mocked up Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here with Barbie and Oppenheimer in – and this cinema world coming into a musical universe. Of course, the main image at the top of this feature is a parody of the Abbey Road cover. Many people have emulated and copied that famous walk that The Beatles did for the 1969 album. Here, with Barbie in Paul McCartney’s position and Oppenheimer in Ringo Starr’s place, the two surviving Beatles are represented by film characters with vastly different personalities. I think Barbie is much closer to McCartney than Oppenheimer is to Starr – in fact, I could see Ringo being closer to Ken to McCartney’s Barbie…and maybe John Lennon is a little closer to Oppenheimer?! Regardless, I liked the way Rafael Caban detailed his images so that we see married 1960s London together with Barbie Land and 1940s America. I wanted to use this feature to discuss a couple of things that relate to the mingling of music and film.

As I have said many times, there is a close and long-running bond and interaction between these disciplines. My first point relates to album covers. Even if Rafael Caban has transported Barbie and Oppenheimer into some classic album covers, it got me wondering whether A.I. could be used beneficially. It has its uses but, with artists fearing it may take over, it seems creating these kind of striking images would be beneficial. Having album covers that are iconic and original because you can mix in actors and elements of the film world into music. It is a shame that Abbey Road already exists, because if an artist released an album with Barbie and Oppenheimer strolling across a crossing outsider the Abbey Road Studios, it would be raved about! It is curious whether Caban considered making Barbie barefooted. Paul McCartney was barefooted for Abbey Road, so that could have happened here maybe – and, like we got with Macca, rumours that ‘Barbie is dead’…or Oppenheimer blew her up! So vivid and eye-catching is that new mock-up and loving tribute to a classic album and two massive films, it reignited my desire to see more bold and brilliant album covers. With that thought came the notion that film could be brought into music more. It does happen at the moment – biopics and music videos are examples -, but I am talking about more music-based films.

 ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Rafael Caban

Seeing two disparate characters in massive films right now calmly alone in London in the 1960s sparked my imagination. I have written about how I feel there is not enough cinema where music is the focus. Either concentrating on a specific genre or movement or having a film where an artist’s music is the main focus. We have biopics of course and the odd musical, but there isn’t really a lot that blends together cinema and music in this symbiotic quality. There are so many artists whose soundtrack could fit into a film with an amazing story. Looking again at those amazing images with Barbie and Oppenheimer in them, I get a combination of Disco and some rather Gothic music style. Barbie representing the passion and frivolity of Disco. A film I have pitched before revisiting Studio 54 and the Disco era has not been updated or thought about. That possibility has a filmic quality that would translate with evocative power to the screen. Similarly, a darker film with horror and tense drama could be beautifully brought to life with music. I admire film scores immensely. But what I am talking about is representing various periods of music in film more. Having these flicks where a great album or artist scores the thing. Their songs very much influencing and impacting scenes’ direction and feel!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

I am going to explore this theme more in the coming months. I have been inspired by a very recent clash of heavyweight film and the attention they have garnered. From their promotional campaigns to the trailers, that sense of the grand and cinematic should come to music! Also, integrating music more into cinema. Away from scores and soundtracks and even biopics, I don’t think there is quite enough exploration and investigation of music worlds. Take Hip-Hop for example. That genre turns fifty next month. There are artists who catalogue could be brought to the big screen. From Blondie to Steely Dan to Kate Bush, some evocative and wonderfully rich films could be made where you have this phenomenal run of songs alongside the action. It is going to be a while before the dust settles on the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, as both of the films (Barbie and Oppenheimer) have take huge receipts and wowed audiences. The fabulous images that were created by Rafael Caban made me think more deeply about the interconnection between film and music. How it would also be for cinematic and historic figures coming into the music universe. Just a general though compelled by some interesting artwork and concepts. Less than a week after two of the biggest films in recent years have opened, I am thinking about film and possibilities (presuming the writers’ strike ends fairly and there is not too much delay regarding productions resuming once a deal has been brokered). Music has always had a role in films, and yet I keep seeing gaps and ideas that have not yet been explored and exposed. I hope that, when things are calmer and resolved in Hollywood with everything going on, that filmmakers are excited about and open to…

NEW possibilities.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Bloody Civilian

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: UAX

  

Bloody Civilian

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I am going to spotlight…

an artist I have known for a little while. I was waiting for more interviews to go online. With the release of her E.P., Anger Management, last month, there has been new interest and attention. Emoseh Khamofu is known as Bloody Civilian. The Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer is considered one of the most important and pioneering names in Nigerian music right now. Many have tipped her as an emerging name to watch closely. I will finish with a review for her recent E.P. Prior to getting there, there are a few interviews that are worth bringing in. Vogue asked Bloody Civilian about her upbringing and what her experiences are as a Nigerian woman. They also her about a song she contributed to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Wake Up (ft. Rema) is a remarkable song that brought Bloody Civilian to the attention of a new and wider audience:

“Before she had released her debut single, Bloody Civilian discovered she would soundtrack the Marvel blockbuster of the year. Real name Emoseh Khamofu (“bloody civilian” is the callous term members of the Nigerian army use for the public), the Abuja-born 25-year-old was signed by Def Jam CEO Tunji Balogun – who was responsible for signing Tems, SZA and Kendrick – and is managed by Seni “Chubbz” Saraki, co-founder of NATIVE, who also served as a co-producer on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With Ludwig Goransson, the film’s composer and soundtrack album producer, they created camp, inviting different artists to contribute their ideas.

First, she created a beat, and they gave her a theme to explore. “When I think of ‘hustle and grind’, I think of waking up… I believe the first 30 minutes of your day dictate the rest of the day,” she tells Vogue over Zoom. “I wanted to write a song that describes how, when I wake up, I fight with getting up from bed, but then find the strength to go about the day.” When she found out composer Ludwig Göransson had selected her song “Wake Up” featuring Rema, it was “so surreal… the whole process was [already] life-changing… so when I found out I’d be on it, I was really, really excited,” she laughs. “I was one of those people who showed up in traditional African regalia for the first film.”

She grew up in a musical household with a bass guitarist father, and “as a kid I would write on little papers and give it to my parents. They thought they were poems until I would catch up with them and actually sing them.” Her powerful debut single, “How To Kill A Man”, grew out of a need to channel her anger: “As a woman in Nigeria, there’s a lot of things to be angry about.” She plans to co-direct the music video, and an EP is in the works. “I want to make stuff for people like Rihanna,” she smiles, gesturing to a course modelled by Tems for this very soundtrack, with “Lift Me Up”, but ultimately, “I would love to just be able to connect with a fan base, get to know people and grow as an artist”.

What is your debut song “How To Kill A Man” about?

On a daily basis, we go through subtle injustices, as well as [injustices] on a higher level. I think another thing about women that gets managed and micromanaged is our anger, so I wrote a song that defies all that. It did for me, and hopefully it can do that for other women as well.

What is your experience as a woman in Nigeria?

Sexism is hard to track because it’s been so normalised here. On a daily basis, we get catcalled – I did at the market today. There’s a lot of domestic violence towards women. Women in athletics struggle to be taken seriously; we never got good coaches for sports. Coming from a Christian background, the only form of sex education I got was that my teacher put a paper on the ground, stepped on it, and said, “This is what happens when you violate yourself before marriage” – equating the vagina to that paper. The list goes on. I didn’t like that it started to feel normal, and wanted to express that.

What sounds influence you?

African sounds, because I am an African, and I also grew up being deeply influenced by R&B. Ultimately, I would say Aṣa. I can still remember the day I heard “Fire On The Mountain”. It made me freeze in my tracks. It’s one of those songs that gets you to listen. I remember listening to it like, “yeah, I want to be this person”. I literally started playing guitar because of her.

How did you start producing?

Production started off without me knowing I was producing. It was on an app called Audacity that my cousin had given me; I would make a capella beats by transposing vocals, using everything the app could possibly offer to try and make instrumentals. Then a producer heard it and told me I’m [already producing], I just need to use proper software. He introduced me to Fruity Loops and Logic and that’s how this whole thing started – it was quite unintentional”.

Apologies if the timeline and order of the interviews is not chronological. I want to get a general overview and impression of Bloody Civilian, so there might be a bit of jumping about. METAL highlighted a prodigious talent who started writing lyrics on scraps on paper and performing to her parents when she was very young. Stepping into the production world aged twelve, here is someone who was born to make music. It is incredible how young she was when that phenomenal talent started to bloom:

“Which sound has had a lasting influence on you?

I grew up listening to a lot of blues and instrumental jazz, so that is where a lot of my instrumental influences come from. But I grew up on African pop music when I was a kid, and a lot of it was influenced by R&B. Aside from that, as a kid a lot of American music was popular here, particularly Black music. I grew up listening to a lot of R&B and hip-hop and then I graduated into trap when I was in high school. I pretty much had different phases and listened to different things at various times in my life.
And so, if I have to say what had the biggest, biggest influence, I would say African music because that’s the common channel between everything at the end of the day. What really felt like home was always African music because it was always relatable. And an artist that made me want to be a musician was an artist by the name of Asha, she’s a Nigerian singer/songwriter from Lagos, she was my biggest inspiration growing up.

What does the performing name Bloody Civilian mean to you and how do you believe this has been shaped by your personal and professional experiences as a Nigerian woman?

To start off, I’m from Northern Nigeria where there’s a lot of military violence against the people. So mainly, that name came from the derogatory term that’s used on us, the army would usually call you a “Bloody Civilian!” And, in my opinion, I just basically took it as, “You know what? I am an ordinary civilian,” but I decided that I would make it something that I would tone and make my own, and use it as a way to go against the norm, and empower myself.

Which genres of music are you drawn to?

When I think about genres, I think about limitations. I found myself listening to a lot of things that aren’t necessarily where I felt my comfort zone was, there are so many things that make songs relatable, you might not know the genre, but maybe the lyrics or the voice touches you. So I’ve listened to everything, I listen to country, reggae, I love pop... I think pop is where there’s a lot of versatility. I love those top-liners and the simplicity of pop music as well. I love, love rap music, I love hip-hop, I feel like you can’t express a story in the same way you can through rap, and it’s really inspiring how their song structures go and how they’re able to write. And like I said, African music is my biggest influence, especially old and new, and then I would say R&B secondly, and then the final thing would be trap.

How do you hope to fuse these into your own compositions?

I don’t have any plans. How I make music is not planned, I don’t really say I’m going to fuse this and this, it just happens. I just pretty much start from something random, it's usually not premeditated in any way and I don’t like to create music in any other type of way, I don’t like it when it feels mechanical.

I’ve read that during your childhood, you would write on pieces of paper and perform these lyrics to your parents, at church, talent shows and school performances. How do you believe these early experiences have informed your approach to music today?

I had a lot of support, so I would write, and my parents are very critical, it wasn’t a kind of a relationship where you give your parents the song and whatever you give to them they’re like “Oh, this is great.” If I gave my dad a song that wasn’t written very well, he would tell me, my parents are very abrupt. So I had a very good competitive relationship, I don’t have the mindset of people’s criticism being a problem for me.
When I think about music and creativity, that’s good and fine, but when you think about the business of it, and you think about how much criticism comes from it, I don’t think there’s anyone better prepared for that. Nothing seems like an issue, I work hand-in-hand with my team, and I’m always open to what they feel about music because that also affects how it’s perceived, generally. Whoever's in your team telling you anything about your song might account for twenty per cent of a demographic. I take these things into account because, at this point, I’m telling a story to people, so I won’t change the story, but I might change how I say it.

You were signed by Def Jam CEO Tunji Balogun — the music executive who is also responsible for signing Tems, Sza and Kendrick Lamar — and you are managed by Semi ‘Chubbz,’ the co-founder of Native who also took on a co-producer role for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. What have been some of the most important lessons you have learned from these relationships?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you never really know how things are going to go. When you meet people you just never know that they might eventually become a part of your team and I think that’s one that I’ve learned from. I’m happy that I stayed authentic to myself when I was pitching myself. I’m grateful that we’re able to work together, and we’re also able to work on terms that are comfortable for everyone in no way do I feel like I can’t work with my team and my label boss. He’s a person who has the artists’ interests in mind, he also started off as someone who was very much a rapper, so he takes things from the artist’s perspective more often than others who you would find in the industry. I feel really lucky, I’m in a very good position, and I’m hopeful for where this will take me.

How would you say your sound has developed over time?

I’ve become more honest and unhinged. I feel like the older you get, and especially as a woman, you just stop caring, so that’s where I am. I can only be myself, I can only tell my truth, and I can’t tell anyone else’s truth and that’s where I am now as a young woman trying to enter the industry. I’m ready for whatever unfolds, I’ve just evolved into somebody who is ready, I feel like I’m gradually becoming more comfortable, becoming wiser. I have more skills now, there are a million and one things I can do now, that I couldn’t do before, so I’m super excited”.

I am going to come to a recent feature from NME. They interviewed Bloody Civilian around the release of the tremendous Anger Management. If she is not on your radar at present, then she really does need to be! Here is someone who is going to be in the music industry for many more years to come:

“NME: When did you start to work on ‘Anger Management’?

“The first lyric was written four years ago. It was a period in my life filled with question marks. I was kind of writing to free myself through expression. I just wanted to be able to let go. Whenever I write about something, it’s the beginning of a healing process for me…over the years it’s evolved into different layers of healing.”

Your artist name directly relates to your experiences with violence in northern Nigeria. How has your upbringing impacted the music you make today?

“I grew up in a city called Abuja; typically we would go back home to my actual village for Christmas. As I got older and things got more turbulent up north, it became virtually impossible to visit home. My village technically no longer exists, it’s sort of shifted because people have had to run away from their homes. Being from up north, it’s in the heat of everything – the Boko Haram attacks. It’s definitely a different experience.”

When music first came into your life, did it serve as a form of escapism?

“As a child, anything that could make me emotional could make me write. Now, being a grown adult, it’s the same thing. Even if it’s humour, anger or sadness, it definitely can find its way into my creativity in some sort of way.”

You’ve since moved to Lagos. How did you find that move from Abuja?

“I’ve had to move to Lagos to basically be closer to all the opportunities and work here. The differences are very clear, they’re in your face. Abuja was a small, intimate city and Lagos is a big city with a lot of opportunities and disappointments, excitement and sadness.

“Although the creatives are able to create in their various cities that they come from, Lagos is sort of like the Mecca, maybe the Hollywood of music in Nigeria. This is where you can really have life-changing things happen to you.”

How do you feel about the level of globalisation African music is currently experiencing?

“I coincidentally fell in the demographic of people who kind of experienced it in real time. The year I went to college in the States was a very good year – the first good year – for Afrobeats. My first year of college, I felt like I was still in Lagos. There were so many huge Afrobeats parties, so many different races of people were going to these Nigerian parties and I was very confused. It was very interesting to see that happen in real time, to see other cultures vibe to the music.

“Growing up as a kid, there were people who looked down on those of us who listened to African music. But now, Nigerians are proud of their sound and their culture. Which is honestly the one thing that Afrobeats has done for Africans – it has given them a sense of pride of who they are and their identity”.

I will round off with a review of Anger Management by Pulse. They were appropriately stunned and blown away by an E.P. that announces this very special artist to the world. If you have not heard it, then I would advise that you spend a bit of time with it today:

“While she offered glimpses of her talent in her contribution to the 'Black Panther' album, her singles have showcased the talent, ability, and talent that's rare in the Afrobeats scene.

Bloody Civilian's debut EP 'Anger Management' exemplifies her conscious approach to music as she decidedly crafts sounds and expresses herself in a way that doesn't only arrest the attention of listeners but also showcases her elevated talent.

'Anger Management' offers refreshing elements that stretch the creative boundaries of Nigerian mainstream music. From the experimental production that combines electronic elements with Amapiano, Afrobeats, and Dancehall down to her vocals and melodies that cuts across R&B, Pop, Soul, and Hip Hop, Bloody Civilian floats at a whole different level.

The artistic freedom with which she produces her music can be easily reconciled with the defiance in her writing as she gets things off her chest.

Whether it be finding an outlet from the social economic realities or trying to break free from the quintessential African family setup that has matriarchs playing the roles of meddlesome interlopers, Bloody Civilian appears to have a lot to get off her chest.

Even when she talks about romance, it's to set the record straight and insist not to be toiled with like in 'How To Kill A Man' where she floats on the beat switching from singing to Pop rap. She thins out her voice as she shows her vocal range in 'Mad Apology' where she delivers sticky ad libs that elevates the record while rebuffing the apologies that follow deliberate wrongdoing.

The ease with which she switches from singing to delivering Pop rap melodies is notable in 'I Don't Like You' which is a blend of Jersey and Amapiano and in which she refuses to be tagged the devil because she chooses to reject advances of a person she doesn't fancy.

Across the EP, one thing is clear, Bloody Civilian has no intention to kowtow to the expectations of her, motivated by social prejudices. She readily embraces this identity that comes across as combative in a society where women are told to fly and expected to ask how high.

Musically, the EP excels on Bloody Civilian's incredible talent as she shows her ability to make music that captures her willingness to embrace all her influences.

The production seamlessly blends multiple genres while markedly carrying Afrobeats cadences that make it relatable to average listeners while still stretching Afobeats' creative bandwidth.

Her vocals, melody, and delivery are tailored to complement the defiance she intends to express while still retaining alluring elements that showcase her feminine charms.

Through compositions that capture her essence, Bloody Civilian showcases her multi-faceted abilities while also making music with unlimited potential.

The use of production, BPM, genre-blending, and Gen Z leaning topics makes the EP capable of widely resonating with young listeners who will readily propel the music to global fame through social media platforms. The Amapiano cuts also serve party-starting purposes which positions it for local success.

Overall, 'Anger Management' is an injection of creative vibrancy into the Afrobeats scene and a display of mindblowing talent from an artist who intends to express herself the way she fancies”.

Having been tipped for success this year, it is evident that Bloody Civilian is turning heads and making waves. The remarkable Emoseh Khamofu is a talent that is going to be in the music industry for many years more. Do make sure you investigate the music of Bloody Civilian as, once heard, it is…

HARD to forget.

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Follow Bloody Civilian

FEATURE: Good Vibes, Bad Sentiment: Artists Boycotting Anti-L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ Festivals and Doing It the Right Way

FEATURE:

 

 

Good Vibes, Bad Sentiment

  

Artists Boycotting Anti-L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ Festivals and Doing It the Right Way

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EVEN though one would think….

 PHOTO CREDIT: Alexander Grey/Pexels

that there would be acceptance around the world of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ communities, there are nations that still criminalise homosexuality. Nations such as Dubai make homosexuality a criminal offence. In fact, it is punishable by death! There are these Stone Age and horrific countries that impose such ridiculous and frightening laws. The same is true of Malaysia. They are very strict and rigid when it comes to the rights of homosexuals in the country. It is heartbreaking for anyone who lives in these countries and cannot express themselves and live their lives true and comfortably. When it comes to the media, various films will be censored or banned if they include scenes involving homosexual activity. In terms of music, there are problems for artists who are part of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. I think that artists thinking of playing gigs or festivals in nations that criminalise homosexuality should think twice. Recently, The 1975 played the Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia. Their set was cut short as lead Matty Healy kissed their male bass player. The festival then announced that it was cancelled. Even though you suspect that it will go ahead next year, that one act caused the organisers to pull the plug. It shows how strict and backwards the country is when it comes to sexuality and freedoms.

IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975 (Matty Healy is pictured second from the left)

NME provided details of what happened at the Good Vibes Festival and how the band responded to them being ejected abruptly. It does seem like there was a massive overreaction. But, given the fact the band should know about Malaysia’s laws regarding homosexuality, that there would be problems if they contravened and ignored those:

“The 1975 saw a festival set cut short in Malaysia after frontman Matty Healy criticised the country’s government for its LGBTQ+ laws, and kissed the band’s bassist on-stage.

During their headlining set at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Friday July 21, Healy gave a speech calling out the Malaysian government for its hardline stance on gay rights.

“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the fucking point, right, I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” said Healy.

He continued: “I am sorry if that offends you and you’re religious and it’s part of your fucking government, but your government are a bunch of fucking retards and I don’t care anymore. If you push, I am going to push back. I am not in the fucking mood, I’m not in the fucking mood.”

Healy later told the crowd that the night would not feature a set of their more “uplifting” material due to his frustration.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kristy Sparrow/Getty Images

“Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m fucking furious and that’s not fair on you because you’re not representative of your government,” he said. “Because you are young people and I am sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool. So I pulled the show yesterday and we had a conversation and we said ‘You know what? We can’t let these kids down because they’re not the problem’.”

He added: “But, I’ve done this before, I’ve gone to a country where, I don’t know what the fuck it is? Ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous to tell people what they can do with their that and that [points to groin and mouth] and if you want to invite me here to do a show, you can fuck off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel good and I’m fucked off.”

Fan-shot footage showed that after his speech, bassist Ross MacDonald walked over to him and then the two began to kiss. After their seventh song, ‘I Couldn’t Be More In Love’, Healy told the crowd that they had to go, claiming the band had “just got banned from Kuala Lumpur”. The 1975 then left the stage.

Good Vibes Festival have since shared an official statement stating that it “regret[ted]” the set was cut short due to “non-compliance with local performance guidelines”.

“Good Vibes Festival has always been dedicated to providing enjoyable music experiences, and we sincerely appreciate your continued support,” they added. “Good Vibes Festival 2023 will proceed as scheduled, and we eagerly anticipate your presence on Saturday and Sunday.”

 The festival added: “To those who attended on Friday, July 21, 2023, we understand your disappointment. If you have a Friday single-day festival wristband, you will now be able to attend the festival on either Saturday or Sunday – simply present your Friday single-day wristband at the main entrance for entry. We hope to see you soon.”

Malaysian law criminalises sexual activity between people of the same sex, with its penal code criminalising “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” and acts of “gross indecency”.

This is not the first time Healy has spoken out against anti-LGBTQ laws in another country. In 2019, the singer kissed a male fan during a show in Dubai, defying strict anti-LGBTQ laws in the Arab state.

Footage of the moment showed Healy inviting the fan to hug him, before the pair shared a quick kiss. Homosexuality is illegal in Dubai and is punishable with up to 10 years in jail.

Posting on Twitter after the show, he wrote: “Thank you Dubai you were so amazing. I don’t think we’ll be allowed back due to my ‘behaviour’ but know that I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently given the chance again.”

He added: “But who knows maybe they will let me back in let’s just wait and see.”

The 1975 are yet to issue further comment on the incident in Malaysia. The band’s Asian tour continues with a date in Jakarta on Sunday July 23 before some North American dates. They were recently drafted in as replacement headliners for Lewis Capaldi at next month’s Reading & Leeds festival in the UK, where they’ll be performing their self-titled debut album in full to celebrate its 10th anniversary”.

PHOTO CREDIT: chandlervid85 via Freepik

I am never going to be a fan of Matty Healy. I think that he is a loose cannon that has no real control or sense when it comes to respecting others. More concerned with creating controversy and seeing himself as a bit of a messiah figure who is this rebel and original, he does make things more complicated and difficult than they need to be. To their credit, the band have cancelled planned gigs in nations where homosexuality is illegal or not approved by the state. Also, this is not the first time Healy has got into hot water. Let’s not forget that, in the statement above, Healy used an ableist slur when referring to the Malaysian Government. That  r-word has been used by artists such as Lizzo recently. There does need to be more education and awareness around why this word is not acceptable and has no place in modern society. Comedian Rosie Jones also caused controversy after titling a recent documentary, Rosie Jones: Am I a R*tard? As someone who lives with cerebral palsy, she was using that word to show that she is called this word online – and she meant no offence by using it in the title. It is a great documentary that people should definitely see. I am getting side-tracked slightly. Matty Healy has, in the recent past, been accused of racism, misogyny and homophobia. When it comes to flaunting homosexuality laws in other countries, Healy has done it before. My position is very clear: it is abhorrent and repulsive that any country would criminalise homosexuality and discriminate against the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community in any way. Even if Healy’s politics and opinions regarding homosexuality seem contradictory - as he was accused of being homophobic following comments he made about Harry Styles. He seems to be someone who gets called out for prejudice and, in an attempt to right that, rebels in the worse way.

My personal feelings about Matt Healy aside (who I will always find to be childish, hugely problematic and someone nobody should look up to), I do respect the fact that at least he does find Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival to be a sham. One that excludes homosexuals on or off stage. The trouble is, and as he claimed when speaking about the incident recently, he stumbled into it without researching. If you are playing a festival or gig anywhere, you need to research. I find it hard to believe that The 1975 arrived in Malaysia, found out homosexuality was illegal and, in a fit of rather rash protest, Healy kissed Ross MacDonald. I suspect that he knew a while ago and, maybe to change the narrative about him, felt he would get kudos and praise for standing up against such ancient and barbaric laws in the country. Even if he was misguided or naïve in this act, again, I respect his pro-L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ stance – even if his past behaviour suggests he is not entirely clear on his stance and opinions. The biggest take-away from this incident and controversy is that a festival like Good Vibes should not exist.

 PHOTO CREDIT: 42 North via Pexels

Nations can hold their own festivals, but if they are anti-L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ or discriminate against any group, then they should be banned. The 1975 should not have agreed to play the festival. Instead of sending out a message that discrimination against homosexuality will not be tolerated, they took attention away from the festival and onto themselves. Instead, I think Good Vibes Festival will double-down next year and will ensure that they vet bands and artists strictly to avoid anyone else doing what Healy did. What would have been better was to protest by not playing at the festival and sending a more dignified and less offensive statement to the organisers. Rather than lashing out and approaching things like he was Oasis back in the 1990s, a more grown-up and sensible approach was needed. Demanding change and striking out against the festival would have been wiser than rocking up, no doubt taking a paycheck, and causing huge disruption. I am sure people travelled to Malaysia to see The 1975 play (and were left disappointed). Other artists and fans would have lost out. I sort of draw parallels to the England men’s football team and them playing in Qatar for the World Cup last year. Rather than pulling out and sending a message they do not tolerate the countries laws regarding the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community, they played, were unable to really take a big stance against the nation, and were condemned by some for having taken the money and attended. They could have done more good by not playing and getting Qatar to face the consequences.

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue 2018

When it comes to how the music industry tackles countries that criminalise homosexuality and castigate the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community, it is quite complex. I don’t think any artists should play any gig in any country whose laws state that homosexuality is sinful and wrong. There needs to be that very obvious step first and foremost. Again, it baffles me why The 1975 took to the stage in the first place, and then followed that with an act that that might have had its heart in the right place, but then caused more problems than it solved. It is unlikely nations like Dubai or Malaysia will change their laws anytime soon (or at all). It is not just artists who identify as L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ that should avoid playing these nations. Their music should be pulled from any Spotify playlists from those nations. The same can be said of radio playlists. The Good Vibes Festival sends a hateful and disturbing message to the world. When Beyoncé’s played a private gig in Dubai earlier this year, it caused a huge stir. The fact that she is a supporter of the Black queer community and promotes L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ rights was somewhat undermined by her agreeing to perform in a part of the world that holds very different values. The Guardian explains more:

“To some, Beyoncé’s performance in the UAE undermines the explicit purpose of Renaissance, which she has dedicated to Black queer culture. As expected, the performance has led to a heated online tug-of-war between righteous criticism and furious defence from devoted stans. Some defenders of Beyoncé have noted that UAE is not the only nation with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, questioning if people would protest at her performing in her home state of Texas – where legislation outlawing sodomy, though made defunct by the Lawrence v Texas 2003 supreme court ruling, still exists, and may even be reinstated following the overturning of Roe v Wade – and saying that queer Emiratis deserve to see Beyoncé live, too. And many have correctly pointed out that Kylie Minogue’s New Year’s Eve set at Atlantis the Royal should have come under equal fire – although the anticipation for Beyoncé’s live return, plus her wider international appeal, heightened the response to her performance. (Meanwhile Spice Girl Melanie C cancelled a New Year’s Eve performance in Poland after being made aware of issues “that do not align with the communities I support”: widely inferred to be the state of LGBTQ+ rights in the country.)

PHOTO CREDIT: Mason Poole/Parkwood Media/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal

Representatives for Beyoncé have not responded to requests for comment on her decision to perform in the country. Defenders among her fanbase have also noted that there have been no recorded arrests, prosecutions or state punishments for same-sex sexual activity in the UAE since at least 2015. But it bears stating that 88.1% of UAE’s total population is made up of migrant workers: what this means in practice, as research by the London School of Economics has shown, is that both gay Emiratis (through citizenship) and wealthy migrant workers (through class) have been privileged enough to effectively navigate UAE’s underground gay social scene while evading Emirati authorities. But for poorer, queer migrant workers from India, Bangladesh, Egypt and the Philippines, many of whom are undocumented, or were denied birth certificates, it cannot be assumed that a lack of recorded prosecutions means that the UAE has been safe for them.

The issue of migrant labour adds an additional dimension to conversations on the ethics of concerts – it’s as much about where Beyoncé performs as who she’s performed for and who she’s accepted money from, namely business magnates whose activities are inextricably linked with the state and aggravate the worst excesses of inequality and exploitation. The UAE has laws and initiatives to protect migrant workers, and yet allegations are rife that much of Dubai’s luxury playground has been built under appalling conditions amounting to indentured servitude”.

Whether motivated by money or somewhat blinded by a need to please fans, it should be a no-brainer that any artists that supports the rights of anyone within the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community should not perform anywhere that excludes and punishes those people. Festivals such as Good Vibes should be banned - but it highly likely they will carry on regardless. More action and protest needs to happen from artists here, the U.S. and around the world. Confirmation and declaration that their music and live performances will not feature in these nations. If fans there would miss out, it is for the greater good. Rather than turn up to a festival, sh* stir a bit and then claim ignorance and deliver a profanity-laden (and ableist slur-including) rant against the government, a more sage and productive action would be not playing there to begin with. That might sound counterintuitive, but running head-long into battle and risk being imprisoned or worse is not the way to solve things! Similarly, the wider music community needs to strongly condemn anything like Good Vibes Festival – an ironically-named event if ever we heard one! Things will not be solved overnight; it is clear that artists and those in power need to come together and pledge a single-minded and unified approach to defying and castigating any festival or nation that finds same-sex or L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ people vile and wrong. The despicable Malaysian Good Vibes Festival should have been a celebration and change for togetherness. Instead, it was scrapped and sent out the message: if you support or ”ridicule” laws in the country then you are not welcome. It reveals a prehistoric, barbaric and…

EXTREMEY sorry state.

FEATURE: Higher Ground: Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions at Fifty: Will We See An Anniversary Edition?

FEATURE:

 

 

Higher Ground

  

Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions at Fifty: Will We See An Anniversary Edition?

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THIS masterpiece album…

from Stevie Wonder was during a golden period for him. His fifteenth studio album, Talking Book, came out in 1972. Following Innversions, Wonder put out Fulfillingness' First Finale in 1974. He put out another masterpiece, Songs in the Key of Life, in 1976. Released on 3rd August, 1973, Innervisions is considered to be one of Wonder’s greatest albums. Someone so prolific delivering an album of that quality over a decade from his debut. That shows what an innovative and continuously brilliant artist Stevie Wonder is! A chart success that is often seen as one of the best albums ever, Wonder’s lyrics of urban struggle and inequality rings true fifty years later. That may sound depressing, but it means Innversions is this relevant and enduring album that we can learn from. I am not sure whether a fiftieth anniversary edition is coming out. We are a little way off 2nd August, but I hope that something is planned. It would introduce Innversions to new people. I am sure that there are demos, extras and some new takes that could go into an anniversary package. As much as anything, it would celebrate and salute an album like no other. I am going to bring in some features and reviews that dive inside this work of genius. I will finish off by asking whether an anniversary is a possibility. Let’s hope that it is! You can get it on vinyl if you want to give it a spin now.

I will get to a couple of reviews. Five years ago, Albumism celebrated the forty-fifth anniversary of the magnificent Innervisions. I think that this is an album we will be talking about for generations to come. My favourite songs on it are Higher Ground and Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing…but you also have Living for the City, Golden Lady, He's Misstra Know-It-All, Too High and Visions! Deeper cuts like Jesus Children of America are also spellbinding. Each of the nine tracks seem essential and hugely powerful. There is not a weak moment throughout Innervisions:

“Okay, what were you doing with your life when you were 23? Most of us were still trying to figure out what our path in life was going to be. In 1973, 23-year-old Stevland Hardaway Morris, better known as Stevie Wonder, had already recorded fifteen studio albums, written hit songs for other artists like Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (“Tears of a Clown”) and The Spinners (“It’s a Shame”), and established himself as one of his generation’s most popular artists. In that same year, Wonder released Innervisions, the first in the holy trinity of his discography, with Fulfillingness’ First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life rounding it out.

To better understand the huge significance of Innervisions, let’s go back a couple of years to 1970. Wonder had a desire to have more autonomy in the studio. He wanted to comment on the social issues of the day though his music, which Motown chief Berry Gordy had no stomach for. In Gordy’s eyes, it was bad enough that he had the same, albeit on a more intense level, issue with Marvin Gaye. Now, he had to deal with Wonder’s demands.

Wisely, Wonder let his contract with Motown expire on his 21st birthday, giving him the freedom to record what he wanted, plus he owned the publishing rights to his music. With no record label, Wonder recorded two albums, Music of My Mind and Talking Book. In 1972, Motown signed Wonder to a contract that gave him a higher royalty rate and the artistic freedom that he had fought so hard for. The label also released the two aforementioned albums, which put Wonder in an entirely different atmosphere. In the same year he toured with the Rolling Stones, which expanded his growing audience even further.

With two classic albums and a successful tour in his rearview mirror, Wonder spent the beginning of 1973 recording Innervisions. As great as Music of My Mind and Talking Book are, Innervisions is where Wonder made a quantum leap into that rarified creative air that only a handful of artists can claim to have captured. It’s a smart and beautiful observation of the world that existed in 1973. Walter Cronkite gave us the news on television and Wonder put the truth on wax. It’s interesting how a blind man saw the world so much more clearly than many did with the gift of eyesight.

Three days after the release of the album, Wonder was involved in a serious car accident. While driving from a concert in Greenville, South Carolina, Wonder was asleep on the front passenger side. His vehicle collided with a truck carrying logs, and one of the logs smashed through the windshield, hitting Wonder in the forehead. Wonder was in a coma for four days. When he awoke from his coma, Wonder began a slow recovery process that would last well over a year.

His concert tour was canceled, but it gave him time to reflect. Even though the album was recorded and released before the accident, many erroneously think that the spiritual nature of the album’s material is the result of the accident. Wonder once remarked, “I would like to believe in reincarnation. I would like to believe that there is another life. I think that sometimes your consciousness can happen on this earth a second time around. For me, I wrote ‘Higher Ground’ even before the accident. But something must have been telling me that something was going to happen to make me aware of a lot of things and to get myself together. This is like my second chance for life, to do something or to do more, and to value the fact that I am alive.”

On seven of the nine tracks, Wonder plays all of the instruments, including the opening track “Too High,” a cautionary tale about drug abuse cleverly disguised by the bouncy arrangement. “Visions” slows it down a bit but leads us into “Living for the City.” Wonder paints a stark, but accurate picture of a young black man who faces systemic racism every day of his life. He leaves his home in Mississippi to venture to New York, only to get framed for a crime for which he is arrested and eventually convicted. It’s one of those songs that stays with you and never leaves. 45 years later and this scenario is still being played out in way too many places in this country. “Higher Ground” is a protest song and call-to-arms anthem that simply has no rival.

Innervisions was a rarity for a Motown record of its era in that it wasn’t a couple of hit singles, B-sides and useless filler. It was a reflection of life interpreted through the genius of Stevie Wonder, whose best work was yet to come. We tend to overuse the word spiritual or spirituality. So much so that one could argue that the words are almost meaningless. As hard as I’ve tried, I’m struggling to call Innervisions anything else but a 9-track spiritual journey that doesn’t preach, but instead, invites the listener to just take it all in and enjoy”.

I haven’t seen a review for Innervisions that is anything less than effusive and positive! Scoring so many five-star reviews and 10 out of 10s, there is no denying the brilliance and importance of Innvervisions. Not often dishing out 10s, Pitchfork awarded that high honour to Wonder’s sixteenth studio album for their 2022 review. When looking ahead to the fiftieth anniversary on 3rd August, I have been listening back to the classic. Every song blows you away and stays in the mind! Testament to the peerless artistry and songwriting talent Stevie Wonder possesses:

“The ’70s were boom times for groundbreaking work with synths, following ‘60s innovations at America’s Moog Music, the UK’s Electronic Music Studios, and elsewhere. In 1971 and 1972, synthetic, sequenced sounds swept into art-rock and jazz, trickling down into popular music. Caped keyboardist Rick Wakeman joined English prog group Yes and played the Minimoog on 1971’s Fragile. Todd Rundgren used EMS’s portable VCS3 synth on his early solo records. It’s the mess of knobs to the right of the singer-songwriter in the studio pic in the liner notes of 1972’s Something/Anything?, a crucial ingredient in the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and the instrument Brian Eno played in Roxy Music. Wonder pushed the envelope not just by playing most of Innervisions by himself at a time when popular Black artists could not all count on enjoying such freedoms, but also in his commitment to tones and textures still new to mainstream music. When summarizing he appeal of synthesizers to the presenter David Frost, Wonder said,“The whole point of the instrument, being that you can do so many beautiful things with it, [is to] make sounds that are bigger than life.” Stevie reveled in the funky possibilities of the clavinet on “Higher Ground.” In “Golden Lady,” a Moog bass stood in for the fretwork of a gifted session bassist, to say nothing of Wonder’s ease with the mercurial TONTO, innovation borne out of the artist’s insistence on recording with a skeleton crew.

Innervisions is a tricky album, very much a soul thing with direct ties to records in its Motown lineage like Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, whose social consciousness Stevie tried to channel on 1971’s Where I’m Coming From, although it is best remembered for “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer” and “If You Really Love Me,” notable detours from its political messaging. Innervisions surveys scenes outside of Motown. The anti-drug anthem “Too High” gestures to the technical, intricate grooves of jazz-fusion; “Living for the City” is as much art-rock epic as funk/soul masterpiece. Wonder traveled around the world in nine songs, matching the proggy experiments in contemporary rock gems like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, a True Star; the playful synthesizer parts in the funk bombs from Birds of Fire by Mahavishnu Orchestra and Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters; the nervous hope of Donny Hathaway’s Extension of a Man; the acoustic jazz of Baden Powell’s Solitude on Guitar; and the horn-filled salsa of Willie Colón and Héctor LaVoe’s Lo Mato. Innervisions collapsed the spaces between avant-garde and mainstream, rock and soul, and jazz and pop music. They had all been playing the same instruments.

Like What’s Going On, Innervisions lays out a problem, then offers solutions: The stresses of the modern age are many, but with truth, goodness, love, and faithfulness, we can beat back the darkness. Wonder’s albums had never been this concise or cohesive in message. Innervisions was his first full-length without any co-writers or covers, a monumental endeavor for both Motown—a hit factory betting against its history again by letting an artist write his own songs—and Stevie, who was pulling thematically consistent pieces out of thin air. The album doesn’t judge or sell easy answers. It nudges you in the direction of a more mindful stewardship of our world and then lets you know that the task will be difficult. (“Jesus Children of America” is fascinatingly slippery. It implores you to place less stock in physical gratification and more in the edification of the mind and soul. It reminds you that this path is riddled with grifters and conmen. And it’s way too hyped about transcendental meditation to qualify as run-of-the-mill church proselytizing. Innervisions is a potpourri of ideas from Eastern and Western philosophies, but its call to inspire change through personal and cultural reckoning is grounded, less pie in the sky and more mutual aid and good vibes. It’s a very ’70s outlook, a specific response to the reverberations in modern bohemian culture as the counterculture grew more fractured and paranoid, but it still rings true in its questing for peace and love in the shadows of systemic racism and widespread political corruption”.

I will source from one more review. SLANT added their name to a long list of admirers. They provided their take on Innvervisions in 2003. Thirty years after its release, it was still making an impact. Twenty years following the review below, and a new generation are discovering and playing one of Wonder’s true masterpieces. Many of its songs are radio staples. It is impossible to dislike or ignore an album that should be preserved for all time:

“Sadly, Stevie Wonder’s pop-culture reputation centers around his final mega-hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” so new Wonder recruits who choose to delve into the singer’s unparalleled ’70s output are inevitably surprised by the depth and power of his funky-bad earlier self. His phenomenal seven-and-1/4-album-long string of definitive soul music began with 1972’s densely layered Music of My Mind, climaxed with his gargantuan 1976 opus Songs in the Key of Life, and ended in 1982 with the four new tracks tacked onto his retrospective Original Musiquarium (the best of which, the post-disco romp “Do I Do,” is surely among the most joyful tunes ever penned). But the one album that basically all Wonderlovers can agree represents the man working at the very pinnacle of his considerable abilities is the keenly focused, brooding Innervisions.

Innervisions was something of a departure because Wonder, who was previously more than content to allow his lyrics, both bitter and sweet, to apply to simple love scenarios, had discovered a desire to tap into a larger reserve of collective emotion—in this case, the disenfranchised rage of America’s Nixon era. Unlike 1972’s Talking Book, which opened with the edging-on-insipid upward whole-tone progressions of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” Innervisions’s opening salvo, “Too High,” begins with a jangling cymbal and a bass-heavy minor-key riff that immediately segues into a frightening vocal break before repeating the cycle. Wonder enters singing the obtusely metered phrase “Too high, I’m so high, I feel like I’m about to die,” which, incidentally, descends down the whole-tone scale in an inversion of “Sunshine.” Hobbling along, the protagonist of Wonder’s anti-drug screed finds himself (or herself) lost in a musical labyrinth that threatens to loop itself into a whirlpool of insanity. Clearly this was a different Wonder than the kid who just two years earlier had a major hit with the clap-happy “If You Really Love Me.”

The overt scare tactics of “Too High” melt into the soothing and gentle utopian ruminations of “Visions.” Wonder has frequently claimed that of all his songs, “Visions” is perhaps his favorite, and it certainly fits his personality: both politically conscious and still optimistically obsessed with a better future. A song as wispy and ephemeral as “Visions” would’ve been lost on any other album, and probably dismissed by critics as flakey. But one less-heralded tenet of Wonder’s genius on Innervisions is his intuitive mastery of song sequencing.

Nestled in between “Too High” and “Living For The City,” Wonder’s fiercest moment, “Visions” has a calming effect. Wonder is occasionally targeted for being a tad too milquetoast as a funkateer, but even George fuckin’ Clinton would probably shy away from the astringency of “City,” which tells the story of a black man who grows up poor, attempts to make a life for himself in the city, is arrested immediately upon his arrival, spends 10 years in jail, and winds up a grizzled, homeless, gritty-footed walking corpse. Wonder scores the man’s descent to a basic blues progression; hollow moog synthesizers and a low droning bass once again induce a surprising sort of terror (made all the more powerful following “Visions”).

“Living For The City” is the album’s centerpiece, and remains one of the only moments in Wonder’s career as a politically minded pop star where he allows himself to come face to face with utter pessimism and caves in to it wholesale (check the avant-garde, atonal parody of patriotic leitmotifs that underscores his final howl of “No!”). The sweet reward of following Wonder down the path of his own personal hell is “Golden Lady”—the light at the end of the tunnel, the rebirth of Wonder’s optimism, whatever cliché you wish to attach to it. What can’t be denied (even if you’re put off by the bi-polar bait-and-switch routine that characterizes Side A, and find yourself cynically alienated by the song’s joyful denouement) is that the rich, gorgeous chord progressions of “Golden Lady” make it a soul sister to Songs in the Key of Life’s unparalleled “Summer Soft,” and both remain the best case for giving in to Wonder’s uniquely charming brand of joie de vivre.

The album’s second side is much less high-stakes than the first, and even if it, too, bounces between extreme emotions, it’s still suffused with the spirited energy of a man who’s finally gotten something off of his chest (as in the rousing and deeply funky Latin hustle number “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”). If one really wanted to, they could make a case that “Higher Ground” (the album’s biggest hit) and the incredibly wise “Jesus Children Of America” (which pleads for religious honesty even as it decries the showmanship of the “holy roller”) represent a religious awakening, and it’s this aspect of the second side that accounts for the feeling of relief. But with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, a genuine near-death experience (Wonder was put into a four-day coma after a freak car accident while promoting Innervisions) provided what was to become his ultimate statement on renewed spirituality: 1974’s Zen-calm and underrated Fulfillingness’ First Finale. But Innervisions remains Wonder’s most harrowing and tightly structured album—one that manages to say as much about life in 45 minutes as Songs in the Key of Life took an extra hour to convey”.

As we look ahead to the fiftieth anniversary of Innvervisions, I guess there will be questions as to whether a special reissue is coming. I am not sure how much there is in the vaults, but you know there will be stuff that could make for a really compelling and revealing anniversary set. Maybe providing different-coloured vinyl choices, putting out a cassette edition and a C.D. reissue with demos etc. Stevie Wonder fans would be up for that. There would be so many more discovering the album for the first time who would go and snap it up! One of the all-time greats, I am excited to see how the world embraces and reacts to this album when it hits fifty. As I say, I think it is still so relevant and moving. In 2020, Rolling Stone named the best 500 albums ever. Innversions made it to 34. It finished above The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and below Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. Explaining why the album ranked so high (“We as a people are not interested in ‘baby, baby’ songs any more, there’s more to life than that,” Stevie Wonder said in 1972. With Innervisions, Wonder offered a landmark fusion of social realism and spiritual idealism; he brings expressive color and irresistible funk to his synth-based keyboards on “Too High” (a cautionary anti-drug song) and “Higher Ground” (which echoes Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of transcendence). The album’s centerpiece is “Living for the City,” a cinematic depiction of exploitation and injustice. “Innervisions gives my own perspective on what’s happening in my world,” Wonder said. “I think it is my most personal album. I don’t care if it sells only five copies”), it makes me believe an announcement will come soon regarding a fiftieth anniversary reissue. There will be a lot of celebration and new inspection ahead of 3rd August. A towering and timeless album, I wanted to show my love and appreciation for…

THE phenomenal Innvervisions.

FEATURE: Not My Mate: Doing More to Ensure Women in the Music Industry Are Safe and Respected

FEATURE:

 

 

Not My Mate

PHOTO CREDIT: Liza Summer/Pexels

 

Doing More to Ensure Women in the Music Industry Are Safe and Respected

_________

I have covered this before….

but, as a new campaign by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has caused a bit of anger and mockery, it has got me thinking about music and the way women are received. I have included the photo that appears on billboards. It is essentially a message to men who are advised, if they see a friend of theirs harassing a woman or stepping out of line, to simply say the word ‘mate’  - albeit in an elongated manner. What instantly sprung to mind was a routine that Stewart Lee did for his standout tour, Content Provider. If you listen from 2:18, that is sort of what I picture when I see that billboard. I can sort of see what was being envisaged. A man is out and is stepping out of line. He is coming on too strong. The friend steps in and, rather than confront their mate, they say the word and it is a moment where things can calm down and conversation can begin. I don’t think that something as basic and rather laddish as that word can defuse a situation where there needs to be something deeper and more substantial said. I saw a tweet from someone I follow on Twitter, and they sort of had that same reaction. If you are dealing with a man who is being gross, offensive or sexually harassing a woman, then they are hardly going to change their behaviour with one word!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Anete Lusina/Pexels

There are no links to websites on the billboard. No giant QR code or anything that would take you to resources. You need to have men who do thing is it fine to harass women to have information at their fingertips so they can alter their ways. In music, there are organisations that help to educate people about how to behave around women. Proper conduct. I have seen tweets from Consent Coalition and the good work they do. Safe Gigs provide education and information. They set up stalls at gigs so that people can approach them and they can give them invaluable information and resources. Rather than being security, they are there to ensure there is zero tolerance regarding sexual assault and harassment during gigs. There are other bodies who are out there but, as we do see and read stories of sexual harassment, assault and rape in music, these charities and organisations need support. I was going to say that the Government need to work on a campaign and work alongside these remarkable organisations. Given that there is such a simplistic and ineffectual billboard in London designed to help prevent sexual assault and harassment, it does seem like a lost cause! I think that things will start to change. Even so, today, I read so many cases of women who have suffered sexual assault and abuse.

 PHOTO CREDIT: kues1 via Freepik

The statistics are quite shocking. I have sourced this article before but, as I am thinking about the gulf between government messaging and the grassroots work that is happening and the effectiveness of the former and latter, it is worth bringing in some truly alarming realities regarding the number of women who have been abused or harassed:

“TuneCore and Believe have published their latest ‘Be The Change’ study of gender equality in the music industry, timed to come out on International Women’s Day.

It offers the latest stats on some of the challenges facing women and gender expansive people in music, based on a survey of 1,656 industry folk and musicians.

34% of women surveyed said they had been sexually harassed or abused at work in the music industry, and that percentage rose to 42% for trans people and 43% for nonbinary people.

58% of the people surveyed disagreed with the idea that ‘everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed in the music industry’, with pay gaps, mental health, a lack of access to professional training and development, and being passed over for promotions among the challenges explored.

“We need more change. We, as individuals and as an industry must heed the calls to action and do just that – take action,” said TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson”.

I do feel that there are a lot of vital groups out there who are helping make women feel safer throughout the music industry. Whether providing literature for men so that they can be better educated, through to numbers for charities and support lines that can talk with women affected by abuse and harassment, we need to make sure they are funded and highlighted. The fact there is still a massive problem shows that there does need to be more action and funding. I was shocked by the campaign launched by the Mayor of London. The fact this was deemed substantial and useful! As it has received criticism and mockery shows that it is misjudged and a bit insulting. I am sure that many men use the ‘mate’ word already. That is a way they can get their attention and maybe take them away from a woman/women they are harassing. Beyond that, what happens?! That word will not ring in their ear the next time they think of going too far. Men will not seek help or information if a mate of theirs tries to calm the situation. I know you can only fit so much on a billboard and you need to keep it short enough so that people see it and can absorb the message. One word is not good enough! The music industry has always been blighted by men who harass and abuse women. There have been campaigns and adverts run in the past, but statistics coming out show that we need a new documentary or video that outlines what can be done. How women can find support; how men can educate themselves and do better. You only need to look at articles from last year such as this and this to know that harassment is still rife. The Musicians’ Union aim to stamp out sexual harassment in music. Last year, they produced their findings regarding the degree and prolificacy of sexual harassment and discrimination throughout music. Things have moved on since then but, as sexual harassment and abuse is still rife, it is clear that the Government really…

NEED to do more.

FEATURE: Mick Jagger at Eighty: Like a Rolling Stone: 1968-1972: Highlighting the Legendary Band’s Phenomenal Run of Masterpieces

FEATURE:

 

 

Mick Jagger at Eighty: Like a Rolling Stone

IN THIS PHOTO: The Rolling Stones in 1971 (in a promotional image for Sticky Fingers)/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Webb

 

1968-1972: Highlighting the Legendary Band’s Phenomenal Run of Masterpieces

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I guess that…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts photographed on 20th October, 1969 departing for America from London for their first tour in three years (three weeks, fourteen cities - from L.A. to Miami)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

a lot of artists put together a string of albums that you can see as a golden period. Whether it is Prince’s run of albums between 1981’s Controversy and 1988’s Lovesexy, or David Bowie’s 1971 through 1973 (from Hunky Dory to Aladdin Sane) and 1975 through to 1977 (from Young Americans to “Heroes”), there is something that captures their imagination and leads to these wonderful albums. The momentum then keeps going. There are plenty of other acts that this applies to. Some who have made an entire career of genius albums. In the case of The Rolling Stones, they scored their first real masterpiece with 1968’s Beggars Banquet. That four-album purple batch and golden run ended with 1972’s Exile on Main St. Some feel that this album was an implosion. Even though it got mixed reviews upon its release, it is now considered to be one of The Rolling Stones’ very best albums. I often wonder whether there was that competition with The Beatles. The Rolling Stones released their debut the year after The Beatles’. If the Liverpool band peaked early and then created a work of brilliance, Abbey Road, as the last album they recorded (which was released in 1969), The Rolling Stones took a little longer to get started up. They then continued to make exceptional music after The Beatles broke up. In fact, 1972’s Exile on Main St. could be considered their best work. Perhaps that responsibility of being Britain’s biggest band. Perhaps there was a momentum from 1968 that kept on going. Whatever the reason, there are these four albums that stand out from the rest. As Mick Jagger is eighty on 26th July, I wanted to spend time with The Rolling Stones four albums released during this stunning run. In each case, I will introduce a review, select the best tracks, and I will embed all of the albums for people to listen to. Let’s go back almost fifty-five years to when The Rolling Stones were about to release their finest album to that date. After Beggars Banquet, they then gave us Let It Bleed in 1969; 1972’s Sticky Fingers came a year before the final of that awesome quartet, Exile on Main St. To honour Mick Jagger ahead of his eightieth birthday, let’s step back and take a look inside…

FOUR world-class albums from The Rolling Stones.

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Beggars Banquet

Release Date: 6th December, 1968

Label: Decca

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Standout Tracks: No Expectations/Street Fighting Man/Stray Cat Blues

Review:

“On Beggar’s Banquet the Stones try to come to terms with violence more explicitly than before and in so doing are forced to take up the subject of politics. The result is the most sophisticated and meaningful statement we can expect to hear concerning the two themes — violence and politics — that will probably dominate the rock of 1969.

Politics has not been fashionable since Dylan left it among musicians. There have always been the few hold-outs left over from the folk music period, but despite the mass media’s continually mistaken references to rock and roll as “protest music,” rock musicians have done remarkably little protesting. Protest is a hallmark of the liberal. It is an appeal to the conscience of the majority to remedy some injustice being done to the minority. It presupposes a belief that meaningful change can be worked out within the system. Rock and roll musicians, for the most part, don’t buy that. They don’t take things like government seriously unless they are forced to. They find the whole political process something worthy of contempt.

Protest singers in the past were most often ideologues who set pallid verse to semi-musical melodies. The idea that it is the music that should convey the brunt of their meaning never occurred to them. There were words and there were notes but there wasn’t any music.

The people who are turning to political themes in their music now are different. They don’t do it a as luxury, or for moral reasons. They are doing it because it is part of their lives and they have to express themselves in terms of how what is happening in the streets is affecting their lives.

Beggar’s Banquet is not a polemic or manifesto. It doesn’t advocate anything. It is a reflection of what goes on at the Stones house, with a few pictures of the house itself thrown in for good measure. Part of what that house looks like has to do with what it’s surrounded by and the most startling songs on the album are the ones that deal with the Stones environment: “Salt of the Earth,” “Street Fighting Man,” and “Sympathy for the Devil.” Each is characterized lyrically by a schizoid ambiguity. The Stones are cognizant of the explosions of youthful energy that are going on all around them. They recognize the violence inherent in these struggles. They see them as movements for fundamental change and are deeply sympathetic. Yet they are too cynical to really go along themselves. After all, they are rock and roll musicians, not politicians, and London is such a “sleepy town.”

They make it perfectly clear that they are sickened by contemporary society. But it is not their role to tell people what to do. Instead, they use their musical abilities like a seismograph to record the intensity of feelings, the violence, that is so prevalent now. From the beginning they themselves have been exponents of emotional violence and it’s hard to imagine any group more suited to voicing the feelings of discontent we all share in these most violent of times. Wherever they wind up themselves, they are writing songs of revolution because they are giving powerful expression to the feelings that are causing it.

Musically the Stones express themselves through three basic elements: rhythm, tension, and energy. “Street Fighting Man” is prototypical of the approach. Drummer Charlie Watts lays down an elementary drum pattern, the same one he has been using since “Route 66.” He strikes the high-hat with a near compulsive regularity and hits the snare drum with such a wallop it’s hard to believe the sound is coming out of only one drum. The rhythm guitar is layed over the drum and is characterized by a violent attack which emphasizes the “on” beat. The bass pattern is simple and restrained. Like the guitar it serves to magnify the impact of the beat. The collective effect of the instrumental track is of fantastic thrust forward.

The beat is constantly being pushed, the guitars constantly re-emphasizing the basic movement of the song, the bass providing the perfect floor to the arrangement. And then the voice: Jagger is the source of the tension. At his best (definitely on this track) he sounds like he’s fighting for control, fighting to be heard over the din of the instruments. For all its simplicity it is an amazingly complex style of arranging and a perfect vehicle for expressing the lyrics.

The words are beautiful. Notice how Jagger emphasizes them: “Ev-ry where I hear the sound of charg-ing, march-ing peo-ple.” The Stones obviously revel in the images of charging people: they’ve sure seen enough of them at their concerts. But they are too mature and too realistic to fall into the trap of slogans and easy answers. All they can really do is sing in a rock and roll band.

“Salt of the Earth” continues in the same vein and serves as Jagger’s tribute to the “other half.” Lyrically, the song’s point of view is again ambiguous. Jagger obviously wants to empasize with the “common foot soldier,” the working man, the man who is forced to throw his life away on “back-breaking work” without ever achieving satisfaction. On the other hand, when he looks into their “faceless crowds,” they look “strange.” He has gotten to a point where he can’t really come to terms with their way of thinking. Nonetheless, the tribute goes on and begins to sound a bit like a drinking song. At one point I expect them to all be standing around the bar toasting the veterans of the Spanish Civil War. The double time at the end pushes the song past that stage and helps it regain its movement and vitality. It is typical of Jagger’s honesty that he was unafraid to use a soldier as symbol of “The Salt of the Earth.” They are as much victims as anyone else.

“Sympathy for the Devil” rounds out the group of ambiguous, socially aware songs. To me, it is the most distinguished song and performance of the year. Lyrically, it is a striking picture of a world gone mad. Cops are criminals. Saints are sinners. God is the devil. Whoever is on top makes whoever is beneath him the enemy; actually, it is always the men on top who are the enemy. Those who claim righteousness for themselves are only interested in perpetuating their own power. Those they vilify are really the righteous ones, until they achieve power for themselves. Then they imitate their predecessors and the process repeats itself through history. The narrator, Lucifer, was there when “Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt, of pain.” He was there when “the blitzkreig raged and the bodies stank.” And he lays “traps for troubadors who get killed before they reach Bombay.” And who is telling us all this? A man of wealth and taste. Sounds like what a lot of people would like to become.

The music is brilliant. The cut opens with just the percussion—a sort of syncopated Bo Diddley, precisely the kind of thing Watts excells at. Then they add Nicky Hopkins’ rhythm piano, perfectly understated. Wyman’s simple bass line matches Watts syncopation perfectly. Throughout the cut he adds color to the basic rhythm pattern by throwing in some very pretty, loopy bass lines. After two verses of Jagger’s singing, the background voices add that ultra simple “oo-oo” accompaniment which continues to grow for the duration of the cut. By the time they reach the end, they sound like a plane taking off, accelerating at an inexorable pace until it finally reaches its normal flight speed, at which point it levels itself off.

The rest of the album is made up of largely conventional Stones styled songs. There are some mediocre ones among them, but then that’s part of the Stones. Consistency is not their bag. Among the really fine cuts are “Doctor, Doctor,” “No Expectations,” “Factory Girl” and “Stray Cat Blues.” “No Expectations” is noteworthy for its sentimental melancholy. It has a lovely country feel to it, without actually being an attempt at country music. “Factory Girl” is more of the Stones interest in the working class (remember “Backstreet Girl”) and has a New Lost City Ramblers-type accompaniment, complete with old-timey styled fiddle.

“Stray Cat Blues” is easily the best of the lot and is pure Stones. It deals with their favorite subject: naughty boys and girls. The lyrics are about a groupie and Jagger comes up with some very tough lines: “I’ve heard you’re fifteen years old/But I don’t want your ID” and signs off with “I’ll bet your mother don’t know you can bite like that.”

Beggar’s Banquet is a complete album. While it does not attempt Sgt. Pepper-type unity it manages to touch all the bases. It derives its central motive and mood from the theme of “revolution” but isn’t limited to that. Over at the Stones house there’s plenty of room for groupies, doctors, jigsaw puzzles, factory girls, and broken hearts as well. Yet even these subjects are colored by the impact of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man.” Beggar’s Banquet ought to convince us all that the Stones are right. By putting all these different themes on the same album the Stones are trying to tell us that they all belong together. They do” – Rolling Stone

Key Cut: Sympathy for the Devil

Let It Bleed

Release Date: 28th November, 1969

Label: Decca

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Standout Tracks: Gimme Shelter/Let It Bleed/Monkey Man

Review:

“After disparaging their self-produced 1967 album "Their Satanic Majesties Request" as a work of utter “nonsense,” the Rolling Stones turned to American sound man Jimmy Miller to set things right. And did he ever. Over the next several years, Miller produced a quintet of the band’s finest albums, ranging from "Beggars Banquet" (1968) and "Let It Bleed" (1969) through "Sticky Fingers" (1971), "Exile on Main St." (1972), and "Goats Head Soup" (1973).

In many ways, Miller’s extended collaboration with the Stones marks the pinnacle of their album-length recordings. Not surprisingly, these same records find the band making their finest contributions to the form. With the exception perhaps of "Goats Head Soup," any one of the Miller-produced Stones albums could easily vie to be the group’s prevailing masterwork.

Slated for release this on November 15 in a 50th-anniversary remastered edition, "Let It Bleed" may (pun intended, given the LP’s surrealistic cover art) take the cake. The deluxe version of the original mono and stereo recordings features a spate of goodies, including a set of lithographs, a commemorative book, and unpublished photos by Ethan Russell, the Stones’ tour photographer.

But the real star—as always, when it comes to these types of affairs—is the music. And in this regard, "Let It Bleed" doesn’t disappoint. Painstakingly remastered by Bob Ludwig, the album sounds as fresh and potent as ever. If anything, Ludwig’s efforts have paid off in terms of capturing the original record’s bizarre admixture of hyper-sexualized terror, ersatz-gospel, and terrifying lament.

Originally released in December 1969, "Let It Bleed" explodes into being with “Gimme Shelter.” Then, as now, the record is anchored by the fearsome sense of dread inherent in the song’s lyrics and even more chilling, cautionary music. In the remastered version of the song, “Gimme Shelter” takes on even darker hues, with Merry Clayton’s soaring backing vocals merging with Mick Jagger’s lead in perfect, panic-inducing unison.

For many listeners—in particular, esteemed rock critic Greil Marcus—“Gimme Shelter” already exists as the Stones’ finest moment, although to my ears, Beggars Banquet’s “Sympathy for the Devil” can’t be lagging too far behind. But with the remastered "Let It Bleed," it’s the lesser classics that really come alive under Ludwig’s tutelage. Take “Monkey Man,” with its madcap rock ‘n’ roll gusto or “Midnight Rambler,” Jagger’s fright-provoking retelling of the Boston Strangler’s “silk-stalking” spree murders.

As with other recent remastered editions and remixes associated with rock’s legacy acts, "Let It Bleed" benefits from contemporary audio technology’s capacity for expanding the sound palette and affording half-century old tracks with greater sonic separation and definition. When it comes to "Let It Bleed," there is no better candidate for studio enhancement than the Stones’ epic masterwork “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Intentionally composed by Jagger and Keith Richards as a grandiose rejoinder to the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” took on a life of its own in the studio. In Ludwig’s able hands, the song feels even more expansive, more symphonic—from its plaintive choral preface and Al Kooper’s horn solo through Jagger’s hep-cat vocals and the gospel outro.

While rock music consumers might understandably be overwhelmed by the sheer number of deluxe editions and box sets flooding the market over the past several years, the price of admission when it comes to LPs like the Stones’ "Let It Bleed" is more than justified by the audible results inherent in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” With Ludwig’s superb rendering, you get exactly what you need” – Salon (50th Anniversary reissue)

Key Cut: You Can't Always Get What You Want

Sticky Fingers

Release Date: 23rd April, 1971

Label: Rolling Stones

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Standout Tracks: Wild Horses/Can't You Hear Me Knocking/Sister Morphine

Review:

“The story of the Baby Boomers, and their movement from adolescence to adulthood, has been documented and re-told endlessly. And few bands represent that story, and the move from the relative innocence of the mid-'60s into the hedonism and burnout of the '70s, better than the Rolling Stones. They started out as seemingly polite boys in jackets and ties and they grew and changed in front of the cameras and the microphones. Their music grew darker and more cynical, just like the times. At one of their shows, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, held just as the '60s came to a close, a group of Hell's Angels, possibly enlisted as security, killed a man, and the event, along with the Charles Manson murders four months earlier, have long been held up as the symbolic end of the peace-and-love '60s. Seen in retrospect, the Stones were a Zelig-like band for a while there, somewhere in the mix whenever there was a cultural shift underway.

That post-Altamont moment was the setting for their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, an album reissued many times that was recently released in its most extensive re-packaging yet. From 1968's Beggars Banquet and the following year's Let It Bleed on through this album and 1972's Exile on Main St., the Rolling Stones had one of the great four-album runs in pop music history. This was a time when—on record, at least—they could do no wrong, and Sticky Fingers could reasonably be called their peak. Beggars and Let It Bleed might have had higher highs, but both also had their share of tossed-off tracks; Exile's tossed-off tracks, on the other hand, were pretty much the whole point—it's the underground music's fan's favorite, but it never had the broader cultural impact of its predecessor. Sticky Fingers is where the myth met the songwriting; Keith Richards' riffs and melodies were in full flower, Mick Jagger never sang better, their new guitarist, Mick Taylor, was upping the ante musically, and the whole thing was wrapped up in a brilliant packaging concept by Andy Warhol.

"Brown Sugar" launches the record with its quintessential blues-rock riff and lyrics that get more questionable the closer you listen (Jagger has since said it was a bit of a wind-up, "all the nasty subjects in one go"). But words were secondary for the band at this point—Sticky Fingers is about melody, and playing, and style. The Stones were always fascinated with American music, but after the death of Brian Jones in 1969 and their move away from psychedelia, their connection to blues, R&B, and country music grew even more intense. From the loping country-folk of "Wild Horses" and the tongue-in-cheek honky tonk of "Dead Flowers" to a Mississippi Fred McDowell cover ("You Gotta Move") to the swelling Otis Redding-style R&B of "I Got the Blues" to the crunchy boogie of "Bitch" to the Latin-flavored Santana jams of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", Sticky Fingers is a love letter to these forms, the culmination of obsessions these musicians had had since childhood. But where they once sounded like English boys doing their version of the blues, now their songs felt as lived-in as their inspirations.

By this point, the Stones were so convincing playing rootsy American music it made little sense to compare them to their British peers. Musically at least, the Rolling Stones of 1971 had more in common with the Allman Brothers than they did the Who. Along with the barrelhouse piano, pedal steel, and Stax-like horns, Sticky Fingers was also only the second album to feature the guitar work of Mick Taylor, and his clean, fluid, and highly melodic leads bear a strong resemblance to Duane Allman's playing from this period.

But ultimately, this is Mick Jagger's album, the same way Exile is Keith's. Of all the iconic vocalists in '60s and '70s rock, Jagger remains the hardest to imitate, at least without sounding ridiculous. That's partly because he himself never minded sounding ridiculous, and he turned his almost cartoonish swagger into a form of performance art. Jagger's voice never sounded richer or fuller than it does here (Exile mostly buried it, to artful effect), but he's doing strange things with it, mimicking and exaggerating accents, mostly from the American South, with an almost religious fervor.

When the Stones were coming up, the line on British singers is that they sounded American because they grew up listening to those records; on Sticky Fingers, Jagger pushes that kind of mimicry to places that run just short of absurd. His twang on "Dead Flowers" is obviously played for laughs, but "You Gotta Move" is harder to get a bead on, partway between homage and parody and delivered with abandon. "I Got the Blues" is utterly sincere, with Jagger flinging every ounce of his skinny frame into it. Wherever he stands in relation to the material, Jagger is selling it, hard, and by extension selling himself as a new kind of vocalist. "Sister Morphine" and "Moonlight Mile" are the two songs that stray furthest from American music reverence, and they are highlights, showing how well the Stones could convey weariness and a weird kind of blown-out and wasted beauty.

With reissue culture in overdrive, we're seeing which classic bands kept the most in their vaults. The Stones, like Zeppelin, didn't keep much. The 2010 version of Exile on Main St. pretty much cleaned out the vault as far as music from this era, so what we have here are alternate mixes, an inferior but still interesting different take of "Brown Sugar" with Eric Clapton, the one true rarity that has long circulated but never been officially issued. There's also, depending on which version you get, a good deal of vintage live Stones, which is the main thing to get their fans excited. Selections from two 1971 gigs, both recorded well, capture the band in a peak year.

To my ears the Stones' live prowess has never quite translated to recordings. The best live records are about more: more heaviness, more jamming, more crowd noise, more energy. And their music didn't necessarily benefit from increasing any one of those things. Their songs were about a certain amount of balance between all of the elements, which is why their recordings sound so platonically perfect. With their live records, you can focus on the grooves and the riffs and the collective playing, but it's easier to notice moments of sloppiness and mistakes. Still, as far as live Stones on record, the material here is about as good as you will get.

The Stones entered the '70s still young and beautiful, but they'd have their share of problems just like everyone else; they got into disco and then in the '80s they dressed like they were on "Miami Vice" and then finally they fully understood what nostalgia for them was really worth and they discovered the power of corporate synergy. Given the weight of history behind it and its centrality to the story of both the Rolling Stones and rock music as a whole, it can be difficult to put on Sticky Fingers and try and hear it for what it was: the highly anticipated new album from one of the biggest bands in the world, a group that at the time hadn't released a new one in two years (in 1971, that was an eternity). They were called the World's Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band for entirely too long, but if that designation ever applied it was here” – Pitchfork

Key Cut: Brown Sugar

Exile on Main St.

Release Date: 12th May, 1972

Label: Rolling Stones

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Standout Tracks: Rocks Off/Rip This Join/Shine a Light

Review:

“Greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its original release, Exile on Main St. has become generally regarded as the Rolling Stones' finest album. Part of the reason why the record was initially greeted with hesitant reviews is that it takes a while to assimilate. A sprawling, weary double album encompassing rock & roll, blues, soul, and country, Exile doesn't try anything new on the surface, but the substance is new. Taking the bleakness that underpinned Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers to an extreme, Exile is a weary record, and not just lyrically. Jagger's vocals are buried in the mix, and the music is a series of dark, dense jams, with Keith Richards and Mick Taylor spinning off incredible riffs and solos. And the songs continue the breakthroughs of their three previous albums. No longer does their country sound forced or kitschy -- it's lived-in and complex, just like the group's forays into soul and gospel. While the songs, including the masterpieces "Rocks Off," "Tumbling Dice," "Torn and Frayed," "Happy," "Let It Loose," and "Shine a Light," are all terrific, they blend together, with only certain lyrics and guitar lines emerging from the murk. It's the kind of record that's gripping on the very first listen, but each subsequent listen reveals something new. Few other albums, let alone double albums, have been so rich and masterful as Exile on Main St., and it stands not only as one of the Stones' best records, but sets a remarkably high standard for all of hard rock” – AllMusic

Key Cut: Tumbling Dice